News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer chats with employees at Meijer while in Alpena on Thursday. Whitmer toured the damage from the ice storm last week that wiped out most of the region’s electrical infrastructure. Meijer was one of the only stores that was able to open and the lone gas station for several days. There are still tens of thousands of power customers who don’t have electricity.

ALPENA — The staff at Meijer in Alpena had a special visitor on Thursday, as Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer visited the store and chatted with the employees. While in town, Whitmer also toured the damage from the ice storm that caused an ongoing blackout for some.

The Meijer staff worked hard before, during, and after the severe ice storm last weekend that caused a complete loss of electricity to entire counties in Northeast Michigan.

Meijer and its employees were one of the lone resources people had to get needed items to help them make due during the blackout.

Despite losing power and other challenges at their own homes, the employees worked many hours to prepare the store for its reopening so it could provide relief to people who needed products while they hunkered down for the power outage, which is now in its seventh day for many.

Much of the power was restored in Alpena, but in outlying areas, many people still don’t have electricity. In some of the hardest hit areas, it could take weeks for power to be restored.

For days, Meijer and its gas station were primarily the only businesses open. Whitmer toured the store, chatted with employees, asked how they were doing, and inquired about their living conditions.

Whitmer said after her tour of the store that the dedication of the Meijer staff should not go unnoticed and, without their hard work, many in the area would have had a more difficult time during the ongoing ordeal.

“It’s been incredible to see how Meijer has become a hub in this community, and I have seen that with them before during a crisis, and I’m sure it won’t be the last,” Whitmer said. “The workers here are residents, too, and a lot of them still don’t have power and yet they showed up to help their neighbors. I think that it shows the best in them.”

Warren Richter, Alpena Meijer store director, said there was a lot of work to do before the big-box store could reopen. He said when the power went out, there was a generator that powered a cooler, and employees worked quickly to empty all of the coolers and freezers, and fill the generator-powered cooler with the perishable goods. Richter said most of the product was saved, and when a second generator arrived, they had to quickly replace the items so the customers could begin to come in and purchase what they needed.

“Our staff is absolutely amazing, and the dedication of all of them to come in, when they are facing the same hardships, and serve other people who are going through the same exact things, and doing it with a smile, is amazing,” he said. “When you’re going through a crisis like this, you have the choice to laugh or cry, and they took the punches, rolled with them, and chose to smile. They are all tremendous.”

The Meijer gas station was also a godsend for many people. Power generators were shipped to Alpena to open the store and power the fuel pumps so people could fill their vehicles and gas cans for their generators. For days, lines on M-32 and Hobbs Drive stretched far down the street as people waited hours before it was their turn at the pump.

The governor began her day in Petoskey and made stops in Gaylord and Alpena. She was able to see the destruction the ice storm caused and the efforts to revive power, clear roads, and provide essential services to people who needed assistance.

Whitmer said until you see the vastness and severity of the destruction, it doesn’t register how bad things are up north right now and likely for many weeks to come. She said people need to stay calm, patient, and go the extra mile to help those who need it once they have power restored for themselves.

“This may take a while for everyone to get restored,” she said. “There are so many counties where there are so many utility poles that are snapped in half, and the power lines are lying on the ground. It is going to take time for the utility companies to get the power restored, and we’re doing everything we can to hasten that.”

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 or sschulwitz@TheAlpenaNews.com. Follow him on X @ss_alpenanews.com.