Articles written by Ann Markusen
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On The Mark: Jazz, al fresco, is a delight
It was a balmy evening, perfect for sitting outside and listening to high-energy jazz. We'd brought our lawn chairs and positioned them near the front of the tent, to the left of the stage. We were...
On the Mark: Up north swimming vacation hits the spot
Tired of staying home and not hosting friends and family for meals, music evenings and overnights, my husband and I provisioned our small motorhome and set out for a week in the Northwoods. We'd...
On The Mark: School made things work
Cromwell-Wright Superintendent/Principal Nathan Libbon reflected recently on his team’s response to the order to close schools and educate from afar this past spring. To me, it sounded incredibly cr...
Senior offers perspective on school year cut short
“It was the second week of April,” recalled Amber Collman, a senior at Cromwell-Wright High School. They had only a couple of days to decamp and prepare for remote schooling, time that their...
On The Mark: Violence against Black Americans has deep roots through history
Why are African Americans so often the victims of police killings? A history of enslavement, violence-enforced exploitation and often killing labor, followed by decades of industrial exploitation and...
Watercolorist finds joy in plein air painting
For the next two months, the Pine Knot Gallery will exhibit Julia Jaakola's watercolors, with an opening and in-person (socially distanced) reception on Thursday, July 9. How did Julia become an artis... Full story
On The Mark: Police trainings pit 'warrior' vs. 'guardian'
I’ve been so sad since George Floyd’s murder. It’s sad and enraging. I keep wondering how it could have been different. For years, my son has been teaching me about police brutality against...
Artists get a boost in pandemic dearth
In this pandemic, artists are among the most financially vulnerable. At the last full Census count, 65 percent of writers, 57 percent of visual artists, 41 percent of musicians and singers, and 36... Full story
On The Mark: Still peeling popple after all these years
Walking south and west from home, over moraines left by the last glacier, I follow the chainsaw sound, pausing to watch a chestnut-sided warbler. Veering off trail, I find my brother Steve peeling...
On The Mark: Birders delight in nearby refuge
May is a spectacular month for birding in our part of Minnesota. Not just in numbers, but variety, artistry and antics. In April, the early birds touch down for a visit on their way north: snow... Full story
Obituaries: Delynn Marie (Morrow) Loeb
Delynn Marie (Morrow) Loeb, 76, of Los Gatos, California, and formerly of Pengilly, Cloquet, and Owatonna, passed away May 18, 2020. Our merciful God was truly on her side as she passed suddenly,... Full story
On the Mark: Past economic challenges offer lessons
Through interviews, we’ve been learning about Carlton County’s small-business challenges with COVID-19 social distancing requirements and mandatory shutdowns of many kinds of businesses. Here’s...
On The Mark: Food shelf volunteers fill new gaps
As increasing numbers of our neighbors are laid off or staying home with children, they find it harder to make ends meet. Nonprofits such as the Tri-Community Food Shelf are helping mightily to...
On the Mark: Small businesses try to stay upbeat
Tracey Goranson's "Hair It Is!" is the longest-living commercial business on Cromwell's Main Street. Tracey offers haircuts, perms, color, eyebrow waxing and a tanning booth to men, women and...
On The Mark: Food providers adapt during 'stay at home'
I set out to ask small businesses in Carlton County how they are faring under social distancing practices. I found amazing spirit, concerns, and accommodation on the part of employers, suppliers, cust...
On the Mark: Jury out on how pandemic shapes us
Since the coronavirus emerged, we've become acutely aware of our own social spaces - where we live, how close or far our families and neighbors are, how we move across local and regional space, the...
Cromwell care complex prepared for a pandemic
Since elderly people are most vulnerable to coronavirus, their living quarters and quality of care matter greatly in protecting them from it. It's quite a challenge for the managers and staff at area...
On The Mark: Tromping in a pandemic
Hoping, dear readers, that you are finding it a kind of strange gift to be shut out of most social events and gathering holes. At first, I discovered the joys of just staying home, cleaning out the...
On The Mark: Enjoying the sweet sounds at music contest
Buses loaded with high schoolers disgorged their passengers and teachers in front of the Univeristy of Minnesota Duluth's Weber Music Hall. Eager and nervous, the students retrieved their instruments...
On The Mark: Viral upheaval hits this corner of Carlton County
What a week. News of the coronavirus has altered our pathways, habits, spending and sociability. Just last Thursday evening, we were hosting visitors to The Knot Gallery, serving food and drink and... Full story
It's watercolors with a little extra at Knot gallery
During March and April, The Knot gallery in the Pine Knot News office is exhibiting the work of Sue Brown Chapin. Sue employs unique watercolor techniques to give her works depth and sometimes an...
On the Mark: Cromwell mayor lays out path to the future
Our city of Cromwell, nestled along the east-west BNSF rails, has its challenges. Sandwiched between two lakes that empty west toward the Mississippi, Cromwell's water table is high, creating...
On The Mark: Healthful cooking opens up a wide world
I enjoyed Holly Henry's Pine Knot News articles on Jan. 17 on healthful living. They were well-researched and had good tips for everything from what we eat to exercise. Here are some cooking tips to c...
On The Mark: Art tradition continues at newspaper office
We've just finished a heady year of two-month exhibits by Carlton County artists in our refurbished Pine Knot offices on Avenue C in Cloquet. It's been quite a whirl. Altogether, we hosted works by...
On the Mark: This handy man is my handyman
My husband, Rod Walli, often and confidently says in Finnish: "Voin Korjata mitaan." It means "I can fix anything." He's not bragging. Just expressing confidence. I'm drafting at home. Morning light...
