Fresh snow is falling- which makes tomorrow a great time to get to Hartley Park and Nature Center for some cross-country skiing. Tomorrow night, Jan. 12, from 7-8:30 pm, join members of the Duluth XC Ski Club for an evening headlamp ski on Hartley’s trails. Warm beverages will be provided in the Nature Center. Families are invited!

Dirty Horse will be hosting a party in celebration of its first studio endeavor: Tartan E.P. The party will open at 9:30 with an acoustic set by Jason Schooler, followed by a groovy set by Big Wave Dave and the Ripples around 10, and last will be an extra rowdy rock set by Dirty Horse.

Bring a wig for head-banging (if you don’t already have long hair), comfortable shoes for jumping, and an appetite for second-hand merchandise! Rowdy!

Heart of a Samurai (Amulet) by Margi Preus, a Duluth resident, has been named a Newbery Honor Book at the ALA’s midwinter meeting in San Diego. Dark Emperor (Houghton Mifflin) by Joyce Sidman of Minneapolis, illustrated by Rick Allen of Duluth’s Kenspeckle LetterPress, has also been named a Newbery Honor Book. They are two of four Newbery Honor Books — basically they were the four runners-up to the book, Moon Over Manifest, that won the Newbery Medal this year.

The Newbery Medal is given each year to the author of that year’s most distinguished contribution to American children’s literature.

This is a very big deal, congratulations to Margi and to Rick!

Check it out:

New Lava Lake mix/website!

Here is a new set available for download from my friend James Larson’s new electronic project, combined with an overhaul of my website, and a new page for his music.

If you want to leave feedback, you can find him on Facebook, or on Soundcloud.

Thanks for checking it out!

And the dish ran away with the spoon!

From the Star Tribune.

A Minnesota woman who was pregnant when a tornado dropped a cow on her last summer has given birth to the baby.

I grew up with a father and friends who were hunters. Hunting is a way of staying connected to the land and procuring food,  at least that’s what it was when I was growing up. My father rented a meat locker, we ate venison, and Mom and I each got a leather coat, gloves and matching purses. Mine was a buckskin fringe jacket, the envy of my Minneapolis cousins.  I wore it for five years, then my brother wore it for another five years. One thing we did not do: Joke about guns or shooting someone.

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The nerds are at it again. Come on out for accidental learning and intentional awkwardness.

Teatro Zuccone
Jan. 18, Doors open at 7pm, $5

My bad. Band details after the break.

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Featured photographer Shawn Thompson’s natural landscape photography will be exhibited at the Duluth Photography Institute, 405 E. Superior St. in Duluth through mid-February. There is a free public reception at the DPI facility on Friday, Jan. 14, from 5-8pm.

Shawn will be available to discuss his work and refreshments will be served. RSVPs are encouraged, but not necessary — e-mail dpi @ duluthphotographyinstitute.com, go to the DPI website at duluthphotographyinstitute.com, or look for the DPI on Facebook. For more information on Shawn and his work, go to shawnthompsonphotography.com.

Trampled by Turtles are playing a concert at the Great Twin Ports Taste-Together Brewfest and Wine Tasting at Black Bear Casino’s Otter Creek Event Center on Saturday, Feb.19.  The Brewfest runs from 4-8pm and features live music by the Fractals before the Turtles take the stage at 8:30pm.  You must have a ticket for the Brewfest to see the Turtles. 

Find out more at TwinPortsBrewfest.com

Who will be our shining light at WDIO?

Station press release:

Eyewitness News at Five anchor
Sandy Drag is making a change

Duluth, MN — Eyewitness News Anchor Sandy Drag has decided the time is right to step away from the anchor desk and the newsroom. The announcement was made today by News Director Steve Goodspeed.

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The true story of how an aroused public saved the life of a single little animal condemned to death by the Federal government.

Smack dab in the middle of eastern Duluth is the only ski trail that costs a quarter to ski … if you’re really fast. Most people should bring three quarters. 75 cents buys you 60 minutes of parking at UMD’s Bagley Nature Area. That’s enough time to ski the 2.7 lovely kilometers of loops and hills twice.

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January 14 and 15

Lessons in classic and skate techniques. World Cup skate ski, boot and pole demos. Details at Duluth XC Ski Club website.

Just wondering what the PDD community’s thoughts and opinions are on taking the n-word out of “Huck Finn.”

Date: Monday, Jan. 17
Time: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Ages: 3 – 12
Cost: $15/non-members, $10/members

Join the DNR MinnAqua program and Great Lakes Aquarium for one of the Northland’s most popular winter adventures! Participants will build their own jiggle sticks, discover life beneath the ice, and go ice fishing on a local lake. All transportation, program materials and equipment are provided!

Please contact Lindsay Brandt for more information:  218-740-2027 or lbrandt @ glaquarium.org. Pre-registration is required! Registration deadline: Wednesday, Jan. 12

Get in on some early music with the contemporary folk sounds of Hillside Heidi and Loose Gannon at Chester Creek Cafe Wine Bar.  Enjoy a serving of our Nachos Grande with our special Rooster Q sauce and $2 dollars off of all beer and wine.

The Giant Panda restaurant at 215 N. Central Avenue in West Duluth has closed.

No, Amsoil isn’t moving its corporate headquarters into the Spirit Valley Shopping Center. A woman unloading the truck said a new Chinese restaurant, under different ownership, is moving in. She said it will be called China King Buffet and be open in a few days.

The Duluth Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol is honored to have NASA Astronaut Jeffrey Williams as the keynote speaker for its upcoming Awards Banquet. Colonel Williams will provide an inspirational talk and photo presentation of his nearly one full-year of living in space.  The public is encouraged to attend.

The event will be held the evening of Thursday, Jan. 27, in the Lake Superior Ballroom of the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center.  Tickets are $29 ($35 after Jan. 10) and include dinner.

For more information (and to purchase tickets) visit the squadron’s website at duluth.mncap.org/2011banquet.