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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.

Arthur John Pelto, age 80, of Andover, MN passed away peacefully on July 12, 2019 at his home with family present. Art was born on September 20, 1938 in Morse township, MN to John and Elsie (Saari) Pelto. Art attended Ely schools and was a 1956 graduate of Ely Memorial High School. He was a prolific athlete in school, participating in football, swimming, and track and field. Art was an avid hunter and fisherman starting from an early age. He was an accomplished accordion player starting at age 8. Art was united in marriage on June 25th 1960 to Dorothy Rose Zaic, and they raised 3 children. Art was a 38 year employee of US Steel starting as a millwright and later working as a shop electrician. He was elected to and proudly served 1 term as Vice President of his local United Steelworkers’ Union 1938. He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers.

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

James R. Maki 1948-2019 TGO
The overall hue of our community is a little duller now. The loss of Jim Maki pales our spirit. Jim was bright and colorful and no one who encountered him would fail to be impressed.
Jim lived in Ely his entire 70 years except for three years when he served in the US Army. In the Army he became a paratroop and MP. Back in Ely after his service, Jim became a millwright and worked in the iron mining industry. An energetic and productive guy, he created The Great Outdoors shop on Sheridan Street and ran it for over 30 years. He became literally synonymous with the store and he acquired the nickname “TGO.”
In the shop, Jim delivered fishing and outdoor gear advice sprinkled with social and political commentary From his forum at the map desk, he opined with zeal and without ambiguity. It has been noted that Jim may not always have been right, but he was always sure.

On Wednesday July 10 at the Ely Golf Course, Tom Cherne from Edina MN got a hole in one on number four from 165 yards using a seven iron.

School Board Meeting Minutes
June 10, 2019
(Board approved 7/8/2019)

NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE
THE RIGHT TO VERIFICATION OF THE DEBT AND IDENTITY OF
THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY
LAW IS NOT AFFECTED BY THIS ACTION.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN: That Default has occurred in the conditions of the following described mortgage:
DATE OF MORTGAGE: 08/24/2016
ORIGINAL PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF MORTGAGE: $315,300.00
MORTGAGOR(S): Martin A. Wiekert
MORTGAGEE: PNC Mortgage, a division of PNC Bank, National Association
DATE AND PLACE OF FILING: 09/20/2016 as Document No. 01294022 in the Office of the County Recorder in St. Louis County, Minnesota.

I’m having fun singing.
I started singing lessons a few weeks ago. My teacher lives out of town, but every other week she teaches in her parents’ house—the house she grew up in—just a few minutes away. So, I drive to a little house in the suburbs, meet her parents’ two friendly little dogs, (“More people! So exciting!”) and take an hour-long voice lesson in my teacher’s childhood bedroom.
I stand next to an auxiliary refrigerator, put my purse on a storage cabinet, and face my teacher, who brings a portable keyboard for the occasion. There’s not a lot of space.
“I can’t believe I used to sneak out of that tiny window at night!” my teacher marvels, pointing to the one small window in the room.
But even if the surroundings are not exactly glamorous, the singing has turned out to be a lot of fun.

There will be a field day for the Minnesota ATV safety course on August 22 at 4 p.m. until approximately 8 p.m. at the Tower Civic Center building.
A knowledge test and information session will be set up in the Tower Civic Center at 4:30 p.m. and a skills test on operating will be set up immediately after.
Youth ages 11 and older can attend an ATV safety certification course and receive their certificate once they complete the online portion. The ATV safety certificate becomes valid at age 12.
DNR ATV certification is required of anyone born after July 7, 1987 to operate a ATV on public land in Minnesota
Students will be asked to complete the online ATV safety course before the start of the class on August 22.

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.