Water sampling of Caribou Lake has been going on for years, and property owners around the lake may be paying for it to continue. Cook County Planning & Zoning Director Tim Nelson proposed that the county assess a fee through the subordinate service district (SSD) that covers Agnes, Ward, Bigsby, and Caribou lakes. A document by Bob Reid of the... READ MORE >
On Tuesday, August 11, 2009, the county board approved a motion to reduce the amount approved wildfire sprinkler installers must set aside in escrow from $20,000 to $10,000. A sprinkler review board, overseeing a grant to help homeowners install outdoor wildfire sprinklers, recommended the change. On July 28, the county board failed—in a split vote—to pass the same motion. At... READ MORE >
Were you wondering throughout the month of July when summer was going to start? If you thought July was cold, it wasn’t your imagination. Minnesota’s Arrowhead region was between four and six degrees below normal during July, with one small area averaging eight degrees below normal. The average temperature across the contiguous United States was below the longterm average, based... READ MORE >
County Auditor-Treasurer Braidy Powers reported to the county board Tuesday, August 11, 2009 that the county had received from the state an increase of 5.6% over last year as payment in lieu of taxes. The payment is designed to offset the amount of state-owned land that does not generate property taxes for the county. This year’s payment was $195,613.83, an... READ MORE >
Grand Marais Recreation Area guests continue to bring in a significant portion of the city’s municipal pool revenue. This July, $5,500 of the $12,700 taken in at the pool – 43% of its total income — came from campers. “And that’s at a reduced rate,” said Park Manager Dave Tersteeg in an August 4, 2009 interview. A study completed several... READ MORE >
Several issues relating to transportation and recreation were brought to the county board Tuesday, August 11, 2009, one of which could increase safe routes for walkers and bicyclists along county roads but would exclude use by all-terrain vehicles. County Highway Engineer Shae Kosmalski reported that the county has received a grant from the Arrowhead Regional Development Council (ARDC) for assistance... READ MORE >
The owner of the property just south of the new county-owned horse park between Creechville Road and the old Gunflint Trail in Grand Marais returned to the county board August 11, 2009, one year after the June 2008 flood, asking for more help with repairs. During that storm, floodwaters from the unfinished horse park deposited large amounts of shale throughout... READ MORE >
Passion, grace, depth, whimsy – many words could be used to describe the artwork of Tim Young and Anne Cervenka on exhibit at Johnson Heritage Post in Grand Marais through September 6, 2009. Both artists greeted guests at the show’s opening Friday, July 31 in the thick of Fisherman’s Picnic. A four-panel mural of white pines and two totem paintings... READ MORE >
After the Grand Marais Park Board presented its long-term Recreation Area Master Plan to the public July 28, questions arose from those who were not happy with the final product. Critics of the plan did not like the park board’s decision to keep its northeastern corner open to campers rather than turn it into community green space and to delineate... READ MORE >
The Cook County 1% Local Option Sales Tax Committee met for three hours Monday, August 3, 2009 to decide which community improvement projects to include in a late-fall referendum, but in the end they decided they need still more time to gather information and weigh their options. Close to a dozen community stakeholders attended the meeting in addition to nine... READ MORE >
