PDD News Sieve
Conceptual designs for new WWI Memorial in West Duluth
Duluth’s Parks and Recreation division has been working with community members to gather ideas for a new World War I memorial to be built in Memorial Park in West Duluth. After surveying the public and hosting public discussions, the city’s consultant has drafted three conceptual designs based on submitted feedback and is once again seeking public input on three concepts. (more…)
Crabby Ol’ Bill’s is now Lakewalk Galley
Fox 21 News reports the new operator of Crabby Ol’ Bill’s is Vista Fleet owner Justin Steinbach. The retired fishing vessel turned snack shack in Canal Park has been renamed Lakewalk Galley and will feature a menu of items from the nearby Lake Avenue Restaurant and Bar.
Selective Focus: Run, Smelt, Run! Parade 2018
Select photos via Instagram of the 2018 Run, Smelt, Run! Parade. (more…)
Fitger’s Brewhouse wrangles beer distribution arrangement
Fitger’s Brewhouse owner Rod Raymond told Fox 21 News this week he is handing his company’s beer recipes over to his son, who will establish a separate enterprise to produce the products for distribution statewide. Brewhouse beers sold at Fitger’s Brewhouse and other establishments owned by parent company Just Take Action will continue to be brewed separately at Fitger’s as always.
Beau Raymond’s new entity will be called Bold Brewing and will sell the Duluth Brewhouse brand through the Duluth distribution company Bernick’s to liquor stores and restaurants. Fitger’s Brewhouse has been unable to legally distribute its product or produce more than 3,500 barrels per year because it is considered a brewpub under state law. (more…)
North Tower Stout wins bronze at World Beer Cup
The beards were polished and groomed at Music City Center in Nashville, Tenn. last week. Earth Rider Brewery of Superior claimed a bronze award in the 2018 World Beer Cup, a global beer competition that evaluates beers from around the world.
Awards were given in 101 beer-style categories. Earth Rider award was in the Oatmeal Stout category for its North Tower Stout, an ale with malty accents of chocolate, coffee and dark fruit balanced with a restrained hop presence. (more…)
DuluthiLeaks: Diversity, Inclusion and Bulldog Athletics
In April the University of Minnesota Duluth men’s hockey team won a national championship and an oil refinery in the neighboring town battled a dangerous fire. Those events seem to have overshadowed the biggest story of March: UMD women’s hockey coach Shannon Miller winning a discrimination lawsuit.
To recap: UMD officials opted in December 2014 to not offer Miller a new contract, despite her record leading the Bulldogs to five national championships. Miller filed suit against the University of Minnesota Board of Regents, alleging discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, age and national origin, and that UMD retaliated against her for making sexual discrimination complaints. The jury awarded Miller $3.74 million — $744,832 in lost wages and $3 million in emotional distress.
For the fourth edition of DuluthiLeaks — Perfect Duluth Day’s series in which public documents are released as if they contain secret information leaked from an anonymous whistle blower — we present Chancellor Lendley Black’s email to the community following the trial, and the UMD Faculty Senate’s rebuke of the chancellor’s “seemingly casual dismissal of the unanimous judicial verdict” and “unwillingness to accept a hard-to-hear truth.” (more…)
Island Lake Inn back in business with original owner
After four months of locked doors, the Island Lake Inn is back open for business, under new management. The well-known bar and grill, located about 12 miles north of Duluth in the Gnesen Township, announced its return Monday on Facebook. (more…)
Irving Park renovation work starts next week
Construction is ready to begin at Irving Park in West Duluth. A news release from the city’s Parks and Recreation division specifies May 7 as the date KTM Paving, Inc. will launch the first phase of a $1.1-million revitalization plan. (more…)
Iron Mug closing May 25
Iron Mug Coffee and Ale House in Duluth’s Morgan Park neighborhood will close May 25 according to a post made on the business’ Facebook page today:
As most of you know we have decided to make the hard decision to close our wonderful restaurant. We have enjoyed getting to know the wonderful people in Morgan Park as well as all the people that drove out to check our place out. I’m so glad that I got to witness and be part of all the new friendships that developed here because that really was what this place was all about. Again thank you for all the support these last four years.
Lake Superior Brewing takes on cans; brings back Mesabi Red
Lake Superior Brewing is poised to begin distributing its line of craft beers in cans.
“We’re using a mobile canning operation, Lagersmith, that will come and set up right here in our brewery,” the brewery’s co-owner Lisa Blade said in a news release. “Cans are lighter, won’t break and can be crushed for easy pack out — plus, it was a great opportunity to refresh the brand art. The Mesabi Red cans will feature a beautiful laker on Superior.”
The first beers to be in cans will be the brewery’s best seller, Kayak Kölsch, and the return of Mesabi Red Ale, available for the first time in five years.
An event is planned in the brewery’s taproom on May 4 at 4 p.m. where the public can watch the Wild Goose MWC-250 mobile-canning line in action.
Superior evacuation and Duluth advisory lifted
“I am lifting the evacuation order at 6 a.m. this morning,” Superior Mayor Jim Paine wrote on Facebook. “All indications are that the refinery site is safe and stable and the air quality is clean and normal. Welcome home.”
The city of Duluth has lifted last night’s precautionary shelter-in-place advisory for the western neighborhoods.
Superior refinery fire contained; precautionary advisory issued for residents of western Duluth as winds shift
Image via WDIO Eyewitness News
Around 6:45 p.m. the fire at Husky Energy’s oil refinery in Superior was contained. An evacuation of the area was ordered earlier today and remains in place. (more…)
Evacuation ordered as Superior refinery burns
At approximately 9:50 a.m. there was an explosion at the Husky Energy oil refinery in Superior. The initial fire was extinguished at 11:31 a.m., but a second fire erupted shortly after noon. The Duluth News Tribune reports there have been multiple explosions. An additional tank caught fire at 3:15 p.m.
All refinery personnel and contractors have been accounted for. There are no known fatalities. Conflicting reports indicate somewhere between six and 20 people injured.
Fox 21 News reports: “Five patients were taken to Essentia Health in Superior and five more to Essentia Health in Duluth. Of those five in Duluth, one person suffered a serious blast injury and the others had minor injuries. … Essentia Health–St. Mary’s Hospital in Superior was evacuated as a precaution and all Essentia facilities in Superior are closed because of the explosion.”
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has issued an evacuation of the area due to the potential toxic nature of the smoke. Anyone located 10 miles south of the Husky Energy refinery, or three miles east or west, or one mile north, are asked to evacuate. The Duluth Entertainment Convention Center and Four Corners Elementary School are the mustering points for evacuees. Four Corners School is located at 4465 E. County Road B in the Town of Superior. (more…)
Earth Rider expands brewing capacity
Earth Rider Brewery in Superior is expanding its production capacity. Tomorrow morning two more large vessels, a 40BBL fermenter and 40BBL brite tank, will be installed. Another expansion is planned for late 2018. Earth Rider began brewing operations in September and intends to expand distribution to Two Harbors this week.
Charlie Parr has the “Best Song to Cry To”
This week’s issue of City Pages is the annual “Best of the Twin Cities” edition. It’s typical for one or two Duluth persons, places or things get a mention. This year it’s Charlie Parr, whose song “Sometimes I’m Alright” was named Best Song to Cry To. (more…)
Duluth Drone not Drones
The fifth annual Drone Not Drones event took place Jan. 26-27 at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. More than 60 acts rotated on and off the stage performing a continuous, uninterrupted, 28-hour drone of unified sound to raise money for Doctors Without Borders.
Now there’s a 28-hour soundtrack on Bandcamp.
It’s broken into segments, so Duluthians interested in listening to sets by Duluth bands can go straight to sets by Low, If Thousands, Timbre Ghost and Modify.
Bjorklund 2018 half-marathon entry up for bid
Security Jewelers is again auctioning one of its sponsor entries to the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon on eBay. This year the proceeds will benefit the Hills Youth & Family Services, a Duluth nonprofit that provides programming for at-risk youth and their families. The auction ends April 13 at noon.
Lottery registration for the 2018 Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon is closed. The race is at capacity with 7,500 participants. The entry cost via the lottery was $95; last year’s auctioned entry raised $205 for the Damiano Center.
Homegrown Music Festival 2018: New Website, 20th Anniversary Mixtape, Field Guide, Schedule, et. al.
The publicity machine for the 20th annual Homegrown Music Festival is gearing up. A 108-page Field Guide hit the streets during the last week of March, and now a new promotional mix is available for free download on Bandcamp and a new web design has launched at duluthhomegrown.org. (more…)
Kingsbury Bay and Grassy Point Habitat Restoration Project
There’s good news for people who like to geek out with lengthy environmental assessment worksheets and pages upon pages of support documents. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is accepting public comments through April 18 on the EAW for the Kingsbury Bay and Grassy Point Habitat Restoration Project in West Duluth.
The graphic above is an interesting nugget from the documents. It shows aerial views of the Kingsbury Bay area, where Kingsbury Creek enters the St. Louis River estuary near Indian Point Campground. The 1948 version shows a wide open beach; the modern view shows a marshy swamp filled with invasive narrow-leaved cattails. (more…)
Bent Paddle’s new taproom will open April 12
Bent Paddle will transition from its old taproom at its brewing facility to a new one across the avenue during the month of April. The new space, located in the former Enger & Olson Furniture store building at 1832 W. Michigan St., has been under construction since November. (more…)
Canning is underway at Earth Rider Brewery
Earth Rider Brewery announced today that 12 oz. cans of its beer will be available at retail outlets beginning Thursday. Until now Earth Rider beer has been exclusively available in crowlers (32 oz. cans) from the Cedar Lounge taproom and on draft at local restaurants and taverns.
Cans will be available in the Twin Ports initially and expand this summer to include the South Shore to Ashland, North Shore to Two Harbors and other points within the Lake Superior watershed.
Four Earth Rider flagship styles will be put into cans initially: Superior Pale Ale, North Tower Stout, Precious Material Helles and Caribou Lake IPA.