Community Conversations

In a time of high insurance premiums, patients with no insurance at all as well as a host of other health care challenges, can a clinic like Sawtooth Mountain continue to serve everyone in Cook County? Join WTIP’s Jay Andersen for “Sawtooth Mountain Clinic: the future for community health care” -- this week’s First Thursday Community Conversation 6 to 7 p.m. April 7.

Each month we choose a topic for discussion, invite guests into the studio and invite you to join in the conversation. You can call in (387-1070) or email us ([email protected]) with your questions and comments during the broadcast or before.

Are we a healthy county? What needs to be done to ensure we stay healthy and keep a community clinic close to home? Join in-studio guests Drs. Jenny Delfs, Sandy Stover, clinic executive committee member Nancy Burns and outreach nurse Patty Doherty for “Sawtooth Mountain Clinic: the future for community health care” – this week’s First Thursday Community Conversation 6 to 7 p.m. April 7. Only on WTIP North Shore Community Radio.

The people of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa are an integral part of the fabric of life in Cook County. For “Third Thursday Community Conversation,” WTIP’s Jay Andersen recently sat down with Grand Portage Band Chairman Norman Deschampe for a wide-ranging discussion on the economy, environment, education, sovereignty, gaming and politics in general.

On November 3rd 2009, Cook County voters overwhelmingly approved a 1% local option sales tax. The revenue is to be used for a number of construction projects, among them community centers, public recreation areas and improvements to the Grand Marais Public Library. Collection of the tax began in April of 2010 and expenditures are already being committed. So where do we stand today?

In the studio March 3 were four people deeply involved in 1% sales tax issues. Braidy Powers is Cook County Auditor-Treasurer and as such keeps his eye on sales tax collection and spending. Grand Marais Librarian Linda Chappell, who, with her library board have been dealing with the library expansion for many months. West End Commissioner Bruce Martinson, familiar with the Birch Grove recreation project and soon-to-be Treasurer of the Joint Economic Development Authority, managers of Superior National Golf Course. And West Grand Marais area Commissioner Sue Hakes, who chairs the Community Center Steering Committee.

WTIP’s Jay Andersen was moderator with Carah Thomas engineering.

Untold thousands of Minnesotans are vulnerable. They may need assistance with medical issues, food, child care and support, assistance with aging, with disabilities and much more. Cook County is no exception. It’s one of our largest local government responsibilities. The budget is big and the programs are many and complex. Sue Futterer is Director of Cook County Public Health and Human Services. She joined us on Feb. 17 to discuss the physical, financial and emotional challenges of providing social services programs to our local residents. We invite you to join in the conversation with questions and comments.

Bullying has been around as long as students have been in schools. Is it getting better? Worse? What’s the bullying situation here in Cook County? How do our young people view the situation? Is it a problem or just a part of growing up? "Bullying: a high school point of view" was broadcast Feb 3, 2011.

On February 3rd, WTIP’s First Thursday Community Conversation will deal with bullying. Some of the participants in the program are high school students enrolled in WTIPs “Engaging Youth Through Radio” project at Cook County Schools. In preparation for the February 3rd broadcast, students recorded some of their thoughts on bullying.

Here are Gabe Bethke and Cece Olsen (4.3MB):

Here are Kayla Stacy and Sebastian Schnobrich (4.81MB):

Here are Hayden Goettl and Erik Peterson (3.69MB):

Here are Danny Lunde and Molly Zafft (3.85MB):

The Blandin Foundation has awarded Cook County’s Fiber Optic Network Commission $100,000 to serve as a Demonstration Community in its Intelligent Rural Communities program. As a result, the Fiber Optic Network Commission -- known as FON – is asking the community for broadband project ideas. WTIPs First Thursday Community Conversation is Envisioning the Fiber Optic Future in Cook County.