Central Hillside Posts

Twins Bar has closed

Duluth Hillside and Cascade Park Flood of 2012

Video of Lake Avenue and Fifth Street on Wednesday morning. My elder neighbor Shirley says that this is “Worse than 1972.”

House of Donuts

duluth-house-of-donuts

I recently recovered this photo from my attic. It’s dated July 18, 1992. That’s me on the left in my Minnesota Twins championship T-shirt, proudly raising a bag full of what have got to be bear claws. PDD co-founder Barrett Chase is on the right. In the middle, grabbing his junk, is Bob Schulte.

For most of its existence, and at the time of the photo above, House of Donuts was located just east of where the Whole Foods Co-op is now, at 624 E. Fourth St. Ronald and Michele Carter were the owners.

Hillside Laundry

Just got the news … Hillside Laundry is burning.

Duluth’s “Union Block” and its Tenants

UnionBlock

The two buildings on the corner of First Avenue West and Fourth Street are known as the “Union Block,” though that name probably hasn’t been used much in the past 50 years.

Da Houze of Flavor

DaHouzeOfFlavor

I guess I have a knack for walking past this building whenever a new sign is going up. (Like in 2006, when the Hip Hop Candy Shop opened; this is the same building, different storefront.)

Anyway, someone standing in the doorway told me Da Houze will be a record store and will open in a few weeks. So there’s the scoop. It’s on Fourth Street and First Avenue West.

The question that occurs to me now is, if it’s “Da Houze,” shouldn’t it be of “Flavah”? Is it just me, or should houses be of flavor, and houzes be of flavah?

Ghettos don’t just happen …

This is response to the post “Looking for Duluth apartment” in which “j-i-l-l-o” posted that someone was looking for a centralized location in Duluth and “Losjasmo” said that was a synonym for “ghetto-town.”  “Wildgoose” took offense. So did I.

This summer I heard Majora Carter speak and something she said really struck me. “Ghettos don’t just happen … they are planned.”

Hillfest 2010: Livin’ in the Hillside

The Hillside community welcomes its friends and neighbors to the first annual Hillfest, a new festival celebrating the Hillside. Hillfest will be held Saturday, Sept. 18, from 3 to 7 p.m. at the intersection of N. Sixth Ave. E. & Fourth St.

With live music, food, local art and craft vendors, a wealth of children’s activities, community information, and the revival of the Whole Foods Co-op Tofu Toss, it’s going to be a great day in the Hillside. Admission is free, and everyone is invited!

Participants are encouraged to walk or bike to Hillfest, though free parking will be available in the St. Mary’s ramp at 320 E. Fourth St. Kids will have the opportunity to decorate their bikes before a bike rodeo by the Duluth Police Department, try their luck on the climbing wall, and listen to music and stories from local artists.

Live music on the main stage will include Treetop Tango, 2one8, and others. The Whole Foods’ Tofu Toss is a ridiculously fun event, with all proceeds donated to East Hillside Patch’s Mind 2 Mind program. Tofu Toss registration forms are available at Whole Foods Co-op.

Hillfest is still accepting vendor registration. Registration is only $10, so it’s a great way to sell your wares and promote your business or organization.

For more information, check out the Hillfest Facebook page or the website at duluthmn.gov/hillfest.

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.

Explosives in a car behind the Twins Bar?

Duluth Police have three city blocks on lock down and employees at SMDC have been asked to stay inside and cannot go home. I heard there was explosives found in a car behind the Twins Bar. Anyone know what’s going?

[Update] Some dumb ass was “transporting” some dynamite in his car for a “friend” and then got cold feet. He then pulled over and called the police.

The Hillside Flyers

Remember that dazzling group of tumblers? They just randomly somersaulted into the nostalgia part of my brain this morning. I can’t remember anymore why the group disbanded. Did the coach move away or something?

MPR story from 2001: “Flying High In Duluth”

Duluth’s Piper Building

Mysterious Surveyor Type Outside Piper Building

When I was growing up my mom used to take us to the St. Vincent DePaul store in this building, next to our church, Sacred Heart, which was still a place of worship in those days.

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