The state's top politicians roasted and toasted retiring state Rep. Tom Rukavina Monday night over brats and Polish sausage in an Iron Range community center.
"My mother always told me that if you can't say something nice about someone, you shouldn't say anything at all," said Gov. Mark Dayton, at which point he walked off the stage to laughter, according to the Duluth News Tribune. Of course he came back with several Rukavina stories though, before concluding that the 26-year legislator was a "terrific champion for the people of the Iron Range." Some 400 people, including Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, packed the Mountain Iron center. Rukavina announced in the spring that he wouldn't seek reelection. Here's the full report. __________________________________ For the second time in two years, vandals have struck the Pine Valley Ski Area, owned by the city of Cloquet, stripping it of copper. Thieves dismantled the rope-tow motor and stole the copper from inside, leaving the 60-year-old motor useless, the Duluth News Tribune reports. Last year they stripped copper wiring from the ski jump lights. "It's sad. They got basically chump change, but it costs us thousands of dollars," said Darren Rud, secretary of the Cloquet Ski Club, which pays for the upkeep of the ski jumping facilities. "The benefit they got from that isn't even close to what it costs us." __________________________________ News tip? Email us at DatelineMN@startribune.com Follow us on Twitter: @DatelineMN
