The Gichigami Express Sled Dog Race brought the adventure of sled dog racing back to Cook County in an exciting way, with a field of almost 20 teams following historic trails for three days of action and interaction with the community on January 6 – 8, 2013. The Gichigami Express was a stage race, taking place over three days with […]
Time to file for West End township elections
Although township elections are not held until March, the time for citizens interested in running for a town board seat to file is now. The filing period to run for treasurer or supervisor for the townships of Lutsen, Schroeder or Tofte opened January 1 and will close at 5 p.m. on January 15. Each of the townships is holding an […]
County board discusses one way to avoid wasting taxpayer dollars
As it does every year, the county board spent its first meeting of the year planning who would be on which committees and other boards and making citizen appointments. This meeting, on January 8, was a bit more ceremonial than usual, with a contingent of middle school Girl Scouts conducting a flag ceremony for the swearing in of new commissioner […]
An excellent Gichigami Express adventure
I’ve never wanted to be a musher. I don’t like the cold that much and I have enough trouble finding time to feed and entertain my people-pleasing golden retriever Fearless. So when dog sled races pass through Cook County, I like to follow them, vicariously living the Jack London life along with my musher friends. However, this year, at the […]
County attorney has lost the public’s trust
While I sympathize with Mr. Scannell’s trauma, it appears to me that his actions indicate a more fundamental problem than the relatively recent trauma would justify. He has engaged in a long-term, systematic course of deception and betrayal that not only undermines the judgment and moral authority needed for his work but seems to reveal longstanding character flaw. Mr. Scannell […]
Putting the budget in perspective
This rather brilliantly cuts through all the political double talk we get. It puts it into a much better perspective. Lesson No. 1:• U.S. tax revenue:$2,170,000,000,000• Federal budget:$3,820,000,000,000• New debt:$1,650,000,000,000• National debt:$14,271,000,000,000• Recent budget cuts:$38,500,000,000 Lesson No. 2: Let’s now remove eight zeroes and pretend it’s a household budget: • Annual family income: $21,700 • Money the family spent: $38,200• […]
Sees similarities between wolf trapper and charter fishermen
Who is really responsible for the demise of our fish and game? When I sat down to read the local fish wrapper (as Dave Williams put it), the hair stood up on the back of my neck and it won’t lie down for a long time. I was furious when I read the letter and how he wants people to […]
DNR to blame for moose decline
The Minnesota DNR is embarking on a two-year $1.2 million project to study moose mortality. I wonder when the agency will admit that they themselves are a major contributor to the decline of our moose herd. The DNR’s management practices to keep success levels up for northern Minnesota deer hunters and maintain permit revenue levels have increased the deer/ moose […]