Cook County News Herald

Down Memory Lane




10 Years Ago · April 30, 2001

The Joint Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA) met with the Recreation Management Corporation to discuss the EDA’s cancellation of RMC’s contract to manage Superior National Golf Course in Lutsen. There were a lot of questions to be asked at the meeting, but no one on the EDA board seemed to know what they were. Speaking of the board’s recent decision to cancel the contract, Andrea Peterson asked, “Who else are we going to get to do it? I don’t think we as a board can turn our back on something that is working.”

Mark Ditmanson was installed as the new Bethlehem Lutheran minister on April 21. Bishop Peter Stonmen of Duluth conducted the service. As pastor, Ditmanson will oversee the church in Grand Marais, and Hovland Trinity Lutheran Church.

20 Years Ago · April 29, 1991

Architect Stan Fishman told local government officials that with volunteer efforts construction of a new curling club/community center is “absolutely feasible.” Fishman showed plans for a large center which could be built in phases. The center would be located on county and school property by the present tennis courts. It would be built through cooperative efforts of Cook County, Grand Marais and School District 166. Officials plan to apply for an IRRRB grant of $150,000 for the first phase and are optimistic they can get the funding.

The city may end up footing at least a portion of the bill for extending water and sewer lines to the proposed Forest Service district office, which will be located in an area to be annexed by the city. The Forest Service and officials from the county and the Trust For Public Lands are urging the city to sign a Memorandum of Understanding so the project and a four-way land swap can move forward. In 1989 the city agreed to annex land for the new Forest Service site and provide water and sewer if there was no cost to the city.

Someone entered the Grand Marais sewage treatment plant and opened a valve, spilling 10,000 gallons of sewage, plant superintendent Walt Annerer said. “The open valve let sludge spill out on the ground,” Annerer said. “Most of it went back into the plant and some was picked up with the sludge truck.” To prevent another incident, Annerer said he was changing all locks at the plant, making more security checks and locking up all valve wrenches.

50 Years Ago · April 27, 1961

Rushing the season — so it would seem — a number of local fellows are already water skiing on the harbor! Dressed in rubber skin diving suits, they have done some diving as a diversion.

The golf course is now open. However, the greens are not yet playable. The putting cups have been moved to the fairways until the greens can be top-dressed. It was a little cool Sunday but quite a few played the course and enjoyed it much.

Well, the smelt fishing finally reached Carlson Creek in Hovland at Big Bay with a rush Monday night. The fish showed up a few days ago and you can get a pail full in no time. They are quite good size and it is lots of fun watching these silver fish as they swim up the creek.

90 Years Ago · April 28, 1921

Twenty thousand children are killed each year by accidents, according to the American Red Cross. The country may spend its millions to fight disease, but 20,000 of these little ones, in their heedless inexperience of life, throw themselves in the way of automobiles, fall out of windows, and in other ways bring sudden and devastating grief. Some of these tragic fatalities could be avoided by enforcement of laws and a growing sense of decency. The motorist who tears through a thickly settled street and considers heedless children as guilty of their own destruction, has elements of murder in his heart.

Fifty cars of fish fry arrived in town on the steamer America Monday. They were planted in different streams by the local sports.

Backlund Bros. are in town doing some plowing in the gardens about the village.

The Hotel Paine has been rechristened. It is now to be known as Tourist Hotel.



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