June 2014 Posts

Open Position at Hartley Nature Center: Full-time Education Director

Hartley Nature Center
Position: Education Director
Status: Full-time, exempt
Compensation: $34,000 to $37,000
Reports to: Executive director

Haley Bonar – “Kill the Fun”

New video from former Duluthian Haley Bonar.

North Shore Drive-up Scenery

I am UMD student and an avid outdoor enthusiast. I love hiking, camping, climbing to hard-to-reach places to get some amazing views, etc. My family wants to come visit me here in Duluth, and wants to see some of my favorite nature spots, however, my family is a bit old and my favorite spots all require an hour-long hike and 500-foot climb, of which most of my family is incapable of doing. So I am wondering if anybody knows of any amazing scenery spots along the North Shore that do not require any strenuous activity to get to, and what I like to call drive-up scenery.

So far I have come up with areas such as Palisade Head, Gooseberry (of course) and Split Rock Nature Area. I am looking to find hiking trails and secluded beaches. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated!

Fines for boozing in public to double

With no discussion, the Duluth City Council on Monday unanimously doubled the fine for “consumption of alcoholic beverages in public places.” The likely meaning of this is that if you are sipping a jug of wine on the Lakewalk you could be fined $200 instead of $100. If you are guzzling a fine locally brewed beer, however, all officers will look the other way.

Interview with Trampled by Turtles mandolin player Erik Berry

Trampled By Turtles Eric Berry

Erik Berry Interview – 6/17/2014

Mandolinist Erik Berry discusses the new Trampled by Turtles album Wild Animals, his thoughts behind songwriting and what it’s like to play at Bayfront Festival Park. The Duluth band headlines a show on its home field this Saturday with Doomtree, Low and Haley Bonar also on the bill.

Direct link to audio.

Where in Duluth(ish)

Recent discussions made me think of this guy. I blurred out his sign to not make it too easy…

This week: tapas, happy trees and cake

  

Here’s a sampling of what you have to look forward to this week on the PDD Calendar.

Today is the grand opening of the Spirit Room, a tapas bar in Superior, so watch your diction when you tell people where you’re going. Say it with me: “TAHP-ahs bar.” Very good.

You can get all civic minded on Tuesday with the Healthy Duluth Ideas Festival at the Zeitgeist or give your input on a proposed dog park in Observation Park at the Washington Center.

You can paint along with Bob Ross at The Underground on Wednesday. Yes, the DAI staff knows Bob Ross is dead, but thanks to the miracle of technology, we can still paint happy little trees with him forever.

Learn about not eating meat one day a week with Intro to Meatless Mondays at the Library on Thursday. (Pro tip: This can be accomplished by not eating meat one day a week.)

The Right to Consciousness exhibit at Trepanier Hall opens on Friday featuring art by Rabbet Before Horses Strickland and a whole lot of music.

It’s like a homecoming! Trampled by Turtles, Haley Bonar, Low and Doomtree play Bayfront Park on Saturday. I’m sure it will be summer by then. Right?

And the-Little-Blog-that-Could turns eleven on Sunday with a party at Carmody. Come for cake, awkward conversations with people you only know by their PDD gravatars, and a PDD themed pub quiz hosted by yours truly.

So what are you doing this week? Can we tag along? Any upcoming events that you want to promote? Let us know.

Additional Things I Hated About the X-Men Films

In which I continue my brutal takedown of the X-Men movies while dressed as Aquaman. SPOILER ALERT.

New food truck: The Happy Wanderer

The Happy Wanderer is a food truck that will soon be hitting the streets of Duluth selling specialty egg rolls. To learn more visit the Kickstarter page.

Duluth School Board members acting like … high school kids

Our tax dollars hard at work.

Duluth News Tribune: Tempers flare at Duluth School Board meeting as Johnston’s supporters strike back

Cloud 9 Asian Bistro is open

Cloud 9 Asian Bistro opened on Monday in the Canal Park spot formerally occupied by Thia Krathong — 308 S. Lake Ave. It’s owned by the Wang family, the same folks behind the Duluth Osaka Sushi Hibachi Steakhouse in the Burning Tree Plaza. If last night was any indication, Cloud 9 a very quiet place to eat, and the food is excellent.

Painting the Community: A Portrait of Jeredt Runions

Recent University of Wisconsin-Superior graduate Jessica Prihoda produced this documentary about fellow UW-Superior student and well-known local artist Jeredt Runions.

Prihoda is one of 12 student filmmakers from across the United States nominated for a top award at the Headwaters Film Festival in Bemidji, which was held in April.

Duluth Lighthouses being updated

My family went down to the ship canal in Duluth on Monday and noticed that the north pier light was being worked on. The light itself was wrapped up, and all the glass had been removed. The entire black upper portion of the light had been painted with grey primer. Three men in hard hats, one up on top, were at work.

The little door at the bottom of the light was open and we could see the little stairway inside. In over 35 years we had never seen that door open!

We went inside the Canal Park Museum and talked to the fellow at the information desk, a employee of the U.S. Corp of Engineering. He told us that they are in the process of updating the lights themselves on both piers, north and south. They are taking out the old Fresnel lenses out and replacing them with maintenance free plastic enclosed lights. He informed us that the U.S. Coastguard (which maintains the lighthouses) does not have the resources to maintain the lights as they are now.

One of the lights being removed is more than 100 years old.

We were sorry to see the old lights being removed. They have yet to change over the south pier light.

Piedmont/Lincoln Park Hwy 53 stretch

Anyone have any idea who is responsible for the Piedmont/Lincoln Park stretch of Hwy 53? I’m guessing it’s the state that has dropped the ball on this one. Tall grass on sides looks like it’s never been mowed and the sidewalks are completely covered in a 1/8″ of gravel. The street sweepers came through the neighborhood and didn’t touch them.

Any thoughts on who to contact?

Bliss – “When I Grow Up”

Duluth rapper Bliss released his new album The Most Important Things in Life are Invisible on Bandcamp today. Above is the newest video, “When I Grow Up.” (The video for “Go,” released last month, was also part of this post, but has been removed from YouTube for some kind of “terms of service” violation. The video for the album’s title track was posted on PDD back in March.)

Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!