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
Homeless Woman Finds a Home
AUTUMN IS HER name. She's 23 years old, a gal from Nebraska. She arrived in Alger County a couple of years ago with her father. She hadn't been able to get along with her mother and stepfather back home so she thought she'd give the U.P. a try with her dad. Start a new life for herself. Didn't work out. She and her ... Continue Reading
Hospital Construction Rumors, Homeless Summit, Tysen Update, Downtown Signage Controversy, and a Photography Star
RUMORS FLYING AROUND the construction site of the new hospital. And responses quickly coming back from the hospital. First, some workers claim that there's been some settling and sagging of the floors of the building. "Deflection" is apparently the construction term. Remember, this is reclaimed land that's been ... Continue Reading