The Evolution of a Cause

Long before most of us were around, in 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt founded the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, to combat polio.

After funding Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine, and essentially eradicating that disease, the organization closed up shop and everybody went home.

No… wait.  That’s not what happened at all!  Recognizing the ability of their organization to do good things, and the need for good things to be done, the nonprofit morphed into what we now know as the March of Dimes.  With a new mission, they continued to take on the healthcare challenges that still existed in our nation, particularly birth defects and infant mortality.

Citizens United

A similar story, with a different focus, is being written by the Citizens for a Safe & Clean Lake Superior (CSCLS).  This nonprofit was founded in 2020 by a group of passionate area residents opposed to the idea of a rocket launch site being built in Powell Township, on the shore of Lake Superior.

This grass roots movement initiated a campaign called Stop the Rocket, and enlisted sympathizers from across the nation to join the fight against what they considered an “ill-conceived” plan with little to no value to the residents of the Upper Peninsula.

Basing their objections on both scientific and ideological arguments, the group, headed up by their first and current president Denny Ferraro, assembled a dedicated coalition of opponents and took their message to the streets.

Taking on the agency behind the launch site proposal, the well-financed Michigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association, was no small task.  Counting on the theory of “right makes might,” the CSCLS ultimately prevailed, and the story of the scuttled launch site is now just another footnote in the story behind the environmental protection of Lake Superior.

With that success under their belts, tightened as they were, the CSCLS followed the March of Dimes’ template and rededicated their mission to other environmental challenges.  Recognizing the need, and having identified a broad and committed base of support, the organization has continued going forward, working to honor the goal of their original mission… protect the environment.

Quiet but effective

Like many of our area nonprofits, the Citizens for a Safe & Clean Lake Superior take on their newfound challenges quietly, behind the scenes, without making the kind of waves they did when protesting the spaceport.  Those challenges are, however, no less important.

My attention was brought back to the group when I saw they were hosting an event called “tape the vapes.”  According to the invitation to participate in the bi-monthly gathering, sent out by agency director Jane Fitkin, they “collect used disposable nicotine vape devices to prevent their hazardous components from plaguing our waterways and landfills. Because of the lithium battery inside, the devices must be taped before being placed into short-term storage for recycling.”

If you think this sounds insignificant and monotonous, you’re only half right. Though vape devices are small, and easy to just throw in the garbage, their hazardous implications are considerable.  And, with a small but staunch group of allies, seen above, the CSCLS has taken on the job of disarming the discarded vapes and forwarding them to safe storage.

Similar to our area’s battery disposal program, there are spots around town accepting used vapes.  Fitkin says they’re working on building a network of disposal sites, but right now, Kenny’s, on the corner of Fourth and Hewitt, is the most convenient.

Much more to do

Taping vapes is just one of the many initiatives the CSCLS has evolved to.  According to Fitkin, “One of the main focuses we have right now is protecting wetlands in the Superior watershed, as they provide many essential services to both our ecosystems and communities!  We also play an important role in holding polluters accountable for impacts to the Superior watershed by advocating for the Lake in the face of proposed projects.”

Of course, education is a big part of the organization’s focus.  “We’ve been hosting a series of community lectures, called Superior on Tap, at the Ore Dock, with experts presenting on different aspects of wetlands (science, policy, conservation), and also talking about other issues important to the Superior watershed. We actually have one next Thursday, which will focus on the impacts of tourism in the UP.”

Though they haven’t changed their name, like, thankfully, the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis did, they have refocused their mission.

Hey… if you can stop a rocket launch, you start believing you can do anything.

In Other Words…

Superior Observations

Regular visitors to the Superior Dome… walkers and others, may have noticed work being done in several areas.  Most noticeable is attention being given to the new turf, a replacement for the former fake grass, which had apparently worn out its welcome.

It seems that roll of fresh carpeting might be a little too big for its handlers to manage. In other words… it ain’t rollin up the way it’s supposed to.  In addition to that, the exaggerated grain of the longer blades makes for uneasy footing.

Hopefully the company that supplied the turf can help make it work, or maybe it just needs to be broken in. Think of the last time you replaced carpeting in your home.  Now multiply that by a dome.  It’s never as easy as it looks.

Walkers have also had to navigate around a number of leak buckets placed in various locations throughout the concourse.  Is it time for a new roof?  If so… will we have our choice of colors?  The initial silver covering, and the current… we’ll call it beige, have been okay, but maybe it’s time to get the art department involved and come up with something a little more striking.

ConGradulations?

The Mining Journal’s annual special section saluting area high school graduates featured some odd entries.  Schools are typically featured with facts and figures about the graduating classes, accompanied by photos of honored students and other interesting tidbits.

This year?  Not so much.  Marquette Senior High School was well-represented, but others found their special section lacking in the tributes we’ve come to expect.  Negaunee High School grads, in particular, were celebrated with a third-page spread containing a photo of one student, with no explanation other than her name, and two sponsor ads.  Westwood High School topped that with photos of two students, and two ads.  Others were similarly lacking.

It’s entirely possible the schools dropped the ball and failed to provide the Journal with the necessary information.  I did reach out to the Journal for an explanation, but didn’t hear back.

Being in the industry, I understand when things don’t go as planned.  Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait a year to see if that was an aberration, or a new way of saluting our graduates.

The Rumor Mine

A somewhat reliable source has told me the Upfront building is about to be sold… to Eric Jorgensen, owner of Marquette Mountain.  Efforts to confirm the sale have been fruitless, but I’ve invested enough into this story to just go ahead with the rumor… and hope it’s true.

(Full disclosure… I’ve also been told by a different somewhat reliable source that it’s not going to happen, due to a liquor license issue.)

While I’ve been this close to giving up on anything positive ever happening there again, I’m buoyed by the thought of a progressive and successful businessman taking over and bringing new life to what would absolutely be a great addition to our vibrant downtown.

On the other hand, if this rumor goes bust, we won’t be any worse off than we were before I went with it.  Disappointed, but no worse off.