Paul Lundgren
Construction at Spirit Mountain
Here’s what the new chalet at the bottom of the hill at Spirit Mountain looks like today. It should be complete during this ski season.
By the way, Mont du Lac recently built a new chalet at the top of its hill, which will open this winter. Neither ski area has plans for a chalet halfway down a hill.
Duluth: A new film by Nicole Brending
Apparently a short film called Duluth was completed in 2010. (I’ll note right up front that the trailer features brief nudity.)
Update: The trailer on Vimeo has been removed.
The URL given at the end of the trailer is to a site that doesn’t exist. There is, however, an Internet Movie Database plot summary, which reads as follows: (more…)
Update on New Stuff
Noodles & Company opened at the Miller Hill Mall yesterday, according to Business North.
Shake It, the new nutritional protein shake and juice bar in West Duluth (at the former Spirit Bottle Shoppe) will open Sunday if I remember correctly what the sign by the door indicated today.
Carmody 61, the new bar/restaurant in Two Harbors that is taking over the former Viking Legends opens on Oct. 1, according to co-owner Rick Boo.
7 West Tap House, Minnesota Wine Exchange and Canal Park Brewing are all potential late October openings, according to word on the street. (We haven’t mentioned Minnesota Wine Exchange on this site before. The location will be 3 W. Superior St., the owners are Brent Johanson and Debra Fellman, and the place will have a rotating selection of Minnesota wines.)
Duluth’s New Nameless Park
Today there was a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the new park above the corner of the Lakewalk holding tank — aka the East Interceptor Sanitary Sewer Overflow Storage Facility.
And the city is looking for citizens to come up with a name for it. (more…)
Spirit Valley Fresh Farm Market
Was the place with the Spirit Valley Fresh Farm Market sign a farmers’ market at one time? As near as I can tell, the answer is yes. I can’t really verify it was a farmers’ market, or provide any details about how it operated, but the 1984 city directory does list a “Spirit Valley Fresh Farm Market” at 5831 Grand Ave. in West Duluth. Karen H. Linder was listed as the proprietor. (more…)
Minnesota Fall Colors 2012 — From Castle Danger to Split Rock State Park
Pics from the Superior Hiking Trail. (more…)
Do we at least have the Duluth record?
Apparently, the record for heads on a single sunflower plant is in the low 100s. This one from PDD’s West Duluth Headquarters only has about 25 heads — which the Internet tells us is actually rather common. Anyway, some critter chewed this sucker down last night, so our attempt at the record has fallen considerably short.
Confusing enough?
This sign is on the entrance to the Green Door Lounge in Beaver Bay. I guess it means that even though the place is going to be closed on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays, it will still be “open” on Mondays and Tuesdays … with the quotation marks maybe indicating that they are “open for suggestions” or something. Maybe that’s how the “new hours” work.
Lost Creek Falls Trail in Bayfield County
In Bayfield County Forest, across the road from the old Town of Bell Cemetery, is the trailhead to Lost Creek Falls. From there it’s less than a half-hour hike to the falls. (more…)
Town of Bell Cemetery, 1902 to 1915
Out in Bayfield County Wisconsin is the small town of Bell (within which is the more well-known unincorporated place of Cornucopia). Two little secret spots in Bell are the old 23-grave cemetery (photos above) and the Lost Creek Falls Trail (photos of that to come in a future post).
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Duluth Superior Pride 2012
Perfect day for a parade.
Obama sucks; defeat the liar
The latest campaign sign to add to PDD’s collection of whack-job yard art is this one on Highway 13 near Washburn, Wis.
Duluth Album Releases in 2009
Ben Durbin’s Modern Antiques
Sweet Precious Time
(Feb. 20)
Available on YouTube
The Moon is Down
The Moon is Down’s Excellent Adventure
Automation Records Media Conglomerate (March 19)
Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank
Traveling Show
Available at consideritcorrespondence.com
Duluth Album Releases in 2008
Number One Common
Secrets Lies and Alibis
(Jan. 1)
Available on Bandcamp
Tangier 57
Last Night Never Happened EP
(March 7)
Available on Bandcamp
The Keep Aways
Decay
(March 7)
Available on Bandcamp
Two Many Banjos
Trouble in Paradise
(April 23)
Available on CD Baby
Duluth and the North Shore in Aug/Sept issue of National Geographic Traveler
“Road trips up the Minnesota shore of Lake Superior begin in Duluth, an industrial harbor town at the southern end of a wooded triangle called the Arrowhead and two-lane Highway 61. Also called North Shore Scenic Drive, the paved boundary between woods and waters delivers views of the ancient volcanic basalt cliffs that plunge into Lake Superior, so vast it merges with the sky on the horizon. At the turn of the 20th century, outbound ships loaded with northern Minnesota’s prized iron ore ranked Duluth among the U.S.’s busiest ports.”
Road Trip: Northern Minnesota
Who cares?
This Duluth campaign sign from 2001 is my all-time favorite. I think what Dan Williams might have intended to suggest was that he was the answer to the question — he cares. But no one took it that way.
Williams was running for the Fourth District City Council seat. He was knocked out in the primary by Roger Reinert and Neill Atkins. Atkins eventually won, topping Reinert by 18 votes.
Hey, so how are those allergies treating you?
Graphic via pollen.com.
Edward Moody back in Minnesota
Former Northland’s NewsCenter reporter Edward Moody will make his debut with WCCO-TV in the Twin Cities on Friday. He has been hired as a weekend anchor/ reporter. He had been working at the Fox affiliate in Indianapolis, but Duluthians will remember him from his KBJR stint from 2002 to 2007.
Hey, leave Duluth out of it, punk.
Minnesota Republican Senator Dan Hall of Burnsville decided to become the next social-media idiot today with this Tweet. We’d typically ignore something like this on PDD, but … isn’t that Duluth’s Inner Pier Lighthouse in the photo?
Duluth 2012 Primary Election Results
Here’s the statewide numbers for races relevant to Duluth.
United States Senator, Independence Party
Stephen Williams – 3,068 | 60%
Glen R. Anderson Menze – 2,074 | 40%
United States Senator, Republican Party
Kurt Bills – 63,380 | 51%
David Carlson – 43,850 | 35%
Bob Carney Jr. – 16,755 | 14%
United States Senator, Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
Amy Klobuchar – 183,702 | 91%
“Dick” Franson – 6,831 | 3%
Jack Edward Shepard – 6,638 | 3%
Darryl Stanton – 5,161 | 3%
United States Representative for Minnesota District 8, Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
Richard Nolan – 20,839 | 38%
Tarryl L. Clark – 17,540 | 32%
Jeff Anderson – 15,978 | 29%
Minnesota House District 7A, DFL Party
Thomas Huntley – 3,337 | 82%
Brandon Clokey – 756 | 18%
St. Louis County Commissioner, District 3
Chris Dahlberg – 1,658 | 55%
Debbie Isabell-Nelson – 1,188 | 40%
Dennis Szymialis – 160 | 5%
Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice:
Lorie Skjerven Gildea – 145,004 | 50%
Dan Griffith – 85,828 | 29%
Jill Clark – 61,242 | 21%
Minnesota Supreme Court Associate Justice 4:
David R. Stras – 139,197 | 49%
Tim Tingelstad – 83,942 | 29%
Alan Nelson – 61,908 | 22%
Operating levy for Duluth schools in November? Well, actually no.
Superintendent Bill Gronseth’s remarks at the August 13 School Board Business Committee meeting:
As you know, I’ve served as Superintendent for about six months. In that time, I have spoken with many groups, organizations, families and citizens.
Recently, I had the opportunity to have a cup of coffee with one of our alums. He told me that he has been a long-time supporter of the schools, but during last year’s operating levy he didn’t feel he could vote “yes.” I asked him why. He explained that it was a loss of trust – he didn’t really understand what the money was for and was confused about the facilities plan and how that might be tied to money for programs.
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