United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN) is moving its operation from the main street of Chisholm to the former Minnesota Power service center in the city’s Industrial Park.

The 11,500 square-foot location will provide the needed space to accommodate its expanding programs that focus on making an impact on helping children succeed, empowering healthy lives and stabilizing families and individuals on the Iron Range.

“Our new location will tremendously improve our ability to deliver critical services to local citizens in need and during times of crisis,” said Shelley Valentini, UWNEMN executive director. “Our Buddy Backpack program alone requires about 6,500 square feet of space to store food and for hundreds of volunteers to prepare more than 30,000 weekend meal kits for school-age children each year. The new space can accommodate our programs and also has a loading dock which was needed for on site food deliveries.”

UWNEMN acquired the new building through a substantial price reduction from Minnesota Power and a private donation from Chisholm native Richard (Dick) Enrico which paid for the full purchase. Chisholm Economic Development Authority (CEDA) is assisting UWNEMN with the building’s interior renovation, and donations are still being accepted to close the project’s funding gap. According to Valentini, the unique building purchase terms and the CEDA funding enables the nonprofit organization to keep their administrative costs low and more effectively deliver its community impact services out of one centralized location.

UWNEMN was established in 1966 and 50 years later raises more than $1.8 million annually that is distributed directly to local agencies, programs and people in need.

This project was supported by a Development Infrastructure grant to CEDA from Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation. Email Chris Ismil or call him at 218-735-3010 for information.

PIctured is an exterior view of the new UWNEMN building. 

A new warming shack and maintenance building will soon be added to the Sugar Hills Nordic ski area, a popular destination in Grand Rapids for local and statewide cross country skiers and outdoor enthusiasts.

Sugar Hills includes a non-motorized trail that is utilized year round for mountain biking, hiking, hunting and cross country skiing. The trail is maintained by Northern Lights Nordic Ski Club, an all-volunteer non-profit organization whose goal is to promote cross country skiing as a healthy family activity. The club has 250 member families. All trail work is done by volunteers who donate hundreds of hours to maintain the 28 kilometer Sugar Hills trail and also seven other area trails for a combined total of 96 kilometers.

The new 1,500-square foot multi-purpose facility will serve as a place for the public to warm up, as a gathering space for high school or other Nordic events, and as a year round maintenance and storage facility for the trail equipment.

The 1,600 acres of land surrounding the trail is privately owned by Rajala Companies that actively manages the forest for timber as called for in a permanent Forest Legacy easement agreement with the Trust for Public Land. The easement, which is actively monitored by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR), preserves the trail for public use and includes a development provision for a public parking area, a warming shack and maintenance facility.

“This building project is a great collaboration between the public and private sector,” said Pete Friedlieb, Northern Lights president. “The public will have an attractive place to warm up after skiing the premier trail at Sugar Hills. The wood paneling for the interior of the warming space will be donated by Rajala Company. Our club volunteers will have a much needed storage space for equipment we use at Sugar and other trails we work on.”

According to Friedlieb, Rajala cleared the building site and trail connector. MNDNR further prepared the site with its equipment and manpower. Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation along with several foundations supported the construction of the warming shack and maintenance facility. Club member donations totaled more than half of the funds raised.

This project was made possible through a Culture and Tourism grant from Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation. Email Danae Beaudette or call her at 218-735-3022 for more information.

Pictured is a rendering of Sugar Hills Nordic ski area's warming shack and maintenance building.

Employers are looking for ways to stay competitive and retain their best employees under challenging circumstances. The Bureau of Labor Statistics points out that employee tenure in 2016 averaged less than 5 years. How do employers cope in this new era of higher turnover and what can they do to increase longevity and company loyalty? 

In the third Northeast Minnesota Workforce Solutions Series set for Wednesday, May 16, regional partners will bring in experts to share their strategies and solutions to curb costly turnovers and to help employers stay competitive. 

“These concerns are being felt nationwide, and we are fortunate to have had industry experts share their knowledge and insight to help us find solutions for our businesses,” said Duluth Mayor Emily Larson. “This is the third session in our Workforce Solutions series, but we are just at the tip of the iceberg in addressing the workforce gap and challenges. I encourage folks to stay tuned and stay connected.” 

The May 16 Workforce Solutions Series will be held in Grand Rapids in the morning and Duluth in the afternoon. Each session will focus on retention strategies and feature keynote speaker Nancy Lyons, CEO and entrepreneur, who speaks about the intersection of leadership, entrepreneurialism, technology and people. Lyons has been locally and nationally recognized for her role as owner and CEO of Clockwork. A panel of business representatives will also speak about their experience and initiatives. 

“I commend the partners involved in planning and coordinating these discussions,” said Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Commissioner Mark Phillips. “The partnerships and collaborations forged during this series will ensure our region supports its best and brightest talents with the best tools available." 

Morning Session: Registration at 7:30 a.m., Program at 8 a.m., Timberlake Lodge, Grand Rapids

Afternoon Session: Registration at 12:30 p.m., Program at 1 p.m., Clyde Iron Works, Duluth

Cost is $20 per person if registering in advance. 

Register for the Grand Rapids session.

Register for the Duluth session.

The Mesabi Iron Range Tourism Ambassador Program certified its first group of ambassadors on April 19 at the Mesabi Station in Eveleth. 

Offered by the Iron Range Tourism Bureau through the Tourism Ambassador Institute, the program certifies individuals to help enhance the visitor experience in retail and restaurant businesses, lodging, government, community service, hospitals and other settings. There are currently 28 Certified Tourism Ambassador programs in 17 states, including the Mesabi Iron Range program, which covers the area between HIbbing and Hoyt Lakes, as well as Embarrass. 

Kelly Klander, General Manager of Grandma's Virginia Grill, was in the inaugural CTA class. "I felt the CTA class taught me a lot about the Iron Range I didn't know even after living here the majority of my life," Klander said. "I always knew how important tourism is to our area, but now I understand better why we need to obtain more of it. Tourism helps keep all of our jobs successful on the Iron Range; without it we don't survive here."

Through locally customized curriculum, the CTA program focuses on the experience given to visitors, whether they are leisure travelers, business travelers or event attendees. It is the only program that gives an official designation to individuals who care about their destination and want everyone who visits to talk positively about their experience. 

"It's exciting to work with and be around people who care about our area and want visitors to have a great experience when they're here," said Beth Pierce, executive director of the Iron Range Tourism Bureau, CTA and CTA program facilitator. "My hope is that we can build this program to the point that a visitor can go virtually anywhere on the Mesabi Iron Range and feel welcomed and informed about what's happening in the region and all the things there are to see and do."

To become certified, individuals must read a packet of material provided by the Iron Range Tourism Bureau and attend a four-hour training that covers area attractions, the importance of tourism as an industry, and ways to provide excellent customer service, as well as information about the Tourism Ambassador Institute. 

Once certified, CTAs are required to maintain their certification by learning as much as they can about the region as they attend events, visit attractions and participate in CTA networking opportunities. 

"If enough businesses and individuals participate, this area can become known for its customer service, which will differentiate us from other destinations, and in turn increase travel to our region," Pierce said. 

Newly designated CTAs are Melissa Alto, Gloria Anderson-Hegg, Jill Aubin, Sam Augustin, Krystal Brodeen, Ken Corbett, Bridgette Duffy, Giles Friedlieb, Melanie Hedin, Andrea Honkola, Tony Jeffries, John Kemppainen, Kelly Klander, Jim Makowsky, Chris Martin, Mary McReynolds, Kelle Nenadich, Mary Peterson, James Pointer, Melissa Schwarze, Jane Serrano, Barb Starken, Anne Varda and Christopher Welter. 

CTA classes will be offered on May 15 in Hibbing and May 21 and June 12 in Eveleth, with registration deadlines of May 4, 7 and 25 respectively. There is a $25 fee to become certified. 

Businesses and individuals interested in the program can contact Pierce at beth@ironrange.org or 218-749-8161. 

The Mesabi Iron Range Ambassador Program was made possible by an Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Workforce Development grant. 

Pictured: Participants in the Certified Tourism Ambassador program listen to course facilitators. 

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation has an opening for the following permanent, full-time position at its Eveleth administrative building:

Heavy Equipment Field Mechanic

The position repairs and maintains the agency’s fleet and inventory of vehicles and heavy equipment. Manages maintenance records and schedules, fuel systems and fuel cards. Rebuilds/repairs diesel, gas or hydraulic systems on loaders, tractors, forklifts, trailers and grounds-keeping equipment. General welding and cutting. Position acts as a shop foreman.

Learn more and apply online. Job ID number is 23273.

Contact Kerri Dahl with questions at kerri.dahl@state.mn.us or 218-735-3009.

Application deadline: 5/11/18

Equal Opportunity Employer