Friday, January 28, 2011

ISD 2142 News: Jan. 27, 2011 - North School Bids Going Out, Babbitt Campus Renamed Northeast Range "Nighthawks"

Articles from the Cook News Herald:
http://www.cooknewsherald.com/page1.html

Construction bids for new North School due Feb. 8
Babbitt-Embarrass/Tower-Soudan school gets new name, mascot, colors

Excellent Editorial By Gary Albertson
http://www.cooknewsherald.com/page2.html

Letter To The Editor By Jewell "Bud" Herring
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=68030627294#!/topic.php?uid=68030627294&topic=27999

Friday, January 21, 2011

ISD 2142 News, Jan. 21, 2011 - It's a GO! Planning & Zoning approves new ISD 2142 North School variance 3-1

Article from the Cook News Herald: Jan. 20, 2011 Article Links Below:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=68030627294&v=app_2373072738#!/topic.php?uid=68030627294&topic=27980

http://www.cooknewsherald.com/page1.html
Article Summary:

St. Louis County Board Of Adjustment grants variance for the ISD 2142 North School on a 3-1 vote.
Presentations by Johnson Controls: Storm water runoff would be better with the new construction than before.Many supporters and a few opponents spoke during the comment session.
The board finally came to a vote and the variance passed on a 3-1 vote.
The new school is a reality.

Related Article on the Cook News Herald:
State Auditor charges into St. Louis County reorganization fight
Article Summary:

Acting on a complaint, the State Auditor has asked for information on seven items. The district and Johnson Controls are busy answering this request, but this will take time and money. The money will come from taxpayers of ISD 2142 or from the students due to reduced educational opportunities. The Auditor apparently has no power in this matter, but is answering the complaint that was filed that apparently thinks there could be fraud.

Editor's Comment: More of the same from the same people, full article is on the Cook News Herald. Not worth more of a comment.

District News Release Concerning Variance and MPCA Permit: For a copy of the district news release click on the following link:
St. Louis County Board of Adjustment grants variance and MPCA issues wastewater permit,both for ISD 2142’s New North School

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

North School Variance Passes - ISD 2142 Construction Will Expand


Video below from News Center 6 in Duluth. Construction to begin next spring.

For those of you who would like to learn more about the county schools reorganization, change, process and history, good link(s) to visit are the following:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=68030627294
http://www.choose2142schools.com/ 


"The district has been working through the process and one of the last steps in the county planning process was to consider a variance request for the site," said superintendent Dr. Charles Rick.
The district requested to build on 14 percent of the land, instead of the two percent previously allowed.

For a copy of the district news release click on the following link:
St. Louis County Board of Adjustment grants variance and MPCA issues wastewater permit,both for ISD 2142’s New North School

Friday, January 14, 2011

Cliffs in C$4.9 Billion Consolidated Thompson deal

Article Link:
http://www.miningweekly.com/article/cliffs-to-buy-consolidated-thompson-iron-for-c49bn-2011-01-12

Babbitt Ice Arena Announcements: Jan. 14, 2011


Come Skate with us!
Open Skating

Monday, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Open Hockey
(14 years old & up)

Wednesday, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Babbitt Figure Skating will be taking orders for Butter Braids!! 

Watch for the hockey and figure skaters. To place an order between 1/11/11 through 1/25/11 email us at bfscbabbitt@yahoo.com or call Tammy @ 827-2411 after 6 p.m. or Terra @ 827-2274

If you would like to sign up your kids for:

Figure Skating - Terra Bird @ 827-2274
Hockey - Chad Rasmussen @ 827-9951

Please call!
Updated Schedule Listing:

3:30-4:30-Snowplow 1 & 2
               Basic 4
               Basic 7
               Basic 8

4:30-5:30 Basic 1
                Basic 3
                Basic 5

5:30-6:30 Hockey Fundamentals

6:30-8:30 Freestyle

We will be skating on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Freestyle will also
skate Sunday nights.

*Remember to have your kids where stretchy pants (no jeans for practice) and
no electronics are allowed on the ice.

ISD 2142 board reorganizes, Bruns named new chair

Article from the Cook News Herald: Jan. 13th, 2011
Full Article Link(s):
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=68030627294&topic=27962
http://www.cooknewsherald.com/page1.html

Summary:

New board members sworn in: Jody Feist of Cook, Troy Swanson of Tower-Soudan, and Lynette Zupetz of Cherry. Orr board member Zelda Bruns and AlBrook board member Bob Larson were nominated for chairman with Bruns replacing Larson on a 4-3 vote. Larson was elected vice chair. Babbitt-Embarrass board member Gary Rantala was elected clerk, and Cotton board member Chet Larson was named treasurer. That meeting ended at 5:11 p.m. and the regular meeting started.

The Cook News-Herald was named the legal newspaper for 2011.

The new south school is officially now the South Ridge School. The name of their teams is the Panthers and their colors are Black and Blue.

The big item on the agenda was the approval of the new Flex Scheduling plan for the district. This plan calls for six-period days for Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. On Wednesday, classes start at 9:45 a.m. and go to 11:45. Then there is an afternoon class from 1:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Supt. Charles Rick said the kids and teachers are all fired up and this would start now. According to Rick, this new plan utilizes all of the district's talents and resources, allows greater choices and opportunity for all secondary students, more "hands-on" student directed education, and brings their vision of a 21st Century Education together. It will allow time to implement and carry out student advisory and personalized learning plans, allow for teacher collaboration time prescribed in the Q-comp program, and tie all four directions of the district's strategic plan together.

The final agenda item was the ratifying of the clerical contract for 2009-2011. It calls for a total of a 2 percent raise over those two years and it was ratified.

Board members all welcomed the new board members. Rantala spoke of the event last Wednesday when 54 Tower-Soudan students came to the Babbitt-Embarrass School in a prelude to next year. They discussed the new school's name and came up with three ideas. They also picked the school's colors, which will be black, blue and silver. B-E counselor Joan Kjorsvig spoke of how they came together as one. The two schools already combine for some sports.

The board planned to have a study session on Jan. 27 at 4 p.m. in the district office and a special meeting on Jan. 31. The combining of Cook and Orr will be discussed.