Paul Lundgren
2014 Duluth Primary Election Primer
There are plenty of federal, state, judicial and county offices up for grabs this year, but no Duluth City Council or Duluth School Board races. Sifting in which of the active races apply to Duluthians and sifting out which are uncontested until the General Election is a bit of a chore, but the info below might be as simple as it can be laid out while remaining thorough.
Remember: Aug. 12 is one of those Primary Elections in which you have to choose a party. You can’t, for example, vote for a Republican governor and a DFL congressman. On the partisan portion of the ballot you have to vote for the same party in all races. Below are the contests that will be on that ballot, and some notes about what will be part of the Nov. 4 General Election.
FEDERAL OFFICES
United States Senator, Independence Party
Tom Books
Steve Carlson
Jack Shepard
Kevin Terrell
Stephen Williams
United States Senator, Republican Party
Jim Abeler
David Carlson
Mike McFadden
Patrick D. Munro
Ole Savior
United States Senator, Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
Al Franken
Sandra Henningsgard
United States Senator, Libertarian Party
Heather Johnson is unopposed in her party and will be on the General Election ballot.
United States Representative, Minnesota District 8
There will be no primary in this race. Green Party candidate Ray “Skip” Sandman, Republican Stewart Mills and Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidate Rick Nolan are unopposed in their parties and will be on the General Election ballot.
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Inducing the gay and frolicsome lumberjack to stop in Duluth
From the March 22, 1909, Duluth Evening Herald:
Auto ride for drunks
New police patrol will be in service next week
“Free ride with every jag” for every woodsmanDuluth’s new automobile police patrol wagon is due to arrive in the city next Friday. After a few trial trips on local hills, it probably will be put in active service the following Monday.
For several years past certain interests in Duluth have been trying to devise ways and means to induce the gay and frolicsome lumberjack to stop off here and spend his money. (more…)
Russ Kendall’s Smokehouse: A few pre-fire photos of the adjoining bar
The May 11 fire that destroyed the processing area of Russ Kendall’s Smokehouse in Knife River didn’t do much damage to the adjoining bar area, but nonetheless I thought I’d share some pre-fire snapshots I took of it in the fall of 2012, before it got “smoked” … so to speak. (The shot above is obviously of the fire, taken from the smokehouse’s Facebook page.)
Mystery Photo: Holm’s Kaffe Stuga
This photo is labeled “Holm’s Kaffe Stuga, Fond du Lac, Duluth, Minn.” From that we can assume the Fond du Lac neighborhood had a Swedish coffee cottage at some time in history. When? Where? And who is this Holm character?
Work underway on 63rd & Bristol
The precious connector between Grand Avenue and Cody Street has been blocked off since the Historic Summer Solstice Flood Disaster of 2012, but work is now underway to reconstruct 63rd Avenue West and Bristol Street at Keene Creek.
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Duluth in Orion
This photo by Ian Kimmer is on page 8 of the current edition of Orion magazine.
Even on rainy days Duluth still best outside city in country
Shot on and around Ely’s Peak with a cheap pocket camera and enhanced with stolen Cloud Cult music. Keep Duluth weird.
Oh, and vote in that thing if you want to. The numbers have been bizzaro, to the point where the mayor thought it might have been hacked …
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First Tick of the Year — 2014 Edition
It was actually last week — Friday, May 23 — when the first tick of 2014 crawled up my neck after a short hike near Kingsbury Creek. Although this time of year is prime time, ticks aren’t expected to be worse than usual in 2014. Mike McLean, spokesperson for the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District, told KSTP-TV, there was a “depression in their numbers” in 2013 because of late-season snow, and that could carry into 2014.
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So long, Stadium Lanes
Stadium Lanes and the Clubhouse Bar have been wrapping up operations over the past two weeks. The building at 132 N. 34th Ave. W., between Wade Stadium and the ore docks, is being gutted and sold. There will be no more bowling in West Duluth … except for lawn bowling. Word is the new owner will divide the building up into some type of business center or mall, with mini storage units.
Stadium Lanes opened in 1960, owned then by Dick Karon and Jerry Singer. Randy Hill has owned it since 2004, later changing the name of the bar to Clubhouse. Before that it was Mary’s Place.
“Such a delightful time”
July 1909 — Seven billion gallons of water falls on the Duluth area in two days. Grass, trees, timbers, paving blocks, mud and debris are washed down the city’s hillside during the torrential rainfall. Two children drown after being swept out of their mother’s arms.
Within two weeks a postcard is made, and the mood on the back doesn’t quite seem to fit the mood on the front.
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Mystery Photo: Honor Brand
This photo from 1910 depicts “Mrs. Goldsmith and associates ready to demonstrate Honor Brand pure food products at the Pure Food Show, Duluth.” That tells us quite a bit, but here’s the question(s): Where was the Pure Food Show held? What is the location of this photo? Is it an existing building or long-demolished one? Does anyone recognize that ceiling?
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Funding secured for Wade Stadium, Spirit Mountain and NorShor
The state bonding bill that passed the Minnesota Senate today includes funding for Wade Stadium and NorShor Theatre renovation, and construction of a water-delivery system for Spirit Mountain.
“Restoring Wade Stadium will ensure the iconic ball field will continue to be enjoyed by players and fans for decades to come,” Duluth Mayor Don Ness said in a news release. “The Spirit Mountain water project will allow the ski hill to get off of the city’s treated water, saving money and opening up other potential development in the western part of town. The NorShor Theatre & Arts Center will serve as a catalyst for new development in old downtown.”
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Ojiichaagobiishin: It Reflects in Water
A poetic documentary about the beauty of water, shot in Duluth by David Jensen.
Farley’s Grill in Downtown Duluth
Farley’s Grill opened two weeks ago at the old Mr. Nick’s location — 220 W. Superior St. in Downtown Duluth.
The Duluth News Tribune reports: “A new lease worked out with building owner Nick Patronas – Mr. Nick himself — commits (owners Kelly and Elizabeth Trumpold) to 7½ years.”
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Homegrown 2014 Photo Retrospective
View the full set of 217 images from Homegrown 2014 on Flickr. (more…)
Who won Homegrown 2014?
This poll is now closed. The results were:
[poll id=”65″]
Bratwurst — 9 percent
The Blasphemists — 7.5 percent
Red Mountain — 6 percent
The Black-eyed Snakes with Charlie Parr — 4.5 percent
Wino, WI — 4.5 percent
Various other bands — 68.5 percent
Bratwurst wins Homegrown for the second time in three years! (Photo by Derek Montgomery for MPR)
Homegrown Music Festival 2014 Primer
Duluth’s 16th annual showcase of devil music is upon us. We present here the final rundown of tidbits you need to know to maximize your ability to navigate the eight-day 200-band shitshow. Have fun, and don’t eat the brown lutefisk.
The URL for PDD’s Homegrown Chicken App for mobile devices is … calendar.perfectduluthday.com/homegrown.
The official Homegrown website should have everything else you need, and of course, there are Field Guides all over town. At the bottom of this post is an online version of the Field Guide.
There are a couple schedule changes to report:
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Calling Out
Based on a silly little piece of literature by Paul Lundgren. Directed by Pat Fischer and Collin Goodspeed. Starring Rob Larson.
Thanks to the folks at the PlayList for arranging this weird dream.
Video Archive: Light Up the NorShor 2004
Here we are, ten years later, and the marquee at the NorShor hasn’t quite been lit up yet … but it seems like we’re getting close.
The “Light Up the NorShor” fashion show fundraiser was held on Feb. 28, 2004. There must be a video of the entire event somewhere; I seem to remember it aired on public access TV. The show was organized by Adeline Wright and Laura Scheu (who became Laura Ness two months later).
Duluth Mystery Photo: Ice Monument
The caption on this postcard reads: “Ice Formation on Fountain at Lakewood, Duluth, Minn.” There was a big fountain in Lakewood Township?
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Duluth Mystery Photo: Aunt Ella Jackman
The woman seated in this photo is identified on the back as “Aunt Ella Jackman.” So, of course, inquiring minds want to know: Who was this Ella Jackman and what about the woman standing over her?
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Video Archive: How many geeks can you fit into a Kia Rio?
The third iteration of Geek Prom was held in 2004 at the Great Lakes Aquarium. As a publicity stunt, the prom committee decided to find out how many geeks could be crammed into a Kia Rio. Answer: 21. The more important question, however, was: Would the sight of it make WDIO-TV Eyewitness News anchor Dennis Anderson lose his composure? Answer: Yes.
From the PDD Archive: Leave a Message at the Beep — Jan and Wes Edition
Ten years ago Starfire amassed a collection of tapes from answering machines that ended up in local thrift stores. This is post number two of two featuring the old audio clips. The previous post featured the messages of the Twice But Nice store. Today we resurrect the audio files from the answering machine of Jan and Wes.