Selective Focus: Moheb Soliman

Brian Barber Jul 15, 2016 5 Comments

SF-TeaserMohebSoliman
This week we stretch the boundaries of Selective Focus — both geographically and conceptually. Moheb Soliman is a poet who will be installing his writing in the form of very official looking signs throughout Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and the four other major Great Lakes national parks at trails, vistas, and beaches as part of the National Park Service centennial celebration. Some of the installations are already done and this month he will be finishing up at Isle Royale National Park.

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Art, Outdoors , ,

Duluth Gate and Wayfinding Master Plan

PDD News Sieve Jul 14, 2016 12 Comments

Duluth-Wayfinding-Design

Duluth’s Parks and Recreation Division is in the planning stages of a Gate, Wayfinding and Trail head/Orientation Plan. A public meeting took place in June where the city’s consultants provided five concept designs to be used for park entries, trail heads, information kiosks and historical markers. The city is seeking additional input from the public until July 20 using an online survey, after which a summary of the survey will be provided to the Duluth Parks Commission.

The five concept designs and additional background are online at duluthmn.gov.

Direct link to design options PDF | Direct link to survey tool


News and Current Affairs, Outdoors

Mystery Photo #35: Frank Lundgren and Joe Marceau

Paul Lundgren Jul 14, 2016 6 Comments

Frank Lundgren and Joe Marceau circa 1918

This mystery photo was sent by Ryan Sanders, a distant relative of the man at left in the photo above, Frank Lundgren. (Yours truly, Paul Lundgren, is no relation.) Standing next to Frank Lundgren is his brother-in-law Joe Marceau. The photo was shot somewhere in Duluth around 1918. The mystery we are looking to solve is where specifically the photo was shot.

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History, Photos

Pokemon Go Duluth Update

David Beard Jul 14, 2016 2 Comments

Does anyone have any crazy Pokemon Go Duluth stories? I see tons of evidence that the Rose Garden is overrun with Pokemon. And I saw eight kids staring into their phones at Pizza Lucé, which is a Gym across the street from a PokeStop or whatever it is.

Mix 108 has a list of sites. So does Reddit. And so does Duluth.com.

Remember, injured and orphaned wildlife should be brought to Wildwoods. Even Pokemon.


News and Current Affairs

Sidewalk Days: Parklets, Pies, Pops; Meatless Meatballs and Mermaids

David Beard Jul 14, 2016 No Comments

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View of Sidewalk Days after dinner time, looking toward Lake Avenue from Superior Street.

So my friends and I wandered down to Sidewalk Days, a project of the Greater Downtown Council. For most of the day, Superior Street is closed from Lake Avenue to Fifth Avenue West. At night, like last night, the closure can extend all the way to Fond-du-Luth Casino and Greysolon Plaza.

We stopped at the parklet in front of Lake Superior Bakehouse. Parklets take a few parking spots on the main drag and turn them into plywood green spaces. We (a group of nerds including Duluth’s own Nifty Nerd) were hunting for refreshment, and the Bakehouse had beverages and a blueberry cinnamon roll that was amazing. The woman staffing the table was kind enough to mention reading and liking an earlier essay I wrote. I blush to think that people read my work, but it was the tastiness of the treats that won our hearts.

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Events

Duluth Alligator Conspiracy #CrookedEmily

Jim Richardson (aka Lake Superior Aquaman) Jul 13, 2016 2 Comments

Footage sent to the Duluth News-Tribune and leaked here in the wake of Jim Richardson’s disappearance.


Politics, R.I.P., Videos

Recommendations For Alligator Removal Service?

Robert Lillegard Jul 13, 2016 1 Comment

AlligatorBakery

Can anyone recommend a good alligator removal service? My brother and I own Duluth’s Best Bread and have had quite a few guests and workers eaten in the past month. I think they are coming in through the pipes or something.

I was planning on ignoring it but OSHA says if we don’t get the gators out in 90 days we have to pay like a $200 fine.


News and Current Affairs, Recommendations

Mr. Nice Addresses Duluth Alligator Menace

Jim Richardson (aka Lake Superior Aquaman) Jul 12, 2016 3 Comments

Politics, Videos

Bob and Joan

markryan Jul 12, 2016 1 Comment

Bob mentions a couple of Northland towns at the beginning of their first song.


Art, History, Music, Videos ,

Underwater Optics Slideshow

Jim Richardson (aka Lake Superior Aquaman) Jul 12, 2016 No Comments

Some early underwater photography experiments, Lake Superior 2012. Pictures taken with a Kodak Playsport.


Outdoors, Photos, Videos

Music Shopping in Duluth

David Beard Jul 12, 2016 3 Comments

I am drained; I just want to appreciate things today. It’s almost Sidewalk Days in Duluth. Makes me appreciate all I can walk to downtown. Today, I am gushing about music.

I was walking downtown enjoying the summer and stopped in to Electric Fetus. There, I picked up the new Jean Michel Jarre CD (a double-disc, actually), Electronica 1&2. On the set, Jarre collaborates with hip, exciting new artists I have never heard of, as well as Cyndi Lauper, Laurie Anderson, Edward Snowden, Edgar Froese, John Carpenter … an eclectic batch of voices. I look at the disc and see the Orb as a collaborator and realize the Orb is already “old school” to today’s music what my parents’ music was to me. The entire package is a reminder that I am (approaching) middle age. I said “approaching.”

But it also reminds me how lucky I am that the Electric Fetus is around. And it got me thinking hard about record stores in the Twin Ports.

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Music

Kids Rolling Things Down a Hill

Jim Richardson (aka Lake Superior Aquaman) Jul 11, 2016 No Comments

Hillside


Outdoors, Random, Videos

Just Another Beach Day in Duluth

Jim Richardson (aka Lake Superior Aquaman) Jul 11, 2016 No Comments

Politics, Videos ,

A funny thing happened on the way home from the Duluth Airshow … or is a crash landing not a funny thing?

PDD News Sieve Jul 11, 2016 No Comments

Plane crash in Stanchfield

From the Isanti County Sheriff’s Office:

On July 9 at 6:50 p.m., the Isanti County Sheriff’s Office Communications division received a report of a plane crash in Stanchfield Township, close to the address of 38045 Lever St. NE. All emergency personnel were started to the crash.

After several minutes we received information that there were no injuries and the pilot and copilot were out walking around.

Upon arrival it was determined that a retired U.S. Navy 630 Bi-plane, yellow in color, had engine failure while flying from Duluth to Anoka.

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News and Current Affairs

Poll: Best Restaurant on the North Shore

Lissa Maki Jul 11, 2016 No Comments

north shore fork spoonLast week we compiled a list of nominees for the best restaurant on the North Shore of Lake Superior. The specific territory: Knife River to Grand Portage — basically anything in Lake or Cook counties was eligible for nomination.

Obviously several Duluth-area restaurants are technically “on the North Shore” — in particular the winner of PDD’s Perfect Restaurant Poll: New Scenic Café. For this poll we’re looking at places that are, at the very least, a serious bike ride from the Zenith City.

What’s the Perfect North Shore Restaurant? Vote now and have a say. Keep in mind that this is a runoff poll, so as time goes by the number of options will reduce. If the restaurant you initially voted for is eliminated, you may vote again among the remaining options.

We started with 27 nominees, then whittled it down to the Final Four: Angry Trout Café, the Crooked Spoon, Gunflint Tavern and Vanilla Bean.

This poll is now closed. The results were:

Gunflint Tavern – 35 percent
Angry Trout – 26 percent
Crooked Spoon – 22 percent
Vanilla Bean – 17 percent


Polls, Restaurants
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