The September 17 meeting of the School District 166 school board started on a high note, with a report from the school's student representative, Hazel Oberholtzer.

Oberholtzer shared the results of an informal study she had done with her fellow students after the first day of school, asking if things are going better with distance learning compared to when it was first instituted last spring. She had a response of 46 students, who felt positive about the start of the new school year. Oberholtzer said she asked what was better and students replied they felt they had more interaction with teachers and a better schedule to follow.

Oberholtzer said she gave the option for survey takers to give comments and she said the main response was "Why are we not in school?" She said students pointed out that School District 166 is a small school and there are much larger schools around the region that are in session, either in person or in a hybrid model. Oberholtzer noted that she has no answer for those students.

School Board Chair Dan Shirley said distance learning will be held until at least midquarter, in October, when the safe learning model will again be reviewed.

School sets levy at maximum allowed
In financial matters, the school board agreed to set its levy as the maximum amount allowed. School Financial Director Lori Backlund said just what that number will be is not yet available, as the school is awaiting revenue numbers from the Minnesota Department of Education. However, she said, based on the school's financial data the levy would be 7 percent lower than last year.

Backlund stressed that the school's financial data is unknown at this time, but advised setting the levy at its maximum in case that amount is needed.

The school board asked about the impact of students withdrawing from ISD 166 on school finances and Backlund said it is not yet known. For budgeting and levy purposes, schools use the population of the previous year. The impact of students leaving the district will not be felt until later in the school year.

According to the principal report in the school board packet, as of September 15, there have been 50 un-enrollments. There have been a few new students, making the overall enrollment drop 45. The school has gone from 431 students in September 2019 to 386 today. The elementary and middle schools saw the decline. High School enrollment is actually up one as students enrolled in post-secondary education opportunity programs still count as an enrolled student in the district.

School and YMCA collaborate on child care offering
While ISD 166 planned on offering childcare for nearly all parents considered “”emergency” and “essential employees” on the list provided by the State of Minnesota back in August, the most recent directive from Governor Tim Walz changes who is eligible for this childcare support.

The previous order allowed for support for “Tier 1” critical workers, such as healthcare or public health, law enforcement, judicial, educators and childcare providers, but also for a “Tier 2” list of frontline workers. The Tier 2 list included employees such as food distribution workers, utility workers, waste management, etc.

At the beginning of September, Principal Myers and the school district safe learning task force worked to set up a system for providing care for children of Tier 1 and Tier 2 students at no charge to those families. The care was to be provided during regular hours.

The school is close to being filled with students whose parents fall in the Tier 1 category, Myers told the school board. To help the parents in the other “Tier,” who no longer qualify for the free childcare through the school, a partnership has been formed with the Cook County Community YMCA.

Because there is a charge for that student support, the school has heard from many distraught parents.

Board member Lunde said she empathized with those parents. She noted that if school was open, as could be allowed under the MN Department of Health guidelines for opening schools, these parents would not have to pay for their child to be in school during the day.

Lunde asked how the YMCA could charge for this childcare, noting that the school is paying the paraprofessionals that are with the students. Board Member Deb White also questioned the fees. Principal Myers said the fees go to the Cook County Youth Agency Coalition (CYAC), not the YMCA. That coalition supports community children.

Myers added that the school and the YMCA are doing the best they can to provide financial assistance. There is a sliding scale for childcare, based on the free and reduced lunch criteria. And scholarships are available, using the COVID-19 pandemic CARES Act funding.

Myers said the school has no other option. She said it either had to work with the YMCA to help provide childcare assistance under this format, or close the program to just the families whose workers fall under the Tier 1 category.

She added that having the expanded childcare program also benefits school paraprofessionals who otherwise might have been laid off.

The board thanked Myers for explaining what was happening. Board Member Carrie Jenson said she had heard from many parents who were confused and frustrated by the change in childcare options. She suggested having some sort of question and answer session with parents.

Myers said many parents had reached out to her and she believes she has been able to answer their questions. She invited parents to call her at the school at 218-387-2273 or email her at mmyers@isd166.org.

The board again thanked Myers and school staff for their hard work during this difficult time. Jensen noted that the program is the best it can be in the current parameters.

Investment in air purifying system approved
There were many questions about the purchase of an AtmosAir Solutions air-purifying system for the school building. The cost to install such a system in the entire school building would be $214,639, but School Maintenance Director Tom Nelson recommended making the installation in phases, covering classrooms, the halls and cafeteria first for a cost of $77,335.

The remainder of the system is for the school gyms, which, Nelson said are large enough and have a sufficient air turnover that it is not critical to install at this time.

There was considerable discussion about how the air system would be paid for. Options include school health and safety funds, long-range building maintenance funding and CARES Act funds, which cover expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was agreed that some of the CARES Act funding should be used, but Board Member Sissy Lunde noted that the school should hold some of the coronavirus-related money in case it is needed at some point in the future.

Nelson said that would be wise and pointed out that part of the funding was in the budget already, under health and safety as the school was already considering the air purifying system. He said last year 30 percent of the student body was absent at some point because of the flu. The air purifying system would help prevent that, as well as allay some COVID-19 pandemic concerns.

The school board voted unanimously to move ahead with the purchase of the first two phases.

In other business:

• The board considered the employment contract with Principal Megan Meyers for her temporary appointment as superintendent in the absence of Superintendent Dr. Bill Crandall for medical reasons. It was agreed the school attorney should review the contract. Once the attorney makes his decision, a special school board meeting will be called to make the final approval. The contract will be retroactive to when Meyers took on the position.
• The school board reviewed the student and staff handbooks and voted to approve them for the 2020-2021 school year.
• The school board set its Truth-in-Taxation hearing for December 17, 2020 at 6 p.m. at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts. That may be changed to a virtual meeting via Zoom, depending on community health conditions at that time.
• The board accepted the resignation of Alpine Ski Coach Charles Lamb with great regret and many thanks for his dedication--and time spent in bitter cold at the ski hill.

It seems that zoning in some form or another comes up at every meeting of the Grand Marais City Council. At the Tuesday, September 9, council meeting a request for a zoning ordinance change within the Cedar Grove Business Park was discussed.
 
The Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA) oversees the business park. EDA Executive Director Mary Somnis attended the council meeting to answer questions. Somnis explained that the requested change to the city's ordinance would simply add services to the list of allowed uses at Cedar Grove Business Park.
 
The need for the change came up because of a purchase offer to the EDA for a business park lot from Brad Shannon with the nonprofit organization NorthPoint. Shannon would like to create a youth center on a lot abutting the Gunflint Trail. He is looking at a small lot to the west of the Como Oil and Propane lot.
 
After an offer and counteroffer, an agreement was made for Shannon to purchase the lot in question for $25,000, including closing costs.
 
However, it appears the youth center concept does not fit in the business park under current city zoning ordinances. Somnis said for the EDA, the youth facility falls under services, which is an allowed use in the business park covenants.
 
Somnis said the ordinance change was being requested to align the city's ordinance with the business park covenants, which would then allow Shannon to proceed with the proposed teen facility under the services moniker.
 
There was considerable discussion of what is allowed in the business park and about the original purpose of the business park. Councilor Kelly Swearingen asked for more time to consider the request.  Councilor Craig Schulte also said he would like some more time to do some research.
 
Grand Marais City Administrator Mike Roth noted that the lots have been sitting vacant at the Cedar Grove Business Park for a long time. He suggested that the city would benefit from a lot sale to any entity, nonprofit, or not.
 
Roth said, “Think about if we don't sell this lot to anyone. The special assessment that is paying for the water and sewer that was constructed for this will continue to be paid by county and city property taxes. And the use, the maintenance of those water and sewer pipes will continue to be paid by other ratepayers.
 
“If we do sell this property, irrespective of whether they pay property taxes, the sale will support the bond that was used to pay for the construction of the water and sewer. The use of the water and sewer then will be paid with rates. There could potentially be employment that's created as well.
 
“So it seems to me, even if we're concerned about this being supported with public dollars, that it being sold for actual cash, then developed and used by anyone is a better situation than not being sold and the EDA continuing to own it, and continuing to pay the special assessment for the water and sewer with city and county property taxes,” said Roth.
 
Councilor Tim Kennedy serves on the Grand Marais Planning Commission, which recommended approving the change. Kennedy noted that the ordinance change would better match the existing conditions at the business park, which includes mainly businesses that offer some sort of service, not any manufacturing.
 
Kennedy talked a little bit about the original plans for the park and noted that many local businesses, such as road contractors, heavy equipment companies, etc., reserved lots for equipment storage and warehouses.
 
However, that did not happen, said Kennedy, adding, “And then the economic decline happened and pretty much none of those businesses ended up performing on their reservation agreements and unfortunately, the park had gone ahead and made decisions and here we are today.”
 
Kennedy said, “We all know the struggles that we've had over the years to try to get occupancy in the park and you know, we have some good businesses in there paying taxes.  They’re providing services there, you know, employing people, it's beginning to work”
 
In addition, Kennedy noted most of those existing businesses are “service-type activities.”
 
Kennedy noted that Shannon hopes to move ahead with his lot purchase but deferred to his colleagues and agreed to wait to review more information on the history and the use of the business park. As far as the EDA vision for the business park, Somnis said yes, the hope is that the park will fill with commercial enterprises.
 
Somnis noted that during the discussion a couple of people mentioned the vision of the EDA and what sort of businesses are wanted there. She said, “What we want in the business park is people that have some kind of commercial use. You know, we're not out looking for nonprofits, that isn't a vision. It's a response to the inquiries that are coming in."
 
Somnis said the EDA would continue to work toward the goal of more commercial establishments in the business park and talked a little bit about the inquiries that she had had recently.
 
Somnis agreed to provide a map of the business park as well as the covenants for the councilors and return to a future meeting. The council will consider the request again at their next council meeting,
 
Listen to this report on news from the city of Grand Marais with WTIP reporter Rhonda Silence.
 

The WunderBar Eatery and Glampground opened in 2017 with hopes to revitalize the building that was once the Harbor Light Supper Club. However, in August 2019, the owners of the Wunderbar, Chris and Teri Downing, doing business as Heart Rock LLC, were in bankruptcy court. Financial troubles plagued the business which brought the concept of “glamping” to the North Shore, offering stays in several revamped campers and elegant Lotus Belle tents.

The glamping model was well received and WunderBar received a great deal of media attention around the region. The funky atmosphere and frequent live music nights made the Wunderbar a popular destination for many locals. However, according to Chris and Teri Downing, keeping the WunderBar open year-round was a struggle.

WTIP spoke with the Downings in August 2019, who said Heart Rock LLC was in the process of restructuring. A GoFundMe site was established and the Downings raised approximately $50,000 to keep the eatery afloat. The couple thanked the community for its support at that time. Listen to that interview here.

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the WunderBar had to shut down operations, although Chef Chris Callendar continued to offer meals, free of charge and/or by donation to the public until the WunderBar announced it was closing its doors permanently in June 2020.

The final chapter for the WunderBar is taking place this week, with an auction of the contents of the building and the campers and cabin in the yard. Auction Masters & Appraisals is conducting an online auction now through Tuesday, September 16.

On the auction list is a 1957 Mallard camper trailer, two 1963 Winnebago camper trailers, a log cabin once owned by Minnesota Governor Jacob Preus, picnic tables, a couple of televisions, a professional smoker with propane tank, an expresso machine, seasonal décor and much more.

The auction catalog also includes some of the items that were in the bar when it was Harbor Light Supper Club, owned by Doug and Sandi Rude, such as a jukebox, pool table and furniture. WTIP contacted Auction Masters to confirm that those items were included in the sale. Greg Christian of Auction Masters said the Rudes no longer own any of the items on the list.

To see the catalog of auction items or to register to bid, visit the auction website here. 

The Rudes still own the Harbor Light building, which once had a purchase offer from Dollar General. That sale fell through in 2016 after public opposition over the proposed discount franchise and the city of Grand Marais’s issuance of a moratorium on construction of any commercial retail development over 5,000 square feet along the highway on each end of town. The moratorium passed in February 2016 remained in effect for one year.

So for now, the future of the Harbor Light Supper Club building is once again uncertain.