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Railroads are so hot right now
The tiny northern Minnesota border town of Ranier is now the nation’s busiest rail port, according to the mayor of the adjacent “big” city of International Falls. Situated along the Rainy River across from a part of Ontario that even Canadians don’t talk about much, Rainer has long been a busy rail location. While…
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COLUMN: Making ice, walking on water
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. A version of this piece aired previously on an episode of “Between You and Me” on 91.7 KAXE. Making ice, walking on waterBy Aaron J. Brown Water turns dark, swirls thick, moves slow before hardening into ice. In…
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Brown on the Air: ICE!
I talked about ice earlier this week. Should be an interesting holiday week with 45 degree temps forecast for Sunday. You can enjoy what might be the denouement of the historically good ice conditions in northern Minnesota this Saturday with 91.7 KAXE’s “Between You and Me.” The call-in and music program will be detailing the…
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Growing local economies like snap peas and green pepppers
I was recently sent a narrative explaining a unique approach to economic development called “economic gardening.” Sure, this is one of many different buzzwords going around now but I thought the description was worthwhile, and relevant to some of the ideas about economic innovation here on the Iron Range and throughout post-industrial or rural communities…
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Getting frugal with my frau
Some of you might know that my wife Christina is a much, much more successful blogger than I am, writing the national frugal living blog Northern Cheapskate. Well, for the first time ever I have written a guest post for her blog. I’m writing about my experience being “up sold” during a recent cell phone…
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Ice skating to school in northern Minnesota
I’ve already mentioned how unusual the weather conditions have been in northern Minnesota this winter, cold but no snow. The result has been some of the most amazing ice conditions on our lakes most have seen in many years. Thick, smooth, clear ice. Take a few minutes and enjoy this fine amateur film by a…
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The sound and the fury of Range mining politics
The St. Louis County board heard hours of comments on a proposed resolution to back nonferrous mining on northern Minnesota’s Iron Range. After scorching through vast amounts of time, emotional energy and professional costs, nothing was done about a resolution that was never going to change anything. Everyone involved looks forward to doing the same…
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Remembering John Spanish
Former Iron Range state Rep. John Spanish (DFL-Hibbing) died Monday at a care facility in Eveleth at the age of 90. He had been in declining health. Last winter he was a candidate in the House 5B special election won by Rep. Carly Melin (DFL-Hibbing). Spanish is one of the most interesting people I’ve met…
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Lamenting the jet age
About a week ago Delta altered its flight schedule in and out of the Range Regional Airport in Hibbing. Instead of three flights a day, they offer two. Instead of smaller turbo-prop planes, they offer slightly larger jets. So the same number of seats are available, just not as many departure or arrival options. The…
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COLUMN: Reasons to be mindful about mining’s future
This is my Sunday column for the Dec. 11, 2011 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Reasons be mindful about mining’s futureBy Aaron J. Brown All fate is geology. The rocks tell us who we are and what we will become. Here in northern Minnesota we are the sons and daughters of iron mining. We…
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Shifting from wars to, well, just about anything else
Some friends of mine passed this along. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, professor of Peace and Justice Studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, is coming to Grand Rapids for a talk regarding MN ASAP: Minnesota Arms Spending Alternative Project. A resolution process to build political support to shift federal spending priorities of war to…
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Modern minds for the modern mines
The Iron Range Engineering program, a collaborative effort among Mankato State and community colleges on the Iron Range, will present diplomas to its first graduates Saturday. This WDIO story introduces us to Christine Nelson, a graduate who is already working as a project engineer at United Taconite in Eveleth. The mission of the program is…
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Brown on the Air: TEACHERS!
91.7 KAXE’s Saturday morning call-in and music show “Between You and Me” this week inquires into the topic of inspiring teachers. Specifically, guest host Linda Johnson will be inviting you to share stories about your most inspirational teachers on the radio. My regular contribution explores notions about educational inspiration I had before I became a…
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Skating back to the 1970s Iron Range
I was born on Minnesota’s Iron Range in 1979, essentially moments before the big steel industry collapse and local economic crash of the early 1980s. The region’s culture in the time since the crash seems forever oriented around comparisons to that boom time of the 1970s, when the taconite plants were new and running hot,…
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New site shows more to the Range than just iron
Today the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation agency unveiled a new website called “Made on the Range.” The site lists goods and services produced here in northern Minnesota’s Iron Range region. It’s an interesting service available for those who like to patronize local businesses and those from afar who wish to find out more about…