City News, Ranier

Century-old benchmark in Ranier recovered after many decades

In 1906, government workers took a hammer and chisel and hollowed out a vertical space in the bedrock of the Sand Bay shore in then unorganized Ranier.
A small bronze disk called a geodetic marker was dropped into that opening and then embedded in a cement cylinder. It served as a benchmark for the International Boundary Waters Commission.

Despite concerns about the potential costs of repairing water line breaks this winter and eventually replacing the entire water system, the city or Ranier is in pretty good fiscal shape.
The Ranier City Council Monday heard a review of the 2007 financial report from Don Zierke of the firm of Miller McDonald.

The Ranier City Council plans to consider minimum water rates for seasonal water customers when it meets Monday.
The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in the Ranier Community Buiding.
The Water Committee is expected to request the city maintain its current ordinance regarding the minimum rates.
The council is also scheduled to review the 2007 financial report, completed by the firm of Miller McDonald.

The Ranier City Council on Monday accepted a preliminary engineering and environmental review for water system improvements. The project assessed the costs and repairs that would be needed for the aging and failing water system to regain reliable water service.

The watercolor art works of the late Leonard Melville, former International Falls artist and Falls High School art teacher will be available Saturday during the Ranier Centennial Celebration.
Nell Melville of Arizona, widow of the artist, has traveled to the area and will be offering prints of Melville’s work for sale at the Ranier Community Building, at the centennial art and photograph exhibit.

Ranier offers festivities for all to celebrate 100 years

Founders Day was an annual Ranier event that disappeared in recent years. It is back as a reinvigorated community celebrates the centennial year of the city on both Rainy River and Rainy Lake, with activities that rise to the occasion of a once-in-a-lifetime event.

The Ranier City Council invited residents and stakeholders to take part in a community vision planning forum on Tuesday. The process begins an effort to develop a community plan that will guide future planning.
The meeting was officiated by staff from the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission of Duluth.
ARDC is a planning and development organization that assists northeast Minnesota communities including Koochiching County. The public forum will help develop a future community plan by building leadership to set goals and objectives that coincide with its vision.

Artists and collectors are invited to loan art works related to Ranier for display during the Ranier Centennial Festival on Aug. 16.
The works will be shown in the Ranier Community Building along with historical displays.
“For decades Ranier has been the inspiration for countless paintings, drawings, photos and art objects. The Centennial committee thought this would be a great opportunity for people to share some of those works with villagers and visitors,” said exhibit organizer Doug Skrief.

Ranier Centennial Festival to feature ‘dog unit’ in parade celebration

Chairwoman Diane Edens recently notified the Ranier Centennial Festival committee of a concern that people have reportedly been stealing dog tags off Ranier dogs in order to make their dogs eligible for Ranier’s upcoming centennial parade.
In an attempt to thwart this deception, Naomi Woods who is organizing the special “dog unit” for the parade, wants to notify all Borderland dog owners that temporary citizenship will be offered to any area dogs that want to be in the parade.

RANIER — The Ranier City Council Monday approved the hiring of Sherrie Belanger as a deputy city clerk. She will serve as current Clerk/Treasurer Kim Nuthak’s assistant.
Nuthak, according to Mayor Ed Oerichbauer, has filled the two positions faithfully and since this past November.
“As mayor, I am grateful for her dedication and for her effort and thanks for a job well done,” said Oerichbauer.