Open House at School District 166



The Cook County School District will have its annual Open House on Thursday, September 16 from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. for parents, students and community members. Non-profit organizations with resources for parents and/or students are invited to have a table on campus during the open house. Anyone interested should contact Principal Gwen Carman at (218) 387-2271. There will also be […]

Tickets available now for Unplugged IX



The leaves are starting to turn and it’s great hiking weather so that must mean the North House Folk School’s fall event is around the corner. Tickets are on sale now for Unplugged: The Northern Harvest on Friday and Saturday, September 24 -25. Like most events at the folk school, Unplugged of course includes a hearty meal. On Friday, September […]

25 years of fun at Booya & Finn Fest



The 25th annual Zion Church Booya and Finn Fest will be held Saturday, Sept. 18 at the Finland, Minnesota Heritage Site on Little Marais Road. Thepublic is invited. Events begin at 10 a.m. Among the luscious comestibles will be the famous booya and bread and traditional American fare such as baked potato with toppings, Paul’s famous corn on the cob, […]

Burning Qur’an not appropriate act on 9/11 anniversary



I am angry and dismayed to read recent news stories about Dove World Church’s plans to publicly burn copies of the Qur’an on September 11. Nothing, including the passage of time, is going to remove the pain of 9/11 from our lives. As we reach yet another anniversary of that terrible evil, the Christian community is again asked to decide […]

Bureaucracy should not block flag



What is this community coming to? We can’t put a flagpole in Harbor Park because the plans don’t specifically allow for it? No wonder it’s impossible to get anything done on the state and federal levels…we can’t even get something done on the local level! But, we can have $5,000 benches and plaques, rain gardens that really don’t look like […]

Investment in education pays off



I am a 70-plus retiree on a fixed income who is going to vote for the public schools tax increase. In fact, I wish it were higher. Our seven grandchildren include one in law school, one teaching in Turkey, two in the middle of their college work, two are finishing their high school years at the top of their class […]

No gambling with county funds for golf course



On August 17, 2010 the Cook County – Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA, LOL), voted 4 to 2 to transfer ownership of the Superior National Golf Course to Cook County if the county agreed to follow a plan proposed by Scott Harrison of Lutsen Resort. “The Plan” would have included committing (gambling) another three million of future taxpayers’ dollars, […]

Golden goose or albatross?



Watching the county board deal with the situation created by the passage of the 1% sales tax referendum has produced more concern than comfort. The referendum was marketed with a basket of wish list projects totaling around $26,000,000. The bill that passed enabling the 1% sales tax limits the projects that can be funded by the tax revenue to a […]

Assisted living services needed in Cook County



It’s an unfortunate human trait to ignore community problems until we experience them personally. Burt and I are now in our 90s, Cook County taxpayers for the past 50 years and full time residents since 1981. We are guilty of this trait, but have been strongly involved once we understand a problem. We were jolted into understanding the urgent need […]

Lives Remembered



Bruce M. Drouillard, 74, of Franklin and formerly of Faribault, Minn., passed away Aug. 28, 2010 at the Golden Living Center in Franklin. Bruce was born June 7, 1935 to Fred and Lola Drouillard in Grand Marais. He attended Cook County schools and married his high school sweetheart, Marietta Swenson. They had five children: sons Tony and Monty, twin daughters […]