Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Members of the Range Master Gardener program conduct a site review of the Pocket Park in downtown Ironwood on Thursday afternoon. The group has ordered plants for the park but will first conduct a clean up day as part of the afternoon activities for the First Friday events downtown on May 7. Volunteers are welcome to sign up to participate by contacting Tim Erickson at city community development at 906-932-5050 extension 125, or email [email protected].
By TOM LAVENTURE
Ironwood - Discussion on the May First Friday focused on gardens and cleanup with a little forecast for live entertainment to return in June, according to the Downtown Ironwood Development Authority meeting on Thursday.
Darrin Kimbler, a member of DIDA along with the Range Master Gardener program, said that plants were ordered for the pocket park downtown and other projects. The planting will occur later in May and the First Friday event would be an opportune time for volunteers to help with weeding, removing invasive species and general cleanup on First Friday weekend, he said.
"We need to clean up the garden and get it ready for planting," Kimbler said.
The master gardeners will be present to supervise community volunteers in two shifts from 1 to 3 p.m. and from 3 to 5 p.m. on Friday, May 7. To better organize smaller groups to work with social distancing the volunteers who wish to participate should provide a name and contact information, he said.
"We will try to do a big push over the next week to try and get people involved," said Tom Bergman, director of community development for the city of Ironwood.
Tim Erickson, city community development specialist, said a recent First Friday Committee meeting led to discussion of a downtown cleanup day. The committee will work to coordinate cleanup with the city street sweepers and the master gardeners to complement the work already going on.
"We will try to promote helping out with the clean up downtown in some capacity," Erickson said.
Kimbler said his fellow master gardeners are changing the focus this year to educational opportunities. This will change the priorities from landscaping projects to projects that present educational opportunities - such as the pocket park downtown, he said.
For information and to volunteer for the cleanup, contact Erickson, at 906-932-5050 extension 125, or email [email protected].
Amy Nosal, DIDA chair, said the live performances for First Fridays over the summer are booked to start occurring in June. So far, Woodland Sky Native Dance Company is scheduled for the June 4 First Friday, and Myron Elkins and the Dying Breed is scheduled to return for the July 2 First Friday.
"They are locked in," Nosal said of the performances.
The Elkins group was scheduled to appear live last September. The group ended up performing on the Historic Ironwood Theatre stage for a virtual event that was live-streamed to First Friday viewers.
The downtown businesses that have closed for the duration between winter and summer business seasons will be opening soon, she said. A couple of new businesses are set to open soon as well, she said.
"We are definitely seeing progress," Nosal said. "There is lots of good stuff happening."
Bruce Greenhill, a DIDA member and operations manager of the Historic Ironwood Theatre, said several ongoing projects while the theatre was "in the dark" for the pandemic shutdown have been completed. The theatre has now contracted with a company to restore the marquee as soon as weather cooperates to fix the "Ironwood" lights that have been only partly functional.
"That is a little embarrassing to just be saying 'wood' on the one side," Greenhill said. "There will be new LED lights and it will be repainted and repaired."
The front of the building is now the focus of the next capital improvement project, to include the facade and marquee, Greenhill said. While the roof, furnace, sound system and performer restrooms were not the most visible projects to the public, the work going forward will be more noticeable, he said.
The project is currently in the fundraising stage, he said.
The theatre is looking forward to opening at 50% capacity starting in June, Greenhill said. There will be three dance recitals for three weekends in a row.
The Garland City Consort will restart the Sunday music series again in June, he said. The chamber music will need to relocate from the intimacy of the mezzanine gallery to the main stage for pandemic social distancing but the shows are due to resume, he said.
The next meeting will be held at 8 a.m., Thursday, May 27. Find the Zoom link on the bottom of the city web page at cityofironwood.org.
