Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Fire on Fourth Street in Central Hillside


Three families have been displaced by a fire that at 103 W. Fourth St. in Central Hillside around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 26. All escaped the fire, one woman was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation, The Duluth Fire Department responded to report of a structure fire at 103 W. 4th St. Initial arriving fire companies reported heavy fire coming from a commercial building containing a laundromat.

The building was two stories; with occupied apartments above the laundromat. The entire main floor that contained the laundromat was fully involved with fire. Firefighters attacked the fire initially from the exterior and then made entry to the building. Significant fire was encountered throughout the main floor. The fire was stopped before it could get into adjacent buildings, or the upstairs.

There were occupants home in the upstairs apartments at the time of the blaze; and all were able to escape. One female occupant was transported to a local hospital for possible smoke inhalation.

The structure of the building remains intact; though the contents of the laundromat are completely destroyed. The upstairs apartments received mainly significant smoke damage. Initial damage estimates are set at $150 - $200,000.

At least three families have been displaced by the fire, and the Red Cross is working to assist them at this time.

The origin and cause of the fire is under investigation by the Duluth Fire Marshal's Office.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Cheering and booing dominated Oberstar-Cravaack forum






It was an emotional crowd at the Congressman Jim Oberstar and challenger Chip Cravaak forum on Tuesday, Oct. 19. A crowd filled the main level of the DECC auditorium and didn't heed the requests of forum moderators Dave Orman or Chuck Fredrick to keep the event civil.

At the beginning Orman told the crowd that there had been a fist fight in the skywalk (which this blogger thought was a joke, but apparently not). He asked the crowd to refrain from "cat-calling, booing and cheering." Chuck Fredrick, editor of the opinion section of the Duluth News Tribune also referred to how they edit letters for civility.

But the polite requests were not heeded.

When Oberstar was introduced cheering arose from the crowd. As Cravaack was introduced an even louder crowd jumped to its feet cheering.

The audience submitted questions as the debate style forum started. It turned into a typical liberal versus conservative debate with liberals blaming conservatives for giving tax cuts to the rich and conservatives blaming liberals for spending too much.

The debate was sponsored by the Duluth Chamber of Commerce, The Duluth News Tribune and St. Luke's.

You can listen to an audio report from MPR here.

If you know where there is a full audio of the whole "forum" please let us know.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Safe Haven helps women regain their lives: Hillsider blogger attends presentation about domestic violence

Presentation about battered women's shelter discusses how women get caught up in abusive relationships

Caption: The Power and Control Wheel in an abusive relationship. The Equality Wheel. The Power and Control Wheel was developed from the experience of battered women in Duluth who had been abused by their male partners. It has been translated into over 40 languages and has resonated with the experience of battered women world-wide.
Learn more at www.TheDuluthModel.com







By Sam Elmquist October is nationally recognized as violence against woman awareness month. In honor of this I attended a presentation about physical violence against women, more particularly about a women’s shelter here in Duluth called Safe Haven. The shelter works with men, women, and children involved in abusive relationships. Safe Haven provides a safety net which allows women caught up in abusive relationships to come and stay at the shelter, hopefully allowing them the time they need in order to try and settle themselves as individuals. Specifically they give these women a place to stay and time to figure out what it is they want to do. Various support groups help them realize the situation they are in and give them the chance to relate with other women who are going through similar circumstances. The shelter offers women looking for help up to thirty days to figure out what it is they want to do, this is not necessarily a time limit because the shelter is willing to make exceptions for women who need more time and are seriously committed to change.

Ed Heisler, community education coordinator, was the speaker for the presentation which focused on how these sorts of abusive relationships work, and how abusive men gain control power and control over their partners. (Now it is important to consider the fact that there are men that are in abusive relationships, but it is vastly more common among women and so that is why the presentation and the shelter focus directly upon women as victims.)

What it comes down to in these sorts of relationships is domination and subordination, particularly through violence. To get a good idea of how power works in this sort of relationship refer to the power and control wheel which illustrates this article. The wheel was created by women who had direct experience with these types of relationships. The man wants the woman in the relationship to be exactly the way he imagines she should be and if the woman puts forth any resistance then it is answered back with more resistance. For instance a woman tries to stand up for herself within any sort of context, like a simple argument, and the man reacts by raising his voice, now she is scared and she may or may not proceed with standing up for herself. If she does stand up for herself, the man reacts with even more resistance by pushing her and calling her names. Generally there comes a point when the woman gets tired of trying to resist and instead just settles within the relationship. There are women take the risk and try to get help from places like Safe Haven, that is if they are even fortunate enough to have this option. For an idea of what a healthy relationship looks like consider the equality wheel attached.

Fortunately for us here in Duluth there is Safe Haven and they are here to help, if you know of any women or children in these sorts of situations you can call there crisis line 24-7 at 218-728-6481. Feel free to check them out on the web as well. http://www.safehavenshelter.org/




Saturday, October 16, 2010

Rania Duluth Friendship Project Public Reception



The Echoes of Peace choir sang at the September 29, 2010 public reception of the Rania-Duluth Friendship Project

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Exclusive: Hillsider asks gubernatorial candidate Tom Horner about Duluth's workforce and economic recovery


Our question: How do you perceive Duluth's workforce meeting the required skills for economic recovery from this recession?

Tom Horner - Independent candidate for Minnesota governor

In Minnesota, we have had a lot of big talk. We have had too little big and bold action.There is great opportunity if we make sound, upfront investments rather than continue passing our problems down to our kids. But before we simply ask ‘how much do we spend?’ we need to ask ‘what for?’

In education, two outcomes are critically important.

First, we need more Minnesotans with some level of post-secondary education. According to a recent Georgetown study, 70 percent of the jobs in Minnesota will require post-secondary education in the year 2018. That starts by assuring access to good two-year community and technical schools.

Second, we also need to create a system that promotes lifelong learning, from cradle to grave.
From there we can back up to make smart, long-term decisions, not just for our workforce but for our outstanding civic culture. That means targeting investments in early childhood learning to help reform K-12 education. Then we need to make sure we teach students in ways that reflect how they actually absorb new information and develop new skills.

The two-year technical colleges must play a key role in workforce readiness for both young students and older students seeking new skills. Regionally situated, these schools are best positioned for agility and responsiveness with customized training needs, refresher training courses, and professional licensing requirements.

We need to make sure both our two- and four-year schools provide the training and curricula that address the job needs of local businesses. My community revitalization plan includes very specific proposals for training and vocational programs.

Together we must have a vision for how Minnesota leads in innovation, entrepreneurialism and education. Otherwise our state will struggle to keep up with the rest of the nation.

Exclusive: Hillsider asks gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer about Duluth's workforce and economic recovery


Our question: How do you perceive Duluth's workforce meeting the required skills for economic recovery from this recession?

Tom Emmer - Republican candidate for Minnesota governor


Duluth has a rich history of innovation, entrepreneurship and resiliency. Generations of hard working men and women in northern Minnesota grew the city from its roots as a fur-trading settlement to a bastion of opportunity in the wheat, mining, lumber and transportation industries, to name a few. The region has both flourished and struggled throughout history, but one thing remains constant—the people are and always have been responsible for its renewal.
In today’s economy, Minnesota and Duluth are in need of another economic rebirth.

We need to bring job creation, business growth and economic expansion back to the area. People will once again facilitate the innovation and creativity needed to get our economic engine moving again. In doing so, Minnesota will continue to be the best place to live, work and raise a family.
I have been traveling the state for months talking with voters about how we can revive our economy, create new jobs and eliminate government regulations that impede growth. By reforming our regulatory and permitting processes, we can get PolyMet, Duluth Metals and Franconia operating at full potential.

As governor, my two top priorities will be creating jobs and improving education. The key to long-term job creation is education. We must, however, improve education through long-overdue reforms. Reforming education is as much about jobs and future prosperity as it is about learning. That is why we have laid out an education reform plan for pre-K, K-12 and higher education. In working with the university and MnSCU system, we can achieve the reform needed to improve educational outcomes for our students, thus ensuring a 21st century, globally competitive workforce.

Northeast Minnesota is on the cusp of generating thousands of new, high-paying jobs, and I am committed to making that happen. This area has raw potential for a complete revitalization of the Range, and I am excited to fight on behalf of the people to allow them to do what they do best—put their minds, bodies and entrepreneurial spirit back to work.

Exclusive: Hillsider asks gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton about Duluth's workforce and economic recovery

Our question: How do you perceive Duluth's workforce meeting the required skills for economic recovery from this recession?

Mark Dayton - DFL candidate for Minnesota governor


Underemployment and skill mismatches are big problems for Duluth and the entire state as a whole. Duluth, and the Northeast region, has fared worse than the state as a whole in recent years. To make matters worse, as we come out of this recession, the types of jobs that become available require a much different skill set than what was needed before the recession.

A 2005 UMD study on underemployment in the region found that, “23.3 percent of those currently employed have one or more valid certificates or degrees that are not used in their current job.”

The percentage of healthcare jobs in Duluth is almost double the state average. Meanwhile, the loss of manufacturing has hit northern Minnesota particularly hard. As a result, there are opportunities in the health care industry for skilled workers, but large numbers of unemployed workers from the manufacturing sector don’t have the needed skills to fill these positions.

The Dayton administration will partner with local communities to identify these gaps and direct investments to workforce development as needed. The Dayton budget will prioritize higher education so students will have access to affordable education that is targeted to career opportunities in the local economy. Only through these partnerships can we identify the needs and direct the appropriate investments in training.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

R.I.P. Cathryn Curley

Caption: Cathryn Curley at the grand opening of the Family Justice Center in Feb. of 2009.

Cathryn Curley, Co-founder Safe Haven Shelter, Duluth passed away last night, Oct. 12 2010.

She was a pioneer in working to stop domestic violence. She worked to educate victims, offenders, law enforcement, the judicial system.

She was also a loving mother of two daughters and a friend to many.

The Echos of Peace Choir had planned to sing Held by Holy Angels to her at 7 p.m. on Oct. 12, but she passed just before that time. The choir sang by phone to one of her twin daughters. Many people in the choir knew Cathryn it was a solemn time, but a comfort for so many friends to be together and be able to sing this song together.



He daughter Abby wrote in Carthryn's website at Caringbridge.org

My wonderful, beautiful, courageous, strong, smart, loving, amazing mother lost her fight today. She died in the arms of Liza, Jeremy, my dad, and myself. She was not in any pain. The sadness is overwhelming for us. Liza and I are trying to find a way to cope...thank you for being by our sides for this journey. We will continue to lean on each other for support.

We will be in communication for future arrangements.

Love,
abby

The Hillsider published a story written by Peggy Anderson about the Family Justice Center in the March 2009 issue and the Hillsider Blog. See the post with a photo of Cathryn and her quotes here:

Family Justice Center offers many services at one location

Oct. 18 Here is the obituary that ran in the Duluth News Tribune this weekend.

Here is another post that appeared on Perfect Duluth Day: R.I.P. Cathryn Curley Feminist Pioneer.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Solar-powered trash compactors and recycling bins to "green" Lakewalk


\
Caption ~ TOP - A ribbon cutting for the solar powered trash compactors at in Philadelphia (Photo from BigBellySolar.com) LOWER LEFT: Mayor Don Ness announces the addition of solar-powered trash compactors and recycling bins along the Lakewalk. (Photo by Rebecca Yaeger-Bischoff)

It saves money and the planet

By Rebecca Yaeger-Bischoff

Over 1 million people use Duluth’s Lakewalk each year, and all of those people using the Lakewalk can add up to a lot of trash. Recently the city received a grant that will help it reduce the volume of trash that needs to be carted to a landfill.


At a press conference on Sept. 30 Mayor Don Ness announced that starting this spring there will be solar-powered trash compactors and recycling bins along Duluth’s Lakewalk. The city plans to install 10 of each unit from Canal Park to Brighton Beach. This project is being funded by a $41,159 grant from the Department of Natural Resources Solar Legacy Grant Fund.


The new units will help the city improve the efficiency of waste pick-up by providing status updates via text message to the Park Maintenance Center. The trash compactors also can hold up to 5 times as much as waste the current bins. Reducing the number of times need to empty the trash containers will not only save the city money, but will also reduce CO2 emissions. The city will look into expanding the trash compactor and recycling units after the effectiveness of the Lakewalk units is determined. For more information about the solar-powered units visit http://bigbellysolar.com/solutions/

Thursday, October 07, 2010

Friday, Oct. 7: J. Lydia Salon celebrates grand opening with music, food, art and give aways

Caption: The Friday, Oct. 8 grand opening of the J Lydia Salon in East Hillside will include artwork by Jessica Turtle. Show here is a Hammer in Hand, 18" x 24": Acrylic on Canvas Paper $80.00

By Sam Elmquist
Since July the J. Lydia Salon has been open and serving customers at 1131 B East 4th Street. The owner Jessica Myshack, a Duluth native, is a first time business owner and stylist of ten years. For these past few months Jessica has been figuring out what it takes to own a hair salon, one thing she has particularly enjoyed is the community of businesses and the feeling of being welcomed as a new business owner in Duluth. Now that she has found her place as a stylist and an owner she has decided that it is long overdue for her to host a formal grand opening for the salon.

The opening will be held this Friday, October 8th, starting at 6pm. It is going to feature a variety of things including live music, some of it to be performed by Myshack herself, and free food, generously donated by the Lake Avenue Café, Amazing Grace, and the New London Café. There will also be art by Jessica Turtle on display and for sale, prices ranging from 55-125$. Myshack has known the artist for a while socially and has done some work for her as a stylist, she picked the art up when Turtle finished her showing at another venue. Along with all of this there will be a gift certificate and hair product give away. The event goes till 9 and all our welcome, I encourage everyone to check it out.

Hillsider asks Mark Rubin to talk about injustice; and his favorite spot in our coverage area

Mark Rubin County Attorney Candidate

The Hillsider ask St. Louis county attorney candidate Mark Rubin three questions:
  1. What things in the County Attorney’s office would you like to see change, expanded or improved upon.
  2. What is the greatest injustice that needs correction?
  3. What is your favorite place in any of the three neighborhoods that we cover, i.e. Central Hillside, East Hillside or Lincoln Park.

County attorney office changes or improvements
1. I will ccontinue to do my part as your County Attorney working towards that day when all children can live in neighborhoods free from the harmful influences of adult criminals. This requires effective and respectful collaboration and confidence between prosecutors, law enforcement and the people we serve, with improved strong and fair leadership in the County Attorney’s Office ensuring that people who break the laws and hurt our fellow citizens are held accountable. I will work to keep you safe.


Great injustice needing correction
2. One of the greatest injustices in this world is ignorance. It is the root of our inhumanity to each other. I believe the correction is education…and that education begins at home. I carry that simple piece of paper we all received at Hillfest: “Keep Children Safe on the Hillside.” We can realize this common vision by modeling simple family rules…and enforcing them. We can constructively shape our children’s futures, one that transcends ignorance, by supervising our children’s behavior and activity, by teaching respectful boundaries with other people, by expecting children to follow family and community rules and by getting to know our neighbors as ourselves.

Favorite spot
3. My favorite place on the Hillside is the First Witness Child Advocacy Center at Lake and Fifth. Twenty years ago, we came together as a community, as neighbors, to build this safe place for our children to be interviewed after a report of abuse. I was fortunate to be a part of a small dedicated group that included police officers, social workers, a therapist, and a physician who, along with the women of Junior League, together turned a bold idea into a reality. When I am there, I reflect and am overwhelmed at the lives that have been saved…and forever changed for the better, through our innovative and compassionate community response.

Sat., Oct 9 Attend all or part of Project Homeless Connect Sleepout

At Wade Stadium in Duluth

Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Hillsider asks Melanie Ford to talk about injustice; and her favorite spot in our coverage area

Melanie Ford Incumbent County Attorney
The Hillsider ask St. Louis county attorney candidate Melanie Ford three questions:
  1. What things in the County Attorney’s office would you like to see change, expanded or improved upon.
  2. What is the greatest injustice that needs correction?
  3. What is your favorite place in any of the three neighborhoods that we cover, i.e. Central Hillside, East Hillside or Lincoln Park.

County attorney office changes or improvements
1. First, I want to continue reforming our juvenile justice system, creating successful outcomes for our children and increasing the community safety. This means eliminating the disparate impact of detention on youths of color, creating home and community-based alternatives, and developing culturally appropriate programming.

I want to create a culture of zero tolerance for violence against women. I will continue to reform our domestic violence prosecution policies and strengthen our community response.

Third, I want to expand our specialty courts. Our drug and DWI courts are already in place and are succeeding. If we add mental health and juvenile dependency courts, we can keep even more offenders from reoffending and save the citizens of St. Louis County additional tax dollars.

Great injustice needing correction
2. Sadly, states’ average spending on incarceration is 2.8 times as much as K-12 education. Education is a key to crime prevention, and I believe we need to invest in keeping kids in school from the earliest age. This is why I will continue to collaborate with school districts to improve school attendance and create a “culture of graduation.” It is also why I will keep advocating at the state level to move money away from costly detention and towards child development programs.

Favorite spot
3. Hard to choose! I have a special place in my heart for Chester Creek, just above 4th Street, because that’s where my daughter’s high school graduation pictures were taken. I love Cascade Park, too. As a member of Duluth’s League of Women Voters, which adopted the park, I get to help keep the gardens beautiful for all to enjoy. I also have strong feelings for the Lincoln Park area, both its business environment and proximity to the park. It’s where my husband’s business and my re-election headquarters are located.


Exclusive ~ The Hillsider asks the gubernatorial candidates




How do you perceive
Duluth's workforce meeting the required skills for economic recovery from this recession?




CAPTION: Minnesota gubernatorial candidates at the Duluth Chamber of Commerce The Forum event on Sept. 7, which was held at the Duluth Playhouse. From left to right: Tom Horner - Independent, Tom Emmer - Republican and Mark Dayton - DFL.Photo by Naomi Yaeger-Bischoff)

Mark Dayton - DFL candidate for Minnesota governor

Underemployment and skill mismatches are big problems for Duluth and the entire state as a whole. Duluth, and the Northeast region, has fared worse than the state as a whole in recent years. To make matters worse, as we come out of this recession, the types of jobs that become available require a much different skill set than what was needed before the recession.
A 2005 UMD study on underemployment in the region found that, “23.3 percent of those currently employed have one or more valid certificates or degrees that are not used in their current job.”

The percentage of healthcare jobs in Duluth is almost double the state average. Meanwhile, the loss of manufacturing has hit northern Minnesota particularly hard. As a result, there are opportunities in the health care industry for skilled workers, but large numbers of unemployed workers from the manufacturing sector don’t have the needed skills to fill these positions.

The Dayton administration will partner with local communities to identify these gaps and direct investments to workforce development as needed. The Dayton budget will prioritize higher education so students will have access to affordable education that is targeted to career opportunities in the local economy. Only through these partnerships can we identify the needs and direct the appropriate investments in training.

Tom Emmer - Republican candidate for Minnesota governor

Duluth has a rich history of innovation, entrepreneurship and resiliency. Generations of hard working men and women in northern Minnesota grew the city from its roots as a fur-trading settlement to a bastion of opportunity in the wheat, mining, lumber and transportation industries, to name a few. The region has both flourished and struggled throughout history, but one thing remains constant—the people are and always have been responsible for its renewal.
In today’s economy, Minnesota and Duluth are in need of another economic rebirth.

We need to bring job creation, business growth and economic expansion back to the area. People will once again facilitate the innovation and creativity needed to get our economic engine moving again. In doing so, Minnesota will continue to be the best place to live, work and raise a family.
I have been traveling the state for months talking with voters about how we can revive our economy, create new jobs and eliminate government regulations that impede growth. By reforming our regulatory and permitting processes, we can get PolyMet, Duluth Metals and Franconia operating at full potential.

As governor, my two top priorities will be creating jobs and improving education. The key to long-term job creation is education. We must, however, improve education through long-overdue reforms. Reforming education is as much about jobs and future prosperity as it is about learning. That is why we have laid out an education reform plan for pre-K, K-12 and higher education. In working with the university and MnSCU system, we can achieve the reform needed to improve educational outcomes for our students, thus ensuring a 21st century, globally competitive workforce.

Northeast Minnesota is on the cusp of generating thousands of new, high-paying jobs, and I am committed to making that happen. This area has raw potential for a complete revitalization of the Range, and I am excited to fight on behalf of the people to allow them to do what they do best—put their minds, bodies and entrepreneurial spirit back to work.

Tom Horner - Independent candidate for Minnesota governor

In Minnesota, we have had a lot of big talk. We have had too little big and bold action.
There is great opportunity if we make sound, upfront investments rather than continue passing our problems down to our kids. But before we simply ask ‘how much do we spend?’ we need to ask ‘what for?’

In education, two outcomes are critically important.

First, we need more Minnesotans with some level of post-secondary education. According to a recent Georgetown study, 70 percent of the jobs in Minnesota will require post-secondary education in the year 2018. That starts by assuring access to good two-year community and technical schools.

Second, we also need to create a system that promotes lifelong learning, from cradle to grave.
From there we can back up to make smart, long-term decisions, not just for our workforce but for our outstanding civic culture. That means targeting investments in early childhood learning to help reform K-12 education. Then we need to make sure we teach students in ways that reflect how they actually absorb new information and develop new skills.

The two-year technical colleges must play a key role in workforce readiness for both young students and older students seeking new skills. Regionally situated, these schools are best positioned for agility and responsiveness with customized training needs, refresher training courses, and professional licensing requirements.

We need to make sure both our two- and four-year schools provide the training and curricula that address the job needs of local businesses. My community revitalization plan includes very specific proposals for training and vocational programs.

Together we must have a vision for how Minnesota leads in innovation, entrepreneurialism and education. Otherwise our state will struggle to keep up with the rest of the nation.

Mount Olive Lutheran offers new service time on Saturday afternoon

On October 9, Mount Olive Lutheran Church will add a 4:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon service. The service will be a slightly simplified version of the regular 9:30 a.m. Sunday morning service, and was added to accommodate those who are not able to attend church on Sunday morning. Mount Olive is located at 2012 E Superior Street. E-mail mtoliveduluth@msn.com or phone 724-1969.

Hillside Church to hold annual Fall Fest, October 31, 4 - 7 p.m.

Hillside Church will be hosting its annual Fall Fest on Sunday, October 31 from 4-7 p.m. Each year, Hillside Church transforms its meeting space into a fun carnival for kids. Activities will include a moonwalk, games, candy, prizes, face painting, hotdogs, raffle drawing and a winter clothing giveaway.

The event is free of charge. All families with children are welcome to join us for a night full of fun. Children are encouraged to come with a parent/guardian, and children under the age of 5 must be with an adult.

This will be a great family- friendly event open to the community to create a safe place for kids and parents on Halloween Night.

Hillside Church is located in the Encounter Building at 201 East First Street. Doors open at 4:00 p.m. For more information call our office at 218-728-5500.

Perspectives from the Lincoln Park Patrol ~Attend city-wide crime prevention meetings



Make your neighborhood better - Attend city-wide crime prevention meetings. Next one is Thursday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. at Holy Family Catholic Church. Topic: blight


By Pam Kleinschmidt

My volunteer experience started over three years ago as a result of my interest in ridding my street of drug dealers who lived in a neglected rental property at the end of the block. I had just moved into the lovely residential area in Lincoln Park and was fixing up the home we had purchased to rehab.

I watched cars coming and going from the property at all hours of the day and night that noisily passed our home, announcing the occupants’ arrival with blasts of loud music and that deep bass rumble that woke you from a dead sleep a block away. There were threatening arguments often outside the residence, neglected children and, more than once, gunshots. The property often had garbage strewn in the yard and an overgrown hedge which made walking safely next to a busy road impossible.

Residents along the street would meet on the sidewalk over yard work and have whispered conversations expressing their fears of personal safety, their disgust that things were not what they used to be in the neighborhood and their desire to move out of it. It was time to get organized as a group and call the landlord to register our complaints.

During one such call I received the following reply from him: “I am tired of the neighbors calling me! I moved out of that ghetto, so should you.” I replied that I had just moved into it and was determined to make it a better place to live. This response spurred me to work harder to hold that landlord accountable for his tenants and the safety issues his neglected property caused the neighborhood as well as those he was renting to.

Are you motivated to find out more about you can do build a safer and more peaceful neighborhood? You can start where I did by attending the City-wide Crime Prevention Meetings hosted by Neighborhood Housing Services monthly at Holy Family Catholic Church. This monthly meeting brings residents across the city together to discuss their concerns and provide solutions to building and sustaining a safer place for all of us to live.

Please join us for the October meeting for a presentation on the City of Duluth’s Blight Ordinance, on October 28 at 6 pm at Holy Family Catholic Church, 2430 W 3rd Street.

Are you a landlord or renter who needs help understanding the Multi-Housing Crime Free Ordinance? A training session will be offered on Tuesday, November 30, from 9am until 4pm at the West Duluth Police Station, 5830 Grand Avenue. For more information and to register, contact, Brendan Hanschen at Neighborhood Housing Services at: bhanschen@nhs.org or 727-8604.

Additionally, you may read more about this ordinance online at the Duluth, Minnesota government website: www.duluthmn.gov/police/CFMH/

New task force to study human trafficking in Duluth

Caption: Shunu Shrestha, Trafficking and Prostitution Task Force Coordinator will work closely with Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault (PAVSA) and American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) to get a task force up and running and to use that task force to identify what resources are needed in Duluth.

By Naomi Yaeger-Bischoff

Asked to think about human trafficking, the average person would think of a person forced to work against her or his will. Most would feel sorry for the victim and probably think that it should be stopped. If asked to think about prostitution, the average person would probably think about sex and a criminal element.

That average person would probably be shocked to think that human trafficking exists in Duluth. But he or she wouldn’t be too surprised to hear that prostitution exists. Human trafficking conjures up mental pictures of people unduly detained and forced to work against their will. Prostitution conjures up mental pictures of illicit sex. In one example, the person detained and forced to work is considered a victim; in the other she is considered a criminal.

Over the years, counselors and advocates for battered women have heard stories in which women are trafficked in Duluth, especially American Indian women. Counselors at Dabinoo’igan, a Duluth shelter for battered women and victims of sexual assault, report that 47 percent of the women receiving their services have been victims of trafficking, even if the women themselves don’t initially see it that way. A woman may say that her boyfriend threatened to hurt her or her family unless she would sleep with friends for money. Sometimes it is a family member who pressures her.

Most people would feel sympathy for the victim of human trafficking and wonder why society doesn’t put a stop to it. The Women’s Foundation of Minnesota is doing just that, by funding a task force to study the issue of human trafficking and prostitution in Duluth.

Trafficking and Prostitution Task Force Coordinator hired

Shunu Shrestha was hired in May. She will work closely with Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault (PAVSA) and American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) to get the task force up and running and to use that task force to identify what resources are needed in Duluth. Once these needs are identified, then resources can be designed that will help women and girls break free from the cycle in which they’ve become enmeshed.

Shrestha is a December 2009 master’s graduate in human rights at Columbia University, New York, and a 2007 graduate of the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul with majors in Women’s Studies and English.

Shrestha grew up in Nepal, where she went to school with her brothers. At the age of 12 or 13, though, she realized that many girls were not treated equally to boys. Most girls did not attend school, but stayed home to look after the home and other children. This situation “didn’t feel right,” she said, “but whenever I asked about discrimination against women, people just said that it was natural.” Shrestha worked for non-governmental organizations in Nepal to try to further equal rights of women. Attending a conference of an international organization working for women’s rights further inspired her.

Over 30 people in Duluth have expressed an interest in joining the work of the taskforce. The next taskforce meeting is set for Oct. 13 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Building for Women, 32 E. First Street. Lunch will be provided, but please RSVP. Contact Shrestha at shretha@pavsa.org or (218) 726-1442.