Heritage Hockey CenterDuluth Parks and Recreation offers free summer skating every Wednesday from 1:30-3:30 PM at the new Heritage Hockey Center.
The next free summer skating session will be held on Wednesday, July 16 from 1:30- 3:30 PM. The Heritage Hockey Center is located at 120 South 30th Avenue West. These sessions are free and open to all ages for pleasure skating. Please bring your own skates. For more information please call Parks and Recreation at 730-4300.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Building a sandcastle or something else
Area Youth are invited to participate in the Parks and Recreation Department's Sandmodeling Contest, Tuesday, July 22 from 11:00-2:30 PM at the Park Point Beach House located at 45th Street and MinnesotaAvenue.
Each community recreation center will create their own work of art inthe sand. Judges will determine who takes home the traveling trophy, buteveryone is a winner at this event! Free for all youth, families andparticipants from all community recreation centers.
Transportation isprovided from community recreation centers to the event. Duluth Parks and Recreation Department's Summer Youth RecreationProgram is open at fourteen community recreation centers. Most sitesare open from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday through Thursday. Hours do vary at some centers, please check your local center for exact hours.
The program offers recreation activities for all youth, focusing on ageskindergarten-6th grade. Activities include supervised arts and crafts,field trips, story telling, games, swimming, hiking, special events andmuch more. The summer program will run through August 15th. This event was made possible through the generous donations fromNorthland Foundation, Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation and theLloyd K. Johnson Foundation. For more information contact Parks and Recreation at 730-4300.
Each community recreation center will create their own work of art inthe sand. Judges will determine who takes home the traveling trophy, buteveryone is a winner at this event! Free for all youth, families andparticipants from all community recreation centers.
Transportation isprovided from community recreation centers to the event. Duluth Parks and Recreation Department's Summer Youth RecreationProgram is open at fourteen community recreation centers. Most sitesare open from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday through Thursday. Hours do vary at some centers, please check your local center for exact hours.
The program offers recreation activities for all youth, focusing on ageskindergarten-6th grade. Activities include supervised arts and crafts,field trips, story telling, games, swimming, hiking, special events andmuch more. The summer program will run through August 15th. This event was made possible through the generous donations fromNorthland Foundation, Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation and theLloyd K. Johnson Foundation. For more information contact Parks and Recreation at 730-4300.
Wednesday afternoon minstries at First Lutheran
First Lutheran Church Intergenerational Summer Ministry “Casting Our Nets”This summer everyone is invited to come cast their nets into the great bible sea and join the fishing fun as we learn more about Jonah and Jesus and the Disciples through drama, music, games, crafts, and food. Casting Our Nets is an intergenerational program, which means that everyone from toddlers to grandparents are invited to participate. The activities will encourage cooperation are designed to include every one of all ages and abilities. Please come in July for three afternoons of fishy fun! Participate in one or all three sessions.
No cost, dinner provided. Wednesdays July 16, 23, 30 from 3-6 p.m.
No cost, dinner provided. Wednesdays July 16, 23, 30 from 3-6 p.m.
Fly a kite at the First Lutheran Worship in the Park service
Worship in the Park
First Lutheran Church will be holding its Worship in the Park service each Sunday at 10:00 a.m. until September. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. In case of rain service will be held in the sanctuary of First Lutheran Church . Nursery is available.
July 20 will be a celebration of Lake Superior Day with a kite flying event following the service. Bring your kite!
First Lutheran Church will be holding its Worship in the Park service each Sunday at 10:00 a.m. until September. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. In case of rain service will be held in the sanctuary of First Lutheran Church . Nursery is available.
July 20 will be a celebration of Lake Superior Day with a kite flying event following the service. Bring your kite!
CELEBRATE LAKE SUPERIOR DAYS
The Northland will celebrate
Events at the
Environmental and conservation groups will provide information on the history of
One of the key messages of area events for Lake Superior Day 2008 is “Clean Boats Everyday.” Boaters and anglers are reminded to take action to prevent the spread of harmful aquatic invasive species. “Clean Boats Everyday” is a summer long initiative by that highlights efforts of the Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Campaign. “Protecting
Local events sponsored by: Clean Water Action, Lake Superior Binational Forum, Lake Superior Magazine, Minnesota DNR, Minnesota Environmental Partnership, Minnesota Sea Grant, Save Lake Superior Association, and the Duluth - U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.
To learn more about what you can do to celebrate
Visit www.superiorforum.info
For more info on Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!, visit www.protectourwaters.net
For more info on the
Schedule for Lake Superior Day
Celebrate
LAKE SUPERIOR DAY
CARLTON
July 18-20 – Spectators can watch the
Whitewater Rendezvous Slalom & Sprint
Races from the Highway 210 bridge at Thomson Dam.
Races are 3-7 p.m. July 18; 9 a.m.-noon July 19;
DULUTH
July 17-20 – Lake experts will be at Lake Superior Maritime
Visitor Center in Canal Park, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily with
information about regional culture, natural history & aquatic
invasive species. Drawings for gifts from Lake Superior
Magazine, Great Lakes Aquarium and Great Lakes United.
July 19-20 – Duluth geocacher Ghost640 will hide geocoins
in the area; www.superiorforum.info has clues.
July 19 – Howard Sivertson, author of Driftwood: Stories
Picked Up Along the Shore, will sign books at Northern
Lights Books & Gifts from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
July 20 – Nukewatch will sponsor a Walk for the Lake, 11
a.m.-3:30 p.m.: Brighton Beach, 11 a.m., on the 6.5-mile
route or from Leif Erickson Park, 2 p.m., on the 1.5-mile
route, meet in Canal Park for a rally and music.
July 20 – Great Lakes Aquarium offers hands-on learning
stations 10 a.m.-6 p.m., kite flying from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
(bring your own kite) and a 2:30 p.m. presentation by
Commissioner Allen Olson of the International Joint
Commission about Great Lakes issues, Lake Superior
and the International Upper Great Lakes Study that may
change outflow from Lake Superior.
July 20 – Several area churches will hold special services
in honor of Lake Superior Day.
Through the summer – Images from Craig Blacklock’s
latest book, Minnesota’s North Shore, are on display at
Waters of Superior in Canal Park.
TWO HARBORS
July 20 – Save Lake Superior Association hosts environmental
and conservation groups to discuss aquatic invasive species,
environmental protection, regional culture, natural history
and related topics at Split Rock Lighthouse, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Through September – “The Thing About Lake Superior”
exhibit: images from photographers Val Doherty and
John Gregor with quotes on the lake basin’s natural and
cultural history, Waterfront Gallery.
SUPERIOR
July 20 – Community for Youth Committee hosts at
Barker’s Island Festival Park, 1-4 p.m. Events include a
drum circle, games, kites, music and displays. A cleanup at
Barker’s Island features a “trash trophy” for the most
successful collector. Lake Superior Writers “Read Stories
for the Lake,” 2-4 p.m., Fairlawn Mansion & Museum.
Most events are free; admission fees apply at some locations
Thursday, July 10, 2008
The Cancer FIGHT BACK bus will be at Wade Stadium on July 31
Minnesotans Team Up to Fight Back against Cancer Nationwide Access to Health Care Tour Rolls through Minnesota July 29-31.
A diverse group of Minnesotaorganizations, cancer patients, survivors and their families will besigning the Fight Back Express’ rolling bus petition at tour stops inMinnesota July 29-31. The Minnesota stops are part of the American CancerSociety Cancer Action Network's (ACS CAN) six-month national tour to rallyAmerica for the fight against cancer. Minnesotans signatures and messageson the bus will join thousands more Americans calling on Congress, the next president and state policymakers to make health care and fighting cancernational and state priorities.
"Our bus petition and its Mobile Action Center will empower Minnesotans to fight back against this disease," said American Cancer Society volunteerSandy Slocum of Zimmerman, Minnesota. "We're organizing everyone to tell our elected leaders that access to life saving preventative cancer screening, and affordable, quality health care must be at the top of our nation's to do list."
Wade Stadium, Duluth 5-10 p.m., July 31
(Duluth Huskies Fight Back Night)The ACS CAN Fight Back Express tour launched in early May and will travel25,000 miles across 48 states through Election Day 2008. For moreinformation about ACS CAN and the Fight Back Express visit the press roomat: http://www.acscan.org/bus.
For more information on Fight Back Express stopsin Minnesota, please contact Mike Maguire at the American Cancer Society.Cancer's Impact in Minnesota:Cancer is the leading cause of death in Minnesota. Each year, 23,500Minnesotans are diagnosed with cancer and 9,500 die from the disease. Under/uninsured Minnesotans diagnosed with cancer can be twice as likely todie from the disease as those with adequate health insurance protections.Minnesota Fight Back Express tour stops will educate the public on waysthey can fight back against cancer while highlighting the critical partnergovernment is in the fight against cancer.
ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy partner of the American CancerSociety, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designedto eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourageelected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority.
ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with thetraining and tools they need to make their voices heard. For moreinformation, visit http://www.acscan.org/.
June Underage Alcohol Compliance Checks
Editor's, note: On July 4th my husband and I went into one of these liquor stores and no one was checking ID and it was a Zoo. I am sure some were underage. THIS was AFTER they had been cited.
During the last two weeks of June, the Duluth Police Department completed Underage Alcohol Compliance Checks on both on and off-sale establishments. The compliance checks were completed with adults between 18 and 21 years of age. During the operation a total of 88 businesses were checked. Total compliance during the checks was 80.7% . City ordnance citations were issued to 17 employees who sold alcohol to underage persons during the compliance checks. Additionally, the owners/ license holders of the businesses will also be cited criminally and referred to the Alcohol, Tobacco and Gambling Commission for possible civil penalties.
Off-sale establishments compliance was 57.9% or 8 of 19 sold to an underage person.
On sale establishments were 87% compliant with 9 of 69 selling to an underage person.
Businesses where violations occurred included: Lake Aire Bottle Shop, Last Chance Liquor and Wine, Red Star Lounge, Carmody’s, Lake Superior Bottle Shop, Canal Park Liquor, Va Bene, Ace’s on First, Wild West Liquor, Sportsmen’s Liquor, Big Bottle Shop Liquor, Piedmont Bottle Shop, Curly’s, Mitch’s Bar and Grill, Bergey’s Bar, Mexican Maya, and North Pole Bar.
During the last two weeks of June, the Duluth Police Department completed Underage Alcohol Compliance Checks on both on and off-sale establishments. The compliance checks were completed with adults between 18 and 21 years of age. During the operation a total of 88 businesses were checked. Total compliance during the checks was 80.7% . City ordnance citations were issued to 17 employees who sold alcohol to underage persons during the compliance checks. Additionally, the owners/ license holders of the businesses will also be cited criminally and referred to the Alcohol, Tobacco and Gambling Commission for possible civil penalties.
Off-sale establishments compliance was 57.9% or 8 of 19 sold to an underage person.
On sale establishments were 87% compliant with 9 of 69 selling to an underage person.
Businesses where violations occurred included: Lake Aire Bottle Shop, Last Chance Liquor and Wine, Red Star Lounge, Carmody’s, Lake Superior Bottle Shop, Canal Park Liquor, Va Bene, Ace’s on First, Wild West Liquor, Sportsmen’s Liquor, Big Bottle Shop Liquor, Piedmont Bottle Shop, Curly’s, Mitch’s Bar and Grill, Bergey’s Bar, Mexican Maya, and North Pole Bar.
Brown Bag Lunch, DULUTH CITY PLANNING COMMISSION
Friday, July 11, 2008
Noon to 1:00 pm
Location: Conference Room 402
Fourth Floor Duluth City Hall
Subjects:
Endion Land Use and Transportation Plan
- presentation by Holly Butcher/MIC Staff
Highway 53 / Miller Trunk Transportation Improvements
- presentation by Roberta Dwyer/MNDOT Staff
Noon to 1:00 pm
Location: Conference Room 402
Fourth Floor Duluth City Hall
Subjects:
Endion Land Use and Transportation Plan
- presentation by Holly Butcher/MIC Staff
Highway 53 / Miller Trunk Transportation Improvements
- presentation by Roberta Dwyer/MNDOT Staff
City, Blues Fest reach tentative agreement
The Bayfront Blues Festival will stay at its home in Bayfront Festival Park through 2010 under a tentative three-year agreement announced Tuesday by Mayor Don Ness and event organizers.
“This agreement ensures that one of Duluth’s premier events will remain at Bayfront Park,” Mayor Ness said. “It also establishes a cooperative relationship between festival organizers and the City. Duluthians are rightfully proud of the success of the Blues Festival, which is a tremendous showcase for our city and a great event for residents and visitors alike.”
Under terms of the agreement, Bayfront Blues Festival, Inc. will pay the City $25,000 in rent for each year of the deal in 2008, 2009 and 2010. In addition to the rent agreement, the City has agreed to dismiss a contested lawsuit regarding ticket accounting filed by the City last year. The proposed settlement allows the Festival to allocate $5,000 of the rent due in 2008 to resolve the lawsuit. The Festival had previously voluntarily paid a missing stage rental fee from 2006 in April, 2008, as soon as the discrepancy was discovered. The proposed settlement allows both parties to avoid any further legal costs. The City of Duluth and Bayfront Blues Festival, Inc., are both extremely pleased with the amicable resolution of the pending lawsuit.
“These agreements, along with a renewed partnership with City Hall, will assure the festival remains at Bayfront for the foreseeable future,” organizer Chris Mackey said. “We are very happy to be able to put this issue behind us and focus our energy on running the festival at its traditional home.”
Both the Duluth City Council and the Duluth Economic Development Authority (DEDA) must approve the agreement. DEDA’s approval is necessary because the tentative agreement allows parking on land owned by the authority.
The 20th Annual Bayfront Blues Festival is scheduled for August 7-10, 2008.
“This agreement ensures that one of Duluth’s premier events will remain at Bayfront Park,” Mayor Ness said. “It also establishes a cooperative relationship between festival organizers and the City. Duluthians are rightfully proud of the success of the Blues Festival, which is a tremendous showcase for our city and a great event for residents and visitors alike.”
Under terms of the agreement, Bayfront Blues Festival, Inc. will pay the City $25,000 in rent for each year of the deal in 2008, 2009 and 2010. In addition to the rent agreement, the City has agreed to dismiss a contested lawsuit regarding ticket accounting filed by the City last year. The proposed settlement allows the Festival to allocate $5,000 of the rent due in 2008 to resolve the lawsuit. The Festival had previously voluntarily paid a missing stage rental fee from 2006 in April, 2008, as soon as the discrepancy was discovered. The proposed settlement allows both parties to avoid any further legal costs. The City of Duluth and Bayfront Blues Festival, Inc., are both extremely pleased with the amicable resolution of the pending lawsuit.
“These agreements, along with a renewed partnership with City Hall, will assure the festival remains at Bayfront for the foreseeable future,” organizer Chris Mackey said. “We are very happy to be able to put this issue behind us and focus our energy on running the festival at its traditional home.”
Both the Duluth City Council and the Duluth Economic Development Authority (DEDA) must approve the agreement. DEDA’s approval is necessary because the tentative agreement allows parking on land owned by the authority.
The 20th Annual Bayfront Blues Festival is scheduled for August 7-10, 2008.
State of the City update presentation schedule released
Here is the cablecast schedule for Mayor Don Ness’ second State of the City update, produced Tuesday by PACT-TV. All air dates are on PACT-TV Channel 7. Video will also be available on the City of Duluth website at www.duluthmn.gov beginning late Tuesday afternoon and available in DVD form at the Duluth Public Library main branch on Wednesday morning for checkout. Mayor Ness’ comments are approximately 48 minutes in length.
·
Thursday, July 10 – 4:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m.
·
Friday, July 11 – 5:00 a.m., 8:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m.
·
Saturday, July 12 – 4:00 p.m., 6:30 p.m.
·
Sunday, July 13 – 3:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m.
·
Monday, July 14 – 1:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m., 9:30 p.m.
·
Tuesday, July 15 – 5:00 a.m., 7:00 a.m.
Citizens without access to internet or cable television, or who wish to obtain a personal copy of the mayor’s comments, may call the PACT office at 723-3686.
·
Thursday, July 10 – 4:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m.
·
Friday, July 11 – 5:00 a.m., 8:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m.
·
Saturday, July 12 – 4:00 p.m., 6:30 p.m.
·
Sunday, July 13 – 3:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m.
·
Monday, July 14 – 1:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m., 9:30 p.m.
·
Tuesday, July 15 – 5:00 a.m., 7:00 a.m.
Citizens without access to internet or cable television, or who wish to obtain a personal copy of the mayor’s comments, may call the PACT office at 723-3686.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
First Lutheran Church Worship in the Park is at Leif Erikson Park, Sundays in July & August at 10:00 a.m.
First Lutheran Church Intergenerational Summer Ministry “Casting Our Nets”
This summer everyone is invited to come cast their nets into the great bible sea and join the fishing fun as we learn more about Jonah and Jesus and the Disciples through drama, music, games, crafts, and food.
Casting Our Nets is an intergenerational program, which means that everyone from toddlers to grandparents are invited to participate. The activities will encourage cooperation are designed to include every one of all ages and abilities.
Please come in July for three afternoons of fishy fun! Participate in one or all three sessions. No cost, dinner provided.
Wednesdays July 16, 23, 30 from 3-6 p.m.
This summer everyone is invited to come cast their nets into the great bible sea and join the fishing fun as we learn more about Jonah and Jesus and the Disciples through drama, music, games, crafts, and food.
Casting Our Nets is an intergenerational program, which means that everyone from toddlers to grandparents are invited to participate. The activities will encourage cooperation are designed to include every one of all ages and abilities.
Please come in July for three afternoons of fishy fun! Participate in one or all three sessions. No cost, dinner provided.
Wednesdays July 16, 23, 30 from 3-6 p.m.
FUSE event Making it in Duluth
Have you ever heard someone say, "There are no jobs in Duluth"? Do you want to know how people are finding jobs in the area? or What the average salary is? Some young people have chosen to leave the Duluth area and others have chosen not to relocate here because of their perceptions of the labor market or inability to find a job. Attend this event to enjoy a great lunch and learn about our local workforce and its trends. Our expert panel features:
Nicole Johnson; Supervisor, Human Resources (Minnesota Power)
Drew Digby; Labor Market Analyst, Northeast MN and Economist (State of MN) This event is limited to the first 96 registrants. The event is filling up quickly, register today!
Click to RSVP
Nicole Johnson; Supervisor, Human Resources (Minnesota Power)
Drew Digby; Labor Market Analyst, Northeast MN and Economist (State of MN) This event is limited to the first 96 registrants. The event is filling up quickly, register today!
Click to RSVP
"Can of Worms" highway ramps in Duluth to close July 14
Crews will perform preventative maintenance beginning Monday, July 14, on the highway ramps at the downtown interchange that serves Highway 53 (Piedmont Avenue), 21st Avenue West, Interstate 35 and I-535, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The work on what is known locally as the "Can of Worms" interchange will require single-lane restrictions on Highway 53 (Piedmont Avenue) and complete ramp closures for 21st Avenue-West.
Ramp closures should not last more than one day, and should not significantly affect traffic access to Highway 53, I-35 and I-535. Motorists are advised to use alternate local routes between 21st Avenue West and Highway 53. This highway improvement project is estimated to last five days, depending on weather conditions.
Ramp closures should not last more than one day, and should not significantly affect traffic access to Highway 53, I-35 and I-535. Motorists are advised to use alternate local routes between 21st Avenue West and Highway 53. This highway improvement project is estimated to last five days, depending on weather conditions.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
East Hillside Youth Theatre Presents:
"Fiddlehead on the Roof, the True Understory of the Boreal Forest"
Now in its 10th year, East Hillside Youth Theatre will be presenting “Fiddlehead on the Roof: The True Under-story of the Boreal Forest”, an original play based on the animal and plant life of the boreal forest. Three performances of will be given atthe Harbor City International School theatre located at: 332 West Michigan Street Duluth, MN
Thursday, July 24th 1 p.m.
Friday, July 25th 7 p.m.
Saturday, July 26th 7 p.m.
Entertaining and appropriate for all ages, “Fiddlehead on the Roof,” written by Margi Preus and Kathy Bogen, offers a humorous and informative glimpse into the lives of plant and animal dwellers of the boreal forest. For more information about the East Hillside Youth Theatre Program or the performances of "Fiddlehead on the Roof, The True Understory of the Boreal Forest" please contact: East Hillside Youth Theatre program 733-2016
East Hillside Youth Theatre is a program of the Grant Community School Collaborative. We thank our sponsors: CDBG, College of St. Scholastica, The Duluth News Tribune, Grant Language & Arts Magnet School, Incredible Exchange program, ISD #709 Desegregation and Integration Advisory Council, MDE 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Minnesota Power, Northern Pines Girl Scout Council, Ordean Foundation, Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank, SMDC Corporate Contributions, True North Americorps/Reading Corps, United Way of Greater Duluth, VISTA, Y.E.S. program, and individual donations.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
CHUM Rhubarb Fest slide show
Click on the play button on the bottom left hand side to see the slide show within the blog. The first slide sticks for a while and then the show gets going. Click the center and you will be taken off the blog to Webshots.
CHUM Rhurbarb Festival 2008
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Clean up blight in East Hillside, Funds available to help a limited income or senior property owner in East Hillside
Just what is blight? When there is talk about blighted neighborhoods, it usually means those areas where properties have fallen into disrepair and have become an eyesore. At Home in East Hillside now has limited funds from a grant made available by Duluth LISC to help those who are unable to clean up the outside of their properties. Whether it’s removing furniture or appliances, we can help. Our goal is to “build stronger relationships in community through collective actions or events to improve physical environment” by providing interaction, training, and a sense of community. Look for future meetings on this topic as we also have funds available through this grant for electronic recycling and creating a perennial garden at the overlook at Chester Creek on Fourteenth Avenue East and Sixth Street.
At this time, cleaning up the outside of properties is where we could use your help. We would like to hear from you regarding who could use the yard clean-up assistance. The boundaries would be from Sixth to Fifteenth Avenues East and from the lake up to Skyline Parkway. The people we would like to reach out to would be seniors or those with limited incomes and abilities (it is not our intention to help those who can help themselves). Know of someone? Know of a vacant lot? Please feel free to contact me via e-mail at monajc@hotmail.com or call East Hillside Patch at (218) 728-4287 and let us know.
We look forward to your, and all the At Home partners, participation in helping us make our East Hillside neighborhood an even better place to live, work and play.
Mona Cheslak
On behalf of:
At Home in East Hillside
East Hillside Community Club
East Hillside Patch
At this time, cleaning up the outside of properties is where we could use your help. We would like to hear from you regarding who could use the yard clean-up assistance. The boundaries would be from Sixth to Fifteenth Avenues East and from the lake up to Skyline Parkway. The people we would like to reach out to would be seniors or those with limited incomes and abilities (it is not our intention to help those who can help themselves). Know of someone? Know of a vacant lot? Please feel free to contact me via e-mail at monajc@hotmail.com or call East Hillside Patch at (218) 728-4287 and let us know.
We look forward to your, and all the At Home partners, participation in helping us make our East Hillside neighborhood an even better place to live, work and play.
Mona Cheslak
On behalf of:
At Home in East Hillside
East Hillside Community Club
East Hillside Patch
Boys and Girls Club to benefit from $200,000 turf
Photo by Naomi Yaeger-Bischoff
Caption: These boys at the Lincoln Park School Boys and Girls Club struck a cool dude pose after tossing a football for the photographer. From left to right: Zach Elston, Rocky Wrazidlo, Alex Brohman, Dawson Wrazidlo, Richard Villebrun, Zach Gibby, Zyon Witherspoon, Marquise Robinson, and Dorian Dorsey.
The Boys and Girls Club of the Northland received a $200,000 grant for artificial turf at the Heritage Sport Center. “It is going to provide numerous opportunities for our club members that they don’t have a lot of exposure to right now...soccer, tennis, baseball, softball, and football. Now we have a space where we will be able to do those types of activities regardless of the weather,” said Todd Johnson, chief professional officer of the Boys and Girls Club of the Northland.
The turf will be housed in the Duluth Heritage Sports Center thanks in part to a $200,000 grant from the National Football League (NFL) Grassroots Program.
The grant, awarded by the Minnesota Vikings, the NFL Youth Football Fund and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), is part of $5.43 million in field refurbishment awards allocated this year to community groups in areas surrounding the 32 NFL markets.
The Boys and Girls Club of the Northland includes five sites in Superior/Duluth and a Bois Forte location in Tower. The two Duluth sites are both in Lincoln Park. One is housed in the Lincoln Park School which is slated to close under the Duluth Public School District’s “Red Plan;” the other site is a teen center.
Johnson said the Boys and Girls Club plans to sign a lease with the Duluth Heritage Sports Center in July so that Boys and Girls Club will be able to use the Heritage Center as a youth outreach center by the time the building, now under construction, is completed. The target date is the end of 2008.
The sports center will give youth from throughout the city the opportunity to participate in junior league teams. Local school districts will have access to the fields for practice and games. This field will be ice for six months of the year, the other six months it will be turf with the Boys and Girls Club given daily access.
This new sports center, in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, is expected to serve as the cornerstone for private investment in the area.
The Duluth Heritage Sports Center has received financial support from a number of sources including the State of Minnesota, the Duluth School District, the City of Duluth, individual donors, foundations and various local businesses. Duluth LISC has been a key partner in the development of the Center.
The NFL Grassroots Program, a partnership between the league and LISC, has resulted in the construction or renovation of 170 football fields nationwide in the past decade.
In the last 10 years, the NFL Youth Football Fund has granted over $20 million to revitalize playing fields in underserved neighborhoods.
NFL Commissioner Rodger Goodell, who also is a member of LISC’s national board of directors, said, “The development and refurbishment of these football fields gives youngsters across the country a safe place to play the game, and brings families and neighborhoods together.”
LISC identifies local, nonprofit, neighborhood-based agencies that have an interest in building or refurbishing football fields in schools and parks in underserved neighborhoods. The local agencies over see the construction, maintenance and programming of the fields.
Caption: These boys at the Lincoln Park School Boys and Girls Club struck a cool dude pose after tossing a football for the photographer. From left to right: Zach Elston, Rocky Wrazidlo, Alex Brohman, Dawson Wrazidlo, Richard Villebrun, Zach Gibby, Zyon Witherspoon, Marquise Robinson, and Dorian Dorsey.
The Boys and Girls Club of the Northland received a $200,000 grant for artificial turf at the Heritage Sport Center. “It is going to provide numerous opportunities for our club members that they don’t have a lot of exposure to right now...soccer, tennis, baseball, softball, and football. Now we have a space where we will be able to do those types of activities regardless of the weather,” said Todd Johnson, chief professional officer of the Boys and Girls Club of the Northland.
The turf will be housed in the Duluth Heritage Sports Center thanks in part to a $200,000 grant from the National Football League (NFL) Grassroots Program.
The grant, awarded by the Minnesota Vikings, the NFL Youth Football Fund and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), is part of $5.43 million in field refurbishment awards allocated this year to community groups in areas surrounding the 32 NFL markets.
The Boys and Girls Club of the Northland includes five sites in Superior/Duluth and a Bois Forte location in Tower. The two Duluth sites are both in Lincoln Park. One is housed in the Lincoln Park School which is slated to close under the Duluth Public School District’s “Red Plan;” the other site is a teen center.
Johnson said the Boys and Girls Club plans to sign a lease with the Duluth Heritage Sports Center in July so that Boys and Girls Club will be able to use the Heritage Center as a youth outreach center by the time the building, now under construction, is completed. The target date is the end of 2008.
The sports center will give youth from throughout the city the opportunity to participate in junior league teams. Local school districts will have access to the fields for practice and games. This field will be ice for six months of the year, the other six months it will be turf with the Boys and Girls Club given daily access.
This new sports center, in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, is expected to serve as the cornerstone for private investment in the area.
The Duluth Heritage Sports Center has received financial support from a number of sources including the State of Minnesota, the Duluth School District, the City of Duluth, individual donors, foundations and various local businesses. Duluth LISC has been a key partner in the development of the Center.
The NFL Grassroots Program, a partnership between the league and LISC, has resulted in the construction or renovation of 170 football fields nationwide in the past decade.
In the last 10 years, the NFL Youth Football Fund has granted over $20 million to revitalize playing fields in underserved neighborhoods.
NFL Commissioner Rodger Goodell, who also is a member of LISC’s national board of directors, said, “The development and refurbishment of these football fields gives youngsters across the country a safe place to play the game, and brings families and neighborhoods together.”
LISC identifies local, nonprofit, neighborhood-based agencies that have an interest in building or refurbishing football fields in schools and parks in underserved neighborhoods. The local agencies over see the construction, maintenance and programming of the fields.
District Director of Desegregation/Homebound Programs retires
The director of Duluth Public School’s Desegregation and Homebound programs is retiring his position after almost 20 years of service.
During his tenure, George Himango helped build a department that plays an important role in providing guidance and leadership in the development of programs to encourage cross-cultural respect and understanding.
Over the years, Himango worked with community leaders and school and district administrators to develop a desegregation program and other opportunities such as: cultural centers and classroom curriculum; student leadership programs; magnet schools; internal scholarships for staff of color and role models for students of color; problem solving and conflict resolution; paid tutors to support academically at-risk students, and multicultural activities.
“I was raised on the Fond du Lac Reservation by my grandparents. It’s our cultural tradition to emphasize the similarities in our human relationships, not the differences,” said Himango. We are all of the same creation. We are all here together.”
Community activist and current chairperson of the school district’s Desegregation/Integration Advisory Committee (DIAC), Sharon Witherspoon, calls Himango a drum major for education. “I’ve found him to be an expressive and passionate person when it comes to our children and their educational experience. He goes beyond regular duty to build awareness, celebrate diversity, and promote actions toward building a better future.”
Portia Johnson, former chairperson of the DIAC, credits Himango for serving as a strong liaison between the school district and the council, providing information and guidance, and creating an atmosphere of openness and thoughtfulness.
“We’re where we are today because of George, his insight, his ability to see things a little differently than the rest of us. He’s well liked, well respected. He’s a peacemaker, he really is.” Johnson added “He’s always been there, keeping staff of color in the school district, seeking out programs to help students of color. He’s still pushing, always pushing, for programs to help try to close that achievement gap.”
"George is a leader that I have relied on heavily for wisdom and insight,” says Keith Dixon, Ph.D., superintendent of Duluth Public Schools. “I value his judgment and thoughtfulness. He has made a real difference in the district for students, staff and for all our leadership.
Himango’s award-winning career includes extensive experience at the head of other organizations, including Director of MEECHA Inc. Development Associates, accomplishing development programs for eight tribal governments. He also served as Executive Director and Director of Special Projects for the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation.
Ferdinand Martineau, Jr., secretary treasurer of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa said, “He’s a visionary. George set up many of the policies and procedures we use today when he served the reservation.”
As a student at the University of Minnesota – Duluth, Himango worked with other students and staff to establish the American Indian and Minority Project. They helped create the American Indian Studies Academic program, and organized the Anishinabe Club for students, and Himango served as its first president.
Himango earned a Bachelor of Arts, and a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from UMD. For several years, he served as Executive Director of Mental Health for the university.
“George has that intangible ability to walk in both worlds,” says Bonnie Wallace, who has known Himango for over 40 years. “He walks comfortably in the Native American world, and he can put on that suit and tie and work with school administration, work in the corporate world. He’s comfortable in his own skin; people have a lot of respect for him. He was a role model for me, and continues to be a role model for others.”
Himango’s many honors include the Award of Gratitude for Outstanding Performance from the Duluth American Indian Community, Bulldog Leadership Award from UMD, Outstanding Educational Program of the Year from the Minnesota Education Association, and Outstanding Indian Leaders Award from the College of St. Scholastica.
Himango is a skilled grant writer. He helped write millions of dollars in grants to support educational and cultural programs, including desegregation, conflict resolution, and language laboratories.
He’s also written grants to provide funding for UMD and the Fond du Lac Reservation, among other organizations. He’s made professional presentations at local, state and national conferences.
He served on Duluth’s Greater Downtown Business Council, Duluth Chamber of Commerce, and was founder, charter member and incorporator of Ni-Mi-Win, Inc. a non-profit group which organized pow wows. He was appointed by the Mayor of Duluth to the board of directors for Duluth New Business Corporation and served on the Teacher Training Task Force at the College of St. Scholastica.
This year, he also serves on the board of directors for FinnFest.
Himango is an enrolled member of the Fond du Lac Reservation, Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. He is a decorated United States Navy veteran serving in the Vietnam War.
He is an accomplished fisherman and hunter, one of two Minnesota men to shoot a white tail deer over 400 pounds. He’s also a former musher and long time participant in the sport of sled dog racing.
During his tenure, George Himango helped build a department that plays an important role in providing guidance and leadership in the development of programs to encourage cross-cultural respect and understanding.
Over the years, Himango worked with community leaders and school and district administrators to develop a desegregation program and other opportunities such as: cultural centers and classroom curriculum; student leadership programs; magnet schools; internal scholarships for staff of color and role models for students of color; problem solving and conflict resolution; paid tutors to support academically at-risk students, and multicultural activities.
“I was raised on the Fond du Lac Reservation by my grandparents. It’s our cultural tradition to emphasize the similarities in our human relationships, not the differences,” said Himango. We are all of the same creation. We are all here together.”
Community activist and current chairperson of the school district’s Desegregation/Integration Advisory Committee (DIAC), Sharon Witherspoon, calls Himango a drum major for education. “I’ve found him to be an expressive and passionate person when it comes to our children and their educational experience. He goes beyond regular duty to build awareness, celebrate diversity, and promote actions toward building a better future.”
Portia Johnson, former chairperson of the DIAC, credits Himango for serving as a strong liaison between the school district and the council, providing information and guidance, and creating an atmosphere of openness and thoughtfulness.
“We’re where we are today because of George, his insight, his ability to see things a little differently than the rest of us. He’s well liked, well respected. He’s a peacemaker, he really is.” Johnson added “He’s always been there, keeping staff of color in the school district, seeking out programs to help students of color. He’s still pushing, always pushing, for programs to help try to close that achievement gap.”
"George is a leader that I have relied on heavily for wisdom and insight,” says Keith Dixon, Ph.D., superintendent of Duluth Public Schools. “I value his judgment and thoughtfulness. He has made a real difference in the district for students, staff and for all our leadership.
Himango’s award-winning career includes extensive experience at the head of other organizations, including Director of MEECHA Inc. Development Associates, accomplishing development programs for eight tribal governments. He also served as Executive Director and Director of Special Projects for the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation.
Ferdinand Martineau, Jr., secretary treasurer of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa said, “He’s a visionary. George set up many of the policies and procedures we use today when he served the reservation.”
As a student at the University of Minnesota – Duluth, Himango worked with other students and staff to establish the American Indian and Minority Project. They helped create the American Indian Studies Academic program, and organized the Anishinabe Club for students, and Himango served as its first president.
Himango earned a Bachelor of Arts, and a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from UMD. For several years, he served as Executive Director of Mental Health for the university.
“George has that intangible ability to walk in both worlds,” says Bonnie Wallace, who has known Himango for over 40 years. “He walks comfortably in the Native American world, and he can put on that suit and tie and work with school administration, work in the corporate world. He’s comfortable in his own skin; people have a lot of respect for him. He was a role model for me, and continues to be a role model for others.”
Himango’s many honors include the Award of Gratitude for Outstanding Performance from the Duluth American Indian Community, Bulldog Leadership Award from UMD, Outstanding Educational Program of the Year from the Minnesota Education Association, and Outstanding Indian Leaders Award from the College of St. Scholastica.
Himango is a skilled grant writer. He helped write millions of dollars in grants to support educational and cultural programs, including desegregation, conflict resolution, and language laboratories.
He’s also written grants to provide funding for UMD and the Fond du Lac Reservation, among other organizations. He’s made professional presentations at local, state and national conferences.
He served on Duluth’s Greater Downtown Business Council, Duluth Chamber of Commerce, and was founder, charter member and incorporator of Ni-Mi-Win, Inc. a non-profit group which organized pow wows. He was appointed by the Mayor of Duluth to the board of directors for Duluth New Business Corporation and served on the Teacher Training Task Force at the College of St. Scholastica.
This year, he also serves on the board of directors for FinnFest.
Himango is an enrolled member of the Fond du Lac Reservation, Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. He is a decorated United States Navy veteran serving in the Vietnam War.
He is an accomplished fisherman and hunter, one of two Minnesota men to shoot a white tail deer over 400 pounds. He’s also a former musher and long time participant in the sport of sled dog racing.
Juneteeth, an annual celebration of freedom
While many people in Duluth were enamored with the 32nd annual Grandma’s Marathon on Saturday, June 21, other folks just couldn’t let the day go by without observing an American tradition, Juneteenth.
Juneteenth is an annual event which celebrates the Emancipation Proclamation and emphasizes education and achievement. Nine states and the District of Columbia have recognized Juneteenth as either a state holiday or state holiday observance. This year’s event was held at the Central Hillside Park along Fourth Street between Lake Avenue and First Avenue East.
The African American Men’s Group served a picnic dinner, the Rev. Xavier Bell emceed the event which included musical performances and many agencies, such as the League of Women Voters, Minnesota Citizens’s Federation and Neighborhood Housing Services sponsored booths.
Juneteenth is an annual event which celebrates the Emancipation Proclamation and emphasizes education and achievement. Nine states and the District of Columbia have recognized Juneteenth as either a state holiday or state holiday observance. This year’s event was held at the Central Hillside Park along Fourth Street between Lake Avenue and First Avenue East.
The African American Men’s Group served a picnic dinner, the Rev. Xavier Bell emceed the event which included musical performances and many agencies, such as the League of Women Voters, Minnesota Citizens’s Federation and Neighborhood Housing Services sponsored booths.
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