Still Homeless
IN CASE YOU HAVEN’T NOTICED, our homeless issue is still a thing. The Warming Center on West Washington is still a gathering spot for those seeking warmth and sustenance. The police are still responding to complaints about the misbehavior of some of those wandering the streets. And our citizenry is still struggling to find answers.
As warmer weather approaches, our homeless population will find the days and nights easier to navigate, but they still won’t have permanent housing. I guess the keyword through all this is “still.” Many of us are looking forward to the day when the keyword regarding our homeless issue becomes “was.” As in, it was a problem, but no longer.
But how to make that come true? It’s going to require a dedicated community effort. Room at the Inn can’t do it by themselves. The City of Marquette can’t just make the problem go away. And no one person, be they an elected official or a landlord, can wave their hand and make homelessness go away.
Here’s Your Chance
If you’re actually interested in helping address the issue, there’s an event taking place this weekend you should consider attending. NMU students Grace Rieger and Anna Fry are hosting the session. “We are currently in a human rights course for our Master’s of Social Work program, and our semester project was to identify a human rights violation in the community and address this issue in an actionable way. We knew we wanted to approach a social issue through music and its ability to inspire joy, resistance, and resiliency.”
It’s happening Saturday night at the Ore Dock, beginning at 6:30. Folks who work at the Warming Center, including RATI Executive Director Chelsea Wilkinson, will be there to share their observations about the challenges facing the homeless, and how an engaged community can make a difference.
(Warning: Prolonged exposure to Chelsea Wilkinson may be hazardous to the coldest heart. Symptoms include: buying into her passionate plea for homeless aid, joining the effort to reduce our number of homeless citizens, and learning that the problems facing the homeless are not without solutions.)
Here’s Your Reward
If you’re there for the approximately hour long info session, you’ll be rewarded with a free concert featuring local favorites, the Make-Believe Spurs, followed by a really good indie-rock band from Houghton, Willowby.
Spurs front man Brian Wallen has his own reasons for supporting the cause. “When I started talking to friends who volunteer or work with Room at the Inn and The Women’s Center, I learned that just about all of the people they serve are local. Yoopers. Folks who, for a myriad of reasons end up in a bad spot. There are families. Children. The Women’s Center and RATI largely serve the same population.”
He continues, “By pure coincidence, the timing of my interest dovetailed with a noticeable shift in the tone of conversations about our local homeless population. I think it should be important to people because the homeless aren’t an object, or something abstract. They are human beings, right here in our community.”
It boils down to this… you can complain, or you can get involved. Saturday night’s event would be a good place to start.
Help for Westwood Mall
The doors are still locked at the Westwood Mall. When, or if, they’re ever unlocked again is anybody’s guess. As I’m sure you recall, the businesses out there had already been dealing with ownership issues… like delinquent tax payments and the power being shut off. But even though the future has been uncertain for some time, they probably didn’t figure a roof cave-in would be their undoing.
Grace Blair did a TV6 Investigates report Wednesday and actually got to talk to mall owner Mike Kohan. All he said was they’re working with their insurance company and hopefully the issue can be resolved and they can fix it. Cold comfort to business owners stuck in limbo.
I don’t think we can overstate the impact that has had on more than a dozen local businesses. It’s bad enough when one business has to shut down for reasons beyond their control. But this was like a full city block of stores just suddenly sent scrambling.
LSCP Stepping Up
Every business out there is unique, with their own set of challenges, none of them easy. With that the case, the Lake Superior Community Partnership has stepped up to help address the issue.
Mary Myers, Director of Economic Development Services, is heading up the Lake Superior Community Partnership’s effort to assist the unsettled businesses negotiate the immediate future.
“We’re connecting with the businesses to better understand their specific challenges. Because every situation is different, our role is simply to help connect them with the right local resources and opportunities based on their needs, whether that’s identifying temporary locations or exploring options like the EDC Revolving Loan Fund.” Helping with cash flow? That’s a good thing. It’s not just a logistical headache, but a financial burden as well.
“We recognize how important these businesses are to our community and are committed to doing everything we can do support their continued presence here,” Myers says.
Affected businesses can contact the LSCP in order to take advantage of what they can offer. Seems like just the kind of thing an organization like the LSCP should be doing… and they are.
More Live Music
I see Lagniappe has announced a return to live music… at least for a couple of months. Every Wednesday and Thursday night through May they’ll feature a different group… turning up the volume, New Orleans style. Their words.
This might not seem to be the biggest local entertainment news, but to me it’s a hopeful signal we might be returning to the days before Covid, when restaurants stayed open past sunset, and live music was easy to find Are we working our way back? Maybe… one dance step at a time.