After a UPS truck went into the ditch on Skou Road, the Schroeder town board discussed at its December 13 meeting ongoing concerns over when the county would be called to salt/sand townships roads and who was authorized to make those calls. The truck got into trouble on November 18 after a snowfall melted and refroze.
The township has hired Karl Crawford to plow its roads, but the county has salt/sanding equipment that neither Crawford nor the township have. Supervisor Roger “Bill” McKeever said people had been calling Crawford and “giving him heck” for not sanding. McKeever said he asked Crawford to put some barrels of sand out for people to spread across the road when needed.
The board talked about the length of time it can take for a county sanding truck to get to Schroeder township roads. McKeever pointed out that they can’t have sanding done everywhere right away in a small remote area. Conditions can change fast within a given day, he said, and having some sand around for people to spread on their own would be good.
McKeever told County Commissioner Bruce Martinson, also a Schroeder resident, that the township is interested in the possibility of buying an old plow from the county. In other township news:
The Catholic Diocese and the Schroeder Area
Historical Society are interested in making Father Baraga’s Cross more of an attraction, board chair Ross Willson reported. They are envisioning an information kiosk and an enhanced picnic area. The township was asked to determine how much money they would need to put up a picnic shelter in its picnic area. Willson said Diane Booth of Cook County Extension has been working with a group of people on improving the trail to Father Baraga’s Cross. Grants for the proposed infrastructure might be pursued. Willson said he thought the diocese would want to cover maintenance costs. Bill McKeever estimated a picnic shelter would cost around $10,000. He offered to donate, through his well drilling business, the drilling that would be needed to install pipes to hold up a roof. “This is very preliminary,” Willson said.
Fire Chief Phil Bonin reported that a couple of Schroeder firefighters responded to a fire at the Taconite Harbor power plant. It was scary, he said, but the fire departments were called off because power plant personnel got the fire under control. Firefighters will now be required to identify themselves and their vehicles by number rather than name, Bonin said. This will take some getting used to. The department has lost two members and is down to 11. Shirley Hines retired and Amber (Clay) Humphrey moved away. Donations would be made to the new fallen firefighter memorial at the state capitol, which will exhibit the name of each fire department in the state, Bonin said.
On behalf of the township, Supervisor
McKeever negotiated a lower rate on propane with Federated Co-ops, its propane provider.
The board discussed a request for a resolution endorsing Tofte resident Paul James to serve on the Tofte-Schroeder Sanitary Sewer District (TSSSD) board. They expressed a desire to be notified earlier of the need for someone to serve on the board so they would have a chance to get representation from Schroeder. Clerk Carol Tveekrem said the board is supposed include two representatives from each township well as one at-large member, but they must all live within the sewer district. Not all residents of the townships live within the sewer district.
The board discussed a need for help maintaining the veterans memorial. McKeever said Cook County Veterans Services Officer Clarence Everson does a good job serving the county’s veterans and suggested that he might be able to find help with maintenance needs. “You give him the stuff and he just looks into it,” he said.
County Commissioner Bruce Martinson reported that Minnesota Towers Inc. is looking at locating a communication tower on the upper side of Highway 61 in Taconite Harbor. Martinson said he is concerned about the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission ordering Minnesota Power to conduct a study that would include examining the ramifications of closing down its power plant in Taconite Harbor, which provides power to some Iron Range mines. If it closed down, Cook County would no longer receive taconite credits on its property taxes.
Those at the meeting talked about how difficult it is for them to access the Internet in Schroeder and compared how long it takes for them to download their email. Willson said he clicks on his email and goes and gets coffee while downloads. Treasurer Sharon Kangas said she can vacuum her living room while she waits. Deputy Clerk Gale Ring said, “I can fold all the clothes for the week while I wait for my email!”
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