Northern Wilds

The Dog Issue

Official Ballot

Favorite Restaurants Vote

Where can I find the BEST DINING in the Northern Wilds?

Do you have a favorite place to get a beer, to eat breakfast or take the kids for dinner?

We want to know and so do our area restaurants. The restaurants you vote for must be located in the Northern Wilds coverage area, which includes the North Shore communities from Duluth to Nipigon and over to Ely.

Do not choose the same restaurant in more than three categories. If you do, your entire ballot will be disqualified. Only one ballot per person. You can mail in your ballot, drop it off at our office or vote online at www.northernwilds. com. Voting ends March 31, 2016. Look for the results in the 2016 Menu Guide and the June issue of Northern Wilds.

www.surveymonkey.com/r/nwilds

Which Restaurant has the best...

Northwoods character?

Kid-friendly menu?

Vegetarian-friendly menu?

Artistic flare from the chef?

Server or bartender?

(include name and restaurant)

Take-out?

And which restaurant is “worth the drive?”

Use of regional ingredients?

Sweets?

Regional craft beer?

Beer selection?

The Dogs of Northern Wilds

Over the years, a parade of dogs has passed through the Northern Wilds offices. The first was Shawn’s yellow Lab pup named Tanner, who accompanied us on our first sales calls along the Gunflint Trail and North Shore. Then there was Kiki, Amber’s friendly elkhound mix who greeted everyone and loved to sit in an office chair and look out the window. Among the many other dogs that spent time at Northern Wilds were Belle, Lola, Abby, Casey, Tofer, Lucy, Rainy and Charlie. Kiki is no longer with us and Tanner still visits the office now and then. Now the official office greeter is Amber’s dog, Evee.

At Northern Wilds, we’re dog people. We consider dogs to be part of our families. And we know that many of our readers do, too. Thus it was an easy decision to devote this issue to dogs. Inside, you’ll find several stories about dogs including Casey Fitchett’s feature on the area’s dog rescue organizations, a story about a canine chiropractor, Kathy Toivonen’s short essay about losing her family’s dog to wolves and Elle Andra-Warner’s tale of famous dogs. Did you know the old Disney movie The Incredible Journey was based on a book written in Thunder Bay?

You’ll also find our events calendar jampacked with things to do this month. In North Shore Dish, Maren Webb explores the chili and soup offerings of some local restaurants. Kim Falter tells us all about one of winter’s best eats: cabbage. New in this issue are some recipes provided by Maren and Kim. Also new is our Beer of the Month selection from the ever-thirsty Eric Chandler. You can look forward to more of Eric’s reports from the local brewing front in upcoming issues.

Evee, Rainy and Tanner

Gord Ellis is unique among our contributors, because he doesn’t own a dog. He does, however, like to fish…in an obsessive, can’t-get-enough-of-it kind of way. In this issue, he explains to us why he remains as passionate about fishing as he was as a child, providing photographic proof stretching back more than a half-century. Julia Prinselaar, who does have a dog, looks into the special relationship between dogs and humans. Oh yeah, and did we mention this is the Northern Wilds dog issue? Don’t miss our photo feature introducing the many dogs of our Northern Wilds staff, including Julia’s Timber.

This is the final issue to carry a ballot for the 2016 Northern Wilds Restaurant Awards. Voting in this popular

contest ends March 31. One lucky voter will be drawn for a $50 gift certificate to their favorite Northern Wilds restaurant. Awards are given to restaurants receiving the winning votes. You can see awards from our previous contests on the walls of many North Shore restaurants. Given the enthusiasm you show for this annual contest, it is obvious there is plenty of good eating to be found throughout the Northern Wilds.

If you are out and about, stop by our booth at the Central Canada Outdoor Show Feb. 26-28 at the Thunder Bay Sports Dome or at the Duluth Women’s Expo March 12 at the DECC. We always enjoy meeting with our readers and advertisers, as well as their dogs! —Shawn Perich and Amber Pratt

Where can I find Northern Wilds in Duluth/Superior?

• Super One stores

• DeWitt Seitz

• Whole Foods Co-op

• Cashwise Liquor

• Cub Foods

• Edgewater Hotel

• New London Cafe

• Burrito Union

• The Duluth Pack Store

• Red Mug

• Canal Park Hotels

• Lake Aire Bottle Shop

• Perkins restaurants

• Canal Park Brewery and many more!

PUBLISHERS

Shawn Perich & Amber Pratt

EDITORIAL

Shawn Perich, Editor editor@northernwilds.com

Breana Roy, Assistant Editor breana@northernwilds.com

ADVERTISING

Sue O’Quinn, Sales Representative sue@northernwilds.com

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Katie Viren • katie@northernwilds.com

Drew Johnson • drew@northernwilds.com

OFFICE

Roseanne Cooley • billing@northernwilds.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Erin Altemus, Elle Andra-Warner, Eric Chandler, Gord Ellis, Kim Falter, Linden Figgie, Aric Fishman Casey Fitchett, Joe Friedrichs, David Johnson, Deane Morrison, Julia Prinselaar, Amy Schmidt, Javier Serna, Kathy Toivonen, Maren Webb

Copyright 2016 by Northern Wilds Media, Inc. Published 12 times per year. Subscription rate is $28 per year or $52 for 2 years U.S. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part requires written permission from the publishers. Northern Wilds Media, Inc. P.O. Box 26, Grand Marais, MN 55604 (218) 387-9475 (phone/fax)

Coldwater Foundation establishes Leadership Center at Mink Lake Wilderness Camp

GUNFLINT TRAIL—

Mink Lake is familiar to many—a haven for trout fishing, or as a favorite swimming hole and canoeing spot just far enough out of town; a small taste of the Boundary Waters and gem of the Superior National Forest. It is also home to Mink Lake Wilderness Camp, Coldwater Foundation’s new center for leadership development.

A year ago, Coldwater was planning and facilitating remote wilderness experiences from a repurposed fish house on director Kevin Sutton’s property and a church basement.

“We knew we needed to move from only doing isolated experiences to having a school for leadership and outdoor ministry,” executive director of Coldwater Kevin Sutton said. “We had this relationship with Mink Lake. We had been invited to use it, helped in the caretaking of it. At the same time we realized it was a good fit for us and Trout Lake Camp was realizing that it was no longer a good fit for them.”

Eventually, the preservation of the camp and Coldwater’s need for a more permanent place to grow a wilderness ministry spurred on conversations. Trout Lake Camp invited Coldwater to purchase the camp, and the lease transfer was official in May 2015.

Mink Lake Wilderness Camp is nestled among a vibrant forest variety—maple, black and mountain ash, cedar, birch, poplar, white and red pine trees. The lodge, trip locker, office cabin and prayer chapel are still in solid standing since they were first built in the 1970s. Five 12-bunk cabins, a classroom, sauna, wash and shower houses and ropes course have been added over the years. The camp was established by the Baptist General Conference under the ownership and management of Trout Lake Camps.

With a superior location and well-maintained facilities, the Camp provides rich ground for Coldwater to cultivate their vision.

“Mink Lake Wilderness Camp was given as a true place apart, and our ministry depends on that kind of place,” Sutton said. “If one of our values is reflection and part of reflection is stillness and silence and solitude, we need a wilderness base camp that invites students to take a break from all the voices and noises of contemporary culture.”

Coldwater Foundation for Leadership and Community Development exists to empower young leaders, to instill in its participants a leadership for life. Coldwater is founded on the principles of Christian faith and believes in the intrinsic value of experiential education and the power of the wilderness to transform people.

“I’m always quoting T.S. Eliot,” Sutton said, “’We had the experience but missed the meaning.’ The importance of not just what we know but what we do with what we know, how it ripples and has an impact.” Coldwater’s educational philosophy is rooted in four core values—challenge, reflection, community and transfer of learning.

“At every level of involvement with Coldwater, a young person will be asked to provide input,” Sutton said, “to be involved and participate in the solving of a problem or improving our situation. At every stage there is an opportunity to lead.”

The organization’s hope is for their students to leave an experience transformed, to understand the importance of virtue and good moral character.

“What does the world need from young people?” Sut-

ton said. “We know that there is a high expectation to have knowledge, but because everything is changing so fast, there has to be some kind of equipping of young people to grow in their self-efficacy and confidence to learn new things. All of that knowledge base is subject to virtue.”

Coldwater has found the wilderness to be a suitable classroom for this teaching and training.

“There is a sense of accomplishment when you have completed a portage that was really challenging and you didn’t think you could do it,” Sutton said, “or carried a canoe by yourself.”

Grand Marais resident and Coldwater board member Glenn Larsen has experienced the formative power of the wilderness and recalls his time at Mink Lake Wilderness Camp as a young boy in the 1950s.

“It was a transformative period of my life,” Larsen said, “and I fell in love with the outdoors, the wilderness, the

vigorous lifestyle. It was a catalyst for me.”

For Jody Nonnemacher, Grand Marais resident and Coldwater affiliate, remembering her time at Mink Lake as a camp counselor in the 1970s is nostalgic.

“We pulled into Mink Lake on this beautiful fall day in 2014,” Nonnemacher said, “and I was really surprised by how emotional it was for me. There’s something so powerful in the peace of the place and the history of it, as well as knowing that there’s been care and looking toward the future of it.”

Care and stewardship of wilderness spaces are driving factors in Coldwater’s curriculum.

From Coldwater’s and Mink Lake Wilderness Camp’s beginnings, the wilderness has been sacred ground. Whether a tool for teaching and growing or a retreat for rest and reflection, the baton of intentional preservation of this special, wild place has been firmly passed and received.

—Linden Figgie

[left] Service Team member and student leader Michael Lane teaches a group of boys how to read a map and compass. [right] The main lodge at Mink Lake Wilderness Camp. Inside is a kitchen, dining area and seating area with chairs and couches around a hearth fire place. | LINDEN FIGGIE

[top] Students from a variety of trips and programs gather for a celebration supper in the lodge. | LINDEN FIGGIE

Tuesday rides to Duluth

GRAND MARAIS—Arrowhead Transit now offers bus rides to Duluth every Tuesday, leaving at 8 a.m. and arriving in Duluth at 11 a.m. The bus will return from Duluth at 3 p.m. Fares are paid by passengers when they get on the bus.

First stops in Duluth can be at the medical facilities on the east side, followed by a stop at the new Duluth Transportation Center. From there the bus can go on to the Miller Hill Mall.

Reservations are necessary no later than noon on Mon -

day. Call (800)862-0175, option 8. Bus fare from Grand Marais to Duluth is $10 one way; Silver Bay to Duluth, $5 one way; and Two Harbors to Duluth, $2.50 one way.

All pick-ups and stops are contingent on rider requests. Except for Grand Marais and Silver Bay, all passenger pickups need to be along Highway 61. In Grand Marais, pick-ups will begin in town at 7:30 a.m.

For more information, contact Larry Rodgers at (218)735-6815.

Design a state park license plate

ST. PAUL—This year, Minnesotans will have an option to purchase a special license plate to support Minnesota state parks and trails. State officials are calling on residents to submit design ideas for the new plates, which will provide free entry to all of the state’s parks and recreation areas.

“We’re looking for an image that captures the essence of Minnesota state parks and trails,” said Erika Rivers, director of the DNR Parks and Trails Division. “These special places have been around for 125 years. Purchasing the new license plates will be a great way to show everyone that you support them.”

Entries will be accepted from Monday, May 2, until 4 p.m. Friday, May 6.

A panel of judges will evaluate entries based on criteria such as creativity, quality, representation of Minnesota

Uninsured?

Native Americans can enroll year-round and so can anyone eligible for Medicaid, CHIP, or MinnesotaCare. Refer to the income guidelines chart below, to see what your family qualifies for:

state parks and trails and suitability as a license plate image. Three finalists will be selected on Thursday, May 12, and their designs will be posted online for a public vote to select a winner. The online vote will take place from Monday, June 13, to Sunday, June 19.

All entries will be publicly displayed in the visitor center at Fort Snelling State Park on Saturday, May 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday, May 15, from noon to 4 p.m.

The new license plates are expected to be available in October. The cost of the new plates will start at $60, plus tax. This total includes a one-time $10 fee for the plate itself and a minimum $50 contribution (renewable annually).

Entry forms and complete contest rules are available at www.mndnr.gov/parksplate.

1

(218) 387-2330 x156 or rachelle@sawtoothmountainclinic.org

The author lost the great Pyrenees mix in theforeground when it was killed by wolves near her home. | KATHY TOIVONEN

Northern reality check: Wolves kill dogs

KAMINISTIQUA—The soft blanket of winter’s snow disguises the harsh reality of the wild, such as wolf attacks on dogs. Some years are worse than others, but this year seems to be a particularly nasty one. Just look on social networks and missing dog sites—there are many references to wolf attacks. Possible reasons for the attacks include low deer populations and sightings of ‘brush wolves,’ or ‘coywolves,’ that don’t seem to be as afraid of humans. Whatever the reason, it’s a reality of living in the north.

My dad was a trapper. He once told me about what he saw on his trap line. A lone wolf crossed a frozen lake to try and entice his dog to follow it. Sometimes, that is the wolves’ strategy, to get one wolf to playfully approach a dog and lure it toward the waiting pack in the bushes. It’s a tactic I’ve witnessed at my country home in Kaministiquia, 25 km west of Thunder Bay. From my kitchen window I saw a wolf frolicking in the front yard. It offered the bow position of “let’s play” to my dog and flirtatiously ran right to left. It acted just like a domesticated dog. I quickly called my dog inside, but the wolf did not run off when it saw me. In fact, my husband and I stood on the deck and yelled at it until it slowly sauntered off. That was about 20 years ago, and since then, we’ve seen plenty of wolves in the yard, as well as a deer kill they made near the house.

The TransCanada Pipeline runs through our property and serves as a highway for the wolves—some neighbors have said

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Wolves can easily blend into their surroundings. |

they’ve seen as many as 27 wolves in a pack. So it’s no surprise that my family experienced a dog versus wolf encounter first hand. In 2012, we became the new forever home to a two-year-old great Pyrenees/golden retriever mix. After some time with us and our collie mix, our new dog learned to stay close to home. So when the dogs wanted to go outside early one morning, I opened the door to let them out. The collie began to bark—as she always did—at butterflies, snowmen, mailboxes and rustling leaves, so I thought nothing of it. A few hours later, when I called the dogs, only the collie came in. Then I saw the ravens flying overhead. I knew. I began to walk down the pipeline to look for our Pyrenees, and in the distance, I could see a wolf standing in the middle of the trail. I quickly turned back for home. When my husband

and son came home, they took the snow machines and found a scattering of our dog’s white hair. They burned the remains to deter the wolves from coming back.

Even though losing our dog was tragic, it didn’t stop us from adopting other dogs. One of the benefits of living in the country is that our pets can romp and play and explore. And since I choose to live in the wild, I will always have a dog to keep away bears from the compost.

There are some things you can do to help prevent attracting wolves, especially in the winter when conditions are tough for them. Feed your dog inside. Keep your dog inside at night, or kenneled. And clean up any field dressing remains left by hunters in the fall; which may attract both dogs and wolves to the scene.—Kathy Toivonen

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Butch and Amy Kuronen’s updated kitchen sets the stage for new memories in their 100-year-old home. Thanks to our certified award-winning designers, creating a space that draws the family together is as easy as pie. Discover the stories, products and process giving families across the region a better sense of place.

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Long term projections indicate that the Minnesota moose population will continue to decline. | MN DNR

Moose population remains low

ST. PAUL—Minnesota’s moose population remains low despite a slowing population decline during the past five years, according to the Minnesota DNR.

Results from the 2016 aerial moose survey indicate that the population change from an estimated 3,450 in 2015 to 4,020 in 2016 is not statistically significant. Northeastern Minnesota’s current moose population could be as high as 5,180 or as low as 3,230.

“Moose are not recovering in northeastern Minnesota,” said Glenn DelGiudice, moose project leader for the DNR. “It’s encouraging to see that the decline in the population since 2012 has not been as steep, but longer term projections continue to indicate that our moose population decline will continue.”

Annual population comparisons are made to 2006 because northeastern Minnesota’s highest moose population estimate of 8,840 occurred that year. Since then, the moose population has declined 55 percent.

Studies have shown that adult moose survival has the greatest long-term impact on moose populations. Northeastern

Minnesota’s collective moose population may be reflecting the annual survival rate of moose collared as part of the DNR’s moose mortality research project, which shows that survival of adult moose increased from 81 percent in 2013 to 88 percent in 2014 and 85 percent in 2015.

DelGiudice said more calves surviving beyond their first year also may be slowing the short-term population decline. Data collected in fall and early winter 2015 document the number of calves that remained with their mothers. These data reflect the 2016 population survey estimate that 17 percent of Minnesota moose are calves, up from 13 percent in 2015 and 15 percent in 2014.

This year’s survey involved flying 52 survey plots distributed across northeastern Minnesota from Jan. 4-15. The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and 1854 Treaty Authority contributed funding and provided personnel to assist Minnesota DNR with the annual moose survey.

A copy of the aerial survey report and more information about Minnesota moose are available on the DNR website at www.mndnr.gov/moose.

Students to compete in robotics competition

DULUTH—With strict rules, limited resources and the guidance of volunteer mentors, more than 25 teams across the state have six weeks to build and program robots to perform challenging tasks against competitors, for the FIRST Robotics Competition at the Duluth DECC.

FIRST, or For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, was founded in 1989 and is a notfor-profit charity designed to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology, motiving them to pursue education and career opportunities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields. FIRST holds over 2,000 events worldwide and more than 400K youths are participating in the current 2015-16 season. The robotics competition season begins with district and regional events, where qualifying teams compete for a spot at the championships. Last year, 123 teams competed at the Duluth DECC, also known as the Double DECCer, with two regionals held under the same roof.

Not only do students learn what it takes to build a robot, but they also learn teamwork and perform community outreach programs. The cost of participating in the competition is pricey, so students plan fundraisers to help cut the costs, such as selling T-shirts. Many local and area businesses also sponsor the teams.

More than 20 students from the Two Harbors High School form the Rock Solid robotics team, with both new and returning team members. Last year, the team won the FIRST Dean’s List Finalist Award at the Northern Lights Regional. Visit www.twoharborsrobotics.com to learn more.

Also competing from along the shore is the Ice Storm team in Grand Marias and the Mariner Robotics from Silver Bay.

The regional competition at the Duluth DECC is free and open to the public to attend. Visit www.decc.org or www.usfirst.org. for more info.

—Breana Roy

Students learn what it takes to build a robot. | SUBMITTED

USFS and DNR embark on good neighbor program

DULUTH—When it comes to the management of America’s natural resources, Congress giveth and Congress taketh away. This simple truth is lost to those who criticize the agencies charged with managing the resources and, sadly, often by the media that reports on the critics. But Congress passes the laws that guide agency management activities and appropriates the funding that allows the agencies to accomplish the work.

On our national forests, Congress and court decisions created a situation where the process of selling timber involves lots of time-consuming paperwork and congressional budget appropriations fall short of what is needed to actually complete all of the planned work on the ground. This has reduced the output of wood from the national forests and led critics to say that other entities could do a better job of managing the forests.

And that leads us to the Good Neighbor program, a new collaborative opportunity for the Forest Service and states that was included in the 2014 Farm Bill. The Chippewa and Superior national forests and the Minnesota DNR recently signed a master agreement that will allow the state to supplement work being done by the Forest Service on national forest lands. Similar agreements have been signed in Michigan and Wisconsin. A second, more specific, supplemental agreement will be signed between each national forest and the DNR.

Kent Jacobson, timber business program consultant for the DNR Forestry Division, says the partnership will begin with pilot projects, a roughly 100-acre timber sale on each forest. The Forest Service staff

will be responsible the initial paperwork. They will identify the acres they want to treat (manage) with an opportunity analysis, take the proposed treatment through the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process and establish legal property boundaries.

The DNR will take it from there. Forestry staff will run the lines to lay out the sale sites. The Good Neighbor projects will likely be sold as part of the DNR’s timber auction process. The state will also collect the money from the sale, which will then be returned, less an administrative fee, to the national forest.

Jacobson said that unlike Forest Service timber sales, where the money goes to the U.S. Treasury, revenues collected from Good Neighbor projects will stay in the national forest and be used for future work.

“The Forest Service can use the funds for future management on the forest,” Jacobson said. “This may potentially increase the money available for work on the forest.”

Good Neighbor projects will be in addition to what the Forest Service plans to accomplish with its work plans, says Kris Reichenbach, public affairs officer for the Superior National Forest. While timber production will be an outcome of Good Neighbor projects, the timber sales will be used to accomplish the agency’s management goals, such as stand regeneration, thinning or fuel reduction.

On the Chippewa National Forest, the proposed pilot project is a thinning of an 80-acre red pine plantation. Jim Gubbles, timber program manager for the Chip -

pewa, says it’s a project that wouldn’t happen otherwise. He is excited to begin working with the DNR on Good Neighbor projects. As a former DNR forester, he is familiar with the state’s operation and believes they have tools such as consumer weight scaling that will bring new efficiency to forest management on the national forests. It will also allow management to be accomplished across property boundaries.

“In Minnesota, we have adjacent state, county and federal land,” he said. “Our district offices and DNR Forestry offices are close to one another. The management opportunities are much broader and will accomplish multiple goals while putting additional wood on the market.”

Another federal/state project on the Chippewa will be the treatment of a black ash stand that lies on adjacent national forest and state lands. The treatment is intended to diversify the stand in preparation for the eventual (and likely inevitable) arrival of a deadly invasive pest, the emerald ash borer. The site includes 15 acres of national forest land where, after thinning the black ash, other tree species such as balsam fir, black spruce and tamarack will be planted.

Does the DNR have the staffing to take care of Good Neighbor projects? Jacobson said yes, especially since both parties are easing into the program. He hopes the Forest Service will choose to make use of the program and develop a project plan. If so, the DNR will be able to hire additional Forestry staff to accomplish the work.

Cutting more timber on the national forests won’t result in overharvest, be -

cause the Superior and Chippewa have annual Allowable Sales Quantities (ASQs) in their existing forest plans. Wayne Brandt, executive vice presdent of the Minnesota Timber Producers Association said that the Chippewa has been harvesting close to its ASQ, but that “much more opportunity” for harvest exists on the Superior. That national forest has an ASQ of 102 million board feet. In recent years, it has been selling about 40-45 million board feet. Brandt said that if the Good Neighbor program allowed the annual harvest to increase by 20 million board feet, this would amount to about 2,000 acres of additional harvest per year.

“This might give the Forest Service the opportunity and incentive to do additional larger, say 200-acre cuts for moose management than they are presently doing,” Brandt said. “They might be able to do 10 more moose management projects annually.”

Jacobson said the additional logging would be good for the northern Minnesota economy, citing a statistic that for every one dollar of stumpage sold 40 dollars returns to the local economy. Another benefit, he said, would be a greater amount of early successional forest, which benefits wildlife species such as ruffed grouse, deer and moose.

Reichenbach said Good Neighbor program will allow the Forest Service and DNR to build on what already is a good working relationship. Since the pilot projects are just beginning, it is too early to predict how many will occur in the future.

“We hope there will be a lot of them,” she said.—Shawn Perich

Chiropractors treat dogs, too

HERMANTOWN—Humans aren’t the only creatures who suffer from aches and pains. So do dogs. Often, dogs in pain are treated with medication, some of which can be harmful to a dog’s kidneys or liver with long-term use. For some dogs, there is a holistic alternative to medication: Chiropractic treatment.

Dr. Claudia Cottrell is an animal chiropractor based in Duluth who serves the North Shore and Iron Range. Her practice includes dogs, horses and cats. Recently, she had her first rabbit. Dr. Cottrell said she treats dogs for a variety of ailments.

“In dogs, I often treat a weak back end due to a spinal issue called DM or degenerative myelopathy, which is like ALS in humans,” she said. “It is terminal in dogs over a period of one to three years, but chiropractic care can help with their mobility and slow down the degenerative process.”

DM is a genetic mutation that generally affects older dogs, destroying their neurons. It is typically seen in large breeds such as German shepherds. Cottrell shows the owners exercises for the dogs to keep the neurons firing and slow the process of muscle atrophy. When dogs lose mobility in their hind end, they can use a special wheelchair for mobility.

Another common ailment in large dogs is hip dysplasia, which is a structural disorder that affects the hip ball and socket. Chiropractic care can help manage dysplasia unless the hip joint is completely destroyed.

Laryngeal paralysis usually affects older dogs and can be noted when the dog develops a raspy bark and begins panting. The disorder starts in the lower back and can affect their ability to exercise. It can be treated with a surgical procedure, but Cottrell says that after surgery the dogs cannot be in water. Chiropractic care is an alternative to surgery for water-loving dogs.

Large breed dogs such as Doberman pinschers can be afflicted with wobbler disease. Symptoms include a loss of balance, a rigid neck and poor control of back legs. It is a disease of the cervical spine where slipped discs or bony malformation cause compression of the spinal cord. Chiropractic treatment, generally an adjustment of the lower neck, can help with the associated issues. Cottrell said.

Dogs can also need chiropractor care just for being dogs. They can injure themselves slipping on ice or hardwood floors. Households with multiple dogs may have canine injuries from rough-housing. Often, these injuries aren’t serious and can be treated with spinal adjustments. Some dogs, like some people, may need ongoing maintenance treatments to deal with pain.

How does someone become an animal chiropractor? Cottrell says you must be a licensed chiropractor or veterinarian in order to attend an animal chiropractic school. She had a 20-year practice as a licensed chiropractor before learning to treat animals five years ago.

Cottrell has an office in Duluth and at her home in Hermantown. She travels regularly to the Iron Range and Grand Marais, as well as far south as Askov. She used to work with a veterinarian who practiced acupuncture, but has since moved to Wisconsin. However, the vet returns to see animals in Duluth on a monthly basis. Cottrell gives referrals for animal massage.

“There’s a whole new world of pet care,” Cottrell says. “People are looking for holistic cures, not just medicines.”

—Shawn Perich

Have

Dr. Claudia Cottrell’s patients consist of dogs, cats and horses | SUBMITTED

a favorite restaurant? Give them your vote.

GRAND MARAIS—The 2016 Northern Wilds Reader’s Choice Restaurant Awards are underway. We’ve added a few new ways to make voting even easier.

Many restaurants along the North Shore now have Restaurant Award table tents displayed at various tables. This will

provide customers with easy access to the online awards ballot. Simply scan the QR code with a mobile device and vote.

It’s that easy!

Categories include favorite pizza, wine, server and view. You may not choose the same restaurant for more than three cat-

egories or your entry will be disqualified. Only one entry per person. One lucky voter will receive a $50 gift certificate to the restaurant of their choice.

The winning restaurants are announced and featured in Northern Wilds magazine, as well as in our annual North Shore

Restaurant Guide, which is distributed at prime pickup locations along the Shore. They will also receive a framed award. You can find the ballot in this issue of Northern Wilds or access the ballot online at www.northernwilds.com. Voting ends March 31.

Who Rescued Who?

A Tribute to the Northland’s Dog Matchmakers

By Casey Fitchett

Follow those paw prints in the snow and you may just find yourself at the door of one of the many shelters and dog rescue groups along the North Shore of Lake Superior. Selfless animal lovers in our communities are working tirelessly to match adoptable dogs to their forever homes. These dedicated and compassionate individuals volunteer their time and energy daily to a cause that brings joy to so many families.

Ace, Gray’s dachshund, is the mascot for Ace’s Waggin rescue group in Two Harbors. | ELIZABETH GRAY

Paws for Love

Alan and Kim Tamminen of Thunder Bay, Ontario are working to make the world better for dogs on the North Shore. In 2013 they began Paws for Love, a shelter they run out of their home. Currently providing love and attention to 50 dogs, the volunteer organization gets many puppies from northern communities with no veterinary care.

In an effort to control the population, they put a heavy emphasis on making sure every dog that comes through its adoption program gets spayed or neutered after the adoption. Nikki, one of the volunteers, maintains communication with adoptive dog parents to hopefully ensure follow-through.

“Once we get a puppy into care it is quarantined for two weeks. We administer the first shots, put it in a foster home and feature it on our Facebook page and website. Once a dog is adopted, I follow up with adoptive parents to make sure the dog is spayed or neutered in a reasonable time frame. Part of the adoption cost is a $50 spay/neuter refund that many people choose to donate to the Northern Spay Neuter program instead of recouping,” said Nikki.

Part of the process of bringing dogs up to an adoptable standard is doing full health checks. Both the puppies and the adult dogs that find their way to Paws for Love often have very serious medical issues that must be addressed.

“We do have lots of adult dogs that we bring in. They are the hardest. We have dealt with broken or dislocated legs, missing eyes and cancer,” says Tamminen. “Sometimes puppies come with horrible diseases like mange and parvovirus.”

Though it can be a monetary struggle, local pet stores help with food donations and local veterinarians offer reduced rates. Financial challenges aside, Tamminen

sees the end result as the most important aspect of all.

“We are all volunteers in this; there is no money made at all. Seeing the dogs in their new lives living like kings and queens really makes all the effort and tears worth it in the end,” she said.

Over 700 dogs have found forever homes since 2013 thanks to their unwavering effort.

Ace’s Waggin

Elizabeth Gray, a resident of Two Harbors, started her rescue group following a volunteer trip to the Crow Creek Indian Reservation in South Dakota. She was struck by the sheer number of homeless dogs on the reservation and felt compelled to get involved.

“That trip I came home with two dogs that I now call family. One was a female adult black Lab that I found abandoned and walking a dirt road with heat exhaustion. She is now named Waste (pronounced Wash-tay), which is Lakota for pretty. The second was a male puppy Rottweiler mix who was severely underweight and had mange so bad he cried every time he itched. He is now a handsome dog named Mato, which is Lakota for bear.”

Gray runs Ace’s Waggin, the foster-based rescue, with her mom, Kim Ruf-Gray. Every dog they rescue is placed into a foster home, which allows the pair to get feedback on the dog’s behavior. Potential adoptive “dog parents” can then get a better sense of how the dog will behave around other pets and children. Their process has worked, though they are limited by the number of volunteer foster families available. So far, they have adopted out 17 dogs since January 2015. Of those 17, Gray and her mom have each fostered five dogs.

“I am thankful for Ace’s Waggin. It has made me a more wholesome person. Dog rescue has become a large part of my life.

Additional Resources

Other area groups include Arrowhead Animal Rescue in Grand Marais, Lake County Humane Society in Two Harbors, and Lake County Humane Society in Silver Bay. More information about each group and adoptable pets can be found on the respective websites and Facebook pages.

Each dog and their new family will always be part of the Ace’s Waggin family,” said Gray.

Gray is always looking for foster families and forever homes for the dogs. Visit www. aceswaggin.weebly.com for more info.

Animal Allies

Animal Allies in Duluth is another group leading the way for the four-legged members of society. The path of a dog through the Animal Allies intake process is heavily focused on ensuring not only physical health, but behavioral awareness as well.

“Our first step when a new dog comes in is making sure it is seen by our medical team. One of our biggest concerns as a shelter is keeping disease down, so we vaccinate the dogs right away. Once we feel secure that the animal is medically sound, they go through a process of behavioral assessment to evaluate how they do with food, toys, people and other dogs,”

explains Amy Miller, marketing and communications manager.

The relationships they have with local trainers facilitate creating a remedy for any behavioral training the dog may need before being deemed ready for adoption. One of their trainers has even agreed to provide an additional month of free training for a dog currently on the adoption floor when he meets his forever family.

As they have evolved, they have shifted their focus to the bigger picture of improving animal welfare through community education. Though their adoption numbers are impressive, youths and adults served through humane education programs number in the tens of thousands.

As with the other non-profits, creating funding streams is consistently a top priority for the organization. Three fund-raising events dot their calendar every year: the Fitger’s Frozen Fundraiser in January, the Walk for Animals in June, and the Fur Ball Dinner in October. Recuperating costs from the busy “kitten season” of summer provides an extra impetus to work hard on the fund-raising events later in the year.

Animal Allies led a campaign beginning in 2010 to eliminate euthanasia of healthy and treatable animals in Duluth. At their January event, the team at Animal Allies chose their 2015 “All-Star Adoptions” to highlight some of the animals that have been given a second chance. Popo, a Staffordshire terrier mix, came to Animal Allies in April 2015 about 40 pounds overweight. She was unable to stand on her own and her ACLs were torn in both hind legs. Her obesity made operating impossible. Time in the shelter and in a loving foster home provided her the strict diet and exercise regime she needed to trim down and be able to jump and play like a healthy dog again.

Popo’s story is just one of hundreds that are possible only due to the rescuers and shelter operators in our neighborhoods.

[LEFT] Chester, a coonhound, was adopted by a family in Silver Bay, thanks to Ace’s Waggin. | ELIZABETH GRAY [CENTER] Over 700 dogs have found homes through Paws for Love. | KIM TAMMINEN [RIGHT] Bentley found his forever home with a family from Grand Marais, through Ace’s Waggin. | ELIZABETH GRAY

KIM TAMMINEN

Me and the Boys

By Shawn Perich

Last winter, Tanner, the old yellow lab, and I were pretty glum. The previous summer we’d lost Abby, a nearly 17-year-old shepherd-husky. Then in October, we lost Vikki, the woman in our lives. The old homestead was quiet and lonely. When spring arrived, I took Vikki’s advice.

“Get a puppy,” was one of the last things she said to me.

In April, a seven-week-old yellow Lab puppy entered our lives. We called him Rainy, because he was born in a kennel just outside International Falls, near a river of the same name. Within a day, he was right at home, incessantly tussling with Tanner between naps. Puppies take lots of naps.

Tanner proved to be a patient and gentle mentor, except for one instructive moment. Rainy thought he could push the big dog out of the way and eat from his food dish. A growl and a nip from Tanner taught him otherwise.

Within a week, Rainy was joining us for long, daily walks. He came to work with me, getting lots of socialization from the Northern Wilds staff and every dog lover who visited the office. Alas, he outgrew his welcome when he began stealing whatever he could off

Maya

By Maren Webb

My husband and I had long wanted to get a dog, but city living didn’t quite feel right for the large dog we dreamed of having. Not to mention how difficult it is to find a pet-friendly apartment. Our move to Grand Marais sparked a renewed interest in getting a dog and about a year into our time on the North Shore, a lovable chocolate lab puppy entered our lives. From the start, Maya was our outdoors dog: from running nose to the ground along the Superior Hiking Trail, to taking a swim in whatever water she could find (thank goodness most of our waters are clean.) Early on, we decided to train her to the canoe, so she could accompany us on our regular Boundary Waters canoe trips. A fter one or two near spills into the lake, a few paddle taps and countless treats, Maya is a canoe trip champ. While dogs can be our companions in many ways, I love that our dog is up for all the adventures the North Shore offers us, no matter the season. The only spot you won’t find Maya is out on a frozen lake ice fishing (I’ll save that story for another time). Maya and I will see you on the trails.

desks and causing other mischief. So it goes with young male Labs.

In September, the boys and I took a road trip to Montana, wandering through mountain valleys where trout streams flow. We visited friends, saw some wild country and even caught a trout or two. Rainy learned how to travel, riding “shotgun” while Tanner curled up on the back seat. Back home, we began hunting grouse. The puppy showed promise.

In South Dakota a month later, the puppy became a bird dog. At first, he was unsure about this new game, chasing pheasants on the prairie. He followed Tanner through the grassy cover, mimicking the older dog’s moves. After Tanner flushed and retrieved a couple of rooster pheasants, you could almost see the light bulb go off in Rainy’s brain. He began to hunt. By the third day, he was finding downed birds before Tanner and proudly, if not perfectly, retrieving them. Tanner appeared chagrined.

But the boys are still best buddies. They like nothing better than long walks and the opportunity to run full tilt through open spaces. As for me, I appreciate the exercise. Being a “single parent” to two dogs is sometimes challenging, but my boys are always happy to see me. You can’t ask for more than that.

Ringo

By Erin Altemus

Last year, Ringo was our alternate for the Beargrease team, but an unforeseen injury in another dog gave Ringo a chance to prove himself. He finished the race, defying all expectations I had for him.

This year, during the Beargrease, Ringo got off to a poor start. At the first checkpoint, in Finland, Ringo started limping. I thought a previous injury had reoccurred, but after he limbered up, the limp went away.

At the next checkpoint, he started a fight with Emmy Lou. She gave him a good swipe in the cheek which necessitated some staples.

By mid-race, however, the Ringo from last year emerged.

As the team slowly trotted up a large hill, a sudden yip, almost a scream emerged from somewhere i n the team and everyone surged forward, rallied by this sudden enthusiasm. These bursts of excitement would come when least expected and most needed. By the last leg of race, Ringo’s tug line was tighter than any other. As we neared the finish, he cheered the team forward. At the finish line, he lunged to go further.

“Who’s that guy?” Someone asked at the finish. “That is an exceptional dog,” I replied.

Timber

By Julia Prinselaar

After repeatedly winding up at the local animal services shelter, Timber was taken under the care of New Hope Dog Rescue Thunder Bay until my partner, Juan, and I adopted him one year ago.

I often refer to Timber as “a human wearing a dog blanket,” because so much of his traits are unlike other dogs. He’s friendly and charming, but he doesn’t crave attention and is never overbearing. Instead of fetching a tennis ball, he’ll offer you a blank stare. He rarely barks and always takes treats gently from your hands. He pays little attention to either our chickens or our kitten. But he does like chicken eggs...

One morning, Timber joined me in the backyard as I was cleaning my chicken coop. There was a single egg in the nesting box, so I took it out of the coop and set it down on a small stump of wood while I turned the compost. When I was ready to bring the egg inside, I noticed that it had disappeared from the stump and was nowhere in sight. Then, I looked over to Timber. He was 10 feet away from the stump, sitting with the egg between his paws, licking at its shell. He had so gingerly picked it up in his mouth and carried it over that the egg wasn’t broken—not even cracked. He’s the most gentle dog I’ve ever had the pleasure of spending time with, and we look forward to many years of adventure together.

Aileron

By Breana Roy

In the fall of first grade, my friend’s farm dog had 12 unplanned puppies, and like any kids, my sister and I begged our parents to adopt one. After telling us no dozens of times, my Dad surprised us with the greatest Christmas present I’ve ever received. My Dad is a pilot, so the stipulation—we had to name her something aviation-related. We settled on Aileron, a part on an airplane wing. While she didn’t grow up to be a lazy, airport dog as my Dad had hoped, she captured our hearts nonetheless and quickly became part of the family.

She was a stubborn, loving, smart, high energy and highly food-motivated golden retriever. Stories about her often involve missing cookies, muffins, a tub of butter and even Barbie shoes and limbs. We believe she got her deep orange color from a few stolen Thanksgiving pumpkin pies. Her motto: It’s better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission.

Her favorite spot to ride in the car was the front seat and she wouldn’t move for anybody. As a kid, I frequently sat in the back when my parents picked me up from school, because she wouldn’t budge from the front, no matter how hard I tried to make her move.

Since I’m the baby of the family, she constantly tested my authority. But she was also my best friend and playmate. We spent hours playing in the yard and swimming in the lake. As she got older, she thrived on summer boat rides, car rides and short walks.

Unfortunately, my childhood companion passed away when she was around age 14. And while it’s been many years now, I still think of her often. She is forever in my heart as my “baby girl.”

That’s Our Leo

By Eric Chandler

My wife was nice to the dog and gave him a treat this week. (I have since learned she gives him a snack every day. What gives?) He rolled over to earn it and, while rolling, sprayed the kitchen with pee like a lawn sprinkler. No, he’s not a puppy. My daughter assigned Leo January 10 as his birthday. He just had his fifth. Hard to believe we picked this Labrador and border collie mix up from Animal Allies back in 2011.

When he gets super excited he does it. Or when he’s drowsy and you touch him. Once I came downstairs in the morning and said, “Good morning, buddy.” He peed. It’s just the way it is. We have a rule: Don’t interact with Leo when he’s sleepy.

He’s quite handsome. The crossbreeding makes him look like he’s wearing a tux. However, I believe he’s somewhere on the autism spectrum. He doesn’t snuggle without you having food in your hand. And even then, it’s not snuggling. He vibrates with hope and his creepy yellow eyes bore into the food you’re holding like lasers. Not you. The food. Then he’s a damn genius. Speak. Roll over. Shake. Shake with the other hand. Go to his rug. Touch your hand with his nose. Once you say, “All done” and go to pet him on the head, he skulks away. There’s a five-minute window before he retires in the evening when he comes over for some love. But, you might get wet because it’s his bedtime.

He brings our family together because he’s our common enemy. But he’s not all bad. I ran all 300 miles of the Superior Hiking Trail (SHT) with him during the summer of 2014. He came with me on every single leg. I learned a few things about him that summer. He’s not much for people, but he loves to be outside. When I lace up the shoes to run, he comes downstairs and stands with his nose touching the door to head out. Impossible to ignore. He’s always game to go run or cross-country ski. He’s gone thousands of miles with me.

He never gives up. On the SHT, he tore into the brush after squirrels and chipmunks like a bullet from a rifle. Never caught one. He never will. But his enthusiasm never wavers. He has no memory. He only lives in the now. I admire that.

At home, he’s protective of my wife and kids. If I’m playing around and bear hug my wife, he starts barking to protect his mama. And that bark. It’s like a sonic cannon. I’ve been around dogs my whole life and I’ve never heard anything like it. He’s a medium-sized dog, but the pots ring and your eyes water when he makes noise. But he has a false-alarm rate of zero. He only barks when he should. When he barks, you discover there’s someone trying to ring our inoperative doorbell. But if you hear a door slam and he’s quiet, you know the car must be from the neighbor’s driveway, not ours. Good dog.

God help me, I love him. I actually do. I’d pet him, but…well…you know.

Bear

By Elle Andra-Warner

Our chocolate Lab, Bear, joined the family in the summer of 2011, after my husband Glenn visited a Saskatchewan farmer who just happened to have seven pups ready to go to homes. We had no intention of getting another dog (our two golden Labs had

passed away a few years before), but when Glenn arrived at the farm, there was one pup that ran straight to him, put his paws up and looked at Glenn, as if to say, “You’re here to take me home, right?” A couple of days later, Bear was in the truck heading home to Thunder Bay with Glenn.

By Amber Pratt

Sitka

By Roseanne Cooley

Sitka is 9 years old and is half husky and half white German shepherd. We got her when my first born was a baby. We now have two kids and Sitka loves them. She

is very protective, as if they were her own puppies. She likes to pull the kids around on their sleds and play outside, digging holes and covering the kids with snow. She also loves to play fetch.

Evee Bido and Srearl

If you’ve stopped by the Northern Wilds office in the past few months, you might have met Evee, the official door greater. Evee was adopted through the Paws for Love rescue group in Thunder Bay. When at home, she’s learning to get along with her two feline companions. One of their favorite games is ‘slap the puppy.’ She also loves the snow and cold play outside all day long. And like most puppies, she loves treats.

By Sue O’Quinn

We got brothers Bido and Srearl as puppies when we moved into our new home in Hovland. They have been a big “help” in the yard, always finding treasures, keeping the wild animals at bay, and protecting the chickens and geese. Some people have deer problems in their gardens… we have dog problems. They enjoy garden produce, especially pea pods they pick themselves. They also enjoy blueberries. Even though they are getting older and gray, they remain active. When indoors, they have their own couch, where they enjoy lounging around and bird watching.

Congratulations to the 2015 Photo Contest Winners

This month we are featuring the Pet Category winners in the 2015 Northern Wilds photo contest. We were not surprised to receive many wonderful entries, because we already knew our readers love their pets. Choosing the winners wasn’t easy. It took several rounds of voting to select the photos you see here. We wish a hearty thanks to everyone who shared photos of their beloved pets with us. Give your pet an extra scratch from all of us at Northern Wilds.

First place receives $250 in North House Folk School course credits, second place receives $50 and third place receives $25. We also chose an honorable mention. The People category will be published in the upcoming issue.

To see all of the winning entries, visit www.northernwilds.com/ contests/photography-contest.

The 2016 photo contest will begin later this summer.

Category: Pets

1. BrendaBeasty Hadrich 2. Dogs Neil Parsons 3. SandraBetsyUpdyke

honorable mention: Sisterly Love Madison Cutler

by Breana

Roy

Duluth Art Institute

by the 1950’s street photography, Ken

This month, two new exhibitions are on display at the Duluth Art Institute until April 2. “Public Domain: Photographs by Ken Bloom,” showcases Bloom’s three-year project documenting public life in Japan during the 1970s. In 1976, Bloom bought a one-way plane ticket to Tokyo with only $60 in his pocket and his camera with him. His bold actions to explore a new land are mirrored in his bold photography, creating curiosity and wanderlust in many viewers. An Artist Talk is scheduled for March 15, at 5 p.m., and the exhibition will be on display at the Duluth Art Institute’s George Morrison Gallery.

“Land of Wonder: New Work by Shawna Gilmore,” showcases acrylic paintings with dream and story-like scenes, captivating audiences of all ages. She describes her work as “exploring edges of wonder and reality… These surreal scenes convey other worlds where I can escape to process experiences, observations or obsessions.” Gilmore’s exhibit also includes an audio tour. An Artist Talk is scheduled for March 9, at 5 p.m., with youth activities included.

Also at the Duluth Art Institute is Youth Art, on display from March 3-26 with live artist demos during the opening reception on March 3, from 5-7 p.m.

Breana’s Pick of the Month

Jess Oullis Smith recently started creating wrap bracelets as a hobby, but her obsession quickly grew. She uses genuine leather and natural gemstones. The buttons used here were created by Wickwire Clay Works (located in Grand Marais). Jess will be selling her creations at various locations this spring. For more info, call (218) 370-2094.

Mid-Winter Art Quikie

Other area art events include the Mid-Winter Art Quickie at Betsy Bowen’s studio in Grand Marais, featuring a variety of local and regional pottery. The event will be held March 25-26.

Inspired

Bloom traveled to Japan in 1976 to find his “decisive moment.” His photograph, “Man with Umbrella” was taken a year later. | KEN BLOOM

Pottery by Joan Farnam will be featured at the Mid-Winter Art Quickie show. | JOAN FARNAM

Shawna Gilmore graduated in 2000 from UMD with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Studio Art. Her paintings explore science, fairy tales and a variety of topics in between, such as “Speaking with Bears,” featured here.

| SHAWNA GILMORE

A Sense of Wonder

The Spirit of the Wilderness, "Sense of Wonder: Expressing This Place" exhibit will be on display from March 4-28 at the Johnson Heritage Post. All artists, both amateur and professional, are invited to showcase their work. The Cook County High School art class students will also be contributing.

Participants are asked to consider how the landscape, light, atmosphere, seasons and community of the North Shore have shaped them as artists. Interpretation is varied, creating a unique and fascinating experience for guests. Previous shows have included photography, paintings, drawings, carvings, sculptures, fiber and pottery.

The exhibit will open at 5 p.m., March 4, with appetizers; followed by a discussion with Chel Anderson at 6 p.m. Anderson is an extraordinary interpreter of the natural history of the North Shores.

Artwork will be accepted at Johnson’s Heritage Post between noon and 4 p.m., March 1-2.

This intricate fern was showcased at last year’s exhibit. | SPIRIT OF THE WILDERNESS

Ceramics and art of all kinds can be found at the exhibit. | SPIRIT OF THE WILDERNESS

Also displayed at last year’s exhibit was this elaborate art quilt. | SPIRIT OF THE WILDERNESS

This colorful raven was created by area artist Sandi Pillsbury Gredzens. | SANDI PILLSBURY GREDZENS

The Sense of Wonder exhibit features all types of mediums, such as this wooden bowl. | SPIRIT OF THE WILDERNES

For Barbara Jean, Life is Good

Since leaving Grand Marais for Minneapolis in 2014 to pursue a music career, Barbara Jean Meyers has done just that.

Of her life, she says, “It’s been mostly music; playing shows, touring, writing songs, running a small business and trying to be creative.”

But take note that her life is “mostly music.” Meyers phoned from Nicaragua, where she was taking intensive, month-long instruction in Modo (Moksha in Canada) yoga, because she is training to become a yoga instructor.

“We’re in sessions from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., six days a week,” she said. “But I really like it and it’s a great community.”

Returning home, Meyers will be back to playing music. Last summer, she began collaborating with musician/songwriter Molly Dean. The two of them are now known as Dusty Heart. In late summer, they toured Colorado with Dave Simonett and Dave Carol of Trampled by Turtles. At this writing, they were sched -

uled to perform at the Folk Alliance International Folk Fest in Kansas City, Missouri. They are also playing on Monday, March 4 at Papa Charlies in Lutsen.

“This is the first time we’ve played together in Cook County,” she said.

The two women are presently working on their first record. Meyers says she is excited about the recording and collaboration with Dean.

“Molly is really fun to be around. She’s a gifted musician and a talented singer,” she says. “Plus she has a great sense of humor. We spend a lot of time laughing when we are on tour.”

In addition to performing as Dusty Heart, Meyer is continuing to play solo gigs and shows with her band, promoting her 2014 album, Darker Than Blue. While she misses living on the North Shore, she enjoys getting outside in the city to go for long daily hikes with her dog.

“The North Shore will always be a place that is close to my heart,” she says. “I feel really grateful to the

Earth, Wind and Todd

The dance music of the 1970’s lives again with funky Grand Marais party band Earth, Wind and Todd.

The story of Earth, Wind and Todd originates, as many good stories do; in Las Vegas, Nevada. After grooving to a ‘70’s tribute band one evening in the Sin City, Minneapolis-area native Todd Miller was “blown away by the power of the era’s music and its ability to transform the audience into a fun dance party.”

Since that night, it was Miller’s goal to form a band that was groovy enough to get audiences on their feet, let loose and not take themselves so seriously. Listeners are often tipped off to the band’s silly demeanor from the moment they spot their platform shoes and era-appropriate costumes on stage. That attitude is infectious and people are emphatically encouraged to relax and embrace the moment.

Miller’s memories of his youth also provided a catalyst for his desire to form the cleverly-named band. Coming from a family that appreciated music, Miller fondly remembers listening to his Pickwick records on his avocado green folding record player. Music became ingrained in his musical DNA. Polka dances fostered a desire to dance and surround himself with people who also have the boogie gene.

When done right, the music of that decade has the ability to speak to a wide audience. Earth, Wind and Todd is careful to choose music that has a certain entertainment factor and humor that can ensure the dance floor is full of people from all walks of life.

“Not only does it entertain those who lived through the ‘70’s, but when it’s funky, it captures a much younger audience too. A great groove is timeless and ageless,” explains Miller.

wonderful people in Cook County who had such a huge influence on me; on how I live my life, how I write my songs.”

She says Minneapolis is a great home base for a musician. The music scene is diverse and of high quality. In addition to a supportive community of musicians, there is community support exemplified by radio stations, such as Minnesota Public Radio’s The Current and KFAI. Both stations play local music in their regular rotations, which creates a widespread awareness of the local scene. For Barbara Jean, it’s a good place to be.

“I’m not rich, but I have lots of opportunities and a great network of friends and colleagues,” she says. “I have a good life.”—Shawn Perich

The band consists of a multi-talented mix of vocalists, percussionists, a guitarist and bassist. The four main members are Todd Miller, Amy Brooks Varga, John Varga and John Mianowski. A rotating array of Cook County musicians rounds out the band at various gigs. Willing audience members can expect to be invited on stage for a danceable rendition of “Don’t Fear the Reaper” and other songs throughout the set.

Readers hoping to exercise their funk muscle can typically catch Earth, Wind and Todd in the local

scene at bigger events like Halloween, New Years and Fisherman’s Picnic.—Casey Fitchett

bar

Earth, Wind and Todd play funky party music, and they also dress the part. | EARTH, WIND AND TODD

Dusty Heart is Molly Dean [LEFT] and Barbara Jean. | BARBARA JEAN

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Skiers of all ages can participate in the Sleeping Giant

FIRST Robotics Regional Competitions

March 2-4

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High school-aged teams compete head to head on a special playing field with robots they have designed, built and programmed. Each team has only six weeks to build their robots, using limited resources and under strict rules. The competition will take place at the DECC Arena in Duluth. Visit www.usfirst.org to learn about the teams or visit www.decc.org for more info.

Easter Weekend

March 25-27

Celebrate Easter throughout the weekend, starting with the Waterfront Egg Extravaganza in Thunder Bay on Saturday, March 26. Also on Saturday is the Ashland Easter egg hunt in Wisconsin. The event will begin at 11 a.m. on the Court House lawn. The Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth will be holding Easter Fun from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday, March 27 (www.lszooduluth.org). Lastly, the AmericInn in Silver Bay will also be participating in some Easter fun, starting with a breakfast buffet at 6 a.m. Bring the kids for the Easter Bunny, who will make his appearance at 8 a.m., followed by an Easter Egg Hunt at 9 a.m.

The Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth will host Easter fun and games. | SUBMITTED

Loppet.

MARTIN KAISER

High school students along the shore will compete in the FIRST Robotics Competition at the Duluth DECC. | FIRST ROBOTICS

of DogWinterDays

Once again, Trail Center on the Gunflint Trail is celebrating the Dog Days of Winter, March 13, with sled dog sprint races, skijoring races and a snowman competition. Races begin at 10 a.m. Spectators can enjoy hot dogs, s’mores and cocoa around the bonfire. Please leave your dogs at home unless they are racing with you. Go to www.dogdaysofwinter.info to learn more.

| SUBMITTED

Wood Week

March 3-6

The North House Folk School is devoting a week to wood-working in its many forms. Courses include wooden bowl carving, Norwegian knife making, wooden bowl turning, Nordic relief carving and more. Students will have the opportunity to visit with other carvers and instructors on Saturday and choose from a variety of mini-courses and excursions. For more info or to register online, visit www. northhouse.org.

Vintage Snowmobile

March 5, Saturday

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel silently through Minnesota’s north woods by dog team? Now is your chance.

For just $65, meet the dogs, hop in the sled and have our friendly musher and sled pet teams take you on 3 miles of breathtaking trail.

Points Unknown located up the Arrowhead Trail just 7 miles from Hovland.

Advanced booking is recommended

Contact Linda for reservations 218.370.0283 or linda@points-unknown.com

Join the Lutsen Trail Breakers Snowmobile Club and Cascade Lodge for the first annual “Blast from the Past” Vintage Snowmobile Ride, Saturday March 5. Ride from Cascade Lodge along the marked loop (roughly 20 miles) and return to Cascade Lodge for a vintage/antique show and happy hour buffet. Prizes will also be awarded, including a prize for “Best of Show” as voted by attendees. Space is limited. Visit www.cascadelodgemn.com for more info.

Sleeping Giant Loppet

March 5, Saturday

The Sleeping Giant Loppet is a mass participation ski festival that offers fun for the whole family and challenges competitive athletes. The Loppet takes place at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park in Thunder Bay. It features multiple events with distances for skiers of all abilities, including an 8km Mini-Loppet. Those looking to increase their distance or speed can try the 20km Marie Louise Lake loop.

Nordic carving is part of Wood Week at the North House Folk School.| NHFS

For the ultimate challenge, register for the Loppet's flagship event, the 50km Classic, Skate or Skiathon distance. www.sleepinggiantloppet.ca

Horticultural Society Open House and Membership Drive

March 6, Sunday

The Thunder Bay Horticultural Society will have a free open house and membership drive at the Oliver Road Community Centre. This year’s theme is “Getting Ready for Spring” and will take place from 1-4 p.m. There will be hands-on demonstrations and learning seminars, such as how to properly sharpen garden tools, how to attract pollinators, a chiropractic exercise demo to get your body ready and a presentation on how to make your garden attractive to deer. Take home pots will be available for those willing to carry on the process from seed to finally planting out in the garden. There will also be giveaways and free refreshments. For more info, visit www.tbayhortsociety. weebly.com.

Media Madness

March 8, Tuesday

Hollywood voiceover actor, public speaker, educator and author Bill Ratner will appear at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts in Grand Marais for a free presentation titled, “Media Madness: a comedic, fun and critical look at 21st century electronic media.” The presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m. and is open to all ages. There will also be a book signing and refreshments served (www.northshorehealthcarefoundation. org). Ratner will also be at Cook County Higher Education for a Networking Luncheon discussion, titled “Advertise and Promote Your Business in Today’s Marketplace” at 11:30 a.m. (www.northshorecampus.org). On March 9, Ranter will be at the Grand Marais Public Library from 9-10:30 a.m. for an informal coffee hour. Parents of young children are especially invited to attend (www.grandmaraislibrary. org). Ratner’s new book, “Parenting for the Digital Age: The Truth Behind Media’s Effect on Children and What To Do About It” provides a birds-eye view on the truth behind technology and media marketing towards children.

How are Deer Doing?

March 10, Thursday

Tom Rusch will speak at the International Wolf Center about the northeast Minnesota deer herd, its status and the challenges the herd faces, focusing primarily on the Northern Lake and Northern St. Louis Counties. Cost is $5 for non-members. Members and students are free. If you are not able to attend in person, join via live broadcast. Program rate is $10 for non-members and $9 for members. From 6:30-8 p.m. Visit www.wolf.org for more info.

COOK COUNTY’S Borealis Chorale & Orchestra

Spring Concert

7:00 p.m., Sunday Mar. 20

Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 413

The Ham Run Half Marathon is a one of a kind that winds its way through the Superior National Forest on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. There are very few places this wild and beautiful and no other race course like it in the world. Run the Trail Less Traveled, register today for the Ham Run. *Duluth Area & Cook County YMCA members receive member discount May 7th 10am start

enjoy this Cook County tradition.

Free will offering helps us continue this more than 60 year tradition!

The Thunder Bay Horticultural Society is “Getting Ready for Spring” with an Open House event. | SUBMITTED

Bill Ratner will discuss how media affects children at different Grand Marais events. | SUBMITED

Finland’s 41th Annual St Urho’s Celebration Schedule of Events

Friday night, March 11th

6-8 p.m.— Miss Helmi Talent and Beauty Contest—various stops around town

8 p.m.-Midnight— Music at the West Branch by Sofa King

8:30 p.m.-Midnight— Music at the Four Seasons by Tara Nelson and friends

Saturday, March 12th

8-10:30 a.m.— Finland MN Historical Society’s Pancake Breakfast, and Craft Fair at the Clair Nelson Center

Noon—Tug of War across the Baptism River

Before and during the parade—

- Finland Fire and Rescue will be selling refreshments outside the Finland Fire Hall.

- AfterProm will be selling St Urho T-shirts outside the Finland Co-op

Noon-1 p.m.— Parade through Finland on Highway 1.

Call Cheri Bischoff at 220-9947 to register for the parade.

1-3 p.m.— Clair Nelson CenterCraft Fair, kids games, Lunch, and music by Casey Aro

1-5 p.m.— Music at Our Place by the Curry Band

2-4 p.m.— Music at Four Seasons by Tara Nelson and friends

8 p.m.-Midnight — Music at West Branch by Sofa King

8:30 p.m.-Midnight— Music at the Four Seasons by Tara Nelson and friends

Sunday, March 13th

5 p.m.— Raffle Ticket Drawing and door prizes, Wildhurst

Supported by the Silver Bay Area

Tourism Association

Four Seasons Supper Club

Open 11 am Daily

4-course Dinner, Featuring Beach Inspired Dishes

The Nipigon Ice Fest has activities for climbers of all levels. | ARIC FISHMAN

Science Symposium

March 10-11

Women’s Expo

March 12, Saturday

Music by Tara Nelson Fri: 8:30 pm to Midnight, Sat: 2-4 pm 8:30 pm to Midnight Fri., Mar. 11: Feast of St. Urho 6 p.m. R.S.V.P.

Incl: Seafood Boil with Shrimp, Clams, Mussels, Potatoes, & Corn on the Cob Sat., Mar. 12: Hawaiian Luau Pork Sandwich & Beach Cocktail Drink and Beer Specials

218-353-7371 6538 Hwy 1, Finland, MN

* Pay-at-the-Pump

* 24-hour card reader

* Speedpass Pumps

* No Ethanol in our Super Unleaded

* Also Diesel at some locations today’s way to pay

Breakfast Buffet with Waffle Bar Sunday, March 27

Starts at 6 a.m.,

The first Heart of the Continent Science Symposium will take place at the Rainy River Community Center in International Falls and include a social and poster session, plenary session, short oral presentations and a discussion forum. Dr. Erik Beever, from the USGS Rocky Mountain Research Station, will be speaking on “Understanding How Ecological Disturbance Influences Biological Diversity in Protected Areas: The Rules Aren’t What They Used to Be.”

Registration is $20. Lunch will be provided. Visit www.heartofthecontinent.org for more details.

St. Urho Celebration

March 11-13

Join the town of Finland for a weekend of fun. This year’s theme for the 41st annual St. Urho celebration is Beach Party. Festivities will include the Friday evening Miss Helmi beauty and talent competition, the Saturday parade at noon on Highway 1, music, food, crafts, a raffle and much more. Visit www. friendsoffinland.org for more info.

Nipigon Ice Festival

March 11-13

Ontario’s longest running, premiere ice climbing festival, offers clinics from beginner to advanced, including a women’s only clinic. After a great day of climbing, warm up with the locals at a casual “summit” with gear raffles and presentations by outdoor adventurers and climbing enthusiasts. Non-climbers can register for a guided snow shoe trek or experience winter camping. For more info, visit www.outdoorskillsandthrills.com/nipigonicefest.

Grab your girlfriends and head to the DECC in Duluth for the Women’s Expo. Enjoy a day of exhibits, seminars and speakers, pampering, shopping, samples, screenings, health and fitness, entertainment and more. Exhibitors include Lemongrass Spa, Minnesota Health Systems, Lake Superior College, Scentsy, Thirty-One, Pure Romance, ReMax, Pampered Chef and Northern Wilds. The show will take place from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. For more info, visit www.duluthwomensexpo.com

Go snow tubing at the VorTreks event. | SUBMITTED

Polar VorTreks Winter Adventure

March 12, Saturday

Attend the Polar VorTreks Winter Adventure for some crazy family fun. Register for the 3k Fun Run or participate in the fire and snowman building challenges. There will also be a 200 foot tube slide, mega snowball slingshots, a tree pull and more. The fun will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the Boulder Lake Learning Center in Duluth. All proceeds support outdoor education and recreation at the learning center. Visit www.d.umn.edu/boulder/events. html for details.

Alison Scott is quickly gaining popularity as a jazz singer. | SUBMITTED

Alison Scott

March 12, Saturday

Sultry jazz singer, Alison Scott, is one of the most popular Minneapolis acts. Scott’s guitarist and producer, the multi-platinum winning Kevin Bowe, has also worked with Etta James, Jonny Lang and Paul Westerberg. Scott spent the past year working on her sixth release, “Stone Cold Love,” which released in August 2015 to a sold out weekend at the Dakota jazz Club. She will be performing in Grand Marais at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door and are $15 for adults and $5 for ages 18 and under. For more info, visit www.northshoremusicassociation. com or www.tix.com to purchase tickets online.

The Minnesota Ballet will perform Cinderella. | SUBMITTED

Minnesota Ballet’s Cinderella

March 18-20

Step back in time to Renaissance Tuscany with Cinderella and her gawky, demanding stepsisters, who flirt with the dancing master preparing them for the palace ball. When left alone, Cinderella dances with her broom until a magic goddess appears to prepare

her for the ball. Artistic director Emeritus Allen Field’s twist on the classic Cinderella will be enjoyed by all, filled with rich choreography, lush period costumes and a perfect happy ending. The show will be held at the DECC Symphony Hall in Duluth. Visit www. minnesotaballet.org for more info.

Kamloops has a 6-course gourmet dinner. | SUBMITTED

Gourmet Craft Beer Dinner

March 19, Saturday

Enjoy an evening of beautiful lakeside dining, at Kamloops Restaurant, with a gourmet craft beer dinner. Award winning executive chef Kevin Aho will be preparing a six-course gourmet dinner, paired with 10 craft beers from Big Wood Brewery in White Bear Lake and Castle Danger in Two Harbors. Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. Visit www. superiorshores.com for more info.

Minetti Quartett

April 2, Saturday

The internationally award-winning Viennese string ensemble, the Minetti Quartett, will be performing in Grand Marais. Founded in 2003, the young, talented group has won numerous international competitions. They were named the “Rising Star” by the European Concert Hall, and have made debuts in London, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Barcelona, Brussels and more. This event is one of only two Midwestern stops on their current tour. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. and take place at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts. Tickets can be bought in advance or at the door, and are $22 for adults and $5 for ages 18 and under. For more info, visit www. northshoremusicassociation.com or visit www.tix.com for tickets.

Northern Wilds Calendar of Events

Nov. 15-May 15

Free Fluoride Well Water Testing Grand Marais 218-387-2334 or 218-387-3631

Feb.-March 31

“Emerging Photographers” Exhibit Duluth Art Institute www.duluthartinstitute.org

Feb. 5-March 26

UWS Art Exhibit “Now & Then” North End Arts Gallery, Superior www.superiorctfa.org

Feb. 11-April 2

“Public Domain: Photographs by Ken Bloom” and “Land of Wonder: New Work by Shawna Gilmore” Duluth Art Institute www.duluthartinstitute.org

March 1, Tuesday

Blood Drive 2:30 p.m. Tofte www.mbc.org

March 1-31

Quince & Co. Trunk Show Yarn Harbor, Duluth www.yarnharborduluth.com

March 2, Wednesday

Go Red for Women Luncheon Harbor Side Convention Center, Duluth www.decc.org

Blood Drive 9 a.m. Senior Center, Grand Marais www.mbc.org

March 2-5

FIRST Robotics Regional Competitions DECC Arena, Duluth www.usfirst.org

March 3, Thursday

Writers Read 4:30 p.m. US Forest Service Classroom, Ely www.ely.org

“Youth Art Month” Exhibition Reception 5 p.m. Great Hall of Duluth Depot www.duluthartinstitute.org

Dining in the Dark 6 p.m. Victoria Inn, Thunder Bay www.eventbrite.ca

March 3-6

Wood Week North House Folk School, Grand Marais www.northhouse.org

March 3-26

“Youth Art Month” Exhibit Duluth Art Institute www.duluthartinstitute.org

March 4, Friday

Friday Night Reels: Dinner Rush 6 p.m. Grand Marais Public Library www.grandmaraislibrary.org

March 4-5

Lake Superior Design Retreat Fitger’s Inn, Duluth www.aia.mn.org

March 4-6

The Big Wu Papa Charlies, Lutsen www.lutsen.com

March 4-28

“Sense of Wonder: Expressing this Place” Exhibit Johnson Heritage Post, Grand Marais www.johnsonheritagepost.org

March 5, Saturday

Vintage Snowmobile Ride Cascade Lodge, Lutsen www.cascadelodgemn.com

Wellness Day 9 a.m. Valhalla Inn, Thunder Bay www.thunderbay.ca

DSSO: Gods & Myths 7 p.m. DECC Symphony Hall, Duluth www.dsso.com

March 5-6

Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists Grand Marais Art Colony www.grandmaraisartcolony.org

Ice-o-Rama Ice Fishing Contest 5 a.m. Chequamegon Bay, Ashland, Wisc. 715-685-9778

March 5-12

75th Anniversary Sale & Prizes

Joyne’s Ben Franklin, Grand Marais www.joynes@borel.org

March 6, Sunday

Sleeping Giant Loppet Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, Thunder Bay www.sleepinggiantloppet.ca

Trout Derby 9 a.m. Gunflint Lake, Gunflint Trail www.ccscridgeriders.wix. com/ridgeriders

Horticultural Society Open House & Membership Drive 1 p.m. Oliver Road Community Centre, Thunder Bay www.tbayhortsociety.weebly.com

DSSO: Lollipop Concert 3 p.m. DECC Symphony Hall, Duluth www.desso.org

March 8, Tuesday

Bill Ratner Networking Luncheon

11:30 a.m. Cook County Higher Education, Grand Marais www.northshorecampus.org

Ruby’s Pantry 5 p.m. Cook County High School, Grand Marais www.facebook.com/rubyspantrycc

Media Madness featuring Bill Ratner

6:30 p.m. Arrowhead Center for the Arts, Grand Marais www.northshorehealthcarefoundation.org

Aaron Carter 8 p.m. Red Herring Lounge, Duluth www.redherringlounge.com

March 9, Wednesday

Discussion with Bill Ratner 9 a.m. Grand Marais Public Library www.grandmaraislibrary.org

Artist Talk with Shawna Gilmore 5 p.m. Duluth Art Institute www.duluthartinstitute.org

March 10, Thursday

E.A.T.S. Fundraiser 6 p.m. Grand Marais High School isd166@boreal.org

Status of Northeast Minnesota Deer Herd 6:30 p.m. International Wolf Center, Ely www.wolf.org

Art in Our Schools 6 p.m. Ely Washington Elementary School www.ely.org

Music in our School Concert 7 p.m. Washington Elementary, Ely www.ely.org

March 10-11

Heart of the Continent Partnership Science Symposium Rainy River Community Center, International Falls www.heartofthecontinent.org

March 11, Friday

Friday Night Reels: Where Do We Go Now? 6 p.m. Grand Marais Public Library www.grandmaraislibrary.org

St. Urho’s Miss Helmi Talent & Beauty Contest Finland www.friendsoffinland.org

Cloud Cult 7:30 p.m. The Sports Garden, Duluth www.thesportsgarden.com

March 11-13

St. Urho’s Celebration Finland www.friendsoffinland.org

Masquerade Dance Competition DECC Symphony Hall, Duluth www.decc.org

Charles J. Futterer Memorial Open Bonspiel Community Center, Grand Marais www.cookcountycurlingclub.com

Canoecopia Alliant Energy Center, Madison, Wisc. www.canoecopia.com

Nipigon Ice Fest Nipigon, Ontario www.nipigon.net

March 12, Saturday

Dog Sledding Sampler with Points Unknown Points Unknown, Arrowhead Trail linda@points-unknown.com

Lappe Invitational Lappe Nordic Centre, Kaministiquia www.lappenordic.ca

Pancake Breakfast & Craft Fair

8 a.m. Clair Nelson Center, Finland www.friendsoffinland.org

Polar VorTreks Winter Adventure

3K Fun Run 10 a.m. Boulder Learning Center, Duluth www.d.umn.edu/boulder/events.hmtl

Duluth Women’s Expo 9 a.m.

The DECC, Duluth www.decc.org

St. Urho’s Parade Noon, Highway 1, Finland www.friendsoffinland.org

Open Studios with Beth Dorsey & Walter Early 1 p.m. Grand Marais Art Colony www.grandmaraisartcolony.org

Rose Arrowsmith DeCoux Book Signing: The Marvelous Imagination of Katie Addams 1 p.m. Grand Marais Public Library www.grandmaraislibrary.org

Parent’s Night Out 5 p.m. YMCA, Grand Marais www.cookcountyymca.org

Alison Scott 7:30 p.m. Arrowhead Center for the Arts, Grand Marais www.northshoremusicassociation.com

March 12-13

Dog Days of Winter Trail Center Lodge, Gunflint Trail www.dogdaysofwinter.net

March 13, Sunday

Daylight Savings Time Begins

Dog Days of Winter: Free Family Fun Trail Center Lodge, Gunflint Trail www.dogdaysofwinter.net

March 14-18

Open House Lakehead University, Thunder Bay www.lakeheadu.ca

March 15, Tuesday

Artist Talk with Ken Bloom 5 p.m. Duluth Art Institute www.duluthartinstitute.org

March 16, Wednesday

St. Urho’s Day Bay & Algoma Neighborhood, Thunder Bay www.bayalgoma.com

Technology Wednesday 6 p.m. Grand Marais Public Library www.grandmaraislibrary.org

March 16-21

DuLutsen Lutsen Mountains www.lutsen.com

March 17, Thursday

St. Patrick’s Day

Boltz’s Birthday Webinar 5 p.m. International Wolf Centre, Ely www.wolf.org

Frozen Britches & Michele Miller 6 p.m. Cascade Restaurant & Pub, Lutsen www.cascadelodgemn.com

March 17-19

Naniboujou Missions Conference with guest speaker Labib Naniboujou, Grand Marais 218-387-2688

A Wee Bit of Fun: St. Patrick’s Week Cascade Restaurant and Pub, Lutsen www.cascadelodgemn.com

March 18, Friday

Family Movie Night: Monsters Inc. 6 p.m. Grand Marais Public Library, www.grandmaraislibrary.org

March 18-19

Science North Program 10 am. Red Rock Recreation Centre Gymnasium, Ontario www.redrocktownship.com

The HiB’s 6 p.m. Cascade Restaurant & Pub, Lutsen www.cascadelodgemn.com

March 18-20

The Minnesota Ballet presents Cinderella The DECC, Duluth www.minnesotaballet.org

Great Waters Fly Fishing Expo Century College, White Bear Lake www.greatwatersflyexpo.com

March 19, Saturday

Free Printmaking Workshop with Beth Dorsey 9 a.m. Grand Marais Art Colony www.grandmaraisartcolony.org

Treasures of the Earth Green Goods Craft & Art Fair 10 a.m. Unitarian Church, Duluth www.wendyupnorth.com

Empty Bowls Glazathon 10 a.m. Lincoln Center for the Arts Education, Duluth www.duluthartinstitute.org

Artist Exhibition & Talk: Walter Early 1 p.m. Grand Marais Art Colony www.grandmaraisartcolony.org

COGGS Dinner & Silent Auction Greysolon Ballroom, Duluth 5 p.m. www.facebook.com/coggstwinports

Gourmet Craft Beer Dinner 5:30 p.m. Kamloops, Two Harbors www.superiorshores.com

Michael Monroe 7 p.m. Log Cabin, Grand Marais www.michaelmonroemusic.com

March 19-20

Motorhead Madness The DECC, Duluth www.decc.org

March 20, Sunday

Palm Sunday

Rutter Requiem & Handel Messiah Spring Concert 7 p.m. Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Grand Marais wabeckstrand@gmail.com

March 22-24

Free EAB Field Workshop (led by MDA) 9, 10:30 a.m. & 1 p.m. Superior, Wisc. 651-201-6097

March 23, Wednesday

What the Health: Dinner, Conversation & Improv Comedy 5:30 p.m. Arrowhead Center for the Arts, Grand Marais www.sawtoothmountainclinic.org

March 24, Thursday

Harlem Globetrotters AMSOIL Arena, Duluth www.decc.org

March 24-26

Mid-Winter Art Quickie Betsy Bowen Studio, Grand Marais www.woodcut.com

March 25, Friday

Career Fair 12:45 p.m. Cook County Schools, Grand Marais

Luna’s Birthday Webinar

5 p.m. International Wolf Center, Ely www.wolf.org

March 25-27

Wine, Women & Wolves International Wolf Center, Ely www.wolf.org

March 26, Saturday

Eggstravaganza

Waterfront District, Thunder Bay

www.thewaterfrontdistrict.ca/events

Easter Fun 10 a.m Lake Superior Zoo, Duluth www.lszooduluth.org

Ashland Easter Egg Hunt 11 a.m. County Courthouse Lawn, Ashland, Wisc.

Artist Talk: Charles Matson Lume Noon, Grand Marais Art Colony www.grandmaraisartcolony.org

Pop Rocks Papa Charlies, Lutsen www.lutsen.com

March 26-April 3

Charles Matson Lume Installation Grand Marais Art Colony www.grandmaraisartcolony.org

March 27, Sunday

Easter Sunday

Easter Egg Hunt & Breakfast Buffet AmericInn, Silver Bay www.americinn.com

March 30-April 3

Arrowhead Home & Builder Show The DECC, Duluth www.shamrockprod.com

March 31, Thursday

Last day of MN stream & lake trout fishing

March 31-April 3

Sweetwater Shakedown Lutsen Mountains www.lutsen.com

April 2, Saturday

Minetti Quartett 7:30 p.m. Arrowhead Center for the Arts, Grand Marais www.northshoremusicassociation.com

Weekly Events

Weekly Events

Mondays

Nature Nook 10 a.m.

Hartley Nature Center, Duluth www.hartleynature.org

Briand Morrison 4 p.m. Moguls Grille & Tap Room, Lutsen www.briandmorrison.com

Songwriter Series

8:30 p.m. Papa Charlie’s, Lutsen www.lutsen.com

Acoustics by the Fireplace 8 p.m. Bluefin Grille, Tofte www.bluefinbay.com

Tuesdays

Live Music 6 p.m.

Poplar River Pub, Lutsen www.lutsenresort.com

Open Mic with Boyd Blomberg 7 p.m. Papa Charlie’s, Lutsen www.lutsen.com

Trivia Night 7 p.m. American Legion, Grand Marais 218-387-2974

Wednesdays

Open Mic 5 p.m. Gun Flint Tavern, Grand Marais www.gunflinttavern.com

Spotlight North: Live Music

8 p.m. Papa Charlie’s, Lutsen www.lutsen.com

Live Music 8 p.m. Bluefin Grille, Tofte www.bluefinbay.com

Thursdays

Live Music 3:30 p.m.

Moguls Grille & Tap Room, Lutsen www.caribouhighlands.com

Live Music 6 p.m. Poplar River Pub, Lutsen www.lutsenresort.com

Craft Night 6 p.m. Ely Folk School www.elyfolkschool.org

Acoustics by the Fireplace 8 p.m. Bluefin Grille, Tofte www.bluefinbay.com

Dance Party with DJ Beavstar

9 p.m. Papa Charlie’s, Lutsen www.lutsen.com

Fridays

Live Music 3:30 p.m. Moguls Grille & Tap Room, Lutsen www.caribouhighlands.com

Live Music 4 p.m. Voyageur Brewing, Grand Marais www.voyageurbrewing.com

Live Music 7 p.m. Castle Danger Brewery, Two Harbors www.castledangerbrewery.com

Glensheen Flashlight Tours 7 p.m. The Historic Glensheen Mansion, Duluth www.glensheen.org

Movie Night 7 p.m. Ely Folk School www.elyfolkschool.org

Acoustics by the Fireplace

8 p.m. Bluefin Grille, Tofte www.bluefinbay.com

Live Music 9:30 p.m. Papa Charlie’s, Lutsen www.lutsen.com

Saturdays

Live Music 4 p.m. Voyageur Brewing, Grand Marais www.voyageurbrewing.com

Live Music 7 p.m.

Cascade Lodge & Pub, Lutsen www.cascademn.com

Music in the Lobby 7 p.m. Lutsen Resort www.lutsenresort.com

What’s for Dinner? 7 p.m. International Wolf Center, Ely www.wolf.org

Glensheen Flashlight Tours 7 p.m. The Historic Glensheen Mansion, Duluth www.glensheen.org

Live Music 9:30 p.m. Papa Charlie’s, Lutsen www.lutsen.com

Sundays

Weekly Programs 7 p.m.

Caribou Highlands Lodge, Lutsen www.caribouhighlands.com

Classical Music & Dinner 6 p.m. Bluefin Grille, Tofte www.bluefinbay.com

ENRICHING ACADEMICS THROUGH SUSTENANCE

THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 6 - 8 P.M. Cook County Middle/High School

Only 150 tickets will be sold! $25.00 each

Tickets are available in the K-12 office, Java Moose, Blue Water Cafe or from any CCSDEF board member: Pat Campanaro, Dorie Carlson, Annie DeBevec, Harry Drabik, Gene Erickson, Hal Greenwood, Susan Lappi, Lorelei Livingston, Doug Sanders, Ann Sullivan

Partake in a delectable array of taste samples from Cook County Restaurants and Food Vendors.

Bid on quality silent auction items donated by local businesses and individuals.

Enjoy fine musical entertainment while you socialize with fellow supporters of the ISD 166, Cook County Schools.

*The Cook County School District 166 Education Foundation awards grants to projects and activities that provide extraordinary educational opportunities for students in ISD 166. Over $93,000 in grants have been awarded since 2002. Checks can be written to “EATS 2016.”

Tuesdays WHAT ELSE?

The North Shore Dish

Soup and Chili: More than a Side Dish

By Maren Webb

After a fun day of skiing or a winter adventure with your canine companion, a bowl of hot soup or chili hits the spot. And while soup may be thought of as a starter or side dish, many of our local restaurants make wonderful homemade soups that are the star of any meal. As a volunteer of the annual Empty Bowls fundraiser in Grand Marais, I’m happy to say that our local restaurants are very generous with donating soup and our community has been able to sample soup from across the community each fall. But November is a long ways away, so here are some spots to enjoy hearty and delicious soups in the meantime.

Having grown up in Two Harbors, I always keep up on new restaurants and foods to try when I visit home. Over the past few years, one restaurant has been getting a lot of notice by winning the Restaurant Chili Cook-off as part of Two Harbors’ Winter Frolic festival. From 2013 to 2015, Kamloops Restaurant and Lounge at Superior Shores Resort won the Cookoff with their executive chef, Kevin Aho, at the helm.

Chef Aho has been working on his chili recipe since 1994 and it is now a staple on their menu. As he describes it, “I wanted to stray from the traditional hamburger chili, so I started infusing beef with Jack Daniels.” Purportedly, the infusion of Jack Daniels gives the meat a smoky balance, while breaking down the muscle, giving it a unique, melt-in-your-mouth savory bite. It takes 72 hours from start to finish for the chili—which I admit, must help develop a great deal more flavor than my 30 minute quick chili recipe.

“With the infusion of unique ingredients, my chili has the classic tomato chili flavor, a smoky and sweet balance, and because I believe in big flavor, just enough spice to make it perfect. I like to say my chili has a flavorful hot, not a hurtful hot,” Chef Aho said.

When you stop in to try the chili, you can either start your meal with a cup or make it a full meal. Eat a bowl with homemade tortilla chips, sour cream and cheese, spoon it over their sweet potato fries, or order a classic grilled cheese sandwich to have on the side for dipping. If you aren’t in the mood for chili, Kamloops also serves a homemade soup of the day, which ranges from Classic Chicken Wild Rice to Pot Roast-inspired soups. They also have Ciop -

The Bean Fiend Café in Thunder Bay serves soups and sandwiches, as well as baked goods. | BEAN FIEND CAFÉ

pino, a seafood stew with mussels, shrimp, clams and cod, on their dinner menu. They have local brews on tap and a full bar to round out your meal. This year marks Kamloops 20th anniversary, so be sure to congratulate them on your next visit.

If soup is more up your alley, there is a café in Tofte calling your name. Coho Café and Bakery at Bluefin Bay serves unique bistro fare, including a homemade soup of the day everyday. Perfect for take-out or dining in, Coho Café serves breakfast and lunch seven days a week, and dinner Friday to Sunday during the winter. I used to work nearby and I may have developed a dangerous love for their Grilled Veggie Sandwich with a cup of soup.

While their creamy wild rice soup is a diner favorite, each day brings a new soup made fresh. Most of their recipes have been handed down over the years, but their cooks also get creative and find inspiration to develop new recipes. A recent inspiration was a staff member’s dinner the night before, which led to the Peanut Curry Soup. The only challenge with inspired soup recipes, according to Nate Raway with Coho Café, is naming them.

Even if you come for the soup, you won’t be disappointed with the food and drink options. The Coho BLT and the Club are great sandwiches to pair with a cup or bowl of soup. Or keep it simple and enjoy it with the accompanying fresh bread baked at the café. Beer and wine are served and don’t forget to peek in their pastry and bakery case. While enjoying your meal or before hitting the road, be sure to take a look at the art featured on the walls—it ro -

tates throughout the year and is often local artists like Tim Young. And as Raway said, “We hope that every guest at Coho Café feels welcome and relaxed, we try to keep the atmosphere relaxed and friendly.” That’s my kind of café.

Another café has become recognized for their soups, especially for their easy takeout option. In Thunder Bay, the Bean Fiend Café and Sandwich Bar serves up two homemade soups everyday in the Bay and Algoma Neighborhood. Originally started

as a fair trade clothing store, the owner Brian Hamilton realized that he had the makings of a great café after buying a lot of funky furniture on one of his trips to Nepal and Thailand. After extensive renovations, the Bean Fiend opened in spring 2010 with a new mission as a café.

The Bean Fiend is a casual café and lunch spot that serves coffee, tea, baked goods, sandwiches and soup. Almost every item on their menu is made from scratch, including their soups. They also use regionally

produced ingredients when available. Since the start of 2016 they have been in high gear for soup exploration and development, adding at least 6 new soups to their regular offerings. So stay tuned to see what new soups 2016 will bring.

Their house favorites include Creamy Kale & Lentil and Curried Chickpea Chowder, and their classic Chicken N’ Rice is becoming a customer favorite. Their most popular sandwich, the Chicken and Brie Sandwich with brie cheese, spinach, garlic aioli and apricot jam on Winnipeg rye, pairs well with all their soups. They also recommend pairing their grilled cheese when their chili is available. Also keep an eye out for their soups topped with their homemade croutons—yum!

In addition to offering a comfortable café for lunch, the Bean Fiend offers the option of take-out. Give them a call (807768-BEAN) and provide your name, pick-up time, order, and you’ll be all set for a quick to go lunch in Thunder Bay. About half of their soup sales are to go, so they are well prepared to take care of take-out customers. The café is open Monday through Saturday. As owner Brian quipped, “Awesome. It’s what we do.”

If you’d like to try your hand at making your own delicious chili, I’m sharing my recipe for Hearty Weeknight Vegetarian Chili. While it doesn’t get the 72-hour head start of Chef Aho’s chili, it is a hearty and delicious recipe that is great for a chilly weeknight evening. This month, I hope you enjoy some time in our beautiful outdoors and follow it with a hot bowl of soup to warm you from the inside out.

The Bean Fiend Café makes a Mad Bean soup. | BEAN FIEND CAFÉ

CABBAGE A EUROPEAN STAPLE

by Kim Falter

As with most of the fruits and vegetables we enjoy today, the history of cabbage is centuries old. When we walk into our grocery stores, we are viewing produce that has been bred and cultivated over hundreds of years to arrive at that juicy orange or crisp apple. The apple it is believed to be from the forests of Kazakhstan. The orange: the depths of Southeast Asia, and the cabbage comes from the coasts of southern and western Europe. The original wild cabbage, enjoyed a solitary life on cool, remote limestone cliffs overlooking an expanse of ocean. This clump of thick leaves, not at all like the head of cabbage we recognize in our grocery stores, did not thrive with other plants nearby, hence its solitary existence. Life was tough on those rocky cliffs, therefore the wild cabbage held on to all the nutrients it could get.

There is debate as to the origins of the cabbage, but it is widely accepted that cultivation was popularized by the Celts of central and Western Europe as early as 1000 B.C. From here, the road to that head of cabbage in your local grocery store takes many twists and turns. The original wild cabbage looked much like a clump of kale because they are part of the same family: the Brassicaceae, or Brassica. Brassica includes kale, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, turnips, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi and bok choy—all unique.

After the cabbage was introduced by the ancient Celts, it became wildly popular and incorporated into most gardens, from the Roman Empire to the Greeks, throughout most of Europe, the Mediterranean and parts of Asia. Over time, popularity of this cruciferous vegetable grew amongst the Irish, Germans, French and Scandinavians. It was cultivated and bred to fit the predilections of each culture, which is why the Brassica are so distinct from one another, yet still part of the same family.

Eventually, a taste for the young, tender leaves led to the selective breeding that resulted in the “hard-headed” cabbage we use today. This development is believed to have occurred around the first century, but it became well documented around the 16th century, when cabbage found its way to America via Canada. Northern Minnesota gardeners know that most Brassica are easy to grow in our climate. Ideally, cabbage prefers a cool, humid climate and rich, loamy soil.

Early in its history, cabbage was used in the Roman Empire as a hangover cure. Later, it was used medicinally as a poultice to reduce risk of infection, so it was carried by men during times of war. It was also known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Today, we know scientifically that cruciferous vegetables help in many more ways. Cabbage is a great source of folic acid, vitamin C, chlorophyll, minerals and fiber.

The strong cabbage smell and bitter flavor come from sulfur compounds known as glucosinolates. According to the National Cancer Institute, “During food preparation, chewing and digestion, the glucosinolates in cruciferous vegetables are broken down to form biologically active compounds such as indoles, nitriles, thiocyanates and isothiocyanates. Indole-3-carbinol (an indole) and sulforaphane (an isothiocyanate) have been most frequently ex-

amined for their anticancer effects.” Also, according to the National Cancer Institute, studies have shown that eating cruciferous vegetables with these compounds can help protect cells from DNA damage, help inactivate carcinogens, inhibit tumor blood vessel formation and tumor cell migration and are known for their antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects.

As a shopper, peak season for cabbage begins in the fall and runs through the winter. Cabbage is an easy addition to any dish, from soups and salads to a casserole. Fermented cabbage, such as sauerkraut or kimchee, are not only tasty, but are also prebiotics: foods that actually help “grow” the good bacteria in our digestive tract.

Lake Superior Brewing Company: Old Man Winter Warmer

By Eric Chandler

I like winter. But there are times, like when you get home after cheering on your kid’s cross-country ski team in below zero temps, that you need some help warming up. That’s when I turn to Old Man Winter Warmer. It’s a seasonal brew put out by Lake Superior Brewing (LSB) Company in Duluth. I’ve gone a couple winters without sampling a single one, because it sells out. But this year, I enjoyed the smooth, pleasantly sweet brew. It had a nice tan head. At over 10 percent alcohol, there’s definitely some barley wine heat to it. You’re not imagining it. You might not be old like me, but your face is heating up.

I spoke with Dale Kleinschmidt, LSB Brewmaster. He said the “backbone” of the beer is the addition of four different malts, including caramel, chocolate and smoked malts. This shows in the dark brown color of the drink. Kleinschmidt said in the last couple of years, they’ve also included medium toasted oak chips to give the flavor more complexity. He struggled to remember when they first brewed it, but guessed that it was around 1998, when they moved into their new brewing facility. LSB’s seasonal brew is made around February/March and usually released in November.

Kleinschmidt’s parting words to me were, “Drink more beer.” Okay, I thought. But in the case of Old Man Winter Warmer, I recommend you slow down, sit by the fire and enjoy just one. I want you to be toasty, not toasted.

Cabbage was harvested in the 15th Century, as depicted in this illustration from the book “Tacuinum Sanitatis,” a medieval handbook on health. | SUBMITTED

Hearty Weeknight Vegetarian Chili

Maren Webb

This hearty vegetarian chili will even please the meat lovers, especially with some great toppings at the end. Don’t forget the cornbread!

1½ tablespoons olive oil

2 small onions, diced (about 1½ cups)

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 bell pepper, diced (any color is fine or use a mix)

2 cup water

4 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin powder

2 cans kidney beans, drained (15 ounce) or make your own in the crockpot

(note: kidney beans have to be boiled first before they are cooked in the crockpot)

2 cans chickpeas, drained (15 ounce) or make your own in the crockpot

2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained (14.5 ounce)

Toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, sliced green onions, sour cream or Greek yogurt, etc.

Use a large soup pot and heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and bell pepper to the pot and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring regularly. If it is cooking too fast or sticking, you can turn down the heat a bit. Now add the water, chili powder, cumin, kidney beans, chickpeas and tomatoes to the pot and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat and gently simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally as needed. SERVES 4-6

Inspired by Chili Uno-Dos-Tres in the Student’s Vegetarian Cookbook, Revised

Sweet & Sour Beef Cabbage Soup

Kim Falter

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound ground beef

2 teaspoon caraway seeds

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 cup bell pepper, chopped

1 cup onion, chopped

1 apple, diced

6 cups beef broth

1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon paprika

3 cups cabbage

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Add salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil over medium heat in a soup pot. Add beef, caraway and thyme. Cook, stirring and breaking up meat, until browned, approximately 4 minutes. Add peppers, onion and apple. Cook, stirring 2-3 minutes. Stir in broth, tomatoes, honey and paprika, and adjust the heat so the mixture boils gently. Cook for 8-10 minutes to blend flavors. Stir in cabbage and cook until just tender, roughly 3-4 minutes more. Season with vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. SERVES 6

Asian Cabbage Salad over Rice Noodles

Kim Falter

3 cups cabbage, preferably savoy, thinly sliced

3 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced

1 cucumber, seeded and sliced

6-ounces of snow peas, trimmed and thinly sliced

3 green onions, sliced 6-ounces rice noodles

Optional: 1 pound of steak or chicken

MARINADE:

2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

DRESSING:

6 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup rice vinegar

3 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Add red pepper flakes, to taste

If using meat, combine marinade ingredients and pour over steak or chicken. Marinate a few hours, preferably overnight. Combine dressing ingredients and pour over combined cabbage and vegetables.

Cook rice noodles according to directions on the box, drain well. Add noodles to vegetables, toss well.

Grill or broil meat to preferred doneness, then slice into thin strips. Arrange meat over noodle-vegetable mix and serve. SERVES 6-8

Sauerkraut Sausage Casserole

Kim Falter

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, sliced

2 teaspoons caraway seeds

1 apple, chopped

1 cup dry white wine

10 ounces sausage, cut into 1/2 inch slices

3 cups sauerkraut, rinsed

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard

2 large yellow potatoes, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon butter

Add salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until slightly browning, about 5 minutes. Stir in caraway and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add apple and wine, increase heat slightly, stirring until wine has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in sausage, sauerkraut, vinegar, mustard and pepper. Transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Toss potato slices with remaining 2 teaspoons oil, butter and salt. Cover the sausage-sauerkraut mixture with slightly overlapping potato slices. Bake casserole for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until potato edges get crispy. SERVES 6

How do we Define Health?

By Amy Schmidt

Open your dictionary, do a quick Google search or harken back to your days of seventh grade life science class and you’ll find a definition of health. Ranging from technical definitions like, “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” to simple ones like feeling good, the term health can be defined in many ways.

Most of us probably define health in terms of doctor’s offices, blood pressure readings or not having a cold. While these things are not inaccurate, they certainly aren’t the whole picture of health.

The factors that contribute to our health are much broader and shaped by the conditions and opportunities available in the places where we live. Coined “social determinants of health,” these factors are the conditions that make health a possibility or can create barriers to health. Examples include access to jobs, education, and health care, affordable housing, transportation options, public safety and many others. Physical determinants are also important, such as whether there is a safe place for children to walk to school.

Here in Cook County, we’re lucky in

many ways. Clean water and air are abundant. A farmers market that promotes locally grown fruits and vegetables started last summer and will continue this year. Education is available to all kids through schools, a library and community events. But there are also challenges that our community faces that impact health: the lack of affordable housing, the need of year-round employment, and others. These are all social determinants that make our community a place where health can flourish or be hindered. The determinants are vital to understanding that while individual choices are important, a healthy choice can only be made if it is available.

When we recognize that health is more than what happens in the doctor’s office, we can start to see where there are opportunities to improve our community’s health. To help our community do this, Sawtooth Mountain Clinic has started a campaign called #thisishealth. Around town, you’ll start to see posters that have this hashtag alongside a photo. If your initial thought is “I guess I never thought of that as health,” then you’re on the right track. This campaign is meant to help us think differently about health and see opportunities in our community for positive changes to improve health.

The North Shore Health Care Foundation is changing the way we view health with the #thisishealth campaign. | NORTH SHORE HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION

If this idea is intriguing to you, there’s an event coming up that will highlight the ways our community is already promoting health, while taking a deeper look at areas that need improving. What the Health: How Do We Plan for Community Vitality? is an evening of dinner, improv theater and a local planning conversation that won’t give you indigestion. Happening at

the ACA in Grand Marais on March 23, it promises to be an evening of entertainment that cracks open the concept of health, with the goal of bringing more of it to the people of Cook County.

For more information, contact Kristin or Maren at 218-387-2330.

FREE FLUORIDE WELL WATER TESTING

From Nov. 15, 2015 to May 15, 2016

The Oral Health Task Force is offering free fluoride well testing for Cook County and Grand Portage Reservation families. Families include: pre-natal mom’s, children, and young adults up to 26 years old.

Fluoride is safe and a huge benefit in providing good oral health and helps in the prevention of tooth decay. Water fluoridation is estimated to reduce tooth decay by 20% to 40%. The EPA recommends wells should be tested every three years.

How do I do this? It’s simple. Just stop in at the Cook County Court House/Environmental Health Office (Planning and Zoning) or the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic to pick up a form and a bag for the water. The bag of water and completed form is then returned to the Environmental Health Office (Planning and Zoning) for testing. Results of the test will be sent by letter from the Environmental Health Office.

If you have questions, please contact Georgene Daubanton at the Oral Health Task Force at 218 387-2334 or Joseph Routh, Fluoride Analyst at 218 387-3631 or 387-3630.

hans is famous for his scorching saunas and never letting a banker see him sweat.

Over a half century ago, a few folks comfortable in their own skin decided they deserved their own credit union.

Ever since, our members have steered clear of banking hot air to take advantage of better rates and fewer fees on traditional financial products. Stop on over (fully clothed, preferably).

Because if you’re up here, you belong here.

Silver Bay | Lutsen | Grand Marais | Grand Portage www.northshorefcu.org

Visit

Job Generation

With Wade Christensen’s son Adam aboard, three generations of family have worked for Duluth-based GPM, a pump manufacturing company started by Wade’s father-in-law, Pete Gemuenden Sr. Because mining is one of the industries GPM serves, Wade wholeheartedly supports PolyMet Mining’s plan to open Minnesota’s first copper-nickel mine. The economic diversification from the new mine will provide jobs for generations to come.

Northern Trails

The Fire Still Burns

By Gord Ellis

I am a fisherman. It’s a simple reality of my life. Strip away just about everything else, and it is the passion that still drives me. The fire still burns.

My father introduced me to angling at a very young age, and for this I’m forever thankful. Some of my first childhood memories are of fishing. The earliest one is at McVicar Creek, in Thunder Bay. My father took me down to a weir on the creek that was regularly stocked with brook trout by the Department Of Natural Resources (now Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry). I vividly recall the sound of the water, the smell of the bank and the tug of a hungry trout on my line.

Why this spoke to me the way it did is hard to say. My oldest son says it was always in my blood. Maybe he is right. As I got older, the passion for fishing lead me to explore the creeks and rivers within biking distance of our home. Thankfully, my mother supported me in my angling exploits, and if she was ever worried about her 10-year-old boy on those all-day adventures, it wasn’t obvious. Ours was a home where angling and the outdoors were both encouraged and celebrated.

As a teenager, other interests started to appear in life. Namely music and girls. However, through the bands and girlfriends, the powerful drive to fish was rarely suppressed for long. Some of my favorite teenage memories include fishing adventures with a few high school buddies. There was the freezing night camping in a gravel pit, when one of our group took off to Nipigon—with the only vehicle—for breakfast. We cursed him while shivering in the tent. Or the time a couple of us decided to crash out in a car overnight, so we could be first on the river. I put my contacts into two beer caps full of water and they froze solid.

At some point, I decided that the best way to be able to fish a lot was to make it a big part of my living. Writing was something I loved to do. So some hard work and happy accidents helped to make the fishing and writing come together. For three decades, I’ve made various aspects of fishing a large part of my career. Some of it has been done via the written word, radio and web. More recently it’s included some guiding. I’m lucky to have made it work, even if it can be a lot more work than it might seem.

Making your career something you are passionate about can backfire. I’ve met

enough burnt-out tournament fisherman and mildly bitter musicians to know what can happen. Yet five decades on, my love of fishing has survived, even thrived, despite it being the family business.

Figuring out where steelhead are sitting in a run, or what a brook trout is rising to, remains a thrill. A day of catching jumbo perch on the ice will still get me out of bed at 5 a.m. And somehow, inexplicably, I still allow myself to be bamboozled by muskie on a yearly basis. Bass, walleye, pike, crappie and salmon all still fascinate. Being able to fish for them within a few hours of Thunder Bay makes it all the better.

There have been changes, I’ll admit. I’m less likely to go ice fishing in -25 Celsius, and fishing in the rain is only done under some duress. I’m more careful about personal safety. I wear a PFD in the boat and avoid wading tricky waters where possible. I keep fewer fish than ever, and am less concerned about numbers caught than quality of experience. I’m happiest sharing a fishing day with someone who really appreciates it. Teaching my kids to fish was one of the best times of my life.

As I write this, I’m thinking about spring. The promise of flowing water, the feel of a cold river around my legs and the pulse of a steelhead on the line.

I hope, God willing, that I’ll be able to keep fishing until the curtain falls.

Ellis and his father, Gord Sr., fishing in 1964. | GORD ELLIS

Gord Ellis [RIGHT] and friend George Young fishing in 1979. | GORD ELLIS

Climbers Take to the Ice

By Joe Friedrichs

Minnesota and Ontario, the lands of 10,000 … hobbies. Among the hottest (and maybe the coldest) on the list of outdoor opportunities the area provides: ice climbing.

While mainstream recreational outlets and hobbies are obvious, such as ice fishing and snowmobiling, ice climbing is quickly rising in popularity among winter sports in the Northern Wilds.

“In Minnesota, ice climbing is on a significant upward trend,” said Lucas Kramer, president of the Duluth Climbers Coalition. “In a state known for cold, hard and long winters, it make sense that a sport whose success depends on those very attributes would excel.”

If you’re wondering what ice climbing is all about, the activity is literally what is says: climbing on ice. There are two types of ice climbing. The first type involves climbing on frozen water, like waterfalls. The other style involves climbing on snow that is frozen on a mountain, steep hillside or other structure.

Ice climbing on frozen waterfalls is the most popular type of ice climbing along the North Shore and surrounding region. Popular locations to climb on frozen falls include Gooseberry Falls State Park, various falls and steep cliffs along the Devil Track River near Grand Marais and Orient Bay in Ontario. In fact, the good folks in Ontario are so passionate about ice climbing they have an entire festival dedicated to the cause to prove it. The Nipigon Ice Fest will take place March 11-13 this year and features ice-climbing demos, presentations from professional climbers, friendly competitions, snowshoeing, winter camping, and local beverage and food options on site.

Nipigon Ice Fest Coordinator Kyra Bremer said that while climbing activities organized by the festival require pre-registration, other events and sanctions of the festival are open to the public and everyone is invited to attend. With regard to why Nipigon should host an ice festival, Bremer said the landscape speaks for itself.

“I have heard it said that this area has more than 128 climbs in a 12-mile stretch,” she said of the terrain. “This natural source of water turns to ice in December and provides winter climbers with a constantly changing format as it forms differently each year, and can even change during the season. One only needs to take a drive around the area to see why it’s a great place for a festival.”

Despite the upward trend in the sport, ice climbing is not for the faint of heart. Most who get involved to any degree of seriousness with the sport are fierce adrenaline junkies. The sport requires flexibility, strength and perhaps most of all, some courage.

“Even if a constructive relationship with our cold, hard winters can be achieved, many people will still look at ice climbing as type-two fun, that is, it’s not actually fun until you’re done, home, warm and having the sport drink of your preference,” Kramer said. “In spite of this, it’s important to point out that improvements in gear, clothing and instruction can make the experience of ice climbing truly fun and enjoyable for anyone interested.”

Robb Fortin handles tours and rentals for Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply in Grand Marais. Included in this bag is a class that could be considered Ice Climbing 101. Stone Harbor rents gear and provides transportation to local ice climbing sites as well as the instructional, guided experience.

Despite its relative new-found popularity as a sport, Fortin said there have been people climbing North Shore ice for more than 30 years.

Ice climbing is not for the faint of heart. | ARIC FISHMAN

“As the North Shore gets more popular with tourists, it has brought a lot of people up this way, some of them ice climbers,” he said. “There are certainly more people out climbing on the weekends than there has been in the past. As climbing get more accessible, with clinics and festivals that help people get into the sport, moving from rock to ice just makes sense.”

One aspect of ice climbing that might intimidate people is the gear required to make the sport safe. Axes and other sharp objects are, by their very nature, intimidating to some people. However, Kramer said that with the advent of modernized crampons and mountaineering axes, “climbers have sought out all sorts of vertical terrain to bash and scrape their way up.” In other words, once the gear was

there and improved upon, the sport had room to grow. Over the years, Kramer said axes have transformed from straight shafted, non-technical tools into “cutting edge carbon fiber, unbreakable beasts that sometimes look more like implements of torture.”

Likewise, crampons, or spikes that attach to boots, began as hard-to-adjust, “heavy lumps of metal,” Kramer added. Over time, these early models have evolved into lightweight ice-climbing boots with the crampon built into the boot itself.

Fortin agreed that advances in ice-climbing equipment proved vital with regard to helping the sport grow. And as the gear has evolved, so has the sport itself.

“It used to be that climbers were looking

for the easiest line up a flow of ice,” Fortin said. “Now climbers are looking for the more interesting or challenging lines.”

Venturing out to find a challenge within an already difficult sport can lead to continued evolution. To reach new heights, sometimes ice climbers have to cross sections where there is no ice.

“This is called mixed climbing,” Fortin said, “and is the avenue in which the sport is likely to progress the fastest in the next few years.”

The Devil Track River holds the longest ice climb in Minnesota, mysteriously called “nightfall” by members of the local climbing communities. This is not a climb for beginners. Furthermore, Kramer said ice climbing in northeastern Minnesota and

Ontario come with certain restrictions. For example, near the Silver Cliff Tunnel on Highway 61 it is highly illegal to climb adjacent to either tunnel entrance and just off the highway itself.

So whether you are visiting the Northern Wilds or call the region your home each winter, the fact remains that everybody needs something to occupy their time or ignite their creative spirit.

“Some only go if conditions are ideal, some consider ideal preparation the key to climbing in any condition,” Fortin said. “Fingers and toes get cold very easily, but plenty of warm clothes, snacks and a healthy dose of calisthenics to keep the blood flowing is a great remedy for this.”

Ice enthusiasts can register to climb at the Nipigon Ice Fest, March 11-13. | ARIC FISHMAN

Wild Traditions

Who Domesticated Who: Humans or Dogs?

By Julia Prinselaar

Earlier this month, my partner and I celebrated the one year anniversary of adopting our dog. We found Timber, a mixed breed, through a local dog rescue agency. As with any rescued animal, I had questions: What was his history? How did he end up without a home? What were his previous owners like? Are there any kind of behavioural or health issues I should be worried about? Most of the answers presented themselves in time and others I’ll never find out.

What quickly became evident, however, was Timber’s incredibly docile demeanor. To a wary stranger or small dog, his heavyset appearance and jovial approach might be intimidating at first. But the minute he interacts with other beings, Timber is a far cry from the ancient predatory lineage that he descended from. Not long after a few sniffs, he’ll playfully dash in the snow, sit for a treat or roll over for a belly rub.

I keep hens in my yard, so the ultimate test was how well they took to Timber. I often let the birds roam freely on the lawn in the summer to scratch for bugs and other snacks. But if they become frightened, they stop laying eggs. Or worse, what if the dog had a penchant for poultry?

To my amazement, Timber offered nothing more than mild curiosity to the birds. At first, he observed the flock in the classic pose of intrigue, head cocked to one side. And yet, no action. The hens seemed more wary of him, keeping their distance at first, but slowly growing accustomed to his nonchalant presence. These days, Timber usu -

ally lays on his side, half asleep while the ladies graze the grass around him.

How these animals are able to peacefully coexist made me think about the domestication of canines and what’s left after generations of breeding out unfavorable traits in exchange for loyalty and friendship.

Our human race has relied on domesticated dogs for thousands of years—research suggests at least 30,000, in some cases—for travel, commerce, protection, hunting, wayfinding and companionship.

In the vast and unforgiving North, human habitation and trade wouldn’t have been possible (or not nearly as easy) without sled dogs. Canines also kept a watchful eye over children and valuables, had a

keen awareness of predators and accompanied hunters to flush out and retrieve wild game. Generations down the evolutionary line, their loyalty continues to serve our needs. In exchange, humans provide food, warmth and protection to the point where dogs now share our homes, our sofas and even our beds. Just how did this symbiotic relationship develop in the first place?

Dogs were one of the first domestic animals with whom humans developed close relations, but how it began is debatable. Did humans make the first move toward friendship with dogs, or was it the other way around? When examining such an ancient relationship, one can only theorize; but some experts suggest it’s more likely that wolves adopted us.

Dr. Brian Hare, director of the Duke Canine Cognition Center and Vanessa Woods, a researcher at Duke University in North Carolina, challenge the general assumption that an empathic hunter-gatherer adopted a pack of orphaned wolf puppies, tamed them over time and recognized the benefits of having them around—so much so, that they’ve evolved into the domestic dog today.

In an article in National Geographic, the authors suggest that most likely it was wolves that approached humans—the ones that were friendly and non-aggressive would have been tolerated. After all, humanity’s relationship with wolves has been pretty ruthless: over time, we have systematically eradicated them from the landscape. Why would we, as hunters, want competition? Instead, offer Hare and Woods, dogs owe their success to survival of the friendliest, not the fittest.

This is found in Roman mythology with the story of Romulus and Remus, a pair of abandoned twins who were later rescued and nursed by a female wolf. And eventually with domestication, dogs developed the ability to read human gestures, furthering their capacity to cooperatively hunt and protect their human counterparts. The author also suggests that dogs became a food supply in hard times, but we can just skip that part.

It’s incredible to witness my dog methodically whittle down a beef bone, sniff out a set of tracks, share a bowl of food with my kitten and casually observe my free ranging chickens. He’s a mishmash of traits, some that come instinctively and others produced by generations of breeding. I don’t rely on him for survival, but he never lets me down as my companion.

A dog’s version of glamping? Timber out on the lake during a day of ice fishing. | JULIA PRINSELAAR

The Marvelous Imagination of Katie Addams

By Rose Arrowsmith DeCoux $11.95

For Katie, summer vacation means trips to the farm, playing with baby kittens and treehouse sleepovers. But when Katie’s parents get divorced, everything changes. As things unravel, Katie anxiously awaits for the next postcard from Uncle Edmond, who is competing in a hot air balloon race around Africa. Letters from Tanzania and Cameroon fuel her escape from reality. But a phone call soon turns her world upside down, leaving her with a real life crisis. This illustrative children’s chapter book provides adventure, love, family and curiosity. The story is available in print or audio, read by the author. Visit www.marvelous-imagination.com to order a copy.—Breana Roy

Sierra Sage Green Goo

Sierra Sage creates safe, environmentally friendly products with organic herbs and pure grade essential oils, free of parabens, lanolin, mineral oil, glycerin, silicon and petrochemicals. It is gluten free, recyclable and made from post-consumer recycled containers. Their wide array of products cover everything from first aid ointments, bug spray and sunscreen, to sore muscles, massage oil, moisturizers and facewash. It’s also pet-friendly and baby safe. Products can be found in select stores or online at www.sierrasageherbs.com.—Breana Roy

WHY GO: It’s one of the few lakes in Cook County where walleyes can be consistently caught in the winter and because it is on the Canada border, the season doesn’t close until April 14.

ACCESS: There is a gravel boat launch on the Ontario side, accessed from Hwy. 593, south of Silver Mountain. On the Minnesota side, there is access via a channel with South Fowl Lake, which can be accessed by a logging road off C.R. 16. Some get in by snowmobile, and on ATVs in the winter, but it should be cautioned that the trail leading down to the lake is steep and can be difficult in the winter. North Fowl can be reached by canoe and portage via the Royal River in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), the river also reached by C.R. 16 to Little John Lake to John Lake.

VITALS: This 1,020-acre lake (1,144-acres via hectare conversion according to Ontario records) sits on the Ontario border and has a maximum depth of 10 feet. The Minnesota portion of the lake is in the Superior National Forest. It’s western shore is on the edge of the BWCAW.

GAME SPECIES PRESENT: Walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike, burbot and yellow perch.

WINTER WALLEYE: For whatever reason, many of the walleye lakes in Cook County don’t provide consistent action in the winter. North Fowl has always been known as an exception to that rule. Though Minnesota DNR hasn’t done a fish survey on the lake since 1998, Grand Marais area manager Steve Persons said the lake appears to remain a pretty solid walleye fishery. “If problems had developed there, we probably would have heard about it,” he said. The Grand Marais office used to hear a lot about the fishing there from a fisheries technician, who had a cabin there but has since retired. “He is probably up there right now,” Persons said.

PERCH PURSUIT: North Fowl is also an exception when it comes to yellow perch. Unlike a lot of lakes in this neck of the woods, North Fowl’s perch have been known to reach the coveted 12-inch size. “You can see fair numbers of perch up to 12 inches there,” Persons said. “It’s probably best known in the winter for its perch fishing.”

THE REST: North Fowl is known for having lots of northern pike, but most are of the handle-hammer variety. The shallow lake also hosts burbot, according to Ontario records. And the lake has some smallmouth bass in it.

NORTH FOWL LAKE

DIFFERENT RULES: One way to fish the Ontario side of the lake, without driving over the Canada border, is with the Remote Area Border Crossing permit, which can be acquired with a bit of hassle, way in advance through the mail, or in person at any port of entry (Pigeon River is the closest). Minnesota anglers fishing the Ontario side, of course, still need an Ontario fishing license, and they can transport fish over Minnesota waters as long as they don’t stop to fish. The lake, along with South Fowl, has a 10-horsepower limit on the Minnesota side.—Javier Serna

Portage to Royal River

Portage to Moose Lake

MUSH LAKE RACING

DOG BLOG: The Beargrease Debrief

By Erin Altemus

The pre-race vet checks were held in Beaver Bay on a glorious sunny day. Temperatures climbed to over 40 degrees in the sun. Inside our trailer, the bucket of snacks Matt so carefully made for the race—small patties of ground liver with an electrolyte supplement—all melted into a blob. The forecast showed a small decline in daytime temps in the days ahead, but we knew it would be a warm race.

Veteran Beargrease Marathon musher Peter McClelland came up to me and asked if he could give me some pre-race advice.

“Sure,” I said, with some trepidation.

“The second year is the hardest,” he told me. And that was it.

I nodded, not sure what the advice was exactly. It felt like more of a warning. I knew plenty of mushers had finished their rookie year marathon and came back to scratch in their second year.

Don’t go out too fast. Don’t let yourself believe that you have an invincible team. Be careful. Don’t be cocky. That’s what I heard in Peter’s words of “advice” and also what I had been trying to tell myself for the past year.

Early on, the challenge seemed to be holding on (literally) to my 14-dog team. I almost lost them leaving the Finland checkpoint with a top-heavy loaded sled that tipped over. Somehow my leg got caught in a rope and I proceeded to drag through brush and into trees hanging on by my foot. The rules state that you can receive outside help if life or limb are in danger. I felt my limb was definitely in danger, and that I was darn close to losing my team altogether.

“I think I need help!” I yelled to a nearby volunteer. He helped me get my snow hook on a tree. A small crowd gathered, and there seemed to be disagreement about whether anyone could help me or not, so I straightened myself out on my own and took off.

Leaving Sawbill, race volunteers helping me get to the trail all fell off the team, and I barreled down the plowed Sawbill road with 14 dogs, one of which almost got ran over by the sled because her collar came off. As I flew down the road, screaming “Help!” in a shrill pitch evoked by absolute terror, a large chain of volunteers formed in a line to block the road. My team turned off the road and onto the trail.

I tipped again, turning onto another plowed road, dragged on my side yelling “haw, haw!” to get them to turn—they did, and back on the trail I was able to right myself. Two other spectacular crashes later on and I was half-way through the race, still with 14 dogs.

When I wasn’t struggling to hang on, driving a 14-dog team was a high for me.

Two hundred miles into the race, as I started heading back toward Duluth, the wheels started falling off the wagon.

Judy Blume became too tired to run on the way to Sawbill and I carried her in the sled bag for two hours. I left Judy and two more dogs at Sawbill.

Colleen Wallin and I were running a close race at this point. Our run times were within minutes of each other and we saw each other on the trail almost every run— her team passed me or we passed her. Last year, Colleen finished the race 20 minutes ahead of me.

At Finland, Colleen was just a minute ahead. We both planned to “turn and burn” as mushers call it…pulling in and out of the checkpoint quickly, without taking a rest. Colleen turned first and I followed several minutes later. As I left Finland, however, my team’s momentum slowed. Two dogs became too tired to run on the leg to Two Harbors and I carried them both in the sled. I knew I wasn’t racing anymore—I just needed to concentrate on finishing.

I didn’t know how far out I was from the checkpoint and the pace felt slower with every mile. I think we all wanted to quit, but I knew I couldn’t let us, so we

kept going—me poling, running, pushing— whatever I had to do to get us there.

We made it to Two Harbors after 10 straight hours on the runners just after 1:00 a.m. on Wednesday—the third night of the race.

Four hours later, I pulled out of Two Harbors with eight dogs. They looked great leaving the checkpoint. I thought maybe we’d have a smooth run to the finish. One of the dogs, Cha-cha, rode in the bag most of the last run. I thought she’d had enough rest to make it to the end, but I was wrong. So a few miles from the Two Harbors checkpoint, I loaded her in the bag again (good thing she’s really small). With seven strong dogs, we carried on, but about five miles from the end, Gabby started limping, so I loaded her up with Cha-cha. Again with two in the sled bag, we made our slow way to the finish.

At the finish, I had Judy Blume’s five pups—Beezus (who led almost the entire Beargrease), Nancy (also a core leader),

Fudge, Punky and Buda. Ringo, who was my surprise finisher last year and my rock this year, cheered us to the end. We came in sixth out of eight finishing teams.

The race was 50 miles longer than last year and the warm weather and fast trail conditions factored in. It’s hard to know when you’re on the runners, but I believe I started out too fast in the beginning, and this likely affected the team later on.

Somewhere during the longest run, I swore Matt would have to do the race next year. I also questioned the sanity of being out there at all. But all those feelings go away after crossing the finish and getting a night of sleep. Then it’s just a long year ahead thinking about the next Beargrease.

What sticks with me is that you can’t predict which dogs will do well or not— some of last year’s finishers didn’t make it. A couple dogs I never thought would finish did. That’s one of the things that makes racing worth it—watching dogs perform beyond your highest expectations.

One of the handlers coaxes Ringo to eat during a race checkpoint. | ANNIE FONTAINE

northern sky

MARCH 2016

By Deane Morrison— MINNESOTA STARWATCH

The five planets that adorned the morning sky last month are now going their separate ways. Mercury slips behind the sun on March 23 and Venus glides into the sun’s foreglow as it heads for a similar trip in early June.

As for Jupiter, Earth passes it on March 8, when it is said to be at opposition because it appears opposite the sun in the sky. On that day, the giant planet rises around sunset and sets around sunrise. This is a great time to observe it, even if all you have is binoculars. As the days go by, Jupiter rises earlier each evening and moves westward as Earth leaves it behind in the orbital race.

Mars and Saturn remain strictly morning planets. They are well up in the south an hour before sunrise, and during March, they cut the gap between them by half. The planets bracket the bright red star Antares, in Scorpius, whose name means “rival of Mars.” This is a fine opportunity to compare Mars, the westernmost of the three bodies, with its rival, especially with

Mars brightening as it heads to opposition later this year.

The spring equinox happens at 11:30 p.m., March 19, when the sun crosses the equator into the northern sky and the Earth is lit from pole to pole.

March’s moon reaches fullness at 7:01 a.m. on the 23rd, just seven minutes before moonset. Try looking around 6:30 a.m. to catch it at its best.

On moonless evenings in the last week of March, look for the zodiacal light in the west as evening twilight fades. This elusive, faint cone of light appears in the evening sky in late winter/early spring; in fall, it appears in the morning sky. It extends from the horizon along the sun’s path and is caused by sunlight reflecting off dust in the plane of the solar system.

The University of Minnesota offers public viewings of the night sky at its Duluth campus. For more information and viewing schedules, see the Marshall W. Alworth Planetarium at www.d.umn.edu/planet.

Join Eve and Gary Wallinga on the scenic pathways that lead to the magnificent waterfalls of Lake Superior’s North Shore. And now in this new expanded edition, they also venture to northern Wisconsin and Ontario. Maps and directions to over 150 waterfalls are included in this unique guide.

Munger State Trail

Strange Tales

The Quirky, Brave and Incredible World of Dogs

By Elle AndraWarner

So, how did a seven-year-old great Pyrenees dog named Duke become the first mayor of Cormorant, a small village in northwestern Minnesota?

It happened in August 2014 in a mayoral election that made international news. Two candidates were on the ballot: local businessman Richard Sherbrook and the dog Duke. Twelve residents paid one dollar each to cast a vote and the dog won in a 9-3 landslide. ABC News reported Sherbrook said, “I’m going to back him 100 percent,” NBC late-night comedian Jimmy Fallon tweeted “A Minnesota town just elected a dog as mayor,” while Britain’s Daily Mail UK headlined the story with “Politics Gone to the Dogs.”

But Duke wasn’t America’s first dog mayor. That honor belongs to Boss “Bosco” Ramos, a black Labrador retriever-rottweiler mix who defeated two humans in 1981 in a tongue-in-cheek election to become the honorary mayor of Sunoi, California. He served until his death in 1994. As the story goes, his candidacy started as a joke after a discussion in a bar about who should be Sunoi’s unofficial mayor. Bosco’s owner said his dog could beat both candidates. As a write-in candidate and with a campaign slogan, “A bone in every dish, a cat in every tree and a fire hydrant on every corner,” Bosco won in a landslide.

The election brought Sunoi world attention, including being called the “wackiest town in the world” by the British tabloid The Daily Star. In 1989, Bosco’s tenure became an international incident when China’s newspaper, the People’s Daily, declared his election was proof of failed Western

democracy. In response, a pro-democracy demonstration in San Francisco invited Bosco to participate and hailed him as the “symbol of democracy.” Fourteen years after Bosco’s death, the town commissioned a life-size bronze statue of Bosco, which sits at the entrance to the Post Office.

Other dog mayors have included Devlin, an Irish wolfhound in Abilene, Texas, who travelled to 36 states as a goodwill ambassador for pets, and Lucy Lou, a border collie in Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, who took over the mayor’s office in 2008 by defeating 15 other candidates. Over in Europe, a dachshund named Saucisse won 4 percent of the vote in the official 2001 mayoral race in Marseille, France’s second largest city.

Some dogs are also known for their outstanding acts of heroism, bravery and devotion to duty. In 1943, the British veterinary charity, the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), instituted the first PDSA Dickin Medal to “acknowledge outstanding acts of bravery or devotion to duty dis -

played by animals serving in the Armed Forces or Civil Defense units in any theatre of war throughout the world.”

To date, the PDSA Dickin Medal has been awarded to 30 dogs, the most recent cited being Diesel, a seven-year-old Belgian malinois RAID assault dog employed by French police. Sadly, Diesel was killed in Paris by suspected terrorists in the attacks on November 13, 2015 (award to be presented in 2016). Previous PDSA Dickin Medal recipients include three American dogs for their heroism during the 9/11 terror attacks in New York: Labrador guide dogs Salty and Roselle, who courageously led their blind owners down more than 70 flights of stairs in the World Trade Centre to a place of safety, and Appollo, a German shepherd who received the award on behalf of all Search and Rescue dogs who assisted at Ground Zero and the Pentagon.

In 2001, the PDSA Gold Medal was added to the Animal Awards program and in 2014, the PDSA Order of Merit. The most

recent Gold Medal recipient was a Belgian malinois named K9 Killer, South Africa’s most successful tracking dog in the fight against illegal rhinoceros poaching. The Order of Merit has been awarded to 10 police horses and two police dogs. Visit www.pdsa.org.uk for a link to the nomination form.

And who can forget the famous ‘star’ dogs of movies, TV and books, like Lassie, Toto, Old Yeller to name a few? One of the most successful animal books and movies of all time was set in Northwestern Ontario, and was written by a former Thunder Bay resident, the late Sheila Burnford, who based the fictional tale on the animals she owned. Her best-selling book The Incredible Journey -- published in 1961 and adapted into a popular Walt Disney movie in 1963 -- tells the story of three lost pets, a bull terrier, Labrador retriever and Siamese cat, that travel 300 miles (480 km) through the Canadian wilderness of Northwestern Ontario searching for their owners.

2 bedroom cabin in Hovland MN near Judge Magney State Park and the Superior Hiking Trail, on 10 acres with creek and trails.

bath,

garden.

Northwoods.

Duke, the dog mayor of Cormorant, Minn. | SUBMITTED

The PDSA Dickin Medal is the highest award any animal can receive while serving in military conflict. It is recognized worldwide as the animals’ Victoria Cross. | SUBMITTED

MALCOLM CLARK, Broker

OLIVER LAKE

North shore. 215.5 acre parcel with 3900 feet of lake frontage. Rugged property-water access. Southern exposure, ultimate privacy. $169,000 CDN

6 LAKE SUPERIOR ISLANDS

2 to 95 acres. Starting at $90,000 USD

New Levels of Service

640 Beverly Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 0B5 Canada

Phone (807) 344-3232

FAX: (807) 344-5400

Toll Free 1-888-837-6926

Cell: 807-473-7105

mclark@avistarealty.ca www.avistarealty.ca

UPPER SCOTCH LAKE

2 well built log homes. Each with log sauna buildings, sand beaches, sheltered mooring area, more building sites and southern views of Scotch Lake. Surrounded by crown land and largest of only a few private parcels on this huge lake. 1800 feet of lake frontage. Over 13 acres, Road accessable. Very secluded and private. Great fishing/hunting retreat. $625,000 CDN

NICOL ISLAND ROSSPORT Tremendous Lake Superior building sites. Lakefront and interior lots for sale with docking facilities. Causeway opened year round. Power and phone. Starting at $55,000 CDN

LAKE SUPERIOR

LOTS

Little Trout Bay, 20 minutes north of the Minnesota/Ontario border, 3 large estatesized lots, very sheltered with southern exposure. Tremendous views. Power and telephone available. Priced beginning at $199,000 CDN

BLACK BAY

Underdeveloped Property

• Onion River Road: 6 acre zoned resort commercial/residential. $79,000

• Barker Lake Road: 20 Acres --remote property with great access. $62,000

• The Grade: 39 acres at the corner of the grade and Brule Lake Road: 10 acre zoning year round access. $199,000

• Woodland Foothills: Lake Superior view-includes water and sewer and 20 acres common property. $42,000

Own a slice of Minnesota’s Favorite Resorts

We bring you closer. To the lake, each other and your

The Bluefin Bay Family of Resorts is unmatched in its intimate proximity to Lake Superior. We offer three distinct ownership opportunities to achieve what you’ve been dreaming of for years.

• Bluefin Bay on Lake Superior: Award-winning property, Minnesota’s Favorite Resort. One, two and three bedroom condos & townhomes on Lake Superior with access to restaurants, pools, saunas, tennis court, gift shops, & full service spa.

• Surfside on Lake Superior: New, spacious luxury townhomes on Lake Superior. Home to Waves of Superior Spa & Café. Offering shared ownership opportunities.

• Temperance Landing on Lake Superior: Distinctive log home luxury on ledgerock and cobblestone beach near Temperance River. 3 BR, 3BA custom log homes with access to resort amenities at Surfside.

Sales Agent, Bluefin Bay Family of Resorts

Let Eric, exclusive sales agent for Bluefin Bay Family of Resorts, provide the details about each property and guide you through the process. Contact him today to learn more.

eric@bluefinbay.com

Bluefin Bay Condos & Townhomes

Lutsen, MN 48 County Road 34

MLS #6003287 $595,000

It’s simply unusual to find over 5 acres and nearly 400’ of Lake Superior Shoreline in the Lutsen area. Well, here it is. This property is accompanied by a three bedroom lake home that was built for the ages. The lake home is timeless with respect to design and architecture. Three bedrooms, one bath with a Great Room and wood fireplace. Recent updates to kitchen and bathroom. Sincerely, likely some of the best views on the entire north shore with moderate stair access to ledge rock shoreline.Property is currently in the process of an Administration Sub-Division and what is shown on the attached map is two additional parcels with Lake Superior Shoreline with building sites above the gravel road. Parcels 2 and 3 are separate from this transactions and are available for $50,000 each. If desired to be purchased with the main property the overall property will consist of over 12 acres 855’ of total shoreline.

Lutsen, MN

5170 W Hwy 61

MLS#6003083

$299,900

Authentic and classic late 1940’s - 1950’s log home located in Lutsen near Caribou Trail. Deep, private and recessed 2 acre lot. Home has been meticulously maintained and well cared for spanning four decades and two generations within the same family. Septic non-compliant. Cool cabin, cool piece of real estate, mutli-options present themselves for future use consideration. An all around cool place.

BUYING OR SELLING

Email: stphn.carlson@gmail.com or Realliving.com/steve.carlson.

One of a kind property on the sought after Baptism River. This 140 acres has over 4,000 feet of frontage on the Baptism just off Mattson Rd near Finland Mn. Privacy is what this is all about. For more information call 218-591-0985, email to stphn.carlson@gmail.com or Realliving.com/steve.carlson.

Carlson 218-591-0985 stphn.carlson@gmail.com Realliving.com/steve.carlson.

Year-round vacation destination.

Restaurant, bar and lounge.

Fully operational including furniture, fixtures and

4 vacation rental units.

Beautiful 2 bedroom owner’sliving quarters on upper level.

Lower level banquet room with walkout patio. Great opportunity for entrepreneurial enterprise. Common area waterfront Perfect for weddings, family reunions and special events.

Numerous added value and revenue enhancement opportunities.

LAKE SUPERIOR PROPERTIES

EXCEPTIONAL

QUALITY, STUNNING SHORELINE. Elegant and comfortable 3 bdrm, 2 bath contemporary home, architecturally designed and built to fit into the ledge rock hillside of Chimney Rock. Beautifully wooded, and private, with lichen-covered dramatic rocks and panoramic lake views on 223 feet of easily accessed Lake Superior shore. The great room is shared with the gourmet kitchen, formal dining, and living area centered around the Finnish fireplace. The master suite is a lovely open space with a private office, plus quiet reading corner. The master bath suite is exceptional. Upgrades throughout, beautiful maple flooring, fabulous storage on all three levels. MLS# 2308811 $750,000

SUPERIOR AFRAME. This 3,300 sq ft Lake Superior home with original AFrame was expanded in 2006, adding 2,000 sq ft w/quality finishes. Stunning kitchen with large island, hickory cabinets, granite & lake views. 3 bdr, 3 bath, large gathering spaces and deck. Master bdrm with attached whirlpool/glass shower. Sleeps 12+. 418’ frontage and extra large lot size for privacy and expansive views. Enjoy working from home with broadband Internet! Tettegouche State Park, Palisades and Silver Bay Marina are all within 3 miles! MLS# 2313080 $675,000

PREMIER LAKE SUPERIOR PROPERTY. Beautiful, very private 1.84 acre residential lot with 240 ft of Lake Superior shoreline in the Chimney Rock Platted Development. Premier quality with stunning elevated and panoramic views of the lake. MLS# 2313197 $249,900

A UNIQUE AND SPECTACULAR BUILDING

SITE ON LAKE SUPERIOR. This site is build-ready for your dream home or cottage, with spectacular views and privacy. All hookups are ready - septic, water, electric, phone and propane - with Association shared expenses. This lot was blasted, prepped and is waiting for construction. House plans are available. There is a garage lot included. Only 8 owners share this park-like former resort property with 315 feet of gentle lake shore and 1000' of dramatic river frontage on 8 acres. You won't find a more affordable lot on the big lake! MLS 6019661 $99,900

TOTAL PEACE, PRIVACY AND SOLITUDE ARE FOUND RIGHT HERE! Spectacular custom executive log home and retreat located on 2 lots, 750' of shoreline and almost 10 acres on pristine Greenwood Lake. The main home consists of 3000+/- sq ft of living space. 3 bedrooms including a lovely master suite. Kitchen, dining room, living room, sitting room, utility room, and large upstairs loft with 2 bedrooms, entertainment area. The lake view is spectacular through lots of glass from all the rooms. MLS# 2183279 $895,000

land on the lake. Enjoy the utmost privacy and unspoiled wilderness views with 87 acres and 3000 feet of shoreline on Cascade Lake. There is a neat, well-maintained cabin, sauna, dock and outhouse. Easy year-round access. Great fishing and wildlife sightings. This

PRIME PIKE LAKE CABINS. Private Lake Home or successful vacation rental w/ solid customer base already established. Cabins are set on over ½ an acre of quiet, peaceful grounds & include 200’ of gorgeous shoreline. Modern dock, artfully crafted slate fire pit, screen

SPECTACULAR LAKE SUPERIOR LOT. Framed by palisades, the nicely wooded property has two or more perfect sites on which to build your special lake home. Views are classic old North Shore looking over Chicago Bay. Shared septic system is in place. MLS# 2308784 $365,000 LAKE SUPERIOR COTTAGE. Exceptional Lake Superior property in highly regarded Lutsen area. 150 feet of accessible ledge rock and gravel beach shoreline with long magnificent views up and down the shore. The 2 bdrm, 1 bath cabin could be refurbished or this could be the build site for your north shore getaway. MLS# 2309109 $349,000

LOVELY LAKE SUPERIOR LOT – LUTSEN. Great lot with excellent site for walkout. Surveyed and level open location for your new home. Parcel has a very neat, private cove and meandering 447' of shoreline. MLS # 2313294 $329,000

SOLITUDE ON TAIT LAKE. Spacious 3 bdrm, 2 bath home on 2.5 acres features a GREAT great room, gourmet kitchen with all stainless steel appliances. Charming master suite has sliding glass and lake view. Stunning open beamed ceilings, gleaming hardwood floors, cozy loft and a huge screened porch. Comfortably sleeps 10-12. Detached garage. MLS# 2312977 $559,500

GUNFLINT LAKE HOMECEDAR FOREST. This quality built and lovingly maintained home sits in a classic mature cedar forest on 200 feet of accessible shoreline. Interior features include cedar paneling, huge windows, oak hardwood floors and beautiful stone fireplace with built-in bookshelves. 2 bdrms, 2 baths, large detached garage. MLS# 2305777 $468,900

CHARMING CABIN ON SEAGULL LAKE. Lovely 2 bdrm, 1 bath cabin with 233’ of gentle shoreline with breathtaking views of the lake and islands. Wrap around decking sets only 35 feet from the water's edge. Beautifully appointed, open living space will be sold furnished with a few exceptions of personal property. Crafted built-ins and storage space. Too much to mention! MLS# 2309233 $355,500

WILDERNESS SETTING - TUCKER LAKE. A perfect place for your cabin or home with unspoiled views and lots of Gunflint Trail privacy. 3.68 acres and 554’ shoreline. There are only a few parcels on this peninsula. Property boasts two lots – one on each side. Tucker Lake is a protected lake with added setbacks to protect the lake and views. Direct BWCAW access. MLS# 2309237 $229,900

fisherman! MLS# 2308946 $220,000

INLAND WATER PROPERTIES

CLASSIC CABIN ON CLEARWATER

LAKE. Well maintained 2 bdrm, 1 bath cabin cared for by the same family for over 60 years. 205 feet of shoreline on much sought after Clearwater Lake with direct access to the BWCA. MLS# 2309283 $259,000

NORTH FOWL LAKE

CABIN. Remote water only access from the US side of the border, or drive in from the Ontario side. Stunning views and easy access to the border lakes and the Royal River on the east end of the BWCA. Lovely 2 bdrm cabin with sauna. The private 200’ of lake-front lot has gentle shoreline and great views. MLS# 2309250 $189,000

LAKE PRIVACY ON 20 ACRES. Beautiful Lost

Lake is a remote wilderness lake with only a few privately owned parcels on the water. The lots are all 20 acres in size with 600 feet of shoreline. This great lot has huge white pines, a cabin site on a knoll looking south over the whole lake and great accessible shoreline for your dock. MLS# 6019597 $179,000

BEAUTIFUL LOON LAKE LOTS. Solitude on the south side of Loon Lake. Two lots with over 200’ of wonderful shoreline each. Private road, electric available. MLS# 2309227 & 2309228 $179,000 each

SOLITUDE ON LOON LAKE. These 1-2 acre lots are located on the south side of Loon Lake and offer great lake views, 152-218’ beautiful shoreline and many nice trees. The main road is in place and power is on the lot line. MLS# 2093855, 2159458, 2309227, 2309228 $175,000 and up ASTOUNDING VIEWS ON GREENWOOD. Nice, affordable 2.10 acre lot on Greenwood Lake with 230’ lakeshore. Southwest location with incredible views down the lake. Surveyed and ready to build your dream home or cabin. Easy year round access and only 20 minutes from Grand Marais. MLS# 2308929 $159,500

CARIBOU LAKE - HOME SITE. New price is well below tax assessed value, and seller is open to offers. Magnificent old-growth cedar and maple trees frame a corner lot with a great, high build site on Sawmill Bay. 5.34 acres and 185’ lake frontage. MLS# 2203572 $95,000

SISTER LAKE PARCEL. Nice 3.2 acre lake lot with good tree cover, high and level building sites. High point has awesome views. Excellent 235’ shoreline, partial driveway already in place. MLS# 2273977 $89,600

LOTS ON NINEMILE LAKE. Two beautiful, large lots on Ninemile Lake in Finland. Lots adjoin Superior National Forest and Cabin Creek Unit Roadless Area with excellent shoreline and views. Power and year round access! MLS #6019489 $89,300, MLS #6019492 $97,900

SNOWSHOE RUN LOTS. Snowshoe run is set along a high ridge overlooking Hare Lake in a mature northern hardwood forest. Year-round plowed and maintained county roads, power at each property and a clear water trout lake. These beautiful home sites were planned for generations of enjoyment and are protected by covenants. MLS# 6019490 thru 6019496, 6019498 Lake lot prices start at $48,800

CONDOMINIUMS

BRAND NEW

CONDO. Terrace Ridge #16 has been designed by Bob Davis of Design 1 in Eden Prairie. Currently under construction, the principles of Frank Lloyd Wright and John Howe will be evident within the completed 3 bdrm, 4 bath unit. Conveniently located between Lutsen and Grand Marais on Minnesota’s Lake Superior North Shore. MLS# 2313126 $399,000

CONDOMINIUMS

THREE-LEVEL

LAKE SUPERIOR

CONDO. Beautiful views and quality finishes. 3-bdrm, 3-bath, accommodates 10. Outdoor access from each level with two decks and a patio right on the shore. Main floor has open floor plan with great room, kitchen and dining room - perfect for entertaining. Attached garage is a rarity on the shore. MLS# 2312996 $374,900

HOMES & CABINS

LAKE SUPERIOR CONDO/ TOFTE. Great lake views from this 2 bedroom + loft unit with 2 baths, fireplace, balcony looking up the shore. Chateau LeVeaux offers many updated amenities, indoor pool, sauna, game room, and on-site manager. MLS# 2276189 $80,000 PRICE REDUCTION! SPEND THE DAY ON YOUR BALCONY LISTENING TO LAKE SUPERIOR. This 2 bdrm, 2 bath condo is private and quiet. Main level, end-unit location with updated kitchen. Experience some attractive rental revenues and offset the ownership costs. MLS# 2309175 $133,000

HOMES & CABINS

BEAUTIFUL

REMOTE HIDE-AWAY. Charming custom built 2 bdrm, 2 bath cabin tucked in the woods overlooking a beaver pond.

LOG CABIN NEAR TOM LAKE. Charming log cabin perfectly sited for

sonal views of Tom Lake. Solidly

NEW! NORTH SHORE RETREAT. Here is one of those little cabins waiting for you to turn it into a place to call home, or a weekend retreat. Located on the Lake Superior side of Highway 61, these 3.8 acres have decent lake views and the property is accessed from a private road off of the highway. The one-room cabin is kind of rough, but maybe this is the project you've been looking for. MLS# 6020252 $40,000

PROPERTIES

RENTAL COTTAGES - GOOD HISTORYGREAT LAKE. Devil Track Cabins have been a long standing seasonal resort on the beautiful north shore of Devil Track Lake. 5 cabins plus an owner's cabin needing renovation - a manageable operation for a retired couple, or as a family retreat. Great potential as vacation rental business. Classic charm, nice lake views. private setting. MLS# 6019988 $389,000

BIG OPPORTUNITY, MANY POSSIBILITIES. Prime commercial location in Hovland, 1000 feet of Highway 61 frontage. Large commercial space with a small 2 bedroom home and 1 functioning rental cottage. Many new improvements and upgrades. Two more small cabins could be rented, and there's room for many more...or other possibilities. Large 2-car garage plus two sheds. MLS# 2308736 $299,900

GRAND MARAIS CABINS. Good income property with long-term tenants. All 5 cabins have had ongoing upgrades - roofs, baths, plumbing, heating. Cabin 1 has fireplace. Charming touches. MLS# 2312978 $210,000

COMMERCIAL LOTS IN LUTSEN. Two commercial-zoned lots fronting Hwy. 61 in Lutsen across from Lockport Store. Great visibility, nice forest, lake view. Third lot to north is zoned residential. Bring your business idea! MLS# 2274856 $179,000

GRAND MARAIS PROFESSIONAL

BUILDING The options here are endless and the opportunity is great. Ample parking, grassy, yard-like grounds and a nice sized storage building. Several offices walk out to the back yard. Own/occupy the entire building, rent out one side & offset your ownership costs, create "condo offices" & offer space to a variety of entities... many avenues one could take! The building is in wonderful condition and is ready for business. MLS# 6020220 $269,900

RIVER/CREEK FRONTAGE

STUNNING LITTLE DEVIL TRACK RIVER

FRONTAGE. Nice 6 acre property with 350 ft river frontage. Pincushion Trail access provides a unique opportunity for skiers, hikers and mt bikers. Trail easement runs thru property with covenants to protect the trails. Zoned Resort/Commercial. MLS# 6019560 $103,900

WOODS, WATER & SECLUSION.Three 40 acre lots with 600 to 1000 ft frontage on Mons Creek. Also includes deeded access to Lost Lake. Private and secluded. MLS# 2162557 $64,900 or MLS# 2162560 $74,900 or MLS# 2162561 $74,900.

GRAND MARAIS - CITY LOT ON CREEK. Wooded lot with City services: water, sewer and electric at site. Nice south exposure and frontage on scenic Cedar Creek. Quiet street. MLS# 2125228 $59,900

LAND ON THE FLUTE REED RIVER. Enjoy privacy and seclusion in a deep 13 acre parcel with over 300 feet of trout stream in Hovland. Easy access with power, phone and broadband. Nice build sites. MLS# 2313215 $49,900

GREAT HOME SITE OR RESORT-TYPE BUSINESS

LOCATION. Over 13 acres adjoining Pincushion Mnt. Hike, ski and bike trails. Trail easement through property. Lake Superior view - unique opportunity! More land available. Zoned Resort/Commercial. MLS# 6019559 $214,900

RECREATIONAL BASE CAMP.

Great Tofte lot has 2 garage buildings. They could easily become living space, one has a second story. Property has room for a home with views of a dramatic creek gorge with waterfall and Lake Superior view. 4.54 acres, year-round road, power, phone. MLS# 6019481 $179,900

OUTSTANDING VIEWS OF LAKE SUPERIOR. Almost 15 acres within the boundaries of Cascade State Park. Rolling hills, a variety of tree species, and just 10-15 minutes from both Grand Marais and Lutsen. Potential for subdivision. MLS# 2309282 $175,000

MOUNTAIN TOP - WILDERNESS VIEWS. Preserve this large acreage for your exclusive annex to the adjoining wilderness. Fantastic vistas into the BWCA and of the surrounding rugged topography near McFarland Lake. Located at the end of the Arrowhead Trail with easy year-round access. The 122 acres has a high ridge and a "mountain top" for you to name. MLS# 2313109 $167,000 BIG LAND, BIG CREEK, BIG TREES. This nearly 100 acre Hovland area parcel is on the "front range" of the Farquhar Hills with a dramatic backdrop of rock cliffs and escarpments. There is a large creek running through the entire property with many fantastic building sites. MLS# 2308857 $159,900 RIDGES, PINES AND VIEWS - ARROWHEAD TRAIL.

Nice 28 acre parcel with first rate, high building sites with huge pines looking south and west over the wilderness. The surrounding federal land leads directly into the BWCAW. Excellent year-round road access on the Arrowhead Trail. McFarland Lake is just a halfmile away. MLS# 2313108 $63,000 INCREASINGLY RARE, LARGE RECREATIONAL PARCEL. 190 arces fully surveyed. The perfect retreat. Has a rich variety of trees, ponds, high and low lands, some meadow land and wetlands. MLS# 2309103

$150,000

LARGE PARCEL. Large private parcel with possible subdivision potential. Great Lake Superior views on the higher elevations. A small creek runs through part of the 25 acre property. MLS# 2308822 $124,900

INTRIGUING PROSPECT. High-quality items already in place include an insulated/heated slab for house/porch, insulated garage slab, electricity, driveway, the well, a time-dosed/heated septic system. Over 18 acres of privacy. MLS# 2291419 $119,900

MAPLES, VIEWS, PRIVACY. 85+ acres near Hovland. Good end of road access, adjoining tons of federal land, great view of pond. MLS# 2313198 $98,900

HUGE POND-HUGE PRIVACY. Large 45+ acre wooded parcel located across from Tom Lake. Huge pond/lake in the very center of the acreage. MLS# 2308921 $99,000

RUSTICATE, RECREATE, RELAX. Reclusive Hovland hideaway –43 acres with new driveway to “base camp” with a nice camper trailer and shed. Trails have been cut throughout the property which adjoins State land. Road maintained in winter with power possible in the future. MLS# 2313223 $69,900 GREAT LOCATION, QUALITY FOREST, BUILD HERE. These 10-acre parcels have a mature and mixed forest, southerly exposure, easy county road frontage and just minutes from Grand Marais. MLS# 2309143 $67,900, MLS# 2309123 $68,900, MLS# 2309147 $68,900

MAPLE HILL - HOME SITE. Heavily wooded 6.45 acre parcel with great privacy, county rd frontage, power and phone. MLS# 2192740 $64,500 PINES & LAKE SUPERIOR VIEW. Large 13+ acre pine filled lot on the hillside above Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center in Schroeder. Great lake views! Power, phone and broadband at the lot. MLS# 2313242 $64,900

30 ACRES - PANORAMIC VIEWS. Rare mountain top property with a 180 degree view of distant Lake Superior and the ridge to the north. Many trails in place with food plots for wildlife, plus an elevated viewing blind. MLS# 6020274 $63,900 GREAT LOCATION NEAR DEVIL TRACK. Lovely wooded 5 acre parcel. Survey, septic site evaluations, and access road in place. MLS# 2308847 $59,900

QUIET AND PRIVATE. Choice 2.31 acre lot at the end of the road in Lutsen, ready to build. Priced to sell! MLS# 2309202 $54,900 READY TO BUILD - NEAR DEVIL TRACK. Nice wooded 5 acre parcel. Survey, septic, and access road in place. MLS# 2308925 $49,900 WOODED 2.4 ACRE. Tait Lake back-lot with driveway in and cleared building site ready for your cabin. Electric is on site. Owner/Agent. MLS# 2297619 $49,000

5 ACRES NEAR CARIBOU LAKE. Gorgeous corner lot with colorful maples and majestic cedars. Plenty of privacy. Close to hiking trails and the Caribou Lake boat landing. Year round access with power! MLS# 2279179

Trail. Full infrastructure in place including paved streets, municipal sewer and water, electric and telephone. Call us today for a guided tour of this unique and affordable business park opportunity.

READY TO BUILD – 20 ACRES IN SCHRODER. Driveway and building pad already in place. A red pine forest climbs up to the highest point with stunning views of high ridges and valleys. MLS# 2308723 $99,900

SIMPLE LIVING ON THE BIG LAKE! Great vibes resonate from this home, comfortable in its design, it’s about the nice views from the entire main level, including main level bedroom! Nearby Taconite Harbor, watch the big boats pull in to the harbor!!

MLS#2300030 $349,000

SWEET LAKE SUPERIOR SHORELINE, GREAT SKI GETAWAY BUNGALOW ON LAKE SUPERIOR! Ski at Lutsen Mountains, Dine at BlueFin Bay Restaurant! Super location for Easy Living on Lake Superior! Meander the Sprawling Ledge Rock Shoreline! MLS#2270954 $429,000 TEMPERANCE LANDING ON LAKE SUPERIOR! Spectacular log home on level accessible shoreline, Vaulted ceilings, tons of

LUTSEN’S LAKE SUPERIOR HAVEN! Mint Condition and Move In Ready, you’ll love the location, minutes to Lutsen Mountains Ski Resort and a short drive to the Harbor at Grand Marais! Quality, energy efficient home designed for one level living and low maintenance…more time for you to soak in the views from the Prow Windows in the Great Room!

$699,900 LOTS OF LAND AND LAKESHORE ON LAKE SUPERIOR! Well maintained Family Compound with yr round newer home on 8+ ac and 340+ ft accessible shoreline! But’s it really about “The Shining Rocks” The “Rock 1” log cabin was built early 30’s, and it’s been lovingly maintained by only a handful of families since. Cabins Rock 1, 2 & 3 create this incredible family compound! MLS#2187245 REDUCED! $659,000

MLS#2308717 $579,900

GORGEOUS TERRACE POINT ON LAKE SUPERIOR! Quality crafted townhome features an owner’s suite so luxurious your family and guests may wonder if you’ll ever reappear! 476’ of shared shore w/ a point that juts dramatically into the lake forming Good Harbor & Cutface Creek beach. Water, sewer, ext. maint. covered by Assoc. MLS#2183691 $299,000

THE SECLUDED SIDE OF GRAND MARAIS ON LAKE SUPERIOR! Just east of the East Bay, you’ll love running your toes through the sandy shoreline on Lake Superior! Lovely Year Round 2+ bedrm home within walking distance to Grand Marais features main level living and room for expansion in the nice but unfinished basement. 2 car garage.

MLS#2313342 $369,900

CHALLENGING BUILD SITE ON LAKE SUPERIOR means BIG SAVINGS! Enjoy Rugged terrain, this is your Lake Superior dream in excellent location between Tofte and Lutsen on the Bike Trail! Must WALK with the list agent to truly understand the accessibility! MLS#2313306 $238,000

ISLAND VIEW, HARBOR VIEW, SPECTACULAR

VIEW!Accessible and Incredible shoreline, One of a KIND Lake Superior Parcel, Must Meander to See how much you will LOVE this Shoreline!

MLS#2308826 $438,900

DEERYARD LAKE WEST GRAND MARAIS 2000 sq ft Log Home on 100 ft Deeryard Lake, 2.5 ac, south facing, built in 2004. Large insulated, heated garage.

4 person sauna, 2 bedrm, 2 bath, 4-season porch. Power/broadband, water/septic. Maple and White Pine. Quiet, Northwood’s setting, not far from Grand Marais. MLS#2308905 $279,000

POPLAR LAKE CABIN ON 440’ OF SHORELINE AT THE TIP OF A PENINSULA!

Ensconced in quiet Boreal environment, Cabin sits proudly above the lake for long views over Poplar’s numerous islands! Home needs a little TLC, priced to sell! MLS#2308952 $269,000

LUTSEN LAKE SUPERIOR CASCADE BEACH RD LAND! Very accessible, build site close to the water, listen to the waves of Lake Superior lapping the rocky shoreline! Gorgeous morning sunrises over the Big Lake, a must see!

400 FT OF STUNNING LAKE SUPERIOR SHORELINE minute’s to the Cross River in Schroeder! Rolling terrain, nice Evergreen stand giving nice buffer from ANY highway noise. Worth the walk through the wilderness to see the AMAZING 400 ft of sprawling ledge rock shoreline!! MLS#2313305 $529,000

$265,000

quarters on lower level and upper level Rec Room! Gourmet Kitchen, Gorgeous Owner’s Suite walks out to deck over the Lake! Plenty of garage for cars and toys, Move In Ready! MLS# 2313246 $547,500

PIKE LAKE SUNSHINE ON WILLARD LANE! Charming property is on the west end of Pike: the quiet side. Step inside the spacious A-frame: paneled floors and walls are warm and inviting, earnest wood stove. A bank of lakeside windows tells of every mood of light. Birch branch cabinet fronts, 240’ of lakeshore. MLS#2313066 $239,700

CRAZY CUTE RUSTIC LOG CABIN ON CHRISTINE LAKE! Located just off a designated Mountain Bike Trail system, enjoy year round access, electric at street and a TOTAL SENSE OF SECLUSION! Canoe on Christine, Fly Fish in the Poplar or just

NORTHWOODS FAMILY HOME, TONS OF ELBOW ROOM! Functional living space with tons of light flowing through home,

LOVELY LUTSEN HOME, SIMPLE LIVING Original Maple & Douglas fir floors, gorgeous wide panel woodwork and original doors! Home sits on a lovely 2+ ac lot, good depth from the Hwy. Walk to Clearview in Lutsen! Detached garage! MLS#2308845 REDUCED! $162,000

and Tofte, just a minute to the Ski Hill or Sugarbush X Country trails! Garage, tons of space! MLS#2165564 $189,000

SMALL FOOTPRINT LIVING IN THE FOOTHILLS OF LUTSEN MOUNTAINS! Surrounded by Winter Recreational Opportunities, this Whimsical New Construction home Defines Lutsen Living in Style! Modern Design, Low Maintenance Living…this is a MUST See Home minutes to Lutsen Mountains! MLS#2308985 $268,500

SWEEPING HOME ON MAPLE HILLSIDE, DISTANT LAKE VIEWS AND RAVINE! All you can ask for, acreage, Maples!, and a huge garage with plenty of firewood storage for winter warmth! Newer construction, huge walk around deck and wide open living, Awesome Owner’s Suite, Tons of potential in walk out level! Must See! MLS#2313265 $304,900 REDUCED!

Hwy 1 area Hunting Cabin on 10 ac MLS#2309318 $64,900

30 acres Wilderness, Borders lands next to Little Manitou River! MLS#2309327 $129,000

Rocky Wall Overlooking Lake Superior just outside Silver Bay. MLS#2244646 $99,000

80 acres for $79,000 Blesner Lake Rd! MLS#2234328

Rock Road in Silver Bay area!

Great build site with creek frontage!

MLS#2308638 $45,000

Sonju Lake Road in Finland!Several large parcels from MLS#2313331 $44,900

Little Marais Road Acreage! Build Ready Site, RV Neg. Old Garage, MLS#2313191 $99,000 SOLD!

160 acre parcel of upland maples and boreal forest. Total seclusion. Owned by the same family since 1904! MLS#2194145 $129,000

Lakeshore on Ninemile Lake at the Village, common water and septic, build ready, borders common land! MLS#2309096 $45,000

Commercial Lot for Bar/Restaurant at the Village at Ninemile Lake, in between Finland and the Trestle Inn! MLS#2309264 $47,500

Caribou River Frontage, Simply Gorgeous 38 ac! MLS#2313027 $65,000 Maple forest with meandering creek , nice sized pond. Electric/broadband Yr Round access. 15 min from Hwy 61 in Schroeder. 20 ac $49,900 MLS#2308954; 40+ ac $109,900 MLS#2308953

10 Ac Parcels of Maples! Rolling Terrain of Mature Maples to a Sweet Building site Perched Over a Mixed Boreal Forest. Year Round Access and Electric at Road! MLS#2024250 $56,900

DRAMATIC Mountain Top Views, Rolling Hills, Maple Forests fading in to Spruce and Pine and year round access. Tons of acreage available, or just pick up a 40 for $70,000! MUST SEE, call Emily today! MLS#6001560, multiple#’s call for full map and prices! FROM $70,000 MLS#2090628

Sugarloaf Retreats on High Ridge Drive, located up the Surgaloaf Road from Sugarloaf Cove Naturalist Area, Enjoy large acreage parcels at rock bottom prices! Each $49,900 MLS#1598640

LeVeaux Mountain, Super Views and Wildlife Ponds! FROM $49,900 MLS#2216091, MLS#2220050 $69,000 & MLS#2309131 $59,000

Just Up the Sawbill Trail Grab your little piece of the Northwoods, rolling terrain and small community feel with year round access, great build sites! MLS#2070510 Prices from $24,900!!

Tofte vaag on the Sawbill, Nice Lake Views! Walk to the Coho, great location! FROM $49,900 MLS#1615956

Wowser Lake Superior views on Overlook Tr! MLS#2296509 $82,900

Mature Spruce and BIG Lake Views! Walk to Blue Fin Bay, drilled well in place! MLS#2272174 $49,900

Gorgeous 19 acres with creek running through the middle, high ground! MLS#2309247 $65,000

10 acres with driveway, gorgeous views from cleared building site and a building concrete pad, ready for your cabin or garage! A Hop and a Skip to Pike Lake Landing! MLS#2309168 $57,500 SOLD!

Lutsen land with lake views. Lake views, driveway, rustic cabin on one parcel! Great value at $80,000 each! MLS#2313098, ask about MLS#2313099 for addional land!

Onion River Rd land, Hiker’s Heaven! MLS#2309316 $45,000

Woodland Foothills Build Ready lots, Shared Water & Community Septic from $19,000 MLS#2309328+

Heartland of Lutsen, 80 ac at the Foothills of Ski Hill ridge, near downtown Lutsen! MLS#2312987 $119,000

Over 15 ac of Wilderness on Turnagain Trail in Lutsen! MLS#2216560 $69,500

Prime Build Site(s) just off theCaribou at Jonvick Creek! MLS#2240533 $49,000

Gorgeous 5 acre parcels in the Heart of Lutsen paved Caribou Trail locale bordering USFS lands! MLS#2174799 From $54,900-$77,500

Creek Build Site just off the Caribou Trail at Jonvick Creek! Rare and Unique Build site!

MLS#2289515 $57,500

What an opportunity!

30 plus acres on Lutsen’s Ski Hill Rd, Lutsen Mountains. Great views of Lake Superior and toward Moose Mountain. MLS# 2217142 $250,000 SOLD!

30 acres of Prime Wilderness Land with year round access and electric at street with Views of Lutsen’s famed Clara Lake!

MLS#2080599 $137,500

80 Ac with Poplar River Frontage on the Honeymoon Tr! MLS#2307399 $95,000

Hunters and Fisherman take note! Desirable 20 acre parcel located on the outskirts of Lutsen, minutes to Bigsby, Ward, Deeryard and Caribou Lakes! Nice mixed forest with high ground. Murmur Cr. frontage. Great price for your Northwoods getaway!

MLS#1914043 $24,900

Gorgeous Views of Williams & Wills Lake in Lutsen! Year Round Access, electric, Mountain Top site bordering USFS land. A Wonderful place to build your home!

MLS#2107927 $70,000

A Hop, Skip & Jump West of Grand Marais this lot is the perfect location to build. With an apron and culvert installed off County Rd 7, and the survey done you are ready to build!

MLS#2313311 $68,900

7.26 ac south facing land west of Grand Marais. White Pine, Maple forest in the Deeryard Lake area- East Deeryard Rd. Power/broadband. All high ground.

MLS#2308855 $49,000

SUPER Views on Birch Drive! Complete with swimming pond on high ridge ledgerock setting, unique!

MLS#2308937 $79,000

Birch Drive, West of Grand Marais! or HUGE Lake Superior views

MLS#2303398 FOR $71,000!

A River Runs Through It!

160 Acres of Upland and River Frontage on the Cascade River near Eagle Mountain. Whether Hunting land or Wilderness Retreat, this is a Great Opportunity!

MLS#1940786 $119,900

Corner Build Site in Town Walk to Harbor!

MLS#2309203 $39,000

60 Ac with Lake Views E of Grand Marais! Keep this gem all to yourself and enjoy plenty of elbow room!

MLS# 2208961 $119,000

18 Ac With Lake Superior Views! Awesome locale Cty Rd 56, minutes to Grand Marais, yr round access & Elec at Rd!

MLS# 2306551 $69,000

Peaceful 40 ac with Flute Reed River Frontage. borders Judge Magney State Park, great hunting parcel!

MLS# 2309163 $44,900 SALE PENDING!

Cty Rd 7 Murphy Mountain Lake View lands!

Bargain Buys in young Poplar Forest, easy clearing for Sweet Lake Superior Views for as little as $39,900! Or Enjoy Hilltop Build Site with driveway in place.

MLS#1599157 $89,900

LAKESHORE BUILD SITES!

57XX

4.1A,

318X

2884

1.30A

for your 3BR home. 1.17A, 200’ shore.

MLS 6020138

Lake Superior View

1501 W Hwy 61 - $169,900

Almost 3A of commercially zoned property with Lake Superior! view! Very level building area; city sewer and water available.

MLS 6019246

Bloomquist Mtn. Rd 5.8A - $44,900

10 miles east of Grand Marais with power at theproperty, driveway, and several building sites partiall cleared!

MLS 2303330

Silver Fox Rd - $69,900

Year round 5+A east of town. Utilities are all available. Mature trees, rolling topography, a babbling creek.

MLS 2313029

County Rd 67 - $69,900

4.16 A with the lake so close you can see the waves rolling in to the state-owned shoreline, right across the street.

MLS 2212837

Gunflint Trail 6.46A - $127,495

Year round 6.46A with plenty of privacy. Great views of Superior!

MLS 2312979

Murphy Mtn Rd - $59,900

5A, close to town. Surveyed, pins are all clearly marked, utilities in place and septic sites identified.

MLS 230311

Raven Feather Rd $124,900

6.65A with views of Alligator Rock just west of Grand Marais. Federal land to the west.

MLS 6020315

Condos

Homes & Cabins

319

Birch Lake

Heavily wooded 1.54A, 150’ of frontage on great trout lake.

Direct, year round access off the Gunflint Trail.

MLS 2183859 $99,900

Kemo Lake

One of only 4 lots on south shore. Private 2.34A with 200’ frontage on excellent trout lake!

MLS 2313219 $139,900

Chester Lake

The only private parcel on Chester Lake. One of a kind opportunity! 40A, 300’ frontage! Rough cabin sold “as is” MLS 2308852 $149,900

Squint Lake

Nicely wooded 2.13A with some lovely old White Pine trees! Excellent Mid-Gunflint Trail location, 221’shore, gentle topography AND directly abutting USFS for added privacy

MLS 2308814 $79,900

Poplar Lake

Convenient mid-trail location with deeded lakeshore access. Building site cleared, driveway in, utilities available.

MLS 2188160 $52,500

Very quiet 1.8A, over 200’ shore. Driveway and garage are in. Multiple portages into BWCAW.

MLS 6004001 $174,900

Tom Lake

and

Year round, 1.3A, 200’ shore. Nice gentle walking trail down to lake. MLS 6004165 $69,900 Heavily

Silver Fox Rd

5A of northwoods privacy with all modern conveniences about 8 minutes from town. Gently rolling with some very attractive building sites. Abuts government land.

MLS 2313028 $39,900

Rosebush Hill Lane

Nicely wooded 5.40A with shared driveway only minutes from town. Identified septic sites and fully surveyed! Approx. 430’ of creek frontage. OWNER will consider a Contract for Deed!

MLS 2232494 $49,900

W Hwy 61

Great location and development opportunities right off Hwy 61! 7.1A Commercial lot (Zoned Commercial and R-1). Additional acreage of R-1 behind. Agent Owned.

MLS 2170380 $149,900

Diagonal Rd

20A, not-so-remote remote parcel. Year round access to within a few yards. Septic sites identified. Great mixture of tree cover as well as highlands and wetlands.

MLS 2286018 $27,500

E Hwy 61

Conveniently located near public access to Lake Superior, Kadunce Wayside, Kadunce River, Superior Hiking Trail and more.

MLS 2299762 $18,000

Schoolhouse Road

10A close to town. This parcel will be surveyed and have septic sites confirmed

MLS 6019135 $49,900

Land

4018 County Rd 14

10-20A nicely wooded year round lots. Electricity and phone, abuts Federal land providing access to incredible amount of land.

MLS 2308865 $44,900 - $74,900

North Rd

20A, very private, year round access. Power, phone and broadband available at the road!!

MLS 2313046 $39,900

Coyote Ridge

Three 5A, private, beautifully wooded parcels close to town. Babbling, gurgling creek for your boundary.

MLS 2313282 $45,000 - $65,000

Pike Lake Rd

Wooded 4+A near Pike Lake! Nicely elevated build sites, survey in place and septic sites identified

MLS 6019339 $33,900

Roman’s Rd

Close to Devil Track Lake and lots of recreational activities. 1.72A

MLS 2173907 $29,900

Solberg Lane

20A close to town but is definitely off-the-grid for a real North Woods getaway. Nicely elevated with the possibility of solar and wind power. Rustic outhouse and bunkhouse cabin on the site.

MLS 2239163 $72,500

78 Squint Lake Rd

5A surrounded on 2 sides by government land. Convenient midtrail location.

MLS 6020283 $62,900

County Rd 7

5A to build your home or cabin, close to town. Close to Pike Lake and has lots of wildlife!

MLS 2308972 $49,900

Wooded 5A, with seasonal Lake Superior Views! Nice mix of trees and quality build sites.

MLS 2309120 $74,900

Beautifully wooded 7.7A, wonderful views of Lake Superior. Septic and building site id’d.

MLS 6019917 $69,900

Oversize lot on Co Rd 7 but inside the city. The obvious benefits of broadband and other services. MLS 2313107 $65,000

Pick your own floorings, colors, materials! Borman Construction will build 2BR,1BA home on 5A.

Gunflint Trail

Cross country skiers, hikers; this property is connected to the Pincushion Cross Country Ski Trail system with the Little Devil Track River flowing through it MLS 2313364 $69,000

Inland Lake Homes

Cook County since 1971

Voted One of Minnesota Magazine’s Best Real Estate Professionals 2015

& Power in.

600+ of Lake Superior Shoreline Windows Galore - Hovland $699,999 MLS# 6016038 40 acres yet Miles of Views

Isabella-

Lake w/dock 1.46 Ac, Shared Septic/Well $49,9999 MLS# 6019242

MLS# 6017677 Lake Superior- Grand Marais

ac, Cleared, Power, Electric

MLS# 6017106 Larsmont Full

2 Bed Great Rental History, Two Harbors

MLS# 6018201

Stunning views of Superior 3 Bed, 4Ba Townhouse - Tofte $395,000 MLS# 6016921

Ownership,

Mitawan

Two Harbors- Marble Lake 1 Bed, 1Ba Cabin, plus Camper $189,000 Non MLS- Call for info

David Salmela Design Stunning architecture & use of land

Two Harbors, 3+ ac, 600’ of Superior $729,000 MLS# 6018447

Custom Built Home 11+ Acres Riding Arena, Workshop, Writers Studio, 4 car garage in Grand Marais $749,999 MLS# 6017587

CATCHLIGHT CATCHLIGHT

weasel

I saw the weasel by the Gunflint Pines. It was moving so fast, hunting every nook and cranny. It finally slowed down enough for me to get some photos, then off it went, hunting away. It was awesome to watch.—David Johnson

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