Paul Lundgren
The Ongoing Tom & Jerry Batter Issue
So, perhaps you have been following along with the recent comments on last year’s PDD Gift Guide regarding Connolly’s Tom And Jerry Batter. The news that came out there is that Upper Lakes Foods, which owns the Connolly family recipe, no longer has a manufacturer to produce it. The supply ran out shortly after Thanksgiving, leaving consumers with the choice of either buying inferior brands or making the batter themselves.
The folks at Heavy Table took up the topic today with a little history of the fine tradition of applying sugary frosting to one’s booze, along with a recommended recipe.
Hopefully Connolly’s will be back on shelves next year. (As Baci noted in the old post, perhaps a PDD army will have to step in and rent a kitchen to crank it out if need be.) It’s been a popular fixture in these parts for over 60 years, having originated at Connolly’s Bakery on Belknap Street in Superior. Other brands simply don’t compare.
Duluth and Iron Will are chopped liver on Explore Minnesota’s “Top 10 Minnesota Film Destinations”
If crappy Disney movies like Iron Will were exempt from the list, how did The Mighty Ducks get included?
Anyway, on the list are:
A Prairie Home Companion – Fitzgerald Theater, Mickey’s Diner
Grumpy Old Men – Lake Rebecca
North Country – The Iron Range
Purple Rain – First Avenue
The Good Son – Palisade Head
Beautiful Girls – Bryant Lake Bowl
Jingle All The Way – Mall of America
Sweet Land – Southwestern Minnesota
The Mighty Ducks – Rice Park
Fargo – Brainerd Lakes Area (more…)
Zumba at Stargate Nightclub
Her name is Melinda, and Zumba is her passion. She’s hosting a “Girls Night Out Zumba Workout Party” on Monday, Dec. 27 at Stargate Nightclub in Superior from 5:45 to 8 p.m. Details on the Zumba with Melinda website.
Free, all-ages holiday skating in Duluth
Bring your own skates.
DECC Skating Party 2010
Sunday, Dec. 26, 3-5pm
Duluth Entertainment Convention Center Arena
Music provided by Shelly’s Mobile Music Machine
Free door prizes and cookies for kids.
Bayfront Park Outdoor Skating
Through Dec. 26, 5-9pm | Dec. 27-31, 1-8pm | Closed Jan. 1
After Jan. 2, Mon-Fri, 4-8pm, Saturday 1-8pm, Sunday 1-5pm
Adjacent to Bentleyville Tour of Lights at Bayfront Park
Heritage Sports Center Indoor Pleasure Skating
Friday, Dec. 31, 1:30-3pm.
120 S. 30th Ave. W.
Skate or die!!!
UMD defeats Delta State, wins second NCAA Division 2 football championship!
Delta State of Mississippi ……………………. 7-7-0-3–7
University of Minnesota Duluth …….. 10-0-0-10–20
What a game!!!
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UMD Alumni Hockey at Amsoil Arena
So, about 10 seconds into the UMD Alumni Game at the new Amsoil Arena, a little kid behind me says, “Even I could beat these guys in a race.”
Yeah, the old timers weren’t nearly as quick as they were in their prime, but the sexy assist from Bill Watson on a Norm MacIver goal was awfully impressive and the new Bulldog digs are mighty sweet.
Plain drunk, drunk and disorderly and even beastly drunk in Duluth
Regular folks getting drunk used to be front page news. Ah, the good ol’ days.
From the first issue of the Duluth Herald, April 9, 1883:
James Clark got drunk yesterday and was run in by Officer Turcotte. He was taxed $8.50 this morning by Justice Martin.
A. Lonquest was drunk and disorderly at Rice’s Point last night and Officer Peloski found considerable difficulty in arresting him. He had an infernal machine called a self cocking revolver on his person besides a dangerous looking knife. He contributed $10 to the city treasury this morning.
P. Peck was a plain drunk who was picked up by Tom McLaughlin yesterday. He paid the customary $8.50 this morning.
Mary McGraw got beastly drunk yesterday and fell into the clutches of the police. This morning she woke up financially embarrassed and the result was she was sentenced to ten days confinement in the county jail.
These are our people; this is our heritage.
Missing Person: Scott Michael Tridgell
UPDATE: Tridgell was found on Jan. 5, 2011.
Duluth Police Dept. news release:
Scott Michael Tridgell, age 26, of Duluth was reported missing by his family on Dec. 14. Family members said Tridgell left his residence in Duluth on the morning of Dec. 13, leaving a note that he was going to a job interview. He has not been seen or heard from since.
Tridgell suffers from a form of amnesia which limits his ability to recall important details regarding his personal life, such as where he lives or where he has been. In 2007, Tridgell was listed as a missing person by the Edina, Minnesota Police Dept. after he failed to show up at his residence there. He was located three weeks later by police at a rest stop in Menominee, Wis. He had no ties to that city.
(more…)
Cloud Cult on World Café
Cloud Cult (featuring former Duluthian Craig Minowa) will be performing on National Public Radio’s World Café on Wednesday, Dec. 15. The show is broadcast on 103.3FM KUMD in Duluth from 3-5 p.m.
(If you missed the broadcast, you can listen at your leisure using this link.)
Duluth’s Merry Inn Tavern (Net Results)
Among the random things to show up in my e-mail today (thanks Jake and Wendy) is this photo of an old (and awesome) ashtray from the Merry Inn Tavern. The address, 917 W. Michigan St., would have been roughly where Mesaba Avenue meets I-35 today.
The Merry Inn Tavern and Michelizzi’s Italian Food grocery store were part of the Terminal Hotel throughout the 1960s. The whole works was operated by Michael Michelizzi until about 1973, which is probably when the building was torn down.
The name “Terminal Hotel” goes back at least as far as 1930, although city directories in the 1930s and ’40s often refer to the property simply as “furnished rooms.”
Michelizzi’s reign at the Terminal seems to have begun in the early 1930s. In the 1920s there is a listing for two blocks away, 1131 W. Michigan St., for Mike Michelizzi & Co., a store handling “Fancy and Staple groceries cigars tobaccos and fancy Italian imported goods Macamoni and Soft Drinks.” I’m not sure if there’s a fancy, little-known Italian item called “Macamoni” or if that’s supposed to be macaroni.
In the early 1900s, the Cholette Hotel was at 917 W. Michigan St. During Prohibition, it had a “soft drink parlor” at which, obviously, bootlegging took place. For some of the sordid details regarding that, read the comments to this post.
City of Duluth Quarterly
Duluthians should find the first issue of City of Duluth Quarterly in their mailboxes today, Dec. 10. It’s part of Mayor Don Ness’ plan to improve city communications. The magazine is produced by city staff and New Ventures Publishing Corp.
New Ventures is owned by former Duluth News Tribune publisher Marti Buscaglia and also publishes Duluth-Superior Magazine.
Respect Your Elders. Namely Mark Dayton.
At age 63, Mark Dayton is the oldest person to be elected governor of Minnesota. A few weeks after he’s sworn in, he’ll be 64.
From the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library:
On Perfect Duluth Days like these …
I particularly enjoy walking through freeway underpasses with headphones on and being surprised by a snow plow scorching above me, issuing a whitewashing similar to a Uinta Mountain avalanche.
Duluth’s Pine Knot Cabin on Minnesota Point: Its History, its Removal and the Future of the Land
Photo by William Mittendorff
The removal of the Pine Knot Cabin on Minnesota Point raised a lot of questions and caused a good deal of speculation among Duluthians. To clear up some of the facts, Perfect Duluth Day interviewed Steve Wilson, regional Scientific and Natural Area specialist for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Why was the cabin removed and what’s the deal with the DNR’s SNAs? The answers are below. (more…)
Duluth Ski Report
I think by this weekend everything will be open. Wax ’em up!
Spirit Mountain — about half the runs are open.
Mont du Lac — scheduled to open Saturday, Dec. 11.
Chester Bowl — scheduled to open Saturday, Dec. 11.
The cross-country places must be all groomed and ready, too, ay?
Snowflake Nordic Ski Center
Korkki Nordic Trails
Bagley Nature Area
Last week three of the city trails were groomed and ready — Hartley, Chester Bowl and Piedmont. Can anyone report on Magney/Snively and Lester/Amity?
PBS’ History Detectives crew shooting at two Duluth locations on Dec. 9
A crew from the PBS series History Detectives will be shooting in Duluth this week, attempting to solve the mystery behind a small watercolor painting that may have become a Tiffany window.
On Thursday, Dec. 9, host Gwendolyn Wright and the crew will be shooting at First Presbyterian Church and Duluth’s Historic Union Depot.
The story will air with History Detectives ninth season during the summer of 2011.
Challenged Ballots in the Minnesota Governor’s Race — Duluth Edition
Now that the challenged ballots from St. Louis County are available online, here’s a look at the nine from Duluth.
The first one is from precinct 3 (Lakeside) and the next two are from precinct 7 (Hunters Park).
In the next set, the first is from precinct 11 (Kenwood) and the next two are from precinct 19 (Downtown).
In the last set, the first is from precinct 24 (Duluth Heights), the second is from precinct 27 (Piedmont Heights) and the third is from precinct 34 (West Duluth).
Someone explain why this is so fun.
A snowy drive on Seven Bridges Road
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hIqBhId29Y
Shot by Greg Connor on Thanksgiving Day.
Bentleyville Tour of Lights 2010
That, my fellow Duluthians, is one big ol’ Christmas tree.
R.I.P. Nellie Bird, owner of Les Bird’s Bar
Nellie Bird, longtime owner of Les Bird’s Bar in South Superior, died Nov. 27. She was 90.
Nellie felt that everyone who came into her bar was a friend. The feeling was mutual.
Profile from the Superior Telegram:
“Wisconsin bar celebrates 50 years“
Minnesota Night Sky Time-lapse Video
Shot last month in central St. Louis County by Brian Peterson.
McCain praises Feingold
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAVAk61JVDg&feature=player_embedded
“I can’t do justice in these remarks to all of Russ’ many qualities or express completely how much I think this institution benefited from his service here and how much I benefited from knowing him. I lack the eloquence. I don’t think he is replaceable. We would all do well to keep his example in our minds as we serve our constituents and country and convictions.”
Duluth Does Dylan 10 years later
The album Duluth Does Dylan was first played for the public on Nov. 30, 2000, during the Starfire Lounge at Fitger’s Brewhouse. There was a big bus trip to St. Paul for a release party at the Turf Club, but no one remembers the details of that, I’m sure. The Ripsaw published the recording session photos below, shot by Linda Cadotte.
Men of Raleigh Street and Their Fish
Perhaps in another century people will pass around photos of you and try to piece together the details.
Who were these West Duluth guys? Did they all go fishing, or just the ones with their hats raised? Did they catch these 40+ fish on the St. Louis River or somewhere else? Did they have a boat?
Maybe none of that matters. What we know is that on one day in 1916 there was a mighty jubilant feast on Raleigh Street.
Black Fractal Friday in Duluth
The Fractals at Clyde Iron Works
Friday, Nov. 26, 9 p.m.