Double Standards? Several years ago Duluth City Councilors added another ‘good neighbor’ ordinance to those already in existence. It says, in general, that as city residents, you are required to maintain your property consistent with the neighborhood. If you do not the city will come in, fix the problem, and recover their costs on your…
Emily Larson at it Again: Rude Response to Hospitality Industry
This week a group of leaders in Duluth’s hospitality industry drafted a letter to the DECC and Visit Duluth Boards of Directors to share their concerns with the boards’ push to merge the DECC and Visit Duluth (VD). Both organizations are struggling due to the pandemic and members of the Board of Directors for both…
DECC Saliva Testing Experience
Remember when “you’ve been exposed” meant someone found out you messed up and the most you had to worry about was dying of embarrassment? Now when “you’ve been exposed” your life comes to a screeching halt and the worst-case scenario could be a battle with the deadly version of the Coronavirus. As the case count…
Want Property Tax Answers?
Read More Than the Bottom Line on Your Proposed Taxes 2021 Statement Last week, I received in the mail the “Proposed Property Tax Statement” payable in 2021 for my home in Duluth. There wasn’t anything unique about this correspondence. What was unique was that given the pandemic I actually took the time to read more…
Why “Right to Work” is Wrong
Nearly 75 years ago, following a rash of labor protests that turned violent between laborers and the police/private security, the United States Congress came together to approve the Taft-Hartley Act (also known as the Labor-Management Relations Act of 1947), over the veto of President Truman. The bi-partisan act presented by a Republican-controlled Congress and significantly…
How to feel #blessed when you “just can’t right now”
You’ve seen the memes, the doormats, and the hand-painted wall décor reminding you to be grateful. You’ve seen the #blessed social media posts, maybe you even attempted a gratitude journal. Being actively grateful can be a challenge and it’s definitely something you have to practice. Add a year like 2020 to the mix and feeling…
Homelessness: Duluth Fails to Plan
In an article on this site a couple of months back, we asked the City of Duluth “what’s the plan for the homeless this winter?” A few weeks ago local organizations like AIM Twin Ports and Loaves and Fishes Community along with concerned Duluth residents pitched tents to represent the 250 plus people that sleep…
Parenting: The COVID Conundrum
The heartburn bubbles up again as the subconscious worry creeps around the crevices of my brain. It’s a worry that has become so commonplace I could almost forget it’s there, except for the physical toll it’s taking – not just the heartburn, but thinning hair, lackluster skin, and a nagging sense of fatigue. It’s not…
2020 Election: An Opportunity for Integrity
You may not have heard, but there was a big election held last week. The main event – the election for the President of the United States, remains unclear a full week later. As they typically do, the media declared an “apparent winner”, but votes remain to be counted and several states fall within the…
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Six months ago RealStoriesNorth.com started as a place for regional reporters and journalists to find a different perspective on stories in the Northland. We noticed that the public was always being spoon-fed milk toast variety stories and wanted to give them access to the other side of the story – even if it isn’t as…