“Robin Hood” at the Duluth Playhouse

A cast of 47 children takes over the Duluth Playhouse for two weekends in “Robin Hood.” (more…)
Convince my girlfriend
Help me convince my girlfriend that we should move to Duluth. Why do you love living in Duluth?
Heads up to Diorama enthusiasts…
Plug those glue guns in and start looking for the perfect box. The time has come again for the Diorama-rama! This year’s festivities will be held at Sacred Heart on Saturday, March 6. The Diorama-rama is a community art show of dioramas and is open to whoever wants to participate. Music and merriment will abound. The event will be 21+ If you have any questions/comments you can e-mail Sarah Heimer at caradiabolica @ hotmail.com
Doin’ the wash
Where’s a good Laundromat in Duluth? I live in the Central Hillside, but am willing to travel a bit. I was using the one next to Burrito Union, but my clothes seem to smell after washing them there. The new Maytag place on 4th Street is nice, although spendy (and usually busy). What do you suggest?
Whither (or wither?) the “creative community”?
Then: Knight Creative Communities Initiative, 2008:
Technology, Tolerance, Territory, and Talent. These four T’s are the base for building a more attractive environment for economic growth, according to Dr. Richard Florida and a growing number of other internationally known researchers.
In 2007-2008, the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation in connection with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation led a process to build on these assets in the Twin Ports….
Now: Alec McGillis, “The Ruse of the Creative Class,” The American Prospect 4 January 2010.
[It] is wrong, [Florida’s former manager] says, to see any conflict in Florida’s dire pronouncements on the places that bankrolled this success, because he hadn’t promised prosperity in the first place. “He wasn’t really making prescriptions,” Frantz says. “This wasn’t Jesus Christ throwing the money men out of the temple; this was an academic. He was a fucking college professor, and you’re hoping to resurrect Canton, Ohio? Yeah, good luck with that.”
We talked a little about the Knight Creative Communities Initiative project back at its inception. Florida sounds like a classic snake-oil salesman, but I note that people who participated in the project seemed to feel it was valuable in spite of his contribution/lack thereof. I’d be interested to hear what people had to say about the project–and its broader goals of community revitalization–now.
Come out to beautiful Cloquet for some G & S Comic Opera!

Rubber Chicken Theater heads down I-35 to stage An Evening of Gilbert and Sullivan on Feb. 11, 12, and 13 at 7:30pm and February 14 at 2:00pm at the Encore Performing Arts Center and Gallery in Cloquet, Minnesota. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students and seniors. (more…)
Natural Parenting Workshop

Local Doulas Sara Weik and Jesse Dykhuis are teaching a Winter Session Natural Parenting Workshop through Duluth Community Ed. The class will run for three Wednesdays beginning 2/27. The cost of the whole session is $25/person or per couple. (more…)
Good travel agencies in the Twin Ports?
I am wondering if there are any good travel agencies in the area (or which ones are better and why)? Planning to go to Europe this summer and need a little “professional help”…thanks!
Saturday at Teatro Zuccone

A few different start times have been listed, here’s the plan:
8pm – Maple Keys
9pm- Coyote
Teatro Zuccone – 222 E. Superior Street – (218) 336-1414
Thanks. Hope to see you!
-jerree
Manufactured Reality at Washington Gallery
Washington Gallery presents “Manufactured Reality,” a photo/video exhibit by Jacob Swanson.
Washington Studios Artist Co-op
315 N. Lake Ave. – Duluth
Showing Jan. 8-30 [fri 12-4] [sat 3-6]
SMDC Rejects Contract Offer, Authorizes Strike
https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/156923/publisher_ID/36/
FYI, SMDC netted $28.7 million in profits (despite being a “nonprofit” hospital) in 2007 and purchased over $5 million worth of property last year. CEO Peter Person makes $1.1 million per year. The average medical transcriptionist makes just on the threshold of a living wage – $35,000 per year. Solidarity! (Stay tuned for info on how you can help out…)
Recovering from Christmas (seen in Duluth)
A couple of items that struck me today. People apparently just dump their old trees in the Mount Royal Shopping center parking lot. And this sign didn’t seem to be doing much to stop them.
I also have been seeing a lot of construction equipment out clearing sidewalks. Near as I can tell about 2/3 of the city is covered in 2 inches of ice. Beneath the snow, that is.
News Tribune dumps Karwath, McLoughlin
Two more high-ranking executives in local media are out of work. Duluth News Tribune Executive Editor Rob Karwath and Circulation Manager Tim McLoughlin were laid off today. This follows the firing on Monday of Julie Moravchik, who was news director at Fox 21 News.
Duluth News Tribune Publisher Ken Browell released this statement:
Effective today the company has restructured management within the Editorial and Circulation Departments, resulting in the elimination of two management positions at the News Tribune. Executive Editor Rob Karwath and Circulation Manager Tim McLoughlin have been laid off. Both of these individuals have made significant contributions to the News Tribune during their careers. These were difficult business decisions. I will miss Rob and Tim both personally and professionally.
Two Buck Chuck and the Real Price of Cheap
So, I tried several times to comment in the “restaurants” discussion thread in response to people talking about Trader Joe’s, cheap wine and such, and my comment didn’t go through for some reason. Guess it was the “anti-threadjack” filter PDD has now! (Wouldn’t that be nice!)
My thoughts were these:

A 17-year old woman died from heat exhaustion about a year ago while working in a vineyard that supplies grapes for 2-buck-chuck. Trader Joe’s dodged the responsibility by saying it was a “contractors” problem. That seems slippery ethics to me.
Here’s Food First’s Action Alert on this.
The United Farm Workers is suing the state of California (partially prompted by this case), to get the state to protect workers from hazardous field conditions.
The reality seems to be that if you get to buy it cheap, someone (workers) or something (the environment) is getting exploited.
So, my question, do we and/or should we think about these kinds of things when we’re looking for a buzz to accompany our dinner?
Penguin at the Bar
Art by Adam Swanson at the Red Mug Gallery. Reception Friday, Jan 8th 6-8pm with music by Matt Ray. Penguins, bikes and various anachronisms of existence.
Welcome to St. Cloud, yo
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we6R3GGkTW8
Minnesota State of Mind
This Jay-Z parody was created by three 17-year-olds from St. Cloud: Matt Aalbers, Jordan Neu and Jack Ashcroft. They’re making a cameo at First Avenue’s Best New Bands of 2009 night on Jan. 15.
Julie Moravchik
I’m surprised there isn’t a conversation going on here about the firing of Fox 21 News Director Julie Moravchik. Is this just inside baseball media stuff? It seems there are a lot of people who have strong opinions about this. How much does TV journalism or journalists matter?
Someone explain this
Love isn’t posting your wife’s/girlfirend’s naked butt and sex organs on YouTube after she’s had a mishap? I think I’ve been doing it wrong all these years.
Buster Keaton’s The General w/ live score by Marc Gartband
It’s time for the 2nd installment of our SILENT FILM/LOUD SCORE series. Jan 22 & 23 at 7:30. Tickets are 10 bux. Zinema 2 222 E Superior St. 3 Hour validated parking behind the Sheraton on 1st.
Young @ Art
Celebrate the arts at UMD’s School of Fine Arts “Young @ ART” benefit celebration Jan. 29, 2010 at the Historic Greysolon Plaza Ballroom. 5:30 p.m.
Featuring silent auctions and a live auction, in addition to several performances and demonstrations by the units of the UMD School of Fine Arts: Art & Design, Music, Theatre, Fine Arts Academy, Tweed Museum of Art, Glensheen Historic Estate.
Auction proceeds will benefit SFA general scholarship fund and specific programs.
Tickets are $50 and are available at www.d.umn.edu/sfa or by calling 726-8561.
Perfect Temps: A Seasonal Perspective.
Spring-55 degrees
Summer-77 degrees
Fall-68 degrees
Winter-18 degrees
Cooking on the Car — On the Road segment
Duluth’s Jason Wussow and Dan Dresser are featured in this “On the Road” segment from KSTP-TV.
Video no longer available
Hillside Market re-opens
It will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. This is going to remain a family-owned business, as it has been since I can remember. But like every small business, they have almost overwhelming competition from [insert-name-of-big-box-chain-retailer here] so, they need all the support they can to make it, or better yet, to prosper.
This is a good opportunity for people who are boosters of small, family-owned businesses to engage their mouths along with their wallets. So, if you count yourself in that group, please stop in make a purchase as soon as you can, and thank them for making a commitment to our city’s economy. Then … keep coming back, whenever you can.

















