Oberstar knows how contentious issues of the Boundary Waters are, yet in the 1990s, he partnered with Bruce Vento to include the return of only two truck portages in the 1999 Transportation Bill, leaving out the Four Mile Portage. In 2000, Oberstar had the audacity to propose renaming Eagle Mountain near Grand Marais “Vento Mountain”! When that didn’t work, Oberstar […]
Promote industry, not tourism
For far too long we’ve put all our energy into tourist sector jobs, neglecting the rest of the county’s work force. Most jobs are below living wage and many go to foreign workers. It’s time to change that policy. We created a motel tax to promote tourism. How about a tax to create industry jobs? We put $2.1 million into […]
Become informed and vote yes
OK voters, it’s time we do what is right for the young people in Cook County and vote yes on the school tax increase. The students had little to do with our school’s money problems and should not be punished by reduced course offerings. They, the students, weren’t responsible for the mandates from Washington, the reduction of state support or […]
School Board Pledge
Is there ever a good time to ask people to pay more taxes? TheISD 166 School Board recognizes the fact that the country is in a recession. People are being forced to budget wisely and spend judiciously. ISD 166 is no different. We have faced declining funds for years and have responded by keeping the district solvent while maintaining the […]
Website will inform voters
Before you vote on the operating levy referendum for I.S.D. 166 Cook County Public Schools, I encourage you to check a new posting on www. CookCountySchools.org for responses to recently expressed questions from some community members. Click on the “question mark” icon for an understanding of questions like: * Why is it that in Mahtomedi School District the MCA-II test […]
Living within our means—or settling?
We have no real choice, I believe, but to pass the referendum our school board is asking for. We should do so overwhelmingly. Over 300 school districts across the state have operating levies. We have a systemic problem in terms of public school funding, particularly in rural areas, and I hope we will, as a state, move toward some solutions. […]
Richard I. “Dick” Anderson
Lifelong Cook County resident Richard I. “Dick” Anderson died peacefully at the North Shore Care Center on Saturday, October 16, 2010. He was 87 years old. Dick was born in Grand Marais to Carrie and Allan Anderson in 1923. His father founded the Grand Marais State Bank in 1912 and his mother was one of 13 children born to early […]
John Victor Viren, D.V.M.
John Victor Viren, D.V.M., 78, of Two Harbors, died Monday, October 18, 2010 at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth, surrounded by his family. He was born October 27, 1931, to Edward and Viola (Palmquist) Viren in Duluth. He grew up in Duluth and graduated from Central High School in 1949. John attended Bethel College and UMD before enlisting in […]
Flag football on Lyle Anderson Field
This past week, the youth football program came to an end with their final games “under the lights” on Lyle Anderson Field. Chris Goettl, who runs the flag football program, does a terrific job of organizing the event. Nearly 40 kids participated in the program this year as Goettl and his fellow coaches created four very evenly matched teams. For […]