Turning Point Summit on May 31 at the Beach House; 10am to 3pm, fun for all ages & everyone is welcome!

The Turning Point Summit is Saturday, May 31st, from 10 AM until 3 PM at the Park Point Beach House (Recreation area at the end of Park Point).  It is free of charge.  The Turning Point Summit is a family event with activities, information, and entertainment.  Join us at any time throughout the day.  This is an important turning point because it celebrates the launch of a plan of action designed to be a roadmap to make Park Point resilient.  You are invited to join us to learn about what is being done to make Park Point more resilient so this unique and beautiful place is available for all of us in the years ahead.  

Here’s the full schedule of the Program of Events and Partner Activities.  Each attendee may complete an activities passport, thereby becoming an official Park Point Steward.

Featured Presentations

Mayor Roger Reinert will officially open the day at 10:00 AM with remarks about the importance of the work being done by the Park Point community with its partners, including the City of Duluth, following a model of collaborative resilience. 

 A showing of the award winning short film, “A Wilderness Act” will take place at 11:00 AM.  Inspired by the Red Pine forests of the Great Lakes area, including the Pine forest of Minnesota Point, two researchers join together to educate current and future generations about how returning fire to the land, and returning the land to its people, can be healing for all. This film features research done on Minnesota Point and Wisconsin Point by principal researchers Nisogaaabokwe Melonee Montano and Evan Larson who will discuss their work with the audience following the film.  

A reading of the newly published children’s book, Ishkode: A Story of Fire, by authors Nisogaabokwe Melonee Montano and Evan Larson will take place at 11:30 AM on the south stage.  This story weaves Anishinaabe teachings with the science of tree rings in a lyrical narrative.  

At 1:00 PM Mike Kolleng, Shedd Aquarium and Barbara Grogan, Lake Earle Conservation Trust, will describe how Minnesota Point is a part of the Great Lakes and global network of Hope Spots.   A special message from Dr. Sylvia Earle, founder of Mission Blue, will be presented in which Dr. Earle acknowledges the significance of the work being done on Minnesota Point in relation to the Great Lakes region.  

The Turning Point Summit is sponsored by a grant awarded to MP50 made through the Community Climate Implementation Fund housed at Climate Mayors – a project of Resources Legacy Fund.  The Turning Point Summit is supported by funding provided by the Park Point Community Club.

FROM the May 20 meeting: We have a busy meeting with a great line-up of guest presenters! 645pm neighbors check in & meeting starts at 7pm; Welcome or welcome back to:)

Lisa McKhann, neighbor; Jim Filby Williams, Director of Properties, Parks, and Libraries with the City of Duluth; Dr. John Swenson, City of Duluth & UMD Swenson College of Science and Engineering; Katie Bennett, City of Duluth Parks and Recreation, Senior Planner; James Gittemeier, City of Duluth, Senior Transportation Planner; Greg Haapala, Race Director, Grandma’s Marathon

Neighbor Lisa M. will present a wrap up report on our MMIWR Alley of Allies; we will get an update on the US Army Corps of Engineers Section 111 Study and timeline; learn about the planning process for the Park Point Recreation Area and how community members can get involved; see the data from the April 26th Walking Audit from the Aerial Bridge to Franklin Park; check-in on any updates to the race courses re. the Marathon and the Five-Miler and how you might volunteer in support of these major summer events!

May 20 Agenda/notes including Zoom link. Walking Audit photos from April 26 ;From the Vault, PPCC Quality of Life Report circa 2004 looking at many of the same safety issues; 4.26.2025 survey sheet

Turning Point Poster MP50 Informational Brochure

Everyone is invited to join Minnesota Point 50 (MP50), the Park Point Community Club, and more than 200 community members at the Turning Point Summit on Saturday, May 31, at the Park Point Beach House, in support of our collective resilience efforts for Minnesota Point.  This event celebrates the many ways we experience Minnesota Point – a culturally, economically, and naturally important environment on the Great Lakes.

With more than 1 million visitors a year, Minnesota Point is annually cited as one of the top 25 beaches in the United States, and has a regional economic impact of over $1.6 billion, providing enormous ecological, economic, and social value to a large region of Lake Superior coastal area.

Yet it is fragile, too. 

Lake Superior waters are warming, and water levels are more variable and currently dropping. Breakwaters built to protect shipping lanes at the north and south ends of the Point block the natural replenishment of sand and cobble, leaving Park Point Beach vulnerable to erosion, and violent storms in the past five years have torn away more than 10 feet of protective sand dunes.  Loss or breach of Minnesota Point is unimaginable, yet could be its future without collaborative efforts across multiple partners to ensure its resilience.

MP50 is a community-led nonprofit established to shine a light on the ecological, cultural, and economic importance of Minnesota Point and to collaborate with partners, including the Park Point Community Club, in ensuring the long-term resilience of this national treasure. We envision a community that sustains its land, water, wildlife, infrastructure, and people for generations to come.

www.minnesotapoint50.org    

www.parkpointcommunityclub.org     

The Turning Point Summit is the kick-off for this effort. The day will begin at 10:00 a.m. with a welcome from Mayor Roger Reinert and an Opening Ceremony by Good Sky Guidance and will feature videos related to stewardship of Minnesota Point and speakers from the City, the DNR, and the Great Lakes Aquarium. In addition, local organizations and agencies will share their knowledge about the importance of Minnesota Point to our region. The full program is attached.

We warmly invite you to join us for the day to learn more about our collaborative efforts that will benefit Duluth, the region, and beyond.

We look forward to seeing you on the Point!

Sincerely,

Pat Sterner                                          Dawn Buck

Board Chair                                         President

Minnesota Point 50                             Park Point Community Club

The Turning Point Summit is sponsored by a grant awarded to MP50 made through the Community Climate Implementation Fund housed at Climate Mayors – a project of Resources Legacy Fund.

Across the Bay on Saturday May 24

Great Lake Superior Swim on the Lake
Saturday August 23rd, 2025
7:00 am

The Great Lake Superior Swim  will take place along park Point in the beautiful Lake Superior.  There will be a 1-mile, 2-mile, and 3.7 mile swims, all ending at the end of Park Point at the recreational area.

There will be busses from the finish area to the start of each race, with tentative start times of 7:00 am for the 3.7 mile, 7:20 am for the 2 mile, and 7:40am for the 1 mile.  You are encouraged to bring a spotter to walk along the beach as you swim!

​Setri Barrel Saunas and a food truck will round out your experience after you finish!