Against Fundamentalisms
I’m enjoying reading Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial? I’ve got more thoughts to share, if you will let me. (more…)
Postcard from West Duluth’s Riverview Motel
This undated postcard shows the Riverview Motel in West Duluth, which operated during the latter half of the 1900s and was replaced in the early 2000s by Westgate Townhomes. (more…)
Truth Cannot Contradict Truth
As a former Catholic, educated by Jesuits for eight years, I am thinking through the intellectual tradition that I have left behind as I prep for the supercool visit from Br. Guy Consolmagno, a Vatican astronomer who is coming to Duluth. (more…)
Duluth & Iron Range No. 3 at Two Harbors circa the 1940s
Duluth & Iron Range Railroad locomotive No. 3, known as “Three Spot,” was built 140 years ago, in 1883, by Philadelphia-based Baldwin Locomotive Works. It has been on display at the D&IR Depot in Two Harbors since 1923 — a solid century. This photo is estimated to be from the 1940s. (more…)
One Year on a Northwoods Portage
This trail camera footage shows the diversity of wildlife that passes through an old canoe portage at Voyageurs National Park over a 15-month period. Prepare for lots of otters. (more…)
Mystery Photo: Daughter of Duluth
There are times when Perfect Duluth Day’s Mystery Photo isn’t very mysterious. And this is one of those times. We know who is in the photo and much of her biography, but the photography studio is one we haven’t seen another image from. (more…)
Duluth Mail Bag: Potholes, TIF, Snowplow GPS and More
As a two-time Duluth city councilor, now in my final year of service, one of my goals is to make city government more accessible, or at least help citizens become more informed. I figure there are many Duluthians who would like some simple answers to some simple questions. I learned in school that if there is something you don’t understand it’s likely there are many others who feel the same way. Hence the idea of the Duluth Mailbag column.
I won’t divulge who is asking the questions, but I’ll answer them in this format about once a month. Feel free to put a question in the comments for next month’s “Duluth Mailbag” or tweet me via @Hobbs_Duluth or email me at hobbsforduluth @ gmail.com.
Also, if you want to have a longer conversation, you can sign up for a 45-minute cup of coffee through my 100 Cups of Coffee project.
OK, here we go! (more…)
The Slice: 50 Years of Railroad History
Last week the Lake Superior Railroad Museum kicked off its 50th year. The founders of the museum had a vision to repurpose Duluth’s historic Union Depot train station into an arts, culture and history center.
In its series The Slice, PBS North presents short “slices of life” that capture the events and experiences that bring people together and speak to what it means to live up north.
Whiteout Conditions in Antarctica
In late-mid April, Guy Consolmagno, a Vatican astronomer, will visit Duluth. (Some call him “the Pope’s Astronomer,” but there are a dozen Vatican Astronomers, that is, astronomers employed by the Vatican at the Vatican Observatory.)
In Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial, Br. Guy Consolmagno, SJ, and his collaborator, Paul Mueller, talk about the research Consolmagno does into meteorites in Antarctica. It looks dangerous. (more…)
Video: Trampled by Turtles 20th anniversary at Sir Ben’s
Twenty years after the band’s first gig, Trampled by Turtles popped up at Sir Benedict’s Tavern on the Lake for an anniversary performance. This video of the song “Victory” was shot by Gina Nagler Smith.
Renovation of Androy Hotel ballroom in Hibbing underway
New partnership brings life to Hibbing hotel's 1920s ballroom - Duluth News Tribune | News, weather, and sports from Duluth, Minnesota
BoomTown and Trellis Co. are teaming up to provide a new space for catered events.
duluthnewstribune.com
The Duluth News Tribune reports that BoomTown Brewery & Woodfire has partnered with Androy Hotel owner Trellis Co. to retrofit the 1920s ballroom of the historic Androy Hotel in Hibbing into an event space, expanding catering abilities with a new commissary kitchen.
Trampled by Turtles – “At Your Window”
Trampled by Turtles is celebrating 20 years as a band. In this new video the group performs “At Your Window,” a song from the 2004 album Songs from a Ghost Town. The video was directed and edited by Charlie Berg. (more…)
Steve Solkela’s “Overpopulated” One-man Band – “She Broke My Heart in Three Places”
The latest video from Steve Solkela is a one-man performance of a song originally released by the Hoosier Hot Shots. The song was written in 1944 by Al Hoffman, Jerry Livingston and Milton Drake.
Reco Daquon featuring Tren10 – “Wanna Ball”
Twin Ports hip-hop artist Reco Daquon released this music video last summer, shot in West Duluth on the basketball court at Memorial Park and Laura MacArthur Elementary School. The video was shot by Montclair Media.
Reco Daquon performs at Sir Benedict’s Tavern on the Lake on May 5 as part of the Homegrown Music Festival.
Tony Dierckins on Jim Richardson: “Myth-Maker”
About today’s essay, I told editor Paul Lundgren, “I love the April 1 publication date. This essay pulls back the curtain on my hoaxy stories, yet immediately discredits itself with the date. Beautiful!”
On March 31, in conjunction with the Twin Ports Festival of History, Duluth historian Tony Dierckins gave the presentation “Duluth’s Greatest Myths.” I am pleased and proud he included my Perfect Duluth Day writing in a brief mention. He was kind enough to share the slides, below. They list some of my efforts and I have annotated them.
As I told Tony, I draw a distinction between my fiction and my myth-making “essays.” Both are set in Duluth. But for instance “The Alworth Incident” presents as non-fiction, but quickly reveals itself to be a screwball superhero origin story. Maybe it could become a rumor, but it is not designed to be believed per se. However my “myth-making” material, such as Lake Inferior: The Underground Lake Beneath Lake Superior, is specifically designed to live on as urban legend. These myths have “tells” but readers may miss them. Also, I have tailored the stories so Duluthians want them to be true. Lundgren called them “Duluth fan fiction,” naming the new genre. Allowing me to publish them as “essays” aided the crime. They were also tagged as “Hoaxes – Fake News – Satire – Folklore.” (more…)
Religion, Science, under the Stars
In late-mid April, a Vatican astronomer will visit Duluth. (I used to refer to him as “the Vatican Astronomer,” but I have learned that there are a dozen Vatican astronomers, that is, astronomers employed by the Vatican at the Vatican Observatory.) (more…)
Damien – “Damien”
Duluth band Damien has released its debut music video. And it’s all for you.
Heart of Gartman
Embedded above is the trailer for the documentary Heart of Gartman: A Portrait of Marc Gartman, produced and directed by Jerree Small. The movie screens tonight at Zeitgeist Zinema during the “Stories of Lake Superior” segment of the Minnesota Film Festival. (more…)
Northern Nights, Starry Skies
This PBS North documentary follows photographer Travis Novitsky as he explores the heavens as seen from Voyageurs National Park, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Quetico Provincial Park, which together comprise the world’s largest designated Dark Sky sanctuary.
Duluth’s beatnik coffee house had short life in 1960
Late in 1960, University of Minnesota Duluth student Bert Frink opened a beatnik coffee shop in Duluth called Bert’s Bit. It didn’t last long. (more…)
Postcard from a Section of the Duluth Harbor and Railroad Yards
This postcard, published by the Henricksen Agency of Duluth circa 1930, shows the Duluth waterfront, railroad yards and Aerial Lift Bridge.
Press releases supporting Giant Colossal Statues of Bob Dylan
The Committee for Building Giant Colossal Statues of Bob Dylan is pleased about the following press releases from the Building Trades and Essential Health:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MN Trades and Building Council Endorses Plan to Build 12 Giant Colossal Statues of Bob Dylan
[Duluth, MN] – The Minnesota Trades and Building Council (MTBC) is proud to announce its full support for the construction of 12 giant colossal statues of Bob Dylan.
The MTBC believes that this project will bring significant economic benefits to the local community, and we look forward to working with the Committee for Building Giant Colossal Statues of Bob Dylan to make this project a reality.
PDD Quiz: March 2023
Another month of 2023 is in the books; how much of it do you remember? Quiz on to find out!
An April Fool-ish quiz comes your way on April 16; submit question suggestions to Alison Moffat at aklawite@d.umn.edu by April 10. (more…)