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Hibbing, Duluth groups work together to celebrate Bob Dylan in May
Dylan Days 2011 is coming, the annual Hibbing arts event celebrating Bob Dylan and the Iron Range. This year our efforts in Dylan’s hometown Hibbing will sync with an expanding roster of DylanFest events in his birthplace in nearby Duluth. The Duluth News-Tribune has the story. Within I am quoted saying that Hibbing and Duluth…
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‘Range of the Arts’ runs March 7-13 with music, poetry, art and some damn nice scarves
My friends over at the Lyric Center for the Arts will be kicking off “Range of the Arts,” a week-long event featuring music, poetry, literature and visual art from Monday, March 7 through Sunday, March 13. Their blog features the many different activities planned throughout the week, all of which are centered in the Iron…
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Good news, bad news in my latest Iron Range economic lookout vlog
Another “Economic Lookout” segment of mine was featured today on the MinnEcon blog for Minnesota Public Radio. This update focuses on optimism in the mining industry and the potential blow of public sector job loss on the Iron Range. Take a look and watch my vlog. If you’re interested in this sort of thing, subscribe…
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Asia expands influence over northern Minnesota’s future
One of the interesting northern Minnesota economic stories of the past decade has been Cirrus Aviation in Duluth. The narrative was innovative airplanes built in an old steel town. And while the company has struggled at times, especially in the recent economic slump, it still represents compelling story. This week a Chinese airplane manufacturer has…
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COLUMN: Pioneering Range leader speaks of history, hard times
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Some additional notes that didn’t make the cut for print are at the end. Pioneering Range leader speaks of history, hard timesBy Aaron J. Brown In 1978 women had been working at Iron Range mines for just a…
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Spend your weekend submitting poems, stories, art to Dylan Days 2011
Dylan Days 2011 will be May 26-29 in Hibbing, Minnesota, the Iron Range hometown of Bob Dylan. Dylan fans travel from around the world for storytelling and nostalgia while others simply enjoy a grassroots series of arts, music and writing activities. This is my 10th year as co-chair of Dylan Days, specializing in the literary…
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Gardening is a thing people do
I’m taking a week off from commentary, but if you’re a gardener tune in to “Between You and Me” this Saturday morning from 10 to noon on 91.7 KAXE. Guest host Linda Johnson will be talking with Bonnie the Plant Lady about setting up your 2011 garden. We do have a garden at the Brown…
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No, thank YOU for your classified ad goodness
From the classified section (adorable!) of the Grand Rapids Herald-Review under “Notices”: THANKS POLITICIANS for spending our money, burning our food and crushing our cars. West End Auto. Oddly specific. Highly intriguing. Related posts: No related posts.
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Horses, race cars and slots, oh my!
Meeeeeeeantime, added to the IRRRB business last night was a land deal for a potential racino on the Iron Range. This particular racino ties in to an decade-old motorplex project that I covered at the Hibbing Daily Tribune. You take your casino, you wrap it up with car racing and then you add HORSE RACING.…
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A cruel joke on the people of the Range
History’s stage is both wide and deep. No entity with tendrils reaching as far into Iron Range political networks as Excelsior Energy can be expected to exit this stage quietly. The only question is whether the play itself is a comedy or a tragedy. I haven’t decided. This week saw two important developments regarding Excelsior…
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Ain’t no pasty like a Cornish pasty, ’cause a Cornish pasty is now protected by the European Union
If you happen to find local and national conflicts to be unappetizing, the folks over in my paternal homeland are having a much more delicious dispute. The Cornish pasty, a baked meat, potato and butter pie in a flaky crust, has now earned protected cultural status by the European Union. This means that to be…
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The partisan regional paradox of internet politics
This is a map depicting high speed internet availability and options in the United States. The green areas are places where high speed internet options are widely available. The less green you see, the fewer options and lower internet availability. You might know that I hype high speed internet as a potential economic development tool…
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Iron Range past, present, future subject of new radio documentary
The following is a press release from 91.7 KAXE regarding an upcoming radio documentary about the Iron Range by Milt Lee. I spoke with Milt with for this piece and am greatly looking forward to his take on the region. Iron Range Radio Documentary Debuts on 91.7 FM“Ranger in My Heart” Seeks the Region’s People,…
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Melin sworn in; appointed to IRRRB
State Rep. Carly Melin (DFL-Hibbing) was sworn in today at Hibbing City Hall. She joins the state House of Representatives already in session and restores the 72-62 GOP/DFL split established after last fall’s election. News today also came down that House Speaker Kurt Zellers appointed Melin to the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board. State.…
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Melin to be sworn in Tuesday in Hibbing
From the wires: Carly Melin to Take Oath of Office for the Minnesota House of Representatives at Hibbing City Hall on Tuesday, February 22nd at NOON. Hibbing- Carly Melin will be sworn into the Office of Minnesota House of Representatives this Tuesday, February 22nd. The swearing in ceremony will be at noon at the Hibbing…