Month: February 2013
Ski and board club enrolling for 2014
ArrowSki club is a recreational club for skiers and boarders from age 6 to 16. The mission is to foster self-esteem, friendship, confidence and a lifelong love of boarding and skiing through the alpine experience, exploration and fun. To find out more call ArrowSki at 218-525-8085 or e-mail arrowskiclub @ yahoo.com.
It’s getting drafty around here
Right now there are 47 posts in PDD’s “drafts” folder. Items in the drafts folder are, presumably, posts that people started composing and saved with the intent of finishing later.
But maybe some of you thought you were supposed to create a draft and then the moderators publish it. That’s not how it works. We would have no way of knowing which drafts were ready to post and which were not, except to guess based on how complete we think they look.
So help us out with some almost-Spring cleaning. If you have an old draft for a post, finish it and click the blue “publish” button, or give up on it and click the red “move to trash” option.
This week: zumba, salsa and taking a plunge
Here’s a sampling of what you have to look forward to this week on the PDD Calendar.
There’s a new Zumba class meeting at Pilgrim on Mondays.
Been day dreaming about that summer outing? Do some window shopping for that day dream at the Duluth Boat, Sports, Travel and RV Show at the DECC. It runs Wednesday through Sunday.
Valentines Day has lots of events for your romantic outing. Here’s a sampling:
- Love Is in the Air at Camp Miller.
- Salsa Night at Avalon.
- Valentine Dining at Glensheen.
- A Wine & Chocolate Affair at Lizzard’s.
Also on Thursday, Almost, Maine opens at the Playhouse and Tales from the Bad Years opens at UMD. Both run for two weekends.
A couple Black History Month events to note this week. Tuskegee Airman Lt. Col. (Ret.) Hiram Mann will talk about his experiences during UMD’s Profiles in Courage event on Friday at Weber Hall. Sue Sojourner and Cheryl Reitan launch their book Thunder of Freedom: Black Leadership and the Transformation of 1960s Mississippi Sunday at At Sara’s Table.
Watch people jump into Lake Superior on purpose at the annual Polar Bear Plunge on Saturday. Sign up is at Grandma’s Sports Garden.
Or if you’d rather stay inside and watch movies, there’s a Short Films Festival at the Play Ground on Saturday.
So what are you doing this week? Can we tag along? Any upcoming events that you want to promote? Let us know!
Snow Day *Perk* Attention: Parents, students, Mayor Ness and everyone else. Thom Storm is awesome!
I propose the City of Duluth creates a Thom Storm Day!
This man has done so much for the youth of our city through his works at Chester Park/Chester Bowl over the years and he continues to do so.
He just sent out an email this afternoon regarding the winter storm. How is this for fore-thinking and helping parents out if the kids are out of school, and who need to go to work for a few hours tomorrow, if they can get there:
If schools are closed tomorrow due to snow, I intend to open the chairlift from 11-4:30, so parents can go to work, & kids can have something fun to do. I already have early morning grooming of the hill, and snowplowing of the road arranged. The final piece to the puzzle would be to get some parents to operate the concession stand. Volunteers would be needed from 10-45am to 2pm and 1:45-4:45pm. If you would be available to help out, please email me back by 5pm today if possible. This would only take place if schools are closed. If schools remain open, the lift will be open it’s regular hours of 4:30-8:30, and volunteers for the concession are already signed up for those shifts.
Thanks for your consideration.
Thom Storm
Executive Director
Chester Bowl Improvement Club
1801 E. Skyline Dr.
Duluth, MN. 55812-1154
(218) 724-9832
[email protected]
Started off like it was going to be something
For about four hours there were blizzard conditions, but then the whole thing died out. It leaves us wondering whether this storm was worth naming or not.
Duluth Snowmobiler Code of Ethics
So I feel like I am about to go to a Baci-esque Defcon 2 level on the snowmobile riders using my yard for their personal burnout entry way to the state trails. I live in Lakeside and after about the 4th ride through the middle of my yard that included track marks below the grass level I got to ask what gives. I am wondering if there is anyone out there who can fill me in on the snowmobile code of ethics. Before I start binge calling the cops I want to know if this is acceptable behavior on any level. I was a finger pointing old man at the guy I caught riding through the yard tonight that wasn’t interested in stopping to discuss the issue. I have no problems with snowmobiles as I use them plenty for ice fishing and certainly appreciate their utility. Does anybody else out there have any experience with this? Does calling the cops help?
Mont du Lac Snowboarding Video!
This is a video of Mitch Larson (and a couple others) snowboarding at Mont du Lac! Mitch is a coach for “TheCrew,” which is dedicated to providing a fun and safe place for snowboarders of all ages to learn the art of freestyle snowboarding.
They have an upcoming two-day slopestyle skiing/snowboarding event at Mont Du Lac on Feb. 16 and 17. For more info about the event you may visit dulaccrewfest.com.
Enjoy the video and feel free to tell me what you think of it!
Recommendations for evening childcare
I’m lost in the sea of confusion trying to find the best outlet for potential childcare for my kiddos. We’ve got the best daytime preschool for the younger, the elder attends a lovely local elementary right down the road, and a coworker’s daughter is incredibly motivated but not willing to cover nights when needed — but being relatively new to the area I’ve hit nothing but snags looking for reliable care in that gray area between about 5:30 and 11 p.m.
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Sea creature proclaims smelt cometh
I saw a commercial being made for the upcoming Smelt Festival while walking in Canal Park today. The sea creature character was booming out a pretty funny pronouncement from the Smelt Queen promising puppetry, puppet making and smelt-y fun in exchange for funding.
It’s stuff like this that makes me love this town.
Behind the Scenes at Northland Competition
PDD Calendar intern Shannon Kinley takes us behind the scenes of Duluth events in this new series.
Over 800 figure skaters from across the United States and Canada met in Duluth this past weekend for the Northland Competition, one of the largest events of its kind in the Midwest. The 34th-annual gathering was organized by the Duluth Figure Skating Club.
“This year is by far the biggest we have had so far in terms of skaters,” said Kathy Jensen, co-chair of the competition. “We are very pleased with the turnout.”
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Preston Gunderson kicks off Kickstarter
Virginia, Minn. native Preston Gunderson is a musician with dreams as big as his heart. (more…)
Host, Duluth Local Show #150-13
Part-time Minnesota Public Radio grant-funded position – until June 30, 2013.
“The Duluth Local Show Host will work with The Local Music team to create a two-hour show focused on Duluth’s local music artists and scene that will air on Local Current each week. The host should be able to curate the music for the show, produce and host the show, and deliver a .wav file each week to the Local Music Assistant. The format will include 11-13 songs per hour with multiple breaks occasionally including interviews or live recordings. The host will also be responsible for contributing to The Local Current Blog and The Local Show as well as maintain a presence in social media platforms.”
Is Duluth the Beer Capital of Minnesota?
Frank Kaszuba, Keith Hefley and Dave Hoops of Fitger’s Brewhouse
In light of The Growler magazine beginning distribution to Duluth on Feb. 8, I have to ask if we’re becoming the brewing capital of Minnesota. By my count, we’ve got ten microbreweries open or nearly open: (more…)
Duluth attempts world record this Saturday
I didn’t notice any mention of this so I thought I’d help spread the word. It looks like we need at least 9,000 people to attend to break the record for making the most snow angels. (I have no affiliation with the event; please see their website for more details.) Come make your mark by making a snow angel; proceeds go to a charity supporting clean water for those in need. All the info can be found on makeyourmarkduluth.com.
Homegrown Band Publicity Photo Showdown: Southwire vs. Sexhawk
Southwire (photo by Rich Narum)
Sexhawk (photo by Caleb Renno)
With the Homegrown Music Festival coming up in three months, now seems like a good time to launch a series of PDD polls, tournament style, to determine which Duluth-area band has the sweetest pic. First up, we ask …
[poll id=”22″]
This poll is now closed. The results were:
Southwire — 60.4 percent
Sexhawk — 39.6 percent
Note: Only people who are logged in to their Perfect Duluth Day blogging account are allowed to vote (to prevent people from voting multiple times). To create an account, click here. If you need help figuring it out, click here.
Outside magazine presents online screening of Wild Bill’s Run
This is your best chance to see local documentary and Arctic crime caper Wild Bill’s Run. It’s screening on Outside’s website on Thursday evening, Feb. 7. You can watch the film anytime between 6 and 9pm (Central Time). Director Mike Scholtz will be hanging out in the comments section at the bottom of the page, waiting for people to ask him questions he can’t answer about snowmobile repair, climate change and the whereabouts of Wild Bill Cooper.
Seeking: Homegrown Photos
The Homegrown Music Festival is seeking photos from the 2012 festival for use in the Field Guide. Large, print quality photos, please – most camera phone photos are not going to cut it.
Please send photos / more information / mailing address for discs: transistormag [at] gmail [dot] com.
Thank you, fans!
Indoor Walking Options in Duluth
Duluth Skywalk system map.
A recent request that came Perfect Duluth Day’s way via Facebook from a visitor to town was for information and links on indoor walking options. There are a handful of options that will be obvious to people familiar with Duluth, but perhaps there are some less-obvious examples that will be shared in the comments.
- Duluth Skywalk System
- Miller Hill Mall
- Mariner Mall (Superior)
- University of Minnesota Duluth
- Essentia Health (Duluth medical campus)
The first three are probably the best if you don’t want to ram into people and like shopping options along the way.
The Skywalk, UMD and Essentia are the best for seeing daylight during your indoor walk.
UMD is the best one for the possibility of getting lost or plowing into someone who is rushing through the crowd to get to class.
Water-smoothed Rocks at Brighton Beach
Mary Amerman of Duluth won the grand prize in Lake Superior Magazine’s 18th annual Lake Superior Photo Contest. Her photo of the water-smoothed rocks on Duluth’s Brighton Beach was one of 1,284 images entered in the contest from 138 different cities, in 18 states, one U.S. Territory (Guam) and Canada.
Duluthian Kenji Ogura won first place in the Artsy/Altered category with a photograph of the weekly regatta. All the winners and finalists are featured in a gallery on lakesuperior.com.
This week: stallion hearts, cariboo and the Blue Danube
Here’s a sampling of what you have to look forward to this week on the PDD Calendar.
February is a lot of things… Black History Month, the shortest month of the year, the month that makes you seriously reconsider your life choices. Add to the list a month for giving books to children. There is a book drive going on all month and a “beer for books” reading at Carmody next week.
Tuesday the Chamber of Commerce is having a lunch panel at Midi on using social media as a tool, which would be a refreshing change from using social media like a tool.
Two plays open this week. Renegade Theater‘s Coronado, a voyeuristic drama about conversations in a bar, opens Thursday at the Teatro Zuccone and runs three weekends. Cariboo Magi, about four Californians trying to make it to the promised land of Canada, opens Friday at the CSS Little Theater and runs two weekends.
Nerd Nite moves to the Play Ground this Friday with its sometimes monthly presentations on nerdy topics. This time around we hear about Arthurian women, the cuisine of Game of Thrones, and the Raspberry PI.
The DSSO performs a concert of dance music paired with movie clips on Saturday at the DECC. Expect scenes from “An American in Paris,” “Singin’ in the Rain,” and “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Also, the YMCA is now offering children’s activities and a meal while parents go to the symphony, including a 25% discount on symphony tickets.
Ever go to a comedy improv show and say, “Hell, I could do that?” Prove it. Auditions for Renegade Improv are this coming Sunday at the Teatro Zuccone.
So what are you doing this week? Can we tag along? Any upcoming events that you want to promote? Let us know!
The Perilous Inlet
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7rTiTQI5N0
Three years in the making, the completed 14-minute masterpiece.
I suggest watching it with the sound off since we could not eliminate the camera noise without losing the underwater noises.
The perilous inlet is a death trap for ships and subs, yet life continues. Starring Playmobil toys, G.I. Joes, and introducing Lake Superior as itself.
We’ve released this in segments over time, so if you’re sick of it do NOT watch this final edit. Featuring the Playmobil ship vs. the giant alligator, the Playmobil sub vs. the giant squid, and the GI Joes vs. frozen existential horror, now with more death.