With RVs, trailers and tents popping up all over the Grand Marais Recreation Park like spring flowers, the park is getting to be a very busy, vibrant place.
“The season is off to a strong start with May revenue up 56 percent ($51,000) versus 2015,” said Grand Marais Parks and Recreation Director Dave Tersteeg to the park board at its June 7 meeting. On July 5, Tersteeg said year to date revenues at the park continue to be up 19 percent for the first six months of operations over last year, with overnight revenue in June up 24 percent versus June of 2015.
Memorial Day weekend, said Tersteeg, was the busiest ever, with 90 check-ins on Friday, May 27. “The Grand du Nord bike race held on the 28th was a big reason for our increased occupancy on this otherwise cold, wet weekend,” he said.
Tersteeg noted that in May 2015, the park was 20 percent busier than the 2014 May, adding, “So we are definitely gaining in a month that can grow.”
Six new employees have been hired to fill out the roster of seasonal workers needed, but Tersteeg noted that many of them would be headed back to college in August, which will leave the park short of laborers in September and October. “We may face some stiff challenges in the fall when many of the kids go back to school,” he said.
Paving project gets park board go-ahead
In an ongoing effort to maintain and improve the Park for visitors and guests several roads are being repaved this summer and electric upgrades will be made to campsites.
In June the board agreed to spend up to $20,000 to overlay roads on the east side of the park and $50,000 to improve electric service at the sites where the demand is the highest. This follows the park master plan completed in 2009 that calls for the ongoing spending to maintain and improve the park.
At the July 6 meeting Edwin E. Thoreson, Inc. provided the park with a quote of $19,723 to overlay 14,411 square feet of pavement around the office area and down to the marina, which the board voted to approve. The Grand Marais City Council gave its approval at the July 13 council meeting.
Winter long meetings with area Wi-Fi providers to bring high speed internet to the campground failed due to the expense of installing it, but the “hot spot” at the campground office has been improved for campers who need it, said Tersteeg.
The new siding, roofing and interior work on the park office was completed to good reviews, Tersteeg said.
Gunflint Hills Golf Course
Gunflint Hills Golf Course Manager Mike Kunshier said the season is off to a good start with the course in decent early shape.
Season memberships are down slightly, said Kunshier, but year to date revenues were $32,476, up from $27,846 at the same time last year.
“It looks like we will end up with fewer members this year. Some of that is due to illness, deaths, and some of that is because we raised the membership fees. Last year we lowered the fees because the greens were in rough shape following the winter. I don’t regret doing that because I thought it was necessary, but the greens are in good shape this year and we brought the fees back up,” Kunshier said.
“We had 6 inches of rain in the last 15 days. The greens are looking real nice and the fairways are filling in. Overall the course looks to be in good shape,” he said.
More trees for beavers
In an effort to reduce runoff into the Lake Superior, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has offered a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant to fund planting 50-150 trees, depending on the needs of a community.
Tersteeg said the Recreation Park and Boulder Park could use some more trees, especially in light of the harbor beavers’ recent logging and harvest.
“We lost a lot of trees to beavers and we need to replace those,” he said.
Under terms of the grant the DNR partners with a city and will reimburse the city for trees, mulch, and other necessities for planting and maintenance. The DNR will also provide hands-on training for the planting, pruning, and watering for volunteers recruited to do the work.
Tersteeg said the DNR needed a letter of support, and the park board asked Tersteeg to write a letter for the Grand Marais City Council who would forward it to the DNR.
“Our match will be our maintenance staff working with volunteers,” said Tersteeg. The park will also have tools available like shovels, pruning shears, mulch and water that volunteers can use who want to help with the project, Tersteeg said.
Public comments from camper
At the June 7 meeting one long-time camper came before the board and asked why the campground couldn’t provide free Wi-Fi. He said he and his wife travel to parks throughout the year and free Wi-Fi is standard in most places. Tersteeg reiterated that the board had spent considerable time last winter trying to bring in high speed Internet but it proved too costly.
The gentleman also said he thought more money should be spent to replace fire grills and picnic tables and other infrastructure in the park.
Dave Mills, the city council representative on the park board, said he would take those concerns to the city council, which approves spending for the park.
Fisherman’s Picnic
The park board also approved a special event permit for the Grand Marais Lions Club for the Fisherman’s Picnic. Tersteeg said that there will be a smaller field of teams for the softball tournament and the softball field in the park might not have to be used this year. “This was the case last year and it really improved the congestion and impacts to the campground, including no property damage from errant softballs over the fence,” Tersteeg said.
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