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Boy am I glad I decided to go on a snowmobile ride with the kids last weekend. This rain will put a damper on riding unless there’s some snow to follow.
Our group included my daughter Megan, son Evan and his girlfriend Nella. We left from Ely on the Taconite and headed west toward Tower.
The trail was in great shape which created a problem - we were in Tower too early.
“Okay, how about we keep going and have lunch at the Vermilion Club?” I asked.
“Sounds good, I could go for their pizza,” said Evan.
We powered past Tower and hung right on to the Arrowhead Trail and dropped down into the 100-mile swamp. Here the trail was even in better condition, if that was possible.
We pulled off the trail at the Penguin Club section that would bring us over across Hwy. 77 to the VC. We had the same problem, it didn’t take any time.
There was a group of sledders parked behind the restaurant and the oldest guy in the group gave us the bad news.

Boy am I glad I decided to go on a snowmobile ride with the kids last weekend. This rain will put a damper on riding unless there’s some snow to follow.
Our group included my daughter Megan, son Evan and his girlfriend Nella. We left from Ely on the Taconite and headed west toward Tower.
The trail was in great shape which created a problem - we were in Tower too early.
“Okay, how about we keep going and have lunch at the Vermilion Club?” I asked.
“Sounds good, I could go for their pizza,” said Evan.
We powered past Tower and hung right on to the Arrowhead Trail and dropped down into the 100-mile swamp. Here the trail was even in better condition, if that was possible.
We pulled off the trail at the Penguin Club section that would bring us over across Hwy. 77 to the VC. We had the same problem, it didn’t take any time.
There was a group of sledders parked behind the restaurant and the oldest guy in the group gave us the bad news.

No one growing up in the last generation in Ely would have ever dreamed it could happen. The vanishing of St. Urho’s Day as one of the area’s most honored celebrations.
In Ely, Mill’s Clothing Store, under the proprietorship of the late Bill Mills (a Finn with an anglicized name) featured the day. Restaurants were decorated green and purple and featured Finnish foods such as kola mojakka.
In dozens of homes, Finns gathered for more or less solemn observances. For years, the arbiters of Finnish culture and Urho lore were Lorene and Ben Mauser. Lorene by birth, Ben by marriage. Why green and purple? Because St. Urho became known as the cleric who drove the grasshoppers out of Finland and saved the grape crops for wine. Aha, one might say, but is this not a takeoff on St. Patrick, the Irish saint who reportedly drove the snakes out of the Ireland? In a sense, yes; but that is not the only connection.

by Tom Coombe
A challenge to a Morse supervisor’s seat was easily turned down. Len Cersine beat Terry Cooper 149-58 in a high turnout for a township election.
Following the election the annual town meeting was held with the most discussion on broadband.
The budget and levy for 2020 was passed with little discussion. Residents voted to set the levy the same as 2019.
The levy will fund the bulk of a roughly $333,000 budget with a general fund levy of $163,638.10 and a road and bridge levy of $109,092.06.
There is also a debt levy of $57,500 for Morse’s share of the joint public safety facility with the Town of Fall Lake. The debt on the building is close to being paid off.
Terry Soderberg was elected as the moderator for the meeting. He and treasurer Mary Ann Lekatz went through the specifics of the budget and levy.
Lekatz said the township’s total fund balance increased slightly to $448,972.34.

Ladonna "Donna" Bramley, 88, of Babbitt, passed away on Friday, March 15, 2019 at Essentia Health- St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.

Vermilion’s Kaleb Beane returned to familiar territory and made quite a first impression.
The native of Tallahassee, Fla., returned to the Sunshine State for the Ironmen’s season-opening baseball trip and had two strong pithcing performances.
The first was March 8, when he gave up two hits over five innings and pitched the Ironmen to a 9-1 victory over Northern Division rival Mesabi.
Beane’s outing, as well as a strong second start in a 7-1 loss to Division II Lewis and Clark (Ill.) Monday, along with sophomore Kyle Hintz’s gem in a hard-luck 2-1 Tuesday defeat to MN State-Fergus Falls were among the highlights of a weeklong stay for the Ironmen.

School Board Meeting Minutes February 11, 2019
Board approved 3-11-2019)

First look at school project has $23 million price tag
Two plans with kitchen sink of options and additions will be whittled down

Cersine easily wins re-election
Morse supervisor retains seat with 72% of vote victory over challenger

Seliskar re-elected to Fall Lake board

Cabaret musical set for VCC stage

Full summer of events planned for Ely Arts & Heritage Center at Pioneer Mine

Girls invited to STEM workshop in Ely

School may add online pay option

PLUS Columnists, sprts news and LOTS of Color Photos!

Delores Potter nominated Roger Skraba for the Ely Unsung Hero award. She wrote,“Every time it snows, he’s here plowing behind our garages without being asked or for anything. What a blessing. Thank you so much. God bless you.”Roger said it must be his brother’s good work, but since Darrell was out of town for the photo, Roger stood in for him. Photo by Pam Roberts

DONATION - The Ely Food Shelf received a donation of $2,000 from Twin Metals Minnesota. Presenting the check were four employees of the Ely office last Friday. Pictured are Jordan Richards (TMM), Kevin Boerst (TMM), Dean DeBeltz (TMM), Kathy Champpa, Cheryl Boyes, Mary Matthies, Mike Mathiasen and James Devine (TMM). Photo by Nick Wognum.