When Life Gives You Lemons...

IRONWOOD, MI - Tuesday, December 14, 2010 - The old expression goes, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." The expression basically means when things don't go the way you want... be creative and make changes to your plans that so that you can make the best of a bad situation. Eva Smith-Furgason (left), manager of the Northwinds Natural Food Co-op, came up with an ingenious way to kill two birds with one stone (fix two problems with one solution). In front of the Co-op she carved a bench in the four foot snowbank. The bench serves as a resting place for downtown shoppers, and it makes use of the otherwise menacing snowbank in front of her store.

Previously Smith-Furgason offered free bags of snow with each purchase her customers made at the Co-op. "I didn't get any takers!" Smith-Furgason said in a disappointing voice. In addition to being the manager of the Co-op, Smith-Furgason serves on the Downtown Ironwood Development Authority (DIDA).

On Friday, December 17, 2010 at 8:30 AM, the City Commission will be holding a special meeting that will include a workshop to try to improve the snow clearing efforts by the City in the Downtown business district. The public is urged to attend.

According to City Manager Scott Erickson's Manager's Report at last night's City Commission Meeting, Downtown streets and sidewalks are scheduled to be cleared on Wednesday, December 15, 2010 in the early morning. The area was bombarded with snow over the weekend.