Paul Lundgren Posts

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.

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.

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

SmokeDope

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.

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.

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

FremontParkFront

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.

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.

BradFest 2010 at Earthwood Inn

The Friends of Brad Memorial Foundation presents BradFest — a music festival to benefit young Minnesota musicians and honor the memory of Bradley E. Rozman.

Friday, Aug. 13, and Saturday, Aug. 14 Earthwood Inn, Two Harbors

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