Sidewalks are for everyone, now and later

Posted on by
Reply

The residents of Glenwood Street have drawn a line in the sand, gravel, rocks and cement.
And all the other ingredients that make up concrete.
Some don’t want the green space in front of their homes reduced by sidewalks — the durable, manmade paths used for pedestrian travel that exist throughout the suburban neighborhoods of developed nations.
How dare anyone think about constructing more sidewalks?
In a News Tribune story Monday, 89-year-old Morley Heights resident Irene Thomson said she sees no need for a sidewalk in front of her home.
“I hope we, the people, have some say here,” she said.
You do have a say, but that’s where it should end. Let the Duluth City Council stick with its “complete streets policy.”
I don’t like that the guy on my block whose yellow Lab constantly defecated in my yard got another Lab puppy when the old one presumably died. But that doesn’t mean I should be able to prevent him from owning a dog. (I wish it did, though.)
My house is on a corner lot in Lakeside with sidewalks for twice the snow-shoveling fun. My house isn’t far from a three-block stretch of street with no sidewalks. There are no intersecting roads on that segment so it’s not terribly dangerous, but I wouldn’t mind having a car-free path for when I walk my pug.
“They’re trying to shove something down our throats that we don’t want,” Laura Johnson said about the Glenwood Street sidewalks in Monday’s story.
You might not want them, Laura, but the sidewalks slated to be installed will serve a purpose long after you and Glenwood’s current residents leave the neighborhood.
To solely include the feedback of current residents when making long-term streetscape decisions would be shortsighted. A sidewalk isn’t just for the people who live next to it; it’s for everyone. It provides a safe walk home and serves as a canvas for kids to display chalk art.
Let this be where the sidewalk debate ends.

Jimmy Bellamy is the multimedia editor at the Duluth News Tribune in Duluth, Minn. Contact him at (218) 723-5390 or jbellamy@duluthnews.com. This column originally appeared here.

Bulldogs’ winning ways prompt more fans to wear their pride

Posted on by
Reply

Where my ’Dogs at? These days, they’re everywhere.
The University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs are on shirts. Hats. Car windows. Even cupcakes. (My favorite is chocolate, with gold frosting.)
It wasn’t always this way, though.
As a child growing up in Duluth, the only thing I knew UMD for was a hockey team that never won quite as many games as I’d hoped.
“I remember 15 years ago, when if you only looked in the crowd and not on the ice, you wouldn’t know what teams were playing based on what fans were wearing,” UMD sports information director Bob Nygaard said. “Apparel or sporting your school colors is the most visible sign of school pride. Nothing is a bigger marketer tool than getting your image out there on everything from stuffed mascots to notebooks.”
The past decade-plus has brought expansion — I can’t remember a day during my time there as a student that something wasn’t under construction — and with it, a grip load of students.
Sure, new facilities have made UMD a more desirable institution, but I never saw anyone wearing a T-shirt with the Swenson Science Building on it. It wasn’t until the school’s recent athletic success that it got something that all the fundraising, top-notch courses and ever-rising tuition costs could never buy — swagger.
It began in 2008, when the Bulldogs went undefeated in football and won the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II championship for the first time in school history.
I didn’t attend a football game in my four years at UMD, but I couldn’t have been happier than I was jumping in front of my TV with my maroon Bulldogs T-shirt on that day.
“Part of the reason I came here was they were already coming off a national championship,” said Chase Vogler, a junior from the Twin Cities area.
He’s now the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback and held that position last year when they again won an NCAA title — in an unbeaten season.
In 2009, the UMD men’s hockey team made a remarkable playoff run highlighted by becoming the first No. 5 seed to win the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Final Five and a final-seconds comeback in an NCAA regional game.
I almost tore my Bulldogs T-shirt off Hulk Hogan-style after watching Evan Oberg’s tying goal with 0.8 seconds left in the third and Mike Connolly’s overtime winner in that game against Princeton.
The volleyball and women’s hockey teams had impressive seasons, too, bookended by the women’s hockey team’s NCAA Division I titles in 2008 and 2010 — cementing the respect they earned in 2001, 2002 and 2003.
Then in April came the icing on those gold-frosted cupcakes: The Bulldogs won their first NCAA Division I men’s hockey championship — in overtime, nonetheless — in their home state. And I witnessed it from my third-row seat along with my younger brother, Josh, and thousands of fans in Bulldogs gear.

Kenny Reiter

Junior goaltender Kenny Reiter led Minnesota Duluth to its first NCAA Division I men's hockey title April 9, 2011, in St. Paul. (Clint Austin / caustin@duluthnews.com)

All this happening on national TV suddenly made UMD a “sexy” school.
In the past year, I can’t walk downtown or fill up at the Spur or buy ant killer at Marshall’s Hardware without seeing people decked out in Bulldogs clothing. And it’s not my imagination. As of the end of May, UMD had sold a quarter-million dollars in NCAA championship-related apparel in 2011, Nygaard said.
“People like to come in and get their championship stuff as well as other stuff and support their team,” said Caroleen Zylka, who works at UMD Stores.
Not to mention the explosion of another Bulldog-embossed item — the championship ring.
Can’t buy that.

Jimmy Bellamy is the multimedia editor at the Duluth News Tribune in Duluth, Minn. Contact him at (218) 723-5390 or jbellamy@duluthnews.com. This column originally appeared here.

Postal Service is so 20th century, but we need it

Posted on by
Reply

In 2011, the post office is as dated as a Cliff Clavin reference.
But I like the idea of it, just like I like Cliffy. I’d miss it if the Postal Service really did default, as it has threatened to do at the end of the month.
Bob Pokorney, 33, of Duluth was at the Mount Royal branch Wednesday with a batch of envelopes in his hand.
“I think it’s probably pretty likely that they are going to close (some post offices), but I’m

Lincoln Park post office

This is the post office in Duluth's Lincoln Park. (2011 file / Duluth News Tribune)

going to try to keep it going as long as I can,” he said.
Your heart’s in the right place, Bob, but it’ll take more than your handful.
“I think it would be nice for the elderly folks in town, too,” he continued. “They depend on, in the area here, this post office more than we young folks do.”
Helping him make his point was the shadow of Mount Royal Manor.
Duluth has a main post office and six neighborhood branches. Could some be closed and still meet the community’s needs?
“We could close a couple,” said Giovanni Santodonato of Duluth, 18, also at Mount Royal. “I think this one should stay open; it’s in a good area. It does (get a lot of traffic).”
Much less busy was the Spirit Valley branch, where Duluth’s Shirley Boe, whose husband is a retired postal worker, was passing by.
“They’re going to have to cut service to five days a week, very easily,” she said. “You’re going to shut some of those small post offices that are maintained, not earning money, but just maintained.”
Closing post offices is a reality since the advent of the Internet. People always will have a need to ship stuff, but FedEx and UPS are willing to do that.
I’m part of that change. Other than bills, I have no idea when I last mailed a letter. Maybe 20 years ago, to Nintendo, for help on getting to the next level of “Shadowgate.” I pay most of my bills online and probably will soon pay all of them that way. And other than shipping the occasional hockey jersey I’ve sold on eBay, you won’t find me running to beat the 5 p.m. window closing time.
Yet I can’t imagine getting a wedding invitation through FedEx or UPS, or even Evite.
I doubt the Postal Service really will close in a month, or even the next decade. Boe, who is 73, says it might make it another 20 years if enough of us do our part.
“There’s still a few of us that could last that long,” she said.
And me? I could always start a stamp collection. Either retro baseball players or “The Simpsons.”

Jimmy Bellamy is the multimedia editor at the Duluth News Tribune in Duluth, Minn. Contact him at (218) 723-5390 or jbellamy@duluthnews.com. This column originally appeared here.

What’s in a number? At 30, seeing things clearly

Posted on by
Reply

The day that for so long seemed a lifetime away has arrived. Today I turn 30.
The 1 at the front of my age was great, and the 2 was even better. So, forgive me if it takes a while to get acclimated to the 3.
I still have vivid and fond memories, as a 10-year-old, watching the Twins win the 1991 World Series in arguably the best seven-game series in baseball history.

colsig

Jimmy Bellamy is the Multimedia Editor of the Duluth News Tribune. (Clint Austin / caustin@duluthnews.com)

In my 2 decade, in April, I sat third row in St. Paul with my little brother as one of our boyhood dreams became reality when the University of Minnesota Duluth men’s hockey team celebrated its first national championship.
Certainly, every decade has its ups and downs, though.
With one kick, Morten Andersen and the Atlanta Falcons broke my heart when I was 17.
Real heartbreak came at age 20, when I stared in disbelief at the TV as airplanes struck the World Trade Center towers.
The myth — if ever there was one — that everything somehow gets worse after 30 has long been busted. My family, friends and colleagues are proof of that.
I’d just like to know what to expect.
“My 30s have been far better than my 20s. I used to fear getting older, but I have to be honest, I wouldn’t want to relive my 20s ever again,” my co-worker Devlyn told me this week, “other than the birth of my children, of course.”
That’s a relief to know. But how will I feel?
Will my body ache more or not heal as quickly? I play a lot of soccer, and don’t plan to give that up any time soon.
Will my metabolism slow even more than it did when I left college? Running more and cutting down on pop are two things I’ve had to do since my UMD days. And trying to kick Red Bull.
There’s no way I’m giving up video games. I still can play those, right?
“In your 30s, you’re further along in your career and done with all that soul searching, career-wise, relationship-wise,” said Mike Seyfer, who at 40 is vice president of H.T. Klatzky and Associates in Duluth.
I don’t know how he had me pegged, but he seemed to describe my idea of 30 when I was 12 versus my hitting it today. Back then, I thought I’d be coming off my third World Cup appearance with the U.S. national team. Instead, I’ve settled for four Duluth Amateur Soccer League finals.
“What you do in your 30s sets the tone for the rest of your life,” he continued, reminding me that my mind and body should be more in tune with each other, and that one hasn’t fallen apart yet while the other finally begins to see things clearly.
I think I’m going to like the 3.

Jimmy Bellamy is the multimedia editor at the Duluth News Tribune in Duluth, Minn. Contact him at (218) 723-5390 or jbellamy@duluthnews.com. This column originally appeared here.

No Lady Gaga at MTV VMAs

Posted on by
Reply

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a Lady Gaga album. Maybe even two, though I didn’t pay for them (it wasn’t covered in the divorce settlement).
So, I’ll admit listening to her music, but I really don’t need to see her in a dress constructed entirely of pig entrails or a blood-red Queen of Hearts outfit from “Alice in Wonderland.”
Thankfully, the bizarre singer-songwriter was nowhere to be seen at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night. Instead, performing, presenting, and accepting the award for Best Female Video was a “man” named Jo Calderone.
I began to have flashbacks of when I was 6 years old and forced to try on a Rainbow Brite dress for my cousin, Jill, who was about the same size I was.
Looking like an extra from the movie “Grease” crossed with Al Pacino’s “Scarface” character Tony Montana, Calderone opened the show by smoking a cigarette and reciting a five-minute diatribe about nothing in a half-hearted Bronx accent.

Lady Gaga as Jo Calderone

Lady Gaga performs at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday in Los Angeles. (Matt Sayles / Associated Press)

The awkwardness ended — almost — when (s)he bellied up to the piano and performed Gaga’s hit “You And I” (I’ll be the first to say she’s a quality singer-songwriter-dancer) with help from legendary Queen guitarist Brian May.
Then the (accidental) laughs came.
At one point during the performance, Gaga/Calderone stood on the piano and poured a bottle of beer on the floor. The camera shot changed just as she appeared to slip and fall on the spilled beer. The shot changed back a few seconds later as the singer got up off the ground.
The VMAs always have given way to the strange and provided a unique twist compared to the stereotypical awards show. This is Hollywood, not Ken Buehler at the Kitchi Gammi Club.
Coming in a close second for strangest was Katy Perry, who wore a hat that only could be described as a giant cheese cube — nothing to do with the Packers — atop her pink hair.
Lady Gaga wasn’t the only one who left the show with a bump.
Best New Artist went to 20-year-old hip-hop performer and producer Tyler, The Creator. While going to accept his award, Tyler jumped on stage and injured his foot. He confirmed it later in the night on Twitter. I’d give you his Twitter handle, but I can’t print it. It contains a word he said several times during his mostly bleeped-out acceptance speech.
The network’s annual event honors the year’s “best” music videos, which is funny considering MTV — it removed “Music Television” from its logo a while back — barely has room to cram videos onto its airwaves between episodes of “Teen Mom,” “Jersey Shore” and “16 and Pregnant.”
But with each year, even as the credibility of the award itself has increased, so, too, has that high-school-cool-kids’-table feel that tortures viewers.
Except they must be masochists, because a record 12.4 million watched, including me.
Next year I wouldn’t mind seeing Lady Gaga back at the show, only as a woman. I have a Rainbow Brite dress she can borrow.

Jimmy Bellamy is the multimedia editor at the Duluth News Tribune in Duluth, Minn. Contact him at (218) 723-5390 or jbellamy@duluthnews.com. This column originally appeared here.

Gadhafi: Pop culture meets reality

Posted on by
Reply

The words shouted by Dr. Emmett Brown are still ringing in my head, decades after they were uttered.
“It’s the Libyans!” he screamed into the night from an empty Hill Valley, Calif., parking lot in 1985 as a baby blue Volkswagen van carrying a man firing a machine gun quickly approached.
That scene from the sci-fi movie “Back to the Future” — fair or not — was my introduction to the North African country of Libya.

Gadhafi statue

Rebel fighters trample on a head of Moammar Gadhafi inside the Libyan leader’s main compound in Tripoli on Tuesday. The longtime leader is still at large despite the opposition forces taking control of most of the city. (Sergey Ponomarev / Associated Press)

And it wasn’t until the attacks on the World Trade Center (1993 and 2001) and the bombing of the USS Cole that I expanded my image of terrorists beyond the “Libyans” portrayed in the film.
As a child of the ’80s, I haven’t given Moammar Gadhafi’s name the same villainous weight as Americans older than I am. Until recently, I’ve viewed him as more of a cartoon character than a threat to the greater good.
After spending a significant amount of time in America’s and President Reagan’s doghouse, Gadhafi went silent for 20-plus years. And when he did appear, he seemed like a caricature of the man who had been Public Enemy No. 1. His Bono-esque trademark sunglasses, combined with his lavish — and sometimes outlandish — attire, made him more of a late-night punch line than a despised dictator.
The PG-Gadhafi in my head merged with the real-life tyrant who denied Libya’s citizens their human rights and had thousands killed when singers Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Usher and Nelly Furtado were criticized this year for accepting “blood money” for performing for the leader’s children in the past four years.
It seems inevitable that his almost 42-year reign as dictator of Libya is days — if not hours — from coming to a close. Rebels in the country stormed Gadhafi’s compound Tuesday, but there was no sign of the 69-year-old and his loyal sons. This week, world leaders, including President Obama, urged the hated leader to step down as plans for a post-Gadhafi Libya began to take shape.
Another line from Doc Brown, played by Christopher Lloyd, in that scene from “Back to the Future” was: “They found me. I don’t know how, but they found me.”
Let’s hope those words, spoken in a fictitious film, will be said in a real-life ending for Gadhafi.

Jimmy Bellamy is the multimedia editor at the Duluth News Tribune in Duluth, Minn. Contact him at (218) 723-5390 or jbellamy@duluthnews.com. This column originally appeared here.

Move over, Abercrombie and Sitch; I’d pay good money not to …

Posted on by
Reply

A clothing retailer known for ads featuring barely dressed young adults says it wants some well-known barely dressed young adults not to wear its brand. And will pay them not to.

The Situation

In an Aug. 11 episode, Sorrentino wore neon green A&F-label sweatpants. (Mel Evans / Associated Press)

Abercrombie & Fitch this week offered “substantial payment” to Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino and other cast members of the somehow-popular MTV show “The Jersey Shore” to keep A&F clothing off their bodies.

The show, which follows a group of eight alleged “Italian Americans” (not all of them are) as they party, fight, tan and party some more, is airing its fourth season. It’s set in Florence, Italy, with previous seasons located in Seaside Heights, N.J., and Miami.

So what’s the problem?

“We are deeply concerned that Mr. Sorrentino’s association with our brand could cause significant damage to our image,” the company said about Sitch in a statement (I tried reaching a human being and was directed to a general e-mail address). “We understand that the show is for entertainment purposes, but believe this association is contrary to the aspirational nature of our brand, and may be distressing to many of our fans.”

“Distressing”? “Fans”? Do clothing stores have fans? What’s distressing about the show is how often Sitch and Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi aren’t wearing any clothes, at least enough to cover the parts that you really don’t want to see. It doesn’t matter if it’s Abercrombie or Wrangler; just put on something.

“It’s a clever PR stunt” to get attention during the back-to-school shopping period, MTV shot back in response to Abercrombie’s offer.

Possibly, but the response sounds like MTV’s own PR stunt.

The Situation

This was one of the rare moments when "The Situation" was caught wearing a shirt. (2010 file / Associated Press)

All of this seems very tongue-in-cheek, and A&F hasn’t disclosed how much it would pay. But it got me thinking — who would I pay for someone not to do something?

I’d pony up some extra cash at stores if they agree not to ask for everything short of my Social Security number and blood type whenever I buy a Red Bull. (Instead, for my phone number, I give them (218) 722-8463.)

I’ll pay for the price of your ticket if you can sit through an entire UMD hockey game without drunkenly yelling obscenities from your seat.

How much will it cost to make sure that 40 percent of the “women from your area” listed on online dating sites aren’t girls who went to Lincoln Park, Nettleton and Denfeld with me?

Want to drive 35 mph on the one-lane stretch of I-35? Here’s $10. Take Michigan Street.

Here’s some more money for not sending Facebook “friend” requests from your taxi service, nonprofit organization or annual event just because we’re mutual friends with Don Ness and John Goldfine.

And Abercrombie & Fitch, I’ll even give you 20 bucks to cut a bigger check to ensure The Situation and his buddies not appear on TV ever again.

Jimmy Bellamy is the multimedia editor at the Duluth News Tribune. Contact him at (218) 723-5390 or jbellamy@duluthnews.com. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/jimmybellamy. This column originally appeared here.

Q&A with ‘The Nature Boy’ Ric Flair

Posted on by
Reply

It has been a while since I’ve posted something here, but here is a Q&A I conducted recently via e-mail with 16-time world champion Ric Flair — real name Richard Fliehr — who will be appearing at Heavy on Wrestling’s Rumble at the Garden on Thursday, May 27, in Duluth.

Jimmy Bellamy: After your emotional retirement sendoff from World Wrestling Entertainment in 2008 — the WWE Hall of Fame induction, the match at WrestleMania XXIV, and the goodbye on “WWE Monday Night Raw” — did you intend for your WrestleMania match with Shawn Michaels to be the final match of your career?

Ric Flair: I don’t know what I thought at the time. Remember that it was WWE that decided to retire Ric Flair. Obviously it was very emotional for myself, Shawn, and my fans. It is not easy to do this for as long as I have and then all of a sudden quit because the company you work for tells you to. I’m not bashing WWE as I have great respect for the group. I believe that the whole set up was beautiful and they did a great job with the hall of fame ceremony and the goodbye on Raw afterward. But I am not ready to sit at home and build a garden. I feel great, I work hard, and I am ready to keep going.

JB: In sports (and sports-entertainment, copyright Vince McMahon), fans often complain about an athlete’s career length, saying, “He played/competed too long. His legacy will be tarnished.” I’ve been one to think that is overblown. Who is anyone to tell someone else when it’s time to go? Athletes only have a certain amount of time to compete. Why should someone else have a say in when that athlete “hangs it up”? What are your thoughts?

RF: The athlete in question is the only person that truly knows if they are ready to retire. No one else.

JB: What did you think of Shawn Michaels’ similar exit from WWE in April (the WrestleMania match with the Undertaker and his “Monday Night Raw” farewell address)? Do you think that was his final match?

RF: I think Shawn definitely wants to be a family man and be home with his wife. I do, however, feel that he will have a return match at a pay per view sometime down the line.

JB: Have you heard from WWE officials since your return to the ring? Have you spoken to Michaels since his retirement?

RF: I have a lot of friends in WWE and I do keep in contact with them. I have spoken with Shawn since his retirement.

JB: What’s your response to those who say your last match should have been in 2008 against Michaels?

RF: The only one that truly will know the right time to stop is myself.

JB: Was it money that brought you back (doing the wrestling tour of Australia with Hulk Hogan, and coming to TNA) or something else?

RF: I was provided a unique opportunity and had a blast going to Australia. I feel I have a lot more to offer and that is what I am doing. I love TNA and feel that they have the right tools to be something huge. I am having just as much fun now as I did in the ’80s and that is saying something.

JB: Your footprint in wrestling spans decades and generations. Someone’s father might remember you as the NWA champion; someone else might remember you as the frontman of the Four Horsemen in WCW; and younger generations see you as the mentor in Evolution. What’s one thing you want all fans that have seen you over the years to remember you for?

RF: I want them to remember me as someone who appreciates the love and respect they give me every week when I head out in front of the camera. I am an entertainer and I feel when people pay to see me they feel they got their money’s worth.

JB: What do you enjoy about making appearances like the one for the upcoming Heavy on Wrestling show Thursday in Duluth?

RF: I love meeting all my fans. They are really something. The amount of respect they give me is amazing and it makes me feel great that they are excited to see me. I am just as much excited to meet my fans as they are to meet me. Grandma’s Sports Garden and Dave Sabick are presenting a rare opportunity and I truly hope everyone in Duluth comes out and has a great time. Dave is a great guy who has a lot of class and I know he’s doing a great job organizing everything.

JB: How much of Ric Flair the character is in Richard Fliehr the person?

RF: Enough to give my attorney a few sleepless nights.

JB: What has wrestling allowed you to do that you didn’t expect when you broke into the business? Travel the globe? Meet countless fans?

RF: It has allowed me a chance to fully develop a character and market myself as an entertainer that has gained the love of millions of people.

JB: How big is Flair Country?

RF: Flair Country is bigger than the United States, it is bigger than Canada, Australia, England, you name it; it is something NASA better start studying!

JB: When was the last time and place you were able to be anonymous?

RF: I honestly do not remember.

Here’s my Duluth News Tribune column on Flair.

Submitted photo

Bye, Fah-vra. See you in July?

Posted on by
Reply

Brett Favre as a Titan of New YorkFive months. That’s how long I give it before rumors of Brett Favre and his desire to join the Minnesota Vikings flood sports talk airwaves and ESPNEWS coverage.

Favre, who turns 40 on Oct. 10, became a former New York Jets quarterback Thursday after his agent announced the QB’s retirement for the second time in less than a year.

Sounds like the guy’s going to need shoulder surgery after playing 269 consecutive regular-season games during an 18-year NFL career that included time with the Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers.

But I can just hear it now: After surgery, and a summer’s stay at John Madden’s house, Favre feels rejuvenated and figures he can give it another go with a team that plays in a dome, where he can stay warm. No one likes a cold Brett Favre. Just ask the 2007 Packers.

Local football teams the Duluth-Superior Shoremen and Superior Stampede should make a run at Favre. They play in the summer, so it’s kind of warm. The Shoremen could sell Favre on the fact that Public Schools Stadium in Duluth has a nice locker room. Then the Stampede can counter with the fact that they play in Wisconsin (reunited, and it feels so good) and have a radio deal.

Photo by Bill Kostroun / Associated Press

I want the old Jason Giambi back

Posted on by
Reply

Jason Giambi in OaklandWord on the street (street being the New York Daily News) is that the Oakland Athletics are interested in signing first baseman-designated hitter Jason Giambi.

A member of the A’s for the first seven years of his career, Giambi (at left in 2000, below in 2008) could return to the bay after spending seven seasons with the New York Yankees. No one expected that Giambi, who turns 38 on Jan. 8, would stay with the Yankees, who signed first baseman Mark Teixeira to an eight-year, $180 million deal today.Giambi in New York

When Giambi signed with New York in 2002, he was forced to clean up his appearance. The Yankees have a strict policy regarding hair, facial hair and uniforms, so Giambi had to leave his long hair, goatee and exposed tattoos in California. Now that it appears he could be headed back to Oakland, I hope he brings back the dirty, scary guy look.