At the Tuesday, March 24 board meeting, the Cook County Board of Commissioners took action to restrict public access to county government buildings during the Coronavirus outbreak. This resolution was the next logical step in protecting employees and the public as this highly contagious virus spreads across the state, nation and world. As stated last week in our County Connections […]
North House suspends classes through April 12
On Saturday, March 14, the decision was made to cancel North House Folk School’s campus and classes through April 12, 2020, but like a lot of other enterprises contending with COVID-19, not all is lost. “The decision to cancel classes was tough but we know it is the right thing to do, said North House Folk School Executive Director Greg […]
Cook County issues a travel advisory
On Tuesday, March 24 the Cook County Board of Commissioners issued a travel advisory in response to concerns surrounding the spread of COVID-19. Due to the unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board of Commissioners determined it prudent to issue a travel advisory for persons planning to visit Cook County and persons planning to return to their summer cabins […]
Governor extends school & business closures
To slow the spread of COVID-19 across the state, Governor Tim Walz signed Executive Order 20-20 on Wednesday, March 25 directing Minnesotans to stay at home and limit movements outside of their home beyond essential needs. This order takes effect at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 27 and ends at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 10. The Governor ordered restaurants […]
City council declares local emergency
In the wake of the COVID-19 coronavirus situation, on March 18 Grand Marais Mayor Jay Arrowsmith-DeCoux declared a local emergency at a city council special meeting. Councilmember Anton Moody motioned with a second from Kelly Swearingen declaring, “Whereas, Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019, commonly known as ‘COVID-19,’ which is a respiratory disease that can result in serious injury or death, is […]
Grocery stores provide curbside pickup
In the good old days buying groceries from Johnson’s Big Dollar grocery store involved handing Tumsey or Paul or Ethel or one of the many Johnsons your list and they would shop for you, bring you the groceries and then you would pay at the till. Now that was service! And guess what? That service has returned, but not for […]
Structure fire up the Gunflint Trail
A structure fire was reported at 12:42 p.m., March 21, 2020, on the East Bearskin Road. Responding units arrived to find the fire had consumed the structure. The Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department stayed on the scene for “mop-up” and to ensure that the fire was not going to spread. Other responding agencies included: Cook County Sheriff ’s Office, USFS […]
Grand Marais State Bank announces more changes
“We understand that what needs to be done to level the curve of the COVID-19 outbreak will take extraordinary measures by the people in our communities. In support of this effort, we have made the following commitments: 1) Our lobbies in Grand Marais and Tofte will be closed to the public effective March 20th, until further notice. Banking services will […]
The way I see it
While this whole pandemic flu situation brings feelings that range from frightened to frustrated, I’ve found some positive aspects. Venice, Italy is one example. Apparently, the water in the canals has cleaned itself due to the absence of tourists and gondola rides. In fact, according to one web site, the water is cleaner than anyone remembers. Waterfowl, fish, even dolphins […]
Baking bread is fun for everyone
One great activity for these difficult times is baking bread, making your own bread from scratch. This is an enjoyable thing for adults and kids to do together at home. Choosing one day each week to bake bread can help create a new routine for your family. This recipe is a simple French Bread recipe that I used with students […]