Spring felt well on its way this weekend with temperatures cresting 40º F as the annual Dog Days of Winter event took place up the trail at Devil’s Track and Poplar Lake. Put on by Visit Cook County and hosted by a variety of lodges, this late season gathering celebrates the return of the sun, snowmobile races, and a non-competitive […]
2019 Minnesota DNR moose survey in, numbers stable
For eight straight years, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) northeastern Minnesota moose survey indicates that the population has remained relatively unchanged. The 2019 aerial moose survey estimated 4,180 moose in northeastern Minnesota, statistically unchanged from last year’s estimate of 3,030. Conducted between January 3 and January 17, the survey involved flying in 52 survey plots distributed across northeastern […]
Jail tour reveals opportunities, questions
Cook County jail administrator Ben Hallberg gave three public tours of the Cook County law enforcement center last week and those who attended any one of those had to come away with the feeling that at least some of the areas needed to be expanded or upgraded. No question about that. I attended the Friday, March 8 tour with three […]
Dupre and Marceau make first successful winter summit of Mount Wood
At 3:10 p.m. on March 11 Lonnie Dupre and Pascale Marceau became the first people to make a winter summit of Mount Wood, located in Yukon, Canada. For Pascale, it was especially noteworthy because she became the first woman to ever make a successful climb of a subarctic peak. On their blog post, Pascale wrote, “The beauty of such firsts […]
Superintendent hired for Gunflint Hills golf course
The wait is finally over. After a lengthy search, Paul Jones was hired as the Gunflint Hill golf course superintendent. The decision was made official at the Grand Marais city council March 13 meeting. If Jones name sounds familiar, it’s because he was hired last fall to provide professional turf maintenance for the golf course after long-time golf course director […]
West End holds annual meetings
There weren’t a lot of hot button topics at the annual West End township meetings held this past Tuesday, March 12, so attendance was lower than it has been in the recent past. In Schroeder Tina McKeever, running unopposed, was reelected to serve a threeyear term as township supervisor with 17 votes. Carla Mennsen, also running unopposed, also received 17 […]
Ignorance really is not bliss…
Were you aware this past week was Sunshine Week? A national initiative spearheaded by the American Society of News Editors to inform the public about the importance of open government and the dangers of excessive and unnecessary “confidentiality.” An open, transparent and accessible government is important not only to the media, but to a healthy and functioning community. It is […]
Invest now, and the returns will be positive
Contentious times call us to reaffirm our values. The Public Health and Human Services Advisory Committee finds itself talking a lot these days about what makes for a healthy community. We are citizens and providers that serve as a sounding board for our Cook County Public Health and Human Services Department. The topic of mental health has been especially timely. […]
Don’t de-list the grey wolves
Looks as though the anti-wolfers and DNR “let’s-add-more-to-our-license-income” bean counters are again attempting to de-list the grey wolf from federal protection. With property bounded on two sides by Superior National Forest land, I have not actually seen a wolf (or a bear) in the past three years. Human effects on wildlife populations have certainly reduced the numbers of pheasants, ducks […]
North Country Scenic Trail bill signed into law
Congressman Pete Stauber’s (MN-08) bipartisan bill, the North Country National Scenic Trail Route Adjustment Act, was signed into law by the president on March 12. Stauber introduced this legislation with Congressman Peter Welch (D-VT). This was Stauber’s first bill signed into law. “In Minnesota, we are blessed with an abundance of natural beauty that attracts tourists from all over the […]