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A local youth sports program that has spawned more than a half dozen amateur “World” champions recently took a big hit. They now have no place to practice their sport after the YMCA canceled their pool practice time.
As of now, the North Shore Logrollers winter program is dead in the water.
The Cook County/ Grand Marais YMCA recently notified the North Shore Rollers (NSR) that they are no longer welcome to use the Y swimming pool to practice, said one of the volunteer organizers Andrea Everson.
After the public swimming pool in the Grand Marais Rec Park was taken down, the North Shore Rollers moved the program to the new YMCA. At that time, “Emily Marshall (Y Director) told us there would always be a place for us to roll,” said Everson.
But over the years, the parameters have changed. At one time, log rolling was under the YMCA umbrella, with proceeds from memberships going to the Y. But then Marshall asked Tony and Andrea Everson (husband and wife ) to become paid YMCA staff to continue the program.
“I have a business, and Tony has a business. We weren’t interested in working for the Y. We are volunteers who love working with the kids and seeing the program grow,” Andrea said.
Next, Marshall asked the NSR to get liability insurance, which they did. “We pay about $900 a year for insurance, and we pay a fee of $50 to use a portion of the pool for an hour and a half for practice,” said Everson.
Practices are typically held twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays after school.
Once the NSH rollers started making insurance payments, they formed a 501©(3) nonprofit and began charging kids $140 for six-to-eight-week sessions Paige Everson to join. Membership is limited to 15 kids and four adult volunteers who work with the kids. And noted Everson, “For kids who couldn’t pay, we had local businesses who sponsored them. Everyone who wanted to join got to join.”
Over the years, the North Shore Rollers have hosted events that have brought many people to the community.
The NSR organized and ran the Minnesota State Log Rolling Championships in Grand Marais and several professional log rolling events during the Fisherman’s Picnic, adding a lot of fun and excitement to that iconic four-day weekend. “We try to give back to the community,” Andrea said.
During the winter, the kids who want to compete in the United States Log Rolling Association (USLRA) amateur tournaments travel to YMCAs throughout Wisconsin to earn points in age groups to see who will place or win a USLRA title. These events build skills and confidence for the rigorous summer events culminating in the World championships held at the Hayward Lumberjack World Championships.
But it all takes a lot of practice, and until the ice comes off of the lakes, right now, there is no place to practice.
Questions abound
Because the YMCA receives local tax funds from both the City of Grand Marais and Cook County, Cook County Administrator James Joerke has been asked to look into the recent decision to cancel log rolling practice at the Y, along with several other questions concerning the Y’s operations.
When contacted Mr. Joerke said, “I’ve received several messages in the last few days from residents expressing concern about the discontinuation of the log rolling program, the hours of operation, and changes in the Y’s programming and agree that they need to be addressed. I also agree that the County Board should be receiving financial reports from the YMCA regularly, whether monthly or quarterly, so that taxpayers have an understanding of what they and the YMCA are getting for the County’s investment in the facility. There are a lot of moving parts here, and I have begun working with the commissioners to develop a plan for responding to these concerns. I expect that you’ll hear discussion about these issues at the next County Board meeting on February 14.”
When did log rolling start in Cook County?
The log rolling program was started in Cook County by eight-time log rolling and boom run world champion Jenny Atkinson in about 2007. Atkinson, who hails from Stillwater, Minnesota, has a cabin on Clearwater Lake. Atkinson started the program at the rec park pool in the winter, donating a log and her time as a coach until parents took up the coaching and ran the program.
It was an immediate hit, and many kids have since taken part in something lumberjacks in the area did long ago as a profession. It’s a sport that’s now in danger of fading away.
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