North Shore News Hour

The North Shore Health Care Foundation (NSHCF) marked a significant leadership change this week. After 18 years with the organization, current Executive Director Karl Hansen and the NSHCF’s Board of Directors passed the reins to incoming Executive Director Valerie Marasco.

Marasco is coming to NSHCF from Cook County government where she serves as the county’s director of emergency management & public information.

WTIP Brian Neil spoke with Hansen about the relationship between the health care foundation and local emergency management departments and more. Here's that conversation. 
 
 

WTIP Community Radio periodically checks in with local schools to find out about events, but also about the behind-the-scenes activities at our schools.
 
WTIP’s Rhonda Silence spoke with Peter James, director of Great Expectations Schools after the last GES board meeting. One important thing discussed is the importance of a community member coming forward to serve on the GES school board. There is a vacancy because a community member who had been serving moved away. So, Director James invites anyone interested in GES to contact the school to learn more at 218-387-9322.
 
And of course one of the main topics of discussion was the upcoming Great Expectations Pancakes and Plant Sale on Saturday, May 18. Breakfast includes pancakes, sausages, and fruit, and will be served until 10:30. Plant shopping continues from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the school located at the corner of County Road 7 and the Gunflint Trail (across from the Law Enforcement Center).
 
The fundraiser features a variety of organically-grown perennials, flowers, vegetables, and herbs that students and volunteers planted and tended throughout the spring. 
 
Here’s our conversation with Peter James director of Great Expectations School in Grand Marais.  
 

The Northland Honor Flight, carrying about 180 veterans from World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, traveled from Duluth to Washington, D.C. and back on Saturday, May 4.

On board that flight was Orvis Lunke of Grand Marais, who along with his wife, Donna Lunke, volunteers with the Honor Flight program – Donna behind the scenes at the welcomes and send-offs for veterans; Orvis as a “guardian,” accompanying veterans on the trek to the monuments in Washington, D.C.

This is the ninth time that Orvis has served as a guardian for this special event.

Four Cook County veterans were on the latest Honor Flight, Butch Deschampe, Jim Corcoran and Arvid Dahl of Grand Portage and Dave Wirt, of Grand Marais. WTIP’s Rhonda Silence was honored to speak with each of them about their experience.

When North Shore Pharmacy (formerly Arrowhead Pharmacy) in Grand Marais closed its doors on April 19, there was a lot of speculation about what would happen to the building at the corner of Highway 61 and First Avenue. There was some concern about the idea of a building sitting vacant in the middle of the city. It appears that will not be the case.

The building, owned by Mike and Laura Swartzwald, was listed for sale by Edina Realty in April.

At the Tuesday, May 14 meeting of the Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA), it was announced that the Grand Marais Art Colony had submitted an offer to purchase the building and the offer had been accepted.

Art Colony Executive Director Lyla Brown was at the EDA meeting to let the economic development authority know about its plans for expansion. Brown said things are going well at the Art Colony. She said the current facility houses glass, clay, and print-making areas, as well as office, store and gallery space.

“We are at 125 percent of our capacity,” Brown said.

EDA President Howard Hedstrom is also a member of the board of directors at the Grand Marais Art Colony and he also provided some insight. Hedstrom said the Art Colony is doing so well that it needs more studio space. And, he said the nonprofit would like to have more of a presence downtown, especially for its gallery/store.

Brown agreed, saying, “Not that many people walk up the hill to our building.”

EDA board members expressed excitement over the Art Colony’s expansion. Small Business Development Center Representative Pat Campanaro said she shares that enthusiasm, but noted that this would be a reduction in the tax rolls, with a nonprofit owning that building.

Hedstrom answered that only a portion of the building would be used by the Art Colony. He said the side of the building formerly used for pet supply sales (the Dog Hus) would likely be rented out. That space would still be designated as commercial and appropriate business taxes would be paid by the Art Colony.

Hedstrom also explained that the Art Colony had applied for funds for the purchase from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) through its “Recharge the Range” arts grants program.

Hedstrom asked his EDA colleagues if they would be willing to send a letter of support to the IRRRB for that grant. The EDA board agreed and a unanimous motion was passed to endorse the Grand Marais Art Colony grant submission.

Art Colony Executive Director Brown added that although the purchase offer had been accepted, there are still details to work out before the Art Colony takes possession of the former pharmacy building.

WTIP’s Rhonda Silence spoke with Howard Hedstrom about this possible purchase. Here’s that conversation.
 
 
 

The Cook County Community Center in Grand Marais is home base for an interesting new business, Rebel Girls Community Minded Catering. The large commercial kitchen is put to good use by Christina Conroy and her team, which fixes gourmet meals-to-go twice a week.

Rebel Girls Catering prepares meals such as vegan roasted plablano peppers stuffed with walnut taco meat and black beans or Mughlai chicken curry. Or grilled yogurt marinated chicken kebabs with saffron sauce or General Tao chicken with crab Rangoon on the side. And many other options.  

Christina posts her menus on a Facebook page and customers can send online requests to her to be picked up at the community center.

Rebel Girls Community Minded Catering does catering for events as well.

And the community minded part of the company name? That is because five percent of Rebel Girls Community Minded Catering goes to the Violence Prevention Center.

Join WTIP’s Rhonda Silence as she visits the community center to learn more about this interesting business. 
 

The second year of School District 166’s sixth grade safety class wrapped up on May 9 with practical testing for students in ATV Safety. 

 After doing online study and in-class review, sixth grade students have the opportunity to complete the requirements for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’s ATV Safety certification through field testing. 

With the support of our local DNR, Forest Service, and volunteers, students drove a course that tested their abilities to use hand signals properly, adjust for hilly terrain, make tight turns, reverse, and park the machines. 

Emma Spoon, the ISD 166 sixth and seventh grade safety and health teacher, said this year 30+ sixth grade students at Cook County Middle School complete the coursework and field testing for ATV, Snowmobile, and Firearms Safety.
 
Spoon said, “We are thankful for the support of ISD 166, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Cook County Sheriff's Office, Grand Portage Education Department, 1854 Treaty Authority, Steve’s Sports, and the Cook County ATV and Snowmobile Clubs for making these trainings possible and meaningful for our students.”

She added, “Particular gratitude for our spring ATV Field Day goes out to DNR Conservation Officers Darin Fagerman, Mary Manning, and Tom Wahlstrom, U.S. Forest Service Officer Edward Belmore, and volunteer instructors Kim Linnell and Eric Nelms for providing great instruction to students."

All of his co-instructors gave a special hats-off to retiring CO Darin Fagerman for his support of youth safety programs in Cook County.
 

Lions Club International recently decided to end its Lioness Club program. The Grand Marais Lioness Club had to decide whether to join the Grand Marais Lions Club, form its own branch of the Lions Club, or create an entirely new group independent of Lions Club International.
 
The decision was made to become an independent club and the former Grand Marais Lioness Club is now WISE, which stands for the Women’s Initiative for Service and Education.
 
WTIP spoke with WISE group president Ann Merson about the group and Merson shared the WISE Mission: Serving needs and encouraging opportunities in Cook County.
 
WISE has offered a contest for a creative and simple logo design. This logo should include an owl, the emblem of Athena, and an appropriate symbol of wisdom.
 
The deadline for the logo contest is coming up soon. WISE asks interested artists to submit logo entries by Wednesday, May 15.
 
Entries can be dropped off at Coldwell Banker with Virginia Palmer or emailed to Merson at [email protected]. This contest is open to the public.The designer of the winning logo will receive $100.
 
The winning logo will be selected by the WISE board of directors.
 
WTIP Community Radio wanted to learn more about how this impacts the members of the local Lioness group, so Rhonda Silence spoke with Ann Mershon. Here’s their conversation.
 

 Tofte resident Barb Gervais served as township clerk at her last meeting on Thursday, May 9. After more than a decade, Gervais has stepped down and Tofte Supervisor Craig Horak and his colleagues say she will be missed. 

The town board shared cookies and coffee with the outgoing clerk, expressing appreciation for her service. Gervais was also recently honored for her work by being chosen as the Tofte township 2017 Citizen of the Year. 

Filling the rest of the term for the town clerk position is Kay Burkett.

WTIP volunteer Jane Alexander spoke with Tofte Supervisor Craig Horak about Gervais’ departure and other township matters.
 

Each week the Cook County Sheriff’s Office provides a brief report of calls made to the Cook County Law Enforcement Center in the past week. This week’s report provides details logged by law enforcement dispatchers from April 29 – May 5. WTIP asked for further information on a number of calls.

A caller reported a burglary at 11 p.m. on May 3 in Grand Marais. The party said a person was in their home. Deputies responded and the person in the home was gone on arrival.

The Sheriff’s Office received a call reporting drug plants in front of SuperAmerica on April 30. It was determined that the plants were not drugs.

Law Enforcement received a traffic complaint call at 7:20 a.m. on May 1. A motorist was cited for school bus stop arm violation.
An “unknown trouble” call in Grand Marais on April 29 was a call from a parent needing advice for a child with anger issues.

There were two calls of vehicles in the ditch on April 29, first Arthur Havlina-Madsen, of Minneapolis, who pulled over too far at 5:58 p.m. Law Enforcement dispatchers contacted a tow for him. A second call came in at 6:33 p.m. after Ronald Davis of Grand Portage pulled over too far as well and slid into the ditch. A tow truck was called.

On May 4, there was another report of a vehicle in the ditch. Dustin Soukup of Fairbault, Minnesota was stuck in the Devil Track campground.

There was a report of harassment on East Highway 61. The Sheriff’s Office determined it was a former employee harassing an owner and that it was nothing criminal.

A report of a personal injury accident came in on May 4. A party had been rear-ended the day before and was at the hospital for treatment.

There were two car/deer accidents, one on East Highway 61 and one on West Highway 61 on May 4.

On May 4, a party called from Devil Track Road in Grand Marais reporting a camper at the Seaplane dock. A deputy spoke with the owner.

A party called in a traffic complaint on May 4 of kids driving at Artist’s Point in Grand Marais. The vehicle was gone on arrival.

There was a disturbance call from the Ski Hill Road at 12:42 a.m. on May 5. It turned out to be an intoxicated person in a wrong room. The party was helped to the correct room.

The public was assisted in a variety of ways, with a disabled vehicle on West Highway 61 at 9:48 p.m. on April 29; with a report of outdoor lighting “strobing” on the Gunflint Trail on April 30; and with advice regarding an Order for Protection on May 5.

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office assisted other agencies throughout the week—with two phone calls for the Minnesota State Patrol on April 29 and by stopping a vehicle for State Patrol on West Highway 61 on April 30. The sheriff’s office answered calls from School District 166 about student behavior. The sheriff’s office also referred a matter to Grand Portage Human Services.

The Sheriff’s Office referred a death notification to St. Louis County.

There were two hazard calls about trees in the roadway on East Highway 61 at 2:05 p.m. and West Highway 61 at 3:58 p.m. on April 29. There was another tree in the road on County Road 60 on May 2. That tree was referred to the Cook County Highway Department.

A call reporting a chimney fire on Tofte Park Road came in at 5:18 p.m. on May 1. Law Enforcement dispatchers advised parties to leave the house and paged the Tofte Fire Department and First Responders. The parties waited outside. The fire department arrived to find the woodstove and 12-foot chimney hot, but no flames. The house doors were opened and the smoke alarm stopped. Responders left the scene at 5:45 p.m.

A party asked the Sheriff’s Office to check the welfare of a neighbor in Schroeder. A deputy responded and the person was fine. There was another check welfare call for a party in Grand Marais on May 3. The deputy found that there was a mental health issue.

There was another check welfare on East Highway 61 on May 5. There was a vehicle with its lights on. The owner was notified.

A party reported a fraud phone call on April 29 and there was a report of a Publisher’s Clearinghouse scam on April 30. Also on April 30, a caller from Grand Marais reported that scammers had gained access to a computer. There was no monetary loss.
There was another phone scam in Grand Portage on May 3. There was no loss.

This week’s law enforcement call included numerous calls involving animals, wild and tame, starting with a call reporting a missing dog on the Arrowhead Trail on April 29. Other loose dog calls came in from West Highway 61 on April 30; on County Road 7 on May 1; again on County Road 7 on May 2; on West Highway 61 on May 3 and on North Broadway in Grand Marais on May 5.

On May 5, a party called law enforcement to report a dog inside a vehicle on Ski Hill Road. The owner arrived while the caller was there.

A call reporting a dead deer in the lake on South Broadway in Grand Marais also came in on May 5.

A loose peacock was reported on West Highway 61 at 9:16 a.m. on April 30; again on May 3, May 4 and May 5. The owner of Grand Marais Putt n’ Pets was contacted as he has a peacock at the mini-golf course.

There was a call of a lost dog on Brandon Lane in Grand Marais on May 2.

A caller reported a sick raccoon at their residence on Evergreen Road. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources was called.

There was a report of an injured deer on West Highway 61 on April 30 and another on May 5. Both calls was referred to Minnesota State Patrol.

There was a report of a calf outside a fence on County Road 7 on May 3. The owner was notified.

 A party dropped off some food at the Law Enforcement Center on April 29.

The Sheriff’s Office visited the school to present “911 for Kids” to students on April 30.

There was a miscellaneous fire call on May 1 which was a monthly pager test.

A party called law enforcement to report a possible vehicle following caller. The Sheriff’s Office was unable to locate the vehicle.

A “drug incident” on May 1 was the emptying of the drug take back container in the lobby.

On May 1, a trespass letter was delivered to a party in Grand Marais.

A call came in on May 2 about a lost trailer ramp on East Highway 61.

On May 5, a party turned in a set of keys to the Law Enforcement Center at 3:46. A party reported lost keys at 5:09 p.m. It was the same set of keys.

The sheriff’s office reported suspicious activity at the Cook County Community Center on May 5. A vehicle was parked there with three juveniles.

During this time period, 13 burn permits were issued and 12 crank or misdialed 9-1-1 calls were received. There were seven medical calls. There were 13 traffic stops with reprimands or warnings; six with citations.

Anyone needing emergency assistance should call 9-1-1. For non-emergency questions, contact the Cook County Sheriff's Office at 218-387-3030.
 

On Thursday, April 18, the Cook County Historical Society granted Honorary Lifetime Membership to four people who had given a combined total of about 100 years of service to the history of Cook County. Friends and family gathered at the Johnson Heritage Post to recognize Eleanor Waha, Wayne Anderson, Leonard Sobanja and Dean Einwalter.

Historical Society Director Carrie Johnson said that's a rough number, as the board members aren't certain how long they have served. But Johnson said she believes it is 29 years for Dean Einwalter; 28 years for Eleanor Waha; 17 years for Wayne Anderson and 21 years for Leonard Sobanja. 

The board members have overseen some significant historical activities such as an addition to the lightkeeper's house which houses the museum and the construction of a fish house replica on the Grand Marais waterfront. They also were part of the acquisition of the historic Neegee fishing boat and Bally's Blacksmith Shop. And much more. 

Current Board President Ivy Hocking expressed appreciation to the longtime board members and welcomed everyone to enjoy a lovely cake and much reminiscing.   

WTIP’s Rhonda Silence had the pleasure of attending and speaking to three of the honorees about their work with the historical society.