– Burn Site Field Trip and Panel Discussion, Saturday, March 7, 2-4 p.m. field trip, meet at Sky Harbor Airport, 5000 Minnesota Ave., Duluth. A van is available for a ride to the site.

Saturday, 5/7, Panel discussion & dinner, 5-7 p.m., Lafayette Park Community Center, 3016 Minnesota Ave., Duluth. A livestream of the panel will be available; dinner provided by Park Point community members.

– Estuarium Ishkode Exhibit Opening Celebration, March 27, 5-6:30 p.m., open house; 6:30-7:30 p.m. celebration, Lake Superior Estuarium, 3 Marina Dr., Barker’s Island, Superior. Join us to celebrate the research team that inspired the return of Ishkode (Ojibwe word for fire) to MN Point.

Poster pdf about the upcoming events at Lafayette and the Estuarium is here, more details below. The March Breeze is here.

The 2026 Minnesota Point 50 (MP50) Resilience Action Plan is here.

Returning the Spirit of Good Fire to Minnesota Point – Spring 2026- Event RSVPs and submit questions here

A diverse collaboration of agencies, tribal, and community organizations is working together to implement a prescribed burn in the Minnesota Point pine forest in spring 2026 with Ojibwe culturally-informed protocols and broad community engagement. The burn operations will be led by DNR Scientific and Natural Areas staff with additional crew staffing by the Fond Du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Forestry and Wildland Fire Program staff, the City of Duluth Fire Department, and other professional wildland fire practitioners. The burn will occur when weather, wind, and fuel conditions meet burn plan prescriptions. Generally, the target burn window is between mid-March through end of May 2026, with preference for the later end of the window. Notifications will be made directly to neighbors and through local news outlets in the days before and day of the burn. 

The project partners have named the initiative Azhe-Manidoo Mino-Ishkodeng Zhagawaamikong-Neyaashi, an Ojibwe name that translates to “Returning the Spirit of Good Fire to Minnesota Point.” The project is financially supported through a US Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program cooperative agreement with Minnesota Point 50 (MP50). The overarching goal is to restore and protect the old growth pine forest, a designated Scientific and Natural Area, which is facing urgent threats from erosion, unplanned wildfires and lack of good fire, and increased visitor pressure. This coastal dune ecosystem is also the ancestral and contemporary homelands of the Ojibwe people, who historically used fire as a land stewardship tool. Prescribed burning is a method of ecological and cultural restoration, with the upcoming burn targeting a reduction in understory tree density by at least 40% and top-killing 50% of woody shrubs and returning cultural fire regimes to the landscape. Additionally, the project will promote the growth of fire-dependent plants such as blueberry and bearberry, enhance habitat for the Northern Long-eared Bat, and decrease invasive plant species. The intention is to reintroduce fire as an ongoing long-term maintenance tool on Minnesota Point, which is how that landscape has been managed for generations prior to European settlement. 

The project partners have planned the following pre-burn events to provide more information and answer questions from the local community. Please complete the form below to RSVP (requested but not required), and to submit your questions in advance. 

The panel event (March 7, 5:00-7:00) will be available for virtual attendance via Zoom, and also will be recorded. Revisit this form before the event begins to find the meeting link. 

Contact Abby Andrus, project manager, at abby@dovetailinc.org with questions.

Indigenous peoples have used fire as a land caretaking tool since time immemorial. A team facilitated by MP50 involved in a project called “Returning the Spirit of Good Fire to Minnesota Point,” plans to conduct a 24-acre prescribed burn on Minnesota Point between the beginning of March and the end of May, if conditions are suitable. The pine forest on Park Point is fire-dependent – it needs periodic fires for young trees to regenerate and grow. You’re invited to one of our upcoming events in March to hear Ojibwe stories about fire, learn more about the project, tour the burn unit, and meet the team working on this important cultural and ecological restoration initiative. 

Short-Term Rental Resources:

• Most notably, the National League of Cities published a report called Short-Term Rental Regulations: A Guide for Local Governments. It includes a list of policy levers, case studies, and other tools. Looks really helpful.
• A firm called Granicus, which “provides cloud-based technology, services, and data insights to governments to improve public engagement and digital service delivery” has a white paper called A Practical Guide to Effectively Regulating Short-Term Rentals on the Local Government Level. 
• The National Association of Realtors has some information about Short-Term Rental Restrictions. 
• Cornell Law School published a paper titled Short-Term Rental Regulations and Residential Housing Affordability: Bridging the Gap Between Policy and Enforcement.
• AirDNA  is a “subscription-based software and analytics platform that provides data and insights for the short-term rental and vacation rental market.” They have some free information that could be helpful. Note these posts in particular:
  • Understanding Short-Term Rental Regulations: Key Takeaways
  • How Airbnb Regulations Can Impact Your Rental Business
  • 10 Ways to Research Short-Term Rental Ordinances in Your Areas
• BNBCalc has a page discussing Minnesota Short-Term Rental Regulation: A Guide for Airbnb Hosts

2026 Smelt Parade on Sunday May 17; workshops at Lafayette, stay tuned for the dates! Contact neighbor Jim Ouray with questions.

Telraam S2 Public Dashboard monitoring on Minnesota Ave.

Check out the data:

Here’s the link to the Telraam S2 public dashboard: https://telraam.net/en/location/9000010408

Contact Brian Ruggle on MP50 with questions about Park Point Traffic Safety.

Agenda notes for January 20 are here. Thank you to Green Mill for the good deal on the pizza! Camp Lafayette for 2026 in on the agenda; hopefully an update on the Section 111 Study.

Wednesday Jan. 7: Good Morning Park Point

Good ice on both pleasure and hockey rink.  

Saturday, 445pm, January 3 Report:

The Lafayette Rink Team reports good ice and the warming space will be open from 6pm until 9 or 10pm this evening, more snow coming tomorrow perhaps.

Happy New Year!

January 2026 Breeze is here!

The St. Louis River Alliance has some exciting events planned in 2026, and we thought you and your networks might be interested in joining and/or sharing these opportunities. 

• Winter River Walk Sunday, February 1st from 4-5:00pm @ Morgan Park Community Center for Health Equity Northland’s Winter Out West. SLRA’s walk will begin at the Morgan Park Community Center parking lot. The website for this event will be live later this week.

• Ice Safety Event Saturday, February 7th from 12-2 p.m. @ Munger Landing: Learn how to check ice thickness, recognizing safe (and unsafe) ice conditions, and simple self-rescue techniques. We’ll have a bonfire and s’mores, to enjoy!

• The River Speaks: Art of the Estuary March 5 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. @ Wussow’s Concert Cafe: We’re putting together a 2D community art show inspired by the St. Louis River. An opening reception and open mic night event will be on 3/5! The show will be hosted at Wussow’s throughout the month of March. We are now accepting art submissions, due January 31. Learn more at: stlouisriver.org/news/the-river-speaks

We will gather on January 20th to celebrate the PPCC membership drive with pizza, 6:30pm with the meeting starting at 7:00pm. The December Breeze is here. Membership form is here via pdf download.

Neighbors Brad K. and family plus a few neighbors are working on the rinks at Lafayette!

Link to Returning Fire to Minnesota Point Pine Forest Project, grant dates and partners. Photos from the partners launch meeting and forest walk are here.

Support MP50: As part of our efforts we have developed some spectacular merchandise to promote MP50 and our work. 

MP50 MERCHANDISE:  https://dspondemand.com/collections/minnesota-point-50-merch

From hoodies, to beanies, to some pretty awesome beach towels, MP50 merch is both fun and a great way to support our efforts, as 20% is given back to MP50! So, get your gear for next summer (or your next visit), and do a little holiday and birthday shopping while you’re at it. 

Not only will you look great, you’ll be supporting a great cause that will make sure your favorite place to visit will be here for a very long time. 

You can also find the link on our website:  www.minnesotapoint50.org.  2-3 weeks for delivery, so order soon!

Earlier this fall:

Hope to see you on Tuesday 11/18 at 645pm for neighbors’ connection time before the 7pm meeting. Link to agenda/resources & zoom option is here.

Election on November 4: Park Pointers vote at Lafayette, upstairs. Polls open from 7am to 8pm. More info. is here. Thank you to neighbors and community members who work at the polls!

November 2025 Breeze is here. Next meeting is on Tuesday, November 18, 645pm neighbors gather; meeting start time is 7pm. Photos from the October 21 meeting.

Meeting on 10/21, no Zoom option for this gathering. Neighbors gather at 645 to check in and the meeting starts at 7pm. Link to agenda notes.

10.19.2025 Article in the MN Star Tribune by Jana Hollingsworth on the short term rentals in Duluth, Minnesota Point

Director Jim Filby Williams leaves his position with the City of Duluth, Duluth News article pdf. Jim attended the September meeting of the PPCC with updates on the third Section 111 Study by the USACE.

Here are photos from this project from 10/15

  Wednesday, October 15^th

    1-4pm

    Meet at 12^th Street beach access

• Tuesday, October 21, PPCC Meeting, 7pm, neighbors gather at 645pm 
• Watch for date for the next public meeting on the USACE Section 111 Study

The Breeze of Park Point, October 2025

Community Service Officers who worked this summer enjoy a pizza party supported by Park Pointers, photo below. Thank you to Officer Jeremy O’Connor for facilitating the celebration of their service to the Minnesota Point community!

Check out the boardwalk installed in the Recreation Area by City of Duluth Parks and Rec. crews this past summer; note the healthy pines planted by PPCC volunteers over the last several decades.

Sky Harbor August Fun on the Water

Alternate Side Parking Starts November 1, park odd side then move to the even side Sunday evening

Wed. Oct 1, 6-7 pm at Lafayette: Everyone is welcome to play flag football! Join in the fun for all ages!

Click here to see the letter from Cliff Knettel, Asst. Manager, City of Duluth, Parks and Recreation

Volunteers will be needed to install the second line of fencing, check back for the dates. Thank you!

Sand fencing install in September 2024

April 2025 photo

Check in with your neighbors at 645; meeting starts at 7pm. Our guest: Jim Filby Williams, City of Duluth, Director of Parks, Properties, and Libraries and will be providing updates on the Section 111 Study and the management of blowing sand from the bridge to 13th.

June 2025 letter to the USACE August 2025 letter to the USACE

Questions for USACE from City’s Science Advisor

Zoom Option! Thank you to neighbor Missy King for offering to facilitate this access for neighbors.

Topic: Park Point Community Club Zoom

Time: Meeting is at 7pm 9/16/2025

      Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87486932151?pwd=UttxbM5XIaMF71YBrWtYq5a2H1R3Xe.1

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87486932151?pwd=UttxbM5XIaMF71YBrWtYq5a2H1R3Xe.1

Meeting ID: 874 8693 2151

Passcode: 524055

The September Breeze is here.

Minnesota Point 50 in the MN Star Tribune on August 24, 2025 by Jana Hollingsworth

Photo by Aaron Levinsky for the MN Star Tribune

Pilot Program for Snow removal: There is a pilot snow removal program being offered this winter in Duluth for anyone who can’t manage to do snow removal services on their own due to physical disabilities and can’t hire others to do it due to financial challenges, or temporary limitations. 

You can see the original Facebook post here. 

If Park Point residents want to learn more and see if they’re eligible for this program, please email mstender@duluthagingsupport.org by October 1, 2025.

Thank you to neighbor James for sharing this information! The white stuff will be here before we know it!

Mark Tuesday Aug. 5th on your calendar for NNO Neighborhood Celebration at Lafayette! Brats/hot dogs and lemonade will be provided; please bring lawn chair, a side dish, chips and dip or a dessert to share. Food starts at 530pm and music from 6-730pm.

Music by Water Cat starts at 6pm! August Breeze is here.

8/6 Sandlot baseball, Lafayette, everyone welcome, wiffle ball style 730pm; come a bit early if you’d like a hot dog, food at 630pm with the Kuzel family hosting.

Please note: The August regular meeting of the PPCC will not be held in lieu of the neighborhood celebration on 8/5 and the anticipated public meeting regarding the USACE Section 111 Study. Questions for the Corp from the City are here.

July Breeze is here. 7/15 PPCC Meeing Agenda notes.
Park Point Five Miler, July 17, Thursday, 630pm: CHECK THE LINK FOR ROAD CLOSURES ON PARK POINT

• Road Closure information is the same, but as follows:
  • 5:30 PM – Start line closes for set-up – traffic to Sky Harbor is routed through the parking lot South of the Beach House
  • 6:00 PM – Minnesota Ave south of 23rd St closes to traffic (note that we always try to allow for a bit of wiggle room here for residents but we don’t want to publicize that)
  • 6:30 PM – 5 Mile run start
  • 6:35 PM – 2 Mile walk start
  • 7:10 PM – Estimated final participant reaches turnaround (2328 Minnesota Ave). DPD begins to gradually allow local traffic Northbound only in the Lakeside lane
  • 7:45 PM – Minnesota Ave fully open to traffic

• Small (hopeful) improvement this year: we hope to start allowing traffic NORTHBOUND from the Point in the Lakeside lane of Minnesota Ave around 7:15 (typically closer to 7:45), as soon as the final runners make the turnaround between 23^rd and 24^th. The race has always been run “clockwise,” that is, runners headed North in the Bayside lane, and back South to the Point in the Lakeside lane. We are switching that this year, in an experiment to try to allow for earlier, safe traffic flow out.

Summary of the April 26 2025 Walking Audit is here. Whittier School and Park Point Store and more PP history here from CW Barry, thank you!

Researchers ID organisms behind algae blooms near Barker’s Island in the DNT

Seiche creates tidal-like waters on Lake Superior in storm’s wake in the DNT

St Andrews By the Lake Scoops with Jams, third Thursdays, 2800 Minnesota Ave. Flier here.

Free ice cream and music return this summer right here on the Point!

6:30-8:30 pm 

July 31       The Has Bens Bluegrass Band

August 28  Sara Thomsen

The 53rd Park Point Art Fair was held on June 28 & 29, 2025, 10am-5pm, Park Point Recreation Area

Update: 6/26, Cat named Dolly Found!

Hi, Please call Kelsi if you find this kitty cat. Lost near 26th.

218-969-25 eight eight

The June Breeze is here! PPCC meeting is on Tuesday, June 17, 7pm for the meeting start time, neighbors check in at 645pm. Beach grass planting photos are here. Thank you to everyone who supported this project! Agenda notes are here.

Our guests will be James Gittemeier, City of Duluth, Senior Transportation Planner on walking audit and next steps; Officer Jeremy O’Connor, Duluth Police Department

Zoom link for the meetings, third Tuesdays of the month. Meeting will be held in person at Lafayette with limited participation via Zoom. Thank you to volunteers who facilitate this access.

Topic: Park Point Community Club Zoom

Time:07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

        Every month on the Third Tuesdays

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87486932151?pwd=UttxbM5XIaMF71YBrWtYq5a2H1R3Xe.1 Meeting ID: 8748693 2151. Passcode: 524055

Beach Grass Planting on June 12, 2-4pm, rsvp to help to Adam Fornear, afornear@duluthmn.gov. Meet at the S Curve parking lot.

Here is an opportunity to participate in the planning for the Park Point Recreation Area; Community Input Session on Wednesday, June 18 from 5pm – 7pm at Lafayette. Please take the survey today at https://publicinput.com/parkpointrecarea

The survey will remain open through June 22.

Thank you for taking the time to check out and complete this survey and attending the meeting if you are available; showing up and participating will make a difference 🙂

“Dear Community Partner:

Duluth Parks & Recreation is developing a Park Point Recreation Area Plan! We’re taking a fresh look at existing facilities, exploring opportunities for improvement, and engaging with community members to ensure the future park plan reflects local values and priorities, and we’d love to hear from you!  

You can provide input on-line, in-person, or both:

Please take our survey today at https://publicinput.com/parkpointrecarea

The survey will remain open through June 22.

We’ll also be hosting a Community Input Session on Wednesday, June 18 from 5pm – 7pm at Lafayette Community Center, 3016 Minnesota Ave, where you can provide additional input and speak directly to project staff. We hope to see you there!

Please share the survey link and attached flyer with those in your network to help spread the word and make sure the needs and priorities of our community are heard.

Thank you!

Katie Bennett, kbennett@duluthmn.gov

Senior Parks Planner

City of Duluth – Parks & Recreation

The Turning Point Summit is Saturday, May 31st, from 10 AM until 3 PM at the Park Point Beach House (Recreation area at the end of Park Point).  It is free of charge.  The Turning Point Summit is a family event with activities, information, and entertainment.  Join us at any time throughout the day.  This is an important turning point because it celebrates the launch of a plan of action designed to be a roadmap to make Park Point resilient.  You are invited to join us to learn about what is being done to make Park Point more resilient so this unique and beautiful place is available for all of us in the years ahead.  

Here’s the full schedule of the Program of Events and Partner Activities.  Each attendee may complete an activities passport, thereby becoming an official Park Point Steward.

Featured Presentations

Mayor Roger Reinert will officially open the day at 10:00 AM with remarks about the importance of the work being done by the Park Point community with its partners, including the City of Duluth, following a model of collaborative resilience. 

 A showing of the award winning short film, “A Wilderness Act” will take place at 11:00 AM.  Inspired by the Red Pine forests of the Great Lakes area, including the Pine forest of Minnesota Point, two researchers join together to educate current and future generations about how returning fire to the land, and returning the land to its people, can be healing for all. This film features research done on Minnesota Point and Wisconsin Point by principal researchers Nisogaaabokwe Melonee Montano and Evan Larson who will discuss their work with the audience following the film.  

A reading of the newly published children’s book, Ishkode: A Story of Fire, by authors Nisogaabokwe Melonee Montano and Evan Larson will take place at 11:30 AM on the south stage.  This story weaves Anishinaabe teachings with the science of tree rings in a lyrical narrative.  

At 1:00 PM Mike Kolleng, Shedd Aquarium and Barbara Grogan, Lake Earle Conservation Trust, will describe how Minnesota Point is a part of the Great Lakes and global network of Hope Spots.   A special message from Dr. Sylvia Earle, founder of Mission Blue, will be presented in which Dr. Earle acknowledges the significance of the work being done on Minnesota Point in relation to the Great Lakes region.  

The Turning Point Summit is sponsored by a grant awarded to MP50 made through the Community Climate Implementation Fund housed at Climate Mayors – a project of Resources Legacy Fund.  The Turning Point Summit is supported by funding provided by the Park Point Community Club.

FROM the May 20 meeting: We have a busy meeting with a great line-up of guest presenters! 645pm neighbors check in & meeting starts at 7pm; Welcome or welcome back to:)

Lisa McKhann, neighbor; Jim Filby Williams, Director of Properties, Parks, and Libraries with the City of Duluth; Dr. John Swenson, City of Duluth & UMD Swenson College of Science and Engineering; Katie Bennett, City of Duluth Parks and Recreation, Senior Planner; James Gittemeier, City of Duluth, Senior Transportation Planner; Greg Haapala, Race Director, Grandma’s Marathon

Neighbor Lisa M. will present a wrap up report on our MMIWR Alley of Allies; we will get an update on the US Army Corps of Engineers Section 111 Study and timeline; learn about the planning process for the Park Point Recreation Area and how community members can get involved; see the data from the April 26th Walking Audit from the Aerial Bridge to Franklin Park; check-in on any updates to the race courses re. the Marathon and the Five-Miler and how you might volunteer in support of these major summer events!

May 20 Agenda/notes including Zoom link. Walking Audit photos from April 26 ;From the Vault, PPCC Quality of Life Report circa 2004 looking at many of the same safety issues; 4.26.2025 survey sheet

Turning Point Poster MP50 Informational Brochure

Everyone is invited to join Minnesota Point 50 (MP50), the Park Point Community Club, and more than 200 community members at the Turning Point Summit on Saturday, May 31, at the Park Point Beach House, in support of our collective resilience efforts for Minnesota Point.  This event celebrates the many ways we experience Minnesota Point – a culturally, economically, and naturally important environment on the Great Lakes.

With more than 1 million visitors a year, Minnesota Point is annually cited as one of the top 25 beaches in the United States, and has a regional economic impact of over $1.6 billion, providing enormous ecological, economic, and social value to a large region of Lake Superior coastal area.

Yet it is fragile, too. 

Lake Superior waters are warming, and water levels are more variable and currently dropping. Breakwaters built to protect shipping lanes at the north and south ends of the Point block the natural replenishment of sand and cobble, leaving Park Point Beach vulnerable to erosion, and violent storms in the past five years have torn away more than 10 feet of protective sand dunes.  Loss or breach of Minnesota Point is unimaginable, yet could be its future without collaborative efforts across multiple partners to ensure its resilience.

MP50 is a community-led nonprofit established to shine a light on the ecological, cultural, and economic importance of Minnesota Point and to collaborate with partners, including the Park Point Community Club, in ensuring the long-term resilience of this national treasure. We envision a community that sustains its land, water, wildlife, infrastructure, and people for generations to come.

www.minnesotapoint50.org    

www.parkpointcommunityclub.org     

The Turning Point Summit is the kick-off for this effort. The day will begin at 10:00 a.m. with a welcome from Mayor Roger Reinert and an Opening Ceremony by Good Sky Guidance and will feature videos related to stewardship of Minnesota Point and speakers from the City, the DNR, and the Great Lakes Aquarium. In addition, local organizations and agencies will share their knowledge about the importance of Minnesota Point to our region. The full program is attached.

We warmly invite you to join us for the day to learn more about our collaborative efforts that will benefit Duluth, the region, and beyond.

We look forward to seeing you on the Point!

Sincerely,

Pat Sterner                                          Dawn Buck

Board Chair                                         President

Minnesota Point 50                             Park Point Community Club

The Turning Point Summit is sponsored by a grant awarded to MP50 made through the Community Climate Implementation Fund housed at Climate Mayors – a project of Resources Legacy Fund.

Across the Bay on Saturday May 24

Great Lake Superior Swim on the Lake
Saturday August 23rd, 2025
7:00 am

The Great Lake Superior Swim  will take place along park Point in the beautiful Lake Superior.  There will be a 1-mile, 2-mile, and 3.7 mile swims, all ending at the end of Park Point at the recreational area.

There will be busses from the finish area to the start of each race, with tentative start times of 7:00 am for the 3.7 mile, 7:20 am for the 2 mile, and 7:40am for the 1 mile.  You are encouraged to bring a spotter to walk along the beach as you swim!

​Setri Barrel Saunas and a food truck will round out your experience after you finish!

Red Dress drop-off addresses on MN Ave.- Tuesday – Thursday May 6-8, thank you!
2109 Minnesota Ave.
2700 Minnesota Ave.
3205 Minnesota Ave,

The garments will be offered to local MMIWR advocates for use in future displays. Extras will either be held for future Park Point action in 2026, or donated to Goodwill. If you forget, any remaining garments will be collected at the May 20 PPCC meeting; we will also talk about a MMIWR initiative next year.

DNT article on the Park Point’s Alley of Allies, pdf Link to the DNT site article

5.6.2025 Trees to plant on PARK POINT

Hi Neighbors, 

The trees are coming to Park Point this weekend! See the list below for what we were able to order.

• 50 Northern White Cedars, any sun level, clay, sandy loam and lakeshores
• 50 Eastern Red Cedars, any sun level, dry to medium sandy loam or clay
• 25 Black Spruce, like shade and like wet soil
• 25 Swamp Oak, like full or part sun, like it wet and acidic
• 25 Norway Pine, full sun, like sandy and well drained conditions- need ten for the blowhole in the rec area

Share red dresses here at 3205, bayside; display starts Thursday, May 1!

 Join the Park Point Community in supporting  MMIWR  May 1-5.  Hang a red dress in front of your house.  If you need a dress, pick one up from the box on the porch at 3205 Minnesota Ave. Scroll down to see more information and how to get involved and support the missing loved ones and their families.

Learn more about Duluth Red Dress Displays
www.NoMoreMMIWR.com

Attend City of Duluth’s May 5, 2025 MMIWR event
www.facebook.com/events/duluth-city-hall/5th-annual-national-day-of-awareness-for-missing-murdered-indigenous-women-relat/597385763138143/

 Donate to Duluth’s “They Will Be Remembered Forever” MMIWg2S Reward Fund 
https://mshoop.org/mmiwg2s-reward-fund/

Link to Smelt Parade 2025 Poster

Saturday 4/26: Neighbors met James and Eleanor from the the City’s Transportation Planning Dept.at Franklin Park at noon to conduct a walking audit of the stretch from the Park to the Bridge and back on the other side of the street. Photos are here. Form to collect data is here. Neighbor Tom R. distributed a PPCC Quality of Life committee report from 2003-2005 which shows that we still have important work to do to get these suggestions moved to the “action item completed column.” Thank you to every neighbor who participated and to elected officials Roger Reinert, Roz Randorf, Terese Tomanek for their willingness to walk with us and see our concerns and needs first hand. Special thanks to James, Eleanor and to our neighbor Maureen for having us over for cookies, refreshments and good discussion time after the walk.

Next steps:James will bring a report of the collected data to the May 20 meeting and we will see what our next steps will be in getting a few of the needs addressed this season.

From April 15th meeting: Guest speaker at April 15th’s meeting will be Rene Ann Goodrich, a local long-time advocate for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives, will give a brief talk. Park Point’s Red Dress Display, May 1-5, is in support of the work she and others are doing to address this issue in the Twin Ports.

Walking Audit: Residents will meet at Franklin Park at noon on Saturday April 26 and perform a Walking Audit with guidance and checklists from James Gittemeier, senior transportation planner with the City of Duluth. Two areas will be highlighted on this initial outing, the bridge to 13th and the area near Lafayette. We will gather at Lafayette after the audit for a debrief and go over next steps. Councilor Roz Randorf will be joining us as we look our neighborhood and how we might make it an even better place to live, visit and recreate.

Come with clothes!
Please, bring extra red dresses and shirts to the meeting! We’re collecting for our Garment Give-n-Take Box!

Park Point Red Dress Display in Solidarity with No More MMIWR by Lisa McKhann, presentation of project idea to PPCC, 3/18/25)

Read and learn more here from neighbors and advocates working together:

Though I have no personal connection with Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIWR), I have felt the visceral impact of encountering just one red dress, day after day, where it hung from a gatepost. It’s haunting. So, when I considered our unique geography here on Park Point, and our kind care for everyone in our greater community, this came to mind:  The image of a river of red dresses, blowing in a spring breeze or taking on a May shower. Vehicles slowing to take them in, asking questions, and learning the troubling answers.

Background about MMIWR:The red dress or shirt is used in Canada and the U.S.as a symbol for Native American and First Nation lives lost to violence, often sexual violence. These garments represent the indigenous women, girls, and other relatives, who are missing or murdered at a vastly disproportionate rate to any other demographic. Minnesota, Wisconsin and Canada share this issue, geographically and culturally. 

In 2022, a broad coalition created a local Award Fund to help move cases forward in the justice system. Alicia Kozlowski, now a Minnesota State Representative for Duluth’s District 8B, then spoke for the City of Duluth.:

“In Minnesota and Wisconsin, historical and contemporary forces intersect to make native women especially vulnerable to sexual violence. While native women are 1% of Minnesota’s female population, they are 8% of all missing and murdered women in the state. On any given month in Minnesota, there are between 27 and 54 native people who are missing.”

Historically there have been issues of jurisdiction for prosecutions on and off tribal lands, for charging native and non-native assailants; prejudice against the victims in police work and media reporting; prevalence of domestic violence and sex trafficking.

Kozlowski went on to say, 

“This is a human issue, a community issue. 

When one is dehumanized, we all are dehumanized.”

Long-time advocate Rene Ann Goodrich works with Native Lives Matter Coalition and No More MMIWR, among others, bringing justice and healing to families.

“There’s a history of trafficking in Twin Ports, connected to the land base. We are bringing awareness, education and action to address the epidemic of missing women, girls, and two spirits.” 

Rene Ann says Visibility is key.

So come on Park Point. Let’s make good use of our unique geography and our caring concern. Help make our Five-Day Display.   

Learn more and get connected! Email Lisa, lulu@cpinternet.com 

Learnings from the Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition Conference

In light of the upcoming MMIWR awareness day and the initiative on Park Point, I want to take a minute to reflect on a conference that I attended where I was first exposed to MMIWR. The conference was hosted in 2022 by the Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition (MIWSAC), a statewide tribal coalition dedicated to ending sexual violence. Things hit home when all the conference-goers were gathered in a room and informed that the body of a young woman, Alexis Whitehawk Ruiz, who had disappeared from North Minneapolis late in 2022 had just been found in the Mississippi River. In the following days, I learned about the disappearance of Neveah Kingbird who was last seen in Bemidji (where the conference was being held) in the fall of 2021. I met Neveah’s cousins at the skatepark in Red Lake, talked to her relatives in the audience at the conference, and I heard her mother, Teddi, speak at length about her longing for her daughter and her tireless organizing to bring Neveah home. I heard the mother of Jeremy Jourdain, who went missing from Bemidji as a teenager in 2016, express her rage that six years had passed and she still had no answers as to the whereabouts of her son. Something switched in my thinking: this isn’t just a trend that becomes apparent if you pay attention to data; it’s something current, ongoing, and incredibly real in people’s lives. The roots of this epidemic aren’t easy to contend with: sexual and domestic violence, hamstrung tribal prosecutorial authority, a long history of Native people being devalued and disbelieved, to name a few. There are glaring similarities between the way that the wider culture responds to the loss of Native lives and the way it handles the loss of Black and brown lives. The reflex is to somehow blame the individual, their character, and the culture that they’ve emerged from for their own death or disappearance. A former colleague of mine, in fact, the person who brought me to the MIWSAC conference, said that Black people die, in part, because of hypervisibility while Native people die from invisibility. This upcoming day of awareness is a way to, however briefly, push back against that invisibility. I urge everyone as neighbors to join together in doing that.

-Pentti Hanlon

The names of three indigenous people murdered or missing in this area:

Peter Martin, age 31, last seen on the Fond du Lac reservation one year ago this month. 

Chantel Moose, murdered one year ago in Duluth, an open case with the City of Duluth. 

Sheila St. Clair, missing since 2015. 

Donations:

Duluth’s ‘They Are Remembered Forever’ Reward Fund, offering rewards for information leading to the resolution of unsolved cases of local missing or murdered indigenous people in our area.
https://updateandnews.wixsite.com/gaagige-mikwendaag-1

contact Rene Ann Richardson at Native Lives Matter Coalition, nlmcoalition@gmail.com

Extra garments will be donated to the local organization No More MMIWR advocating for families of MMIWR and raising awareness through displays. www.nomoremmiwr.com

Dollars for dresses for acquiring thrift-store garments, please email Lisa McKhann: lulu@cpinternet.com    Thanks!

Participating Organizations, Community Partners, Groups– Supporting the Local Annual MMIW Events and Twin Ports Red Dress Campaign and Reward Fund (an ever-growing list)

City of Duluth, Duluth City Hall
Duluth Indigenous Commission
Native Lives Matter Coalition
Twin Ports No More MMIWg2S Great Lakes
Native Lives Matter Great Lakes
Gaagige-Mikwendaagoziwag
Justice For Chantel Moose
Justice for Native People
Safe Haven Shelter & Resources
Building for Women
Justice for Native Lives
YMCA Duluth
CASDA 
PAVSA
Life House
Rural Aids Action Network 
Duluth YWCA
Rainbow House
American Indian Community Housing
Mending the Sacred Hoop
Duluth Candy Shop
We Health Duluth 
Building Unity Org
Women Against Military Madness
WRAC – Women’s Resource Action Center
UWS- Indigenous Student
UMD- Indigenous Student Organization
Harm Reduction Sisters
Duluth, Denfeld High School
Duluth – Harbor City International School

Media coverage of Feb. 14, 2025 MMIWR march in Twin Ports

https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2025/02/17/march-for-missing-and-murdered-indigenous-people-focuses-on-wisconsin-minnesota-several-tribes

https://www.northernnewsnow.com/2025/02/15/10th-annual-missing-murdered-indigenous-relatives-memorial-march-held-friday

Read and learn more here from neighbors and advocates working together, pdf.

Additional PPCC initiatives:

Summer Camp for Kids Ages 7-12: Contact Carolyn Kerns at camplafayetteparkpoint@gmail.com with questions about camp. Slots will fill quickly, don’t delay!

Walking Audit with City Transportation Planner, James Gittemeier, Saturday, April 26, noon, meet at Franklin Park.