Super Blue Blood Moon, Superior Lake: The full moon eclipse this week got a lot of attention because of the trifecta of being a “super” moon (closest lunar path to the Earth) plus a “blue” moon (second full moon within one month) and a full lunar eclipse (which creates a “blood” moon). So you’ve probably seen plenty of images from Wednesday’s celestial event, but we want to share one of our favorites: the eclipsed moon over the Duluth-Superior Harbor as taken by photographer-skywatcher-astronomy explainer “Astro” Bob King, whose Astro Bob blog helps normal folk understand celestial happenings.
Port Director Shipping Out: Vanta Coda (on left), who has served as executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority since Oct. 1, 2013, will be leaving that position as of Feb. 9 for another job, he told the seaway board on Wednesday this week. The what and where of his new position has not yet been announced. The port authority’s CFO, Kevin Beardsley (on right), will serve as interim executive director during a search for Vanta’s replacement.
During his tenure, Vanta led the port authority through a a number of significant achievements, including completion of $24 million in infrastructure renewal projects, launching of the Duluth Cargo Connect branding initiative and opening a CN Duluth Intermodal Terminal (reported on by www.LakeSuperior.com in September). Vanta received the 2017 William K. Smith Distinguished Service Award from University of Minnesota’s Center for Transportation Studies. The award is the center’s opportunity to “thank individuals who volunteer their time in support of transportation research, education and engagement activities at the University of Minnesota and to acknowledge outstanding contributions of professionals and students.”
His contributions were also appreciated by the Duluth Seaway Port Authority board. “Vanta opened our eyes to new possibilities during his tenure here,” says Ray Klosowski, DSPA board president. “Coordinating operations with our terminal manager was instrumental in giving us the financial stability to take on new challenges and create growth opportunities for the Port Authority and for this region. He leaves the Port Authority in a solid position financially, well positioned for future growth.”
“It’s been an exciting time to be part of this organization,” Vanta says in his resignation announcement. “The Port Authority is in great shape. The team in place today is the most tightly mission-focused staff with whom I’ve ever worked. Together, we’ve set the table for many years of forward-leaning growth, so it’s a good time for me to turn over the reins and embark on a new adventure.”
Big Lake on One Page: NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory fits all the forecasts for Lake Superior ice, wind, water currents and air and water temps onto one neatly animated page. GERL also published a recent blog about Great Lakes in winter and how the ice cover affects the lake levels, currently above average in all the five lakes. The site links to ice charts showing current coverage.
All Staal: It might be all eyes on Minneapolis for the Super Bowl this weekend, but in Thunder Bay and many places around the Big Lake, hockey remains the sport of choice. If you’d like a little hockey break from the gridiron madness, check out the recently released Minnesota Wild profile of Thunder Bay resident and team forward Eric Staal. The 24-minute video “Becoming Wild” centers on a day with Eric and his family, including a pontoon ride, a sauna and a taste of favored T-Bay pastry, Persians – a special, not-every-day treat, points out Eric, while his son adds the “mostly best” part is the pink icing. The video shows some great T-Bay area shots, a visit to Eric’s family home farm nearby, plus cameos by his hockey-playing brothers – and next-door neighbors – Marc of the New York Rangers and Jordan of the Carolina Hurricanes. (Younger brother Jared, formerly of the Hurricanes along with Eric, most recently played with the Edinburgh Capitals in Scotland.) Eric explains that in Thunder Bay, which produces the most NHL players per capita of almost any burg, “when you grow up here, everybody plays hockey, talks hockey and watches hockey.”
Award-winning Ad Campaign: We hear tell that some people actually watch the Super Bowl to see the ads rather than the game. If that’s you, you might enjoy seeing what a locally produced, award-winning ad campaign looks like. Minnesota Credit Union Network just gave out four marketing awards to Royal Credit Union, including one for “Community Impact & Outreach” that went to the “Because You Can” ad campaign crafted by Swim Creative in Duluth. You can check out the print, video and radio elements to the campaign online.
300 New Jobs in Marquette: Word on the Street tells us that a soon-to-open Meijer retail/grocery store is seeking applications for openings. Jobs span wide areas: pharmacists, clerks, managers, meat cutters, gas station attendants et al. The Meijer Super Store is set to open in late spring or early summer, Word reports.
Revitalized History: It happened this week; after nearly a decade of planning and nearly two years of construction, the NorShor Theatre had a ribbon cutting Wednesday and a grand gala opening performance Thursday evening. The Duluth Playhouse staged “Mamma Mia” to a sold-out crowd. “This is a momentous day for the NorShor Theatre and Duluth,” Mayor Emily Larson said at the ribbon cutting. "This theater represents hope and vision and has been a capsule collecting a century’s worth of memories and historic moments. We are honored to celebrate a new era where history is made again in the heart of our downtown.” The city of Duluth, Duluth Economic Development Authority (DEDA), Sherman Associates and the Duluth Playhouse led the charge on the revitalizing of the historic structure with a TKDA-led design and Johnson Wilson as the contractor. We have a story about this theater’s history in our current issue and you can find out more about performances and fundraising at the theater’s website.
Indigenous Sisu: The Finnish Embassy in Washington, D.C., will be hosting an exhibit showing the project of journalist Maria Seppälä, author Katja Kettu and photographer Meeri Koutaniemi documenting Ojibwe people with Finnish heritage. The promotion image for the exhibit is of Dr. Arne Vainio, an Ojibwe physician practicing for the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, who has traced his Finnish heritage and visited Finland. Yleisradio Oy, the Finnish Broadcasting Company, has posted a story about the project. “Findians: The Story of Finns Distant Cousins” gives short spurts of information found in the women’s book, Finitiaanien Mailla (In the Land of the Finndians) that came from their project.
We’ll Drink to That: Duluth Symphony Orchestra music director and beer lover Dirk Meyer got a special tribute when DSSO teamed up with Bent Paddle Brewing Company for a three-month series of Beer and Beethoven events, part of the Beethoven Project. Bent Paddle created a Düsseldorf altbier, the brew favored by German-born Dirk, and named it DüsselDirk. This Saturday when the DSSO performs Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, the new DüsselDirk Altbier will be sold at the DECC’s symphony hall. (The concert, as with nine other Beethoven DSSO performances, will be recorded and broadcast by MPR.) For the next three months, you’ll be able to order a DüsselDirk at Bent Paddle’s Tap Room and at other Twin Ports locations and Bent Paddle will donate 5 percent of the sales to DSSO. The German-style beer created by brewer Neil Caron is “expected to be malt forward with toasted bread and caramel notes supported by a harmonious floral hop character from the German Hallertauer hops used” with, we have no doubt, symphonic overtones.
Two Bits Worth: On Wednesday morning (10 a.m., Feb. 7) at William G. Mather Elementary School in Munising, Michigan, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and the U.S. Mint will host the release of this year’s first newly minted quarter commemorating the U.S. parks. At the school, local, state and national dignitaries, including from the Park Service and the U.S. Mint, will do an official “pour” of quarters into a bowl. Children in attendance will get a free quarter. The Pictured Rocks coin shows the Chapel Rock formation. Congress approved creation of quarters representing parks in all 50 states in 2008. The first quarters were produced in 2010. Of the five quarters being released into circulation this year, three come from our Lake Superior region – besides Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan, there is Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin (released April 9, official launch April 11 at Legendary Waters Resort & Casino in Red Cliff) and Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota (released June 11, official launch to be announced). Besides the offical launch events, the U.S. Mint also does a coin forum in the communities for collectors and such, usually a day before the launch gathering.
Carpe Don’t Seize ‘Em: Asian Carp are in the crosshairs of a new coalition of Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ontario and Ohio, announced Wednesday by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder. “It would be a disaster to have them in the Great Lakes,” Rick said in announcing the Great Lakes Basin Partnership in a livestreamed press conference. "There has been too much talk and not enough action. … We need to move to action mode.” The plan is for the partners to commit financial resources and push for federal funding to block the carp entry at the Brandon Road Lock & Dam near Joliet, Illinois, identified by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a critical location for control measures to stop movement of Asian carp. The partnership’s website, BlockAsianCarp.org, identifies how each Great Lakes state or province would be affected by invasion of the high-flying carp into the lakes system. MLive reported on the announcement.
A Notable Passing: In 1993, Jean (Holmstrand) LemMon became the first woman to be editor of Better Homes & Gardens magazine, a publication started for women in 1922 (yes, hard to believe it took 71 years to get a female editor). Jean was a native of Proctor, Minnesota, and kept a home on Park Point in Duluth even after moving to Des Moines to the headquarters of Meredith Corporation, publisher of the BH&G. She retired as a vice president from that company after a long and illustrious career. She also was an avid kayaker and a gracious lady. She died on Jan. 6, and we would like to note her passing and her passion for the Lake. She spoke with us about growing up near the Big Lake and how it influenced her for our February/March 2000 story “Lake Superior Lies Behind Those Better Homes.”
Photo & graphic credits: Bob King; Duluth Seaway Port Authority; Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory; Minnesota Wild; Swim Creative; Jack Rendulich; Konnie LeMay; Meeri Koutaniemi; Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra; U.S. Mint; Andy Lyons.