Ring that bell!
The Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign has been quite successful—and fun! Shoppers at area stores have enjoyed seeing folks in red ringing the bell to raise money to help neighbors in need. It is especially fun to see young people and/ or musicians. If you would like to be a friendly presence at the red kettles this last week before […]
Food support can help make ends meet
Sometimes situations come up such as unexpected medical bills, reduced work hours, or even unemployment. The Cook County Food Shelf is there to help out in these situations. If you are facing an unexpected budgetary crisis, the Food Shelf can supply a box that supplies three nutritious meals for three days. However, the Food Shelf is not intended to be […]
Council approves 2011 budget with 3 percent increase
Grand Marais city councilors unanimously approved a 2011 budget that includes a 3 percent levy increase at their Dec. 8 meeting. Although council has until the end of December to approve the budget for the following year, City Administrator Mike Roth said he was confident everything that could be done to fine-tune the budget had been done. “We’re basically done […]
County commissioners ponder per diems and travel expenses
As it gets ready to vote on its 2011 budget and with property taxes about to increase significantly for a variety of reasons, the Cook County Board of Commissioners is thinking about how to keep costs down. On Tuesday, December 14, 2010 the board voted not to increase its salary and per diems. Commissioner Jim Johnson said he had a […]
The nuts and bolts of the county’s proposed property tax increase
The Cook County Board of Commissioners proposed a 2011 county levy of $6,174,951 at a December 14, 2010 truthin taxation meeting, an increase of $287,799, or 4.89 percent over last year’s levy. County Auditor-Treasurer Braidy Powers explained some of the complicated factors that are involved in setting the county levy and assessing individual property taxes. Most of this year’s increase […]
No easement, no power to Hovland communications tower
With state funding in the wake of the 2007 Ham Lake fire, a 180-foot tower in Hovland stands ready to take over for an old 80-foot fire tower, ready to fill in the dead spots that render emergency pagers and radios useless. If only the county could get power to the tower. A December 14 memo from Sheriff Mark Falk […]
County board discusses EDA mission
With a majority of Cedar Grove Business Park lots unsold and declining revenues at Superior National at Lutsen golf course, the Cook County- Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA) has taken shots on its effectiveness, since the business park and the golf course comprise two of its three current endeavors (the third being a housing assistance program running on grant […]
EDA approves housing coordinator contract for 2011
Nancy Grabko of Community Fundraising Solutions (CFS), the Cook County – Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA) housing coordinator, introduced a new CFS employee, Steve Grabko, to the EDA board on Tuesday, December 14. Steve Grabko will be working in the Grand Marais office one or two days a week to meet with clients and to help set up new […]