News

Co-op Point on Eagles Nest Lake #1 will be the focus of the Ely-Winton Historical Society’s History Nights on Wednesday, July 31.
This enclave of summer homes was predominately Finnish and between them Val Mynti and Sally Koski will bring the history of the Point to life and teach the audience more about the people who immigrated to Minnesota, summered on the Point, and their strong Finnish cooperative connections.
Born and raised in Ely, Sally Koski is a third generation cabin owner on Co-Op Point, Eagles Nest Lake #1. She is a retired nursing professor who enjoys historical research, travel, and art. She has been researching the history of Co-Op Point for the last 4 years.

In May of this year, the Donald G. Gardner Humanities Trust conducted a community survey.
“As the Trust celebrates 30 years of arts funding in our community this year, it’s a good time to reflect on how we are doing and what to look forward to in the next 3-6 years,” said Keiko Williams, executive director.
“One of the questions people could respond to was to rate what grant programs are most important in the community. The Trust wants to be responsive to what the community feels is most important.”
Individual artist grants again came up as the most important grant program with nearly 37% of the votes (the last community survey was completed in 2012). Individual artist grants are awarded for unique, short-term opportunities that will impact an artist’s career and can be awarded for up to $1,000.
The community survey had two grant programs tied for second; organization project grants and youth grants.

Twin Metals Minnesota announced Thursday plans to use the environmentally friendly dry stack method to store the leftover rock from its proposed underground copper-nickel mine to be located nine miles southeast of Ely.
The dry stack method eliminates the storage pond and dam associated with conventional tailings facilities.
The dry stack area will be built close to the mine site so it will be located within the Rainy watershed. Previously the company had looked to pump tailings to an area in Embarrass within the St. Louis watershed.
The company will need to acquire land in order to have space for the dry stack area. However, dry stacking requires a smaller footprint than conventional wet tailings storage.
Twin Metals has said up to 50% of tailings will have cement added and be permanently placed back underground.

In the middle of summer, The Ely Winter Festival board is looking toward winter and planning to create another fabulous festival Feb. 7-18, 2020.
The board announced that Nancy Scheibe, a veteran snow sculptor, has designed the new pin picturing some of the North’s favorite forest animals.
This will be the third festival where the festival will donate $1 of the $6 price of the pin to an Ely public schools arts program.
Previously the festival supported the art department and the instrumental music program.
Proceeds from the 2020 festival will go to the choral music program. The other $5 is used to fund the festival.
The Ely Winter Festival will have a booth at the Blueberry/Art Festival July 26-28.
The festival is looking for people to volunteer at the booth, if interested, email christinek@elywinterfestival.com.

Some things never stay the same, and that’s certainly been true of the Ely Community Health Center as it increasingly serves more clients, makes changes in their schedule, adds services and welcomes their new Executive Director.
The mission of ECHC is to deliver affordable health care services to advance individual and community health. The free clinic, which serves uninsured and underinsured patients, relocated to the beautifully renovated AFU building at 111 South 4th Avenue East this past fall.
For 3 ½ years ECHC has been serving patients on Monday evenings, but beginning August 1, the center will switch to Thursdays with hours remaining the same, from 5:30-7:00. Patients now have the opportunity of newly added dental services in the form of fluoride varnish treatments.

GO GET EM - Kids head into the YoungLife sawdust pile in Whiteside Park on July 4. Photos by Eric Sherman.

by Tom Coombe
Local businesses were hurt, the economy suffered and wilderness enthusiasts were inconvenienced by a controversial change to the BWCAW permit reservation system, according to U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber.
The first-term Congressman vowed action after meeting with Elyites earlier this year and he followed through Wednesday, taking his case to a committee room in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“The U.S. Forest Service must start listening to the people,” Stauber said Wednesday. during a hearing in the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands.
Stauber spoke out in support of his own legislation - the Letting Outdoor Tourism Thrive for Every Recreation Yearly (LOTTERY) Act.
The legislation would return the BWCA reservation portal on recreation.gov for boat permitting back to the lottery system, which was used before the switch that was implemented this year.

by Tom Coombe
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Western Caucus, including Eighth District Representative Pete Stauber are seeking an investigation of what they’ve termed an “Obama Administration scandal-plagued land grab in northern Minnesota.”
Stauber, caucus chairman Paul Gosar of Arzona, and Minnesota’s Tom Emmer, are seeking a U.S. House investigation into Obama Administration actions in late-2016 that temporarily curtailed the Twin Metals Minnesota project and set the wheels in motion for a potential mining ban in some parts of northeastern Minnesota.
Both actions were later reversed by the Trump Administration.
The U.S. House members, all Republicans, have also made Freedom of Information Act requests demanding “all documents and communications involving federal agency employees and external organizations, including environmental and conservation groups,” related to the issues.

RIBBON CUTTING - The International Wolf Center held a ceremonial ribbon cutting for the new exhibit called ‘Discover Wolves’ thanking the people who made this happen. Helping to cut the ribbon were Ely mayor Chuck Novak, longtime wolf researcher David Mech and Rep. Rob Ecklund. The project took several years to organize, to fund, design and build. It is finally here and will be a new addition to the many attractions to Ely. Photo by Pam Roberts.

by Tom Coombe
Outgoing superintendent Kevin Abrahamson will lead the Ely School District for up to three more months while his replacement obtains necessary licensure.
At a special meeting June 28, school board members approved the deal with Abrahamson, in which he will remain superintendent and mentor new chief executive Erik Erie.
Erie, who most recently served as high school principal at Mesabi East, was hired for the district’s top job just three days earlier on a 4-2 vote.
The transition was approved to give Erie time to complete superintendent licensure requirements, which include 280 practicum hours that he can complete under the oversight of Abrahamson.
Abrahamson, who is leaving the district after four years, will be paid $6,000 a month to continue as part-time superintendent for the length of the agreement, which goes until Oct. 1 or the time Erie gains licensure.