Potter family opens 4th Street Market

Tom and Judy Potter stand in the produce section of the Fourth Street Market. The Potters and their son, Matt Potter, opened the store in January. The store is licensed for EBT cards and WIC vouchers. [Photo by Naomi Yaeger-Bischoff]

Manager Matt Potter (left), works with Cullen Hoag of North Business Products to get the cash register system set up. [Photo by Naomi Yaeger-Bischoff]


It will provide the neighborhood with fresh produce, staples and a hot and cold deli

By Naomi Yaeger-Bischoff

People of the Central Hillside neighborhood are excited that the Fourth Street Market is now open under the ownership of the Potter family. The small grocery store at 102 E. Fourth St. is the only grocery store in the neighborhood and had been closed for about one year. It will feature a deli with hot and cold meals, and a fountain pop and cappuccino bar.

Tom and Judy Potter are the owners of the Fourth Street Market. Their son Matt will manage the store. Their other son, David, will manage the family-owned gas station and convenience store on Sixth Avenue East. (A daughter, Amy, is in California)

The Potters strive to give neighborhood people convenience and choices in fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy products, as well as other healthy choices, but it is a challenge to sell the fresh foods quickly enough.

The Fourth Street Market now is licensed to receive EBT cards (Food Stamps) and WIC vouchers (Women Infants and Children.) The approval was a month-long process. Many of their potential customers are low-income. The waiting for approval from the state was frustrating for both the customers and the Potters.

They are hoping the deli will attract people who work downtown. Former employee Roxanne Kelly is again the deli manager, and she already has a menu with new hot and cold items for each day of the week. Some of the daily specials include: scalloped potatoes with ham or tuna casserole, creamed chicken with biscuits or beef stroganoff, and spaghetti. They will also have everyday dishes like goulash, tacos, burritos and sandwiches, as well as soups.

On a recent Saturday Rick and Rita Havron, who live up the hill by Nettleton School came into the store for lunch. “I love the deli,” said Rita. Rick said, “It is a convenient place to come down and pick something up, instead of running up the hill all the time.” His deli favorites are the potato wedges, chicken and lasagna.

The Potters own the ICO gas and convenience store on Sixth Avenue East. Many of the residents use the bus or a taxi for transportation; so not having a grocery store in walking distance was a hardship for them. Tom Potter said his convenience store saw a noticeable increase in traffic of people purchasing food items after the Fourth Street Market closed last year.

“When you see someone walking up the hill with three or four bags of groceries from Super One, you feel bad,” Tom said. (Super One is the next largest mainstream grocery store located 16 blocks from the Fourth Street Market.)

The Potters heard about other businesses, some of them from out of town, that were speculating on re-opening the store. They kept waiting, but no one did re-open the store. Tom wonders if out-of-town people may have been scared off by the bad things they hear about the neighborhood. He knew there was a need for a grocery store in this neighborhood. He also knows the people. He says the good things outweigh the bad.

In June of 2009 the Potters asked the Hurlbut-Zeppa Trust, which owns the building, to tour the store. “It was very depressing,” said Tom. “We saw a large project ahead of us.” It would take money and work to clean up and repair the store. Tom and Judy have four grandchildren and one on the way. Rebuilding a business was not in their plans for this time of their life. “I didn’t want to start out again in debt,” Tom said. George Garnett worked as a consultant with the Hurlbut-Zeppa Trust and worked out an arrangement in which the landlord would replace and repair equipment and do some cosmetic updates. Tom said that he and his wife, Judy, decided, “If Matt would do the leg work, we would bring the experience.”

Keir R. Johnson, CFO of the Zeppa Family Foundation, said, “We thought it was important to have a grocery store in the neighborhood as a service. It is both a gathering place and place to purchase necessities. The Potters had some experience in retail grocery with their other ventures. They had a vision for a grocery store.”
The majority of their loan came from the Northland Foundation. They also received some guidance from Jennifer Young of the Northeast Entrepreneur Fund.

The Potters’ first experience as small business owners on the Hillside began in 1983 when they opened the Milkhouse at 906 Central Entrance. When they lost the lease to that location, they opened the ICO at 537 N. Sixth Ave. E.

The Potters saw a real need for this business. They see it as both a service to the neighborhood and an opportunity for their son Matt to have a business. Although they see it as income for Matt. Tom says, “There is a reason why there aren’t many of these places left anymore.” Making a profit at a mom-and-pop store is difficult. The larger supermarkets can sell goods more cheaply as they purchase their products in mass quantities.

Three former employees of the Fourth Street Market are back. They include Jelayne Sargent, Claudette Huuth and Roxanne Kelly. Having their expertise will be beneficial. Claudette and Roxanne worked for both the Nygaards, who owned the business for 30 years, and the Kirks who owned the business for 2 1/2 years.

The store is open from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The phone number is (218) 727-3811.

Duluth LISC receives $500,000 to help transform distressed areas into healthy communities of choice and opportunity

Caption:
Central Hillside residents Gene
McKeever and Steve Sydow stand beside a display showing revitalization plans.

If you are living in a blighted neighborhood and you paint your house, another neighbor fixes his porch, and the business down the block spiffs up its storefront, the rest of the homeowners and landlords on your block might decide to follow suit. Before you know it, your neighborhood has become a more comfortable place to live and do business. At least that is what Duluth LISC (Local Initiative Support Corporation) is counting on.

The parking lot and street parking all around the Central Hillside Community Center was full, as was the meeting room as supporters and stakeholders crowded together to hear Duluth LISC announce it had received a $500,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The press conference, held on April 14, featured Duluth Mayor Don Ness and the Knight Foundation representative Polly Talen.

The grant will make five Duluth neighborhoods significant participants in a national effort to involve residents in long-term planning physical improvements and comprehensive community development.

The neighborhoods – Central and East Hillside, Lincoln Park, Morgan Park, and West Duluth – are already targets of LISC’s Creating Neighborhoods That Work – At Home in Duluth Sustainable Community strategy to transform distressed areas into healthy communities of choice and opportunity – good places to work, do business and raise children.

“We think this grant can be a catalyst for anyone – developers, business owners and residents – interested in investing in the neighborhoods that are getting better and stronger by the day,” said Duluth LISC Executive Director Pam Kramer.

“It’s definitely a shot in the arm for the revitalization projects we already have under way in such neighborhoods as the West Duluth Business District and Ramsey Village and the Fourth Street corridor in the Central and East Hillside.”

The Knight grant will help Duluth LISC expand new business development in the designated “At Home” neighborhoods, fund various aspects of “quality of life” plan implementation, support neighborhood marketing and communications efforts, and train residents and community organizers in revitalization techniques.

Duluth LISC’s targeted neighborhood approach is partly a consequence of the 2005 Duluth Charrette, a Knight-funded, long-range planning exercise in which Duluth residents, planners, architects, and urban developers created plans for the East Downtown, Hillside and Waterfront neighborhoods. “LISC understands that good neighborhoods thrive when residents are involved and engaged,” said Knight Foundation Director Polly Talen.

Kramer emphasized that while LISC and Knight Foundation have laid the groundwork for the comprehensive redevelopment of those neighborhoods, the participation of private developers, residents, and businesses is essential for long-term success.

For more information, visit www.lisc.org.

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes excellence in journalism worldwide and invests in the vitality of the Twin Ports and 25 other U.S. communities. Knight Foundation focuses on ideas and projects that create transformational change.





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"Dis & Dat" new store on Central Hillside

By Naomi Yaeger-Bischoff

Caption: Demetris Boyd is the owner of “Dis & Dat.” Her daughter, Dajã Norvell helps her sell the candy.

Love Baker will assist with braiding


Demetris Boyd has opened a combination variety store and hair braiding service at 118. W. First St. She named it “D & D’s” or “Dis & Dat.” She said, “We sell ‘dis and we sell ‘dat.” The named coincides with the initials for her name and her daughter, Dajã Norvell, age 11. Dajã assists her in the store, especially selling the candy.

Boyd said she opened the store to help residents of Central Hillside who might need an household item like a sponge mop or an iron, and who don’t have the transportation to drive up to the Miller Hill area or want to take a two hour city bus trip. Her inventory changes every few days.

She has one wall that features handmade original crafts. Currently she had Native American artwork, including dream catchers which are priced less than similar artwork (by the same artist) on Canal Park Drive.

In the back there is a separate room for braiding. Boyd has 15 years experience braiding. Her hair braiding services can run from $10.00 to over $100.00 depending on the complexity of the design. Love Baker assists her with braiding. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are welcome. She also sells hair care products for African American hair. The store’s phone number is 218-727-1905.

The Hillside's Hidden Streams: Brewery Creek

A story told to and recorded by Nancy Nelson
I am Brewery Creek. I’ve lived on Duluth’s hillside for thousands of years, a lot longer than any of you folks have been here. I’ve carried lots of water down the hill to Lake Superior, and I’ve seen lots of changes over the years.

My territory includes a little more than a square mile. My western branch starts up by Central Entrance, in a little wetland behind Taco John’s. I flow past the Marshall School, where my smaller eastern branch joins in. After I cross under Rice Lake Road by the MNDOT office the real fun begins as I race down the steepest part of the hill. The street you call Sixth Avenue East used to be my ravine. These days I disappear from view near the UDAC building, but you can see me again at the lakeshore just below Sir Ben’s.

I had this place pretty much to myself for a long time, flowing free all the way from the heights to Lake Superior. Then around 150 years ago people started cutting down trees, making streets, and putting up buildings all over the hillside.

For a while these folks found me useful. Back in about 1859 Duluth’s first brewery was built on my western bank between Seventh and Eighth Avenue East, just above what is now the “freeway.” The brewery used my water for making beer, so folks started calling me Brewery Creek.

About 20 years later, there was a big rain storm, and I had to move a lot of water down the hill really fast. I was just doing my job, but I got a little carried away and washed out a piece of the hill under the brewery. Part of the building fell down and lots of beer got spilled. Mr. Fink, who ran the brewery, wasn’t very happy about it, so he decided to build a new place down on the lakeshore. He sold that building a few years later to two men – Mr. Fitger and Mr. Anneke. I hear they still make beer there, although they don’t use my water anymore.

Back in those days nobody had cars. Most things were moved around in carriages that were pulled by horses and mules. It was pretty hard for them to cross me, so bridges were built on some of the streets. As I remember it, there was a bridge on East Sixth Street and another one on East Tenth Street. I didn’t mind the bridges because I could still see the daylight and talk to all the critters that came to visit me. But from East Fifth Street on down the hill to Superior Street, the engineers decided to cover me up completely so they could just build streets and not worry about bridges. They put me in big brick and concrete tunnels and covered the tunnels with dirt. Goodbye daylight!

It got even worse when people started driving cars. They got annoyed when they couldn’t cross me at the streets that didn’t have bridges. I was in the way of progress, so the engineers kept working. During the early 1900s they built more tunnels, which got longer and longer. Piece by piece, they put me in the tunnels and covered me up. By the end of the 1920s I was in the dark most of the way from Tenth Street to the lake. Eventually the folks living in the hillside forgot all about me because they couldn’t see me. Some folks even built houses and gas stations right on top of me!Well, even though you don’t see me any more, I still do my job of carrying water to Lake Superior.

I have more stories to tell, like all the fun I had in 1972 when three big storms came through the hillside. But I hear there’s some rain coming, so I’d better get back to work now. I’ll tell you more next time!

Nettleton Awarded for High Academic Performance





















Nettleton Magnet Elementary School was recognized with the prestigious Minnesota’s Future Award for high academic performance by the Minnesota Business Partnership.



Nettleton was the only school chosen for this award in the state of Minnesota. The Minnesota Business Partnership is a nonprofit group of 100 CEO’s leading the state’s largest employers.
Nettleton’s Principal, Stephanie Heilig; Assistant Principal, Kathi Kusch Marshall; and a group of dedicated staff members traveled to Minneapolis to the Minnesota Business Partnership Annual Dinner to accept this important award. The event was attended by many noteworthy Minnesota business leaders, community leaders, local Minneapolis/St. Paul media, and Governor Pawlenty.



The percentage of Nettleton 3rd and 5th graders performing at or above grade level in reading and math from 2003 through 2005 was comparable to the statewide average. Nettleton focuses on reading.





With the help of a “Reading First” grant implemented in partnership with the University of Minnesota, Nettleton teachers learned and embedded effective reading practices into all subjects. Rather than rely on remediation to help struggling readers, Nettleton increased academic rigor and expectations, then provided additional support during and after school for students. “In many ways, we follow the pattern of successful businesses: We know our market, we base or decisions upon the latest research and best practices,” said Nettleton Principal Stephanie Heilig

Central Hillside residents meet to brainstorm for ideas to improve the neighborhood


Caption:
Wanda Sayer and Myrna Raisnen write down ideas during a brainstorm session for Central Hillside.









By Naomi Yaeger-Bischoff
hillsider@sundogpress.com
Residents of the Central Hillside neighborhood gathered to brainstorm for ideas to make the area a nicer place to live and do business on Thurs., Sept. 14. Mike Fisher and Heidi Bringman, consultants with LHB Corp. led the group in three exercises. People sat at round tables and shared ideas. In the first exercise people wrote down what they thought were problems. The group was then treated to a supper. The next step was to complete and exercise with “idea Cards” in which people drew a picture or wrote down in words what would be a good, important or exciting idea for Central Hillside. Twenty-four ideas cards were used. Some of the ideas include: drawings of street-lights, better traffic controls, addition of fencing, a neighborhood watch, street improvements, a mini-bus transportation system, improving the acoustics in the Washington Center, beautifying or adding green space, creating gardens, encouraging walking and biking, a youth center, leveling of the hill of the Park and Rec area. The third and final exercise of the night was to define an area of focus. People were asked to circle or pinpoint on a map the exact area they would like to see the ideas implemented. Before people left for the night, people were giving a sticker and asked if they woke up in the morning with $1million to spend in the Central Hillside, which area of focus would they spend the money. Lighting the Hillside received the most stickers. Bringman said, “A lot of people were pretty clever in their ideas.” A unique idea she heard was to have a training program with a volunteer from University of Minnesota or the University of Wisconsin to help with simple landscape ideas to apply to our own homes. Another idea was to have a training process for landlords to make sure rental properties are up to code. LHB Corp was hired as the consultant for the “At Home in Duluth,” which is a collaboration of the City of Duluth, Duluth LISC, and Neighborhood Housing Services. Bringman said that the Duluth Neighborhood Revitalization planning is off to a great start. She urges residents to come hear what Central Hillside neighbors think and share ideas for future revitalization efforts.

The next meeting is scheduled for:
Thursday, November 2nd at the Central Hillside Community Center, 6pm.