After three years of deliberating on the issue of ATVs, the Cook County Board of Commissioners passed an ordinance outlining where and how ATVs can be used on county roads. Seventy people, mostly ATV riders as demonstrated by a show of hands, attended a hearing at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts Tuesday, May 26, 2009 that culminated in a... READ MORE >
Grand Marais Cook County Airport Manager Rod Roy updated the county board Tuesday, May 26, 2009 on an expansion project that would significantly improve the airport. The purpose of the project is to allow fire-fighting planes to land in order to mitigate forest fires. The project will widen the current runway and lengthen it from about 4,200 feet to 5,000... READ MORE >
The emerald ash borer, a beetle that kills ash trees, has been found in St. Paul, and the Cook County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday, May 26, 2009 to use all legal means possible to keep the pests from entering the county, including enacting penalties for bringing them in. County Land Commissioner Mary Black reported that the Minnesota Department of... READ MORE >
Real estate agents and mortgage companies will be happy to find out that they can now use property owners’ names to search the county website for information on private properties. Thecounty board previously voted down the feature because of concerns regarding privacy, although people could access the information using owners’ names by calling or showing up at the Cook County... READ MORE >
The county board dealt with numerous private property issues Tuesday, May 26, 2009, approving one amendment to a conditional use permit (CUP) and turning another one down. Devil Track General Store (formerly Lakewind) has been operating under a CUP since it was built in 1997. During the building’s construction, public concerns were raised over the clearing of vegetation in front... READ MORE >
Some property owners in the hinterlands of Cook County might be paying more in property taxes in the future, but in exchange they would be safer if their homes and cabins caught fire. On Tuesday, May 26, 2009 Cook County volunteer firefighters Betsy Zavoral, Shawn Perich, Rod Roy, and Dick Parker presented to the county board a proposal to expand... READ MORE >
Due to enthusiastic advocacy on the part of Grand Marais resident Hal Greenwood, the Cook County Tennis Association (CCTA) has been granted $50,000 from the State of Minnesota. Thefunding will allow the nonprofit group to go forward with a major upgrade of three of the county’s five courts on Community Center grounds in Grand Marais. “It was gosh darn a... READ MORE >
On Tuesday, May 26, 2009, the county board approved an agreement with the Cook County Tennis Association (CCTA) for ongoing maintenance and repair of the public tennis courts on Community Center grounds next to Cook County High School. In that agreement, the county assumes responsibility for security, lawn care, lighting, portable toilet facilities, garbage hauling, a drinking fountain, and resurfacing... READ MORE >
About 40 people gathered the evening of May 19, 2009 to discuss the two options that distill the Grand Marais Park Board’s efforts over the last several months to develop a long-range plan for the tourist park. City council, park board, and community members sipped coffee and ate cookies by the lighted hearth of the log 4-H building while consultant... READ MORE >
Several people affiliated with the Cook County – Grand Marais Economic Development (EDA) attended the county board meeting Tuesday, May 19, 2009, where Director Matt Geretschlaeger requested an early disbursement of $35,000 in levy funds to support EDA operating costs. The funds would normally be disbursed in June. The EDA has spent thousands of dollars in legal fees to help... READ MORE >
