News and Current Affairs
Lonely Planet names Duluth a top destination for 2015
Duluth pulled a #9 ranking in Lonely Planet‘s “Best in the U.S. 2015” travel guide. “With trails in every direction, Lake Superior’s waves crashing on one side, and snowy mountains rising on the other, Duluth has emerged as the Midwest’s premier outdoors hot spot,” the panel of authors and editors wrote. “The 290-mile Superior Hiking Trail hugs the lake from Duluth en route to Canada, passing waterfalls, red-rock overlooks, and the occasional moose. Without even leaving town, the mountain biker (and snowshoer) fantasy known as the Duluth Traverse is in the works, linking several existing trails to cover the 26-mile length of the city.”
Related post: “What else is Duluth the best at?“
Aldi coming to Duluth and Superior?
The Germany-based discount supermarket chain Aldi has posted online ads for store manager trainees in Duluth and Superior, a strong indication the company is planning to open stores in the Twin Ports. The website cdinduluth.com first reported rumors of Aldi’s interest in Duluth back in January. Aldi has over 9,000 stores in over 18 countries. It is known for carrying inexpensive grocery staples and household items, generally with unfamiliar brand names (often contracted by Aldi), and for practices designed to lower grocery costs by lowering store expenses — i.e. quarter-deposits for use of carts, high credit-card processing fees, no free bags and limited store hours.
Duluth opens second dog park
Duluth’s Parks and Recreation Division announced today that a fenced, off-leash dog park has officially opened at Observation Park, located on West Third Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues west. Features of the new dog park include a double-gated entry so leashes can be removed safely before entering the dog park, a separate small dog area for dogs 20 pounds or less, and off-street parking (at the Tenth Street dead end). Observation Dog Park is the second such park in Duluth. The first, Keene Creek Dog Park, located in Keene Creek Park in West Duluth on Grand Avenue and 62nd Avenue West, opened in 2006. Both dog parks are open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Individuals interested in supporting Duluth Dog Parks are encouraged to email Denette Lynch at duluthdogparks @ yahoo.com.
Duluth Michael Brown Memorial
Filmed by Joe Olivieri of Lola Visuals.
College football’s coaching nun in New York Times
The story of Sister Lisa Maurer, who serves as a football coach at the College of St. Scholastica, is featured today in the New York Times. Maurer is a Benedictine nun with St. Scholastica Monastery in Duluth, which shares a campus with the College of St. Scholastica. She joined the ranks of the coaching crew this fall, after spending years as one of the Saints’ biggest fans. Maurer will be on the sidelines Saturday as the Saints take on Saint John’s University in the first round of the NCAA Division III playoffs in Collegeville.
The Daily Show’s take on Pointergate
This post originally contained an embedded video that is no longer available at its source.
Give to the Max Day 2014
Today is Give to the Max Day. If you would like Duluthians to be aware of your Give to the Max campaign, maybe post something in the comments?
Mr. Nice: Running for Mayor Again?
Perennial candidate Mr. Nice at Duluth’s Red Herring Lounge on Oct. 12, hosting “There Will Certainly Be Sangria – Sunday Sermon,” shortly after Mayor Don Ness announced he will decline to run again.
Duluth 2014 General Election Results
With 4,106 of 4,106 precincts reporting, it’s a DFL sweep. Here are the statewide results for races relevant to Duluth.
FEDERAL OFFICES
United States Senator
Al Franken (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) – 1,053,156 | 53.14%
Mike McFadden (Republican) – 850,504 | 42.92%
Steve Carlson (Independence) – 47,544 | 2.40%
Heather Johnson (Libertarian) – 29,698 | 1.50%
United States Representative, Minnesota District 8
Rick Nolan (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) – 128,860 | 48.50%
Stewart Mills (Republican) – 125,201 | 47.12%
Ray “Skip” Sandman (Green) – 11,437 | 4.30%
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Will Duluth see more mansions on the hill?
It’s been five years since William Agenter built his high-profile home on Skyline Parkway. Although the mansion on Duluth’s western hillside was built legally on private land, some saw it as an intrusion on an otherwise woodsy section of the scenic drive perceived to belong to the public.
That controversy has come and gone, but another could be looming. Across Skyline from Agenter’s property sits 43.7 acres of wooded hillside, adjacent to popular hiking and biking trails, marked with Lynn Beechler Realty signs. Sale of that land to someone eager to develop more housing with expansive views of the city could happen any day, though the buyer would face challenges. (more…)
14-31DS
A few fundamental questions on the on the Chester Ski Jump Memorial Plan City of Duluth RFP.
Is not art, true art — spoken, written, painted, sung, or mixed media — an expression of that which comes from places that are intangible or elusive? i.e.: from within, a collaborative, the Netherlands, the proverbial Vibe?
Yes, the history of a place, lived out by a people is vital — I get that (and the real magic still is to have been there and lived it out) — however, most of us probably don’t have that benefit.
But a request put out on an RFP – a bid – along with city hall upgrades and roofing repairs not only diminishes the call, but is the antithesis of artistic inspiration. Just my opining.
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Geek Prom on hiatus
Note to fellow nerdwads:
We have reached an era of unprecedented technological advancement and far-reaching anti-bullying campaigns. The mission of Geek Prom is complete. The prom committee is disbanding.
We now enter a state of complacency, no longer planning our defenses against the hideous Fleckuloids of the Mineculon, though our strategies remain in tact should we need to summon our forces due to reemerging threats.
May you all live long and prosper, be you dill-weeds, spazzes, dorks, doofuses, dweebs, Einsteins, pizza faces, brainiacs, space cadets, mathletes, meteorologists, gamers, Trekkies, disc jockeys, zeros, gaywads, hobbyists, greenies, weaklings or any other form of misfit.
A Different Argument for the Trees
On the topic of removing the trees that line the two-mile stretch of Fourth Street from Sixth Avenue East to Wallace Avenue during the street reconstruction and upgrading of water and sewer lines in 2016:
Keeping the Fourth Street trees is not just a matter of esthetics, sentimentality or environmentalism. It seems to me that although all of these arguments should save the trees, they are emotionally based. We need an argument to save the trees that is going to stand up to science.
The memory of a study came to me today while I was driving down Fourth. There is less crime in areas with trees. And with the center of dodginess on one end of Fourth, it seems to me that criminal activity could very easily expand outward, taking up another portion of our fair city.
So yeah, there is more criminal activity in areas without trees. I don’t think we want more of that.
Happy UMD Homecoming!
UMD Chancellor Lendley Black had a busy homecoming week, but with a nod to Jimmy Fallon and a cameo from our favorite shark-attack-preventing mayor, he’s taking some time to write out his thank you notes.
Don’t miss the Bulldog football game Saturday at 1 p.m. Tailgating starts at 11 a.m.
Classic bars and liquor stores on the outs
A few recent booze-related news items we’ve been too busy to mention in detail on PDD:
- A sign went up last month at 501 E. Fourth St. declaring the former Twins Bar will be reopening as the Break Room.
- West Duluth’s venerable North Pole Bar is delinquent on property and sales taxes. It was not open this past Saturday night.
- Last Chance Liquor in the Central Hillside will close in the coming months.
- Warehouse Liquor on Central Entrance will close and be replaced with a Dunkin’ Donuts.
Reviewing Hedwig and the Angry Inch
So I thought I would like to write a review of the rock-musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
I am new to writing full-blown reviews so I guess by default this will be the worst one ever… but also the best? I am by no means an expert on anything, nor should you hold my opinion to more or less value than you would hold to someone you just met on the street. My opinion is my own, but I would like to share it.
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Bent Paddle 14° ESB wins medal at Great American Beer Festival
Duluth’s Bent Paddle Brewing won a bronze medal in the Extra Special Bitter category at the Great American Beer Festival this past weekend in Boulder, Colo. Presented by the Brewers Association, the Great American Beer Festival is the largest commercial beer competition in the world.
This year 268 medals were awarded in 90 categories covering 145 different beer styles. A group of 222 beer experts from 10 countries evaluated the 5,507 commercial entries from 1,309 breweries.
Fitger’s Brewhouse is a past medal winner, taking home a bronze in the American-Style Sour Ale category in 2012 for its Fitger’s Framboise and another bronze in the French- and Belgian-Style Saison category in 2004 for its Farm House Reserve.
It’s always warm at Victus Farm
A recent story on American Public Media’s Marketplace program — “How to grow lettuce and fish indoors, all year long” — explores the wonders of aquaponics. Victus Farm is profiled for growing produce fertilized by fish grown in the same facility. The project is a partnership between the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Center for Sustainable Community Development and the city of Silver Bay. UMD Geography Professor Mike Mageau and a former student, Baylor Radtke, are also building a smaller fish-and-vegetable operation in Radtke’s yard in Duluth.
Lolling across West Duluth and overseas
Loll Designs is moving its production facilities to 59th Avenue West and Waseca Street.
Duluth News Tribune: Loll Designs growing and on the move in Duluth
I bought several Epicurean chopping boards and a trivet where I live now in England over the years at various stockists. They’re great! Hopefully more product lines will be available. Just returned from Denmark and was chuffed to see Epicurean products in Copenhagen’s grandest department store, Magasin du Nord. It would be brilliant if Epicurean/Loll’s webshop could accept payments from international debit/credit cards and customers so I could Xmas shop online for Stateside relatives.
Oh, and every time I see my neighbor’s resin patio table and chairs in our shared back garden, I want to heave. God give me Loll Designs!
Skyline Parkway Corridor Management Plan
Does anyone have any word on building restrictions on Skyline Parkway? I’m asking because someone built a house on the lower side of Skyline a block above my house. Someone is working on a plot of land to the east which is also directly above my house and they need a variance (for which there is a meeting at City Hall on Tuesday next week).
My street has had a drainage issue ever since I moved in, but the first house to be built up there caused the issue to escalate. With more housing being built directly above, I fear that the problem will get increasingly worse. If anyone has any info on the corridor management plan or building on Skyline in general please let me know, and if you think this issue might directly affect you, let me know so I can forward the meeting info on to you.
I love Duluth and hope that we can work together to make things better. Above is a panoramic picture of ice taking up half the street due to water running down it.
Ark of the Anthropocene is coming to Duluth and needs support!
Minneapolis-based artist and musician Sean Connaughty has done many wonderful and interesting things. Among them are a series of self contained ceramic biospheres that he sculpts, fills with plant life, and then submerges in waterways to become free floating universes. He wires them with cameras so viewers can hit his website and see what is going on inside. Now he has taken on his biggest version of the project yet, a massive concrete ‘Ark’ biosphere which will be submerged in Lake Superior near the Aquarium. The image is of the Ark being hoisted in place for the Northern Spark Festival in June at the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis.
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Redstone damaged by fire
From the assistant fire chief’s office:
At 00:52 this morning, the Duluth Fire Department responded to a structure fire at 1511 E. Superior St. The first vehicle on scene reported a working fire, with heavy fire showing from a first-floor window of a three-story building. The fire had extended to the second floor via a pipe chase.
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