News and Current Affairs
Enger Tower Rededication Photos
Pictures from the rededication of Enger Tower can be found at the Duluth Public Library’s Reference@Duluth blog.
Center for Ethics and Public Policy
Director of the Center for Ethics and Public Policy
Shane Courtland, 2001 UMD alum and assistant professor of the Department of Philosophy, has been appointed director of the Center for Ethics and Public Policy. He is a member of the Bio-medical Ethics Committees at St. Luke’s and at SMDC Health System.
The Center’s next event is: Intersections of Racism, Sexism, and Warism, Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. (UMD Library Rotunda).
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Bike Share in Duluth-Superior?
Discussion is getting underway today about setting up a bike share system here in the Twin Ports, modeled after the Nice Ride MN nonprofit in the Cities. In case you missed it, check out this article in the DNT.
The basic idea behind the Nice Ride system is to provide affordable access to bicycles for short trips inside the city, as an alternative to taking the bus or driving a car. (more…)
Michele Bachmann at her most coherent
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFB6LQ1-WKU
Zombies invade UMD Oct. 27
Join us for a zombie-themed symposium that is free and open to the public. Six UMD professors will give talks about how their work relates to zombies. Refreshments appropriate for the topic will be served. BYOB (Bring Your Own Brain). (more…)
Lions & Creators – “Growing”
Lions&Creators just released their album in Duluth on Saturday and now the whole thing is up to stream on our Bandcamp, which is here. You can buy it there for only $5! (and it comes with a few extra surprises too). Physical copies will be available at The Electric Fetus soon. All hand made, designed by the band.
Give me your Twin Ports Halloween events!
I will post them on HauntedDuluth.com for free! If it’s a major Halloween bash or a tiny haunted garage on Halloween night, I want to add it to my site!
Post your event info as a comment in this post, or email me from the HauntedDuluth.com contact page.
2011 Duluth General Election Sample Ballot
Brush up on your referendums, kids. The city and the school district have some wordy questions for you. (By the way, you should be able to click on the images below to see them larger and read them more easily. The city question is the back side of the ballot, and is a separate image below.)
Another note about the ballot: As usual, depending on what neighborhood you live in, you might also vote on a district city councilor and/or school board member. This ballot has the district council race blanked out and does not include a district school board race.
Last Place on Earth raided
At 1:02 p.m. today Duluth Police executed a search warrant at the Last Place On Earth, a head shop at 120 E. Superior St.
According to police, the search warrant is part of an ongoing investigation into the sale of “illegal synthetic marijuana,” and Last Place will remain closed until investigators have cleared the scene.
No arrests have been made, so whether illegal products were being sold along with legal ones is yet to be determined.
Designer drugs were the subject of cover stories in the Duluth News Tribune and Star Tribune on Sunday.
DNT: Synthetic drugs bring new rush hour to downtown Duluth
Strib: Bath salts hit U.S. ‘like a freight train’
Duluth Dinkytown?
Anybody have thoughts on this?
Duluth School Board authorizes sale of Woodland site; developer envisions mini ‘Dinkytown’
I know the family that lives on the east end of the wooded area. They have been trying for over a year to purchase some of that land to leave as green-space and a buffer. They were assured that the developer would take the neighborhood “into consideration.” Can anybody fire up their crystal ball and see how this plays out? Or should I invest in vinyl siding as it takes a lot of plastic to wrap buildings over 21 acres.
Duluth 2011 Primary Election Results
With 36 of 36 precincts reporting and 6,620 total ballots cast:
At-large Duluth City Councilors
(Two positions; top four candidates advance)
Emily Larson – 4,918 | 40%
Linda Krug – 4,860 | 40%
Tim Riley – 947 | 8%
Chad Smith – 645 | 5%
Eric Edwardson – 446 | 4%
Gareth W. Bates – 442 | 4%
Fourth District Duluth City Councilor
(Top two candidates advance.)
Jacqueline Halberg – 695 | 44%
Garry Krause – 649 | 41%
Ryan Miles – 134 | 9%
Wallace Newquist – 59 | 4%
Travis Silvers – 29 | 2%
At-large Duluth School Board Member
(Top two candidates advance.)
Michael Miernicki – 3,783 | 61%
Ryan Stauber – 1,882 | 30%
Doug Frisk – 515 | 8%
Local Perspective on 9/11
Tomorrow (9/9) at 10am KUMD 103.3 FM will air a panel discussion called “Reflections of 9/11.” Hosted by Northland Morning’s Lisa Johnson, the program includes Paula Pedersen from the UMD Psychology Department, Dan Martin from the UMD Sociology Department and Nik Hassan from the Twin Ports Muslim Center.
The show will re-air on Sunday morning at 7.
KUMD will also be airing songs inspired by 9/11 throughout the day tomorrow.
Million Minute Family Challenge
Join the Duluth Area Family Y in celebrating the 11th Annual, Nationwide: Million Minute Family Challenge! Board games and card games offer true face-to-face interaction that is disappearing in daily in the lives of our families across the nation. Playing a game creates a relaxed environment to converse, laugh and really get to know one another.
Register online at millionminute.com to receive a free organizer kit and game ideas.
Gather your friends and family for a Sunday Afternoon of free play at the Y! The game center will be open from 3:30 to 4:30 on Sundays starting Sept. 11 through Dec. 18. Any and all ages are welcome to participate!
Sept. 11 Northland Community Observance
Join the community on Sunday, Sept. 11 at 1 p.m. at the DECC auditorium to remember the victims, honor our brave, and promote peace and understanding.
* Free parking provided courtesy of the DECC.
* Sign language interpretation provided by Amy Norris.
Opportunity knocks.
“Greek Police Smash Violent Doughnut Ring”
THESSALONIKI – It took an undercover operation, but Greek police have blown a hole in a ring of alleged crooks who had cornered the doughnut market in a beach resort.
I hereby call upon Mayor Ness to offer asylum in Duluth to these industrious, probably misunderstood people, with an eye toward improving our own disastrous local donut market–their violent tendencies would presumably remain latent due to the absence of any competition to intimidate.
What’s that thing in Canal Park?
I keep wondering every time I go to Canal Park — what is that structure being built in the northeast corner of Canal Park, just across from the Endion Station building on that construction site over there. Does anyone know?
Iran continues to be Iran
Associated Press via the Washington Post: “Iran sentences two American men to eight years in jail in blow to hopes for freedom“
Why is the library essential?
I thought about commenting on the post below, but this question deserves a post of its own. It looks like our library’s status is an issue that is going to stick around awhile. Libraries are closing everywhere, even in large metro areas like Chicago, Philadelphia and Charlotte (the first few that come up on a search).
It’s also a question that came up at the Duluth Chamber’s most recent “Forvm” event with city council candidates, and it led to some odd answers. One candidate said something like, “Absolutely we need to support our library.” I take that as meaning he thinks it’s essential. But then he went on, “I haven’t been there since college. It seems everything I need now is on the internet, but I was there all the time in college.”
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Support the Duluth Public Library
Support the public library at the Duluth City Council Meeting.
Please join us on Monday, Aug. 15, when we again attend the council meeting. We’ll gather at 6:30 p.m. outside the Council Chambers at City Hall. Please come and help to support our coordinated campaign to keep the Duluth Public Library a top priority for city funding. The message is, “Our libraries are essential!”
Missing playing on NorShor main stage
Summer is going. Should get new roof on. I got 20 dollars. Tis only theater left from the old days. Talking about the NorShor. Hey I’d volunteer. It’s a great roof up there. Always thought about winning the lottery and buying the Shor and putting a Penthouse on the top with roof gardens and have Neil Young play downstairs and party upstairs later. Best stage in town. But you can’t change it. Is what it is. Leave it alone. Oh now I’m wondering. Just put it back as it is. It’s the only one left. Shoud get a roof on. I got 20 dollars.
Missing Person: Walter Clock
The Duluth Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a missing 69-year-old male. Walter Clock was last seen on Saturday at noon, leaving his residence in the 2200 block of West Second Street.
UPDATE: He has been found.