Local Gaming Business in Dire Straits
A few weeks ago, I posted that I wished that businesses in need of help to make it through a rough patch would tell us, so we could eat there more often or buy more goods. Today, I got this message.
We would like to thank the wonderful gaming & comic community for another year serving all of you in Downtown Duluth. However as 2011 has been a tough year sales wise and the store is in a bit of a bind. Now as when we got started, Dragon Port needs to make an appeal to the community to give us a hand. (more…)
This week: opening shows, Christmas concerts, a polar bear birthday and more
Wednesday, Nov. 30
Matt Ray and Those Damn Horses headline Legacy Glasswork’s November show with a free raffle. The Duluth Energy Efficiency Program (DEEP) and Ecolibrium3 host the grand opening for DEEP’s One-Stop-Energy-Shop and Community Sustainability Classroom.
Thursday, Dec. 1
Target Behavior, opening at UMD, is a seriocomic look at a young girl coming to terms with who she really is. Lorie Line presents her “Christmas Bells and Ringing” concert at the Mitchell Auditorium.
Friday, Dec. 2
Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales at the DECC Symphony Hall. Some Girl(s), a play by Neil LaBute opens at the St. Scholastica Theater. Katie McMahon brings her Celtic Christmas show to the Mitchell Auditorium.
Saturday, Dec. 3
Join the Lake Superior Zoo in celebrating Berlin the polar bear’s birthday. Support the Duluth Public Library at the all-day book fair at the Miller Hill Mall Barnes & Noble.
Keep checking the PDD Calendar for new events.
Superbug fragment study in Duluth
Timothy LaPara and a team of researchers at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities, testing water pouring from a modern water treatment facility in Duluth, found genes of drug-resistant bacteria in the discharge. Most American cities do not have facilities as good as Duluth’s, but no one knows for sure how much worse the situation may be at those facilities because it has not been measured.
Inside Science News Service: The best wastewater treatment plants can’t filter out superbug fragments
Community Composting Fix
Read all about the joys of community composting and why you should pay the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District to take your waste and sell it back to you in the spring.
Nature of Modern Life blog: Black Friday — Dig It
Guess how I celebrated Black Friday? With a trip to the WLSSD Composting & Yard Waste Site, of course!
Indian giver?
Would someone tell me what Brad Bennett said yesterday on his 710 AM talk show re: “Indian giver?” A friend of mine (who is Caucasian) said it was disrespectful, insulting and racist.
50 Below advice
Moderator’s note: One year after this post was published, and three months after bankruptcy proceedings, 50 Below Sales & Marketing was acquired by ARI Network Services and Emerald Connect. The company continues to develop websites and provide e-commerce services in Duluth. There have been no public complaints by employees since the acquisition.
I’m seeking a little help from the PDD community. I work for 50 Below Sales & Marketing and, like everyone else there, I haven’t been paid in over a week. That’s roughly 300 people who have had to get through Thanksgiving without the money they earned. Some have gone even longer due to bounced checks.
I don’t really want to get into how this came to be, maybe someone else can step up with that info if anyone is curious. What I’m here for is some advice on what (if anything) I can do. I’m sure everyone will see their money at some point but that’s not enough. Who do people recommend I talk to to try and make sure we don’t get screwed again? Lawyers? I hear they cost money. Unions? Some kind of labor group?
Any thoughts are welcome.
Jeno Paulucci dead at 93
[This post originally contained an embedded video that is no longer available at its source.]
Thankful in Duluth — 2011 Edition
I’m thankful the server that hosts the PDD Calendar is back up and running, after a day of problems. (Ironically, in setting up the links below I noticed that last year my personal Internet service was down just before Thanksgiving, and I was thankful for it being restored. Ah, the joy of technical issues around the holidays!)
Anyway, what are you all thankful for this year, fellow Duluthians?
(Here’s what PDDers were thankful for in 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003.)
What will happen to old Washburn school?
Does anybody have any idea what might be in store for the old Washburn Edison Charter School at 201 W. St. Andrews St. now that it is no longer being used as a school? I have a hard time imagining it’s all that cost effective for the Duluth Bible Church to continue there alone.
Ten Minutes with Caitlin Robertson
Singer/songwriter Caitlin Robertson’s first album will be released in December. She will be performing Dec. 9 in Duluth at Fitger’s. She was interviewed for Ennyman’s Territory this past week and it is posted there today.
Let’s Get TBT on Prairie Home
OK first, this is a first. Me writing to suggest we organize an effort to get someone on the stage of A Prairie Home Companion when the show comes to Duluth in February. It’s not quite like calling a local radio station to request a song, but not all that far off either.
It reminds me of the time I called Sirius XM ’60s on 6 host Phlash Phelps when Duluth was the mystery city of the day. I actually sent him about a dozen quick facts which he used throughout the morning. Patty was not amused.
I like Trampled by Turtles (listening now while I pour through data for a report) and believe they’d be a natural for the PHC audience. So, I’ve posted on the PHC Facebook page suggesting they contact the group to see if they’re available. Maybe you’ll consider a similar post.
This week: Hairball, Thanksgiving buffet, the New Standards and more
Tuesday, Nov. 22
The Harbor City International School hosts a night of cultural experiences.
Wednesday, Nov. 23
Aftershock is playing at a Pre-Thanksgiving party at the Gopher Restaurant and Lounge. Gallus, Old Knifey and Snobarn play a show at Luce.
Thursday, Nov. 24
The DECC is hosting its 21st annual free Thanksgiving Buffet.
Friday, Nov 25
Find some great snowmobile action at the Duluth National Snocross at Spirit Mountain. There will be two nights of rock at Clyde Iron with Hairball performing Friday and Saturday. The What Four opens on Firday. Hypnotist Gabriel Holmes brings his act to Teatro Zuccone.
Saturday, Nov. 26
Hairball night two with opening act Menace. The jazz trio from Minneapolis, The New Standards, plays at the Mitchell Auditorium. Local group, Excuse Me, Princess plays a CD release show at Beaners.
Check the PDD Calendar for more events!
PDD Gift Guide 2011
Here it is, the annual gallery of local goods, submitted for your holiday shopping approval. If you’re going to get all material this Christmas, it might as well be local material, right?
In most cases you can acquire these items in retail stores or shop online. Click on the images for more information and links.
(more…)
Asian & Pacific American Student Culture Show at UMD
Saturday was the Asian & Pacific American Culture Show at UMD.
“How We Came to Be Here” was hosted by UMD’s Asian Pacific American Student Association. Kate and I enjoyed a night of Asian arts, cultural performance, and delicious Asian cuisine catered by Sala Thai. (more…)
UMD Alumni Fine Arts Panel
Are you:
- An alum of the School of Fine Arts at UMD?
- Still living in the Twin Ports area?
- Currently making a portion of your income through creation of your art (music, visual arts, theater)?
A student group through UMD’s School of Fine Arts is looking to organize an alumni panel event and discussion in the Spring of 2012 for students of the SFA. Our mission is to provide our students the opportunity to a.) hear from those in the area who have succeeded in creating their art for a living and b.) ask questions about the ins and outs of doing so.
If you are an alum of UMD’s School of Fine Arts and are interested in helping to provide an important educational experience for our students, please email ellis477 @ d.umn.edu with the subject: SFA Alumni Panel.
Look forward to hearing from you talented people!
Developer has new student housing/retail plan for Woodland Middle School site
The DNT ran a story today detailing a new mixed-use residential/commercial plan for the site of the former Woodland Middle School. The developer bought the site from the school district in September. You may be familiar with the developer’s other projects like Boulder Ridge and Campus Park. (more…)
Minnesota Property Tax
If you are trying to make sense of the “Proposed Property Tax for 2012” statement you got in the mail last week, check out the following link on the Minnesota Dept. of Revenue website. I found it helpful in explaining the changes related to the axed Homestead Tax Credit: “Understanding Recent Changes in Homestead Benefits
For Property Tax Purposes.”
Duluth head shot photographer
Does anyone have any recommendations of where to get a simple professional head shot taken? I am just looking for a photographer perhaps in downtown Duluth that would do a good job for a fair price.
What happened to DJ Mouse?
The past few Sundays we’ve noticed that our favorite Caribbean Roots/DJ Mouse programming on KUMD seems to be lacking DJ Mouse. Does anyone know what happened?
Flavor of Nerd Nite, November 2011
Below, just a few photos from Nerd Nite at Teatro Zuccone in Downtown Duluth, November 2011.
Nerds, can you chime in with your best memories? (more…)
Excuse Me, Princess releasing an album
Seen this before?
I was at Mt. Royal Foods this morning surveying the doughnut rack with my daughter and I did a double take when I saw a long-john with a slab of fried bacon laid down the middle, on top of the delicious maple frosting. I did not have my camera to take a picture. Is this a “standard build” in the doughnut industry, or is it a custom creation from the bake staff? My wife gave me strict orders to not buy sweets this morning, otherwise I’d probably be posting this on Yelp.
Video Archive: 14-year-old Paula Shires of Bovey tears it up on Chemielewski Fun Time
It’s ladies’ night and the feeling is right.
Out-of-town anarchist identified!
Out-of-town element and notorious volunteer, Diane Emerson, reacts to Duluth Police Chief Gordon Ramsay’s reference to her at yesterday’s press conference about Occupy Duluth. She was so stunned she almost spilled her herbal tea on her Nonviolent Communication handbook! (more…)