-
COLUMN: ‘Swimming lessons for life’
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, July 5, 2009 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. A version of this essay was featured on an episode of “Between You and Me” on 91.7 KAXE recently. Swimming lessons for lifeBy Aaron J. Brown I live in Minnesota, the Land of 10,000 Lakes, in a northern…
-
No band, no music, no art, no soul, no future, Unless
After reading an AP story (link from WCCO) I wrote this column in one sitting. This is my weekly column for the Sunday, June 28, 2009 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. I’m posting it on publication day because I want the conversation to begin Monday morning across the Iron Range. No band, no music,…
-
COLUMN: The good life isn’t always cute
This is my column for today’s edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. It would appear that a major family announcement for the Gosselins is slated for Monday, so this ended up being pretty topical. The good life isn’t always cuteBy Aaron J. Brown Our twin boys are hitting age 2 soon and one thing is…
-
New GOP chair is from Iron Range
It bears mentioning that Tony Sutton, the new Minnesota Republican Party chair, is originally from Hibbing, right in the heart of the Iron Range DFL bastion. The Hibbing Daily Tribune reminded me of this today. I’m embarrassed I didn’t recall that detail on my own. Though the Iron Range reliably produces 2-1 DFL majorities, it’s…
-
Exit, stage I-35
The Hibbing Daily Tribune published a final profile of my friend Mike Ricci today. Ricci is leaving the helm of the Hibbing Community College Theater program for North Hennepin Community College. HCC plans to continue doing theater in some form, but a group of students and community members are deeply disappointed that the full time…
-
Minnesota: Still different or same dif? A big, big question
This is my weekly column published yesterday in the Hibbing Daily Tribune. You’ll recognize some of this from blog posts I’ve done in the past. In fact, as my column goes this is among the hodge-podgiest I’ve done in some time. Minnesota: Still different or same dif? A big, big questionBy Aaron J. Brown Both…
-
Staff curmudgeon offers his take
My former neighbor Jack Lynch has a great column in today’s Hibbing Daily Tribune. He’s the only writer I know whose official byline reads “curmudgeon.” I mentioned Jack briefly in my book. He’s one of those timeless characters in Iron Range journalism. He even manages to drop a Billy Martin joke in this column about…
-
Hot guns, we’ve got letters
A couple of compelling letters to the editor ran in today’s Hibbing Daily Tribune and relate to recent posts here. The first, penned by former Tribune editor Al Zdon, takes on Ironworld’s new name. (My post on the topic). The second, arguing for the preservation of HCC Theater, is signed by several local theater people.…
-
COLUMN: ‘You don’t need a weatherman’
This was my weekly column published in the Sunday, June 7, 2009 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. You don’t need a weathermanBy Aaron J. Brown Have you ever received a gift that became much more than a gift? Have you ever received a gift that became an obsession? Flashback: Christmas 2008. It was a…
-
COLUMN: ‘To see the leaves’
This was my weekly column published in the Sunday, May 31, 2009 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. To see the leavesBy Aaron J. Brown When you grow up nearsighted no one tells you that you might be nearsighted or that you may become nearsighted as you approach school age. Nearsightedness, like death, taxes and…
-
Hibbing editor’s final column shows what’s at stake in newspaper crisis
Mike Jennings, editor of the Hibbing Daily Tribune, penned his final column today as he announced the newspaper’s decision to lay him off in advance of his summer retirement plans. The paper, like all papers, is facing tremendous financial pressure amid the recession and ever-contracting share of advertising and circulation revenue. They’ll make due without…
-
The perils of Excelsior’s appeal
The Hibbing Daily Tribune follows up on yesterday’s news of Excelsior Energy’s disappointing day at the state Public Utilities Commission. Excelsior will appeal, of course, but the story points out that such an appeal could create as many problems as it could solve for the beleaguered economic development boondoggle. Related posts: No related posts.
-
Economy claiming small businesses across the Range
Two anecdotes don’t make evidence but it bears mentioning that two very recognizable downtown Hibbing businesses are closing (The Flower Basket and John Peterson’s photography studio). I’m hearing that conditions are very difficult for small businesses across the Iron Range. With no mines currently in production places like the Range should brace for what could…
-
Itasca County moves toward placating global steel company on land deal; vote to come
I’ve been getting reports that last night’s Itasca County Board Meeting enjoyed its share of fireworks. This story from the Grand Rapids Herald-Review details some of the concern over the county’s relationship with Essar Steel, the company that announced plans to build an iron mining and steel operation in Nashwauk. Ultimately, Essar got what it…
-
COLUMN: Ode to a tree, and also to paper
This was my weekly column for the Sunday, May 24 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. A version of this piece was featured on last week’s Between You and Me on KAXE. Ode to a tree, and also to paperBy Aaron J. Brown One of our little boys, Doug, has taken to pointing out the…