Politics
The Two Faces of Al Franken
Minnesota Senator Al Franken loves Big Brother.
Vote on same-sex marriage bill scheduled for Thursday
This is actually happening! Call or e-mail your representative now!
07A Huntley, Thomas (DFL) 651-296-2228 [email protected]
03B Murphy, Mary (DFL) 651-296-2676 [email protected]
07B Simonson, Erik (DFL) 651-296-4246 [email protected]
Vikings Fumble
Well, I don’t really follow football, and now here’s another reason to despise the world 0f big, corporate sports. Message sent and received–athletics is a place where freedom of speech will kick your football on down the field. Boo team Vikings!
Chris Kluwe’s release by Vikings sends message that gay-marriage talk is not tolerable in NFL
Rockridge Elementary Rezoning
The Rockridge Elementary school property’s proposed rezoning reminds me of the age-old phase “you sleep in the bed you made.” The school district knew from the get go what building zones the schools are in. It also knew the market has its ups and downs. We are now in a down cycle. Why didn’t the district’s budget include a more conservative estimate just in case the market went down?
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2013 State of the City
httpv://youtu.be/Cfri1a8b1kw
Well aren’t you Mr. Popularity, Mayor Ness?
[This post originally contained an embedded video that is no longer available at its source.]
And to think that only yesterday you were a hate monger.
Note: KARE 11’s approval rating drops after failing to correctly spell the names of Jason Wussow and Peter Passi.
Open House
Umm.
Ask the City of Duluth to use eminent domain to claim vacant houses for our affordable housing stock.
Concerns surrounding the American Indian Community Housing Organization
I am a community member of the Duluth area and I wanted to voice a couple of things that have been concerning me as well as some things that have been brought to my attention surrounding the American Indian Community Housing Organization.
I know that the community was really excited when AICHO’s Gimaajii Building at 202 W. Second St. opened this past spring. I had very high hopes as to what this venue could do for the people, especially the urban Native Americans within Duluth.
As time has passed and the excitement and buzz about what this “could” be has since faded, I have heard from several current and former tenants of the Gimaajii Building that they have felt there is a lack of spiritual understanding from many of the staff members including the current executive director. They have felt that anything “cultural” that has taken place there has been more for show than for the people it serves.
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Muckety Mucks
Don Ness had his birthday party at Tycoons the same night Al Franken dined there. DFL FTW!
(Photo by Maxwell McGruder)
I’m as lefty as most …
… but am I correct that the City Council agreed to forgive $305,000 in overpayments to retirees, then agreed to a 2.82 percent tax levy increase?
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Upper Chester: Not so fast there people!
Duluth took a beating this past year. But thanks to everyone pulling together we’ve made a remarkable comeback. For proof, you don’t have to look any further than Chester Park. Thanks to the indefatigable Dan Proctor and others the Lower Chester trails are probably in better shape than they were before the floods of June, and that’s saying a lot considering the scope of the mudflows and washouts that ravaged pretty much every inch of the ravine.
Upper Chester, however, is another story. Despite good intentions, there’s been a lot of jumping the gun to clean up or improve things that one could make the argument has ended up doing more harm than good. I’m not going to run down the list, but the latest chapter seems to have taken place largely under the radar, and I think it deserves a public airing.
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Post Election Day Hunt
By David Cowardin
Duluth Outdoors Editor
After the 2012 presidential election, there are only so many things a man can do to come back down to earth. Hunting grouse is one of them.
“Think of it as hiking with a gun,” my friend Luke said.
You see, I’ve never been hunting. Ever. So Luke was showing me how simple it really is.
“It’s really just an excuse to get out into the woods,” he said as he stopped to rub some pine needles between his fingers, telling me how much sweeter they smells after a rain.
We were about 30 miles north on Rice Lake Road, hiking around a small lake listening for the heavy thump of a grouse. The sky was gray and everything was wet: the sweet smell of pine was strong. (more…)
Duluth 2012 General Election Results
With 100 percent of precincts statewide reported, here are the unofficial results in races relevant to Duluth. (more…)
Posted: No Wolf Hunting
Passing along this photo from Ivy Vainio; click the image to see it in context.
Fond du Lac Band passed an ordinance banning the wolf hunt a few days ago.
Dan Kraker provided some fairly decent balanced coverage that explains some of the legal and cultural implications of the wolf hunt in this MPR News story.
David Cowardin says: “No”
[This post originally contained an embedded video that is no longer available at its source.]
Recorded live at Beaner’s Central last week.
Last Election on Earth
Well, there it is. Jim Carlson’s name is on the ballot.
Divine Intervention?
Whoa. Simonson’s got angels in the outfield.
[Photo from the DNT, on the front online page today (9/22/12). Originally from his campaign announcement day, I believe, but I can’t find that article without paying for it.]
Bishops Muscling Votes
I’m concerned about a “vote this way” letter received recently from our local Catholic bishop. Urges a yes vote for the November ballot “MN marriage amendment” and that you send the “yes” group money. This church move oversteps the line in my opinion. I vote for the church to lose tax exemptions.
MN Representative Keith Ellison AMA
Minnesota 5th District House Rep., Keith Ellison, hosted an Ask Me Anything on Reddit today.
Obama sucks; defeat the liar
The latest campaign sign to add to PDD’s collection of whack-job yard art is this one on Highway 13 near Washburn, Wis.
Who cares?
This Duluth campaign sign from 2001 is my all-time favorite. I think what Dan Williams might have intended to suggest was that he was the answer to the question — he cares. But no one took it that way.
Williams was running for the Fourth District City Council seat. He was knocked out in the primary by Roger Reinert and Neill Atkins. Atkins eventually won, topping Reinert by 18 votes.
Flood Video: Calling Extras to the Set
LoLa Visuals is putting together a video for the city of Duluth to bring to the state legislature in attempts to attain state assistance for flood victims. We are filming the closing shot Aug. 19 at 5 p.m. in Canal Park by the pier and need as many people as possible to come join. The final shot will include Sarah Krueger singing “High Tide or Low Tide” with an expanse of Duluthians surrounding her swaying to the music; a final plea for the state to stand by us in both high times and low times.