News and Current Affairs Posts

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.

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.

That storm cloud blew in as straight as possible, wouldn’t you say?

Sexhawk – “Duluth is Still Afloat (In Our Hearts)”

When life gives you lemons, Sexhawk gives you lemonade. And a stirring anthem about last week’s flood: “Duluth is Still Afloat (In Our Hearts)”

Duluth Trail Update

Info from Duluth’s Parks and Recreation Division:

– The COGGS mountain-biking trails are not open due to wet conditions. It is possible the trails will be open next week.

– Kingsbury Trail is closed.

– Western Waterfront Trail is passable. Hikers are asked to use caution.

– The Lakewalk is repaired and open to the public.

– Chester Trail is closed

– Lester Ski Trail is currently being surveyed for damage. Use with caution.

– Hartley Trail is open.

– Lincoln Trail is closed.

– Superior Hiking Trail can only be summed up section-by-section …

Chris Monroe Interview

Cartoonist Chris Monroe discusses the flooding in Duluth, her 848 comics and the upcoming show at the Duluth Art Institute in this MinnPost article:

Cartoonist Chris Monroe on writing, inspiration and Duluth

PAVSA launches 856 campaign

Hello PDD Community!  PAVSA would like to announce the start of its month long fund-raising drive, the 856 Campaign.

Flood 2012: Share your story

Do you have a story to share about last week’s flood? Its impact? The recovery efforts you’ve engaged in? Share it.

Ecolibrium3 just launched an interactive mapping tool for community members to share stories, videos and photos. Check it out, and share your experience at flood2012.com.

River Place Campground Thefts

Residents at River Place Campground on the St. Louis River were evacuated during last week’s record flood. Shortly after, their homes were burglarized. Today they met with Duluth Police to assess their losses. Some belongings floated away in the flood, others were stolen … but residents at River Place said they feel lucky because other people in the northland had it worse.

Watch the video as police investigate and residents assess damages

Lincoln Park, June 20, 2012

Duluth Flood – Postcard from the Future

My friend Peter Sinclair, who actually is the grandson of an Iron Ranger, has posted a special message about the Duluth Flood on his Climate Crocks web space. Very enlightening insight indeed, and the other Crocks will give you plenty of ammunition the next time your idiot brother in law shoots his mouth off. Be well.

Looting at the River Place Campground

Just when we thought everyone in the Northland was awesome and we were all in this flood recovery, there comes word that there were numerous break-ins and robberies at the flooded River Place Campground next to Boy Scout Landing in Gary. I know that at least five campers were forcibly broken into and significant amounts of property were stolen (including cash and firearms). This occurred on the night of June 23 and/or the morning of June 24 and possible on a few nights previous to that. I have asked the DNT to do a story on it so that some awareness is out there. If anyone hears any information that may be somehow helpful in catching the baddies, please notify the Duluth Police Department.

Chester Park and Creek

Chester Creek Damage

Shots from Duluth Outdoors

We are trying to put something together to have fun/fundraise/organize for flood damage. The problem is so huge that it’s hard to know how to attack but we are thinking Chester Creek and Park since we are named after that. The damage there is significant and federal money will need to be applied for. This event would be more for seed money to apply for grants and do some immediate chainsawing and so forth.