What Washington thought about religion



Seeing how religion with its absolutist ideologies influences, taints and contaminates issues, both national and international, sports, politics, economics as well as many other areas of our civic life, it may be interesting and informative to consider what the Father of our Country thought about religion. Since we these days are commemorating his birthday it might be well to read […]

Cook County Higher Ed very helpful



I’ve attended three community colleges and have had nothing but notso great experiences with them. So, I tried taking online classes. Working at my own pace and when I want sounds great right? It is, but it’s hard work. Online classes take a lot more discipline than any in class setting. It takes a lot more time, as you need […]

Isle Royale wolf tells a Grand Portage story



In a winter the likes of what most contemporary Midwesterners have only heard of in the recollections of elders, a lone wolf ’s journey reminds us of how the people and animals of Gichi Onigamiing (Grand Portage) have always been connected to Minong (Isle Royale). “Isabelle,” apparently cast out by the other wolves on the island, set out in late […]

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New Arrivals



Icy blessings



The ice ribboned in perfect splendor, stretching forever that winter. All things combined in harmony, cold fell in silence and stillness with no snow in sight, freezing the river quickly and smoothly. Suddenly I was free to skim the earth forever, only 8 years old, it seemed a gift too great to deny. I set off alone, glimpsing what it […]

Ruth M. (Schouviller)



Ruth M. (Schouviller) Backlund, age 89, of Cold Spring (formerly of Grand Marais) died Tuesday, February 25, 2014 at the St. Cloud Hospital. Ruth was born May 21, 1924 in Richmond, MN to Bernard and Mary (Zumwalde) Schouviller. She married Wesley Backlund on November 21, 1947 in Grand Marais, MN. Ruth worked as a teller for many years at the […]

Mathias Hueltner,



Mathias Hueltner, 82, of Grand Marais died Tuesday, February 25, 2014 at the Cook County North Shore Hospital. He was born February 21, 1932 to Anton and Helene (Letfus) Hueltner in Yugoslavia where he grew up and attended school. In 1952 he moved to Austria where he lived for four years. In 1955, he came to the United States and […]

Irma Josephine Larsen,



Irma Josephine Larsen, 94, of Grand Marais, died peacefully Sunday, February 23, 2014, at the Cook County North Shore Care Center in Grand Marais, with her family by her side. She was born January 22, 1920 to John and Amanda (Stokke) Haugen in Virginia, Minnesota, where she grew up and graduated from high school. Irma attended cosmetology school in Duluth, […]

Registration now open for “Mental Health First Aid”



The UMD Continuing Education Department is offering Adult Mental Health First Aid – a ground-breaking public education program that helps people understand and respond to signs of mental illness. The training introduces participants to the risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems, builds an understanding of their impact, and gives an overview of the common treatments. Adult Mental […]