Restore Cascade Park

Cascade Park may have seen better days, but it's still a vital part of Duluth's park history. Parks that were lovingly created in the late 19th and early 20th century and should not be forgotten/neglected. We're just one organization striving to keep that history part of our present (with our tours), but it's something all citizens of Duluth can help accomplish!

The Duluth Experience has a monthly history blog series. Here's the latest one.

Exploring Cascade Park > The Duluth Experience You might consider Duluth's Cascade Park as having a split personality. It's certainly a park with an interesting character arc.

Hi everyone. Wanted to give you some news. One of the jobs I currently have is doing history tours with The Duluth Experience (which you can look up right here on FB) and on October 8, we are doing a big tour for Leadership Duluth organized by the Duluth Chamber of Commerce. Cascade Park will be one of the areas talked about on this tour, which will hopefully raise awareness of the park, its past, and current condition. I like to believe that the more people know of it, the better its future might be.

I'm happy to see this article and the efforts of this man but I find it very strange that the article says "a park no one seems to love" and makes an incorrect, passing footnote about this FB page within the article. I also find it strange that several years ago, when I tried to get an article written to demonstrate the plight of the park, I was told I was creating the news.

Neighbors: Duluth man adopts a park no one seems to love It was once called “the most unsightly and unmanageable land in the entire city.” The new park board actually authorized the dumping of waste rock here as other areas of Duluth were developed before the turn of the last century. It was steep terrain, and it appeared a hopeless cause later as plans..…

Well, I promise I haven't disappeared but going to school to be a teacher has really kept me insanely busy. I actually sent out a few letters a month ago but haven't received any replies. Perhaps I will try again. Does anyone have any particular people/organizations that they think should be contacted? I am all ears....or eyes as this is Facebook.

Would like to thank our group member Alex Leone for this!

Duluth residents remember Central Hillside’s Cascade Park Cascade Park, located just off Mesabe Avenue, was purchased by the city in 1869 and was once known as Duluth's "downtown" park. Today, Central Hillside residents are rallying together to restore the park. Photo by Alex Leone Tucked away from the bustling traffic of Mesaba Avenue lies the remnants

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. My teaching program at UMD has been keeping me pretty loaded along with my kiddos. Hope everyone has a great Halloween. Once we get through this election season, I will be doing some aggressive public servant harassment on behalf of the park. :)

Just thought I would post this up...some of the things being said in this article are quite ironic especially what the director says about "pride...ownership...and reducing vandalism..."

Duluth's ‘patched together’ parks get upgrades | Duluth News Tribune | Duluth, Minnesota Money from tax levy approved by Duluth voters last year is helping spruce up facilities from Indian Point to Lester Park.

Anybody up for meeting at the park next weekend? I am thinking we should find a way to document neighborhood support for this idea...like a petition. We could go around as a group (strength in numbers)? This is something that could be presented to the city.

I was informed by the DNT that at this point, writing a story about the park would be "making the news" not reporting it. I am don't really know what that means. A new "park" just opened in Canal Park on top of the storm runoff tank that was just built and that counts as news. However, reporting about a park that continues to fall apart after decades of neglect by the city, and is almost as old as the city, doesn't count as news? Oh well. Either way we still need to keep collecting support.

Hello all, this will be a pretty big post both in size and importance. Mike Creger of the Duluth News Tribune has been working on something for us. It might take a bit longer than we would hope but we must thank him for the support he has already showed us. Here is his email if you like to contact him about the park and to thank him for his work. [email protected]

Secondly, Mike emailed me some information the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation has planned for improving local parks. I pasted it below so you can read it. I have looked at the application and I don't think this group of ours would be eligible to put in a request on behalf of the park. If I did, it would be incomplete as our group is more a grass roots movement not a non-profit. However, there is an email to submit the application to (which is [email protected]) that perhaps we can email ourselves! I will send an email explaining what this page is for and what we hope to do. Maybe they can point us in the right direction or get Cascade Park on the radar for any possible funding. The total amount available is only 60,000 so it would not be enough for all our desires but maybe some basic improvements could start (benches, lights, plants, etc). The more of us that email on behalf of Cascade Park, they will probably take it more seriously. Thanks!

$60,000 Available to the Community in Parks Fund Neighborhood Grants

The City will make $60,000 available as part of the Parks Fund to support projects and initiatives which will enhance and improve city parks and recreation. The Neighborhood Grant program is designed to provide direct support for community groups and organizations to add value in our City parks. The City is partnering with the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation on this granting program. Grant applications are due on October 1, 2012. To download the application go the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation site:http://www.dsacommunityfoundation.com/cms/files/CPRP_Application.pdf Proposals will be reviewed by a committee with recommendations for funding presented to the Parks Commission then for final approval from the City Council.

Parks Fund Neighborhood Grant Projects must:
· Take place entirely or primarily on existing recognized units of Duluth’s parks, recreation, and trails system;
· Support the mission of Duluth’s Parks and Recreation Division to fulfill the essential recreational, educational, cultural, and environmental needs that create a dynamic community; and
· Encourage both financial and volunteer efforts.

Priority is given to projects that support one or more of the following key elements of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan:
· Improve the quality of existing parks (especially neighborhood parks),
· Focus on connecting the community through trails and bikeways,
· Have fewer, but higher quality recreation buildings,
· Enhance stewardship of natural resources,
· Expand partnerships with schools for community recreation and gathering, and
· Increase use and recognition of volunteers and volunteer groups.
· Increase use and recognition of volunteers and volunteer groups.

For more information call Parks and Recreation at 218-730-4300.

ALRIGHT! The meeting went well today and hopefully a story will come out at some point in the not so distant future.

I will be meeting with Mike Creger with the Duluth News Tribune, Wednesday, at 2:30. I thank all of you for your support. It's making a difference!