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.
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?
Electronic hand-held devices and our youth I am proposing a simple rule: no cell phones allowed until you turn 18, maybe even 21. I would like to save our kids from those little attention-grabbing devices that are robbing them of their youth.
Snowshoe Adventure, When and How to Go Late winter has always been the time that Mark and I take people snowshoeing up the river gorges of the North Shore. Ice and snow have had a couple months to freeze, settle, and stabilize.
Victimless Crimes Likely to be Repealed in Minnesota The Minnesota Senate and House of Representatives currently are both controlled by Democrats, so some of the Democrats’ favorite bills are likely to pass, and Governor Tim Walz (DFL) is likely to sign them into law. One such bill of particular interest is called Senate File 70, and its announced purpose is “repealing certain abortion provisions.” An identical bill has been introduced in the House, called House File 91.
Gordon Hommes' column in the Feb. 11th Lake County Press about the dangers of sulfide mining in Minnesota was very informative and educational. I really appreciated that he described the differences between iron ore mining which has been an important, long-time industry in northern Minnesota, and the proposed sulfide mining. He clearly pointed out the many damaging environmental effects of mining copper and nickel from rock located in wet areas. To quote from his article, 'The US Forest Service investigated numerous sulfide mining operations in wet environments and couldn't find a single one that didn't contaminate the environment.' Mr. Hommes also called attention to other impacts of mining in northern Minnesota: light pollution, noise from heavy machinery and trucks, constant road traffic, and millions of tons of greenhouse gases from the mines. All of this information increased my understanding of the harmful effects of this type of mining in our state. In challenging Representative Pete Stauber's allegation that banning sulfide mining 'is an attack on our way of life,' Mr. Hommes cited outfitters' businesses which depend on clean water and wild landscapes, the thousands of tourists who bring money to the area, people living there who want to leave a healthy environment for future generations. These are all part of 'our way of life.' Let us hope that Rep. Stauber reads and heeds Mr. Hommes' article.
Lucky to have local news outlets In a sobering report from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, more than 2,500 newspapers have closed since 2005. According to the report, that has left at least 70 million Americans in what is now being called a “news desert.” With two publications here in Lake County and along the North Shore, plus the Cook County Herald in Grand Marais, the Ely Echo, Babbitt News and the Timberjay up along the border, I’d say we’re pretty lucky, all told, in the news department.
StairLift For Vets As do nearly all CVSOs, I strive daily to better serve my Veterans and their families. Regardless of my experience or the availability of federal and state resources, I too often encounter a situation or request for which I have limited or no solutions.
Just Delivering for the Northland My home base in Hermantown is a long way from St. Paul.
Pop Up Friends of the Library Book Sale Readers and book hoarders alike, great news! The Friends of the Two Harbors Public Library are hosting a pop-up book sale Tuesday, February 21st, from 5-8pm at Castle Danger Brewery Taphouse (17 7th Street, Two Harbors). Our dynamic Friends of the Library volunteers will have an eclectic and exciting selection of books for your perusal.