TODAY’S BLOG HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

YOUR MORNING SHOW.

Ladies and Gentlemen, due to scheduled maintenance by our computer service provider, today’s blog has been cancelled.  We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause!

-Mark & Walt

A MONDAY AFTER A SUNDAY OF “MEH” PACKER FOOTBALL.

BART STARR & PAUL HORNUNG WITH MAX McGEE'S JERSEY. Photo from Packers.com.

The stage was set, the house was full, the legends were in attendance.  It was all there to be a great day to be a Packer!  The crowd had green and gold blood pulsing through their veins.  The players hit the field with a self-assured stance that seemed to say, “Welcome to the house that Vince built.  Now get ready to get stuffed!”  The music blared, the flyover rocked, the kickoff exploded in a cacophony of thousands of Packer faithful bursting with the excitement of an impending win on a gorgeous Sunday during the final weekend of the summer.  GO PACK GO!!  There was no place better in the world to see a great football game, than Lambeau Field!!!

And then…

a great football game didn’t happen.

AARON RODGERS TAKES THE FIELD, UNKNOWING OF HIS FATE. Photo from Packers.com.

The Packers looked good at times, but Cincinnati looked better.   Poor Aaron Rodgers…sacked five times (probably before he knew what hit him)!!  Pass protection?  I guess they left it in the locker room!  Defense?  Not around…I mean, the Packers let the Bengals get a first down from a 3rd and 34!  And they just ran out of time in the end.  Not enough “hurry-up” offense when they needed it, I guess.    Oh well, it is classic Green Bay Packer football, and I am damn sure going to follow it next week and the week after that, and so on!  So it’s off to to play the Rams next week.  I guess we’ll chat about it here then!

TODAY’S SHOW WAS A HEALTHY ONE!

NATASHA GILL FROM THE NORTHERN VEGANS.

Thanks to Natasha Gill from the group Northern Vegans for coming in today to tell us about a special film presentation going on tonight at the Peter White Public Library in Marquette that’s open to the public and will discuss the nutritional challenges we are facing as a society.  She also told us about a series upcoming events and activities being held by and hosted by the Northern Vegans.  to listen to the interview, please click “HERE“.  To log on to the Northern Vegans website and find out more about their group ant their events, click “HERE“.

MAIN STREET MONDAY WAS A TOUGHIE!

MARK HIDES BEHIND THE MIGHTY STACK OF CARTOON EXPERTS.

Or so Mark thought!  He wanted to commemorate the birthday of Chuck Jones, the classic Warner Brothers animator who helped to create the legends of all of those classic Looney Tunes characters.  He came up with a clip of a very obscure character, but there were more than a few of you who knew who it was we were looking for.  Congratulations to Veronica from Marquette who knew we were looking for the elusive “Little John”!   She was the proud recipient of two fourteen-inch three-topping pizzas from Main Street Pizza.

GOOD SHOW, BUT NOW IT’S TIME TO GO!

Catch you all here on the internetz again soon!

-Walt

WELL, IS IT NESSIE??

The claim has been made that this image has captured the Loch Ness Monster on Google earth.  Tell us…what do you think?

NESSIE?

FAVRE IS GOING TO MINNESOTA TO PLAY FOR THE VIKINGS.

All I can say is this…I hope it’s all worth it in the end.

-Walt

HEY BLOGGERS!  HERE’S A NEWS ITEM FOR THE WEEKEND!

Taken from a Cliff’s Natural Resources press release:

Cliffs’ Equipment Move Will Impact Road Travel in Marquette & Delta Counties.

Ishpeming, MI—July 31, 2009 —Cliffs Natural Resources,  Michigan operations, is working with a transportation company to move some oversized  materials and equipment from the port of Escanaba to the mines in Marquette County that will impact travel on several Upper Peninsula roads.

The equipment and materials being moved are related to a future repair of the Tilden Mine’s rotary pelletizing kilns.   The kilns are used to heat-harden concentrated iron ore pellets to allow for shipment to steel making facilities in North America.

The oversized pieces of equipment include a kiln shell piece that is 25-feet in diameter and two kiln riding rings that are slightly more that 29 feet in diameter.  The equipment and materials will be used to replace similar pieces that have been in use at Tilden since 1979.

As a result of the material movement, the trucking company has been working with the Michigan Department of Transportation and local law enforcement agencies to determine which roads will be affected.  Due to the size of the loads, roads will have to be cleared in front of the transporting vehicles.

“We realize this may be a slight inconvenience for motorists as the vehicles pass through the communities between Escanaba and the mines,”  said Dale Hemmila, Cliffs’ district manager of public affairs in Michigan.  “However, this is the most expeditious way to move these large pieces to the mine.  We plan to work with MDOT and the law enforcement agencies to minimize the impact on motorists and others.”

The cargo movement will affect the streets and roads from Escanaba to Marquette beginning at 4:30 am EDT on Sunday, August 2, 2009.  Roads closest to Escanaba will be affected initially with the roads closer to the main gate at the Empire Mine on M-35 north of the village of Palmer will be affected later in the morning.

TODAY’S BLOG DEDICATED TO MARK EVANS…OR AT LEAST HIS FEAR OF BEING TICKLED!!

HERE WE GO!

This, my friends, is the face of trepidation!  This is the face of uncertainty and fear!  This is the face of Mark Evans as he sat down to have the FIRST massage of his life be administered by the lovely and talented Heather from Utopia Tan and Skin Care.  Why is he so nervous?  Why so uncertain?  Because Mark is very, very ticklish and has never allowed himself to have a massage before.  I must step up and commend him for confronting his fears on the show today.  Not only did he do it in front of all of his co-workers, he did it live on the air for all of you listeners to check out.  Well done, Mark!  You beat the fear and actually seemed to enjoy it by the end!  The moral for all of you kids out there is that once you confront your fears, they really don’t seem that bad after all!

IT SEEMED TO WORK WELL!!

HEY...THIS AIN'T SO BAD!

Here is our friend Mark after about 10 minutes of neck and shoulder massage by Heather.  See the relaxation in his face.  See how he actually seems to really be getting into it and is showing relaxation!  He wouldn’t fully relax, though, because he was certain someone was going to poke him in the sides or give him the full-on side tickle.  No one ever did, though and he made it through the ordeal (his) with flying colors.  He even said that it should be done again.  If you’d like to be like Mark…you can contact Utopia Tan and Skin Care in Marquette.  We thank the tolerant Heather for coming in with the rest of the Utopia Crew this morning for this wonderful moment in local radio history!

IT WAS A BUSY SHOW AS WELL!

SARAH PEURA FROM SAIL.

Thanks to Sarah Peura with the Superior Alliance for Independent Living for stopping in to let us know about the upcoming “Walk & Roll” event that is happening on Augst 15th.  This event is a major fund raiser for the agency and also is part of an overall awareness campaign for SAIL.  To listen to Sarah’s comment’s click “HERE“, and for a look at their website, click “HERE.”

THE FORGOTTEN EAGLES RIDE AROUND MICHIGAN!

MIKE KOPPINGER & BRAD SLAGLE.

Thanks to Mike Koppinger with the Forgotten Eagles and Brad Slagle with the Jacobetti Home for Veterans for coming by the Sunny Studios to talk about the annual “Ride Around Michigan” which is put on by the Forgotten Eagles to benefit veterans and agencies like the Jacobetti Home.  The ride is coming up in early August and will cross the entire State of Michigan.  The group will be raising money to give to veterans, their families and veteran’s groups and agencies.  To listen to the interview, click “HERE“.  For more about the Forgotten Eagles, click “HERE“.

THAT’S A FULL BLOG!!

Well, here’s hoping you guys are enjoying what bit of summer we have going on and you’ll keep listening to big show and checking in here intermittently on the blog for insight into the Mark & Walt in the Morning multi-media experience!

-Walt

THIS WEEKEND IS WHAT WE WAIT FOR IN THE WINTERTIME!!

WOW!  This is one of those classic Marquette County weekends that we alsways talk about on the shiow.  There is SO MUCH going on this weekend that it almost hard to keep track of it all!  Over the next two days or so, you can take in the Relay for Life in Ishpeming, The Great Lakes Rodeo out at the Marquette County Fairgrounds, The UP All-Star Football Classic at the Superior Dome in Marquette, The Iron, Steel and the Automobile Show at the Michigan Iron Industry Museum in Negaunee Township, to however you may want to spen Father’s Day on Sunday!  That’s jam-packed if I do say so myself, or even “chock-full”!  And of course, you heard about all of these Marquette County activities and more on “Mark & Walt in the Morning!”   I love it!

IRON, STEEL AND THE AUTOMOBILE THIS WEEKEND!

BIG, BAD BARRY JAMES!

Thanks to Barry James from the Michigan Iron Industry Museum in Negaunee Township for stopping in this morningto talk about the annual Father’s Day Car Show put on at the museum.  This year’s show is the 20th annual and featuresover 60 cars, trucks and vintage bikes.  It’s a great way to spend Father’s day with dad.  Click “HERE” to listen to Barry’s interview, and click “HERE” to go to the Iron Industry Museum’s website.

RELAY FOR LIFE RUNS IN ISHPEMING!

SMILIN' CARL FULSHER!

Special thanks to Carl Fulsher with the American Cancer Society for coming in to update us on the Relay for Life being held this weekend at the Al Quaal Recreation Area in Ishpeming.  The event has a record number of teams this year and is looking to break a fundraising record as well!  To hear Carl’s interview, click “HERE.”

IT’S A BIG WEEKEND…DON’T LET IT SLIP BY!

Like I always say, with everything going on this weekend in Marquette County, don’t take it for granted, just TAKE IT IN!

Catch ya all next week!

-Walt

ANOTHER MONDAY MORNING IN MARQUETTE COUNTY!

DON CHERRY STILL SAYS "GO WINGS!"

Well, Friday night was an interesting one to say the least.  We have a great station giveaway at the Country Lanes in Ishpeming and had a fantastic winner who was more than happy to say the least.  You can check out photos through the link on the Sunny 101.9 homepage.  Then, of course, the Detroit Red Wings went on to lose the Stanley Cup final to the Penguins by a 2-1 final.  It was a major bummer(in hockey parlance), but we move on.  It was particularly frustrating that Bill Tibor, the most uninterested hockey fan in the world called it last week when he said that the Wings would lose game 7 by a 2 to 1 final.  So, in response to the loss and the overall feeling low of Wings fans such as myself, I decided to cheer things up a bit to make everyone feel better.  Here’s a picture of the CBC’s Don Cherry.  Love the suit and the octopus!

PICTURED ROCKS ROAD RACE IS ON IT’S WAY!

THE RED CROSS.

Thanks to Annie Stanger, the Fund Development Director with the Central Upper Peninsula Chapter of the American Red Cross for stopping in this morning to let us know more about the upcoming Pictured Rocks Road Race being held in Alger County to benefit the American Red Cross’ efforts in Alger County.  The event is being held as both a fundraiser and an awareness event both designed for the Red Cross.  To listen her interview and to find out how to register, click “HERE“, and to go to the group’s website, click “HERE.”

SO GOES ANOTHER MONDAY!

Onto another week with more to come.  See you tomorrow!

-Walt

HEY FOLKS!  GREAT LAKES RADIO IS OFF THE AIR IN THE CENTRAL U.P.

POSTED: 3:40pm Tuesday, June 9.

Sunny 101.9, WKQS, plus our sister stations, FOX 103 WFXD and 98.3 WRUP are currently off the air due to an emergency power repair at the Hoist Substation in Marquette County.  According to a release by the Upper Peninsula Power Company, the power is out in areas around Ishpeming affecting customers on the White Bear Road, North Basin Drive and County 510.  Our tower is located on County Road 510 and as a result, will be off the air for next few hours.

According to UPPCO, the power is expected to be restored in the area around 7:30pm.

MONDAY BLUES FOR THE CORNER OF MICHIGAN AND TRUMBULL.

SCENE FROM THE OLD BALLPARK IN DETROIT. Summer 2008.

Hey, I know that it’s an old building (what’s left of it), and I know it’s been vacant since the end of the 1999 baseball season.  I also know it was run-down well before the team moved out, and I was only there once in my life for a game, but I still feel sad because of the latest developments with Tiger Stadium.  It’s not so much the inevitable tearing down of the remaining portion of the old ball park that makes me feel kind of low, it’s the fact that those who want to save it as an historic reminder of what Detroit used to be, and serve as a center for the surrounding community, have not been able to muster up the money needed to keep it alive.  The amount is an estimated $33 million.   That’s a lot, but it could be done if people wanted it.

Don’t kid yourself…the money’s out there, but the people who have it don’t care.  Sad.  Goodbye Tiger Stadium, goodbye Detroit, goodbye history.

CLOSER TO HOME, PAAC’S AT IT AGAIN!

A HARD HABIT TO BREAK!

Thanks to Marty Achatz, the director and Denise Clark, the Mother Superior of the production “Nunsense!” being put on by the folks at the Peninsula Arts Appreciation Council at the Vista Theater in Negaunee.  They told us about how this production marks a reunion of the majority of the cast that put the show on at the Vista nine years ago, and how much fun doing the show again with most of the same cast has been a very fun experience.  To listen to Marty and Denise’s interview, click “HERE“.   For more information about PAAC, the Vista Theater and getting involved, click “HERE.”  By the way, this production is loaded with fun, so go on out and get to it!  A few laughs during these COLD SUMMER DAYS!  Have some fun!

MORE CHANGES ON THE LOCAL TELEVISION FRONT!!

CALLING OUT THE MISSLES! PREPARE THE LASER!

Thanks to Danny Hood, General Manager and owner of the soon-to-be revamped WMQF-TV, also known as Channel 19 for stopping in and telling us about some of the ideas and changes that may be coming to Channel 19 over the next few months and what his company will be doing to get ready for all of the challenges of being the new owners of a TV station.  To listen to Danny’s melliflous tones and check out his interview, click “HERE“.  You can access Channel 19′s website by clicking “HERE.”

AND SO BEGINS ANOTHER WEEK!

Make it a good one!

SEE YA ALL TOMORROW!!!!

-W