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Articles by Eric Chandler
Reader's View: Mining editorials ignored realities
It must be difficult for the News Tribune, whose editorial stands are determined by its editorial board, to go from uncritically regurgitating mining-industry talking points one week (Our View: “ With updates, NewRange mine a better project ,” Aug 11) to advocating for businesses near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness the next (Our View: “ Northeastern Minnesota, in real need, snubbed again by St. Paul ,” Aug 18).
Local View: Stauber's bill bad for BWCAW, all public lands
No matter where you live in the United States, call your U.S. senators and tell them to vote “no” on House Joint Resolution 140 , which the Senate is expected to vote on this week of Feb. 23. In 1905, Gifford Pinchot, the first head of the then-newly created U.S. Forest Service, wrote , “Where conflicting interests must be reconciled, the question shall always be answered from the standpoint of the greatest good of the greatest number in the long run." In 2026, the latest bill from U.S. Rep.
Birkie Trail Manager Talks About Snow on Opening Day
Happy cross-country skiers converged on Mt. Telemark Village in Cable, Wisconsin, on Saturday, November 22, 2025. The Tormondsen Family Snowmaking Trail opened with a loop of manmade snow. The parking lot was full as smiling skiers clipped into their skis for the first day of the season. Erik Blow sat down next to the fireplace in The Hub to talk about the upcoming season. He’s the Trail Manager for the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) and is starting his fourth winter in that role.
Praise for "The Big Stupid"
I climbed above the tree line just after sunrise. There was a light breeze and the sky was clear. Forty years had passed, but I was back to visit these eight Four Thousand Footers in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I hiked toward Bondcliff, the first summit I would cross as I tried to complete a single-day Pemi Loop. I had about 14 hours to go. An hour earlier, I had stepped in a mud hole in the dark and broken one of my trekking poles as I fell.
Local View: There's no guarantee metals from near BWCAW would stay in US
Republican Rep. Pete Stauber of Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District sent me a letter expressing support for mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, in part because of China. He wrote, “Currently, the United States relies on mines owned by Communist China that use child slave labor for our critical minerals. This is unacceptable.
Break It, Then Take It
An explainer: “Break It, Then Take It“
The Social Structure of Private Donations to Police
In the past few decades, local governments have increasingly turned to private donations to sustain their funding (Brecher and Wise 2008; Gazley, Cheng, and Lafontant 2018; Nelson and Gazley 2014; Schatteman and Bingle 2015; Smith 2010). These donations have the potential to give private actors outsized influence over public policy while also incentivizing quid pro quo arrangements between donors and public agencies (Cordelli 2022).
Snow Day Memories: Part Two
By Peter Fergus-Moore In December of 2013, my wife Joyce and I boarded a chartered bus in Jerusalem for what we thought was a break from our duties and a chance to see more of the country. We were serving a three-month term as human rights monitors with the Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI). The program had arranged for a journey to Haifa in northern Israel, for a chance to hear directly from Israeli peace activists on their work.
Local View: Allowing mining near BWCAW won't stop China
I wrote to Congressman Pete Stauber, R-Hermantown, recently about my concern over the possibility of copper-nickel mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. He didn’t agree with me. His reply included, “Currently, however, the United States relies on Communist China for its critical minerals. Communist China uses child labor and has zero environmental regulations.
Local View: MAGA special interests want your public lands
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson recently said that if Republicans gain control of both houses of Congress and the White House they will make “big radical changes” and “aggressive changes.” What does that mean?
Remember Watson - Perfect Duluth Day
Goob, Fozz, and I hiked down around another switchback in the trail. We saw a family that passed us higher up on the mountain. A dad, his three kids, and a dog. I saw the dad standing there, blocking the trail. His son sat on a rock with his two sisters standing beside him. As we got closer Dad said, “He’s not doing so good.” I assumed he meant his son. I walked up and then saw the dog. Their golden retriever was lying on its side in the trail and panting. I thought: We’re part of this now.
The Ultimate Checklist For A Successful Commercial Move
Moving a business to a new location is an exciting and stressful time. It requires careful planning and organization for it to be successful. A commercial move can be complex, with many potential pitfalls that could cause delays or costly mistakes if overlooked. With the right checklist in place, however, businesses of any size can ensure their relocation goes smoothly and efficiently.
How Much Does It Cost To Move 1000 Miles?
Moving can be a stressful and expensive process, especially if you’re moving long distances.
Poetry from Eric Chandler: "Hetch Hetchy"
Hetch Hetchy There are two signs on The towel rack. One says, “cozy” and explains that The towel rack Heats your towels. It’s next to the switch That fires up The electricity to the towel rack. That fires up The coal fired power plant. The power plant Sends up the gas. Is the drought because the power plant Sends up the gas? Either way, there’s a drought. I looked down through that gas at the Hetch Hetchy reservoir. White bathtub rings surround the low Hetch Hetchy reservoir Because of the drought.
Reflecting on the 20th Anniversary of the 9/11 Attacks
I asked my wife, Shelley, what she thought about 9/11 during this 20th anniversary year of the attacks. “I think about how it changed the trajectory of our lives,” she said. “Good things happened after the bad.” Shelley and I were in the U.S. Air Force back in the 1990s. I was an F-16 pilot. I deployed three times to the Middle East to enforce the no-fly zone over Iraq. Those trips brought us to a turning point: We wanted to start a family.
Charlie Parr Links Up With Smithsonian for Latest Album
Photo by Shelly Mosman North Shore residents and fans across the Midwest are typically spoiled by how often prolific performer Charlie Parr plays locally. His blend of virtuosity and sincerity makes every show special. After he recovered from a career-threatening injury and weathered the pandemic storm, a busy summer is ahead for Parr. Years ago, my family and I went to Chester Bowl in Duluth and listened to Parr play guitar on an outdoor stage.
Local View: Congressman Stauber ‘disappointed’ — he’s not the only one | Duluth News Tribune
Columns From the column: "I swore the same oath for the U.S. Air Force that my congressman did, to support and defend the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic. ... Congressman Stauber did not swear an oath to write bills and vote on legislation. He swore an oath to defend our Constitution. That takes priority over policy. If he does not act, he will have broken his oath." Written By: Eric Chandler | Jan 15th 2021 - 2pm. × U.S. Rep.
Yok - I Swear - [PANK]
The first and last Korean swear word I learned was “shibal.” I was fifteen, my parents and I were watching a movie in the living room, and the main actor said it three times in a row as he teetered over the open window he was about to jump out of. I asked my parents what it meant. “You don’t need to know because a young lady would never say such a thing,” my mother said while passing a plate of sliced pears to my younger sister, Soyeon. “It’s like ‘shit’ and ‘fuck’ combined,” my father answered.
Two Poems - [PANK]
https://pankmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Audio_I-know-a-place-where-I-can-spread-myself-out-and-be-enough-to-fill-a-room_-Akosua-Zimba-Afiriyie-Hwedie.m4a I know a place where I can spread myself out and be enough to fill a room https://pankmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Audio_It-goes-without-saying_Akosua-Zimba-Afiriyie-Hwedie.m4a It goes without saying My British English troubles my American English I pause before I say words like be-u- tea-ful Confused by how I learned...
Achieve Lifelong Adventure Goals With a 'Life List' | GearJunkie
July 13, 2020 | By Eric Chandler Share now: With the popularization of the ‘bucket list,’ have people lost track of the truer nature of setting lifelong goals? In my role as a family recreational director, I avoid human beings in the outdoors. I try to pick fulfilling outdoor adventures where I’ll see the lowest possible number of strangers. When I picked a weekday to hike in Bear Beach State Natural Area in Wisconsin, I thought we’d have 5 miles of shoreline to ourselves.
Embrace the Suck
(A review of Welcome to FOB Haiku: War Poems from Inside the Wire by Randy Brown, A.K.A. “Charlie Sherpa”) Billy Wilder was an Academy Award winning director and writer. He said, “If you’re going to tell people the truth, be funny or they’ll kill you.” Randy Brown, A.K.A. Charlie Sherpa must’ve heard this quote before he wrote his great book of poetry titled Welcome to FOB Haiku: War Poems from Inside the Wire. I have experience with vacations to the Middle East.
New Poem by Eric Chandler: "The Path Through Security"
my family lived there before it was Maine before this was a even a country they still live there so we visit we fly in and out of the Jetport we place our shoes in a tray empty our pockets on the way home out west the guy asked which one of us was Grace I pointed to the infant perched on my arm she was selected for enhanced security screening it’s possible that happened in the same tunnel of air the hijackers passed through the imaginary tube the human-shaped ribbon through time the permanent...
Tow Your Kids While Cross-Country Skiing: Pulk 101
Keep your cross-country skiing dreams alive, and save room for hot chocolate. Our guide to the Pulk fills you in on this useful tool for winter travel with kids. Everybody said, “Oh boy, your life’s going to change,” when my wife said she was pregnant. We found a way to keep skiing with a baby, literally, in tow. We bought a pulk. A pulk is a sled for pulling gear behind you while you travel over the snow.
I’ve Got Heritage, Too
I was in Moorhead, Minnesota at Concordia College to hear my son play piano in the All-State Jazz Band. But it was the All-State Symphonic Band that hit me hard. They played a piece called “The Frozen Cathedral” by John Mackey. It was a work commissioned by a man who wanted to memorialize his dead son. His son loved the high country of Alaska near Denali National Park. It was a stirring piece. You could imagine being surrounded in pillars of ice and stone.
Local view: A nearly trillion-dollar economic engine, outdoor rec deserves stronger voice
I know what you're thinking: Snore. Stick with me for a few minutes, though. I think this is a big deal.The REC Act means that, for the first time, the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis will treat the outdoor industry as a separate entity. The bureau will determine what portion of the country's Gross Domestic Product comes from outdoor recreation. In other words, the sales of fishing rods, backpacks, and skis already are counted.
The Day I Held My Fire
Thirty seconds is a long time to think you might accidentally kill a kid. But that’s how it was that day over Afghanistan. We had to hurry. Chaos and Fester left, and without a break KRACR and I were directed to hit the man they were watching. The high-value dude drove out into the open. He was alone and on a motorcycle on a stretch of road running through a small valley just outside of town. I turned toward the target, and released two 500-pound bombs.
Instant Karma | SHMOTOWN on WordPress.com
Dieter and I drove north on the haul road out of Fairbanks, Alaska in my crummy little GMC pickup. We were headed to the Brooks Range, about halfway to the North Slope. Somewhere along the 250 miles of gravel, a bearded man in an orange vest stopped us with his sign. “We’re going to climb a mountain called Emma Dome. Near Wiseman.” “Grizzly country. What kind of gun you got?” His eyebrows went up. He spun the sign around so it said SLOW.
Local view: Even in cold cash, investing in outdoors amenities pays off
Frolicking in the outdoors makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. You can’t buy groceries with feelings? OK. According to the Outdoor Industry Association, in 2012, outdoor recreation in Minnesota generated $11.6 billion. That’s billion with a b. There are 118,000 Minnesota jobs directly tied to the outdoor industry and $815 million in state and local tax revenue.
Accidental Tourism and War Memorials
Accidental Tourism and War Memorials By Eric Chandler Assyrian Sphinx at Kansas City WWI Memorial, "Future." Looking west toward the other Sphinx, "Memory." (Photo Credit: Eric Chandler) I was running along the Bow River in Calgary. I stopped at a memorial next to the water. (I don’t need much convincing to rest.) It was six vertical stone slabs, engraved with the names of Calgary’s war dead from World War I through Afghanistan.
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