Minnesota Senator Al Franken (D-Minn) was in Cook County Sunday, August 20, first meeting with the Grand Portage Tribal Council and with staff at the Grand Portage Monument, then later, meeting with local business leaders in Grand Marais. A bemused Franken said it was his third visit to Grand Portage and after learning about the voyageurs’ eight-mile (grand) portage into […]
Cooperation Station to reopen
Caught in limbo the last three months, between 15-20 volunteers have used that time to spruce up the grounds, deep clean and put a fresh coat of paint on many of the walls at the Cooperation Station Day Care (CSDC). The facility looks great. “We are almost ready to reopen,” said Lori Rothstein, a CSDC board member who with Carah […]
Community Center board votes against day care center
After looking at plans to build either an 8,000-squarefoot or 10,000-square-foot daycare addition to the Cook County Community Center the community center board voted 4-1 against the proposal. Estimated costs to build either proposal, one on the front or one at the back of the building, ranged from $1.6 million to $2 million. The vote came at the board’s Monday, […]
Cook County High School graduation rates above state average
With the starting date for school just around the corner, school board members of Independent School District (I.S.D.) 166 met for over three hours on August 17 at the Jane Mianowski Conference Center to plan for the new year. Highlighting the meeting was the graduation report from K-12 principal Adam Nelson. Official graduation rates released by the state of Minnesota […]
Murphy makes her case to be Minnesota’s next governor
Erin Murphy, 56, a six-term legislator from St. Paul, is seeking the DFL endorsement for the upcoming Minnesota governor’s race. Two time incumbent governor Mark Dayton has said he will not run for another term, leaving the door wide open for a bevy of candidates to enter. Murphy is a Wisconsin native who moved to Minnesota in 1988 to work […]
Thought Process
Considered one of the most important social commentators of his time, Thomas Carlyle, the feisty 19th century Scottish philosopher, believed “thought is the parent of deed.” I agree that thought is a precursor to action; therefore, when it comes to those who govern, understanding convergent thinking focused on solving a problem becomes critical. Follow the thread or train of thought […]
Thank you to all who helped catch Pip
On August 4 this summer, I came to Caribou Highlands Lodge with our 2½-year-old sheltie Pip and my mother, joined by my brother and his two young sons. Within 10 seconds of the family reunion, something scared Pip, and he bolted out the door – me chasing as fast as I could until I came to a part of the […]
Beware of compound interest on the levy
Some of us can remember the days when banks paid rates high enough on savings accounts so that, with compounded interest, you could double your money in 10 or 12 years. Nowadays you’re lucky to receive a half-percent interest, assuming you’re fortunate enough to have savings…many people live day to day with constant credit card debt and loan payments. The […]
Christlikeness in the wake of Charlottesville and Barcelona
The events of last week left me stunned. Stunned by the resurgence of Naziism. Stunned by the moral ambivalence displayed by our president. Stunned by the reoccurrence of Jihad on the streets of Barcelona. Stunned that violence and hate seem to hold the upper hand. The Nazis marching in Charlottesville called for violence against African Americans and Jewish Americans. Their […]