Filling a backyard pool
We just bought a backyard inflatable swimming pool. My husband insists there’s a better way to fill it with 1,000 gallons of water than the garden hose.
From what I can calculate, it’d cost us about $100 to fill it that way. Can anyone weigh in? Any better ideas?
No FEMA aid for individuals
Sustainable Agriculture
I’m moving to Duluth at the end of this school year (about 10 months) and I am trying to make a plan for some gardening I intend to do. My personal garden will likely be north of Duluth, in the Island Lake area. I know that the soil there isn’t great and that I will be required to haul in some of my own. I also know that Duluth would be in USDA hardiness Zone 3, so that obviously dictates what I will be able to grow.
My question is: what crops have you had success growing in the Duluth area? Any tips or tricks that might help? I’m passionate about returning to localized food production, any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Monitoring Lake Superior
Interested in conditions on and in Lake Superior? UMD operates two buoys in the far western arm of Lake Superior about 15 miles outside Duluth, one near the McQuade safe harbor and one offshore of that location. You can see the data in real time by following this link.
Duluth’s Best Guitar Slingers
The Chaperone Records post (congrats on that – great to see here) reminded me of a conversation at Bayfront regarding the area’s best guitarists.
IMHO, the Twin Ports Bridge Festival featured three of the area’s top ten, maybe even five. Charlie Parr, who seems to have become a master of his genre. Jimi Cooper of the Fractals, who I have seen do many styles effortlessly. Barry Pirkola, also of the Fractals, who exhibits a similar smoothness to Jimi and works the steel as well.
We’re lucky to have so many great artists right here in our community (Twin Ports area – I titled w/Duluth because this is PDD). I’m curious and would enjoy hearing who others think are the area’s top five or ten if you feel like going deeper.
Chaperone Records … unveiled!
Chaperone Records is Duluth’s newest, true-bluest, local-centric record label!
Founded in May of 2012, Chaperone Records is devoted to the promotion and enfranchisement of northern Minnesota’s musically progressive community. In a world of cheap, plastic gadgetry, a product’s finest aesthetic can only be achieved through passion, insight and an honest commitment to quality. This is the foundation of Chaperone Records’ philosophy and the impetus behind its inception.
The Flame Nightclub, Duluth version
The new Flame Nightclub at 26 N. First Ave. W. in Downtown Duluth opens on July 29.
I can hear the grass growing …
My faithful electric lawn mower of 14 years has died and they don’t make a replacement battery anymore. I am seeking a push mower that will last at least a couple more years for $75 or under. Does anyone have a mower to sell?
Photo Archive
I’m looking for a simple solution to “cloud type” photo storage. Currently we attempt to consolidate all our photos on one computer via thumb drive and other work arounds. My wife and I each have a smart phone, we have multiple digital cameras, and multiple computers to which photo’s end up being downloaded – so it gets to be a mess when we “organize” pictures.
It seems that it would make more sense for me to directly upload pictures to a remote site we all could access for viewing. Editing would be constrained to one computer. A nice option would be to have some sort of “syncing” tool similar to the iTunes and Google Drive solution suggested here by my earlier post.
My wife likes to edit photos and put together photo books while we are driving and therefore needs to be able to access the photos offline. So ideally, as photos were edited – these would also be reflected online post sync. There would not be a need to keep all photos locally – just the ones of interest. The syncing would only need to be with one computer; but uploads would be from various sources.
Experimental Cinema
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGH0wP1dW58
Lawrence Bernabo previewed my documentary Wild Bill’s Run on KUMD. Meanwhile, I had a bunch of mesmerizing raw footage left over from editing the film. I thought it might be a good idea to throw these two things together, sorta randomly, without thinking about it too much.
Seeking Commerical Kitchen to Rent
We’re looking for a commercial kitchen available to rent ASAP. Ideally, it would not be a shared space, but we’re open to all suggestions. Thanks, PDD community, we could really use your help on this.
Sad Summer
So there we are last night, my hubby and I, enjoying the warm Summer night driving east down Superior Street. I would say it is about 9ish or so. And there I see the saddest little child, looking tired and laying his head on his dad’s (I presume) shoulder. This child was dressed only in a diaper and was about 1 year old.
So what is the big deal you ask? Because this child was in front of the Last Place on Earth. Is it just me or is this way fucked up??? I know, I know the law is being changed and there is only so much the cops can do. But my God people think about your kids for one minute and don’t expose them to what I saw standing there last night on that sidewalk.
What a dark turn this particular area of Duluth has taken. If you don’t believe me, take a drive down Superior Street some evening and see for yourself. I hope you don’t see the same tired, sad little child I did, but it wouldn’t surprise me if you did.
Thanks Duluth School Board
I just found out that 3 out of the 4 professionals that have helped my autistic child so much last year have been released. I don’t know how we are going to cope.
I hope everyone enjoys the new buildings; they cost more than you can imagine.
Duluth Flood Skateboarding
Post-flood skateboarding with Colton Maddy, Steve, John Schneider and Taylor Verva. Shot by Travis and Cody. Edited by Travis Doyle.
Henry Brick
Since the subject of Henry Brick came up in the “Bring back the bricks!” post, I thought I’d offer some background by way of a retrospective article I wrote 15 years ago for the Budgeteer News.
The man who saved downtown
By Paul Lundgren
Budgeteer News
June 1, 1997
The bricking of Downtown Duluth’s First Street in 1984 created traffic problems, parking hassles and unpleasant noise and dust. Retail shoppers took their money elsewhere. Superior Street was next on the bricking list in the summer of ’85, and business owners feared the effect on business would be similarly disastrous.
Then came Mr. Henry R. Brick, clad in overalls, flannel shirt, black bowtie, hard hat and horn-rimmed glasses. He starred in 38 television commercials that summer, encouraging shoppers to “come on down and jaywalk” through torn up Superior Street. They did.
Henry Brick quickly became one of the most highly recognized people in Duluth. When the construction was finally completed and the future of downtown secure, he disappeared – like any superhero would.
(more…)
Sofa on the beach
One of my favorite things about Duluth beaches are that they are, all things considered, remarkably clean, and I make a point of picking up trash on beaches should I find some. However, I’ve met my match. There is a sofa on the beach just below the 26th Avenue East entrance to the Lakewalk. It’s already a pretty grim sight, and is only going to get worse. Two quick questions:
1. Is anyone willing to help haul it up off the beach?
2. Any ideas of how to dispose of it once we do?
This week: barn, beets, Barber
Here’s a sampling of what you have to look forward to this week on the PDD Calendar.
Basketball and Art Camps open today, but if you are just figuring this out, you are probably too late.
The Explorers Club series of films starts at the Zinema 2 this Tuesday with Restless City.
On Wednesday the Duluth Community Garden Project is offering a class at the Damiano Center on cooking beets from the garden and other gardening and cooking tips.
This week is your last to see Hair and Side Show and both are getting great reviews.
The Lake Superior Chamber Orchestra featuring Paul Bagley and Jonas Benson plays this Thursday at Weber Music Hall.
Want to see independent films in a big barn? Well the Free Range Film Fest runs Friday and Saturday with a bushel basketful of farm fresh films.
So what are you doing this week? Can we tag along? Any upcoming events that you want to promote? Let us know!`
Swimming Lake Superior July 21st
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvCWLdZWO0Y
Warm as amniotic brine.
Raven in distress
This raven has a sad story. He was hopping around on the ground as a fledgling when he was “saved” by well-meaning people, who then kept him in their chicken coop for the next 2 months. They finally brought him in after they released him and he just sat in a tree for 2 days, because he had no idea what to do.
If you find a baby bird, follow the instructions here. (more…)
Lake Superior Barrels Project Blog
The Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa has started a project blog for its investigation into the Lake Superior barrels. The site lakesuperiorbarrels.wordpress.com will be used to update the public during the field work this summer.
Duluth National Citizen Survey 2012
The results of the Duluth National Citizen Survey are now available. Click here to open the PDF.
The report provides the opinions of a representative sample of residents about community quality of life, service delivery, civic participation and unique issues of local interest.
- 78 percent of respondents felt the quality of life in Duluth was “excellent” or “good.”
- 56 percent of respondents felt Duluth was headed in the right direction.
- 72 percent rated Duluth’s image or reputation as “excellent” or “good.”
Summer bicycle and pedestrian count
On July 25, Duluth’s bicyclists and pedestrians in the Duluth Hillside area will be counted. The Healthy Duluth Area Coalition and Duluth-Superior Metropolitan Interstate Council are collaborating on the effort. From 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., volunteers will be out counting and surveying pedestrians and bikers at five locations. Volunteers are still needed, and people can sign up through the registration survey.
(more…)
City offers low interest loans to replace flood-damaged furnaces and water heaters
Comfort Systems, the utility provider in the city of Duluth, is offering a low-interest Home Energy Loan program for victims of the Northland Flash Flood who may need to replace furnaces, water heaters, or insulation in walls due to flood damage. The program offers low monthly payments, energy and costs savings for participants, and a low interest rate of 4.99%.
(more…)
Scrap Metal
Where does one sell scrap metal in Duluth? What’s the going price of copper per pound?