North Shore News Hour

After 17 citizens spoke during a crowded public comment period at the October 9 Grand Marais City Council meeting, the council agreed to talk to the Minnesota Department of Transportation about the trees that will be removed in the Highway 61 reconstruction project through the city.

Although three people spoke in favor of the removal of the trees for benefit of the project and the contaminated soil that will take place, the majority of speakers appealed to the city council to halt the project to try to find a way to save the elm trees between Voyageur Brewing Company and Buck’s Hardware. There were many comments, some tearful, and many questions.

During most of the public comment period, the council listened silently, although Councilor Kelly Swearingen answered questions referencing the increased cost of the project cost by saying that the council had addressed the increased costs at their last council meeting. She encouraged the public to review the YouTube video of the last council meeting to learn more.

At the October 9 meeting, the city council expressed frustration over what they have heard from MnDOT. They agreed there were questions about the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) part of the project and the monitoring wells; about the increased costs; about what it would cost to make changes at this point and more.

Mayor Jay Arrowsmith DeCoux suggested that the city contact MnDOT and ask if anything could be changed at this point. Arrowsmith DeCoux said he would call MnDOT project manager Michael Kalnbach and ask some questions, although he said he believed he knew what their answer would be.

After a lengthy discussion, councilors agreed to have the mayor speak with MnDOT, but Councilors Kennedy and Anton Moody said they see little way to stop the project at this point without major financial repercussions to the city.

WTIP’s Rhonda Silence checked in with Mayor Arrowsmith DeCoux on Friday, October 18, to see what he had learned from MnDOT about changes—and a possible delay in removing the elm trees from the Grand Marais Highway 61 roadway.
 

The John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon made an exciting announcement last week, letting racing fans know that the Beargrease is now part of an international sled dog racing championship circuit, the Qrill Pet Arctic World Series, or QPAWS.

The QPAWS racing circuit featured four races around the world: the Femundlopet in Norway; the Volga Quest in Russia; the Iditarod in Alaska and the Beargrease.

This will bring international attention to the Beargrease, which is already considered the most renowned race in the lower 48 United States. Its connections to the Iditarod are part of the reason the Beargrease was selected for this elite series, but there are other reasons.

WTIP’s Rhonda Silence checked in with Frank Moe of MoeTown Kennels in Hovland. Frank is the vice president of the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon board of directors to learn about this racing circuit designation and what it means to the North Shore.

The 2020 Beargrease will be Jan. 26-30, but there are many events leading up to the race, including a Beargrease film screening of The Great Alaskan Race on Oct. 24, 5 -9 p.m., at West Theater, 319 North Central Avenue, in Duluth.
 

Each week the Cook County Sheriff’s Office provides a brief report of calls made to the Cook County Law Enforcement Center. WTIP requested more information on the following incidents. This report provides more details on calls logged by law enforcement dispatchers from Oct. 1-6.

The report started with a call to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office about a jack pine blocking the southbound lane on the Gunflint Trail just before 6 a.m. Oct. 1. Information was given to Cook County Highway Department.

A husky was spotted hanging out at Great Expectations School at 8:35 a.m. Oct. 1. The school asked if a deputy could come get him. A voicemail was left for the owner who came to pick up the dog. A female party was issued a citation for a dog off leash in city limits.
The dog was back at the school the next day at 12:39 p.m. and knocked down a student who was outside at recess. The sheriff’s office spoke with the owner who retrieved the dog. The male party was issued a citation for having a dog off leash in the city limits.

A party reported that some wires were stolen from a property in Schroeder Oct. 1. The possible theft is under investigation.

A party contacted the sheriff’s office on October 1 to report the receipt of harassing emails. A record of the emails will be kept on file and the sheriff’s office suggested that the party apply for a harassment restraining order.

At 2:36 p.m. Oct. 1, a party reported that an agitated male was heard talking about needing to find a place to live so he could stay out of jail. The man said he wanted someone to hit him over the head with a beer bottle. The reporting party said it seemed that he was trying to find someone to fight with. Sheriff deputies were unable to find the party, but will keep an eye out for him while on patrol.

A $20 counterfeit bill was turned in to the sheriff’s office Oct. 1 from Java Moose. The bill will be mailed to the Secret Service, which handles counterfeiting cases.

At 3:55 p.m. Oct. 1, a call came in from Minnesota Power in Schroeder. The caller reported that a party knocked on the door saying he doesn’t have any money and needs a ride to the city. The reporting party gave him phone numbers for Arrowhead Transit and the law enforcement center. The party said the man headed down the highway, saying he needed to get to the Cities to get a passport. A deputy responded and found the man walking. It was a party that was known to law enforcement from a number of suspicious activities last week. The party was advised to go to Duluth where more services are available. He was given a ride to the county line and informed that Cook County will not be providing any more services for him, if he should return.

At 4:40 p.m.  Oct. 1, there was a call of threats in Grand Marais. It was an altercation between kids at the skate park. The matter is under investigation.

At 7:07 p.m. Oct. 1, a woman reported an injured deer in the middle of Highway 61, between Tofte and Lutsen. Deputy patrolled the area, but was unable to locate the deer.

The sheriff’s office received a report of fraudulent charges on a person’s credit card Oct. 2. Party doesn’t believe any funds were lost and they are going through all the steps for identity theft with the credit card company, which suggested she also contact law enforcement. 

A miscellaneous fire call was logged at 11:55 a.m. Oct. 2. There was no fire; this was a scheduled monthly countywide paging test.

A deputy was approached at 1:14 p.m. Oct. 2 by a party asking about the rules for ATVs in the county. The deputy advised the party of the county ATV ordinance. The party thanked him and went on his way.

There was a report of a motor vehicle accident at 8:32 p.m. Oct. 2. A 16-year-old female backed into a vehicle of another 16-year-old female. No injury, no major damage. Parties exchanged insurance information.

A party reported a burglary at 10:05 p.m. Oct. 2, stating that he had a litter of kittens in his camper. When he checked on them this evening, two kittens were missing. Party says he searched the camper thoroughly and can only find the mother and one other cat. Party thinks someone who came to look at the kittens earlier may have taken them. Another party is coming to get the kittens tomorrow. Kittens were eventually found in a cupboard in the camper.

A report of a stolen vehicle was received at 6:30 a.m. Oct. 3 from a party in Duluth. The party said the vehicle may be headed up the shore. Cook County advised the party that a report should be made in Duluth, since the theft happened there. Party called back to let law enforcement know that the vehicle had been returned to him.

At 9:50 a.m. Oct. 3, the sheriff’s office heard a secondhand report of a person in a red and blue Chevy Impala possibly dealing drugs at a hiking trailhead. The sheriff’s office checked Cascade and Temperance River and other highway pull-offs. No vehicle matching that description could be found.

There was a motor vehicle accident on the Gunflint Trail at 11:57 a.m. Oct. 3. A man from Superior, Wisc. was driving a 2007 Freightliner. He attempted to pass a man from Ft. Collins, Colo. in a 2015 Toyota Highlander and struck the left corner of the Toyota. No citation was issued.

A call came in reporting a dead deer in the middle of the northbound driving lane on West Highway 61 at 1:47 p.m. Oct. 3. The call was transferred to Minnesota State Patrol.

There was a report of a black and white husky named Jack running loose at 6:32 p.m. Oct. 3. While the reporting party was on the phone, the children who own the dog came and got him.

A party called to report a call about her student loan at 9:53 p.m. Oct. 3. The company said they wanted to get her back on track with public service loan program. Party gave banking information and is concerned this was a fraud call.

The convenience store in Grand Portage called at 8:44 a.m. Oct. 4 to report an unwanted person at the store, sitting out front and asking people for money since 6 a.m. Deputies found party who declined a ride, saying he wanted to walk to Duluth. The party called later from Grand Portage Human Services, stating that he does want a ride after all. A sheriff deputy dropped the party at the Caribou State Wayside.
 
A call came in for public assistance at 6:01 p.m. Oct. 5. The party said it was not an emergency, but they needed a ride from their location on White Sky Trail in Lutsen to another Superior Hiking Trail parking lot. Cook County gave the party numbers for hiking trail shuttle services.
 
There was a report of a domestic disturbance in Grand Portage at 1:33 a.m. Oct. 6. A male party was arrested.
 
On Oct. 6, at 11:33 a.m., a party reported that their backpack was stolen from their vehicle overnight. The incident is under investigation.
 
There was a report of a rollover accident at 3:06 p.m. Oct. 6 between the county line and Taconite Harbor. There were two occupants in the vehicle and the reporting party said they were out of the vehicle and talking. Tofte and Schroeder Fire Departments, Tofte First Responders, Silver Bay Ambulance and Minnesota State Patrol responded.

A party in a personal vehicle pulled over to the accident above and got sucked into the ditch at an angle. The party called at 3:14 p.m. saying they need to be pulled out. Minnesota State Patrol said the tow vehicle for the accident could also assist that person.

A party reported an altercation with someone in Croftville at 3:44 p.m. Oct. 6. They wanted to speak to a deputy.

A party called to report a missing dog in the Devil Track area at 6:45 p.m. Oct. 6. The white husky has been missing since yesterday.

At 7:33 p.m. Oct. 6, a party called the sheriff’s office because they were not sure who else to call. He had camped at a site at Cascade River State Park for a few days and when he returned to the site this evening, there were other people in his campsite. Party showed them his reservation for the site and he said they became belligerent. The sheriff’s office suggested the man contact the campground host, but the man could not find their after-hours number. The couple moved to another campsite, but the party was still concerned. The sheriff’s office told him to call if he felt unsafe. A deputy drove through the campground a couple times during the night.  

A party called to say they hit an owl at 8:24 p.m. Oct. 6. The owl was alive and in the back seat of their car. The call was transferred to the Minnesota State Patrol dispatch for advice.

At 9:47 p.m. Oct. 6, a party called looking for information for a towing company for assistance with a flat tire.

During this time period, there were 14 medical transports, including one at 10:13 a.m. Oct. 4 from a party who was ill, but didn’t want an ambulance. The party was coming down the Arrowhead Trail in a private vehicle and just wanted to let the hospital know. The information was given to the emergency room.
 
A public assistance request came in at 4:54 p.m. Oct. 4 which ended up being a medical call. A 55-year-old female who fell on the steps by a Temperance River waterfall had a probable broken ankle. Tofte First Responders and Cook County Ambulance were paged and were on scene by 5:03 p.m. The patient was transported at 5:50 p.m.
 
On the law enforcement log this week, deputies conducted 33 checks of residences and businesses. There were 46 traffic stops—14 warnings, 20 reprimands and 12 citations.
  
Law enforcement dispatchers handled seven crank or misdialed calls.
 
For non-emergencies, call the Cook County Sheriff's Office at 218-387-3030.  If you are experiencing an emergency, call 9-1-1.
 

Monday, Oct. 14 was Indigenous Peoples Day here in Cook County. There were also a number of events throughout the state of Minnesota in recognition of the day. Attending those events was Minnesota’s Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan.

Lieutenant Governor Flanagan is a citizen of the White Earth Nation of Ojibwe. Her election in 2018 made her the second Native American woman elected to statewide executive office in U.S. history.

Before winning the lieutenant governor seat, Flanagan served as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. 

A St. Louis Park native, Flanagan is a graduate of St. Louis Park Public Schools and the University of Minnesota, graduating in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in American Indian studies and child psychology.

Flanagan worked for nearly a decade at Wellstone Action, the organization founded to carry on the work of the late Senator Paul Wellstone. As one of the original trainers of Wellstone Action’s signature program Camp Wellstone, she has trained thousands of progressive activists, community and campaign organizers, and elected officials and candidates – including Governor Tim Walz.

The lieutenant governor had a very busy Oct. 14, but she agreed to talk briefly with WTIP’s Rhonda Silence to share her thoughts on the significance of Indigenous Peoples Day events in Minnesota.
 

As our days get colder, Northlanders start thinking about winter sports. That includes the Lutsen Trailbreakers Snowmobile Club, which maintains 52.5 miles of grant-in-aid trails, from approximately the Onion River Road to Cascade Lodge.

The club is inviting all trail users to join them on Saturday, October 19 for a trail clearing day. Trail Administrator Larry McNeally asks everyone to meet at the snowmobile club groomer building on the Caribou Trail to get a trail assignment.

Following the trail clearing work, participants will gather at the home of Steve and Teresa Bragg for a taco dinner.

For more information and directions, contact McNeally by email at [email protected] or call 218-370-9268.

WTIP’s Rhonda Silence talks with Larry McNeally about the club’s work, shared trails, and the trail clearing day.
 

It’s a few weeks away from Halloween, but there are some things in the works for this upcoming celebration of “things that go bump in the night.”
 
Community members are planning a Halloween Haunted House in Grand Marais for three nights. There will be a High School Fright Night on October 29; a “Gate Night” haunted house on October 30 (for 18 years and over); and a “Beggars Night” for trick-or-treaters on October 31. The Halloween night event will be for all ages.
 
All of the haunted house events will be from 5 to 9 p.m. at The Old Funeral Home (120 West 2^nd Street) in Grand Marais.
 
The haunted house is being organized by the owners of The Old Funeral Home, Dan and Melodee Riddle. The Riddles are joined by Jane Ranum of Grand Marais, who for several years operated a haunted house in her garage—with the help of many community volunteers.
 
Admission to the haunted houses will be a nonperishable item for the local Food Shelf (or a cash donation to the food shelf).
 
Organizers would be happy to have more volunteers to help transform The Old Funeral Home to a haunted house. As Dan Riddle says, “The more, the scarier.”
 
WTIP’s Rhonda Silence spoke with Dan and Melodee Riddle about this scary event. Here’s that conversation.
 

Grand Marais city councilors recently went through the process of listing the things important to the citizens of Grand Marais. Rising to the top of priorities for the council was the need for housing.

Councilors noted several studies completed in the past defining this need and councilors agreed to try to identify the barriers to housing development in the city. To do that, the city has hired the firm HKGi at a contract price of $14,550.

To learn more about HKGi’s work, WTIP’s Rhonda Silence reached out to Jeff Miller of HKGi. Here’s their conversation.
 

Students at Oshki Ogimaag School in Grand Portage have been working since the last school year on a fall feast for the community. At 5 p.m. on Monday, October 14, the community is invited to the Grand Portage Community Center gym to share the harvest with students.

Students worked with Grand Portage Agriculture Coordinator Andy Schmidt and school staff on planting at the school and at the larger community garden on Mineral Center Road. Community members have donated fish, some ground moose meat and some grouse to accompany the vegetables.

Students found recipes for use of the harvest and they are the cooks for the dinner, which will also include jams, jellies and pickles made by students.

WTIP’s Rhonda Silence spoke with Oshki Ogimaag Director Carmen Keyport about the feast and how the students prepared for the community event. 
 

Approximately 50 people crowded into Grand Marais City Hall at the Wednesday, October 9 city council meeting to share comments and concerns about the removal of the elm trees that line Highway 61 through the city. The trees are slated to be cut down in November 2019 in advance of the 2020/2021 highway reconstruction project. Seventeen people spoke during the public comment meeting, which lasted more than an hour.

One of the first speakers was retired forester Jim Hane, who said no one wants to stop the project. [44] He said the stormwater work was particularly important to stop the flooding of downtown streets. However, he appealed to the city to find a way to change the route of infrastructure and the bike path. He said the trees are important to the community.

Another longtime resident reminded the council that the elm trees were planted by community ancestors. A citizen who moved to Grand Marais in 1982 said the elm trees are like a “welcome wagon” to newcomers.

Three people spoke in favor of the project. Jim Boyd, the Cook County Chamber Director, was met with laughter from the audience when he said the trees were not healthy. City councilors cautioned the audience to listen respectfully, whether they agree or disagree with the speaker.

Boyd urged the city to move ahead with the Highway 61 reconstruction, stating that the amenities would bring a unique look to the city.

Another person in support of the project spoke of the value of the amenities planned for the highway corridor and said there are valid reasons – such as the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s cleanup of contaminated soil in a large section of the project.

Grand Marais business owner Jan Sivertson said she was very sad to see the trees go, but said for the benefit of the project, they need to go. She too, spoke of the aesthetics, which she said had been considered at “many, many, many meetings.” She thanked the council, MnDOT officials and others involved for all their hard work. [3:24]

Jim Raml of Seagull Lake, a longtime advocate of saving the trees, prefaced his comments by saying he thinks this is a lost cause. Despite that, he made an impassioned plea to at the very least, delay the cutting of the trees.

He expressed frustration that the Minnesota Department of Transportation had never come up with alternatives for the project, to give the public a chance to weigh in on other possible routes for infrastructure and for the bike path.

Raml also asked city councilors if they knew that more trees were coming down – along the bike path past the Grand Marais Municipal Campground. [5:07]

Three citizens shared concerns about the cost of the project and the fact that when the bids came in, the city had to accept a 300 percent increase.  One citizen said she has had a lot of work done personally by contractors and she can’t understand what sort of contract allows such cost over-runs. [6:04]

A young man who is living with his family in the Grand Marais Campground brought some in the audience to tears when he spoke about the difficulties his family has faced finding a home in Cook County. He spoke of his ties to the community and how badly they want to stay here. He talked about the changes to the community starting with the Native Americans who were stewards of the land, to the fur trade, the loggers and now the tourism industry. He said more important than the trees are the people who are struggling to live in this area. He urged the city and its citizens to put as much energy into affordable housing and living wage jobs as they have for saving 11 trees. [7:22]

There were many more comments, some tearful, and many questions.

For the most part, the council listened silently, although Councilor Kelly Swearingen answered questions about the project cost by saying that the council had addressed the increased costs at their last council meeting. She encouraged the public to review the YouTube video of the last council meeting to learn more.

 After public comment, the council moved on to other business on the agenda, not beginning council discussion of the trees until 9:30 p.m., not 7:30 as anticipated on the agenda.

And although there was a long wait as the city handled that other business, 18 people stayed to hear the council discussion.
Councilor Craig Schulte explained that he wanted the topic on the agenda because he struggles with what he has heard from MnDOT, more so in its treatment of local businesses than in the removal of the trees. He expressed frustration that MnDOT had not conducted an economic impact study for the project.

And, Schulte said, he wanted to give people a chance to air their concerns

He and his colleagues expressed frustration over what they’ve heard from MnDOT. They had questions about the MPCA dig and the monitoring wells; about the increased costs; about what it would cost to make changes at this point and more.
Councilor Kelly Swearingen pointed out that the elm trees are in MnDOT’s right-of-way. She said she didn’t want additional costs placed on citizens of the city for possible changes. [9:30]

Councilor Tim Kennedy expressed concern if any changes were made, the whole project would suffer. He likened the matter to dominoes, noting that small changes could lead to derailing the entire project. [10:37]

Mayor Jay Arrowsmith DeCoux suggested that the city contact MnDOT and ask if anything could be changed at this point. Arrowsmith DeCoux said he would call MnDOT project manager Michael Kalnbach and ask some questions, although he said he believed he knew what their answer would be. [12:05]

City Administrator Mike Roth cautioned that any changes to be made should be shared with the people who came up with the plan, a work of about six years.

Councilors finally agreed to have the mayor speak with MnDOT, but Councilors Kennedy and Anton Moody said they see little way to stop the project at this point without major financial repercussions to the city.

Mayor Arrowsmith DeCoux reiterated what Councilor Kennedy said about the longevity of the Highway 61 project. [14:14]
 

Since 1922, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has sponsored the public observance of Fire Prevention Week. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed Fire Prevention Week a national observance, making it the longest-running public health observance in our country.

During Fire Prevention Week, children, adults, and teachers learn how to stay safe in case of a fire. Firefighters provide lifesaving public education in an effort to drastically decrease casualties caused by fires.

Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of October 9 in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871, and caused devastating damage.

Locally, Fire Prevention Week is observed by local volunteer fire departments visiting our schools. Here’s a report of the Grand Marais Fire Department’s visit to Great Expectations School. And click here to see photos of the Tofte Fire Department visiting Birch Grove Community School.