The Munising Beacon asked community members to share about their hopes and goals for 2025. Here are some of the responses. See Page 1 of the Dec. 27 issue for the first installment.
Joel VandeVelde
Alger County clerk
Hopes or goals for 2025: “We have a caring and proud community. Seeing it strengthen and grow each year is great. I hope the new year brings our community all the health, wealth and happiness we deserve.”
Change or achievement for Munising: “Seeing the Munising Marketplace constructed would be a great finishing touch for Munising.”
Additional thoughts: “Adding to the inventory of single-family homes, multi-unit townhomes and apartments is desperately necessary.”
Mike Travis
Superintendent of schools and auxiliary services director (maintenance, custodial, grounds, transportation and food service), Munising Public Schools
Hopes or goals for 2025: “Specifically, I am focusing my efforts on working with the Board of Education and Johnson Controls to pursue performance contracting and grant acquisition to fund much-needed facility and equipment upgrades, replacements and repairs.”
Change or achievement for Munising: “A greater supply of affordable housing and greater support for school funding initiatives.”
Additional thoughts: “I look forward to great outdoor winter activities and enjoying the beauty of our region.”
Natalie Holmes-Niven High school student, community volunteer; AC3, Key Club, Na- tional Honor Society
Hopes or goals for 2025: “Personally, I hope to leave something great behind before I go off to college. Something like a mural or a place in town where art can be displayed in a different way. On a community-focused level, I’d like to have an event that truly makes an impact on people — not something that’s a one-and-done kind of thing.”
Change or achievement for Munising: “One change I’d like to see is improvement in our elementary. Munising’s elementary school has been going through a tough time because not only are they having an enormous amount of behavioral issues but, because of this, many of the faculty are quitting. And who could blame them?”
Nicole Lasak
Principal, Munising Middle/High School
Hopes or goals for 2025: “To celebrate the academic and athletic achievements of our student body and honor the Class of 2025. Continue to help my son fight his battle with leukemia.”
Change or achievement for Munising: “Increase parent involvement in our school system by offering more opportunities.”
Pat Cornish
President, Wetmore Community Club
Hopes or goals for 2025: “To reach more of the people who fall through the cracks.”
Change or achievement for Munising: “To bring more food and housing to those in our community that are struggling and are under the radar.”
Additional thoughts: “Support our community in any way we can.”
Peggy Carberry
Owner of the Cooking Carberry’s Wood Fired Pizza and Catering; committee member, Friends of Valley Spur
Hopes or goals for 2025: “So thankful for a real winter in Munising and hoping it continues into 2025. The Friends of Valley Spur achieved many of its goals this past year with a successful capital campaign for new grooming equipment. Many people from the Midwest contributed to this campaign because they love coming to Munising to ski at Valley Spur. I am excited to teach cross-country skiing to 4-H youth again this coming year. This free program for people up to 18 years old has been fantastic for almost 20 years. Kids ski free and have use of free equipment from the Friends of Valley Spur. I also look forward to Taste and Glide at Valley Spur — a fun day for people to go skiing and snowshoeing and enjoy a big buffet in the lodge while listening to Chris Valenti sing.”
Change or achievement for Munising: “‘Love where you live.’ I borrowed this line from my friend Frida Waara. Love all that Alger County has to offer and be willing to share it with our visitors. Embrace all seasons. If you go into the woods each day for a hike, bike, ski or snowshoe, you’ll find it to be so therapeutic. Get off the couch, get outside and discover this beautiful place we call home. Welcome visitors to our area — they are just like us when we travel. They like to talk to locals and hear how much we love where we live.”
Additional thoughts: “Thanks for asking me to take part in this New Year’s celebration.”
Pete Lindquist
Owner, Shipwreck Tours, Inc.
Hopes or goals for 2025: “For 2025, we aim to have a year that matches or exceeds last year’s performance, even though growth has slowed since the pandemic.”
Change or achievement for Munising: “Increasing housing for those who live and work here would be a great improvement, though I understand it will take time to achieve.”
Additional thoughts: “I hope everyone has a fantastic year, free from unexpected challenges, especially when it comes to the weather.”
Philip Hansen
Vice president, Peoples State Bank of Munising; president of Munising Rotary; vice president and board member of Alger Regional Community Foundation; board member of Grow & Lead Community and Youth Development; board member of Peoples State Bank of Munising; member of Munising Masonic Lodge Hopes or goals for 2025: “Continue to invest in our youth and community through the organizations I am involved with. We have some great projects planned for 2025.”
Change or achievement for Munising: “Probably a longer- term goal than 2025, but a bike path from Munising to the Tourist Park. People could ride from the Tourist Park to Sand Point and enjoy everything between those destinations without a car.”
Rachelle Hannah
Human resources manager, Timber Products Company
Hopes or goals for 2025: “My hope for the new year is that we all are grateful for many opportunities, embrace the possibilities and work toward improving our overall personal well-being and the well-being of our community as a whole. We have an amazing community with incredible support systems that are truly unique to small communities such as ours.”
Change or achievement for Munising: “It would be wonderful to see some traction with the goal of creating affordable housing within our community, which is crucial to families and local employers to preserve and improve the strength of our community.”
Additional thoughts: “I am grateful for many blessings and wish the very best for all in 2025.”
Rhonda Lassila
President/volunteer,
Munising
Bay Trail Network
Hopes or goals for 2025: “To share my passion for the outdoors with as many people as I can (all ages and abilities).”
Change or achievement for Munising: “I would love to see each person in the community become a volunteer. There are so many wonderful programs and activities in Munising, and they are always looking for help. It’s hard to describe the feeling you get when you’re giving back to your community and making someone else’s life a little better.”
Additional thoughts: “Get outside and enjoy the beauty that surrounds our little town on the bay. It’s amazing what a little fresh air and time in the woods can do for your mind and soul. Happy New Year!”
Rocky VanDorn
Commander, American Legion Post 131
Hopes or goals for 2025: “I would like to see more young veterans joining the American Legion and see more volunteers. We have awesome volunteers, just not enough. It seems all organizations are having the same problem.”
Change or achievement for Munising: “More affordable housing for locals.”
Rod DesJardins
City commissioner
Hopes or goals for 2025: “To build affordable, accessible workforce housing in downtown Munising. Anyone who works in Munising should be able to find affordable housing in Munising.”
Change or achievement for Munising: “While supporting the tourist industry, we need economic development of non-tourist businesses to diversify our employment opportunities.”
Additional thoughts: “Munising is a model of sustainable progress and the envy of every other community in the U.P.”
Stephanie Thwaites
Hotel manager; community volunteer, Christmas for the Kiddos of Munising
Hopes or goals for 2025: Goals: “Move in with my fiancé and get married.”
Hopes: “Grow professionally and personally.”
Change or achievement for Munising: “More volunteerism in the community. More people need to get involved.”
Todd Brock
Alger County sheriff
Hopes or goals for 2025: “Our goal is always to improve our services to the citizens of Alger County. Our 911 system will be getting a new update along with the other U.P. counties. This will further enhance our capabilities and response times to emergencies. We are also improving the response times and abilities of our EMS staff, as we just hired another full-time paramedic and full-time EMT. Both hires are from local families. Our Rescue 21 team continues to grow and excel. Burt Township now has a rescue team of 12 volunteers under the leadership of Undersheriff Blank.
“Our road patrol goals will always be to detect, arrest and prosecute drug dealers in our county. We need to make a serious dent in the meth problem we are facing. We continue to improve and train our corrections staff to keep our county safe and safely protect the inmates in our jail. We will also be reaching out to the youth of our community to bring hunter safety and snowmobile safety back to our office. We also have a top-notch K9 team, a DARE officer and a school resource officer, which we want to continue bringing to our schools and citizens. Protecting the youth of our community will always be our TOP priority.”
Change or achievement for Munising: “Work together with multiple agencies to improve services to our citizens.”
Additional thoughts: “We look forward to serving this great county we call home in 2025 and beyond.”
Trevor Nolan
Student at Munising High School
Hopes or goals for 2025: “I would like to get the most out of my senior year of high school by enjoying my time in the classroom and in sports. A personal goal of mine is to continue to improve and learn in the difficult classes that I am taking this year. Another goal of mine is to play a part in helping the Munising basketball program continue to be successful and to keep improving.”
Change or achievement for Munising: “One change that I would like to be a part of is to help give more appreciation to all of the faculty workers in our school, like the bus drivers, janitors and the lunch ladies. They work very hard to keep our school running, and I feel that they deserve more appreciation from students and the community.”
Additional thoughts: “In the new year, I would love to represent and share the love of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with everyone that I cross paths with in my life.”
Tyreen Prunick
4-H program coordinator, Alger County Michigan State University Extension Office
Hopes or goals for 2025: “Last year, the focus was on onboarding for both myself and for an additional volunteer base. In the new year, my goal is to empower the new volunteer leaders and programs to move toward the next level, which will free up some of my time to recruit more volunteers, thus adding further programming so that all youth have opportunities to find their spark.”
Change or achievement for Munising: “Awareness. 4-H has a wide array of resources available to youth due to the incredible support base from our local businesses, state funding and volunteers.”
Victoria Wus
Vice president and volunteer, Munising Moose Lodge #1386
Hopes or goals for 2025: “In 2025, I would like to create a bridge between the Munising Moose Lodge and other service organizations in the greater Munising area. There is so much that we could do to improve our community if we continue to work together. Our lodge already serves the community in many ways, as do other organizations. Pooling our resources would help tremendously.”
Change or achievement for Munising: “In 2025, I would like to see ongoing progress on the proposed Munising Marketplace on Superior Street. I know that the process takes time, but that project would include space for affordable worker housing, which is desperately needed. Also, the senior members of our community need more accessible shopping areas, which the project would provide.”
Additional thoughts: “I would also like to foster more harmony in Munising. We need to understand that we all have more in common than what separates us.”
Wade Cross
General manager, Cross General Contracting, Inc.
Hopes or goals for 2025: “I would like to acquire a new skill in 2025, possibly private pilot training or learning to build a custom trout fishing rod. I’d like to grow my personal and professional network of construction industry partners to learn, do better and improve. It would also be fun if the ‘work-life balance’ shifted from ‘more work’ to ‘more fun,’ like breaking in a new trout fishing rod.”
Change or achievement for Munising: “Engage our youth, look for opportunities to mentor and make Alger County a place our kids want to ‘live, work and play.’”
Additional thoughts: “The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you” (Neil de-Grasse Tyson).
Wyatt Kulik
Entertainer
Hopes or goals for 2025: “To better my education in school and become a more well-rounded artist.”
Change or achievement for Munising: “I would love to see the community become less adverse. More community belonging and acceptance, rather than bickering and fakeness. More resolution for the locals in need, rather than ones not.”
Additional thoughts: “Check out my music @Wyatt Kulik. I am happy to be a part of a community that is loving and caring and would like it to stay that way as long as possible. Sharing my music is the best contribution I can offer for the community. God bless!”
William Gramm
Owner, Upper Peninsula Inspired
Hopes or goals for 2025: “Expanding offerings.”
Change or achievement for Munising: “Events in non-peak seasons.”
Additional thoughts: “More business collaboration.”
