PDD News Sieve
‘Tis the season for car prowls, theft
There’s an old saying in Duluth that cold weather keeps the riff raff out. Logic follows that summertime is the peak season for car prowls and even the occasional theft. A blue Audi A4 convertible like the one shown above was stolen on the evening of July 31. (Update: Police have recovered it.)
Duluth Police routinely remind citizens to lock their vehicles, remove valuables and report suspicious activity to 911. (more…)
Imagine Duluth 2035 Survey
Imagine Duluth 2035 is an update to Duluth’s 2006 Comprehensive Plan, the road map for future development of Duluth. Citizens are encouraged to share their thoughts on the future of the city by taking the Imagine Duluth survey.
R.I.P. Jim Northrup
Noted writer Jim Northrup died Aug. 1 from complications with kidney cancer. He was 73.
A U.S. Marine veteran of the Vietnam War, Northrup attributed his cancer to exposure to Agent Orange, a defoliant used by the U.S. military in herbicidal warfare.
Northrup was a member of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The Duluth News Tribune notes he “was an ardent keeper of Anishinaabe tradition. He and his wife started a summer Ojibwe language camp on the reservation, made birch bark winnowing baskets, took part in the yearly sugarbush to make maple syrup and harvested wild rice on the reservation’s lakes.” (more…)
Duluth CBS affiliate moves to channel 6.2; CW moves to 3.1
Several channel changes happened at KBJR and KDLH-TV on the morning of Aug. 1. Viewers who receive signals over the air using an antenna might need to re-scan their television sets, although some televisions will automatically adjust the changes. Viewers using a cable or satellite service are not affected.
The move is part of the sale of KBJR and KDLH announced in November. As part of the deal Channel 3, the long-time CBS affiliate in Duluth, is now owned by Quincy Media Incorporated and is a digital sub-channel of KBJR, also owned by Quincy Media. KDLH is owned by Sagamore Hill Broadcasting and will become the CW affiliate in the Duluth-Superior market.
KBJR will remain an NBC affiliate on channel 6.1. The new CBS 3 will become channel 6.2 and My 9 will become channel 6.3.
KBJR engineering assistance is available at jwalters @ kbjr.com or 218-720-9635.
Bellyflop
Shot by Dave Zbaracki in the Congdon neighborhood. (Via Facebook.)
Lake Superior Magazine’s interview with Paul Shaffer
Thunder Bay native Paul Shaffer is bringing his “Late Show” band to perform in the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium on Oct. 7 to mark the concert hall’s 30th anniversary. Lake Superior Magazine’s Bob Berg scored an interview for the magazine’s Aug/Sept issue.
The audio embed is a slow loader, so it appears after the jump.
(more…)Far and Away: Isle Royale National Park
Broadcast television has been off the air in Duluth since the July 21 storm, so it was easy to miss CBS This Morning‘s feature on Isle Royale National Park. But, that’s why we have an internet.
CBS has tragically blocked embedding of the video in our region, so we can’t post it on this very page, but you can check it out on cbsnews.com.
Bud Grant and the Superior Central Basketball Team
Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Bud Grant grew up in Superior and played football, basketball and baseball at Superior Central High School. This photo recently showed up Reddit, posted by user “drunkinwisconsin.”
“A bartender’s dad in my hometown of Superior, WI went to school with Bud Grant,” the post reads. “Here is his senior basketball picture, #13.”
Duluth Storm Damage Recap
Crumbled chimney bricks on the roof of the Board of Trade Building.
A severe storm ripped through the Duluth area around 3:30 a.m., knocking down trees and leaving many without power and running water. (more…)
Duluth Gate and Wayfinding Master Plan
Duluth’s Parks and Recreation Division is in the planning stages of a Gate, Wayfinding and Trail head/Orientation Plan. A public meeting took place in June where the city’s consultants provided five concept designs to be used for park entries, trail heads, information kiosks and historical markers. The city is seeking additional input from the public until July 20 using an online survey, after which a summary of the survey will be provided to the Duluth Parks Commission.
The five concept designs and additional background are online at duluthmn.gov.
Direct link to design options PDF | Direct link to survey tool
A funny thing happened on the way home from the Duluth Airshow … or is a crash landing not a funny thing?
From the Isanti County Sheriff’s Office:
On July 9 at 6:50 p.m., the Isanti County Sheriff’s Office Communications division received a report of a plane crash in Stanchfield Township, close to the address of 38045 Lever St. NE. All emergency personnel were started to the crash.
After several minutes we received information that there were no injuries and the pilot and copilot were out walking around.
Upon arrival it was determined that a retired U.S. Navy 630 Bi-plane, yellow in color, had engine failure while flying from Duluth to Anoka. (more…)
Blacklist’s Brian Schanzenbach profiled in The Growler
Minnesota craft-culture magazine The Growler features Brian Schanzenbach of Duluth’s Blacklist Artisan Ales in its latest brewer profile. The article outlines Schanzenbach’s days floating a raft down the Mississippi River, studying biology and microbiology at UMD, interning at Lake Superior Brewing Company, brewing at Fitger’s Brewhouse and launching Blacklist in 2013.
Brewer Profile: Brian Schanzenbach of Blacklist Artisan Ales
Images of the amazing June 2016 storm cloud over Duluth
Images by three different photographers: Jesse Wannemacher, Cary Schmies and Devin Carpenter. (Click on any thumbnail to see the full image.)
Duluth and North Shore featured in Surfer magazine
In the August/September issue of Surfer magazine, Justin Housman travels to Duluth to discover “that isolated Midwestern surf scene” on Lake Superior, where surfers “chisel boards free from the roofs of their snowbound cars, trudge through forests and thigh-deep snow, paddle out for a few frigid waves, then emerge from the water with icicles growing from their shocked, pink faces.”
Onigamiinsing Dibaajimowinan — Duluth’s Stories Website
A recently launched website is offering an indigenous perspective on the history of Duluth and the surrounding area. Onigamiinsing Dibaajimowinan — Duluth’s Stories Website was created with the mission “to share the deep history and continuing presence of Native people within Duluth.” The site was created by the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and grew out of an ethnographic study completed in 2012 for the Duluth Indigenous Commission. The study involved archaeology and history studied through documents and oral interviews. The study is available online in PDF form.
Submissions sought for cellphone photo show
The American Indian Community Housing Organization is accepting submissions for its upcoming cellphone photography exhibition titled Let’s See What You See. The only submission requirements are that the photos be taken with a cellphone and shot in Duluth and relate to Duluth.
To submit send a maximum of two images to letsseewhatyousee @ gmail.com. Submission deadline is July 1. The opening reception will be held July 15.
Public comment sought on EAW for Spirit Mountain projects
The city of Duluth is accepting public comments until July 13 on an environmental assessment worksheet that was prepared for proposed projects at Spirit Mountain Recreation Area in 2016-2017. The plans include Nordic cross-country ski trails, mountain bike trails, Superior Hiking Trail extensions, rail-to-trail conversion, and an 18-hole disc golf course.
The proposed projects would initiate when all permits and approvals are received. They are part of the St. Louis River Corridor Initiative aimed at revitalizing and enhancing recreational opportunities and appropriate development in the western corridor of Duluth. (more…)
R.I.P. John Berquist
John W. Berquist, founder of the Moose Wallow Ramblers band and writer of the song “I Like it in Duluth,” died May 12 at his home in Fayal Township. He was 69.
Duluth and Superior Photo Tweet From Space
Astronaut Jeff Williams of Winter, Wis., tweeted this photo of the Twin Ports this morning from the International Space Station. Far out, man. (more…)
Improved habitat boosts lake sturgeon recovery in St. Louis River
Jeramy Pinkerton and Anna Varian of DNR fisheries hold the largest sturgeon ever sampled in the St Louis River. The sturgeon, 65 inches long and about 53 pounds, was captured April 20, implanted with an acoustic transmitter and PIT tag and released.
Following years of clean water improvements and habitat projects, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reports that lake sturgeon are returning to the St. Louis River in larger numbers. DNR fisheries staff are embarking on a new research project to study the growing numbers and learn more about how these long-lived, native species use the river and Lake Superior throughout the year. (more…)
R.I.P. Walt Pederson
Walter H. Pederson, a Duluth native and member of the Plaisted Arctic expedition, died Friday in St. Cloud at the age of 88.
Pederson served as mechanic on Ralph Plaisted’s crew, which reached the North Pole by snowmobile in 1968. The subject gained new attention last month when the New York Times published an account of the expedition. In early April the Hollywood infotainment website Deadline reported Will Ferrell will star in film about the Plaisted expedition.
Pederson’s obituary in the St. Cloud Times notes he was a “sailor, cowboy, mechanic, racer, teacher, businessman, inventor, explorer, author, politician, entrepreneur, scientist, private eye, hero, friend, husband, father and grandfather.” Services will be held Friday in Milaca.
NorShor Theatre: A Look Inside Before the Restoration
Dan Turner spelunks the NorShor Theatre and Temple Opera Block in the latest feature on his Substreet website. From the projection room to the roof to the squatter’s apartment in the basement, it’s one of the last chances to see things as they were/are. Construction will be begin soon to renovate the NorShor, which will be operated by the Duluth Playhouse.
Maurices opening new headquarters Friday
Maurices employees will move from the current buildings to the new headquarters between Fourth and Fifth avenues west and Superior Street. The first half of the 450 downtown Maurices employees will get settled over the weekend, and a second wave of employees will make the move next weekend. All will be working in the new headquarters by May 2. (more…)
NorShor redevelopment will not include tower marquee
The announcement in 2013 that the NorShor Theater’s “tower marquee will rise again” appears to have been overly optimistic. During the Duluth City Council’s debate and 8-1 approval of plans to renovate the historic theater, Councilor Joel Sipress noted:
“The tower is not part of this restoration. There is some talk of maybe that being a future endeavor. [I] just don’t want anyone to be disappointed that when this is done the tower isn’t there. So I just thought I would share that with the public.”
Video of the full council debate and public comments is above. Sipress’ brief mention of the tower is at the 37:07 mark.