Where in Duluth?
[This post contained a photo embedded from another web location. The photo is no longer available at its source.]
Where in Duluth is this newly established landmark? It washed up on shore about 5+ years ago and hasn’t moved since.
Is it Crazy Cessna Day?
Does anyone know what’s up with the two small yellow planes that have been flying over Duluth all morning? They are flying awful close to buildings, making a lot of noise, and don’t appear to be doing anything productive. Just wondering if you all know something I don’t.
This week: going viral, making a bed and crying doves
Here’s a sampling of what you have to look forward to this week on the PDD Calendar.
I’m back from my three week sojourn. Thanks to Hallie and Paul for holding down the fort while I was gone!
What’s it like to go viral? Hannah Hudson discusses the ups and downs at the Duluth Photography Institute tonight.
You know how your mom always told you to make your bed? Now you can make beds for other folks at the Steve O’Neil Apartments. There’s a bed build session in a shop in Hermantown on Tuesday.
Spirit Valley Days kicks off on Wednesday and runs through Sunday. The first day features Bill Bastian, a Miss West Duluth Pageant and a Classic Car Show.
Red Herring marks the 30th anniversary of Purple Rain with a viewing, “unpretentious film analysis” and a dance party afterwards on Thursday.
The Two Harbors Kayak Festival runs Friday through Sunday with events operating out of Burlington Bay in Two Harbors.
And, in case you aren’t getting outdoors enough, the 28th annual Brewhouse Triathlon is this Saturday.
So what are you doing this week? Can we tag along? Any upcoming events that you want to promote? Let us know.
Duluth one of the happiest areas in U.S.
Looking at this map, from the article linked below, it appears that Duluth is, statistically, one of the happiest cities in the United States. I completely agree with that assessment. Charlottesville may be the official “happiest region,” but you could easily substitute “Duluth” for “Charlottesville” and have an accurate description of why our city is such a great place to live in.
Richmond is America’s most contented area – with New York its unhappiest
Lost keys with blue clasp
Lost Thursday afternoon in area of Superior Street and 15th Avenue East. Twenty dollar reward. Call Scot 218-269-8096.
This post is not about the sailboat that got stuck on the lift bridge
During my ongoing studies of the elusive exclusive Northland reclusive, I went to the beach yesterday, a veritable Norwegian Riviera with air and water temps nearly perfect, and was amazed to find the entire place nearly deserted as I lay there panting in my speedos, hoping to shock some poor unsuspecting teens. But only one mom passed by in almost two hours, disgusted that she and I, we, were now in proximity to each other.
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Aerial fly over of Thomson Dam near Jay Cooke State Park
Drone fly over of the Thomson Dam and Munger Trail foot bridge on the St. Louis River near the entrance of Jay Cooke State Park. This is also home to the UMD Outdoor Program Outpost on the St. Louis River/Thomson Reservoir.
Aerial Footage by www.liftoffaerials.com
See more Duluth Drone Videos – Click Here
Goodbye Big Chester
The city of Duluth has determined that the ski jumps at Chester Bowl will be coming down due to safety concerns. A public meeting will be held July 31.
Raven & Associates closing; farmers market opening in West Duluth
David Orman announced this morning that his promotional products business, Raven & Associates, will close at the end of July. Orman founded the company in 1997 and changed locations a handful of times before landing in the old West Theater building in 2012.
“We are in a low margin, high touch industry,” Orman wrote to customers today. “As busy as we were, it was really hard to make money.”
Meanwhile, the West Duluth Business Club announced there will be a new farmers market in West Duluth on the lot of the former Westminster Church. Beginning this week it will operate every Thursday into October, from 3 to 7 p.m., on the corner of 45th Avenue West and Grand Avenue.
“In the beginning it will host between 6 and 10 vendors,” West Duluth Business Club President Charlie Stauduhar wrote to club members. “Please, if you can, show up on Thursday and thank the vendors with your support.”
The Swamp Sisters of Saginaw
About a half-hour drive northwest of Duluth, in the unincorporated community of Saginaw, Swamp Sisters summer restaurant kicks out breakfast and lunch grub to fleets of mostly white-haired patrons who fill the gravel driveway with their cars and assisted-living-community shuttle vans. It’s open for about two months each year, on Fridays and Saturdays only, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the swampy old Armstrong farmstead. And all of that, of course, makes this place awesome.
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Heat Warning: Please do not leave your dogs in your car!
Yes, even though it’s Duluth, summer is way too hot to leave your dog inside a car, windows cracked or not! Yesterday, I encountered a women at Home Depot who was a few minutes from having her windows smashed to rescue her dog.
Even if you don’t have dogs (or are a responsible owner and already know that you shouldn’t leave your dog in the car), please be aware of other cars in parking lots. If you see a dog in distress, you can call the police/animal control, or contact the store to have the vehicle owner paged. Please do not assume the owner will be out in time – death can occur within minutes!
And true, the thoughtful dog owner may thank you for your concern for their animal by denying the danger of hot cars and flicking you off, but at least you may have helped the save the dog’s life by getting their ungrateful asshole owner called out of the store. 🙂
A celebration of nerd culture: Comicon promos, games, Nerd Nites and tea duelling
I post here a lot about arts and wildlife, but much of my passion is really for nerd culture. It’s been something I have felt a lot of this summer. (more…)
This week: Festival season in full force
Pretty much everything happening this time of year is part of a festival or concert series, so as we highlight items this week from the PDD Calendar, we’ll just pretend everything is part of a festival, even if it isn’t.
The Bayside Sounds concert series continues on Wednesday with
North Shore Sounds and Superior Singers performing at Billings Park in Superior. Earlier in the day, the Brothers Burn Mountain play a lunchtime gig as part of Lake Place Summer Sounds in Duluth. The Wednesday Night at the Races events for the kiddos begin on Wednesday as well.
On Friday there’s the Free Range Film Festival, Movies in the Park, the Current broadcasting live from the opening of Endion Station Public House and hosting a concert featuring Low at the Red Herring Lounge as part of CurrentFest, and the bars on North Tower Avenue host a Grand Reopening Celebration as part of the Superior’s Downtown Strip Isn’t Under Construction Anymore Festival.
Saturday events include the All Pints North Summer Brew Fest, the Board Across the Bay Race and Festival, Carlton Daze and the Mudman Race as part of Extreme Obstacle Course Daze.
And calendar editor Lawrence Lee should be back on the job at any moment, beginning PDD’s Back to Normal Fest.
Weird noise
I have been hearing a low, humming rumble come from the downtown area for the past half hour at least — it’s 1:18 a.m. I am in Lakeside near the lake around 54th Avenue East. Is anyone else hearing this? Could it be boat sounds carrying over the water? No boat visible.
Remembering duluthtourism.com
It’s probably not worth remembering this, but an image from it resides in PDD’s archives and the controversy surrounding it occurred ten years ago this month, so we’ll give it passing mention.
There once was a satirical website at duluthtourism.com that was far more sophomoric than funny, but famously raised the ire of Duluth’s then-mayor Herb Bergson, who asked the city attorney to look into the legal means to have the site shut down.
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Our fresh water makes radioactive waste transport and dumping too dangerous here
The Duluth News Tribune‘s Jan. 5, 2012, editorial (re-published July 10, 2014) blithely considered the grave issue of high-level radioactive waste storage, asking with its headline, “Nuclear waste here? Actually, why not?”
For answers, editors suggested we listen to scientists. This was sound advice, but it raised a question: Which scientists? It was scientific analysis that led to the cancellation of the Yucca Mountain, Nev., dump site plan – that and the staggering 2008 cost estimate of $90 billion, which was up from $58 billion in 2001, according to the New York Times. Yucca Mountain was chosen by Congress in 1987 and was vigorously pursued to the tune of $9 billion for decades. But then a long string of scientific show stoppers proved the site unsuitable, and the Obama White House and Energy Department gave it the ax.
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A Dozen Excuses Donuts on Tower Avenue
A Dozen Excuses opened on Wednesday, serving donuts, coffee, sandwiches, coney dogs, etc. at 1112 Tower Ave., in the Still-point Building next to the Palace Bar in Superior. It’s the former location of Northwoods Guitar.
- Open 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Saturday;
8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday - Phone: 218-409-2525
- Owners: Melissa Hyatt and Cliff Lindberg
- Baker: Joe Dougherty
Formation of River Corridor Coalition
“It is our mission to generate and facilitate conversation to monitor and advance positive development of the St. Louis River corridor communities with the overall goal of benefiting the city of Duluth as a whole.”
The genesis of this group was to bundle the active Community Clubs in the western Duluth neighborhoods, and give them an active voice in the mayor’s vision for enhancing the St. Louis River Corridor. If you have an idea for enhancements for the neighborhoods come on out — RCC is still forming subcommittees so people are able to work on neighborhood issues they are passionate about, and have an active voice. The group has been meeting since February and meets every third Wednesday of the month — social time is at 6 p.m. with official business beginning at 6:30.
We feel that it is important that the ideas about the development of the Saint Louis River Corridor come from community members themselves. This coalition has members whose residency in the area ranges from just a year to over 30 years. Each neighborhood has representation, either from currently functioning community clubs, or citizens living in a neighborhood — from Lincoln Park to Fond du Lac. We have business interests represented and other area leaders. It is clear within this group that our members have a strong passion for this area and a commitment to improve it. All are welcome to attend and participate.
Like us on the River Corridor Coalition Facebook page to keep up to date.
Alaska Brooks Falls – Bear and Salmon Cam
Great nature cam setup in Katmai National Park in Alaska to watch Brown bear feed themselves on Sockeye Salmon. More than a hundred Brown Bears stalk a mile stretch of the Brooks River to snack on the world’s largest Sockeye Salmon run.
Almanac North – July 11 edition
On this edition of WDSE-TV’s Almanac North:
1:30 – Tony Barrett, professor of economics at the College of St. Scholastica, and Ron Brochu, Business North publisher, discuss the latest unemployment figures in northeastern Minnesota and what industries are creating jobs.
13:00 – Twenty-five years ago this week: Independent Air, an international charter airline, brings business to the Duluth International Airport with its stops to refuel and change crews.
14:50 – Lisa Luokkala and Russell Habermann of the Healthy Duluth Area Coalition discuss the new signs that help visitors and locals walk their way to local attractions and better health.
24:50 – The week’s business news.
27:05 – Footage of World War II airplanes visiting Superior as part of the Wings of Freedom Tour.
Trampled by Turtles – “Are You Behind the Shining Star” (Live video from the Late Show with David Letterman)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bghbg79rFZU
Caricature artist needed!
I am planning a Renaissance-themed wedding for Aug. 9 and looking for someone who can do caricatures. The artist we had is unable to come now. I know it is short notice, but if there is anyone who is able to do it we would greatly appreciate it. The reception is in Lake Nebagamon. We want to set up a “Ye Olde Photo” booth, where the guests can get a quick sketch done. If you can do quick sketches of people instead of caricatures, that is OK too.
Jasmin
218-576-5124