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Here we are on the cusp of a New Year, readying our voices for Auld Lang Syne with some fortified eggnog. If we are reading this paper, compared to most people in the world, we are very, very lucky. Lucky to have walls, roof, and heat—and folks who plow snow. Lucky to have four grocery stores nearby and food shelves, too. Lucky to still have our democracy. And we are lucky enough to have survived a difficult year, back on whose columns we now look.
We began 2022 by learning from Native Stone that stone “cairns serve as Sacrifice Rocks, Border Markers, Platform Cairns, Appended Cairns, Corner Cairns, and Columnar, Shaped and Effigy Cairns.” We were warned not to build our own to avoid misleading folks. [Rob Perez did a March “Ode to the Rock,” funnier and more poetic.]
We next learned that the Cook County Atlas, even a bit dated, is a fount of information about our home area. For instance, we have eight volunteer fire departments. That’s one for every 700 of us. The 2012 model may still be on sale at the Auditor’s Office for $10. If you want a new one, you can soon pay $35.
Next, we (subtly) beat the drum for Albatross, Dave Saari’s golf murder mystery tour of St. Urho’s golf course in Nolalu, Ontario. The only way you know you are there is a sign that includes “Golf ” along with “Groceries, Gifts, Lottery Center, Gas and Diesel, Auto & Tire Repair, and Construction Services.” There is also a small restaurant to go along with the single gas pump. The sign over the entrance says, “Everything.”
February found us learning the true meaning of Tettegouche (pronounced with a “chee” at the end). After 33 google search pages, we found the answer in the North Shore Visitor: In 1898, a New Brunswick lumber company began cutting the virgin pine forests of Northeastern Minnesota. Another source added, “They’d spared a few red and white pines and called the spot ‘Tettegouche,’ Algonquin for ‘the retreat.’”
We shopped for better health, examined the fraudulent acquisitions of mining rights in the BWCA, cautioned against illegal rock picking, and reviewed alternatives to sugar.
The Cook County Real Estate Fund (CCREF) gave us April hope for people to do well by doing good for our community. A challenge to colleague Rob Perez finally resulted in a golf game at Superior National with him, his father-in-law, and Saari–recounted in “Golf: Not for Rob’s Tulip,”” Golfing with Perez? Kinda?”and September’s “Beneath Rob Perez’s Cynical Shell Beats the Heart of a Golfer.”
“Heaven’s Doors” gave us insight into Arrowhead whiskey and Bob Dylan’s co-creation of a Highway 61 Blend. Covid was still rampant in May, so we gave 10 facts to promote community health; it concluded, “Testing is still our friend until further public notice.” As this is written, we are cautiously doffing masks even as the college Christmas choirs of St. Olaf and St. Thomas sang through their masks on TV.”
June saw a discovery of Kathy Wurzer’s Highway 61 story in her Tales of the Road. July introduced us to DNR Scientific and Natural Areas near 61; there are five of them, all to be used lightly with appreciation for beauty, natural diversity, and no overnights. We also learned of the differences in court cases between us and the Cities. My favorite offense is using live minnows in a trout lake. Turns out that live minnows carry disease that harm the fish. Who knew? A Conservation Officer agreed with me that we regulate minnows more strictly that guns and ammo.
July 30th let us share our further learnings about the Encampment Forest Association just southwest of the Crow Creek Tunnel on Highway 61. It is really mostly forest and very up and down—and perhaps slightly less exclusive that its origins.
September led us to historic Maple Hill church and cemetery, the Swing Band at Cook County Higher Education, Mike Debevec’s jazz service, and much to appreciate in volunteerism and cooperation up here. October allowed us to tell of “61 Gems We May Have Missed,” where we borrowed twice from the little book subtitled “Minnesota’s North Shore From Well Known Attractions to Best Kept Secrets.”
We leaned into a mixture of commentary and memoir begun with a greater appreciation for Gloria Steinem, and continued with” Leaning Toward Social Democracy,” “The day I nearly did the White House Press Briefing,” “Wandering for Votes,” “Wondering for Safer Places,” “How Can We Live More Green,” and “Our Democracy at Work.” I regret that Steinem left out of her book her work for the CIA in the late 1950’s as a leader of the National Student Association.
We finished the year “Swinging Many Ways on 61.” Critics may object to the use of the editorial “we,” but note the joint copyright. Cynical readers should know that writing a retrospective piece is just as hard, or harder, than doing a new one.
It has been a good run so far. Remember to send in your suggestions for how we can live greener so we can educate each other. E-Addresses below. If you want to catch a column you missed or read one again, go to Cook County News Herald (cookcountynews-herald.com) and search for an apt term.
Steve Aldrich is a retired Hennepin County lawyer, judge, and mediator, serving as judge from 1997-2010. He and his wife moved here in 2016. Steve was once a Junior NRA member. He likes to remember that he was a Minnesota Super Family Lawyer before being elected to the bench. Steve writes this column to learn more about his new home area and to share his learnings with others—and to indulge his curiosities. Bouquets and brickbats to the editor or stevealdrich41@gmail.com. Copyright Stephen C. Aldrich and News Herald, 2022.
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