Recommendations

New Chester Creek Books

Just got back from the new book store in the old Seventh Day Adventist Church on 14th East and Superior St. They have nice books and lots of ’em and they’re still expanding into the basement.

Congratulations to Sven and Louis

svensundgaard348957louisjenkins348957Former Duluth meteorologist  Sven Sundgaard was named Best TV Weather-person in City Pages’ Best of the Twin Cities issue.

Current Duluthian Louis Jenkins was named Best Poet.

Lilly’s closing weekend!

Don't Let Yourself be Held Back!

Don't Let Yourself be Held Back!

Hey, it’s another Homegrown show! With a gimmick!

Print

This one has a fashion show, from Rachel Hart and Apron Elegance.

Homegrown Tags

So Homegrown has begun, and you kids and your crazy cameras will undoubtedly be shooting everything in sight and posting the photos to Flickr. By the power vested in me by being the person who’s declared it without authority in the past (though it seemed to work — 2007 slideshow | 2008 slideshow) I declare the official Homegrown Flickr tag to be homegrownmusicfestival2009. If everyone simply tags their photos, we’ll be able to easily find cool shots of all the stuff we missed. I’ll post a slideshow here on PDD on Sunday so we can all recall the memories.

But the question that’s up for grabs is: What will the official Homegrown Twitter hash-tag be? #duluthhomegrown? #homegrownduluth? Simply #homegrown? Something else? Discuss.

One more thing: I stole this photo from Rich Narum. He’s a kickass photographer.

Sacred Heart Experimental Tuesday

Sacred Heart Music Center

* 7 p.m. – Tim Kaiser

* 8 p.m. – Rivulets

* 9 p.m. – Sight Like December

HOMEGROWN HOMEGROWN HOMEGROWN HOMEGROWN

Poetry Month Finales

Today, Saturday, April 25th: 3-5pm Reading and Reception for Duluth-Area High School Poets! Listen to emerging voices, help yourself to some free refreshments and chat about poetry! Mitchel Hall Auditorium, free and open to the public. One of Jim Johnson’s Duluth Poet Laureate initiatives!

Spirit Lake Poetry Series 7:30pm Anishinaabe poet, Al Hunter, will read from his two books of poetry (and maybe more!) Spirit Horses and Recklessness of Love. Reading is at Somers Lounge at St. Scholastica – free and open to the public, refreshments to follow!

Monday, April 27th, as part of the Arts Night in the Homegrown Music Festival, Devin McKinnon will be hosting a poetry showcase with the Cosmic Pit Orchestra serving as house band. A really great lineup of tremendous talent – you won’t want to miss! 8pm at Teatro Zuccone!

And since there were people unable to make the contemporary poetry discussion with Ryan Vine, I wrote up a summary of the talk: Poetry Talk at Norlight Lit Life

Happy Last Days of Poetry Month!

Duluth-area Auto Salvage

taurussalvage2458673

For the benefit of the general public, I’m sharing the results of today’s research project, entitled Which Junkyard Will Take My Useless Old Car and What Will They Give Me For It?

There are several places that will take your car if you strip the gas tank off, drain all the fluids, etc.

If you want someone to take it as is, the closest place to Duluth is Calvary Auto & Salvage in the Rice Lake Township (4825 Rice Lake Road | 723-1294).

A little farther away is Chesney Auto Salvage in the Fredenberg Township (6250 Beaver River Road | 721-4874).

Both offered $50 for my 1990 Ford Taurus, on the conditions that I deliver it to them and bring the title. (more…)

Chickens in the City?

I doubt I will actually do this, but wanted some input, encouragement and/or discouragement based on experience

Backyard Chickens

Backyard Chickens


(more…)

ECO Store Grand Opening Wednesday

Come, Celebrate Grand Opening on Earth Day!

Check it out!

Check It Out!

Check It Out!

Spring Sustainability Fair

Energy, Campus, and Communitygood-tree

April 21 at the UMD Kirby Student Center

10 am-4 pm

Call: 722-SAVE for bus schedules

Informational booths, demonstrations and panel discussions on many topics, with a focus on energy.

Call 722-SAVE for Bus Schedules.

*Panels and Presenters* (Kirby Lounge)
11:00 a.m. Wind Power! Community wind projects in NE Minnesota, and results from wind resource research on the UMD campus: Mike Mageau, UMD Geography and Center for Sustainable Community Development

12:00 p.m. Campus Energy Research – Malosky Solar Array: Andrew Bentley, Brandon Eberle, and Scott Norr, UMD Electrical and Computer Engineering

12:30 p.m. Campus Energy Research – Multiple-Energy Source Integration: Jeron Smith, Tom Soldner, Drew Jensen, David Buszmann, and Paul Weber, UMD Electrical and Computer Engineering

1:00 p.m. Energy: Choices, Issues, and UMD’s Role: Tom Ferguson, 3M McKnight Professor, UMD Elect & Comp Engr

2:00 p.m. Go lean before going green: The role of energy conservation and why it should always come first: Dean Talbott, Residential Program Specialist, Minnesota Power

3:00 p.m. Twin Ports Campus Sustainability Panel: How are Twin Ports universities and colleges addressing sustainability? (UMD, CSS, LSC, UWS)

4:00 p.m. Hartley Nature Center’s Electron-Search for Smart Energy (Near UMD Bus Stop)

*Booths and Presentations*

David Syring’s Anthropology Seminar Class Sustainability Projects
NE Minnesota CERTs
Conservation Technologies
UMD Office of Sustainability
UMD Office of Civic Engagement
True North AmeriCorps
Western Lake Superior Sanitary District
Minnesota Power
Jes Durfee Glass Blowing
Outdoor EdVentures
Duluth Community Supported Herbalism
Sustainable Twin Ports
UMD Sustainability Coalition
Cut Loose Creations

MORE???

Great Music Saturday at Beaners

John HermansonThis Saturday two of my favorite musicians, Danny Schmidt and John Hermanson (of Storyhill, Alva Star, and The Hopefuls), will be playing in the round with third artist Chris O’Brien at Beaner’s Central.

Go check them out; pack the place!
Cost: $15 (for three FANTASTIC musicians)
Showtime: 8pm

Poetry Discussion at Northern Lights Books

Tomorrow, Thursday, April 16th, 7PM, Ryan Vine and I will be hosting a reading/discussion on contemporary poetry. Our rules for the evening: Non-famous, Non-local & Non-dead. Bring in a poem by your favorite poet who meets the criteria above – we’ll have a sharing of poems read aloud. And also bring in your questions. We’ll be speaking of where we go for information on new poets and poetry, reviews, magazines, websites, etc. We’ll also speak to our impressions on some current trends in poetry. Any other contemporary poetry concerns you want to bring up will be very welcome!
See you there (if you’re not at the DECC)!
7pm, Thursday, April 16th, Northern Lights Books & Gifts 307 Canal Park Drive
(if you sign up for our newsletter at https://norlights.com by noon, Thursday, you can print off a poetry coupon Thursday evening)

Your Turn to Serve!

The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council is Seeking New Board Members

The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council is currently accepting applications from individuals wishing to serve on its Board. The following four Board positions will be open as of July 1, 2009: the Student Ad Hoc position, the Lake County position, and two At-large Board positions. The ARAC serves individual artists and non-profit arts organizations who reside in the seven counties which make up the Arrowhead Region: Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake and St. Louis. (more…)

Blogging Policies Revisited

By the power vested in me by the founders of Perfect Duluth Day, I present this update to PDD’s blogging policies.

Promotional Content

It’s perfectly acceptable to promote and sell things through posts on PDD. Just don’t abuse the power.

If you’re planning a quaint yard sale and want to hype all the Judy Collins records you’re selling, that’s fine. If you represent Wham-o, Inc. and post a rant about the awesomeness of the Pop Bang Target Game, which is available for the amazing low price of $24.99, your post will be removed.

Obviously there is a gray area between those examples, but as long as what you’re posting has local relevance and doesn’t come off like an advertorial, there should be few complaints.

Easter. Hidden Eggs. Pancake Breakfast

Easter at Hillside Church Duluth

Hot Toddy Hits Basic Cable

Hot Toddy and Laura Jo Dewitt

Hot Toddy and Laura Jo Dewitt

Got this interesting message from my friend who moved to LA to make it big about a year ago. He’s a Duluth native singer/songwriter/babe magnet, Hot Toddy Eckart, and I thought some of you PDDers might be interested in the update on his career: (more…)

Attention Jr. Nerds

UWS has an annual Science Night, and tonight is the night. We’ve gone the last couple years, and it’s a good time – for kids especially, but for adults too. Glowing goo, bugs, explosions, liquid nitrogen …  yeah.

6-9 PM, UWS Barstow Hall

UMD vs. Miami (Ohio) | NCAA W. Regional final

NCAA West Regional final: UMD vs. Miami (Ohio)

Update: UMD loses its bid for the NCAA Frozen Four in a close game against Miami 2 -1. They almost followed up the Friday night “Miracle at Mariucci” with another come back, but they couldn’t get the equalizer they needed to tie the game.  It was a great playoff run by the Dogs and look forward to great season next year. Now we need to hope the BSU Beavers, yes the Bemidji State Beavers, pull off another upset tomorrow night against Cornell to get into the Frozen Four. BSU upset #1 seed Notre Dame 5 -1 tonight in a great game. It was the first NCAA Division I Tournament win in Bemidji State men’s hockey history. Learn more here

Lutsen Mountains: King of the Midwest Hills

Airbourne - New York Times

New York Times story here.

Fathers Forever (reprise)

MN Fathers Forever Saturday March 21st at Fond du Lac Tribaland Community College

MN Fathers Forever Saturday March 21st at Fond du Lac Tribaland Community College

MINNESOTA FATHERS FOREVER
Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College, 2101 14th Street, Cloquet, MN 55720
MINNESOTA FATHERS FOREVER: March 21, 2009 (Saturday), 9:30am-3:00pm, Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College, 2101 14th Street, Cloquet, MN 55720. This event is about honoring fathers and connecting them with the resources that they need to best serve their children. We welcome fathers who are looking for positive solutions to problems with child support, child custody, and parenting time issues. Fathers who attend for will get assistance in modifying their child support orders, drivers license reinstatement, and legal information/assistance.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Oscar Reed (former Vikings running back with 3 Superbowl appearances). Special appearance by members of the 2008 National Championship UMD Football Bulldogs.

Smoke Signals

The thought provoking film  “Smoke Signals”  will also be shown.

Free family photos of dads and kids resource vendor booths, child care, lunch, and limited transportation are all available.  This event was created by a large coalition of organizations that really care about strengthening families in our region, including the Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency (AEOA), Boyz II Dadz Young Fathers Program, Carlton County Child Support, Fond du Lac Head Start, Fond du Lac Social Services, St. Louis County Child Support, and University of Minnesota Extension and many, many others.

TRANSPORTATION UPDATE: Free rides to and from Duluth are available. A van will leave the Central Hillside Community Center at 8:45 am on Saturday Morning. A return trip to Duluth will be made at 3:15 pm from Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. Call me for transportation details (jp Boyz II Dadz: 218.391.8330)

The Full Monty opens Thursday

The Full Monty at the Duluth Playhouse

The Full Monty at the Duluth Playhouse

I saw a preview of the Duluth Playhouse production of “The Full Monty” tonight. It’s really funny! It’s a musical with some interaction with the audience. How naked are they? I’ll never tell, but I will say that I saw Pat Kelly as I’ve never seen him before. Call 733-7555 for ticket information or visit www.duluthplayhouse.org. Shows are Thursday, March 19th to Sunday, April 5th, Thursday – Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m.

Our world, encapsulated

This weekend I’ll be hanging drywall in my humble home, and there is a little compartment upstairs that will be sealed up for good (or, at least until the house is remodeled again or demolished. It was closed up for about 40 years before I got to it).

I’m going to get a shoebox-sized plastic container and create a time capsule to place in that little compartment.

Already slated for the capsule: a newspaper, a few coins, and some photos of the house and neighborhood.

Any suggestions on some small things to add that would be cool to find a few decades from now?

Paintings at an Exhibition

crooked-smiles2-web12