Paul Lundgren
View of Rice’s Point, circa 1961
The above shot of Rice’s Point is from the Cliff’s Barber Shop Collection. It must be from 1961, as the new Blatnik Bridge (highlighted in the below) appears to be not quite completed in the photo.
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Black bear on the pier in Duluth
Thanks to photos from the Duluth Shipping News’ “bear cam” and an audio clip of Ryan Beamer, chief Aerial Lift Bridge operator, PDD now presents this delightful 12-second recap of yesterday’s events at the South Pier of the Duluth shipping canal.
Missing Person: Andrew Wagner
Andrew Wagner, age 47, has been missing from Cherry, Minn. since Thursday at approximately 8 a.m. He is believed to be at risk of self harm.
Wagner is Caucasian, approximately 6-ft. tall and 220 lbs., and has short salt-and-pepper hair and dark-rimmed glasses.
He is driving a distinctive red 1964 Volvo 122s, Minnesota license plate NX110, and was last seen at the Greenwood Cemetery in Virginia at 2:00 on the day he went missing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office at 218-479-6010.
Reflecting on Coolio in Duluth
Ten days before Homegrown 2012, Coolio came to Duluth. I find myself looking back and wondering how the hell I ended up at that show, standing in the back next to Jellybean Johnson, listening to a mid-1990s rap star talk about eating sushi at Black Water and how “Duluth bitches are all dimes.”
Homegrown Band Count, 1999 to 2012
“Ten bands, then 25, then 40 and 50. It would be nice to see it plotted out.” — Homegrown Music Festival founder Scott Lunt in today’s Duluth News Tribune
Here it is, plotted out:
Duluth’s job growth continues as Perfect Duluth Day adds half a position
As if recent news about AAR and Cirrus creating hundreds of jobs in Duluth’s aviation sector wasn’t enough, Perfect Duluth Day has announced the creation of one-half of a job in the important selling-square-boxes-on-the-right-column-of-websites sector. Yes, the Internet giant has launched a search for a part-time media sales representative.
Mayor Don Ness’ press conference regarding this major development is apparently still in the planning stages.
PDD Corporate President Paul Lundgren said the addition of this half job should put to rest any rumors that the popular website is considering leaving Duluth to take advantage of incentives offered by Hermantown and Esko.
“After months of working with city leaders, DEDA, APEX, the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce, the West Duluth Business Club and for some reason the Duluth Amateur Hockey Association, we feel confident Duluth is the place to grow our business and add one half of a job,” Lundgren said, noting also that “interested candidates for the position can read a serious job description through the link embedded in this very sentence.”
The general public had no comment on the matter, because comments to this post are closed.
Duluth trails are now open
The city Parks and Recreation Dept. has determined trails are now dry enough for public use. Let the hiking and leashed dog walking commence.
Favorite Duluth sinkholes
The sinkhole above, on the Raleigh Street spur to the DWP Trail, is huuuuge. Can anyone beat it? Will we need to get out the tape measures?
I concede, of course, that though it is much larger than the sinkhole Nate Lindstrom posted about in 2010 (shown below), it doesn’t exceed that one in terms of comedy. Maybe I need a model.
Duluth band Trampled by Turtles on Late Show with David Letterman
Tuesday, April 24, 10:35 p.m., KDLH-TV 3.1
Late Show with David Letterman guests:
Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation)
Wendy Williams (The Wendy Williams Show)
Trampled by Turtles (CD, Stars and Satellites)
Duluth Album Releases in 2004
Greg Cougar Conley
For You
HDC Records
Jerree Small
Mobius
Available on CD Baby
Trampled by Turtles
Songs from a Ghost Town
Available on Amazon
Geek Prom ’02: A lil’ documentary
The first Geek Prom was held April 13, 2002. Enjoy the video memories, my fellow nerdwads.
Duluth Does Freud
What’s your favorite Duluth phallus?
Duluth SoundCloud Sampler
What locally relevant new songs on SoundCloud are you liking? Here are a few finds.
Bull Feathers — “Shake” (Cougar Conley and the Virgin Marcus!)
Haroula Rose — “Duluth” (Mason Jennings cover)
So long, Southgate Bowl
Since the Southgate Bowl in Cloquet is shutting down to make way for a Walgreens, it seems fitting to pay tribute. Best wishes to Gerry and Rose Pollard, who opened the place in the 1970s.
Homegrown Rawk and/or Roll: Sparhawk’s Mix
It’s available now on Bandcamp, and you can name your price. (more…)
Duluth Album Releases in 2003
It’s not a complete list, just what we could easily pull together. If you know of a record we missed, mention it in the comments or email paul @ perfectduluthday.com. (more…)
The PDD Calendar Transition Team
Left to right in our photo are outgoing editor Abigail Schoenecker, intrepid intern Emily Haavik and … announcing the new PDD Calendar editor – Lawrence Lee.
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Buffalo Bill Cody, his little sister Helen, and Duluth
There are a lot of rumors and facts about Buffalo Bill Cody and his connection to Duluth. In this post, we examine the subject as deeply as anyone would possibly want to.
In short: Buffalo Bill Cody financed the Duluth Press Building in the friendly West End. There used to be a Cody Hotel in West Duluth named after Buffalo Bill, and he is the namesake behind Cody Street.
Here’s a link to a story I wrote in 2002 about Buffalo Bill’s little sister for the Area Woman magazine, which provides a good general background: Area Women in History: Helen Cody Wetmore (more…)
Helen Cody Wetmore: More Than Just Buffalo Bill’s Little Sister
The reminders are all over the city, but still, few people know that Colonel William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody had business interests in Duluth one hundred years ago. His sister, Helen Cody Wetmore, lived in Duluth back then and convinced the famous frontiersman and Wild West showman to invest in the Zenith City. She also made a name for herself as an advocate for women achieving what she called “their rightful spheres in church and state.” (more…)
Blue Laws are Stupid, Post #5
I apologize for not being as vigilant with this as John Ramos has been with his countdown, but here’s the latest sad news on one of the most idiotic laws ever: