Gunflint Trail concert hits all the right notes



Surrounded by rain clouds, but spared any storm, the cold storage building of the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department was the scene of a concert of classical, contemporary, and jazz music, performed by local artists. The acoustics of this building make it a fine concert hall and, with the big garage doors open, the view of the forest around the […]

Weekly Weather



Earth keeping



Last week I took my dog, Wesley, for a walk on Shovel Point. I found a great bench surrounded by white pines and cedars looking out across azure water towards Palisades Head. “God is good,” I thought. But then another thought occurred to me. “What if all of this were gone? The lake, the trees, the cool breeze. What if […]

John Harold Schuppel



John Harold Schuppel, “Jack,” passed away peacefully after a brief battle with cancer at the North Shore Hospital, Grand Marais, with his wife Penny by his side on Aug. 6, 2017. Jack was born Jan. 21, 1934 in Grand Rapids, Minn. to Harold and Leona Schuppel, where he lived until he was 11. He moved to Hovland with his family […]

Meet Father Drew



He’s been in the community for about one month, but already Father Drew (Braun) feels like he’s home. “I’m not really a city guy. I like living in rural areas, and this is pretty rural,” he laughed as he said that. He loves the natural beauty that surrounds him and the parishioners who have greeted him from St. John’s Catholic […]

Historical Reflections



Down Memory Lane



10 YEARS AGOAUG. 17, 2007 More than 300 people from as far away as Washington, D.C. gathered in community to celebrate the opening of the Grand Portage Heritage Center on Aug. 10. The National Park Service made good on its promise to construct the building at Grand Portage National Monument 48 years ago. “This building is a reflection of the […]

County board approves Lutsen housing CUP



At the Cook County Board of Commissioners’ August 15 meeting commissioners accepted the resignation of Assistant Cook County Attorney Jeanne Monson with regrets. The board authorized posting for the position immediately. In her letter to the board, Monson said, “I have been humbled to have been a part of a team that works so hard to support our community. I […]

Schroeder reconvenes annual meeting, sets 2018 levy



The Annual Meeting of Schroeder Township reconvened at 7 p.m. Wednesday, August 9, 2017, at the Schroeder Town Hall, to set the Township Tax Levy for 2018. Following some brief conversation the levy was set at $55,000 with $8,500 designated for appropriations (a category that used to be called donations). Under 2018 expenses supervisors budgeted $37,000 in the General Fund; […]

Will Surbaugh takes third at Leadville



A flat tire five miles from the finish line cost Will Surbaugh second place in his age group at the three-stage Leadville 100- mile mountain bike race held in Leadville, Colorado. Still, Will fixed the tire, climbed back on his bike and pushed his pedals hard to the finish, crossing in third place to earn a coveted podium finish in […]