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Twenty youth from the Ely area and beyond participated in a full day of Snowmobile Safety Training on Feb. 8 at Vermilion Community College.
These avid young snowmobilers arrived in the morning and were led through classroom instruction by Conservation Officer Sean Williams and Ely Igloo Snowmobile Club members Dave Marshall and Mike Banovetz. Also assisting with the class was Ely Police Officer Adam Borchert.
After a Sir G’s pizza lunch provided by the Ely Igloo Snowmobile Club, the group headed outside to take part in the field portion of the course involving a pre-trip check of a snowmobile and operation of a snowmobile through a driving course.
Volunteers assisting in this portion of the training included Ely Igloo Snowmobile Club members Alan White, Dave Johnson, and groomer operator Corey Keene.
Ely firefighters Scott Polyner and Jay Poshak also helped set the course and guide students through it.

You know that old poem?
Thirty days hath September,
April, June, and November;
All the rest have thirty-one,
Excepting February alone,
And that has twenty-eight days clear
And twenty-nine in each leap year
In honor of leap year, I’d like to expand on it:
An extra day, but I’d like to know
Why put it in a month with snow?
And another thing, what’s the reason
It’s always during campaign season?
Leap day wasn’t created to give candidates one more day to campaign, but that is one of its drawbacks. We really have it because the solar year, the time required for the sun to make one complete cycle of the seasons, is 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds. In other words, we start every year almost six hours too early just so we won’t have to stay up until 6 a.m. to see the New Year in.

Several people spoke at the end of the Ely city council meeting Tuesday night. They didn’t like the mayor’s position on mining and comments he had made.
That’s fine and thankfully in this country people can come forward and make their opinions known. What’s not fine and should be considered unacceptable is to throw around a word with a strong, hurtful meaning.
A couple of the speakers accused the mayor of racism when he discussed not supporting Fortune Bay after the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe came out in support of a bill that would stop copper-nickel mining before it has started in our area.
On a national stage we have heard Democrats use the word racism too often and too broadly. We believe this is the same situation. Was the mayor racist in his comments? No. Is criticizing a group of people for a differing opinion racism? No.
Let’s be clear. This was not at all about race and was all about mining. To suggest otherwise is nonsense.

by Tom Coombe
Ely Mayor Chuck Novak faced the wrath of several area residents Tuesday, in the wake of public comments in which he supported a boycott of Fortune Bay Resort Casino.
Several prominent opponents of copper-nickel mining projects used the public forum opportunity at the end of the regular city council meeting to blast Novak - both for a social media post and comments in an article that appeared in the Hibbing Daily Tribune.
Novak praised State Sen. Tom Bakk’s decision to move an annual political fundraiser from Fortune Bay and urged organizers of the Fun Run snowmobile event to do the same, after the Bois Forte Band joined tribal partners in supporting legislation that could doom the Twin Metals Minnesota project near Ely.
But Novak’s comments struck a nerve with several who spoke at City Hall.

by Tom Coombe
Democrats and Republicans in the Ely area will gather Tuesday at Vermilion Community College for grassroots gatherings that kick off a busy election year.
Precinct caucuses begin at 7 p.m. and give area residents a voice in shaping the platforms of their respective party.
The caucuses come in advance of a Mar. 3 presidential primary, but party leaders are emphasizing that caucuses will still go on as scheduled.
Those who turn out this week will address issues, consider resolutions and elect delegates to their respective party conventions.
While Ely had record-setting turnout in 2016, when caucuses featured straw polls for the presidential race, participation diminished in 2018.
Those with only an interest in the presidential race might wait until next week’s primary, but the caucuses offer a chance for residents to get in on the ground floor with their respective party - and get their voice heard.

Ely started the district playoffs with a 6-3 win against 7th seeded Grand Rapids B2, followed by an intense second game versus the 3rd seed, Virginia, which Ely came out victorious 9-6. After a tough loss 8-3 for the championship, to the #1 seed, Grand Rapids B1, the Ely Peewee B's fought back hard in their final game against Hibbing-Chisholm, to take the #2 seed in district 12, with an 8-3 win & advance to the region competition. The Ely Peewees, coached by Nicole Carlson, Bill Forsberg and Justin Zemke, will be going on to the regions tournament, being held in Moose Lake, February 28-29 and March 1. Ely’s first game is against the #1 seed from district 16, East Grand Forks, at 11:45 a.m. on the Feb. 28.

by Tom Coombe
Maybe good things really do come to those who wait.
The Ely Nordic Wolves had to wait a bit, but the results at last week’s state ski meet made it all worth it.
After cold weather pushed the meet back a full day and timing issues led to delays the day of the event, the Wolves emerged by meeting - and even exceeding - their high hopes.
Junior Jasper Johnston finished fourth overall and the Ely boys finished fourth as a team, while the girls got an all-state performance from freshman Zoe Devine and a ninth-place team showing at the single-class state event, held Feb. 14 at Giants Ridge near Biwabik.
Johnston, now a three-time all-stater, moved up after taking 11th as a sophomore and met his season-long goal of reaching the top-five at state.

Regular Meeting Ely City Council – City Hall, Council Chambers

1. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Novak called the Ely City Council Meeting to order at 5:30pm.

2. PRESENT: Council Members Kess, Debeltz, Omerza, Callen, Campbell, and Mayor Novak
ABSENT: Council Member A.Forsman

3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
Campbell/Debeltz moved to approve the minutes from the January 21, 2020 Regular Council Meeting and the January 28, 2020 Study Session. Motion carried 6-0-1 with A.Forsman Absent.

4. ADDITIONS OR OMISSIONS TO AGENDA:
A. Addition 9.A.iii. Variable Frequency Drive Replacements at Wastewater Treatment Facility
B. Addition 9.D. 911 calls in 2019
C. Addition 10.C. Correspondence from the MN Attorney General Keith Ellison Office
D. Addition 12.A Updated - 2020 Committee Seats
E. Addition 13. B. Temporary Consumption and Display License
Additions A-E were added without objection.

Pursuant to MN Statutes 206.83, the City of Ely will be conducting a public accuracy test for its voting system equipment for the Presidential Nomination Primary Election to be held on March 3, 2020. The testing will take place at Ely City Hall, Mayor’s Conference Room, 209 E Chapman St, Ely MN on Thursday, February 27, 2020 at 3:00pm

Harold R Langowski
Clerk/Treasurer

Ely Echo
February 22, 2020

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC

The City of Ely is calling for interested applicants to fill the following vacancies on the

Cemetery Committee
1- one year term
1- two year term
*resident or non-resident

Heritage Preservation Commission
1- one three year term
*resident or non-resident

Park and Recreation Board
1- three year terms
*resident or non-resident

Planning & Zoning Commission
1- two year term
*resident or non-resident

Telecommunications Advisory Board
1- three year term
*subscriber/resident

Tree Board
1- three year term
*resident/non resident