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The new Chapman Street Market, specialty cheese shop with bread, crackers and meats, has opened and will add more specialty items as time, tastes and needs develop. <BR><BR>Co-owners Cathy Mindel and Grant Young want to keep the market interesting. They are planning a daily lunch special with a menu that will change every day or every other day. Since they opened August 27, they are still getting a feel of what customers want, starting with cheese and meats, breads, teas, and olive oils and they’ll see where it goes from here. The cheeses they sell are not sold elsewhere in Ely, and the closest other specialty cheese shop is the Northern Waters Smoke House in Duluth. <BR><BR>Cathy and Grant bought Northern Aire Lodge in 1996 and operated it for seven years. Cathy used to ask her friends to bring up some cheese and crusty bread when they’d come to visit.

The race for Ely’s top elected position is shaping up to be a close one. Again. <BR><BR>Two years ago, Frank Salerno was elected mayor over council member Jerome Debeltz in a contest that was decided by just 22 votes, and voters in this year’s mayoral primary were evenly divided between the incumbent and challenger Roger Skraba. <BR><BR>Skraba, a former council member and state legislative candidate, eked out a narrow victory over Salerno in Tuesday’s balloting, finishing first in a three-way primary with 618 votes. Salerno was right behind at 605. <BR><BR>Mark Haarman, who did not actively campaign and withdrew from the race two days before the election, lagged behind with 71 votes. <BR><BR>The primary sets up a general election battle between Salerno, who has served three separate stints as mayor and has 15 years of city council experience, and Skraba, who served on the council from 1996-2003.

Shortly after assuming her new job as public relations director at Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital, Mary Zupancich made a startling discovery.<BR><BR>Conversations with many community remembers revealed that a large number of people - most under the age of 50 - didn’t realize that the hospital was community-based and owned by member shareholders.<BR><BR>“A lot of people think Ely-Bloomenson and the clinic are together (as one entity),” Zupancich said last week.<BR><BR>Zupancich and hospital officials are out to change that public perception, and at the same time they hope to raise operating capital and develop a new generation of community hospital investors.<BR><BR>Over the weekend, EBCH launched a one-month drive aimed at bringing new shareholders on board.<BR><BR>For a $100 contribution, the same amount required when the hospital opened nearly 50 years ago, individuals or businesses will acquire a share of the hospital

At least for now, the city of Ely is part of a $7 million plan to put public works operations of four entities - St. Louis County, Ely, Lake County and Morse Township - under one roof.<BR><BR>City council members voted 5-2 Tuesday, with Butch Pecha and Mike Hillman opposed, to commit $112,000 in city funding for the design portion of the joint public works garage project.<BR><BR>It will be several months before the council makes a final commitment to the project - which would include almost $2.8 million in city expenditures over a 15-year period - but Tuesday’s vote was pivotal, according to project supporters.<BR><BR>St.

Move over, Gone With The Wind.<BR><BR>The Saga of the Ely Theatre Building has lasted longer than any marathon motion picture, and the months-long controversy took another strange turn.<BR><BR>Days after city officials and building owner Gary Quigley reached agreement on a process through which the city could acquire the aging structure, city council members abruptly tabled the proposal.<BR><BR>The deal spelled out two options, one in which the city would buy the building for $145,000 and another in which the sale price would be set at $125,000, but council members decided against attorney Larry Klun’s recommendation to hold a special meeting to discuss the proposal.<BR><BR>“I don’t see any reason to explore either one of these options,” said council member Paul Kess.<BR><BR>The rest of the council followed suit, unanimously approving the motion to table.<BR><BR>Council member Mike Hillman said the issue could b

If past history is any indication, Ely area voters will turn out in force for Tuesday’s primary election.<BR><BR>Some, no doubt, will be first-time voters.<BR><BR>Others may not be familiar with the rules associated with a primary election.<BR><BR>Combine that with a limited amount of pre-election advertising and voter education and some voters may be confused, perhaps even apprehensive, about going out and casting a ballot this week.<BR><BR>Here’s a guide to what voters, either those who don’t miss an election or folks coming out for the first time, can expect.<BR><BR>Where to vote<BR><BR>Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.<BR><BR>Those outside of Ely vote at their respective town or city hall.

Move over, Gone With The Wind.<BR><BR>The Saga of the Ely Theatre Building has lasted longer than any marathon motion picture, and the months-long controversy took another strange turn.<BR><BR>Days after city officials and building owner Gary Quigley reached agreement on a process through which the city could acquire the aging structure, city council members abruptly tabled the proposal.<BR><BR>The deal spelled out two options, one in which the city would buy the building for $145,000 and another in which the sale price would be set at $125,000, but council members decided against attorney Larry Klun’s recommendation to hold a special meeting to discuss the proposal.<BR><BR>“I don’t see any reason to explore either one of these options,” said council member Paul Kess.<BR><BR>The rest of the council followed suit, unanimously approving the motion to table.<BR><BR>Council member Mike Hillman said the issue could b

For the current election season, Wednesday's public forum for Ely's mayoral and city council candidates was an anomaly.<BR><BR>Disagreements were mild, debate was civil, the audience was respectful and polite.<BR><BR>And in clear contrast to ongoing state and federal races, animosity was hard to spot.<BR><BR>Mayor Frank Salerno and challenger Roger Skraba, along with eight contenders for three city council positions, exchanged ideas and opinions - and found much common ground - during a two-hour forum at Vermilion Community College.<BR><BR>The sharpest comments in the event attended by about 55 people came from two of the candidates hoping to unseat incumbents.<BR><BR>Louis Kotzian, an employee in the city's public works department, called for new blood in city office.<BR><BR>"It's time for a change,"&#160;said Kotzian. "We need a new council.

If past history is any indication, Ely area voters will turn out in force for Tuesday’s primary election.<BR><BR>Some, no doubt, will be first-time voters.<BR><BR>Others may not be familiar with the rules associated with a primary election.<BR><BR>Combine that with a limited amount of pre-election advertising and voter education and some voters may be confused, perhaps even apprehensive, about going out and casting a ballot this week.<BR><BR>Here’s a guide to what voters, either those who don’t miss an election or folks coming out for the first time, can expect.<BR><BR>Where to vote<BR><BR>Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.<BR><BR>Those outside of Ely vote at their respective town or city hall.