By Nicole Walton
Marquette, MI – The City of Marquette is asking U.P. residents to cast their votes for Presque Isle Park in a national grant competition.
The island is one of 100 finalists in the National Trust for Historic Places This Place Matters Community Challenge.
David Stensaas is the community development planner for Marquette. He says the history of the popular park is fairly unique, in that the designer of New York's Central Park, Frederick Law Olmstead, was a consultant in creating Presque Isle. The island is also the home and burial site of Charles Kawbawgam, chief of the local Ojibwa tribe when Marquette was founded.
Three cash awards are being offered--$25,000, $10,000, and $5,000--and the winner will be determined by online voting.
Each person will be allowed to cast only one vote during the month of June at www.preservationnation.org/communitychallenge.