Saturday, May 1, Barnes and Noble Duluth hosts a Bookfair to benefit Friends of the Duluth Public Library. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Library. Vouchers are available online at

http://www.duluth.lib.mn.us/Images/PDFs/BNBookfair.pdf

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The news of Mexico Lindo’s soft opening leaked out in the comments to an old post on this site, but I missed that. I was out and about, though, and saw from Superior Street that someone was eating at a window seat.

It was mighty busy in there for a sort-of-unannounced opening, but there was plenty of staff on hand to deal with it. Predictably, a few things were spilled and confusion with how to place orders on the computer was noticeable, but all in all things went very well. The food was great. The Lindos Special ($11.25) could feed three people.

With the MN State DFL Convention coming to Duluth this weekend, area progressive groups are joining together to show our support for the MN Health Plan and universal health care for Minnesota.  Come and help us send this important message to the delegates and politicians who will be in our fair city.

The march begins this Friday, April 23, at 5:30 pm at MN Power Plaza  (Lake Ave. and Superior St.).  We will march from there to the harbor side of the DECC for a rally at 6pm.
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UMD’s Late Night Kirby is proud to present its last formal concert of the year on Tuesday, April 27: Caroline Smith and the Goodnight Sleeps and UMD’s own Loup-Garou.
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I was going to post this as a response in a previous thread, but made it a post instead…

There are questions about the sale price.  Legitimate questions, $2.6 million is a lot of money.  Between the three buildings, there is a lot of value.  This is both a fair price and makes economic sense for the city.  I’ll share our value assessment with you.

First, we have examined the sq ft comps in the neighborhood.  There is 40k sq ft of commercial / office space in the Temple and Annex space.  The average per sq ft cost for sale in old downtown is $37.75 based on building sales of Coney Island Bldg and Gardner Hotel (and other area building sales).  I think we could make a strong case that the Temple is a much more valuable property than those, but using this standard, the value of the commercial and office space would be $1.5 million.
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When I was growing up in Nebraska, “tanking” was not … um … a thing.
I went tubing several times, but never tanking.
And I guess I got tanked.

I hope Nebraska doesn’t steal all of our tourists away.

This year during Homegrown PDD will be featuring Homegrown-related photo banners. If you have photos to submit, we’d love to see them and possibly put them in the rotation.

e-mail your JPEG file (960 pixels wide by 167 pixels high) to:
banners (at) perfectduluthday dot com

If you need a refresher on banner specs, there’s info after the jump, as well as a slideshow of photos from last year’s homegrown.

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Well, I know that pretty much everyone in the area already knows all about this project because I’m such a big deal around here and everyone talks about everything I do and whatnot, but the Automaton Records Media Conglomerate is proud to be offering up for this year’s Homegrowners a very special compilation.

It’s a limited edition and handmade production — 39 songs on two CDs, all generously donated by the artists for use with this generously special compilation. The cost is $6! It includes a 4-color hand screen printed 100% recycled cardboard double sleeve!  Holy cripes!  This is a limited edition of only 200 copies.

The profits from this compilation go to the festival.  So, you know, it’s good to support that too.
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I was up the Shore today and turned left on Homestead Road, by the Lighthouse Restaurant.  I’m always scouting in the woods and seem to come across signs of the past everywhere.  On the left side, I saw a large concrete piece, with electrical parts. It looked like it was once a base for a huge lighted sign. Snooping some more, I came across broken dishes, a couple of rusted chairs, and much more. 

I went and asked the owners of the Lighthouse if they knew what was there. All they said was that there was a motel there years ago.  Does anyone know the name of it and when it was there?

Anybody have any info on a possible RGC show May 1 in Leif Erickson Park? It’s on their tour schedule on subpop.com.

April’s Nerd Nite is just around the corner!
April 27. 7 p.m. $5. Teatro Zuccone.

Be there, and be square.
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Dig out your Nudie suit and dust off your Stetson; registration for the next Duluth Does event at Sacred Heart is open until April 30. Only the first 25 to sign up will get a chance to perform their favorite classic country song so act now!

Go to http://www.duluthdoes.com/ for everything you need to know.

Yuck!

This past weekend, I thought I would do my part to clean up the wooded area across the alley from my house.   It’s a small section of undeveloped land along Skyline Drive between the Coppertop Church and N. 7th Ave East.  Some garbage like the old bottles and paint can in the picture had been there for decades; other stuff –  like  the Subway receipt dated April 15, 2010 — just days.

Does Minnesota Nice not including littering?

On Saturday Eric Ringsred signed a purchase agreement to sell the Temple Opera Building, NorShor Theatre, and NorShor Annex to DEDA for $2.6 million.  The sale is contingent on approval by DEDA and the Council.  It’s my intent to make the NorShor the crown jewel of the downtown, to make it the center of a regional arts and entertainment district.

There is a lot of discussion on this, let me fill in with a few thoughts:

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Looking for a great way to show off your kid’s video project?

We are gearing up for the 3rd Annual REEL Youth Film Festival and hope that you will support young filmmakers by making sure they are aware of this wonderful opportunity. This is a free festival. Student entries are accepted from students K-12 by May 7.

Information and an entry form here.

Thank you so much and I hope you are able to attend.

Sincerely,
Julie Deters

This semester the theme of the UMD Sustainability Fair is Art and Design.  What can you do at the fair?  Attend an engaging conversation with community experts!  Architect David Salmela, FAIA, will discuss architecture and sustainability. Pastor David Carlson of Duluth’s Gloria Dei Lutheran Church will talk about his experience with the Early Adopter’s training and how the Natural Step Framework as affected the congregation.  Susan Meyers, graduate of UMD’s Masters of Liberal Arts program, will talk about her project, Creating a Journey into Healing with Art.  Ryan Jordan, UMD Admissions Diversity Counselor, will present on Music and Social Change.  You’ll have the opportunity to learn more about sustainability efforts in the Twin Ports by visiting over 20 community and campus organization’s informational and interactive booths!  Also, check out UMD and Duluth elementary student art on display at UMD Stores Express and around campus! Sustain Fair Poster Spring 2010

UMD Parking Q’s: www.d.umn.edu/parking

Check out UMD’s Sustainability website: www.d.umn.edu/sustain

Duluth plans to buy NorShor, Temple Opera buildings; strip club to close.

I for one am glad to hear it.

Last summer/fall, the Extreme Makeover Home Edition TV show came to town to build a new home for the Huber family in South Range. It was a wonderful thing, but several commenters on this website wrote that those efforts should continue without all the TV cameras and didn’t need to be so extreme.

A little something called Modest Home Makeover was started around that time, with the goal of raising $150,000 to build a new home for Rick & Brenda Hallfrisch. Fox 21 News did this story about it …

I bring this up now because volunteer meetings and fund-raising events are coming up soon. You can read about all of them at modesthomemakeover.com.

Recreational, Competitive Summer Soccer

Recreational soccer is an ideal fit for women who want to play just for fun.  It is non-competitive and beginners are not only welcomed but encouraged.  This is a great opportunity to learn the game, build skills, gather with women, get exercise and have fun.

Competitive soccer is perfect for women who have played competitively either in high school or college and are looking for a higher level of play one or two nights a week.

Register on-line at: duluthsoccer.com click on the DWSL link.

Registration deadline is May 1.

Games begin in early June and end in mid August. They will be held at Public Schools Stadium and some at UMD’s field.

For more information contact Kyle Elden 218-341-6115 or k_elden@yahoo.com or Trish Stinnett at trishstinnett@yahoo.com
Or visit duluthsoccer.com and click on DWSL.

Do you and your bike share an unhealthy love? Lake Voice News wants to know about it!

Please post or email jawa0007 @ d.umn.edu a photo of your bicycle. Tell us your name, your bike’s name, how long the two of you have been together, and any stories or anything else you feel we should know about your bike!

All help is appreciated!

This 8mm home-movie depicts a 1938 fishing trip to Duluth.

So where’s the best cake?

I’m talking about cake I can buy one piece of and take back to my house, by the way.

As Business North reports, the West Duluth Video Vision closes April 17. As the banners at Hollywood Video report, that store will be closing soon as well.

Other West Duluth video stores that came and went over the years include Mr. Movies, All Star Video and Late Night Video. The Redbox outside Super One and scattered convenience stores are the only movie rental choices in West Duluth now.

UPDATE: Video Vision owner Brian Augustine has changed his mind and will open a new location in the Spirit Valley Shopping Center.

Sivertson Gallery
361 Canal Park Drive
723-7877

Today is the third Saturday in April, which means that it’s officially Record Store Day. The way to celebrate Record Store Day is to go check out your local independent record stores, which in the Twin Ports means either the Electric Fetus or the Vinyl Cave.

From the official website:

A Record Store Day participating store is defined as a physical retailer whose product line consists of at least 50% music retail, whose company is not publicly traded and whose ownership is at least 70% located in the state of operation. (In other words, we’re dealing with real, live, physical, indie record stores—not online retailers or corporate behemoths).

Now if we can just get them to change “Internet” to “internet,” all will be right with the cosmos.

The Runaways at Zinema 2, baybee!

Friday at 7:30. Live music by Shana David at 7 p.m.

WDIO-WIRT was good enough to do this morning show interview with a couple of organizers for this event that I am helping with on Saturday. We’re giving out seedlings for dads, among other things. That’s why I mention it. The event itself is called “MN Father’s Forever” and it is designed to help promote connections between dads and their kids, especially for dads who have been around the block a few times, so to speak. Sometimes dads get so far behind on child support or they have trouble navigating the custody and family court system and they just give up. So we’re working with those guys, too. We want to help them get re-connected. I wrote some details for the event here on our Facebook event page.

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by Adam Ritscher

“Bring our war dollars home!” was the message of the more than 120 protesters who participated in the Northland Anti-War Coalition’s April 15 Tax Day protest. The event was held to highlight the fact that hundreds of billions of dollars of our tax dollars are being wasted every year on the unjust wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. At the same time this is going on federal, state and local governments are being forced to cut social programs due to budget shortfalls. The NAWC protest called for our tax dollars to be spent on human needs, rather than war.
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