Paul Lundgren

Halloween 1911: The Quietest in History?

From the Duluth News Tribune, 100 years ago.


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Radio WAKX 1320: The Twin Ports’ pace-setting leader

Via Bob Halverson, here’s another old Duluth radio jingle.

WAKX 1320

Hey, someone had to lead at setting the pace.

Related link: Bob’s initial post about local jingles.

Smooth Sailing on I-35

popping-champagne-corkThis just in from the Minnesota Dept. of Transportation:

All lanes of I-35 in Duluth open to traffic
I-35 Mega Project substantially finished

DULUTH, Minn. – All Interstate 35 lanes and ramps in Duluth are open to traffic now that crews have completed the majority of work on the I-35 Mega Project.
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Damn kids will make life miserable for older Duluthians

From the Duluth News Tribune, 1895:


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Red Maple Segregation

Looking north on 61st Ave. W.

Duluth’s old Mathisen Tire Co.

Here’s another photo from the Cliff’s Barber Shop Collection. It’s from the spring or early summer of 1962, and the location is 400 E. Superior St. in Duluth. (PDD all-star points go to the person who can explain what this parade is all about. It might be the Fourth of July, but that’s totally a guess on my part.) (more…)

From the venerable Onion newspaper

There’s also “Bears Somehow Proud Of Selves For Beating Vikings.”

I-35 Mega Project — Final Complaints

Since the I-35 reconstruction is wrapping up and the freeway will be getting back to normal soon, it’s probably a good time to get rid of any lingering road rage.

So … wow … did the past two years suck or what?

Rachael Kilgour – “Will You Marry Me?”

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBBm32Ek-PQ&feature=player_embedded

Video by Trent Waterman for the North Shore Sessions.

Sushi in Duluth

Not long ago, zero restaurants in Duluth served sushi.

City Pages did a cover story about Duluth culture in 2001 titled “Hey, we’re in Duluth.” Zak Sally, then bassist of the Duluth-based band Low, lamented Duluth’s lack of sushi in the article.

The singers get their fair share of the world on the road but say they miss sushi. If somebody opened a sushi bar in Duluth, Sally deadpans, the local news would run an item explaining what sushi is. Not that everyone in town is chafing at its limits.

Shortly after the article, sushi popped up in Duluth at the old Bennett’s restaurant (now Midi) and in Superior at the old Sakana (now Marlee’s Caribbean).

Today, sushi is on the menu at a handful of area restaurants:

Black Water Lounge (They still serve sushi, don’t they?)
China King Buffet (no website; opening announced on PDD here)
Hanabi Japanese Cuisine
Osaka Sushi Hibachi Steakhouse (no website; PDD reviews here)
Zen House (Duluth)
Zen House (Hermantown)

Discussion topic: Hanabi is clearly the best and China King Buffet is clearly the least expensive, right?

UPDATE: Commenters note that two grocery stores — Mt. Royal Fine Foods and Cub Foods — both sell sushi in Duluth.

Did anyone else see the kickass rainbow?

Lake-Superior-Rainbow

The Infamous Dr. Thunder paints a mural in Indianapolis that MSNBC dubs a “must see”

Superior native Erik Pearson spent part of this past summer working on a mural in Indianapolis, which made MSNBC’s list of “America’s must-see murals.”

You can see Erik’s murals in Superior at Red Mug Coffeehouse and along some back-alley spots, as mentioned in the PDD post “The Infamous Dr. Thunder paints a mural on the back door of Who’s Bar in Superior.”

The Fontanelles – “Stranger”

httpv://youtu.be/i5fssTMflUg

Video from last month’s “One Week Live” series at Beaner’s Central, edited by Dan Dresser.

Urban Canoeing in Minnesota

Video by Jake Strassman, one of the guys behind … (more…)

Where in Duluth?

Yes, time once again to play PDD’s exciting game of photo trivia. Where in Duluth was this photo shot?

NorShor Theatre Preliminary Designs

Six-page PDF of NorShor Theatre preliminary schematic designs

2011 Duluth General Election Sample Ballot

Brush up on your referendums, kids. The city and the school district have some wordy questions for you. (By the way, you should be able to click on the images below to see them larger and read them more easily. The city question is the back side of the ballot, and is a separate image below.)

Another note about the ballot: As usual, depending on what neighborhood you live in, you might also vote on a district city councilor and/or school board member. This ballot has the district council race blanked out and does not include a district school board race.

This Week: Bellydancers, singers, nerds, rosemalers and movies in a barn

Since the PDD Calendar editor has come down with a nasty case of computer virus, allow me to take a shot at highlighting a few hot events this week. (more…)

Duluth 2011 Primary Election Results

With 36 of 36 precincts reporting and 6,620 total ballots cast:

At-large Duluth City Councilors
(Two positions; top four candidates advance)
Emily Larson – 4,918 | 40%
Linda Krug – 4,860 | 40%
Tim Riley – 947 | 8%
Chad Smith – 645 | 5%
Eric Edwardson – 446 | 4%
Gareth W. Bates – 442 | 4%

Fourth District Duluth City Councilor
(Top two candidates advance.)
Jacqueline Halberg – 695 | 44%
Garry Krause – 649 | 41%
Ryan Miles – 134 | 9%
Wallace Newquist – 59 | 4%
Travis Silvers – 29 | 2%

At-large Duluth School Board Member
(Top two candidates advance.)
Michael Miernicki – 3,783 | 61%
Ryan Stauber – 1,882 | 30%
Doug Frisk – 515 | 8%

Found: Eyeglasses on Wisconsin Point

I found a pair of eyeglasses on Wisconsin Point on Sunday, Sept. 11, along the shore near parking lot 1. I hung them on the sign at the parking lot, so if you’re looking for them they’re probably still there.
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PDD Calendar Launch on Monday, Sept. 12

Here’s the short version of things you need to know about the big changes at Perfect Duluth Day:

1) The PDD Calendar, which has been available in test mode for two months, will be launching full scale on Monday.

2) The editor of the calendar is Abigail Schoenecker, who can be reached at calendar @ perfectduluthday.com.

3) Effective immediately, PDD’s Blog Policies are changing a bit to discourage posting about events on the blog.
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Time to settle this once and for all

The bird in this photo is …

This poll is now closed. The results were:

A skyrat, one of the Devil’s flying rodents, which should be fed rocks from a slingshot. — 70.4 percent

A seagull, one of God’s lovely creatures, which should be fed popcorn gently tossed in its vicinity. — 29.6 percent

[poll id=”10″]

Cloud Cult – Unexplainable Stories

Animation by Jon Thompson of Minneapolis-based Bolster Creative

Previous Cloud Cult video here.

The Park Point Fox

ParkPointFox9 ParkPointFox1 ParkPointFox2 ParkPointFox3 ParkPointFox4 ParkPointFox5 ParkPointFox7 ParkPointFox8

Photos by Hattie Peterson. (Click any image to see it full size or to go through them all slide-show style.)

Minnesota Point: Protector or Guide?

From the 1950 book This is Duluth, by Dora May Macdonald:

According to rumour, George Sherwood, one of the old-time real estate men, stood on the barren hills one day with an Easterner, expounding on the charms of the village and the advantages to be gained by investing in Duluth real estate. Pointing to the sandy stretch of land curving out into the water, he said, “There lies Minnesota Point. It looks like God’s arm protecting the town of Duluth.”

The Easterner, unimpressed by the rocky hills, sand, or sentiment, replied, “It looks to me more like God’s finger pointing the way out of town.”