Tuesday, 1/17

 Wow.  People really like their old restaurants, don't they?

I spent my day off yesterday conducting one (hopefully last) big batch of interviews for my upcoming "The Greasier the Spoon" documentary for the Marquette Regional History Center.  While some of the interviews were with restaurant professionals, a couple were just with everyday people, people who've spent the last 50 years enjoying the restaurants that the documentary will be spotlighting.

I don't wanna give away too much before the thing is put together and has its debut, but I feel safe in saying that there are a few old restaurants that keep popping up again an again as these interviews roll on.  Some, like the Top Top and the Coffee Cup, I'm just too young to remember.  Others, like the Northwoods, I remember quite well.  And it's been quite the trip watching the people I'm interviewing and seeing their eyes light up as they talk about the places they used to frequent and the memories they still have.

I hope that all translates to the finished product, as well.

For me, the trip has also come in digging up old pictures and visuals to use in the film.  One resource I have now that I haven't had in previous projects is the recent digitization of old editions of the Marquette Mining Journal, a joint effort between NMU and the Peter White Public Library.  Ironically, one of the benefactors of the digitization is also an interview subject in the documentary, Dr Russ Maghagni.  Because of his largese and the work from the library, I've been able to sit at home and dig up old newspaper ads and stories about places that might otherwise have been ignored.

So if you watch the show and see things like this-

You'll know it's because of the digitization project that I'm able to include them.  Between all that information and the great interviews I've compiled over the past (gulp) two years, I'm hoping this project will be something that people enjoy and appreciate.

If nothing else, we'll find out March 8th.

(jim@wmqt.com)