Rec Park Opens

This otter was taking a “snow bath” when David Johnson came upon it. The ducks didn’t seem to mind the comical otter’s zeal as it wiggled and squirmed around in the snow on its back. Photo courtesy of David Johnson

With the snow now gone in the Grand Marais Recreational Park, the hard-working seasonal staff didn’t waste any time opening the park on May 1. However, there’s lots more to do before the height of the tourist season.

A handful of campers are in the park as seasonal staff work to get the grounds ready for a busy summer. Two bathhouses are open, and two more will be brought online in the next couple of weeks. The staff is also putting in docks, and mooring buoys, noted Grand Marais Parks and Rec Director Dave Tersteeg, who addressed the park board on May 3.

The park office hours are now 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days of the week but will expand from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in June.

An application for a State Park Road Fund grant was approved, noted Tersteeg. The grant is for approximately $109,000. The money will be spent to put a two-inch overlay on the park’s main road from Highway 61 to the new boat launch. However, the project probably won’t get done this summer, said Tersteeg. The grant funds must go through the county highway department to meet State Aid Road specifications, and county engineer Robbie Hass and the crew are well into the 2022 construction season.

Photo courtesy of David Johnson

“Robbie is definitely on board with the project, but the work needs to be engineered and bid out by the county, and Robbie doesn’t know if he has enough time to get it done this year,” Tersteefg said. However, the funds can be used next year, which is likely a more realistic timeline,” he added. Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDOT) would also be involved in the project.

Grand Marais city councilor and park liaison Craig Schulte asked Tersteeg if there was any way the road could be paved this summer especially when the Parkside Public Access parking area was going to be paved by KGM Contractors. Schulte noted that no one in the county was operating a hot tar plant anymore, and it might be wise to hire KGM to do the two-inch overlay on the park road. He also added that if MNDOT was going to be part of the equation, the price would undoubtedly go up, and he wondered why a simple overlay needed so much scrutiny.

Awakening sun peeks at the Grand Marais harbor, its light coloring the open water orange and splaying across the skim ice in the marina. Photo courtesy of David Johnson

Tersteeg replied it was because of the grant, and he too wondered if it would be simpler if the city paid for the work and got the job done sooner than later. However, the city might be in line for more grant money, and KGM would be back next year to pave 5th Ave W. (the old Gunflint Trail), so tar would be available then, Tersteeg said.

In the meantime, LHB can draft plans for the overlay and begin the review process with the state, noted Tersteeg.

Next on the agenda was a short discussion about the Community Connection Corner.

Sealed bids for the construction of the Overlook/ Landing in the Community Connection Corner are due May 9. Tersteeg said that Landscape Architect CJ Fernandez and LHB engineers are handling most of the bid work. The city council will review the bids before the contract is awarded. When asked about interest in the project, Dave said about half a dozen companies inquired about the work.

Gunflint Hills Golf Course

In an effort to be fair and consistent, the park board discussed setting a policy for golf tournaments (organized and hosted by third-party groups) and group sales. After some discussion, the park board passed a resolution adopting these four tenets:

As a municipal golf course held in public trust, we are statutorily unable to offer donations, even to charitable organizations—no free golf.

We are unable to offer discounted tournament play to groups on weekends during the peak season of mid-June to mid-August.

Discounted group sales would be available on Mondays or Tuesdays throughout the season and the weekends outside of the peak June-August season.

Discounts would be based on group size and support staff necessary and negotiated in advance with our Golf Superintendent.

Music in Harbor Park

Todd Miller, Chair of the Grand Marais Music Collaborative, came before the park board with an update about summer music in the Grand Marais Harbor Park. Miller said there are two organizations scheduling music in the park, one run loosely by Pete Kavanaugh, who is helping to set schedules for musicians busking in the park, and his organization that will pay musicians to play if they receive a grant from the Grand Marais Area Tourism Association (GMATA) who receives funds from the lodging tax.

“I’m not sure Pete would want his group to be called an organization,” noted Miller.

GMATA reached out to us,” said Miller. He said musicians would be paid, and his organization would schedule musicians, issuing checks and tax forms. GMMC would handle any complaints, he said, unless the complaints couldn’t be solved, and then they would come to the park board. Last summer, the program was run by Bump Blomberg, but he didn’t want to do it this year. Miller asked the park board to approve the concept, and he would bring a formal application back in June. In the meantime, if he got the park board’s tacit approval, he could start scheduling musicians, noting they (musicians) were already busy booking their summer gigs.

The board approved Miller’s request and he will bring back a formal application to the June board meeting.

The Grand Marais Music Collaborative, a 501(c) (3) not for profit organization that focuses on the local music scene, education, and performance, sponsors the Stars of the North Music Festival and this summer will organize musicians who will play Sunday, Monday and Tuesday in Harbor Park. The organization raises money to pay for music lessons for kids who can’t afford to pay for lessons.

Picnic shelter

Tersteeg presented the board with a drawing of a temporary wood shelter that could hold four picnic tables. Currently, a white tent covers two picnic tables in the marina and is well used. Dave said he discussed the shelter with North House Director Greg Wright, who told him that North House could build it for free if the park board would pay for materials. In addition, the shelter would be part of an August timber framing class. The park board voted unanimously for Tersteeg to pursue the project with North House.