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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Over the years, Cloquet resident Clarence Badger has told stories of playing basketball at the old Civic Center where the fire station now sits. He shared photos of his uncles returning from World War II and partying in the Cromwell bars with happy friends. Of Pinehurst Park in the 1940s and '50s, he wrote: "The building that I used most was the large one where we would roller skate one or two days a week in a huge building that sat near what the tennis courts are today. The Wilsons would come...
For Cloquet's Julie Samuelson, even climbing a volcano in Guatemala can feel like home. "It got pretty serious, dealing with elevation and when the weather turned to crud," she said. "It was kind of like getting socked in by Lake Superior with the icky winds and fog." Samuelson, 56, was in South America last month, alongside 17 other kidney donors. They were there to summit three volcanoes across seven days as part of the second One Kidney Climb. The first, in 2022, saw a team of 20 living donor...
It's hard to believe, but Noah Parker has been the CEO of a thriving Highway 5, Carlton County seasonal business for 10 years ... after all, he's only 23. "I was 13 and asked my dad if he could give me money to go and see a movie," Parker said. "He told me, 'all the money you need is out here in the yard in the grass.' I didn't know what he meant." His dad then told him that he'd have to work hard, but could make plenty of spending money by picking and selling nightcrawlers to prospective...
Pine Knot News subscriber and two-time state ski jumping champion (1966, 1967) Rick Nelson stopped in recently with an obscure item for show and tell. It was a Northwest Paper Company notebook, complete with one of the company's iconic Canadian Mountie paintings, this one showing a mountie on horseback sharing what appears to be a wanted poster with three men working outside. While Northwest Paper notebooks are fairly rare these days - as the company was a precursor to both Potlatch and Sappi -...
Allow Hazel her moment. Allow her to consider herself one of Santa's elves. She certainly fits the bill. This holiday season, Hazel Aili stuffed the donation box at South Terrace Elementary with 19 toys for the 29th annual Toys For Carlton Area Kids drive. She did it the hard way, creating hundreds of craft items in past months and selling them at craft fairs in order to raise the money to pay for the gifts herself. She was able to spend more than $300 on toys. "It was an amazing, selfless...
As a teenager growing up in West Duluth in the 1970s, music really mattered to James Wiita, even more than school sometimes. He's been revisiting those times in recent years, as he researched and wrote his first book: "Rock On, Duluth!" It is, the cover proclaims, the story of YANQUI Productions and arena rock in Duluth from 1973 to 1978: "One promoter, one dream, the story behind it all." Now in his 60s and a musician himself, Wiita can still recall the little details of concerts he attended...
The Esko Fire Department marked the passing of one of their own by hanging an enormous American flag between two ladder trucks outside Nelson Funeral Home Friday morning. Esko grad Scott Allan Sunnarborg passed away at the age of 65 on Dec. 8. Sunnarborg was a volunteer firefighter for the Esko fire department, and retired after 38 years. “He put in a long time with the department. It was nice to have someone close during the day when he was working for the township,” Esko fire chief Kyle Gus...
The Northland lost its most famous fry cook last week, when Marilyn Lundquist died at age 94, having spent two-thirds of those years working the grill at her family's Gordy's Hi-Hat in Cloquet. "She was amazing," said Dan Lundquist, her son. "She was special." Her husband, Gordy Lundquist, passed away at the same age, 94, in July of 2021. When he died, the couple had been married 71 years. And while Gordy was the face of the popular summertime burger destination, it was Marilyn who was its...
Have you ever seen the movie, “Oceans 11”? If you haven’t, you should. It stands as one of Hollywood’s better renditions of a heist movie. Its characters set out to do the impossible — to rob the shared vault of three casinos on a fight night, when security would be at its highest level, but when the payday would also be the greatest. As you watch the heist unfold, you begin to think that things have gone wrong. Alarms have been tripped and the SWAT team is on its way. Only after the heist is completed are you allowed a behind-th...
Retiring Members Cooperative Credit Union learning and development manager Kathlynn McConnell was honored recently by the Minnesota Credit Union Network with a Credit Union Builder Award. The award honors an individual’s dedication to the success, growth, and vitality of the not-for-profit financial movement in Minnesota. McConnell was recognized Nov. 16 by MCCU leadership and representatives of the network. Prior to retiring in November, McConnell dedicated 17 years to the growth and d...
Churchill Elementary fourth-graders in Jessica Gagne's class learned beading this month. Here, the kids are making bracelets they designed themselves. Pictured from left are Franny Langer, Tucker Smedshammer and Andrew Albertson. Contributed photo...
The first Lumberjacks diver to go to State since 2005, Esko junior Rilee Durovec took 20th place at the Minnesota State High School League Class A Swimming and Diving meet last week. Cloquet-Esko-Carlton girls diving coach Nannette "Newt" Snyder said Durovec kept her cool and did well. "But the caliber of diving really escalates when you get to State," said the longtime diving coach, a member of the first girls swim team in 1972. "A lot of metro area kids are diving all year long." According to...
Why do bad things happen to good people? A couple of years ago, Andrea and I started a vegetable garden. Since then, we've learned at least one thing: we're pretty lousy gardeners. Or, at least, I am. I can tell I am a lousy gardener because, when I talk to serious gardeners, I usually have no clue what they're talking about. This is especially true when it comes to weeding. No matter what we plant, by the time things start growing I can't tell a bean or tomato plant from any other plant that...
Stormhaven Studios, maker of the "Embers Adrift" online video game, is operated by three members of the Cloquet High School Class of 2005: John Gust, Seth Anderson and Wade Larson. "North of the Great Chasm, humanity struggles to survive. Venture into the untamed lands, battle ferocious beasts and thwart treacherous schemes that would see your new home burn!" So reads the summons to videogamers who explore "Embers Adrift," the creation of Cloquet High School graduate John Gust and a few others...
Seven years after it was purchased in 2016, a prominent property in Esko is nearly ready for its big reveal. "We're basically starting over," said Mike Blanchet, who, with his spouse and fellow pastor, Sally Blanchet, will open the doors to Living Word Church later this month. Located at 3 W. Highway 61 across from the post office, the nondenominational church expects to open around Thanksgiving, with 10:30 a.m. Sunday services and additional days of prayer on Wednesday and Saturday nights. The...
Marylyn Wefelmeyer was the recipient of a gift certificate to CreativEdge Designs in Carlton this week. Wefelmeyer was spotted traveling with an "I Think Knot" bumper sticker, supporting her favorite news source. "You made my day," she said....
Eight 4-Hers from Carlton County participated in the Minnesota 4-H state horse show Sept. 15-18 on the grounds of the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights. There were 608 participants from across the state demonstrating skills and knowledge in hippology (showing knowledge and understanding of equine science and husbandry), horse judging (study of an animal, measuring it against an accepted ideal), horse training and achievement, speech and demonstrations about interest in horses or the horse...
I am not sure about you, but the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel this past weekend woke me up. For a long time after Sept. 11, 2001, I was concerned about terrorist attacks. But more recently that concern has dissipated. First of all, because there haven’t been any large-scale terrorist attacks on American soil since then. Second, there are many other concerns to attend to in our own country, including economic, cultural, and other issues. But with these latest attacks, we see that there are still people who desire and have the means to c...
Carlton County had 17 entrants among the 4-H members from across Minnesota who showcased their animals at the Minnesota State Fair. More than 2,562 animals were shown. The best entries from county fairs are brought to presentations in the 4-H Building at the fair. Here are the results for local 4-H members during the Livestock Weekend. • Justine Anderson received a blue ribbon and placed sixth in her class with her registered Red Angus junior yearling, and received a green ribbon in senior s...
The month of September is always an exciting time of year, filled with all kinds of returns. Throughout this month, our schools have been filled with returning students, faculty, and staff while our sports fields and gymnasiums are already filled with returning athletes, coaches, officials, and spectators. And throughout all these returns comes a great wave of excitement, but also so nervous trepidation. Most of us at one point or another have experienced a child returning to school from the...
Carlton County had 18 young people participate in the Minnesota State Fair encampment this year. The 4-H program offers programming throughout the 12 days of the fair, serving more than 5,500 exhibitors and showcasing building exhibits, demonstrations, Share the Fun programs, arts programs and other opportunities. 4-H livestock departments include beef and dairy cattle, dairy and meat goats, poultry (chickens, ducks, geese, guineas, doves, turkeys, pigeons), rabbits, sheep, swine, llamas and...
Lorraine Hansen turned 100 years old on Tuesday, Aug. 29. Sunnyside Health Care Center feted her with a beer and pizza party that included friends and family and other residents. The birthday girl is pictured here with her children, Brad and Linda Hansen, and her friend Candi. Lorraine grew up in Pike Lake and lived in Duluth most of her life. According to Sunnyside's Toni Hubbell, Hansen always advised people to "never let moss grow under your feet" and she was a living example of that. She...
We're celebrating another loyal reader of the Pine Knot News this week as Kayla MacDiarmid and her children, Olivia and Trayce, were the recipients on Saturday of a $25 gift certificate to B&B Market. The MacDiarmids were found in Hilltop Park in Cloquet, driving around with one of the Pine Knot News "I Think Knot" bumper stickers. The bumper stickers are available at our office at 122 Ave. C in the Historic West End of Cloquet. In addition to B&B, participants in the bumper sticker promotion...
Close to 40 descendents of George Stearns Shaw stood on the steps of the Carlton County Historical Society on Saturday morning to celebrate the library their ancestors built not once, but twice, on Cloquet Avenue. Family members came from all over: California, Hawaii, Washington, Iowa, North Carolina, Kansas, and Alaska. Many hadn't seen each other for years, others had never met. And many in the group had helped pay for 2020 roof repairs to keep the Shaw Memorial Library building - now a...
Stuart Nelson of Cloquet entered an acrylic painting of a walleye in the annual Minnesota Department of Natural Resources stamp contest. His work finished second to Bemidji artist Sam Larsen’s acrylic depiction. There were 11 submissions in the walleye category. Nelson’s walleye works won in 2011, 2014 and 2020. He’s won the trout contest twice. Alborn artist Dean Kegler won the Minnesota trout and salmon stamp contest with an acrylic painting of a brook trout, and. Judging for both contests happened virtually on Aug. 3. The DNR uses reven...
