I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and is looking forward to another good and productive new year. It’s hard to believe that it’s 2019 already. It seems like only yesterday that we were anticipating the turn of the new century and the awaiting the resolution of the possible Y2K effect. Which, as you are all aware, didn’t happen. It’s also the time of year where much of Marquette and the U.P. hits its stride with winter activities. Although there is often great anticipation for the summer season (what we at the City refer to as construction season) for some, winter is also a high point. And from what I can tell so far, the snow is not going to let us down. There is a lot to look forward to including: dog sled, ski and winter bike races, skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and ice fishing, as well as many more activities that residents and visitors hold dear.
It is also time for City staff to take a breather, but usually not for long. This is the time of year when we get to work on everything that needs to be done once the snow melts. One of the biggest items on the horizon is the move of the old hospital to its brand-new building adjacent to the US 41-M28 bypass. It’s been a work in progress for several years now with many moving parts and I couldn’t be happier with the results. Many good people, including City staff, have worked hard to make it all happen.
To go along with the new hospital, we learned some good news in December that the old hospital was purchased by a local development group with some very impressive plans for the re-use of the property. From what I know at the time of this writing, I firmly believe that this development will be very good for the residents of Marquette and certainly the U.P. in general. All of us here look forward to seeing it all happen.
Things continue to look positive for Marquette for 2019 and we hope the same applies to all of our residents and visitors alike. There is a lot to be happy about and proud of, so go out and enjoy.