PDD News Sieve
Trophy Café open on Commonwealth Avenue
Fox 21 News reports a new café has opened in the former Vietnamese Lotus Inn location at 1314 Commonwealth Ave. in Duluth’s Gary neighborhood. The Trophy Café is owned by Mont du Lac Resort and managed by Mike Ohara.
St. Louis County records show Matt Gregg is the owner of the building. He purchased it from Steven D. and Cuc T. Allen one year ago for $40,000. The Allens were proprietors of the Lotus Inn, which they operated from 2003 to 2013, and briefly reopened in 2015 under the name VN Coffeehouse. (more…)
Missing Person: Leah Buehring
The Duluth Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a missing person. Leah Buehring was last seen July 1 in the area of 4000 W. Ninth St. in West Duluth. She is a 17-year-old light-skinned white female, 5’7″ tall, 180 lbs., with brown hair and hazel/brown eyes. She is possibly wearing a knee brace on her right knee. Buehring may also use the name “Angel Faith James.”
Anyone with information pertaining to Buehring’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Duluth Police Department by calling 911, or Duluth Police Department Investigations at 218-730-5560 during business hours or 218-625-3581 at any time.
Pressroom Podcast: PDD on the DNT
Click the lil’ triangle above to hear a 37-minute podcast about Perfect Duluth Day on the eve of its 14th anniversary.
Duluth News Tribune Pressroom Podcast hosts Christa Lawler and Brady Slater talk with PDD grand poobah Paul Lundgren, food and drink reporter Lissa Maki, and PDD co-founder Barrett Chase (who left PDD in 2015 to become a web editor at the DNT).
Perfect Duluth Day’s 14th birthday party is Thursday, June 29, from 5-7 p.m. at Sir Benedict’s Tavern on the Lake. Free coleslaw while supplies last!
Sinclair Lewis’ Perfect Duluth Day
Excerpt of a letter from Sinclair Lewis to Marcella Powers, included in the book Minnesota Diaries:
What a day — the first in Duluth this year completely of the type known to meteorologists as a p.d., or “absolutely perfect day” — cool, the air sweet, sky ringing blue except for lovely lazy clouds, as idyllic and indolent as a Grecian glade, yet full of energy for people from Chicago … the lake a mirror of many kinds of blue and gray glass, some sleek, some delicately wrinkled … (more…)
Dylan musical set in Duluth
Perfect Duluth Day reported in early May that a new musical play written and directed by Conor McPherson with music and lyrics by Bob Dylan was scheduled to open at the Vic Theater in London in July. What wasn’t known at the time is the play is set in Duluth.
Audio clips of two tracks recorded as part of a workshop for Girl from the North Country can be heard in the PDD post from May. Three reports verifying the setting of the play are listed below.
From the BBC New story “Bob Dylan: Conor McPherson on writing the musical“:
Conor McPherson has set the play in a guesthouse in Dylan’s birthplace of Duluth in Minnesota. It is called Girl from the North Country, after a track Dylan wrote in 1963.
“Colder than the surface of Mars”
Poet Dora Malech gets all Duluthy in a poem published in the May 29 issue of The New Yorker. It’s more that a reference — the poem is basically set in Duluth.
The text of “I Now Pronounce You” is available online, along with an audio track of the poet reading it.
Malech grew up in Bethesda, Md., and now lives in Baltimore. Her connection to Duluth is unknown, unless it’s as simple as the first line of the poem: “Our friends are getting married in Duluth.”
Reflection, refraction, dispersion: Duluth rainbow pics
Sun showers produced a Father’s Day rainbow in Duluth. Click the thumbnails to view the images at full size.
Photographers: Jamie Merideth (Duluth Harbor), Eric Dubnicka (Old Central High School), Tim Mlodozyniec (Denfeld clock tower) and Erin Anderson (Lake Superior).
Duluth artist Russell Gran dead at 81
Russell V. Gran, a Duluth native best known for his acrylic paintings and role as the unofficial “patriarch” of the Washington Studios Artist Cooperative, died June 14 of an apparent heart attack. He was 81.
“Endlessly curious and driven to create, his curmudgeonly exterior was merely a facade for a wonderfully humorous, sensitive and loving being,” fellow artist and friend Eric Dubnicka wrote on Facebook. (more…)
2 Dope Queens discuss Justin Bieber’s Duluth chakra
At the very onset of episode #36 of the 2 Dope Queens podcast, hosts Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson drop a reference to Duluth while going over items on Justin Bieber’s tour rider. (more…)
Rolph, Wilson named head brewers at Earth Rider
Earth Rider Brewery in Superior has named Allyson Rolph and Tim Wilson as lead brewers. The craft brewery, founded by Tim Nelson, is expected to launch later this year. It will service bars, restaurants and liquor stores throughout the Arrowhead region. The project was announced in February. (more…)
Zenith Bookstore opens July 1 in West Duluth
A year-long quest to launch a shop selling new and “gently used” books is almost complete. Zenith Bookstore will open for business July 1 in the former Wild West Liquor building at 318 N. Central Ave. in West Duluth. Perfect Duluth Day first reported about the store’s development in September. (more…)
Downtown Duluth’s Bullseye building sold
The two-story white brick building in Downtown Duluth occupied by the Chinese Dragon restaurant, Bullseye Silkscreen & Embroidery and Old Town Antiques was sold in March for $1.65 million according to St. Louis County records. The building sits on the corner of Superior Street and First Avenue East. The three businesses use the addresses 108, 106 and 102 E. Superior St., respectively. The building’s general address is 101 E. Michigan St. (more…)
Mystery mural found during NorShor Theatre renovation
At a May 31 news conference, Duluth Playhouse Executive & Artistic Director Christine Gradl Seitz showed off a canvas painting discovered by workers busy renovating the NorShor Theatre. The Duluth News Tribune reports the painting was “behind a suspended ceiling that was installed in 1941 when the existing Orpheum Theatre was converted into the NorShor. The grand theater’s original balcony had been concealed and transformed into a makeshift attic. But Gradl Seitz said a careful exploration of the space revealed ‘this beautiful mural, which we believe dates back to 1910, and the original Orpheum.'”
The NorShor is expected to open in early 2018; the Playhouse has a run of the musical Mamma Mia scheduled for Feb. 8-24. Renovation work is about 60 percent complete.
The theater was purchased by the Duluth Economic Development Authority in June 2010 for $2.6 million. The $30.5-million renovation began in summer 2016. It is a partnership between Sherman Associates and DEDA. The 750+ seat theater will serve as an arts center managed by the Duluth Playhouse. (more…)
Exploring the Superior Entry Lighthouse on Wisconsin Point
The latest adventure on the Substreet website takes readers inside the Superior Entry Lighthouse, where every step “happens with an echoing crunch.”
As for the view from the top: “For 180 degrees, there is nothing but water, clouds, and a beautiful sandy beach backgrounded by pine trees and dune grass.”
Remains of James J. Hubert finally coming home to Duluth
U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant James Joseph Hubert, a Duluthian who fought and died during the Battle of Tarawa Island in the Pacific Theater of World War II, is finally coming home. He was killed in action and buried in 1943, but when the war was over his remains were not found … until more than seven decades later.
Sgt. Hubert will be returned to Duluth this summer with full military honors. A formal funeral and burial will be held at Calvary Cemetery on July 15.
The full story is available on jamesjosephhubert.com and will likely be heavily featured in Duluth media over Memorial Day weekend.
A detailed interview with Jay Hagen, nephew of Sgt. Hubert, was broadcast in March on WDSM radio’s Sound Off! with Brad Bennett program. The interview is available for listening and downloading at wdsm710.com.
Crooked Pint Ale House open in Kenwood Village
Crooked Pink Ale House opened its Duluth location on Tuesday in the Kenwood Village apartment development on Kenwood Avenue and Arrowhead Road. It’s the chain’s sixth location in Minnesota. (more…)
Porter’s restaurant closing for renovation and rebranding
Porter’s restaurant announced today it will temporarily close on May 30 and reopen with a new name, look and menu. The $1 million restaurant renovation project coincides with broader revitalization efforts by Lion Hotel Group, which owns Porter’s, the Duluth Holiday Inn & Suites and the shopping and office complex that contains them — Holiday Center. Construction at the restaurant is expected to start in June. (more…)
Missing Person: Larry Hoffman
Update: The body of Larry Alan Hoffman was found in July 2017 in Observation Park. Foul play was not suspected.
The Duluth Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating missing person Larry Alan Hoffman. Hoffman is a 60-year-old white male, 5-foot 3-inches tall, 200 lbs., has gray hair and green eyes. He was last seen May 5. There is urgency in finding him to ensure he takes his prescribed medications. The DPD encourages anyone who sees Hoffman or knows of his whereabouts to call 911.
Duluth native Ham moves to fullback position with Vikings
Minnesota Vikings running back C.J. Ham has been lining up at fullback during the team’s 2017 rookie mini-camp. The Duluth native broke into the NFL last season as a tailback.
Ham was on the Vikings practice squad in 2016 and was briefly on the active roster but did not play in a regular season game, making him eligible to participate in this season’s rookie camp. Vikings Team Reporter Eric Smith wrote on Vikings.com today that during team drills Ham “lined up as a fullback in front of Vikings rookie Dalvin Cook.” (more…)
A pair of songs from the cast of the new Bob Dylan musical
The two tracks in sound embeds above — “Sweetheart Like You / True Love” and “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” — were recorded as part of a workshop for a new musical play written and directed by Conor McPherson with music and lyrics by Bob Dylan. Girl From The North Country will open at the Vic Theater in London in July.
The voices featured on both tracks are Bronagh Gallagher, Claudia Jolly, Debbie Kurup and Jack Shalloo.
Uber, Lyft approved for pickups at Duluth International Airport
The Duluth Airport Authority announced agreements with Uber and Lyft today, permitting drivers for the companies to accept requests for rides at the Duluth International Airport. The agreement was approved at the authority board meeting on April 18. Transportation network companies, or “ridesharing” businesses, were approved for operating in Duluth beginning April 27 under regulations outlined in a Duluth City Council ordinance. Lyft launched service that day, Uber followed on May 1.
As of this week, both Uber and Lyft signed and returned their operating agreements to the airport authority. Under the agreements, drivers are authorized to operate at DLH for passenger pick-ups for pre-arranged fares. Passengers can access Uber or Lyft services by opening the ride-sharing app on their phone and choosing a car. The staging lot for the vehicles will be located in the West parking lot adjacent to the arrival end of the passenger terminal. Wayfinding signage is expected to be in place by the end of this month to help direct passengers to the different commercial vehicle options at DLH. All passenger drop-offs will occur curbside in front of the terminal building.
“World’s Smallest Record Store” opens in Bovey
Business North reports Tim “Edwards” Verthein, morning host and chief engineer at 1320 AM KOZY radio in Grand Rapids, has opened a new record shop in Bovey, about 80 miles northwest of Duluth. The occasional store opened on April 22 in recognition of Record Store Day.
The Business North story notes Edwards launched his own radio station three years ago and is using the same 8-by-10-foot storefront to retail his collection of 40,000 records. He calls it “The World’s Smallest Record Store” or KEBS Records and Radio.
Paul McCartney booked to play Duluth … Georgia
Paul McCartney announced a set of U.S. summer tour dates yesterday. According to a City Pages story and comments on paulmccartney.com the press materials for the tour originally stated it “takes Paul to three cities and venues he’s never played before” including a July 13 show “at the Infinity Energy Arena in Duluth MN.” McCartney’s website has since fixed the error, clarifying that the Infinity Energy Arena is in Duluth, Ga. (more…)
Fire damages knick knack art house
A home in Duluth’s Endion neighborhood, known for the collection of items attached to its exterior, was significantly damaged by an accidental fire today. The homeowner sustained a slight injury. (more…)
Bent Paddle bends into Wisconsin
Duluth’s Bent Paddle Brewing has announced a partnership with Dean Distributing of Green Bay. The relationship will expand the availability of Bent Paddle’s beer into the Wisconsin counties of Ashland, Iron, Oneida, Vilas, Forest, Langlade and Price.
Distribution to those areas will begin this week with events marking the expansion. On Wednesday, April 12, representatives from Bent Paddle will be offering samplings in Rhinelander at Trig’s Cellar from 3 to 5 p.m., followed by a tap event at Bucketheads Sports Bar & Grill from 6 to 8 p.m.
There will be more samples in Hurley on Thursday, April 13, from 3 to 6 p.m. at Town and Country Liquor and at the Ashland Super One Liquor from 3 to 6 p.m. on Friday, April 14.