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Ely fire planes Basketball! See/ 2A See /1B the 00 Now In Our 29th Year Serving Northern St. Louis County! $1TIMBERJAYVOL. 29, ISSUE 2 January 19, 2018 POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY Judge tosses proposed sulfate rules Environmentalists, mining industry pleased by ruling by MARSHALL HELMBERGER ronmental groups, which had Proposed changes to the Managing Editor opposed the change as a sig- state standards would nificant weakening of the exist- have allowed mining companies to discharge REGIONAL— An admin- ing standard. more sulfates into Iron istrative law judge has thrown Yet the decision also won Range lakes and streams. out as unjustified a set of pro- support from the Iron Mining file photo posed new rules by the state’s Association and others on the Pollution Control Agency that Iron Range, who had feared the and our supporters are pleased would have likely allowed proposed new rule was still too that the Administrative Law mining companies to discharge strict and would have cost the Judge heard our message and more sulfate into Iron Range industry and local municipali- understood that the MPCA’s waters than under current rules. ties millions of dollars to come The decision thrilled envi- into compliance. “The IMA See...MPCA pg. 9 ELY DARK SKY EMERGENCY Charting the future Ambulance services look to paid on-call staffing to address volunteer shortage by MARSHALL HELMBERGER Managing Editor REGIONAL— North Country res- idents expect that when an accident happens or an illness strikes, they can rely on emergency services, like a local ambulance, to provide life- Don’t be afraid of the dark saving assis- Editorial More work tance. needed as the by KEITH VANDERVORT But making Tower ambulance Ely Editor Dark Sky initiative debuts at Ely Winter Fest sure there’s service plans someone trained for the future. ELY – The Ely Winterfest and Dark Above: A time- Page 4 lapse photo- and available to Sky Ely are presenting five entertaining graph shows respond when and educational dark sky events next star trails that 911 call goes out, has become a bigger month during the annual winter festival. orbiting the challenge for many communities, accord- “As part of an international effort to North Star. ing to emergency medical officials inter- become more sky aware, our group is viewed by the Timberjay. exploring ‘astro-tourism’ possibilities as Left: “Volunteerism is dead,” is how one a way to expand our tourism base, as Educator Mike Lynch will be local ambulance director sized up the sit- well as methods to control the spread of featured at a uation. With young people and parents intrusive lighting, light pollution and the lecture on increasingly forced to work longer hours wasted energy costs in town and on our Feb. 3, at the to makes ends meet, and with a greater own rural properties in the Ely area,” said North focus on family life, fewer potential Roy Misonznick, of the Ely Photographic American recruits are available to staff volunteer Bear Center. emergency services, like fire and ambu- See... NIGHT SKY pg. 9 submitted photos See...AMBULANCE pg. 10 ELECTION 2018 State Gubernatorial Candidate Rep. Tim Walz to speak in Cook by LEAH ROGNE Major. Contributing Writer Event set for Tuesday, Jan. 23 at Crescent Bar & Grill On his campaign website, Rep. Walz tells the COOK- Tim Walz , can- place on Tuesday, Jan. 23, Congressional District, in the and the Veterans Affairs story of what made him get didate for Minnesota gov- at 6:30 p.m. at the Crescent southern part of the state, Committee, where he is the involved in electoral poli- ernor, will appear in Cook Bar & Grill, just north of which spans from the South ranking Democrat. He is the tics: as part of Northern Cook. Dakota border to the highest ranking enlisted “To be honest, I did not Progressives’ “Why Am I Rep. Walz, from Wisconsin border south of person in Congress, having pay a lot of attention to pol- Running?” series. Mankato, is currently the Twin Cities. enlisted in the National itics. Things changed in The presentation and serving his sixth term as A former high school Guard when he was 17 years 2004. Former President question and answer session, U.S. Congressman from teacher, Rep. Walz serves on old and retiring 24 years later open to the public, will take Minnesota’s First the Agriculture Committee as a Command Sergeant See.. WALZ pg. 10 Rep. Tim Walz Contact The Timberjay 218-753-2950 [email protected] 365-6745 Open Monday - Saturday 9 - 5 pm 10 - 4 Sundays 2 January 19, 2018 TIMBERJAY Newspapers WILDLAND FIREFIGHTING Will air tankers be based out of Ely? Forest Service offers conflicting information about whether agency will discontinue use of the Ely Airport by MARSHALL HELMBERGER said city officials are still trying Managing Editor to understand exactly what the Forest Service intends to do, but REGIONAL— U.S. Forest have gotten conflicting infor- Service officials have offered mation to date. differing explanations on the They aren’t the only ones. future of firefighting air resources Even many Forest Service offi- at the Ely Airport— and aren’t cials aren’t sure what’s happening sure of the origins of a rumor with the review or how word that the agency will no longer be spread that both C-130s may no stationing large firefighting longer be stationed at either Ely tankers out of the facility. or Hibbing. Superior National The Forest Service is cur- Forest spokesperson Kris rently undertaking a national Reichenbach said the review is review of its use of aerial still underway and no decisions resources for fighting wildland have been made about the future fires, and that review includes use of the Ely airport. Yet an examining where the federal email obtained by the Timberjay agency can safely station some suggests otherwise. In December, of its larger aircraft, such as C- Rob Heavirland, forest aviation 130 tankers. officer for the Chippewa and The C-130 Hercules, pro- Superior national forests, wrote: duced by Lockheed, is a four- “I just got word through our engine turboprop transport plane regional and national office that commonly used by the U.S. mil- large air tankers will no longer Contracted C-130 air tankers have been regularly stationed at the Ely Airport during itary. Many older versions of the work out of Ely due to concerns fire seasons in the past. That may change based on an ongoing review of federal aerial plane have been retrofitted over over runway length. C-130s can resources. file photo the years for wildland fire control, still operate out of Brainerd and fire and even late summer fire rible,” Smith said. “But I really to large and devastating wildfires. although the older craft have had Bemidji but Ely and Hibbing conditions can be extreme. think someone just made a “In my view, it would be a spotty safety record. can no longer be used.” Indeed, the region has seen some mistake and this will blow over,” shortsighted to decrease the The large aircraft do require While Forest Service offi- of the Midwest’s largest wildfires he said. ability of the USFS to quickly a longer runway for takeoffs and cials acknowledge that in modern history in just the past Even so, the Forest Service respond to forest fires in the landings, and that’s prompted Heavirland’s email was sent last dozen years, including the 2011 is facing political pushback on region by limiting the number of the Forest Service to review the month, they say they’ve yet to Pagami Creek fire, near Ely, that the issue. When large tankers firefighting aircraft which utilize current list of airports where it find the source for his claim burned almost 93,000 acres are stationed in communities, it the Ely Municipal Airport,” stated will station the planes in the regarding the northeastern within the Superior National provides an economic benefit as Nolan in his Jan. 11 letter. future. Yet the runway at the Ely Minnesota airports. “Nobody Forest. Two other recent fires on crews typically fill hotel rooms The Timberjay sought airport was recently extended knows if the source of the infor- the forest include the Ham Lake and frequent local restaurants comment from aviation officer specifically to accommodate the mation is even credible,” said fire, which burned 75,000 acres and shops in their off hours. The Heavirland for this story, but he needs of the C-130 aircraft. That Kawishiwi District Ranger Gus in 2007, and the 2006 Cavity planes can also purchase signif- did not respond to phone mes- renovation, which tapped mil- Smith, who described any plan Lake fire, which burned almost icant amounts of fuel from the sages. lions in federal, state, and local to discontinue use of the Ely 32,000 acres. airports where they operate. At this point, city officials dollars, included input from the airport for tanker deployment as The Ely Airport was the In a letter this past week to in Ely haven’t waded too far into Forest Service to ensure the “crazy.” closest major airport, capable of the new Forest Service Chief the issue, but are waiting to get project met the agency’s require- Smith said the Ely airport is handling C-130s, to all three of Tony Tooke, Eighth District a clearer picture of exactly what ments. not only an inexpensive airport those fires. Congressman Rick Nolan said the Forest Service might be think- “We put a lot of money into at which to stage, but also offers That’s one reason why Smith the change would also limit the ing.

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