The vantage point of the Mount Josephine Wayside Rest on Highway 61 in Grand Portage has always offered a breathtaking view of Lake Superior and the Susie Islands. However, accessibility was an issue and safety was a concern. That has changed, the result of a collaborative effort of the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MN/DOT), Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and […]
Two tough calls on gravel crushing at old airstrip
For the sake of practicality, the Cook County Planning Commission on May 21 recommended allowing Ulland Brothers to crush gravel on the old airstrip beside Devil’s Track Lake this summer as it reconstructs a 1.4-mile portion of County State Aid Highway 8 (Devil’s Track Road) just west of the airport road. The Planning Commission had a tough decision, because it […]
DNR seeks public input on details of wolf hunt
For the first time in more than four decades Minnesota hunters and trappers will be allowed to hunt wolves. Hunters or trappers will be allowed to take a total of 400 wolves this year, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking public comment about details of the upcoming season. The DNR plan is for the wolf hunt […]
Junk vehicle ordinance gets re-adopted
The old practice of accumulating a car and truck graveyard between one’s house and the road has been going by the wayside in Cook County. While a junk vehicle ordinance has been in place since about 1989, it was never documented properly with the state. On May 22, the county board re-adopted the ordinance with one small change that could […]
Sticking my toe in the water
Okay, I’m taking the plunge. Like I would do if we had a magnificent new swimming pool in a fabulous community center complex, I’m going to splash in over my head and express an opinion. I haven’t written about the community center project before for a variety of reasons. I have been quietly observing, though. The folks who insist they […]
Tofte supervisors appreciate county’s help on 1 percent project at Birch Grove
We want to thank the West End Commissioner Bruce Martinson for his help in getting the Birch Grove Community project back on track. There has been a lot of negative comments about the 1% fund and its uses, however Birch Grove is a success story and our county commissioners need to be applauded for their hard work and support for […]
Programs for youths more important than community center building
I realize that there are some folks who do want a community center but I have never met any. There should be a referendum to see if this is needed or wanted. In my profession of nursing, we were always trying not to duplicate services. There is the Pumphouse Fitness Center with several low cost activities; the swimming pool; the […]
