Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By P.J. GLISSON
Ironwood — In a separate committee meeting last week, members of the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners entertained the possibility of considering other county fairground locations. The current location has been in Ironwood for more than 100 years.
The issue was addressed in a Nov. 8 meeting of the Economic Development and Capital Improvement Committee after being referred to it by commissioners in their previous Oct. 25 board meeting.
At that time, the board had been reacting to an Oct. 17 letter from Marenisco Township Supervisor Bruce Mahler, encouraging commissioners to consider various sites within his township as an entirely new locale for the Gogebic County Fair.
In an Oct. 19 letter, Watersmeet Supervisor Mike Rogers backed up Mahler’s request, suggesting that a Marenisco site would be more centrally located within the county.
“I don’t know how we can tell them no,” said Board Chairman James Lorenson.
He suggested that, “whether or not we ever move the fair,” a more formal proposal should be requested from the Marenisco Board of Trustees, with details such as proximity to utilities.
But Lorenson quickly added that the same offer to submit proposals also should be submitted to the county’s other townships and cities.
Hence, he suggested a motion to send related letters of invitation to all county units. Commissioner George Peterson supported the motion, which passed with Commissioner Joe Bonovetz voting against it.
Bonovetz agreed that if such an offer is made to one township, then it makes sense to offer it to all county units. But he was not in favor of the outreach.
“I think it’s ill-advised,” he said. “That’s just me.”
During public comment, Vicki Nelson of Ironwood Township questioned the action.
“I just think it’ll cause a lot of confusion,” she said, adding that such an outreach makes it appear that the board is seriously seeking to move the fair.
“We’re just trying to do our due diligence,” said Committee Chairman James Byrns, who also chairs the county Fair Board.
Katie Nelson of Erwin Township asked board members also to consider that many fair volunteers, as well as people who show animals, are from the Ironwood area at large.