The tallest waterfall in Michigan should be a state park.

Houghton-Douglass Falls, on the Keweenaw Peninsula in the Upper Peninsula, is 110 feet tall. It cuts into a steep gorge flanked by stands of cedar, spruce, and pine trees.

The waterfall was a popular hiking destination until the landowner closed the property because of the risk of people getting injured. The high rock walls are unstable, and there have been multiple fatalities, including in 2011 when a man fell off a cliff.

The state of Michigan purchased the 70-acre property in 2018 from a Vietnam veteran who sold it with the understanding that the land would be turned into a park honoring Michigan’s veterans, but progress has been slow. Six years later, the waterfall still isn’t open to the public.

Earlier this year, I voted for a resolution urging the Department of Natural Resources to give the waterfall and surrounding land official state park status by making it a unit of the existing McLain State Park (which is also on the Keweenaw Peninsula, along the shore of Lake Superior). The resolution also urged the department to call the unit the Houghton-Douglass Falls Veterans Scenic Site.

I’d like to see the state hurry up and complete improvements so that the waterfall can soon be open to the public once again. That involves blazing some hiking trails and providing restrooms and parking.

If you want to visit the waterfall, it’s a 530-mile drive from Fowlerville to get there.

Michigan is a big state.

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Big news to share: on Wednesday, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that tipped positions must receive a full minimum wage.

The change won’t take effect right away; it will get phased in over five years. But this ruling means that over time, it’s going to be a lot more expensive to run a small family-owned restaurant in Michigan. I’m not trying to second-guess the court, but my concern is that thousands of people might lose their jobs because many restaurants will close as a result of this ruling.

I’m also concerned that employees who currently make more money in tips than the minimum wage will receive less pay if people stop tipping because of this change.

Many restaurants are still struggling due to lost business during covid, and inflation is making food more expensive. This ruling will almost certainly force restaurants to raise their prices.

But what do you think? If waitstaff earn a regular salary instead of having to rely on tips, will this change how much you give at the end of a meal? Or will you keep giving the same amount?

Send me an email to let me know your thoughts.