The Munising Beacon continues the tradition of recapping the major stories of the year for public review. Since this is our first year of operation, the stories only go back until May, but still provides the public with a selection of stories impacting the area. Look for our first installation in the December 30, 2022 edition and join us next week as we wrap up 2022 in the next edition of The Munising Beacon.
August 5 Anderson approved as new MFD Chief after Malone retirement
Ryan “Red” Anderson is officially the new Munising Volunteer Fire Department Chief after a unanimous vote by the Munising City Commission on Wednesday, August 3.
“I’ve got some very big shoes to fill, especially if I want to do half as good of a job as [Dan Malone],” Anderson said.
Current Chief Malone will stay on the job until September 12, allowing a transition period for Anderson to learn the position.
Local flavor on tap for return of “Beer on the Bay”
A beautiful day at Munising’s Bayshore Park was capped with beer in hand and friends all around for the return of Beer on the Bay, a craft beer festival presented by the Munising Moose Lodge.
“It looks terrific,” Munising Moose Lodge Treasurer and Beer on the Bay Organizer John Deisenroth said. “It’s a great day, the weather couldn’t be better and people are enjoying themselves.”
This is the return of Beer on the Bay after losing the last two years to the COVID-19 pandemic. Volunteer shortages and finding vendors also added to the difficulties of restarting the event.
Murray Bay rocks a floating
concert
Boats of all shapes and sizes came into Grand Island’s Murray Bay for a first-of-its-kind floating concert. The Michael Lee Band, which performed the night before in Munising, hopped on an extended dock off the back of a boat and played blues rock for a 90-minute set to hundreds of people.
“I figured there would be a handful of people there, but didn’t expect that,” concert organizer Scott Kusmirek said. “Pretty amazing to see that many boats turn up without doing something like that before.”
According to the band – Michael Lee on vocals and guitar, Brian Miller on bass, and Face Hayes on drums – the acoustics for the concert were great, citing the natural landscape of Murray Bay and the amphitheater style of the boats coming around creating a more direct and intimate experience.
Wave action kept the boat moving back and forth, allowing the stage to slightly spin around an anchor point, which then increased the amount of direct line of sight to the fans in the boats.
Records fall in Grand Island run
Fast times came in all three races for this year’s Grand Island Trail Run, held on Grand Island on Saturday, July 30.
“Times were very fast this year. The 50k times are remarkably fast,” said Jeff Crumbaugh, who is one of the races’ co-directors. “We had good conditions with the weather and great volunteers across the course. Remarkable achievements all around.”
Oliver Miatke broke the half-marathon record with a 1:24:53.3, which is roughly 6:48/mile pace. The 17-year-old from Duluth finished more than nine minutes faster than downstate’s second place winner Andrew Althaus, who finished with a time of 1:34:12.4. Meagan Thomas of downstate Ferndale finished seventh overall and was the first woman to finish the half marathon.
In the marathon, Joe McFarren won with a time of 3:11:51.4, or a 7:32/ mile pace. Darcy Irvine of Charlotte, Mich. won the women’s marathon with a time of 3:50:45.1, which was eighth overall.
In the 50k, Yooper Ben Holland took home the top prize with a 3:44:00.2.
Aug. 12 Alger County Fair showcases county life
The Alger County Fair and Chatham Homecoming ran last weekend at the county fairgrounds in Chatham, hosting hundreds of people from around the area. Organizers were pleased how the event went.
“The fair is always successful, but this one was very successful,” Alger County Fair Board President Paul Naasz. “A little challenging with the heat on Saturday, but overall, it went well.”
Attendance numbers have not been released as of publication, but it was estimated that attendance for the Friday and Saturday were up over last year, but slightly down on Sunday. Saturday’s pig roast sales and Friday’s Little Miss Pageant entries were down from 2021, but still higher than pre-pandemic numbers. Vendor booths, parade participants and 5k runners were all up compared to last year.
Munising spends first ARPA funds
During the August 3, 2022, Munising City Commission meeting, the board met on a handful of projects including the first dispersal of American Rescue Plan Act funds.
The committee recommended setting aside housing for now, and decided to allocate monies to $5,000 for the Mather Elementary School playground project; $2,500 for Alger Parks and Recreation Department, which is looking to renovate a couple rooms in the community center for a childcare space; $585 for the Alger County Fairgrounds; and up to $20,000 for Audio Visual equipment for City Hall to stream meetings. That left approximately $200,000 for future projects to be researched and allocated, such as retention of young workers, play spaces, economic development, and enhancing community quality of life.
Aug 19 Animal Shelter lease to end
The Alger County Commission decided to not extend the existing lease of the Alger County Animal Shelter at the commission’s regular meeting on Monday, August 15. The current lease ends August 31, 2022. The decision follows a recommendation from the county’s civil attorney Roger Zappa, according to statements made at Monday’s meeting.
The lease itself has been extended in one- or two month periods consistently by the Alger County Commission since the original contract expired December 31, 2021. Alger County owns the parcel of land that includes the shelter, dog park, and parking lot inside the City of Munising, and the Alger County Animal Shelter has operated and improved the property over the previous lease.
SC improves gameday experience
Superior Central is ramping up for the fall sports season with private and public improvement plans to help increase the experience for athletes and fans alike.
The main gym at the school is getting an upgrade. The floors were redone with new bleachers being installed. Funding came from the school’s sinking fund millage after other more necessary projects were completed for the students. However, with many supply chain issues after COVID-19, the bleachers will be on backorder. While the gym will be used for practice and class, all assemblies and the fall volleyball season will move to the slightly smaller War Memorial Gymnasium used by the elementary classes.
Fans should see a shift at the football field as well for Cougar home games. New bleachers received last season will be fully assembled, but this time, they’ll be on the home sidelines as well. New paint will help in the locker room, but the major addition will be new lockers, courtesy of Don Eaton, a private donor.
Aug 26 Community celebrates retiring postal worker
“Neither snow nor rain nor heat or gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” If there ever lived a courier who exemplified that motto of the USPS, it would be Ron Curtis.
To show appreciation for his service a celebration was held at the Midway General Store on Sunday, August 21. Over 100 people showed up.
The retirement drew attention from outside the area; more attention than would seem likely. TV 6 from Marquette ran a story that was picked by a Green Bay station, and The Detroit Free Press dispatched a reporter to interview and ride along on Curtis’s route.
Movies in the Park successful
Superior Movies in the Park, an outdoor theater experience in Grand Marais, reported increased numbers for its second year.
All eight nights were shown for free to both locals and tourists combined, with roughly 150 viewers per movie. As the tourism season moved on, Lawrence said that increased occupancy of the Grand Marais campgrounds added to the crowds.
“This was not only good for the local community, but the tourists, too,” Organizer Devin Lawrence said. “When you can find things good for both crowds, it’s going to work well.”
4-H teens hike North Country Trail
In August 2022, nine 4-H youth and two adult leaders took to the trails of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore to hike 42.4 miles of the North Country Trail from Grand Marais to Munising.
The youth ranged in age from 13-17, and most had never been backpacking before.
Starting in Grand Marais, the teens hiked west. Along the way, we picked up trash, and made sure to leave every campsite better than we found it. “Leave No Trace” outdoor ethics were a constant topic, as we wanted to minimize our impact to a place that has seen such an uptick in visitor use.
September 2 State shuts down Maki Driving School
The local community has expressed sadness and outrage over the Michigan Department of State (MDOS) shutting down the Maki Driving School in Eben Junction. While the state has claimed the driving academy falsified records, the instructor of the school said no criminal activity has occurred.
In the press release sent from the Michigan Secretary of State Office, the state accused Maki of numerous issues with potential criminal implications, but was discovered to be a boilerplate press release after investigation by The Munising Beacon. Secretary of State officials did not respond regarding any specific proof that Maki violated the law or to concerns over inflammatory language in press releases.
Maki has been working with State Senator Ed McBroom’s office regarding the closure. McBroom (R-38th District) is the local state senator for most of the Upper Peninsula, and he said that multiple constituents have problems in bureaucratic processes, regardless of party or department.
Concert in the Park series end for year
The 2022 Concert in the Park series officially ended Tuesday, August 30, as local band Drednot performed the final set at Munising’s Bayshore Park.
“I think it was a successful season for sure,” said Sheena Malone, Alger Parks and Recreation Director. “Parking is always an issue, but [there were] no major problems this year if you got there early enough.”
Concert in the Park hosted 12 musical acts this season, mostly on their scheduled Tuesday evenings; however, some were moved to Thursdays due to weather. The series started on June 14 and ran every week throughout the summer. Roughly 200-300 people attended every week, with the exception of July 5, which had poor weather and fell directly after the busy Independence Day holiday.
Community finds new ways to fundraise for new playground Nora Storm, Aubrie Livermore, Lily Raish, Alex Howard and Melody Bougie operated a lemonade
stand on Friday, August 26 to help raise funds for the new playground at Mather Elementary. This was the first attempt by children to privately fundraise for the project.
Dozens of private businesses, volunteer groups, personal donors and local governments using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds have helped contribute to a new playground.
September 9 No action from AG over hospital property
The Michigan Attorney General’s Office declined to take an opinion on multiple questions brought up by local State Representative Sara Cambensy (D-Marquette) in a controversial public letter regarding multiple private and public officials in Marquette.
“We’ve reviewed all of the materials presented to us thoroughly, and ultimately concluded that the Department must decline to issue an opinion on the legal questions you’ve presented. Further, we have not been presented with suffi cient grounds to open an investigation at this time,” wrote Michigan Chief Deputy Attorney General Christina M. Grossi.
Bridge walk attracts 26,000 to Mackinac Bridge A beautiful, nearly cloudless day welcomed participants to the Mackinac Bridge Walk, likely a big contributor to an uptick in participation over last year.
“We’re so glad to have had 26,000 people from across Michigan and beyond join us for this beloved event on such a perfect day,” said Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA) Bridge Director Kim Nowack. “As anyone who has walked the bridge knows, we see so many sunny smiles and happy faces during the walk, and that was certainly what we observed this morning.”
A time-lapse video of this year’s walk is now available to view. The bridge, which closed at 6:30 a.m. to all vehicle traffic for the walk, reopened just after noon.
On her morning walks along M-28 near her home in Christmas, Michigan, Deb McNeill greets drivers with a big smile and a wave as they pass by. In her own way, “Ms. Waverly”— as locals have coined her – brings joy to the morning commute.
In August of 2021, Deb started having difficulties with her leg. Deb’s absence was noticed by Au Train resident Sarah Ingham, who posted to a local Facebook group Munising Informed. Ingham’s post inspired over a hundred responses and interactions, with members chiming in with their love and concern for McNeill.
“I mean, I was stunned at the [Facebook] post. I was like, ‘What?’ It was shocking, because I’ve had people stop me; ‘Oh my gosh, you’re her!’ ‘Where have you been?’ ‘Are you okay?’ It still surprises me,” said McNeill. “I found that for the most part, people will repeat that kindness to you. They will pay it forward and it’s actually amazing. If you really want to see kindness, go for a walk and wave.”
Three landmarks in Alger County have received their new names from the U.S. Department of Interior after their previous names were considered a slur.
North Mino-kwe Creek, Nookomis Lake and Mino-kwe Pond are the new names for three connected waterways in southern Alger County. All three were previously called Squaw Creek, Lake, or Pond respectively.
The term to negatively describe a Native American woman was declared as a slur on November 19, 2021 based on an order written by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. Previous Interior Secretaries have organized national name changes due to derogatory terms for African Americans and Japanese. The Department of Interior announced last week that it had completed its goal of completely removing the name, referring to the word now as “sq—” in any written format.
Grand Marais Rock and Mineral Show
Hundreds of people made it to the municipal barn building near Woodland Park for the annual Grand Marais Rock and Mineral Show on Sept. 10. The event brought more than 200 people from the Central and Eastern Upper Peninsula and Northern Lower Peninsula. Karen Brzys was the keynote speaker at the annual dinner with a presentation called “Lake Superior Rocks and How They Formed”.
Grand Marais volleyball returns
After more than a decade without a program, the Grand Marais Polar Bears have fielded enough players for a volleyball team. The squad had their first matchup against the Munising Baptist Bobcats in a blue-on-blue uniform matchup on Monday, Sept. 12, 2022. Munising Baptist won in straight sets 25-15, 25-12, 25-18.
September 23 Car show and cruise brings fun Hundreds of collectors, gearheads, car-nnoissuers and other automobile aficionados were in downtown Munising for the 2022 Munising Bay Cruisers Tenth Annual Car Cruise and Show, held Friday and Saturday, Sept. 16-17.
“It’s been a good show with the weather the way it is,” Gary Bovan of Munising Bay Cruisers said. “Cars are down a little because of the weather, but people are still out and having a good time.”
The events start Friday night with a cruise along H-58 up to Grand Marais, with a pause by the downtown pavilion before the cars return to Munising. According to Bovan, the cruise is a big draw for car owners and showcases the dedication of the Grand Marais community to the show
Kossow installed at Eden on the Bay
Growing up on Lake Michigan, Tara Kossow knew to specifically ask not to be next to the big lake. The irony of the situation was not lost on Kossow, who chose Proverbs 16:1-3 as one of her readings for her installation service as the new pastor of Eden on the Bay.
“God sure has a sense of humor,” said Assistant to the Bishop James Duehring, who led the majority of the installation service on Sunday, September 18, 2022.
Kossow is a frequent returner to the Upper Peninsula, working in Alaska, Germany, Green Bay, Mackinac Island and more places, but always coming back to the U.P..
Congregation leadership said that growing up in the region was a positive because they knew Kossow could handle the winters. She also worked numerous service industry positions in tourism based economies, used her online seminary education to learn digital communication skills and has similar social views, so programs in fellowship, technology and public service will mesh quickly.
Dewey Memorial Shoot continues to grow
It wasn’t Todd Cady’s best round, but it was enough to take home the sixth annual Dewey Memorial Bow Shoot title on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022.
“I’ve shot over 300 before, so it wasn’t my best performance, but I got dialed in and it was awesome,” Cady said. “My son is so competitive so he didn’t give me an inch out there, so we pushed through and it was a great time.”
Cady and his son Sam were the first two archers on the course, shooting a 295 and a 241 respectively. The father bested second-place finisher Justin Smith by 12 points. Jaxon LaBreck finished third with a 278, edging out Jake Aho by seven points. In the youth division, Hudsen Cady defeated Lucy Tyner and Peyton Smith for the top prize. Prize money paid out for the first three positions, but multiple winnings were donated back to the event.
The shoot is named after Dylan “Dewey’’ Heinonen, a local who passed away in the 2010s after complications from an accident. An avid bowhunter, Heinonen’s memory is honored by the friends and family that organize and participate in the shoot.
Strand named Rock River Township clerk
Rock River Township promoted Maria Strand from deputy clerk to clerk at its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, September 20, 2022. The move comes after former clerk Dawn Leppanen resigned after moving out of the district. The decision to hire Strand was unanimous by the board, with Trustee Trevor Case recusing himself, as he and Strand are in a longterm relationship together.
Rock River Township Supervisor Teri Grout said that hiring Strand was crucial for protecting the upcoming November election, given Strand’s two-and-a-half years of experience under Leppanen.
