Marquette Beautification and Restoration Committee holds awards luncheon
The Marquette Beautification and Restoration Committee held its 17th Annual Awards luncheon today at the Landmark Inn. It was lunch with a side of applause and laughs as the committee honored those who have worked to continuously improve and make Marquette beautiful over the last 40 years.
The ten different award categories celebrated the people who have helped in different areas around the city, including public art, volunteering, historic preservation, and more.
“It’s very exciting to honor people for their work and their passion and their commitment to Marquette, and for the remarkable changes that come about because of their activities,” said Barb Kelly, Vice President of the committee. “So it’s a great honor and a lot of fun to recognize people. And people go through a whole life without people really recognizing what they contributed to our lives here. So it’s a lot of fun and very rewarding for us to just show our respect and our appreciation.”
The committee added a couple of new awards this year, and their membership has now reached over 100 members.In the future, the committee hopes to expand in membership, as well as create new partnerships with the local agencies to help prevent vandalism.
Here is the full list of award winners:
- Certificate of Appreciation Award: Garden Tour Leadership, Pat Gruber and Phyllis James
- Phil Niemisto Volunteer Award: Gordy and Kay LeDuc
- Business Improvement Award: Ampersand, Nicholas Steffey; Babycakes, John Scheidt, represented by Ben Hayes and Joe Heck
- Great Upper Peninsula Neighbor Award: Rock River Farm, Shailah and Rowan Bunce
- Barbara H. Kelly Preservation Award: Lautner House, John LeMay; 316 E. Ridge, Brian Glitt and Ryan Walker
- Public Art Award: Ryan Brayak, Elizabeth Howe, Earl Senshuk
- Partnership Award: City of Marquette, represented by Mayor Dave Campana; Jon Swenson, Community Services Director
- Great Outdoors Award: Northern Michigan University, Andrew Smith
- Window Display Award: Gathered Earth, Erica Smith
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Bruce and Sally Closser; Dick and Nancy Lutey