Once the center of the city’s social life, the Shore Theater building has been vacant for many years. Recently, a piece of the building’s cement façade fell and startled passersby, leading citizens and the Grand Marais City Council to debate what should be done with the building. Apparently the building’s owner, Bruce Leng, heard the concerns and this spring, hired […]
City reiterates legal risk regarding pool project
Based on advice offered by their attorney, Grand Marais city councilors voted May 11 to send a letter to the county stating that the city will not participate in the development of a new community center until legal issues with a Wisconsin aquatics firm are cleared up. “I don’t see any way we can continue in the project until the […]
Advocating for Arrowhead animals is complicated
Since December 2003, Cook County residents and visitors have been dropping spare change in containers with cute little cats or dogs, hoping to help care for lost and abandoned pets through an organization called Animal Advocates of the Arrowhead. In October, those containers disappeared, only to reappear this spring—again with kittens and puppies, but now the containers are put out […]
West End questions on community center proposal
If you build it, will they come? And if you build it, who will pay the maintenance costs? Will it go on the county coffers if, down the road, costs exceed revenues? Then what? Do the county taxpayers pick up the extra costs? These were some of the questions asked at the meeting held at the Birch Grove Community Center […]
City taxpayers have paid enough
I’m one of the growing number of city landowners who feel I am being unfairly represented by Commissioners Hakes and Sobanja at the county board. The county board points fingers at city taxpayers and suggests we are the bad guys for not entering a costly maintenance agreement to fund operating costs at the new community center. County commissioners, including Bob […]
Stop the community center project
Last week’s paper was the first I heard of a petition to “Stop the New Community Center.” My husband and I want to sign. I’ll volunteer to run it around the county. We need to take care of what we already own: care center, swimming pool, and Superior National Golf Course. Linda OttisColvill
Community Center decision was made in 2009
It is important that the citizens of Cook County and just as importantly the commissioners remember that any debate over whether or not to build a new Community Center was decided in the passing of the 1% referendum in November of 2009. At that time 65% of the citizens of this great county voted in favor of the 1% tax, […]
Save money and just fix what we have
Okay, I get it; the 1% tax was designated for recreation and nothing else—no going back. My fault, I should have paid more attention when that was decided as so many other Cook County entities need that money. Too late, my bad as they say. So my opinion on this Community Center is this: 1. Yep it would be a […]