Thanks Duluth School Board
I just found out that 3 out of the 4 professionals that have helped my autistic child so much last year have been released. I don’t know how we are going to cope.
I hope everyone enjoys the new buildings; they cost more than you can imagine.
Duluth Flood Skateboarding
Post-flood skateboarding with Colton Maddy, Steve, John Schneider and Taylor Verva. Shot by Travis and Cody. Edited by Travis Doyle.
Henry Brick
Since the subject of Henry Brick came up in the “Bring back the bricks!” post, I thought I’d offer some background by way of a retrospective article I wrote 15 years ago for the Budgeteer News.
The man who saved downtown
By Paul Lundgren
Budgeteer News
June 1, 1997
The bricking of Downtown Duluth’s First Street in 1984 created traffic problems, parking hassles and unpleasant noise and dust. Retail shoppers took their money elsewhere. Superior Street was next on the bricking list in the summer of ’85, and business owners feared the effect on business would be similarly disastrous.
Then came Mr. Henry R. Brick, clad in overalls, flannel shirt, black bowtie, hard hat and horn-rimmed glasses. He starred in 38 television commercials that summer, encouraging shoppers to “come on down and jaywalk” through torn up Superior Street. They did.
Henry Brick quickly became one of the most highly recognized people in Duluth. When the construction was finally completed and the future of downtown secure, he disappeared – like any superhero would.
(more…)
Sofa on the beach
One of my favorite things about Duluth beaches are that they are, all things considered, remarkably clean, and I make a point of picking up trash on beaches should I find some. However, I’ve met my match. There is a sofa on the beach just below the 26th Avenue East entrance to the Lakewalk. It’s already a pretty grim sight, and is only going to get worse. Two quick questions:
1. Is anyone willing to help haul it up off the beach?
2. Any ideas of how to dispose of it once we do?
This week: barn, beets, Barber
Here’s a sampling of what you have to look forward to this week on the PDD Calendar.
Basketball and Art Camps open today, but if you are just figuring this out, you are probably too late.
The Explorers Club series of films starts at the Zinema 2 this Tuesday with Restless City.
On Wednesday the Duluth Community Garden Project is offering a class at the Damiano Center on cooking beets from the garden and other gardening and cooking tips.
This week is your last to see Hair and Side Show and both are getting great reviews.
The Lake Superior Chamber Orchestra featuring Paul Bagley and Jonas Benson plays this Thursday at Weber Music Hall.
Want to see independent films in a big barn? Well the Free Range Film Fest runs Friday and Saturday with a bushel basketful of farm fresh films.
So what are you doing this week? Can we tag along? Any upcoming events that you want to promote? Let us know!`
Swimming Lake Superior July 21st
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvCWLdZWO0Y
Warm as amniotic brine.
Raven in distress
This raven has a sad story. He was hopping around on the ground as a fledgling when he was “saved” by well-meaning people, who then kept him in their chicken coop for the next 2 months. They finally brought him in after they released him and he just sat in a tree for 2 days, because he had no idea what to do.
If you find a baby bird, follow the instructions here. (more…)
Lake Superior Barrels Project Blog
The Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa has started a project blog for its investigation into the Lake Superior barrels. The site lakesuperiorbarrels.wordpress.com will be used to update the public during the field work this summer.
Duluth National Citizen Survey 2012
The results of the Duluth National Citizen Survey are now available. Click here to open the PDF.
The report provides the opinions of a representative sample of residents about community quality of life, service delivery, civic participation and unique issues of local interest.
- 78 percent of respondents felt the quality of life in Duluth was “excellent” or “good.”
- 56 percent of respondents felt Duluth was headed in the right direction.
- 72 percent rated Duluth’s image or reputation as “excellent” or “good.”
Summer bicycle and pedestrian count
On July 25, Duluth’s bicyclists and pedestrians in the Duluth Hillside area will be counted. The Healthy Duluth Area Coalition and Duluth-Superior Metropolitan Interstate Council are collaborating on the effort. From 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., volunteers will be out counting and surveying pedestrians and bikers at five locations. Volunteers are still needed, and people can sign up through the registration survey.
(more…)
City offers low interest loans to replace flood-damaged furnaces and water heaters
Comfort Systems, the utility provider in the city of Duluth, is offering a low-interest Home Energy Loan program for victims of the Northland Flash Flood who may need to replace furnaces, water heaters, or insulation in walls due to flood damage. The program offers low monthly payments, energy and costs savings for participants, and a low interest rate of 4.99%.
(more…)
Duluth Motorcycle Mechanic?
Where do I find a good motorcycle mechanic in Duluth? I found an old PDD post on the subject, but the one guy named in it is having health problems.
R.I.P. Tom Davis
Tom Davis, one of the first writers on Saturday Night Live, died of cancer today. He was 59.
During the 1980s he appeared with his comedy partner Al Franken in three television commercials promoting Duluth.
(more…)Sample Ballot for 2012 Duluth Primary
There is less than a month to get the candidates straight for the Minnesota State and St. Louis County Primary Election on Aug. 14. (more…)
Bring back bricks!
I know the city has a lot on its hands right now, but this decision was made pre-flood. Maybe a fraction of a percent of rebuilding money can go toward buying a couple of bricks, because this looks awful.
Video: Trampled by Turtles on Late Late Show – “Walt Whitman”
[This post originally contained an embedded video that is no longer available at its source.]
Trampled by Turtles has appeared once again on national television, joining comedian Ray Romano as guests on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on July 18 to perform the song “Walt Whitman.” (more…)
Bound: A Photography Exhibit Campaign
In July of 2011, Justin Sinks put together his first public showing of Bound. Even though it was 15 pieces and only took up half of the gallery, it was, according to Brian Rauvola, owner of the Duluth Photography Institute, “one of the biggest events the DPI had that year.” (more…)
Wildwoods at Cruise a Palooza
Wildwoods Rehabilitation was at Cruise A Palooza last Friday just off Central Entrance. The Great Lakes Aquarium (our partners in many projects) joined us with some herpetological critters for kiddies to meet, greet, and pet. (more…)
New Nerd Haven: Rogue Robot
Games, comics and action figures are available at Rogue Robot Comics and Games, which celebrated their grand opening last week. (more…)
On Slow Motion
The Slow Motion exhibit at Prøve was a puzzler for me, initially. The pieces were, as always, dynamic and transformative. (more…)
Tallest Structure in Duluth
Here’s a question to contemplate: What is the tallest standing structure within Duluth city limits?
Here’s what I was thinking for determining this: The tallest height should be relative to the starting point of the structure in the ground. So a structure that begins on a higher elevation does not have advantage. Also, “ground” can be defined as the Lake bottom, so a structure could begin on the Lake bottom, but the footings (or anything underneath the ground [or Lake bottom]) wouldn’t be part of the equation.
The Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge is pretty high (177 feet), but other higher buildings and structures are clearly in view.
Beware: Attacking Otters in Duluth
Beware of attacking otters in the Duluth area. There is at least one on the loose at Island Lake. Where there is one there has got to be more.
Minneapolis Star Tribune: “Anoka triathlete suffers 25 bites in otter attack in Island Lake near Duluth” (more…)
You can run but you can’t hide hate
I stopped at the Lakeside Super One for groceries and saw that the Christian youth ministry “You Can Run But You Can’t Hide” had a table set up outside and was collecting money to “prevent teen suicide.” I didn’t immediately recognize the name of the group, but once I thought about it I realized it was this bunch.
Really? This group was labeled an anti-gay hate group by the Southern Law Poverty Center. I wonder if Super One realizes what this group represents. I will be calling and asking them that question. YCRBYCH representatives are very dishonest about themselves when they ask to speak at schools, and I would bet they don’t reveal their true agenda when asking to solicit.
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
In the interest of fairness to Super One Foods, PDD’s moderators are inserting Super One’s response here with the submitted post rather than burying it in the comments. (It should be clarified that the early comments to this post occurred before this information was presented.)
According to Boyd Hanson, director of human resources at Miner’s Inc., which owns the Super One Foods chain, there was never proper approval for the You Can Run But Cannot Hide group to solicit in front of the Lakeside Super One … or any other Super One for that matter.
Hanson says the group presented itself to a Lakeside Super One employee as a Christian ministry with a mission to stop teen suicide. The employee said that would be fine, but when the store manager, John Radcliff, arrived he asked the group to leave because Super One has a no-solicitation policy.
“We allow the Salvation Army to ring the bell in our entrances … some of those kind of things,” Hanson said. “But generally speaking anything that would have any kind of a political or religious-type view we don’t allow to do that. … Why this group came to our store we don’t even know. … We just don’t get involved in those kind of things.”
Looking to buy a starter motorcycle
My wife will be completing the motorcycle safety class and is in need of a used bike. She would prefer something modern, under 500CCs and not of the “cruiser” style. If you have such an item hanging around now would be a great time to trade it to me for cash. I have searched Craigslist daily and cannot find more than one or two suitable choices so I figured I would shake the PDD tree to see if anything falls out. Reply to this post or e-mail me at junkmailcrapbox @ gmail (dot) com with pics, details and contact info. Thanks.