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After the North Woods choirs finished performing at the concert last Wednesday, Choir Director Bailey "The Music Lady" Conger was honored for her 35 years of dedication to the music program. This was a memorable moment to see an era that has brought so much fine music to the area, come to an end.
By GDA
It was an emotional and exciting time last Wednesday night
at 7 in the North Woods School gym. The final Spring Concert would
be performed in this building which was the Cook School until
this year when the Orr and Cook schools combined to be the new
North Woods School.
Bailey Conger, who has been a mainstay of the music program for
35 years, would be directing her beloved choirs for the last time.
It will be strange, indeed, to not see her smiling face directing
these choirs in the future.
The gym was packed to overflowing, just like it was for numerous
Cook/Orr Lumberjack games.
The Junior and Senior High choirs did their usual perfect job
that we have come to expect. When the choirs were finished, there
was a tribute to Bailey and she received some of her favorite
chocolates plus flowers from her "kids." The youngsters
couldn't hold back, though, and surged forward to give her a memorable
"group hug." Bailey, you will be missed.
Then it was time for the bands and Larry "The Music Man"
Baker did his usual awesome best. He took a program that had been
dormant and now has a large number of the students in band. Cook's
bands were known throughout the area and under Baker that will
be true soon as the North Woods Grizzlies' Bands.
The Grizzlies didn't have a school song, but they now have a school
tune, thanks to Baker. He said he doesn't write the words, so
he has a contest asking for entries with the words to go with
his tune. The audience gave him a long and standing ovation.
Then the Mesabi Community Band made their appearance. They just
do a great job. The North Woods School is lucky to have them.
The concert finally ended, but it won't be forgotten. The Cook
School building has seen a lot of very good concerts, but now
that era is over and a new one is starting with the new North
Woods School located five miles from Cook.
The memories still stalk the halls of that venerable structure.
It will be remembered.
There are three very pretty young ladies vying for the title
of Cook Timber Days Queen 2012. Any of the three would do the
Cook Area and the Chamber of Commerce proud as the Timber Days
queen
The first candidate is Kayla Bodri who is the daughter of Stephanie
Anderson and Steve Bodri and she has a brother, Michael. She is
going into the seventh grade in the new North Woods School next
fall. Her hobbies include fishing, hunting, horseback riding,
four-wheeling, snowmobiling and sports. Her future plans are to
become an orthodontist.
Mercedes Rose Erickson is the daughter of Melody Hanson and Chad
Erickson. She is an eighth-grader in the North Woods School and
is the second queen candidate. Her hobbies include horseback riding,
bike riding, watching movies and hanging out with friends. Her
future plans are to go to school to be a photographer or fashion
designer.
Natalie Whitney is the final candidate. She is the daughter of
Cherie Seopa and Luke Whitney and she has brothers Reece, Preston
and Keenan cheering her on, along with stepmom Nicole. She is
a sixth-grader in the North Woods School. Her future plans are
to become a math teacher.
These young ladies are now busy selling raffle tickets to help
fund Timber Days, which will be held June 8, 9 and 10. The candidates
receive 10 percent of their sales. They also receive a $100 bonus
for every thousand tickets sold. The winner receives another check
for $250, plus being crowned Timber Days Queen 2012.
The drawing for the raffle will be held Saturday, June 9, after
the coronation near the Gazebo. You don't have to be present to
win.
Good luck to these three pretty young ladies and good luck.
Don't forget: Timber Days 2012 is June 8, 9 and 10. It is a celebration
you don't want to miss with crafts, food booths, softball tournament,
pet show, classic cars, motorcycles, the queen coronation and
of course the gigantic parade on Sunday, June 10, at 1 p.m.
Mark your calendars.
By GDA
Enrollment figures for the four K-12 schools in ISD 2142, the
St. Louis County Schools, are in and they beat the estimated totals
by 38 students.
The estimated enrollment for the North Woods, South Ridge, Cherry
and Northeast Range schools was 1,706. The actual enrollment
as of the end of April for the four K-12 schools was 1,780. The
enrollment for the district was 1,866. That includes 86 for the
Tower-Soudan K-6 School.
The South Ridge School was estimated to have an enrollment of
462 and they have 482 students. Northeast Range had an estimated
enrollment of 359 while their enrollment is 346 for the only
school to not make the estimate. Cherry had an estimated enrollment
at 341 and the actual was 386 or 45 over. Cherry's rise in enrollment
has caused the school board to think of additional construction.
North Woods had their enrollment estimated at 544 and it came
in at 566 or 22 over.
Nett Lake sent 48 students while Tower-Soudan K-6 had 86 compared
to an estimate of 122. They were 36 under the estimate.
The estimates are important as those were the figures the administration,
board and engineers used when planning the new construction.The
38 students over the estimate would bring the district an additional
$285,000 a year if they receive an average aid of $7,500 per student.
By GDA
An estimated 40,000 to 50,000 young people have grown up in
the halls of the venerable Cook School. It has been the scene
of literally thousands of basketball and volleyball games. The
concerts, plays, pep rallies, etc. that have been held there have
been great. The trouble is, families no longer have 6-l1 youngsters.
Two or three in a family is the norm. The young adults graduate
from the Cook School and then they leave the area. Because of
that, enrollment went from a high of around 700 to under 400.
This happened in other schools such as Orr, too. To complicate
the matter more, Open Enrollment came on the scene and students
could transfer to any other school. Home schooling took more students.
Because of this, something had to be done and the school board
decided to consolidate. It was thought the school was in too bad
of a shape to be remodeled, so a new school, the North Woods one,
is being built between Cook and Orr.
Attorney Colosimo told Judge Oswald they planned to have it closed
effective Sept. 1, 2012.
Supt. Strong spoke of declining enrollment and that closing the
school and consolidating enrollments would be in the best interest
of the students. She spoke of the consolidation in the district's
other three schools and said it went "very successfully."
She said they gained more new students than they expected. She
spoke of the Orr students who came to Cook and a few even came
from Tower-Soudan.
Principal John Metsa said there were no issues with the busing
from an educational standpoint. He spoke of the additional classes
that were now available. He added that the "kids have been
awesome."
Judge Oswald asked how the sports teams did and was told they
had great seasons. He asked if any comments were there from the
community, but since no one came, the meeting, which started at
6 p.m., adjourned at 6:32 p.m.
The Cook School will be officially closed when Judge Oswald makes
his final report.
A new era will start with the new North Woods School. A lot of
memories will still wander the halls of that Cook School, though.
By GDA
The proposed sale of the Water's Edge Campground/RV park has
the Crane Lake Water and Sanitary District board concerned. There
are 17 EDUs (Environmental Dwelling Units) from there and this
brings in $10,000 a year to the CLWSD. The Minnesota Department
of Natural Resources is in the process of purchasing that site
so they will have another entrance to Crane Lake. A special meeting
of Chair Rob Scott of the CLWSD, Gary Cerkvenik who is a consultant
for the VNP Joint Powers Board, St. Louis County Commissioner
Mike Forsman, and Scott Kelling and Ron Potter from the Minnesota
DNR was held at the Land Office in Cook last Wednesday at noon.
The CLWSD board is concerned about the possibility of losing the
income as they are already operating on a razor and could find
it hard to pay the $1.4 million U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Rural
Development loan. The district has managed to get the interest
rate on that loan lowered and have it interest-only for several
years. The CLWSD receives a base $56/mo. per EDU plus $22 per
thousand gallons of waste. According to Chairman Rob Scott, Crane
Lake has some of the highest rates in the state.
There was talk of a partnership with the DNR if they buy the campground/RV
park/landing. Scott talked of the DNR putting in public restrooms
with the CLWSD handling the discharge. He spoke of extending the
CLWSD system down the Handberg Road which would bring in another
$20,000 a year to the district. Finding funds for that extension
was also discussed. He added that the district "has no reserves"
so if they lost the $10,000 from the Water's Edge, how would
they keep going? He added that they have no tax levy and they
can't tax the state if they buy the campground/RV/landing.
The DNR representatives noted they have the option to acquire
Water's Edge until October of this year.
Ron Potter from the DNR said they couldn't commit to much and
it would be exploratory as to what "we can do." He
spoke of the challenge with operating a campground and said they
would have to explore deeper as to what the DNR is authorized
to do. He spoke of continuity and contributing at some level,
but they weren't there, yet.
Rob Scott questioned why the DNR needed another ramp on Crane
Lake.
Scott also spoke of the outhouse they, the DNR, have at Crane
Lake while no one else is allowed one.
There was talk of the DNR and Voyageurs National Park working
together. The new Voyageurs Park Superintendent, Mike Ward, was
on hand for this meeting, also.
Gary Cerkvenik said they needed $1.7 million to get the line up
to Handberg's, plus they needed to know what kind of facility
would be at Water's Edge and also restrooms. He also noted the
Voyageurs National Park would like access to Crane Lake.
The group spoke of next year being a bonding year.
The meeting ended at 12:57 p.m.
Hot Fun in the Summertime! (W.C. Heiam Benefit on Saturday, Aug. 11.)
Cook Hospital holds Groundbreaking Ceremony for Expansion Project
NW Class of 2012 receives $300,000 in scholarships... Great Job!
Letters to the Editor ...
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