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The Mason County Quiz, Feb. 14, 2024
Answers
The Mason County Quiz is presented by Lake Michigan Senior Living, located on the bluffs of Lake Michigan in beautiful Summit Township.
How much do you know about Mason County? This is the first installment of what we are planning to be the weekly Mason County Quiz. Click here for the answers.
- What present day restaurant now occupies the building that was originally the Ludington McDonald’s? Jimmy John’s, located at 5865 W. US 10 in Pere Marquette Township was the original location of the Ludington McDonald’s Restaurant. The restaurant opened in October 1972 and was owned by Ray German. In late 1989 the restaurant moved to its present location of 5389 E. US 10, Pere Marquette Township.
- Which Mason County township is named after a political party? Free Soil Township is named after the Free Soil Party, which was founded in 1848 by a faction of Democrats known as the Barnburners who objected to slavery in the territories and opposed the 1848 Democratic presidential nominee, Lewis Case. The Barnburners joined with anti-slavery members of the conservative Whig Party and the Liberty Party to form the Free Soil Party. Former President Martin Van Buren ran as the party’s nominee for president during the 1848 Presidential Election, with Charles Francis Adams Sr. running as vice president. Van Buren won 10% of the popular vote. Whig Zachary Taylor won the election, however. The party was mostly absorbed into the Republican Party between 1854 and 1856 by way of the Anti-Nebraska movement. Read more here.
- What Grammy Award winning singer graduated from Mason County Central High School in 1982? Maynard James Keenan has won nine Grammy Awards. He moved to Scottville to live with his father, Mike, when he was in eighth grade. Mike was a teacher at Mason County Central High School and a well respected wrestling coach. Keenan, who is considered won of MCC’s top all-time athletes, graduated in 1982 from MCC High School and went on to serve three years in the U.S. Army before enrolling in Kendall School of Design in Grand Rapids. After Kendall, he eventually made his way to Los Angeles, formed Tool and signed his first record deal in 1991. He won his first Grammy in 1997. Keenan now lives in Jerome, Arizona where he owns several successful businesses, particularly wineries and restaurants. He also is currently planning to start several businesses in downtown Scottville. Read more here.
- What Mason County personality was known for the catch phrase “See ya!”? In 1948, 18-year-old twin brothers Johnny and Tony Urban built Northern Gardens Roller Rink along State Street (US 10) in the Village of Custer. In 1954, Johnny bought out his brother and re-named the facility Johnny’s of Custer. The place grew into a restaurant and then also a night club, bringing in acts that eventually would make it big. Johnny Urban was like the Dick Clark of west Michigan. His facility was the largest entertainment venue in the region and continued to operate the business until the early 2000s. He would always end the evening with his catch phrase “See ya!” Johnny died in 2012 at the age of 85.
- What is the Pumped Storage Plant more commonly called by locals? Construction of the Ludington Pumped Storage Plant, located in Pere Marquette and Summit townships, took place between 1969 and 1973 at a cost of $315 million. When it opened, it was the world’s largest pumped storage hydroelectric facility in the world. The massive facility reshaped the landscape of southwestern Mason County and has since been fondly known by locals as “The Project.” The Project consists of six reversible turbines that can each generate 312 megawatts of electricity for a total output of 1.872 megawatts. At night, during low demand for electricity, the turbines run in reverse to pump water 363 feet uphill from Lake Michigan into the reservoir, which is 110-feet deep, 2.5 miles long and one mile wide. The reservoir holds 27 billion gallons of water. The Project was designed to level the load of nearby nuclear power plants on the grid. In 2011, plant owners Consumers Energy and Detroit Edison announced the facility would receive an $800 million upgrade. The upgrades were completed in 2021.
Lake Michigan Senior Living, 4895 S. Lakeshore Dr. in Summit Township, offers beautiful views of Lake Michigan, activities and exceptional care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The facility consists of four housing units on the bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan. For more information, call 231-843-9963 or go to www.lakemiseniorliving.com.
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