A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
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An era came to a close last month when Cloquet softball coach Ron Tondryk handed his resignation letter to activities director Paul Riess, just a few months after the Lumberjacks took third place at the Minnesota State High School softball tournament. It was not only the end of Tondryk's decade-long tenure as head coach for Cloquet, but also the end of a 25-year coaching relationship between Tondryk and assistant coach Kerry Rodd. "It was time," said Tondryk last week. "We both have... Full story
You could see it on Josh South's face as the Cloquet senior neared a puddle during the Swain Invitational junior varsity cross country race at Enger Park in Duluth Saturday. He was going to do it. It was the end of a long slog of a race in pouring rain that only got worse as the day wore on. Why not? In he went. He was no worse for the wet. Photos by Ken Ripp / Pine Knot News... Full story
By Charles Haynes / Religious Freedom Center In the turbulent 1960s, John Courtney Murray famously reminded Americans that the Constitution begins with “We, the people,” not “We, the tribe.” Murray, a Jesuit priest, wasn’t papering over differences that are often deep and abiding. Each of us has our tribe — Catholic, Hindu, Humanist, Jewish, Muslim, Protestant or one of a hundred others in the pluralistic society we all call home. Differences matter. Instead, Murray was calling on Americans to recognize what we share across our religious a...
Cloquet High School seniors Madi Vermeersch and Trey Harkins were crowned Homecoming Queen and King on Friday, Oct. 4 at Bromberg Field in a time-honored tradition. CHS activities assistant Matt Carlson said last Friday was packed with homecoming activities, from the pep fest on the football field that afternoon to the football game against Grand Rapids and a school dance after. "We had a good crowd," Carlson said. "It was good football weather." The halftime celebration included introductions... Full story
Cloquet and Esko homecoming information....
Full disclosure: I live with a Wrenshall School board member, Janaki Fisher-Merritt. Most days when he comes home from a late meeting, I brace myself to hear a recap of difficult issues and tough decisions. Last week was not one of those nights. Instead, Janaki came home with a story about an act of kindness and compassion. This year there is a student who needs daily shots for medical care. It was a traumatic experience for the student as well as the staff since the shots had to be delivered...
Remember when what is now the Family Tradition Restaurant was an A&W, complete with frosty mugs and waitresses on roller skates? This photo of the old A&W on Highway 33 North was taken in 1969 — the restaurant opened in 1954 — and comes to the Pine Knot News courtesy of the Carlton County Historical Society....
For a woman raised in Minnesota, poet and musician Diane Jarvenpa has gained a pretty decent following in her grandparents' homeland of Finland, where she is known as "Minnesotan Satakieli," or the Minnesota Nightingale. Starting at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jarvenpa will read from her latest book of poems, "The Way She Told Her Story" and perform on the kantele, a traditional Finnish stringed instrument that is plucked, at the Cloquet Public Library. Jarvenpa said she wrote the book after receiving a...
A group of volunteers worked together Sunday for close to three hours to get an elderly woman's various garden plots weeded, especially the one in the backyard that she enjoys seeing out the back window of her home. Another group painted parking stripes in the community theater parking lot. Thirty others stayed inside to assemble baby care kits, school backpacks and "ditty bags" for seafarers filled with personal care items. More groups fanned out across Cloquet and the surrounding area, all of...
It's just another day in a Carlton County courtroom, and Sixth District Carlton County Judge Rebekka Stumme is working her way through the final half dozen cases on that morning's docket. One of the defendants - in court because she failed to meet with her probation officer several times - says she's been unable to get a ride there, and also unable to reach anyone to set up an appointment for a Rule 25 assessment. Stumme (her surname rhymes with "tummy") gently reminds the woman that probation... Full story
Thanks to the Baby Boomer generation, the number of people 65 and older in the United States is expected to increase to 55 million in 2020. And, according to the AARP, by 2030 the population of adults aged 65-plus will reach 71.5 million. That's a lot of seniors who may or may not be able to continue living in their own homes, on their own terms. If you are one of these seniors or the child of one, now is the time to start talking about long-term care options. Cloquet's Shirley Wirtanen, who is... Full story
The Senior LinkAge Line helps simplify complex issues and decisions that seniors, Baby Boomers, Medicare beneficiaries, caregivers or those trying to reduce prescription drug costs face every day. Just one phone call to 1-800-333-2433 is all it takes to get help with determining what services might be helpful. The Senior LinkAge Line has expertise in the areas of: Medicare Prescription drug expense assistance for Minnesotans of all ages Health insurance counseling Help with forms and applying for Medical Assistance and Medicare options Long-ter...
What comes to mind when you hear the word "bridge?" For many from Carlton County and northern Minnesota, it may bring visions of the beautiful Aerial Lift Bridge welcoming boats and ships to the Duluth harbor. Travelers perhaps dream of London Bridge or the Golden Gate Bridge. Old-time movie buffs recall actor and Academy Award winner Sir Alec Guinness in the classic "The Bridge on the River Kwai." But for a select group of local individuals, it means already planning for getting back to... Full story
If Mason Avey could offer one piece of advice, it would be to wear steel toe boots when mowing. Avey learned that lesson the hard way this summer. Two weeks before the football season, the Cloquet High School junior was mowing a small but steep hill in his front yard. He slipped on damp grass and jammed his foot into the spinning blades of the mower. "It didn't hurt, but I had a big shock," he said. Mason was rushed to the emergency room, to be told by doctors that his severed big toe was "not f...
The Carlton County Labor Day celebration is known for its parade and picnic on Monday, but the fun actually starts a day earlier at the annual Oldtimers Banquet. "This event's main purpose is to honor the retirees of the Carlton County labor force," said Rep. Mike Sundin of District 11A, one of the event organizers. Sundin said the teachers, millworkers, and other union workers who worked to create equal opportunities for all laborers should be celebrated. One of the banquet's most notable...
When I was growing up, one of my favorite fall traditions was to get together with my family and friends at my grandparents' house for our weekly gatherings around their backyard fireplace. These get-togethers were joyous occasions that included hours of conversations, storytelling and laughter. But perhaps my favorite memory of bonfire times at my grandparents' house was all of the food. Large dinners when we got there and large snacks afterwards around the fire: s'mores, hot dogs and fire-popp...
As the final days of summer slowly run out, so does my summer internship with the Pine Knot News. From the first article to my last, I've enjoyed the opportunity to help tell the story of our county and the people who live here. However, school and extracurriculars leave me with little time to devote to the weekly interviewing and writing. This school year, I plan to continue to write for the Pine Knot, but the time constraints that inevitably come with the school year will not allow me to... Full story
Kids celebrate the end of summer and getting back to school....
A stroke and the beginning of Parkinson’s disease had left my father a small fraction of the man he had once been. After church on a rather nice Sunday morning, I casually asked Dad, “How about if we go to the White Pine steam show at McGrath this afternoon? I’ll come pick you up about 1 o’clock or so.” Mother looked at Dad and said, “He can’t go.” Dad and I let that lay; Dad said, “I’ll call.” I said, “You do that.” My wife and I arrived home. The phone rang; it was Dad saying, “I am going.” Arriving at the White Pine show, we parked as direc...
A field of sunflowers turns the world bright yellow as the flowers follow the sun across the sky. Mickayla Talberg said she drives by the field of flowers near Wrenshall every day on her mail route, and decided to bring a chair and her five children for a photo shoot on Aug. 23. Above, Mackenzie Kosloski, 7, and Kylie Kosloski, 9, pose in the midst of the flowers somewhat uncomfortably, as the bees and an enthusiastic reporter watch them. The boys were going to take their turn posing next,...
Carlton native Eric Bergman will talk about writing his book “Addie Braver,” a young adult-adult crossover novel about growing up in a town, based on his own experience growing up in Carlton. A slide show and readings from the book will be featured in this hour-long program starting at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 31 at the Carlton County Historical Society in Cloquet. Copies of “Addie Braver” will be available....
Oscar Eliason 2019 Male Carlton County Outstanding Senior Citizen Oscar Eliason has been involved in many volunteer activities in the Cromwell community since 1993 when he started his teaching career in at Cromwell High School. Oscar has been a volunteer driver for Volunteer Services for many years. He drives folks to their medical appointments, two or three times a week. He loves the opportunity to meet new (mostly elderly) people and enjoys helping them in more ways than just the driving. He g...
Very few communities recommend their local hospital cafeteria as the best place to eat. But we do, thanks to Pat McCoy - aka "The Real McCoy" - director of nutrition services at Cloquet Community Memorial Hospital, and her team's imaginative scratch cooking. Yesterday's lunch was a kale, strawberry and tomato salad topped with organic chicken and a flavorful vinaigrette. All of it was sourced locally. The new fall menu begins at the hospital right after Labor Day, and will introduce a bowl bar...
The natural world and how we interact with it are Fond du Lac artist Karen Savage-Blue's inspiration for her paintings. "Nature is always my base. My goal is to make it more accessible to folks. As human beings, we have a lot in common with our flora and landscapes." "We should treat the earth as if it is a member of our own family," she said. In her paintings, Savage-Blue often places the human form among plant forms, or juxtaposes them with animal or astrospherical forms, the latter suggesting... Full story
After a playing career that spanned 18 years in the NHL, and included a couple of Stanley Cups as well as numerous moves around the country, Jamie Langenbrunner and his family retired to northern Minnesota. Now? The family will be making another move as Langenbrunner makes the transition from retired hockey player and Boston Bruins player development coordinator, into a more in-depth role with Boston as the director of player development as well as a physical move to the Twin Cities area to...
