North Shore News Hour

Some community members got wind of the news before it became official. There was a closure for inventory and a visit from new owners, but it wasn't until June 26 that Buck Benson was willing to confirm that he has sold Buck's Hardware in downtown Grand Marais. 

After the closing, Buck came in to WTIP to share the news, as well as some memories of his 42 years in the hardware--and bait and tackle--business. 

WTIP's Rhonda Silence spoke with Buck Benson and here's their conversation. 

The city of Grand Marais had a very full agenda on June 26, with two topics taking up the majority of the discussion, the city's Climate Action Plan and the increased costs of the Highway 61 reconstruction project through the city. 

To learn more about these matters, WTIP's Rhonda Silence spoke with Grand Marais Mayor Jay Arrowsmith DeCoux. Here's their conversation. 
 

A group of local motorcycle enthusiasts, spearheaded by Andy Andrews and Chris Lang, are proposing the formation of a motorcycle club, the “Cook County Regulars.”

If you like to ride, consider joining them on Monday, July 1 for an initial ride and gathering to discuss what a motorcycle club (MC) could look like in Cook County.

WTIP’s Rhonda Silence spoke with Andy and Chris about their idea and they said all models of motorcycles are welcome.

For more information, join the group for the first ride at 5 p.m. on July 1. Meet at Grandma Ray’s in Grand Marais. There will be a ride (depending on weather) and a social gathering and music back at Grandma Ray's.

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 May 28 – June 10.

On May 28, a suspicious activity call came in reporting a camper stopped on the side of the road with a woman lying in the grass. Deputies investigated and parties explained they had stopped to enjoy the sun, as they “had not seen it for a while.” 

On May 28, a party in Grand Portage reported that they had received threats at their workplace. They just wanted to talk to a deputy. 

A party reported the theft of a bulldozer blade on May 28. The party was advised to not talk to the person suspected of removing the blade and to let attorneys handle the matter. 

There was a report of a white pickup truck and a darker colored truck revving their engines on South Broadway in Grand Marais on May 28. A party called asking deputies to get them to stop. Trucks were gone on arrival. 

On May 29, some county staffers notified the Sheriff’s Office that that they were visiting a property on Pike Lake Road. The staff will check in with the law enforcement center when they return. 

The Sheriff’s Office received applications for a water surface permit for a buoy/temporary structure on May 29. 

There was a report of an ATV accident on Old Ski Hill Road on May 29. A 2005 Polaris Sportsman ATV went off the road into the ditch. There were no injuries. 

A “minor fender bender” was reported at the Grand Portage National Monument on May 29. No injuries. 

There was a request for public assistance in Colvill so a party could collect their belongings from a rental property. Party was told that was a civil matter. 

There was a call on May 29 for assistance for a man on 5th Avenue West, hitchhiking with a dog and a bike. Party was gone on arrival. 

On May 29, a parent called for help from a social worker because of problems with a child. 

A B&B owner asked for help locating a guest who did not return to his rented room overnight. The party was eventually contacted on his cell phone; he spent the night in Grand Portage.

Another welfare check was requested for a person in Grand Portage on May 30. Deputies arrived and the party accepted transport to the hospital. 

On May 30, a driver pulled up to a deputy conducting radar survellience on Fall River Road. The motorist asked for directions, which the deputy provided, along with advice on the safest place to park. 

 On May 30, parties doing a highway cleanup on East Highway 61 found a lot of personal belongings. 

A caller reported someone camping on the Lace Lake helicopter landing zone on May 30. They were informed they cannot camp there. The party said they would leave in the morning. The site was checked the next day and they were gone as promised. 

A party got lost on Cedar Grove Lane in the business park in Grand Marais on May 30. The Sheriff’s Office assisted and helped her find a ride to where she was staying for the night. 

There was a disturbance on West 5th Street in Grand Marais after a juvenile bumped another child and a grandparent got involved. 

The Law Enforcement Center received a report of a stop sign that has been knocked down. The highway department was contacted. 

A caller on May 31 reported that the “pleiadians" are down by the lake, wailing and walking back and forth. The party asked sheriff deputies to tell them to stay off neighboring properties. 

On May 31, a party was rear-ended as they turned off of Highway 61 onto Birch Drive. There were no injuries. 

There was a call of a red Chevy pickup and a white lifted truck revving engines and zooming back and forth on South Broadway at 8:22 p.m. on May 31. Party said this has been happening since 6 p.m. Sheriff deputies were unable to locate the vehicles, but will monitor the area. 

A sheriff deputy pulled over a silver truck pulling a pontoon with taillights out on May 31. The driver will continue to their destination on Camp 20 Road with flashers on.

A vehicle was spotted in the ditch on East Highway 61 at 2:06 a.m. Cook County located the registered owner who explained she had gone into the ditch while trying to avoid hitting a cat. No injuries to the driver or damage to the vehicle. A friend will help her get the vehicle out of the ditch. 

There was a property damage accident at Java Moose on June 1. A motorist said her foot slipped off the brake and she ran into another car. Parties were advised to exchange insurance information.

On May 30, AT&T contacted the Law Enforcement Center to inform the Sheriff’s Office of a phone outage. WTIP was contacted to share that message with the public. 

On May 30, a party reported a power outage in Grand Portage. It was an isolated call. Party was advised to speak with an electrician. 

There were two reports of power outages on June 1, one apparently caused by a squirrel. A party found a dead squirrel at the bottom of the power pole. Arrowhead Electric Cooperative said it is likely a blown fuse. An Arrowhead Electric Cooperative lineworker will respond. 

 A party reported a black pickup pulling a boat driving recklessly and speeding on Highway 61 on June 1. Sheriff's deputy met several pickups pulling boats, but no reckless driving or speeding was observed.

A party asked to speak to a deputy about use of firearms on private property on June 6.

A party asked for advice on handling unwanted visitors on June 6.

On June 6, two young boys ran into the Cook County YMCA to ask for help for another boy who had hurt himself at the skate park. The party at the YMCA gave them an ice pack and band-aids for his scrape and called the sheriff’s office. A deputy responded just before the boy’s mother arrived. Medical care was not needed. The boys’ mother thanked the kids for going to the Y to get help. 

The Sheriff’s Office received a call of a party driving after revocation who broke down on a road in Grand Marais. Cook County ran the plates and confirmed that the owner of the pickup has had his driver’s license revoked. Deputies will watch for the party.

Also on June 1, the Sheriff’s Office received a complaint of a teal car traveling south on East Highway 61, driving erratically. Minnesota State Patrol was informed. 

A caller reported a possible drunk driver in the Devil Track area on June 1. 

There was a call reporting kids playing on the Gunflint Trail on June 1. A deputy tracked down some kids at the Community Center and cautioned them about playing on the road.

A call was made to law enforcement at 2:18 a.m. on June 2, reporting a gold Yamaha golf cart stolen from Ski Hill Road. Party looked around property and there is no sign of the cart. It was found on June 3 on the Superior National at Lutsen golf course and returned to Lutsen Mountains.

A runaway person was reported on June 2 in the Hovland area. The person was found safe. 

A party flagged down a sheriff deputy on June 2, requesting help to get inside their locked vehicle at the Devil’s Kettle parking lot. North Coast Towing was called and got the vehicle unlocked. 

On June 2, a party reported that someone vandalized their tailgate with an ax overnight. 

At 9 p.m. on June 2, a deputy saw a vehicle at Cook County Home Center loading pallets into his vehicle. Deputy checked and party was one of the store owner’s sons. 

 On June 3, the sheriff’s office received a buoy/temporary structure permit application.

 A welfare check was requested for a confused party at the Cook County courthouse. Party voluntarily went to the ER for an evaluation.

On June 5, a caller reported an individual acting erratically on East Highway 61. The party placed wooden hearts with “Feel the Bern” and smiley faces in flower planters. It was determined that the man had done nothing illegal, but the behavior was odd and the reporting party wanted it on record. Later, another facility reported that this individual placed “freedom for all” and “Orion” messages there. 

On June 5, law enforcement received a call of smoke on the Gunflint Trail, near Hedstrom Lumber. Cook County and U.S. Forest Service fire engines responded to look for the source of the smoke. It was determined that the smoke was from the boiler at the lumber mill.

On June 6, there was a report of a blue Subaru passing vehicles at a high speed on the Devil Track Road. Deputies stopped the suspect vehicle and the motorist said it was him, but stated the other drivers were going under the speed limit. A verbal warning was given. 

On June 6, a welfare check was requested for a party with dementia walking on Highway 61 in the Colvill area. The reporting party was concerned because it is foggy. Deputies located the individual and they were transported to the hospital. 

There was a report of a drug incident—someone smoking drugs in front of children on June 6. There was no arrest or citation. 

There was a hit and run with property damage on June 6. A parked vehicle was hit, gouging the bumper. Parts of tail lights left behind. 

There was a call about an unwanted person at the Wunderbar on June 6. Sheriff deputies talked to the party and told them to stay away.

A party called law enforcement to report someone driving drunk in the Tofte area on June 6. However, the party called back right away letting the Sheriff’s Office know the party didn’t actually leave. 

A second call came in on June 6 of a suspected drunk driver. The person went to a hotel room for the night.

An arrest was made on June 6 for an order for protection violation.

At 3 a.m. on June 7, a juvenile was spotted entering multiple vehicles in Grand Marais. Deputies were unable to locate the suspect. 

A semi-trailer near the Cook County Recycling Center was vandalized on June 7. Someone spray-painted vulgarities in blue paint. The reporting party is retrieving video of the incident.

 A caller reported two pickups with Wisconsin license plates speeding in the Rock Cut area on June 7. Minnesota State Patrol was notified and will look for the trucks.

A small SUV and a compact car collided at 3:07 p.m. on June 6 on 5th Avenue. There was no report of injuries, but cars needed to be towed.

 A party called the Sheriff’s Office on June 7 to report that an RV with a boat behind it has been parked on a Grand Marais street for two days. The party said he thought there was an ordinance against living on the side of the road. The camper moved before deputies arrived. The Sheriff’s Office confirmed that camping on city streets is not allowed.

The Sheriff’s Office received a call from Grand Portage reporting an unwanted person at a residence. The caller said they were threatened by a family member and wanted them to leave. The party left and when deputies located the person, they said it was the caller who “freaked out” and that is why they left. 

On June 7, a check welfare call came in from Grand Marais for a woman who had texted that she intended to take too many pills. The party was transported to the hospital for a medical evaluation.
 
A disturbance call came in at 2:30 a.m. on June 8. A party reported that a couple was fighting. One of the parties left the residence.

A property damage call came in on June 8 with a party reporting damage to a door after someone slammed it. The Sheriff’s Office advised this is a civil call.

A traffic complaint call on June 8 reported a blue Subaru driving very slowly on Highway 61.

 On June 8 the Sheriff’s Office received a report of a burglary in Grand Marais. The matter is under investigation.

Another traffic complaint came in on June 8, a party reported a navy blue ‘90s style pickup with an adult and elementary-school aged child riding in the bed of the truck on Highway 61. The reporting party’s cell phone cut out before more information could be given. 

Deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at Aspenwood on June 8.

At 3:00 a.m. on June 9, a party reported a teenage male with a hoodie walking in Grand Marais, in the area where there were recent property damage calls. Deputy located the person who was just walking home. 

There was a property damage accident report on June 9. A party backed into their neighbor’s vehicle. No injuries, but the door was caved in on the car. 

On June 9, a party reported the theft of tools with a value of about $360. The theft happened sometime in the last two weeks. Party needed report for insurance.

There was a call of a young girl riding a little dirt bike, going really fast, in Grand Portage on June 9. The child’s mother was contacted and she will ensure that her daughter doesn’t do it again.

 On June 10, a party called to report a scam phone call. The caller told the party their social security card would be cancelled. Party knew it was a scam and didn’t lose anything, they just wanted others to be aware of the fraud calls.

County staff contacted law enforcement to let them know they were visiting a property on Pike Lake Road on June 10. They visited the property and returned to the courthouse, all clear.

On June 10, a deputy heard someone yelling while serving papers to another party. Upon investigation it was discovered that it was a mother yelling at her child who was trying to put a finger in the electric plugin. 

There were numerous lost and found pets during this period. A friendly adult female collie named Honey was reported missing on May 28. A collie was found later that evening and the owner was contacted. 

 A black and white dog, about 35 pounds, was found and a bystander said it might be a Grand Marais man’s dog, Buddy. Law enforcement dispatchers contacted the dog owner who said it is his brother’s dog and it can be taken to his house instead of the pound. 

On May 30, a party called to report a dog that had been left inside a vehicle all day outside of the GunFlint Tavern. Deputies checked on the dog, a large brown/black retriever type dog. Dog did not seem to be in distress. No action taken.

Odin the dog ran off from his Hovland yard during the night. His owners left their cell phone number so they can be reached if he is found.

A party called Law Enforcement on June 4 reporting husky in a cargo van on the 600 Road in Tofte. A deputy located the vehicle and checked on the dog who seemed fine. The window was down.

On June 8, a caller reported that two large dogs were locked in a car, panting and appearing to be in distress. When the deputy arrived on scene, the owner returned. There were windows open and the inside of the car was not too warm. 

A light brown and white, medium-size dog was spotted running on Highway 61 on June 9. A deputy tried to catch it, but the dog ran off into the woods. Information shared so all cars on duty knew to watch for the dog. Two more calls came in from people concerned about the dog. The dog was friendly, but skittish.

A “Lassie-type” dog showed up at a house in Grand Marais on June 10. After the Sheriff’s Office figured out whose dog it was, the reporting party took it home. 

 On June 10, a caller reported concerns about a cat that has been “yowling” for the last couple of days. The owner was in the hospital and was returning to once again care for the cat.

There were two wildlife calls. On May 30, a caller reported a wounded deer on the Caribou Trail. A deputy responded and dispatched the deer. A possession tag was given to a Grand Marais man.

Another caller asked what could be done for a fawn without its mother walking around her front yard. The Sheriff’s Office replied that there is nothing that could be done, nature needs to take its course. 

There were numerous lost and found reports during this time period. On May 28, there was a report of a missing 2-wheel scooter with a blue kick plate and gold handlebar and a Pushing Chain sticker.  Also on May 28, a caller reported that a wallet was lost overnight somewhere between downtown and the Aspen Inn. The party called back an hour later, the wallet was found under a towel in the hotel room.

 A party reported a lost wallet on May 29, somewhere in Grand Marais. Another party reported a lost key fob for a Jeep on May 29.

On May 31, a party reported a lost Samsung phone with white trim, sometime on May 28 or 29.

On June 2, a party turned in a men’s wallet found at a laundromat containing $80 in U.S. cash and some foreign currency. On June 3, the party stopped by to claim the wallet. 

On June 4, a party lost a wallet in the area of the Post Office in Grand Marais and another party lost a black bi-fold wallet somewhere in Cook County. Another wallet was reported lost, somewhere on the Superior Hiking Trail north of Grand Marais, on June 6.

On June 4, a party reported a small, cross-body purse lost somewhere in the area of Sven & Ole’s Pizza. 

A party found a debit card and asked law enforcement to locate the owner on June 8. The Sheriff’s Office made phone calls and the card owner and the person who found the card were connected.

A party reported a green canoe with gear on the north bound ditch of the Gunflint Trail on June 5. Sheriff deputies looked for the canoe, but could not find it. 

There were numerous crank or misdialed 9-1-1 calls, including one from a party in Cook County, Illinois. Party was advised that they were calling Minnesota. Another mistake call came in on May 31 reporting a “log slide” seven miles east of Grand Marais. It was determined that the incident was in Grand Marais, Michigan.  

And finally, on June 3, a party called to report theft of wood. It turned out he was in Cook, Minnesota, not Cook County. The dispatcher gave him the correct number for law enforcement in Cook. 

There were 34 traffic stops that resulted in warnings or reprimands. Ten other traffic stops led to citations.

There was a scheduled, monthly, countywide pager test on June 4.

To contact the Cook County Sheriff's Office call 218-387-3030. In an emergency, call 9-1-1.

The Cook County Board of Commissioners held its regular end-of-the-month meeting on Tuesday, June 25 and on the agenda were a number of personnel matters.

One of the first orders of business was the administration of the oath of office to our new county assessor, Robert Thompson. With that appointment, Todd Smith’s employment as county assessor ended.

So, later in Tuesday’s meeting, the board considered an “involuntary demotion” for previous assessor Smith, who was aware of the proposal. With the demotion, the board was asked to consider keeping Smith on staff as the assistant county assessor, a decrease in salary to $33.85 from $43.73.  The board passed a motion to make that change.

In another personnel matter, Administrator Jeff Cadwell explained the “reclassification” of the job description for the administrative assistant in his office. He explained that the change is due to the fact that the public information officer job, previously held by Valarie Marasco Eliasen had been was eliminated and some of the duties were added to the administrative assistant’s job. The assistant has also taken on the task of overseeing the iCompass agenda software, the new system for providing board meeting information to the public on the county’s website.

With the job description reclassification, the administrative assistant position will receive a salary increase of $1.31 per hour.

However, Commissioner Dave Mills, who sits on the county personnel committee, pointed out that there is a savings of $5.80 per hour because the public information officer role had been taken out of the emergency management director starting salary.

Colvill subordinate service district considered for Kelly’s Hill
The county board heard from members of the Kelly’s Hill Road Association in Colvill, who came in with a request for creation of a subordinate government services district—an SGSD—which give the county authority to maintain the road and to assess property owners along the road for that work.

Hillary Freeman spoke for the road association, noting that the goal is to have all of the property owners along the road share the road maintenance expenses—something that she said is not happening now.

To create a subordinate services district, a public meeting must be held, so a public hearing date was set for August 13 at 9 a.m. to consider and to give the public the opportunity to comment.

County board chair Ginny Storlie noted that there are five or six such service districts in the county already.

Commissioners express frustration over future of PILT
County Auditor Braidy Powers reported to the board that the county had received $761,263 from the federal government as a payment of lieu of taxes, or PILT. However, Auditor Powers said the funds arrived with no documentation or communication explaining which specific PILT program the funds came from. 

Powers said other counties have also been frustrated by the uncertainty of where the funds came from and how they could be allocated.
For that reason, Powers said the funds were held until this week when he said it was determined that the funds are from a PILT program titled “Secure Rural Schools.” Powers said it appears the funds are back payments from 2017 and 2018.

Some of the money is intended to assist townships with federal lands within their borders, so $60,135.57 will go to the West End townships and the County will retain $701,127.43 as a payment in lieu of taxes.

Commissioners were asked to pass a motion to accept those funds, which they did, while expressing frustration at the lack of communication about the allocation and use of the funds. Commissioners also expressed concern about the future reimbursements for federal land and the impact on the county budget.

Final approval for run and ski equipment grant
The county approved a motion to accept a $51,336 grant from the Federal Recreation Trails Program for equipment to be used by the North Shore Ski and Run Club and Superior Cycling Association for maintenance of ski and cycling trails
This has been a grant that has been in the works for several months, but purchase of the equipment has been delayed by the difficulty in meeting the “Buy American” mandate. Auditor Braidy Powers said in the past equipment purchased under such programs had to be made in America. He said the requirement has been changed to require that the steel used in making the equipment be certified as U.S. produced steel.
Tim Kennedy and Chris O’Brian, of the Superior Cycling Association and the North Shore Ski and Run Club, noted that it is nearly impossible to find the needed equipment that meets that requirement.

Auditor Powers said there is some risk in accepting the grant without certifications for all equipment.

The run and ski group can continue to seek a waiver from the rule on American steel certification but if that doesn't happen, and if this grant were audited and found to be not in compliance, there is a possibility of an order to return some of the grant. The likelihood of that is unknown.

The county does have a balance of recreation funds from the state in lieu of taxes of $17,191 at the end of 2018 with another $37,000 expected in July 2019. Powers said that amount could be held in contingency should the worst case occur.

The board passed a motion to accept the grant for the groups and to hold those funds in reserve should the need for repayment arise at some point. The motion passed unanimously, with Commissioner Dave Mills adding that if that were the case, there should be a plan that the equipment could also be used by other recreation users in the county.

WTIP invited County Administrator Jeff Cadwell in to the studio to talk about those personnel matters, a road project, a new communication tower and a glitch in the recording of the last county board meeting. Here’s Rhonda Silence with that conversation.  
 

The Grand Marais City Council spent nearly two hours on public comment and council discussion of its proposed Climate Action Plan at the meeting on June 26.

During public comment, six people spoke, primarily expressing concern about the potential cost of implementing the actions in the Climate Action.

Ten people spoke in favor of adopting the Climate Action Plan, many thanking the city for taking the lead on this global issue. 

After public comment, councilors debated the cost versus benefit of an action plan. Councilors Craig Schulte and Kelly Swearingen reiterated the concerns of the citizens who said this could hurt city taxpayers. 

Schulte and Swearingen also pointed out that the city already has a lot on its plate--ordinance review, city/county agreement revisions, plans for the city hall/liquor store building and more. They questioned whether the city should add the Climate Action Plan strategies to the list. 

Mayor Jay Arrowsmith DeCoux pointed out that a lot of the tactics in the Climate Action Plan are already happening. 

Councilor Anton Moody said approval of the Climate Action Plan does not mean dropping the other priorities. 

After the lengthy discussion of the pros and cons of the plan, Councilor Tim Kennedy made a motion to adopt the Climate Action Plan. Councilor Anton Moody seconded and the motion carried with Mayor Jay Arrowsmth DeCoux voting aye. Councilors Schulte and Swearingen voted no. 
 
City gives Highway 61 go ahead with increased costs
A city council agenda item that was met with consternation was the news that the Minnesota Department of Transportation bids for reconstruction of Highway 61 came in higher than anticipated. 

The lowest bid for the reconstruction of Highway 61 from Cutface Creek, through the City of Grand Marais, to just before County Road 14 in Colvill, was $20 million, submitted by KGM Construction. 

MnDOT’s tentative estimate for the project was $13.5 million. The city has been working with MnDOT on projects that will be incorporated in the final reconstruction project, namely some sewer, water and storm water infrastructure improvements. The city’s estimated share of the project was approximately $1 million. 

When the bids were opened, MnDOT told the city its portion is now over $2 million. At last night’s meeting, the council expressed frustration that it was not privy to a breakdown of the costs. It is MnDOT’s policy to withhold information on bids until the packet had been accepted. 

The city expressed frustration at not knowing where the project overruns are, but agreed to approve the increased cost as it is vital that the city get its sewer, water and stormwater management work completed. It would likely cost even more if the city attempted such projects on their own at a later date. 

City Administrator Mike Roth said the increased cost could be covered by the city’s utility service funds, primarily the electric department. 
 

The Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is holding a special election on July 1 to fill the Tribal Council Chair position. Vying for that seat on the Tribal Council are Marie Spry and Beth Drost.

The vacancy occurred when the Grand Portage community lost its long-time leader, Chair Norman Deschampe, who died on February 9, 2019.

Since then, Vice-Chair Marie Spry has been serving as interim tribal chair and when she filed to run for the office of chair, she had to resign her seat on the council.

That created a committee person vacancy and Grand Portage Band members voted to fill that council seat in the April 29, 2019 election. Four community members ran for that office and Rick Anderson received the majority of votes, so he won the seat and did not have to go on to the July 1 election.

Spry and Drost were the successful candidates in the primary April 29 primary and they are on the July 1 ballot.

Both of the candidates agreed to speak with WTIP Community Radio and you can click to listen to those interviews below.

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office received a call from 81 Bow Lake Road off the Gunflint Trail just before 2 p.m. Friday, June 21, reporting a small fire inside the Adventurous Christians wilderness camp’s sauna building.

The sauna building, which also housed the camp’s office, is located down a long driveway, and the caller told law enforcement dispatchers that someone would meet responders to direct them to the fire. Gunflint Fire Department and Gunflint Ambulance crews were en route within minutes and were on scene by 2:15 p.m. to find the building fully involved. The Maple Hill Fire Department was paged for mutual aid, as well as a U.S. Forest Service fire crew, which arrived on scene to assist by 2:40 p.m.

At 2:47 p.m., crews reported that the building’s roof just collapsed.

The fire was determined to be contained by 3:10 p.m. The fire departments were able to keep the fire from spreading to the surrounding forest and there were no injuries, but it appears the sauna and office building was a complete loss.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined and is under investigation. 

According to the Adventurous Christians’ Facebook page, staff was able to remove most of the office items before the fire spread to that portion of the building.

Adventurous Christians (AC) was temporarily without phone or internet service, but AC Director Matt White said service has been restored. He said no programming has been cancelled.

Director Matt White said, “We are extremely thankful to the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department. Their dedication and service is greatly appreciated.”

White added that he was overwhelmed by the community response of offers of meals, showers,  housing and more. “I could give you a list of names of those who offered help, but the list is too long! In my first year as director, I’m feeling very welcomed and supported by the community."

Adventurous Christians is a rustic year-round wilderness center of the covenant church owned and operated by Covenant Pines Ministries.
 
 

Fabulous Catering is a small company in the Twin Cities that is making a big splash in the metro area and beyond. Fabulous Catering provides artful cuisine for everything from cozy family gatherings to corporate functions.
 
The woman behind Fabulous Catering is Dawn Drouillard, a former Cook County resident, who has grown her business in 1999 from a staff of one to a large company with a business partner, Eden Fitzgerald.
 
She now has about 15 full-time employees and a call list of 100 others to serve at events ranging from a celebrity wedding to Target and other corporations.
 
Dawn is a Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe descendent and she recently catered the Minneapolis Institute of Art’s Hearts of Our People event. We asked Dawn what it was like to bring indigenous foods to that event. 
 
Here’s Rhonda Silence with a conversation with this high-energy caterer. 
 
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!