January 2020 Posts

Postcard from the Rustic Bridge at Lester Park in 1910

The message on this postcard of the Rustic Bridge and Pavilion in Lester Park is dated Jan. 21, 1910, and postmarked Jan. 22. The sender’s name isn’t easy to read, but the recipient is Henry Seeam of Rice Lake, Wis.

The Playlist Presents: JayGee

WDSE-TV‘s The PlayList Presents is a series of 5-minute segments featuring emerging musicians or bands, including interview clips and a live performance. The Jan. 16 episode focused on local rapper Jeremy “Jaxon” Gardner, aka JayGee, with footage from the 2019 Catalyst Content Festival.

The PlayList Presents airs Thursday nights at around 8:20 p.m., after Making it Up North.

Mason Jennings – “Duluth”

In January 2000, Mason Jennings released his second album, Birds Flying Away, featuring a track titled “Duluth.” Twenty years later, on Friday, Jan. 24, he’s in town performing at Sacred Heart Music Center.

Third verse:

We’ll live in a little town
North of Duluth
Where my grandmother
Lived in her youth

Writers share time with students at UMD


 

Every year, regional writers spend time with my students. Last semester, Julie Gard, Linda Grover, Lucie Amundsen, Terrance Griep, Michael Fedo and Roy Booth made the trip. This year, Katya Gordon will be visiting on April 22. Maybe you can join us?

Above are photos of one of the author visits by Paying Thao, journalist for the UMD Bark and student in Introduction to Writing Studies.

Selective Focus: Another Snow Bomb

Select Instagram photos from the latest powder drop.

Selective Focus: Tommy Kronquist

Tommy Kronquist began his career as a graphic designer, and combined his minimal, classic aesthetic with a love of skate / snowboard culture and Lake Superior activities like hiking, biking kayaking and the occasional surf session. His company, The Medium Control is know for screenprinting and apparel with bold, clean graphics. He has a show at the Duluth Art Institute, and will be hosting an opening reception and artist talk Thursday, February 6, 5-8 PM.

TK: I grew up in the country on a hobby farm with horses in Annandale, MN (near st. cloud). Here my love and inspiration of nature was born. I lived outside exploring, creating and building with my brother and friends. My mom worked at Powder Ridge ski area, which somewhat became our daycare while starting skiing at age three. This is where my passion for snow sports thrived. I was heavily inspired and involved with the snowboard / skateboard culture; sports that respect and promote creativity and the individual. A strong innovative community was developed here mainly due to the fact that my friends ran the skate/snow shop in St. Cloud (Sticks / Youth Shelter Supply). My parents were very supportive in my creative outlets and allowed me to travel for snowboarding. Inspired by travel I would get up to Duluth / Spirit Mt. for snowboard competitions and for fun. Which led me to cast my college decision of UMD quite easy with Spirit Mt. being so close.

Starr Brainard & Andy Lipke – “Broccoli”

Broccoli is the Duluth Community Garden Program One Vegetable, One Community initiative‘s 2020 Vegetable of the Year. Above is a clip from WDSE-TV‘s series The Slice, with background info about the new song by DCGP Land Stewardship Coordinator Starr Brainard and Duluth musician Andrew Lipke; below is the full audio track.

Viking Octantis cruise ship plans Duluth stops in 2022

Another cruise line is planning stops in Duluth. WDIO News reports that Viking Cruises plans to bring its Viking Octantis, currently under construction, to port here multiple times in 2022. Two weeks ago the Duluth Monitor reported Hapag-Lloyd Cruises will bring the Hanseatic Inspiration to Duluth twice this summer.

Climate>Duluth: Randel Hanson

Host Tone Lanzillo interviews Randel Hanson, co-director of the eco-entrepreneurship program at Lake Superior College. This is show #6 in the Climate>Duluth series recorded at Duluth Public Access Community Television’s studio in City Hall.

BoomTown will replace Sunset Bar & Grill

Arrival of Hon. James L. Oberstar in Duluth

A crowd of photographers and ship watchers convened at Canal Park on Jan. 14 to watch the Oberstar glide through the icy water concluding its final voyage of the shipping season. Come along for the ride as the ship chugs out hot plumes of steam and cuts a path through the ice.

Duluth Adventures: An Encyclopedia of Human-powered Multisport Adventures

I’ve been a bit obsessed with planning human-powered multisport adventures in Northeastern Minnesota. Even within Duluth city limits, the options for loops are nearly endless. I was curious if anyone else out there had done similar trips in the past. Then I thought about how cool it would be to have a documentation of many routes for others to explore, want to replicate, or spur their creativity for a new route/loop. And Duluth Adventures was born!

Check out duluthadventures.com. This website pretty much hinges on other people’s submissions so I strongly encourage anyone to navigate to the “submit” button and send in their own routes.

Postcard from old Duluth Post Office and Incline Pavilion

This postcard was mailed Jan. 15, 1910. The image is referred to on the back of the card as depicting “Duluth about 18 years ago,” which would be 1892, the year the Beacon Hill Pavilion opened at the top of the Duluth Incline.

History of the Arrowhead Radio Amateurs Club

Arrowhead Radio Amateurs Club marked its 90th anniversary in December with the release of this documentary, written and produced by Kim Waller. ARAC was founded on Dec. 3, 1929 with the mission to promote the growth and enjoyment of ham radio in northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin.

Duluth Trivia Deck Sampler #36: Engwall Edition

Another trivia card from a board game purchased at Savers.

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