Media
Best of the Twin Cities: Duluth winners from 1999 to 2011
A collection of Duluth-related stuff from City Pages’ Best of the Twin Cities issues over the years.
2011
Best Blues Artist
Charlie Parr
Charlie Parr is the real deal. A Duluthian through and through, he’s about as unpretentious as they come. Climbing up on stage dressed in a flannel shirt, carpenter’s pants, and work boots, he wields his steel-stringed guitar like it’s an extension of his body, effortlessly gliding over the frets with a slide and letting it reverberate before trading it for a banjo or a 12-string. Sometimes when he plays he’s accompanied by an unassuming young lad who looks like he’s been plucked straight from the ore mines on the Iron Range, who clangs on train spikes and steel bars while Parr sings and strums. And while Parr’s guitar playing is technically complex and seemlingly effortless, it’s his voice-a blues howl with a soft side, which can climb up from a sweet moan into a loud bellow at a moment’s notice-that accentuates the stark, sad nature of his songs, painting vivid portraits through lyrics about loneliness, the devil, and making things right with the Lord. (more…)
Upset Duluth
Every month or so there is a story in the Duluth News Tribune about a community member or group of people upset about something. The story usually features a photo like the one above, shot by Bob King.
I don’t mean to make light of any of the issues these people are upset about, or be critical at all of the photography. Just the opposite. What I’m saying is, for some reason I love these photos. Seriously. (more…)
92.1 Lite FM now “Nu 92”?
It looks like local radio stations aren’t done changing formats yet. I turned my car radio on this morning and saw that 92.1 Lite FM is now “Nu 92” and appears to be another top 40 station. Can anyone else confirm? Did this happen a while ago and I just never noticed? More importantly, why on earth do we need three top 40 stations?!
102.5 has changed formats … again?
I like to listen to Bob and Tom on the way into work. Today on my way home I thought the song they were playing was a bit odd for a classic rock station. They then announced the call letters as KDWZ or something like that. I cannot find any info on the Midwest Communications site. Does anyone know anything about this transition, and if they will keep Bob and Tom in the morning? From the two songs I heard it seemed to be another top 40 station. I think it’s a bit humorous that 102.5 has come full circle from KZIO in the mid ’90s. Somehow I doubt “Album Side Thursday” will survive this transition which is a bit of a shame.
Duluth 12th Best City in U.S. to Find Jobs?
Dailybeast.com has posted it’s top 20 Best U.S. Cities to find a job (not necessarily a career) and our beloved Duluth ranks 12th and Rochester, MN is #1. Hailing from Rochester I could understand it being nemero uno, but stating that Duluth is 12th in the country is a little baffling. Is it that good here?
#12. Duluth, MN
Job Growth: 11.26 percent
Jobs Gained: 14,208
Manufacturing and mills are a major part of Duluth’s economy, and the city is a huge transportation hub for manufacturing materials. But health care and education are major employers, too.
I wonder what statistics the DailyBeast accessed to get Duluth placed right behind Boulder, CO and right in front of Brownsville, TX?
Negative Coverage?
Does any photo published in the DNT even exist on celluloid? I would have thought not, but this suggests otherwise. Or read in your own perceptions of bias. From the home page this morning.
Does anyone have pictures or stories from when the Ripsaw was housed in the Temple Opera Building?
I rent and work out of Room 208 in the Temple Opera Building. Legend has it that the Ripsaw was once published out of this office. I’d love to see some photos and hear some stories about those days in this space.
The New Duluth
Duluth’s own Mayor Ness graces the July 2010 cover of Minnesota Business Magazine.
Article// The New Duluth
TV news trickster
Hugh Mongous
This circulated in my Facebook stream, asking if it was the Duluth or Minneapolis ABC station. No, it’s Rochester. A flatter, warmer, duller (save for this!) Duluth.
PDD’s Economic Stimulus Package
Saw this ad in Sunday’s DNT
Superior reeks with booze and filth
This headline and illustration are from the August 18, 1917 issue of the Duluth Rip Saw. The story is without a byline, but was no doubt written by the paper’s publisher, John L. Morrison.
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Memoir by former DNT editor/reporter Laurie Hertzel due out in September
Laurie Hertzel’s memoir, News to Me: Adventures of an Accidental Journalist, is scheduled for release in September by University of Minnesota Press. Hertzel is books editor for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and a former Duluth News Tribune editor and reporter.
Check out Ann Klefstad’s informal review and talk with Hertzel on mnartists.org.
Gobin Pawshington rips Babwa Spry Pelts
Duluth News Tribune Editor Robin Washington got one thing right in his column this week: The DNT is not good at promoting itself.
Washington announced that city hall reporter Brandon Stahl has been promoted to investigative/special projects editor and noted some other staff shuffling. It’s supposed to be good news. It shows that the DNT intends to focus more on investigative journalism. That’s what readers want, right? (more…)
One more week to apply for PDD sales position
Don’t forget, the deadline for the Perfect Duluth Day sales position is Friday, June 4th.
See the job description here.
New York Times: Theater of the Variegated
“36 Hours in Duluth, Minn”
New York Times, Aug. 5, 2005
9) Theater of the Variegated
You never know what to expect at the Historic NorShor Theater (211 East Superior Street, 218-733-0072), an oasis of culture in a scruffy section of downtown. Opened as the Orpheum in 1910 and later remodeled in Art Deco style, the timeworn Norshor is part movie theater, part concert hall, part performance space, part art exhibit hall and part whatever whim strikes the management. One July weekend featured a showcase of local and Twin Cities bands; the next included all-day showings of “Dr. Strangelove.”
Local poet Connie Wanek in New York Times book review
The end of the review says, “Nobody will call Wanek overly difficult. The most attentive readers will call her wise.”
Here’s to local wisdom without pretensions saying poetry needs to be difficult to be meaningful. I look forward to reading the new collection — you should too!
Boundary Waters? Nah, this year, let’s paddle Nebraska.
When I was growing up in Nebraska, “tanking” was not … um … a thing.
I went tubing several times, but never tanking.
And I guess I got tanked.
I hope Nebraska doesn’t steal all of our tourists away.
Finally, something goes right in the world of journalism.
Now if we can just get them to change “Internet” to “internet,” all will be right with the cosmos.
“What Happens in Duluth, Stays in Duluth. Mostly.”
ESPN writer Paul Lukas traveled to Duluth for the House of Hearts Celebrity Bonspiel last month. His article is funny but clearly he respects curlers and doesn’t take any of the cheap shots that many national writers do. He includes lots of great quips, like “What Happens in Duluth, stays in Duluth” and even makes a run to Super Duper town and puts the Anchor Bar on the ESPN map (pictured below from the article)
Fox 21 News at 6 … no that is not a typo
Fox 21 News is adding a 6 pm newscast starting June 28th. This move is surely related to the addition of Jason Vincent (most recently of Fargo) as the new news director replacing Julie Moravchik.
In the release on their site (click the image to see it) they are clearly gunning for their competition:
In addition to being the fastest growing Twin Ports station in terms of newscasts, we are also the Twin Ports fastest growing station for viewers. Since we first launched in March of 2007, we immediately beat our 9pm competition and continue to do so.
FOX 21 also beat the local CBS’s 10pm show and continues to do so. We are now neck-and neck with the local NBC, which has the advantage of having been on the air for the last 50 years.
After 36 months, we’re poised to outnumber them as well (and have already beaten them in two key demos: 18-34 year olds and 18-49 year olds).
From the Ripsaw Archive: April 5, 2000
Ten years ago today, the first weekly issue of the Ripsaw came out. Looking it over this morning, the thing that surprised me is there was a localized crossword puzzle. I had forgotten about that. It only lasted a few months because the guy who did it, Israel Malachi, either got tired of putting it together or left town for a while, I can’t remember which.
Anyway, the puzzle is below. It’s pretty easy, but I’ll follow up with the answer key in the comments tomorrow.
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.
Here it is! Lake Voice News
Some of you were in a discussion in February about what UMD Journalists should name their online news organization. Thank you for all of your suggestions!
We would like to announce our name and website. We called it “Lake Voice” after an old French newspaper in Duluth, “Voix du Lac.” We focus on community news.
Please check us out and feel free to give any feedback.
lakevoicenews.org
twitter.com/lakevoicenews
facebook.com/lakevoicenews