My Last Day in My 50s

As I write this column, I am on my very last day in my 50s. Tomorrow, I will be 60 years old. I never imagined myself at this age. I remember being nine years old, just waiting to turn ten. I lied all summer, saying I was already ten until my sister-cousin Dawn called me out. I wanted so bad to be 19. Not because I wanted to go to bars and drink….I just wanted to go to the Polar Bear in Lutsen and dance! 30 I was a new mom to Zoe and felt like a raccoon on roller skates! It took a while to get my balance. By 40, I had three littles and had just moved to Annandale: new house, new friends. My 50s have been a blur. I used to roll my eyes when Grandma Isabelle said time flies as you get older. Now I know just what she meant.

Moving on

When did Service go out of fashion? I’ve always been impressed at the volunteerism in this community, but I fear it may be waning. Ruby’s Pantry had up to 90 volunteers— astounding.

Toastmasters International hoping to start a club in Grand Marais

Shy in public? Want to give a better speech? Need to present better at a business meeting? Stumbling over your words at the coffee klatch at Bluewater? Then Toastmasters might be the club for you. Toastmasters International “is a nonprofit educational organization that builds confidence and teaches public speaking skills through a worldwide network of clubs that meet online and in person.” Matthew Villella, the Club Growth Director for District 106 for Toastmasters, hopes to get a Toastmasters Club started in Grand Marais.

PUC board votes to discontinue facility fees

Taking up a topic tabled at their last Public Utilities meeting, on October 4, the Grand Marais PUC board voted 2-1 to eliminate the $1,000 hookup fee applied to both water and sewer hookup, saving a new homeowner $2,000.

Mark your calendars: Dessert to the Max is coming back this November

Boreal Community Media’s mission is “Keeping Communities Connected”, and in doing so, we are excited to announce that we are going to be hosting our 2nd Dessert to the Max event on Wednesday, November 15th from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts in Grand Marais. The guest speaker for this event will be Erik Torch, Executive Director of the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation. Erik will be speaking on the importance of non-profit organizations in Cook County.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Toastmasters Open House Toastmasters International is hosting an open house and information session at the Hub in Grand Marais on October 25 at 1 p.m. Come and learn about Toastmasters.

Indigenous People’s Daycelebrated in Grand Portage

An Indigenous People’s Day celebration held in Grand Portage on Saturday, October 7, started with a Drum ceremony(Chippewa City) and an invocation at the Log Community Building at 10 a.m. That was followed by Ann Sullivan’s speech addressing racial equity.

Historical Reflections

20 YEARS AGO OCTOBER 10, 2003 v Environmental groups filed suit last week in U.S. District Court challenging a federal decision lowering the status of the gray wolf from endangered to threatened in the continental United States.

Weekly Weather

Weekly Weather Date High Low Precipitation From Josiah Avery, East County Road 14 October 3 75.7 57.4 0 0.00 October 4 70.5 50.9 0 0.04 October 5 61.9 41.5 0 Trace October 6 48.2 40.8 0 0.05 October 7 51.4 30.9 0 0.06 October 8 51.6 38.7 0 Trace October 9 45.7 36.1 0 0.00

Grand Marais Farmers Market season a success

Local farmers markets are about so much more than fresh tomatoes and carrots! Markets provide access to healthy food, support local growers, and provide an avenue for strengthening community ties. The Grand Marais Farmers Market takes place on Thursday afternoons from 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. in the parking lot of the Cook County Community Center. The market is managed by the Community Center in partnership with the Northwoods Food Project. As the end of the season draws near, we wanted to highlight some of the amazing successes and benefits the market has provided the community this year.