10 YEARS AGO
AUG. 8, 2009
Participants in Friday night Fisherman’s Picnic festivities in downtown Grand Marais were startled by the sound of a loud explosion at 9:01 p.m. After the mysterious detonation, a large cloud of white smoke appeared over the Point, and Cook County sheriff ’s deputies found shrapnel from a 4-inch by 24-inch pipe on Artist Point. Two juveniles were seen in the area at the time of the explosion, but it is unknown who they were, or if they were involved.
Two teenagers from White Bear Lake were injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident July 31 on Bents Road in Grand Marais. The injured teens – a 14-year-old female driver and 17-year-old passenger – were taken to Cook County North Shore Hospital by private vehicle. One was later taken to a Duluth hospital by Lifeflight helicopter. The cause of the accident is not yet known.
20 YEARS AGO
AUG. 9, 1999
Calling the fee structure at the city park “simply insane,” a charter captain told the Grand Marais Park and Recreation Board he probably will not be back next summer unless something is done to make the system more equitable. “I’m not a troublemaker, but I’m here to tell you that this is a bad deal all the way around,” Jim Latvela of Two Harbors told the board at its Aug. 3 meeting. “My operating costs have doubled since when I first came here 15 years ago.”
There is good news and bad news for Gunflint Trail residents. The good news is that approximately 95 percent of customers have had their power restored following the July 4 blowdown. The bad news is that for the remaining customers, it will continue to be a long tedious process to locate and repair the problem. Line crews are now going pole by pole, span by span, locating problems. They are also looking at individual services, replacing poles, meters and transformers, and reconnecting lines as needed.
50 YEARS AGO
AUG. 7, 1969
One hundred National Guardsmen from Duluth are expected today in a concerted hunt for a 51-year-old Duluth man who has been lost in the woods north of Tofte near Plouff Creek since Saturday. Should they fail to find the man, the hunt may be called off, Sheriff Emerson Morris said yesterday.
The Fisherman’s Picnic parade was one of the largest in recent years, and the weather cooperated beautifully. Floats, marching units, band music, and a lot of queens did the trick. Also, an estimated 5,000 fishburgers were sold by the Lions during the big picnic. In weight, this means 885 pounds of herring fillet. Both fryers were going for three days, with 60 Lions helping out at various shifts.
90 YEARS AGO
AUG. 8, 1929
Finding it impossible to transport the children of Good Harbor Hill to the public school at Grand Marais because of impassable winter roads, the school board has decided to hire a special teacher for a seven-months term. There is no school building there, but a cabin suitable for the school has been provided which will cost the school nothing in rental.
The disappearance of several outboard motors from fish houses along the North Shore has led Sheriff Taylor to issue a warning to all commercial fishermen to keep an eye on their fishing equipment. It is the sheriff ’s belief that someone is stealing the motors and is reselling them at outside points.
Joseph Brodar, a 50-year-old Australian lumberjack, dropped dead Sunday at Swan Lake camp of the General Logging Company, about 50 miles north of Grand Marais, shortly after the dinner hour. The body was removed to the Maple Hill cemetery where it was buried on Monday morning.
Henry Rindahl contracted blood poisoning from a small scratch on his hand early this week. He went to Duluth for medical treatment and is now getting along fine.
Ruby Samskar, who was bitten by a savage bear at Illgen City recently, is now able to be up and around once more.
Do you have an old picture or a story from years gone by that you would like to share with the Cook County News-Herald readers? We’d love to hear your Historical Reflections Call (218) 387-9100; e-mail starnews@boreal.org; or stop by our office at 15 First Avenue West.
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