Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By P.J. GLISSON
Wakefield — According to the U.S. Department of Labor, members of Congress declared in 1894 that the first Monday in September should be a legal holiday.
Many Americans try to set aside the entire long weekend as a time to relax, visit with family and friends, and perhaps enjoy a backyard barbecue, a brisk hike, or a trip to the beach — often one last outing for the waning summer.
That was certainly the case in Wakefield, where residents and visitors were relishing unseasonably warm temperatures.
Lounging in the grass on Monday with her 4-legged best friend was Stacie Lemerond of Wakefield.
“This is my art tree,” said Lemerond of her location next to a multi-trunked tree next to M-28, near the Wakefield Visitors and Information Center.
“I can tell my dog, Dusty, that we are going to The Art Tree, with capital letters, and she knows just how to find it,” added Lemerond, who was checking through small piles of rocks for any signs of sodalite, for use in her art projects.
Lemerond also has a much bigger interest in the vast expanse of lawn nearby.
“It’s so beautiful,” she said of the locale next to Sunday Lake. “I love it.”
She dreams that the location, which held the Memorial Building until it was razed in 2010, one day could feature a children’s museum.
It isn’t just a pipe dream. She said organizers of the past two Gus Macker events have earmarked proceeds for just such a purpose.
Lemerond would like to see a green building, one that is “sustainable” and powered by natural energy sources such as solar. She also envisions a second floor to facilitate lake views.
“Everything would be labeled,” she said, explaining that it could be one of many educational opportunities to entice children and teens to learn about how the building works and also about the world at large.
She’d like to see a facility that promotes reading comprehension and encourages debates.
She also envisions a 24-hour place to just sit and socialize. As she sees it, a warm place for anyone to retreat, even in the middle of winter, would serve well the town’s desire to be a four-season destination.
Ellah Linna, 13, and Lily Cooney, 12, both of Wakefield, told The Globe that — if a children’s museum ever were created — they would be happy to spend time there.
The girls were making the most of Labor Day by using the swings at the playground of the Wakefield-Marenisco K-12 School, where they expected to return to classes on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the beach in nearby Eddy Park also was filled with families from across the region.
Jesse Mackey was there with her daughter, Kyree Clark, 5, who was running in and out of the lake while Mackey and Patrick Libertoski kept an eye on her nearby. They are all of Ironwood.
Also enjoying the park were the Gerry family of Bessemer and the Havenor family of Marenisco.
The long weekend saw temperatures in the 90s, with jet skiers using the warmth to great advantage. Nevertheless, park trees are taking on fall color as a quiet reminder that cooler weather soon will become the norm.
