President Obama Visits Marquette

Last year, Marquette was voted as the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 2010 Dozen Distinctive Destinations (DDD) “Fan Favorite.” You would think that a community of our size couldn’t possibly get that level of recognition the following year. But on Thursday, February 10, Air Force One touched down at Sawyer International Airport and brought President Barack Obama to Marquette County.

His visit marked the second time in seven years that a sitting President of the United States has visited the Upper Peninsula. In 2004, President George W. Bush swung through Marquette on his campaign for re-election, and held a rally with around 11,000 spectators at the Superior Dome. While president Obama’s visit was an invitation only event held at a much smaller venue, his visit was much more specific to what we are doing in Marquette County.

According to a White House press release, “Marquette is an effective demonstration of how the President’s proposal to open up airwaves will spark new innovation, put people back to work, grow the economy and help America win the future.”

President Obama specifically chose to visit the campus of Northern Michigan University in recognition of the WiMAX network, which provides high-speed wireless internet access across a large geographic area. Not only is the WiMAX providing endless possibilities for online learning at the university level, but it is also being utilized by K-12 schools across the county. The President also noted that NMU has retrofitted the towers of nearby cities and is allowing municipalities to utilize the technology for local government services. President Obama said, “as a result, police officers can access crime databases in their cars, and firefighters can download blueprints on the way to a burning building, and public works officials can save money by monitoring pumps and equipment remotely.”

But the WiMAX wasn’t the only thing about our area that has caught the president’s attention. He also recognized that Marquette is one of the top five “eCities” in Michigan, and that broadband access has given our local businesses a “window to the world” to help grow their business and our local economy. He used Getz’s Clothier as an example of a family-owned, third-generation Marquette business that has been able to tap into the online market and not only survive, but be named as one of America’s 5,000 fastest growing companies.

President Obama also met with executives from V.I.O., maker of high-definition wearable video cameras using Point-of -View technology. V.I.O. President Craig Mattson said “We’re honored to be able to share our success story as a model for small business in rural communities across the United States.” The president also had lunch with City of Marquette Mayor John Kivela at historic Donckers.

While his visit was exciting to residents, the barrage of press our community received was tremendous, and it carries over to today. It is estimated that the marketing value of such a visit is worth between $32 million to $50 million in advertising for our community!

Marquette County’s natural beauty is undeniable and is well known. But President Obama didn’t come here to sight see. He came because our community is on the cutting edge, an antecedent of our nation’s economic and technologic future. The President of the United States came to Marquette to use our community and university as an example to the world.

For more information on the president’s visit, check out our Web site at www.marquette.org.