of his fellow nominees.
“I am really honored. I don’t think I deserve it,” he said. “It’s unreal and I’m just dumbfounded. Thank you, thank you, thank you for choosing me.”
Julie Highlen, an artist from Deerton, has been selected to receive a $1,250 grant from the State of Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC) for her upcoming artist-in-residency at Isle Royale National Park. Highlen, known for her artwork focusing on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Lake Superior shorelines, aims to incorporate scenes from Isle Royale, based on her personal experiences on the island.
This grant, a part of the MACC’s fiscal year 2024 funding, was awarded through a competitive peer review process. Highlen was among 711 applicants vying for the funds. The grant will enable her to spend approximately two weeks on Isle Royale in August 2024, where she plans to create a series of paintings on small wood block panels. These “mini moments” will capture various aspects of life on the island, from its natural beauty to its wildlife and historical landmarks, including the Edisen Fishery and the Rock Harbor Lighthouse
East Channel expansion going strong
After a strong opening night and a solid first week with the new building, East Channel Brewing Company new distribution and brewing center in downtown Munising is performing well.
“It was a little more of an undertaking than we planned on at the start, but it all came together well,” Owner and Brewer Joe DesJardins said.
The building, located at the northeast corner of Superior and Maple, will help create more of the various beers made by the microbrewery. With the exception of some of the measuring items that are shifted back and forth with the original location, the equipment in the new location is all fresh out of the packaging and ready for brewing. This will allow East Channel to keep up with demand in peak time, but not be too burdensome in slower parts of the year.
Eden Lutheran Church opens free store
Eden Lutheran Church has officially opened its free store on Thursday, Nov. 16. The free store is a place where those in need can obtain various non-edible products like cleaning supplies, sanitary products and more.
There is no financial requirement to use the free store, but households are asked to share some information on size of the family and financial data to help apply for grants in the future. Shoppers then will be able to complete a shopping list of various items like paper products, cleaners, soaps and baby needs if the household has children of that age. A volunteer “shopper” will then assemble the items, and have them bagged and ready to go.
December 1 Starry Starry Night kicks off holiday season
Starry Starry Night, the annual community event held on Black Friday, was successful on Friday, Nov. 24. With equal parts economic stimulus and cultural heritage, the event brought hundreds of people to Grand Marais to celebrate the holidays.
Toni Whaley of Grand Marais Mercantile said that the numbers are a little down in its 25th year, but that the event is providing a great opportunity for those that live locally and across the region.
“Seems a little slower than it has been, but the economy is a little rocky right now so I would expect that a little bit, but everyone is excited and having fun. It’s one of the big events for us throughout the year,” she said.
December 8 McBroom, U.P. reps support Line 5 ruling
Upper Peninsula legislators, including local State Senator Ed McBroom, vocalized their support of the Michigan Public Service Commission’s (MPSC) $500 million plan to encase a four-mile section of the pipeline within a protective tunnel. The approval was decided on a 2-0 vote, with Commissioner Alessandra Carreon abstaining due to her recent appointment to the commission four months ago.
Mustangs beat Manistique 45-37
After a heartbreaking loss to Norway to open the 202324 season, Munising was able to pass the pain along to rival Manistique 45-37 on Friday, Dec. 1 in Munising. It was the first win of the year for the Mustangs and the season opener for the Emeralds.
“Told (the team) we were going to have a target on our back and it’s showing. Everyone is bringing their best game,” Munising Head Coach Terry Kienitz said. “It was a good game, a physical game and we didn’t play all that well, but enough to win.”
December 15 Superior Central Students Set to Travel After Qualifying for All State Bands
Two Superior Central students, Nikolas Pasco and Aiyana Taskey, have qualified for separate All State bands that will take them across the state and around the globe.
Pasco, a junior whose music career has already included a tour of Boston and New York City, as well as performances with the University of Michigan-Flint and Northern Michigan University Honor Bands, will now have the opportunity to reach an international audience. In June of 2024, Pasco will travel with the Lions of Michigan All State Band (LMASB) to Melbourne, Australia to attend the 106th annual Lions International Convention. On the return trip, they will stop in Los Angeles to perform at Disneyland California and Universal Studios Hollywood.
December 22 Bear’s Den Reopens
The Bear’s Den Reopened last weekend after a fire closed the restaurant on November 3, 2023.
The fire had been discovered when alert staff noted blistering on the ceiling. While there were no injuries thanks to quick action evacuating the dinner crowd, repairs had to be made to the areas which suffered damage. This included the replacing the ceiling in the men’s room and small repairs to the other bathrooms and part of the dining room. According to the Munising Township Volunteer Fire Department officials, the fire originated from an electrical issue in one of the restrooms.
New Salon Offers Beauty and Healing in Downtown Munising
The holiday season has brought a new business to town offering a variety of services designed to pamper and relax. Heather McNally, the owner of Healin’ Toes and Nails is here to help you feel better in an atmosphere of warmth and comfort.
Open by appointment only, this is a salon with more than beauty in mind. If you struggle with dry feet or dry hands in the winter, Heather has the perfect solution. Located above Madigan’s Ace Hardware, Munising’s newest salon sits right at the top of the stairs. This hidden gem is an oasis of peace and calm, inviting you to come in and relax.
The pampering takes place in a private space with room for two people to enjoy treatments at the same time. This is the perfect outing for you and your bestie. Or you might want to consider a couples package, with a special pedicure designed just for the man in your life called the Warrior Pedi which includes a Beer bath salt soak, cuticle care, nail trim and shape, exfoliating scrub w/ foot file and a cooling mask with hot towels.
Rekindle the Spirit Marks 12th Annual Success Rekindle the Spirit, a program sponsored by the Munising Chamber of Commerce recently held its 12th annual event. The idea behind the program is to help people to shop locally for Christmas. In return, Rekindle the Spirit collected a vast array of prizes won through a drawing which took place on December 15, 2023.
The idea was simple: members of the community could bring in any receipts for any purchases from any local businesses. In return, for every $50 in receipts they would receive one ticket for the drawing.
This year, there were 3,919 entries accounting for nearly $200,000.00 of money spent in Alger county. Roughly $9,000.00 in prizes were awarded, including televisions and game consoles. A snow blower, sunglasses, gift cards, a sixmonth membership to Fuzzy Fitness, and a Roomba were among the dozens of potential awards available. The prizes themselves were sourced from local businesses.
December 29 Bowling Alley to Reopen
The long-anticipated reopening of the bowling alley begins with a New Year’s Eve party for the kids of Munising. On December 31st, the Lion’s Club of Munising is hosting a party for kids from sixth to twelfth grade from 9:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. with free bowling, and plenty of food and pop for those who attend.
The opening of the bowling alley itself is slated for the beginning of January if all goes well, with a tentative date of January 5th scheduled for the actual opening.
At the request of the previous owner, “Satch” Methot, the bowling alley will be renamed from “Satch’s Lanes” to “Happy’s Place” says current owner, David DeLisle.
Mather Elementary awarded grant
Mather Elementary has been awarded a grant of up to $500 to cover the cost of two bus trips from the State of Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC). The grant was awarded through the MACC peer review process and was one of 711 applications to compete for MACC fiscal year 2024 funding.
Third, fourth and fifth graders attended a matinee performance of A Christmas Carol at NMU’s Forest Roberts Theatre in Marquette with the help of the MACC grant. The tickets to the play were funded by Miles for Mather.
