Douglas County Courthouse Shines For Ukraine; Duluth Mayor Doubles Down, Won’t Light Lift Bridge

DULUTH-SUPERIOR — Support for Ukraine shined blue and yellow Monday night outside the Douglas County Courthouse in Superior following other city, county and state buildings glowing for Ukraine in recent days across the country, but not necessarily in the Northland.

Douglas County Courthouse lights up for Ukraine Monday evening.

One of those examples is Duluth’s most iconic structure, the Aerial Lift Bridge, shining its normal white color and has yet to be lit in support of Ukraine after growing requests from the public over the weekend.

In a lengthy statement on Monday, Mayor Emily Larson said she was not changing her mind anytime soon to light the bridge blue and yellow – or for any other special requests and causes.

Lucas Wyshnytzky, a Superior resident and second-generation Ukrainian, said he’s proud of Douglas County for lighting the courthouse after a simple request, and he’s disappointed with Duluth.

“It’s important that the entire Twin Ports lights up blue and yellow and support Ukraine,” Wyshnytzky said while standing with a Ukrainian flag outside the courthouse. “I reached out to Douglas County this morning and asked if they would light up the courthouse blue and yellow and they said without a doubt. I wish that Emily Larson would have lit up the Lift Bridge. Glory to Ukraine and glory to the heroes.”

Lucas Wyshnytzky, a Superior resident and second-generation Ukrainian, stands proud outside the Douglas County Courthouse Monday night.

Mayor Larson has rejected public requests to light the Lift Bridge for roughly two years now after installing a new $155,000 multi-colored LED system controlled remotely by computer. She says her office was inundated with requests ranging from stunts, to commercial use, to personal lighting inquiries, so she has instead focused on lighting the less-visible Enger Tower.

Enger was lit for Ukraine over the weekend after Larson’s office got a growing number requests to light anything in the city for Ukraine. In he press release Monday, Larson explained why she won’t budge on the issue with the Lift Bridge’s lighting.  That issue then came to a head at Monday night’s city council meeting with one passionate public comment from a Duluth woman born and raised in Ukraine.

Bogdana Krivogorsky, Duluth resident who was born and raised in Ukraine.

“Our mayor hijacked a historic landmark. She doesn’t even [light] it up for 4th of July because she is afraid to offend somebody. Somebody is going to get hurt, Who is going to get hurt by lighting it up by Ukrainian flag? Putin supporters? She is scared to offend Putin supporters?” Bogdana Krivogorsky said to the city council.

“You see all the biggest landmarks in the world and she has this little power over little button that she cannot press in support of people fighting for their freedom? Isn’t that what America stands for? That’s what I came here for in ‘92 after breakdown of Soviet Union,” Krivogorsky went on to say.

Meanwhile, Mayor Larson was not at Monday night’s council meeting and instead had Chief Administrative Officer Noah Schuchman address the public and council on the lighting issue to basically say how muddy it could get for city staff to decide when and when not to light the Lift Bridge, especially if multiple requests are made for a specific day.

“These requests were and are overwhelming for staff and put us in the difficult position of determining which cause should benefit by its lighting and which should not — meaning someone would always be disappointed. This weekend’s influx of requests are an example. How would staff have reasonably dealt with these requests if there was already programmed lighting planned in support of a different issue,” Schuchman said.

Council President Arik Forsman, councilors Terese Tomanek and Mike Mayou all acknowledged the city’s stance on the issue but said exceptions should be made, especially for Ukraine right now.

The last time the bridge was lit a different color was Nov. 19 2020 when Mayor Larson decided to light it purple “as a moment of unity” during the pandemic.  It was also lit blue by Larson on April 9, 2020, as part of a “worldwide campaign called #LightItBlue to recognize healthcare providers and essential workers,” a statement read in a press release.

One of the special lighting requests denied the last two years has been through the Ovarian Cancer Awareness Alliance, which used to light the bridge teal.  For more on that part of the story, click here.

For Larson’s full statement on the lighting situation, click here.