1968 was a bad year for many in our land. It was made worse for me when my Gram died suddenly while on a trip to Cali to see family. My heart and soul were shattered...i lost 10 pounds within the two weeks that followed and landed in the doctor's office when my parents got concerned. My malady? A shock to the system that would resolve over time.
Two years later, my Dad's two sisters decided it was time to have a family conference. My Dad was the 'intervener', the voice of reason in the family. My brother and i were told to go to bed early on the evening the meeting was to take place because Auntie Helen and Auntie Lois were coming over to 'have a talk'. Those two were like fire and water. i loved them both for who they were. They made me feel special. But because of who they were and the jealousies and animosities between them. i knew something big was brewing. The curiosity alone made sleep impossible, so i waited for their arrival at our home with anticipation as i put my ear to my bedroom door.
Once they arrived and got settled, all seemed to go well enough for a time. Everyone exchanged the usual niceties of polite conversation, but within twenty minutes their exchange devolved into what sounded like clenched civility. The topic? Who was going where in the family plot at Sunset Memorial Garden in St. Anthony! Both my brother and i crept out of our rooms to get a closer listen to the conversation. Our eyes regularly met in astonishment with each sentence that passed between family members as the muted argument became clearer: they were discussing who would be closer to Gram when they died. i whispered to my brother, 'Will it really matter? Will they know or care?' He and i covered our mouths to muffle our snickers. And, at the same time, our sadness grew at the thought of having lost Gram and how we would one day lose our Aunties, too. We could tell that Dad was straining to maintain control of the conversation, but was able to wrangle an uneasy truce in the matter before my Aunties abruptly left. Life, and death, are like that.
— jester
Events
Emanuel (Manny) Anastos
Presented by Indivisible—Iron Range
- When:
- March 10, 6:00pm
- Where:
- Biwabik City Hall
Join our monthly meeting to learn more about the Anastos for CD-8 campaign.
Community Forum on Local Healthcare
Sponsored by CANN
- When:
- Wednesday, March 18, 6:30–8:00pm
- Where:
- Cook Community Center
Join CANN for a session with Keith Harvey, CEO of Scenic Rivers Health Services. This CANN-sponsored forum will continue the community conversations begun last year, with a focus on the risks to Cook's local healthcare services now and into the future as full implementation of the federal government's Medicaid funding cuts go into effect. There will be time for discussion and Q&A. Light refreshments will be available.
What would you like to discuss at the healthcare forum?
Email your suggestions and questions to CANN by March 16 and we'll forward them to Keith Harvey ahead of time.
No Kings!
No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings.
- Hibbing
- March 26, 5:00–7:00pm
25th Street & Hwy 169
Drumming for Democracy
W.A.R.R.
- Moose Lake
- March 28, 10:00–11:00am
Register for location (Learn more)
- Grand Rapids
- March 28, 11:00am–12:30pm
Old Central School
Itasca Area Indivisible
- Ely
- March 28, 11:00am–1:00pm
Whiteside Park (Learn more)
Ely Indivisible
- International Falls
- March 28, 12:00–1:00pm
Smokey Bear Park (Learn more)
International Falls Community Group
- Superior, WI
- March 28, 12:00–1:00pm
Douglas County Courthouse (Learn more)
- Biwabik
- March 28, 12:00–2:00pm
Carl Shuster Park
Iron Range Indivisible
- Grand Marais
- March 28, 12:00–2:00pm
Cook County Court House (Learn more)
- Cloquet
- March 28, 1:30–2:00pm
Register for location (Learn more)
Cloquet Indivisible
- Duluth
- March 28, 2:00pm
City Hall (Learn more)
Duluth Indivisible &
Zenith City Indivisible &
Good Trouble
- Silver Bay
- March 28, 2:30–3:30pm
Hwy 61 & Outer Drive (Learn more)
Finland/Silver Bay Indivisible
- Cook
- March 28, 3:00–5:00pm
Cook City Park (Learn more)
Northern Progressives &
Democracy Defenders
- Two Harbors
- March 28, 4:00–5:00pm
1440 7th Ave (Learn more)
Breakwall Indivisible
There are many events planned throughout the region and
a bus is being planned for those wanting to travel to the Twin Cities.
Bus to the Twin Cities
To reserve your send an email to:
hello@warrmn.org
Ongoing events
Signing & Resisting Events
Each Friday at noon at the following locations:
- Cook: Hwy 53 and River Street
- Tower: Mainstreet by the locomotive
- Ely: Sheridan St. & Central Ave
Signs should include issues common to everyone like good jobs, enough money for food and healthcare, and a good education.
Free Community Meal
Strength through Community
- When:
- First & Third Sundays, 12:00–3:00pm
- Where:
- 510 Chestnut Street
Virginia, MN
- Free hot meal
- Food distribution
- Clothing distribution
- Free store table
Note that food, hygiene, clothing donations are needed!
Calls to Action
Indivisible Calls to Action
No War!
Trump has launched unauthorized military strikes on Iran, dragging the United States into yet another war without approval from Congress.
This reckless escalation is putting U.S. servicemembers, Americans, and Iranian civilians in danger all to advance a unilateral regime-change agenda that the American people never asked for and do not support.
5calls
Pick an action & make a call
Protect Wild Rice
Rise & Repair
"I am reaching out as a constituent to request your support for legislation to protect Wild Rice, our state grain, also known as Manoomin to the Anishinaabe and Psin to our Dakota relatives...
"...the need for increased protections remains..."
Protect Your Public Waters
from Water Legacy
Please Comment by 4:30 pm, Saturday, March 14, 2026
The Minnesota Legislature has given us a one-time opportunity to correct the Public Waters Inventory (PWI) to add missing waters, starting with Aitkin County.
PWI listing is an important way to recognize the presence and value of streams and wetlands even as Aitkin County is threatened by sulfide ore mining, draining, development, and other activities that could pollute and degrade wetlands and streams.
Tell Your Senators to Oppose the Fix Our Forests Act
from Endangered Species Coalition
The so-called Fix Our Forests Act poses grave threats to our environment, wildlife, and the democratic process of public participation in environmental decisions.
General Strike
Sign up!
"A general strike is when working people refuse their labor until demands are met • Research shows We need 3.5% of the population, OR 11 million Americans, to be successFul • The STRIKE CARD below tracks our progress so we all know When it’s time to strike."
Boycott!
Take a stand
Some of the US’s biggest companies are coming under increasing pressure to speak out about the Trump administration’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s operations in Minnesota.
Get ready for election season
DFL Training Hub
The DFL Training Hub is your home for skills, leadership development, and practical tools to organize, run strong campaigns, and build a winning movement in 2026 and beyond.
Whether you’re brand new to the DFL or an experienced organizer, our training pathways help you grow your skills step-by-step with live trainings, on-demand courses, and certifications designed for volunteers, party leaders, and candidates across Minnesota.
Postcards to Swing States
Progressive Turnout Project
Progressive Turnout Project boosts Democratic voter turnout with data-driven organizing, trained Campaign Fellows, and handwritten postcards to key voters—driving measurable results in critical races.
Mutual Aid
Cook Area Neighbors Network
Updates from CANN
Hi neighbors! Here are the latest updates from the Cook Area Neighbors Network (CANN):
Needs: If you can help with any of the following needs, please let CANN know by replying to this email.
- Volunteers needed for an upcoming tech-help session (to be scheduled) answering seniors' questions about how to use their cell phones and computers
- Someone is asking for help with housekeeping tasks.
- A neighbor is asking for help splitting wood after the spring thaw.
- A local family is looking for a volunteer to provide a few hours of occasional companion care to a senior citizen so their spouse may have a break from primary caregiver responsibilities. Reply to this email for more details.
- Help spread the word about CANN by sharing this email with your family, friends, and neighbors.
Offers: If you're interested in receiving any of the following volunteer offers, send us an email and we'll connect you. Neighbors are offering to:
- Lend a helping hand for light home tasks like cleaning, outdoor seasonal wrap-up chores, or other related tasks
- Answer questions about knitting and help solve problems with knitting projects
- Help write resumes, cover letters, and job applications
To share a Need or Offer, please email us at cookareaneighborsnetwork@gmail.com
to be included in the next update or post a message on CANN's Facebook group. We do not publicize names.
Thanks so much for your support of CANN. Let me know if you have other ideas and would like to volunteer for CANN!
Other Mutual Aid Opportunities
Stand with Minnesota
"Because of the crisis in Minnesota, families who were stable just weeks ago are staring at eviction notices. To address this crisis, we are launching a campaign focused solely on paying March rent for the most vulnerable families."
Northland Legal Mutual Aid Fund
Urgent assistance needed
Northland Legal Mutual Aid Fund is a collective of friends & community, union organizers, and electeds from northern MN/WI working directly with individuals and families in need of legal and financial support, including people unjustly detained in the Douglas County Jail under an intergovernmental I.C.E. contract.
There is an urgent need for funds as a result of the ongoing administration's attack on our immigrant community and neighbors. Right now, community members are confronting unexpected legal and immigration costs, lost income, and urgent basic needs — and they need support now.
The Northland Legal Mutual Aid funds raised will go towards:
- Immigration attorney and legal fees
- Bail bond and filing costs
- Travel and communication expenses
- Basic family and financial needs while their loved ones are detained
Letter Writing for Immigrants in Detention
Host Your Own Powered by Love Gathering
Over the past month, we've watched ICE spread fear throughout our communities, detaining children like five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos on his way home from preschool. We've also seen the incredible resistance of children and parents detained in Dilley, Texas, fighting back from inside a family detention center that should never exist. We refuse to keep watching families suffer. Join us to turn this anger and grief into tangible love and solidarity for our immigrant neighbors in detention.
