Rhonda Silence starnews@boreal.org | October 25, 2014
After I wrote an Unorganized Territory column recalling the fight to allow 18-year-olds to vote, my son Ben asked an interesting question. He asked why I hadn’t gone into more detail about the struggle women went through to gain the right to vote. The question surprised me for several reasons. First, I have to admit I was pleased to know... READ MORE >
Rhonda Silence starnews@boreal.org | October 18, 2014
School has started so that means Girl Scouts are meeting again. That means things are a little more hectic in Unorganized Territory Being a Girl Scout leader is very rewarding. It was fun over the summer to see “my” Girl Scouts at various events. And it was delightful to welcome them back to our first meeting, to receive hug after... READ MORE >
Rhonda Silence starnews@boreal.org | October 11, 2014
I am diligent about voting. I am a firm believer in the adage, “If you don’t vote, don’t complain.” I have voted in every election since I was old enough to vote, even when it was inconvenient. For most of the years that I lived away from Minnesota with my soldier husband, I cast my vote by absentee ballot. From... READ MORE >
Rhonda Silence starnews@boreal.org | October 04, 2014
I’ve ended up in a lot of meetings lately, as part of my job and as a citizen. Right now, the all-important update of the Cook County Comprehensive Land Use Guide is under way. I went to the well-attended meeting at the Cook County Community Center on September 17. I was pleased to see the turnout and even more pleased... READ MORE >
Rhonda Silence starnews@boreal.org | September 20, 2014
I’ve always had an active— some would say overactive— imagination. I’m one of those people who creates little dramas in my head when someone I care about is overdue. If a friend or family member isn’t where he or she is supposed to be at a certain time, I don’t think that they are stuck in traffic or that they... READ MORE >
Rhonda Silence starnews@boreal.org | September 13, 2014
Many years ago, several elections ago, the Cook County Coalition of Lake Associations held a candidate forum. There were many hard-hitting questions about property taxes and protecting water quality and so on. But the question that sticks in my mind from that long ago Q&A session was—who pays for the coffee and treats consumed at county board meetings? There was... READ MORE >
Rhonda Silence starnews@boreal.org | August 16, 2014
Spoiler alert. There will be some whining in this Unorganized Territory. I’ll try to bring myself back around to positive thoughts at the end of this week’s column, but I really need to share a pet peeve. It’s because I’ve received a glut of political campaign press releases from all over the region, the state and the country—and it’s only... READ MORE >
Rhonda Silence starnews@boreal.org | August 09, 2014
On Sunday afternoon, at the end of the Fisherman’s Picnic, as people walk away from the Grand Marais Lions Club information booth where the grand prize drawing is held, nearly everyone is on a cell phone calling a friend or relative to say, “You’re a loser.” It’s a joke of course, but Fisherman’s Picnic ending with the big drawing that... READ MORE >
Rhonda Silence starnews@boreal.org | August 02, 2014
Phew! Another busy week is coming up. Those of us that reside here laugh when visitors ask us if we get bored living up here in the sticks. There is no time to be bored. There is always something going on—frequently there are two or three things going on at once and we must agonize over what fun activity to... READ MORE >
Rhonda Silence starnews@boreal.org | July 26, 2014
I’m getting ready to head out of town for a few days. Chuck and I will be traveling south to visit relatives in Indiana. I’m looking forward to seeing our family, but I’m not looking forward to the hot weather in the Hoosier State. I don’t know what I was thinking, planning a trip down south at the peak of... READ MORE >
