charlotte

Tony Norland peeks down at his dark brown, wooly sweater. He has a slightly embarrassed look on his face.

“How ironic that I’m wearing this today,� he says. “I knitted it myself.�

He set out to make the sweater last fall. He had done many small projects like scarves, socks and mittens before, and felt that he wanted a challenge.

“This is what came out of it,� he says. “It doesn’t fit me very well, and it’s kind of sloppy, but I think that’s what a first homemade sweater should look like, so I still wear it and love it in all it’s dorkiness.�

Norland, who is graduating in a few days, is not the only student at UMD that is knitting. In fact, it seems to become more and more popular among young people. Every Tuesday night about 10-15 people meet to knit together in the student club that go by the name the UMD Knit Wits.

“Knitting is definitely becoming more popular,� says David Baillargeon, one of the members. “Mostly among guys actually, a lot of my friends back home are knitting.�

There are probably a much larger number of UMD students that knit, but that do not attend the club meetings. Tony Norland is one of them.

“I kind of try to hide my knitting,� he says and laughs. “I get teased for it a lot. A lot of people just think it’s weird or goofy. I guess it’s not the guy thing to do.�

His family, and most of his friends know about his secret hobby. His family thinks that it’s great, but his friends never miss an opportunity to make fun of his knitting.

“If we’re out at the bars, and I’d meet a girl or something, the first thing out of their mouth will be like do you know he knits, what do you think about that.�

For Norland, knitting has nothing to do with trendiness, but he does believe that it is becoming more of a trendy thing for young people to do.

“I would imagine that a lot of young guys are doing it to,� he says.

Also Maria Haberman, who is a sophomore and studies marketing and communication, thinks that it is more popular than ever among young people to knit.

“Oh, big time,� she says. “I think it’s by different groups that it’s becoming more popular, like the people that are into snowboarding. They make hats and stuff like that.�

Haberman learned how to knit a few Christmases ago.

“My grandma taught me,� she says.

She has made about a dozen scarves, and she would like to learn how to knit gloves, hats and socks as well.

“Gosh, it takes like two hours when you get used to it,� she says. “To finish a scarf, it’s no big deal, you know.�

For Norland it all started when he was a little boy. His mother taught him how to knit, but he never really picked it up and did it, so eventually he forgot how to. Then, three or four years ago, his girlfriend at the time wanted to learn how to knit, and they took a couple of classes together.

“I’m crafty and artsy enough to think that hey, that would be fun,� he says. “And I fell in love with it.�

What he likes about knitting is the functional things that come from it.

“I really like the idea that you can make a hat if you want, you know, and when you’re done you have it to give away as a gift to somebody or for yourself,� he says. “It’s really appealing to me.�

To give something away that you have made by yourself is a special feeling, according to Norland.

“I make these lambs, it’s like a stuffed animal,� he says. “I gave one of them to my cousin who had just had a baby, and she was just so blown away by first of all that I gave her this thing, and secondly that I had made it especially for her daughter. That’s really cool.�

Haberman too thinks that it is nice to be able to give away something that you have made especially for someone.

“Scarves are really cheap gifts,� she says. “You can buy a ball of yarn for like five bucks and it’s only gonna take a few hours, and they’re gonna love it, you know, cause you made it. It’s awesome.�

She also uses knitting as a way to relax, and she knits while watching TV.

“Once you pass the frustrating point, you can knit while you’re watching a movie,� she says. “When it’s over you’re also done with a scarf, it’s instant gratification.�

She takes out the scarf she is currently working on from her knitting bag.

“You come from the inside of the loop, and go through it, and then you take your string, and loop around from the back,� she says. “Then you’re gonna pull the loop that you just made with that string, through the original circle, and then pull it off.�

She slowly does the moves with her needles while she is talking, gently sweeping the grey wool yarn between her fingers. Then she speeds up, and starts knitting impossibly fast, with a well-practiced hand.

“You get used to it, and it goes really, really fast,� she says. “It’s easy.�

Posted by Charlotte Granrot at 6:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A single mother with three kids. A professional painter. An assistant professor. A filmmaker.
This is the UMD professor Jen Dietrich.

“It’s a challenge, finding time,� she says.

While she is raising her three children Emma, 15; Sam, 14; and Sally, 11, on her own, she also has multiple jobs. First of all, she has a career as a professional painter.

“Most of my work has to do with icons of American culture,� she says.

Her paintings are impressionistic and she works primarily with oil, but also with acrylic and collage components. She has painted a lot of landscapes, and she has also developed a whole series of barns.

“I was born in Wisconsin, Dairy Land Country, and I started a series on barns, treating them like cathedrals,� she says. “One of my relatives barn was abandoned, it was falling apart, an no one was building them anymore. So I was trying to give them that prestige of an icon, like a church.�

Right now she is working on a series on baseball for a show at the art institute in Duluth.

“That has been very exciting, cause I’m a sports fanatic. I’ve never blended those two, but baseball is so quintessentially American and the images that are coming through have been fun to play with.�

Dietrich also has a full time job as an assistant professor at UMD, where she is teaching future art teachers.

“I like the exchange with the students, the interaction. More of the students, and less of me by the end of the semester, that’s my goal.�

As if those jobs weren’t enough, she has also started a career as a filmmaker. She has teamed up with UMD colleague Sarah Bauer and the two are working on a documentary film on the New York painter Philip Pearlstein, whose paintings can currently be seen at the Tweed Museum.

Despite the fact that she is living a busy life, Dietrich does not look tired at all. Her skin looks healthy and rosy. There is no sign of dark shadows under her eyes. She is glowing with energy. On the surface, she seems calm and relaxed, but you can tell that underneath that, an untiring passion is burning, driving her to curiosity and creativity.

While it is difficult to find the time to do all of the things in her life, Dietrich somehow finds a way.

“I am a fanatic,� she says. “I steal time.�

To make a habit of things is the key, according to Dietrich.

“I try to visit my studio everyday, I think as artist nowadays you have to do that,� she says.
But it takes more than just self-discipline to keep her going.

“It has to be more than that, otherwise it just lays flat,� she says. “You have to be passionate, whatever it is that keeps that passion alive.�

She speaks in a deep and calm, but yet energetic voice. Her gaze is alert, behind her black-rimmed glasses, and her hands are gesturing, as she speaks.

It’s her interactions with people, especially students, that keeps Dietrich’s passion for painting alive.

“Dialogue, talking to people,� she says. “I’m always throwing back to my students, show them a clip and ask them what they think, it’s just great feedback. It’s exciting to see it click for them.�

However, Dietrich does not just sit around and wait for the divine inspiration to knock her of her feet. In fact, she would like to dismiss that idea.

“I don’t think artists can depend on their emotional state of mind to get them to go do their stuff,� she says. “But that’s not what people want. They want the superstar. They want the alcoholic or the crazy artist.�

She says that she thinks that art students need, and deserve, to get to know about functional artists. That it is important that they get to see that you don’t have to cut your ear off or be a drug addict to become a recognized artist.

It was partly because she wanted to bring that idea to life that Dietrich and Bauer started to work on the documentary film on Philip Pearlstein.

“He’s like a grandfather,� she says. “He is a very soft spoken, quiet personality, and you wouldn’t think of him as someone that has so much recognition that he has.�
She is planning on using the film in her teaching, and she is already showing her students clips.

“I think it’s important in teaching art, to show films of artists that are functional, someone you can be inspired to become like. In some ways I wish I could break the mythical image of the artist, and show that you can be married to the same woman, go to the same job, and have this exotic life.�

Posted by Charlotte Granrot at 6:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It looks like there will be a burrito restaurant in the former Whole Foods Co-op building on E. Fourth St.

The owners of the Brewhouse, Rod Raymond and Tim Nelson, are behind the project.

“We are all set,� said Raymond, who also is the Wellness Coordinator at UMD. “Now we just need to secure funds necessary to build this joint.�

The business partners have bought the whole building, but the restaurant will not take up all the space. The rest of the building will, as it looks like, be used as a coffee shop. However, the coffee shop will not be run by Raymond and Nelson. Instead, they will lease out that space. Raymond and Nelson now seem certain that they will be able to open a restaurant, but there has been some controversy around the project.

There is a lack of parking lots in the area, and from the beginning the two owners only had access to 12 off-street parking spaces of the 23 that are required by city code. They asked the Board of Zoning Appeals for permission to let their customers' park on the street.

This concerned the neighboring business owners. The owners of Chester Park Laundromat, CarQuest Auto Parts and Chester Park Motors are all worried that their businesses will suffer as a consequence of the new restaurant.

“I think that this is a bad idea�, the owner of Chester Park Laundromat Philip Lundberg said.

He is afraid that his customers, of which many are UMD Students, will have a hard time finding a parking space if there will be a burrito restaurant in the building.

“My customers need to be able to park close by the Laundromat, since they have to carry their laundry. If they can't find a parking space on the street, they will go somewhere else.�

Raymond and Nelson do not think that Lundberg or the other business owners need to worry.

“The more traffic, the more business�, Raymond said. “That's what I think�.

He says that he can understand the way Lundberg feels, but that he is confident that the new restaurant will only have positive effects on the whole neighborhood.

“I can imagine that people might grab a burrito while doing laundry,� Raymond said.

To solve the problem with the lack of parking spaces, the business partners bought another parking lot behind the co-op. They now have enough parking spaces.

Lundberg does not think that a parking lot behind the building means that the problem is solved, though.

“They just bought that lot to make it look good and to satisfy the legal requirements,� he said. “In reality people will park on the street, because it's closer.�

However, a lot of people support the project. Vicky Sandville, who is involved in Campus Neighbors, is one of them.

“I think that a burrito restaurant would bring diversity to the neighborhood�, she said.

The burrito place will be run by students, and it will be a sit in, carry out and delivery restaurant. Raymond and Nelson are still secretive about the project, but they revealed that it would be a little bit of an “adventure� to visit the restaurant.

“It will be a kind of escapism,� Raymond said. “An opportunity to escape from cold Duluth for a while, into a completely different environment.�

The owners are still not certain about when the burrito restaurant will open.

“The fact that we had to buy a parking lot slowed things down,� Raymond said.

“But September for sure.�

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Big cuts have been made in the new budget proposal.
The Parks and Recreations Department, the ambulance services, the City Attorney and the Police Department’s budgets have all been lowered.
“We had to cut because of shrinking revenues and the fact that a dollar just won’t buy what it used to�, Mayor Henry Smith said.
The total budget recommended is at $2,1 million, compared to the $2,4 million budget from last year.
The most drastic cut that has been made concerns the Ambulance Services. Next years budget is down about 80 percent compared to last year. But this does not necessarily mean that the service will be less efficient.
“A private company is taking over the service�, the new City Administrator Joan Bell said. “People can expect better and faster service for less cost in the long run.�
Also the Recreation and the Police Departments will hurt budgetwise during the next year. The parks and recreation department will get 13 percent less. What this will mean for the department is still not certain.
“We’ll try not to lay off any full-timers, but many part-time positions will go unfilled�, the Director of Parks and Recreation Elaine Hultquist said. “We’ll be cutting things such as safe boating classes and free supervised nature walks.�
According to Joan Bell the City-sponsored recreation programs will have to be curtailed.
“Softball leagues will be self-supporting with more user fees�, she said. “Pool lifeguard hours will be cut back, and we’ll look hard at any activity that requires heavy insurance liability protection.�
The Mayor is concerned about these changes.
“We just can’t keep doing everything we’ve been doing. It’s too bad�, he said.
The operational division of the Police Department will be receiving about 10 percent less money next year. On the other hand, the salaries of the department will increase with five percent. Most of the other employee’s salaries will be raised with four percent.
The Duluth News Tribune tried to get in contact with the Police Chief Toby Wanamaker last night for a comment, but he was unavailable.

Recommendation to the editor:
I think that an additional story needs to be done on the new City Attorney. The decision to appoint Joan Bell as City Attorney was not exactly a surprise, but in the same respect, this means that the structure of the government is going through major changes. To transform the government into a City Administrator form will result in less day-to-day management by council members and a centralization of authority. This is important for the citizens of Falconville to know.

Posted by Charlotte Granrot at 2:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Lead:
Big cuts have been made in the new budget proposal. The Parks and Recreations Department, the ambulance services, the City Attorney and the Police Department’s budgets have all been lowered.
Meanwhile, $90 000 of the budget is set-aside to the new City Administrator Joan Bell.

Outline:
After the lead, I will continue with a commentary from the City Administrator. I will then write about the Vice Mayor’s opinion about the new position, and why he thinks that it is necessary. Then I will continue to write more about the budget, which changes have been made and how much less money the different departments will have next year. Finally, I will quote some of the people that are affected by the cuts, and write about what they think that the consequences will be.

Three quotations I will use:
Isn’t $90 000 a pretty big salary for an administrator, considering these cuts?
Joan Bell, City Administrator:
“It’s not all salary. My portion, including benefits, is $54,000. The rest is for staff help and set-up supplies. I think it’s justified when you see what other areas we save in by consolidating duties into one office.�

Tell me about the new City Administrator position.
Luis Gomez, Vice Mayor:
“For some time we’ve had too many cooks running the show. With shrinking revenues we need one person in charge of the department head. The council can’t do it by itself. This is the wisest move we’ve made in some time.�

Will anybody be laid-off (as a consequence of the cuts in the budget)?
Elaine Hultquist, Director Parks and Recreation:
“We’ll try not to lay off any full-timers, but many part-time positions will go unfilled. We may hire fewer swimming teachers and lifeguards, for instance."

Posted by Charlotte Granrot at 6:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sparkling sari’s, bright colored sarongs and Russian fur caps. A girl in a red prom dress, a woman in a traditional Malaysian costume and a guy in jeans standing right next to each other.

The 38th Feast of Nations of UMD was celebrated Saturday. A night devoted to diversity, but also to unity. One world, one family. That was the theme for the evening.

“For one night we wanted to blur the imaginary boundaries and bring everyone close together as one big family.� the President of the UMD International Club, Shaili Sharma said. “Feast of Nations is aimed to spread diversity of campus and make people aware of the various different cultures that co-exist in this university.�

At one table, four women from The United States, Japan and Malaysia sat next to each other, all laughing together.

At another table, a couple from Malaysia and Lebanon and three Americans dined together. Most of the
dishes served during the evening were new to them.

“I like it�, the American senior high school student Kelsie Anderson said. “Some of the dishes are a little too spicy for me, but most of it is really tasty�.

Her grandfather, Glenn Maxham agreed.

“I’m not used to such spicy food�, he said. “But a lot of the cuisines were quite appetizing. Like the Ma po tofu. When I served in Japan, we ate a lot of tofu. I didn’t really care for it then, but served like this, deep-fried with ground beef, it was really nice.�

The Malaysian Hanaa Nikrushti, and her Lebanese fiancée Ahmad Dib, whose taste buds are more used to spices, appreciated most of the dishes.

“I especially enjoyed the samosas. My mother makes them sometimes. But she usually makes bigger ones, with less spice and more coriander�, Nikrushti said.

Despite the different backgrounds of the five people at the table, they did not have a hard time to keep the conversation going during the night. They talked about Anderson’s interest in theater, Nikrushti´s five-year-old little brother, and the fact that Maxham has went to all of the Feast of Nations since twenty years back in time.

“It has become a tradition�, he said.

At the end of the night, they all went back to their own circumstances. So did the girl in the red prom dress, the woman in the Malaysian costume and the guy in jeans. A little bit more full than before, perhaps with a few more friends than before. And most certainly with more multicultural experience than before.

Evan’s comments:

1. I liked the colorful descriptions you used.

2. The main point was emphasized in the lead.

3. The most important news was that the festival happened.

4. I thought the lead seemed a little boring.

5. The story was clear and easy to understand for the most part.

6. I would like to know why they didn’t sell tickets at the door, I wanted to go.

Ben’s comments:

The sentence “Sparkling sari´s, bright colored sarongs and dresses all competed of the audience´s attention� – Good.

Rewrite the sentence “And that was kind of the whole point; it was supposed to be a multicultural and diverse evening� into “And that was the whole point; it was to be a multicultural and diverse evening.�

Rewrite the sentence “And that also pretty much summarized the atmosphere of the night� into “And that summarized much of the atmosphere of the night.�

Good paragraphs (most of them are short)

Posted by Charlotte Granrot at 6:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

“Sex and dating for disabled is a stigmatized issue, which should be discussed more�, the disabled UMD Student Galynn White said Wednesday.
“I wish people were more open-minded about this�, she said during a speech in Kirby Rafters. “There are so many opinions about whether you can be sexually active or not if you are disabled�.
When Galynn, now 22 years old, went to high school and her friends started going out, she had a hard time. She was never asked out on a date, and never had the same opportunities to experience love as the others.
Making sex and dating for the disabled socially acceptable is something Galynn White wants to work on. It is the one thing that gets to her about being disabled, and in her opinion the topic is not discussed enough.
“Take movies for example, how many movies are there about disabled people in romantic relationships?� she said. “It is not a common theme�.
Except for the lack of dating, Galynn White is like any other “normal� person. She tries not to focus on her disability and has a normal life expectancy. White was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a genetical defect that makes the bones less dense, this is why they break easily. Since she broke a lot of bones in her mother’s womb, which healed incorrectly, she is not able to walk, and is very small. Not being able to walk or run doesn’t disturb her, though.
“I don’t really miss it, since I’ve never tried it�, she says.
In many ways, Galynn has had a normal life. Her childhood, with three siblings, was just like everybody else’s.

“I couldn’t ride a bike, obviously, but my brother once tied me to his bike and drove down a big hill. That was fun. My dad got pretty mad though�, Galynn said and smiled at the memory.
White is a humorous and social person that likes hanging out with friends, gardening and playing the violin.
“I love coffee shops to, I want to open one some time�, she says.
Her other dreams for the future involves becoming a teacher and starting a family.
“I really want to adopt a child some day�, Galynn said. “I used to think that I would have a baby of my own some time, but I found out that I have really small lungs, so it wouldn´t be such a good idea�.
After the speech, Galynn got a lot of questions about what being disabled is like. One of the listeners wondered how other people treat her.
“Generally people are very nice�. Galynn said. “One of the good things about being disabled is that you get to see that people aren’t all bad. People can be really kind if they get the opportunity. It gives me hope�.
Another question Galynn got is why she isn’t wearing any shoes.
“I don’t really need shoes, since I don’t ever walk, and I kind of like my feet to� she said.
“I’m a weird girl�, Galynn said, wagged her foot and giggled.

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To dare is to loose foothold for a while. Not to dare is to loose life itself.

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