Five Proposals Submitted
The last week turned out to be a bit of a blur as I shepherded five grant proposals to submission, including: a Visit Keweenaw Destination Development Grant proposal to help fund a US 41 entry sign to the Sturgeon River Launch; a Keweenaw National Historical Park Advisory Commission Grant proposal to help fund an interior electrical and lighting project at the Chassell Heritage Center; a Copper Shores Community Health Foundation Small Grant seeking seed funding to match contributions to Chassell Township’s new Blight Mitigation Fund; and MNDR Natural Resources Trust Fund and Recreation Passport Grant proposals directed at the same set of deliverables to construct an ADA accessible pit toilet, ten parking spaces, two ADA parking spaces, an improved ramp to the launch dock, and an improved US 41 entrance for the Sturgeon River Launch.
Around all this, my week would start out by reaching out to Jerry Wuorenmaa with the Western Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Region (WUPPDR) asking for a status on Atlantic Engineering Group’s plan to bring high-speed broadband to the portion of Chassell Township that it picked up in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction. Jerry reached out to Bruce Moore with Highline which is how AEG does business here in the region. A discussion was set for later in the week. I would also ask Koray Inal at Baraga Telephone if they would review the broadband maps that had been sent out by WUPPDR for accuracy. Baraga Telephone had done a great deal of work last year both in Chassell Township and surrounding Portage Township, so Koray thanked me for bringing this to his attention and indicated that they would likely file challenges in places where they had already deployed fiber. There would also be some heavy wet snow to be moved which would be the first of two decent sized doses of the white stuff during the week.
Around grant work on Tuesday, I would attend the Enhancing Accessible Tourism panel discussion in Hancock put on by Visit Keweenaw and hosted by the Keweenaw Community Foundation. Late in the afternoon, I would meet up with Brian Waters and Doug Hamar from the Planning Commission, Chassell resident Eric Zadorecky, and MTU’s Interim Department Chair of Biological Sciences/Professor, Biological Sciences Casey Huckins to discuss a potential brook trout restoration project on Hamar Creek.
Wednesday would start with a 2,400 yard swim at the MTU SDC before diving back into the grants. I would work with Jeff West at UPEA on the required boundary and site maps for the two MDNR grant proposals. Chris Holmes from UPEA and I would have an extremely valuable meeting that afternoon via Google Meet with Jen Shaud, Dean Juntunen, and Nancy Oschold to gain important perspectives on improvements needed to the Sturgeon River Launch to make it universally accessible. I would then fold this input into our proposals. I would spend the rest of the afternoon working with Township Clerk Lynn Gierke on starting the process of entering the two MDNR grant proposals into the MiGrants system.
Getting home in time for a quick dinner, I was able to catch these shots of a couple of swans that happened by on the waterfront.
Wednesday evening Julie and I attended the Chassell Lions Club meeting where we heard an outstanding presentation by Mike Steber with the Copper Shores Community Health Foundation about the Bridges program. This outstanding poverty mitigation program provides an important hand-up to those wanting to change their circumstances with the goals and outcomes: to become a more stable individual, to increase personal income, to decrease amount of debt, to pursue or further education, to create a personal bank account, and to increase self-sufficiency. I would encourage local government, churches, and social clubs that are not familiar with the program to invite Mike out to brief you on this life changing program that is building a stronger community here in the Keweenaw!
From Wednesday night into Thursday we would pick up a foot of snow in Chassell. I let the dogs out before turning in on Wednesday and we already had quite a bit accumulating on the back deck.
Thursday was all grants…all day and night. I would wrap up both the Visit Keweenaw Destination Development Grant and the Keweenaw National Historical Park Advisory Commission Grant. Lynn Gierke and I would continue the MiGrants input process on the Natural Resources Trust Fund grant proposal around contacts I was making with UPEA, county officials, and organizations providing letters of support. The day would wrap up with an interesting conversation with a reporter from Bridge Magazine who is working on an article about green burial and contrasting Chassell with a community downstate. I helped get her coordinated with individuals she needs to talk to on our end.
Friday would start with a 2,500 yard swim and then it was back to the township office for several hours of MiGrants input with Lynn. She would also have needed attachments ready for me that would go in with the Copper Shores Community Health Foundation Small Grant proposal that I would deliver on Monday. Julie and I would then drive up to Calumet so I could drop off the KNHP Advisory Commission grant proposal at the park headquarters.
We then squeezed in a short ski on the nearby Swedetown Trails before running down to Lake Linden by way of Florida Location to pay Phil Sladek for the balance of the work he had just completed for us on our garage and sauna.
Saturday, I would spend six hours at the township office working with Lynn on the input of the Recreation Passport grant proposal in MiGrants. By 4:00 p.m., we would have everything entered except the site map and a couple of letters that would be attached on Monday.
On Easter Sunday we would head over to the MTU Trails where I would ski with one group and Julie and another group got out on the snowshoe/bike trails. It had been the first time I had skied tracked trails in a long while and the glide was decent!
You can see my GoPro video from the ski on the Remote Workforce Keweenaw YouTube channel at this link:
Do you embrace winter and have the ability to work remotely? Consider locating in the Keweenaw where you will find ubiquitous natural beauty, no congestion, and lower crime! Not sure? Come UP for a workcation to check it out! Learn how at Visit Keweenaw at https://www.visitkeweenaw.com/plan/trip-ideas-itineraries/workcations/ Visit Remote Workforce Keweenaw at https://remoteworkforcekeweenaw.com. Learn about those making the decision to locate here by following the Remote Workforce Keweenaw Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RemoteWorkforceKeweenaw.