Tribune Feature Story

The ZooT Suitin' JaZZ BAnd will be hosting their annual Big Band Cabaret Dinner and Dance on Saturday, May 17th. The dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m., with the dance following at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $4.00 per person for the dinner. The dance is free and open to the public. Tickets MUST BE PURCHASED for the dinner by Thursday, May 15th at 4:00 p.m. The ZSJB will perform music from Duke Ellington and Count Basie to Spyro Gyra and the Cherry Poppin' Daddies. For more information please call the music department at 297-2126 x248.

Members of the Montello Committee of Marquette Now visited the Montello Common Council meeting this week to talk about their plans to create a new city parking lot behind downtown buildings on the south side of Montello Street.

Mike Hammer, owner of Granite Falls Supper Club, explained that the Montello Committee took on this as their current project. They have talked to landlords on that side of the street, who have agreed to draw up easements behind their properties to allow public parking there. The plan also involves demolishing several small storage buildings belonging to the various properties, and removing some trees, along with grading and graveling of the area to allow for parking. Signs would also be posted near the street, directing drivers to the parking lot.

Currently, some of the businesses offer small parking areas to their customers only, with small access driveways between the buildings. Hammer estimated their plan could accommodate around 100 parking spaces. Future plans call for blacktopping of the area, as funds allow.

The group wants to make this a community effort and will include fund raisers to pay for the work needed. Their first major fund raiser will be a raffle, through which they hope to raise the $10,000-$12,000 needed for the first phase of the project. They also want to offer to serve food at Fr. Marquette Days, for which they would be paid.

In addition to the parking spaces, the plan calls for a one-way in and one-way out system for drivers, making driving safer for those using the lot.

Another part of the plan calls for making a green area next to the river, to include picnic tables and bike racks. Hammer described it as a park-like area that would welcome people to go fishing.

Hammer said the group wants a go-ahead from the city, so that it can begin developing the plan with the Marquette County Highway Department, which they would like to hire to do the work. The committee is also asking the city to consider offering its services for snow plowing and policing of the area, as well as possibly installing additional lighting in the future.

Council members had numerous questions for the committee, before agreeing to let the Public Works Committee talk about it at a meeting scheduled for Wednesday, May 21st. Following their recommendation, the council will take the matter up again at its next meeting. Some alderpersons also suggested that Safety Committee should discuss it, due to potential police and fire issues.
Council members also asked that the easement paperwork be done before an OK is given. In addition, there was concern over the committee’s plan to make the city the fiscal agent through which the committee’s money would be paid out to Marquette County. The council is concerned over what their obligation would be if the committee cannot raise its intended funds in time to pay those bills and wants to inquire whether Marquette Now could be the agent instead.

However, in general, members were very interested in the plan for improved parking downtown and several said they were very impressed that this was the first group to come in and offer to pay for the work themselves, except for the items like snow plowing and policing

Sheriff Kim V. Gaffney is pleased to announce that the Marquette County Sheriff’s Department will be participating in the B.A.C.K. Packets program.

The B.A.C.K. Packets program stands for, “Become A Cheerful Kid,” and is the product and idea of it co-founders, Paul and Chris Gilbertson, from Waunakee, WI.

Their goal, and the goal of their newly developed non-profit corporation called, “With Wings and a Halo” R.E.A.C.H. a Child!, is all about putting a smile on the face of a child in his time of need. And, reading is a wonderful means of transporting a child to a happier and safer place during a time of crisis.

This progam will provide a Sheriff’s deputies and community police officers with a “backpack” that has 10-12 children’s books inside. The child in crisis can choose from a series of books that appeal to various age levels from the responding officer.

This program will be in cooperation with the teddy bear program that has been in place for many years. This is a free program offered to law enforcement and emergency responders by the “With Wings and a Halo” non-profit corporation.

“I am very pleased to have our department as an active participant in the “B.A.C.K. Packets” program, and I hope, at least in a small way, these books will ease the pain and confusion during a child’s crisis,” Gaffney commented.