Hometown Escanaba

Plans are to expand Fuller Park in Delta County this summer. Parks manager Steve Wery says they want to add a pavilion and playground at the park. He says the new day use area will be in a wooded section between two camping sites. This is the first year that Delta County is taking over operations of its parks.

The Northern Lights YMCA Annual Campaign is currently underway to raise funds for those who need help in affording Y services. Caron Salo says the money is used to provide programs like day care, swim lessons and summer day camp to those who can’t afford it. 

The Delta Animal Shelter placed 1,140 animals in 2023, down from 2022 but Tonya Garland says they did very well despite being down slightly for a few months. They took in 627 cats in 2023 and 463 dogs. They also took in 1 chinchilla, 1 gerbil, 12 guinea pigs, 1 hedgehog, 31 rabbits and 4 rats. To adopt a pet, go to deltaanimal.org to see what animals are available. 

It has been 140 years since the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Peoria, Illinois, came to Escanaba on Feb. 12, 1884, to sign an agreement to staff the newly opened Delta County Hospital. Joanna Wilbee-Amis at OSF says the new hospital at the time was a wood-framed structure that was located at 1018 South 13th Street.

A Lenten Breakfast and musical program will be held in Escanaba at Immanuel Lutheran Church on Saturday. Barb Denny says it has been a tradition for more than 60 years. The program is always held the Saturday before Ash Wednesday and kicks off the Lenten Season before Easter. Pastor Mike Markell says this year’s theme is “Find Your Mission.”

Students at Holy Name are celebrating Catholic Schools Week this week. Each day is a different day such as red, white and blue day and entrepreneur day. Talked with students Annalise Cooper, Henry Trottier and Eadi Diebolt along with Interim Administrator Jeffery Sierpien.

The Sand Point Lighthouse and Delta County Historical Museum will be open Monday, Dec. 26, and Tuesday, Dec. 27, from 1 to 4 p.m. Charles Lindquist says the annual free holiday event is a gift to the community for their support in restoring the lighthouse in 1986.

Author JL Hyde will be signing books in downtown Escanaba Thursday, Dec. 22, at Leigh’s Garden Winery. 

The former Escanaba resident has written four books, three based in the Upper Peninsula. They are Delta County, Summer of ’99 and Midnight in Delta County.

The book signing at Leigh’s will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 22. Books will be for sale at the winery or you can bring a book to be signed.

To raise funds for Delta County Non-Motorized Trails, Brewmaster Mike Sattem at Hereford and Hops is brewing a Kölsch beer with sprigs of Blue Spruce added. 

The new growth cut from trees at the Escanaba Country Club will be added at the end of the process.

Sattem says the spruce infused beer will be light and refreshing. Delta County Non-Motorized Trails will receive 50 cents for every beer sold. 

Delta County Non-Motorized Trails is finishing up a year of several trail projects. So far, they have finished constructing three miles of single track mountain biking trail at the Days River Pathway. Rick Elrod says they hope to create up to 12 miles of new trail when it’s done.

Other projects have included work on the West Side Recreation Trail in Escanaba. They plan to start a biking trail at the Gladstone Sports Park.