VOLUNTEERS KEEP THE EDNA G AFLOAT
By Abigail Blonigen
To be honest, the water is a terrible place to keep a boat,” said Tom Koehler with a chuckle.
Koehler is a member of the Friends of the Edna G, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the history and prolonging the life of the retired Two Harbors tugboat.
The Friends formed in March 2018, concerned about the deteriorating state of the historic tug. The Edna G was commissioned by the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad for the Two Harbors port in 1896. At the time it was built, it was the most powerful tugboat on the Great Lakes.
The Edna G serviced the Two Harbors port for over 80 years, aside from a brief stint on the East Coast hauling coal barges during World War I. Its last tow was in December 1980 and it is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
“In the days when tugboats were needed to get the ore boats in and out of the harbors, tugboats were a necessary thing in order for that iron to get turned into steel to build the country or fight in wars or make automobiles and washing machines,” Koehler said.
Koehler, a retired Navy veteran who also volunteers with the upkeep of the Two Harbors lighthouse, has been working with the Edna G for about 10 years. It was a letter to the editor of Koehler’s that inspired a group of volunteers to form to continue the boat’s routine upkeep and maintenance.
“She just needs to be taken care of better than she has been in the past,” said Kathy Glenn, another founding member of the group.
The Friends has a board of seven community members, and about a dozen regular volunteers total. The city of Two Harbors has an Edna G Commision, which is also all volunteer.
“Each of us does different things based upon what our interests and abilities are,” said Koeher, citing Glenn’s organizational skills and his own “hands on, nuts and bolts” approach.
The group has given several talks on the history of the Edna G, and did guided tours last summer. They table at events, participate in parades, and decorate the boat for Christmas.
Some of their goals going forward are to get the tug’s whistle working again and to have a 125th birthday celebration for the boat next year.
“This will probably be the first time her birthday has been celebrated,” said Glenn, noting the renewed sense of the tug’s importance in the community.
To support the Friends of the Edna G or learn more about volunteering, visit friendsofednag. org or find them on Facebook.
“There’s a need for more volunteers now than there ever has been,” said Koehler. “The people who have a tendency to volunteer pretty much already are, but we need more, everywhere.”
Abigail Blonigen is a Duluth freelance writer and photographer.
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The Edna G tugboat was commissioned by the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad for the Two Harbors port in 1896. Its last tow was in December of 1980. Friends of the Edna G was formed to preserve and restore the historic tugboat and educate the community on its importance. Photo by Abigail Blonigen
Kathy Glenn leads a Friends of the Edna G meeting at Lakeview Park in Two Harbors during a mid-July thunderstorm. The group works to preserve the tug and is making plans for its 125th anniversary next year. Photo by Abigail Blonigen
KNIFE RIVER EMBRACES ‘VOLUNTEER SPIRIT’
By Abigail Blonigen
One brisk fall weekend last year, a group of volunteers in Knife River worked feverishly to finish repairs on a dilapidated train depot before the Christmas trains arrived. Another group worked on last minute maintenance of the riverfront trails before snowfall.
A dozen or so community members were crafting trinkets and decorations for the annual Julebyen Christmas festival. In the local church, another group of volunteers had the commercial kitchen up and running.
Despite Knife River having a population of roughly 350 people, the unincorporated community is home to three nonprofits: the Knife River Recreation Council, the Knife River Heritage and Cultural Center, and the Knife River Lutheran Church.
Paul von Goertz, a board member and grant writer for both the Recreation Council and the Cultural Center, contributes this “volunteer spirit” to the heritage of the Knife River community.
“The immigrants that came here at the end of the 18th century were from Norway and Sweden,” said von Goertz.
“Those people are very community minded, very thoughtful of others.”
Larry Ronning, head volunteer contractor behind the depot restoration, also attested to this “feeling of community.” His grandfather was a commercial fisherman and store owner in Knife River in the late 1800s, and recalled how everyone worked together to keep each other afloat.
The Knife River Recreation Council was formed in 1953 to develop and maintain recreational activities and programming, including a skating rink, sledding hill, beach, playground, soccer field, tennis courts and hiking trails.
These efforts are volunteer-led and are supported almost entirely by the annual Julebyen Winter Festival. The festival is based on Scandinavian and German tradition and attracts visitors
from all over with its food, crafts, decorations and music.
The Julebyen is made possible by the commitment of over 200 volunteers from Knife River and the surrounding area.
The main focus of the Knife River Heritage and Cultural Center is the restoration of the train depot, built in 1886 and last used in 1956. Between May and December of last year, volunteers transformed the depot from “falling down to functioning” complete with electricity and heat, said von Goertz.
Ronning, who also helped with the restoration of the Edna G tugboat in Two Harbors and the Leif Erickson Viking Ship in Duluth, appreciates the depot for its historical significance and its “flair for architecture.”
“I do this because I want people to know that this is an important thing,” he said. “We are bringing back something that ought to be here.”
When the restoration is completed, the Knife River Train
Depot will have two sheds for historic boats — including the Crusader II — and a family picnic area and event center.
Due to the COVID19 pandemic, this year’s Julebyen will be held virtually.
The Recreation Council has shifted some of its programming to accommodate for social distancing, including pickleball and a medallion hunt for kids.
“Every community in this state has the same stuff, people working together, making things happen,” said Ronning. “We just keep on going.”
Abigail Blonigen is a Duluth freelance writer and photographer.
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‘WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST RETIREMENT FEAR?’
If you ask any group of retirees and pre-retirees this question, “outliving my money” will likely be one of the top answers.
In fact, 51% of investors surveyed for a 2019 AIG retirement study ranked outliving their money as their top anxiety.1
RETIREES FACE GREATER ‘LONGEVITY RISK’ TODAY
REALIZE THAT SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS MIGHT SHRINK IN THE FUTURE
RETIRE WITH HEALTH INSURANCE AND PREPARE ADEQUATELY FOR OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS
reached at 218-336-1825 or Edward. Grondahl@cunamutual.com.
BY ED GRONDAHL MPECU
The Census Bureau says that Americans typically retire around age 63. Social Security projects that today’s 63-year-olds will live into their mid-80s, on average. This is a mean life expectancy, so while some of these seniors may pass away earlier, others may live past 90 or 100.2,3
If your retirement lasts 20, 30, or even 40 years, how well do you think your retirement savings will hold up? What financial steps could you take in your retirement to try and prevent those savings from eroding? As you think ahead, consider the following possibilities and realities.
For decades, Social Security typically took in more dollars per year than it paid out. That ongoing surplus – also known as the Social Security Trust Fund – is now projected to dry up by 2035. Congress may act to address this financing issue before then, but the worry is that future retirees could get slightly less back from Social Security than they put in. It may be smart to investigate other potential retirement income sources now.4
UNDERSTAND THAT YOU MAY NEED TO WORK PART TIME IN YOUR 60S AND 70S
The income from part-time work can be an economic lifesaver for retirees. What if you worked part time and earned $20,00030,000 a year? If you can do that for five or ten years, you effectively give your retirement savings five or 10 more years to last and grow.
Financially speaking, this may be the most frustrating part of retirement. You can enroll in Medicare at age 65, but how do you handle the premiums for private health insurance if you retire before then? Striving to work until you are eligible for Medicare makes economic sense and so does building a personal health care account. According to Fidelity research, a typical 65-year-old couple retiring today will face out-of-pocket health care costs approaching $300,000 over the rest of their lives.5
MANY PEOPLE MAY RETIRE
UNAWARE OF THESE FINANCIAL FACTORS
With luck and a favorable investing climate, their retirement savings may last a long time. Luck is not a plan, however, and hope is not a strategy. Those who are retiring unaware of these factors may risk outliving their money.
Edward Grondahl is a financial advisor with MPECU Retirement and Investment Services and may be
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CITATIONS
1 - markets.businessinsider.com/news/ stocks/more-than-half-of-americans-wantto-live-to-100-but-worry-about-affordinglonger-lifespans-1028099970 [4/10/19] 2 - thebalance.com/average-retirementage-in-the-united-states-2388864 [1/27/19] 3 - ssa.gov/oact/population/longevity.html [3/6/19]
4 - usatoday.com/story/money/ columnist/2019/09/30/social-security4-key-trends-you-need-knowbenefits/3790032002/ [9/30/19]
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Bob Bolles, Anne-Lù Hovis and Diane Bolles smile for a photo at the 2019 Julebyen in front of the Knife River Train Station. The Bolles, from Excelsior, Minn., are gnomes and assisting with Troll Train tickets and general information. Hovis, a.k.a. Hjørdis the Viking Warrior, from Knife River, coordinates musicians in the Gnome Dome and is the welcoming ambassador and social media coordinator for the festival. Photo courtesy of Anne-Lù Hovis
and John Gustafson pose as troll characters at the 2019 Julebyen in Knife River. Photo courtesy of Anne-Lù Hovis
Between May and December of 2019, volunteers restored the depot, which was falling down and had holes in the roof, to functioning, complete with heat and electricity. Photo by Abigail Blonigen
Aurora Breidenbach, Ginny Breidenbach, Edna Stromquist and Mary von Goertz facilitate a traditional lefse demonstration in the Gnome Dome at the 2019 Julebyen. Photo courtesy of Paul von Goertz
