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Civic engagement, a dry topic that greatly matters
Peter Levine presents a paper on improving civic engagement in communities that’s worth a look. Below are the five strategies from his executive summary. Strategy 1: Create a Civic Information Corps using the nation’s “service”infrastructure to generate knowledge. Take advantage of the large and growinginfrastructure of national and community service programs by requiring all serviceparticipants…
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Live music, junk art & creative social media on the Range
“Art in the Park” returns to the amphitheater stage at the Minnesota Discovery Center in Chisholm at 7 p.m. Thursday. Josh Palmi and the band Colmekill will provide free live music at this Iron Range culture and history center. I neglected to mention the show last week. They do this every Thursday, for free, during…
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This week on the Range — Bar fire, senators & Showcase Showdown
Late last week fire destroyed the Risky Business bar in Gilbert. No one was hurt. Gilbert, you may recall, is the historic epicenter of the region’s checkered relationship with alcohol. Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) visited Chisholm Friday for an event with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). The two discussed their Range roots in this interesting Duluth…
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Remaking the Mitchell Yards on the Iron Range
My life takes place in two worlds. In one of these worlds the history and seemingly immovable fate of the Iron Range of northern Minnesota collides with the hopes and dreams of its people. In the other (the one preferred by my three young sons) trains with faces work, play and explore their way across…
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COLUMN: The meaning of lunch in the North Star State
This is my column for the Sunday, June 19, 2011 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. I voiced a version of this piece on an episode of KAXE’s “Between You and Me” earlier this month. The meaning of lunch in the North Star StateBy Aaron J. Brown If you haven’t seen yet there is a…
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Essar reiterates plans to produce steel on the Range
The Hibbing Daily Tribune reports that the Essar Steel Minnesota project near Nashwauk is making progress (subscription link). This according to statements at a public meeting between local officals and Essar represntatives. The company’s commmunication with the people of the region, who have underwritten much of the infrastructure, has been lacking, however. The meeting was…
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Brown on the Air: CRUNCH TIME!
Stop your internet shenanigans right now and go over to www.kaxe.org or call 218-326-1234 to become a member of Northern Community Radio. 91.7 KAXE is a unique independent public radio station in northern Minnesota producing a wide variety of quality shows. KAXE is a big supporter of my work and I need you to become…
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A big day of mining news on the Range?
There will be some news rumblings on the Iron Range today. The IRRRB meeting at 9 this morning isn’t expected to generate many sparks. Nevertheless, like a pistol in a Chekhov play, you shouldn’t be surprised if it goes off at some point. The meeting I’ll be waiting to hear about will be the gathering…
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Alaska Sen. Begich to join Sen. Klobuchar on the Range
Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) will be on the Iron Range Friday night to appear at a fundraiser for Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota). This is Begich’s first public trip to the Range since he was elected to the Senate from his home state. He is the nephew of former State Rep. and current IRRRB board member…
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Pan fish restrictions proposed for some northern Minnesota lakes
Pan fish restrictions in Itasca County? Five crappie bag limit? That’s just great, DNR. The good news is that the government will fall long before these proposed restrictions take effect. So we’ve got that going for us. I highly doubt the warlords will enforce these rules. Long live Kronos! Related posts: No related posts.
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The old Cherry School is gone
I attended Cherry High School, graduating in 1998. Cherry is a township at the edge of Hibbing’s rural eastern borders on the Iron Range of northern Minnesota. On Tuesday the old part of the school, built in 1928, was torn down to make way for a major renovation. I’ve written more on the topic to…
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B’nai Abraham Center to hold benefit jazz concert on the Range
A cultural center in the last remaining synagogue on the Iron Range will hold a benefit concert Thursday night featuring jazz singer Connie Evingson, a Hibbing native, and a host of other Minnesota jazz musicians including the Miltich boys from my west Range township. The B’nai Abraham Museum and Cultural Center in Virginia stands a…
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Spirit of Iron Range captured in upcoming photo exhibit
The photographer Richard Colburn will be hosting a series of exhibits on the Iron Range over the next few months. Colburn’s primary subject has been the people and places of the upper Midwest. He’s spent some time on the Iron Range over several years and will be displaying his work at these exhibits. Lyric Center…
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Promising new blog from Harvard econ major with Range roots
I’ve got to give a plug to Tony Sterle over at “A Little Bit of Liberal.” Tony will soon graduate with an economics degree from Harvard (the actual one, not the nickname for the community college where I work). Tony’s point of view is that of a pragmatic liberal advancing reasoned, researched ideas about modern…
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Summer tours of active taconite mine are back
If you’ve never seen an active taconite mining operation on northern Minnesota’s Iron Range, you can this summer. MDC, Hibbing Taconite to provide summer mine tours CHISHOLM, Minn. – Minnesota Discovery Center, Hibbing Taconite and Shubat Transportation have once again teamed up to provide a bus tour of Hibbing Taconite to the public. The tours,…