North Shore News Hour

Every year, thousands of people jump into freezing cold water to support Special Olympics Minnesota. And one Grand Marais woman has been taking part for eight years—going on nine, Bryann Bockovich.

Bryann often recruits friends to take the plunge with her, which is the case this year. Joining her on the Polar Plunge for Special Olympics on Saturday, February 15 are Heather Smith and Monica Wilson.

Their team name is “Holli’s Hope,” in honor of Bryann’s young friend Holli, who is a Special Olympic athlete.
To learn more about this wintery tradition, visit the Duluth Polar Plunge website here. 

WTIP’s Rhonda Silence spoke with the women about the Polar Plunge. Here’s that conversation.
 

As reported by WTIP Community Radio, a number of large elm trees were removed from the Highway 61 corridor in the fall of 2019. Many were saddened by the removal of the trees to make way for the Minnesota Department of Transportation and City of Grand Marais highway improvement project. There was a call to save the wood from the felled trees, for possible use by local artists.
 
The City of Grand Marais agreed to preserve the wood and the trunks were hauled to Hedstrom Lumber Company in Grand Marais for safekeeping.
 
The Creative Economy Collaborative (CEC) an advisory council to the Grand Marais City Council on arts-related projects was tasked with determining the best use of the wood. The CEC has been meeting to come up with a plan for the distribution of the wood to the community. The CEC is now calling for letters of intent to gauge interest. 
 
Community members are invited to submit ideas for creating an object or objects working directly with the wood, or creating and/or funding an opportunity for a local artist or craftsperson. Some ideas discussed have been wooden bowls, benches or tables or keychain-size keepsakes.
 
According to the CEC, the amount of wood available is approximately five to six cords, about 12 – 30 inches in diameter and up to 9-foot lengths. It is estimated that there are 1,000 board feet of usable wood, depending on how it is milled.
 
Anyone interested in using the elm wood is encouraged to submit a letter of intent by March 24. The form can be found here.
 
The CEC will begin the review of the proposals on April 2 and hopes to respond to applicants in mid-May.
 
The wood is not accessible at this time but will be available for pickup after snowmelt. There is no charge for use of the wood, however, artists will be asked to provide some sort of report to the CEC regarding how the wood was used.
 
More information is available from Mary Somnis, executive director of the Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority, which is providing staff support to the CEC. Somnis can be reached by email at [email protected] or by calling 218-387-3112.
 
WTIP’s Rhonda Silence gets more details on the distribution of the elm wood from Mary Somnis in this interview.
 

WTIP periodically checks in with Peter James, director of Great Expectations School in Grand Marais. Here's the latest interview in which James shares news of the recently launched hot lunch program, about expansion plans and about outdoor activities enjoyed by GES students.

He also talks about the progress of the 7th- and 8th-grade classroom -- the Otters -- as they prepare for a trip to Costa Rica. To hear a previous WTIP story about the planned trip,  click here. 

News from China has been dire in recent weeks as the coronavirus has spread. On February 10, the daily death toll from the new virus topped 100 for the first time, pushing the total reported deaths to above 1,000.

Officially, much of China was set to go back to work on the 10th, after an extended Lunar New Year holiday. However, schools remain closed and many people are working from home, hoping to avoid crowds and the risk of catching the new virus that has sickened tens of thousands of people.

Authorities hope warmer temperatures and falling infection rates will relieve the anxiety, but there is little doubt that it will be weeks if not longer before life returns to normal.

WTIP reached out to former Cook County resident, Tony Hegg. Tony is now living with his wife, Jessica Vega, in Shanghai, China. He is a physics post-doctorate researcher at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The couple has lived there for three years.

And they are there now, getting a close-up look at the coronavirus situation. WTIP’s Rhonda Silence reached out to Tony to learn what it is like living in China during this outbreak.  
 

April McCormick, secretary/treasurer of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation Tribal Council today announced the certification of candidates for the upcoming primary election.

Candidates for Committeeperson At Large are Marie Spry, Eric Pehrson, Rick Anderson (incumbent) Ester “Bess” Deschampe, and Rob Hull.

Candidates for Chairperson are Robert “Bobby” Deschampe, Earl Johnson, and Beth Drost (Incumbent).

The Tribal Council also appointed the members of the election board for the 2020 primary and general elections. They are Toby Stevens, chair; Jason Burnett, clerk; Vallen Cook, teller, and Vivian Carlson, alternate.

Because there are more than two candidates for each Tribal Council office, a primary election will be held on March 31. The general election will be June 9.
 

The Grand Marais City Council meets on Wednesday, February 12 at 6:30 p.m. at Grand Marais City Hall. Many of the agenda items the city council tackles carry forward from month to month. For that reason, WTIP Community Radio is sharing our interview with Mayor Jay Arrowsmith DeCoux after the last meeting, January 29.

Listen as the mayor explains the city’s decision to partner with the Cook County Chamber/Grand Marais Business Coalition on a communication/marketing plan for downtown businesses during the reconstruction of Highway 61.

The mayor also talks about the tentative plans for reconstruction of Grand Marais City Hall and the Municipal Liquor Store. The council heard from LHB, the city’s engineering firm, with a number of different concepts.

The city also addressed a number of personnel issues.

And the parking situation in Grand Marais, including problems with snow removal, was also on the mayor’s mind.
 

Since the idea of a border-to-border four-wheel drive touring route was adopted by the Minnesota Legislature in 2015, there has been a great deal of discussion across the state. Because the Minnesota Department of Natural Resource’s plan for what has been dubbed the Border-to-Border Touring Route, or the B2B, includes the use of forest roads in Cook County, the Cook County Board of Commissioners has been asked by some citizens to weigh in on the concept.

There are some who feel a designated border-to-border route will bring too many new visitors to the county. Others argue that the establishment of the B2B route will formalize the roads that Jeeps and four-wheel drive trucks already use. There have been several public meetings, some quite emotional, as the county has debated whether it should make a statement in support of, or in opposition to, the B2B route passing through the county.

At recent meetings, the question of the region’s capacity to handle more tourists was raised.

The question of how many visitors the county can handle was brought to the forefront by a letter dated Dec. 27, 2019, from Cook County Sheriff Pat Eliasen to the commissioners and various county staff indicating the sheriff’s concerns about the B2B. In the letter, the sheriff states concern about an “unknown amount of new visitors in the area, which is already experiencing a tipping point where demand far outweighs resources and the ability to conjure further reserves if needed.” See the sheriff’s letter here.

Commissioner Heidi Doo-Kirk noted that the sheriff’s concerns about the B2B touring route should apply across the board, to any outdoor recreation or tourism event.

Since the letter became public, Sheriff Pat Eliasen has said that he is not specifically opposed to the B2B route, but just wanted to share some concerns.

WTIP’s Rhonda Silence checked in with Sheriff Eliasen for some clarification on his letter.
 
Click below to hear the latest related stories:

 Commissioners discuss B2B touring route, short-term rental taxes

B2B motorized route may avoid Cook County, shift to Lake County

The Grand Portage Band held its first-ever State of the Band event on Monday, February 3. The gathering included a closed session for enrolled members of the Grand Portage Band, followed by a presentation open to the broader community.

The event kicked off with drum song by Grand Portage’s Stonebridge Singers. The Grand Portage American Legion Honor Guard carried in the flags and staffs and an invocation was given. 

Speakers included Tribal Committeeperson Rick Anderson who spoke of the importance of remembering the history of Grand Portage and the tough times that the community has overcome. He added that Grand Portage was making history be live-streaming the State of the Band gathering online.

Councilman Anderson also spoke of the 55,000 acres under Grand Portage’s stewardship and the importance of caring for those natural resources.  He said it is important for Grand Portage to continue to care for Mother Earth and noted that it is the work of Grand Portage Trust Lands.

He introduced Trust Land Manager Tony Swader, who spoke on the work of Trust Lands, which cares for the land, the roads, wildlife, and the water. Swader gave a brief description of the work of Trust Lands, including the upcoming Hat Point Marina project, upcoming culvert replacements, fish stocking, continued timber harvest planning, wolf and moose studies and more. He spoke on Trust Land work with Cook County and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Swader also said Trust Lands is working to get more youth involved in natural resource matters. He said it is important to involve youth as they are the future of the Band.

Committeeman Anderson gave a “huge miigwetch” to Swader and the staff at Trust Lands for all of their very important work.
Anderson said it was his great honor to introduce Tribal Chairwoman Beth Drost. Chairwoman Drost gave a welcome in Ojibwe and thanked all for coming and shared the first State of the Band message. She said she hoped this is the first of many gatherings to share the hopes of the Grand Portage community.

Drost expressed her gratitude to Tribal staff members who help the Tribal Council do its job. She said she appreciates their hard work and respectful feedback.

Drost said it has been a tough year. She said the State of the Band falls just a few days from the anniversary of the passing of longtime Tribal Chair Norman Deschampe. She said his legacy lives on—in the buildings that were built during his time, in the legislation he developed and brought forward, and in his beautiful family. She said his legacy echoes throughout Indian Country.
Drost noted that in the past year, it seems many elders walked on. She asked for a moment to remember them.

Drost said there is pain in the loss, but again, she said they are remembered and the leadership they shared lives on.

As Swader did, Drost spoke of the connections with other governments. She spoke of the strides forward in the work with the State of Minnesota, on issues such as mining and education. She said it is important to be involved in the discussions, along with Tribal leaders across the state.

She encouraged community involvement in many ways, from those major sovereign government issues to small, but meaningful things like this year’s Halloween carnival. She encouraged all to work toward positive change.

WTIP Community Radio spoke with Grand Portage Tribal Chair Beth Drost to learn more about the event.

The video of the February 3, 2020 State of the Band can be seen here.
 

When the Cook County-Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA) held its January meeting, one of the first matters of business was discussion of EDA “priorities and possibilities.”
 
One of the possibilities is that EDA Executive Director Mary Somnis is considering retirement. The EDA may have to find a replacement for Somnis and plan some extra funds in the budget for the transition period, when there may be two people in the EDA office. 
 
Somnis stressed that her retirement was not imminent, but asked the EDA board to start thinking about what they want the director’s role to be in the future. She said the board should also consider the succession of board members, as it would be good to have some new, young, leaders involved in economic development.
 
Somnis said the director’s job description needs to be updated. Also, she said, board members do not have job descriptions. It would be helpful to have a description of what board members do for those who might be interested in applying to serve on the EDA board.
 
Small Business Development Center Representative Pat Campanaro, who works closely with the EDA, said she could share some sample job descriptions from other entities. Somnis and Campanaro will work on this and bring updated job descriptions to a future EDA meeting.
 
Somnis also told the EDA board that it was time for discussion of all the projects underway for the EDA—assisted living, housing, workforce recruitment, business park lot sales and management, and the golf course. She said the EDA should spend some time considering which projects have the greatest priorities—and if there are other things the EDA should be pursuing. Strategic planning for those projects and priorities will be led at least in part by the NorthSpan group.
 
The EDA board also noted that Cook County Chamber Executive Director Jim Boyd and SBDC Representative Campanaro might also be considering retirement.
 
Another position that will change eventually is that of the manager at Superior National at Lutsen golf course. EDA Board Member/Treasurer Scott Harrison has been filling that position as a volunteer. Somnis pointed out that the EDA needs to find someone to do that job and work out the budget details.
 
Somnis also reminded the EDA board that the City of Grand Marais is considering the demolition/renovation of Grand Marais City Hall. This might mean that the EDA might have to move its office, at least temporarily. Somnis said she could work at home during the construction period.
 
The city is working with architects on a new design and they have yet to decide whether they want to include office space for the EDA. The board talked about the possible need to rent space in the future and the impact that would have on the EDA budget. 
 
Possible sale of Cedar Grove Business Park
Director Somnis presented a letter with a purchase offer for two lots in the Cedar Grove Business Park—Lot 8 and 9 in Block 5. One lot is in the designated owner-occupied section of the business park.
 
Howard Hedstrom noted that the price offered is less than what lots have gone for in the past. The board discussed the lot sale prices for the most recent sales. Business Park Lot No. 5 went to Jeremy Larson for $28,000. Lot No.10 went for $30,000 to Gary Nesgoda.

The board discussed the price offered and reached a consensus on a higher purchase price for the lot. The board asked Director Somnis to negotiate the purchase price. Somnis said she could do so, but wanted the board to know that William Nichols is her brother-in-law. The EDA thanked her for that full disclosure.


There are 22 lots left for purchase in the Cedar Grove Business Park. 
 
Other EDA matters
In other business, the EDA discussed the possible revival of plans for the construction of an assisted living facility. They have started a conversation with the Good Samaritan Group, a developer of assisted living facilities. North Shore Health has been involved in that discussion.
The very preliminary plans call for a one-level building with 16 units. Different sites have been discussed and Somnis reiterated that this is very preliminary discussion and talks will continue.
 
Somnis also gave the EDA board a report on a recent visit to Cook County by Camilla Michelli, with the organization called CLUES from the Twin Cities. Her company helps Hispanic people, primarily from Puerto Rico, find homes and jobs in Minnesota.
The CLUES representative toured Cook County on December 16-18. Somnis said it was a good visit and the Cook County Chamber Workforce Recruitment group may partner with CLUES.
 
Small Business Development Center Representative Pat Campanaro shared her 2019 Annual Report, which celebrates six years. The report shows that over the past six years there were 46 business starts and 108 fulltime jobs and 80 part-time jobs created. She shared a colorful flyer listing some of the businesses that opened their doors in 2019: Northwoods Play School, Crosby Bakery, North Shore HR Consulting, 47 Degree Quilt Shop, Sannerud Studios, and Seven Feather Boutique. The board commended Campanaro for her work.
 
WTIP’s Rhonda Silence spoke with EDA President Howard Hedstrom after the January meeting.
 

LeadingAge Minnesota is a statewide organization that works with over 60,000 caregivers across the state to provide compassionate care to older adults in senior housing, assisted living communities and at health care facilities like North Shore Health in Grand Marais.

North Shore Health staffer Sue Kiel was recently recognized by LeadingAge for her work with patients there as a dietary cook.

WTIP’s Rhonda Silence visited North Shore Health to learn more about Sue’s work and about a special cookie recipe.