Rhonda Silence starnews@boreal.org | November 16, 2013
I’m not the world’s best photographer, but once in a while I get lucky. Some of my favorite pictures, such as the one that adorns my computer monitor right now, are accidental. My computer “wallpaper” is an interesting shot of a lovely lichen covered rock jutting out into Lake Superior. I didn’t set out to take a scenery photo. I... READ MORE >
Rhonda Silence starnews@boreal.org | November 02, 2013
Although part of me likes the idea of a weekend with no events to attend and dreads yet another “big” weekend in Cook County, I am intrigued with a new idea concocted to bring visitors up the North Shore—the Lake Superior Storm Festival. The Cook County Visitors Bureau has come up with a delightful scheme to turn a negative into... READ MORE >
Rhonda Silence starnews@boreal.org | October 05, 2013
The Cook County News-Herald is a member of the Minnesota Newspaper Association (MNA), a statewide organization that helps us in myriad ways. As a very small rural newspaper, it is nice to have a strong trade association to turn to. MNA works on behalf of newspapers throughout the state, representing us at the Capitol, operating a press release service, providing... READ MORE >
Rhonda Silence starnews@boreal.org | September 14, 2013
On Wednesday, September 11, 2013, I deviated from my usual route to work. I normally travel from my house on County Road 7 to First Avenue, turning down the street that takes me right to the News-Herald office. But for some reason I turned sooner, heading down Fifth Avenue—the old Gunflint Trail—and through town. I think I wanted the comfort... READ MORE >
Rhonda Silence starnews@boreal.org | August 31, 2013
If you don’t have a little girl in your life you may not have heard of American Girl dolls. But if you have a daughter, granddaughter or niece, you’ve likely heard about these very special dolls. Yes, I said it. There is something special about American Girl dolls. It took me awhile to warm up to the dolls because the... READ MORE >
Rhonda Silence starnews@boreal.org | August 24, 2013
This week, to paraphrase a famous politician, I feel your pain. As editor I frequently get taken to task for insisting that people stay within our 350 word limit for Cook County News-Herald letters to the editor. I understand the frustration of trying to fit what you want to say in limited space. That is why, once in awhile, in... READ MORE >
Rhonda Silence starnews@boreal.org | August 17, 2013
It was refreshing to spend last weekend in Grand Portage. There are many reasons why I enjoy Rendezvous Day but one of the best things is that traveling to Grand Portage means you truly are unplugged. Since there is still no cell phone tower, my “smartphone” doesn’t work in Grand Portage. And for some reason the Internet service at the... READ MORE >
Rhonda Silence starnews@boreal.org | July 27, 2013
We take a lot of photos at the Cook County News-Herald. After events like the Grand Marais Arts Festival or Fisherman’s Picnic, we have literally hundreds of digital files to go through. We have good photos and bad. We have dozens of unusable pictures that are out of focus or too dark. It’s easy to dump those. But then we... READ MORE >
Our local historical societies do amazing work. We are blessed to have a small but dedicated workforce and a legion of volunteers who work to keep the story of Cook County alive. In all corners of the county there are places to visit that house pieces of our past—the Cross River Heritage Center in Schroeder, the North Shore Commercial Fishing... READ MORE >
Rhonda Silence starnews@boreal.org | April 27, 2013
As most readers know, I finish Unorganized Territory every week with a quote. Sometimes it’s a challenge to find just the right words of wisdom. I like to find something that is appropriate for the content of the column or something that is uplifting. I have a number of books of quotations and I have several websites of quotes bookmarked... READ MORE >
