Great Lakes Warriors
[This post originally contained an embedded video that is no longer available at its source. The premiere episode of Great Lakes Warriors can be viewed on Vimeo.]
The new deckhand always gets the worst jobs. At Heritage Marine in Duluth, Captain Mike Ojard gives newbie Brandon one of the more unpleasant assignments — clean up the over-full debris pan from the Incinolet, an electric marine toilet.
This clip is from the History Channel show Great Lakes Warriors, which premieres July 19 at 9 p.m.
The adventures of two of Heritage’s boats — The Nels J. and the Helen — are featured prominently in the show.
Kudos to First Photo
Just saw this on the First Photo Facebook page. Good job First Photo!
Lost Maltese Dog in Lakeside
Her name is Cally. She has short white hair. Wearing a purple collar with a rabies tag from Douherty Vet, and a tan flea/tick collar. Please call 218-213-3149 or 218-348-1185 with any information. There is a reward.
Duluth SoundCloud Sampler 2
Spilled Milk — “The Real Jersey Shore (Summertime)” (New Teague Alexy project.)
Jaze with Big Jess and Bliss – “Lazy Afternoon”
While I recharge my speaker batteries, maybe you have some suggested listening you can mention/embed in the comments.
7 West Tap House
Apparently the old Ragstock location at 7 W. Superior St. is going to be transformed into a bar. Consider this a “before” shot.
Own worst enemy
The Duluth City Council recently approved spending $75,000 on a PR campaign to show people that the city is open for business post flood. I think it’s a dubious expense, though there are still people asking us how we are holding up and how we are getting around the city. But in reading a rather disjointed and breathless story in the Star Tribune today, I get the feeling that getting FEMA money will keep our city leaders from talking about rebuilding for a while:
From the Strib:
Said Duluth Fire Chief John Strongitharm, “When they see the scope of the storm, it would be difficult to think they would not be providing individual assistance. It’s had a major impact not only on the public infrastructure, but on people’s lives and homes.”
In Duluth, 10 inches of rain created the worst flash flooding in more than a century and hundreds of people were forced from homes by rising water. Roads buckled and washed out, sewers overflowed. Damage to public infrastructure has been estimated at $55 million.
“Any place there was a creek or culvert was destroyed,” Strongitharm said.
The 1940s: From our floors to you
Remodeling our hillside home has been a largely subtractive process involving a complex stratigraphy of floor, wall, and ceiling coverings. Thus far, we’ve taken out carpet, panelling, linoleum, lath and plaster (fun, that), dimensional 8′ 2×4 studs that are so dried out they can’t weigh more than 5 pounds, and quite a lot of charred stuff from at least one historical fire. We’ve also uncovered a fair number of newspapers from the late war/early prewar period. While I’m sure all of this is available in some or other archive, finding it on our floor has a magical quality I wanted to share. Enjoy, and suggestions on the non-English language are appreciated (Finnish?).
DNT online content roadblock
I pay full price for a print edition subscription of the Duluth News Tribune for my Mother, who is in a nursing home. I however, read what content I can online. Recently, I have been blocked from doing so by a message asking me to register for free access. I jumped through the hoops to do so and was instructed that an e-mail message would follow that would allow me to finish the process. Well, I never got an e-mail and I continue to be blocked from reading online content. Has anyone else run into this dilemma and does anyone have any suggestions on how to get around it? User friendly? Not so much.
Wish List for New Downtown Bike Station?
The Duluth Transit Authority is on a fast track for construction of its new Multimodal Transportation Center in downtown Duluth.
When it opens, the center will be a hub for multiple modes of transportation, including the main transit station for DTA buses and other inter-city bus lines, public and private parking, a reconstructed walkway between the downtown to the DECC and the first of its kind in Duluth, a bike station.
What this bike station looks like is where your help is needed.
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Mayor Ness using Twitter for flood info?
Does anybody know if Duluth Mayor Don Ness is on Twitter? I seem to recall a mention about it, but I can’t seem to find him on Twitter.
Record Buying in Superior Circa 1991
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QCLOaTiGKM&feature=player_embedded#!
Wow CDs. So ancient.
YouTube synopsis: Midnight release of Guns N’ Roses “Use Your Illusion” albums on September 17, 1991. This video was shot at DJ’s Record Shop which used to be located in the Belknap Plaza in Superior, Wisconsin. The interview is with the owner of the record store.
Looking for some sports geeks to join a fantasy football league
Some friends and I are trying to put together a new fantasy football league for the 2012 season. Most of us don’t spend a lot of time with other sports fans and we’re having trouble getting enough people together. I thought this might be a good place to look for participants. Also, we’d like most of the teams/participants to be from the Twin Ports area. We’ve yet to establish fees or specific scoring rules for this league and you’d be involved in that. We’re mostly creative types, music geeks and/or musicians who enjoy professional sports and hope to find similar people but would like to hear from anyone who’s interested. We really only ask that you’re excited about fantasy football and you’re not an asshole (sexist, racist, homophobe, etc.).
If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, contact us at footballtwinports @ hotmail.com. Please don’t express interest solely in the comments section. I’m sure the comments will mostly be about how football is dumb, we’re lame and soccer is cooler, so I probably won’t bother reading the comments.
Thanks!
My Crackberry cracked up!
So, Research in Motion is in all likelihood on its way out in the near future. This bodes ill for me as I’m the proud(?) owner of a 9330.
In reality, I love my BlackBerry. It’s tough and reliable … although it’s difficult to get workable apps these days.
That said, my phone did take a damaging fall (down, but not out) which killed the LCD. I’ve got a white screen after boot up which didn’t change after several attempts and “tricks” in an attempt to correct the situation. (Battery removal, MicroSD card removal, etc.) I know it’s not the op system, as the phone still works.
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Guy Challenge
I was at the DQ in Superior the other day. I think maybe the men’s room is designed for aliens. Anyway, next time you’re there see if you can reach the TP dispenser while sitting on the throne.
Trampled by Turtles – “Alone”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfBLQMfdiXw
Another version of “Alone,” by Audio-Files Music. (more…)
This week: the age of aquarius, spanakopita and a hootenanny
Here’s a sampling of what you have to look forward to this week on the PDD Calendar.
Today the Prisoner series ends at the Zinema 2 with an accompanying Nerd Nite.
Thursday Hair opens at the Playhouse and Side Show opens at the Harbor City International Theater for three week runs. Both promise to be great shows that will probably sell out, so get your tickets right away.
Also on Thursday Chris Monroe opens an exhibit at the Duluth Art Institute and A Peace of My Mind opens in the Zeitgeist Atrium.
Movies in the Park launches its season on Friday with Captain America in Leif Erikson Park.
It’s a hootenanny at the Wrenshall Barn Dance Weekend runs Friday through Sunday out at the Free Range Film Barn.
Get your gyro fix at the Taste of Greece Saturday and Sunday at Marshall School.
So what are you doing this week? Can we tag along? Any upcoming events that you want to promote? Let us know!`
(PS – This calendar editor is out of contact for the next two weeks, so if you submit an event now, be patient.)
Duluth Wedding Venues
I want to get married outside in Duluth with a nice view but I don’t want to spend a lot of money. What are some good places? And then I can’t decide if I’d want my wedding reception indoors or outdoors or at the same location as the ceremony. I need some ideas. I want it to be nice, but not too spendy.
Flood repair/cleanup photos?
Everyone has shared flood shots, how about any repair/cleanup/recovery shots? Road repairs, grading washouts etc. Not as much impact but something that should be saved for down the road showing how things came back together. People from afar are interested in how its going.
Twin Ports Bridge Festival 2012
Saturday, July 7:
10:00 Gate opens
10:15 Zumba, main stage ~ Join right in and get moving
11:00 Food, craft, nonprofit vendors open along with kids’ activities (bounce houses, Positive Energy Outdoors climbing wall, activity tent)
Welcome from masters of ceremonies, Drew & Jon Anderson
11:00 Batteryboy, tent stage
11:30 Sara Thomsen & Michael Laughing Fox Charette, main stage (more…)
Another post-flood trails update
Note: Please do not use trails if they are wet from today’s thunderstorm. See the link at the end of the post for info on trail work days.
There are a lot of trails open and ready for use, but some are still badly damaged. Here’s the latest report from Duluth’s Parks and Recreation Dept.:
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Hang gliding in Duluth
Have you ever seen someone hang glide in Duluth?
I think I did once, but it might just be a weird dream I had back when I was kid. What I remember is that I was at the Little League baseball end-of-season carnival/Olympics, or whatever it was, at Wheeler Fields. It would have been about 1984. I think I saw some guy launch off the hillside where “The Wall” is on Skyline Drive, and then land on one of the baseball fields at Wheeler.
Is hang gliding just a dying sport in general, or is there something about Duluth — maybe the lake winds are too unpredictable and strong or the hills aren’t high enough to produce a good “ridge lift” or whatever — that makes hang gliding here rare or impossible?
And whatever happened to the guy with the hot-air balloon?
Mayor Ness giving key to the city to Wilco
The video is a tiny bit out of order, with Ness giving the band the key to the city in the beginning. Wilco talks about wanting the key later in the video. Ness drew one or wrote it on a sheet of paper. He was then hoisted up and made his way to the stage to give the key to lead singer Tweedy.
It was a nice family friendly show, but Wilco seems to have difficulty writing hooks in its songs. Good band and entertaining, but I am not sure what they think about all the local love. We may be coming off a little clingy.
Post-flood swimming?
Like a lot of you, I’ve got the day off. The weather over the past few days has put swimming back on my to-do list, and I’m itching to toss the kids into the car and get into the water. Has anyone heard from those in the know whether area streams or lakes are safe for swimming? Our go-to spots are Amity Creek, Island Lake, Twin Ponds and Park Point, but we’re always looking to add new spots to that list.
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