Weekly Wine, Food Tasting To Draw People Downtown
St. Ignace Vendors Propose New Event
By Karen Gould

Museum of Ojibwa Culture Director Shirley Sorrels (right) stands inside the new gift shop with interior designer Dorothy Crooks, who volunteered her expertise to help with renovation work at the museum. The gift shop that includes Native American art has been moved to the front of the museum. (Photograph by Deb Evashevski)

Beginning Tuesday, July 1, a weekly wine tasting will be held in St. Ignace through September and feature foods prepared by local businesses and music by area musicians. The event will be held at the Pavillion retail mall on State Street.

"Our goal is to get activity downtown and to get people downtown," said Janet Peterson, Chamber of Commerce director.

The Downtown Development Authority (DDA), at its meeting Friday, May 9, agreed to contribute $1,000 to help cover start-up costs, which are estimated at $3,000.

The event is being organized by the chamber, which is collaborating with Elizabeth Brown, who owns the Pavillion and The Winery, a store in it.

The city maintains a public restroom in the mall. An admission fee between $3 and $5 per person could help cover costs next year, say organizers.

At right: Museum volunteer and carpenter Tim Huskey of St. Ignace crafted this rustic cedar bench especially to fit in the museum. Adding to its natural beauty, he used old barn wood to complete the straight-back design. The bench took about 40 hours to build.

Food vendors and other local businesses are expected to feature their products and offer samples and products for sale, and the chamber will promote the event at area hotels and the marina.

Interior painting, window restoration, and the new retail shop are nearly finished at the Museum of Ojibwa Culture, said the museum director, Shirley Sorrels. It will open for the season May 23.

The DDA will seek bids to have a rotting outdoor wood walkway rebuilt. The project is expected to cost less than $5,000 and needs to be finished by Memorial Day.

The arrival of the Chief Wawatam engine has been delayed and is now expected to arrive in St. Ignace by the end of the month.

The original plan was to have the DDA pay for gasoline and city employees to pick up the 65-ton engine, now in three sections, in Canada. DDA Chairman Eugene Elmer said the city now believes a better plan will be to hire a transportation company to move it, for about $1,500.

"We've got to get it here," said City Manager Eric Dodson, "but at the same time, to take city staff and send them out of the country to pick up 65 tons of steel, there's some issues."

DDA approved changing its $1,000 donation for fuel to help fund hiring the transporting company. Any additional costs, said Mr. Elmer, would come from city funds.

The engine will be stored in a fenced area at the Department of Public Works garage on Cheeseman Road.

A steam ship club from Wisconsin has been calling Mr. Elmer, wanting to acquire the engine. Members also are interested in helping put the engine together.

Purvis Marine of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, has donated the engine to the city. A second stern engine from the ship, said Mr. Elmer, may be sold for $10,000 to a company in Wisconsin. The ship's bow engine is on display at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc.

The DDA will use the city's welcome banners on downtown light poles this year, alternating with American flags. The flags will cost approximately $1,700. The DDA is considering new lights for the trees along State Street.

The DDA will purchase 36-inch by 24-inch signs to announce community events on roads leading into town. The cost is $684. The 12 signs will be placed near I-75 in Evergreen Shores and near Exit 344A on I-75.

"These are things I feel really are important to bring people to the downtown area," said DDA Director Deb Evashevski.

The DDA next meets Friday, June 13, at 8 a.m. in council chambers in City Hall.