Happy early Spring on the North Shore — Things are breakin’ up out there

Check out a few river shots from this past weekend.
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Dog Thieves?

Has anyone else heard about dog thieves or “bunchers” in the area?

Two different people have told me to keep an eye on our dog as there has been a rash of stolen dogs in the Duluth area. I just peeked on craigslist and the pets board is full of warnings.

Why hasn’t the DNT or the news picked up on this?

Keep an extra close eye on Fido for the time being.

Meat Puppets returning to Duluth

The Meat Puppets are scheduled to play Pizza Luce again. Con Queso and the DTs will open.

Wednesday, April 7 | 10 p.m.
$10 tickets; cash only; available at the Looch

Inexpensive skateboard

Finding myself recently laid off, I have decided to get a start on my midlife crisis by buying a skateboard.  Being laid off (need a database person?) I don’t want to spend too much but being a gearhead I know I want something decent to learn with.  Where should I go in the Twin Ports to find such a board?

And the Wall Came Tumbling Down

The ~4 foot-high retaining wall that holds up (well, used to) our driveway just dumped over with an impressive thud. Can anyone recommend a (reliable but not bank-breaking) contractor for this kind of work? It has been leaning for a couple of years, so there will probably be some excavation of dirt that has to be done before a new wall is put up. Only the top of one section fell down, but the rest is really leaning.

Thanks!

Surely You Jest

The Duluth Photography Institute Public Event

There will be a public promotional event for the DPI at Valentini’s Restaurant on Monday, March 29th at 6:00pm. FREE with appetizers, a cash bar, and entertainment by singer/guitarist Emma Rustan. Please RSVP to the Facebook event, calling the DPI 218.393.2468, or by emailing dpi@duluthphotographyinstitute.com. Go to www.duluthphotographyinstitute.com for more info on the DPI.

Hope to see you all there!

Google Bike

Google biking. Very rad.

Protest the 7th Anniversary of the U.S. Invasion of Iraq

This March 19 will mark the 7th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. During these past seven years hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and thousands of Americans have needlessly lost their lives – and millions more have had their lives disrupted by physical and psychological injuries, by having their homes demolished, and losing loved ones. And tragically, after the passage of all of this time, there is no real end in sight.

To show our continued opposition to this senseless war, and to remind the powers that be that the people still insist on immediate withdrawal, we are calling on all of you to join us, yet again, in taking to the streets!

On Friday, March 19, the Northland Anti-War Coalition is going to be holding three vigils/pickets at different times of the day, in different parts of Duluth. Our goal is to raise the anti-war banner high to remind that public that the war is still being waged, and show that there is still a vibrant anti-war movement for them to join. Please try to find time in your day to join us for one or more of these vigils.
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What the F-Bomb happened in front of my house yesterday?

My son and I were sitting in the front room and heard the common yelling fight there usually is on our Armpit-of-Duluth-Corner-of-Doom. It was 5 p.m., the time the kid got off the bus last Friday, when all the chaos happened. Yesterday, Pirate was sick sans bus.

At the first “gun-shot,” I told Pirate to duck, then covered him. I counted seven gun shots; the sound was not “together” like a firecracker. And it was LOUD!
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‘Ello What’s This?

The cream is here, the cream is here! At the Coop next to the whipping creams. Man it would go good with a big bowl of Google Fiber.

Sen Al Franken Resurrects “Duluth Answer Man” to Support Twin Ports Google Fiber

MARCH 10, 2010 – Minnesota Sen. Al Franken has joined The Google Twin Ports Fiber Initiative by resurrecting his Duluth Answer Man clips.

Duluth’s campaign combines a fun and creative grassroots campaign with a very serious effort to build a strong business case for bringing Google Fiber to the Twin Ports.

The Duluth Answer Man campaign was produced in the mid 80s by the Duluth Convention and Visitors Bureau, known today as Visit Duluth. The series ran in the Twin Cites market as the summer tourism campaign for Duluth.

R.I.P. Corey Haim

Please don’t cheese

From DNT article…

“We found a Hollywood director with ties to our area to shoot a short movie, about 10 minutes long, that we are gearing for Google,” Garmoe said. “We want to make sure that Google sees us, and this is one of our many efforts make us stand out from other cities.”

In my head, a collage of clips from movies and songs that mention Duluth would be pretty cool.  Make it artsy, I says.  Other ideas that aren’t terribly cheesy? (i.e. DBU commercials; no offense)

Help!

The Beatles' Help Album My work is conducting a training tomorrow for about 75 people, and the guy who was providing our sound system had a family emergency. So now we have no sound system. We don’t need anything elaborate – just a speaker or two, and a microphone, and an easy-to-understand setup. We would have to pick it up tonight and would return it tomorrow night. Can anyone help us out? You can either respond here or call me at 218-391-2733. Thanks!

This Old House

We have a 1904 model house and we are thinking of a big remodel. I would like to know if anyone has recommendations for someone that could come in and tell us our redesign and construction options.

Have away. Thanks

Duluth’s Oneota Football Squad – 1915

Oneota Football 1915

I’m not sure if these are junior high students from Oneota School or if they are high school kids and this is a community team for the Oneota neighborhood (part of West Duluth). Denfeld didn’t have an official football team until 1917.

I don’t know the names of any of the players, except the guy sitting cross-legged in the middle — he’s my great uncle, Sam Brassard. (Yep, Uncle Sam.)
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Martin Zellar and Charlie Parr @ Beaner’s

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_99vz79CUw

(This video is from the Rochester Civic Theatre. On stage with Martin Zellar are Brandon Sampson and G.B. Leighton.)

Martin Zellar will be in Duluth for a gig at Beaner’s Central Thursday night with Charlie Parr. Show starts at 8 p.m.

Anyone planning to portage a canoe through Beaner’s during the performance?

Anyway, two free tickets will be given to the first person to leave a comment with the word that joins these two song titles:

“Statue of “_ _ _ _ _” at the Kenmore”

Why Bikes? – Feminism, you, and the mighty bicycle machine

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

University of Minnesota Duluth Campus, Kirby Student Center 268,    Noon-1:00

Sadie Sigford of the Bike Cave Collective will be talking about bike culture, how it has traditionally excluded women but how women are now defining their space within it, why bikes are important and why they are just awesome!

Following this Sadie will go over common bike problems and demonstrate how to do maintenance on your own two-wheeled bicycle machine.

Hosted by the Women’s Resource and Action Center and the University of Minnesota Duluth Women’s Studies Department.

Time to Doff Your Chicken Hat!


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Clara’s Visitor

For fans of both theater and classical music, a one woman play by Stephanie Wendt as Clara Schummann featuring music by Schumann and Brahms.
More info at www.goldenwattle.net

Saturday March 13
7:30 pm
Sacred Heart Music Center
Tickets $15 in advance/$20 at the door
Online at www.sacredheartmusic.org or the Electric Fetus

Student discount tickets available at the door for $5.

It’s the End of the World as We Know It

Wondering where all the young Duluth indie bands are? Come see

Goodstock Poster

Goodstock is a showcase of young (mostly high school) Duluth bands and a benefit for Haiti. It’s in two weeks (March 19) at UUCD, the green-colored Unitarian Church near St. Scholastica, 835 W College Street Duluth, MN 55811.

Whether you come to see Duluth’s future in music, or to help out Haiti, you’ll be doing someone a world of good!

Bands include:
The People Say Fox
Rex
Excuse Me Princess
Lions & Creators
Absolutely, I Do
The Cullens

Hope to see you there!

Lunch Films – March 19

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE3dOzeJoRw

Truly independent films are made from the gut. One day Mike Plante bought a filmmaker friend lunch. Instead of owing him lunch, why not make a film for that same money? They made a napkin contract with rules to follow. Its easy to support a filmmaker, do what you can. A little goes a long way.
Featuring Lunchfilms by Sam Green, Bobcat Goldthwait, Aza Jacobs, Brent Green, Braden King, Naomi Uman and Lee Lynch, Martha Colburn, Randy Walker and Jennifer Shainin, Nick McCarthy, Jake Mahaffy, Sarah Soquel Morhaim, James Graham and Tom Barndt. Zinema 2, March 19. One week only.

Cross City Trail — A photo tour of the proposed section from Clyde Park to the Lakewalk

In a Feb. 18 post the maps for the proposed Cross City Trail – which will connect the Munger Trail to the Lakewalk – were laid out, with photos showing the various route options for the westernmost section shown in the comments. A Feb. 28 post showed a photo tour of the middle section of the proposed trail.

In this post, the route options for connecting Clyde Park to the Duluth Lakewalk are shown. Here are the maps to follow along with:

29th Avenue West to 18th Avenue West
18th Avenue West to Mesaba Avenue
Mesaba Avenue to the Lakewalk

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