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 >
Cook County Assessor, Mary Black, has announced that the Cook County Assessor’s office has identified approximately 1,200 properties to review this summer. The properties within the Unorganized Township of Range 1 West and properties in the mid-to-upper Gunflint Trail are slated for review between now and September. ” MN Statute requires Minnesota assessors to review one-fifth of the properties within... 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 >
A large part of the Tofte town meeting on Thursday, May 19 was spent discussing the finishing work for the fire department pump and pumphouse at the Tofte Park—including how to safely enclose the large hole where the pump is sitting on the lakeshore. Firefighter Dave Rude told the town board that there is an approximately 10-foot deep hole that... READ MORE >
[caption id="attachment_626" align="alignleft" width="300"]Top Left: Liz Sivertson and John Gruber - the Sivertones - perform to an appreciative crowd enjoying art, hors d'oeuvres, and music at Sivertson Gallery at the start of the 2009 Grand Marais Jazz Festival Friday, May 22.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_627" align="aligncenter" width="225"]Left: Chris Gillis (left) and Max Bichel provide dinner jazz at...... READ MORE >
Along with migrating birds, the North Shore will be seeing an influx of birders during the Boreal Birding & Northern Landscapes Festival on June 4-7, 2009. North House Folk School is hosting the festival and expects over 80 students during the event. The festival opens with a presentation scheduled at the USFS Gunflint Ranger Station, titled The Remarkable Gray Jay:... READ MORE >
The East Bay Beach Paddling Club is having its second annual kayak rescue day at the Mink Lake Swimming beach from 1 – 4 p.m. Sunday, June 7. Thisis a free safety session provided to promote safe sea kayaking especially for those venturing out on Lake Superior. “Rescue” as it pertains to sea kayaking means re-entering or assisting another paddler... READ MORE >
Bethlehem Lutheran Church will raise the rafters at 6:30 p.m. June 10 with the high powered musical Godspell — the great musical drama of the life of Jesus Christ written in 1960s. It will be brought to Grand Marais by New Wine, a drama and musical troupe of teenagers who perform Christian, contemporary musicals. The name New Wine refers to... READ MORE >
