July 2023

Update on construction work on 5th Avenue

This week, Ulland Bros. is installing curb & gutter, sidewalk, and driveway approaches between MN 61 and 2nd St. This work will be complete early next week and followed by base course asphalt paving of the roadway late next week or early the following week. Base course paving will remain in place until the end of the project when the final wearing course of pavement is placed. At the Courthouse, Ulland has begun installing the project’s stormwater infiltration / filtration system. This system is designed to slow and clean stormwater collected from 5th Ave. above the Courthouse. The system is planned to be complete late this week. Following the completion of the stormwater infiltration / filtration system, crews will move back into 5th Ave. to begin installing water main from 2nd St. to 3rd St. This operation will impact access to the Courthouse parking lot. Residents looking to access the Courthouse should park on 4th Ave. W. and use the east entrance of the building. Those who are unable to use stairs will still be able to access the west entrance of the Courthouse by using the sidewalk on the north side of the building.

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Ellen B. Olson

It is with great sorrow and sadness to announce the passing of Ellen B. Olson on May 15, 2023. Ellen was an enrolled member of the Grand Portage Band. She is survived by numerous relatives residing in Grand Portage and other parts of the country. She is also survived by daughters, Shelley and Marcie. Ellen was the daughter of Peter and Sophia Bushman. Since the age of two years, Ellen was nurtured and educated by the kind and benevolent couple,Maymashquash and Songwewence, whose English names were Alex and Mary Posey. Consequently, Ellen spoke the Native language as a first language, and she was surrounded by all aspects of Indigenous learning. Ellen loved to read. She read Shakespeare and the Bible as a youth. She often quoted these source materials throughout her life. The histories of the Plantagenets, the Tudors and Napoleon were subjects Ellen read voraciously as an adult. She loved fiction, both historical and contemporary. Lastly, she was interested in reading about women’s history and contemporary feminist thought. She read about the fur trade and American Indian history and culture, even though many of the texts were basically flawed and laden with assumptions. Ellen loved music. She particularly loved the songs of her own Ojibwe people because her world as a child was filled with such music. She learned to love all music including classical, country, folk, pop, flamenco and ranchera. Ellen spent her lifetime as a vocal feminist. She learned her feminism from her Ojibwe tradition, whereby women are considered equal to men. She championed women’s rights and served as a good role model to other women, young and old. She defended the rights of LGBTQ persons also. Ellen often expressed the idea that women artists and crafts people are much happier and have greater self-esteem. Ellen practiced and perfected her skills as an Ojibwe craft specialist for the majority of her life. The renowned Ojibwe artist, Wendy Savage recently expressed that Ellen was a “na

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Fred Bonin

First born son of Kenneth and Junice Bonin was born on July 23, 1947, in Duluth, Minnesota. Fred passed away on July 13, 2023.

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Photo

While out on a morning stroll this female timber wolf nonchalantly walked by David Johnson “without a care in the world,” said Johnson. Login to continue reading Login Sign up…

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