Heely Tricks with JamesG: March 2020

Former Duluthian James Geisler, also known as the hip-hop artist JamesG, continues his series of videos performing stunts on wheeled sneakers.

He has more than 33,000 followers on TikTok.

Daily Menu: Black Woods Grill & Bar

As we continue staying safe with our social distancing practices, Perfect Duluth Day is back with another episode of the “Daily Menu.” Each day, we showcase another local take-out option.

Black Woods Grill & Bar is available for curbside pickup and delivery from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily at its Duluth location. Orders can be made by calling 218-724-1612. For those looking ahead for Easter options, Black Woods is offering a traditional Easter entree on Sunday April 12 for $15.

The menu can be viewed at blackwoods.com.

How to Juggle Longboards

From the Iron Range city of Palo comes Steve Solkela with this important lesson in riding two longboards at once.

Betty Grable & Dick Haymes – “The Back Bay Polka”

From the 1946 film The Shocking Miss Pilgram, Betty Grable and Dick Haymes sing “The Back Bay Polka,” written by George and Ira Gershwin. A reference to Duluth is around the 50-second mark.

Daily Menu: Burrito Union

As we continue staying safe with our social distancing practices, Perfect Duluth Day is back with another episode of the “Daily Menu.” Each day, we showcase another local take-out option.

Burrito Union is open daily for 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. for curbside pickup by calling 218-728-4414 or delivery from Food Dudes. Use the code “April2020” to wave the delivery fees through the month of April. Along with four other local food businesses, Burrito Union is helping to provide free lunches to school-aged kids. Information about this program can be found on this GoFundMe page.

Mystery Photo #104: Mustached Dude with Fat Tie

Who is this handsome Duluthian? Was he actually a Duluthian at all or just passing through and feeling photogenic?

Gaelynn Lea – “Rebuild”

Duluth musician Gaelynn Lea has released a new track titled “Rebuild.” It is available on Spotify and Bandcamp.

Daily Menu: Vitta Pizza

As we continue staying safe with our social distancing practices, Perfect Duluth Day is back with another episode of the “Daily Menu.” Each day, we showcase another local take-out option.

Vitta Pizza is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Curbside pickup is available by calling 218-727-2226 and delivery can be ordered through Food Dudes. Use the code “April2020” to wave the delivery fee through the month of April.

Even Good Dogs are Still Dogs

A tan, 120-pound mastiff growled through the crack in the door, barely held back by a 12-year old boy. I was knocking at the door of this rural home to let the residents know I’d be working in the stream nearby. Even if the stream bed is technically public, nobody likes being surprised by a stranger in their backyard. As a 27-year-old female graduate student, I didn’t feel very intimidating, but the13-year-old boy was creeped out by me knocking. I told him I’d be taking some measurements in the stream and handed him a flyer about my research to give his parents. He said OK and slunked behind the door, but not before first letting his huge growling dog squeeze outside. As I turned to go, the mastiff immediately lunged and chomped down on the flesh of my ass. I yelped in pain and I looked back at the silent closed front door for help. But the boy was gone, and the dog seemed satisfied with his bite and also retreated, still growling. I walked quickly back to the car on the road where my field assistant was waiting, my heart pounding wildly.

By that time in my life, I was a full-fledged dog lover with two dogs of my own, Rooster and Arlo. I had adopted Rooster from a shelter, and he was the absolute best dog ever. Perhaps you’ve heard this before, but listen, this is the real thing.

Local Poet on Social Distancing: “Viral Two-Step”

Julie Gard’s prose poem on social distancing, “Viral Two-Step,” appears in issue 25 of the online poetry journal Unbroken. You should read it.

Selective Focus: Virtual Cinema from the Zinema

Tired of the choices on Netflix and Amazon? Zeitgeist and Zinema and doing some innovative programming; you can buy a pass and they will email you a link to see a streaming movie. View it with or without the chat comments of other viewers. They streamed one of the absolute worst movies I’ve ever seen on Wednesday, Love on a Leash. I won’t go into it, but it was bad. But the experience was fun, and organizer Matt Dressel was modeling it after a Midnight Movies event where the expectation is that the movie sucks, the entertainment is crowd reactions. As terrible as the movie was, the virtual event was a hit. The programming also includes movies that aren’t terrible.

Zinema’s April 3 feature is a film by a local director, Gravedigger Dave’s Halfway House. Filmmaker Keith Hopkins will also be doing a Q&A.

Daily Menu: Hanabi Japanese Cuisine

As we continue staying safe with our social distancing practices, Perfect Duluth Day is back with another episode of the “Daily Menu.” Each day, we showcase another local take-out option.

Hanabi is available for curbside pickup by calling 218-464-4412. Patrons who bring a non-perishable food item can receive a 10 percent discount while picking up at the restaurant. Food Dudes is waving the delivery fee through the month of April with the code “April2020” for those who would rather stay home.

Social Animals – “Get Over It”

Social Animals release the seven-inch record Best Years today. The group is self-quarantined during the COVID-19 pandemic, waiting for a North American tour with Beach Slang to get rescheduled.

The record features previously released singles “Bad Things” and “Best Years,” and the new single “Get Over It.”

OMC Smokehouse Cookbook raising funds for Lincoln Park

Tom Hanson of Duluth Grill / OMC Smokehouse / Corktown Deli and Brews / Noble Pour had to lay off 200 people due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a big blow to the Lincoln Park neighborhood.

So Hanson is teaming up again with Robert Lillegard of Duluth’s Best Bread to publish the OMC Smokehouse Cookbook.

UMD’s 125th Anniversary: The Rare and Remarkable

Duluth Normal School May Queen and Her Court.

On April 2, 1895 — 125 years ago today — Minnesota Governor David. M. Clough signed legislation approving the creation of the State Normal School at Duluth. It would be seven more years before classes were held, but nonetheless, the University of Minnesota Duluth traces its beginning to that moment in 1895.

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