It’s no secret that Duluth’s homeless crisis has been growing unchecked. Just last week St. Louis County reported an 18% yearly increase in homeless as of January, with 612 unhoused residents in the county sleeping outside of shelters before the pandemic. In September of last year, the DNT reported that the number of Duluth households…
Can Spirit Mountain Be Saved?
Imagine owning a business that you didn’t properly maintain. Instead of doing necessary repairs you, instead, spent millions adding shiny new features you hope will bring new customers, but they don’t come. You lose money year after year. You find yourself having to beg, borrow, and steal to keep the place running. What should you…
Cashing in on the homeless
The situation is dire in downtown Duluth, and it only seems to be getting worse. In recent years we’ve seen a large increase in the number of homeless people living downtown, bringing an assortment of problems with them. Among them is a large drug problem that impacts the city in so many negative ways. Now…
It’s Time to Pick a Side
This weekend, in the barbeque’s red glare, friends and family will gather in small COVID approved groups to celebrate an Independence Day like no other. It’s the perfect time to talk about liberty. Our nation – one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all is divided, and under attack from the inside. The…
What an Adorable Conflict of Interest
This weekend the Duluth News Tribune ran a charming puff piece on the City of Duluth’s Public Information Officer, Kate Van Daele, and her husband, Steve, as a local ‘power couple’. One couldn’t help but notice how many times the article mentioned or alluded to the conflict of interest between their positions. Steve is the…
Local Golfers Tee’d Off
I’ve been reading Real Stories North for a few weeks now and like many other Duluthians, I can no longer remain silent. Our Mayor’s decision to not open Lester Park Golf Course shows how out of touch with Duluth she really is. For all of the blue-collar people out there who grind away trying to…
A Poem for Duluth
It’s hypocritical to say what a great place we reside inWhile it crumbles from within.There’s an agenda only few agree uponWhile the majority falters watching from the sidelines.Small, petty “issues” take control,While major concerns are tucked away.Our city is run by narcissists.
You Can Fix It All – You’re Mayor!
On Sunday, June 28th, 2020 Mayor Larson of Duluth wrote a letter to her constituents asking them to let everything go. Instead of holding our elected officials accountable, Mayor Larson asked Duluth citizens to enjoy some sun and fresh air as if that will solve the city’s problems. Mayor Larson said that she uses this…
Part 3: The Problem on First Street
A man takes his score and shoots up between buildings. Another sleeps, midday, under a makeshift tent in the alley between 1st and 2nd Street. Shoppers avoid downtown at all costs to keep from being cornered by panhandlers. Drivers run red lights in fear to escape their aggressive tactics. Businesses wait for their leases to…
“Chief” Vote Tabled
On Monday night, one city councilor stood alone in demanding city leadership focus on what is truly important to Duluth voters when he said he would vote “No” on the charter amendment to remove the word “chief” in city titles. A change Mayor Emily Larson advocated for because the word was offensive to Native Americans…