Tom Spence submits resignation to hospital board
There was an empty chair at the North Shore Health hospital board meeting on August 18. Following the sale of his Schroeder home on August 12, long time Hospital Board Member Tom Spence submitted his resignation to Board Chair Kay Olson. “He’s already living in St. Paul,” said North Shore Health Director Kimber Wraalstad. Spence, a second generation attorney from […]
County board gets first look at 26 percent increase in levy
County Administrator Jeff Cadwell presented preliminary 2017 county levy requests to the Cook County Board of Commissioners at the August 22 meeting. In this first draft, the proposed levy has grown 25.99 percent, an increase of $840,359. In 2016, commissioners worked through initial requests that would have resulted in a 27.8 percent levy increase before winnowing it to an 8.5 […]
W.E. Connect looks at potential changes
Several board members from W.E. Connect (formerly called the Birch Grove Foundation), an arm of the Tofte Township that oversees programs at the Birch Grove Community building, met with Tofte supervisors in a special meeting on Monday, August 22. “We aren’t here asking for more money,” said Jim King. “We are here to start a conversation about where W.E. Connect […]
School board tackles tough topics at August meeting
The August 18 school board meeting started on a positive note, with words of encouragement for the School District 166 school board from teacher Lorelei Livingston and Cook County Education Association spokesperson Michael McHugh, who spoke passionately in support of the school board and its efforts and in support of the proposed levy and bonding referendum. The board expressed appreciation […]
Our American no-man’s land
My daughter-in-law, Laurence, stood tall and very French in downtown St. Paul to say the pledge, to become an American citizen. More than 50 others stood as well, all bonded by common words spoken in accents ranging from Canadian to Thai, Argentinean to Australian, Somali to Sudanese. The judge reminded us however seemingly archaic the words, everyone in our country, […]
Klobuchar encourages Forest Service to move ahead on Good Neighbor projects
The forest products industry and related sectors have grown to support 40,000 jobs in Minnesota and directly contribute $9.7 billion in economic output During a recent tour at the Boise Paper Mill in International Falls, I heard concerns about the slow implementation of the U.S. Forest Service “Good Neighbor Authority” in Minnesota as compared to Wisconsin and Michigan. In part […]
ISD 166 levy and bonding is another over-reach
Taxpayer rejection of the 2015 school levy was likely the result of ISD 166 over-reaching for funds… apparently a lesson not learned by the school board. Rather than seeking less on this November’s ballot, ISD 166 will be asking even more from property taxpayers and business owners. Yes…the previous $1,271 per student 2015 levy request has been reduced to a […]
Support for our school board
At the ISD 166 school board meeting on August 18, board members reiterated the financial consequences of another failed school referendum. We teachers of ISD 166 understand the full import of this potential reality: the loss of nearly half a million dollars in revenue will result in immediate cuts to eight teachers, support staff, elective courses, academic and athletic activities, […]
Summer school success
It seems that every news item sent to us at the News-Herald this week has something to do with going back to school. I know students out there don’t want to think about it, but school is starting soon. My teacher friends probably don’t want to think about it either, but they don’t have any choice. They are already back […]