North Shore News Hour

The Cook County Vikings volleyball team opened the season in Esko on August 26.  There were some instances of unsportsmanlike behavior from fans at that game.

ISD 166 Activities Director Mitch Dorr says he hopes to use that as a teaching moment for fans going forward as fall sports seasons get underway.  The Vikings volleyball team returns home to Pam Taylor Gymnasium tonight (Tuesday) to take on Proctor.  The Vikings football team begins their season on Friday at Lyle Anderson Field against McGregor.

Listen to the conversation with Dorr and WTIP's Rhonda Silence in the audio below.

Chel Anderson is a botanist and plant ecologist and she joins us periodically to report on what she’s seeing in our woods and waters right now.

This project is supported in part by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

About 100 community members gathered at the Schaap Community Center for an update on Monday evening on the John Ek and the Whelp fires.

Patrick Johnson, acting East Zone Fire Management Officer, updated the crowd on the conditions that led to the closure of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Superior National Forest lands north of Poplar Lake. Johnson said nearly every day through spring and summer has been “the hottest and driest days” on record. He displayed charts that show that conditions are significantly drier than they were during the Ham Lake Wildfire.

Johnson said the ¾” of rain received in the fire areas gave some relief but cautioned that if there is another week of little to no precipitation, the indices will be right back where they were.

For that reason, Forest Service officials told the public, there will be no changes to any of the closures in place at this time.
Superior National Forest Tofte District Ranger Ellen Bogardus-Szymaniak acknowledged the frustration of some outfitters who have lost all business and of resort owners who have seen reservations canceled because guests are fearful of visiting the Gunflint Trail. She said the fires—and the weather are being closely monitored. Depending on weather conditions—if the forecast is correct that the rain predicted for Thursday and Friday occur—the Forest Service will begin reopening areas, in phases.

She thanked businesses for their patience and said she understands their livelihood is on the line. But, she said, she would rather see people alive to make their livelihoods.

There were many questions about the use of sprinklers—when should they be turned on?; if there is an evacuation, will anyone keep them running for homeowners; and one did the property owners who lost structures in the Greenwood Fire in the McDougall Lake area had fire water sprinklers installed?

Ranger Bogardus-Szymaniak said although the community had recently been working toward Firewise clearing on properties, there were few sprinkler systems in the area.

Michael Valentini of the Gunflint Trail Fire Department answered questions about the sprinkler systems, urging people to have them running now to ensure they will operate properly in case a wildfire does make it to the Gunflint area. He also said by running sprinklers now, the soils and vegetation could be saturated enough to survive a wildfire even if the sprinkler system for some reason failed.

Valentini also explained that if homeowners need to evacuate, they need to turn their sprinkler systems on and leave. For property owners that are not in the area at the time of an evacuation, they need to have someone to get their system going for them. During an evacuation, the firefighter’s first job is to see that people are out of the area. After that, they will work to defend structures and If safely possible, firefighters will work to keep sprinkler systems working.

There were questions about the Canadian fires. FMO Johnson said the fires across the border received about an inch of rain. He said they are not showing much smoke now. He said if the fire expands, it will likely grow toward the Crooked Lake/Basswood Lake area near Ely. He said conditions would have to change dramatically for the fires to reach the Gunflint area. However, he assured the audience that the fire management team continues to monitor the Canadian fires.

A property owner noted that at a previous public information meeting, the fire management team said there was a 1 ½ percent chance of the current wildfires reaching the Gunflint Trail area. The man asked if that was still the case. FMO Johnson said yes, the fire management team model still feels that is a realistic number. The questioner replied, “I’m just thinking, it’s a 99 percent chance it’s not happening.”

Heads nodded, but the discussion continued on how to be prepared for that worst-case scenario.

The John Ek and Whelp Fires were caused by lightning and are located within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The John Ek Fire is 2.5 miles south of Little Saganaga Lake and extends from John Ek Lake to the SE corner of Elton Lake. The John Ek Fire is estimated to be around 1,563 acres.

The Whelp fire is five miles northwest of Sawbill Lake. The Whelp Fire remains at an estimated 50 acres.

Neither fire is considered contained at this time. 

WTIP's Rhonda Silence was at the public information meeting and spoke with some Gunflint Trail residents afterwards. Here's her report. 
 

In addition to the fires inland in Minnesota and Ontario, there is a wildfire burning at Isle Royale National Park, the remote island in Lake Superior, 17 miles away from Grand Portage Bay.

The Horne Fire, near the shore of Duncan Bay and the Tobin-Duncan Portage, is now approximately 230 acres in size. The fire was discovered on August 10 and the suspected cause is a lightning strike.

According to the most recent update from the National Park Service, the fire is 15% contained. Fire crews from Isle Royale National Park, Hiawatha National Park and the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa are monitoring and fighting the fire where it is near structures. 

A number of closures have been made to Isle Royale trails and campgrounds and a number of people have been evacuated from the historic cottages on the island. In total, 47 structures are threatened by the fire. One outbuilding—an outhouse—was destroyed by the fire.
For updates from Isle Royale National Park, visit this website.

The Connolly family has maintained their historic cottage on Isle Royale, Cliff Crest, since building it in 1914.  WTIP’s Rhonda Silence spoke with Ellie Connolly, in Gordon, Wisconsin, where she waits to learn the fate of her island home.
 

Back in 2019, WTIP introduced the concept of an “End of Life Doula” to listeners. We spoke with two of the women who are involved in this type of care, Jean Skeels and Pat Campanaro. Since then the women, along with Margy Nelson and Suzanne Sherman, have formalized their offering through a partnership with Care Partners of Cook County.

Through Death Cafes, seminars, and workshops the mission of the End of Life Doulas is to destigmatize death and help people to have a greater understanding and more conscious relationship to mortality both for others and for themselves. 

One of the interesting ways they do that is through Death Cafés. According to Care Partners, a Death Cafe is "an open and non-directed friendly conversation on the topic of death, typically over tea and cake or other refreshments."

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Death Cafes were held over Zoom with success, but the group is now having a hybrid option. The community is invited to the next Death Café in person, on Thursday, August 26 at 6 p.m. at the First Congregational Church in Grand Marais (masks required in the church). But there is also an option to attend virtually.
 
For more information, contact Care Partners at (218) 387-3788 or visit the Care Partners website.
 
WTIP’s Rhonda Silence recently sat down with End of Life Doula Pat Campanaro to learn more.
 

The Greenwood Fire in the Isabella area has reached an estimated 21,720 acres. In an interview on WTIP's Daybreak on August 25, Tofte District Ranger Ellen Bogardus-Szymaniak confirmed that structures have been destroyed by the wildfire. The Lake County Sheriff's Office is notifying those property owners. Officials have not yet provided an overall estimate of the damage so far.

In today’s update, the Forest Service explains that Stony River Grade, just west of the Forest Service Isabella Work Center, has been identified as the eastern holding line.  Fire crews have also located a more secure location to hold the fire on the southern edge. 

Today and this evening, firefighters are conducting several defensive “firing operations” with the support of air resources, engines, bulldozers and other equipment. These defensive fires reduce the burnable natural fuels near homes or near the edge of the fire, in the McDougal area and along the Highway 2 corridor.

Logging equipment continues work on the south side of Highway 1 to selectively remove trees and brush that would carry the fire.
The Greenwood Fire remains at 0% containment.

A public meeting on the Greenwood fire will be held August 26 at 6 p.m. at the Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center, 6282 Cranberry Road, Finland, MN. The meeting will be broadcast live on the Superior National Forest Facebook page.

Here in Cook County, the John Ek and Whelp fires showed minimal to moderate fire activity yesterday.

John Ek Fire: The fire is 2.5 miles south of Little Saganaga Lake and extends from John Ek Lake to the SE corner of Elton Lake. The John Ek Fire is estimated to be 1,563 acres in size. Water drops will be performed as necessary if the fire becomes active.

Whelp Fire: The Whelp Fire is a lightning-caused fire located five miles northwest of Sawbill Lake and is an estimated 50 acres. Fire continues to show moderate fire behavior with backing, creeping, and some torching. A helitack crew will inspect and improve the helispot today to prepare for the insertion of firefighters.

In addition, local fire department staff and an infrastructure group of two crews from Alaska and Indiana will be working along the Gunflint Trail to conduct Firewise activities as able.

A public meeting will be held tonight, August 25 at 6 pm at the Tofte Town Hall: 7240 Tofte Park Rd, Tofte, MN. 
A recording of the meeting will be posted to Superior National Forest Facebook this evening.

As WTIP reported yesterday, two additional wildfires were reported on Superior National Forest in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness yesterday.

The Gabi Fire is located southwest of Seagull Lake in the BWCA. It is near Gabimichigami Lake and is north of the John Ek Fire. The Gabi Fire was a half-acre in size in a report yesterday afternoon.  The fire is being monitored and air resources are being used to contain it as needed and possible.
The Petit Fire is just north of Crescent Lake in Cook County. It is entirely inside the BWCA. It is currently .5 acre in size and a crew is on site working to suppress the fire. 

Aircraft were initially used to knock down flames and limit the spread. The crew will continue to be on-site working on the fire. As of 2:45 p.m., on August 24, the fire was mostly contained, according to local fire officials.
 

In July 2019, the National Park Service announced its recognition of Isle Royale—or Minong—as a “Traditional Cultural Property.” By announcing this federal designation, the National Park Service affirmed that Isle Royale is the ancestral home of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

A special gathering of members of the Grand Portage community and National Park Service staffers was held on the island on July 23, 2019.  At that event, the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa presented a Grand Portage flag to be flown along with the United States flag at the dock at the Windigo Ranger Station.

The request was honored on August 17 when Grand Portage community members again came to the island via the Grand Portage-Isle Royale Transportation Line’s Sea Hunter. On arrival at the dock, an empty flagpole greeting the party.

That was soon rectified. National Park staff, Grand Portage community members, and some surprised Isle Royale campers pleased to be witnessing a historic moment gathered for a brief ceremony.

The Stonebridge Singers started things off with a drum song. The members in attendance for the day’s ceremony were Brent Sorenson, John Vogel, Tanner Hendrickson, Trevor Deschampe, and Bob Vogel.   They were joined by Eugene Boshey of the Grand Portage National Monument.

The Grand Portage American Legion Color Guard came forward with Tony Swader leading, carrying the traditional Eagle Staff. He was followed by Mitch Cyrette, carrying the POW/MIA flag; Clarence Everson carrying the United States flag; and Ernie Deschampe carrying the flag of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.  

An elder, David “Niib” Aubid, blessed the occasion and those in attendance with a special pipe ceremony.

Tim Cochrane, a retired National Park Service superintendent, who worked closely with the late Tribal Chair Norman Deschampe to see the official recognition of Isle Royale as the Band’s traditional and cultural land, spoke. He shared some of the history of the removal of the Grand Portage people from the island.

Grand Portage Tribal Chair Bob Deschampe, along with his father, Duane “Butch” Deschampe approached the empty flagpole and together, with the Stonebridge Singers offering a song, raised the flag of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The flag unfurled and snapped in the breeze against a bright blue sky.

Grand Portage Tribal Council Member John Morrin shared some words about the significance of the day, thanking the National Park Service, but stressing that Minong—the Ojibwe name for Isle Royale—has always belonged to the Anishinaabe people.

Isle Royale National Park Superintendent Denice Swanke thanked the people of Grand Portage for returning for a second ceremony, to celebrate the raising of the flag gifted to the park in 2019.

The Stonebridge Singers offered another drum song and all in attendance—elders first, of course—gathered for the feast of wild rice, fry bread, berries, and fish.
 
After the ceremony, WTIP spoke with Grand Portage Band Member Mary Ann Gagnon, the former director of the Grand Portage Museum at the Old Log School, about the history and symbols on the Grand Portage flag. Gagnon explained that Gordon M. LeGarde, a member of the Grand Portage Band, created the original seal of the Grand Portage flag.

There are four symbols in the seal, a turtle, an arrow, a caribou and a pipe. Gagnon said each symbol has a different meaning. The turtle represents “Turtle Island,” which is the center of the universe for the Anishinaabe. The arrow represents hunting for subsistence for the survival of the Grand Portage people. The caribou represents the caribou clan, of which many Grand Portage band members are members. The pipe is a sacred emblem of peace, representing the smoking of tobacco and spiritual practices.

The colors of the flag have meaning as well. The color green represents the land and forest. The color blue represents Lake Superior, water and sky. White represents the moon and yellow represents the sun.

Finally, the circle on the flag is the circle of life and the white lines represent the Four Directions.

WTIP’s Rhonda Silence was honored to be part of this special celebration and she shares this report.
 

WTIP likes to share news of local businesses -- new businesses, new owners, milestone achievements. Here’s the story of a business involving a 60-foot steel vessel sailing on Lake Superior—Schooner Charley.

WTIP’s Rhonda Silence speaks with the operators of this North Shore sailing ship, Matt Nesheim and Liv Thompson, in this interview.

To learn more about this business, click here.

If you know of North Shore business owners who should be featured, give us a call at 218-387-1070 or email: [email protected]. WTIP would love to tell their story!


 

Pet owners across the county breathed a sigh of relief to hear that Murphy, a tiny two-year-old male dog that had been missing since July 13 was found today, Friday, August 13.

Thanks to The Retrievers, a nonprofit organization, and several community members, Murphy was found, in relatively good condition.

WTIP’s Rhonda Silence reached out to his family in Texas, who were making plans to come back to Minnesota to retrieve Murphy. Brooklyn Richardson explains how they became separated from Murphy on the Superior Hiking Trail in Tofte. Murphy was a foster dog, just getting socialized and he was spooked when they encountered other hikers on the trail. He escaped harness, leash and all. The family spent the last three days of their vacation searching for their German Shepherd/Miniature Pinscher dog.

They turned to The Retrievers, who gave recommendations on how to find Murphy. Thanks to Courtney Quaife of Grand Marais spotting Murphy on August 12, and Louise Trachta and Dave Monson for their continued efforts, Murphy was found near the Temperance River parking area on August 13.

Finding Murphy and getting him to come to them—and not running into traffic—was a different matter. Louise Trachta is credited with coaxing him to her. Louise laid down in the ditch for an hour, patiently waiting for him to get close enough to pick up.

Louise finally gained Murphy’s trust and grabbed him. He was taken to the Cedar Grove Veterinary Clinic in Grand Marais. Dr. Naddar Samari gave him a thorough exam. He lost two pounds during the ordeal and has some sores, likely from his harness getting caught somewhere, but overall his condition is good.

Here’s Rhonda Silence with Murphy’s owner, Brooklyn Richardson, learning more about Murphy, who now can count Friday the 13th as his lucky day.
 

Murphy, a tiny two-year-old male dog, was reported missing on July 13. Murphy, a German Shepherd/Miniature Pinscher mix, got away from his family on the Superior Hiking Trail on the Sawbill Trail in Tofte. The heartbroken family, visiting Minnesota from Texas, had to go home and they recruited the lost animal group, The Retrievers, to help try to find their pet. Happily, Friday, August 13 turned out to be a lucky day for Murphy and his family.

The small dog was spotted late in the evening on August 12 by Courtney Quaife of Grand Marais at the Temperance River parking area. Quaife pulled over as quickly as she could in Highway 61 traffic but was not able to get to the skittish dog before he again ran off into the woods.

Quaife contacted The Retrievers, who reached out to Louise Trachta and Dave Monson of Tofte to help look for the dog the next day. Courtney and her husband, Tim, joined the search. Miraculously, after setting up game cameras in the area where he was last seen, Trachta spotted Murphy in the Highway 61 ditch.

Very carefully, Trachta approached the dog, getting down on the ground and coaxing him to her. She was successful in enticing him to her.

Quaife and Trachta took Murphy to the Cedar Grove Veterinary Clinic in Grand Marais.

Dr. Naddar Samari gave him a thorough examination. Murphy was down in weight by two pounds and had some sores, likely caused by being stuck somewhere in his harness until he could wiggle free, but overall, he was in really good condition—especially considering he had been on his own for 30 days. 

His owners are on their way back to Minnesota to collect their missing dog. 

WTIP checked in with Courtney Quaife to hear about her role in Murphy’s rescue. Here’s Rhonda Silence with more.