Summer 2012

North Star Port | Summer 2012 1 Mother Nature disrupts Port’s work …

By Adolph Ojard Port Director une 20, the longest day of the year, was the scene of Jwhat for many in our re- gion was an endless downpour — a record-setting rainfall that caused over $100 million in dam- age to public infrastructure and untold damage to private homes and commercial property. The National Weather Ser- vice reported a record 10.10 inches of rain in just 24 hours in parts of Duluth during what has been categorized as the larg- est rainstorm in local history. On June 19-20, torrents of water /duluthnewstribune.com Duluth Reprinted with permission, News Tribune filled and overflowed creeks, riv- ers and storm sewers across the Bob King Twin Ports. Rail service to and Runoff from the June storm and flood turned our blue waters brown. from the harbor was interrupt- ed for a couple of days, which meant limestone had to be and shipments will be made up and, fortunately, no car- trucked north to Iron Range pellet plants while crews re- goes will be lost. paired sections of track. Some have called the deluge a “100-year” or even “500- … raises the level of Lake Superior The saturation and amazing runoff from the Lake year” flood. Still it caused only minor flooding and brief in- Superior basin swelled streams that empty into Lake terruptions in service around the Port, with one major ex- Superior. At the height of the storm, strong currents ception: Midwest Energy Resources Co. in Superior, the through both the Duluth ship canal and the Superior Entry largest coal terminal on the Great Lakes, had extensive caused navigation difficulties. Captain Mark Blatnik, a flood damage to electric motors, switch gear and electri- Duluth local son, reported that outgoing currents slowed cal controls as well as to its offices. Crews worked round the Roger Blough to 1 mph as the ship approached and the clock to dry, clean, repair and test all equipment and passed through the Duluth Entry. circuitry. The rail side was up and running nine days later, Within a matter of 10 days, water levels had risen five but it was July 8 before MERC could load ships again. inches on Lake Superior. Ironically, water levels in the oth- On average, Midwest Energy loads a 1,000-foot vessel er Great Lakes, the rivers and Seaway to Montreal are all every day during the navigation season. This is a signifi- down, and continuing drought conditions this summer will cant amount of cargo for the Great Lakes, both in terms of drive those levels even lower. tonnage and even more so in terms of vessel-day require- ments due to long travel times to and from the Lower Lakes. … and adds to dredging woes As a result, vessel owners, both U.S. and Canadian, had We have all seen pictures of the devastation to roads, to find alternate cargoes for their fleets to cover the 18-day bridges and property in our region, and some of the most void caused by flood damage at the coal terminal. There dramatic photos showed the heavy silting in the Duluth- was an immediate shift to iron ore to cover the shortfall. Superior harbor [above] and the far western end of Lake Over the balance of the navigation season, coal receipts Storm continues on Page 8

2 North Star Port | Summer 2012 Inside your

www.duluthport.com Summer 2012 / Volume 44, Number 2 1200 Port Terminal Drive Duluth MN USA 55802-2609 Tel: (218) 727-8525 / (800) 232-0703 Fax: (218) 727-6888 E-mail: [email protected] Calling it a career Commissioners Steve Raukar, Hibbing, president 4 Carol Carrasca kicks back Ray Klosowski, Duluth, vice president after decades in grain trade Cal Larson, Fergus Falls, secretary Lowell Hellervik, St. Paul, treasurer Rick Revoir, Duluth, assistant treasurer Norm Voorhees, Duluth Chris Dahlberg, Duluth Frequent flyers Administration Captain Tim Dayton and his ship Executive director: Adolph Ojard 5 Chief financial officer: John Kubow know the way to Duluth-Superior Industrial development: Andy McDonough Trade development: Ron Johnson Facilities manager: Jim Sharrow Public relations: Adele Yorde Clure Public Marine Terminal operator River Quest 2012 Lake Superior Warehousing Co., Inc. Sharing harbor and habitat 1210 Port Terminal Drive 6 Duluth MN USA 55802 lessons with kids for 20 years Tel: (218) 727-6646 Fax: (218) 727-6649 E-mail: [email protected] www.lswci.com Duluth handles it About North Star Port + This magazine is published by the Duluth Seaway Port 10 Whether breakbulk, heavy lift Authority. Direct comments to Adele Yorde, PR manager. or project cargo — this Port delivers The magazine is prepared for publication by Fortner WordWorks; Larry Fortner, editor. North Star Port is printed by ProPrint of Duluth and mailed by BarCodes Plus of Superior. When boats flew 18 A look back at Duluth’s early passenger and airmail service

On the covers

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID On the front: DULUTH, MN PERMIT NO. 492 1200 Port Terminal Drive Duluth, Minnesota Summer 2012 USA 55802-2609 The Federal Maas arrives on July 25 www.duluthport.com ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED with potash mining equipment for Saskatchewan.

On the back: Nacelles from Spain were discharged from the HHL Amazon on June 22

Carole Lent and then dispatched to a wind-energy The American Integrity is an eye-catching sight as project in Montana.

20 North Star Port | SummerSummer 20122012 Robert Welton she departs through the Duluth Entry on May 7. Robert Welton

North Star Port | Summer 2012 3 Her ship has come in … oh … many times Carol Carrasca has facilitated the aged grain somewhere on the ground vessel arrived at the new destination. sales of hundreds of millions of dol- in Canada? Her office will assist with With the good cooperation of all offic- lars worth of wheat and other agricul- the paperwork you need to move this es and government agencies, we were tural commodities during her long ca- by truck or train. “That’s what we’re able to get this done in record time reer in the Twin Ports, and she has here for,” Carrasca said. “We know and well before the ship reached its barely gotten her fingers dusty. the grain companies. We know the new destination. It was a great team She doesn’t shovel grain. She dots railroads and trucking companies. We effort.” i’s and crosses t’s. handle things very smoothly.” She has never, ever failed to solve She goes about her work in a pre- Carrasca has contacted embassies a problem. “Not yet,” she said. “They cise manner. If she doesn’t, grain des- and consulates to help secure visas. have to be solved.” ignated for Spain or Italy or Moroc- ••• co or some other far-flung destina- If there has been a secret to Car- tion doesn’t go anywhere. That would rasca’s success in what for years was make sellers and buyers and carriers the male-dominated world of global and markets most unhappy. That’s grain trade, it might be that she has why Carrasca simply does not let that learned to mix it up with the guys. happen. “I can cuss with the best of ’em,” She is a freight forwarder. She has she said. “I can laugh at their jokes. worked in essentially the same capac- It’s a job requirement. And I can tell ity for Lakeshead Forwarding, a sub- my own — absolutely.” sidiary of Guthrie-Hubner based on ••• the Duluth side of the Twin Ports, These days Carrasca is learning since July 1, 1971. (Before that, she how to kick back. Her employer has

worked for Cargill and Peavey. Yes, Ben Carrasca helped by taking away her desk, her she knows the grain trade.) Carol Carrasca phone, her fax and her computer. And Here’s how she defines her job: She has helped arrange trips to hiring two people to take over for her. “We solve problems before they doctors and dentists and the return of “Sometimes I go home early,” Car- become problems. We take care of remains when a sailor has died here. rasca said with a wide-eyed smile. She the details.” She has put up sailors in her house plans to be fully retired by the end of Even a routine sale can build a for a night or two. (She has a very this year. formidable stack of paperwork — understanding husband.) She’ll find other ways to pack her pages and pages of it that merchants, She has put in 100-hour weeks, 100-hour weeks. She knits and cro- accountants, bankers, insurers and week after week, months on end. She chets. She’ll “pull a weed or two.” government trade officials on both has spent 40-plus years in constant She’ll tend her perennials and shrubs. sides of the ocean will pore over in contact with phone and fax. She has She has been a cancer survivor excruciating detail. The documents done business with people all over the since the age of 35 and is involved as a have to be written right. world. Don’t challenge her to a geog- volunteer in cancer-related activities, “It’s that demanding,” Carrasca raphy contest. such as Relay for Life. said. “If I’ve made a mistake, some- “We once had a shipment of wheat She has been deeply involved in body doesn’t get paid.” destined for Algeria,” she said. “My hospice-care activities at Duluth’s St. The forwarder’s job is also about customer was surprised by a myste- Luke’s Hospital, too, and may decide putting pieces of a trade together. rious spontaneous tax increase when to go back to that. “I never left there You’ve got a ship coming into Port the ship arrived there. That customer sad,” she said. with a cargo and you don’t want to was able to find a new destination and But many others will be sad to see leave light? Her office may find you buyer but needed every document her leave the grain trade. an outbound cargo. You’ve got dam- reissued and dispatched before the – Larry Fortner 4 North Star Port | Summer 2012 A familiar face By Ken Newhams me that sailors who come frequently Tim Dayton is the captain of In- to Duluth-Superior are really mem- terlake Steamship Company’s Paul bers of the community, not just visi- R. Tregurtha — at 1,013 feet, 6 1/2 tors. inches the largest boat on the Great I was also in the pilot house on Lakes. When in the Twin Ports, Day- another occasion. I had published a ton and the Tregurtha most often call deck of cards with a picture of a dif- on Midwest Energy Resources in Su- ferent boat on each card. Shortly after perior to load the vessel’s five cargo the cards came out, I got a call from a holds with 64,000 tons of coal. young fan. He was delighted to point Ken Newhams Captain Tim Dayton holds a playing card that Her primary destinations are the out to me that I had made a mistake features information about the Paul R. Tregurtha. Detroit Edison, St. Clair and Monroe on the Paul R. Tregurtha card. (I had power plants on Lake Michigan. She a typo in the length of the vessel.) Fif- son ends the following January. Those makes 40-plus visits a season, almost ty-two cards and I made my mistake months in Duluth-Superior mean cold always arriving light and only occa- on the Tregurtha. I did not want to weather and ice. Not many people sionally loading iron ore pellets in- read about this one in the morning pa- choose to spend winter months in the stead of coal. per. I needed to get to Dayton before Twin Ports and take their vacation in This massive workhorse, which he found me. the summer in Florida. features a 260-foot self-unloading On his next trip here, I went to see Occasionally during the season, boom, was launched in 1981 as the him and showed him the deck of cards delays give Dayton some time to take William J. Delancey. and pulled out the Tregurtha card. I his bike off the boat and get some ex- While the Tregurtha is being load- wanted to get it over with quickly. ercise on solid land. I recently visited ed, Dayton might find some time to The captain was gracious; he was him while the ship was at the Calu- read the Duluth News Tribune. Sever- happy to pose for a picture holding met fuel dock. From the pilot house, al years ago, he found an error I had the card for all to see. Now I just have we had an expansive view of Duluth made in the shipping report I used to to make sure I don’t make a mistake and Superior. He pointed to many of write for the paper. in this article. the places he has biked in both cities. I found out about having made the Dayton likes Duluth but prefers He told me, “Every once in a while, mistake a couple of weeks later while the weather he has at home on the you have to get on a bike and ride 50 I was reading letters to the editor and Gulf of Mexico in Florida. He comes miles or so.” saw the captain’s letter pointing out up here in March to start the season Ken Newhams is the founder of Duluth Shipping my mistake. His comments reminded and is usually on board when the sea- News: www.duluthshippingnews.com Robert Welton Patrick Lapinski Patrick Frequent flyer: The Paul R. Tregurtha — longer than three football Once loaded with her 64,000 tons of coal, she sails down the Lakes to offload, fields — loads coal at Midwest Energy in Superior 40-plus times a season. as here at the Detroit Edison St. Clair Power Plant on the St. Clair River.

North Star Port | Summer 2012 5 St. Louis RIveR QueST … from lunch to launch 20 years ago

It was John Goldfine (part of the The purpose as described in that first were just as excited to see who came Duluth family that for decades owned year remains much the same today: up with different activities each year. and operated the Vista Fleet here in to help young people become more en- Our message then was ‘reduce, re- the Twin Ports and the Southern Belle vironmentally conscious … to increase use, recycle’ so we created a ground- Riverboat in Chattanooga, Tenn.) their awareness of industrial and rec- water model through which students who initiated a pivotal conversation in reational impacts on the environment could see a cross-section of colored 1993, recalls Kurt Soderberg, who — and realize that thoughtful part- liquids that would seep through the at the time was executive director of nerships between industry, government ground and end up in Lake Superior if the Western Lake Superior Sanitary and the public can result in safe use of thrown in the trash or down the sink District. “John called me on the spur our natural resources. rather than recycled.” of the moment to go to lunch,” Soder- “For WLSSD, River Quest gave What Saunders recalled most berg said in an interview for this sto- us the opportunity to focus an educa- fondly, however, were the people ry. “We talked about the St. Louis Riv- tional program on the most important — the other volunteers with whom er, the efforts we were taking to clean cleanup — the dramatic improvement she served. “Working with founding it up and a unique educational pro- members like Ray Skelton from the gram that the Goldfines had initiated Port Authority and Jerry Fryberger in Chattanooga to get people there re- from Hallett Dock Company was a connected to the Tennessee River. delight,” added Sauders. “Both stand “He strongly suggested that out in my heart; they were the nuts WLSSD take the lead and work with and bolts of River Quest.” others interested in the preservation When contacted recently, one of John Goldfine Kurt Soderberg of the St. Louis River to get kids out those “nuts and bolts,” Jerry Fry- to see how important the river was to berger, reminisced about his compa- this region. So, it was John who gave ny’s continuing commitment to River the waterfront community the germ Quest and his years of service as its of an incredible idea and left the rest volunteer treasurer. “Duluth-Superior of us to run with it.” harbor had a great story to tell about Nearly 20 waterfront-related or- the commercial shipping industry — ganizations, including the Duluth Deb (Rapp) Saunders Jerry Fryberger that millions of tons of coal, iron ore, Seaway Port Authority, jumped at in water quality in the St. Louis River limestone, grain and other commodi- the chance to create and spon- — as a result of the treatment plant ties moved in and out of this port each sor what would become the first construction,” said Soderberg. “Riv- year. We wanted students to know St. Louis River Quest in May 1993. er Quest tours gave us the chance to where those items were coming from Ray Skelton helped shepherd the show the science behind cleaning up and where they were headed, why the program through the years in his role contamination and keeping the river 1,000-foot ore carriers could not go as Port Authority special projects/ clean for future generations.” through the St. Lawrence Seaway and environmental and government rela- Deb (Rapp) Saunders served as how the Soo Locks worked. tions director until his death in 2006. WLSSD’s representative on the River “Hallett felt that, being part of The Port Authority remains the an- Quest planning committee for its first this maritime community, we had chor agency for River Quest. five years. “It was so exciting to help a responsibility to participate in Almost 800 sixth-graders from create this very interactive, hands- telling that story with an exhibit… Duluth, Hermantown, Proctor and on initiative,” recounted Saunders re- and by financing the program, which Superior participated in the inaugural cently. “The kids loved the learning continues to this day,” Fryberger said. excursions onboard Vista Fleet boats. stations. And committee members “As River Quest treasurer for nearly

6 North Star Port | Summer 2012 15 years, I had great support from the maritime community as well as other Program celebrated in poetry and prose businesses such as Minnesota Power, Nearly 1,200 sixth graders participated in River Quest 2012, the hands-on WP&RS Mars and DM&IR Railway, learning program that raises awareness of the St. Louis River ecosystem and to name just a few.” its interrelated commercial, industrial and recreational activities. Winners of The waterfront community lost the 2012 Captain Ray Skelton River Quest Essay and Poetry Contest were an- River Quest champion Ray Skelton nounced in June, honoring students who best expressed their experiences dur- in 2006, but his memory lives on in ing the 20th annual St. Louis River Quest. Marina Melby, of Marshall School, what has become the annual Captain won first place in the essay contest; and Grace Cannon, from Woodland Middle Ray Skelton River Quest Essay Con- School, took first-place poetry honors. [Photos below.] River Quest 2012 fea- test. Student essays highlight lessons tured 14 learning stations, sponsored by local businesses and organizations: learned during their River Quest ex- What is the Difference Between Storm & Sanitary Sewers? — City of Duluth Utility Operations perience. In addition to cool prizes, Pollution & the River Watershed — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency the winner gets his or her name add- Bacteria: The Real Workers at WLSSD — Western Lake Superior Sanitary District Sustainable Forestry — NewPage ed to a traveling plaque that remains Great Lakes Cargo Capital — Duluth Seaway Port Authority on display at school for a year. Living Lands & Waters — Sappi Fine Paper Oil Spill Cleanup — U.S. Coast Guard & USCG Auxiliary Stream Table — USDA Forest Service — Superior National Forest “Cold Hand Luke” Hypothermia & Water Safety — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fish Families — Great Lakes Aquarium & Minnesota DNR MinnAqua Program For more about River Quest: It floats; You don’t. Wear your life jacket! — Duluth Sail & Power Squadron www.seagrant.umn.edu/riverquest What is the es-chew-air-ee? — Lake Superior NERR Adele Yorde, Port Authority PR manager Get Habitattitude! — Minnesota Sea Grant Program (218) 727-8525 | [email protected] Break the Grip of the Rip — Twin Ports Rip Currents Diane Hilden Lynn Wegner At the ‘Cold Hand Luke’ station, sponsored by the U.S. Army Corps of Using an interactive model, forest acquatics biologist Jason Butcher helps Engineers, students learn first-hand about the dangers of icy water. students understand how humans can affect habitat and streams. DSPA DSPA River Quest Essay Contest winner Marina Melby, Marshall School, is Poetry Contest winner Grace Cannon, Woodland Middle School, celebrates pictured with her parents and science teacher Dave Johnson. with her parents (far left and right), River Quest curriculum coordinator Kathy Peterson and science teacher Peter Froehlingsdorf.

North Star Port | Summer 2012 7 New exhibit opens at Marine Museum A new exhibit at the Lake Superi- or Maritime Visitor Center explores the wreck of the whaleback freight- er Thomas Wilson, which sank just off the Duluth Ship Canal nearly 110 years ago. The ship was designed and built in the Twin Ports in 1892 specifi- cally for the iron ore trade. It was lost Beth Duncan / Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center Superior Maritime Beth Duncan / Lake in a collision with the George Hadley, From left: Thom Holden, director, Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center; Lila Stevens, vice president LSMMA; on June 7, 1902. Lt. Col. Michael Derosier, commander, Detroit District Corps of Engineers; Denise Wolvin, park ranger. The exhibit includes artifacts ac- tos and illustrations from the Lake Su- Related note: the 25th annual Gales quired by the Lake Superior Marine perior Maritime Collection at the Uni- of November event is set for Nov. 2-3 Museum Association along with pho- versity of Wisconsin-Superior. in Duluth. Visit www.LSMMA.com

Storm and flood from Page 2 and did not meet the standards of the posal on July 18 requesting approval Superior. Natural rainwater runoff 1972 Clean Water Act. This program for in-water dredged material place- and scour from swollen streams and allowed for disposal of dredged mate- ment at deepwater sites both within rivers carried huge quantities of rial deemed not suitable for open wa- the harbor and in Lake Superior. Af- native soils into the harbor basin and ter placement by the Minnesota Pol- ter significant testing of samples from out into the Lake. These soils then lution Control Agency and Wisconsin the navigation channels taken in 2011, settled out over a wide area. Department of Natural Resources. results according to federal standards Within days of the flooding, the The two states established policies show that sediments will not cause ad- U.S. Army Corp of Engineers began prohibiting open water placement of verse impact on biota or water quality. surveying the commercial harbor’s the materials. The result was, oth- Concurrently, at its July meet- shipping channels. The Corps reports er than limited beach nourishment, ing, the Duluth Seaway Port Author- that the shoal in the navigation chan- 100 percent of harbor maintenance ity Board of Commissioners passed a nel directly in front of the mouth of dredged material had to be placed in resolution supporting continued sci- the Nemadji River accumulated about Erie Pier, which is now nearing its ca- entific evaluation of in-water place- 100,000 yards of new sediment as a re- pacity. A new disposal site must be de- ment of dredged materials. The Har- sult of the flood. Based on initial re- veloped, but this time it will require a bor Technical Advisory Committee sults, the dredge program for 2012 35 percent local match; the costs to also is convening a sub-committee of could potentially double. The Corps is city governments and local agencies stakeholders to examine the issue. requesting special emergency funds could be millions of dollars. This in-water alternative to con- to handle the overage. Over the past decade, the Corps fined disposal may prove to be both Dredging: has tested and state agencies have good environmental stewardship and Building the case for certified the dredged materials (both responsible government. It is a com- in-water placement construction sands and organic fines) mon sense approach to dredged ma- for general use in Minnesota and Wis- terials management. Common sense In the late 1970s the Corps con- consin. While reuse has extended the would tell us — as Mother Nature so structed Erie Pier, a confined disposal life of Erie Pier, it has not completely vividly demonstrated in June — that facility, on Port Authority property at eliminated the need for a new dispos- sediments moving from the rivers and 40th Avenue West to contain and store al site. settling out in the harbor are the same legacy dredge contaminants that had As part of developing a 20-year sediments already found naturally in been deposited in the early years of management plan, the Corps’ Detroit Lake Superior. industrial development in the Port District planning office issued a pro-

8 North Star Port | Summer 2012 Hallett Dock No. 8 rehab under way Hallett Dock No. 8, located on the Superior side of the harbor, is under- going a second phase of dock wall re- habilitation this summer thanks in large part to a grant from the Wis- consin Harbor Assistance Program (HAP), which will cover 80 percent of the $3-plus million project cost. In 2007, the outer 800 feet of the dock was rehabbed through a similar funding mechanism. The company, with operations in Duluth and Superi- or, rehabilitated an additional 300 feet of the dock on its own later that year after a 180-foot section collapsed. (Re- pairs were made to 60 feet on either side of the affected area for reinforce- ment.) The total dock length is 2,300

feet. The current rehab project will AMI Consulting Engineers Courtesy address the remaining 945-foot and Once-crumbling dock walls at Hallett Dock No. 8 (inset) are being rehabilitated in a $3 million project. 262-foot sections of the original dock calcium chloride for dust suppression salt, reductant and anthracite coal, wall — a total of 1,207 feet. The old on roadways. All those products are blast furnace trim, sinter feed, scrap wall had just timber crib and concrete discharged by lake carriers and then steel and specialty fertilizers, among caps or platforms supported by round moved by truck or railcar to final des- other cargoes. wood pilings. The project is expected tinations. With several mining proj- HAP funding for this project was to be completed in early November. ects in the works in Minnesota and secured through a collaborative effort “Once completed, we’ll be able to Wisconsin, having the dock wall com- with the city of Superior. Through a dredge our part of that slip to Seaway plete opens up the potential for this public bidding process, Marine Tech, draft,” said Mike McCoshen, presi- Superior dock to handle limestone for LLC, was selected as general contrac- dent of Hallett Dock Co. “That will the mines plus aggregate and prop- tor. AMI Consulting Engineers P.A. open up the full length of the dock for pant for the oil shale fields in North is providing design engineering and vessel discharge and storage, rather Dakota. project oversight. than just the outer edge.” With its two Duluth docks includ- Since 1979, when the state’s Har- Hallett Dock No. 8 is used primar- ed, Hallett handles a total of nearly 20 bor Assistance Program was created, ily for storage of inbound commodi- different kinds of bulk commodities more than $73 million in grants has ties such as salt, limestone and liquid including limestone, bentonite clay, been awarded to Wisconsin ports. Ryks leaves Duluth International for Michigan The Duluth Airport Authority bid farewell to longtime Executive Director Brian Ryks in June. Ryks left Duluth to take the same post at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Mich. Over the past 10 years, Ryks has led successful efforts to attract Allegiant Air and United Airlines, advanced the region’s aviation industry and championed construction of a new $77 million terminal, expected to open in early 2013. The regional transportation industry and local business community will miss his enthusiastic leadership. Ryks

North Star Port | Summer 2012 9 Breakbulk cargo handling surges Duluth’s Clure Public Ma- rine Terminal — this port’s only breakbulk terminal — has seen a surge in general cargo ship- Breakbulk ments this year, attributable in large part to companies rushing to complete wind energy devel- Project cargo opment projects before the pos- sible sunset of federal produc- tion tax credits at year-end. Heavy lift Beginning with the arrival of the Morraborg in early May, Berths 1 and 4 at the terminal have seen heavy inbound — and Duluth handles it all outbound — traffic. Nacelles, power units, hubs and blades have been moving to wind proj- ects in Montana, North Dakota and Iowa. In addition, two ship- ments of blades manufactured in North Dakota have been ex- ported to Brazil, with two more to follow later this year. But energy shipments are only part of the breakbulk sto- ry. Duluth has become a desig- nated route for shippers of all kinds of dimensional and proj- ect cargo. And it seems the car- goes being handled at the Port Authority dock are as distinc- tive as the visiting vessels them- selves. Crews from Lake Supe- rior Warehousing Co. have dis- charged and/or loaded every- thing from huge, heavy-lift steam turbines and generators to min- ing machinery, pallets, contain- ers, crates and baled wood pulp. In the weeks ahead, they will be offloading even more machin- ery, wind components, super- sacs and steel.

10 North Star Port | Summer 2012 Breakbulk Project cargo Heavy lift All photos on Pages 10-12 by Robert Welton Robert 10-12 by All photos on Pages Workers from Lake Superior Warehousing Co. load wood pulp from Sappi Fine Paper in nearby Cloquet, Minn., aboard the Marietje Marsilla on June 8. The cargo was bound for Turkey.

This Mitsubishi steam turbine generator was one of six heavy-lift components discharged from the Clipper Gemini in Duluth in early May. The ship, on its maiden voyage, had left Kobe, Japan, on Feb. 23 and made her way around the globe to Duluth. From here, the components moved via specialized railcar and truck to the ENMAX Shepard Energy Center in Calgary, Alberta.

A cooling box bound for British Columbia arrives on a barge at the Port Terminal in Duluth on June 21 with the help of the Canadian tug Ecosse.

North Star Port | Summer 2012 11 Grinding equipment for Essar Steel is offloaded at Lake Superior Warehousing. Specialized equipment for potash mining (above and below) arrived in Duluth Grinders arrive for essar on July 25 on the Federal Maas. The gear was quickly discharged and safely dispatched to its final destination in Saskatchewan, Canada. Massive grinding-mill shells for the Essar Steel Min- nesota project in Nashwauk, on Minnesota’s famed Iron Range, moved through the Port of Duluth in June. It was the first of several cargoes being transloaded here en route to the construction site. Grinding mills reduce taconite rock (in which iron is embedded) from a few inches in size to a fine powder be- fore pelletzing. The shells arrived from Spain on June 19 aboard the Dutch-flag Alamosborg. Startup of the Essar op- eration is expected in mid-2013.

The multimodal connectivity of this Port is most visible at its breakbulk terminal. Here a Mitsubishi gas turbine generator discharged from the Clipper Gemini on May 7 leaves for Calgary on a specialized 20-axle railcar.

12 North Star Port | Summer 2012 Duluth is a strategic link in global wind energy market The Port of Duluth has become a strategic link in the nal awaiting delivery to IMPSA Wind’s CEARA II project global wind energy supply chain. On June 29, the first of in Ceara, Brazil. Dozens of blades were visible on the top four Brazil-bound shiploads of wind turbine blades manu- deck of the 469-foot Alamosborg as she departed beneath factured in North Dakota left Duluth aboard the Dutch- the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge. flag Alamosborg. (The same ship only days before had de- “North Dakota is fortunate to have an international sea- livered a wind-energy cargo bound for North Dakota.) The port close to our state,” said Andy Peterson, president and 37-meter blades were manufactured at LM Wind Power’s CEO of the North Dakota Chamber of Commerce. “We ap- plant in Grand Forks. They arrived in Duluth on tractor- preciate the access to global markets afforded by the Port trailers and were staged at the Port’s general cargo termi- of Duluth.”

Wind turbine blades from North Dakota leave Duluth aboard the Alamosborg bound for Brazil. Paul Scinocca Paul IMPSA Wind leads hot Brazilian market By Mark Del Franco manufactures 1 MW direct-drive is in Pernambuco, in the country’s The Latin American wind market, permanent magnet wind turbines, northern region. A second plant is led by Brazil, is surging. Latin Amer- which operate without a gearbox. planned for Rio Grande do Sul to the ica is expected to reach 46 GW of to- The company’s manufacturing plant south. With no signs of a slowdown tal installed wind capacity by 2025, in sight, IMPSA’s continued focus in according to a market study by IHS Brazil means more opportunity for Emerging Energy Research. Brazil the Port of Duluth, Miles said. will lead the Latin American region “We decided to move the blades with 31.6 GW installed by 2025, rep- through the Port of Duluth because of resenting 69 percent of the total Latin its proximity to LM Wind Power man- America installed capacity. ufacturer’s plant in Grand Forks, N.D. IMPSA, the Argentinian company Duluth’s nearness helps to reduce that is one of Brazil’s largest our carbon footprint,” said Miles. developers, has no plans to curtail “Duluth has an excellent port in- development anytime soon. “Of all frastructure, spacious road access, the markets where IMPSA operates, expertise in handling oversized piec- the main and most important is es and ample storage space. IMPSA Brazil. It accounts for more than half is 100 percent committed in the devel- of IMPSA’s revenue,” said Santiago opment of green projects, which com- Courtesy IMPSA Wind Miles, corporate communications Blades from North Dakota soar to new heights at prise renewable energy such as wind manager. The wind division of IMPSA the CEARA II wind-energy project in Brazil. power and hydropower.”

North Star Port | Summer 2012 13 Around the Port ALLeTe vP on Seaway Advisory Board Region explores LNG center A Twin Ports business leader is among the newest members of the St. Could the region support a liquefied natural gas (LNG) transport, storage Lawrence Seaway Development Cor- and distribution center in or near the Twin Ports? poration Advisory That question was posed during a June meeting convened by the Great Board. ALLETE Se- Lakes Maritime Research Institute and the Duluth Seaway Port Authority at nior Vice President the University of Wisconsin-Superior. Dave McMillan was Potential LNG and CNG (compressed natural gas) fuel users from the appointed by Presi- mining, agriculture, trucking, rail and maritime sectors attended the event, dent Barack Obama along with representatives of the natural gas industry. The group discussed and sworn in on fuel costs and emissions challenges along with infrastructure needs and McMillan June 12. investment costs for users and developers. “This is an outstanding federal ap- The goal was to help determine whether there is sufficient base load pointment,” said Adolph Ojard, execu- demand in a 200-mile region around the Twin Ports to warrant developing a tive director, Duluth Seaway Port Au- regional LNG liquefaction and distribution center. thority. “As the largest tonnage port on the entire Great Lakes St. Law- rence Seaway System, it is incredibly valuable to have this region represent- ed on the Seaway’s advisory board by someone with Dave McMillan’s expe- rience and leadership acumen.” Duluth has many historic connec- tions with the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. Lewis Castle, a Duluth banker, was the first Seaway

Diane Hilden administrator, and Polsteam’s Irma loads wheat bound for Europe at the CHS grain terminal in June. David Oberlin, Duluth Seaway Port No rain delay for international wheat team Authority director Castle Torrential rains and historic flooding did not stop an international trade from 1967 to 1969, team of grain millers, bakers and purchasers from Spain and the U.K. from served as Seaway visiting the Port of Duluth-Superior on June 20. Part of a visit sponsored by administrator for U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) and Minnesota Wheat Growers, the team met 14 years, starting with grain exporters, inspectors, vessel agents and stevedores and Port Au- in 1969. The thority Trade Development Director Ron Johnson before touring the CHS region also was grain terminal, where wheat bound for Europe was being loaded aboard the represented on the Irma. SLSDC Advisory Oberlin “We want to demonstrate to these executives that the United States has a Board in the 1980s and 1990s by reliable supply chain for the high quality wheat and durum they need,” said Conrad “Mack” Fredin, a Duluth Goris van Lit, USW European regional director. “They get to see that they attorney and Port commissioner. can trust the products, the people and organizations that we represent.”

14 North Star Port | Summer 2012 emotional change of command Altec HiLine for Coast Guard cutter Alder celebrates A growing com- 10 years pany that manufactures some of the country’s high- est-reaching aerial devices is celebrating 10 years of being at Duluth’s Clure Public Marine Terminal. Altec HiLine, LLC, is a fully owned subsidiary of Altec, Inc., a worldwide leader in vehi- cle-mounted aerial devices, digger derricks, cranes and other special- ty equipment for the electric utility, Robert Welton Cmdr. Mary Ellen Durley, Rear Adm. Michael Parks, commander of the Ninth Coast Guard telecommunications, tree care and District, and Lt. Cmdr. Anthony Maffia during the Alder change of command ceremony. other industries. The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Alder has a new commanding Altec expanded to Duluth in officer. Lt. Cmdr. Anthony Maffia took the helm on June 22 2002 and established Altec HiLine during a formal change of command ceremony in Duluth. He as part of a global operation that relieved Cmdr. Mary Ellen Durley, who had held the position serves more than 100 countries. since 2009. Over the past 10 years, the com- Durley called the Alder the “best assignment of my career.” pany has grown its Duluth oper- She delivered an emotional speech, expressing her pride in serv- ations, creating jobs for skilled ing a great crew. workers and strengthening the wa- Durley has headed to Washington, D.C., where she now terfront’s manufacturing base. serves as chief of the Aids to Navigation and Icebreaker Capa- bilities Division in the Office of Cutter Forces. The Alder’s primary missions are aids to navigation, ice break- ing, law enforcement, and search and rescue on the Great Lakes. Maffia is a 2000 graduate of Officer Candidate School and has served aboard USCG cutters Bramble, Wrangell and Cypress. Altec HiLine—reaching higher.

Local tugs on Changes in TWIC renewals; History Channel a new Duluth location Twin Ports tugboat operators If your Transportation Worker Identification are featured in a new History Credentials (TWIC) card expires before the end Channel reality series of 2014, new reforms may affect you. U.S. citizens called Great Lake Warriors. who have a qualifying TWIC now can pay just $60 to Production crews spent acquire a three-year Extended Expiration Date several weeks this spring (EED) card instead of a new standard five-year card. filming tugs from Heritage Visit www.tsa.gov/twic or the Duluth TWIC office. Marine in Duluth and other Seaway Building, 802 Garfield Ave., #101, Duluth (218) 727-2367 regional operators. Office hours: Tuesdays, 12 to 4 p.m. | Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bob Hom Heritage tugs go prime time.

North Star Port | Summer 2012 15 Left: A youngster learns about invasive species. Above: Two visitors created colorful Lake Superior fish. Lake Superior Day is cause to celebrate Did you know Lake Superior holds 3 quadrillion (3,000,000,000,000,000) gallons of fresh water? That’s about 10 percent of all the fresh surface water in the world. That’s just one reason to celebrate this remarkable natural resource. Each year, the Lake Superior Binational Forum encourages residents of the Lake Superior Basin to recognize the third Sunday in July as Lake Superior Day. This summer, a variety of family-friendly activities, concerts and special events were held July 12-15, in Duluth, Superior and along the nearby shores

Photos courtesy Lake Superior Magazine to honor our “Great” Lake.

Lakes. Survivors include two sisters Walter Hermann Rauschenfels, 86, died and a brother. June 25, 2012, in Duluth. He was born in Port Passings evaristo Del Zotto, 98, formerly of Chicago and moved to Duluth in 1936, Duluth, died May 11, 2012, in Virginia, where he graduated from Central High Minn. Born in Cordenons, Italy, he School. He began his sailing career on William “Bill” Bernard Buhrmann, 82, worked with his father putting in terrazzo the Great Lakes in 1942 and transferred died June 17, 2012, in Duluth. His ca- floors before working at the U.S. Steel to the Merchant Marine in 1943. He reer began with U.S. Steel at Home- Plant, where he was a foreman until it sailed on Texaco tankers during World stead Steel Works in Pittsburgh in 1952. closed. He then went to work at Fraser War II and later switched to freight- He advanced through many positions Shipyards as a foreman. He is survived ers, sailing until 1948, when he retired with U.S. Steel, leading to Duluth as by four children, ten grandchildren, as master. In 1955, he established his general manager of operations of lake nine great-grandchildren, four great- own Certified Public Accounting firm. shipping in 1973. In 1993, after 41 years great grandchildren, two sisters and He also formed Lake Superior Compass of service, he retired as president of many nieces and nephews. Service and repaired and adjusted com- U.S. Steel Great Lakes Fleet, Inc. He is Dwight Keith “Dutch” Meyer, 83, of passes on ships of the Great Lakes. He survived by his wife, Lurene, a son, two South Range, Wis., died June 29, 2012, is survived by three sons, two daugh- daughters and six grandchildren. in Duluth. He was a veteran of the ters, eight grandchildren and one great- Homer Harold Caldwell, 75, of Kissim- U.S. Army and a maritime engineer, grandchild. His wife Alyce died just two mee, Fla., died Oct. 25, 2011. He was sailing the Great Lakes for 44 years. weeks later at the age of 88. born in Danese, W.Va., served in the He is survived by two sons, five Gerald Roy “Jerry” Sime, 81, died United States military and was an oiler grandchildren, two great-grandchildren June 21, 2012, in Duluth. He was on Merchant Marine ships in the Great and many other relatives. a 1949 graduate of Denfeld High

16 North Star Port | Summer 2012 Tregurtha article drew Holcim turns 100, cementing a century of success on Strupp book Holcim, Ltd., one The Lee A. Tregurtha article of the world’s leading in the Winter 2011-2012 edition of suppliers of cement North Star Port drew some material, and aggregates, is cel- including brief direct excerpts, from ebrating its centenni- the book by Jon L. Strupp, King of the al in 2012. The Swiss Oilers: The Story of the USS Chiwawa company and its U.S. AO-68. We apologize for failing to give subsidiary, Holcim proper attribution to Mr. Strupp and (US) Inc., have a site his book. (By the way, Mr. Strupp’s on Duluth’s Clure father, James O. Strupp, at one time Public Marine Termi- was a crewman on the Chiwawa, so nal. It handles bulk the author had an excellent first-hand cement that arrives source.) by ship from Missis- Mr. Strupp’s book, a very good sauga, Ontario, and one, was published by Beaver Pond leaves in rail cars or Press in Edina, Minn. trucks. The terminal, www.BeaverPondPress.com built in 1980, mea- To place retail and credit card sures 284 feet from orders: (800) 901-3480 the ground to the top www.BookHouseFulfillment.com/ of the superstructure and is the tallest build- Lynn Wegner It’s also is available from the author: Holcim Cement, here unloading the Quebecois in May 2011, boasts the [email protected] ing in the Twin Ports. tallest structure in the Twin Ports.

School. He served in the U.S. Air Japanese firm acquires Gavilon Force during the Korean War and lat- Marubeni Corp., an entity described as a “Japanese trading house” by er enlisted in the Minnesota Air Na- The Wall Street Journal, says it has agreed to buy U.S. grain handler Gavilon tional Guard, working at the Duluth Group LLC. The newspaper said the deal could be worth as much as (U.S.) Air Base as a fireman and retiring in $5.6 billion including $2 billion in assumed debt. 1986 as assistant fire chief. Sime was Gavilon President and CEO Greg Hickman said in a statement, “We are very involved with the Twin Ports Min- pleased that our strategic review process has resulted in an agreement to be- istry to Seafarers and was active in the come a wholly owned subsidiary of Marubeni. As part of a larger trading or- Lake Superior Marine Museum Associ- ganization, Gavilon will be well-positioned to more efficiently connect sup- ation. He is survived by his sister-in-law, ply with growing global demand.” Hickman also said, “We anticipate minimal four nephews and a niece. changes to our organization and operations.” In the Twin Ports, the company John “Leonard” Wuotila, 85, of Duluth, is represented by Gavilon-Superior/Connors Point, which has 21 employees. died May 18, 2012. He was raised in The local manager is Mick Sertich. Floodwood, Minn., and entered the Gavilon, which was spun off from ConAgra about four years ago, employs military as a seaman with the U.S. more than 2,000 people and owns a variety of businesses internationally, Navy after high school. He worked including grain elevators, fertilizer storage and energy enterprises. for the USDA’s plant protection and The grain industry is no stranger to change, whether globally or locally. quarantine department in Duluth for 35 ConAgra acquired Gavilon’s predecessor, Peavey Co., in 1982. Peavey years, inspecting foreign arrival ships operated the storied Globe Elevator in Superior for many years. for insects. He is survived by his wife, The Marubeni acquisition of Gavilon will provide hungry Japanese mar- Marion, two children, a sister and two kets greater access to U.S. grain, especially corn. grandsons.

North Star Port | Summer 2012 17 When boats flew By Jerry Sandvick From the first, Northwest had its Duluth was larger than many cities al- This is the story of how flying eye on expansion. Aircraft of the time ready served and was a logical candi- boats came to Duluth. simply could not carry enough pas- date for Northwest. The problem was In 1926 Congress passed a law al- sengers to make a profit and, thus, the lack of a suitable airport. lowing the U.S. Post Office to con- government airmail payments were Duluth’s Williamson-Johnson Air- tract with private companies to carry vital. The formula for these subsidies port (the present Duluth Internation- airmail. Several Civil Airmail routes varied but was essentially calculated al Airport) had been dedicated in Sep- (CAMs) were drawn and one of them, according to a combination of pounds tember 1930, but its runways were CAM 9, was from the Twin Cities to carried and the distance flown. not paved, passenger accommoda- Chicago. Expanding routes and promoting tions were less than comfortable and A Chicago aviation enthusiast the use of airmail was clearly in the it was not convenient to downtown. named Charles Dickenson (known interest of the early airlines. Destina- An obvious solution was to use the better as “Pop” because of his prom- tion cities were added and dropped bay. The waters were protected from inent gray beard) made the success- frequently as business dictated, but the big lake, it was near downtown ful bid for CAM 9, and in spring 1926 Northwest was quick to expand. A business activity and the Duluth Boat began airmail flights with leased bi- 1931 timetable shows Northwest fly- Club was willing to provide passen- planes painted with a Northwest Air- ing from its Twin Cities hub to Mil- ger and ticket office space and equip- ways logo. The flights lost money, waukee, Chicago and many small- ment. however, and in September Dicken- er cities in southern Wisconsin and Seaplanes had used the bay be- son surrendered the contract to the northern Illinois. The airline also fore, most notably in the summers of post office. reached as far west as Bismarck and 1913 and 1914 when Julius Barnes, The idea of airmail service reso- north to Winnipeg. a wealthy Duluth businessman, nated, though, and a prominent St. In the spring of 1931, Northwest brought a single-engine flying boat to Paul man, Louis H. Brittin, assem- added Duluth to its network. The city the city. Emblazoned with the name bled a group of investors and took had seen aviation activity for nearly 20 Lark of the Lake, it carried only a pilot over CAM 9 and Northwest Airways, years, ranging from amateur home- and one passenger and was based at headquartered in St. Paul. (The name builts that barely flew to Air Corps the Boat Club, where rides were giv- would change to Northwest Airlines flights and even some early passen- en during a community festival. in 1934 and remain one of America’s ger and mail service to the Twin Cit- Northwest flights would begin on legacy airlines until its absorption by ies. Memorial Day, May 30, 1931, a Sat- Delta Airlines in 2008.) With a population of over 100,000 urday. It was agreed that Northwest would use Duluth’s Boat Club as the terminal, a ramp would be built for seaplanes to taxi in and out of the wa- ter and that the city’s Memorial Day celebration would center on the arriv- al of the first flight. Scheduled flights during the ice season would use the new airport and fly Northwest’s Hamilton Metal- plane, a single engine, seven-passen- ger land-based aircraft. In April, Northwest acquired A Sikorsky S-38 prepares to depart from the Duluth Boat Club ramp. Three years of service ended in 1933. the flying boat to do the job, the

18 North Star Port | Summer 2012 Sikorsky S-38. Founded in 1925 by The Memorial Day weather could land plane, and Duluthians were con- Russian immigrant Igor Sikorsky, the not have been better. The sky was stantly urged to pay a few cents extra company has been a major maker of partly cloudy with light northeast and send their letters via airmail. helicopters since after WW II, but winds and a high of 62. The newspa- In the spring of 1932, the Sikor- during its early years Sikorsky pers estimated that 5,000 people lined sky amphibians resumed service to designed and built several types of land the shore to watch as “the huge Sikor- the Boat Club, where a ramp now al- and seaplanes. The latter, commonly sky mail plane dropped out of the sky lowed the aircraft to taxi up for easier called “amphibians,” had a boat- at 10:40.” unloading and boarding. shaped hull and landing gear to allow The U.S. Airmail Superintendent, The air link to Duluth continued for either land or water operations. Earl Wadsworth, had come from into 1933, but September 15 was the The S-38 had two air-cooled radial Washington to join Brittin and oth- end of it; the last S-38 flight departed engines, carried a pilot, co-pilot and er company officials on the histor- that afternoon. Mail volume had sim- up to 10 passengers and could lift ic flight. Passengers and mail bags ply not reached the minimum that about 4,000 pounds. It cruised at were offloaded at the Boat Club, the the Post Office required, and the Du- a bit over 100 mph with a range of mail being ceremoniously handed to luth to Twin Cities line would no lon- 600 miles. The airplane clearly met Mayor Snively and then to the Duluth ger receive mail subsidies. Passenger the requirements for passengers and mail hauling from the Twin Cities to Duluth. Northwest bought a second S-38 for $15,000, licensed it with the number NC- 303N and put it into Duluth service, and for three seasons the two amphibians flew the route daily. A In the Great Depression, Duluth enjoyed daily passenger and mail service to and from Minneapolis and St. Paul. timetable shows that flights left St. Paul at 9 a.m., hopped postmaster. The Naval Reserve band fares ($15 round trip) were not suffi- to Minneapolis, leaving there at 9:15, played patriotic music, the field artil- cient to pay the way, and Northwest and arrived in Duluth at 10:59. The lery reserve fired off salutes, the flag dropped its service to Duluth. In the southbound trip left Duluth at 4:30 was raised and a wreath dropped in next months the S-38s were sold to p.m., arriving Minneapolis at 6:07 and the ship canal to honor the war dead. other operators. St. Paul a few minutes later. With that, as the Duluth Herald put Northwest would resume Duluth On Monday, May 25, the Sikorsky it, the city assumed “its place among service in 1940 with different aircraft flew over Duluth for the first time on air mail cities.” The return flight took using an improved Williamson-John- a test flight. Passengers included the off for the Twin Cities at 4:30 carrying son airport. airline’s chief, Louis Brittin, and other guests and about 300 pounds of mail, The Boat Club and the waters of officers plus post office officials. Brit- an estimated 15,000 letters. the Bay never again hosted airline tin met with the chamber’s Aviation The inaugural flight was a great service, but for three brief seasons, Committee, which had arranged the success, and air service settled into Duluth boat watchers could see hun- details of the first flight celebration. the routine of daily flights. There dreds of boats sail in and out, and a He and the post office men declared were a few weather delays and even few of them even flew. themselves pleased with Duluth and fewer mechanical problems or acci- Jerry Sandvick is a history professor emeritus. the Boat Club and then flew back to dents. Come winter, service was shift- Photos courtesy Northeast Minnesota Historical St. Paul. ed to the municipal airport using a Center at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

North Star Port | Summer 2012 19 PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID DULUTH, MN PERMIT NO. 492 1200 Port Terminal Drive Duluth, Minnesota USA 55802-2609 www.duluthport.com

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