Try Something New!

We heard a lot of grumbling about the city of Marinette's decision not to have fireworks and a parade on the Fourth of July.

That's understandable. These things are part and parcel of our Independence Day tradition, and they have been part of Marinette's summer event calendar since the day's when Mairnette and Menominee alternated the celebration and called it Homecoming. (For newcomers and anyone who's not at least a Baby Boomer, that was in the late 50s and early 60s.)

The grumbling continued for more than 10 days, right up until the day the city finally unleashed its fireworks, at the tail end of the new, two-day Logging & Heritage Festival. Chamber staffers estimated they received 20-30 calls daily.

Still many people tried the festival, and liked what they saw. We give them kudos for being open to a new idea.

(For the record, the chamber did not make the decision to move festivities from the Fourth of July. The festival is the city's event, not the chamber's. Numerous newspaper and radio stories have made that pretty clear. Still, we do promote all area events. It's part of our mission. But we couldn't possibly run them all!)

It will be interesting to see what happens next. The city has to decide whether it wants to continue a mid-July event, go back the the Fourth of July holiday, or maybe find a sponsor for additional fireworks. There are many possibilities.

In Menominee, dog lovers are disappointed today that the city council rejected a proposal for an enclosed dog park within John Henes Park. Members of our Community Leadership Academy Class of 2012 will be understandably dismayed to learn the profits of their Aug. 18 dog walk in the park (dogs have permission to be in the park on leashes that day) won't got to helping create the park.

We liked Councilman Al Walker's suggestion that the city open the park on a trial basis. It might have worked.

Dog support supporters say they'll try again. We wish them luck.

Try is the operative word. Always.

A Great Opportunity for the Right Person

It might seem a bit strange to be actively recruiting for your own replacement for the job of chamber director.

(I'm retiring in September to fulfill a family obligation and return to what I really love to do: write and teach writing.)

But of course I want to see the best person get the job. And besides, I'm only spreading the word. I won't be playing any other role in the process - that would not be appropriate.

But I've worked hard to follow the mandate I received five years ago to "take the chamber to the next level" and now I want to see someone else take it a higher level.

So our executive committee is seeking someone to take the job. You can read more about it here.

People have asked me what I think it takes to do the job. There are many requirements: The ability to communicate, a love for the community, a whole lot of energy, a vision for the future and mental plan for how to get there, and an understanding and experience in economic and workforce development.

Other pluses are experience in the very unique world of non-profit organizations, an understanding of accounting and budgeting, and an appreciation for the way government functions.

But what it really takes is the ability to get along with people and keep your cool. In this job, you've got to be able to listen to people and give credence to their ideas. Because ideally, you must function as both a team member and a leader. You can't have your own way all the time. Your own ideas have to take a backseat sometimes, and you can't feel bad about that. You have to acknowledge that it doesn't matter whose ideas get the job done, as long as the job gets done.

You have to be a "we" person, not an "I" person. Toot someone else's horn, not your own.

Keeping your cool is equally important. People often vent to the chamber director. Let them. Listen and sympathize. If you can fix the problem, fix it.

Mistakes happen. You make them, staff makes them, members make them. Don't point fingers. Don't get upset. Fix the problem.

At the US Chamber's Institute for Organization Management, instructors will tell you that another priority is to protect your organization. The ability to scope out potential problems and traps is a huge plus - for anyone in leadership.

When I was a department manager at the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, I worked for a very savvy and wise man name Duanne Swift. He once told me that the best thing about chamber work was being able to look back and see where you've made a difference.

Someday, that's exactly what I will do. Meanwhile, it's time for someone else to take the helm. And make a difference.

A Quality Event

We weren't a bit surprised with all the phone calls we received these past few days from people disappointed that the Marinette-Menominee area has no Fourth of July fireworks.

We can appreciate their concern that something is missing from this holiday. Anyone who grew up here remembers how the cities of Marinette and Menominee used to alternate fireworks displays. Back when I was growing up, the Fourth of July festivities were called Homecoming, and they moved back and forth, Menominee one year, Marinette the next.

Oddly enough, when the fireworks were in Marinette - on Stephenson Island - my family went to the West End of Menominee, our mother's family home to watch them. I can recall standing near the Rio Vista Motel with friends and family to see the displays. When Menominee shot them off, we parked somewhere behind the Hotel Menominee to see the show. We sat in traffic for what seemed like hours and then had banana splits when we got home. I still want a banana split after fireworks. Traditions are lovely things; they bring us a sense of comfort and belonging.

We understand that it will feel like something that brings that sense of belonging - and sense of community - is missing this year.

But the truth is: Without fireworks, it will still be the Fourth of July. (As I write this, firecrackers and bottle rockets are being set off to the east and west of me. There is no doubt in my mind which holiday we are celebrating!)

We get the argument that there is a tenuous connection between logging and fireworks. But on the other hand, fireworks have always been part of Menominee's long-running Waterfront Festival and no one seems to complain about that. Quite the opposite!

We would be surprised if fireworks did not return on July 4, 2013. We hope they do, and we've made that suggestion to city officials.

What we ask area residents to do is give the Heritage Logging Festival a chance. From every angle, it looks to be very well organized. From what we have seen - from the schedule to the attractive, four-color marketing materials - this festival bears all the hallmarks of a quality event.

We're going to support it, give it a chance and we hope you will, too.

Have a Glorious Fourth

Because the Fourth of July is a holiday that celebrates our American heritage, we look for old-fashioned, time-honored ways to mark it. Family fun, parades, flag waving, and fireworks are what we expect.

Corn on the cob, meat on the grill, rhubarb and apple pie topped off by a game of horseshoes, or sack races, or even a nap - what a way to celebrate our freedom.

For more people, fireworks is a part the celebration: "The rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air."

This year, the city of Marinette will hold a Heritage Logging Festival on July 14-15 instead of on July 4. There will be fireworks, but they will be 10 days after the Fourth of July.

Because the chamber has received so many calls from people looking for fireworks, we've assembled a list of other community festivals and events, and we've published that list on our Web site.

Please join us Tuesday evening, July 3, on beautiful Stephenson Island as we kick off the mid-week holiday with a 7 p.m. concert, sponsored by the Marinette Menominee Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Don't Think of it as Retirement

It’s not easy to make the decision to retire, and I have struggled with it for more than a year.  However, since I believe the chamber would benefit from fresh leadership, I have made the decision to retire, with a final work date of Sept. 28.

In the past five years, we transformed this organization from an events management organization into one that focuses on workforce development and building strong relationships between business and education. We have taken two very different chambers that merged in 2005, and made them one. We closed an office, jettisoned several  events that were draining our finances and energy, improved office technology and the chamber’s Internet presence, increased the chamber’s profile in the community and streamlined office operations. We developed policies and procedures, building a stronger organizational framework. We have added programs and benefits, and built new relationships. I feel good about what we have accomplished together!

I am especially pleased with the highly professional and exceptionally savvy people we have recruited for the board of directors in the past several years. I have confidence in their ability to choose a new chamber CEO.

Under President Paula Langteau’s leadership, the search and screen committee will need time to begin a national search (as was done in 2007),  identifying the educational, professional and personal characteristics of the next director.

I’ve enjoyed having the opportunity to serve the chamber and the community. It has been a fascinating experience and I have learned a great deal from it.

But I'm ready to spend more time with my family, especially my husband, who is also retiring on Sept. 28. I have a family commitment to honor, and I want to do more reading, cooking, writing, traveling, maybe some teaching and yes, maybe more working, but in a different area.

I look forward to continuing to work toward the chamber’s success in the next 90 days and beyond.

A Dozen Great Things to Do in Downtown Marinette

It's gratifying to see a group of downtown Marinette merchants joining force to promote the city's former commercial heart. While malls, big-box and stand-alone stores are an important part of our economy, nothing beats the charm of an old-fashioned downtown.

We're lucky that both our cities offer that. Menominee's Historic Waterfront Downtown has garnered lots of attention in the past 10 years. The determined group behind the proposed Menominee Opera House restoration, plus the Menominee Downtown Merchants and the city's Menominee Downtown Development Authority have done much to keep downtown on a front burner.

But in recent years, Downtown Marinette has slipped into the background. Now, with the infusion of new businesses, including several retail outlets and a fair share of firms that work with Marinette Marine, Marinette's once-commercial core is coming alive again.

Those of us who grew up here recall the days when Downtown Marinette bustled. On Friday nights, sidewalks were thick with shoppers and a policeman with a night stick directed traffic at the intersection Main Street and Pierce Avenue. The sound of his whistle is indelibly etched in our collective memories.

We Baby Boomers recall that a trip downtown unescorted by parents was a coming-of-age ritual for us. Buying lipstick at McClellan's, coke at Woolworths and a malt at Lauerman Brothers Department Store are part and parcel of our memories.

While Downtown Marinette may not return to the hustle and bustle of 1960, it continues to offer plenty of opportunities for fun and shopping. I sat down recently with Lori Wolf of DewHill Eatery & Coffee Roasters, who heads the new Downtown Community Action Group, and we came up with this list:

Buy an ice cream cone and eat it while you window shop.

Buy fresh produce at the Main Street Farm Market on Tuesday and Friday mornings.

Borrow a good book from Stephenson Public Library.

Get a great cut and style.

Browse through an antique shop.

Buy a handful of magazines or a few paperbacks.

Have a cup of coffee with a strawberry-rhubarb muffin.

Enjoy a sandwich on fresh-baked bread.

Meet a friend for a drink after work.

Buy vintage or gently-used clothing at an affordable price.

Open a checking account.

Buy gifts you won't find anywhere else in town.

And that's just for starters!

PS, Don't forget the 4th of July festivities at Merchant's Park!

Looking Back as a Community

I'm both appalled and apologetic that I have not yet posted in 2012. This is a busy time of year for the chamber, with numerous programs and events to plan and implement: Life Skills Expo, Career Opportunities Expo, the Empty Bowls Dinner, the Wine Tasting, Mini Business World, the Radio-A-thon and the Annual Dinner and Awards Night. There is also the last few sessions of Community Leadership Academy to wrap up and the Golf Outing and Aurora-MACC race to begin planning.

Of course, we could not do all these things if it weren't for our Business & Education Partnership, our Leadership Academy Alumni, and our committees and sub-committees. UW-Marinette and NWTC play huge roles in many our events, as do many other organizations, including the M&M Area Community Foundation, Aurora Healthcare and Karl Schmidt Unisia.

I am sure I am missing something.

What I am not missing these days is a very cool Facebook Page called You Know You're From Menominee When...  The page was written up recently in the EagleHerald by Mike Desotell, who seems to know everybody and everything there is to know about our community.

But there are scores of people, many of them bearing familiar names, who contribute to this Facebook page, and they all enjoy talking about the good old days of Menominee and often Marinette. (I like to think you can't have one without the other.)

As a weird hybrid who grew up on both sides of the river and went to a high school - Catholic Central - that drew from across the area, I consider myself pretty much a native of both cities. My father's family is deeply rooted in Marinette (1870s) and my mother's in Menominee (1880s). I can appreciate the old days on either side of the river. I hope someone creates a similar page for Marinette, too.

It's comforting in this time of intense change - much of which we cannot control - to look back on the old days, when kids knocked on each other's doors to communicate (instead of using their thumbs on a little keyboard) and actually played the outdoor games their parents played (instead of using computers for everything).

Menominee and Marinette have rich and colorful histories, peopled by hardy pioneers and lumber barons, woodsmen and scoundrels, fancy ladies and clubwomen: The McDonalds, Old Yellow Dog, Mae Dugas, Ike Stephenson, John Henes and so many more.

Why not join the more than 1000 Facebook fans who live in the present but appreciate the past? The Internet has given us one more way to create that precious sense of community that allows us to work together to make our towns even better places to live. That, of course, is what a chamber of commerce is all about.

And would somebody please start a Marinette page?