When friends and neighbors disagree: talking to each other

Dear True,

Here's a nonpartisan thing anybody can do if they care about Cook County, now and in the future. Sign up for this excellent seminar, "Conflict Resolution and Community Decision Making," on November 10. More details below
I attended and recommend it strongly.

Nancye Belding
Grand Marais

Are you interested in learning more about how to have efficient and
effective meetings? Join us on Friday, November 10 from
9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Cook County Community Center.

This is a workshop for anyone needing to interact with setting meeting
agendas, group dynamics, decision-making formats, and conflict
resolution.

Presenters at the workshop will be: Dr. Maria Cuzzo, Assistant
Professor of
Legal Studies, University of Wisconsin-Superior and a Mediator, Sue
Lawson,
Planning Director, Center for Rural Planning.

The cost is $10, including lunch. All registrations must be prepaid.
To
register, please call 387-3015.



Diane Booth
Cook County Community Center / Extension
Director
317 W. 5th Street
Grand Marais, MN 55604
218-387-3015
218-387-3016 (fax)

U.S. Coast Guard Continues Receiving Public Comment About Great Lakes Safety Zones

Note from True:
Here is the link that explains how to submit public comment with the correct website address, and the official closing of the public comment period. The wrong address and ending comment date were recently printed in the Cook County Star (Monday, October 30). The comment period closes on November 13 and comments can be-emailed but don't wait too long! There are many reasons to oppose this plan: danger to small boaters, negative impact on fish, wildlife and clean water, opposition from mayors on both sides of the border, violation of a long-time treaty with Canada, and unnecessary warlike buildup and militarization of the peaceful and beautiful Great Lakes.

U.S. Coast Guard Continues Receiving Public Comment About Great Lakes Safety Zones

Meet Evelyn

Evelyn Larsen, candidate for mayor, invites the public to join her at the Bluewater Cafe's Upper Deck. Monday, Oct. 30. Two meeting times: 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Ask questions about issues you are concerned about in a friendly atmosphere. Complimentary treats.

Marina and Boating Activity Study: very interesting

Dear readers,
Check out this excellent and interesting study of marinas on Lake Superior from Grand Marais on the North Shore to Ashland, Wis. on the South Shore. You will learn a lot of things, such as declining boat activity in recent years; how a 250-slip marina would make Grand Marais one of the largest on the lake; demographics of boat owners (mostly urban, middle-to-retirement age), increasing costs of motorized boat travel; and favored locations for boaters (the Apostle Islands on the South Shore).
Consultant Doug McEneany talked to every marina owner about fees, costs and marketing only, so he did not address other issues like environmental assessments, impacts on bird migration and local land use.
McEneany points the way to asking the right questions before the city of Grand Marais embarks on what could be a flop like the marina in Silver Bay.
True

Check it out at:

City of Grand Marais - Minnesota --

City of Grand Marais - Minnesota -- Welcome to the City of Grand Marais Website

City of Grand Marais - Minnesota -- Welcome to the City of Grand Marais Website

Congressman James L Oberstar -- America Losing Progress on Clean Water

Congressman James L Oberstar -- America Losing Progress on Clean Water

True's Picks: Larsen, Lenz and Costello for Mayor and City Council

True’s thoughts on the Grand Marais city election:

Among the important issues in the upcoming election of mayor and city council are those related to the questions of what kind of city do we want and what kind of government. Do we want a city that is identical to other development we can see up and down the North Shore and across the nation? Or, do we want a city that is unique in its look and character?

Do we want a city where the heart of the commercial area is taken over by eyesore buildings that all look alike and block the views for all but a privileged few? Or, do we want a city with a dynamic street front that is active, prosperous and welcoming to everyone?

Do we want a city where the once active and picturesque harbor, enjoyed by all, is now jammed with the boats of the wealthy, and closed off to the general public and made inhospitable for tourists and wildlife alike? Or, do we want a city with a harbor that welcomes boaters and people on its beaches, wildlife and birdwatchers, dragon boat racers, kayakers and local fishermen?

Do we want a city hall that is open only to the privileged and smacks of favoritism and secrecy? Or, do we want a city government that treats everyone fairly, equally and openly?

Do we want a city that is run with fiscal recklessness or is fiscally responsible?

All of these are questions of character; the character of the city itself and of those who are elected to city office.

There are three incumbents running for city offices, Mark Sandbo for mayor, Bob Spry, and Kay Costello for city council. There are two other choices on the ballot; Evelyn Larsen for mayor, and Bill Lenz for city council.

The past few years in Grand Marais have seen our community divided as never before. This is primarily due to Sandbo and Spry. Their legacy, while in office, has been development at any cost to the people and the environment, handing the harbor and the city’s future over to the DNR and wealthy out of town boaters, shutting ordinary people out of city government, doing all they can to cater to a privileged few; all while jeopardizing the city’s financial future. If that is what you like, vote for them.

If, on the other hand, you want a city whose character is defined by a unique, dynamic downtown, a harbor whose special character is protected and strengthened and that is open to everyone, a city government that is open to everyone and not just a privileged few, and a city that is run in a fiscally responsible way, then vote for Larsen, Lenz, and Costello. They are the promise of a Grand Marais that is back on track and a city hall that is serving all the citizens.

Larsen, Lenz, and Costello are people of good character, who are rooted in Grand Marais, and are not in the service of any special interests. They are for smart growth, not reckless development. They have and will work to protect the special character and heritage of Grand Marais. And, they will do so with a clear sense of fiscal responsibility.

Larsen, Lenz, and Costello, being true friends of Grand Marais, have the full endorsement of True North.

Harbor reflections, while we wait

Nancye Belding

True North correspondent

The Grand Marais visioning workshops are done. The consultants have gone home to read over everything everyone has told them and come back with a draft report and recommendations, probably in about six weeks. Now we are waiting, but we are also asked to reflect on some questions posed by the CGI team.

First, the team thinks there is consensus on the following concepts and strategies, even after this last round of input:

ü The five concept areas (core downtown waterfront district, Highway 61 corridor, residential mixed use area, proposed downtown design overlay district along Wisconsin and Broadway, and proposed expansion of downtown district at least in part).

ü The need for design guidelines adapted to each of the concept areas, as well as the greater part of those proposed guidelines, aimed at preserving the scale and character of downtown by limiting heights, setbacks total square feet, and breaking up large building facades.

ü The permitted uses proposed for the various districts in large part, and also the option of conditional uses subject to Planning and Zoning scrutiny for larger structures in terms of height (up to 35 feet, third stories, and more than 10,000 total square footage). However, there was a lot of discussion about the process for conditional use approval and whether/where building height variances might be granted.

ü The critical need for strategies that will promote pedestrian safety and access along the highway corridor and permit business expansion to the north of the highway.

This consensus is quite remarkable given the deep and ongoing divisions about what direction Grand Marais should go in the future. But CGI also pointed out areas where there is NOT consensus, and where the community needs to address issues that could potentially change the city dramatically from the charming fishing village that is so attractive to tourists.

ü The downtown property owners have resisted any sort of restrictions on the sale or expansion of their own businesses. They realize that the value of their property has become so high, thanks to outside developers looking for new prime spaces to build their McMansions and DisneyVillages.

ü The older business owners feel they have worked hard for many years without making enough profit; some (but not all because of tax breaks for hotel and restaurant owners) of them are now burdened with much higher property taxes. They are convinced that tourists want luxury condos and resorts rather than the homey, old-time cabins and funky restaurants of yesteryear. They are told by people with money to invest that it is better to tear down their businesses such as the Seawall and the Harbor Inn and replace them with some high-end yuppie stuff, in addition to getting sale proceeds that increasing run into the millions. They imagine retirement in warm climates and upscale communities. In short they focus on their personal gain and not on Grand Marais. They are entitled, they say; they are the owners and nobody can tell them what to do.

ü The younger business owners who aren’t yet planning to retire have similar issues and similar motivations. They don’t want (yet) to tear down and sell, but rather to expand in any way to their liking, and to cater to what they see as the gold mine of yuppies who will buy their stuff in droves, whether it is original art or expensive food and lodging and high-end amenities like gonzo lake homes with all the furnishings and trimmings. They believe (perhaps rightly so) that any architectural changes they make to their businesses will be okay because they know and understand the community. They are the heart of the business district today and tomorrow. Unfortunately, the restrictions they are opposed to are the only safety Grand Marais has against being bought up by state or national super-developers who buy whole blocks and do what they like. Nothing in the proposed guidelines will protect against this happening, because of the “conditional uses” permitted and the burden on the city to prove that they DON’T have the right to build their two-block resort or retirement communities, or their three-story, 20,000 square foot, 100 foot wide condos so long as they make them look like they are small and discrete business facades. So far, the city has not seemed inclined to challenge outside developers at all, and has in fact changed its ordinances to accommodate them.

ü Finally, there is no consensus about what to do about what some are calling the “historic fishing village” that includes North House, Dockside Fish Market and the Angry Trout in addition to the north side of the highway from this harbor complex that includes Chez Jude and the former Waters of Superior. Some want this to be declared a historic district. The consultants have also warned that the north side would be ripe for the worst kind of development, with some large parcels undeveloped and the aging Birch Terrace along the western “gateway” that visitors love to see as they drive down the hill to the harbor. We are asked to reflect on ways to mitigate this, ways that will not interfere with the rights of existing property owners to do what they want.

There are other issues, such as how to address the highway corridor pedestrian nightmare while knowing that MnDOT will not be doing a rehab for years to come, and encouraging more business development north of the highway.

The proposed marina development was not addressed by the team, but implicit in its guidelines is preservation of the harbor and existing easements, in a goal identified in the first visioning workshop but later disputed: “Identify and preserve significant public viewsheds and vistas within the downtown.” Then there are the minor disagreements: should the design overlay district be required to have flat roofs in future development? Where, specifically, can a 35-foot building be allowed on the claim that it does not block anyone’s viewshed?

But much has been accomplished. The visioning process worked, because people with different points of view talked to one another, because we all live here. The next step is to try to find ways to keep things the way we like them when big developers, who don’t belong here and may not even come to take a look around, send their armies of lawyers to argue their right to develop as THEY see fit.

Beyond consensus: Our challenge is facing the hard questions

Visioning consultants ask residents to look beyond consensus

Dear True,

How much profit is enough? Is there a public interest in sustaining Grand Marais for future generations? If so, it was not in great evidence this afternoon at a workshop considering the proposed design guidelines from our visioning consultants.

The excellent work of CGI generated four downtown design "concept" areas, each with its own standards and conditional uses. Although "tweaking" varied (i.e., what should be the requirements for a conditional use of three stories and/or 35 feet? Or, should peaked roof structures be permitted in the "downtown overlay district"?) there was a general consensus that the proposed design standards for the present C-1 (Commercial District) were good ideas. The consultants proposed identifying: Core downtown harbor, Highway 61 corridor, Residential, and a design "overlay" for the key main streets of Broadway and Wisconsin along the lake shore for separate guidelines.

Some had suggested that the south harbor area between the Angry Trout and North House Folk School be defined as a separate, perhaps historic district. Fish House owner Harley Toftey opposed this sort of regulation, and his neighboring Angry Trout co-owner agreed: "It's easy for you to say there is a public interest, but what if you wanted to sell your property?" This was a real shock to me, a strong supporter of the "sustainability" concept so beautifully written about in the Angry Trout cookbook.

But the real crux of the challenge facing Grand Marais is its value to potential developers, from the Twin Cities or even big national chains, on the north side of the highway across from the "fishing village" complex. More condos ala East Bay, Cobblestone and cutesy Harbor House appear to be the most attractive options for sellers and developers. Our CGI consultants are asking: do you want to put restrictions on development in this area? Does the fact that zillions of tourists love the gateway entry to Grand Marais along this corridor resonate with the zillions of dollars of profits that property owners might realize?

To me, it is simple: How many millions do you need to make if you are fortunate enough to own this prime property beloved of locals and tourists alike? Do you see sustainability as limited to your descendants alone? Is two million enough? Seven million? Does the common good resonate?

Nancye Belding
Grand Marais

Grand Marais visioning team proposes design guidelines

Special report by Nancye Belding, True North correspondent

This evening the visioning consultants from Community Growth Institute presented 21 citizens with draft design guidelines for four "concept areas" within the C-1 downtown commercial district. They have done their homework since the last workshop in July, and pieced together a marvelous document that summarizes all the input received from the workshops and a survey of residents.
Rudy Schoolderman said that the concepts were done without looking over the Grand Marais Comprehensive Plan their work is intended to replace; however, many of the conclusions reached by CGI are virtually the same as the earlier vision.
Each of the "concept areas": Core downtown waterfront district, Highway 61 corridor, Residential mixed use area, and Proposed design overlay district for the few blocks along Wisconsin Street and Broadway nearest the lake, comes with a set of proposed standards, uses and strategies aimed at meeting citizens' objectives.
In workshops tomorrow, from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m, 11:30 to 1:00 p.m., and 3:30 to 5:00 p.m., all are invited to review and refine these proposals. The sessions will be held at Grand Marais City Hall. On Saturday, from 9 to 11 a.m., the wrap-up session at Arrowhead Center for the Arts will report on the "vision goals, concepts and strategies that appear to have the most community support."
Please, friends of Grand Marais, come to one or more of these last sessions.
Check back here for continuing information over the next two days.

Coast Guard live fire games update

True,

You should look at and probably post this link: http://www.mecprotects.org/

There was a story on CNN tonight regarding the Coast Guard live fire program. The Michigan Environmental Council (MEC) seems to be taking a lead on this.

A reader

U.S. Firing Plans for Great Lakes Raise Concerns - New York Times

Dear readers,
Follow the link to this excellent story from NY Times.
True


U.S. Firing Plans for Great Lakes Raise Concerns - New York Times

CODE GREEN Alert! Last chance, wake up, Grand Marais friends

Dear readers,
Heads up! The last post from Pam Dorris is worth re-reading. No sooner did this post reach me than I also learned that the FINAL phase of Grand Marais Visioning/Comprehensive Plan/Ordinance Revision that is open to public input will be happening next week. Community Growth Institute, the consulting firm hired by the city to shepherd the process, will hold its last series of seminars from Thursday evening through Saturday morning.
Honk, if you love Grand Marais. Speak now or forever hold your peace. The future is in your hands, yours, voters and friends, for an infinitely precious and limited time of two and a half days.
Word has reached my listening ears that many who worked on the first comprehensive plan and protections for the harbor are just too bummed to come out again.
Take heart, friends. Evelyn Larsen, one of those dedicated "local" citizens who helped develop these far-sighted policies is running for mayor of Grand Marais. There are at least 100 signs supporting her candicacy and most of them joined by signs for her progressive neighbor Bill Lenz. Evelyn has not given up. Nor should you, you who want to preserve our city and our harbor for the next seven generations and beyond.
And let me address the issue of voters who pay taxes to the city of Grand Marais. These folks got surveys in the mail asking for their opinions about downtown development. The response rate was dismal given the highly charged election environment, with more candidate signs than completed surveys.
As for the rest of us: Cook County residents and homeowners who depend on Grand Marais for basic services and love its ambience, tourists who keep Grand Marais a thriving community; We don't get to fill out surveys. Our only input is via the CGI meetings open to everyone.
COME! Don't trash your last opportunity to speak out against big-money developers and greedy landowners.
Yours most truly,
True

AUTUMN: A SEASON FOR CHANGE

Dear True,

The leaves are turning. Residents are raking, putting up storm windows, winterizing their vehicles, bedding down the plants, and looking forward to the next installment of the Visioning Plan, as well as the up-coming mayoral election. I hope.

The last time Community Growth Institute was in town they did not anticipate the all-consuming nature of our tourist season and, as a consequence, many residents previously involved couldn’t attend the second round of talks. Instead, all four meetings were dominated by highly vocal special interest groups -- namely realtors, land sharks, and profiteers. Wisely, CGI could see the deck was stacked and retreated. They plan to return at the end of this month with a widely varied meeting schedule that should accommodate just about everyone’s lifestyle.

If you don’t like the direction Grand Marais is taking, you owe it to yourself, the harbor, and your children to show up at these meetings and make your views known. This is an on-going process. It’s a mistake to assume that because you spoke up once, your job is done. It’s not. Do you want to save Grand Marais or do you want certain individuals cutting it up like a pie, selling off chunks to speculators, and living large off profits generated by ruination? Your opinion counts. Bigtime.

As for the mayoral election, I’m thrilled to have a choice. I’m thrilled to have an opportunity to campaign for a candidate possessing common sense, money sense, honesty, and an open mind -- someone who will NOT be tossing people out of public meetings in a fit of self-important pique or announcing publicly that he doesn’t care what his constituents want, only what he wants.

Once again, you have to ask yourself if you like the direction the town is headed. Do you like the new condos? Do you mind losing your harbor if the current mayor continues in office? How do you feel about the “bump outs” on the downtown streets that cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars, still not fully paid for? What do you think about the repaving of the west end streets (benefiting whom, exactly?) even though the municipal pool is in a desperate state and 1^st Avenue is so bumpy you can’t drive from Highway 61 to the High School without slopping coffee all over yourself?

Despite an on-going trend in which the government shaves off a little more of its support to municipalities every year, this mayor spends money like he mints it and then is willing to raise your taxes by claiming the library costs went up. Well, the library costs did go up, but not enough to warrant a 5% increase in your taxes. The truth is, the capital improvement funds are all spent. He’s gone through all of it. New money has to be found either through taxes, selling off assets like the ski hill or the Homeland Security site, or selling municipal bonds (which I’d never purchase while this guy‘s in office!)

So what? So you. You’re the one who will be ‘enriched’ by all the jobs he keeps promising on the come -- as a janitor, chamber maid, or retail clerk -- as you struggle to outdistance your rapidly rising property taxes. If a day holds 24 hours, you can hold three six-hour jobs and still have six hours for sleep. Sounds great.

If I were you, come November, I’d vote for a change in mayor.

Pam Dorris
Lutsen

Coast Guard Live Fire comments can be mailed

Submitted to Boreal news by Cook County News Herald on Thu, 10/12/2006 - 8:21am.
The 9th Coast Guard District will hold a public discussion of its proposed "Safety Zones" on Lake Superior in Duluth at the DECC, Oct. 16 starting at 4 p.m. These zones will be used for weapons training exercises, and one zone is off shore of Grand Marais. If you are unable to attend the meeting you can send comments to the Coast Guard in writing: Docket Management Facility (USGS-2006-2567) U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Room PL-401, 400 SW Washington DC 20590-0001 -- or by Fax: Docket Management Facility (202) 493-2251.

Iran War Looms as Eisenhower Carrier Force Deploys

Follow this link about the latest on Iran war buildup, a follow-up on the post a couple days ago about military buildup in the Middle East and its connection to Homeland Security maneuvering in Cook County:
Iran War Looms as Eisenhower Carrier Force Deploys

Community Decision Making and Conflict Resolution Workshop

Fwd: Community Decision Making and Conflict Resolution Workshop: Check out this link! True has attended this excellent training session in community discourse and recommends it to everybody on all sides of any issue.
From: "Diane Booth" <diane.booth@co.cook.mn.us>To: <news@boreal.org>
Subject: Community Decision Making and Conflict Resolution
Are you interested in learning more about how to have efficient andeffective meetings? Join us on Friday, November 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Cook County Community Center.This is a workshop for anyone needing to interact with setting meeting agendas, group dynamics, decision-making formats, and conflict resolution. Presenters at the workshop will be: Dr. Maria Cuzzo, Assistant Professor of Legal Studies, University of Wisconsin-Superior and a Mediator, Sue Lawson, Planning Director, Center for Rural Planning.
The cost is $10, including lunch. All registrations must be prepaid. To register, please call 387-3015.
This workshop is funded in part by the Duluth Superior Area CommunityFoundation & Minnesota's Lake Superior Coastal Program.
Diane Booth, Cook County Community Center / Extension Director, 317 W. 5th Street, Grand Marais, MN 55604
218-387-3015, 218-387-3016 (fax)

True's Pick: Don Davison for County Attorney

Most folks in the county probably don't know a lot about the county attorney candidates, Don Davison and Tim Scannell. They don't show up in the paper very often so unless you have some dealings with them as lawyers or (in Scannell's case) the court system you probably can't actually judge them accurately.
Scannell is already assistant county attorney, and as such he represents more of the same; he is part of the old-boy club that has ruled this county for years. This is the same club that decided not to prosecute a man who beat a cat to death, leaving it to be found by tourists in Rec Park, but did prosecute a native American who threw his coffee cup at someone who was baiting him. The same club that has declined routinely to challenge potential conflicts of interest between elected officials and their business interests.
Don Davison, on the other hand, has handled his office of City Attorney with integrity. He has frequently cited statutes challenging decisions made by the reigning City Council. The latest example happened at the most recent City Council meeting. The council had voted to allow the East Bay Condominiums the right to use city-owned land for a handicap ramp that had not been planned for in their big footprint development. No fee was to be charged and the question of termination of contract was left rather open-ended. The Swanson law firm, representing the developers known as the "Gunflint Gals," believed that the council had promised their clients this de facto ownership; attorney Dehlia Seim was visibly upset when Mr. Davison recommended that the city should not in essence give away its land to a private entity. Even though the council overruled his vote, he later persuaded them to request an opinion from the Attorney General.
This kind of courage is rare. It is not bidness as usual.

Test for Cook County kids

Saturday, November 7, 2006

Can you say, habeas corpus? Can you say, enemy combatant?

Okay, sports fans, here you go:

Listen up, kids, and unbutton those listening ears.

Number one, surprise, surprise: democracy as a form of government was invented by the ancient Greeks, not the Founding Fathers. And shock and awe: the Magna Carta of 1215 in England was an agreement protecting basic rights of citizens, and the wicked King John was forced to sign up. Yes, correct, that was nearly 800 years ago, and NOBODY has challenged it since, not that is until Dubya wandered along and seized power as the Decider. Okay, the Geneva Conventions came a bit later, in the 19^th century (1864), but most nations of the world including this one signed on to it--torture and other war crimes being declared a no-no. Thanks to the swashbuckling cowboy Prez, the evildoer Saddam Hussein is being tried for such crimes. Well, with the WMD he didn’t have and all, the world is so much safer. Only one little hitch: the evildoers at Bushco (can you say, government and corporation interlocking directorates?) are passing legislation to exempt themselves from the same and similar crimes.

Yes, kiddies, it is true. Tear yourselves away from your video games long enough to wonder what would happen to you if, say, in one of those games you fantasized on shooting the Prez. Here’s the deal: He could declare you an “enemy combatant.” He has already convinced Congress to suspend your rights to habeas corpus. Say what? “Enemy” and “combatant” dictionary definitions make “torture” look clear and explicit. Enemies and combatants alike really just DISAGREE in a manner that challenges the Decider. But, the Decider decides that they are enemies, and/or combatants. The Decider gets to take them away, hide them in secret offshore prisons and torture them for years, and never, never have to bring them to trial. But, if they should come to trial, they don’t have any rights to challenge the evidence against them. I don’t know about you, young ‘uns, but to me the phrase “Innocent until proven guilty” has an all-American ring.

The Cowboy Decider

Dyslexic and illiterate, the cowboy prez can barely read the scripts written for him during speeches. Catch him off guard and he loses it. These precious moments are immortalized in places like the Jon Stewart show, endearing moments captured on YouTube. What a hoot!

Yes, Virginia, inherited Texas oil money can buy you a Yale degree, a no-show in the military, and even a presidential election. Poppa, remember the guy who kicked ass by “softening” Iraq, bombing hundreds of thousands of civilians in the early 1990’s? And the famous Barbara, that gracious lady who told New Orleans refugees that they were better off, after losing their slum homes due to Katrina.

Wake up call, calling all kids!

Sports fans, WAKE UP! Your parents are brain-dead (at least insofar as taking responsibility to be an informed electorate) and you are the country’s only hope. I don’t know what you learn in school, but it is not enough. You need to scour the Internet daily for the stories that the major media conglomerates don’t cover; they are too into entertainment and sex sagas. These stories are about big stuff: mobilization for World War III, repeated crimes against the Constitution, “signing statements” that indicate the Decider won’t comply with laws passed by Congress, not to mention lies about every single action taken by the Bushco administration. Yes, kiddies, it is true. In the words of that ancient middle class sage, Ann Landers: “Wake up and smell the coffee.”

Dearlings, please believe that a substantive body of research is out there, documenting the truth of what I am saying. For starters, look at Bob Woodward’s latest: “State of Denial.”

Though this is mostly a re-hash of what has been known for years it is a good re-hash. Get it, tell your teachers to buy it and make it assigned reading. You are our best, our only hope.

Global terrors lurking

There are other big issues, just to name a few: the melting polar icecaps, dying polar bears (both of these documented by our local explorers Lonnie Dupre and Eric Larsen), the growing ozone hole over Antarctica, and the damage being done to wilderness, clean waters and native habitat by Homeland Security militarization at every border and every seaport-- including the Pigeon River crossing to Canada and the harbor in Grand Marais. To the Bushcos, war and corporate profits trump every other consideration, and war is decided upon by the Decider. I kid you not, kids. Check out the facts; be good investigative reporters. Maybe start with a website like: http://truthout.org.

Outline the historical basis for constitutional democracy, with examples.

Define: torture, enemy, combatant. Discuss your answer.

Lutsen residents speak out on town planning, bike trail issues

Nancye Belding

True North correspondent

At Monday’s town planning meeting, funded by grants from Lutsen township ($5,000) and the Northeast Minnesota Sustainable Partnership ($30,000), 50-plus residents answered co-moderator Mary Vogel’s call for a “lively and productive discussion” with wide-ranging and divergent dialogue, often reflecting starkly opposed points of view. The biggest issue addressed was whether snowmobile and ATV use will be permitted in downtown Lutsen once the Gitchi Gami Trail comes through.

In general, multi-use is prohibited on the trail, but in Beaver Bay there is an exception, according to Lutsen Supervisor Diane Parker. Local residents object to restricting snowmobile and ATV where it has been permitted in the past. Locals use the existing service road to get groceries and mail and fill up their gas tanks. They don’t want to give up this access; the decision to fund the planning process with township funds was made primarily in the belief that multi-use in the town center could be accommodated with professional planning.

The Gitchi Gami Trail is already funded, but resident disagreement regarding its location prompted the trail association to delay implementation for a year. Meanwhile the township looks the University of Minnesota’s Center for Changing Landscapes to create design models based on resident-directed options that include snowmobile and ATV access in the town center, along the existing service road in use for many years past. “We are here to listen to your ideas, hopes and aspirations,” Vogel said, and then present some options using conceptual drawings and “ideas to protect, celebrate, and enhance both cultural and natural resources.” CCL consultant CJ Fernandez explained the basics of the planning process:

· A volunteer steering committee will serve as an essential liaison between CCL and residents. They will inform the public about their meetings and findings, and help to complete resident surveys as needed. They will publicize the next three public planning meetings in which CCL will present design options for review and comment; and they will bring together all of the players/stakeholders concerned with the town center process. All citizens attending were invited to sign up for the steering committee. “This is a community design process; everything is on the table. We want to hear every idea.”

· Because of the imminence of the Gitchi Gami Trail, funded for Lutsen during the coming year, CCL’s second public meeting will focus on a trail assessment, as well as an overall analysis of the downtown physical environment. In the third meeting they will present the first set of preliminary town center designs, and the final plan will be presented at a fourth meeting, hopefully in June of next year. The steering committee will then draft a formal letter, including its project recommendations, and deliver it to the town board.

Resident and sculptor Tom Christiansen got laughs for suggesting that a Wal-Mart might be on the town wish list. Whatever your politics in Lutsen, nobody wants the big boxes. “My big issue is slowing traffic,” Christiansen said. Fernandez said CCL will look at clear zones, design speeds, access points and safety to help the town “present a unified view” to highway planners.

The ensuing discussion focused on some basic issues:

· What will Minnesota Department of Transportation require of the township plan, and what speed limits will apply in the town center? What do speed limits dictate about road design—number of lanes, surrounding vegetation, curb and gutters, etc.?

· Will MnDOT work with the township? CCL staff said that Rod Garver, North Shore highway corridor manager, is anxious to work with local governing entities. He is an enthusiastic supporter of local control and wants future MnDOT plans to reflect local consensus.

· Is there wiggle room in MnDOT’s plans for trails that will accommodate both biker/hiker/skater needs and local access via snowmobile and ATV? Yes, Fernandez and some residents said, it should be possible to find space for both a bike trail and multi-use access in the highway configuration.

· A number of residents complained about ATV and snowmobile use on the highway, saying that non-locals were not respectful of other drivers and fearing that in future the township would be over-run with these vehicles. Lutsen Board Chair Brad Ludlow responded, “Locals just want a place to ride, gas up, and get to the trail heads.”

· Summer residents asked to be kept in the loop. Fernandez said design options will be posted on the CCL web site: http://ccl.gis.umn.edu, and there will be mail surveys as well as e-mail input throughout the process. The second public meeting will probably occur in January.

Reprinted from Cook County News Herald

True's Pick: Mark Falk for Sheriff

Mark Falk for Cook County Sheriff
Acting Sheriff Mark Falk is just about the most user-friendly sheriff I've come across. He's kind and thoughtful, even known to help people having car trouble. He's a family man and he cares about families. "I enjoy every day; being sheriff is a way of life," Falk said. He stands for "honesty, trust, availability and commitment." He wants to keep Cook County a great place to live, and to build community relationships. He's been getting involved in town and city meetings over the past year. He's been working toward a Neighborhood Watch program.
Mark sees his mission to enforce the law, not make it or interpret it as he sees fit. His open-door policy with staff and citizens alike is real, not just a posture.
Opponent Bill Myers, like Mark, has years of experience in crime enforcement. He says it is time for a change and quotes former sheriff John Lyght: "The sheriff comes from the people and serves the people." He identifies three problem areas:

• Search and rescue: the sheriff's response is not working well now. (True note: You could have fooled me.)
• Accountability: Bill wants crime maps made available, a citizen complaint process, and more border crossing enforcement against "criminals."
• Credibility: Bill says we are nicknamed the "Catch and Release County."
  

I find Mark Falk's approach to be extremely open and accountable, virtually transparent in fact, unlike some local elected officials known to make back-door deals. As for "catch and release": well, it is Mark and his staff who are doing the catching. The releasing is a whole nother issue.
True

All Headline News - Boeing Given Green Light To Build Electronic Fence Along US-Mexican Border - October 4, 2006

All Headline News - Boeing Given Green Light To Build Electronic Fence Along US-Mexican Border - October 4, 2006

The March to War: Naval Build-Up in the Persian Gulf and the Eastern Mediterranean

Folks, check out this terrifying article. I am shaking like an aspen leaf in an October wind and I haven't even finished reading it yet. Pay special attention to the reports that the Coast Guard is increasingly being deployed to naval operations firming up in the Persian Gulf. No wonder they need to practice gunfire in the Great Lakes. Also note that the Canadian prime minister has been working closely with the US military, unbeknownst to most of us. It looks like we just are not paranoid enough to see Cook County as a training ground for World War III.
True

The March to War: Naval Build-Up in the Persian Gulf and the Eastern Mediterranean

Who is surveilling picnicking tourists?

Dear True,
Yesterday I picked up a sandwich at the Subway. While waiting in line I noticed a couple families of Indian or Pakistani tourists emerging from their vans. They also bought lunch.
I decided to drive to the Coast Guard building parking lot for a picnic. Soon the two tourist vans also arrived, parking near me. The Indian or Pakistani families settled down to eat their lunches, after looking around the harbor and enjoying the sights.
Within a matter of minutes, I noticed a very large white van proceeding slowly past the tourists, driven by a man in a black uniform. Above the van was one of those rotating spotlights. There was also a radio antenna, I noticed, as it drove past, the driver scrutinizing the dark-skinned visitors.
I took another bite of my sandwich, and here came a smallish, also unmarked, SUV, likewise slowing down to gape at the tourist families. Driven by a woman wearing generic law-enforcement garb, this vehicle also sported the rear radio antenna. Neither of the vehicles stopped to detain or interrogate the objects of their scrutiny.
Another lunch bite, and this time a large unmarked SUV with two rear antennas came along. Creeping past the foreign visitors and staring, exactly like the previous two, it finally circled and exited the parking lot.
What was that about? A rhetorical question for I feel sure that some local yokel with links to Homeland Security called about the possible terrorists having a picnic.
After the surveillance team had gone, I sort of wished I had opened my window and hollered, "Who the hell are you and what the *bleep* are you doing?"
Toivo Kuvamias

Latest news and links from CCFCook County!

Hello!

Attached are links to pertinent news stories regarding Homeland
Security and Border Patrol expansion. The increased budget for
Border Patrol expansion was approved as part of the $35 Billion
Homeland Security bill last week. For more on MN expansion, see
correspondence from Mark Dayton below.

Please contact the moderator if you are available to meet early next
week. Proposed days are Mon-Thurs, 7pm-8pm. There is new information
on Homeland Security, including local conflict of interest issues to
be discussed.

Also, the calendar function on this site is a bit unpredictable.
I’ve heard that some members do not receive meeting notices in a
timely manner as well incorrect meeting notices. The last notice
about the EDA Regular meeting was inaccurate. I did try to correct
the problem on the calendar page, but just in case, the next EDA
Regular meeting is Tuesday, October 10^th at 4pm. The Old Skihill
property is on the agenda and public statements are taken at 4pm
about any EDA issue. We may also know what sites have been chosen by
then, so it would be good for concerned citizens to be in attendance
if you are able.

Thanks and keep up the good work! SLD
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MARK DAYTON RESPONSE:
September 27, 2006

Dear Ms. Mueller:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the Department of Homeland
Security’s (DHS) recent decision to build or renovate U.S. Customs
and Border Protection (CBP) facilities in Duluth, Grand Marais, and
International Falls.

According to CBP, the existing facilities in these three locations
are insufficient for the Border Patrol’s current needs, having been
built in the 1960’s. The proposed facility in Grand Marais, at a
site to be determined by DHS and the local government, will include
office space for 50 Border Patrol Agents, three detention cells, a
helipad, and a garage for vehicles. DHS and CBP have assured my
office that they will work with local officials to address any
concerns that they might have. Please be assured that I will
continue to monitor this situation.

Again, thank you for taking the time to be in touch with me. Please
let me know if there is any way my staff and I can be of assistance
to you.

My best regards.

Sincerely,

Mark Dayton
United States Senator

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LINKS AND RELATED NEWS STORIES:
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Homeland Security Bill Littered with Attachments
http://www.npr. org/templates/ story/story. php?storyId= 6151292&sc= emaf

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”Great Lakes machine guns raise ire in Canada
U.S. Coast Guard conducting live-ammunition training drills”

MARGARET PHILP
From Thursday’s Globe and Mail
The United States Coast Guard has started to patrol the Great Lakes
with machine guns mounted on their vessels and is conducting live-
ammunition training drills on the U.S. side to prepare officers to
combat terrorists flooding across the border from Canada by boat.

The automatic-weapon drills started earlier this year but came to
light only in the past two weeks after information about the Coast
Guard’s move to create 34 permanent live-fire training zones in the
Great Lakes was published in the U.S. federal register.

Since the beginning of the year, the Coast Guard have conducted 24
drills, each time firing about 3,000 rounds of lead bullets about a
third of the size of a fishing-line sinker from light-weight machine
guns in waters at least eight kilometres from the Canadian border
and U.S. shores. Two more target practices are scheduled for this
year. In Halifax on Thursday, the commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard
said his country is within its rights to arm vessels on the Great
Lakes.
A U.S. Coast Guard response boat equipped with machine guns patrols
the Detroit River during Super Bowl festivities in Detroit in
February. (Paul Sancya/AP)

Admiral Thad Allen, in Halifax to meet with the head of the Canadian
Coast Guard, said it is necessary to increase U.S. border security
on the lakes since Sept. 11, 2001.

Toronto Mayor David Miller has said the move violates a 90-year-old
treaty that forbids weapons on the lakes, but the U.S. Coast Guard,
however, says that is not an issue since Canadian and U.S. officials
agreed 18 months ago that arming small craft wouldn’t violate the
treaty.

The high-powered drills have, however, stunned environmentalists,
boaters and mayors in cities dotting the lakes in both countries who
are outraged that the U.S. government would jeopardize the safety of
pleasure boaters and commercial fishermen who could stray into the
line of fire. Just as infuriating, they say, is the risk of lead
exposure to fish and the more than 40 million people who draw
drinking water from the Great Lakes.

”It was a big surprise on both sides of the border. At first I
thought it was an Internet hoax,” said Mike Bradley, the mayor of
Sarnia, Ont., who has written a letter to Prime Minister Stephen
Harper asking him to intervene.
”The longest undefended border in the world is gone. It’s passé. And
this is an example of it.”

Toronto Mayor David Miller chairs a coalition of U.S. and Canadian
mayors working to restore and protect the lakes.
He said the target practice violates a treaty signed after the War
of 1812 that outlaws military weapons on the Great Lakes, tampering
with two centuries of peaceful history.”This is very much the wrong
direction, to militarize the border between these two countries,” he
said in an interview. “It’s symbolically important and practically
important that the border remain open and doesn’t become
militarized. “”At a time ... when there is interest in restoring the
integrity of the lakes,” he writes in a letter to the Prime
Minister, “it is most disturbing that the U.S. is contemplating
exercises that will militarize the lakes, cause pollution and
environmental degradation, restrict shipping and recreation, and
change the peaceful border between Canada and the U.S.”

Far more people are killed on Toronto streets by illegal U.S. guns
crossing the border, he said, than bloody-minded terrorists from
Canada crossing south. “The idea that terrorists are flooding across
the Great Lakes is utter nonsense,” he said. Until this year, U.S.
Coast Guard vessels carried only handguns and small-calibre rifles.
But anti-terrorist furor has led to a bolstering of firepower.

”We’re trying to be prepared in case something happens,” said a U.S.
Coast Guard spokesman, Chief Petty Officer Robert Lanier.”I don’t
know what it is, but I know I want to be prepared for it when it
happens. We need to conduct these live-fire exercises so we are
prepared for whatever it may be. If we are not prepared for it,
there are going to be questions about why we weren’t prepared for
it.”

The Coast Guard said the drills have so far been conducted without a
hitch. By way of safety precautions, broadcasts on marine radio
bands will be made repeatedly a few hours before training begins,
and a second Coast Guard vessel will monitor boat traffic around the
training zones during the shooting exercises.

But critics on both sides of the border say that many small pleasure
boats are either not equipped with marine radio, seldom tune in, or
could mistakenly wander into the unmarked firing range.Others are
raising alarms about the impact of tens of thousands of bullets made
from lead, which has been linked to brain-development and behaviour
problems in children. In recent years there have been efforts to
reduce lead in the lakes, including the banning of lead paint and a
more recent campaign asking fishermen to replace lead sinkers.

”We’ve spent years removing lead from the Great Lakes,” said Mary
Muter, a long-time cottager and vice-president of the Georgian Bay
Association, a coalition of cottage owners and boaters. “As a
Canadian, these are binational waters and this is just
offensive.”The Coast Guard commissioned a study from a consulting
group, stating that while lead from spent bullets could be passed up
the food chain, the drills would pose “no elevated risk” to the
environment or human health.

As for the shaky status of the world’s longest undefended border, a
spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ambra Dickie,
said that Canada and the United States signed a written agreement
three years ago articulating that moves to arm U.S. law-enforcement
vessels with light machine guns in U.S. jurisdiction do not violate
the spirit of the treaty. That treaty, the argument goes, was
drafted to ensure peace in the Great Lakes by forbidding weapons of
war such as cannons on sailing ships.

”We don’t have any cannons or rocket launchers or anything like
that,” CPO Lanier said.

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Wilderness on U.S. Mexico Border Trashed
International Journal of Wilderness, August 2006

The Cabeza Prieta Wilderness is the largest in Arizona. The adjacent
Organ Pipe Cactus Wilderness contains 312,000 acres. Together, they
have protected a broad expanse of Sonoran Desert, which has the
greatest diversity of plants and animals of any North American
desert. They also form the U.S. border with Mexico, and there’s the
rub. According to the Los Angeles Times, these two wilderness areas
have suffered a “devastating toll” from the government’s ongoing
battle with cross-boundary smugglers and migrants. Cabeza Prieta NWR
manager Roger DiRosa claims that 2.5 million pounds of garbage are
abandoned in the refuge each year. Sections of Organ Pipe Cactus
National Monument (managed by the Park Service) are so dangerous
they are closed to the public. Since the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security has legal authority to ignore environmental laws, the U.S.
Border Patrol has set up camps in the wilderness, replete with
helicopter pads, trailers, fencing, generators and high-intensity
lights. Organ Pipe superintendent Kathy Billings is quoted by the LA
Times as saying, “If we lose Organ Pipe and it becomes a moonscape
as a result of these impacts,we lose our heritage”.

Is this in Northern Minnesota’s future? Follow links for more info.

http://action. wilderness. org/campaign/ OrganPipe/ explanation
http://www.defender s.org/newsroom/ border.html
http://www.lawg. org/countries/ mexico/border_ alert_4_14. htm

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Who are your favorite local candidates?

Dear readers,

It's only four weeks until Election Eve, and I am gathering information about local candidates, both city and county. Not much has appeared in the papers, at least so far, to help in making informed voter decisions.
And so, I invite your input, about any candidate that you like or don't like (civil discourse, of course), with facts in support of your positions.
Please write: truenorthgm@gmail.com.

True