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HomeUncategorizedTwo Harbors Celebrates Grand Opening of New Airport Terminal Building

Two Harbors Celebrates Grand Opening of New Airport Terminal Building

TWO HARBORS, MN – Last Thursday, Two Harbors city of­ficials, representatives from Mn­DOT, staff from Max Gray Con­struction, and staff members from Amy Klobuchar and Pete Stauber’s offices celebrated the opening of the new Richard B. Helgeson ter­minal building at the Two Harbors airport. The ribbon cutting celebra­tion marked the culmination of a project to replace the original ter­minal building that was built back in 1976. The new terminal provides more comfort and space for travel­ers and is ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act) compliant.

An inside view of the new terminal at the Two Harbors airport. (Photo by Rick Evans)

Mayor Lew Conner and City Ad­ministrator Patty Nordean both ex­pressed appreciation for the team of people who helped make the new terminal a reality. The old building was in need of repairs and lacked sufficient lighting and heating ca­pacity to adequately provide for the needs of air travelers.

Over the years, the airport has seen increased use by tourists, corporate executives, and law en­forcement, and has recently been used as a staging ground for air fire support services. The new building was built with funds from a Federal grant and cost just over $1 million dollars.

In a statement from Senator Amy Klobuchar, she acknowledged the importance of having 21st century infrastructure to meet the demands of our 21st century economy. She went on to say, “This new termi­nal, which replaces a building con­structed half a century ago, will up­grade the travel experience at Two Harbors Helgeson Municipal Air­port for passengers and bring more economic activity to the region.”

Rick Evans
Rick Evans
My wife, Marsha Kinzer (a proud DEHS Greyhound, class of ‘77) introduced me to the North Shore on vacation in 2012. It became our regular escape when the stress of our careers in education became overwhelming, and it didn’t take me long to fall in love with the breathtaking scenery, the nice people, and “salad” containing Jell-o and marshmallows. So you can either blame or thank my loving wife for my being here, because when we needed to choose a retirement hometown, Marsha advocated hard for her beloved Duluth, and here we are, six months later. Yes, this will be my first northern Minnesota winter. Yes, I welcome thoughts and prayers. Government, public policy, and social justice weighed heavily in the curriculums I taught at the high school level over a thirty-eight year career. In addition, we were a laboratory school focused on critical thinking in conjunction with technical and scientific writing. So when I found myself adrift on the great ocean of retirement and spied a raft, I jumped at the chance to take up what I’d left behind…minus the bad teachers’ lounge coffee. My position at the NSJ allows me to combine my passions for government and writing, and it’s helping me to feel less out of touch in new surroundings. When I’m not being “Cubby” (Marsha’s favorite new nickname for this green reporter) I enjoy pointing at eagles and saying, “Look, honey. There’s an eagle.” I’ve had an active side hustle as a professional musician for almost as many years as Charlie Parr. As a guitarist/singer/songwriter, I graced the stages of clubs and festivals around southern Wisconsin, including an appearance on A Prairie Home Companion. Should I even mention A Prairie Home Companion, or am I the only one here old enough to remember what that is? Look! An eagle!
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