Last Saturday an informal group calling themselves the Pride Committee organized a community event to celebrate June as Gay Pride month, held in the Harbor Park area of downtown Grand Marais to celebrate and support LGBTQA+ people.
Short term Vacation Rentals. A special planning group recently discussed STVRs. Goals for Lake County were established: 1. Prioritizing and protecting housing for long-term residents, both owning and renting. 2. Mitigating property value spikes. 3. Ensure residential neighborhoods are not unduly impacted by STVRs. Topics that rose to the surface included the difference between STVRs in residential second homes and STVRs as business investments. Is limiting STRVs per neighborhood or prohibiting them in certain areas a better idea? Or strongly enforced ordinances that motivate STRV owners to make sure renters follow the rules so their licenses are not denied? In-town neighborhoods have different issues than rural areas, which have a much higher density of second homes. Long-term rentals tend to get more run-down over time. Is the STVR factor inflating market prices beyond what starting families can afford? Are homes near STVR’s losing real estate value? County Administrator Matt Huddleston commented that there is information out there for the Board to review which needs to be compiled. How many permits have been issued, how much it has grown in recent years, whether longterm rentals are transitioning to short-term rentals, what has been the cost of real estate over time, the number of second or seasonal homes, what is being built and what is it being built for—are just a few of the questions that compiled data could help answer.
Last Friday’s baseball game against the visiting Mesabi East Giants was a heartbreaker for Two Harbors, as they lost the lead late in an 8-5 loss. The game was tied at four with Mesabi East batting in the top of the seventh when Giants batter Ty Laugen doubled on the first pitch with the bases loaded, scoring three runs.
Guns, guns, guns. Hundreds of millions of guns, guns, guns.
Last week a new law was signed by Gov. Tim Walz that relaxed restriction for on-site liquor sales affecting small craft breweries, like Castle Danger Brewery in Two Harbors.
Budworm Jungles. I started noticing it about eight years ago.
Sharing his notes on coaching the north shore’s first AAA hockey team, Andrew Lubovich reflects on their latest tournaments. In two AAA hockey tournaments Lubovich coached the team to two wins, advancing them to the championship. In the championship game they stalled in a tie, frustrated at the net, and ultimately lost in an overtime shootout. Starting out the tournament against the Puck Heads the kids started off strong and were definitely out there to play, and they didn’t hold back, taking a 9-0 win home.
All-Conference Finishers from the Polar League Conference championship held Wednesday, May 18 (1 st and 2 nd place individuals, 1 st place relays): Girls All-Conference: Delaney Nelson (2 nd in 100m dash), Jenna Marxhausen (2 nd in 200m dash), Trinity Giddings (1 st in 400m dash, 1 st in triple jump), Grace Swanson (1 st in 800m run), Lamar Gordon (1 st in 1600m run), Autumn Smith (1 st in 3200m run), Amaya Grinde (2 nd in 100m hurdles, 2 nd in 300m hurdles, 2 nd in high jump), 4x400 Relay (1 st place - Jenna Marxhausen, Lamar Gordon, Grace Swanson, Trinity Giddings), 4x800 Relay (1 st place-London Smith, Autumn Smith, Lamar Gordon, Grace Swanson) Boys All-Conference: Ian Thorpe (2 nd in 1600m run), Ethan Maas (1 st in shot put), Brendan Lampela (2 nd in discus) The girls finished second and the boys fifth in the conference meet. Another great track meet by the Agates happened at the Sub-section 7A meet in Esko May 24.
(Town of Silver Creek, MN) County Road 3 (CSAH 3) remains closed between Fors Road (County Road 301) and Gun Club Road (CSAH 24) until the culvert over the E. Branch of Silver Creek can be replaced. Work is expected to begin on July 27, 2022. A detour along Fors Road and Gun Club Road has been posted.
The Superior Hiking Trail’s Bean and Bear Lakes overlook, one of the most popular hikes on the Northshore, needs the community’s help. The Superior Hiking Trail Association will be rerouting this section of trail to higher and drier ground to protect this beautiful hike and make this stretch of trail more sustainable and hiker friendly. We are in need of 150 volunteers during the two-week project that runs from June 15-26 near Silver Bay, Minn.