Chicago Water Grill Fire in Jonesville Michigan

A friend notified me of a fire at our favorite local restaurant, the Chicago Water Grill in Jonesville, Michigan. I ran downtown hoping that it was not true. My mind asked, how could there be a fire in a building that is not open on Sunday? I rounded the corner astounded to find the finest restaurant with the nicest staff and the tastiest menu engulfed in flames and smoke. As I watched, the fire moved next door to May's Furniture Store. The good news was that it appeared that the fire was confined to the attic area of the two businesses and because neither business was open, there were no injuries.

Many fire departments were on the scene. I saw vehicles from Jonesville, Hillsdale, Litchfield, Coldwater, Reading, Allen, Moscow, Montgomery, North Adams, and Somerset. Firefighters from these municipalities were working together to keep the fire from destroying the entire downtown.

Hundreds of people gathered across the street to watch the firefighters in action. Ground crews and ladder workers were keeping the fire from spreading. The big extension ladders from Hillsdale and Litchfield were put to good use, one in the front of the building and one in the back.

When an excavating vehicle was brought on the scene, it was evident that some of the building would have to be knocked down to control the spread of fire. The long armed wrecking machine brought down the back side of both businesses.

By 10 p.m. most of the firefighters had done their jobs and were heading home. I was told that some of them would have to pull an "all nighter" to be certain that a smoldering fire would not start up again. I am sure that downtown will have a totally different look and feel when I get up in the morning. My hope is that both businesses were insured and that both will be rebuilt in the near future. In the short term, both will be missed. In the long term, I hope their legacy will lead to a quick reconstruction.

The Chicago Water Grill has always been a great business partner to me at the Munro House Bed and Breakfast in Jonesville, Michigan. I hope the future brings a rekindling of this relationship.



Mike Venturini - Innkeeper
Despite this disaster, "Life is good in Jonesville"

Halloween in Jonesville 2009

We decided to be Yoopers at deer camp for Halloween this year. It is a fun and simple idea that is very Michigan. Both of my parents are from the Upper Peninsula (U.P.) of Michigan, so we were type cast for this role. Folks who live in the U.P. are called Yoopers and Deer Hunting Season is practically a holiday. We donned our red flannel one piece long johns, plus wore wool socks, boots, and a fur hat--simple.

With temperatures in the 40's and a brisk wind blowing, we were concerned about the turnout of trick or treaters on Halloween at our house. Living in a business does not allow us to turn our lights off when we run out of candy, so we had to be prepared for however many kids showed up at the Munro House Bed and Breakfast in Jonesville, Michigan.

With a lousy forecast, but no rain, we really didn't know what to expect. Last year, under ideal weather condiditons, we treated about 650 chidren of all ages. I went to the store, chose the treats, read the number of servings, did the math, and bought candy for 720.

Lots of Ninjas and Princesses this year, as always, along with vampires and bloody accident victims. The more unusual costumes included the headless dad who watched from the corner Little Bo Peep and her poodle dressed as a sheep, and the masked wrestler. I like the group theme. This year we had 4 Indian Maidens, the rock band KISS, and a package of M&M's.

We stayed warm in our long johns, but felt the need to bring out a portable radiator that kept half of our bodies warm and also kept our fingers from freezing. At the end of the night, we figure that we had provided treats to about 575 trick or treaters in Jonesville.

Yup, Halloween is our favorite holiday.




Mike Venturini - Innkeeper
"Life is good in Jonesville"