Cook County News Herald

Down Memory Lane




10 Years Ago .
March 6, 2000

• “Even though some people’s jobs will be affected, we are cutting into the flesh, not into the bone,” said Cook County Schools Superintendent Dale Tormondsen after unveiling budget cutting suggestions from his principals at the Feb. 29 special meeting of the school board. “But who knows, we may have to do that next year.”

Tormondsen and school board members met and reviewed the suggested cuts, amounting to a grand total of $365,523, in a full, but not overflowing, board room at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts. • It will probably be another three years before a lakewalk is built from Sweetheart Bluff to Artist Point. The Grand Marais Harbor Lakewalk did not make the cut for projects funded sooner.

This was the report from staff from the Minnesota Department of Transportation during a lengthy presentation to the county commissioners Feb. 21. A funding task force ranked the lakewalk, one of many Transportation Enhancement projects submitted by government entities. Only eight were recommended for immediate funding. The Grand Marais Lakewalk was 12th.

20 Years Ago .
March 5, 1990

• The question of whether the Grand Marais City Council or the park board is running the Gunflint Hills Golf Course is apparently still unanswered.

The question of control surfaced in January when the city labor committee recommended that the golf course be transferred from the park board to the city council. The labor committee also recommended that Norma O’Leary, last year’s head groundskeeper, be promoted to golf course supervisor.

Negotiations with O’Leary were handled personally by Mayor Walt Mianowski, which apparently further inflamed the park board.

Park board chairman Janet Lang told the council, “We weren’t even consulted that she was offered the position.”

Now O’Leary has accepted a similar position at Silver Bay and everyone agreed she will be hard to replace. In leaving, O’Leary said she thought Silver Bay would be “more stable.”

There are still questions about finishing and financing the expansion that has been started, greens fees have yet to be set for 1990, and now there is no groundskeeper. Council said Wednesday everything will be put on hold until a replacement for O’Leary is found. • St. Mary’s LifeFlight, an emergency medical helicopter service based in Duluth, visited Cook County North Shore Hospital last Monday to conduct training and orientation on its use. The primary mission of LifeFlight is to minimize transfer times for critically ill and injured patients between health care facilities in a 17-county region of northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan.

50 Years Ago .
March 3, 1960

• Pastor Joel Anderson conducted the first church service last Sunday morning in the new building to be used by Bethlehem Lutheran congregation. His sermon, “The Magic of Newness,” was based on Ephesians 4:22- 25.

About 260 were seated in the church auditorium and adjacent areas. • Four LaCrosse, Wis., teenagers, accused of taking a car that didn’t belong to them and driving it across state lines, were apprehended here last week and lodged in the local jail. A tip-off to local officers that the four were using nickels and dimes freely was their downfall. They reached the border, but didn’t quite have the nerve to try to get across into Canada, so returned toward Grand Marais.

Sheriff Emerson Morris and Highway Patrolman James Johnson set up a roadblock about a mile east of the village and soon had them in custody. They offered no resistance and were not harmed. However, they objected to the jail and tore up sheets and splashed water about, and tied their shoes in the sheet strips and used them for striking at anyone entering the jail.

The officers had separated the four as soon as they were captured and questioned them separately. Since they all told different stories it was evident they were not telling the truth. • A fall from his truck at the Hovland pulp landing put Arthur Eliasen in the local hospital Monday afternoon. John Moe was with him and brought him to the hospital.

90 Years Ago .
March 3, 1920

• Dan Flyn, an old-timer around here, was taken to the Lake County farm last Friday, arrangements having been made with the Lake County authorities for his care. • J.H. Pinkerton would like to find the key to the fire hall. If you were one of the first ones at the fire hall at the last fire, look in your pockets. If you find it, give it to Jim. • Hugo Olson of Duluth has purchased the North Shore Garage and has taken charge. He has employed Hugo Grandel for mechanic and expects him in about a week. • FOR SALE : 1,200 aluminum net corks. Will stand the pressure in 100 fathoms of water. 7½ cents each. Contact Ben Seglem, Lutsen


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