Arthur C. Clarke once wrote, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Before I go any further, let me ask you a question. How many thumbs would I need to have for you to think I was magic? One? No, that’s just a band saw accident. Two? (checks notes) Nope, that’s the regular amount…. Read More →
Baby birds fly when they must; so do our children
September 7, 2024 by 2 Comments
We built our house the summer after our oldest son was born. Since then, generations of eastern phoebes raised their hatchlings in a nest constructed under our deck by one of their ancestors. You might know these fly-catching birds for their dark heads, fidgety tail pumps and their “fee-bee” call, which is how they got… Read More →
Clock ticking for Hibbing city hall restoration
August 31, 2024 by 1 Comment
One plot point in the 1985 movie classic “Back to the Future” involves the town’s clock tower. With the clock broken, preservationists raise funds to restore the timepiece and keep the building from being torn down. The situation in the Iron Range town of Hibbing bears some similarity. I mean, no, Hibbing’s city hall clock… Read More →
Yellowstone amazes with fire and brimstone, bison and bears
August 24, 2024 by Leave a Comment
If you want to spice up your family vacation, why not go to a place that could kill you, and that might one day kill us all. Last week, our family traveled to Yellowstone National Park in northwestern Wyoming. This place is a trip. Literally, in that it was a two day car ride for… Read More →
Counting on sheep to reduce carbon hoof print
August 17, 2024 by 1 Comment
The dog days of August might seem a strange time to think about sweaters and stew, but I’ve been reading about sheep lately. Sheep seem like greatly underrated livestock. They give us wool and mutton (sweaters and stew). You can even turn a sheep’s hide into traditional southern Italian bagpipe called a zampogna. I’m not… Read More →
Monster trucks mash hapless wrecks
August 6, 2024 by 1 Comment
French philosopher and novelist Victor Hugo once said “Adversity makes men, and prosperity makes monsters.” This might help us understand why only America, possibly the most prosperous nation in world history, could make monster trucks. Picture this. Someone knocks on your door and says, “excuse me ma’am” or “hello, sir,” before explaining they’re about to… Read More →
Green clovers, blue ribbons and bright futures
August 3, 2024 by 1 Comment
Listen, I like prizes. Ribbons, trophies and medals; doesn’t matter. Winning is fun. Try the alternative, you’ll see. They tell you prizes aren’t everything, but that doesn’t feel true. Prizes are awesome. Whenever I toured the St. Louis County Fair as a kid, I’d look at all the entries and say to myself, “I could… Read More →
Welcome to the Iron Range Olympics
July 27, 2024 by 2 Comments
As we speak, the Summer Olympic Games are underway in Paris. This international exhibition of competition and sportsmanship also provides our quadrennial reminder of all the healthy choices in life we did not make. For many of us on the Iron Range, our reason for not competing at the Summer Games is simple: they don’t… Read More →
Now batting …
July 20, 2024 by 1 Comment
Green grass grows from Pipestone to Grand Marais. That means one thing: summer baseball in Minnesota. Town ball. Legion ball. VFW ball. Little League. Believe it or not, Minnesota’s summer baseball legacy dates back farther than our state’s obsession with hockey. Earlier this summer I volunteered as the public address announcer for a VFW baseball… Read More →
Replanting the seeds of public education
July 13, 2024 by 2 Comments
The tradition of Iron Range public education excellence once required no explanation. Most local kids attended grand, palatial high schools with theaters, pools, cutting-edge science labs and vocational training facilities. Range superintendents recruited the best college education graduates in the state to teach the sons and daughters of miners. The children learned about boundless opportunities… Read More →
