Politics Posts

Question 3: Method for setting fee paid to Duluth city councilors

Duluth Charter Amendment - Method for setting fee paid to city councilors

After publishing the Duluth 2015 General Election Sample Ballot, a question arose. We’ve been hearing a lot about ranked-choice voting and Lakeside liquor sales, but what’s the deal with question #3?

Duluth 2015 General Election Sample Ballot

Duluth MN General Election Ballot 2015

Mr. Nice For Mayor

vlcsnap-2015-10-06-16h45m42s921

Join the campaign here.

Mr. Nice Mayoral Campaign Event at Bent Paddle during Bradfest

Continuing his run for mayor, Mr. Nice gives the opening toast for the Bradfest fun run/bar crawl.

Join the campaign here.

Know Your Duluth Liquor Laws!

DuluthPint

Over the next week or so, Zenith City Online is publishing five separate stories on the history of Duluth’s liquor laws so that voters and elected officials can better understand the historic context of the issue they face in this November’s citywide referendum. I have included links to all five stories below so you can read them now. This issue is embedded in misinformation and myth. In fact, former Mayor Herb Bergson recently told Zenith City Online he vetoed a 2007 City Council resolution to request the repeal of the 1891 law because he believes that all of Lakeside and Lester Park was a gift to Duluth from the philanthropic Marshall sisters (Julia and Caroline) and that Myrtle Marshall, who fought to keep the law in place in 1973, was one of those sisters—none of which is true. So here’s a chance to catch up on Duluth liquor history so you can make a well-informed decision on this issue.

Mayor Ness banned from Labor Temple’s Wellstone Hall for life

Mayor Ness at Radisson

From the Sept. 16 issue of Labor World:

Without opposition a motion was made, seconded, and carried to ban Don Ness from the Duluth Labor Temple’s Wellstone Hall for life.

Duluth 2015 Primary Election Results

Duluth Election 2015 Emily Larson Chuck Horton

With 41 out of 41 precincts reporting, Emily Larson and Chuck Horton are the winning candidates in the mayoral race, advancing to the General Election in November. Jay Fosle and Janet Kennedy advance in the Fifth District City Council race.

Duluth Mayor
(Top two candidates advance to General Election)
Emily Larson – 5,456 | 67.32%
Chuck Horton – 1,505 | 18.57%
Howie Hanson – 732 | 9.03%
James Mattson – 177 | 2.18%
John Socha – 111 | 1.37%
John Howard Evans – 51 | 0.63%
Thomas Cooper – 45 | 0.56%
Robert D. Schieve – 27 | 0.33%

Fifth District Duluth City Councilor
(Top two candidates advance to General Election)
Jay Fosle – 945 | 56.08%
Janet Kennedy – 671 | 39.82%
Allan Beaulier – 44 | 2.61%
Derrick Ellis – 25 | 1.48%

At-large Duluth School Board Member
(Top two candidates advance to General Election)
Renee K. VanNett – 3,351 | 44.70%
Alanna Oswald – 2,437 | 32.51%
Jim H. Unden – 1,708 | 22.79%

District Two Duluth School Board Member
(Top two candidates advance to General Election)
David Kirby – 1,044 | 58.65%
Charles Obije – 461 | 25.9%
Jane Hammerstrom Hoffman – 275 | 15.45%

You can’t put a campaign sign there

you can't put a campaign sign thereOne of the more clever Facebook pages of recent times has to be “You can’t put a campaign sign there,” which launched on Sept. 9. The candidates probably didn’t place the signs themselves, of course, but it’s still amusing.

After three days, Chuck Horton leads the race with seven allegedly illegal sign placements, followed by Howie Hanson and Karl Spring, who each have just one. (That’s just counting the gallery images; it looks like there are also a few “visitor posts” that aren’t in the gallery.)

That’s quite a lead for Horton, but at this stage Perfect Duluth Day’s prognosticators still think it’s too close to call.

Duluth 2015 Primary Election Sample Ballot

Duluth Primary Ballot 2015

Keep in mind:

District candidates will appear on the ballot only in the specified districts. Duluth City Council District 5 represents West Duluth and neighborhoods farther west. Duluth School Board District 2 represents the Endion, Congdon, Chester Park and Kenwood areas.

Welcome to Cotton, MN

Welcome to Cotton

It’s been a few years since we’ve checked in with the cluster of signs on private property along Highway 53 south of Cotton. Since we last documented the situation in 2010, the “Socialism is freedom in the rearview mirror” sign has been added above the old “Welcome to Cotton” sign. In the middle, two new signs have been added, replacing the old ones denouncing the “Nazi bastard post office.” There is also a tiny new sign above the group of signs on the right to help clarify that those signs were erected in June 2008.

One small touch that motorists might not notice without slowing down and stopping: There is quite a thick tangling of barbed wire surrounding the signs, with a warning that “injury” is “very likely” should anyone trespass.

We Need Nice

Follow Mr. nice on Twitter @mrnicerules and like Mr. Nice on Facebook here.

Public Officials with Cool Names

Brainerd Police Chief Corky McQuiston

Brainerd Police Chief
Corky McQuiston

Bass Lake Fire Department Chief Marvin Mullet

Bass Lake Fire Department Chief Marvin Mullet

Superior City Attorney Frog Prell

Superior City Attorney
Frog Prell

Itasca County District Court Judge Korey Wahwassuck

Itasca County District Court Judge Korey Wahwassuck

Duluth 2015 Primary Election Primer

The filing period for Duluth city and school board offices closed on July 21. Below are the offices up for grabs and the names of those who filed. The Primary Election will be held Tuesday, Sept. 15.

 
Duluth Mayor
(Top two candidates advance to General Election)
Thomas Cooper
John Howard Evans
Jane Hammerstrom Hoffman (withdrew)
Howie Hanson
Chuck Horton
Emily Larson
James Mattson
Robert D. Schieve
John Socha

At-large Duluth City Councilors
(Two positions; no primary in this race, all four candidates advance)
Jim Booth
Elissa Hansen
Noah Hobbs
Kriss Osbakken

First District Duluth City Councilor
(No primary in this race; both candidates advance)
Gary Anderson
Karl Spring

Second District Duluth City Councilor
(No primary in this race; candidate is unopposed)
Joel Sipress

Third District Duluth City Councilor
(No primary in this race, both candidates advance)
Jay Cole (withdrew)
Barri Love
Em Westerlund

Fifth District Duluth City Councilor
(Top two candidates advance)
Allan Beaulier
Derrick Ellis
Jay Fosle
Janet Kennedy

At-large Duluth School Board Member
(Top two candidates advance)
Alanna Oswald
Jim H. Unden
Renee K. VanNett

District Two Duluth School Board Member
(Top two candidates advance)
Jane Hammerstrom Hoffman
David Kirby
Charles Obije

District Three Duluth School Board Member
(No primary in this race; both candidates advance)
Loren Martell
Nora Sandstad

Larson announces she’ll run for mayor

Larson for Duluth Mayor

City Council President Emily Larson has announced she will run to replace Duluth Mayor Don Ness, who has said he will not seek a third term.

“I’m running for mayor because the next chapter for Duluth is critical,” Larson wrote on her Facebook page. “I’m running because our community’s continued progress will require new ideas, and because I want to ensure we write Duluth’s next chapter together.”

Sunday DNT Article — Duluth Life 2.0

On the whole I think the Duluth News Tribune does a great job of covering Duluth. And maybe I am too sensitive but I struggle with the overall message of the article Minneapolis couple drops corporate jobs and makes living a priority with move to Duluth (at least how I perceive it). As my friend pointed out it seems like “the unspoken angle is that sacrifice has to be made to live in Duluth.”