Paul Lundgren
Gobin Pawshington rips Babwa Spry Pelts
Duluth News Tribune Editor Robin Washington got one thing right in his column this week: The DNT is not good at promoting itself.
Washington announced that city hall reporter Brandon Stahl has been promoted to investigative/special projects editor and noted some other staff shuffling. It’s supposed to be good news. It shows that the DNT intends to focus more on investigative journalism. That’s what readers want, right? (more…)
Big Top Songwriting Competition 2010
The deadline to enter Big Top Chautauqua’s annual songwriting competition is coming up June 25. Last year, James Moors of Superior and Tracey Muench of Duluth were finalists. It’s part of Big Top’s Celebration of the Song Festival, a 3-day focus on songwriting and songwriters.
Info and entry forms are available at bigtop.org/canvas
The winner of this year’s contest gets a $100 cash prize and performs two songs to open for Nanci Griffith on August 28.
Oh hell no! Fred Tyson on Howard Stern?
There is a rumor going around that Duluth’s own Fred Tyson is flying out to New York City to be on the Howard Stern Show next Thursday.
Apparently he’s one of the final three in some sort of contest to become a new member of the Wack Pack, which is a collection of oddball personalities that appear on the show semi-regularly.
This ought to be interesting.
Select Images from Denfeld’s first Oracle
Before there was a school called Denfeld, high school classes in West Duluth were held at Irving School. (more…)
Election 2010: The Weird Stuff
As noted in a previous post, an Elvis impersonator is running for lieutenant governor in Minnesota.
Here are some other things that jump out at me from the candidate filings:
* Kenny Kalligher, co-host of Duluth Public Access Community Television’s The Average Guys is running for state auditor. He’s also a musician. Maybe you saw him at the Homegrown Music Festival, performing as Uncle Kenny.
* Longtime Republican Harry Welty is running for the State Senate in the 7th district on the DFL ticket. (By the way, Welty was my geography teacher in the 7th grade. My 9th grade civics teacher was Sam Solon, who held this senate seat for 31 years. And just to stretch these parenthetical Morgan-Park-Junior-High-related remarks out longer, I’ll note that the son of my 8th grade social studies teacher is running for judge in sixth district court 11.)
* Joe Reasbeck of Iron River is running for Congress in Wisconsin’s seventh district (currently Dave Obey’s seat; Obey’s retiring). This is, of course, the Joe Reasbeck of Google Goes to Twin Ports fame. He’s running as a Democrat.
An article in the Wausau Daily Herald notes that “in 2006 Reasbeck ran as an Independent write-in candidate for Congress in the Houston-area district formerly held by House Majority Leader Tom Delay. He raised about $4,000 from donors and ended up with less than 1 percent of the vote.”
An AP story notes that Reasbeck and other Republican candidates were officially considered independents after DeLay quit the race, but Reasbeck “said he was running as a Republican at the time and his campaign listed his party affiliation as Republican in a federal filing.”
Are you talkin’ it off or walkin’ it off?
So, I’m walking down East Third Street, minding my own business, and a middle-aged man with a goofy smile on his face asks me: “Are you talkin’ it off or walkin’ it off?”
Is that some kind of expression? What could it possibly mean? Did I hear him right?
I’ve found that it’s best in these situations to just say something quickly and politely while continuing to walk, so I just said, “Walking it off,” and kept going.
But now that interaction is bugging me. The only implication I can think of is that maybe I’m supposed to be walking off a hangover, which I guess sort of makes sense. But how would somebody talk off a hangover? And since I wasn’t talking, shouldn’t it have been obvious I was walking it off?
Clyde Park Historical Timeline
The Clyde Iron Works restaurant and event center at Clyde Park is now open at 29th Ave. W. & Michigan St. in Duluth’s Friendly West End. Here’s a little Clyde historical timeline. (more…)
Uptown Boys at Teatro Zuccone
The Twin Ports’ only Billy Joel tribute band plays Teatro Zuccone on Friday, May 28, at 9 p.m. Stick around for Renegade Theater Co. Improv at 10:30 p.m. Cover charge: Five bucks.
The things men do for love
In a tragic follow-up story to Swan’s post from November, Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen has gotten rid of his mullet. Apparently his fiancé didn’t dig it.
What’s next? Will Frank Nichols shave his beard?
2010 Minnesota Governor Race
You’ve got until Tuesday, June 1, to pick a running mate and file your candidacy for governor in Minnesota.
Your list of opponents will surely grow in the next week, but here’s the lineup so far:
Tom Emmer & Annette T. Meeks (Republican)
Ole Savior & Todd “Elvis” Anderson (Republican)
Margaret Anderson Kelliher & John Gunyou (DFL)
Mark Dayton & Yvonne Prettner Solon (DFL)
Congratulations to Ole Savior for being more hilarious than ever this time around. Elvis Anderson? Really? Wow.
By the way, in Wisconsin the list of candidates for governor is up to 20 already. Lieutenant governor candidates run separately in Wisconsin. There are 10 of them, including Superior Mayor David Ross.
And how about the crazy scramble to run for Prettner Solon’s Minnesota Senate District 7 seat now that she’s running for lieutenant governor? No one has filed yet, but that one is bound to get interesting.
Oh, and I apologize in advance for provoking a discussion of politics.
Murder House on a Foggy Day
Reading Duluth News Tribune reporter Brandon Stahl’s series of stories on problem properties in Duluth made me think of the Murder House.
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Fiber Optics: The Final Frontier
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=389qaOnhm7k
Some of the Google Fiber videos from a few months ago never made it to PDD. Since there seems to be renewed interest in the subject following the release of Google Goes to Twin Ports, it seems like a good time to highlight some of the good work put out by a wide variety of people. The director of the above video is 14 years old. (more…)
Naming Rights and Personal Bias
For some reason I have the following broad scope of opinions about the new stadium/arena names.
Amsoil Arena – Fine by me. Sounds OK.
Target Field – Kind of dumb, but I can deal with it.
Mall of America Field – Kill me now.
Am I the only one with these blatantly hypocritical feelings?
By the way, Mall of America Field is at the Metrodome, in case any of you are unaware. The name change happened kind of quietly last year, but apparently some Teflon fabric panels will soon be placed on top of the dome to make it painfully clear.
Forest tent caterpillars in southern Minnesota — March to Duluth begins!
I came across several of these disgusting silken mats of forest tent caterpillars on Sunday in the Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area, about 160 miles south of Duluth. I’m sure there’s some larvae busting from egg masses somewhere in the northern part of the state, too, but I haven’t seen any yet.
I think next summer is when things should start to get really gross around here, with a peak in 2012 … although I haven’t heard any official predictions yet. Anyway, it probably wouldn’t hurt to get stocked up on tin foil and dish soap, or whatever is supposed to keep the ravenous little beasts from chewing your trees bald. Perhaps someone can fill us in on good dish soap substitutes that are better for the environment but still make the “army” retreat. (It’s smart the way they invade every 10 years … just long enough for us to forget all their weaknesses.)
Equal Xchange — Stage Presents
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mekr86GOj8I
Directed by Edgewood Smith
Another selection from the 2010 Homegrown Music Video Festival.
Name That Trail: The gravel one that goes from 63rd Avenue West, behind the zoo and under Ely’s Peak, out to I-35
Have you walked, biked, snowmobiled or whatevered this trail? It starts/ends just off of North 63rd Avenue West and Greene Street (though technically there are random sections of it that pop up further east) and goes west out to Beck’s Road and I-35, where it gradually disappears.
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Population of Duluth: 1860 to 2000
Update: A more recent version of this chart with 2010 and 2020 figures and additional notes is now available.
I can’t remember ever seeing a graph of Duluth’s population over time, so I made one. The results of the 2010 U.S. Census aren’t in yet, but the state demographer estimated a population of 85,220 in 2008, so perhaps a slight dip can be expected.
The topic for discussion: What is the ideal population for Duluth?
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Trinity of Spring: Complete
I have it on good authority that A & Dubs is now open, completing the Trinity of Spring. This is A & Dubs 62nd year in business.
Deer break into the Stout Ale House in Menomonie, Wis. — patrons were ironically watching Milwaukee Bucks game
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15n8PPNVglQ
Above is surveillance video from May 2. Watch as two bucks smash through the doors.
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A Homegrown Tradition: Getting your picture taken with people while enthusiastically giving them thumbs up
2010 Edition — starring Barrett Chase
Sunday — Rich Narum and Emily Norton
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Snowgroan
Best Homegrown weather since 2002!
Homegrown Schedule Changes
If you’re using the Homegrown Music Festival Field Guide to chart your course, please note the following changes:
Wednesday, May 5 – Although it’s referred to as “Lakewalk Night,” you might not want to use the Lakewalk to get from the Canal Park venues to Fitger’s or vice versa. The part of the Lakewalk between Endion Depot and Fitger’s will be closed to allow workers to repave it. The Homegrown steering committee didn’t see that coming.
Thursday, May 6 – The Fractals are not playing at the Brewhouse at 11 p.m. The What Four will be playing. These bands were switched after the schedule was printed.
Friday, May 7 – Dead Man Winter had to cancel its gig. Consequently, the Keep Aways will be playing at 10 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. at Twins Bar.
Jeffrey James O’Laughlin and Ashley Northey have switched slots for Friday night. So O’Laughlin will be playing at Sir Benedict’s Tavern on the Lake at 11 p.m. and Northey will be playing at Carmody Irish Pub at 10:15. Also, Northey has been playing with a band lately, and that band has a name now — the Sweet Virginias.
As referenced above, the What Four is not playing at Roscoe’s Pioneer Bar at 11 p.m. on Friday. The Fractals have moved to that slot.
Opening night of Homegrown and people are already breaking out their two-sided, laminated cheat sheets
Anyone interested in stalking Jess Hall this weekend? Here’s where to find her.