West End News: October 18

I was honored to be a part of an event that involved many West End residents last week, when Trevor Huggins of Tofte was married to Erin Bonner on the beach at Kadunce creek.  The couple asked me to preside over their marriage vows.  Many people are surprised to hear that I could do this, because they know full well that I am not a minister or an officer of the court.  I became a minister a few years ago by sending $15 to a church in California that sent me a nice certificate proclaiming that I am ordained by the Universal Life Church and have all the rights and privileges to perform the duties of the ministry.
 
I originally thought, as anyone would, that this is a somewhat sketchy arrangement from a dubious church.  I was pleasantly surprised, though, when I went to the church’s website.  It is a real church, but it is completely ecumenical, welcoming members of any, all or no faiths.  They were very up-front about saying that their $15 ordination program was specifically designed to enable friends to legally perform weddings, funerals and baptisms for their friends.  They made a strong pitch to take any such ceremonies seriously and warned against representing yourself as a “real” minister.  They also recommended that engaged couples seek out professional marriage counseling, from someone with real training, before they tie the knot.
 
I think Trevor and Erin’s wedding was certainly a lovely success, with a meaningful ceremony on the beach, followed by an amazing potluck and dance at the Hovland Town Hall.  Congratulations to the lovely couple and my profound thanks for including me in their special day.
 
Al Hodnick is the CEO and Chair of Allete, which is the parent company of Minnesota Power, who operates the Taconite Harbor power plant in Schroeder.  He was in the West End recently to have a conversation with the Taconite Harbor Community Advisory Panel, which is a representative group of citizens from Lake and Cook counties that meet monthly to learn and discuss on issues related to the power plant.  Al is certainly not your typical corporate CEO.  He was born and raised in Aurora and worked his way up through the company from the entry level to the top leadership.  His style is friendly, forthright and familiar to anyone from northern Minnesota.  He has a complicated job, to put it mildly, but the main concern for Taconite Harbor is that sometime in the not-too-distant future, the 50-year-old, coal-burning power plant may be forced to shut down due to concern about carbon dioxide and its contribution to climate change.  Some coal-fired power plants will be able to switch to natural gas and keep operating, but this is unlikely to happen at Taconite Harbor because gas isn’t available here and would be too expensive to bring in.  Minnesota Power has always been a good corporate citizen in this region with deep ties to the community.  I appreciate that they are being up front about the potential closing of the plant and keeping everyone well-informed as the process plays out.
 
Care Partners recently gave a presentation at Senior Lunch at Birch Grove in Tofte.  Trained Care Partners volunteers provide friendly visits, phone check-ins, and presence at the end of life. They may visit, play cards, or work on a legacy project. Care Partners focuses on supporting the family and caregivers.  You can call the Care Partners Nurse for more information at 387-3787 or email [email protected].  More info is available on the North Shore Health Care Foundation website.
 
Birch Grove School PTO's Halloween Carnival is Sunday, Sept. 28 from 2 to 4 p.m.  There will be bingo, a spooky house, prizes, lunch, games and a cakewalk.  If you can bring a cake, people will be there until 6 on Friday. Or, you can just bring it with you on Sunday.
 
On Nov. 1, the Violence Prevention Center will host a facilitated small group discussion titled "Focus on Safe/Healthy Relationships" at Birch Grove. This is part of the Violence Prevention Center’s ongoing work to figure out how we can all work to maintain and promote a safe community for everyone. Please call the Violence Prevention Center at 387-1237 or sign up on Birch Grove Foundation's Facebook page.
 
Congratulations to Silver Bay Fire Chief John Fredrickson, who has been nominated to be Minnesota Fire Officer of the Year by the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs’ Association. John is a Silver Bay native who has made many contributions to his community over the years and the honor is well-deserved.
 
Moose season ended last week.  It has become a pretty low-key affair with so few moose and so few hunters.  Of the groups I talked to, about half got a moose and about half went home empty-handed. 
 
Three Sawbill crewmembers were driving home from a climbing tip to Carlton peak last week when they had an uncomfortably close encounter with a huge bull moose.  First it ran in front of the car, then turned and charged straight back at them. The driver was able to gun it away from the unhappy bull, but just a short distance later was forced to pull over with a flat tire.  They changed the tire with one nervous eye cast behind them, in case the angry moose caught up to them.  Fortunately, everything ended peacefully.
 
For WTIP, this is Bill Hansen with the West End News.

Airdate: October 18, 2012

Photo courtesy of Visit Anchorage PR via Flickr.