Arnold Proposes Exclusive Service To Mackinac Island
It's official: the Arnold Transit Company and Star Line are proposing a merger to form a new ferry boat operating company called Northern Ferry to service Mackinac Island. Arnold is also offering up the chance for the city of Mackinac Island to acquire the pier it currently operates from.
The proposal says the merger would provide year-round service at a greatly reduced rate. In response, the owner of Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry has filed a federal anti-trust lawsuit, claiming Arnold's owner, James Wynn, is seeking a monopoly to eliminate competition and force Shepler's out of business. In his merger proposal, Wynn requests, "exclusive franchise rights to serve the city of Mackinac Island on a 20 year exclusive term.
About 100 people packed in to Mackinac Island's city hall last night to hear more about the future of the island's ferry service, and many were critical of how the mayor and the city council are handling the controversy.
One man from Harbor springs, Bob Rossman, said it was like getting bids to build your house without telling the builders what kind of home you want. The audience cheered and applauded.
Some residents were clearly stunned, and you could see them taking sides. Several came up to members of the Shepler family and gave them the thumbs up or said "hang in there."
Others gathered around officials with the Arnold and star lines to congratulate them.
Stephen Moskwa, who owns Yankee Rebel Restaurant and Horn's Bar on the island, says the city has to act to make the island more accessible for tourists and residents:
"In the late 90's, 2000, there were 900,000 people visiting Mackinac Island. Currently, it's about 600,000. So it's affected all of us in day traffic mostly and also in overnight guests. Economic conditions are challenging," he says.
On October 20th, each ferry boat line will be given 20 minutes to make a presentation to the city and explain their proposals in detail.
When Chris Shepler saw the official merger proposal for the first time, which would effectively end the operation of his family's ferry service, he said: "I thought this was America."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 Response to "Arnold Proposes Exclusive Service To Mackinac Island"
Post a Comment