Saturday, June 30, 2007

East Hillside PATCH Fundraiser – Gift Baskets


East Hillside PATCH is making up gift baskets as a fundraiser. Purchase a gift basket from East Hillside PATCH and will receive 100 percent of the profits. Donate to a local non-profit agency while you save time and money. Send an elegantly designed basket to everyone on your list for Graduation, College Survival, Weddings, Baby’s, New House, Get Well, Thank You, Congrats, Condolence, Anniversary, Birthday, Promotion, the list is endless!
To thank customers for their generosity, each basket comes with Patch’s own Karma Kards of inspirational quotes. These unique cards are handmade by local residents proclaiming that good karma is bestowed upon you for your giving heart.

Each basket is filled with exquisite items designed for the utmost enjoyment. baskets may be filled with, chocolate, snacks, cookies, candy, coffee, tea, pampering bath /spa products, gardening products, or anything you want. PATVH is open to changing any basket to suit your needs. No two baskets are exactly alike!

Call the PATCH office at
728-4287 for more information.

Fireworks



By Chris Nichols

The Hillside’s Hidden Streams – Grey’s Creek


Caption: Neighbors got together to clean up Grey's Creek
Photo by Mona Cheslak



A story told to and recorded by Nancy Nelson



Hello. I’m one of the hidden streams of Duluth’s Hillside. People call me Grey’s Creek, although I really don’t know why. I suppose some family named Grey lived close to me for a while, but I don’t remember them. I’d really rather be named for something that reflects my personality – perhaps I could be called the “Little Laughing Water.”

I’m a lot smaller than my neighbors Brewery Creek and Chester Creek, but that’s because I only have about one-tenth of a square mile of land from which to collect my water. I flow through the East Hillside neighborhood, carrying rainwater from the Summit School hilltop, past the Peace Church and Grant School, and down the hill between 8th Avenue and 9th Avenue all the way to Lake Superior.

Like all the streams in the Hillside, I flowed free until about 140 years ago, when people decided to build a city right here. It wasn’t long before I was hidden away in underground culverts from my mouth at Lake Superior all the way up to 4th Street. But I didn’t complain. The buildings that were put on top of me were mostly houses and apartments for the working folks of the city. Those folks were a lot like me – hard-working, minding my own business, and just wanting to make Duluth a beautiful place to live.

Because I don’t have any waterfalls or high rocky cliffs, no one ever built any big fancy parks along my streambanks. But for the same reasons, short stretches of me were left open here and there. It was just a few years ago, in 2002, that one of my most beautiful open sections, right below East 6th Street, was put into a culvert and disappeared.

But I still flow free in several places. My eastern branch flows along Kenwood Avenue from Partridge Street to Skyline Parkway and then down a steep hill to the Grant Recreation Area. My western branch can be seen in a few spots near 9th Avenue East from Skyline Parkway to the Recreation Area. These two branches join together to flow through a beautiful half-block stretch right across the street from Grant School. Then it’s underground to the alley below 10th Street, where I get another half-block of freedom. I cross under East 9th Street near Foreign Affairs, flow free to 8th Street and then catch my last glimpse of daylight near the corner of 7th Street and 8th Avenue East. After that it’s dark, cold culverts the rest of the way to the lake.

A few of the folks who live near me enjoy having me for a neighbor, and they’ve built decks and porches so they can sit outside and listen to the sound of my water flowing gently down the hill. In other places I’m taken for granted and used as a dumping ground for grass clippings, branches, and trash.
But every now and then, people in the neighborhood rediscover me and spend time cleaning up the trash. This happened most recently on May 19 when some nice young neighborhood kids organized a cleanup along my free-flowing section near Grant School. About a dozen people showed up and hauled away lots of stuff that otherwise might have ended up in Lake Superior.

It’s great when people come to visit me and help take care of me – after all, that’s what neighbors are for. It’s a nice neighborhood that’s grown up around me, and I try to do my part by carrying water down the hill to Lake Superior. So next time you’re in the East Hillside, be sure to stop by and see what I’m doing. And maybe you’ll remember to call me Little Laughing Water instead of Grey’s Creek!


Thursday, June 28, 2007

Questions for the candidates

Please use the comment section here to post questions you would like me to ask candidates.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Send in your stories for July issue

Many people have already submitted ads and stories for the July "Hillsider."
We appreciate your stories and ads.
If you have a story or an advertisement, please send it by Tuesday, Jun 19 at 12 noon.
We are preparing the July "Hillsider."
Do you have a product or a service to sell? Is your club, organization or church sponsoring a picnic or an event? Now is the time to send your ads and stories to Naomi.
If you have something to list in our community calendar please contact Mona at monajc@hotmail.com

I am looking forward to your phone call or email,
Naomi Yaeger-Bischoff
hillsider@sundogpress.com or phone 218-591-5277.

July's issue will include a story and photos about Juneteenth by Lisa Kane, a story about Grey's Creek by Nancy Nelson, announcements of candidates running for city council and mayor, and a review of the movie "Bobby," by Maggie Kazel. Maggie went to high school with Bobby Kennedy's children. The movie is now out on DVD.

Do you have something you'd like to share?
Please send stories and ads by tomorrow, June 19
(If you want an ad but are having problems making deadline please contact me.)
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Friday, June 15, 2007

League of Women Voters cleanup Cascade Park









































Photo's taken by Joyce Benson.
Photo Captions:
Melanie Ford weeding the round garden.
View of harbor from Cascade Park.
Tina Welsh and Anne Perry Moore weeding one of the gardens.

On Th
usrday, June 7, volunteers from the League of Women Voters of
Duluth conducted their annual spring cleanup and weeding at Cascade Park. The LWV adopted the park in 1999
and twice a year members pick up litter and maintain the two gardens.

Thanks to volunteers Melanie Ford, Anne Perry Moore, Tina Welsh, Joyce
Benson and Deb Ortman

For more information about the League of Women Voters check out our
website: http://www.lwvmn.org/LocalLeagues/Duluth/ or contact us
at: 32 E. First St., Duluth, MN 55802 218-724-0132



Thursday, June 14, 2007

Blueprint to End Poverty

Last night my husband and I attended the Blueprint to End Poverty in Duluth meeting and dinner in the Great Hall of the Depot in downtown Duluth. I rode the bus downtown and my husband took his bike from work.

We had a great dinner and met quite a few new people. The dinner included wraps, tortellini salad and fruit salad.

I know quite a few people in Duluth. My husband and I think that maybe we don't need more friends, we just need to be friendlier with the friends we have. So it was hard to decide if we should sit by a person with a fresh face or someone that I kinda know. We sat down beside James Gittemeier. He was sitting at a table that had a "Transportation" sign on it.

James is a planner with the Duluth Superior Metropolitan Interstate Council and often attends the East Hillside Community Club meetings, which meet on the 1st Tuesday of the month at the Grant Rec Center.

James also coordinated "Ride Your Bike to Work Day" which my husband participated in.

After the meal, Stan Kaitfors, executive director of Community Action Duluth, spoke to us and we heard from some of the participants and fellows in the Blueprint to End Poverty program.

We heard from Jessica, who holds two jobs but can not afford the medical insurance that is offered by her employers. She hardly gets a chance to spend time with her family and functions on little sleep.

We also heard from Shannon, who had been homeless for one year. "It is so hard." she said. Her husband stays home and takes care of the kids. She said if he were to go to work, they would lose the benefits they now have.

Losing benefits while trying to get out of poverty is a huge problem that I don't think most people realize. There needs to be stepping stones for people to work out of poverty without losing the safefty net of medical insurance. It seems people want everyone to work and or get a second job...and many people do work, but sometimes, if they were to work another job or have another adult in the family work it counts against them.

If you look at bankruptcies among the middle and even the upper-classes the majority of these bankruptcies are caused by the inability to pay medical bills. (This is according to a Harvard study.) How can we as a society ask our poorest people to go without health insurance and risk their own physical health. They may get out of poverty for a while, but what will they do when they can't cover their medical bills?

Well, I haven't got the heart of the issue, but it is time for me to sign off. I will write more soon.

June "Hillsider" board meeting

Caption: Sharla Gardner smiles while talking to member of the board of "The Hillsider. To the right is new board member Sister Naomi-Tamar. On the table is the delicious carrot cake made by David Clanuagh in celebration of Naomi's Yaeger-Bischoff's one year anniversary as editor.

Good afternoon Hillsiders and friends of "The Hillsider." I have decided that I will try some actual daily blogging to make this blog more interactive and up to date.

I go many places and see lots of people in my Hillsider editor capacity, but I don't get a chance to report half of it. This blog could be a way to get more information out to the public.

Well, let's backtrack to Monday, June 11 with "The Hillsider" board meeting. David Clanaugh brought a homemade carrot cake to help us celebrate the one year anniversary as my start of editor and the reorganization of "The Hillsider." It has been a great year for me, I love what I am doing.

Present at the board meeting were: David Clanuagh - treasurer, Andrew Cragun - secretary, Chris Nichols - member-at-large and cartoonist, and Sister Naomi-Tamar - newly elected member-at-large.

Sharla Gardner, who is running for city council also dropped by to help us celebrate. I was glad she did because she cleared up a misunderstanding I had on how the board wanted to run stories and press releases on candidates running for city offices.

We will run press releases announcing candidacy and one photo. I will also be making up a questionnaire to send out to all candidates and will run their responses. We want "The Hillsider" to be a part of the political discussion.

Saturday, June 09, 2007

Juneteenth at Bayfront Park, Saturday, June 13


Link

Life House Youth Celebrate Graduation

















Ayesha Bozeman joyfully grabbed her associate of arts high school diploma from G.E.D. teacher, Noah Dennis during a celebration at Life House. To the right is Unity High School principal Paul Brandstaetter. (Photo By Naomi Yaeger-Bischoff)


Twenty Life House graduates were honored for completing their high school education on Friday, May 25. Paul Brandstaetter, principal of Unity High, gave a brief keynote address. The late afternoon event included a potluck dinner, followed by a prom.
Life House, Inc. 102 W. First St., serves low-income, high-risk, and homeless youth, ages 14-21, by assuring access to housing, education and employment opportunities.

Most of this year’s graduates were members of a new educational program, School Outside of School (SOS), which allows young people ages 14 through 21 who are not currently connected to a traditional public school the ability to attend classes on-site at Life House while collecting high school credit. The youth are also given incentives like $10 gift certificates to Subway and Duluth 10 Theaters.

SOS classes are year-round, typically held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Call (218) 722-7431 x. 13 for more information.


A Segregated Duluth?

(Photo by Naomi Yaeger-Bischoff)

A SEGREGATED DULUTH?
Jim Bushy, Jean Esler (in back), Sarah Olson, and Jordan Olson attended a meeting on Tuesday, May 22 to state their concerns about the future of the Duluth Public Schools. All four are against the closing of Central High School.

Bushy said it is important to keep Central High School and its 77 acres open because it is centrally located and unites Duluth. He is against a plan that would divide Duluth into two sections. This plan, he said, would have the poor people of Duluth and the majority of people of color going to one school, and higher income and white Duluthians going to another school.

Boarding the bus helps build social capital and change
















By David Clanaugh


With escalating gas prices and their disproportionate impact on low-income and working folks, comes a great opportunity to escalate our interaction with, and learning from, each other. Possibly, just possibly, the declining affordability of motorized transportation will bring more and more people together to discover their common bonds, converse about needed social changes, and begin working together toward those changes. Sometimes it is just a little nudge in the right place that tips a society in the direction of major social change after an extended period of apathetic inertia in the midst of corruption, injustice, and gross inequities . . .

These have been some of the thoughts running through my mind lately during my increased use of the Duluth Transit Authority. Granted, the demands and schedules of a two career family with younger children have kept me from becoming a daily bus rider, yet I have felt moved and improved by my recent observations and experiences on the Number 7 route.
I’m an early bird out of necessity and typically start my work day in the 5:30-6:30 a.m. range.
My wife and I work split shifts so that we can contain childcare costs, and we appreciate having employers that offer this type of flexibility. This type of flexibility sadly is not the norm in a society obsessed with the rhetoric of “family values”. . .

The earliest bus I can catch is at 5:45, and what I’ve observed among these riders is a deep sense of respect and community. These folks know each other by first name, make genuine inquiries about each others’ lives, and show some pretty incredible listening skills and compassion.

What I observed one morning was an example of true grace as two women conversed about needlecraft projects. Based on appearances only, I would characterize one of the women (let us call her “Anne”) as a professional and the other (“Maggie”) as a manual laborer, with the latter perhaps having some type of mild disability.

Maggie boarded the bus brimming over with excitement, and she quickly unfurled a gorgeous piece of large needlework from a plastic bag. She then proceeded to pour out her heart to Anne about how happy, satisfied and proud she was about finishing this year-long project the previous evening. Anne just soaked up Maggie’s story, asking a number of insightful questions that encouraged Maggie to more deeply share her love of this activity, how it connects her with family members, how it provides structure and meaning in her life. Anne interjected a bit about her interest in needlecraft, but it really was just to encourage Maggie to share more deeply. I was witnessing very simple attentiveness, presence and connection among two people; it was awesome to closely observe a model for the type of listening that is needed in so many places in our society.

One afternoon a few days later I was bringing my two and five year-olds home from the YMCA’s Kids Club, and they were very excited (yet also a bit nervous) about the prospect of a bus ride. Their nervousness quickly faded as we encountered a familiar elder at the DTA Shelter who had been their care provider up until a few months ago.

What was both sad and inspiring at the same time is that this elder (well into her seventies) was taking the bus to a job interview for a cleaning position. She was very nervous about the interview and also unsure about where she was headed, so we quickly took her under our wings.

Here was a person who had worked hard and struggled all her life, and who was still working hard and struggling. My girls and I were fortunate to be near this persistence and courage, yet I found myself thinking about the increasing number of elders who are scraping by and spending their latter years anxious about finances and basic needs.

More of us need to ride the bus and visit with these vulnerable folks, both young and old, who struggle valiantly for a scrap of comfort and security. I found myself identifying with this woman and wondering what my life would be like during my seventies given many of our society’s current trends.

During this same bus ride there were also a couple of younger fellows (obviously brothers), a wife, and a cute one-year-old who quickly engaged my children and me in conversation and story telling. Teasing and sharing jokes, talking about fishing, worrying about how to make ends meet, taking pleasure in our children – such was the stuff of our half hour conversation. Again I had the sense these folks existed a bit on the margins of society, yet their open and friendly demeanors brought a sense of connection and common ground.

Riding the bus, I have been realizing, can serve as a great equalizer, bringing folks together from various walks of life, breaking down the barriers, competitiveness and self-absorption that often come with solitary automobile commutes. As gas prices continue to rise, more and more of us will be “forced” to share public transportation. As we travel together, we can grasp this opportunity to open ourselves to each other’s humanity, listen to each other’s stories, and offer our hopes for a better world. . .and together we can bring forth this world.

Uncle Loui’s Cafe plans to reopen with more seating and windows by Labor Day













Penny Briddell, owner/manager of Uncle Loui’s hopes to reopen her restaurant by Labor Day. A fire broke out at the 520 East Fourth St. location on April 19. Deputy Fire Marshal Ken Goossen said the cause is undetermined but that it was accidental and started in the area of of the refrigerator. The whole refrigerator is being analyzed by an insurance company examiner.

Briddell said the restaurant has been gutted and will have new equipment. The new Uncle Loui’s will be larger because some partition walls have been knocked out. A window will also be added in the back. Previously the restaurant sat 59 people, it will now seat 80.

Some 10 employees, both full-and part-time, are anxiously awaiting the open date.
“We all miss our customers,” said Bridell.

“Cabins of Minnesota” captures the heart and soul of Minnesota cabin tradition


Book Review
by Carol Wallwork












Cabins of Minnesota,

Published by the Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2007
Price: $19.95

Cabins of Minnesota is a compact 128-page book of color photographs published by the Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2007. This seemingly simple book prompts us to slip from clamorous modernity to the summertime shores of a Minnesota lake cabin, within sight of a weathered dock, water lapping the posts. Or to a cabin deep in a pine forest on a crisp autumn morning, the tiny icebox and stove waiting for us to start the bacon sizzling, coffee brewing, flapjacks bubbling.

These cabins of Minnesota are far removed from more typical magazine or book depictions of upscale retreats that never look lived in. Instead, we find the comfortably quirky, paint peeling, cobbled together, one-of-a-kind, mostly humble cabins at peace with their surroundings.
Doug Ohman’s photographs are as straightforward and comfortable as the cabins. He captures the warp and woof of this culture, such as cabin owner signs like horizontal totem poles, paying homage to well-lived lives. Or old yard chairs at water’s edge, with a feel of empty pews at church just before service.

Coupled with Ohman’s photographs, Bill Holm’s sensitive narrative is part philosophy, part cabin living basics, part small bit of interesting personal history. He makes magic with this reticent subject, and together with Ohman, they create The Cabin Fugue, a metaphor for their examination of cabin life from many variations (one variation is the richness of making music while at cabin).

Holms shares the wisdom of international visionaries starting with Thoreau:
Here, embedded in Walden, is the credo of the cabin, of American idealism, of the “meaning of life.” Even Americans who have never read Thoreau hear the echo of this passage in their inner ear or their conscience. Here is Henry:

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and
not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

A chapter is devoted to Ernest Carl Oberholtzer. Oberholtzer helped preserve the lands and waterways that became Voyageurs National Park and Boundary Waters Canoe Area. He started building his Rainy Lake cabins in the 1920s. They are lovingly described and photographed, inspiring another generation to the great cabin ethos: natural beauty, simplicity, hospitality and music.

Never far from Cabins of Minnesota is the soul of its subject, the wilderness, and water:
The country around Rainy Lake and Lake of the Woods’ give the illusion that you are the first to set foot on that ground. When you fly over this section of the state in a small plane on a moonlit night, you see perhaps one lonesome narrow road threading its way through the dark woods, but a multitude of lakes, ponds, sloughs, marshes glittering in the moonlight. In the dark spaces between the water live wolves, bears, moose, bobcats, deer, coyotes, more of them than of us, I hope. And cabins.

The places named sing of cultural influences from more optimistic and lyrical times Clearwater Lake, Cry of the Loon Resort, Wigwam Bay, Lake Irene, Koochiching County, Mille Lacs, Rum River.

The book’s size and layout are light and comfortable in the hand. It is printed on acid-free paper and is sturdily stitched. The only unappealing production note is that this very paean to Minnesota ingenuity was printed in China.

Ohman and Holm are born teachers. This book captures the heart and soul of the Minnesota cabin tradition and why such places matter.

College Students Fast and Learn About the Costs of War


Far left: Hungry for Peace rally at the civic center in downtown Duluth, Minn. (Photo by Naomi Yaeger-Bischoff)

Right: Names of the dead soilders from the Iraq war on a University of Minnesota pillar near the bookstore. (Photo by Will Rhodes.)



By Eric Lund
As part of the “Hungry for Peace” campaign that I had co-organized, several others and myself abstained from food for five days to protest the occupation of Iraq. It was a joint effort between UMD and St. Scholastica’s campuses.

We held various activities throughout the week, as well as camped out in St. Scholastica’s lawn each night. Each day had a theme. Monday was Open Discussion day, in which we had both UMD and CSS’s student political groups hold a panel on the War.

Tuesday was Veterans Day, in which we held another panel, with an Iraq and Vietnam War veteran, as well as a member of the Duluth Chapter of Veterans for Peace. We then showed a movie following entitled “When I Came Home” chronicling the abuse of some already homeless Iraq War veterans.

Wednesday was titled “The Cost of War: Health, Environmental and Fiscal Costs of the War in Iraq.” It was an informative lecture that highlighted how much money the war, whether we support it or not, costs each and every one of us, the damage its doing to Iraq’s ecosystem, and the effects of substances such as depleted uranium is having on our soldiers returning home, and the lives and well-being of the citizens of Iraq. Following the lecture we had an open-mic concert on CSS’s lawn.

Thursday featured a lecture by Dr. Sabah Alwan, who teaches at CSS and is from Iraq. He talked about the history of the country, and the startling changes that have occurred pre-invasion, and post. Friday we ended the week with a rally in front of the government buildings downtown, featuring among others local peace activist Michelle Naar’Obed.
How did this all get started you might ask? Well this past week was a product completely manufactured by students. A few months ago a couple of UMD freshman, Steve Wick and Coly Wentzloff, perturbed that there wasn’t an anti-war group on campus started-up a group they called “UMD Students for Peace.” I attended the first meeting, and that’s where things really kicked off.

We staged a protest in front of the UMD bookstore, in which we cut out and pasted up the names of the over three thousand dead International soldiers, all over the pillars and walls. We even dragged a bed down from the dorms, and had a John Lennon-style bed-in for peace. We garnered a good amount of attention that Friday afternoon, and it put us in contact with numerous peace and social justice groups around the city.

The fast and encampment was an idea of mine. I thought we needed to do something really radical, because while marches and protests are great, 95% of those in attendance put in their hour and a half, and go home unmoved. We needed to show people that we were willing to make sacrifices; that we’d give up something so fundamental as food!

I attended a Northland Anti War Coalition meeting, and presented my idea of a fast. They thought it was a great idea, but it was a busy couple of weeks, and nothing much got done about it. Finally somebody put me in contact with two girls who run Amnesty International at CSS, Emily Slagle and Lorena Rodriguez. As soon as we met, we both said the magic word, FAST.

Across campuses we had the same idea. They had done some research and the University of Baltimore Maryland was organizing a fast the week of April 30th – May 4th calling for other campuses across the nation to join them in solidarity. The dates were set and we spent the next month filling in the details and doing our best to advertise while trying to stay on top of schoolwork.

“I think the reason that fasting works well as a form of protest is because it shows that you are dedicated to what you are doing,” said Slagle. “It involves sacrifice, granted it is a relatively small sacrifice, but it makes people notice. The idea behind the “Hungry for Peace” protest is that the citizens of this country need to take back the control that they have lost. The majority of the people in this country do not support this war and we need to stand up and let the government know that this is unacceptable.”

We had done some research on fasting, and we knew it was going to be difficult, but at the same time a very healthy and cleansing experience. However, by the start of the week, we had about thirty people pledging to fast, and by the end of the week, about five made it. I prepared well for the fast eating only fruits and vegetables two days before it. According to our research the first three days were supposed to be hard, really hard, and after that our body would pretty much forget it was hungry, and we’d be in a healthful bliss the last two days.

It kind of went the opposite for me. The first three days were relatively easy for me, the only distractions came when I’d see a bowl of candy, or somebody biting into a big juicy sandwich, and I had to constantly remind myself of the cause. The last two days were extremely difficult however. I had no strength, I’d get winded going up hill or up stairs, and was constantly tired. I found myself easily irritable, and a little delirious. One-by-one people fell off, saying they couldn’t concentrate on the school, or had a choir concert. I couldn’t blame them.

Regardless we made it through the week relatively unscathed, and with an overwhelming sense of success. The events were well attended and, upon talking to people, exiting. I got the impression that people thought the events were informative and thought provoking. The media gave us a fair amount of attention, which assisted our other main goal, awareness.

People asked me what I missed most about not eating last week. It wasn’t so much the actual food, because the human body can live a long time without it, it was the ritual of eating…something I had never really thought about before. But three meals a day is so ingrained in our heads, we stop to take a break midday, read the paper, and in a sense center ourselves and evaluate our goals for the next several hours. Without this regimented schedule, I felt all my days just blended together without much direction or purpose. So there, a little food for thought!

Friday, June 08, 2007

New thrift store on Fourth Street, DeeDee's Dodads


Caption: Teresa and Denise Clement in DeeDee’s DooDads, their family-owned thrift store. (Photo by Naomi Yaeger-Bischoff)


A new thrift shop named DeeDee’s DooDads has opened in Central Hillside at 107 1/2 W. Fourth St. The shop is owned by Mike and Denise Clement. Mike is a retired Duluth Transit Authority bus driver. He and his wife are high school sweethearts and grew up in the Hillside neighborhoods. Their adult daughters, Jennifer Johnson and Teresa and Michelle are assisting in running the shop.
If there is a particular item a customer needs the Clements will try to obtain it for them. The shop is open Monday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The phone number is 218-727-1251.

Monday, June 04, 2007

Community Calendar

Duluth Laughing Club every Monday 12:10-12:20 p.m. Duluth Civic Center in front of the St. Louis County Bldg.

Tweed Museum of Art Gallery Talk each Saturday at 2 p.m. An informal tour of current museum exhibitions. Free

East Hillside Community Club 1st Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. Grant Rec. Center, 901 E. 11th St.

Childbirth Topic Night - Northland Childbirth Collective 1st Thursday, 7 p.m. Peace Church, 1111 N. 11th Ave. E. Free Contact Emily 393-7042
Neighborhood District 5 1st Thursday,
7 p.m. Central Hillside Center, 12 E. 4th St.

The Hillsider Board 2nd Monday, 6:30 p.m. HBA office, 928½ E. 4th St.

The Arrowhead Stamp Club 2nd & 4th Mondays, 7 p.m. Rainbow Senior Center

It’s Summer Time!Live at Lake Place Tuesdays beginning
June 5th, 12-1 p.m. Free

Chester Creek Concerts at Chester Bowl Tuesdays beginning June 5th, 7 p.m. Free
Rock the Block Downtown Duluth summer concerts every other Thursday beginning June 14th, 4:30-7 p.m. Free
Movies in the Park Leif Erikson Park, Fridays beginning June 15th at dusk. Free

Tweed Museum of Art
Black, White and Red All Over Illustrations from the Collection May 31st-October 21st.
Fables and Pyramids Adu Gindy, Joy Kops, Peter Weizenegger June 3rd-August 5th. Opening reception, Sunday, June 3rd, 2-4 p.m.
UNSOILED narrative ceramics. Guest-curated by Jim Kleug, Professor, UMD Art & Design, June 5th-November 11th
Archetypes and Armatures Sculpture and Drawings by John Orth June 5th-November 11th.
UMD campus, 1201 Ordean Ct. 726-8222
www.d.umn.edu/tma; email tma@d.umn.edu

The Northeast Entrepreneur Fund
Networking Luncheon for Business Owners Tuesday June 5th, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. WITC Conference Room, Superior, $10
Recordkeeping for Small Businesses Monday, June 18th, 5:30-9:30 p.m. Ordean Bldg. $59
Introduction to Business Planning Workshop Thursday, June 28th, 5:30-7 p.m. Ordean Bldg. Free
To register call 1-800-422-0374 or visit www.entrepreneurfund.org

Clayton, Jackson, McGhie Memorial Day
The community is invited to gather together on Friday, June 15th, noon, at the Memorial corner of Second Ave. E. and First St. Call 722-3186 for further information.

Show your support for the runners:
17th Annual Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon Saturday, June 16th, 6:30 a.m. start. 13.1-mile road race from Lakeview Castle to Duluth.

31st Annual Grandma's Marathon Saturday, June 16th, 7:30 a.m. start. 26.2-mile road race from Two Harbors to Duluth. Grandma's Marathon is the 13th largest marathon in the United States. www.grandmasmarathon.com

Juneteenth Saturday, June 16th, 12–8 p.m. Bayfront Park. There will be music, education, food and fun. Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the ending of slavery. It was on June 19, 1865 that the Union soldiers arrived at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free – this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation which had become official on January 1, 1863.

Neighborhood Youth Services Monday-Friday, beginning June 18th, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Washington Center, 310 N. 1st Ave W. Free summer program opportunities for youth ages 6-17. Monday-Thursday scheduled activities include Gardening 10-11:30 a.m.; Lunch 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Weekly theme activities and trips 12:30-4 p.m.; Fridays, Basketball league. 723-3522

The Twin Ports Coin and Currency Club 2nd Tuesday, 7 p.m. Rainbow Senior Center

Campus Neighbors no June meeting
3rd Tuesday, 7 p.m. Grant Rec. Center, 901 E. 11th St.

Hillside Business Association 3rd Wednesday, 12 p.m. Village Place meeting room, 602 E. 5th St.

Neighborhood District 7 3rd Thursday,
7 p.m. MIGHT meet on June 21st, Mount Olive Lutheran Church, 2012 E. Superior St. Contact Alison, 724-6185, or check the City's website for confirmation.

Park Point Community Club 3rd Thursday, 7 p.m. Lafayette Square, 3026 Minnesota Ave.

At Home in East Hillside 4th Tuesday,
5:30 p.m. Grant Rec. Center, 901 E. 11th St.

Central Hillside Community Club meets when needed 4th Tuesday, Gene 591-2682

Gloria Dei Community Breakfast 4th Satur-day, 9-10:30 a.m. Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. 219 N. 6th Ave. E. Free

Capitalizing on Socialist Decor


Caption: Artist Jesse Dufree designed the hand-blown beer tap handles which mimic the turrets on St. Basil's Cahedral in Red Square. (Photo by Naomi Yaeger-Bischoff)

Recently on a LISTSRV that I belong to, someone asked if anyone knew about the theme of the new restaurant Burrito Union located in East Hillside at the corner of Fourth Street and Fourteen Avenue East. Another person mentioned that I might know. Well, being the editor does have its perks. I was invited to a party the night before the restaurant opened so that the owners, Rod Raymond and Tim Nelson, could test out their new facilities on real live people.

So, Teri Glembin, a graphic artist who designed their menus, and Simon Gray, a designer, gave my husband and me the lowdown on the interior décor. What follows is my response to those who asked the question on the LISTSERV:
Yes Folks, the theme is Socialist/Communist at Burrito Union. This was done on purpose.

The type font on their menus and signs is literally named "Soviet Union."
If you look at their beer tap handles, which are beautiful hand blown glass by Jess Dupree, you will notice they are red and the tops are colorfully shaped like the turrets on St. Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square, Russia.

The food choices include: "The Fat Capitalist," which my husband loves, and "The Happy Worker," a vegetarian burrito which I usually order. One time a waitress was walking around looking for who ordered our food and asked my husband, "Are you the Fat Capitalist?" We all laughed and he said, "Yes."

Their theme is "Burritos for the People." And much of their logo type includes a worker's fist...as he demands his rights.

Go into their bathrooms which are unisex, and look at the artwork on the walls, the bulletin board also contains many redone photos and graphics which include Communist/Socialist themes, but these may be covered up with posters by now.
The employees wear either black or red T-shirts and workmen caps.
The thinking on all this was from their designer, Simon Gray. “I have to respect the building,” Gray said of his style of design.

He wanted to keep with the theme and history of the building and the neighborhood. The people who had settled in the East Hillside and those who had built the original building came from the Soviet Block nations. And, like most people, they (we) are proud of our ethnic heritage and it is a part of us even when we think it is not.


Red stars can be seen throughout this restaurant. All across the northland, red stars used to be on the Union Halls of the descendants of these Soviet Block nations, but with the Red Scare of the 1950s they were quickly painted white and any ties to Communist/Socialist themes where quickly denied.

I am also impressed by Burrito Union's commitment to the environment. You won't find any Styrofoam cups or Styrofoam take-out containers. The floor is made of bamboo, the menu signs are recycled or old plywood painted with blackboard paint. The light fixtures are recycled, the chandeliers reflect the Bourgeoisie of the old Communist nations, and the funky family-room hanging lamps reflect what was seen in the homes of the descendants of the Soviet Block settlers to the East Hillside in the 1950s through the 1970s.


Naomi
"The Happy Editor"

Floyd’s Hair Choppers is open at 506 East Fourth Street







Captions: Above: Steve "Floyd" Wahl says his barber shop is the only one in Duluth that you can pick up a guitar and start playing.
Second: Whahl gives Jeff Anderson a trim. (Photos by Naomi Yaeger-Bischoff)



By Naomi Yaeger-Bischoff

The Fifth Avenue Barber Shop at 420 N. Fifth Ave. is moving to 506 East Fourth Street and will be renamed Floyd’s Hair Choppers.

Steve “Floyd” Wahl has been at the same location ever since he moved to Duluth 14 years ago from the Twin Cities. Wahl says his new location will be more visible and will have free parking in the back. His new name reflects some of his favorite customers, motorcycle riders. He moved to Duluth because he loves to be around lakes and also to get away from the crime and violence of the Twin Cities.
Wahl said of his shop, “It is the only barbershop that you can pick up a guitar a play.”
Daugherty’s Hardware purchased Wahl’s property.

Captions:
Jeff Anderson gets a trim from Steve “Floyd” Wahl.

Steve “Floyd” Wahl says he has the only barber shop where you can pick up a guitar and play it. His new shop will be located at 506 East Fourth Street.