This summer the Grand Marais Recreation Area will have its Community Connection, a walkway leading people from Highway 61 down into the east end of the park near the marina, and it will have a covered bridge. The park board met with Peter Henrikson and Jessa Frost of North House Folk School to talk about having North House’s high school timber framing class build the bridge this spring.
North House projected the total cost to be about $8,000.
Board Chair Walk Mianowski expressed approval of the plan to involve kids in the project.
The board discussed possible design alternatives. Henrikson said they were designing it so that kids couldn’t get stuck between boards, fall off the bridge, or climb up the sides easily. The original design included wood panels covering the sides to protect the wood, since North House does not work with treated wood. Tersteeg suggested they consider putting metal sides on it to match the metal on the North House blacksmith shop next door.
“I think with the roof over it, it’s going to last a long time,” Henrikson said.
“There are covered bridges around the country that are over 100 years old,” park board member Bill Lenz said.
The board passed a motion to have North House build the bridge. Edwin E. Thoreson Inc. will be constructing the walkway. Tersteeg expects the work to be finished by the end of May.
Jessa Frost said it would be nice to have a connection between North House and the park. “We’re always pleased to collaborate like this,” she said. Peter Henrikson said it would be nice to have one of their timber framing projects stay in the county.
Pool report
With Head Lifeguard Charles Christiansen on vacation, Park Manager Tersteeg reported on his behalf, “February was a pretty slow month as usual.” Visitations were down about 9 percent from last year, mostly from Grand Marais residents – visitations from other Cook County residents and out-of-county people were about the same as last year. February income was similar to last year, however, with Aquatot swim lessons bringing in extra income.
A water babies class for babies 6 months through 2 years old and their parents is being organized.
“It looks like this will be the end of the little kids because the new pool doesn’t have a little kids’ pool,” said Board Chair Walt Mianowski, referring to the Cook County YMCA facility being attached to Cook County High School.
“I think a lot of areas make it work,” Tersteeg said of other facilities without separate kiddy pools. He said the new facility would have a zero-depth pool that also meets Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. He said a small, splashy slide could be added. They don’t know what temperature the YMCA will keep the new pool at, but the YMCA in Duluth is kept at 81 degrees, he said, which is a compromise between the needs of lap swimmers and the needs of older people who like it warmer.
Tersteeg said he had learned that the new pool would have both a sand filter and a UV filter, which he had recommended.
City council report
Bill Lenz, also a city councilor, reported that at this point, no money is being set aside in the county’s community center project for a new ball field so that funds can be used as needed for the YMCA facility. “The lockbox was opened,” he said of the Community Center Steering Committee’s previous decision to set aside money in the budget that could not be used for anything other than outdoor sports. Softball is the Cook County sport with the highest number of participants, he said, and the park intends to replace its softball field with full-service RV campsites.
“I can’t imagine the day coming when we would sunset this field without a replacement,” said Tersteeg. Park Office Manager Samantha Williams said that the park’s master plan says the park will not get rid of the ball field until the county builds a replacement.
“There will come a point in time when the park needs that space,” said Lenz. “They have put us in a really bad position.”
Mianowski said that the Pappy Wright Little League field was a Lions Club project and that Hal Greenwood helped procure funds from the Minnesota Twins to build it.
Parks report
Campground income in the first two months of 2013 is up 23 percent over last year. “It just feels very strong, very steady,” said Park Manager Tersteeg. He said Midwest Living Magazine would be featuring the Grand Marais Municipal Campground in its June issue.
Staff presence at the annual Twin Cities RV/camping show in February was very successful, Tersteeg reported. They gave out over 1,000 brochures and took in 25-30 reservations from people who saw them at the show.
Weather permitting, the campground will be opening in mid-April. Seasonal staff have been sent letters asking if they plan to return this summer.
“We played golf on the 17th of April last year,” Board Chair Mianowski said.
Tersteeg said they are working on putting up a new sign at the Gunflint Hills Golf Course. Course Manager Mike Kunshier will return from down south in about a month, Tersteeg said.
“He’s a good manager,” said Mianowski. “He does a good job.”
Tersteeg said, “Yep, he’s the best.”
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