Selective Focus: Beer Porn
Instagram loves a nice sexy photo of a beer can on the beach, a bottle glistening in the sun on a handsome patio, a plastic growler propped just right on a canoe. Here are a few recent ones. (more…)
Last of the Gabriel’s [Pop] Vinyl: “My Little Old Shack in Minneapolis, MN” by Yogi Yorgesson
I saved the best, or at least the nearest to local, for last. (more…)
The Slice: Dragon Boat Practice
Blue Water Paddling hosts open dragon boating in Superior every Tuesday night. In this video, co-founder Megan Kress leads a group through some paddling exercises to prepare for the big race. The 2019 Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival is Aug. 24, with races starting at 8 a.m.
In its series The Slice, WDSE-TV presents short “slices of life” that capture the events and experiences that bring people together and speak to what it means to live up north.
Video: Pictured Rocks Cliff Collapse
Minnesota-based nature photographers Jon Smithers and Craig Blacklock shot this video near Shipwreck Point on Lake Superior’s Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore at Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. When a section of the sandstone cliff collapses, a group of kayakers is just far enough away to avoid injury.
PDD Video Lab: A Whole New Can of Worms
In a world where Duluth’s “Can of Worms” area is untangled and all the city’s hillside vegetation dies, comes a new video from the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
When the PDD A/V squad saw MnDOT’s silent “Drive Through Animation,” the need to add music was overwhelming. The soundtrack above is a clip from Anthony Bennett’s song “Can of Worms” from the 2012 album Hello Cruel World. Tony is also PDD’s calendar editor, though he wasn’t in the lab when we picked his music. (more…)
All hail Duluth’s new flag
Duluth has a new flag. Blane Tetreault was selected as the overall winner of the city’s flag-design contest launched earlier this year.
“This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to contribute to a community that I love,” Tetreault said in a news release from the city. “My goal in participating in this project was to help establish a symbol that represents the rich history, culture, and natural beauty of Duluth.” (more…)
WDIO-TV Personalities Circa Early 1970s
Dennis Anderson, anchor
Bill Stefl, sports
Jack McKenna, weather
Jim Schwinn
Duluth 2019 Primary Election Results
With 34 of 34 precincts counted …
Duluth Mayor
(Top two candidates advance to General Election)
Emily Larson – 5,225 | 66.87%
David Nolle – 992 | 12.7%
John Socha – 450 | 5.76%
Daniel Weatherly – 285 | 3.65%
Donald Raihala – 220 | 2.82%
Caleb Anderson – 206 | 2.64%
Jesse Peterson – 193 | 2.47%
Corey Ford – 160 | 2.05%
Doris Queen Lavender – 83 | 1.06%
At-large Duluth City Councilors
(Two positions; top four candidates advance to General Election)
Arik Forsman – 3,570 | 26.87%
Noah Hobbs – 3,313 | 24.94%
Derek Medved – 3,003 | 22.6%
Mike Mayou – 2,338 | 17.6%
Stephen Abernethy – 498 | 3.75%
Nathaniel Rankin – 321 | 2.42%
Matthew William Stewart – 242 | 1.82%
Third District Duluth City Councilor
(Top two candidates advance to General Election)
Roz Randorf – 661 | 47.9%
Theresa O’Halloran-Johnson – 454 | 32.9%
Henry Banks – 185 | 13.41%
Ryan Glenn – 80 | 5.8%
More vinyl from Gabriel’s Used Bookstore
I’m still working my way through the vinyl I grabbed from the bag sale at Gabriel’s Used Bookstore. Most of it is listen once, then dispose or destroy, although I have a mild curiosity about who the owner of these singles was. (more…)
Duluth Trivia Deck Sampler #15
Ah hah! Here is maybe a better way to share the cards from the Duluth Trivia game I bought at Savers. I destroyed all the bits that were not Duluth-centric, and I am destroying the cards as I use them here. I own waaaay too much stuff. (more…)
Hey look, a 45-inch Lake Superior trout
Caught by Steven Gotchie and Jordan Korzenowski on Lake Superior, about five miles out from the Aerial Lift Bridge.
Big changes at Wildwoods rehab facility
Left: New Wildwoods Executive Director Jessica LaBumbard. Right: Outgoing Director Farzad Farr.
Wildwoods, the Duluth-area wildlife rehabber, recently posted its early-season stats: 1,260 animals have been helped by the organization this year, through Aug. 1. Migration season, a busy time for Wildwoods, is still to come.
Meanwhile, Executive Director Farzad Farr will be stepping down on Sept. 21 after 13 years with Wildwoods. He’s going back to California to be close to family. New director Jessica LaBumbard has already began. (more…)
Selective Focus: #tallships
A few views as the Festival of Sail blew into town Sunday. The festival continues today and tomorrow, Aug. 12 and 13. (more…)
PDD Quiz: Neon Signs of the Twin Ports
Banner image by Garner Moffat.
Whether you’re in Superior or Duluth, we’re in that prime Perfect Day™ time of year. Belly up to this week’s quiz and see if you can identify local neon signs based on a single letter (and some possibly helpful hints)!
The next PDD quiz, scheduled for Aug. 25, will review the month’s headlines and happenings. Submit question suggestions to Alison Moffat at [email protected] by Aug. 21. (more…)
The Good Ship Ridiculous
Last spring, a friend texted a picture of a plywood shanty boat to my husband, Jason. A tiny craft, its 13 feet sat trailered on a Superior side street. And at 5-feet wide, it gave off a garage-built, “I made this myself!” feel with outlandish colors and faux iron scrollwork screwed into the side. It also had balloons and a “For Sale” sign.
Squinting into my cell phone, I said, “That’s ridiculous!” Another friend, looking over my shoulder, suggested it looked like a floating puppet show. I laughed, I mean, it was meant as a joke — all of it.
That text was a response to a conversation with other middle-aged parents. Around a bonfire, we gave bold lip service to the idea of living on the water. Late into the evening, we chatted about houseboats and travel — big talk from people made of obligation, staked to mortgages and children and pets. Then, as the embers died down, we wiped the counters, fed the cat and went to bed. There would be work tomorrow because … there is always work tomorrow. (more…)
Taps are flowing at Rapids Brewing in Grand Rapids
Executive Chef Erik Halverson, General Manager Bill Martinetto and Head Brewer Darin Jensen are ready to spread beard and beer culture in Grand Rapids.
The newest brewery on Minnesota’s Iron Range has begun serving up suds. Rapids Brewing Company opened Aug. 2 for its first “Summer Sneak Peak Weekend,” with limited beer and food options. General Manager Bill Marinetto said he expects the business to be open seven days a week before the end of the month, and his target is next weekend. (more…)
Video from Iron River’s pie-eating contest
The annual Iron River Lions Club Blueberry Festival features a pie-eating contest. Spoiler alert: it gets messy. (more…)
Working through a personal record collection from Gabriel’s
The $5 bag sale happens a few times a year at Gabriel’s Books. I swung by on Saturday and filled a grocery sack with a book on new testament theology by Rudolf Bultmann (what kind of nerd has a favorite theologian, in this case an “existential theologian” committed to “demythologizing” the Bible?), and a book by Frederic Wertham (now that is comic nerd excellence right there) and a stack of 45rpm records. (more…)
Postcard from West Superior Street
This undated postcard from Zenith Interstate News Company has a very 1960s look to it. The image shows businesses and traffic on the 400 block of West Superior Street in Downtown Duluth, looking northeast. (more…)
Missing Person: Priscilla Joy Sohm
The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance with locating Priscilla Joy Sohm, a 25-year-old Native American female who left the At Home Living group home facility in Canosia Township on July 21.
Sohm has a history of leaving the home without permission and was missing for approximately one month in May before being located in Superior. She is described as having black hair, brown eyes, approximately 5 ft. 8 in. tall and weighing 150 pounds.
Anyone with information about Sohm’s whereabouts is asked to call 911 or the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division at 218-336-4350.
Aug. 21 Update:
Over the past month Sohm has been in contact with her family, but is unwilling to come home or ask for assistance. She is diagnosed with mental health issues that designate her as vulnerable. She is believed to be accompanied by a friend named Joseph Reynolds.
On Aug. 13, Sohm was observed in Downtown Duluth, however, she was gone before law enforcement could locate her. She is still likely to be in the Duluth/Superior area.
Aug. 23 Update:
Sohm was located and brought to a local hospital by the Hermantown Police Department. She was not far from the Kings Creek Park area of Hermantown. A concerned caller had reported to 911 that people may have been camping in the area. She appeared to be in good health.
Northern Cold Storage & Warehouse Company
Northern Cold Storage & Warehouse Company was located in Duluth’s waterfront warehouse district from about 1907 to 1968. The photo above is credited to Hugh McKenzie circa 1935. (more…)