Spirit Mountain: The City’s Most Expensive Snow Cone

So, Spirit Mountain got itself a new ski lift for a cool $3.4 million. That’s right, the city of Duluth just dropped the price of a mansion in Malibu on a ski lift. You can almost hear the collective groan from taxpayers, wondering why their streets still look like a moonscape after winter, while we’re busy pimping out a ski hill.

Now, before you warm up your typing fingers for the next “Sell it!” Facebook rant, let’s clear something up: Spirit Mountain is not a private business. It’s owned by the city, designed in the 70s as a tourism magnet, and fueled by something called the tourism tax. This magical tax fairy was supposed to keep Spirit Mountain afloat without sucking up property tax dollars. But like most fairy tales, this one hit a rough patch in the 2000s when Spirit’s cut of the tax pie went on a diet.

But guess what? The $3.4 million ski lift is not just a spontaneous splurge. It’s part of a larger $12 million state-bonding package from 2022. That’s right—our little ski hill just went on a government-funded shopping spree, and the lift is just one shiny new toy.

Spirit Mountain has actually done a decent job at becoming more self-reliant in recent years. But hey, if they’re planning to lease out operations to a private company, why not get something shiny to sweeten the deal? Nothing says “rent me” like a brand-new way to be hoisted uphill.

Duluth Skywalk: The Town’s Indoor Maze

Speaking of upgrades, the downtown skywalk system got some love this February. Apparently, the city realized that making pedestrians walk outside in Duluth’s arctic wind tunnel was borderline cruel. So, they passed a resolution to review and hopefully revive the place where dreams of staying warm go to die.

Pledge of Allegiance Drama: Much Ado About Nothing

Meanwhile, the Pledge of Allegiance debate was like a snowstorm in June—loud, unexpected, and ultimately pointless. Some folks freaked out over a rumor that the council was ditching the pledge. Spoiler alert: They weren’t. It would take six votes to make that change, and there’s no way that was going to happen. Crisis averted, folks. You can go back to arguing about potholes.

Wade Stadium: Fixer-Upper on the City’s Dime

Oh, and the city threw $700,000 at Wade Stadium for repairs. Apparently, crumbling infrastructure is fine as long as it’s attached to a baseball field. Let’s just hope the repairs keep the place standing long enough for people to care about baseball again.

Library Loot and Gravel Glamour

Also, the library got $60,000 worth of new materials thanks to the sale of a building. You know, because nothing says “economic development” like replacing a hangar with some fresh paperbacks. Plus, the city purchased gravel and cold mix asphalt, which sounds like the city council’s version of self-care.

Important Things to Know: Duluth Edition

• The Kozy is gone. Next up: the Shopper’s Auto Ramp, which apparently decided to live out its days as an architectural punchline.

• Day Without Childcare: The city is trying to remind everyone that childcare is important—because nothing highlights a crisis like making everyone deal with it for a day.

• ICE Actions: Federal ICE agents made a splash recently, and the council has about as much intel on that as your cousin who swears he’s got “a guy on the inside.”

• Construct Tomorrow: High schoolers get to find out how they can build the future—or at least fix the roads Spirit Mountain money didn’t cover.

Council Elections: Prepare for the Circus

This year, four of the nine council seats are up for grabs. Expect a lot of handshakes, promises, and vague solutions for pothole repair. Basically, it’s like the Olympics, but instead of athletes, we get people who’ve mastered the art of saying a lot without really committing to anything.

So there you have it, Duluth. Winter’s wrapping up, Spirit Mountain’s getting a facelift, and the skywalk might finally not feel like a haunted hallway. Tune in next month to see what else we’ll sink money into while the streets continue their impersonation of Swiss cheese.