samh Posts

Sacred Heart needs your voice!

The following is from an email by Eric Swanson, Program Coordinator at Sacred Heart Music Center (emphasis added)

Dear Friends of Sacred Heart Music Center,

I am writing you today because of your past support of the Sacred Heart Music Center as either a patron, a donor, a performer or a volunteer. It is through your efforts and contributions that Sacred Heart has been able to continue to provide Duluth with a unique venue for music and the arts and we want you to know how much that support is appreciated.

Now we would like to ask you to lend your voice to our cause and here is how you can help.

On Tuesday, March 22, 2011 the Community Development Committee of the City of Duluth will consider a request from Sacred Heart for a Community Development Block Grant. We are applying for this grant to help pay for major repairs needed to the steeple and roof of the SHMC.

Cats in the Window of the Kozy

I took this photo of a couple cats in the window of a ground level apartment in the Kozy on the morning of April 18th, 2008.

Cats in the Window of the Kozy

Friends of the Boundary Waters Seeks Submissions

The Boundary Waters has a long literary tradition. From the works of Sigurd Olson to Paul Gruchow to Helen Hoover, many writers have tried to capture the adventure, solitude and beauty of canoe country.

Now, it’s your turn.

Lack of Duluth Summit Cheeseburger Attempts

What is a Summit Cheeseburger you ask? Well, the mission of the Summit Cheeseburger Project is…

“To encourage, enable, and document the consumption of a Cheeseburger on every summit on earth.”

Granted most people are completely and totally unaware of the sport of Summit Cheeseburger-ing and perhaps that is why there is a lack of said activity in St. Louis and Douglas Counties so I will forgive you, good people of said counties. But, now that you are being educated on this activity I see no reason for easy targets like Ely, Bardon’s, Moose, Sugarloaf, Pike, and Sugar Camp Hill to be conquered with zest, vigor, and zeal!

Summit Cheeseburger Locations near Duluth

Summit Cheeseburger Locations near Duluth

Do you like to hike, bicycle, drive, or just generally get off your couch and go do something but are looking for an excuse? Then attaining a Summit Cheeseburger just may very well be for you!

1. Grab a cheeseburger and your camera

2. Visit the Summit Cheeseburger website and find a summit.

3. Hike (bike, drive, fly, whatever) to the summit.

4. Photograph yourself nomming down a cheeseburger.

5. Post it to the S.P. site.

6. Repeat!

I’ve tagged summits in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Montana but Minnesota, and particularly Duluth is full of virgin first ascents just waiting for some PDD’ers to start tagging. Bon Voyage, Happy Trails, and Bottom’s Up!

Retribution Gospel Choir? Hidden Treasure? Park Point?

The video for Retribution Gospel Choir’s single “Hide it Away” on the upcoming album 2 clearly shows the band members burying a treasure on Park Point. I task you, people of Duluth to search out and find (or discredit the existence of) said treasure!

“Precious Waters” – Minnesota’s Sulfide Mining Controversy

The short film “Precious Waters” which takes a hard look at the sulfide mining industry’s history of failed predictions and the potential impacts it will have on northeastern Minnesota will be showing in Duluth this week and next.

Thursday, December 3
Duluth League of Women Voters Forum
US EPA Conference Center
6200 Congdon Blvd, Duluth
Showing of Precious Waters at 6:30 p.m. followed by a panel discussion and audience questions

Monday, December 7
Teatro Zuccone
222 E. Superior St.
Movie showing at 7 p.m., followed by a panel of local speakers

Tuesday, December 8
Teatro Zuccone
222 E. Superior St.
Movie showing at 7 p.m.

The film is also available in it’s entirety for viewing online along with more info regarding this important topic at http://preciouswaters.org.

Retribution Gospel Choir – New Album – Jan. 26, 2010

Retribution Gospel Choir’s new album 2 is slated to be released Jan. 26.

Moving by Bicycle

In June of 2009 I made up my mind to move from one apartment to the other. I also made up my mind to make this move using only bicycles and bicycle trailers. After making up my mind to do this I did some research and found some great testimony to this from other individuals and groups having done this on the Internet.

Two days ago, after I’d decided to move I found out about a contest that Madsen Cycles was putting on. If you’re interested in helping me win, click this link to their site and check out their cool bicycles (it’ll open in a new tab/window). If not, read on and enjoy.

MADSEN Cargo Bikes

Resonance: The Odyssey of the Bells – April 29th

You are invited to attend a screening of the documentary film Resonance: The Odyssey of the Bells from 7-9PM on April 29th hosted by the Alworth Institute.  Please mark your calendars and forward this invitation to others. This screening is part of the Alworth’s “International Lecture” series.   Resonance shows Duluth in a positive light as it highlights the city’s efforts after WWII to mend the scars of the war and re-humanize a former enemy through the return of a centuries-old Buddhist temple bell considered sacred to the Japanese.  Discussions will revolve around how a historical documentary like Resonance acts as a reminder of how citizen action plays a crucial role in restoring positive relations with former enemies in the wake of war. A 30-minute version of Resonance will be screened and followed by director Q/A.

Resonance: The Odyssey of the Bells from 7-9PM on April 29th


You are invited to attend a screening of the documentary film
Resonance: The Odyssey of the Bells from 7-9PM on April 29th hosted by the Alworth Institute.
Please mark your calendars and forward this invitation to others. This screening is
part of the Alworth’s “International Lecture” series.   Resonance shows Duluth in a positive light as it highlights
the city’s efforts after WWII to mend the scars of the war and re-humanize a former enemy through the return of a centuries-old Buddhist temple bell considered sacred to the Japanese.  Discussions will revolve around how a historical documentary like Resonance acts as a reminder of how citizen action plays a crucial role in restoring positive relations with former enemies in the wake of war.

A 30-minute version of Resonance will be screened and followed by director Q/A.


Where: UMD Montague Hall 80 Directions
When: 7-9 PM  4/29 A reception will follow the event.
Cost: Free and open to the public
Sponsored by the Alworth Institute

Resonance: The Odyssey of the Bells
Resonance tells the forgotten stories of two sacred Buddhist temple bells that survived the scrap metal drives of WWII only to be taken by the US Navy as war trophies and given to the cities of Duluth, Minnesota and Topeka, Kansas.  In the decades following the war the difficult process required to return these bells reconnected two nations that had been torn apart by war.  For Duluth, the return of this bell forged the connection with Japan that later inspired the prosperous Duluth/Isumi Sister City relationship and Peace Bell in Enger Park.

Project History – Project Goals
The documentary film Resonance is built on research conducted in America, Japan and Great Britain.  After learning of over five bells brought to the United States after WWII, a story emerged that focuses on the Duluth and
contrasting Topeka bell story.
In the fall of 2007, a 10-minute excerpt of the film was aired on Twin Cities Public TV in conjuction with Ken Burns’ “The War.” The 30-minute version of the film is an official selection at the 2009 Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival, April 15-28th.
Resonance will be entered in national and international film festivals and seek broadcast on both American and Japanese public television.

Support Resonance
Building on the success we’ve had in Minnesota, the next steps for this project are distribution in North America and finishing funds to make edits/hire narration for Japanese public television.  Tax-deductible donations can be processed at the screening on April 29th, or click here to donate online.

Visit www.resonancefilm.com for further information.

Sincerely,

Paul Creager
Director

High-speed train from Duluth to Twin Cities

The Federal Railroad Administration awarded $1.1 million for an environmental study into the Northern Lights Express high-speed rail line from Duluth to Minneapolis, according to an announcement today from U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar.

Another $1.1 million will be covered by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Engineering work for the rail line is scheduled to be done next year, with the train running in 2012.

Oberstar believes the 150-mile route will have minimal environmental impact because it will run along existing Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail lines.

“I expect this study to demonstrate a positive impact on the environment,” Oberstar said in a news release. “It will take cars off the road, and reduce air pollution and fuel consumption.”

See the full story: Northern Lights Express train receives $1 million for study

New PPD = WIN, New Banner Policy = FAIL

I am very happy that the PPD nerds continue to strive forward into the 21st century.  The switch from MT to WP was a fine platform choice and the chosen design is quite lovely.  A certain DIY aspect was lost however with the new banner submission process.

I’ll detail my complaints in order:

  • The Perfect Duluth Day logo will be added by PDD’s art department.
  • You will not be notified if your photo has been accepted or rejected.
Personally, the best part banner making is choosing where the PDD logo goes, how it blends into and becomes part of the photo, etc.  Also I really enjoyed the immediate thrill of seeing the banner live immediately after posting.  I can think of many times I sat there and refreshed my browser until I’d see my submission.
I would wholeheartedly enjoy a re-thinking of this policy.  Perhaps the addition of the logo by the artist could be allowed yet approval still required?  My $0.02.  As always, keep up the good work, staffers.