I'll be on the KAXE Morning Show this Monday morning at around 7:20 a.m. Tune in to 91.7 FM in northern Minnesota or catch the live stream at www.kaxe.org anywhere in the world. I'll be discussing the Iron Range economy, including the shaky status of several big jobs projects. It won't be a happy segment but I hope to properly highlight the challenges we residents of this unique region face these days. Wishin' and hopin' ain't gonna cut it.

And when you tune in be sure to call in to KAXE and renew or start your membership. This week the station will be conducting its summer fundraiser. I know, I know. Everyone asks for money. These people do amazing things in local media for not much money. KAXE is a service available to everyone over the internet.

Mike Jennings, editor of the Hibbing Daily Tribune, penned his final column today as he announced the newspaper's decision to lay him off in advance of his summer retirement plans. The paper, like all papers, is facing tremendous financial pressure amid the recession and ever-contracting share of advertising and circulation revenue. They'll make due without an editor for a while, as they have in the past. (Disclosure: I am a independent contract columnist for the Tribune, where I was editor from 2001-2003).

First off, though Jennings was not as high profile as other northern Minnesota journalists, people are going to deeply miss the work he does. He demonstrates why in his final column. Rather than waxing poetic about his career or lamenting the loss of the good ol' days of American journalism, he simply "tied up the loose ends" on several stories he's been doggedly following for the last year or so.

• An investigation of police conduct in Hibbing is explored one last time with fresh information from a public request of information.
• The Excelsior Energy Mesaba Energy Project is explained one more time. Indeed, Jennings provided the deepest and most unbiased local investigative journalism of this economic development project during his tenure here ... had I or others been as good a journalist in 2001 perhaps the public wouldn't be on the hook for as much of the debt on this beleaguered mess.
• Jennings closes with a final look at the immense public liability for the Essar Steel mine and steel proposal in Nashwauk. He demonstrates in just a few hundred words how desperation for jobs among public officials can lead to poor decisions.

All of this is well worth a read. A blogger like me provides a piece of the puzzle in the new media, but cannot replace independent, peer reviewed journalism entirely. We need people at meetings, observing official actions and documenting progress ... and that means someone has to pay journalists a fair wage to do that. Here is Jennings' important closing sentiment:

A newspaper is a lot of things, but the most important of them is a watchdog. A good watchdog doesn’t have to bite — at least not often.

But it does have to watch. That means it has to get fed enough to at least keep its eyes open.

... The choices you make as an advertiser or subscriber will help determine whether your watchdog stays alive and alert.

Choose wisely. The vital interests you serve could turn out to be your own.

Good luck back in Kentucky, Mike. You're spot on, as always.

I'm inviting metro readers to take part in my upcoming book events in the Twin Cities. I'll be doing my full "Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range" reading/lecture (new and improved!) at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 4 at the Har-Mar Mall Barnes and Noble in Roseville. Somebody told me this is the biggest Barnes and Noble in the Midwest and that's just vaguely impressive enough to include without verification. Then at 1 p.m. on Friday, June 5 I'll be signing books at Common Good Books in St. Paul (165 Western Ave N). This is the store owned by Garrison Keillor. Between the two of us there just might be an epic explosion of wry Midwestern whimsy. Once harnessed, the energy could power a taconite plant, 10,000 poorly insulated homes and several million deer shack generators.

I'm not saying this will be the last "Overburden" book tour in the cities before I wrap up the tour, I'm just suggesting it so that you come to this one. Unfortunately, Christina and I have booked ourselves silly on this 36 hour metropolitan experience so there isn't much time for socializing. Perhaps we can catch up at one of the events.

The MDN pens an editorial in support of a startup organization trying to revitalize the Iron Range music scene. Check it out.

The Mesabi Daily News reports that the Iron Range jobless rate is hovering in the bad zone, though shows tiny improvement in the Hibbing and Grand Rapids areas. The unemployment rate here is still far worse that the national and state averages and as mining layoffs start being factored in it's likely to get worse over the summer.

Boy, nothing but good news today, eh?

The Hibbing Daily Tribune follows up on yesterday's news of Excelsior Energy's disappointing day at the state Public Utilities Commission. Excelsior will appeal, of course, but the story points out that such an appeal could create as many problems as it could solve for the beleaguered economic development boondoggle.

Two anecdotes don't make evidence but it bears mentioning that two very recognizable downtown Hibbing businesses are closing (The Flower Basket and John Peterson's photography studio). I'm hearing that conditions are very difficult for small businesses across the Iron Range. With no mines currently in production places like the Range should brace for what could be a very difficult couple of years. I imagine similar conditions exist right now across the Rust Belt and the Plains.

My essay for the Saturday, May 30, edition of "Between You and Me" on 91.7 KAXE will deal with the topic of rivers. The independent public station will begin its summer fundraiser this weekend and members of the intrepid radio crew will be rafting down the Mighty Mississippi River for the cause. My piece will explore the important and yet understated role that rivers play in the 10,000 lakes wonderland of northern Minnesota.

You can tune in between 10 a.m. and noon on Saturday on 91.7 FM in northern Minnesota and at www.kaxe.org anywhere in the world. My essay usually airs in the first half hour or so (depending on callers). "Between You and Me" features the voices of northern Minnesota and some of the finest music (blended by topic) you'll hear on any radio station.

Mike Jennings of the Hibbing Daily Tribune turned in this report of Wednesday night's (Itasca County Railroad Commission) meeting. It shows a compelling conflict over who the commissioners work for -- a company or the citizens of the county. This particular story -- over how generous the terms toward Essar Steel are ultimately structured -- is not over. But the framework of the argument now favors this global steel giant.

NOTE: corrects Itasca Co. Board meeting to the railroad commission. The Railroad Commission met before the county board and includes some county commissioners.

Here's a fascinating story about the Obama FCC's new report on rural broadband. Somebody is finally at the switch.

The state PUC has closed the docket on Excelsior Energy's foolhardy Xcel Power Purchase Agreement demands for its Mesaba Energy Project. The start-up company will now appeal the decision in hopes of sustaining its government sanctioned boondoggle. All those who have supported this monstrosity will face increasing questions of competence and accountability as economic development resources dry up on the Iron Range over the next two years.

UPDATE: Some clarification from the original post ... the PUC action closes the Xcel/Excelsior connection, but Excelsior can and will lumber on in search of brains ... I'm sorry, customers.

On my book tour for "Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range" I've heard several positive comments about the new documentary "Iron Range: Minnesota Building America." Well, I must admit that I haven't had the chance to see it yet (they've been playing it on one of those digital broadcast channels we don't get out in the sticks). But you and me both will have the chance soon.

The program, which is a comprehensive look at the Iron Range's importance to the history of Minnesota and the United States, will finally air on WDSE, Channel 8, in northern Minnesota on Thursday, June 11 at 9 p.m.

A friend also tells me it will also be shown on Monday, June 7 at Kaleva Hall in Virginia at 10 a.m. and noon during the Knights of Kaleva's pancake breakfast. THAT is the preferred way to see this documentary, if you really want a taste of Iron Range. But the TV works fine, too.

The documentary features, among many others, Pam Brunfelt, the historian who was instrumental in shaping several concepts in my book.

Here's a classified ad from Wednesday's Duluth News Tribune. What is this?

WANTED: Editor / Content Manager

We want a person who will head up our news gathering organization and deliver news, while it is still NEWS. If your focus is to DELIVER COMPELLING AND QUALITY NEWS and NOT JUST NEWSPRINT, then respond to this ad. News delivered WHEN, WHERE, AND HOW the readers want to receive it, be it Print, Online, Desktop, Mobile and even Television in the very near future.

Position is in Beautiful Northern Minnesota. For more information, Please forward your resume to steven@desktopconcepts.com.

Job Details
Job Location: Northern Minnesota
Salary: DOE
Post Date: 05/22/2009

Company Information:
Undisclosed Employer

I've been getting reports that last night's Itasca County Board Meeting enjoyed its share of fireworks. This story from the Grand Rapids Herald-Review details some of the concern over the county's relationship with Essar Steel, the company that announced plans to build an iron mining and steel operation in Nashwauk. Ultimately, Essar got what it wanted in the list of terms, but the actual vote was tabled until next month.

I also heard that issues relating to the flooding Canisteo Pit near Bovey were raised, including the long delayed flood mitigation plans. I am still following this.

The Hibbing Daily Tribune may have more on Thursday. They were also covering the meeting.

Just read my new edition of Newsweek. They're going high class now, if you didn't know. Not one "Jon and Kate Plus 8" item. Not even as an ironic reference for a story about entitlement reform!

Anyway, here's this from the "Scope" section (formerly Periscope, the quotes page):

"I'd just been on a trip to Minnesota, where I can only kindly describe most of the people I saw as little houses."
~ Vogue editor Anna Wintour, on her decision to print a story about the perils of obesity in the magazine.

Little houses? As soon as I finish gnawing on this block of cheese I'm going to march up to her office and let her have what for. I haven't been this angry since ... (heavy breathing) ... hell ... I'm winded. Spot me, I'm winded.

This MinnPost story from Catherine Conlan explains how and why enrollment is rising at Northeastern Minnesota community and technical colleges. Increasingly, I have seen that regional college enrollment and post-graduation job placement taken together and run through a formula might become a good indicator of regional economic strength. It'd make a worthwhile thesis for an economics or planning grad student.

(NOTE: I am an instructor at a NE Minn. community and technical college but this blog is a separate, unaffiliated endeavor).

From Across the Great Divide a fascinating addition to the perpetual argument over welfare and whether people pour into Minnesota just to take advantage of our benefits. The post argues no more than average and no more than other states. What follows is a pretty good representation of the core issues of this debate. I'm linking to it because it's my favorite blog headline of the day:

"If Minnesota's a Welfare Magnet, then is Marty Seifert a Chick Magnet?"

Just good-natured fun had by all.

A company is experimenting with the shipment of taconite tailings to Chicago as an aggregate for road construction. This according to a story in today's Mesabi Daily News. Let's hope it works. Right now that's the only Iron Range taconite product on the water.

You know what you don't see much of these days? Cooperative recreational parks in which membership is based on shared maintenance of the grounds. The Mesaba Co-op Park between Cherry and Hibbing is legendary on the Iron Range and beyond. Of course, part of that might have more to do with its reputation as a frequent gathering place for all degrees of socialist and labor organization. Today, Mesaba Park endures as a family-friendly picnic and fun zone on the edge of Northstar Lake. This summer they celebrate 80 years:

Mesaba Park’s 80th anniversary Midsummer Festival will take place June 19-21 at Mesaba Co-op Park east of Hibbing. The theme of the festival is “Sustaining the Future Since 1929: Cooperating for 80 Years.”

Events begin Friday evening, June 19, with a lakeside bar-b-que and music jam lead by Pat Eliason and other area artists. Saturday, June 20th, offers a luncheon prior to the speakers’ program in the historic Mesaba Park pavilion. At 1 p.m., Dr. Arnold Alanen, University of Wisconson, Madison, will speak on “The Early History of Minnesota’s Finnish Cooperatives and Mesaba Co-op Park.” Professor Pam Brunfelt from Vermilion Community College in Ely will present on “Finnish Cooperatives and the Creation of a Unique Political Culture on the Iron Range.”

At 4 p.m. Saturday, Terrence Smith leads the annual Maypole Dance, followed by a social hour, and a special dinner by organic caterer Sheila Weidendorf of Minneapolis. At 7:30 p.m., Pat Surface and the Boundary Water Boys play a concert of bluegrass, Celtic and Americana music in the pavilion dance hall. The group is comprised of award-winning musicians playing acoustic string instruments. They are joined by Donna Surface, a performance artist in sign for the deaf. This popular group offers something for everyone. After the concert, the “Mesaba Park Band” takes the stage for a rousing all-ages dance, followed by lakeside reflections, and the traditional midnight bonfire.

On Sunday, June 21, a pancake breakfast precedes the Park’s annual member meeting. At Noon, a lunch of beef and vegetarian mojakka will be served. The festival concludes at 1 p.m., with a poetry reading lead by John David Schirber, and other poets. This program will also feature prose and storytelling.

A festival weekend pass costs $10. Camping is free. Meals, t-shirts and memorabilia are available for additional cost. Mesaba Park is located at 3827 Mesaba Park Road, near the intersection of Hwy. 37 and Co. Rd. 5 North. For more information and a complete schedule of events, call 218/262-1350, or visit our website: www.mesabapark.com

Mesaba Park is a true northern Minnesota gem, if only for the history you absorb when you go there. It's a fun place, too, regardless of your political orientation.

UPDATE: Link is fixed now.

Some recent developments indicate that Essar Steel, the Indian company backing an Iron Range taconite-to-steel plant, is either playing a very short game or a very long game in their endeavor. The company is battling with Itasca County over the duration of access to ore stockpiles depending on the timeline of construction. They'd prefer 20 years of access, instead of 10. If this thing isn't built in 10 years there won't be much left of the West Range economy and workforce to speak of.

"Organizing for America" -- the post-election offshoot of the Obama campaign is holding a listening tour stop in Hibbing on Tuesday, June 2. I'm intrigued, mostly because I'm curious what they're up to. Obama for America proved to be one of the largest and most sophisticated political organizations of our time. What can they do to aid the governance of the candidate they just got elected? Or are they just gearing up for 2012? I'd be curious what people at the meeting thought.

A belated link. Mesabi Misadventures advocates the virtues of the small town cafes on the Iron Range (and most other places).

A reminder, via press release, for those interested:

Rural Women’s Leadership Project hosts an Itasca County event

The Rural Women’s Leadership Project (RWLP) invites women in the Grand Rapids area to an evening of discussion and social networking.

RWLP is hosting an event on Wednesday, May 27 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the MacRostie Art Center, located at 405 First Ave. in Grand Rapids. This will be a fun and informal evening. Appetizers and beverages will be served and all are welcome. There is no cost for attending.

The evening is designed to provide a platform for discussion of issues important to women and provide a networking opportunity for current and emerging leaders in the Grand Rapids/Itasca County area. Officials from the RWLP Steering Committee will be on hand to provide a brief overview of RWLP, its mission and focus.

Rural Women’s Leadership Project (RWLP) was formed in early 2006 with the vision that women will share equally in leadership with men in all levels of society throughout rural Northeastern Minnesota.

RWLP’s goals are to recruit and support emerging leaders and further develop existing leaders. As a new entity, RWLP is striving to create a sustainable movement that will increase the number of women leaders and positively impact the views of women’s leadership. The organization’s strategy is to provide training, resources, celebratory events, and networking opportunities.

RWLP currently targets women in Bois Forte Reservation, Itasca, Northern St. Louis, Lake, Aitkin, and Carlton counties. The organization is governed by a steering committee comprised of eleven women from various rural communities in Northeast Minnesota.

The event in Grand Rapids on May 27th will be the first RWLP gathering outside of the East Iron Range. The group plans to organize events and dialogues with women in communities across Northeast Minnesota in coming months. Through these community-level meetings, RWLP aims to impact women and their communities in a way that promotes, nurtures, and encourages women’s equality and leadership.

RWLP encourages women who plan to attend the Grand Rapids event to RSVP, so the organization can plan accordingly for food and beverages. RSVP to: ruralwomensleadership@gmail.com or to Leah Hall at: 218-340-7130.

This was my weekly column for the Sunday, May 24 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. A version of this piece was featured on last week's Between You and Me on KAXE.

Ode to a tree, and also to paper
By Aaron J. Brown

One of our little boys, Doug, has taken to pointing out the window – any window – and shouting “What’s that?” Well, where we live the answer is invariably “trees.” Occasionally we can see a bird, or squirrel or a lumbering passer-by and blurt that word, but usually Doug is pointing at trees. And when we tell him that one tree is, in fact, a tree, he points to the one next to it and says, “What’s that?”

“Kid, they’re all trees! All of them! They’re all pretty much the same kind of trees! We live in a forest. It never ends, not until you get to Nashwauk 15 miles away and they have trees there too!”

But we don’t actually say this because the books say we should encourage curiosity and besides, these trees make him so darn happy. He loves them. It’s probably good for me to hear about the wonder of an individual tree. My habits, location and profession have caused me to see trees in a stark light. Trees are something pretty to look at collectively until they get to the important business of becoming the paper I write on, print and collect in file cabinets, all of which will outlive, through sheer quantity, many successive generations of my family. That, my dear boy, is what trees are. They are pre-paper. And one day the lucky ones will get to be the bedtime stories you like to chew on.

You sometimes hear people use the altruistic wording of the environmental movement ironically, to twist a rhetorical knife.

“I love animals,” one bumper sticker reads. “They’re delicious.”

Ha! And they are, you know. Especially when covered in butter. But there I go again. I am ignoring the fact that animals, like trees, are substantially similar to you and me. Carbon blended into an evolutionary and/or spiritual milkshake. Some milkshakes have caramel, some have chocolate, but they’re all good in their own way.

My problem is that I think too much. I know a lot of other writers can wax poetic onto a sheet of paper about the beauty of a tree without realizing the irony that their multiple drafts and the articles they printed about themselves off Google all cost enough paper to feed that very tree into a chipper.

One of my first jobs was a strange government gig where I’d visit youth worksites across Northeastern Minnesota, ensuring that the children and their supervisors were observing somewhat arbitrary safety regulations that I, the enforcer, was only vaguely aware of. One day, when work was slow, I was given a temporary assignment to help supervise a crew of at risk teenagers who would be planting trees in the woods somewhere north of the Iron Range.

This was one of those hot summer days that started cool but warmed to the point where you had to take off your professional casual golf coat and unbutton the top button of your professional polo shirt almost until the point where you’d need to remove the shirt entirely, demonstrating to the wilderness what white people look like under the worst possible conditions.

On this day, I donned work boots and gloves and, for a glorious day in the sun, with my disinterested crew, planted trees down a long row. Those trees are probably still there today, and in a couple decades they’ll be harvested. In all likelihood, they will become paper. That’s right, paper. On the one day I planted trees in my whole life, I had initiated a course of action that would provide as much paper as I – a writer and teacher – would use in my entire lifetime.

Nevertheless, as I planted each seedling from the tray, I couldn’t help but wonder if each tree was special, like a government worker who was more than a job description.

What’s that? It’s a tree.

Aaron J. Brown is a columnist for the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Contact him or read more at his blog MinnesotaBrown.com. His book “Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range” recently won the Northeastern Minnesota Book Award.

The Daily Dish has been featuring a variety of guest bloggers this week as main man Andrew Sullivan is on vacation. One of them is Richard Florida, an economist I often cite, who wrote "The Rise of the Creative Class." He argues that traditional social class structures are breaking into profession-oriented classes (working class, service class and creative class). Any place without an active creative class is struggling, Florida argues. Though Florida's ideas are not universally accepted I was particularly fascinated by this one.

Florida shares a Margaret Wente column excerpt in which the decline of traditional blue collar professions is forcing cultural change, especially along gender lines. Burly beer drinking male factory workers aren't being retrained for service or creative jobs, their wives and children are. Take a minute and think about the implications for the stereotypical Iron Range worker and the rough-around-the-edges (though often misunderstood) Iron Range culture. What kind of culture can endure here or across the Rust Belt over the next 100 years?

A scrappy Northern Minnesota dealership stripped of its Chrysler stripes plans to fight on in the used (I'm sorry, pre-owned) market. (MDN)

Some bad news in the short run: Iron Range mining layoffs are just starting to appear in the jobless rate data you'll be reading about in the coming month. This is from today's Mesabi Daily News. The state analyst sees cause for optimism. I think, however, that it's his job to say that.

Dylan Days 2009 wraps up today. Thanks to all the people who came to Hibbing to take part in this celebration of music, art, literature and the work of Hibbingite Bob Dylan.

Today is Bob Dylan's 68th birthday. This summer his Hibbing High School class will celebrate its 50th reunion.

All that's left for now, however, is today's Dylan Days Farewell Brunch at Zimmy’s, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Cost $10 with Dylan Days Button.

If you couldn't make Dylan Days 2009, you can still buy signed copies of Dylan Days author books, souvenir buttons and copies of the literary journal and program at www.dylandays.com.

I forgot to mention this week's edition of "Between You and Me." Ironic, really, given that it's a show dedicated to Bob Dylan and Dylan Days. Tune in right now at 91.7 FM in northern Minnesota or streaming online at www.kaxe.org. You can hear the archives if you missed the beginning. The show airs 10 a.m. to noon every Saturday. My essay is based on my column from last Sunday.

This week's show is guest hosted by Michael Goldberg and Gail Otteson while regular host and producer Heidi Holtan reports in from the Bobby Zimmerman Bus Tour going on in Hibbing.

Mesabi Nugget, the iron nugget plant under construction in Hoyt Lakes, has announced that it will delay operational start-up until the fourth quarter of this year instead of August as originally planned. This is from today's Mesabi Daily News.

The delay comes amid a global recession and the continued lagging steel prices, a situation that has all Iron Range taconite mines in some version of a shutdown right now. Mesabi Nugget currently employs a few dozen people with plans to bring on a few dozen more for the initial start-up. Naturally, the subsequent renaissance of the iron and steel industries will create hundreds more jobs under the grand plan.

Saturday is the premium day of events for Dylan Days. Stop by and soak up the many different people visiting Hibbing in celebration of hometown son Bob Dylan.

Saturday at Dylan Days

Dylan Days Bus Tour 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., a fascinating guided tour of the Hibbing that inspired a young Bob Dylan. Tickets are $15 (includes a Dylan Days button)

Dylan Days U.S. Postal Cancellation at Zimmy’s noon-4 p.m.

Cathy Wurzer presents “Tales of the Road: Highway 61” 2:30-4:30 at Howard Street Booksellers with a discussion at 3:00 p.m.

HCC Theatre Benefit featuring encore presentation of one-act play contest winner 3:30-4:40 pm. Free will donations to HCC Theatre.

“Meet the HHS Class of 1959” Reception at Zimmy’s 4-6 p.m. Special opportunity to meet and greet Bob’s high school classmates.

Hibbing Arts Council Benefit Concert featuring Rolling Thunder Revue “Revisited” with Gene LaFond & the Wild Unknown and Scarlet Rivera at Hibbing High School Auditorium at 7 p.m. Tickets are additional and may be purchased at the door.

Birthday Party at Zimmy’s following the concert.

Dylan Days Visual Arts Contest judging takes place at Zimmy’s following the concert.

Tomorrow: the Dylan Days farewell brunch

Now we're getting warmed up. Friday is when many visitors start arriving in Hibbing for Dylan Days weekend. The highlight today is our signature Dylan Days Singer/Songwriter Contest tonight at Zimmy's. Twenty-four musicians from all over the world will sign one Dylan song and one original song to compete for prizes and glory in Bob Dylan's hometown.

Friday at Dylan Days:

Steven Heine presents “Bargainin’ for Salvation: Bob Dylan, A Zen Master” 1-3 p.m. at Howard Street Booksellers with a discussion starting at 2:30 p.m.

Colleen Sheehy and Thomas Swiss present “Highway 61 Revisited: Bob Dylan’s Road from Minnesota to the World” 3-5 p.m. at Howard Street Booksellers with a discussion starting at 3:00 p.m.

Dylan Days Singer-Songwriter Contest at Zimmy’s 7-midnight.

Tomorrow: Bobby Zimmerman Bus Tour, Cathy Wurzer, and the Dylan Days Benefit Concert featuring Scarlet Rivera, Gene LaFond and the Wild Unknown, and winners of the Dylan Days Talent Show and Singer/Songwriter contests.

The parent company of the Hibbing Daily Tribune, the paper that runs my column, has announced temporary unpaid furloughs for "many or most" of its employees in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Other papers involved include the Mesabi Daily News and Grand Rapids Herald Review. Some permanent layoffs are likely, according to the story.

Excelsior Energy, proponent of the vast and controversial Mesaba Energy Project on the Iron Range, goes before the state PUC for one final plea for special treatment in finding a customer for its expensive electricity it intends to generate in a carbon capture coal plant.

Doesn't look so good for them.

An appeal to follow. You know how fast those are handled in this state. Just ask Senator ... well, anyway.

The opening day of Dylan Days is typically the whole kit and caboodle for me, even more so this year. I am one of the organizers of the Dylan Days Creative Writing Contest, the winners of which participate in this evening's Literary Showcase.

The special highlight is the world premiere of "Blur in the Rear View" the winning play in the one-act playwright competition. HCC Theater Director Mike Ricci directed this play, his final show on the Iron Range before leaving for the Twin Cities this summer, which features a cast of Iron Range theater veterans. The playwright, Aleks Merilo of Palo Alto, California, will be in attendance to answer questions.

The night also features me reading from my book, but that's just coincidental to the fact that I am always the emcee and happen to have a book that mentions Dylan and the Range out this year.

Thursday at Dylan Days:

Golden Chords historic photo dedication and reception at the Little Theater in the Hibbing Memorial Building 4:30-5:30 p.m. hosted by Hibbing Historical Society and US Bank.

Dylan Days Literary Showcase at HCC Theatre 7:30-9:30 pm featuring winning entries from Dylan Days short story, poetry, and one-act play contest. Aaron Brown will be reading and signing copies of “Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range.”

Dylan Days Open Music Jam featuring return engagement of Grunt Monkeys from Anchorage, Alaska plus open mic for all musicians at Zimmy’s 7 pm - 2 am.

Tomorrow: More authors and the singer/songwriter contest.

Here's an interesting quandary. We all know the Iron Range mining sector is reeling right now. Partly because of this, our elected officials sought and received some strict "buy American" provisions in the federal economic recovery package. The logic was to bolster American steelmakers and iron mining operations by ensuring that American steel was used to build all those bridges and roads. Sounds great.

But here's this. In my mind, one of the most important aspects of the recovery act is the investment in rural broadband (high speed internet everywhere). Such internet penetration would allow more communities and entrepreneurs to participate in the 21st century economy. On THAT front, the "Buy American" rules might actually hinder the U.S. companies most able to step in and start work now, according to this xChange story.

Buying American isn't as simple as it once was. I am wondering if the ticket to our economic recovery is redefining what that term actually means.

Magnetation, Inc., the outfit that is reprocessing old Iron Range mine dumps, made Fortune Magazine this week. The company shows a lot of promise. Beats a kick in the face, economically speaking.

Buuuuut ... none of our taconite mines are producing anything right now. Contextually, we're still in the rough.

On a side note, a friend once told me that if they mined all the dumps down to nothing I'd have to change the title of my book "Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range" (dumps are piles of overburden). I suppose that's true. If they mine away all the dumps, the new title will be "Save us Mad Max, Those Bad Guys are Killing Us and Stealing Our Life Sustaining Supplies."

How much taconite (an iron ore product used to make steel) is being produced on the Iron Range right now?

Catherine Conlan at MinnPost tells us: none.

The Iron Range is the largest domestic source of iron ore in the United States and we are generating zip as of today. They're shipping some stockpiles, but that's it. Granted, iron ore demand is a lagging indicator not a leading indicator. But I don't think people on the Iron Range find much comfort in that fact. Let this be a reminder that we might be on the road to recovery but that the patch of highway up ahead is underwater and filled with alligators.

Alligators that like the cold and always take the last two beers at parties. I hate those alligators, don't you?

Channel 10 reported that Iron Range State Sen. Tom Bakk is "internally" committed to his run for governor after yesterday's conclusion of the legislative session. The Mesabi Daily News is reporting that he is taking a family trip to think about it.

I am reporting that I will eat a deer pelt if Bakk does not run for governor.

On Tuesday, the Duluth News Tribune editorial board opined that Minnesota should do a better job ensuring that Minnesota-set movies are filmed in Minnesota. They lamented that mediocre releases like "Leatherheads" and "New in Town" were both set in Minnesota but obviously (sometimes ridiculously) were filmed elsewhere. The editorial concluded that other places offer more incentives for filmmakers, which is why this happens. We should do better at attracting film crews to Minnesota, we are told.

Lawmakers allocated only $2.5 million, which later was reduced to $1.2 million, which, late last week was nixed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty via a line-item veto.

But that chilly reception should have come as little surprise considering the state’s massive budget deficits and the difficult economy.

“Not this year” doesn’t have to mean “never,” however. Minnesota shouldn’t turn its back on Hollywood and the millions that film projects bring. When the economy improves and the time is right, [a program offering film incentives] deserves support.

On the surface I agree. The filming of "North Country" on the Iron Range was ultimately a good thing economically (and culturally, even if we have a very uncool way of handling famous people in our midst). But I have one fundamental counter argument that runs parallel with some of the problems I have with northern Minnesota economic development in general.

Here again we are trumpeting the need to offer up something impersonal (money) that we don't have much of to entice outside forces (great, powerful forces we do not understand) to come in and save us. Since we're talking about movies, let's call this the "Three Amigos" approach. We saw on a movie somewhere that Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short could protect us from bandits and are now pooling our money together to do hire them for just such foolish purposes. (Yes, I know it that the Three Amigos succeeded in the movie, but that was a MOOOOVIE).

I'm all for making movies in Minnesota. Why aren't we encouraging Minnesota filmmakers to do just that? Why not tell our own story to the outside world and showing them what can be done here? By helping several dozen smaller, local productions based on artistic merit we might have a better chance at the big bucks in the long run. When some good Minnesota films demonstrate the versatile landscape and seasonal appeal of this state, maybe we won't have to waive a bunch of damn money at people who don't respect us. Once we have trained a stable of film production professionals available to work perhaps some of the logistical barriers of filming in Minnesota could be broken down.

Movies are a tricky business, in that they are business-driven but based on art. If you sacrifice the quality and importance of the art the business will fail anyway, no matter how much money you pump in. "New in Town" is not our goal. Our goal should be to show that quality productions can happen organically. The same is true of just about any industry we're trying to build here.

It's Dylan Days Eve in Hibbing, Minn. The stockings are hanging. I've been mixing spiced liquor into my coffee. Tonight we all go to bed with hopes that jolly old St. Zimmerman visits through the chimney. Unlike Santa, however, he only shows up if he feels like it.

In any event, Dylan Days 2009 starts tomorrow but there are some great things to check out if you're in Hibbing a night early. (See the complete schedule).

Wednesday at Dylan Days:
“Artists of the North County” ongoing exhibit of artwork inspired by the life and lyrics of Bob Dylan at Hibbing Public Library hosted by Lake Superior Watercolor Society and Friends of the Library. A reception will be held tomorrow from 4-6 p.m.

Lincoln Elementary School Youth Talent Contest at 7 p.m. Local kids compete for prizes on another historic Hibbing stage.

Tomorrow: Dylan Days Literary Showcase and the unveiling of an historic photo of Dylan's boyhood band the Golden Chords.

Though the Minnesota legislative session ultimately proved disappointing on many levels, northern Minnesota has one item to cheer. It appears the first installment of money to fund the Upper Mississippi Forest Legacy project -- the transfer of vast amounts of Blandin Paper land in Itasca County to public use -- is on track.

Also in today's paper edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune is a special tab commemorating Dylan Days, one of my many side ventures. It's a nice collector's piece and a good guide to this year's set of arts and entertainment events for Dylan Days in Hibbing, May 21-24. Pick up a copy wherever newspapers are sold in the greater Hibbing/Chisholm/Nashwauk/Keewatin metropolitan area.

Meantime, below is a press release for our opening night's Literary Showcase event, which also includes a reading by yours truly for my book "Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range" and the winners of the Dylan Days Creative Writing Contest. This comes from Mike Ricci, my friend and the outgoing director of the Hibbing Community College Theater:

The 2009 Dylan Days One-Act Play contest winner will be given a world premiere production on the HCC Theatre stage for two performances only: Thursday, May 21 at 7 p.m., as part of the annual Dylan Days Literary Night event, and an encore performance on Saturday, May 23 at 3:30 p.m. Thursday's show is by admission with a Dylan Days button ($5), and Saturdays encore performance is a fundraiser for HCC Theatre. Admission is $5 at the door.

The winning play is entitled 'Blur in the Rear View' by Aleks Merilo of Palo Alto, California. The play was selected from over 80 entries from all over the world in this years contest. This is an intriguing drama of two men in love with the same woman, and how their pasts catch up to them. Nothing is as it seems, and the dreams of their youth have to make way for the realities of a life of compromise and lost opportunities. The cast features Pat Zollar and Jason Scorich, both of whom have acted in numerous roles on the HCC Theatre stage, and newcomer Mariah Anderson, who acted in many productions while a student at St. Scholastica. This play will mark my final production on the HCC Theatre stage, and I hope that you can make it down to the theatre to catch it this week.

Additional Dylan Days items will be posted throughout the week. I'll try to sprinkle in other material too for those who are more into Prince, warped souls though you may be. In truth I'm settling into a Johnny Cash state of mind as I get older.

The Hibbing Daily Tribune, my column's home for the last eight years, kindly ran a story on today's front page about the recent success of my book "Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range." I think it's the first story of the summer for their intern Matt Nelson, a former student and fellow conflicted intellectual type. I enjoy that he wrote the story straight up ... like I was a cross country runner. Nerds like me never get to "blast the competition away," until today.

A casual conversation with a friend last week leaves me with lingering questions. We live on the Iron Range, you see. Like the rest of the state, nation and world, the Iron Range of northern Minnesota is experiencing an economic downturn. But things are always a little different on the Range where iron mining is still our dominant industry, partly because for decades we've been in a constant state of economic flux.

We as a collective people are accustomed to the uncertainty, probably to our detriment, but for the time being leaving us more comfortable than others with the possibility of continued and worsening economic woes. Something about this "crisis" seems less urgent than even the 2001 shutdown of LTV Steel, where a bloated steel industry was finally forced to reckon with 21st century reality. Today, though, no such panic exists. No such urgency.

"Why?" My friend and I wondered.

Unemployment and general optimism.

Right now hundreds, if not thousands, of Iron Range miners and mine-related workers are on layoff or about to be put on layoff. They will receive unemployment benefits and live off savings for part of the summer, if not longer. Why, then, is there no panic on the streets of the Iron Range? People here, fueled by strong statements from mining companies, believe the mines will be back in full operation sometime relatively soon ... next fall maybe, 2010 for sure. That's great. If it proves true, then not much changes in the red-tinted world of the Iron Range. Not now, anyway.

If it doesn't, what happens when unemployment runs out? Whatever it is could happen fast and hard.

This is my weekly column that was published in the Sunday, May 17 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune.

An organizer’s lament (Dylan Days is coming!)
By Aaron J. Brown

When I was a reporter I used to marvel at the busybody community activists who were in charge of such things as Chisholm Parallel Parking Days or the Bovey Lint Appreciation Fest. Such enthusiasm they showed, such perpetual energy these people expended for an event the crowd would enjoy once and then forget until the organizers would have to do the same work all over again next year. These organizers lived like ants serving drinks, tap dancing and spinning decorative plates for a sea of restless grasshoppers. Oh, how I pitied them.

Until, somehow, I became one of them.

Something’s about to happen. I’m opening the curtain. I’m admitting to you, dear reader, that I have a conflict of interest. A serious one, if my old journalism professors were here to talk to you, yell at you and demand you hit the deadline. I am writing a column about something I am involved in.

“What?” you say. “Sacrilege! You must only tell us what you think! You must never tell us what you do!” Well, it’s true. I do things outside of this column and one such task is to help organize Dylan Days, the annual arts event in Hibbing honoring this town’s famous son, Bob Dylan.

“Grooaaan!”

What’s that sound?

“Grooaan!”

Oh, that’s the sound I often hear when I mention Bob Dylan in mixed company on the Iron Range. I was giving a talk in another town a few weeks ago and mentioned “the legendary Bob Dylan” in the context of famous Iron Range natives. An audible scoffing sound emerged from the crowd, like I was selling VCRs – ironically to people unable to or disinterested in programming those VCRs.

“But wait!” I wanted to say. “You may not like Dylan or his public image, but in many ways he represents the spark and possibility of the Iron Range. His work has touched people all over the world and he’s from the same streets as you and me.” My voice echoes in my head, unspoken. “And besides,” my lonely thoughts continue, “it’s not like I just spent two days indenting paragraphs for the Dylan Days literary journal, you Neanderthals!”

“Community organizer” was a term both exalted and denigrated during last fall’s election as it was touted as one of President Obama’s early resume entries. Nevertheless, I often describe myself as something of a community organizer. Community organizing, Obama has said, is hard. People, by nature, tend to avoid organization unless you can demonstrate some reason they should put collective interest ahead of their own. Why should people get behind something like Dylan Days when so many good Iron Rangers spent the last 50 years honoring their roots through hard work and community service?

The answer is not to idolize a man, but to celebrate the unique caldron of possibility that is the hardscrabble Iron Range. This is an excerpt from the May 2009 edition of Rolling Stone’s Douglas Brinkley interview with Dylan:

“I ask Dylan if he minds people visiting Hibbing or Duluth or Minneapolis searching for the root of his talent. ‘Not at all,’ he surprisingly says. ‘That town where I grew up hasn’t really changed that much, so whatever was in the air before is probably still there. I go through once in a while coming down from Canada. I’ll stop there and wander around.’”

That image is the one that causes the longest pause when I talk to people. Imagine Dylan, a Hibbing boy gone far too long to wear the Bluejacket sweat band, wandering the town, most likely the edge of town which so fascinated him according to local lore. This town “hasn’t changed much,” this sentence at first seems offensive, but rings true. Mine layoffs. Struggling downtown. Oh, how cold the winds of reality and how warm the touch of truth. And how I love sharing the story of this place with a world that only knows us as “the hometown of Bob Dylan.”

It’s true what they say about sharks: They must swim to survive. As such, Dylan Days 2009 is coming this week, with events starting Wednesday and official activities scheduled Thursday, May 21 through Sunday, May 24. Oh, the high times you could have if you partake. Drink! Dance! Sing! Join rhyme and purpose to cement a monument of your time in the human race. All this and more at www.dylandays.com.

I’m sorry. I can no longer help myself.

Aaron J. Brown is a columnist for the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Contact him or read more at his blog MinnesotaBrown.com or in his recent book “Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range.”

Tonight I was honored to accept the Northeastern Minnesota Book Award for my book "Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range." I guess they said some nice things in the judges' comments but I don't think I comprehended a single word after I heard the syllables "O-VER-BER..." This was my first book and the first book ever published by Lindsy O'Brien and her Red Step Press of Duluth. There were nine other nominees in our creative nonfiction/memoir category, including talented Minnesota writers, colleagues and people I grew up reading. What an incredible honor!

So (this is the pivot) catch some of the hot Iron Range whimsy action that has all the cityfolk atwitter in "Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range" a funny 21st century memoir of a people and a place.

If you're a reader looking for something to do in northern Minnesota today check out the Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards at the University of Minnesota Duluth. The book fair starts at 12:30, with author readings going on at the Marshal Performing Arts center from 1-3 until the 3:30 p.m. awards ceremony. I'll be reading from my nominated book "Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range" at about 1:50. I'll be signing books all day. This event is a great chance to meet some of the many fine authors writing in and about northern Minnesota.

The U.S. Department of Energy announced support for a series of carbon capture and sequestration projects (what the industry calls "clean coal") through the economic recovery act. Though some of the the $2.4 billion in funding areas will still grant funds to applicants, this list seems rather grim for Excelsior Energy's proposed Mesaba Energy Project on the Iron Range. The federal government is the last, best hope for this project to sustain its zombie life without a major customer. Most notable, the government is going "all in" to the tune of $1 billion on the FutureGen project in Illinois, a CCS project in a more developed stage than Excelsior. This project is more likely to be economically feasible than Mesaba, but let's be honest -- FutureGen, too, is most likely a snipe hunt.

My opposition to the policy and economic aspects of Excelsior's political activities on the Iron Range are well documented so we'll just leave it at that.

Here's the Iron Range take on Gov. Tim Pawlenty's edict yesterday about the state budget negotiation process. (Story by Jon Collins for Hibbing Daily Tribune, Mesabi Daily News and others).

Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia, said cuts to health and human services would be “devastating” for the Iron Range.

“People are going to understand the pain that this governor is going to inflict on some of the most vulnerable people in society and on the lower and middle classes of Iron Range,” he said. “It is going to fall right back on people’s property taxes, which is the most unfair tax there is.”

Pawlenty said final decisions haven’t been made, but that cuts would fall on health care, social services, K-12, higher education and Local Government Aid.

Saturday is "Love a Tree" day. Here in northern Minnesota that carries broad implications as there are many trees that could use a little bit of tree lovin.' Trees are the topic of this Saturday's edition of "Between You and Me" on 91.7 KAXE. As usual, I chime in with my weekly essay. My tree take is a little different, but then it would be, wouldn't it?

"Between You and Me" is a call-in and music program that airs from 10 a.m. to noon on 91.7 FM in northern Minnesota and streaming live all over the world at www.kaxe.org. My essay often runs in the first hour, depending on calls.

There might not be as many political or Range news posts this week. Why? We're a week away from Dylan Days in Hibbing and the excitement (and organizational pressure) is rising.

I'll be on 103.3 KUMD Radio in Duluth Friday morning shortly after 8:20 talking about Dylan Days. I'll also be recording an interview for Pioneer 90.1 KSRQ in Thief River Falls that day to be used on their station at some point. If you are a media professional looking for a story that connects 1) Bob Dylan, 2) the arts, 3) mining, 4) a violin player, 5) a bus tour of Hibbing, and 6) the economy .... why not e-mail me for some ideas. I have a few.

Dylan Days -- May 21-24 in Hibbing, Minnesota.

OK, so I'll bite:

Barkley Throws First Pitch; IP Throws Fundraiser

St. Paul, Minn. (May 12, 2009) – Dean Barkley, Independence Party candidate for U.S Senate, will throw out the first pitch at the St. Paul Saints game on May 23^rd. The former U.S. Senator will participate in what the St. Paul Saints are calling “Re”Count Night in honor of the 2008 U.S. Senate recount. Fans will have the opportunity to participate in many recount themed activities including a “color inside the oval” contest. The first 2,500 fans though the gate will receive a Count Von "Re"Count doll. The doll will feature the likeness of Coleman on one side and Franken on the other. The bobble head spins over a body dressed like the Sesame Street's Count von Count.

The Independence Party is making hay out of this with fundraiser ticket packages. I predict this ends one of two ways: 1) a fun time had by all; or, 2) a bloody riot remembered for three generations.

This weekend the "Overburden" road show will be working without a net as the missus and I head south to Duluth for the Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards at UMD. I am one of scads of nominated authors in the creative nonfiction/memoir category (it's not a juried nomination system; they let anyone in, even me). I was, however, informed that I have been "selected" to be one of the authors to participate in the reading that occurs prior to the awards ceremony. So I'll get stage time either way.

Check out the list of nominees and see what you think. I know several of the other authors and I grew up reading Jim Heffernan's columns. Normally I'd say that it's an honor just to be nominated but my publisher was the one who nominated me, on the logic that it would help sales. So let's just say that it's an honor just to read my stuff into the microphone the way I always do. Sunday calls for a little razzle dazzle, though. If I don't win the award you can be darn sure I'll win the fight in the parking lot afterward. That's how we rolls north of Hermantown, baby.

If you're interested in checking out the author fair, reading or awards ceremony come on down! We'll have an "Overburden" table at the fair.

Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Marshall Performing Arts Center

12:30 - 3 p.m. Book fair / refreshments in the lobby

1-3 p.m. Readings by nominated authors

3:30 p.m. Speaker Annette Atkins / Awards presentation

And if you haven't read "Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range" yet you are missing the sensation that the Star Tribune recently described as "published."

Last week I mentioned Hibbing Daily Tribune publisher Wanda Moeller's editorial smackdown on Ron Dicklich's appointment to the Laurentian Energy Authority. Well, somehow I missed the significant fact that Mesabi Daily News editor and co-publisher Bill Hanna hit Dicklich with a similar argument on the same day.

You ever see professional wrestling? You ever see two wrestlers who fight all the time? Let's call them Farmer Destruction and Bar Stool Eddie. Suddenly, with the sweat of battle glistening off of each other, they realize that they share a common enemy and share a knowing look of purpose. So they join forces to attack Dr. Fist and his henchman, Knuckles. Ever see something like that? Anyway, this is kind of like that ... in that it is rare, and in no other way.

Dicklich, a former state senator and current lobbyist/government liaison type replied last Sunday in both papers. He said he's not a "good ol' boy" he's just very experienced. Which is true. He's done a lot of stuff in politics and lobbying. He doesn't think its a conflict of interest to serve on a public body that overseas electrical utilities while lobbying for an electric company. OK, don't get mired in the details because here's the good part. Dicklich challenged both editors to settle this the way we Rangers settle such things ... in a publicly televised cable access debate. Oh man, I bet they'd even adjust the tracking on the playback deck so people could actually watch that! I hope everyone sounds mumbly. That's the best part of cable access.

Anyway, Dicklich is waiting for a callback but I doubt he'll get one. He'll have to go on Monday Night Raw and call them out, me thinks.

On the subject of roads, we learn today in the Hibbing Daily Tribune that the Range-famous Mitchell Bridge between Hibbing and Chisholm will be removed this summer thanks to MNDOT and federal stimulus money. The rough looking landmark will be replaced by new infrastructure that will actually route the Mesabi Trail underneath the new highway. A bike tunnel! Sweet.

Anyone who knows the Mitchell Bridge knows that crossing it is a white knuckle experience whenever the bridge encounters rain, snow or, well, cars.

The Mesabi Daily News makes hay out of an AP news analysis of the federal stimulus plan's transportation goals, saying that the spending overlooks some areas hit hard by the economy. The MDN ran the story out front and included a corresponding editorial.

My favorite line about the stimulus package in the editorial:

"It was rushed and put together with far too much consideration of campaign political promises rather than getting more people to work in needed infrastructure projects around the country."

Oh I hate it when they follow their promises. In all seriousness, the thing was rushed because of the perceived urgency of the immediate economic situation. I, for one, was disappointed we couldn't find a way to finish the western end of the Highway 169 expressway on the Iron Range. But the projects had to be ready to go and that one wasn't ready. How much of that is true of the slighted projects around the country?

That's a fair question. I tend to argue a holistic view of government and the private sector. Some like to pretend like they're different things, Goofus and Gallant. But I'd argue that they're far more intertwined in our modern society than most conservatives are willing to admit. What's the difference whether we write a check to an insurance company or a state for health care? What's the difference whether we pay taxes for home delivery of mail or buy gas to drive to a P.O. Box in town. It's all money out the door for a service we need. Why not make the system more efficient, following the private sector model for operational cost savings and the public sector mandate for universal service to all citizens.

So yes, while our politics may differ slightly, I appreciate Marohn's argument. It suggests that there might exist a compromise that maintains Minnesota's quality of life through government services (the top priority of many liberals) while enacting meaningful entitlement reform to reign in spending (the top priority of many conservatives). Unfortunately, negotiating with Gov. Pawlenty seems to yield no such way forward.