First Chairs of the Season?

I’m curious if anyone has dates of estimated chair-lift openings at area [and by that I mean “day trip”] alpine hills? Lutsen was rumored to open on the 19th of November and Big Powderhorn is scheduled to open the 10th of December.

Any advice on where to look for early-season runs?

OutdoorsRecommendations

Parks and Libraries Referendum

The Duluth Parks and Recreation Department has lost full-time and seasonal employees due to budget cuts over the last few years. Because of the cuts, the maintenance of the parks and trails in the city has relied heavily on the work of volunteers.

“It’s a nice partnership. I can’t say enough how wonderful our volunteers are,” said Kathy Bergen, Parks and Recreation manager.

Even with the help of volunteers, some facilities in the parks have fallen in to disrepair and the programs offered through the parks system have all but disappeared. The Parks and Libraries Referendum on the Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011 ballot looks to help repair the parks facilities and revive some of the programs that have been lost due to budget cuts.

To read the rest of the article go to https://www.d.umn.edu/writ/jour/lakevoice/?p=7518 and be more informed when you hit the polls tomorrow.

LakeVoice News is a weekly online publication produced by UMD journalism students. The stories are reported on and written by students, but the content is for the community. If you have a story idea or would like to submit photos you can email us at lakevoicenews @ gmail.com.

Random
Vision Pro: Clear Vision
Ashwabay Alliance / Big Top Chautauqua

This week: Intergalactic Nemesis, art auction, and No Bird Sing

Tuesday, Nov. 8
Don’t forget to get out to your local polling station for the General Election with six city council seats up for grabs.

Thursday, Nov. 10
There are two art events going on Thursday night. The Duluth Art Institute hosts a night of art, free drinks and free food at the Depot. The Gallery Celebration showcases artists from the Ochre Ghost Gallery. The Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault (PAVSA) will hold an art auction at Clyde Iron with dinner and desserts, live entertainment and community ally awards. Intergalactic Nemesis at St. Scholastica is a live-action graphic novel featuring three actors providing sound effects, voices, and music.

Friday, Nov. 11
Manheat, Junkboat, and the Acceleratii take over Luce for an album release show. If you’re looking for a laugh, three local comedians will do some stand-up at Aces in Superior.

Saturday, Nov. 12
Four actresses and four musicians interpret the words and music of Patti Smith, Tina Turner, Loretta Lynn and Belinda Carlisle in Celebrity Autobiography at The Play Ground. Get your fill of deliciousness and vote for your favorite at the 4th Annual Wine, Beer and Pizza Competition at Midi. If you’re able to make it out of the door when you’re done, No Bird Sing, Chastity Brown Band and Gallus will be at Luce.

Keep checking the Calendar for your daily happenings.

Events

Duluth Christmas Tree Farms

I know this is super early (as it’s only the beginning of November), but does anyone know of any Christmas tree farms in the area where you can cut your own tree? I somehow ran out of time last year and had to get a pre-cut one. So I’m getting started early trying to find a cut-your-own farm.

Also, could you include addresses and times/dates open if you know them?

RecommendationsChristmas
Bayfront Reggae and World Music Festival

RIP, Saigon Cafe

The best Vietnamese restaurant in the City of Duluth is gone. (Thank goodness we still have Lan Chi’s in Superior.) (more…)

R.I.P.RestaurantsBitching

Stop Being So Selfish

I love this site. I love how inquisitive everyone is. I love the willingness to share.

But I hate the “Advice” and “Recommendations” posts.
(more…)

RecommendationsBitching
FDLTCC: Hot Summer Nights with Corey Medina
Barrel Room Smokehouse

Manny For Mayor

PoliticsVideosCooking on the Car

Siberian Husky for adoption

My husband and I are fostering a dog through the Range Regional Animal Rescue. Kodiak is around 3 years old and was seized with 37 other huskies from the range. We have gotten him healthy and house-broken and he’s ready for adoption. You can find him on this PetFinder page, through the shelter or contact me here for info.
(more…)

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Pier B Resort: Courtside Concerts
Ashwabay Alliance / Big Top Chautauqua

Minnesota Deer Hunting Opener 2011

wpid-20111105_105518.jpg

wpid-20111105_100711.jpgThe 2011 Minnesota deer hunting season is officially open.

I am coming to you from my deer stand in Kelsey, MN. It has been pretty quite morning thus far for our hunting party, but the season is still young.  Hopefully we harvest a few over the next few days.

How have others faired around the northland this season?

Good luck and be safe!

OutdoorsHunting

Duluth Dog Kennel Recommendation

Our last few attempts at using a dog/house sitter had some unintended consequences. Some of the more interesting: various porn-related scenarios [purchased and delivered]; a Mountain Dew “ash tray” was left in front of our basement toilet [we don’t smoke]; one of our cars apparently was used and the backseat mistaken for a dumpster; and a “three bears ‘bed scenario'” which resulted in a lot of laundry. Without addressing the vetting process I used in staffing, or commenting on my solicitation process, I’d like some recommendations on area kennels for boarding two dogs: one an old lab and the other an old terrier.  We’re heading up to the Lutsen area for the holiday and would love to find help up that way; but assume most facilities are in this area.

Recommendations
Ashwabay Alliance / Big Top Chautauqua

This is what a feminist looks like:

Now that I have your attention, what struck me as odd about the original objections to Marc Gartman’s Ween post was how the comments were so out-of-context and un-community in nature. I did see the “bigger boobed” version, am familiar with Ween, and have a fairly well-honed ability to read and comprehend.
(more…)

RandomBitchingFeminismMarc GartmanWeenWonder Women

Vintage Duluth/Superior Flickr Pool

For those of you interested in vintage images of the Twin Ports, I thought I’d share a Flickr group I started to showcase all the vintage postcards, photos, maps and images stored on that site. The vintage postcards from Superior are my personal favorites. Please peruse, join the group and add any images you might have — I’d love to see the pool grow!

HistoryPhotosPostcards
Vision Pro: Clear Vision
Ashwabay Alliance / Big Top Chautauqua

ARAC Career Development Grants

The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council recently approved grant applications totaling $21,195 to be awarded in ARAC Career Development Grants. These arts activities are made possible with funding provided by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008, and by The McKnight Foundation. The artists and activities funded are as follows:
(more…)

Art

Business Facebook without Personal Facebook

I’m trying to get an answer to this question, and am finding conflicting answers. Can one establish a business presence on “The Facebook” without have it tied back to a specific user? For example, is the corporate Target Facebook page associated with a specific user?
(more…)

RandomFacebookQueries
Dubh Linn Irish Pub: Pro Comedy Tour

Duluth musicians/bands on Twitter

Perfect Duluth Day has an actual Twitter feed for this, so if you want to follow everything listed below, check out Twitter @perfectduluth/music.

If you know of someone or something that should be added to this list, please make it known in the comments. (more…)

MusicTwitter

Duluth Business Accountants

I’m looking for a strong, business accountant in Duluth for a business start up … Any suggestions?

Recommendations
Pier B Resort: Courtside Concerts
Vision Pro: Clear Vision

Teague Alexy Has Gone Twitter!

I am quoting one of my lyrics per day until my new album comes out early next year. Everything from Hobo Nephew songs to The New Folklore to Spilled Milk to hip-hop tapes we made in high school. When the time is right, I will quote from the new album too. Tune in! twitter.com/TeagueAlexy

MusicTeague Alexy

Wild Bill Cooper documentary coming soon

One of my hobbies a few years ago was researching the adventures of “Wild” Bill Cooper, which resulted in an article for Minnesota Monthly that focused on his criminal history and purported demise.

Filmmaker Mike Scholtz picked up where I left off, and is producing a feature-length documentary that tells the whole Wild Bill story. In addition to the trailer above, there’s a Wild Bill’s Run website and Twitter feed. You’ll have to wait a few more months to see the final product, though. Watch for updates.

VideosMike ScholtzWeirdWild Bill Cooper
Fond-du-Luth Casino: Wednesday Top it Off

New album from the Surfactants

The Surfactants - Our Dead Bodies

It’s been a few years, but the Surfactants have finally released their second full-length album Our Dead Bodies. If you don’t know who the Surfactants are, that’s probably for the best.

You can stream it all for free and/or buy it here. It’s $4 or pay-what-you-want. There are also two singles featuring some remixes that are $1 each. There are currently no plans to produce any physical media. (…because CDs are just going to go in the garbage anyway and you can download very high quality files when you purchase them. And besides, if we made a CD and you bought the CD then you’d be paying twice as much for the same music and a bunch of garbage. So really your $4 [or more] is saving you $4 [or more].)

Oh, and there’s also a cover of a Haley Bonar song on the album, and she’s nice.

Listen, download, pirate, burn something (one).

MusicAlbum ReleasesThe Surfactants

Northeastern Minnesota DFL 2012 Congressional Candidate Forum … in 2011

The candidates are Jeff Anderson, Tarryl Clark, Daniel Fanning and
Rick Nolan.

Sure, we don’t even know what the boundaries of what is now Minnesota Congressional District 8 will be in 2012, and yeah, the General Election is a full year away, but Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidates are lining up to challenge Republican Congressman Chip Cravaack. So let the vetting begin. (more…)

Politics
Pizza Luce: The Bulgogi
Fond-du-Luth Casino: Wednesday Top it Off

Sex and Rock and Roll

Perfect World

Now that I have your attention

I thought it would be better to start a whole new thread because this is an important topic. And yes it will be bloody tedious. But here is the deal: ever since Jean Paul Sartre it’s been known in Western Civ that one quality of social interaction is the ongoing appraisal of everyone by everyone else. Sartre called it “the Look” and what he meant by that was how a person was changed when they knew they were being perceived by someone else. Sartre’s lover, Simone de Beauvoir, was the first to write about how men used this system to relegate women to the category of “other.” We are men (persons) but women are not. They are other. Please don’t kill the messenger here — I am just repeating what they said.
(more…)

Music

Superior Skatepark 2011

I’m not sure how many of you on here enjoy watching skateboarding, but here is a montage from this Summer that my friend and I just released. I just thought I would post it to show some of the hidden talent that exists here in the Northland. All of this footage was filmed at Superior Skatepark. Filmed and edited by Mike Rapaich and Joe Hegberg.

VideosSkateboarding
Barrel Room Smokehouse
Glensheen

Blitzen Trapper/Dawes tix for sale

I have three tickets for sale to the Blitzen Trapper/Dawes co-headlining show at First Avenue this Friday, Nov. 4, at 8 p.m. The Belle Brigade opens. After fees and taxes, they came to $30 each. I’m in Duluth, so we can meet up to do an exchange. Email joxley1 at gmail dot com if you are interested. Just FYI – the show is sold out.

Music

Duluth’s Halloween Megastorm of 1991

For those who are too young to remember and/or didn’t live around here 20 years ago, Duluth experienced one of the craziest blizzards in history in 1991. The Halloween Megastorm was part of, or at least coincided with, what became known as The Perfect Storm, “a nor’easter that absorbed Hurricane Grace and ultimately evolved into a small hurricane late in its life cycle.”
(more…)

HistoryWeather and Climate
Bayfront Reggae and World Music Festival

Chester Bowl Historical Photos

So, the brouhaha over the ski jumps reminded me about this project – some historical photos from Chester Bowl. (more…)

HistoryOutdoorsPhotosSportsChester Park