What is the best place for outdoor concerts in the Duluth area?
It’s been a while since we’ve done a poll on PDD, and this post leads us into the next one. Before we publish a ballot on Saturday, we have to ask the question and make sure we aren’t missing any good nominees.
What is the best place for outdoor concerts in the Duluth area?
Barker’s Island Pavilion
Bayfront Festival Park
Big Top Chautauqua
Billings Park
Chester Bowl
Glensheen Mansion Pier
Lake Place Park
Leif Erikson Park
Lucius Woods Performing Arts Center
Anything else that should be on the ballot?
Exploring Ruins of Column at Uncle Harvey’s Mausoleum
Ruins of the column that collapsed this winter at “Uncle Harvey’s Mausoleum” off the Duluth Lakewalk. Water is really murky as its proximity to the shipping lanes stirs up a lot of silt this time of year. I intend to keep trying to get clearer shots but this is all I could manage during this initial foray. Water depth: 9 feet. Basically what you’re seeing here is a base of concrete sprouting metal bars and telephone-pole-like wooden posts that in some cases are splintered or splayed. The tops of some posts were sheared off and smoothed by ice sheet movement and lie just below the surface. The concrete top of the column lies on its side at the bottom, along with eroded steel jacketing that sheathed the base.
I was very cautious during these dives as the danger of getting snagged or nicked in the gloom was fearful to contemplate. I heard nearby swimmers claim a member of their party had scraped himself on the posts while swimming. Not to be a bringdown but this area has to be considered a hazard to swimmers and boaters alike. It is also the most interesting thing to look at in Lake Superior right now.
This Week: festivals aplenty and more
Here’s a bit of what you’ll find on this week’s PDD Calendar:
It’s a big week for art in the Northland, with the Plein Air Art Festival getting underway. Also taking place: an ARAC grant-writing workshop, a night of board games for grownups at Studio 15, the 48th annual Tour of Homes, the activity-packed Hermantown Summerfest and the Fractals play Fairlawn Mansion.
There’s a community bike ride on Wednesday, Guys & Dolls opens at the Duluth Playhouse, the Northern Hammer Fest swings into action in Lake Nebagamon (a heavy-metal town if there ever was one), there’s party-polka in Superior, Titanic: the Musical is, uh, going down at Fitger’s, the Bayfront Reggae Festival is happening on Saturday and Shannan Paul is bringing the funny to Dubh Linn.
Sarah Morris – “You Still Have Me”
Minneapolis’ Sarah Morris shares the bill with Duluth’s Rachael Kilgour at the Red Star Lounge on Friday, July 17, 10 p.m.
Antique-buyer Recommendation
I recently came into possession of some old items from my childhood, including about six or seven porcelain dolls that are in good condition. They’re somewhat sentimental, and I can’t force myself to simply drop them off at a Goodwill or Savers. Does anyone know of an antique shop or other business in the Duluth/Superior area that might be interested in purchasing them?
Selective Focus: Music
Aaron Reichow, untitled
Many very good submissions this week, and I’m especially happy with all the unusual vantages points: Brian’s empathetic portrait, or that lovely flower in Gaelynn’s hair. I was also moved by the shots of crowds, after all music is as much about how it is received as it is about how it is made. (more…)
What’s being built beside Mike’s Western Cafe?
I’m hoping that the construction site near 28th Avenue West and Superior Street, right beside Mike’s Western Cafe, isn’t for another gas station but I’m ready to be let down. Does anyone know for sure?
Don’t worry, the sandstone will be back
Lest anyone driving by the Central Administration Building, aka Old Central High School, fear the cool sandstone wall is being replaced with ugly concrete blocks, let it be noted that the 120-year-old brownstone blocks are being restored and will return.
Found Lake Paraphernalia
I was freediving Duluth’s amazing rock beach one afternoon, and started finding pot-smoking paraphernalia in a few feet of water just off shore. I realized I was reassembling some poor stoner’s fully stocked stash tray which he/she must have set too close to the waves. Within a relatively small radius I found pieces of two glass pipes (one largely intact), pokie tool, rolling tray, grinder, cigarette roller, and a broken glass jar. Archeological evidence of a beach culture of leisure.
Three Tunes for Five String Banjo by Kyle Ollah
Kyle Ollah plays at 10 p.m. every Wednesday night at Fitger’s Brewhouse.
Public Officials with Cool Names
Brainerd Police Chief
Corky McQuiston
Bass Lake Fire Department Chief Marvin Mullet
Superior City Attorney
Frog Prell
Itasca County District Court Judge Korey Wahwassuck
Duluth 2015 Primary Election Primer
The filing period for Duluth city and school board offices closed on July 21. Below are the offices up for grabs and the names of those who filed. The Primary Election will be held Tuesday, Sept. 15.
Duluth Mayor
(Top two candidates advance to General Election)
Thomas Cooper
John Howard Evans
Jane Hammerstrom Hoffman (withdrew)
Howie Hanson
Chuck Horton
Emily Larson
James Mattson
Robert D. Schieve
John Socha
At-large Duluth City Councilors
(Two positions; no primary in this race, all four candidates advance)
Jim Booth
Elissa Hansen
Noah Hobbs
Kriss Osbakken
First District Duluth City Councilor
(No primary in this race; both candidates advance)
Gary Anderson
Karl Spring
Second District Duluth City Councilor
(No primary in this race; candidate is unopposed)
Joel Sipress
Third District Duluth City Councilor
(No primary in this race, both candidates advance)
Jay Cole (withdrew)
Barri Love
Em Westerlund
Fifth District Duluth City Councilor
(Top two candidates advance)
Allan Beaulier
Derrick Ellis
Jay Fosle
Janet Kennedy
At-large Duluth School Board Member
(Top two candidates advance)
Alanna Oswald
Jim H. Unden
Renee K. VanNett
District Two Duluth School Board Member
(Top two candidates advance)
Jane Hammerstrom Hoffman
David Kirby
Charles Obije
District Three Duluth School Board Member
(No primary in this race; both candidates advance)
Loren Martell
Nora Sandstad
Duluth named a top city for foodies by Livability.com
A cool story crossed news desks yesterday. Duluth is once again on the national radar as a very special place. Last year Outside magazine gave us kudos. Now it’s Livability.com. Here are the details.
Max Dvorak – “Honey”
Max Dvorak is a Madison native living in Boston and touring the United States and Canada this summer. He plays the Redstar on Saturday night, July 11.
Accent in Duluth
I’m aware the “Minnesota accent” varies as you move north through the state, but apparently it also varies west-to-east in Duluth. But don’t take my word for it. I’m a transplant, twice.
Arts fellowships and grants awarded to Duluth artists and regional organizations
The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council awarded the following grants and fellowships to the following applicants, many from Duluth. If you see these artists, congratulate them. (more…)
Northern Pike Swims By
A brief encounter with a Northern Pike in several feet of water. It looks injured as if by a propeller across its back.
St. Louis River photos from National Geographic
On April 7, National Geographic published a photo gallery featuring images of the St. Louis River. The intro to the piece notes the St. Louis is “the eighth most endangered river in the U.S.,” according to a ranking by the advocacy group American Rivers. (more…)
ARAC Call for Community Volunteers to Evaluate Grants
I volunteer with the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, and I can say surely and with enthusiasm that some of the best people I have met in Duluth I have met through ARAC, including grants manager Ashley Kulka, executive director Bob DeArmond, local artists and arts organizers across the seven-county Arrowhead region. If you have a desire to support the arts, doing this work is immensely awesome.
The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council is recruiting community members to be a part of ARAC’s Rural and Community Art Project and Career Development grant review panels. Each program has two panel meetings a year that require members to read between 15 and 30 applications per meeting. If you are interested in serving on either of these panels, contact the office at 218-722-0952, 800-569-8134, or info @ aracouncil.org. This is a great way to learn more about our regional arts community; the council and its programs; and the grant review process.
Explore Duluth/Superior LocalWiki
Chris Handsone and Esther Derby have launched a LocalWiki for Duluth and Superior. Similar to Wikipedia in general, the LocalWiki effort is intended to “collect, share and open the world’s local knowledge” by allowing anyone to create and edit information about where they live — “their local government, the history of their neighborhoods, streets, social movements, noteworthy local figures, social services, schools — every facet of life in their community.” Check out the Explore Duluth/Superior LocalWiki at localwiki.org/duluth/_explore.
This Week: Movies in the Park, Rick Springfield, Trampled by Turtles and more
Here’s a bit of what you’ll find on this week’s PDD Calendar:
It’s a busy week of summertastic events large and small. Make a clay animal at Duluth Makerspace, watch the Huskies battle the MoonDogs, Lawrence Lee defends a favorite film of his at the Zinema, there’s comedic magic for kids at the Library, the South St. Louis County Fair kicks off in Proctor and downtown Duluth’s Sidewalk Days get underway.
At Teatro Zuccone, the New Works Festival brings the freshness, the heat can be beaten at the Heritage Center’s weekly open-skate, the still-envious-of-Jesse Rick Springfield hits Bayfront Park (as do Trampled by Turtles with several guests) and Emilio Estevez’ enduring classic The Mighty Ducks ushers in the Movies in the Park season.
Interesting Duluth Restroom Graffiti
Which public lavatories in the Duluth area have the most interesting graffiti?
Selective Focus: The Human Comedy
Jeremiah Brown, “Heiko”
Mirthful man that he was, Nietzsche wrote “it is man alone who laughs; he alone suffers so deeply that he had to invent laughter.” There’s a recognition there that being human is a difficult endeavor, and that taking ourselves too seriously is one of the ways we compound the difficulty. Thanks to all who braved letting down their stoic fronts this week. (more…)