21st Century Public Schools - See them tomorrow - Duluth, MN

Duluth Public Schools have been busy the last few years, updating our school buildings, to make them more efficient and better for our students!  Tomorrow there is an Open House, to visit the 5 schools that have opened for our students last week!  I hope that all of those reading this and the following posts, will take the opportunity to take this chance to see what has been done!  

                  Here is a list of the schools that are open for viewing:  (Time:  1:00 pm - 5:00 pm)

• Updated Denfeld High School - 401 North 44th Avenue West
• Updated East High School - 301 North 40th Avenue East
• New Laura MacArthur Elementary - 727 North Central Avenue
• New Lester Park Elementary - 5300 Glenwood Street
• New Piedmont Elementary - 2827 Chambersburg Avenue 

Community Open House - Duluth's 21st Century Public Schools

                                       
                                                Above:  Old Central H. S., downtown Duluth
                                                    Replaced by "New Central" (see photo, next post)
                                            that was built on the hill in 1971, closed in 2011
                                         This Old Central is still being used as an Administration
                                                    Building for the Duluth School District
                                             The "New Central" closed after last year's school year,
                                         Central students merged with Denfeld HS students
                                                    in western part of town (see photo, next post)
                         
                              Ordean Middle School - this is a photo of the school before it was
                      expanded, remodeled and opened Sept. 8, 2011 as the "New" East High School
                                                                    (see photo, next post)

just as remodeling was starting

See my next post about the schools that have been updated for the Duluth Students!  

Open House tomorrow, Sept. 17, 2011 - 1 pm - 5 pm

New Schools in Duluth, MN

Central High School Closed June, 2011

                                                                         Built in 1971

You may remember maybe 2 years ago or so, when I blogged about our Duluth School District making plans to consolidate schools and remodel/and/or build new school buildings.  After much work, input from outside consultant, input from school board members, etc., the district came up with three plans, that they asked the voters in Duluth to vote on.  The board said they would strongly go with the outcome of that vote.  The RED PLAN is what was decided on by the voters and the school board members.  I really can't remember which year this was, but I do know that for a few years there has been construction toward completing this plan.

The plan involved closing one high school and going from 3 High Schools to 2, which really should have been done a long time ago, due to decreasing enrollments over the last 10 years...but politics were always involved...the schools were in three different parts of town...how to decide which one to close??  Anyhow, the plan chosen decided it would be  Central H. S. I know if you followed me on facebook the last year or so, when I wasn't blogging, you saw me post about the closing of the school that is my husband's Alma Mater.  Since our children grew up in our home here in Woodland neighborhood, our children graduated from East High School.  Now, the East H S building is not really being retired, it will be remodeled to be the new Middle School, in the eastern part of town.  The Middle School used to be housed at the farther eastern part of town, and was Ordean Middle School. (Our daughter's 6th grade class went to middle school there, because Woodland was too crowded) There will not be an Ordean Middle School anymore, as that building was remodeled to become the NEW East High School.  The western part of town will retain their building and name, Denfeld H. S. The last two years a major remodel and addition was done on their building.  Last school season, the Denfeld students moved to the Central HS building and went to school together in that building, to prepare the new Denfeld and prepare them to come together this school year...which they did on Sept. 8th (last week)!


The Middle School for the western part of town is presently being built on a hillside in West Duluth.
Are you still following me??  Well, that's the story on the middle and the high schools.  Add to this plan,
three brand new elementary schools, in west, middle and eastern parts of the city:  Laura MacArthur Elementary, Piedmont Elementary, and Lester Park Elementary.  These schools have all retained their names.  The eastern part of Duluth is losing one more elementary school, that closed that that was Rockridge.  The central part of town is losing Nettleton Elementary, which was completely remodeled and added on to, back in the middle 70's as a magnet school.  It was beautiful.  Our two boys went to elementary school there, and we credit the staff there and the diversity of students for giving them a good start in life.

                                               

                                                           Updated Denfeld High School

The week I was on vacation last month, I drove out to the Denfeld H. S. to see the progress and what the school looked like with the addition.  I'm posting those photos.  I also took my niece up to the Central H.S. because there is such a beautiful view of the city from up there, and wanted her to see it.  I took a photo or two there too.  When our daughter was in town over Labor Day, we drove to the old Ordean Middle school site and looked at how they transformed that building for the new "East H. S."

                            This is the lovely view of the city and Lake Superior that the Duluth
                                                         High School students saw everyday!

                                                                                   

                                                        Two photos of the front entrance of
                                                New East High School, opened Sept. 8, 2011
                                            (formerly Ordean Middle School- remodeled and
                                                           added on to for East H. S.) 

Tomorrow there is an open house at all the buildings...I plan to go, and 

will take photos

Our Prayer: ..."Be Near us in this Age of Terror and in these moments of Remembrance"

This was the prayer that our congregation prayed  together at our morning worship service at Hope United Methodist Church, Duluth, Minnesota.  In remembrance of 10 year Anniversary of 9/11


"God of the ages, before your eyes all empires rise and fall yet you are changeless.  Be near us in this age of terror and in these moments of remembrance.  Uphold those who work and watch and wait and weep and love,  By your Spirit give rise in us sympathy for all the peoples of your earth.  Strengthen us to comfort those who mourn and work in large ways and small for those things that make for peace.  Bless the people and leaders of this nation and all nations who work toward unity.  We pray in the strong name of the Prince of Peace.  Amen.  

Litany of Remembering September 11

This was our Litany we spoke together at our morning worship service at Hope United Methodist Church, Duluth, Minnesota.  In remembrance of 10 year Anniversary of 9/11

Northland Community Observance and Ceremony - Remembering 9/11

The Arrowhead Chorale sang "This is My Song", the beautiful song to the tune of Finladia... about a song of all the nations...so beautiful and so appropriate. The other two choirs also very inspiring.   The Red Cross volunteer spoke about her experiences of 5 weeks at Ground Zero right after 9/11.  All the speakers were good, and so proud of the remarks that our Mayor Ness made, and the support that he always gives to every effort our community does!

September 11 - 9/11

IN MEMORY OF ALL WE LOST, THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11- STATISTICS: Times of impact: 8:46 a.m. and 9:02 a.m. Time the burning towers stood: 56 minutes and 102 minutes. Time they took to fall: 12 seconds. 2819 dead from 115 different nations. 343 Fireman/paramedics, 23 NYPD, 37 Port Authority officers. 

See Duluth Before Summer Ends!

We have a Visitors Center at the top of Thompson Hill. This is the hill that you come to on I-35 when you coming North from the Twin Cities. The views on these photos, is what you see when you are driving into Duluth from the freeway. It is a breathtaking view, and everyone who lives here and leaves, just for a short time away or when returning to their hometown...it is a view that just about makes you weep from the beauty of it. These photos are in the summer. Can you imagine what the scene looks like in the winter with the snow and ice!! It's the view you know when you see it that you are "home" and you get butterflies in your stomach. So, Rob and I took Stacie up there so she could enjoy the views. One scene I didn't take, that you can see too, especially from Spirit Mountain, is the St. Louis River...also awesome to see. These photos don't even do the scenes justice! She enjoyed it. It made me remember, I need to go up there periodically to enjoy the views, not wait until visitors are in town!!! If you live in Duluth, you should too.

PS - It is already 71 degrees on the hill here in Woodland neighorbood...on Sept. 10th...so see Duluth in it's summer colors - before the leaves change.  Then next month see Duluth in it's fall colors... also spectular!!

New Attractions at Spirit Mountain - Duluth, MN

SPIRIT MOUNTAIN  - New attractions at the Mountain

Alpine Coaster down the mountain

Rob and Stacie were there the first day that the "ZIP LINE" was open at Spirit Mountain! Since it was the first day, many were anxious to try it... they stood in line an hour and a half....for a 10 second ride down the mountain. They said the view was fantastic...the ride was too short though... it takes you down and brings you back up. The photo at the right is what the seat looked like. I decided that I didn't want to go...it was hot standing in line and I waited back in the lodge area that had A/C. After the Zip ride, they did the Alpine Coaster Ride, no wait in line for that...it's been open a year now...but still very popular. They both really enjoyed that more than the zip. It looked like they were having fun, and I wished I had tried it.

The top photo on the right, is just one of the beautiful views from Spirit Mountain. They are adding more things there for the future. They are working on a 9 hole minature golf course... they are looking at putting more things there for the family and for summer use. Of course, in the winter months there is skiing and snow boarding. It is a beautiful area...and it has been years since I had been there, since I am not a skier. 

Above - a sign telling us that a Mini Golf Course would be coming soon.   

Sept. 10th:

• Mini golf course  - Opened Sept. 9, 2011 - This is from an article about it in the Duluth News Tribune Newspaper:

Duluth architect David Salmela tries his hand Thursday at the nine-hole miniature golf course he designed for Spirit Mountain. It features numerous geometric shapes as obstacles and is fashioned from a sturdy paper-resin laminate called Richlite. He ended up with a score of 32. (Bob King / rking@duluthnews.com)

Snow Tubing will also be coming soon!


More on Spirit Mountain:

Spirit Mountain is a ski area in Duluth, Minnesota. The ski area was founded by The City of Duluth and was built in 1974. Supporters of Spirit Mountain were Mayor Ben Boo, Former Olympian George Hovland and Manley Goldfine. The city was currently led by Mayor Ben Boo during its creation and brought increased winter revenues to the city which were relatively nonexistent previously. The construction of I-35 stretching to Duluth was a major contributor of the initial success of the ski area. With a vertical elevation of approximately 700 feet (210 m), it is the second tallest ski hill in Minnesota.

A view from the top of Spirit Mountain, looking northward to the St. Louis Bay.

Spirit Mountain is known for having the largest terrain park in the Midwest. The park includes jumps ranging from 15 feet (4.6 m) to over 60 feet (18 m), a halfpipe, and numerous rails, boxes, and other "jibs".

Spirit Mountain is undergoing substantial investments in its infrastructure and attractions. In July 2010 they opened up an alpine coaster. In April 2011 they announced plans to add a zip line, miniature golf, and snow tubing. This is looked at as being a means to expand operations without cutting into the base operations of the ski area. Additionally they have specified numerous improvements to be made over the next ten years including chalet renovations, chair lift replacement, and a Grand Ave. chalet. - from Wikipedia.org

See Roses before they are gone - Rose Garden, Duluth, MN

Opening of Leif Erickson Tunnel on I-35 (fhwa.dot.gov)

Of course, everyone must see our Rose Garden and Leif Erickson Park. This is one of my favorite places and I go here a lot during the summer, spring and fall! I know I have posted photos of the garden on this blog many times. Stacie was impressed, as are all visitors. I often talk with visitors when I'm there and there are people from other countries, as well as many from Minnesota and Duluth! The top photo of the pavilion is often the scene for wedding photos, and also for weddings!! This Rose Garden was completely moved during the construction of I-35 Interstate Hwy through Duluth, along the Lake...so it would be preserved and not lost. There is a Rose Garden Society that takes very good care of these roses and grounds. It truly is one of our best assets...and shouldn't be missed!!! By the way...our LakeWalk runs from Canal Park the whole way along the water to 26th Ave. East...and goes right by this garden and park.

More on Leif Erickson Park and The Rose Garden:

This beautiful park, along the shores of Lake Superior off London Road, is the site of a full-scale replica of a wooden Viking ship reminiscent of the type used by Norse sailors hundreds of years ago. A spectacular extension of Leif Erikson Park, Duluth's Rose Garden offers a beautiful arrangement of more than 3,000 rose bushes and other floral delights. There's also a fountain, a marble gazebo, an herb garden and plenty of benches overlooking the lake. Direct access to the Lakewalk. - from wikipedia.org

Besides being one of the midwest's few formal English style Rose Gardens, the park is architecturally significant for being constructed over Duluth's I-35 expressway. As you stroll around the beautiful park, little do you know that below your feet trucks and cars are streaming along!

The Baby Boomers - "Remember where I Was When...."

Today I stopped at my favorite Caribou Coffee Shop, and for those who drink Caribou coffee you know that they have a question everyday, that if it's answered correctly they take 10 cents off your drink, not a lot, I know- but it's fun to try to answer correctly!  Anyhow, today the question was "What significant event happened for America on July 20, 1969.  Well, of course, I was able to answer that right away!  I told the girls working (all college age) "do you know why I know that?  It's because I was sitting in the living room of my Grandmother's house, with my family watching her color TV (we didn't have color).
We sat there with excitement watching the whole thing and saw Neil Armstrong take his first step, and make his famous statement!  My Uncle from Arizona, was at Grandma's visiting and I remember him telling our younger siblings that this was a big event and they would remember it always no matter how old they got....(I was almost an adult then, so of course I knew the importance of this moment).  The girls  at Caribou weren't around in1969, but they could relate. One of them told me she remembers the day and exactly what she was doing when the Challenger exploded, and she told me the generation younger than her would say "it did what?", that generation not being there.

That got me to thinking how each generation has it's impactful events that are remembered and know exactly what they were doing at the time! Us babyboomer generation...our parents would tell us about "the day and moment they heard that Pearl Harbor was bombed".  Our Grandparents generation would tell us about remembering the day that Charles Lindberg went round the world in a plane, and then about how their baby got kidnapped.  Our children will remember what they were doing and the day that 9-11
happened, which is already 10 years ago...oh my seems like yesterday sometimes!

I do think that us baby boomers really had the most things happen during our growing up years, especially during our adolescent and teen years, traumatic things, and things that shaped the future of our world.   The first significant thing that we remember, the exact day, time, what we were doing and our feelings was the day JFK was shot.  That was so traumatic for us!  But, that was just the start...look what followed... his brother Bobby being killed, and Martin Luther King, for awhile there it seemed like it wouldn't end.  Then we lived through Vietnam, seeing our male peers being drafted, or enlisting before they would be drafted.  We saw the advent of "the pill".  There was Woodstock and the  culture that went with that. We watched all the things that happened down south of us, as they were happening on the civil rights fights...then finally a civil rights bill, which then really changed our country...especially the south.  Schools integrated, etc.  Read the book "The Help" and see the movie that has been made from it, and see the progress that was made after the civil rights bill! Some of the younger generation upon seeing the movie, said they didn't even realize that there were separate bathrooms, separate water fountains, etc.  But, my generation knew it.

The generation of the 20 and 30 year olds, 9-11 is probably what will be their biggest impact.  The generation of teens and younger, today - wonder what their significant memories will be?

Photo of the Day - National Geographic

This photo made the "Photo of the Day" in National Geographic's website.  It is just off the shoreline of Canal Park, here in Duluth, Minnesota!  The photo on their site is much larger and easier to see the children jumping off into the cold, cold water of Lake Superior...probably on one of our hot days on this hotter summer than usual here. 

September 7, 2011


Swimmers, Lake Superior, Minnesota

Photograph by Nick Otto, My Shot

This Month in Photo of the Day: Your Photos With Tips From Photographer Catherine Karnow

I love all the empty space around the swimming platform. It shows how the lake is both huge and peaceful. The figures of the people become very small, and what makes the shot is the person jumping from the platform and appearing especially tiny surrounded by all that water.

Playfront Park - Duluth, MN

25 years ago or so....The Junior League of Duluth raised money to put a playground for children at the Bayfront.  Children of all ages and from all over enjoyed this playground that was named "Playfront".
Our two younger children, along with our Grandson, a toddler in the late 80's and early 90's, had lots of fun playing there.  The original was made of wood, and was very sturdy for a long time, but after 25 years it started showing it's age, and of course by then, more modern and perhaps safer, playground equipment was available.  The Junior League once again, graciously raised almost $250,000 to provide a new Playfront for the children.  A year ago, July the Junior League members, along with Northland volunteers spent a number of weeks in construction the new attraction.  They included equipment, not just for small children, but also older kids to provide them with lots of body exercise.  It was opened in early August, 2010.

Our Grandson has fond memories of Playfront and playing there.  In fact, before the old one was taken down, he came up to climb on it one more time and to reminicse the fun he had.

On Sunday of this past weekend, our 11 year old Granddaughter enjoyed the new one.  I have posted photos of the playground.

One thing I particularly noticed, that is so neat.  Upon walking to it, you think it has black stones on the ground, but it is actually cut up small pieces of rubber tires!  So that when the children fall down, they are not hurt...how clever is that!!!


Just one more neat thing that our Northland children can take advantage of, as well as our tourist families!  Thank you Duluth Junior League and volunteers!!!

                                                                 

Great Weekend

                                     

What a lovely weekend our family had.  At the spur of the moment, our daughter and her family decided on Saturday morning to drive up to Duluth.  Her husband is a hunter, and he wanted to get his deer stand put up on the property where he and his friends hunt.  They knew the weather was to be better up here than  in Hudson too (unusual!)  It was such a lovely surprise. We were so happy to see them and spend two days with them.  It gave Dawn an opportunity too, to visit with her brothers and sister-in-law.

I can't believe how our Granddaughter, Madelyn is growing up so fast.  Lately, everytime I see her, she looks older.  When I first saw her on Saturday, I noticed that she is no longer a little girl.  She is now a pre-teen!  She started Middle School last week, and she looks the part.  Before we know it, she will be all grown up, like her brother Skylar!

The weather was so beautiful....sunny and 70's!  Dawn and Maddy, however, did wish it were a bit warmer, but I was in heaven.

They went back home yesterday morning.  After they left, I tore apart our bedroom closet and cleaned it out, and put summer clothing away and got fall and winter clothing out.  It made me feel like I got something around the house accomplished on my long weekend!  Then, of course, it was back to the job this morning!  It was a good work day though, as we realized it was Tuesday and not Monday...short week...yeah!!