Arrowhead Electric broadband buildout slowed by red tape
When the Arrowhead Electric Cooperative Inc. (AECI) newsletter The High Line By Line went out to customers in May, it included an update on the electric cooperative’s efforts to bring broadband Internet service to Cook County. The newsletter reassured cooperative members that although progress is slow—only 100 miles of the 800 planned miles of fiber optic cable have been installed— […]
County helping with Colvill and Lutsen fire hall expansions
Both Colvill and Lutsen will be seeing significant additions to their fire halls, thanks to loans from the county. Colvill to add meeting space, restrooms Colvill Assistant Fire Chief Paul McFarlane went before the county board on May 8 asking for a zero interest loan of $67,500 for a 24’ x 42’ addition to the 42’ x 60’ building put […]
Community Center Steering Committee proposes new design
The Community Center Steering Committee met on May 7, 2012 and discussed the potential layout for a community center attached to the west wing of Cook County High School. The preliminary design proposes remodeling and adding onto the existing building at an estimated cost of $8,350,000. Outdoor and other amenities totaling $990,000 were also discussed, bringing the total project cost […]
EDA Director Geretschlaeger moving on
One of the first orders of business at the Tuesday, May 8 meeting of the Cook County – Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA) was action to end the employment of EDA Director Matt Gerets chl aeger. The action was no surprise—at previous EDA meetings, the director alluded to the fact that he may be stepping down if his new […]
Zipping up public input
I was not surprised that there has been an outcry on the local Internet discussion board “Cook County Conversations”— http:// forums. edemocracy.org/groups/cc—this week about the possible construction of a zip line adjacent to the Gunflint Trail, on the hillside near the pretty green Grand Marais water tower. I’m just surprised that it took so long for the public to get […]
The powers that be are not listening
“The powers that be” have decided we are going to build a giant community center, cell phones will be coming to the Gunflint Trail and our school calendar next year will be very different. The school board has voted to employ a new school calendar. Only one member of the board actually has children at the school. I recall one […]
Common sense needed on community center project
After reading the YMCA “still on board” article in the April 21 News- Herald, I had to write this letter. I, along with many others, am having a hard time understanding how our elected commissioners feel they are compelled to build a community center no matter what the cost or how much the Cook County taxpayers will have to cough […]
Concerned about YMCA predictions
Our county is too small for the community center facility being proposed and the YMCA’s numbers regarding potential membership have not inspired confidence. The initial YMCA report predicting 500 memberships was a joke. It was followed by a second report guess at 250 memberships. The YMCA predicts a deficit of $190,728 in year one and $191,747 in year five when […]