Tuesday Group

Our Tuesday Group presentation Tuesday, June 2,2026 featured Ian Francis Lah and the Cast of Broadway in the Boundary Waters, who will share a presentation introducing Ely to the visiting actors this summer. Join us as we kick off the 2026 Broadway in the Boundary Waters season with a special introduction to this summer’s company of artists from across the country and right here in our community. We shared a preview of the upcoming season, introduce the cast, and perform a musical number from this summer’s production (Oklahoma). It’s a chance to meet the artists bringing this season to life and get an early look at what’s coming to the stage in Ely this summer. The mission of the Northern Lakes Arts Association is to support and develop the visual, performing, and literary arts to enrich the quality of life in Ely and the surrounding area.

Our Tuesday Group presentation on Tuesday, May 26, 2026 featured Chris Baldwin, Andy Baldwin, and Mike Maleska, who will share a presentation called Views R Mine. There is an urgent need to develop a public will for protecting public health in Northeastern Minnesota by delivering factual mining pollution information to as many residents living here as possible. Widespread misinformation has confused the public regarding the issue of sulfate and mercury pollution caused by taconite mining. Mining companies seek freedom from environmental regulation. Economic fears grip the mining community and elections are grossly affected by politicians afraid to take a stand for the environment. Recent legislative action has removed our Citizens Advisory Council within the MPCA.

Our Tuesday Group presentation on May 19, 2026 featured The Changemaker Within by Brenna Kolstad. Your beliefs and values influence how you engage with the world around you. When you align your actions with your values and behave deliberately, you become a changemaker. Discover current examples of changemakers, why you want to be one and how to find the changemaker within! Brenna Kolstad recently launched her small business, bkcoordination, in hopes of uniting community members with community resources. A full-time resident of Ely, Brenna cares for the community by offering personal services and promotional events. You can find her working hard at the GEL, volunteering with Ely Food Shelf or Ely Palestine Solidarity Group and hosting events around town. She enjoys spending time with her fiance, two cats, friends and family- and she always has time for karaoke! Want to learn more about Brenna? Email her at bkcoordination@mailfence.com or visit www.bkcoordination.com.

Our Tuesday Group presentation on May 12th, 2026 featured Hudson Kingston, who will shared a presentation discussing the Minnesota carbon free energy law. Hudson Kingston (he/him) joined CURE in 2023 with a background in environmental law, public health law, and consumer protection. He brings experience partnering with tribes, local nonprofits, low-income advocates, environmental and social justice groups, and local/state/territorial/federal public employees. He has worked in both the Midwest and Washington D.C. on litigation and policy related to climate change, water pollution impacts of mining, pesticide regulation, the environmental and health impacts of e-cigarettes, public records and government transparency, and environmental injustices perpetuated by the administrative state. At CURE, he works on rural energy policy, agency accountability under environmental and transparency laws, and working in coalitions to protect forests from industrialization and over-exploitation. Hudson graduated from Carleton College and received his J.D. from the University of Iowa School of Law and Master of Laws degrees in Human Rights and International Law from New York University and the National University of Singapore. A born and raised Minnesotan, Hudson lives in the home his grandparents built in the woods outside Ely, where he spends his free time baking bread, chopping wood, and running.

Our Tuesday Group presentation on May 5th, 2026 featured Tyler Suter, who will share a presentation discussing the new Redfeather Outdoors store opening in Ely. Tyler studied History and Marketing at Augsburg University, graduating in 2006. He spent the next 15 years working for Millennium Research, a market research agency based out of Minneapolis that specializes in Agriculture. In 2020, Tyler and his family (two boys, aged 10 and 14, and his wife, Sara Fetyko, the owner of Earth Elements Acupuncture in Ely) moved up to Ely. Tyler worked as an outfitter at Piragis Northwoods Company in the summer of 2021 and then transitioned to selling and repairing canoes, where he maintained a fleet of 200 rental canoes, in addition to customer sales and repairs, for 5 years. In January of 2026, Tyler joined Redfeather Outdoors to help facilitate and manage the opening of its flagship store in Ely.

Our Tuesday Group presentation on April 28th, 2026 featured Corey Denning, Rachel Poppe, and Jake Bendel, who will share a presentation titled: Rainy Headwaters & Vermilion Watershed Plan: Our goals, Forestry, and landowner engagement The presentation will also focus on priorities and outline how landowners can work with us to implement conservation practices on their property, such as forest management and shoreline restorations. By working together, we can address natural resource concerns, improve watershed health, and achieve shared conservation goals. Funding opportunities are available to support eligible conservation projects.

Tuesday Group on March 21, 2026 featured Sarah Burger, discussing Prince the recording artist and making a case for why we should all celebrate him more. Sarah owns Northern Expressions, both the store and the ice cream shop, and adorns her Sheridan St windows each April to honor Prince. She has many unique Prince-related artifacts and understands the important cultural contributions Prince made during his lifetime. Sarah helped us understand Prince's artistry and cultural impact and celebrate this great artist on what is known as Prince Day - April 21st.