North Shore News Hour

The great Rendezvous starts in Grand Portage today, August 9, with events at the Grand Portage National Monument and the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior PowWow grounds through Sunday, August 11. 

At the Grand Portage National Monument, there are dozens of historical re-enactors camped out on-site, offering a trip back in time to 1797 during a time of gathering for trade and socializing. The theme of this year’s event is “hats off to the Fur Trade,” with programs and workshops highlighting the iconic fashionable “must-haves” of the 1790s.

On the monument grounds, you will see the historic buildings, including the kitchen, which is in use throughout the weekend. There are guided historic tours, demonstrations, games, and crafts. There is no fee to enter the National Monument, but there are some materials fees for some craft projects.

Throughout the weekend, there will also be a Mackinaw boat under sail in Grand Portage Bay.

At the PowWow grounds, dancing at the Rendezvous Days Celebration PowWow begins with warm-ups at 7 p.m. on Friday. At that time, the Grand Portage Royalty Contest will also be held.

PowWow visitors should note that time change, the contest is being held earlier in PowWow this year, to give the young people chosen to represent Grand Portage have more time to take part as royalty in the 2019 PowWow. 

The Rendezvous Days Celebration PowWow continues through the weekend with Grand Entry being held at 1 and 7 p.m. on Saturday and at 1 p.m. on Sunday. There are numerous special dance events being held throughout PowWow, as well as a hand drum contest at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

There is a wonderful mix of history and modern times at Grand Portage Rendezvous, as there is also a mixed softball tournament all weekend, starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday.

The 1- or 3-mile Run/Walk always sees an amazing turnout of community members. Registration opens at 9 a.m. for that.

There is also bingo, horseshoes, a turkey shoot, and raffle drawings. And of course, lots of visiting as Rendezvous is a time for many family reunions.

To see the schedule of events at Grand Portage National Monument and the Rendezvous Days PowWow, click here. 

To see the poster for the Grand Portage Celebration PowWow, click here. 

WTIP's Rhonda Silence spoke with Mary Ann Gagnon of the Grand Portage Rendezvous Days Celebration PowWow Committee, to learn more. 

And, to learn more about activities at the Grand Portage National Monument, WTIP's Jana Berka spoke with Pam Neil, chief of interpretation at the monument. 

Click below to hear those interviews. 

Steve Kelley, a former Minnesota legislator and Fellow at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, was named as Minnesota Department of Commerce commissioner in January 2019.

Kelley is following the lead of Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan and reaching out to communities across the state. Kelley visited the North Shore this week.

He spent some time in Two Harbors, speaking with area health care navigators there, learning about the challenges they face while helping citizens obtain health coverage.

Here in Cook County, he visited with representatives of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior, a local bank, and Arrowhead Electric Cooperative. And, he stopped by WTIP Community Radio.

Here’s his conversation with WTIP’s Rhonda Silence.

Learn more about all the things happening at the Minnesota Department of Commerce by visiting the Department of Commerce website. 

On Saturday, August 3, there was an unusual sight on the Grand Marais harbor. Snowmobiles launched from the Grand Marais Recreation Park boat launch and sped across the water, turning in circles and bouncing over the water before returning to shore. Four riders took part and entertained--or alarmed--folks on shore for three hours.

The activity is snowmobile skipping and it is not just a regional phenomenon. There are many snowmobile skipping events sanctioned by the International Watercross Association in North America. The activity was once a common occurrence during Fisherman’s Picnic in Grand Marais. However, it has not taken place since 2008.

A group of young people decided to resurrect the event this year and obtained the necessary approval and permits from the Grand Marais Park Board, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

WTIP checked in with Connor Ingram, of Grand Marais, one of the participants in this year's event to learn more.
 

About half of Minnesota’s counties participate in the statewide Aquatic Invasive Species program. There are 934 people across the state, working to prevent the spread of aquatic invasives such as spiny water fleas, zebra mussels, Eurasian watermilfoil and more.
The Aquatic Invasive Species coordinator in Cook County is Amanda Weberg and WTIP has been happy to talk to her several times about the county’s efforts to prevent the spread of these species, which endanger the native fish population.  

There are also a number of inspectors who are stationed at various boat landings to share the word about aquatic invasive species. WTIP’s Rhonda Silence headed to the Grand Marais harbor to talk to one of these local inspectors. 

More information can be found on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website, as well as from the Sea Grant program. 

Over Fisherman’s Picnic weekend, on August 2-4, flyers were distributed around the city of Grand Marais, asking citizens to attend an upcoming meeting of the Minnesota Department of Transportation, specifically focusing on MnDOT’s plan to remove the trees lining the Highway 61 corridor during the road construction project in 2020 and 2021.

The flyers include a photo of the tree-lined corridor along with the statement, “Imagine town without these trees.”

WTIP Community Radio has talked with Grand Marais city officials and representatives from the Minnesota Department of Transportation about this project as it has unfolded over the past few years.


As this latest public meeting approaches on Thursday, August 8 from 4 to 6 p.m., Rhonda Silence spoke with Grand Marais Mayor Jay Arrowsmith DeCoux again about the proposed project and its impact on the trees.

Listen to previous WTIP stories here: 

MnDOT delay gives more time to prepare​                             02-16-19

Full house for MnDOT Highway 61 construction update  11-09-18

Citizens turn out in force for Highway 61 open house        02-28-18

City starts Hwy 61 Streetscape discussions                           07-10-14
            

More information is available on the City of Grand Marais' Facebook page. 
 

At the end of July, the Cook County Community Fund announced that grants totaling $20,000 would be given to local nonprofits. Community fund representatives explain that these grants help projects benefitting health, education, arts and youth in Cook County.
The organizations that received grants, their funding levels and projects are:

• Care Partners of Cook County, $3,500 for Mindfulness for Caregivers, an eight-week program that supports dementia patient caregivers.
• Grand Marais Arts Inc., $3,000 for the Community Art Access Entry Point programs, which promotes access to the arts for young people.
• Great Expectations School, $3,000 for a workshop for school personnel who work with children who have experienced trauma or other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). ACEs supports improved social, behavioral, and academic success.
• Gunflint Trail Historical Society, $1,500 for the Chik-Wauk Museum to provide program materials to support youth visits to the museum.
• North House Folk School, $3,000 to provide scholarships to Summer Kids Camp and the Handworks Club that will promote meaningful engagement with craft for local youth.
• North Shore Health Care Foundation, $4,500 for the Oral Health Task Force to provide additional support and education to meet increased community interest.
• YMCA of Duluth, $3,000 to provide space and programs that engage youth ages 8-15 in positive and healthy activities.

“We’re pleased to be able to provide support to all of these programs, which enrich our community and region,” said Jeff Cadwell, chair of the Cook County Community Fund Advisory Board. “We thank these organizations and all that submitted grant requests for their dedication to improving Cook County.”
WTIP invited Cadwell and board colleague Mike Carlson into the studio to talk a bit about the work of the community fund.
 

The Grand Marais City Council meeting on Wednesday, July 31 was filled with conversation about parking--in summer and winter. 

The meeting started with comments from Julie Joynes Carlson and Todd Miller about downtown parking. Both noted the need for business and lodging establishments to provide parking for their customers and guests. Carlson stressed the importance of employees of downtown businesses not using the parking spaces in front of local businesses. 

The council talked at length about the proposed ordinance that would create calendar parking on the streets of Grand Marais in the winter.

The ordinance would require vehicle owners to park on the side of the street with odd house numbers on the odd days on the calendar and on the even-numbered side on even calendar days. Having all cars on one side of the street would enable the Cook County Highway Department and city road crews to remove the snow in a safer and more efficient manner.

The dates on which the ordinance would be in force was questioned, as it would not be necessary to require the alternate side parking if there was no snow. The council ultimately decided to set the ordinance dates for November 15 - April 15. The time by which cars must be moved to the alternate side was also discussed and it was finally agreed that 5 p.m. or later would be reasonable, as that is the time many people are getting home from work. 

The council moved to approve the ordinance with those date and time changes. The ordinance is not in effect yet, there must be a second reading and a second opportunity for public comment. That will take place during the city council meeting on August 14. That meeting will start at 6 p.m at city hall. 

More parking discussion followed, with the council considering the comments from Carlson and Miller, as well as the Downtown Business Coalition. [6:14] No decisions were made regarding downtown parking as it was decided more information was needed. 

Finally, another topic was discussed, the possible renovation of the city hall/liquor store building. [11:13] The council considered a proposal from McCoomb Group for an analysis of the liquor store. The cost would be $11,290. The purpose of the study would be to evaluate the market feasibility of an expanded liquor store operation. The council moved to conduct the study.

The council also reviewed a proposal from the design firm, LHB for the second time. This is a study that would incorporate the McCoomb Group's work, but would look at the overall use and space of the entire city building. The council approved that study at a cost of $34,500. 

The  city hopes to have the information from McCoomb Group by the next city council meeting and the information from LHB by October. 

The next city council meeting will be Wednesday, August 14 at 6 p.m. at Grand Marais City Hall. 

The Mid-Trail Property Owners Association is once again hosting an event to support the essential services of the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department.

The Mid-Trail event will be Wednesday, August 7, at Fire Hall No. 1, on the Gunflint Trail.

The event starts with the opening of the flea market and boutique at 12:00 and runs until 4:00 p.m. A live auction, with caller Michael Valentini, will begin at 1:30 p.m. under the big tent.

There will be a drawing for the beautiful “Linking Us All Together” quilt (a queen coverlet, measuring 90” x 109”), handmade by the Mid-Trail Quilters Group.

Attendees can also view the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department’s new ambulance, which will be parked near the big tent.

Another feature of this year’s fundraiser is a book signing with author Robert R. Olson. He will be on hand to sign his book, Two Bucks and a Can of Gas: Model A Adventures on the Gunflint Trail.  Half the proceeds will be donated to the GTVFD. And even more fun, Olson’s Model A truck will be on display. 

Fire Hall No. 1 is at 7500 Gunflint Trail, 28 miles up the Gunflint Trail.

WTIP's Rhonda Silence talked with one of the organizers, Carol Berg, about the event. 
 

As Cook County commissioners begin looking at the budget and levy for 2020, they are meeting with department heads. As WTIP Community Radio does every year, our news department follows the process from start to finish. Listen to an interview with Cook County Administrator about the budget process here. 

The first department to fall under the county board's scrutiny is the Cook County Sheriff's Office. WTIP's Rhonda Silence sat down with Sheriff Pat Eliasen to ask him about his budget. Will it include the law enforcement center/jail facility expansion that was proposed last year? Or has that idea been dropped? 

Click to listen the conversation to learn more. 

A single vehicle crash on Highway 61 between Grand Marais and Lutsen took out a power pole at 11 p.m. on Friday, August 2. The party reporting the accident said there are two occupants in the vehicle, but caution was advised as powerlines were strung across the road.

Arrowhead Electric Cooperative was contacted to ensure the powerlines were not electrified. A Minnesota State Patrol trooper blocked eastbound traffic and First Responders halted traffic on the other side of the downed lines.

Firefighters and First Responders were paged from Lutsen and Grand Marais, with firefighters on the Grand Marais side of the downed electrical line asked to bring extrication equipment to get the two people out of the car in the ditch. Firefighters and First Responders had to walk the equipment to the vehicle.

Arrowhead Electric line crews arrived and cut the power to the downed lines shortly before midnight, enabling the North Shore Ambulance to reach the patients. The ambulance left the scene at 12:05 a.m. with a 71-year-old female and 65-year-old male.

At 12:06 a.m., the highway was reopened to traffic. Arrowhead Electric remained on scene to restore power and a tow truck was called to remove the vehicle from the ditch.

The cause of the accident is not known. WTIP will provide more information as it becomes available.