PDD Drone flight over the High Falls on the Pigeon River
Quick video at the High Falls on the Pigeon River last week. This waterfall is the highest in Minnesota at 120 feet. It was a very windy day but my new rotopixel two-axis gimbal performed well to keep the camera pretty steady. You can visit the falls at the Grand Portage State Park just a few blocks from the Canadian border on Highway 61. Aerial Footage by www.liftoffaerials.com
Music: “Especially Me” by Low
chairkickers.com
This week: bikes, warblers and a luncheon
Here’s a sampling of what you have to look forward to this week on the PDD Calendar.
Just as the return of the robin signals spring, so the departure of free parking in Canal Park signals tourist season. So, that’s happening.
And, on the subject of birds, Jan and Larry Kraemer and the Audubon Society are hosting a series of early morning warbler walks on Park Point on Tuesdays and Thursdays in May.
Nerd Nite is back on Wednesday at the Teatro Zuccone with presentations on Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, jumping into Lake Superior every month and time travel in the 1980s.
There is a Bike Rodeo on Thursday at the Myers-Wilkins Elementary School with bike inspections and safety training, just in time for Bike to Work Day on Friday with tune up stations at Minnesota Power Plaza, the Mayor’s Bike Ride starting at City Hall and the Mayor’s Luncheon at Clyde Iron.
By the way, what’s the difference between a “lunch” and a “luncheon?” Is it just a lunch with extra syllables so you’ll pay more?
Bob Dylan gets saluted at Sacred Heart on Saturday as a benefit for the Armory.
Zinema 2 screens Roberto Rosselini’s The Flowers of St. Francis on Sunday with a real live Franciscan friar to do a Q&A afterwards.
So what are you doing this week? Can we tag along? Any upcoming events that you want to promote? Let us know.
Duluth Appreciation Week = cheap to do
Before the summer tourist season officially begins, a number of the Duluth Attractions partner up to create discounts for US — the locals.
Coupon sheet available for download at duluthweek.com.
Tangled Rebar
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQiTelYDcUA
Amity Creek
Video by Alex Kunnari.
Opening for CNA/PCA
The RSI Oregon Creek program serves four male adults ranging in age from 35-75. The diagnoses for clients include, but are not limited to, dementia, schizoaffective disorder, traumatic brain injury, dysphagia, Huntingtons Chorea, other convulsions, diabetes, mood-disorder, aspiration pneumonia and depression.
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Biking in Duluth Near the Airport
I’m trying to figure out a good biking route for commuting from about Lester Park to Cirrus in Hermantown. I have pieces – Glenwood has a nice shoulder, as do Snively and Arrowhead up until Kenwood – but after Kenwood things get a little trickier. Does anyone else do this or parts of it? Any tips?
And if I wanted to talk to people about maybe improving the scene up on the hill for road biking, who would I start with? I’m not looking for anything fancy, but shoulders wider than bike tires would be a real improvement. I’m glad to see the lake front part of town getting bike-love, and obviously campus, but there’s a lot of town not getting covered.
St. Louis Bay Time Lapse
Video by Alex Kunnari. Although it’s called “Time Lapse Saint Louis Bay,” it appears to have been shot over the Superior Bay or maybe the Duluth Harbor Basin. Close enough. Cool video.
Ojiichaagobiishin: It Reflects in Water
A poetic documentary about the beauty of water, shot in Duluth by David Jensen.
Dirty Knobs Live at Homegrown 2014
In case you didn’t feel like showing up, or you did and you want to re-live the memories over and over like in that one movie, here is the Dirty Knobs set recorded live from the Teatro Zuccone stage on Friday May 2. You can listen and download for free. There’s also an in-studio recording included of the same raw materials taken to a slightly different direction.
Thanks to Starfire, to all of the Homegrown staff and volunteers, to everyone at Teatro Zuccone and to the audience.
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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Hiring more minions at Raven & Associates
We are looking for a couple of part-time minions at Raven & Assocates, Inc.
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Sarah Krueger Dance Party – Homegrown 2014
Sarah Krueger ended her set at the Rex during Homegrown 2014 by inviting her girlfriends on stage for a good ol’ fashioned dance party. Well played Sarah Krueger, well played.
Gooseberry Falls State Park Drone Flyover
A little drone flyover at Gooseberry Falls State Park accompanied by Southwire music. Aerial Footage by www.liftoffaerials.com
Homegrown 2014 Photo Retrospective
View the full set of 217 images from Homegrown 2014 on Flickr. (more…)
It’s I Stand with Kids Day in Duluth
You may have noticed some blue kids hanging out along the Lakewalk if you were brave enough to go outdoors today.
April is Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month and First Witness spends each day engaging the community in efforts to make our community a safe place for children to grow and thrive. This is our third year for individuals and businesses to come together and show that We Stand with Kids. Over 300+ blue kids were sponsored this year. The donations go directly to services to child abuse victims and their families for supportive services after a disclosure has been made.
The blue kids are figurines cut out from wood, the size of a typical lawn sign. The color is blue because blue is the color of Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention month. The display is along the Lake Walk today (May 5) beginning at Leif Erickson from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m..
We hope you will consider stopping by to check it out and show your support. Rumor is Starbucks donated some coffee to help keep you warm!
This week: tequila, pharmaceuticals and tattoos
Here’s a sampling of what you have to look forward to this week on the PDD Calendar.
Today is Cinco de Mayo and to celebrate Randy Lee and his band are doing a set of Latin American music at Clyde Iron today.
As people take their bikes out of winter hibernation, new bicycle repair stations along bike routes are being unveiled on Tuesday. But fear not, there is still open ice skating at the Duluth Heritage Sports Center on Wednesday.
Renegade opens their new comedy, Rx, about pharmaceuticals and love on Thursday at the Teatro Zuccone and it runs three weekends. Or if you prefer your comedy a bit more kinky, Venus in Fur opens on Thursday at The Underground and runs two weekends.
Jokes, Pokes & Chokes is a tattoo and piercing convention at Black Bear Casino this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The annual YWCA Mother’s Day Walk/Run is this Saturday and the deadline for registration is today.
So what are you doing this week? Can we tag along? Any upcoming events that you want to promote? Let us know.
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 2014 – Biochemical Characters
The Biochemical Characters lit up Amazing Grace with their blazing set of Boreal Spirituals Friday night. I believe.
Homegrown Kickball Classic 2014
As a cold wind blew heavy gusts across Observation Hill, Homegrown musicians representing the Friday-night bands blew their game-long lead, losing the 2014 Homegrown Kickball Classic to the Saturday team in extra innings by a score of 6-4.
That’s one version of the story, at least. By the time it was over, no one seemed to truly understand what happened out there.
For the second year in a row, cruel and unusual weather conditions forced the kickball game away from its traditional location at Chester Bowl Park. The alternate venue, a shabby baseball field at Observation Park, had its fair share of environmental hazards, including a 20-foot-wide, ankle-deep mud puddle in between third base and home plate. If anyone was going to score, they were going to have to pay the price.
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Fred Tyson Sex Workshop
Duluth’s own father of sex, Fred Tyson, presented his Sex Workshop Friday night during Homegrown at the Rex Bar. His fast footwork, velvety voice and magical smile brought concert goers on a sexual journey not soon to be forgotten. (more…)
The Polar Bear Challenge
A few days ago, I arrived home to find my 17-year-old son in a swimsuit waiting for two friends to arrive. One was coming to film, the other was coming to join my son in a dunk in the water.
Not just dumb teenage behavior! The two had been “challenged” by other friends to do this, and those friends had already done the dunk. My son got to pick his own two people to challenge, and so it goes.
Since then, I’ve seen at least four pairs of swimsuit-clad young people desperately searching for open water. Generally there’s another person with a video camera, because as you know, if it isn’t filmed and posted on social media, well it didn’t really happen. I’ve seen them on Park Point near the S-Curve, and just today at the Cribs off the Lakewalk.
If everyone who does this challenges two more people to do it, well watch out because the challenge is coming to you.
Anyone else seen or experienced this?
Smokehaus on Wheels
Beginning May 5, Northern Waters Smokehaus sandwiches will be available by bike. We began developing this fantasy years ago, spurred by intense store congestion and the problematic nature of (car) delivery from dead center in Canal Park, where not much speed is possible during the summer months because of the bridge and the gawkers.
Reactions to this plan have ranged from a scale of “awesome” to “that’s hilarious.” While most people seem to really dig the green aspects of ped-powered delivery, many feel that biking in Duluth (in general) is risky. Sometimes it seems that, perhaps due to the lack of bike lanes/awareness, the mere sight of a biker in the traffic lane pisses drivers off. Our bikers are very experienced and bike in Duluth nearly year-round. They know the rules, the dangers, and the potential for road-rage. But this kind of delivery is still an experiment here. As is our policy at the Smokehaus, we hope we mostly delight the public.
What do you think, PDDers? Is rapid-fire bike delivery a viable venture in our frosty little luge track? And speaking of frosty, how insane would it be to offer it year-round?