J DENNIS: I'M DENNIS ANDERSON, AND HERE IS WHAT'S COMING UP ON ALMANAC NORTH.

WE LOOK BACK AT THE FLU PANDEMIC OF 1918 AND THE PARALLELS WITH THE CURRENT PANDEMIC.

PLUS, A GLOBAL POLICY EXPERT JOINS US IN STUDIO WITH HIS VIEWS ON WHAT WE HAVE DONE WELL AND WHAT WE COULD DO BETTER.

IN THIS WEEK'S VOICES OF THE REGION, MINING ON THE IRON RANGE.

THAT AND MORE COMING UP ON "ALMANAC NORTH."

DENNIS: HELLO, AND WELCOME TO "ALMANAC NORTH."

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING.

I'M DENNIS ANDERSON.

JULIE IS OFF THIS WEEK AS WE ALTERNATE HOSTING DURING THE PANDEMIC.

THE DULUTH CATHOLIC DIOCESE INTRODUCED ITS NEW BISHOP THIS WEEK.

BISHOP FELTON WAS THE 10TH PAGE OF -- NAMED THE 10TH BISHOP OF THE DIOCESE BY POPE FRANCIS.

HE WILL BE INSTALLED AS BISHOP AT AN ORDINATION CEREMONY ON MAY 20.

THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION UNVEILED ITS 2020 ONE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS FOR NORTHEASTERN MINNESOTA THIS WEEK.

A TOTAL OF 470 $3 MILLION WILL BE SPENT ON 20 AND EIGHT CONTINUING PROJECTS IN THE DISTRICT.

THE LARGEST IS THE 24 -- TWIN FORKS INTERCHANGE REBUILD OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.

A FIBER-OPTIC PROJECT BEING INSTALLED IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA WILL BRING HIGH-SPEED INTERNET SERVICE TO OVER 200 BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTIAL LOCATIONS.

THE PROJECT WAS SUPPORTED BY A GRANT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF IRON RANGE RESOURCES AND REHABILITATION AND WILL BE INSTALLED BY THE CTC COOPERATIVE.

THE NETWORK WILL BE UP AND RUNNING BY THE END OF APRIL AND WILL PROVIDE INTERNET SPEEDS OF UP TO ONE GIGABYTE.

WESTIN ARENA IN SUPERIOR WILL HOST A COMMUNITY COVID-19 VACCINATION CLINIC BEGINNING NEXT TUESDAY, APRIL 13.

THE CLINIC WILL BE OPEN TUESDAYS THROUGH SATURDAYS FROM 11:00 A.M. TO 7:00 P.M.

ANYONE AGE 16 AND OVER DOOR -- OLDER CAN SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT THROUGH THE VACCINE REGISTRY.

AND NOW, TO THE FIRST INSTALLMENT OF OUR SPECIAL SERIES LESSONS FROM COVID-19.

THIS WEEK, A MULTI PLATFORM PRODUCER SETS THE STAGE BY EXPLORING THE HISTORIC IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC TO THIS POINT.

AND WE LOOK BACK TO COMPARE LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE 1918 SPANISH FLU PANDEMIC.

>> WE RARELY LEARN FROM THESE THINGS.

THE 1918 FLU IS A GREAT EXAMPLE.

IT'S 2020.

WE MADE THE SAME MISTAKES.

WE HAD THE SAME ISSUES WITH PEOPLE BELIEVING IN SCIENCE.

WE HAD THE SAME ISSUES WITH PEOPLE BELIEVING THE MASK WOULD NOT WORK IN ALL ENVIRONMENTS.

THE VISCERAL REACTION TO LOCKDOWNS IN A VERY NEGATIVE WAY HAPPENED TODAY.

>> AS A HISTORIAN, WE WERE RIGHT THERE WITH PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS AND EPIDEMIOLOGISTS IN THAT WE EXPECT PANDEMICS TO HAPPEN.

>> KEEPING SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN HISTORICAL MEMORY IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

IN MANY WAYS, THE 1918 SPANISH FLU WAS FAIR, BUT IT WASN'T AT THE FOREFRONT OF PEOPLE'S MINDS.

I DON'T WANT COVID-19 TO BE PUSHED BACK IN PEOPLES MINDS AND FORGOTTEN ABOUT IN A GENERATION OR TWO.

IT WOULD BE NICE IF THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.

>> I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST, THAT MODERN MEDICINE WOULD RELIEVE US OF THAT BURDEN AGAIN, AND YET, HERE IT WAS.

>> THIS IS A HISTORIC EVENT WE WILL BE TALKING TO OUR KIDS ABOUT LATER.

I AM DAN HERMON.

I AM THE DIRECTOR OF THE QUENCHING MANSION HERE IN MINNESOTA.

-- OF THIS MANSION HERE IN MINNESOTA.

I AM ALSO THE DIRECTOR OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

UNTIL THE PANDEMIC, A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T REALLY KNOW MUCH ABOUT 1918.

NOW THERE HAS BEEN A HUGE PUSH FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN THAT STORY AND COMPARE IT TO TODAY.

AND THERE ARE A LOT OF SIMILAR ELEMENTS IN THAT MIX.

IF YOU LIVED IN 1918, YOUR MEMORY OF THAT YEAR IS A HORRIFIC FIRE THAT KILLED 500 PEOPLE IN A DAY, THIS SPANISH FLU THAT YOU HAD TO LOCK DOWN HALF THE TOWN FOR, THE END OF WORLD WAR I, WHICH, YOU KNOW, THAT WASN'T A PRETTY SIGHT EITHER.

ALL THREE OF THOSE EVENTS ARE EXTREMELY TRAGIC FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN DULUTH.

THE COTTONS WERE LIVING HERE WHEN -- CONDONS WERE LIVING HERE WHEN THE FLU HAPPENED.

YOU READ THE NEWSPAPER AND YOU SEE CLAIRE TALKING ABOUT HOW NO ONE CAN GO TO THE THEATER, NO ONE CAN GO TO CHURCH.

THEY ARE ON LOCKDOWN JUST LIKE WE WENT TO LOCKDOWN.

BUT INSTEAD OF IT BEING A STATE MANDATE, IT WAS A CITY MANDATE.

I DID A JOURNAL A LOT.

I DON'T NORMALLY JOURNAL.

I KNOW A LOT OF HISTORY FRIENDS WHO JOURNAL NOW WHO NEVER HAVE IN THEIR LIFE BUT THEY DID BECAUSE THEY KNEW OK, IF I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THIS LATER, I HAD BETTER START WRITING ABOUT IT DAY BY DAY.

WE ARE SO EAGER TO HAVE SCIENCE RESOLVE EVERYTHING IMMEDIATELY.

WE ARE GETTING BETTER AT IT, AND IT CAN DO A LOT OF AMAZING THINGS.

BUT WE AS A POPULATION SHOULDN'T BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO SOLVE EVERYTHING IMMEDIATELY.

I WORRY ABOUT THE WHIPLASH OF THIS.

I THINK YOU ARE GOING TO SEE A LOT MORE FUNDING BE AVAILABLE FOR PANDEMIC RESPONSE IN GENERAL REGARDLESS OF WHAT ADMINISTRATION IS IN POWER.

IN THE SHORT TERM.

>> I AM BRENDA CHILD.

I AM A PROFESSOR OF AMERICAN STUDIES AND AMERICAN INDIAN STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA.

I DO SEE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THIS PANDEMIC AS WELL AS OTHER PANDEMICS THAT HAVE BEEN PART OF HUMAN HISTORY.

A HUNDRED YEARS AGO, IT WAS WORLD WAR I, AND THERE WAS A GLOBAL CIRCULATION TAKING PLACE DURING THAT ERA.

THIS IS WHY WE THINK OF IT AS THE FIRST MODERN GLOBAL PANDEMIC.

BECAUSE OF THE WAY PEOPLE WERE MOVING AROUND THE WORLD DURING WORLD WAR I.

THIS WAS SOMETHING EXPERIENCED IN EUROPE, IN AFRICA, IN NORTH AMERICA, IN LATIN AMERICA, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE ARE SEEING NOW.

I DON'T THINK WE HAD BEEN THINKING SOMETHING HORRIFIC LIKE THIS WOULD HAPPEN ANYMORE, THAT IT'S FROM THE OLDEN DAYS.

I THINK WE WERE IN SOME SENSE UNPREPARED, EXCEPT FOR PEOPLE IN THE CDC END GOVERNMENT WHO WORK ON DISEASE NEW FULL WELL THAT WE ARE VULNERABLE TO EVENTS LIKE THIS.

>> THIS IS A PHOTOGRAPH OF 1918 RIGHT AFTER A BIG FIRE.

>> A PRETTY TELLING IMAGE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON IN OCTOBER OF 1918.

NOT ONLY REFUGEES FROM THE FIRE, BUT ABOUT HALF THE PEOPLE HAVE CLOTH MASKS ON.

I AM A REPORTER WITH THE DULUTH NEWS TRIBUNE.

I MAINLY COVER ENERGY AND MINING.

BUT ABOUT A YEAR AGO, THERE WAS A BARRAGE OF NEVER GOING THROUGH THIS BEFORE AND I FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO TELL THE STORY OF THE LAST TIME DULUTH DID GO THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

IT WAS A LONG TIME AGO, 1918, BUT THE WORLD HAS BEEN THROUGH A PANDEMIC BEFORE, AND THE FEARS BECAME REALITY OF HOSPITALS BEING OVERRUN.

THAT HAPPENED IN 1918.

SAINT MARY'S ADDED ANNEXES.

CHURCHES ADDED BUILDINGS TO EXPAND CAPACITY AND WERE QUICKLY OVERRUN.

DULUTH WAS AT A DISADVANTAGE.

THEY HAD DEALT WITH THE FIRE AND CLOSED.

THOUSANDS OF REFUGEES FLOCKED TO SUPERIOR.

UNFORTUNATELY, THAT MADE THE SPREAD OF THE FLU SO MUCH WORSE.

A LOT OF THE FIERY RECOVERY EFFORTS ACCOUNTED FOR MANY OF THE CASES OF FLU IN OCTOBER AND MADE OCTOBER BAD COMPARED TO WHAT IT COULD'VE BEEN.

THERE WERE STUDIES EARLY ON IN THE PANDEMIC THAT SAID HEY, THIS CITY CHOSE NOT TO HAVE THAT PARADE WELCOMING BACK TROOPS FROM WORLD WAR I.

THIS CITY THAT HELD THE PARADE HAD A WORSE FLU OUTBREAK.

DULUTH CHOSE TO GO THE ROUTE OF NOT BANNING FOOTBALL GAMES, WHICH WAS -- IT'S SAFER TO BE OUTSIDE, BUT THEY WERE BRAGGING ABOUT HOW BUSY THE FOOTBALL GAME WAS AND HOW PACKET WAS.

IT'S JUST ODD THAT BACK THEN THEY INSISTED ON CARRYING OUT THESE EVENTS.

UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVEN'T LEARNED THAT LESSON NOW.

MANY THINGS WERE CANCELED.

A LOT OF THINGS WENT ON.

A LOT OF THINGS HELPED SPREAD THIS.

>> MY NAME IS MARK.

I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE ARMORY ARTS MUSIC CENTER.

THIS IMAGE IS THE DRILL HALL OF THE ARMORY.

BACK IN THE BALCONY, SOMEBODY WHO WAS PROBABLY A PERFORMER IN 1918 WAS UP THERE WITH ONE OF THOSE BIG BOX CAMERAS TAKING A PICTURE OF ALL OF THE ACTIVITY.

NOT EVERYBODY IS WEARING MASKS.

IT ISN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS UNIVERSALLY THOUGHT OF.

AFTER THE FLUID 1918 CAME THE ROARING 20'S.

I JUST WONDER IF THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT SOCIETY, THEY HAD ALL THIS PENT-UP EMOTION THAT THEY JUST HAD TO GET OUT AFTER SEEING SO MUCH DEATH AND DESTRUCTION FROM WORLD WAR I AND THE SPANISH FLU.

THEY JUST FELT IT'S TIME TO BE ALIVE.

THAT WILL BE THE SILVER LINING OF THIS.

DENNIS: I AM SURE WE ARE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT DAY.

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED THAT WE CAN TAKE INTO THE FUTURE AND INFORM OUR DECISIONS FOR THE NEXT PANDEMIC, AND WHAT WOULD WE HAVE DONE BETTER TO AVERT THE MASSIVE IMPACT OF COVID-19?

JOINING US WITH HIS THOUGHTS IS THE DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AT UMD AND A GLOBAL HEALTH POLICY EXPERT.

JEREMY, THINK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

TELL US, WHAT HAS THE GOVERNMENT ON WELL AND TRYING TO CONTROL THE PANDEMIC?

>> IF YOU LOOK AT THE ROLLOUT OF THE VACCINATION PROGRAM, THAT IN A LOT OF WAYS HAS BEEN A SUCCESS.

IF WE LOOK AT HOW QUICKLY THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN ABLE TO GET THOSE DOSAGES OUT THERE AND THE LEVEL OF UPTAKE OF THOSE DOSAGES, THAT HAS BEEN A REMARKABLE SUCCESS.

ON THE FLIPSIDE, WE HAD TO BE SO SUCCESSFUL AT THAT BECAUSE WE DID SO POORLY IN THE EARLY STAGES.

WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE DO VACCINATIONS WELL BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE ARE OUT OF TOOLS TO CONTROL THIS.

DENNIS: HAVE WE SEEN MORE VACCINATIONS QUICKER THAN YOU EXPECTED WHEN ALL THIS BEGAN?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

IF YOU LOOK AT PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS TO DEVELOP A VACCINE, THE RECORD BEFORE COVID-19 WAS FOUR YEARS.

I WAS SKEPTICAL WE WOULD DO IT.

BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF COLLABORATION, GOVERNMENT SUPPORT IN THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER COUNTRIES, AND AN IMPERATIVE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO WORK ON QUICKLY AND USE THE KNOWLEDGE WE HAVE FROM PREVIOUS EPIDEMICS LIKE SARS AND OTHERS TO INFORM OUR VACCINE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

DENNIS: WHAT CAN WE EXPECT IN THE FUTURE REGARDING OTHER PANDEMICS?

THIS ISN'T GOING TO STOP.

WE WILL HAVE HEALTH ISSUES FOREVER, WON'T WE?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

WE KNOW WE WILL HAVE PANDEMICS IN THE FUTURE.

WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY WILL START.

DENNIS: WHAT IS THE MAJOR THING YOU THINK WE HAVE LEARNED WHEN IT COMES TO TRYING TO FIGHT PANDEMICS?

>> THAT WE HAVE TO COOPERATE.

THIS HAS TO BE A COMMUNAL EFFORT, AND NOT JUST IN THE UNITED STATES, BUT GLOBALLY.

BECAUSE WE ARE ONLY GOING TO BE PROTECTED IF OTHER PEOPLE IN OTHER COUNTRIES ARE PROTECTED.

DENNIS: SPEAKING OF COOPERATION OR THE LACK OF IT, WHY DO YOU THINK SO MANY PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO GET THE VACCINE?

>> THERE IS SKEPTICISM BECAUSE IT WAS DEVELOPED SO QUICKLY.

SOME PEOPLE HAVE SKEPTICISM ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT IT IS SAFE.

THERE ARE QUESTIONS OF PERSONAL LIBERTY.

DENNIS: THE GOVERNMENT CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO.

>> EXACTLY.

I THINK THERE IS ALSO JUST A SENSE THAT WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE LONGER-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF THIS COULD BE.

IT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED FOR EMERGENCY USE BUT HAS NOT GONE THROUGH THE SAME SORTS OF PROCESSES WE WOULD SEE FOR NORMAL VACCINE PROTOCOL.

DENNIS: THEY WERE DEVELOPED VERY QUICKLY.

TO WHAT DO YOU DEVELOP THE SPEEDINESS OF DEVELOPING THESE VACCINES?

>> FOR ONE THING, WE ARE FORTUNATE BECAUSE COVID-19 IS ALREADY RELATED TO SARS AND WE HAD A GOOD 10-15 YEARS OF PEOPLE WORKING ON SARS.

THERE WAS ALSO A GOOD AMOUNT OF INFORMATION SHARING IN THE EARLY DAYS.

SCIENTISTS WORKING ON THE VACCINES WERE SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT THE GENOME, ABOUT THEIR STRATEGIES.

YOU HAD GREAT COLLECTIVE BRAINPOWER THAT COULD WORK TOGETHER ALL ACROSS THE WORLD AND YOU COULD DO IT ON A MUCH MORE ACCELERATED SCHEDULE THEN WE MIGHT SEE OTHERWISE.

DENNIS: SOME OF OUR VIEWERS MIGHT BE ASKING THEMSELVES, OK, HOW EFFECTIVE ARE THE VACCINES?

>> THEY ARE VERY EFFECTIVE.

WE ARE LOOKING AT 90% FOR PFIZER AND MODERNA.

JOHNSON & JOHNSON IN THE 70% RANGE.

THEY HAVE TO SHOW A HIGH LEVEL OF EFFICACY IN ORDER TO GET APPROVAL FROM THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION.

I JUST GOT MY SECOND DOSE TODAY AND I AM REALLY EXCITED BECAUSE EVEN IF I WERE TO CONTRACT COVID-19 -- AND IT IS STILL POSSIBLE -- THE LIKELIHOOD THAT YOU ARE GOING TO BECOME SERIOUSLY ILL OR EVEN, HEAVEN FORBID, DIE, IS DRAMATICALLY LOWERED.

DENNIS: HOW CAN THE GOVERNMENT DO A BETTER JOB TRYING TO CONVINCE THE PUBLIC THAT THIS IS THE THING TO DO?

>> ONE THING THAT IS IMPORTANT IS MODELING GOOD BEHAVIOR.

THIS IS WHERE WE HAVE STARTED TO SEE MORE AND MORE, POLITICAL LEADERS, CELEBRITIES, SOCIAL INFLUENCERS SHOWING THEMSELVES GETTING THE VACCINE.

WE HAVE EVEN SEEN SOME REPUBLICAN LEADERS -- THERE HAS BEEN A HIGHER DEGREE OF SKEPTICISM AMONG REPUBLICAN MEN.

AND THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF REPUBLICAN LEADERS WHO HAVE COME OUT AND SAID I GOT THE VACCINE BECAUSE I WANT THESE RESTRICTIONS TO BE LIFTED.

DENNIS: ARE WE BEGINNING TO SEE THE END OF THE PANDEMIC?

>> I HOPE SO.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH THESE VARIANTS THAT HAVE POPPED UP, BUT THE MORE WE WEAR MASKS AND FOLLOW PROPER BEHAVIORS, THE MORE WE COULD BE ON THE ROAD TO SOMETHING MORE NORMAL.

DENNIS: I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR BEING HERE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

NEXT WEEK, WE EXPLORE TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC.

WE SPEAK TO THE FIRST WOMAN PRESIDENT OF THE MINNESOTA CHIPPEWA TRIBE.

>> WE VACCINATE FAMILY MEMBERS.

IT DOESN'T MATTER.

WE WANT TO VACCINATE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.

DENNIS: AND HOW THE PANDEMIC CHANGED DAY-TO-DAY BUSINESS ON THE RESERVATION AND HOW HIM -- WHAT CHANGES THEY HAVE MADE, COMING UP NEXT WEEK ON "ALMANAC NORTH."

♪ DENNIS: IT'S TIME NOW FOR VOICES OF THE REGION.

EACH WEEK WE HEAR FROM AN AREA JOURNALIST ABOUT STORIES MAKING NEWS IN OUR REGION.

THIS WEEK, AUTHOR AND COLUMNIST AARON BROWN IS OUR GUEST.

>> I DON'T THINK YOU ARE SEEING QUITE AS MUCH INTEREST IN GREATER MINNESOTA IN THE DEREK CHAUVIN TRIAL AS YOU FIND IN THE TWIN CITIES JUST BECAUSE OF THE PROXIMITY OF THE EVENTS.

THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD, THE AFTERMATH, THE RIOTS, THE DEMONSTRATIONS, AND ALL OF THE SOCIAL UPHEAVAL THAT OCCURRED AS A RESULT.

WE SAW PARTS OF THAT IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA, BUT WE DIDN'T FEEL IT QUITE THE SAME WAY AS OFTEN THROUGH THE MEDIA OR THE INTERNET.

WE DON'T SEE QUITE AS MUCH FOLLOW-UP HERE.

I THINK PEOPLE SEE THE STORY DIFFERENTLY, FRANKLY, BECAUSE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COMMUNITY AND POLICE IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN GREATER MINNESOTA THAN IN MINNEAPOLIS OR ST. PAUL.

WE DON'T HAVE THE HISTORIC, CULTURAL MISTRUST THAT HAS BUILT UP BETWEEN POLICE AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.

AS A COMPANY, WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO DEMONSTRATE BEFORE THE END OF THIS MONTH, MAY 1, THAT THIS COMPANY CAN MEET ITS OBLIGATION TO THE POLICE AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

RECENT MEDIA REPORTS HAVE INDICATED THAT SOME PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE.

BACK TAXES HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE COUNTY.

CERTAIN LEASE PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE.

THAT'S REAL MONEY.

IT'S NOT THE BULK OF THE MONEY THAT IS OWED.

BUT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME INDICATIONS THAT THE COMPANY CLAIMS IT HAS AN AGREEMENT, A FAIRLY NEBULOUS CLAIM THAT HAS BEEN SAID BEFORE.

IT DOESN'T ALWAYS MEAN ANYTHING.

BUT IT IS SOMETHING THEY CAN POINT TO.

THE BIG QUESTION IS WHAT KIND OF MARKET ARE THEY ENTERING.

ON THE ONE HAND, WE HAVE WHAT LOOKS TO BE A PROMISING COUPLE OF YEARS AHEAD FOR IRON MINING IN THE PRODUCTION OF STEEL.

BUT -- SO THAT WOULD INDICATE A GOOD DEMAND FOR THE PRODUCT.

ON THE OTHER HAND, GLOBAL CAPITALISM AND A REALLY WEIRD PLACE RIGHT NOW.

IT HAS BEEN ROLLED UP AND SHAKEN AROUND BY COVID AND THE GLOBAL ECONOMY.

AND THERE IS SOME QUESTION WHETHER THE KIND OF MONEY THAT THIS COMPANY NEEDS WILL BE READILY AVAILABLE TO A START UP OR COMPANY LIKE THIS GOING FORWARD.

VIC POWER WAS THE MAYOR FROM 1913-1923.

ROUGHLY SPEAKING.

HE HAD A YEAR OFF AND THERE.

AS MAYOR, HE WAS THE FIRST PROMINENT OFFICIAL TO STAND UP TO U.S. STEEL, WHICH REALLY DICTATED THE POLICY OF THE MINING COMPANIES ON THE RANGES AT THE TIME.

SO HE IS A REALLY CHARISMATIC, INTERESTING FIGURE, BUT WHAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING ABOUT THE RESEARCH TO ME WAS THE PARALLELS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE STORY TO TODAY, TO NOW.

WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT STATE MINING LEASES.

THIS QUESTION OVER WHO DESERVES A CUT OF WHAT IS IN THE GROUND IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

WHO OWNS THIS?

OBVIOUSLY, THE MINDS LEASE IT -- MINES LEASE IT AND SELL IT, BUT DO THE PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA DESERVE A CUT OF THAT, AND WHAT ABOUT LOCAL POPULATIONS AND SCHOOLS WHERE THE MINERS AND WORKERS ARE?

DO THEY DESERVE A LITTLE MORE?

THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY AT STAKE IN THE HISTORY OF THE RANGE.

SO THE BOOK I AM WRITING FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA PRESS WILL BE OUT NEXT YEAR.

BUT BEFORE THEN, A FILMMAKER AND I ARE PRODUCING POWER IN THE WILDERNESS THE PODCAST.

AND THAT IS GOING TO BE ON KX E STARTING MAY 1.

BUT IF YOU GO TO POWER IN THE WILDERNESS ONLINE TODAY, YOU CAN LISTEN TO THE FIRST TWO EPISODES , AND IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, YOU CAN SUBSCRIBE AND HEAR SOME BONUS EPISODES BEFORE THEY COME OUT.

THE SEASONS ARE MY FAVORITE PART OF LIVING IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA.

THE FACT THAT THINGS CHANGE AND THERE IS A CYCLE.

SO I'M LOOKING AT BIRDS COMING THROUGH, THE MIGRATORY BIRDS, BUT EVEN THE LOCAL BIRDS ARE CHANGING THEIR SONGS.

SO, YOU START TO JUST HERE AND EXPERIENCE THE CHANGE IN SEASON IN SO MANY WAYS.

IT'S ICE ON THE LAKE.

THERE IS SNOW AROUND US.

THERE IS SOME DEEP IN THE WOODS, BUT NOT MUCH.

THE FROST COMES OUT.

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING.

SOON WE WILL HAVE BUDS FORMING.

THAT'S MY FAVORITE TIME, EARLY BUDDING LEAVES, THE FIRST GLINT OF GREEN IN THE SUNLIGHT, THAT IS THE STUFF I REALLY ENJOY.

DENNIS: AS WINTERS GO AROUND HERE, THIS ONE WAS A LITTLE LIGHT ON SNOW, BUT THIS DID NOT STOP A SNOWMOBILE RIDER WHO GOT HIS START YEARS AGO AT AN EVENT.

HE SPENT TIME IN DULUTH EARLIER THIS YEAR AND CREATED A VIDEO.

A REMINDER, DON'T TRY THIS YOURSELF.

♪ DENNIS: WHAT A RIDE.

HE MIGHT NEED A PILOTS LICENSE.

KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST ON "ALMANAC NORTH" BY FOLLOWING US ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR THE LATEST PROGRAM UPDATES, NEWS ABOUT THE STATION AND UPCOMING EVENTS.

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STAY HEALTHY, EVERYONE.

AND BE KIND.