July 22–28, 2009, Number 549
My Extended Weekend in Houghton
I decided to head to Houghton for the weekend with a friend, and saw lots of changes to the local area. The construction has been going great and is even considered ahead of schedule. My reason for visiting Houghton this weekend wasn't because of any big festival, but rather to assist my friends at the Copper Country Humane Society (CCHS) with their Big Bash. Below you will read about the updates to construction and the CCHS Big Bash.
Construction
As of Monday, at the construction of Downtown Houghton site, crews were working on removing the fifth block of Sheldon Avenue and the bricks are being laid in the area of the third block. The third block is then expected to be open to traffic by the middle of next week. There is still vehicular access available to parts of Sheldon Avenue that are not under construction yet. These areas allow for angular parking to accommodate anyone wishing to access the local businesses. The entrances by Franklin Square Inn and from the side streets are available for vehicles to access. Continued updates on the construction can be found on the Streetscape Renovation Announcements website. The Daily Mining Gazette article, "Construction ahead of schedule", also shares information about how construction is going and the work they intend to be completing within the upcoming weeks.
In terms of the construction in front of Michigan Tech, things are going superbly. Paving is nearly completed and it looks like the stretch of road between MacInnes Avenue and Cliff Drive will be opening up as early as next week, which is three weeks ahead of schedule! The remainder of the work is finishing up with the guard rail they are putting into place and a few patches of sidewalk. The image above shows you the work that they have done with putting in the crosswalks for students to use between the residence halls on the south side of campus and the main buildings to the north. When I saw the work they that have done I was amazed. It looks great and will definitely be a change for the first several weeks, but I feel that students will adjust quickly to the visual changes. Another article, "Road work ahead of schedule", discusses the work they have completed and what remains to be done in more detail.
Big Bash!
While I attended Michigan Tech I spent several years volunteering time at the Copper Country Humane Society and so when my friend informed me that she was heading up to help out with their annual Big Bash, I wanted to offer my services again. The Big Bash is when the shelter brings in the most fundraised money to help out with the cats and dogs they take in. Located in the Nara Nature Park, the shelter operates as a "no time limit" for all domestic dogs and cats from three surrounding counties. The Big Bash is held at the shelter every year where raffles for gift baskets, an auction of over 50 donated goods (this year included 4 tickets to a Lion's game), a prize wheel, free food, music, and lots of fun and games. Plus we can't forget those lovable animals. Opportunities to walk dogs, visit with our cats, and of course adoptions were also a part of this weekend's festivities. The shelter provides a great service to the local community, and if any of your students are looking to volunteer, I highly recommend they check out CCHS and become a frequent helper. The CCHS website also has a link that discusses the many ways in which a volunteer can "Help Us Out" (http://www.cchumanesociety.com/help.php).
I had a great weekend visiting Houghton and might even be returning very soon to adopt another feline friend to play with my first adopted cat from CCHS. It was also exciting to see the changes to the downtown area and to get a look at campus construction as well. It's great that everything is ahead of schedule and will be completed early. If there are any questions or comments about this article feel free to contact me at my personal email address. Any suggestions for future articles are welcomed. As mentioned last week we are coming up on the Orientation week, and I sat down with some Orientation staff to get the information you and your students will need to know. So be looking for Orientation 2009 articles to be coming out real soon.
Until next week,
- Michigan Technological University
- 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931-1295
- 906-487-1885