The county board has been receiving some letters from relatives of people buried in the Tofte cemetery appealing to them to not authorize placement of an AT&T cell phone tower in that location. This letter and picture was sent by Cecilia Conforti, daughter of Melissa (Loh) Conforti, who grew up in Tofte. AT&T would pay Tofte Township $800 a month with a 3 percent annual increase to lease the space, and cell phone coverage would increase significantly in that area. The plan must be approved by the Tofte Design Review Board, which will hold a hearing on April 11, the Cook County Planning and Zoning Commission, which is tentatively planning to consider the issue on May 11, and the Cook County Board of Commissioners.
The ground outside was icy on the evening of March 10. People were straggling in to the monthly Tofte town board meeting. While they waited for everyone to get there, Clerk Barb Gervais said that she would need “two strong gentlemen” to carry in the township’s new copy machine from her car. Gervais explained that she had gotten it into her car by herself, but with all the ice outside the town hall, she wanted help getting it inside.
Two of the three Tofte supervisors were already sitting at the table, ready to start the meeting. They indicated they were not sure if they qualified as “two strong gentlemen.”
“Maybe one of you is,” someone offered.
The two supervisors headed for the door, one of them saying he wasn’t sure which one of them would qualify as the strong one. “My wife usually carries the big stuff,” he said.
Right after the boxed copy machine made it safely inside, the third supervisor walked in. He said he had waited until they got the box inside before entering the building.
With that task accomplished, the board moved on to deciding who they would hire to set up and host the new Tofte Township website. They voted to hire Nina Simonowicz, who had submitted the lowest of three quotes, and to purchase software to maintain the site.
In other news:
. Supervisor Jim King noted that the money paid out to the three election judges in the March election – a total of $120 – amounted to a cost to the township of $7.50 per voter. Exactly 10 percent – 16 out of 160 – of Tofte’s registered voters cast votes on election night.
. The board discussed what it could do with the money no longer being spent on the Birch Grove Community Center building now that the township has it fully paid for. No decision was made, but Barb Gervais suggested helping pay for the pellet boiler the Birch Grove Foundation installed in the building.
. The board voted to approve a contract with J & M Fireworks for the Fourth of July fireworks display, pending approval of the township’s legal firm, Fryberger, Buchanan, Smith, & Frederic of Duluth. The township will pay about $5,000 for the display.
. Rescue Squad Chief Louise Trachta reported that Joe Sanders of Joe’s Salvage would take off the old rescue vehicle body for $350. He will sell it for scrap aluminum. The vehicle is getting a new body. Trachta said she and Dave Monson would travel to Wisconsin on March 25 to pick up the new tanker. To increase traffic safety, Trachta said, she would be working to increase lighting at rescue scenes and to better illuminate the signs. . County Commissioner Bruce Martinson said it might be time to replace the U.S. flag sitting in the town hall because it was looking a bit worn and dirty. “The first thing to do,” said Supervisor King, “would be to check how many stars are on it.” The board discussed trying to wash the flag so it could be used somewhere else, but someone suggested that they not wash it until securing a replacement in case it fell apart in the wash.
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