"IT'S THE ELEPHANT in the room that nobody wants to talk about." Those are the words of Marquette Police Chief Blake Rieboldt. He's talking about the homeless people in town, and more specifically about the problems some of them are creating for his police force. In 2015 and 2016 combined, his officers responded to ... Continue Reading
Big Addition to Downtown, No Big Changes at Babycakes, Nobody at the Bayou, a One Man Gym Downtown, a Diabetic Study in Harvey, a Yellow Facelift for the Wooden Nickel, and a Dubious Award for Ishpeming
LOOKS LIKE MARQUETTE will soon be getting a major new tenant in the heart of downtown. The Chamber of Commerce and the UP Masonic Association will be signing a memorandum of understanding in the next week or so to develop a "coworking" space at the Masonic Square on Washington Street. It's a big deal. Five thousand ... Continue Reading
The Ball is Back, and the Spectacle is Better than Ever
THE BALL DROP is back for New Years Eve in Marquette. And it'll be a new ball dropped from a new building. You can thank the Double Trouble boys and the Downtown Development Authority. A couple of weeks ago, JP Electric announced that, after a few decades of conducting the ball drop from the Savings Bank ... Continue Reading
Ball Drop in Jeopardy
LOOKS LIKE MARQUETTE won't be celebrating its traditional New Year's Eve ball drop this year. JP Electric. which has conducted the drop on a volunteer basis since 1988, will not be involved this year. Owner John Prince says he and his staff are getting older, the ball drop has always been a little risky, and it's time to ... Continue Reading
The Yellow Wall, Duck Pond, Orphanage Sale, Chamber Celebration, German Restaurant, and a Beer Party
THAT "YELLOW WALL" dispute on Front Street refuses to die down. The two parties are going to court again and it looks like the matter may not be resolved for a couple of months, maybe longer. Too bad for everybody involved, including the city. Quick background: The three White sisters grew up in Marquette but then ... Continue Reading