Schroeder citizens ask: what nonprofits should they support?
Schroeder supervisors approved the 2016 township budget of $196,334 at their February 9 meeting. Estimated revenues total $125,880, said Town Clerk Doug Schwecke. It is an estimate because the township does not yet know what its annual payment will be from the Taconite Aid fund. That fund, explained Schwecke, is in part based on collected taxes from taconite production, but […]
Dollar General raises zoning questions for county
Planning and Zoning Director Tim Nelson came before the county board on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 with an update on how the county’s zoning rules apply for the permitting of retail sales and other commercial operations in the various zoning districts, and to “clarify the roles and responsibilities Cook County has within the two mile jurisdictional boundary from the city […]
Changing leadership for Lutsen
The township meeting in Lutsen on February 16, 2016 opened with the clerk’s report, during which time Clerk Sharon Hexum-Platzer presented a few letters with requests for funding from various organizations. The requests were tabled for discussion during the budget meeting. Following the clerk and treasurer’s report, Lutsen Fire Chief Paul Goettl announced that he was resigning his position as […]
ISD 166 launches telepresence system
Student Kyle Nelson gave an overview of his new business Cowboy Kyle’s Recycling Service to open the February 18, 2016 board meetings of ISD 166 – Cook County Schools. Nelson also acts as a mail runner, greeter, bulletin hanger and helps with other jobs around the school. With the assistance of special education teacher Melissa Oberg, Nelson used the new […]
Corporations are already here
In response to all the concern about “opening the floodgates” by letting Dollar General into town, may I remind everyone that it’s already happening/has happened. We already have franchises in town, that I enjoy very much, thank you. May I also inform the town that there is already a national mega-corporation here (that is widely assumed to be locally-owned by […]
Assisted and memory care units needed in Cook County
Regarding Assisted living study completed in the Cook County News-Herald article about the Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA) on February 20, 2016. Bravo to the North Shore Health Care Foundation and the EDA for seriously looking into the real healthcare needs (memory care and assisted living units) of the citizens of Cook County! I wish you great success […]
People make Grand Marais cool
A Dollar General Store won’t hurt Grand Marais one speck. We have one grocery store and 21 churches in Mayo, Florida. Two gas stations that sell fried chicken and an old Dollar General and an old Family Dollar. Down the road in Branford they put in a Family Dollar, a McDonald’s and a big Dollar General with groceries. We go […]
Newspapers connecting community
I’m grateful to Publishers Hal and Deidre Kettunen for allowing me to attend the Minnesota Newspaper Association (MNA) Convention at the end of January to accept three awards for the Cook County News-Herald. It is rewarding to be recognized by our industry peers, but what I enjoy even more is the networking with other newspaper people. It was fun to […]
Aitkin used to be a quaint small town
After a recent visit to our cabin down by Schroeder, I decided to drive back home by our old cabin in Aitkin, Minnesota. Aitkin used to be a small, warm community with a vibrant, personalized downtown with a great old hardware store that had been in the same family for years. On the south end of town, there has developed […]