Hometown Escanaba

Rusty Bluse talks about the Escanaba Quarterback Club's fundraiser May 2 at the Escanaba Elks Lodge 354. A Meat Raffle will begin at 1:30 p.m. with raffles being held every half hour. Proceeds help with the Quarterback Club's Wall of Fame and Veterans' Picnic.

Al Ettenhofer with U.P. Whitetails Association, Inc. talks about proposals to change deer hunting licenses in Michigan. The Natural Resources Commission will hear about it next week. Plus, Al, Roy Dahlgren and Marvin Szukalowski talk about how the ice storm this week is affecting trees in the woods. And Marv is still ice fishing on the bay.

Marvin Szukalowski starts our morning on Good Friday, joined by Kevin Chown and Jim Hansen.

A major construction project on Ludington Street is set to begin April 20, with crews starting milling operations to remove the top layer of the roadway in preparation for water and sewer line replacements.

Escanaba Water Wastewater Superintendent Jeff Lampi and Project Manager Darren Pionk of C2AE talk about the upcoming construction season.

Ed Legault, executive director of the Delta County Economic Development Alliance , talks about the Project Point: Guiding Business to Success workshop on April 8. The discussion is employee management. There is also a need for volunteers for the upcoming Epson Tour Island Resort Championship.

The traditional Kiwanis Home & Garden Show and Pancake Days has a new name. Julie Mallard with Escanaba Kiwanis says when they host the event April 10-12 at the U.P. State Fairgrounds, you will attending the Spring Expo.

The Escanaba Public Library is holding a Pop Culture Trivia Night April 30. Jane Lynch and Brianna Ecklid-LaVigne talk about the various activities at the library during April.

Jesse Randall with the MSU Foresry Innovation Center in Hyde talks about the Michigan Maple Weekend event at the Yooper Gold sugarbush. Jesse talks about the research at the center and how maple sap collection is going in the Upper Peninsula. Al Ettenhofer says extra tickets are available for the U.P. Whitetails Association Spring Banquet in May. And Marvin Szukalowski and Roy Dahlgren talk about activities in the area including fish fries at the Great Lakes Sport & Recreation Club.

Sue Parker says the expanded construction plans for Ludington Street in Escanaba is going to be a major disruption for the downtown but says it is a needed project. She is owner of Nyman Jewelers and chair of the Escanaba Downtown Development Authority.

Arts groups and programming is benefiting from more than 1-point-3 million dollars grants awarded by the Michigan Arts & Culture Council that support creative programs, cultural institutions, and community initiatives across the U.P. Sue Roll with the Upper Peninsula Arts and Culture Alliance says the Upper Peninsula received roughly 10 percent of all funding, despite having only about 3 percent of the state’s population.