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Searching for a sense of normal my wife and I found it twice this past weekend.
The first time was Friday night on Burtside Lake with Doug and Karen Luthanen. The four of us plus their lovable dog Rigby (remember the name) hopped on the pontoon boat and cruised the west end of the lake.
Doug grew up on Burntside and shared stories of his youth as we tooled along. He had a playlist of 200 songs for us to listen to and there wasn’t a clinker.
For those who don’t know, Doug is a bit of a Beatles fan. He taught a music class at the Folk School awhile back and the Beatles were the main chorus that night.
The pontoon replaces a runabout and it didn’t have a name yet. We agreed “Yellow Submarine” would be an apropos moniker.
There was a bit of nip in the air when we bucked the wind and then a heat wave that caused an outer layer to be removed when we headed into the sun.

RIBBON CUTTING was held Tuesday by Zupancich family members for the new Zup’s store in Cook following a fire in November of 2018. Pictured are Ed Zupancich, Marge Zupancich, Paul Zupancich, Jim Zupancich Sr., Pat Zupancich, Steve Zupancich, Jim Zupancich Jr. and Matt Zupancich.

by Tom Coombe
Opening day was a little bit later than usual, but slow-pitch softball has returned to Ely.
The local slow-pitch softball league, which has been in existence for several decades, resumed play Monday with six teams.
Defending champion Anderson/Nickerson Construction opened with two decisive victories but wins and losses were just a small part of the story at the three-field complex on Ely’s eastern edge.
“Everyone was just happy to be down there,” said Jerome Debeltz, a member of Ely’s city council and longtime organizer of the softball league.
After a spring full of uncertainty because of the coronavirus, the league remained on the shelf through May but organizers got together in early-June and formulated plans for a 2020 season.
They’ve taken several steps to enhance safety.

Marian E. Koschak, 87, passed away under the wonderful care of Caring Edge Hospice at her residence in Edgewood Vista Assisted Living in Virginia on May 29, 2020.
She was first born on November 18, 1932 at her grandmother’s home in Section 30 in Ely and grew up at the Koschak Farm on Hwy 88 until moving to Spaulding Location.
She graduated from Ely High School in 1950 and Ely Jr. College in 1952.
She had many jobs including telephone operator and working at Basswood Lodge before entering the Navy.
She moved to LA California and worked for the Tappen Company as a computer programmer for 17 yrs before her company moved her to Mansfield, Ohio.
When they folded she moved to Columbus, Ohio to work at the Nationwide Insurance Company until she retired.
She then moved back to Minnesota where she lived in the Virginia Midway area until health reasons limited her and she moved into the Edgewood Vista Assisted Living.

Richard J. Jaeger, 49, of Victoria, passed away Friday, June 12, 2020. A memorial mass will be held Monday, June 22, 2020 at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Ely at 11:00 am with visitation one-hour prior. Deacon Greg Huter will officiate. Arrangements are with Range Funeral Home in Virginia. To sign the online guest book or to send condolences, please visit www.rangefuneralhomes.com.

Private family Mass of Christian Burial for Herbert “Herb” Joseph Akins Jr., will be held at Our Lady of Hope Parish in Hoyt Lakes with Fr. Peter Lambert as celebrant. Visitation and reviewal for family and friends will be held Thursday, June 18, 2020 from 3:00-6:00pm at Ziemer-Moeglein-Shatava Funeral Home in Aurora. Burial will be in the Hoyt Lakes Memorial Cemetery.

Herb lost his battle with Parkinson’s Disease on Sunday, June 14, 2020 at his home in Hoyt Lakes.

He was born May 4, 1935 in Duluth, Minnesota to Herbert and Angela (Deyak) Akins Sr. Herb attended school in Two Harbors and Ely and graduated from Ely High School in 1954. He attended Ely Jr. College and later received his Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Moorhead State College.

Leonard Katauskas, an only child, was born to Lithuanian immigrants, Terese Zviblis and Antanas Katauskas on April 7, 1935 in Chicago. He passed away peacefully at home on June 15,, 2020 surrounded by his family. He graduated from St. Rita’s High School and attended Lewis College in Romeoville, Illinois where he studied aviation and earned a degree in powerplant and airframe mechanics.
His interest and skills in aviation continued to 1956 when he enlisted in the US ARMY and served as a helicopter crew chief in the 2nd US Army missile command at Fort Hood, Texas until 1959. After boot camp, while in flight school, he asked and was granted permission from his commanding officer for a 3-day pass to leave the 125-mile radius of Fort Eustis, Virginia Army base to marry Patricia Burckhardt on March 2, 1957 in Berwyn, IL. In March, 2020 Len and Pat celebrated 63 years of marriage.

Joseph Edward Jamnick, 60, died on June 12th 2020 at St. Luke's Hospital in Duluth, MN after a two month battle with cancer.

Joe was born to Joseph and Theresa (Zupancich) Jamnick in Ely on March 24th, 1960. Joe graduated from Ely Memorial High in 1978 and in 1980 moved to Silver Bay, MN. He married the love of his life Denise Monson March 21, 1987.

Joe was employed by Zups Store for 40 years, working in Silver Bay, Aurora, and Ely. Joe loved hunting, working with his hands, and spending time with his family especially his grandchildren. Joe was a man of few words but was always willing to lend a helping hand. Joe was always an early riser and sometimes was up to grind polish for making meat potica on Holy Saturday before his children, nieces and nephews had gone to bed.

Joe was preceded in death by his wife Denise, father Joe, siblings Michael and Patricia Jean Jamnick.

by Tom Coombe
Ely’s Peaceful March in Solidarity lived up to its title.
About 250 people filled the sidewalks on several blocks and marched from Central Avenue to Whiteside Park Saturday afternoon.
The peaceful gathering was led and organized by Ian Lah, a 2012 Ely High School graduate who recently returned to his hometown.
Lah said Wednesday he felt called to do something here to support the Black Lives Matter movement and was overwhelmed by the results.
“I just figured there’d be like 30 people, maybe 50 people, but people kept showing up,” said Lah. “I was at the park and I turned around and saw so many people I thought ‘wow, that’s a lot of people.’ I was so proud to see my community, my family, my friends show up and be able to voice their opinions and thoughts and use the march to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and all the marches happening.”

by Tom Coombe
A citizens group will ask the Ely city council to provide traffic control for a July 4 parade.
The preferred route would start at Fourth Avenue East and use Harvey and Sheridan Streets but an additional eight blocks would be added to allow for social distancing of those who come to watch. The parade would end at 16th Avenue East.
If MnDOT doesn’t approve of using Sheridan, the parade could follow Pattison from Fourth to Second Avenue East up to Harvey and down to 16th Avenue.
Parade viewers will be asked to not set out chairs ahead of time to better allow people to spread out.
Due to the late start, organizers expect a shorter than usual parade but the event figures to resemble previous July parades in Ely.
The Ely Honor Guard has offered to lead the parade and the Ely Klown Band has offered to provide live music. Kids would be encouraged to decorate their bicycles and be part of the event.