HOMELESS ADVOCATES HAVE been talking about it for the last few years--the need for a permanent shelter for the homeless in Marquette. The questions have remained, though: Where to locate it? And how to pay for it? Nick Emmendorfer, the executive director of Room at the Inn, says he and his board may have come up with ... Continue Reading
Protecting the Lake from Pollution, and Easing the Burden for Churches
THERE'VE BEEN CONCERNS recently about storm runoff in Marquette polluting Lake Superior. The photo above, showing a stream of street runoff flowing directly into the Lake near McCarty's Cove, illustrates the problem perfectly. City Manager Mike Angeli concedes it's something the city needs to work on but insists it ... Continue Reading
Friendship Looming Between Police and RATI, and Where’d the Beach Trash Go?
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
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