News and Current Affairs Posts

Skyline Parkway Corridor Management Plan

Sep 03, 2014 5 Comments

Icy Street Panaramic

Does anyone have any word on building restrictions on Skyline Parkway? I’m asking because someone built a house on the lower side of Skyline a block above my house. Someone is working on a plot of land to the east which is also directly above my house and they need a variance (for which there is a meeting at City Hall on Tuesday next week).

My street has had a drainage issue ever since I moved in, but the first house to be built up there caused the issue to escalate. With more housing being built directly above, I fear that the problem will get increasingly worse. If anyone has any info on the corridor management plan or building on Skyline in general please let me know, and if you think this issue might directly affect you, let me know so I can forward the meeting info on to you.

I love Duluth and hope that we can work together to make things better. Above is a panoramic picture of ice taking up half the street due to water running down it.


News and Current Affairs , ,

Ark of the Anthropocene is coming to Duluth and needs support!

Aug 25, 2014 1 Comment

Ark-of-the-Anthropocene-DNT-photoMinneapolis-based artist and musician Sean Connaughty has done many wonderful and interesting things. Among them are a series of self contained ceramic biospheres that he sculpts, fills with plant life, and then submerges in waterways to become free floating universes. He wires them with cameras so viewers can hit his website and see what is going on inside. Now he has taken on his biggest version of the project yet, a massive concrete ‘Ark’ biosphere which will be submerged in Lake Superior near the Aquarium. The image is of the Ark being hoisted in place for the Northern Spark Festival in June at the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis.

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Goodbye Little and Big Chester

Aug 19, 2014 5 Comments

Little Chester demolition - MPR photo

MPR: Ski jumps that launched Olympians come tumbling down

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News and Current Affairs, Outdoors, R.I.P.

Redstone damaged by fire

Aug 18, 2014 3 Comments

Redstone

From the assistant fire chief’s office:

At 00:52 this morning, the Duluth Fire Department responded to a structure fire at 1511 E. Superior St. The first vehicle on scene reported a working fire, with heavy fire showing from a first-floor window of a three-story building. The fire had extended to the second floor via a pipe chase.

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News and Current Affairs ,

Outside Magazine “Best Outdoor City” segment on MSNBC

Aug 16, 2014 7 Comments

“… but it’s cold! How on earth did Duluth become the number one city?”


News and Current Affairs, Outdoors, Videos

2014 Duluth General Election Primer

Aug 15, 2014 No Comments

There are less than three months to study up; the General Election will be held on Nov. 4. Below are the races that will appear on ballots in Duluth, with links to the websites of candidates who have them.
 
 
FEDERAL OFFICES

United States Senator
Steve Carlson (Independence)
Mike McFadden (Republican)
Al Franken (Democratic-Farmer-Labor)
Heather Johnson (Libertarian)

United States Representative, Minnesota District 8
Ray “Skip” Sandman (Green)
Stewart Mills (Republican)
Rick Nolan (Democratic-Farmer-Labor)
 

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News and Current Affairs, Politics

Duluth 2014 Primary Election Results

Aug 12, 2014 1 Comment

With 4,106 of 4,106 precincts reporting statewide, the full results are in. Listed are the races relevant to Duluth.

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News and Current Affairs, Politics

Upset (at the Mayor) in Duluth

Aug 05, 2014 11 Comments

Check out the image that accompanies this DNT article: Meeting with the Duluth mayor (link to full-size photo). Yikes! There’s not a whole lotta love in that room (especially from Ms. Tie-Dye)!


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R.I.P. West Duluth Fire and Police Station / Twin Ports Amusement Building

Jul 28, 2014 4 Comments

West Duluth Fire and Police Station demolition

The building at 531 Central Avenue in West Duluth was torn down on July 28, 2014. In its early years it served as the West Duluth Fire and Police Station, West Duluth Village Hall, Duluth Fire Department Engine House #8 and Duluth Police Department Station #3, among other things.

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History, News and Current Affairs, R.I.P.

Duluth one of the happiest areas in U.S.

Jul 27, 2014 2 Comments

Looking at this map, from the article linked below, it appears that Duluth is, statistically, one of the happiest cities in the United States. I completely agree with that assessment. Charlottesville may be the official “happiest region,” but you could easily substitute “Duluth” for “Charlottesville” and have an accurate description of why our city is such a great place to live in.

Richmond is America’s most contented area – with New York its unhappiest

Happiness is a place called Charlottesville, Virginia


News and Current Affairs

This post is not about the sailboat that got stuck on the lift bridge

Jul 27, 2014 3 Comments

During my ongoing studies of the elusive exclusive Northland reclusive, I went to the beach yesterday, a veritable Norwegian Riviera with air and water temps nearly perfect, and was amazed to find the entire place nearly deserted as I lay there panting in my speedos, hoping to shock some poor unsuspecting teens. But only one mom passed by in almost two hours, disgusted that she and I, we, were now in proximity to each other.

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News and Current Affairs

Goodbye Big Chester

Jul 24, 2014 12 Comments

The city of Duluth has determined that the ski jumps at Chester Bowl will be coming down due to safety concerns. A public meeting will be held July 31.


History, News and Current Affairs, Outdoors, Sports

Raven & Associates closing; farmers market opening in West Duluth

Jul 23, 2014 4 Comments

David Orman announced this morning that his promotional products business, Raven & Associates, will close at the end of July. Orman founded the company in 1997 and changed locations a handful of times before landing in the old West Theater building in 2012.

“We are in a low margin, high touch industry,” Orman wrote to customers today. “As busy as we were, it was really hard to make money.”

Meanwhile, the West Duluth Business Club announced there will be a new farmers market in West Duluth on the lot of the former Westminster Church. Beginning this week it will operate every Thursday into October, from 3 to 7 p.m., on the corner of 45th Avenue West and Grand Avenue.

“In the beginning it will host between 6 and 10 vendors,” West Duluth Business Club President Charlie Stauduhar wrote to club members. “Please, if you can, show up on Thursday and thank the vendors with your support.”


News and Current Affairs

Our fresh water makes radioactive waste transport and dumping too dangerous here

Jul 18, 2014 No Comments

The Duluth News Tribune‘s Jan. 5, 2012, editorial (re-published July 10, 2014) blithely considered the grave issue of high-level radioactive waste storage, asking with its headline, “Nuclear waste here? Actually, why not?”

For answers, editors suggested we listen to scientists. This was sound advice, but it raised a question: Which scientists? It was scientific analysis that led to the cancellation of the Yucca Mountain, Nev., dump site plan – that and the staggering 2008 cost estimate of $90 billion, which was up from $58 billion in 2001, according to the New York Times. Yucca Mountain was chosen by Congress in 1987 and was vigorously pursued to the tune of $9 billion for decades. But then a long string of scientific show stoppers proved the site unsuitable, and the Obama White House and Energy Department gave it the ax.

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Formation of River Corridor Coalition

Jul 17, 2014 No Comments

“It is our mission to generate and facilitate conversation to monitor and advance positive development of the St. Louis River corridor communities with the overall goal of benefiting the city of Duluth as a whole.”

The genesis of this group was to bundle the active Community Clubs in the western Duluth neighborhoods, and give them an active voice in the mayor’s vision for enhancing the St. Louis River Corridor. If you have an idea for enhancements for the neighborhoods come on out — RCC is still forming subcommittees so people are able to work on neighborhood issues they are passionate about, and have an active voice. The group has been meeting since February and meets every third Wednesday of the month — social time is at 6 p.m. with official business beginning at 6:30.

We feel that it is important that the ideas about the development of the Saint Louis River Corridor come from community members themselves. This coalition has members whose residency in the area ranges from just a year to over 30 years. Each neighborhood has representation, either from currently functioning community clubs, or citizens living in a neighborhood — from Lincoln Park to Fond du Lac. We have business interests represented and other area leaders. It is clear within this group that our members have a strong passion for this area and a commitment to improve it. All are welcome to attend and participate.

Like us on the River Corridor Coalition Facebook page to keep up to date.


News and Current Affairs, Outdoors, Politics ,