LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON in the Casa Calabria parking lot. The Mothers Day rush. "It was a nightmare," says Casa owner Jim Johnson. A nightmare because the Casa had only recently reopened only for take-out, and the orders on this special day at one of Marquette's favorite restaurants had arrived like a tsunami. Two ... Continue Reading
Lee LaForge Memorial, a Viral Posting on Facebook, and DeRocha’s Is Sold
THE MEMORIAL SERVICE for Lee LaForge will be held Tuesday, June 21st, at the Ore Dock Brewing Company. Time undetermined. LaForge died late last week in his sleep, apparently from sleep apnea. He'd been dealing with the condition for years. For many folks, he was the big bear of a man behind the counter at BookWorld ... Continue Reading
Mystery Wind Turbines, an Alleged Theft, a Turnaround Downtown, Ishpeming Goes Western, and the U.P. Goes Viral
IT'S STILL A mystery. Who is planning to install 120 huge wind turbines in Marquette and Baraga counties? Nearly 40 of the units, according to maps, would be located in and around the Yellow Dog Plains which many consider a pristine wilderness that should be left alone. Environmentalists fought to prevent the Lundin mine ... Continue Reading
Wind Turbines in the UP, VAST Insurance in a Partnership, TV 6 on Facebook, Darwin and Beer, and a Street Party in the Snow
IT'S BEEN ALL hush-hush so far, but someone has plans to build 120 wind turbines in Baraga County and northwestern Marquette County. That's a huge wind project. Plans were submitted to MISO last August. MISO is the Midcontinent Independent System Operator which regulates power transmission in several states and ... Continue Reading
Dark Stores, Bold Crosswalks, Plugged-in City Manager, Global Professor, and a Chocolate Risk-Taker
ANY LEGISLATION TO resolve the "dark store" controversy isn't going to happen until this fall at the earliest. State Representative John Kivela (D) and State Senator Tom Casperson (R) now plan to introduce their bills in both chambers in September. The UP legislators have written up two bills: One would no longer ... Continue Reading