SMDC contract or lack there of.

St.Mary's and the Duluth Clinic along with many of it's employees are in contract talks. Today the union workers went to vote on a contract that SMDC I am sure hopes passes. I am sure it will not.

The deal set out by SMDC was basically an extension of the current contract. No pay increase or any help to benefit packages by the hospital. The contract gives the employees little to no benefit it passed. It sounds like a clear defeat to the first offer by SMDC.

As expected Snocross will be held at a later date.

Much I like I did with Fourth Street market opening I was going to beat the DNT on the snocross announcement. I however went to bed instead after working overnight. At any rate many people knew that there was a chance the snocross would be canceled or re-scheduled do to lack of snow and warm temperatures in the Duluth area.

As temps have been in the 40's during the day and no snow it has called on the promoters to postpone snocross. Even with cooler temps and maybe some snow coming later in the week. It is just to late to hope on the snow fall and Sprite mountain may not be able to make enough in time for the event this weekend.

Snocross at Spirit mountain has been the first race of the season for a long time, it also is the first qualifying event for the winter x-games. The event traditionally takes place the weekend after the Thanksgiving holiday and draws thousands of people every year.

This years event has been moved to December 11-13th it will still take place at Sprit Mountain.

Update on Breakfast with Santa.

The event at OCB starts at 8 am and goes till 10 am. Kids under 12 eat free with paid adult.

Again it is a great time for the kids, plus you get a pretty good meal out of the whole thing.

Country Crossroads Craft Sale.

The Country Crossroads Craft and Bake sale will be held at Lakeview Christian Academy.It has more than 50 vendors from across the upper midwest.

It offers everything from fry bread tacos to olive wood coasters from Jordan to designer purses to handmade butcher block tables.

The event runs from 9-6 Friday and 9-7 on Saturday at Lakeview Christian Academy 155 W Central Entrance. Admission is free and all procedes go to LCA's scholarship fund.

I am thinking of hitting this up this weekend my self. I have always been a community event blog as well as politics. I am happy to promote this event.

First swine flu death in Northland?

As you know the H1N1 has been a big deal this year. There has been a lot more cases this year in the northland then last year.

Now it seems as if the first possible death has occuered from the swine flu. A 58 year old man who has been ill for the past two weeks before passing away in a Duluth Hospital on Sunday. Test are being done to see if the death was a resuld of the H1N1.

The man is from the the Bayfield Wis. area.

More at www.duluthnewstribune.com

Hartman for Mayor?

There has already been rumours abound that he will run for Mayor. Keep in mind he is not even on the council as of yet. He seems to of the same mold of current Mayor Don Ness.

If he does run at some point I am not sure he will run against Mayor Ness. I would expect him to run at some point.

Dan Hartman I believe is groomed to run for the Mayor spot.

The 4th district recount.

The fourth district recount that was requested by Gordon Grant happens today. If I get any information on it as it happens today I will post it.

As I said before I don't really see why he requested this recount, I don't see much changing. It may change a few votes one way or the other. I don't however see it changing by over 135 votes.

Christmas events this weekend.

Of course Friday is the big parade. The Christmas City of the North parade. The parade starts about 6:20 pm.

Once again the Old Country Buffet up at the mall will be hosting breakfast with Santa. Santa starts his time at the Mall on Saturday. The kickoff for the last few years has been the breakfast event at O.C.B.

That event starts at 8am and I think goes till 10 am. It is busy but a lot of fun for the kids plus you get a decent meal out of it. They have also dropped the price in there breakfast. I believe it is $5.99.

Hey Minnesota Power. What is that in your court yard?

Minnesota Power has a tree every winter in it's court yard out side of it's building in Down Town Duluth. Up till about three years ago the tree was known as a Christmas tree for the Christmas season. For the last two years it has been a holiday tree. 

Well this year they are called it a holiday tree at the open ceremony Wednesday night. This year however they have said the tree has no real name and people are free to call it what they wish. I am sorry Minnesota Power but it is a Christmas tree, it is not a holiday tree or anything else. 

Substituting the word holiday for Christmas pisses me off. I think the world of political correctness has gone way to far. The word holiday means what as far as the tree goes? By the word holiday instead of Christmas to me means I could leave a tree up in my house almost all year long. 

The tree's that go up in peoples houses and around downtown's in this country have for long been a Christmas tree and they will always be that way to me. The trees for the most part go up any where between the month of November and December 25th which is Christmas day. 

The attack on the Christmas tree and the word Christmas needs to stop. It is a fight I have taken on here for the past few years. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS  EVERYONE

Not much going on.

Not a lot going on, just a quick up date on a store re-opening.

The 4th street market is now set to open December 9th about a week later then thought. As you can imagine there is a lot going on in to the store and it 's re-opening.

The store will be under new management when it does re-open in December. The Potters who own the ICO on 6th ave east have bought the market. I am hoping to get to have a conversation with one of them soon.

Recount on in district 4?

It seems as if the 4th district race is not yet over. The Gordon Grant campaign has asked for a recount.

Grant lost by 153 votes to Kerry Gauthier. The Grant camp did not lay out an specifics as to why they have asked for the recount. They are just saying they think it is important.

I don't really like this, I am not sure it needs to be done. There is little information as the why they want it. 153 votes is a lot to over come. Yes no one will deny the race it was close. In fact closer then most thought it would be. At this point with out specifics I don't see the point of a recount.

Burgers and Chicken.

There are two new restaurants at the Miller Hill Mall. One has not yet opened another has been open for a short time.

Five Guys burgers is set to open November 16th. They are a franchise http://www.fiveguys.com/home.aspx.

It seems to be a simple sit down and take out place. It looks good and I know I will try it. If I like them I will keep going.

The only problem I see for them is them is they don't appear to have a mall entrance. They only have an out side entrance. There is only one other restraint that does this at the mall. It should be a concern to the owners. I don't know how many people will take the time to go back out side of the mall to eat there. If they had an entrance from in side the mall they would do better business it would seem.

I hope it goes well for them. I sure will try it and I hope you do to.

The other place I want to talk about is a place called chicken now. It opened a bit ago where the old burger king was at the mall.

It never seems busy, it is also pricey I think. Has anyone tried it yet? What did you think. The people that run are pushy I waled by and they kept saying come eat come eat you look hungry. I am not the only person that has said this a number of friends have told me they have been approached as well. It is a place I don't expect to last long.