Is there a better summer accessory than sunglasses? Shades, as the cool kids don’t call them, are ideal for people who are into optometric health and not squinting. Sunglasses are also good for hiding tells and, if you can dig it, being cool. This year our son attended a water-sports-focused summer camp, and they recommended sunglass straps. Sunglass straps are... READ MORE >
A family reunion in southern Ohio provided the occasion for us to return home via Lake Superior’s Canadian North Shore. It was a pleasure with some surprises. We were vainly proud here of being what passes for scenic in Minnesota. We expected great open spaces and flatness above the Lake. It turns out that Grand Marais is at the bottom... READ MORE >
We’re used to this, right? We know about black flies and head nets and repellents, but my goodness! This has been the bug year of bug years. I had hopes, what with the dry spring (well, when it finally came), that the dryness might ameliorate the insect populations, but for some reason it did the opposite. We’ve been deluged. Not... READ MORE >
Blessed with great weather—not too hot and not too cold–more than 1,000 people enjoyed the Tofte July 4th festivities. Food vendors, games for kids, live music, and booths filled with many items for sale were available to the public. The longest line for food was the one manned by the Tofte firefighters and EMS workers. While many people milled about,... READ MORE >
DEVIL TRACK RIVER – JULY 12, 2023 This week the Happy Hikers will hike along the Devil Track River section of the Superior Hiking Trail, beginning at County Road 58 (Lindskog Rd.) trailhead parking lot (a few miles east of Grand Marais). We will travel through a 1937 tree plantation. Watch for scenic waterfalls and gorgeous red cliffs. We will... READ MORE >
Following the recent Lake Superior drowning of two 18-year-old men near Silver Bay, State Senator Grant Hauschild (DFL) has called on the U.S. Coast Guard to reopen the Grand Marais Coast Guard Station. In a press release, Hauschild stated, “Our U.S. Coast Guard personnel have one of the most dangerous jobs out there, and I commend them for their response... READ MORE >
Northern Minnesota counties will receive a boost of nearly $9 Million thanks to the 2023 Legislature. The new funding is designed for Counties with large public land holdings and is known as Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT). It is intended to compensate counties for the loss of property taxes on the State’s vast acreage of public land in Northern... READ MORE >
Dora was David Copperfield’s first wife of two, his second true love of three. She was enchanting – a Fairy and a Sylph – with a delightful little voice, the gayest little laugh, and the pleasantest little ways. Girlish and graceful. A Dickensian ‘femme parfait’. She had a little dog named Jip, who was her first and last true love.... READ MORE >
“My parents took care of us, and we didn’t even know a war was on. We had a garden, lived on a farm and we never went without. We got 2nd hand clothes from relatives.” “I remember being in the band and playing for everyone. My dad was a Veteran; he was in the Coast Guard. My Grandpa’s family were... READ MORE >
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) will set approximately 20,000 traps this year looking for spongy moth (Lymantria dispar), formally known as gypsy moth. The traps will be set throughout the eastern half of the state and in far northwestern Minnesota as part of a “western rotation.” This work is part of the MDA’s annual trapping survey program and is... READ MORE >
