The mayorally proclaimed Perfect Duluth Day of 2014
Duluth Mayor Don Ness was “overwhelmed with a feeling of love and gratitude for this beautiful city,” yesterday (Sept. 28) and declared on Facebook that it was the “perfect Duluth day 2014,” encouraging people to “take advantage of everything the city has to offer” and post pictures and stories with the hashtag #perfectduluth. Here are some of the results.
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This week: a park plan, a sex change and a spooky ship
Here’s a sampling of what you have to look forward to this week on the PDD Calendar.
Love Chester Park? Want to see the city’s “mini-master plan” for the park? Check it out and give your two cents on Tuesday at Myers-Wilkins.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a musical about glam rock and a botched sex change. It opens at the Undeground on Thursday and runs two weekends.
On the other end of the theater spectrum, Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House opens at UMD on Friday and also runs two weekends.
The William A. Irvin once again becomes the Haunted Ship for the month of October starting on Friday. You can check out all of the Halloween related events on the calendar.
So what are you doing this week? Can we tag along? Any upcoming events that you want to promote? Let us know.
Writing, Writers, Appetizers
Photos by Dan Turner.
I spent the better part of the afternoon at Barnes and Noble, Miller Hill Mall, with Terrance Griep. Griep was signing hardcover editions of his comic books starring Scooby Doo.
Griep is both a comic artist and a professional wrestler, visiting Duluth today and tomorrow (Monday). (more…)
Agate Hunter 2
Footage from July or August. I tried to edit out the fart noise @ 1:00 but gave up. It is air escaping from the camera pole I swear.
Part one here.
(By the way, here’s my social media deets: like me on Facebook here; subscribe to my Youtube channel here; follow me on Instagram @lakesuperioraquaman, and Twitter @superioraquaman.)
Brule River by air and underwater
Go Pro video with P2 Drone by Sam Alvar of Seaquest Productions.
Wood Blind’s Veikko Lepisto, back in the day
Duluth band Wood Blind plays Sept. 25 at Beaner’s during the week-long “One Week Live” celebration. We dug into the shallow end of the PDD archives and dusted off this Royal Crown Revue video circa 1997, which features Wood Blind bassist Veikko Lepisto doing his thing with the old crew.
Lepisto was born in Duluth and studied bass with Billy Barnard at UMD. He lived in Los Angeles during most of his music career, but has been back in Duluth for over a year.
Adam Sippola launches Kickstarter for live looping album
Adam Sippola will be live looping it up at the Red Herring Lounge on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m. There will be food, drinks at the bar, of course, and sounds provided by Sippola.
The purpose of the Kickstarter is to gather support and raise funding to record a live looping album at Sacred Heart Music Center during the fall and winter, and to create an album release concert event, also at Sacred Heart.
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.
Howie Hanson vs. Don Ness – Are Duluth politics getting interesting again?
After a fairly long period of dormancy in mayoral politics in Duluth, Howie Hanson announced that he would be running for mayor in the next election, 14 months from now, prompting Don Ness to invite him to debate, even though he isn’t sure he’s running.
And now, just a few minutes ago, Hanson on Facebook publicly called out Ness to make his intentions known on whether he will run or not.
All of this is being done in a very public way.
After a long period of holding hands and singing “Kum Bah Ya” are we finally getting back to the down and dirty local politics Duluthians seem to love?
Driving Away with Bone Appetit
The band Bone Appetit rests between a parody and an homage to 1980s hair metal. Ahead of the reunion show Saturday at R.T. Quinlan’s, members Ryan Van Slooten and Cory Ahlm discussed the band’s signature song, “Drive Away,” while Tony Bennett of Cars & Trucks and Alan Sparhawk of Low share their thoughts on Bone Appetit’s place in Duluth music history.
Pride of the Twin Ports Area Game
From the heyday of Monopoly comes … Pride of the Twin Ports Area Game! It doesn’t appear to be something local marketing geniuses came up with, but rather a product of a company called Citipride of America, which probably made different versions of the game for different cities across the country. Perhaps the local Chamber of Commerce sold sponsorships on the game board to various businesses to raise money to have the game made, and then sales of the game raised money for the chamber … or something. That’s all conjecture; there doesn’t seem to be any info online about the game or the company.
So, does anyone else have this game? Can anyone put a year on it? It’s no older than 1978, because the instructions contain historical info about the sponsoring local businesses and mention that Northwest Office Supply expanded in 1978. It’s no more recent than 1982, because the Normandy Hotel was taken over by Holiday Inn & Suites that year.
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Lost Siamese Cat in Lower Chester
We foolishly let the cat outside Saturday morning (Sept. 20) and she took off. Conveniently she is not ours. Her tag says “Rosie” or possibly “Billy” and has an 847 landline phone number which no longer exists … greaaat. She’s white with black paws and a black face, she’s pretty small, we like to say “fun size.” She’s very cherished by my father-in-law and brother-in-law and we need to get her back. Please call me as soon as possible at 575-741-1054 if you have her, or even think you spotted her somewhere, otherwise we are in deep s&%$.
This week: making fun of Twilight and Bone Appetit returns
Here’s a sampling of what you have to look forward to this week on the PDD Calendar.
The place you recently chose as the best coffee house in Duluth will be celebrating our music scene all week by recording local musicians playing live. This is the 13th year of Beaner’s doing One Week Live, celebrating the shop’s 15 years in business. Festivities run tonight through Saturday.
Also celebrating 15 years is the Lester River Rendezvous at Lester Park on Saturday.
The folks from Renegade Improv heckle the movie Twilight at Zinema 2 for your amusement on Thursday.
In the theater scene, The Elephant Man opens at the Encore in Cloquet on Friday and runs two weekends and Wise Fool’s production of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing at the Teatro Zuccone and the Playhouse’s production of One Man, Two Guvnors are both in their final weekend.
Bone Appetit is back for one night only in a reunion show at R. T. Quinlan’s on Saturday.
And if, after reading this, you think you can do this better, then please, take my job. No, really.
So what are you doing this week? Can we tag along? Any upcoming events that you want to promote? Let us know.
Upset Firefly Fans
Lawrence Lee, Duane Rieck and Kay Rieck join the Upset Duluth ranks. (Photo by Clint Austin)
‘Firefly’ fans unite: Shindig for Joss Whedon show on tap this weekend
The End of Salsafication in Duluth
Sept. 19, 2004 — Chi-Chi’s Mexican Restaurante in Duluth closed following corporate bankruptcy. It had been located in the Fitger’s Brewery Complex for 20 years. Baja Billy’s Cantina and Grill replaced it in 2005, but closed four years later. Mexico Lindo opened in April 2010 and remains there today.
Job Opening: PDD Calendar Editor Version 3.0
Mr. Lawrence Lee, superhero editor of the PDD Calendar since April 2012, has announced his desire for fewer responsibilities. He is resigning his position, and will step down in October, when a qualified intrepid soul will be anointed to continue the mission. We promise not to turn the job interview process into a reality TV show, but we can’t say it won’t be competitive.
Follow this link to the PDD Employment page to read the job description.
During what will end up being a two-and-a-half-year stint, Lawrence will have presided over the publishing of more than 20,000 events in the calendar — and he didn’t even start getting bug eyed until a couple months ago. He plans to stay on as a contributor to the calendar, so the next person to join the ranks of PDD’s sterling staff will benefit from his wisdom and his ongoing efforts. That said, we will not accept a mere mortal taking over the reins. The bar has been set too high.
R.I.P. Irving Recreation Center
Demolition of the Irving Recreation Center has been taking place this week. Above is a photo of the rubble. Below is a shot from February 2013.
Duluth Firewood Delivery
Does anyone have a firewood deliverer recommendation? Oak, birch or maple. We’ve had spotty luck the past few years.
Homegrown Steering Committee Openings
The Homegrown Music Festival is looking to add new members to the Homegrown Steering Committee – the nonprofit committee responsible for the nuts and bolts of the eight-day festival. Ideal candidates have a love of local music and our community, and an eager commitment to continuing to improve the 16-year celebration of local music and culture. Committee terms are two years, with the opportunity to renew.
Deadline for application is Friday, Sept. 26.