June 2009 Posts

Critical Mass Bike Parade! (Friday, June 26)

Come join us for a casual bike ride through downtown Duluth, Canal Park, and wherever else our wheels may take us to celebrate cycling, promote sustainable transport, and take back the streets from automobiles’ boring and destructive business-as-usual.

Critical Mass is a leaderless ride that happens in cities throughout the world on the last Friday of each month.  Everyone is welcome to attend and participate!  Come dressed up in costume, birng noisemakers, decorate your bike!  (this is a parade of sorts)

In Duluth we meet at Leif Erickson Park by Leif’s statue at 5:30pm.  After the ride, riders tend to congregate and socialize in a public area, whether it is Leif Erickson, Lake and Superior St, etc.  Food Not Bombs will provide free food.

Hope to see you this Friday!

Speaking of Anniversaries …

It’s been one year since Starfire’s 100 Pushup Challenge. Did anyone make it? I’m still stuck on week four of the workout. Six weeks? Yeah, right!

25 Years of Purple Rain

Purple Rain

I know it is hard to believe but Purple Rain was released 25 years ago this week and I am going to do a special episode of The Local to celebrate. Leave your stories about Prince and Purple Rain from the mid-1980s. I know many of you have great stories.

PDD Birthday Party | Monday, June 29

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Perfect Duluth Day is turning 6 years old next Monday. Topic for discussion in the comments: Is there any less significant anniversary than the sixth?

Significant or not, we’ve decided to meet for cocktails and whatnot. So join us at Chester Creek Cafe’s Wine Bar next Monday, June 29, from 9 to 10 p.m.

Historical Link Action
First two PDD posts
PDD shows “The Big Lebowski” at Sailboat Park to mark its first b-day
“Happy Birthday” is sung on PDD’s second b-day
PDD turns 3; August turns 7
… and then we took a two-year break from tooting our own horn
… and now TOOT! TOOT!

Duluth Farmer’s Market

The Duluth Farmer’s Market is open for the season and welcomes all new visitors. Located at 14th Ave. E and 3rd Street, the local farmers and gatherers rise early … 7:00 a.m.-12:00 Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout the summer to sell their goods. For sale recently are prospering perennials, adorable annuals, fabulous flower arrangements, jammin’ jellies, special shrubbery, heavenly herbs, early various fruits and vegetables(plants and produce). In addition to farm producers, the market is home to creative crafters, a chocolatiers, card makers, bee keepers, bakers, wild ricers, maple syrup folks, weavers, cheese and candle stick makers. Besides, a good time for all is always had at the market! Hope to see you there!

Talk with Galileo

Tuesday, June 23 at 5:30 p.m.
Galileo at 400: Arrowhead Astronomical Society tour and talk
Duluth Art Institute
FREE

400 years ago Galileo Galilei peered through a small tube and dramatically changed the way we understand our place in the world(s).  Join Eric Norland in the Duluth Art Institute Galleries as he guides us through planetary photographs that Galileo could only dream about.  A representative from the Arrowhead Astronomical Society will also be on hand to answer questions and discuss this important anniversary.

The Sun

An Incomplete and Random List of Beloved Characters in Duluth

Hung – Vo Hung has bought more rounds of drinks than the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

Richard Wozniak – The longtime proprietor of Young at Heart Records could find anything you needed.

Frank Nichols – He’s lovable, he’s cuddly, he plays harmonica and rides the lift bridge.

Christmas Tree Lady – Claudia Abrahamson put up 37 Christmas trees in 2008, carefully placing them in every room of her house.

Five-mile-an-hour Harold – Harold Nelson was an elderly Duluth Heights resident, known for constantly walking around the city. Sadly, he was struck by a car while crossing Central Entrance at Trinity Road on August 10, 2009. He died three days later. Up until the very end — at age 83 — he was still walking, often stopping to pick up garbage or clear snow from bus stops. In his younger days he worked for the city of Duluth in the purchasing division.

Balloons

One of those enormous strings of balloons that arch across the street at the finish line for grandmas got loose and headed off into the heavens. Last seen flying high over Lake Superior headed south … I wonder where they’ll land or if they’ll ever be found … I wonder if there are tell tale marks on the balloons that will lead a finder to know they’re from Duluth. Hopefully they won’t end up in any bird or varmint bellies, that’s deadly. Any way to track them? Anyone else care but me? Anyone else get a better picture than this?

balloons

Grandma’s Marathon Bloody Mary Bar

Bloody Mary Bar

Thanks to everyone who came to my shindig. Aside from Bloody Marys, we had Mimosas, Coffee with Bailey’s, Biscuits and Gravy, lots of Fruit, a Ginormous Donut (thanks to Lucie and Jason), Lil’ Smokies, and Miniature Quiches.

Oh yeah, we watched people exert themselves while we sat in the shade sipping cool drinks. All in all, a really good day.

Helpful American

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“Injured protests are confirmed to be being removed from hospitals and taken away.” [ https://twitter.com/ProtesterHelp ]

Proxy Info | Anonymous Iran | Tehran 24 | Tatsuma’s Iran Update
Green Brief 6 | Green Wave Info | Hackers Without Borders

Chris Raabe wins Grandma’s Marathon

ChrisRaabe3482

Here’s Chris Raabe with a half-mile lead passing Ironic1’s house. He’s the first Minnesotan since Dick Beardsley to win Grandma’s Marathon! Yowza! It was a hot one out there.

John Peyton – Duluth’s Great American Outdoor Artist

John Peyton was arguably the most versatile artist of his time. He created well over 700 masterful artworks ranging from landscapes, wildlife, nudes, to stills. His works are now grabbing the imagination and awe of viewers in galleries throughout Minnesota. John captured both the spirit and theme of each scene through skillfully blended colors and imagery.

Where will you hide this weekend?

With the impending Grandma’s Marathon, where is the best place to hide?

Rolling Ruts: Inexpensive Golf Just Outside Duluth

If you aren’t particularly good at, or enthusiastic about, golf it’s hard to justify paying about $17 for nine holes, plus another $9 to rent clubs (especially if you’re paying for the whole family.)

Rolling Ruts offers the answer to casual golfers’ prayers. It’s basically free.

Comedy Olympics at the Playground!

Renegade Comedy Theatre is proud to announce the return of the Comedy Olympics, the Northland’s original improvisational comedy powerhouse!

Renegade’s new Comedy Olympics will coincide with the grand re-opening of the Teatro Zuccone later this summer, but you can catch a sneak preview of the show during a two-week run at the Playground theatre in the Tech Village in Downtown Duluth. The sneak preview opens tonight, June 19th and runs Friday and Saturday nights until June 27th. All shows at 10:30 pm.

Tickets are only $5 for an evening of high-caliber hilarity!