When a page went out to the Lutsen Fire Department at 2:10 p.m. on Wednesday, January 23, firefighters undoubtedly thought the address—cabin 4 at Solbakken Resort—sounded familiar. For good reason—the fire department was called to a fire at the same cabin two years ago, oddly on the exact same date. Solbakken Resort is owned by Michael and Maureen O’Phelan. Reached […]
Community grateful for contributions of former Commissioner Jim Johnson
At the end of December, as Jim Johnson finished his term as county commissioner, he sent out an e-mail to his constituents and friends, as he did on a regular basis during his time in office. Instead of an update, it was a farewell that included the sad news that Johnson’s cancer had returned. Johnson wrote that he didn’t know […]
County board debates request for new position in Assessor’s Office
New Assessor Betty Schultz has taken on an ambitious challenge. Under orders from the state, she and her staff will be assessing 20 percent of the county’s private properties— called a quintile— each year from here on forward. In addition to that, they will be collecting more detailed information on each property than was collected in the past and putting […]
A hard-working grandfather
I have only the foggiest of memories of my grandfather, Martin Bockovich. He died when I was just six years old, so it’s hard to know what I remember or what I’ve learned from my parents and aunts and uncles about him. But thinking of him makes me smile. I have vague recollections of his welcoming grin and twinkling eyes […]
Cartoon shows sanctimonious and irrational bias
Once again, last week’s political cartoon essentially constitutes a hateful, right wing screed. The subject matter of the January 19, 2013 cartoon is deeply offensive as it erases the tragedy of the 20 young lives lost in the school shooting at Newtown and presents those children instead as dehumanized “human shields” in a politically motivated assault on the second amendment. […]
Government should not interfere with personal reproductive decisions
Young women deserve a response to the letter of Mary Petz who mourns the loss of “50,000,000” embryos/fetuses due to abortion. Where is the consideration for the same number of women and girls who would have been compelled against their will to carry those pregnancies to term? What support would Mary propose for the “50,000,000” unwanted children if they existed? […]
Affiliate marketing tax a bad idea for rural areas
Governor Mark Dayton’s new budget includes an Affiliate Nexus Tax, which purports to force online retailers that have outlets in Minnesota to collect MN sales tax. This sounds like a good thing, because residents of Minnesota should pay the sales tax that they owe on online purchases. The law already requires this. Unfortunately, the Affiliate Nexus Tax is intellectually dishonest, […]
Local businessman teaches how to give customers the pickle
“I love games and I love recreation. …We are in the fun business, and there’s no reason we shouldn’t smile.” Those were some of Cook County businessman Mike Prom’s opening words at customer service training at Cook County Higher Education in December. Not only does Prom own and operate (with his wife Sue) both Voyageur Canoe Outfitters (VCO) and a […]