Music and history in Grand Marais parks



Music in Grand Marais parks was a hot topic earlier this year, but was set aside during the busy summer months. At the October 4, 2011 Park Board meeting, Park Board Member Todd Miller said a group of local musicians would like to revive the discussion. Miller said that Harris Mills initiated the discussion this spring, when he asked for […]

Historical Reflections



Kenneth Skoog, former Gunflint Trail resident now living in Cartersville, Florida, shared some school memories with the Cook County News-Herald. Ken started school in 1938. He said he still remembers the names of all of his teachers through the eighth grade. “After that, different teachers taught different subjects, so I don’t remember all of them.” Ken does however, remember the […]

Charter schools— a 20-year history



This year marks the 20th anniversary of charter schools. In 1991, Minnesota became the first state in the nation to pass a charter school law. In 2009, that law was updated to strengthen accountability and foster increased innovation. But why create another type of public school in the first place? Recognizing that not all children were finding success in traditional […]

Down Memory Lane



10 Years Ago · Oc t. 29, 2001 Firefighters from Poplar Lake and Sea Gull Lake watched helplessly as a fire tore through the Gunflint Trail fire hall on Gunflint Lake Monday night. All of the gear that they needed to fight the fire with was stored inside the building. The fire started in or near the ambulance about 6:45 […]

Golf course consultant recommends huge upgrade to Superior National



Three months after giving a preliminary report to the county board on its evaluation of Superior National at Lutsen Golf Course (SNGC), consultant John Waite of Sirius Golf Advisors presented to the board a written business plan with recommendations on where to take the course from here. The plan recommends that Superior National—which is owned by the Cook County/Grand Marais […]

Proposal to expand Superior National at Lutsen gets West End support



Representatives of the Superior National at Lutsen (SNL) golf course committee appeared at the Schroeder, Tofte and Lutsen town meetings in October, making a case to the West End townships to support the proposed expansion and enhancements to the golf course. Marland Hansen and Tom Fredeen gave a presentation in Tofte. They explained that the major changes include lengthening the […]

Jane Howard named News-Herald associate editor



Observant readers of the Cook County News-Herald may have noticed a change to the newspaper’s masthead this week. Jane Howard, longtime writer for the News- Herald, has been named associate editor. Howard has worked at the News-Herald since 2007, reporting on everything from governmental meetings to special features. In 2010, Howard was honored by the Minnesota Newspaper Association, receiving a […]

For Auld Lang Syne



What was I doing here? Walking into the Metropolitan Ballroom suddenly felt scary, and I asked myself why I was attending my high school class reunion. What can you say about high school reunions… women go on starvation diets for them…men get dragged by spouses to them, and some people avoid them. I fit in the last category. My Roosevelt […]

Visitors Bureau aiming to create extraordinary image of Cook County



Enthusiasm was high for the second annual Cook County dVisitors Bureau (CCVB) celebration at Grand Portage Lodge and Casino October 13, 2011. A serpentine buffet table laden with hors d’oeuvres and a gift table with a remembrance for every guest to take home greeted those who have worked hard on behalf of the Cook County tourism industry. There was music, […]

Community invited to rendezvous with history Grand Portage National Monument hosts a movie premiere



Since March 2010, Grand Portage National Monument staff and the Grand Portage community have been working to create an interpretive film for the Grand Portage Heritage Center. Film crews, park personnel, and community members have spent 100-plus hours, shooting scenes in a variety of locations, capturing the look and feel of historic Grand Portage. The public is invited to see […]