February 2022 Posts

Bob Mason with the save in 1982

This 40-year-old press photo shows University of Minnesota Duluth goalie Bob Mason about to make a save at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. It is credited to Star Tribune photographer Cletus “Pete” Hohn.

Selective Focus: Seeking River Stories

The St. Louis River Alliance typically organizes an annual Winter Walk event in February, but the rise in COVID-19 cases led the organization to cancel it for the second year in a row. Instead, stories, photos and videos are being collected throughout the month to to be shared on the alliance’s social media accounts to encourage people to get outside and enjoy winter.

Featured in this post as examples are photos by the alliance’s development director, Alyssa Johnson.

Chester Creek Concert Series 2022 band applications sought

The 39th season of the Chester Creek Concert Series will run Tuesday nights from June 14 to Aug. 16 at Chester Park. Bands interested in playing a 90-minute set on one of those Tuesday can apply with Duluth Parks and Recreation.

As a part of the application process, bands are asked to provide a bio, contact information, up to three sound samples and other information.

MNDOT names eight more plows for 2022


After tallying 60,000 votes, MNDOT has named eight more plows in the fleet. They join Plowy McPlowface and Duck Duck Orange Truck from last year’s naming contest. In Duluth, you can be on the lookout for No More Mr. Ice Guy to be clearing the roads.

America’s Curling Heroes in Parade Magazine

“A humble Midwestern team” that “made curling cool” is on the cover of this week’s Parade magazine.

The U.S. men’s Olympic curling team members pictured are, left to right: John Landsteiner, Duluth; Chris Plys, Duluth; John Shuster, Superior; John Landsteiner, Duluth; Colin Hufman, Minneapolis; and Matt Hamilton, McFarland.

Postcard from a View on Duluth’s Hillside

This undated postcard shows Duluth’s Aerial Lift Bridge, ships on the lake, the Duluth Arena-Auditorium, parts of the Downtown and Canal Park areas and more circa perhaps 1980 or so.

Monthly Grovel: February 2022

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As we ease in and out of mask mandates and public health challenges, the world of arts, athletics and leisure carry on. And the PDD Calendar has all the details as usual. Each month we reach out with one beggarly blog post to remind everyone that human beings and not machines are at work editing and publishing calendar events. So if you appreciate it, drop a few bucks in the PayPal account.

Philip Jones Keeping the Stairway into Chester Park Clear

As I struggled to get down into and then out of the Chester Park ravine during a walk, I recalled this short video interview I made with Philip Jones in 2017. Enjoy Philip’s thoughts on stairways, community, and the fact that the Hillside was built for trolleys, not for thousands of cars!

Quiz regarding the location of the Northeast Passage to follow!

A Bit More about Helen Futter

A reader has sent some information about Helen Futter, the subject (I think) of some thoughts I’ve had about record collections, midcentury media, and pop culture. (See here, here, here, here, and here.) Generally, reflecting on what (I think) was Helen’s record collection, donated by her estate to Gabriel’s Books in Lakeside, I treated her like a “typical teen,” listening to records on her “Victrola.”

Red pennants make sliding safe for kids at street intersections

An update to the post “Sledding Duluth’s Avenues in 1921“:

By 1922 it was determined that the safe thing to do is hang red pennants to warn drivers about popular sledding intersections.

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