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Northeastern Minnesota: jobs a’ plenty, wages a’ thppphtt
For the last year I’ve written fairly consistent economic observations of living and working on Northern Minnesota’s Iron Range: There are jobs here, but most of them pay low wages and are found in the service sector, not in mining. An overwhelming majority of the region’s workforce is found outside the “traditional” blue collar careers typically associated…
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Northern journalists taunt each other with lutefisk
The “Great Northern” states extend from the Dakotas through Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan and are marked by the strong and enduring influence of Scandinavian immigrants. In addition to being the genetic forebears of many people who live here, these Scandinavians (Norwegians and Swedes, in particular) brought and kept many traditions that have lasted to this…
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Captivating Iron Range history series shared by IRRRB
With the impending announcement of a new commissioner at the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB), it’s worth explaining what all those words mean. Let’s start with “Iron Range.” Historian Pam Brunfelt, my Iron Range history mentor, shared a series of articles with the IRRRB for use on their website. Entitled “A Walk Through…
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Duluth mail center to close this spring
The United States Postal Service is planning to close the mail sorting center in Duluth, Minnesota, on April 18. This according to a Dec. 10 Brady Slater story in the Duluth News Tribune. Duluth’s closing will be followed by similar closings in Bemidji, St. Cloud and Mankato on July 11, 2015. Mail in those centers…
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Local, weird, darkly funny: ‘The One Who Watches’
A new short film, “The One Who Watches,” by Duluth filmmakers Nicholas Sunsdahl and Molly Josefson, made the following impressions on me, in this order: 1) the mix of Bemidji, Iron Range and Twin Ports settings and characters, 2) the abject film school weirdness, and 3) the dark, persistent humor, punctuated by one scene that made me laugh…
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‘Rattling Ray’ rings in big numbers for Duluth Salvation Army
With the holidays approaching, there is no shortage of schmaltzy Christmas-themed news packages on local TV airwaves. Still, sometimes they hit the spot, especially in this case. Our friend Ray Rogers is from Hibbing but moved to Duluth a few years ago. He’s confined to a wheel chair because of cerebral palsy, but is bar…
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Andrej’s famous Iron Range potica now at Tobies
For many on Northern Minnesota’s Iron Range, Christmas time is potica time. This walnut-based dessert bread from the slavic states of Eastern Europe was long ago embraced by the whole region for its flavor and portability. (Like the pasty, Iron Ranger love foods that require no silverware and fit into the pockets of overalls). In addition…
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Mining debate geared up for new political terrain
This winter, Minnesota’s state legislature will convene with divided leadership — Democratic-Farmer-Laborites, under Iron Range Sen. Tom Bakk as majority leader, still control the Senate; while Republicans, under Speaker-designate Rep. Kurt Daudt of Crown, have taken over the House. Gov. Mark Dayton, a DFLer, will remain in the executive office after a decisive re-election campaign. A…
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‘What’s left’ project nears goal with time running out
If you recall my column of Nov. 23, 2014, “What’s Left Unsaid,” I shared the personal story of my uncle’s suicide in order to explain my friend John Bauer’s “What’s Left” project. John lost his daughter Megan to depression last year and has found a way to channel his emotions into something hopeful. This multimedia art…
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Ya we talk ‘dat way, ‘specially up on da Raynch
The St. Paul Pioneer Press led its Sunday edition with an introspective look at a topic that is usually the first thing people notice about Minnesotans, but that Minnesotans pretend doesn’t exist: our accent. What struck me as interesting was that a significant portion of Andy Rathbun’s feature was dedicated not only to the Minnesota accent,…
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LIVE from Walker: the Great Northern Radio Show
Great Northern Radio Show weekend is here! We’ll be broadcasting my Northern Minnesota-based traveling variety show live on Northern Community Radio from the Northern Lakes Casino in Walker, Minnesota this Saturday, Dec. 6 at 5 p.m. We might still have a few free tickets available by calling 800-662-5799 today (Friday). Arrive before 4:30 p.m. Saturday…
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Miltich’s ‘Live at the VFW’ is jazz with heart
I have to admit something rather upsetting to people I know. I … don’t … really … care for jazz. As a genre. A few bars into most jazz standards and I’m having flashbacks to my elementary music teacher trying to teach me syncopation with wood blocks. (tock tock TOCK tock tock tock TOCK tock). For me, jazz is…
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Billion dollar surplus could yield bipartisan fruit
On Thursday, the Minnesota Office of Management and Budget issued its revenue forecast for the next legislative biennium, showing a whopping $1 billion surplus. Fueled by the strong state economy and budget measures taken in the last biennium, this surplus will be the basis on which the next legislature will negotiate its new budget. This…
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To mine the moon
With news this week about risks to miners’ health and continuing controversy over new forms of mining in Northern Minnesota, one is left wondering where the mining action of the future will be found. Well, look no further. One British lunar researcher is suggesting that we might look to the sky for the next untapped mineral…
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Ely couple completes 2,000-mile canoe trip protest
Dave and Amy Freeman, two professional adventurers based in Ely and Grand Marais, just completed a 2,000-mile canoe trip through the Boundary Waters, out to the Atlantic Ocean and down to Washington, D.C. The reason for the trip was to highlight the natural beauty of Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and deliver petitions opposing…