Selective Focus: Brianna Hall
The Duluth Playhouse production of Cabaret opened at the Underground this week and runs through August 19th. For this installment of Selective Focus, we hear from Cabaret Choreographer Brianna Hall.
I am a dance artist and choreographer. For my current project Cabaret, I created jazz dance. Although this is my first time choreographing a full musical, I made my choreographic debut in musical theater with “The Wells Fargo Wagon” for my high school show choir. In college I earned a B.A. in dance where I studied modern dance performance and composition. To the uninitiated, imagine modern as a lot of artful running & falling followed by rolling around on the floor. (more…)
Photos from the Osterlund Collection, 1962 and 1964
This batch of photos from the Osterlund Collection represent the years 1962 and 1964. The first four are dated 1962, the last two are from 1964. Scenes include Rice’s Point, WCCO Radio, the College of St. Scholastica and Northwestern High School in Maple. (more…)
Missing Person: Edward Lepage
The Duluth Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating Edward Lepage. He was reported missing on Aug. 2 and was last seen at the 5800 block of N. Pike Lake Road on July 31.
Lepage is homeless and often travels between Duluth and Superior. He is described as a 63-year-old white male, 6-foot 1-inch tall, 200 lbs., and walks with a distinctive limp. He is possibly driving a 2002 tan Dodge Intrepid with Minnesota plate 125WKH. Both Lepage and his vehicle have been entered into National Crime Information Center as missing and endangered due to a medical condition. The DPD is continuing to investigate the case. Anyone who knows where Lepage is or has heard from him is urged to call 911.
Searching for a Distressed Citizen’s Lost Glasses in Lester River
I got a distress call the other day. A citizen fan of my Lake Superior Aquaman page wrote me saying, “While swimming in the Lester River (at the spot where it’s like a little swimming hole, right before the first bridge that leads to the park) my husband dived off one of the rocks and lost his glasses. Another younger boy lost his goggles… what are the chances that they fell into the bottom of the hole made by the waterfall? We tried to go down but I couldn’t see or hold my breath that long lol.” So I offered to help, for am I not … Lake Superior Aquaman? (more…)
Pollywog Party in Canoe Country
While paddling the border lakes in canoe country, Dawn LaPointe and Gary Fiedler of Radiant Spirit Gallery came upon a treasure of tadpoles at a portage landing. (more…)
Photos from the Osterlund Collection, 1961
This batch of photos from the Osterlund Collection represent the year 1961. The set is a little murky, but appears to exclusively include images of, and from on, the excursion boat The Flame. (more…)
Huge antique collection unearthed before building sale
Scott Davis, left, and antique dealer Andrea Blesener stand outside the historic E.F. Burg Hotel Supply store at 20 W. First Street. Davis has placed the 1896 building up for sale and Blesener is selling the huge antique collection stored inside.
A local woman is scrambling to organize and price a horde of antiques, including a massive mid-20th-century electronics collection, stored in a former downtown Duluth trophy shop before owners sell the historic property.
Antique dealer Andrea Blesener will hold the second in a series of estate sales at the E.F. Burg Hotel Supply building, 20 W. First St., beginning at 10 a.m. Aug. 4-6. The sale will include a variety of old and unusual items collected and stored by former building owner Hugh Morris, who saved everything from his two generations of ancestors. (more…)
Postcard from Central Avenue and Ramsey Street
The undated postcard above depicts the long-ago view facing south on Central Avenue from Ramsey Street. The modern image below references the same location, showing the Gopher Lounge parking lot, Denton Law Office, Beaner’s Central, Zenith Bookstore and Central Sales, along with a pair of obscured vacant buildings on the east side, and Pioneer National Bank and several other obscured buildings on the west side. Happy Spirit Valley Days! (more…)
Where in Duluth?
I still miss this place. It was the cheapest place in Duluth to look at the lake. The replacement building isn’t the same — it’s louder and colder and you can’t see the lake from anywhere except your car.
Where in Duluth was this joint with a cool view of the lake?
Photos from the Osterlund Collection, 1960
This batch of photos from the Osterlund Collection represent the year 1960. Notably the John A. Blatnik Bridge is shown under construction. (more…)
Dog Cam
I met Dozer and his owner Ian yesterday at Duluth’s epic rock beach, the Ledges. Ian’s buddy was also named Ian, and in addition to jumping off rocks as shown, he instagrams here @ILVisuals. Dozer was remarkable for his enthusiasm for swimming and for biting waves.
Port Town Trolley drops 50-cent fee; free service starts Aug. 4
Effective Friday the Duluth Transit Authority will discontinue the collection of all passenger fares on the Port Town Trolley service. The free rides are being offered to encourage use of the trolley service to and from Canal Park, particularly for those parking at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center and downtown parking ramps. (more…)
Photos from the Osterlund Collection, 1950s
Paul M. Osterlund of Superior died this past May at the age of 68, leaving his son Matt a collection of photos shot around Duluth and Superior during the mid-20th Century. Most of them were taken by Paul’s father, Hartley Osterlund, who was a photographer for Superior Senior High School, UW-Superior and the Superior Telegram. (more…)
Girl from the North Country reviews are in
The Stage, a weekly British newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry, has compiled reviews of the new Bob Dylan-inspired play set in 1930’s Duluth. Girl from the North Country, written and directed by Conor McPherson, opened earlier this month at the Vic Theater in London.
Critic Fergus Morgan notes the show “boasts a large, diverse cast, and 20 Dylan songs from across his career, pared down and rearranged for the stage by Simon Hale and performed by a live, onstage band.” The setting is described as “a run-down Minnesota guesthouse during the Great Depression. We’re in Duluth, Dylan’s place of birth, seven years before the singer-songwriter entered the world.” (more…)
Missing Persons: Ronald and Mary Tarnowski
Update: On Aug. 5 at approximately 3:44 Ronald and Mary Tarnowski were found deceased. Their vehicle was discovered in a remote location west of Highway 2 in the Brookston area by a U.S. Border Patrol helicopter. The family has been notified. The investigation into their deaths continues, but foul play is not suspected. The death investigation is being handled by the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office. (more…)
Deeper Fish Cam
Not much happened for 45 minutes at 15+ feet deep, but I did get this. Going back today! This is the area shown in this video where there is a channel between two giant boulders. I wedged the camera-on-a-stick between some rocks and left it there. Lots of boat traffic not too far away and that is the noise you hear. Fish Cam pt. 1 here.
PDD Quiz: July 2017
Another month of summer has flown by. Which headlines caught your attention? Play the quiz and test your knowledge of July news!
Our next quiz, on sculptures and statues in the Twin Ports, will be published on Aug. 13. E-mail question suggestions to Alison Moffat at [email protected] by Aug. 10.
Clare Means – “Duluth Song”
Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Clare Means was in Duluth recently for a performance at Wade Stadium. While here she recorded a “Duluth Song” and released this video, set to images of the Western Duluth Little League Intermediate Division District Tournament Team, which defeated Lake Park 15-5 on July 11 to claim the 2017 Minnesota state championship.
Bible Translation: Story of Creation
In the beginning, God created the universe. Before that, there was nothing — not even an infinite galaxy of darkness, which would be something. God must have been around before the beginning, but it’s not something he likes to talk about.
At first the earth was without form. Everything was dark and void. This was apparently depressing to God, so he said, presumably to himself, “Let there be light!” And a light appeared. It wasn’t the sun, though. God waited a few days to create the sun. At this moment he needed a special light for creating other things before the sun.
When God saw this light, he thought it was good. It wasn’t too dim or too bright. No adjustment was necessary. God decided to separate the light from the darkness, though, calling them “day” and “night.” Apparently they were all tangled up at first, causing a sort of swirl effect.
On Tuesday God decided to divide the waters, so he said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” God called the firmament “heaven.” Many years later, people on earth would start calling it “outer space.” (more…)
Glitteratti – “Ask the Mrs.”
Here it is, the debut single from Duluth band Glitteratti‘s album In Pasadena, schedule for an Oct. 10 release.
Traditional Summer Diving Montage
From the Lester River Bridge to Uncle Harvey’s Mausoleum and various other Duluth locations, it’s diving season — also known as “give mom a heart attack when she sees your dangerous stunts on the internet season.”
This montage was put together in the summer of 2016.
Of course it must be noted that pretty much every summer there are serious injuries, and occasionally deaths, resulting from dives into Duluth bodies of water. Be careful out there.
Selective Focus: Tyler Johnson
This week in Selective Focus, we take a look at the work of Tyler Johnson, a designer who has worked in identities, clothing, art prints and more.
T.J.: I am a graphic designer and art director by day and a doodler/painter/screenprinter by night. I started out as all creatives do, scribbling out sketches as a youngster. One of my earliest memories is making Star Wars and Power Rangers books with my Mom. I would tell the story to my Mom as I would draw the pictures and she would write out the words. As I grew older and my interests changed, art became the constant that I could apply to all my other interests at a given time. (more…)
The Slip bar open in Canal Park
Canal Park gained a unique drinking establishment today. The Slip, located in the historic Suites Hotel building at 325 S. Lake Avenue, opened at 5 p.m.
Named for the nearby Minnesota Slip, which is home to iconic William A. Irvin ore boat, the bar specializes in whiskey and features cocktails made with vodka and gin from the nearby Vikre Distillery. In addition to spirits, the Slip has six types of wine and three types of cider on tap as well as five beers from Hoops Brewing. (more…)
Bent Paddle buys its brewing plant; plans expansion
Bent Paddle Brewing announced in a news release today it has purchased its brewing facility at 1912 W. Michigan St. in Duluth’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. The $942,500 sale was completed in June. Bent Paddle had leased the 10,600-square-foot warehouse space since 2013.
The news release also mentions “yet to be disclosed plans” for the nearby building at 1832 W. Michigan St., which Bent Paddle has used as an office space for the past year. The Duluth News Tribune reported on Monday that “documents submitted to the city planning commission show a re-imagined home for the city’s largest brewery.” The paper published a schematic design that shows “a new partly covered patio” and notes “Bent Paddle is applying for a concurrent use permit for the deck.” The design suggests a possible move of Bent Paddle’s taproom to the current office building.
