We had a lively and engaging conversation during our first Morning Brew session.
The purpose of Morning Brew is to foster connections within the community, encouraging participants to interact with local leaders, business owners, and hometown heroes. These sessions are held on a monthly basis at The Grind Coffee House, and I have the privilege of facilitating these discussions, delving into what’s happening in our community.
During our first session, we hosted Kim Shiner, the Mayor of Manistique. Additionally, our City Manager, Corey Barr, joined the conversation, offering valuable context to our discussion. In this session, we discussed several initiatives.
- Spark Grant: The City of Manistique was recently awarded an $800,000 grant from the Department of Natural Resources. These grants are tailored to assist local communities in creating, renovating, and redeveloping recreational opportunities for residents and visitors. This substantial grant will be allocated to the following projects:
- Revitalization of the playground at Central Park, which includes the addition of Pickleball Courts.
- Upgrades and improvements at Little Bear Arena.
- Sewer Grant: The City of Manistique was recently granted $18,005,000 for the purpose of a new Wastewater Treatment Headworks Building: replacing the double-barrel gravity siphon that crosses the Manistique River, the plant’s main pumps, adding mechanical fine screening, and plant-wide electrical upgrades.
- Ambulance Mileage: Corey and Kim shared insightful information regarding the upcoming mileage request for Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
Furthermore, the participants engaged in a discussion concerning the ongoing educational initiative and collaboration with Schoolcraft Tourism & Commerce (STC). As a result of their recent work with CUPPAD to draft an Economic Resiliency & Recovery Plan, STC has been working closely with city and county officials to develop a Governance Training Program. This program is designed to offer education and support to those serving the public. Currently, elected officials have multiple options for education, often requiring travel and offered intermittently throughout the year. The Governance Training Program is not intended to replace current educational opportunities but rather aims to enhance access to training for all. The committee, led by James Blanchard, Board Chair of Limestone FCU, is collaborating with MSU Extension to develop a curriculum that will enrich the educational opportunities for residents currently serving on, or interested in joining, a city, county, or township board or committee.
Overall, this was an outstanding conversation that provided participants with an excellent opportunity to become better acquainted with both Corey and Kim while gaining insight into projects and initiatives in our community. It was a great conversation that offered participants the opportunity to get to know both Corey and Kim.
Stay tuned for information on next month’s session, where I’ll be hosting Don Erickson, Executive Director of the Manistique Senior Center.
-Jennifer C. Watson, CEO of Limestone FCU
Upcoming Morning Brew:
Date: 11/17/23
Time: 8:15 am- 9:00 am
Place: The Grind Coffee House (111 River St in Manistique)
