WEATHERMAN WINS FAVOR IN GRAND MARAIS

When the Grand Marais city council appointed Olaf Thorvaldsen, 49, as town weatherman last December, some questioned the expense. A month later, the controversy quieted as citizens have praise the reliability of his forecasts.

Thorvaldsen, born near St. Paul, served as weather observer in Van Hook, North Dakota before accepting the appointment in Minnesota. Thorvaldsen credits his late grandfather with teaching him the art of weather prediction.

Grand Marais plans on installing radio equipment later this year to broadcast his forecasts. Edward B. "E.B." Rideout, of the U.S. Weather Bureau, broadcast the first public weather forecasts by radio last year in Boston on WEEI.