Paul Lundgren
Duluth 2010 Primary Election Results
With 4,136 of 4,136 precincts reporting:
FEDERAL OFFICE
United States Representative, Minnesota District 8 Independence Party
Timothy Olson — 2,515 | 100%
United States Representative, Minnesota District 8
Republican Party
Chip Cravaack — 26,602 | 100%
United States Representative, Minnesota District 8
Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
James L. Oberstar — 56,369 | 80%
W.D. (Bill) Hamm — 13,836 | 20% (more…)
A special primary election day message from the guy in Cotton who reminds us we’re all a bunch of toys
Yeah, this sign is from the 2008 election — and has been posted on PDD before — but it’s still up, and the “I told you so” has been added since then.
Whether you’re a toy or not, you still have the right to vote and bitch. You even have the right to not vote and still bitch. So take that for what it’s worth.
Iron Ore Bar in Tower, Minnesota
I heard it referred to by one of the locals as “Beirut.” It’s actually quite the normal-looking bar on the inside.
NorShor Centennial Celebration
There are three big events coming up to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the opening of the Orpheum Theatre, which was remodeled to become the NorShor in 1941.
Thursday, Aug. 19 | 7pm
This is a vaudeville-themed event featuring Tangier 57 in the mezzanine lobby, the North Shore Big Band on the main stage and a photo documentary on the history of the Orpheum/NorShor by Tony Dierckins. There will be complimentary champagne, live music, hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Tickets are $100 per person and proceeds benefit the NorShor restoration project.
Saturday, August 21 | noon
This is an open house with a wide variety of free entertainment, including performances by the Arrowhead Chorale, Over the Top Dance Co, Spin Collective, Duluth Playhouse Children’s Theater, Aurora Baer, Minnesota Ballet, DJ Path Annu and more.
Saturday, August 21 | 8 p.m.
This is a night of live music featuring some of Duluth’s hottest bands, including Modern Gentlemen, Poetry Motel, the Fontanelles, the Little Black Books, the Moon is Down, Cars & Trucks, Batteries and the Acceleratii. This event has a $5 cover charge.
The NorShor is back! It’s now under the management of the Duluth Playhouse, with tons of help from artists, businesses and community members who want to see it succeed. Watch norshortheatre.com for info about future shows, including the return of the Boogieman Project Halloween bash on Oct. 30.
Spirit Mountain’s Alpine Roller Coaster is pretty neat, but the old Duluth Skyride looks a bit more intimidating
Originally called the Incline Plane Railway, this tram system started service in 1891, carrying passengers up Seventh Avenue West from Superior Street to Ninth Street. The photo above makes it look downright terrifying.
And, of course, there was one day in which it was indeed a terrifying ride, though no one was on it.
On May 28, 1901, a fire started in a coal bin in the engine room of the powerhouse. Wind carried the fire to the pavilion at the top of the incline. The heat of the fire melted the tram cables, and a burning trolley raced down to Superior Street, where it crashed into Superior Street Station. No one was injured.
Hot!
Competition in the corn maze business
Engwall Florist, Greenhouse & Garden Center is growing a 52,000-square-foot corn maze that will open Sept. 10 at its Hermantown Road location.
Engwall’s Corn Maze at the Garden Center will be the closest corn maze to Duluth … at least that I’m aware of. Silver Brook Corn Maze is in Wrenshall and opens Sept. 17.
Engwall is partnering with the Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank, donating a dollar from each paid admission to the corn maze.
Downtown Sales
You may have noticed in the past month or so that the old sign has been removed from the Lange Motor Building, best known as the location of the former Carlson Book store, revealing an older sign for Downtown Sales.
What was Downtown Sales? It was an odds and ends store that preceded Bob Carlson’s bookstore venture. Does anyone remember anything about it? We’re talking late 1970s.
R. O. Carlson Used Book & Record closed in March 2003. Big Lake Book had a short run after that, followed by Boardwalk Book. Rod Raymond and Tim Nelson own the building now, which is being gutted of literally tons of old water-damaged books and magazines. No word on future plans.
This part of Superior Street used to be called “Automobile Row,” up until about the 1960s. The Carlson Book building was home to Interstate Auto Co., Kent Motors, Lange Motors and probably a bazillion other businesses.
So there’s a half-ass history outline. Fill in the blanks if you know anything.
Wine Tyme Winery in Superior
This winery recently began operating out of an old convenience store near the Choo-Choo Bar in Superior. It’s called Wine Tyme Winery, and is owned by Tom and Linda Anesi. The address is 4932 E. Second St.
They make wine from kits (for example, the Winexpert brand) and also sell the kits so you can make wine at home. Stop in and try a sample.
Tom said he also plans to sell beer-making supplies there in the future.
Free the Hikers: March for Freedom
Join Minnesota Senator Al Franken and Mayor Don Ness on Saturday, July 31, to march for the release of Sarah Shourd, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, who have been detained in Iran for a full year.
Gather at Duluth’s Vietnam War Memorial on the Lakewalk near Fitger’s Brewery at 1pm. The march will end at the Playground, 11 E. Superior St., where there will be a silent auction benefiting the hikers’ families from 2-6pm. There will be a screening of the documentary Songs to Enemies and Deserts by Shane Bauer, and The Real Hikers by A Safe World for Women.
Also, Culver’s is donating a percentage of its sales on July 31. This includes the Duluth, Superior and Two Harbor’s locations.
Visit freethehikers.org for more information or to donate directly.
And don’t forget the Duluth Waits for Shane, Sarah & Josh concert at Pizza Luce tonight — Thursday, July 29.
Willie the cop gets his badge pinned to his ass on Raleigh Street
One of the stories that has long been passed around West Duluth is that, many years ago, perhaps the 1920s, some guys from the ol’ Raleigh Street Gang handcuffed a cop to a pole or a post and pinned his badge to his ass. (more…)
The Duluth Academy
News release from Pakou Ly, public information coordinator for the city of Duluth:
An unprecedented partnership between the city of Duluth, Duluth Public Schools and Lake Superior College was announced today that will create an innovative educational, workforce development and community enrichment hub called the Duluth Academy.
(more…)
Pardon me, Railway Pizzeria & Bar, but I must say that’s a pretty kinky offer
Top of the delivery menu:
“Here you go, Mr. Deliveryman. See you back at my room with a vodka tonic in 20 minutes or less.”
So, whatever happened to testing Lake Superior beaches for E. coli?
According to MPR, tightened budgets led the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to decide beach testing should be done by an outside contractor, because the issue was more of a public health concern than an environmental one. But the contractors haven’t started the work yet, meaning Lake Superior beaches like Park Point aren’t being tested.
Here’s the full story …
Beachgoers beware: Not all beaches are tested for bacteria
Graffiti Timeline
I recently came across this photograph of myself observing graffiti at an I-35 underpass in West Duluth, probably from 1997 or 1998. So I went back and rephotographed the spot to show how the graffiti has changed. (more…)
Thanks Chickenbone. You rocked our block.
“Chickenbone George” Alan Sparhawk of the Black-eyed Snakes performing last night in front of Fitger’s Brewhouse.
St. Louis County Primary Election 2010 Sample Ballot
Some notes on the Aug. 10 Primary Election:
* This is an election in which you have to choose a party. You can’t, for example, vote for a Republican governor and a DFL congressman. On the partisan side of the ballot you have to vote for the same party in all races. That’s how it works, whether you like it or not.
* Your party choices are Republican, Democratic-Farmer-Labor and Independence. Yes, there are some candidates representing other parties — Constitution, Green, Ecology Democracy, Resource and Grassroots — but those candidates do not have any opposition within their parties and therefore move on to the General Election automatically.
* If you live in Duluth, you won’t see the County Commissioner races that are listed on the sample ballot — those are for districts outside of Duluth. Pretty much all of the Duluth-relevant nonpartisan county races have only two or one candidate, so you won’t get to vote on them until November. The exception is the Sixth District Court Judge 11 race, which has eight candidates.
(more…)
Duluth Waits for Shane, Sarah and Josh
Thursday, July 29 | 10pm | Pizza Lucé
Local musicians perform the music of Tom Waits to benefit the hikers detained in Iran.
The lineup will include Coyote, Bill and Kate Isles, Rachael Kilgour, Tony Bennett, the Tico Three, Dave Mehling, James Moors, Jim Hall, Charity Huot and the Mark Anderson Trio.
Cover charge: $10, which goes to Free the Hikers.
On July 31 it will be a full year that Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal have been detained in Iran with no charges brought against them. Shane and Josh have been sharing a cell in Evin’s Prison, but Sarah has been held in solitary confinement.
Bauer is a Minnesotan. His sister and brother-in-law live in Duluth, and he also has family in Shakopee and Pine City.
A protest walk and benefit will be held on July 31. More info on that in a future post.
Treasure Adventure Music Schedule
International Explorations is bringing its Treasure Adventure to Duluth July 24 through Aug. 8, coinciding with the Tall Ships Festival. Along with the display of $8 million in artifacts and general fun for the whole family, there will be music every night. Here’s the lineup:
7/24, 6pm – 4 on the Floor
7/25, 6pm – Mark Anderson Trio
7/26, 6pm – John Heino & Centerville
7/27, 6pm – Lake City Smokin’ Section
7/28, 6pm – Blue Collar Blues Club
7/29, 7:30pm – Peter Provost, Thunder Brothers
7/30, 7:30pm – Michael Bean, Brandon Scott Sellner
7/31, 7:30pm – Michael Bean, Thunder Bros., the Acceleratii,
the Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank
8/1, 7:30pm – Michael Bean, Mark Anderson Trio, Teague Alexy
8/2, 6pm – Blue Collar Blues Club
8/3, 6pm – Blue Collar Blues Club
8/4, 6pm – Blue Collar Blues Club
8/5, 6pm – Cars & Trucks
8/6, 6pm – Cars & Trucks
8/7, 6pm – Brandon Scott Sellner
8/8, 6pm – The Acceleratii
Treasure Adventure takes place on Kelley Island — the former location of the LaFarge Cement terminal. It’s next to Bayfront Festival Park at Railroad Street and Eighth Avenue. Admission is $7; $3 for children under age 12.
A reminder that fire is hot
Despite the distance between this West Duluth garage and house, the heat from the burning garage melted the siding on the house.
Bathing in Fairmount Park’s Boys’ Pool
This old postcard was sent 100 years ago today. Someone named Mabelle mailed it to Mrs. W. F. Smith of Minong, Wis. It was postmarked in Duluth, Minn., July 16, 1910, 3 p.m. (more…)
Berry picking in northern Minnesota
According to the Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture, blueberry patches from Stillwater to Cambridge are reporting a bumper crop.
While blueberries are peaking in the southern half of the state, they might not be ready for picking in northern Minnesota until July 17 — which is this weekend.
There are 26 blueberry farms statewide listed in the Minnesota Grown Directory. As for the wild ones, well … I’m not telling.
What the hell kind of bugs are these?
These bugs showed up early in the morning on the Fourth of July at Sturgeon Lake and quickly died off. But for the few hours they existed, they made quite a mess. They are small enough to go right through screens. We swept thousands of them off the floor.
Harvey Pekar dead at 70
He had been suffering from prostate cancer, asthma, high blood pressure and depression.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBr4NxujLvw&feature=player_embedded
