Columns

Reprinted from the January 2, 1930 edition of the Cook County News-Herald. The Great Depression had begun and this ad is a reflection of the period of time.

Last week’s column had a blank space for the response of the North Shore Health (“NSH”) Board and executives. I had inquired about defamation lawsuits against NSH critics being discussed. They did not respond by my press deadline.

Chasing the Treeline: Canada and Greenland From the Brooks Range in Alaska, the treeline goes straight across into Yukon. The leading edge of spruce follows the contours of northern Northwest Territories.

Running with The Gingerbread Man Deep in the woods, constantly scanning the terrain, ROB PEREZ runs a trail - over dirt, rocks, leaves, puddles, and roots. After a moment, THE GINGERBREAD MAN, brown, about six inches tall, with raisins for eyes, a cherry nose, and icing for a mouth, effortlessly runs alongside Rob, silent, unnoticed.

The beaver were quite active of course. They often walked through the house taking kindling from the fireplace and wedging it between table and chair legs. Other times they would drag her oriental rugs across the floor towards their indoor pool. When she stepped on the rugs, they would drop them, wriggle excitedly, and make 'chuckling' noises, which she interpreted as having a sense of humor. One night, she woke up with a beaver on her chest. It then ran under the bed and began pushing the mattress up and down so rapidly with its feet that she was unable to sleep the rest of the night.

My church, First Congregational UCC of Grand Marais, publishes the Shining Light Newsletter each month. The November issue had two columns that moved me to treat them as a joint guest column here.

The decorative element For some reason, many holidays have a decorative element to them. Some put bunnies and pastel eggs out for Easter. The Fourth of July is the only time when good people should be permitted to talk about bunting. And, Christmas is, of course, the green and red elephant in the room that we shall presently ignore.

As we bid adieu to our visitors viewing the fall leaf-changing season, I would like to take the time to extol the benefits of being a “leaf licker”. I am a self-professed “leaf licker,” defined as someone who deeply appreciates nature, especially trees and plants. This term suggests that the person is so enthusiastic about the outdoors that they might figuratively lick leaves or immerse themselves in nature to connect with it.

Becoming Involved in Local Government Local government is not and should not be a spectator sport. The more engaged residents are in influencing local decision making, the more likely it is that decisions made by local governing bodies will reflect the will of the community.

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