10 Years Ago · Sept. 13, 1999 • Cook County Sheriff Dave Wirt was present at the regular Grand Marais City Council meeting to give the council an update on various law enforcement issues which have come up within the past month.
Wirt said he was aware of numerous incidents that have occurred in recent weeks, and was working to catch the culprits.
“Obviously, we want to catch these people,” he said. “That’s what we get paid to do, and we like to do it.”
Wirt said law enforcement has some ideas about who is behind the malicious and dangerous situations, and he also has a feeling about why it is happening. “We think these things are being done in retaliation against law enforcement,” he said. Wirt added that it might be people who have been picked up by officers recently, and are trying to even the score by giving officers more work to do.
Recent issues have included spinning tires, litter and vandalism, such as removing stop signs and overturning benches. • Cook County Airport Commissioners welcomed the facility’s first fixed base operator last week, noting that finally the airport has a good chance to become selfsufficient.
Rodney Roy began his duties about a week and a half ago. He will also move his aeronautic business to Cook County — a key factor in his agreement with the county.
20 Years Ago · Sept. 11, 1989 • Street vendors, sign boards and sidewalk salesmanship may disappear from Grand Marais public sidewalks next summer if the City Council adopts a pair of ordinances recommended by the Chamber of Commerce board.
Some downtown merchants have become concerned about unfair competition and the impact that street vendors have upon the visual appearance of the downtown area. A confrontation between merchants and one street vendor on a Wisconsin Street sidewalk one Saturday nearly resulted in violence.
The first ordinance regards the use of streets and sidewalks, and would ban all use except pedestrian and vehicular traffic. The second ordinance would regulate the use of streets and sidewalks during public events such as Fisherman’s Picnic.
The ordinance would apply to everyone, including local merchants. With the exception of special events, the merchants would not be allowed to display merchandise in front of their stores. • What happened to the trees on Broadway?
Callers were asking City Hall that question last week when the trees lining Broadway between Second and Third in Grand Marais were felled. The answer is that the trees were over the sanitary sewer line, and there had been problems with roots plugging lines. Moving the sewer lines would have required blasting a new rock trench.
Since the trees were within the right of way it was easier to remove them than to move the sewer.
50 Years Ago · Sept. 10, 1959 • The rather savage southwester which began rolling on Lake Superior Wednesday night and continued the next day, damaged one of Vern Talkovich’s pedalgo boats in the harbor and threatened to smash the other one. The Coast Guard, however, saved the second one after some tricky maneuvering near shore in the heavy seas.
The pedalgoes are quite an attraction for visitors, who like to pedal them around in the harbor. They are not allowed to go out beyond the breakwaters into the open lake. Mr. Talkovich claims that people have stopped specially when they have seen or heard of this unusual watercraft just to get a close-up view of the harbor and the distant hills. • Linotype operator Dick Gilbertsen and his parents, the Ardeen Gilbertsens, are in Billings, Montana visiting the Thomas Cashmans for two weeks. • Did you know that there are more than 20 million bicycles in the United States; that every 19 minutes the rider of one is injured; and that each day one person is killed?
90 Years Ago · Sept. 10, 1919 • State Auditor Preus was in the village last Saturday and held a sale of state lands. One section of land near Tofte was sold to the Tofte Cooperative Sheep and Cattle Ranch Association. • The trial of Frank Kugler for the shooting of an unknown man at his home at Pine Lake last April is being conducted in District Court in Duluth this week. It will be remembered that this case was to have come up for trial in District Court here in June but a change of venue was granted and it was transferred to Duluth.
As the Herald man was called to attend court in Duluth this week we are a little late in getting out, and if the paper lacks in news charge it to the Kugler case. • The U.S. Engineering Department is repairing the east breakwater in the harbor. It was partly destroyed by fire at the time of the burning of the steamer Liberty. • Two of the four army trucks allotted to this county arrived in Tofte Sunday night and will be used in road work. Carl Carlson and L.G. Godin drove the cars from Minneapolis. • The foundation of a business building has been commenced by Louis Falk on Wisconsin Street.
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