Eh? Looking for a few good Peaceheads

There are more of us out there than you think.

They say 200,000 people have served in the Peace Corps since President Kennedy created it 50 years ago. And most of them (not all) returned to the United States, where they know each other as RPCVs (returned Peace Corps volunteers) or maybe as Peaceheads.

At first they’re easy to spot because they come home utterly appalled at the American lifestyle. They’re shocked at the water people pour on their lawns when their village didn’t always have water to drink or the energy people burn in their houses and cars when their host families had to ration wood or kerosene for cooking and light. And what’s with the attention to pop culture when hell’s breaking loose all around us?

Eventually, however, they blend in and they work alongside you at the hospital, in your office, even on the Eh? desk.

We spoke to one Duluth woman who was in the first group of volunteers 50 years ago for a story this weekend. We’d like to hear from more.

Are you a returned Peace Corps volunteer? Tell us a bit about when and where you served, what you did and how the experience shows up in your life today. Send your info to news@duluthnews.com. Include your name and, if you’re willing, a photo, and maybe we’ll run it in the Sunday paper.

Isn’t something missing?

With September almost over, fans of historic old houses in Duluth may sense something missing.

That’s the annual Duluth Preservation Alliance’s Historic House tour which — for the first time in a very long time — wasn’t held.

While things were shaping up for an awesome lineup this year, we’re told several homeowners backed out, too late to find replacements. But we’re promised the tour will resume next September.

Go take a hike

Fall color is coming on strong now, so our friends at the Superior Hiking Trail Association passed along some recommended sections of the trail to hike. The trail runs from near Duluth to the Canadian border. Here are executive director Gayle Coyer’s suggestions for good maple hikes: