Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
STATE AND local officials, a few construction company representatives, and a number of citizens of Marenisco celebrate the opening of the new pavilion in the township's Donald McKenzie Memorial Park Monday afternoon. From left are township maintenance supervisor Dean Hand; Paul Luppino, of Luppino Construction; resident Kathe Balcom; Rick Cunico, of Luppino Construction; residents Dick Detloff and Ed Wilke; township trustee Kelly Dunbar; resident Karen Wilke; Jeff Kukuk, of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources; township treasurer Diane Dean; Anna Lovelace, of Coleman Engineering; Gogebic County Road Commission member and former chair of the MDNR's Natural Resources Commission chairman John Matonich (with scissors); township trustee Dave Hagen; township supervisor Dick Bouvette; township clerk Donna Kenney; police chief Bruce Mahler and resident Sally Hagen.
By LARRY HOLCOMBE
Marenisco - Marenisco Township officials made it official Monday, opening the new pavilion in Donald McKenzie Memorial Park with a cut of a ceremonial ribbon and some coffee and goodies for those who came to celebrate.
While the structure was built this past summer using a $400,000 Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund Grant, Marenisco Police Chief Bruce Mahler said the township had been working on the project since 2005.
Grant proposals were turned down a couple of times. A few additions, like a pair of picnic tables made from recycled materials, helped gain enough points in the grant-writing process to put the township over the top, he said.
The grant comes with a 26 percent local match, meaning the state gave $296,000 and the township funded the remaining $104,000.
Township supervisor Dick Bouvette said the total cost was more than $400,000 in the end, as items were added to the project, including landscaping, some sewer work and other facets.
The pavilion is a multi-use facility, offering a 40-by-50-foot covered picnic area with a 40-by-32-foot building, alongside offering bathrooms, a small gathering room and a serving room with a sink and counter space.
The pavilion is part of a trailhead for two major trails running through the township, said Mahler. Trail 1 runs north-south; north through Bergland to Silver City and south to connect to Wisconsin's trails at Presque Isle, Wis.
Trail 2 runs east-west from Crystal Falls to Hurley.
The trailhead parking is busy with snowmobile trailers during winter weekends, said Mahler, and is busy again with all-terrain vehicle trailers, especially in the fall.
For winter, township officials have flooded the picnic area to make a skating rink. A variety of sizes of used skates are available for use in the gathering room, now the warming room.
The park also offers a walking trail, veterans memorial and an old steam engine on display from the former Kimberly Clark plant.
Bouvette and Gogebic County Road Commission member and former chair of the Michigan Natural Resources Commission chairman John Matonich spoke briefly at the ribbon cutting ceremony. Bouvette thanked everyone for coming out on a snowy day and for the long and hard work to seeing the project through.
Matonich said he was very happy with the project and how it all turned out. He also spoke of his excitement, especially as a township resident, to be able to have his grandchildren come and play and enjoy the pavilion and park.
