Cell service providers eye move to Hovland and Grand Portage
Recently the county received requests from two potential cell service providers who would like to co-locate on Cook County owned towers in Hovland and Grand Portage. Rena Rogers, head of the county’s IT department, and Rowan Watkins who works with the cell towers and radios for the county came before the county board on November 22 with an update about […]
Truth in Taxation meeting draws a crowd
Lloyd Speck spent part of his 69th birthday loudly addressing Cook County commissioners about the proposed 19.88 percent levy increase. Speck and as many as 100 Cook County residents attended the December 1 Truth in Taxation meeting held from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Cook County commissioners’ board room, which was overflowing with people, some even standing outside listening […]
Grand Marais Rec Park sets new record
Grand Marais Recreation Park Manager Dave Tersteeg reported that 2016 was indeed a banner year for RV and tent camping in the park as the year ended with a new benchmark for both revenue and occupancy. “We finished with a six-month occupancy at 56 percent, up five percent over 2015 and our revenue approached $1,125,000, up eight percent over 2015,” […]
Honor Flight Northland now accepting applications
If you know a Cook County veteran, especially one from World War II, who might like to take trip to Washington, D.C., Honor Flight Northland is now accepting applications from all veterans living in the following counties: Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, Pine, and St. Louis. The next Honor Flight will be on April 29, 2017. The program is […]
Fun names of Minnesota towns
These towns all failed to turn in their financial data to the Minnesota Auditor’s Office in 2014-2015. None of the towns or townships was from Cook County. I was relieved to find that out, but I also marveled at the names of some hamlets and townships that strike the tongue—and imagination— as unique. For instance we have Mudgett, Nidaros, Tynsid, […]
A different look at the Truth in Taxation meeting
The best thing about the Dec. 1 Truth in Taxation hearing was the platform it provided for Lloyd Speck’s virtuoso performance of his anti-government/ anti-tax monologue. He is very good, and it was a pleasure to watch him. Truly. My father would have enjoyed it. He was a laborer in a lumber mill, and with six kids, he did not […]
Please be sure to thank law enforcement for their good work
Readers: It is once again that time of year when family and friends gather for this upcoming holiday season. When you are sitting there all warm and cozy on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, don’t forget the men and women who put on their badge and gun and uniform and go out and “risk it all” and protect you and […]
Are the county commissioners looking out for county employees?
It was a surprise to learn that our elected county board requested a number of select important private citizens to give an opinion as to the need of and how the county’s top management position functions. Such opinions then appeared in the local media. The result, to me, puts the county’s top employee in an untenable position of constantly looking […]
Large levy increase seems beyond reason
Regarding the letter last week from Tom Steward of the Center of the American Experiment, just so we all know his voice is not one of a non-partisan. The Center misses that center idea by a far right long shot. The letter criticizing MNsure for property tax increases has some validity as most of us know but a balanced explanation […]