Star Tribune from Minneapolis, Minnesota • Page 43

Minneapolis Star and Tribune I- Wednesday May 191982 3C to halt for summer ByJonHoIten Northern Minnesota Correspondent I State news Butler I Taconite iUSU Welti itMr Staff Photos by Steve Schluter Bill Blank, left, Nathan Shaw of Minneapolis, center, tion of a deck at the Solbakken resort. At right, Jim and Britt Fugina of St. Paul cut posts for the ounda- Machie of St. Paul painted window frames. All play no work made dull formula for resort Duluth, Minn.

All eight Iron mining companies in Minnesota now plan to reduce production this year through shutdowns and layoffs. Butler Taconite Nashwauk, the only company that had not announced reductions, said Tuesday that it will cease production for about four months beginning May 30. The production halt will affect 380 hourly employees initially, bringing to 10,100 the number of employees in the taconite industry affected by shutdowns and layoffs. Of that number, 2,735 people are on indefinite layoff, possibly until 1984. A spokesman for Hanna Mining which manages Butler Taconite, said the shutdown was inevitable because of low demand for Iron ore pellets by the steel industry and high tories of pellets the same factors that have prompted the other mining companies to cut back.

The Hanna Mining spokesman added that a larger number of workers eventually could be affected by the stoppage. Butler Taconite employs about 580 people. Seven, mining companies have announced shutdowns of two weeks to four months. Representatives of labor and management speculate that some of the shutdowns might be extended. A few mentioned specifically the three-week stoppage in June planned for U.S.

Steel's Minntac mine and plant at Mountain Iron, the largest taconite facility in the The company that has chosen not to idle production is Eveleth Mines, with a mine at Eveleth, and plant at Forbes, Minn. However, the company will reduce the work week for hourly employees during a 25-week period. Last week, the company announced that 130 people in its work force of 1,450 will be laid off during that period. Reserve Mining Silver Bay, resumed production Sunday following a 10-week shutdown. But 885 people will remain on indefinite layoff.

Reserve Mining also has a three-week shutdown scheduled for July. IF I- -At I i By Jon Holten Northern Minnesota Correspondent Lutsen, Minn. Nathan Shaw is one of those guys who gets antsy with idle time. Not content to relax with a book, the Minneapolis carpenter has an itch to be active. So he and his wife, Elena, jumped at the chance for what Shaw recognized as "a vacation for workaholics." In exchange for working a half day sprucing up a resort on the North Shore of Lake Superior, they would receive free lodging.

And the rest of the day would be theirs for hiking through woods and along rushing streams in search of wildflowers. They chose to stay five days. Bill and Beth Blank, owners of -Solbakken, a resort northeast of Lutsen, contrived the "working vacation" to ease the frustration of opening their lodge on the weekend the fishing season starts. Last year, only two of the resort's 13 units had occupants the weekend of the fishing opener. Meanwhile, the St.

Louis County Sheriffs Department is continuing its investigation of the "We're checking every rumor and every story, no matter how wild, so we can put it to rest once and for all," said Sheriff Greg J. Sertich. Sertich said he is seeking confirmation of details provided by the woman's husband, Larry Race. Race has said that he and his wife were together on their 22-foot boat Tuesday night but became separated after his Beth and Bill Blank's "working vacation" offer brought them a lot of help In getting their resort In shape for Report says woman died of Around Minnesota Duluth: 23-year member of police force confirmed as chief "And neither one was a fisherman," Bill Blank said painfully. The working vacation offer (good from last Wednesday through last Sunday) is just what the Blanks needed "a way to fill up the place so we wouldn't be depressed," Beth Blank said.

And it worked. After modest bookings the first three days, the resort was full for the weekend. "And we even have one fisherman," Bill Blank said. The Blanks told previous guests in a newsletter that the resort needed repairs. A storm in October and a blizzard in January knocked down at least 20 trees.

The buildings and grounds needed the normal maintenance. And the Blanks wanted to build a wood deck for large-scale chess games. Anyone willing to put in a four-hour work day. on those tasks could have free lodging. Sheila and Britt Fugina, St Paul, were the first to respond.

"I didn't want to get aced," said Sheila Fugina. "I didn't even mail it Solbakken continued on page 4C wife abandoned the boat and climbed into a life raft Apparently, no one saw the Races for 6 hours from the time they left the Knife River Marina, about 20 miles northeast of Duluth, until a cargo ship on the lake spotted a flare lighted by Larry Race. The blue and yellow life raft Larry Race said his wife was in has not been found. The, sheriffs department has given up its search for the raft after combing the beaches on Canada Minnesota Twin Wisconsin Cities Cannon Falls "All of the windows were inscribed (with names of Urland families). We would like to have those names inscribed on the new windows, but you can't expect somebody to make a donation with another person's name," said Thompson.

The theft was discovered by church custodian William Thomas. "It had to be the devil's work," he said. "When I came in, there was such a nice breeze," Thomas said. "I thought, 'Isn't it nice that somebody opened the Then I looked again and said to myself, 'There ain't no 1. ByJonHoIten Northern Minnesota Correspondent A Hoyt Lakes, woman husband said she abandoned a disabled boat on Lake Superior in a panic last week died of exposure to the lake's cold water, the St.

Louis County medical examiner said Tuesday. Debbie Race, 33, probably died "one hour or more after she hit the water," said Dr. Volker Goldschmidt Wheaton priest pleads guilty to sex with minor The Duluth City Council confirmed a veteran of Duluth's police force as the city's new police chief Monday night on a 6-3 vote. Eli Miletich, a Duluth officer for 23 years, will succeed Milo Tasky, who will retire May 25 after 15 years as chief. Miletich is a police lieutenant assigned to the department's license and training office.

As chief of the Stained glass windows stolen from church Fergus Falls: Airplane taken while airport was unattended last week's fishing opener. exposure the western tip of Lake Superior. But Sertich said he still wants to find it. "I want to know if there was a raft" he said. Despite his questions, Sertich said "there's no reason to believe there was foul play." He added: "If she had drowned, it would have been awful suspicious." He noted that Debbie Race was wearing a life jacket.

Autopsy continued on page 4C Staff Photo by Neil McGahee The Rev. George Thompson said his congregation was depressed after thieves removed the bottom portions of 11 stained glass windows at their church. .1 7 131-member force, his salary will be; set between $2,364 and $2,871 per month. Miletich is now president of the Du-' luth Police Local, the police officers' union. Those voting against Miletich's appointment by Mayor John Fedo mainly objected to the lack of public and council participation in the selection.

Recent rain has wiped out any tracks that might have provided clues to the theft, said Sheriff Glen Melby. The small white plane with and yellow trim, identification number N72JD, was built in the mid 1950s. However, last year Devorak, a crop sprayer, had completely rebuilt the aircraft and converted it for hunting and fishing. toting voyageurs to protest land acquisition by the National Park Service. The second 25-foot statue went up Saturday within sight of the pro-' posed visitors' center' for Voyageurs Roundup continued on page 4C A four-seat Piper Tri-Pacer airplane was stolen from West Central Airways airport after apparently being hot-wired at night when the airport was not staffed, the Otter Tail County sheriff said Tuesday.

The plane, valued at $40,000, was taken from an open hangar at the city-owned airport between Thursday and Sunday, said Joe Devorak, owner of the plane. By Paul Levy Staff Writer When members of the 109-year-old Urland Lutheran Church filed in Sunday morning, they saw plywood panels where 11 sections of stained glass used to be. Thieves had removed all but one of the church's stained glass windows the day before. "There was a depressing feeling here during our Sunday service," the Rev. George Thompson, pastor of the church near Cannon Falls, said Tuesday.

"People looked at what used to be beautiful stained glass and saw nothing but plywood. Many of them were shaking their heads and asking, 'How could anybody do something so The church has been burglarized four other times in the past 12 years. Thieves have taken antique silver, a coffee service, a clock, microphones and a lawnmower. But the windows may be the most difficult items to replace. The value of each section of missing glass is estimated at $400, said Bert Robinson, a Goodhue County investigator.

Blaine Peterson, president of the church council, fears insurance may not cover the stolen items. By David Phelps Staff Writer The Rev. John W. Eccleston, pastor of a Roman Catholic church in Wheaton, has pleaded guilty to engaging in prostitution with a minor. Eccleston, who will be sentenced on June 22, told Hennepin District Judge Richard Kantorowicz Monday that he would undergo a private psychological evaluation before then.

There also will be the customary presentencing investigation by Hennepin County's court services department The charge against Eccleston is a felony that carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. However, sentencing guidelines recommend a one-year suspended sentence for a first-time offender. In exchange for the guilty plea, the Hennepin County Attorney's office dropped a second charge accusing Eccleston of hiring minors to pose for obscene photographs. Eccleston, meanwhile, remains on a Priest continued on page 4C International Falls: U.S. officials upset over Voyageurs statue Federal officials are again talking about seizing Voyageurs Park land owned by Vic Davis, a Fort Frances, Ontario, man who has erected a second giant statue in the park.

Davis erected the statues of musket- State News Minneapolis (6 12) 372-4542 Bureaus Rochester 708 Marquette Bank Building (507)288-1417 Duluth 8 1 7 Medical Arts Building (218) 727-7344.