A WISE MAN ONCE said, “Nothing ever ends well.” Okay, maybe not so wise… it was me. And even though I may have plagiarized the comment, I did say it. Regardless of who said it first, in most cases, it’s true. The fact is, if things are going well, they usually don’t end.
In this age of Facebook, Instagram, and all other platforms that provide news and information in real time, we typically hear of things like endings and closings before the electronic ink has dried.
Someone else, not me, once said, “Bad news travels fast, while good news takes the scenic route.” That’s why, when I crank up the old interweb machine first thing in the morning, I’m leery of what bad news awaits me. What just closed? What just ended? What are we going to do now?
A Good Example
It wasn’t exactly like the Kennedy assassination, but I actually remember where I was when I heard Bonanza was closing. Bonanza!
How could this be? Wasn’t their parking lot always full? Weren’t Mitch and Ed going to be there forever… making small talk and refilling our coffee cups and adding more veggies to the salad bar and reminding us to have a root beer float?
Turns out, they weren’t going to be there forever. It seems things like pouring bottomless cups of coffee and keeping the salad bar fully-stocked and the ice cream machine cold as… well, ice, puts quite a strain on the bottom line. Who knew?
And just like that… no Bonanza. Maybe if we’d known, we would have eaten there more than we said we did, and Bonanza would still be with us today.
Other Surprise Endings
Of course, Bonanza’s only one example of a surprise ending to something we thought was on firm footing and would be around forever. For different reasons, over the years, we’ve said goodbye to a variety of events and businesses, like, the Negaunee Invitational Tournament, the Marquette Blues Fest, the Gwinn Varsity football season, Upfront & Company, Shopko, the Northwoods Supper Club, the Courtyards, and most recently, BioLife Plasma Services.
Yeah. There’s no ending more definitive than taking the last of our blood.
However, occasionally, we get fair warning when something we’ve always counted on needs our assistance. Now, before I go any further, I must offer this disclaimer… I am in no way suggesting the following entities are in danger of shutting down. Only that they are, like many other well-established operations, financially challenged, and can use our help.
Women’s Federated Clubhouse
You may have recently seen notice of various fundraising efforts taking place in support of the Women’s Federated Clubhouse, seen above. The campaign caught my attention when I noticed it was called the “Save the Clubhouse Concert Series.”
I reached out to the Marquette Federation of Women’s Clubs to find out more about their need for support. I heard back from Luci Contois, a Member of the Board of the Women’s Federated Clubhouse. “Our fundraising is designed, first, to address some infrastructure issues,” Contois says. That’s not surprising, considering the building goes back to the 1880s. Other improvement projects include the updating of sewer lines, some exterior work, a lot of painting, and upgrades to their tech systems.
The clubhouse is not only available for event space on a rental basis, but also serves as the home to the American Association of University Women, the Lake Superior Piano Workshop, the Marquette Area Piano Teachers Association, the Marquette Lions Club, and the Marquette Area Zonta Club.
Different Ways to Donate
Their fundraising is taking place in a few different forms. According to Contois, “We are looking at pursuing a variety of grants; the clubhouse is registered as an historic building and is the first house as you go east on Ridge and Arch of the Historic District in Marquette. In addition, The Clubhouse is the only visible testament to the women’s movement of the late 1800’s into the 1920’s that was happening nationwide.”
The fundraiser I became aware of is the “Save the Clubhouse” concert series. Their second concert is today from 4 to 5pm and features the local folk band Cloverland. It’s donation based, and could be a nice early evening stop before you head out to dinner, or whatever you may have planned for your Saturday night.
Contois explains further, “The clubhouse operation has always depended on some form of fundraising, as we are a non-profit entity. The reason for its current financial needs is largely due to the Covid Pandemic. Our revenue comes, primarily, from community rentals and our annual fundraiser. Those sources of revenue were completely cut off for 2 years and the rentals were slow to come back.
Worth Saving
“The community supported the women 100 years ago to start the clubhouse and we hope the community will participate again. If we lose the clubhouse, then we will lose this monument to a significant time in our history…..a picture is worth a thousand words; without a visible structure, the women’s contribution will be lost to the community’s memory.”
Watch for more opportunities to donate to this cause. The clubhouse is an important part of our community’s history and worth whatever it takes to see it continue in operation.
WNMU Public TV and Radio
You’re probably aware of cuts amounting to $1.1 billion being made to public broadcasting, which will have a direct impact on television and radio stations operated by Northern Michigan University.
Patrick Lakenen, Director of Broadcast and Audio Visual | GM WNMU-TV/FM, says, “We remain deeply disappointed by Congress’s decision to defund public media. WNMU is addressing this challenge on multiple fronts.”
Fundraising Experts
No stranger to fundraising, NMU’s public broadcasters will be pulling out all the stops to ensure a future on solid ground. “We are working with our national partners, programming sources, and vendors to ease the financial burden in the short and long-term,” Lakenen says. “We are implementing operational efficiencies and planning further cost reductions that aim to retain WNMU’s core mission and focus on financial resilience. We are also seeking additional grant opportunities, foundation support, and other funding opportunities. Finally, we are engaging WNMU supporters and underwriters to ask for their continued and increased support in these unprecedented times.”
And though it often gets overlooked, it should be noted, the university’s public broadcast stations aren’t there just for our entertainment. According to Lakenen, “Students are involved in all aspects of WNMU. We rely on them daily in our operations.
“Northern Michigan University students are actively involved with WNMU TV and Radio in a variety of meaningful ways. Our television studios double as classrooms for NMU’s media production courses, giving students direct access to a professional broadcast environment as part of their academic experience.”
Career Prep
Lakenen explains, “Beyond the classroom, students gain hands-on experience through NMU sports broadcasting, on-air radio announcing, live productions, field recordings, and studio production work. Many students are employed by WNMU and play a vital role in our daily operations. “Through this close partnership, WNMU serves as both a learning laboratory and a launchpad for NMU students pursuing careers in media and communication.”
Last time I checked, the media and communication industries were employing a lot of people. Seems like a fairly important academic discipline. Certainly one worth saving.
Again, I’m not announcing the closure of anything. I’m telling you about these things, because that’s exactly what I DON’T want to do.