Julie Gard’s Invocation for Learning and Safety
University of Wisconsin-Superior Professor of Writing Julie Gard recently had a poem featured in the Career Advice section of Inside Higher Ed, an online publication focused on college and university topics. More information on the poem is available in the academics news section of the UWS website.
Mystery Photo #123: Duluth Public Library Reading Room
At one time for sale on Amazon, but now marked “currently unavailable,” is this photo labeled “Reading Room, Duluth Public Library, 1890-1930, Minnesota, MN, Chairs, People, Books.” (more…)
Twenty Years on the Superior Hiking Trail: Ely’s Peak Loop
The laziest and slowest record in endurance-sports history has been broken. Again. By me. Again.
As documented in numerous essays, I started hiking the Superior Hiking Trail on Sept. 23, 2000 and finished the 310-mile trek from the Canadian border to Jay Cooke State Park on Nov. 5, 2015. Obviously I took a lot of breaks along the way. Then, in 2016, I hiked new parts of the trail that hadn’t been built when I first went through, thus breaking the record I already held for the slowest unsustained complete traverse of the Superior Hiking Trail.
Was that an official record? Well, no organizational body really keeps track of such things. But I stand firmly in my declaration that no one who has hiked the entire Superior Hiking Trail has taken longer to do it than me.
And now I’ve taken even longer.
In the summer of 2018 a new loop trail was built at Ely’s Peak in Duluth. It was kind of late in the hiking season when I heard about it, so I planned to do it in 2019. Then I kind of forgot about it and got distracted with other things. I had also started a new quest to hike the North Country Trail through Wisconsin. I’m still barely started on that.
Anyway, this past July I drove out to the Ely’s Peak area with the intention of knocking out the new last bit of trail, but as I started walking it occurred to me that if I waited until Sept. 23 to do this loop my Superior Hiking Trail story would span a perfect 20 years. So I hiked other trials that day and saved the loop for the perfect day. (more…)
Zinsmaster Bread Company of Duluth
This undated photo shows the Zinsmaster Wholesale Bakery facilities at 2831 W. Superior St. in Duluth. (more…)
Monthly Grovel: October 2020
Whether or not 2020 has already been scary enough, October is here and Halloween will soon be upon us. The PDD Calendar is already sorting out the Halloween events, so everyone will know whether their plans should involve one mask or two.
Each month we reach out with one beggarly blog post to remind everyone that human beings and not machines are at work editing and publishing calendar events on Perfect Duluth Day. So if you appreciate it, drop a few bucks in the PayPal account. (more…)
Duluth General Election Sample Ballot 2020
As usual, the ballot in this year’s General Election is not the same for everyone in Duluth. People who live on the western side of town will see the District 3 County Commissioner race shown above. Those on the east side of Duluth will instead see Patrick Boyle running unopposed in District 2. People in the center of the city will not see a County Commissioner race because District 1 Commissioner Frank Jewell is not up for reelection.
Voters in central and western Duluth neighborhoods will see the District 7B Minnesota State Representative race shown on the ballot above. Those in the northern portions of the Duluth Heights and Kenwood neighborhoods will see the District 3B Minnesota State Representative race between Republican Andrew J. Hjelle the Democratic-Farmer-Labor incumbent Mary Murphy. Voters on the eastern side of Duluth will see the District 7A Minnesota State Representative race between Republican Tom Sullivan and Democratic-Farmer-Labor incumbent Jennifer Schultz.
And don’t forget the judicial races are on the back side. (more…)
The Slice: Dark Skies Over the Boundary Waters
In August the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness became one of 13 places in the world designated as a “dark sky sanctuary” by the International Dark-Sky Association.
In its series The Slice, WDSE-TV presents short “slices of life” that capture the events and experiences that bring people together and speak to what it means to live up north.
Postcard from the Aerial Bridge in 1905
This postcard from the V.O. Hammon Publishing Company features an image copyrighted in 1904 by Crandall & Maher (presumably Robert S. Crandall and James Maher). The card was mailed out of Duluth on Sept. 29, 1905 and arrived in Ohio on Oct. 2. It was sent to Miss Emily Booher of Mt. Gilead. The sender’s name is not on the card but the message scrawled on the front reads:
“It was midnight on the ocean and a storm was on the lake.” Remember.
Witherspoon brothers plan revival of soul food restaurant
Solomon, left, and Stephan Witherspoon plan to open a new soul food restaurant in Duluth next year. The brothers will use their father’s time-tested recipes. (Photo by Mark Nicklawske)
Inspired by their father’s long-gone West Duluth restaurant, two brothers have announced plans to open a new eatery that will feature time-tested fried chicken recipes taken directly from the family cookbook.
Stephan and Solomon Witherspoon said last week they are actively searching for a location to house a new restaurant to be named Doc Witherspoon’s Soul Food Kitchen. The Witherspoons will launch a series of fundraisers this week and plan to open their new establishment and catering business in 2021. (more…)
Cory Coffman – “Canvas and Color”
Duluth musician Cory Coffman has released the official music video for his single “Canvas and Color,” the title track from his upcoming album. (more…)
Video Archive: KDLH-TV Evening Edition from Sept. 28, 1990
Get ready for some “News for the Nineties.” Courtesy of an old VHS tape in the PDD basement archive, we present the complete KDLH-TV evening newscast from 30 years ago today — Sept. 28, 1990. And yes, the commercials are included. (more…)
Creating Apart: Moira Villiard
Moira Villiard is one of the artists featured in the Tweed Museum of Art’s upcoming exhibition, “Creating Apart: Local Artists Respond to a Global Pandemic.” She loves to organize community-wide mural projects. In this video by documentary filmmaker Mike Scholtz, Moira talks about the future of painting with large crowds of people. (more…)
Empire Lanes: Who knows the stories behind this story?
I found this comic in a fifty-cent bin. The online summaries are engaging. (more…)
Duluth You & Me: Bear Invasion
Use the link below for a printable PDF for your drawing and coloring pleasure.
Duluth You & Me: Bear Invasion
Follow the Duluth You & Me subject tag to see additional pages. For background on the book see the original post on the topic.
Global art dealer Arne Glimcher grew up in Duluth
Pace Gallery founder Arne Glimcher was recently profiled in WSJ Magazine, the news and lifestyle monthly published by the Wall Street Journal. The article notes: “Glimcher grew up on a ranch in Duluth, Minnesota, until his artistic talent led his mother to move the family to Boston.”
Pace Gallery has locations in New York, Palo Alto, London, Geneva, Hong Kong and Seoul.
Glimcher has also produced and directed films such as The Mambo Kings and Just Cause.
PDD Quiz: September 2020 in Review
Step right up to another PDD current events quiz and see how much you remember about this month’s headlines!
The next PDD quiz will look back at Halloween high jinks; it will be published on Oct. 11. Submit question suggestions to Alison Moffat at [email protected] by Oct. 8. (more…)
Volunteer outdoors with Northwoods Volunteer Connection
Northwoods Volunteer Connection, a nonprofit based in Tofte, is recruiting volunteers for environmental stewardship projects clearing trails in the Tofte and Gunflint Ranger Districts of the Superior National Forest through October. Volunteers wishing to volunteer in other parts of the SNF can be accommodated. (more…)
A Love Letter to Duluth
Video illustrated and animated by Dave and Jean Kirwan; song by Al Trace and the Revelers.
New podcast about “Uncovering the Truth in Minnesota”
I just found an investigative podcast based out of Duluth called “Uncovering the Truth in Minnesota.”
“Unconstrained, unbiased, and driven for the truth, follow us as we use journalism to tell the untold stories of Minnesota,” reads the description on Apple Podcasts. “Join your Co-hosts, Sarah Knieff and Izabel Johnson, for weekly episodes released on Tuesdays!” (more…)
Selective Focus: Fall Colors 2020
The Arrowhead region is awash with color once again. Track the progression of fall and peak color with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Fall Color Finder.
Featured here are select images from Instagram showcasing this year’s fall color display. (more…)
Sean Hill: “A Photograph Taken in Duluth”
Ten years ago this month, poet Sean Hill was featured in Missouri Review‘s “Poem of the Week” series with a piece about the Duluth lynchings. Click the graphic above to read to the poem.
Creating Apart: Sarah Brokke
Sarah Brokke is one of the artists featured in the Tweed Museum of Art’s upcoming exhibition, “Creating Apart: Local Artists Respond to a Global Pandemic.” She’s a painter and an associate professor at the College of St. Scholastica. In this video by documentary filmmaker Mike Scholtz, Sarah talks about her work and how the pandemic is like an expanding bubble that’s pushing longstanding issues to the surface in our society. (more…)
Postcard from Downtown Duluth circa 1975
This undated postcard of Downtown Duluth shows off three buildings that were somewhat new at the time of the photo. In the foreground is the Gateway Tower apartment building at 600 W. Superior St., built in 1972. Shown most prominently at left is the Radisson Hotel at 505 W. Superior St., built in 1970. The Ordean Building, at 424 W. Superior St., was built in 1973. (more…)
Earth Rider Fest 2020
The pandemic being what it is, live music has been rare in 2020 and festivals have been rarer. On Sept. 12, Earth Rider Brewery in Superior held its third anniversary event on its spacious festival grounds with limited admission, a few masks here and there, and a bit of distancing. (Originally this post featured a recap video, but it has since been removed from YouTube.)