News and Current Affairs
Edward Moody back in Minnesota
Former Northland’s NewsCenter reporter Edward Moody will make his debut with WCCO-TV in the Twin Cities on Friday. He has been hired as a weekend anchor/ reporter. He had been working at the Fox affiliate in Indianapolis, but Duluthians will remember him from his KBJR stint from 2002 to 2007.
Hey, leave Duluth out of it, punk.
Minnesota Republican Senator Dan Hall of Burnsville decided to become the next social-media idiot today with this Tweet. We’d typically ignore something like this on PDD, but … isn’t that Duluth’s Inner Pier Lighthouse in the photo?
Duluth 2012 Primary Election Results
Here’s the statewide numbers for races relevant to Duluth.
United States Senator, Independence Party
Stephen Williams – 3,068 | 60%
Glen R. Anderson Menze – 2,074 | 40%
United States Senator, Republican Party
Kurt Bills – 63,380 | 51%
David Carlson – 43,850 | 35%
Bob Carney Jr. – 16,755 | 14%
United States Senator, Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
Amy Klobuchar – 183,702 | 91%
“Dick” Franson – 6,831 | 3%
Jack Edward Shepard – 6,638 | 3%
Darryl Stanton – 5,161 | 3%
United States Representative for Minnesota District 8, Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
Richard Nolan – 20,839 | 38%
Tarryl L. Clark – 17,540 | 32%
Jeff Anderson – 15,978 | 29%
Minnesota House District 7A, DFL Party
Thomas Huntley – 3,337 | 82%
Brandon Clokey – 756 | 18%
St. Louis County Commissioner, District 3
Chris Dahlberg – 1,658 | 55%
Debbie Isabell-Nelson – 1,188 | 40%
Dennis Szymialis – 160 | 5%
Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice:
Lorie Skjerven Gildea – 145,004 | 50%
Dan Griffith – 85,828 | 29%
Jill Clark – 61,242 | 21%
Minnesota Supreme Court Associate Justice 4:
David R. Stras – 139,197 | 49%
Tim Tingelstad – 83,942 | 29%
Alan Nelson – 61,908 | 22%
Operating levy for Duluth schools in November? Well, actually no.
Superintendent Bill Gronseth’s remarks at the August 13 School Board Business Committee meeting:
As you know, I’ve served as Superintendent for about six months. In that time, I have spoken with many groups, organizations, families and citizens.
Recently, I had the opportunity to have a cup of coffee with one of our alums. He told me that he has been a long-time supporter of the schools, but during last year’s operating levy he didn’t feel he could vote “yes.” I asked him why. He explained that it was a loss of trust – he didn’t really understand what the money was for and was confused about the facilities plan and how that might be tied to money for programs.
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Primary Election is Tuesday
Here are links to the websites of candidates on the Duluth primary ballot:
U.S. Senator:
Independence Party:
Glen R. Anderson Menze
Stephen Williams
Republican Party:
David Carlson
Bob Carney Jr.
Kurt Bills
DFL Party:
“Dick” Franson
Darryl Stanton
Jack Edward Shepard
Amy Klobuchar
U.S. Representative District 8:
Republican Party:
Chip Cravaack
DFL Party:
Tarryl L. Clark
Jeff Anderson
Richard Nolan
State House District 7A (East Duluth):
Republican Party:
Therese Bower (No website.)
DFL Party:
Brandon Clokey
Thomas Huntley (No website.)
County Commissioner District 3 (Western Duluth):
Chris Dahlberg
Debbie Isabell-Nelson
Dennis Szymialis
Supreme Court Chief Justice:
Lorie Skjerven Gildea
Jill Clark
Dan Griffith
Supreme Court Associate Justice 4:
Alan Nelson
Tim Tingelstad
David R. Stras
The MN League of Women Voters website is another good resource for information on candidates.
Chief Osaugie Gathering on Wisconsin Point
Interview with Donna Ennis Chief Osaugie Descendant
httpv://youtu.be/5Orqd6S1i6g
This has come up on PDD before, but I did this interview with Donna Ennis today and I thought it was something to share. Romance, intrigue, ancient ceremonies, and even a shameful grave desecration make an appearance in just 8 short minutes of community radio.
I haven’t posted in awhile, it’s been a busy summer this gives you a little idea of where I’ve been, I guess.
Wednesday Night at the Races
The rain cleared just in time for Wednesday Night Races at UMD, leaving behind a puddle for Josh Birchhill’s daughter to play in.
The rain cleared just in time for Wednesday Night at the Races. It has become a summer tradition for hundreds of families throughout the Northland. The youth race series is held on six consecutive Wednesday evenings in July and August, and draws an average of over 500 children per night.
Check out the photo gallery at Duluth Outdoors!
Cold, Colder, Coldest
Has anyone else noticed that for the past two months Duluth city tap water doesn’t seem as cold as it used to? I mean, it’s cold, it’s just not the same level of… coldness it has been in the past. Is this a result of the Flizzard, the amazingly long streak of hot days, a combination, neither?
Duluth activist & cohorts shut down high-security nuke plant
Today on the Reuters newswire:
The U.S. government’s only facility for handling, processing and storing weapons-grade uranium has been temporarily shut after anti-nuclear activists, including an 82-year-old nun, breached security fences, government officials said on Thursday.
McPants on Fire?
I’ve been watching that god-awful fortress of a retaining wall around the London Road McDonald’s slowly bulge outward over the past months with a mixture of bemused amazement and horror. Now comes word via the News Tribune that the wall is being knocked down and rebuilt … as part of a cosmetic enhancement? (more…)
He got married but … you get the presents!
If you haven’t become a member, or even if you have, check this sweet deal out on Blacklist’s Beer+Art Project! Only a few more days left to back this Kickstarter project and make it happen in Duluth! (more…)
Northland’s NewsCenter and Charter Communications reach carriage deal
The Northland’s NewsCenter has announced that the Northland’s CW 2 (KDLH DT 3.2) and My 9 (KBJR DT 6.2) will be returning to the Charter cable lineup after being absent since early March.
“Today is a great day for fans of CW 2, My 9 and most of all, the community,” said David Jensch, vice-president and station manager. “Whether you watch UMD hockey or America’s Next Top Model, fans of the great programming on these stations can now enjoy their shows without interruption.”
My 9 and the CW 2 have been off the Charter system since March 12. Charter Communications has noted it will return the signals as soon as possible.
Minnesota Flood 2012: Is that the best name we’ve come up with for it?
It seems to me the best local storm names tend to be tied to a holiday or otherwise significant date:
Leap Day Snowmageddon 2012
The Geek Prom Blizzard of 2008
The Halloween Megastorm of 1991
The Great Thanksgiving Blizzard of 1983
Following that tradition, our recent flood would be the Summer Solstice Flood of 2012. But I haven’t heard anyone call it that, and it’s been over a month.
What are you calling it? Any good ideas? Maybe if we come up with a good one there will be more federal relief money sent our way, so perhaps we should work the word “disaster” in.
The Flame Nightclub, Duluth version
The new Flame Nightclub at 26 N. First Ave. W. in Downtown Duluth opens on July 29.
Lake Superior Barrels Project Blog
The Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa has started a project blog for its investigation into the Lake Superior barrels. The site lakesuperiorbarrels.wordpress.com will be used to update the public during the field work this summer.
Summer bicycle and pedestrian count
On July 25, Duluth’s bicyclists and pedestrians in the Duluth Hillside area will be counted. The Healthy Duluth Area Coalition and Duluth-Superior Metropolitan Interstate Council are collaborating on the effort. From 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., volunteers will be out counting and surveying pedestrians and bikers at five locations. Volunteers are still needed, and people can sign up through the registration survey.
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City offers low interest loans to replace flood-damaged furnaces and water heaters
Comfort Systems, the utility provider in the city of Duluth, is offering a low-interest Home Energy Loan program for victims of the Northland Flash Flood who may need to replace furnaces, water heaters, or insulation in walls due to flood damage. The program offers low monthly payments, energy and costs savings for participants, and a low interest rate of 4.99%.
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R.I.P. Tom Davis
Tom Davis, one of the first writers on Saturday Night Live, died of cancer today. He was 59.
During the 1980s he appeared with his comedy partner Al Franken in three television commercials promoting Duluth.
(more…)Sample Ballot for 2012 Duluth Primary
There is less than a month to get the candidates straight for the Minnesota State and St. Louis County Primary Election on Aug. 14. (more…)
You can run but you can’t hide hate
I stopped at the Lakeside Super One for groceries and saw that the Christian youth ministry “You Can Run But You Can’t Hide” had a table set up outside and was collecting money to “prevent teen suicide.” I didn’t immediately recognize the name of the group, but once I thought about it I realized it was this bunch.
Really? This group was labeled an anti-gay hate group by the Southern Law Poverty Center. I wonder if Super One realizes what this group represents. I will be calling and asking them that question. YCRBYCH representatives are very dishonest about themselves when they ask to speak at schools, and I would bet they don’t reveal their true agenda when asking to solicit.
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
In the interest of fairness to Super One Foods, PDD’s moderators are inserting Super One’s response here with the submitted post rather than burying it in the comments. (It should be clarified that the early comments to this post occurred before this information was presented.)
According to Boyd Hanson, director of human resources at Miner’s Inc., which owns the Super One Foods chain, there was never proper approval for the You Can Run But Cannot Hide group to solicit in front of the Lakeside Super One … or any other Super One for that matter.
Hanson says the group presented itself to a Lakeside Super One employee as a Christian ministry with a mission to stop teen suicide. The employee said that would be fine, but when the store manager, John Radcliff, arrived he asked the group to leave because Super One has a no-solicitation policy.
“We allow the Salvation Army to ring the bell in our entrances … some of those kind of things,” Hanson said. “But generally speaking anything that would have any kind of a political or religious-type view we don’t allow to do that. … Why this group came to our store we don’t even know. … We just don’t get involved in those kind of things.”
Own worst enemy
The Duluth City Council recently approved spending $75,000 on a PR campaign to show people that the city is open for business post flood. I think it’s a dubious expense, though there are still people asking us how we are holding up and how we are getting around the city. But in reading a rather disjointed and breathless story in the Star Tribune today, I get the feeling that getting FEMA money will keep our city leaders from talking about rebuilding for a while:
From the Strib:
Said Duluth Fire Chief John Strongitharm, “When they see the scope of the storm, it would be difficult to think they would not be providing individual assistance. It’s had a major impact not only on the public infrastructure, but on people’s lives and homes.”
In Duluth, 10 inches of rain created the worst flash flooding in more than a century and hundreds of people were forced from homes by rising water. Roads buckled and washed out, sewers overflowed. Damage to public infrastructure has been estimated at $55 million.
“Any place there was a creek or culvert was destroyed,” Strongitharm said.
Wish List for New Downtown Bike Station?
The Duluth Transit Authority is on a fast track for construction of its new Multimodal Transportation Center in downtown Duluth.
When it opens, the center will be a hub for multiple modes of transportation, including the main transit station for DTA buses and other inter-city bus lines, public and private parking, a reconstructed walkway between the downtown to the DECC and the first of its kind in Duluth, a bike station.
What this bike station looks like is where your help is needed.
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