Come to Cotton for the FIDDLIN’ CHAMPIONSHIP



COTTON – The Town of Cotton, “The Biggest Little Town in the USA”, and often referred to as the “halfway stop when traveling between the Iron Range and Duluth” in days past, is ready for the Minnesota State Old Time Fiddle Championship and Festival. This grand event opens tonight with the fiddle contest preliminaries taking place at the Cotton School […]

Northern Minnesota sunset



Healthy For Life




Hey there and hooray – it’s August and still summer! Yes, this is one of my favorite months, and there are no major holidays to speak of… yeah!! But there are quite a few relatives’ and friends’ birthdays, which are always nice to rejoice in. It’s a great time to kick back and savor the last of the summer months. […]

Le Boudoir: or, A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Bedroom . . .




It’s smack dab in the middle of summer and you know what that means—homeremodeling project! If you have been a faithful reader of this column since the beginning, you know that I have a “do-it-myself” attitude. Combine that with a creative streak and a knowledge of operating basic hand tools, and you’ve got yourself a yearly adventure. I’ve redone the […]

Emerald Ash Borer




The ½” long shiny metallic green Emerald ash borer has been confirmed in Hennepin, Ramsey, and Houston counties. This highly destructive pest kills all species of black, green, and white ash trees. (Mountain ash is unrelated and not susceptible). Signs of an EAB infestation include crown dieback, trunk or baseline sprouts, increased woodpecker activity, vertical cracks in the bark, tunnels […]

SpaceL I F T

Common Problem: Home spaces don’t flow together.

The Fix: Color Scheme! Consider the flow of one room to another. Each space in your home can have its own color scheme, but it should be integrated smoothly. Link a bold yellow room to an adjoining room in a different color by painting the trim in both rooms a crisp white. Now you have a common link and great […]

Pickles!




Pickles – they add so much to any table. Added to cocktails, sandwiches, burgers or standing on their own on the buffet table, pickles are a great taste treat for any occasion. Make your own and enjoy the pride of serving “your” pickles. Pickle season is upon us. The “Taste” offers some suggestions. Sweet Horseradish Pickles My Arizona/Minnesota brother, Al […]

No Limits to Greed



To the Editor, The multi-millionaire players and owners of the MN Vikings (who want to have tax revenues finance a new stadium because the present one is insufficiently glorious) make one wonder if they haven’t heard of our recession or the millions of people who are looking for work or our fraudulent, trillion dollar Bushwar. Are they stupid, or are […]

I support Conrow for judge



To the Editor, Until leaving my position as a Lake County Commissioner in January, 2009, I worked for six years with Lake County Attorney Russ Conrow. I have found Russ to be fair, consistent, impartial and honest. He was always prepared and knowledgeable in his presentations to the Board and I trusted his judgment. He has extensive experience as an […]

Local musical production was fabulous



To the Editor, I hope you had a chance to see the play that had the Iron Range buzzing with “The Sound of Music.” It was WONDERFUL!!! From the ‘Do-Re-Mi’to ‘I am Sixteen going on Seventeen’, I was glued to my seat. Even the smoldering heat did not keep me away. The actors, the musicians, and the stage were all […]