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Local food showcase slated Nov. 1 in Grand Rapids
One of the trends you’ve seen build in recent years is the idea of local food production and consumption, an idea centered around sustainable life. Here in northern Minnesota that used to be called “surviving the winter” and nearly everyone did it. The practice fell out of favor with the advent of the Twinkie, only…
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10,000 Lakes, 10,000 Logos
Now this is neat. Nicole Meyer, a graphic designer in Minneapolis, has begun creating original logos for each of Minnesota’s famed 10,000 lakes (actually there are 11,842), something she’s calling “Branding 10,000 Lakes.” She estimates this will take 27 years. These are wonderful pieces of art. Lake Vermilion: Check out all the subtle angles in…
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The wolves of October
It was sleeting as Henry and I went out to the bus stop this morning. We were chatting over the sounds of our shoes rousing the gravel. The driveway is north and where we live there’s nothing north for miles and miles. Then we stopped walking. A pack of wolves was howling, a desperate, pained…
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T-3 Days to Great Northern Radio Show: De Elliot Bros.
Each day this week I’ll be sharing a story about the Great Northern Radio Show, an original live radio variety show debuting 5-7 p.m. Saturday on 91.7 KAXE from the stage of the HCC Theater in Hibbing. You can follow the show on Facebook or find out more at KAXE.org. Today I’m highlighting one of…
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Farewell September, October looks interesting
This hasn’t been a great week for blog content but I will give you a hint at some of the things I’m working on. Naturally, Item #1 has been the Great Northern Radio Show coming up Saturday, Oct. 15 on the stage of Hibbing Community College and live on 91.7 KAXE. I’m also working on…
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Cougars go east
Fans of my column about the Black Hills/Connecticut cougar a couple weeks ago might appreciate that this summer another cougar was spotted heading east in view of trail cams across northern Minnesota and northern Michigan. The plot thickens! Related posts: No related posts.
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BWCA fire reaches historical proportions
The big story in northern Minnesota right now is the raging Pagami wildfire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in the state’s arrowhead region. About 500 firefighters will be working by day’s end to battle the 100,000-acre blaze which now threatens the region’s tinderbox of timber blown down more than a decade ago. The Milwaukee…
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Governor, carp czar address Minnesota carp summit as carp fears mount
Last year this blog attempted to become the authoritative source for sarcastic commentary about the Asian carp infestation of the upper Midwest. I do believe we were successful for a time before the fame and power sent us crashing back to earth. It’s been exactly one year since my last carp post. The carp czar…
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Once you Gogebic, you never go back
It’s interesting to see how Wisconsin officials are traveling to Minnesota’s Iron Range Tuesday for guidance on mine regulatory issues surrounding the proposed Gogebic Taconite mine in northern Wisconsin. It’s also interesting to see how the comments section of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel can so quickly resemble the back-and-forth of any northern Minnesota open forum…
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Report: Northlanders die faster, more spectacularly than most
This Duluth News Tribune headline caught my eye: “Risk of dying is greater in the Northland.” If you live in northern Minnesota your chances of dying this year are apparently greater than in other parts of the state. Your risk of dying in your lifetime, however, holds with the state average, which is 100 percent.…
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Governor orders work on state’s broadband needs
From the governor’s office: Today, Governor Mark Dayton issued Executive Order 11-27, establishing the Governor’s Task Force on Broadband and continuing his commitment to strengthening our state’s infrastructure and fostering a strong business climate. The Task Force will be charged to expand broadband access in Minnesota. Dayton’s stated goal is “border-to-border” high-speed internet and cell…
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Pedaling on the bones of old industry
Do you like post-industrial imagery? Do you like bike tricks? You will like this. There’s a whole symbolic commentary thing I could do here, but that would cut into the time you have to watch the aforementioned bike tricks. Though this appears to be filmed in Scotland, that red color that pops off the ground…
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I suppose I am ready for some football
Speaking of new ventures, I’m thinking of starting my own fantasy football league this year. It’s hard to say why I enjoy fantasy football. I think it’s because it’s one of the few traditional male activities that I enjoy and can use to relate with men who are married to women I work with. What…
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Doc ‘Moonlight’ Graham Days begin today in Chisholm
The first ever Doc “Moonlight” Graham Days event starts today in Chisholm. This is a new take on the classic Iron Range summer festival concept, with arts displays, performances, a street dance, car show and Saturday parade. Find the full schedule at the Chisholm Chamber’s events page. Longtime Chisholm doctor Archibald Graham, known locally as…
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Dennis Anderson named co-host of Almanac North
Tonight WDSE Channel 8, the PBS station in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, announced that beloved retired WDIO Channel 10 (ABC) anchor Dennis Anderson will assume duties as the new co-host of Almanac North. This is a weekly news magazine that does a fine job of exploring the region’s headlines. It serves in the shadows of…