I’ve said a lot of stupid things in my life. Things I’d love to be able to take back. But, as they say, you can’t unring the bell.
I remember the first time I met Sonia, who, along with her husband Mike, had just opened Stucko’s Pub & Grill on North Third Street. She was very friendly, telling me all about the plans for their new venture.
Because it seems my mouth operates independently from my brain, and thinking stucko was something you put on the side of a house, I asked Sonia… “Why did you give it an odd name like Stucko’s?”
“Because that’s our name… Stucko,” she said. I immediately knew how stupid I sounded, and she knew how stupid I sounded, and I knew she knew how stupid I sounded.
Fast forward twenty years and I was welcomed back to meet with Sonia again. This time along with Mike, and the two people who will be taking over the rightly named, Stucko’s.
Busting a Move
Yes, Sonia and Mike are moving on from ownership of their popular pub and turning the keys over to Emily Sales and Jeff Walker, seen above flanked by the Stuckos.
It looks like it’s going to be a smooth transition. Both Emily and Jeff, partners in business and life, are current employees with years of experience, and a Shoopful of mentoring at the hands of the Stuckos. (A Shoop is an extra-large draft beer available locally only at Stucko’s.)
If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It
Changes? Maybe one. Jeff would like to look at expanding their hours. Maybe get back to pre-pandemic days. Other than that, the plan is to roll with what’s working.
Anyone who has patronized Stucko’s knows Sonia and Mike know what they’re doing when developing staff. Emily and Jeff are a good example. With experience in every aspect of the operation, and a crew they think will enjoy working for them as much as with them, they can set themselves up for their own twenty year run.
The History, as I Recall It
I vaguely remember the business on that corner, a long time ago, as a gas station. After that shut down, I think the building sat empty for a while until it became Pap’s Pub, followed by The Pub, then the Village Pub, and finally, Stucko’s.
What About Breakers?
You may know the Stuckos also own Breakers Roadhouse on West Baraga. Never fear, they plan on keeping that in the family. They just want to scale back a little to spend more time with their daughter before she heads off to college.
They’re also very active in extra-curricular activities that take plenty of time and talent as well. Sonia is coach, treasurer, and a key player for the Marquette Roller Derby team while Mike is the current president and a sax player for the Marquette City Band.
With the 20th Anniversary of their ownership coming up on July 5th, Sonia and Mike are circling that date for the change to become official.
Shout out to both couples. Good luck to Emily and Jeff, and for Sonia and Mike, we’ll see you at Breakers!
Plan Bee
The more you learn about bees, the more you realize how important they are to our world. They do a lot more than just sting.
According to people who know about such things, bees are the primary pollinators for flowers, fruits, and vegetables. If you’re like me, and you don’t remember everything you didn’t learn in school… pollination is “the transfer of pollen from a flower’s male part (anther) to the female part (stigma).”
Pollen is the stuff that facilitates the reproductive process. Key types of pollination include “self-pollination and cross-pollination,” which are crucial for plant biodiversity and food production.
If my junior high science teacher had just said, “Now we’re going to learn about the sex life of plants,” I might have paid more attention.
Anyway, bees are important.
More than Stingers
Bees are also the source of a beloved sweet treat… honey. Yes, beloved. You don’t call your wife syrup. You call her honey.
There aren’t many things in your cupboard as unique as honey. Did you know, if stored properly, it never goes bad? And, in addition to adding sweetness to anything on your table, it also has a number of medicinal qualities.
To find out more, I reached out to local beekeeper Garry Tollefson, who got into the practice after finding honey provided relief from his allergies. When an associate had noticed his condition, “he brought me local honey and had me take a tablespoon every morning. To this day, I no longer need shots or allergy pills.”
That was the spark that prompted Garry to establish his own apiary and become a local producer through his business, GT’s Bees. One of a number of area beekeepers, Garry is a great source for anyone considering getting into beekeeping. “I am always up for talking bees with someone and helping them. Beekeeping is enjoyable for most with many techniques in play.”
In case you’re wondering, like I was, how many bees are employed by a typical commercial aviary, Garry says, “I kept 122-130 hives the last couple of years with my honey yield being 9,450 pounds last year. There are approximately 50-80 thousand bees per hive.” Uh, yeah… that’s more than six million bees. Sounds intimidating, but Garry explains, “They do all the work…I just help.”
Shop Local, Honey
Honey from GT’s Bees is available at grocery stores and specialty shops throughout the central U.P.
If you think you might be interested in getting into beekeeping, you can learn more at tomorrow’s Upper Peninsula Beekeeping Conference at the Island Resort & Casino in Harris. If you go, look for Garry. He’ll bee there.