In her first year at the helm as the Birch Grove Foundation director, Caroline Wood has added several new programs to the Birch Grove Community Center and brought new energy and enthusiasm to the position. Wood highlighted some of the progress that was made in the second quarter of operation to the Tofte supervisors at their February 19 meeting.
The community center has been a hub of happy activity, said Wood, with 138 people participating in various events and tours over the last several months. More than 40 people received health and wellness services from the Birch Grove Clinic, with many flu shots given and some participating in the fish study project headed up by the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic.
Under Wood’s direction a West End fitness center has been created and a new game—Pickle Ball— introduced that has six people playing each week. Other events this quarter include Operation Family Christmas, trade and book sales, political and community gatherings and meetings, and a lady’s card night.
Wood said there was a 75 percent increase in attendance at the senior fitness center, but added, “Since I recently started leading the group on Mondays and Wednesdays there has been a 300 percent increase in attendance.”
Senior lunches are also up, with more than 520 meals served to more than 90 people; 45 meals to go were made and distributed to seniors who can’t attend the Wednesday lunches.
“The seniors also were very active, volunteering 430.5 hours of their time,” Wood said. “They have done some great things,” she added.
With the upcoming annual meetings March 10, Wood said she hoped residents of Lutsen, Tofte, and Schroeder would each vote to levy $12,500 to help support community center and senior center programming in the West End. Of that money, $10,000 would be dedicated to recreation and $2,500 to support the Seniors Connect West program.
The cost to a Tofte property owner for the $12,500 levy increase would equal an annual increase of $4.71 in property taxes.
Wood gave similar presentations to the Lutsen and Schroeder townships. The levy impact for those towns for properties valued at $100,000 would be $4.29 in Lutsen and $10.86 in Schroeder.
West End Senior Housing
Supervisor Jeanne Larson gave an update on the 12-unit planned unit development (PUD) senior housing that will be built behind the Birch Grove Community Center on Tofte township land.
Larson said she was working with Cook County Planning and Zoning on finalizing septic system permits and completing an erosion control plan, which should be done in the near future.
“Bid documents should go out in March and we expect a 30-day turnaround before they come back to the board. We are encouraging local contractors to bid on this project,” she said.
A new date, September 1, 2015, has been set to rent the townhouses, Larson said, adding, “We’re on schedule, but we’re just waiting for the weather to break.”
In other Tofte business
. Supervisors passed a motion amending the contract between the Birch Grove School and township so the Saplings room can be sublet for use by a youth hostel group.
. The board appointed Gerry Gervais to fill an opening on the Tofte Schroeder Sanitary Sewer District.
. The board denied a request by Double D’s catering to serve food at the Tofte July 4th fireworks. Fire Chief Rich Nelson said the area where Double D’s could cater would be shut down when the fireworks begin.
“No one would be around here. They would need a power cord and there could be all kinds of problems with traffic,” said Nelson. “Plus there would be the cleanup after the fireworks. I don’t think it’s a good idea,” said Nelson.
Supervisors agreed and the motion passed, with Supervisor Paul James absent.
. Supervisor Jim King said he received a quote from Heavy Duty Sewing to make and install custom-made blackout blinds for the supervisor’s meeting room. The blinds will allow films or projector illustrations to be shown during the day. The estimated cost was $2,857. Because he had not received any other quotes King was asked to table the request until he could get some online prices and make some comparisons and then come back to the board, which he agreed to do.
. Fire Chief Rich Nelson said there were no calls last month and Rescue Squad leader Kim Jahnke said her crew had one call but it was cancelled.
. Nelson said Bluefin Bay Resort owner Dennis Rysdahl hosted a dinner and a discussion about the drownings that occurred in Lake Superior near the resort on December 23, 2014. “We talked about what went well and what didn’t. It was a good meeting and I want to thank Dennis for hosting it.”
. The photovoltaic speed sign on the east end of Tofte continues to go on the blink and King asked Town Clerk Barb Gervais to see about getting it either replaced or repaired.
“Barb has made many attempts to reset the speed sign, taking her laptop to the sign and reprogramming it,” said King, but enough is enough, he said.
Gervais will research whether the sign is under warranty or not and will bring back costs to replace or repair it.
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