New Buffalo eyes retail sale of marijuana

SERVICE LEAGUE MONTHLY MEETING NEXT WEEK

The next New Buffalo Service League dinner meeting will be held at Roma’s Pizza Wednesday, Nov. 10.

They will gather at 6 p.m., with dinner at 6:30. They will be discussing the wonderful profits that the League made at its Arts and Crafts Show.

If anyone would like to join, feel free to call Nancy at 269-469-1364.

— STAFF REPORTS

PRE-ORDER FUDGE FOR JACKIE’S ANNUL FUDGE-RAISER

It’s that time of year again— Jackie’s Fudge-raiser season.

Fudge, which is made by chef Jackie Shen of Jackie’s Café, is $15 per container. Fudge that is preordered now can be picked up Nov. 15.

All the proceeds from fudge sales will go towards River Valley Senior Center and the Harbor Country Rotary Club from Jackie’s sale, plus 100 percent in matching funds from The Larry Bubb Endowment and Nora Duffy. Every $15 spent will total up to $45.

Orders can be placed by calling Jackie’s Café at 269-469-1800. The café is located at 801 W. Buffalo Street in New Buffalo. — STAFF

REPORTS

FERNWOOD TO HOST LIGHTS 2021

Help inaugurate the return of LIGHTS, Fernwood’s historically popular holiday lights exhibit, from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 26 to Jan. 2.

LIGHTS 2021 has been completely re-conceived and is projected to attract more than 20,000 visitors over the 21-night run. Revenue from LIGHTS will be used for Fernwood’s operations while creating an annual winter tourism focus throughout southwest Michigan and all of Michiana. These experiential holiday evenings will generate economic, cultural, and educational value for the region. Through 2008, and for the prior 14 years, Fernwood mounted a “Lights Before Christmas” event that was very popular with the visiting public. This event was staff-designed, installed, and managed. Local support for the event decreased over the years, and the multi-week effort proved challenging for Garden employees. Staff and leadership shifted their focus to year-round program development, creating a multi-year master plan for the Garden, and design, fundraising, and construction of the high-concept Sims Education Center that opened in October 2018.

This event is a community event - for the community and by the community. It’s a great opportunity for businesses, groups, organizations, family, and friends to come together in service for a fun and festive event.

Volunteers are also needed for the event.

General public ticket sales are currently available. Fernwood members may still purchase tickets, but a discount will not be applied. Advanced, online ticket purchases are highly recommended. Timed ticket slots begin on the hour at 5 p.m.

More information can be found at www.fernwoodbotanical.org. Fernwood is located at 13988 Range Line Rd. in Buchanan. — STAFF REPORTS

New Buffalo eyes retail sale of marijuana

BY STAN MADDUX

New Buffalo could join other southwest Michigan communities that have marijuana dispensaries.

The city has mailed minutes away would favor a retailer, he said. Humphrey said another advantage would be New Buffalo being at the first exit on Interstate 94 for travelers from surveys to residents asking how they feel about medical marijuana and recreational marijuana being offered locally.

The retail sale of recreational marijuana was made legal in Michigan by voters statewide in November 2018.

New Buffalo was one of the communities that chose to exercise an option under state law to prohibit the retail sale of the drug.

Niles and Buchanan more than 20 miles east of New Buffalo chose to opt in and now have marijuana dispensaries, which have been approved in nearby Three Oaks (see page 4).

New Buffalo Mayor John Humphrey said the surveys are in response to a lot of people expressing interest in operating a marijuana dispensary in the lakefront community.

“We’ve certainly had dozens. There’s been that many,” he said.

He hopes at least 800 of the surveys mailed to the 1,400 or so registered voters in the city will be filled out and returned.

Humphrey said heavy response on such an issue is important to gauge as accurately as possible just how the community feels before the city council decides whether to permit retail marijuana sales.

“We need to take the public’s temperature on what they want,” he said.

Under state law, municipalities with marijuana stores receive 3 percent of the sales taxes collected from customers in their communities.

Humphrey said he wasn’t sure how much money the city would collect.

He also wondered if the market for such products is already saturated for a business here to be very profitable.

Being near the border with Indiana, where marijuana is still against the law, and having population centers like Michigan City and LaPorte just 20 Lake and Porter counties and the Chicago area. The retail sale of marijuana in Illinois is legal but visitors from the state could frequent a dispensary here, he said. Humphrey said he hopes a decision is made by no later than spring. In Buchanan, there are five dispensaries and each provide both recreational and medical marijuana, said Richard Murphy, the city’s director of community development. Murphy said the city of less than 5,000 residents collected over $80,000 in sales tax revenue this year. More importantly, Murphy said the stores have attracted enough customers to generate a noticeable increase in steady foot traffic downtown. He said the half dozen growing and processing operations serving the dispensaries also created more than 10 jobs apiece and occupy long abandoned factories. Permits issued in recent months for construction of five new homes are also tied to the local marijuana trade, he said. Murphy said it’s been over three years since there’s been any new housing built in the city. He said the marijuana industry is not the only answer to economic recovery in a city relying more nowadays on tourism and small gains in rebuilding a manufacturing base decimated by plant closures over the past 40 years. Murphy said marijuana, though, has been one of the building blocks needed to create an economy that’s driven not just by one or two major employers. “It’s up to us to use cannabis, I guess, as a catalyst to get to the next level. A more diversified and efficient economy that doesn’t rely on one sector but relies a lot of different sectors, including cannabis,” he said.