New playground equipment for Grand Portage Community Center



In the 1950s kids didn’t have much for playground equipment in Grand Portage, said Butch Deschampe. There was a round about, a jungle gym, sledding in the winter on cardboard— waxed cardboard if you could get it—and the ever favorite game of marbles. “We played a lot of marbles,” Butch said as he addressed a large crowd gathered for the […]

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YMCA experiencing growth, some pain



No question the Cook County YMCA has been a success. With over 90,000 visits in 2016 and more than 1,800 members, Cook County is no longer the smallest Y in Minnesota. But with growth there have been some bumps in the road. Two weeks ago it was reported that the Minnesota Department of Human Services (MDHS) cited the Cook County […]

County adopts One Watershed/ One Plan



Cooperatively, a plan between Cook and Lake County and Cook County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and Lake SWCD to address potential threats to the Lake Superior watershed was adopted on May 16, when the Cook County Board of Commissioners signed the Lake Superior North Comprehensive Watershed (LSNW), One Watershed/One Plan resolution. All four local governmental units involved are […]

Community Center to get high-speed computer lines



Cook County commissioners approved a service agreement with Northeast Service Cooperative to install high-speed fiber lines between Cook County Law Enforcement, the courthouse, and the Community Center. Approval came at the commissioners’ May 16 board meeting. Construction and installation of the new lines will be provided at no cost to the county, said Cook County IT Director Rena Rogers. “By […]

Great-grandson of John Beargrease to head up the race



Mike Keyport, the great-grandson of legendary dog musher John Beargrease, was recently elected to serve as president of the board of directors of the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon. Begun in 1980, this is the first time in the race’s long history that a direct descendant of John Beargrease will head up the race. Keyport has served as the board’s […]

Who “owns” the words?



Words have become the “sheep’s clothing” of present-day messaging. Like Aesop’s allegorical fable depicting a Big Bad Wolf that cloaked the nefarious in the innocuous – the “clothing” of a lamb – words serve as the “hide” to deliver emotionally charged messages fraught with subversive ideas. As behavioral scientists continue to uncover the power of words to effect behavioral change, […]

Help those who can’t help themselves



“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” John Bunyan Submitted byLloyd GeillingerSchroeder

Saving the moose was the right idea



This is a response to the letter from Harry Drabik, Hovland, regarding the moose rescue. Was it the right answer to rescue a yearling cow moose? I would think YES! Besides it was not interfering, it was a rescue: big difference I should say! This is my word to Mr. Drabik: Have you ever heard of animals rescuing humans? Are […]

Commenting on mining is a good thing



Living in Grand Marais I’ve learned some things about mining. Mining provides us jobs, and it’s good for our economy. The people I know that work at the mines are good people, and many of them hunt and fish and care about our environment. The other thing I know is that you can never trust the company. When we’ve been […]