Hospital/care center renovation bids higher than anticipated
This week hospital board members learned that bids for the $22.5 million renovation/ refurbish for the Cook County North Shore Hospital and Care Center came in 7.8 percent higher than estimated. A large stack of bids was discussed at the hospital board’s special meeting held June 15. When the dust settled it was determined that the bids pushed the price […]
Petition asks DNR to move Devilfish ARMER tower
Pretty much every weekend from May to November John Hobday and his partner Matt spend time at their Esther Lake cabin. The cabin is remote and hard to see unless one’s boat is parked right in front of it. In the winter it can be accessed by snowmobile or snowshoes. “It’s a pretty special place,” Hobday said, adding that Matt’s […]
Tofte senior housing in legislative limbo
Plans to develop senior housing in Tofte may have to wait. Tofte supervisors were disheartened to learn that Minnesota lawmakers failed to pass the Omnibus Jobs and Economic Development Budget bill in the state’s June 13 special legislative session. Folded into that bill was language that would have given the township special housing authority powers for the senior housing project […]
Grand Marais Music Collaborative formed
It’s taken some years, more than 10 by one estimate, but a music collaborative has been formed in Grand Marais and the hope, said its organizer John Mianowski,“is to make Grand Marais an honest to goodness draw to the community and create a thriving music scene.” Grand Marais Music Collaborative is now a not-forprofit corporation, organized to serve the needs […]
See you at the Wooden Boat Show?
Greetings to everyone visiting the North House Folk School Wooden Boat Show! Whether you’re someone who made the trek from far away or a local resident who enjoys heading to the waterfront, I hope you have a wonderful weekend checking out the meticulously crafted canoes, kayaks, skiffs, dinghies, rowboats, sculls, sailing vessels and more. I hope that you are able […]
Do you use solar power?
Cook County Local Energy Project (CCLEP) is seeking information about solar photovoltaic (PV) systems installed in Cook County. If you own one, please fill out a survey online. Find the survey on the home page of the CCLEP website: www.cookcountylocalenergy.org or find a paper copy at Grand Portage ENP, Hovland Post Office, Grand Marais Public Library, Community Center or at […]
DNR not helping moose recovery
During a 2013-2015 moose mortality study, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources researchers affirmed that predation by wolves/bears and a brain worm transmitted by deer were among several likely causes of the northeast Minnesota moose population decline. Hardly surprising discoveries, but what would the DNR do with this costly “new” information? Contrary to its findings, the DNR plans to decrease bear […]
Will Representative Nolan come to Cook County?
In April, as the DFL Cook County Organized Unit O&I officer, I delivered a list of comments and questions to U.S. Representative Rick Nolan’s office on Superior Street in Duluth. This list was typed up by me with comments from a couple of dozen phone calls I made to better understand what others in our community thought of current legislation. […]
Isle Royale superintendent responds to questions about reintroducing wolves
With three wolves left on Isle Royale, many wildlife researchers would like to see more brought to the island so that a balance can be restored between the moose and wolves. Currently there is an estimated 1,250 moose on the 571,790-acre island, but with no predators, the population is expected to grow annually by 20 percent until the animals run […]