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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Election on Tuesday, Nov. 4

Meet the candidates for Tower City Council

Four competing for two open seats

Posted

Four candidates are running for Tower City Council. The election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 4. The Tower Soudan Civic Club is hosting a Candidates Forum on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at the Tower Civic Center at 6 p.m., and all four candidates are planning to attend. The following, in alphabetical order, are unedited candidate statements that Steve Abrahamson, Rachel Beldo, Michael Larsen, and Mary Shedd sent the Timberjay.

Steve Abrahamson

My candidacy for the position of city councilor is driven by my strong desire in continuing to make the city of Tower an outstanding place to live and visit.

I have been fortunate to have served the good citizens of Tower previously both as a city councilor and mayor for 16 years. During those years, I was active both personally and as a city leader in economic development, planning and zoning, development of the comprehensive plan, zoning administrator, pursuing and securing funds for major projects, and many other city committees.

My goals as a city councilor are to continue the difficult task of economic development, supporting existing businesses, the pursuit of new housing development via existing lots and the creation of new lots, the development of Main Street, providing support to volunteer groups and their enhancement projects, the continued development of the harbor project, the expansion of the sewage treatment facility, making Tower a hub for recreational activities, to provide open and efficient government, and being open to new and creative ideas for growth.

The retention of existing business is as important as new development. I applaud the efforts of those involved in the expansion of Lamppa Manufacturing, the redevelopment of the marina, and the reopening of the MarJo Motel, as this is what it takes to keep the community moving forward.

I will bring a wealth of experience, patience, positivity, and determination in my service to the community and city council.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve our community.

Rachel Beldo

Hello, my name is Rachel Beldo, and I am one of Tower’s newest residents! I was born and raised in Eveleth, where I grew to love Northeast Minnesota. When I was a child, my parents purchased property on Lake Vermilion which brought me to Tower and the surrounding area on a regular basis. I would come to the lake every chance I had to fish, hike, and explore. While living away from Northeast Minnesota, I missed the area dearly and made many trips home.

I graduated from The College of St. Scholastica’s nursing program in 2007, after which I moved to Rochester, and started my career as a registered nurse at Mayo Clinic. I then attended the University of Minnesota and Mayo School of Health Sciences, earning my Doctorate in Nursing Practice with a Family Nurse Practitioner focus in 2013, and have served as a primary health care provider since then. While I am grateful for my time at Mayo Clinic I always felt a strong pull to move back home, and the right opportunity arose with Scenic Rivers Health Services, where I have provided primary care services to patients of all ages since November 2017 at our Cook and Tower Clinics. It is a privilege to serve others as a nurse practitioner as I enjoy working with people.

While living in Rochester I served first as secretary, then as treasurer of the Association of Southeast Minnesota Nurse Practitioners. I also served on various committees professionally at Mayo Clinic. These experiences have strengthened my ability to work with others through challenges towards common goals.

I was drawn to Tower after moving back, recognizing the great place it is to live. In June 2018, I purchased a home in Tower where I plan to stay. I have a desire to contribute to our community and feel that I will have a positive impact.

As your city councilor, I will work to be a voice for all residents of our community. I feel strongly about being fiscally responsible while continuing to build and maintain a strong community. I will bring an objective view to help navigate our city into the future. I recognize there are multiple visions for the future of our city, and I will listen to our community and work to incorporate positive ideas into the decisions being made by our city council.

Thank you for welcoming me to your community, and please feel free to reach out with any questions. I look forward to working to keep our city a special place for years to come!

Michael Larsen

I’ve never done anything political before. I am a member of the Tower Fire Department.

I think the city should give more leeway for private property owners to do what they want with their property, along with developers. Planning and Zoning makes it take ten years to do anything in this town. I would like to see the city look at going to St. Louis County for planning and zoning.

It’s so hard for people to do something on their own land. I am for property rights, unless you are hurting the person living next door.

The harbor project should be more public land, not private, with perhaps a pavilion. I don’t think anyone is going to buy private townhouses down there. There is lake property all over, why would anyone want to build on a river?

There are plenty of vacant lots, empty parcels, and old housing that needs to be developed.

I was born and raised here. I think people from Tower should be making decisions for Tower. That’s how I feel.

Mary Shedd

My name is Mary Shedd. I am running for City Council because, after nearly 30 years of living in Tower, I am ready to roll up my sleeves and work for the long-term sustainability and quality of life of our town. It may sound corny, but I really do believe that in a democracy, citizens need to step up and serve if their circumstances allow it. I share the belief of so many others here that Tower has tremendous potential to thrive now and into the future. We have a vision for our community that was developed through citizen participation, the 2015 City of Tower and Breitung Township Joint Comprehensive Plan Update. I support that plan with its almost endless great ideas and projects.

My own priorities from the comprehensive plan include:

• Economic development - continuing to promote economic opportunities and jobs recognizing that our economy is largely driven by local businesses, tourism, and community services like schools and clinics.

• Housing- promoting a range of quality housing options.

• Recreational opportunities – capitalizing on our incredible ‘Northwoods’ setting to promote our town as a gateway for the amazingly abundant and diverse outdoor recreation opportunities available here.

• Collaboration: No one person or entity can easily “get ‘er done”! We need to support and collaborate with our neighbors to better promote our area and to more efficiently provide the services that Tower residents expect.

I believe my background and experience have prepared me well for service to the community:

• I worked for over 30 years with the Superior National Forest. In my early years I was a “boots on the ground” worker on field projects in wildlife, fisheries, timber, reforestation, soils, and recreation. In my middle years, I was a professional wildlife biologist. I ended my career as Natural Resources Team Leader, with oversight on the management of natural resources listed above, plus environmental review, and mining and minerals exploration.

• In the community here I have served for the last four years on the board of the Tower-Soudan Historical Society - with a special interest in managing and promoting our Train Museum. I am president of our newly revitalized CIty of Tower/Wagoner trails working with a great group of volunteers to improve and promote these trails. I also love helping out on the many activities that are at the heart of community such as ours– from supporting our two schools to senior bingo to our 4th of July road race to Operation Santa to quilting at the church.

These jobs and experiences taught me how to listen, plan, problem-solve and get projects done, to be fiscally responsible and accountable, how to manage conflict, how to lead and how to follow. I learned the incredible value of teamwork– in a town our size it is the only way.

I would, indeed, be a newcomer to city management, but I believe by being open-minded, hardworking and willing to learn, and by bringing my values to the table (honesty, fairness, respect, fiscal responsibility), I could contribute positively for our common good.