David Beard
Duluth Audubon Society meeting
Via Wildwoods:
Duluth Audubon Society meeting 9/8/11, Unitarian Church 7pm. Free.
“Learn How To Take Great Bird Photographs Without Leaving A Footprint” by Erik Bruhnke
Erik will cover bird photography basics, as well as photography etiquette. He wants to help everyone get the most out of the camera equipment they currently own. Erik will also discuss the importance of not leaving a footprint when photographing birds, animals and habitat.
DeVante’s Children at Bayfront Park
At the festival at Bayfront, Kate and I met SM Johnson, who was sharing a booth with a local alt-weekly. (I asked whether this was a “split” booth and they replied that it was a “shared” booth, which tells you a lot about the awesome community at the festival. Anyway.)

I see that Dr. Bernabo has read one of Johnson’s novels (DeVante’s Children, Torquere Press 2008). She maintains a blog, too. Anybody else read one?
Empire Builder at the Comic Shop

Friday, Sept. 9: Come play games at Collector’s Connection, milling about starts at 5:30, action starts by 6pm. The game this week is “Empire Builder,” led by William Belcher. (more…)
Friday: Games. Saturday: Poet, Blogger, and Comic book author.
Friday: Come play games at Collector’s Connection, milling about starts at 5:30, action starts by 6pm. The game this week is “Nuts,” led by William Belcher. Will is a good teacher for the first time gamer.
Saturday, come meet Alex Ness 2-4
Poet, Blogger, and Comic book author.
Come chat with the man himself and get some cool stuff signed at DragonPort Games and Comics.
Baby cottontail rabbits at Wildwoods
We got seven baby cottontails from two different places in Proctor today. (more…)
Arrowhead Regional Arts Council Grants
The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council recently approved grant applications totaling $43,440 to be awarded in ARAC Art Project Grants. (more…)
ARAC Arts Awards
Two Arrowhead Regional Arts Council news releases below.
The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council at its March 17, 2011, meeting approved grant applications totaling $13,500 to be awarded in Small Capital Grants. (more…)
Unspeakable Horrors at Collector’s Connection; Warfare at DragonPort
I spent Friday night playing Munchkin Cthulhu at Collector’s Connection near the Mall. (more…)
Mesaba Animal Hospital and Wildlife Rehab
Via Wildwoods Rehabilitation: If you live up on the Range and love wildlife, great news! Mesaba Animal Hospital in Hibbing is interested in supporting wildlife rehab! This is wonderful, because for the longest time, there’s been nobody up there for people to bring wounded wildlife they find. Their two great vets, Dr. Kalinowski and Dr. Kellar, as well as their clinic manager, Tammy, are committed to helping wild animals in need.
New ARAC Grant Application Deadlines
The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council’s upcoming deadlines and workshop dates:
August 26, 4:30 p.m. | Career Development and A&CHF Community Art Learning Grant Deadline (A postmark by 4:30 p.m. on this date is also acceptable.)
Guidelines and application forms are available at aracouncil.org. If you prefer hard copy, contact the ARAC office at 1301 Rice Lake Road, Suite 120, Duluth, MN 55811; call 218-722-0952 or 1-800-569-8134 or email info @ aracouncil.org.
Funding for these grant programs is made possible by an appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature, the McKnight Foundation, and with money from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.
Arts Wisconsin’s Rural Arts Management Institute
From: Sam Black of ARAC Duluth and Anne Katz of Arts Wisconsin
The 5th season of Arts Wisconsin’s Rural Arts Management Institute 2011-2012 begins in October 2011. The resources, networking, and contacts gained from this experience are outstanding and invaluable, according to past participants. There are very few programs like this available for rural arts leaders — comprehensive learning communities that provide a foundation of knowledge and an enduring network of peers, friends and colleagues.
(more…)
Cookie Temptations
Today, after exiting the lunch buffet at Sala Thai, I stopped in Cookie Temptations.
Think bakery + florist. CT creates sugar cookies that are designed in chocolate, baked in Duluth.
Besides custom cookie orders (that’s the “florist” part as I see it), they sell individually wrapped cookies. One cookie a month is a “benefit” cookie, proceeds to a charity or needy cause.
The young lady behind the counter was awesome, informative, and helpful; the cookie we bought rocked.
Recommendations for non-profit help
Hi, Wildwoods Rehabilitation is interested in a booth at the Harvest Festival. We have a few questions and wonder whether the PDD community might have some answers.
1. Would an agency who has already exhibited at Harvest Fest be willing to share rough numbers (how many t-shirts, brochures, etc. to bring, how many volunteers to staff the booth)?
2. We’re looking for good rates to produce t-shirts locally. Any recommendations?
3. We’re looking for good rates to produce buttons, magnets, and bumper stickers locally. Suggestions?
We’re also looking for other suggestions of ways to get our organization out into the community. Thanks as always, PDD& community, for giving us a forum to get the word out.
“Why yes, that’s an Eagle in our back seat”
Today, we delivered three blue jays, a woodpecker, a raven, and a juvenile bald eagle from Wildwoods Rehabilitation to the Twin Cities.
(more…)
FYI.
My wife found this info at four news sources:
1
2
3
4
PARSONS, Tenn. (WVLT) — U.S. Marshals arrested a convicted sex offender in Minnesota wanted for questioning in connection with the Holly Bobo’s disappearance. Marshals found 43-year-old [name excluded just to be safe — innocent until proven guilty, etc.] in Duluth, Minnesota Thursday at his girlfriend’s house.
…
We can’t find any reference at DNT or local TV websites? FYI, in any case.
Twist of Noir
Local creative writing enthusiast and editor Chris Grant edits Twist of Noir, a website of noir-style mystery fiction.
Chris wants to see stories that are well-written, engaging and interesting crime and noir stories.
Duluth Blogs
I’ve just started following Ennyman’s blog.
He goes to a lot of art openings that I’m not cool enough to even know are happening until after they happen. (I’d walked past Ochre Ghost Gallery a hundred times and never thought to ask whether it had a mailing list.)
What other local blogs (beside this one) would you recommend following to get a taste of Duluth?
TrollHunter rocks
As I figured, eventually I started to take Zinema 2 for granted, and even to vaguely feel uncool enough for it.
Then, today, I saw TrollHunter.
“The TrollHunter” is the story of a group of Norwegian film students that set out to capture real-life trolls on camera after learning their existence has been covered up for years by a government conspiracy. A thrilling and wildly entertaining film, “The Trollhunter” delivers truly fantastic images of giant trolls wreaking havoc on the countryside, with darkly funny adherence to the original Norwegian folklore.
If you haven’t gone, this is the way to beat the heat!
Various Critters
Summer’s long days are the busiest days at Wildwoods. Following on yesterday’s eagle, here is info on other species passing through. (more…)
Busy week …
I enjoyed Fourth Fest a lot — the carnival was a treat, and the local food vendors make the fireworks a filling, as well as visually appealing, spectacle.
Ahead, for me, this week:
Downtown Duluth hosts a street festival.
Teatro Zuccone hosts a burlesque.
And there is Taste of Greece.
Two Harbors also hosts a festival, I think.
What would you do? Have I missed the real gem?
Eagle recovers at Wildlife Rehab Center
Bill and Fran found this beautiful but emaciated mature eagle in the bushes. It had blood in its mouth. The eagle was brought to the Wildwoods rehab location for help with what appears to be lead poisoning. (more…)
7th Annual CHUM Rhubarb Festival
Is this going to be fun?

7th Annual CHUM Rhubarb Festival
June 25, 9 AM to 4:30 PM
11th Ave East and London Road, Duluth
Admission is free!
(more…)
The best breakfast downtown …
… I might have had this morning. At least, best per-dollar, with the awesomest staff: the Coney Island.
On April 10, 1921 Gus Saites, a Greek immigrant, had a few hundred dollars and an idea. He would head to Duluth from St. Paul and open a restaurant on East Superior Street in the bustling town of Duluth Minnesota. Nearly 90 years later this idea continues uninterrupted in the same location and under the same tin ceiling as on that spring day in ’21.
First Street Renaissance
Vietnamese Iced Coffee
My heart broke when the European Bakery closed (though I admit only shopping there once a month wasn’t much help in keeping it open). It relit today.
I had an awesome lunch at Saigon Cafe (114 W First St., Duluth, MN 55802). At $6.99 for all you can eat, the $2.99 for the Vietnamese coffee was an easy treat.
(Vietnamese Coffee is the reason I keep condensed milk at home: also known as ca phe sua da or cà phê sữa dá), it is made with dark roast coffee individually brewed with a small metal French drip filter into a cup containing sweetened condensed milk, stirred and poured over ice.) (more…)





