PROGRESS ON THE homeless front in Marquette. Police chief Blake Rieboldt, whose department has faced difficulties with Room at the Inn and the Warming Center in the past, says the relationship has changed. The primary reason? Nick Emmendorfer, who took over as executive director at RATI last year. "We're setting up ... Continue Reading
Room at the Inn Hires New Director
NICK EMMENDORFER, the district representative for Congressman Jack Bergman, has been selected as the new executive director of the Room at the Inn. He'll replace Doug Russell who was terminated from his job a couple of months ago. Emmendorfer is only 28 years old, an NMU graduate, and a longtime volunteer at RATI. "He's ... Continue Reading
Unrest at Room at the Inn
ROOM AT THE Inn, Marquette's program that provides lodging, meals, counseling, and warmth for the homeless, has hit a rough patch. Consider this. In the last couple of months, RATI has... Terminated its executive director, Doug Russell.Dismissed two paid staff members.Lost three members of its board, including ... Continue Reading
A Different Kind of Christmas Story
SHAWN SALO DOESN'T much believe in the joy of the holiday season. He lives alone, he's not religious, and he's been chronically depressed since he was fifteen. But wait! There's more to this story than you might think. This isn't just another one of those "Christmastime leads to depression" stories. Shawn's forty ... Continue Reading
The Room at the Inn Firing: What Really Happened
IT CAME AS a surprise--even a shock--to many of us. Doug Russell, the highly respected executive director of Room at the Inn and this community's leading advocate for the homeless, was terminated. Fired. It seemed to come out of the blue, totally unexpected. And unfair, as well. After all, the man wasn't making a ton ... Continue Reading