February 2023
Madonna of the Ice
From a placard at the Two Harbors public library where this picture hangs is this information: “This beautiful picture was taken February 11th, 1939 on the North Shore of Lake Superior (near Split Rock) after one of the most severe storms in recorded history. The wind reached a velocity of 72 miles per hour.
JAJ Correction:
Two of our readers pointed out an error in the age of The John A. Johson school building. I had stated that the building was built in 1970, my source was MN Property Group. But Brian Johnson informed us, “I attended kindergarten through 6th grade starting in 1956.” Thomas Koehler who was interviewed for the article also noticed the error, writing “There is a book called Two Harbors 100 Years. On p.103 it says the John A Johnson school was built in 1907. On p. 105 at the top, it says the west end of the (current) school was built in 1953 and in 1956 the east end was built. In 1977 the old building was razed, and the last new addition was built.” I apologize for the error and thank the readers for their astute knowledge and attention to detail. Yours –Kristina Rafn Please let us know your recollections of the JAJ school at: 218.830.3250, or editor@lakecountypress. news.
Letters to the EditorLetters to the Editor
Dear Editor, In listening to the radio interview reviewing the Lake County Press headlines for your Feb. 4 issue, I heard Kitty Mayo mention an interview stating that our nearby geologic formation, the Duluth Complex, is the largest copper-nickel (Cu-Ni) deposit in the world. The Duluth Complex does hold the largest reserve of Cu-Ni in North America: that is, if you add up all the copper and nickel in the deposit it is very large. If we were able to mine ALL the Cu-Ni in the Duluth Complex, then it would indeed be a great quantity. Please keep in mind that there's a difference between 'largest' and 'richest' and “accessible.” The Cu-Ni ore occurs in several different deposits across the Duluth Complex, many of which are low grade, although some have high concentrations. When mineral deposits are not rich (highly concentrated) that means more rock must be mined and processed to get the same amount of ore as might come from richer (more concentrated) deposits. The phrase “largest in the world” is similar to descriptors we often use about Lake Superior: it is the biggest freshwater lake in the world BY SURFACE AREA, but it does not hold the most water. Thus, it is NOT the largest lake in the world (unless one is explicit in stating 'surface area' and 'freshwater'). If you have the “fastest” car in your neighborhood, does that mean it goes from 0 to 60 mph most quickly, covers a mile in the least amount of time, or would win the Indy 500?
Katya’s Corner
Two Harbors city hiring process leaves much to be desired I have watched the growing transparency of the Two Harbors City Government work with interest, including the process of hiring a new City Administrator. I appreciated the public announcements of the candidates, the meet-and-greet, and the televised interviews with candidates.
Elaine Luella Merritt Rollins
Elaine Luella Merritt Rollins passed away on February 10, 2023, at the age of 84, surrounded by family in her home just north of Silver Bay, MN. Elaine was born in Danbury, WI, in 1938, and graduated from high school in 1956 from Two Harbors, MN.
Squirt Bs celebrate win
Team stays focused on most important skills and engagement by Nolan Koskela, NSS Squirt B head coach The North Shore Storm Squirt B team celebrated their first victory of the season on January 21 at the Wadena Tournament. During the weekend, the team and parents bonded at a water park in the area.
Sports Notebook
With the girls high school basketball season winding down, Two Harbors coach Dan Lillegaard is hoping to grab a little momentum before playoffs start next week. The Agates finish out the regular season with games Tuesday at Mesabi East and Friday at home versus McGregor. The team sports a record of 11-13 and are likely to be seeded 9th or 10th in the 16-team Section 7AA playoffs set to start March 2.
Agate Boys Basketball Report
Friday Feb 17th Two Harbors 77 South Ridge 63 The Agates had a very strong team effort on the boards in out rebounding the much bigger Panthers 45-26. Trent Gomez paced the Agates with 29 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists & 8 steals and Trevor Kleive had a solid game with 6 points and 10 rebounds as well. Other high scorers for the Agates included Isaiah Hietala with 14, Ethan Bopp with 10 & Kyler Pitkanen with 8. On the evening, Trent hit a historic milestone, surpassing Jayden Ruberg’s school record of 2,204 points to become the all-time leading scorer in Two Harbors history.
North Shore Storm Nordic Ski
Junior Varsity and Junior High Championships Results Gunny Skadberg finished first in the 7th grade boys race! Maddie Linn took 6th and Winter Byrns took 18th for the 7th grade girls. In the 8th grade girls race, Harper Smith took 13th and Amelia Saamanen came in right behind her for 14th.