County commissioners reluctantly peered into what Bruce Martinson feared could become a “Pandora’s Box” at its Tuesday, June 16, 2009 Board of Appeal and Equalization meeting. Jim and Betty Huskey went before the board to request that their conditional use permit to operate a hair styling business out of their home “be grandfathered in” and exempted from being taxed at […]
County board holds off cost of living increases for employee union
Representatives of the Cook County Employee Association (CCEA) expressed satisfaction with the outcome of contract negotiations with the county board in a latter dated June 9, 2009, even though they will not be receiving cost of living increases in the next two years. “The CCEA Negotiating Team would like to take this opportunity to thank the County Negotiating Committee for […]
Council trims $40,000 from city budget
Grand Marais city councilors made a number of adjustments to the city’s 2009 budget during their June 10 work session, with the majority of the changes occurring in the Recreation and Property Maintenance departments. City Administrator Mike Roth has put council on alert that about $50,000 must be cut in the current budget, and twice that much next year. The […]
Changes in the air for Cook County Schools
" We'd like to thank him for his years of service to the district. "Two representatives of ESG, the firm that installed Cook County Schools’ new heating, air conditioning, and ventilation (HVAC) system, reported to the school board Monday, June 15, 2009 that the district has saved about $40,000 in heating and utility costs in the last year and a half since the new boilers were installed. The improvements have been made in steps, […]
Big ideas for proposed civic center still leave room for other projects
Thirteen people attended a public meeting at the courthouse Tuesday, June 16, 2009 to discuss the possibility of using a proposed 1% county tax to pay for a multi-purpose civic/community center building in Grand Marais. Not a single community member was in attendance other than those who were there because of their jobs, formally associated with the project, or members […]
“The Ice Storm of 2009: Will the trees survive?”
Sugarloaf: The North Shore Stewardship Association is offering a free program about the ice storm of 2009 at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 27 at Sugarloaf Cove. Travelers along scenic North Shore Highway 61 may be shocked to see an abundance of damaged trees this year and wonder what happened and will the trees survive? Sugarloaf naturalist Alexis Berke will describe […]
Turning fear into success
How has the nation’s economy been affecting local business people? How could fears regarding an economic slump affect business? Life coach Debra Joy Mueller spoke to area businesswomen at a luncheon at Chez Jude Wednesday, May 20, 2009 about how to shift gears from fear to success. The luncheon is sponsored monthly by Cook County Higher Education and the Northeast […]
1988 Subaru station wagon – wave of the future?
It wasn’t part of the car show downtown Grand Marais on Saturday, June 13, 2009, but Jonathan Hedstrom’s red 1988 Subaru station wagon made a splash that day anyway at its debut at the Small Footprint Living Fair at the Cook County Community Center. It was one of many exhibits featuring environmentally friendly products and practices. What makes the car […]
Climb that wall!
AquaClimb has arrivedAfter only a day or two on the new climbing wall at the Grand Marais Municipal Pool, Lucy Shaw makes it to the top pretty easily. It’s a good challenge, however, with climbers often crashing into the water when they lose their grip. The wall was ready for customers Saturday, June 13, 2009.