PRAISE

PRAISE FOR “COOLER NEAR THE LAKE”

“Jim Heffernan’s columns have moved us to laughter and tears, troubled our conscience, confronted our humanity, 

and made us recognize ourselves through the lens of these gifted verbal sketches.” 

— Jim Oberstar, U.S. Congressman representing Northeastern Minnesota 

“They say laughter is the best medicine. If that’s the case, Jim Heffernan left a lot of people healthy with his News Tribune 

columns. Amidst the headlines of crime and mayhem Heffernan’s column brought a dose of light-hearted humor that lifted 

the spirits and always made it a better day.His droll sense of humor and easy wit often made me laugh out loud.” 

— Barbara Reyelts, News Manager, Northland’s NewsCenter 

“Every newspaper needs a storyteller and Jim Heffernan served his native city and the Duluth News Tribune well. He wrote 

about those living in the Northland and those who touched them from the era of Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley and John F. 

Kennedy to the present. Heffernan’s columns were a slice of unique humor and insight.” 

— Kevin Pates, Duluth News Tribune sportswriter (and pop culture aficionado) 

“Returning to my hometown Duluth over the years, I always took great pleasure in reading Jim’s column. It was like catching 

up with a member of the family, and fi nding that, despite fads, fashions and the occasional absurdities of the times, 

the old hometown was still essentially the same, and in very good hands.” 

— Rick Shefchik, author of the “Sam Skarda” mysteries Amen Corner and Green Monster. 

“Jim has become the unofficial historian of Duluth’s role in the last days before ‘The Day the Music Died’ when singer 

Buddy Holly appeared here shortly before he and others were killed in a plane crash. I sponsored 

and emcee’d the show; Jim was there and has written movingly about it.” 

— Lew Latto, veteran Duluth radio talk show host (and broadcast executive)