Jason Kerntz: “So I work for Kovall Construction. We build new homes around the Ely area. That’s a little bit of what I do. I have been in Ely pretty much my whole life. I was adopted into a family around here and they raised me, taking me in as their own. My mom and dad are Jeff and Jen Kerntz.” (From the appliance store? “Yes. He works at the Kerntz Appliance Store, so that’s my dad.” (Oh yeah! Tell him my refrigerator isn’t talking as much any more! Tell me a little more about you.) “Me and my friends like to hang out, you know, do stuff around the town. I moved to Rochester this last fall and spring to go to college. So, I just want to learn a lot of stuff down there and expand my knowledge of what the world is like and everything. All that stuff. I love Ely and it will always be my home no matter where I am in the world. I could be in Puerto Rico and I would still think of Ely as my home. At the moment, I just got off work. Now I am going to head out to the street dance in Eveleth and have some fun with my friends and stuff like that. That’s about it.”Al, Charlye and Kylie Mosher: Al: “I’m Grandpa Al. I’m just outside enjoying the nice weather in between the days that it rains so you don’t have many left. So I’m just out here with my grandkids and family waiting for the Fourth of July parade to happen. I’m from Ely. Live by the water tower. I’ve been here since 1980. I was born in Winton with old Dr. Snyker.” Charlye: “I’ve been practicing my Studio North. I’m going to be in the parade tomorrow. I like dancing all the time because I’m in dance class. My brother Bently is over there.” Kylie: “I just got home from bingo. I went to the Senior Center Bingo with my great grandma Joy. She’s 95. I got a bingo and won five bucks and split it with another person. Normally you win $10 and tonight I’m going to band practice for the parade tomorrow. The marching band is going to be in the parade tomorrow. I play clarinet. The Fourth of July is my grandpa’s favorite holiday.” Al: “Yep. I’m going to be sitting right over there by that tree. We just put the chairs out.”Mikala, Hunter and Joe Shusta: Joe: “We’re taking a cruise. It’s nice out so we all go cruising in the summer. Hang out.” Mikala: “I’m 13 and going into the eighth grade. It’s kind of good but I wish I was back in first grade again. School was easier then.” Joe: “And she’s only 13 and wishing life was easier.” Mikala: “I’ve been hanging out with friends and babysitting. I have a concert my brother and I are going to and camp. The concert is Suicide Boys. It’s rap music.” Hunter: “Doing nothing.” Joe: “He’s been fishing and he’s been on the pontoon boat. Riding side by side with dad. I am 19 years old... no...” (Do you wish you were back in first grade also?). “Yeah I wish I were back in first grade also. It would be easier. I work for the city of Ely. In my free time, I hang out with the family and do stuff with the kids. On the Fourth we have to work a booth in the park and then we’re going to watch the parade and watch the fireworks, that’s about it. We’re going to cruise around and hope the kids get along the rest of the day.”Renee McClellan Drewelow: “I’ve been enjoying going over to the school. I went through the new part of the school. I graduated in the class of ‘81. Alan and I went for the picture with the drone where they had all the class reunion picture and I am going back over there tonight and watch the variety show. We’re cleaning up for tomorrow for the Fourth of July because they have friends coming over. I’ve been staying up here for the last two weeks. I came up for Braydin’s graduation party and then I stayed up here and now I’m here for the reunion. So we’re just kind of cleaning out trying to get things set up for tomorrow. I live down in St. Michael, Minnesota. I was raised up here since about 1967 and I think I left here around 1983-84. My parents (George and Dorothy McClellan) used to own White Iron Beach Resort. They did that for about five years and when we moved into town they bought the liquor store over there by the car wash. It used to be George’s Liquor Store. They did that for quite a few years. After that they worked over at the school for a while. My mom worked in the laundry and my dad was a maintenance man. Back in the day they used to wash the team’s uniforms and all that. Now I think they send the uniforms home. I wish everybody a happy Fourth of July.”
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