“Duluth was trying to develop another economy with technology, like hundreds of others tried,” Link said. “It failed everywhere, not just Duluth.” – J.R. “Rob” Link DNT
It did not fail everywhere. Stupid failed.
We don’t get to be the Galactic Seaport Gateway Harbor to the internets anymore just because we paid some Swedish shysters moneys?? Opportunistic bandwagoneers. What makes this so frustrating is 11 years ago, the same sorts of people (the Dotys, the developers, the councilpersons, the Soft Center representatives [PDF]) were cheerleading and saying exactly the opposite. And it was as obviously /Facepalm then as it appears today.
As a Harbor City Roller Dame, it baffles me that we are yet to reach our goal of selling out tickets at the DECC Pioneer Hall since playing there the Fall of 2010. Many skaters are involved in or support the local arts and music scene. We are professionals that live and work in this community. The Dames give back by selecting a local charity to receive a financial contribution and/or volunteer our time. So it begs me to ask: Why is roller derby not as popular or successful in Duluth as it is in say Minneapolis or even smaller towns like Grand Rapids, MN?
Larger cities support multiple teams and are still successful. While locally we’ve seen numbers fall in the last year as our competitiveness has enhanced (we were undefeated until last month’s bout). Roller derby continues to gain popularity across the nation but is slightly stunted here. We need our fans to show their continued support and find ways to reach other demographics to spread the love of derby in Duluth. Our performance is bolstered by the encouragement of our sports enthusiasts.
Does the PDD community have any thoughts on what we can do to fill our seats? Comments? Feedback?
Did anyone notice the low number of female performers at the Homegrown Music Festival this year? I did. There seemed to be about eight male performers for every one female. If you don’t want to count just look at the steering committee, it’s pretty representative of the entire festival. There are a few wonderful women and a bunch of men.
The ladies are around performing with a variety of styles unique to themselves and Homegrown! They may be harder to find in that giant Homegrown Field Guide, but if you looked closely you’d find some on Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday, not peak days. Often these women have to be underground, persistent or be extra bad ass, which they are, to get noticed. They often try harder and get less recognition.
I don’t want to start a fight, maybe just a good discussion, I’m just saying we noticed.
This article sums up something that’s been needling me about downtown Duluth. All of the parking lots the hospitals seem to think they need could be greatly improved with a smattering of trees.
So, at Sacred Heart for Homegrown, and outside the doors, right next the a cigarette disposable receptacle, this guy (with a large beard) clearly flicks his still burning cigarette out on the ground, at the church no less. Now, I’m a smoker too, but is it really that hard to not litter the place with cigarette butts? Gosh, I guess I thought at least people going to Homegrown could care just a ‘wee’ bit better than this … end of rant.
I’m wondering, why is Homegrown punishing Trampled by Turtles fans by making them pay an extra $20 to get in? Isn’t having to wait in line for 24+ hours going to be bad enough?
Is there a city ordinance that prohibits businesses in the neighborhood around the University of Minnesota Duluth and the College of St. Scholastica from having full liquor licenses? Why is it that the nearest bar to campus is Burrito Union and not something around Woodland or by V.I.P. Pizza? Anyone have any ideas on that?
Two bands that have packed Xcel Energy Center in the past will stretch out on St. Paul’s Harriet Island this summer as headliners for the River’s Edge Music Festival, an inaugural two-day event whose organizers hope will draw 40,000 people daily.
Arty metal kings Tool and bohemian jazz-rockers the Dave Matthews Band — mainstays of the summer concert circuit — will top out the June 23 and 24 lineups, respectively. Some of the other 30 or so (mostly rock) acts assembled by concert promoter Live Nation include the Flaming Lips, Mutemath, Coheed and Cambria, Brand New, Diplo, Scissor Sisters and local bands Poliça and Motion City Soundtrack.
For the second time in as many weeks, I attempted to park near the Beacon Point Condos only to find parking severely restricted. Why do I feel like I’ve been taken in a give an inch, take a foot situation? It was bad enough the city permitted Beacon Point in the first place, but it was allowed under the premise that we’d all still have the same access to the area and so on. But I’m left feeling like an Apache who was told his reservation needs to be moved, and oh yeah, now it’s smaller too.
I’m not a native of Duluth. I moved here specifically for the availability of public land, parks, trails, etc. A piece of our freedom has been diminished, if anyone else cares. The big property taxes paid by the owners of Beacon Point appear to have swayed the local parking bureaucrats into closing the parking lot gate over the stormwater tank. Am I missing something here? Runners, walkers, and anyone else should have a fair opportunity to park in this area.
I am a resident on Gilliat Street and live adjacent to the Lakewalk, which runs from 42nd to 40th avenues east. When walking on the Lakewalk recently I was appalled by the amount of litter from fast food restaurants, etc. in the stretch of Lakewalk behind Ordean and also the stretch from 40th going east.
There are garbage cans placed at intervals along the Lakewalk, but it is still obviously too difficult for some people to use them. There have been school lunch milk cartons, cigarette butts, Culver’s wrappers, Taco John’s wrappers, McDonald’s, used condoms, etc. (more…)
Would someone tell me what Brad Bennett said yesterday on his 710 AM talk show re: “Indian giver?” A friend of mine (who is Caucasian) said it was disrespectful, insulting and racist.
I’m seeking a little help from the PDD community. I work for 50 Below Sales & Marketing and, like everyone else there, I haven’t been paid in over a week. That’s roughly 300 people who have had to get through Thanksgiving without the money they earned. Some have gone even longer due to bounced checks.
I don’t really want to get into how this came to be, maybe someone else can step up with that info if anyone is curious. What I’m here for is some advice on what (if anything) I can do. I’m sure everyone will see their money at some point but that’s not enough. Who does people recommend I talk to to try and make sure we don’t get screwed again? Lawyers? I hear they cost money. Unions? Some kind of labor group?
The DNT ran a story today detailing a new mixed-use residential/commercial plan for the site of the former Woodland Middle School. The developer bought the site from the school district in September. You may be familiar with the developer’s other projects like Boulder Ridge and Campus Park.
Currently the plan is to reuse the school building itself, and add one-to-three additional buildings. The student-focused housing would have 300 beds in mainly four bedroom units. If demand is high enough this could be increased to 1,000 beds. The retail aspect of the new development would include restaurants. The DNT story named Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods as some potential additions. A hotel is also being considered.
Sounds like the new development would open in Fall 2013 or 2014.
What do you think about this plan? Is it a good idea? If not what would you propose? Personally, I think no matter where students go in high concentrations that residences in the same area will take a “not in my backyard” attitude. This development may not solve all the student housing issues, but it will alleviate it to some degree, and create jobs.
On the retail side what would you like to see at the site? A friend of mine would really like to see a Chipotle, Panera, or faster food pasta place. I would love to see more locally owned restaurants go in. Duluth Grill part 2?
On Tuesday, November 15, after a long day of working on my unfinished, but indisputably kick-ass, novel, I cracked an adult beverage and logged onto the Internet to make my usual rounds.
On Perfect Duluth Day, I found a post by City Councilor-elect Jennifer Julsrud, titled “Duluth’s Plumbing Needs Big Fix,” regarding Duluth’s aging water infrastructure. Accompanied by a short YouTube video (serious people talking seriously about water, serious music playing in the background), the post listed a series of upcoming community meetings that were to be held on the subject.
Naturally, this irritated me greatly. As far as I was concerned, this was just the latest example of Duluth’s tendency to be serious one minute about issues that actually need attention, and the next minute to stampede giddily off in pursuit of unneeded, but very expensive, luxuries that we want RIGHT NOW—as if the money we spend on the luxuries has no relation at all to the money we need for necessities.
Now that I have your attention, what struck me as odd about the original objections to Marc Gartman’s Ween post was how the comments were so out-of-context and un-community in nature. I did see the “bigger boobed” version, am familiar with Ween, and have a fairly well-honed ability to read and comprehend. (more…)
I’m a huge proponent of locally owned businesses. I feel that they generally do what they do better than their franchised competition. Because of this, I’m totally cool with paying a higher price.
I’ve been to Burrito Union probably close to a dozen times, so in no way am I staking any sort of claim, but I can count on more than one hand how many times I’ve placed an order, only to have it incorrectly made. Never anything to the point where I won’t eat it, but when I pay something like $2.25 extra for something like adobo sauce and I don’t get it, I have to ask why? Why would you forget to add a topping that costs between 20-25% of the cost of a customers burrito? Especially when its a delivery order.
Again, this wouldn’t be such so bad if it were a one-time occurrence, but when the majority of experiences is like this, it really puts me off. I’m a real big fan of Tim and Rod’s other ventures and look forward to Tycoons, but I really hope service comes before ambiance.
Since the I-35 reconstruction is wrapping up and the freeway will be getting back to normal soon, it’s probably a good time to get rid of any lingering road rage.
This was spotted on First Street next door to Ace’s on Monday afternoon. Let’s hope they teach kids to sing and dance better than they spell. Which begs the question, do pop stars even need to know how to spell?
Are there any fenced-in parks around that are dog friendly? I just got tossed out of one that I found. We were playing, and the pooch was getting a good run, when someone came out of the church and told us that we were on private property. She was pretty nasty about it, as well. So I’m looking for a place to take our pup for off-leash running.
Side note: Church folk apparently don’t have to post private property signs. Also, they don’t like it when you point out that private church property could be considered an oxymoron.
A couple of weeks ago I emailed Chip’s office stating my views on Obama’s jobs bill and I asked for Chip’s view on the bill and if he would be supporting it.
To date, I’ve heard nothing from him.
In the past I’ve email Franken on an unrelated matter and at least his people bothered to send me a standard response in a timely fashion.
Are elected officials obligated to reply to the questions those they represent have for them?
If not, I’ve not sure how appropriate the term ‘representative’ really is.
Did you see this front-page article in today’s paper? Should neighborhood residents be the ones to decide whether or not sidewalks are included as their street is reconstructed? Is it about building a transportation network that serves current and future residents, those who drive and those who don’t?
Has anybody else being driven crazy by all the mosquitoes in Duluth the past week?! Seriously, it’s like Alaska out there. I can’t work in the yard without getting drained. I can’t ever remember it being this bad. Theories? (Sustained west winds? Moth spraying killed all the dragonflies? Hurricane Irene sucking them all down from northern Canada?)
OK, so what’s the deal? There are no garbage bins anywhere! I want to pick up after my dog, but I end up walking blocks and blocks carrying a bag of … you know.
I’ve just come from Chicago, where garbage is a city service (never mind the pay for play aspect of this city service). And garbage bins are everywhere. One every block on the major streets. And no one worries about throwing garbage into someone else’s bin, because it’s all covered.
As an aside, I used to live two doors down from Blagojevich. I took extra happy pride in throwing those nasty little bags into his bins.
Support the public library at the Duluth City Council Meeting.
Please join us on Monday, Aug. 15, when we again attend the council meeting. We’ll gather at 6:30 p.m. outside the Council Chambers at City Hall. Please come and help to support our coordinated campaign to keep the Duluth Public Library a top priority for city funding. The message is, “Our libraries are essential!”
