Breaking News

Molly F. Milberry age 89 of Crosby died on October 23, 2018 at Heartwood Senior Living in Crosby. She was born on November 29, 1928 in Ely, MN to Joseph and Mary (Stefan) Gotchnik.
Molly attended school in Ely until she moved to Crosby when she was 15 to help her aunt, Molly Domin, run her boarding house for miners. She graduated from the Crosby-Ironton High School. Molly married Joseph “Bud” Milberry in Crosby on March 29, 1947. She worked as a seamstress in her home while raising her four children. She then worked at Bierman’s Locker, which later became Mr. Meats. In 1994 she retired from the Crosby Clinic in Crosby where she was clinic manager. Molly was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Crosby, the CCW and the National Catholic Society of Foresters, St. Mary’s Court 854.

Beginning October 1, 2018, recreation reservation services on the Superior National Forest were upgraded within the nation-wide recreation.gov website. These include stronger security controls, better protection of Personally Identifiable Information, and increased fraud protection. The new system also enables real-time notification of availability and reservation of campsites in Superior National Forest developed campgrounds as well as Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) quota permits.
In addition, as of January 2019, the Forest will implement a 2017 administrative decision to make all BWCAW quota permits, for all entry points, available for reservation using the first come, first served model. This new, modernized system provides a simpler, more efficient, and equitable way for the public to reserve BWCAW quota permits and offers improved tools for people to plan their trips.

Dates have been set for recreational netting for whitefish and tullibee (cisco) on Shagawa, Bear Island and Ojibway lakes in the Tower fisheries work area, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

These lakes are Schedule I Lakes, which are more susceptible to sudden changes that impact water temperatures, and are opened and closed on a 48-hour notice posted at lake accesses, other public places, and the DNR website.

Schedule I Lakes (48 hour notice)

· Shagawa, open to netting Thursday, Nov. 1 through Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018 (minimum 3.5 inch mesh size)

· Bear Island & Ojibway lakes, open to netting Saturday, Nov. 17 through Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018 (minimum 1.75 inch mesh size)

Shagawa Lake is designated as infested with spiny waterflea so netters are encouraged to review rules that help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.

Joseph (Happy Joe) John Zupancich Jr., 80 of Soudan, Minnesota, died peacefully at his home on October 22, 2018. He was born on August 10, 1938, in Ely to Joseph Sr. and Mary (Gasperlin) Zupancich.
Joe graduated from Ely High School in 1956 where he served as his senior class president. Following graduation he left to attend college at St. Thomas University to hone his entrepreneurial skills to help run the family business, Zupancich Brother’s Incorporated (Zup’s). Joe gave up his dream of becoming a Tommy graduate to marry the love of his life on July 9, 1960. Joe and Mary Lou raised five children; all of them worked at Zup’s to learn the family business. Happy Joe, a self-proclaimed “Sausalogist,” loved working side by side with his sons every day. He could often be found sipping coffee with the guys in the spice room of Zup’s; bestowing his wisdom and one liners to his captive audience.

The Town of Morse board approved a paving project if the contractor can get the work done this year.
The board greenlighted the $101,293 quote from Mesabi Bituminous for the Cedar Lake Road project.
Board chair Terry Soderberg said he spoke with Tom Nemanich of Mesabi Bituminous who told him the company may be able to get it done yet this year depending on the weather.
Soderberg said he heard from the DNR and they are no longer interested in buying Gusty Island on Burntside Lake. He said the Trust for Public Land is either going to keep it or sell it but will have to continue to pay property taxes on it.
Soderberg said the DNR told him there are other parcels in Morse that don’t have other revenues coming from them and may be able to be sold in the future.
Soderberg said the township is still trying to get the $700,000 the county took off the tax roles.

Few if any candidates for Congress in Minnesota, or anywhere in the country for that matter, had a worse week that Joe Radinovich.
In a span of a few days, the DFL nominee in Minnesota’s Eighth House District lost his campaign manager, over $1 million in critical advertising support and fell behind by a whopping 15 points - if a poll commissioned by the New York Times is accurate.
One doesn’t need to be a soothsayer to see which way the wind is blowing in what, by all accounts, had figured to be very close race.
Stauber, the Republican nominee, seems well on his way to succeeding Rick Nolan in Congress.
Some national observers have shifted their ranking of the race from the toss-up to lean Republican category.
And even if the Times poll is off, as some have suggested, Stauber seems to have ample breathing room to roll to victory on Nov. 6.

by Tom Coombe -

by Tom Coombe -
Students at Ely Memorial High School graduate at a much higher rate than their counterparts statewide.
That was one of the takeaways from a report delivered by high school principal Megan Anderson earlier in the month.
Ely’s seven-year graduation rate is nearly 98 percent, compared to an 87 percent rate for all Minnesota high school students.
“It’s really great to be 10 percent above the state average, which is where we’ve historically been,” Anderson told school board members at their Oct. 8 meeting.
The data is compiled by the Minnesota Department of Education, and the seven-year average tracks students through their high school years and three additional years.
Ely also fares above the state averages for graduation within four years.
About 88 percent of Ely’s students graduate within four years of beginning ninth grade, up from an 82.7 percent rate across Minnesota.
Proficiency tests

The Ely area includes the surrounding townships of Morse, Fall Lake and Eagles Nest and the City of Winton. The Echo knows the people who reside in the area and are proud to have them as subscribers and readers. The Echo by email is sent out on Friday mornings and is a complete news version in full color. It is $30 for a full year, sent anywhere in the world! Great for when you're traveling and away from home. Call 218-365-3141

UP, UP AND AWAY - Students in a science class at Ely High School prepared to release a weather balloon Wednesday at Veterans Memorial Field before the entire student body. The balloon is on its way to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan as it gathers weather readings along the way. Photo by Tom Coombe.