April 2016 Posts

Commerce on the River: Superior Packaging Company

Apr 30, 2016 No Comments

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OneRiverMN-Logo-FC-BadgeTom Franta started Superior Packaging Company in 1994 in his hometown of Minnetonka. Eventually he moved the business to Superior, where he was able to get his foot in the door with many companies by cold calling. The company’s product, called dunnage, or damage prevention, consists of materials that are placed in domestic and international shipping containers or boxcars to prevent damage to inventory by restraining any excess space.

SPC supplies companies such as Kikkoman, Del Monte and Seneca foods. Franta recalls his humble roots in his then-partner’s parents’ garage with no heat, using the alleyway to roll paper tubes to make packaging supplies and gluing them to cardboard to make pallets by hand. Today, Superior Packaging Company uses machines to do what he once did by hand. The company moved to its present location in West Duluth 15 years ago, when a larger facility was needed. This location is convenient for SPC as most shipping is done using common carriers on the highway.

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News and Current Affairs ,

Video: Jay Cooke Park Swinging Gate Bridge in 1939

Apr 30, 2016 No Comments

OneRiverMN-Logo-FC-BadgeQuoth the Minnesota State Parks and Trails Facebook page: “The spring ritual of visiting the Swinging Bridge at Jay Cooke State Park during high water has been around since the bridge was built in 1924. This rare 1939 video shows a family bravely crossing the river before the bridge is damaged by high water. Since it was built, the bridge has been raised seven and a half feet to try to stay above the floods. Unfortunately, mother nature doesn’t always cooperate. Today’s visitors are crossing Swinging Bridge number five!”

For the history of the swinging bridge, visit dnr.state.mn.us.

Swinging Gate Bridge at Jay Cooke Park 1920s Swinging Bridge 1920s


Videos

Postcards from the many beauty spots on the St. Louis River

Apr 30, 2016 No Comments

One of the many beauty spots on St. Louis River between Duluth-Superior Harbor and Fond du Lac

OneRiverMN-Logo-FC-BadgeAs the One River, Many Stories project draws to a close, PDD presents the remaining St. Louis River postcards from the dusty digital archive. See the recommended links at the end of this post to check out more St. Louis River postcards.

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History, Photos ,

Thirsty Pagan opens new beer garden

Apr 30, 2016 No Comments
Kelsey Picek and Allyson Rolph at the Thirsty Pagan beer garden

Kelsey Picek and Allyson Rolph in the Thirsty Pagan beer garden

Beginning this weekend, Twin Ports beer lovers have another option for outdoor imbibing. Thirsty Pagan Brewing’s new beer garden held its soft opening on Friday. The brewpub at 1623 Broadway in Superior is known for its tasty brews and delectable deep-dish pizzas.

The beer garden occupies a space behind the building that is fully fenced and can be accessed via the parking lot. It features several oversized picnic tables and can seat about 25 people with standing room for about 25 more.

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Events, Music, News and Current Affairs , ,

Improved habitat boosts lake sturgeon recovery in St. Louis River

Apr 30, 2016 No Comments
Jeramy Pinkerton and Anna Varian of DNR fisheries hold the largest sturgeon ever sampled in the St Louis River.The sturgeon, 65 inches long and about 53 pounds, was captured April 20, implanted with an acoustic transmitter and PIT tag and released.

Jeramy Pinkerton and Anna Varian of DNR fisheries hold the largest sturgeon ever sampled in the St Louis River. The sturgeon, 65 inches long and about 53 pounds, was captured April 20, implanted with an acoustic transmitter and PIT tag and released.

OneRiverMN-Logo-FC-BadgeFollowing years of clean water improvements and habitat projects, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reports that lake sturgeon are returning to the St. Louis River in larger numbers. DNR fisheries staff are embarking on a new research project to study the growing numbers and learn more about how these long-lived, native species use the river and Lake Superior throughout the year.

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News and Current Affairs, Outdoors

Commerce on the River: Demolicious

Apr 30, 2016 No Comments

Demolicious - Dianne Anderson

OneRiverMN-Logo-FC-BadgeDianne Anderson launched Demolicious in 2000, creating a public drop-off site for everything but the kitchen sink. Well actually, Demolicious will take kitchen sinks. It will take anything but household garbage, hazardous materials or chemicals. Anything else is fair game, but mostly the business receives construction waste. Clients can drop off their trash for a fee or rent a roll-off, which is a large waste container Demolicious will drop off empty and pick up when filled.

Materials get sorted and separated. Wood, for example, gets grouped together and ground into wood chips. What can be recycled is recycled. The business has many repeat customers, especially contractors who use it often, as well as one-time users who wish to discard things like old furniture.

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News and Current Affairs ,

Tender Nads

Apr 30, 2016 No Comments

Chris Godsey Saturday Essay

For one long moment after I unintentionally swooned over a young man’s testicles, all 70 students in the UMD class I was teaching stayed mostly silent.

The incident happened in 2003, during an otherwise average session of Introduction to Cultural Studies. UMD’s course guide says the class, “Examines how cultural practices relate to everyday life by introducing students to each of the four core areas of the Cultural Studies minor: Identity Politics, Media Cultures, Cultures of Space & Place, and Cultures of Science, Technology, & Medicine.” My teaching contract was in Writing Studies, but the Sociology/Anthropology department faculty member in charge of Cultural Studies heard I might be into teaching something different, and my department head was cool with the idea. It’s been one of my favorite experiences in 20 years of trying to help people learn things.

I seek opportunities to participate in conversations with students and anyone else about how belief, intent, socialization, and other forces intersect to influence our actions. I approached Intro to Cultural Studies as an extended problem-posing conversation. I’d start most days by naming an example of something most of us in the room take for granted or don’t notice, then I’d ask a bunch of questions like, “Why do we do it that way? What happens if we try to do or see it differently. What if we did it for reasons different from the generally accepted ones? Who gets to decide?”

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Art

Denfeld Lip Dub 2016: “Crazy in Love”

Apr 29, 2016 No Comments

The original Denfeld Lip Dub for 2016 got the ol’ copyright smackdown from YouTube for usage of the Jay Z song “Run This Town.” For those of you who missed the Gold version, here’s the Maroon one.


Videos

Superior Siren – “For Mother”

Apr 29, 2016 No Comments

[This post originally contained an embedded video that is no longer available at its source.]

Superior Siren performs a new track in this video, produced by Lola Visuals.


Music

PDD Pronunciation Guide: Karpeles

Apr 29, 2016 No Comments

In episode three of Perfect Duluth Day’s Pronunciation Guide series Bridgette Baker, Karpeles Manuscript Library‘s assistant to the director, demonstrates the proper pronunciation of “Karpeles.”


Videos ,

St. Louis River Story: Sharon Rogers

Apr 29, 2016 No Comments

OneRiverMN-Logo-FC-BadgePeople in the St. Louis River watershed shared their connection to the river with WDSE-TV during the opening reception for The St. Louis River: Diverse Connections at the Duluth Art Institute. In this installment, Sharon Rogers talks about the quiet of the river, the birds, the wildlife and the flowers.


Videos

Selective Focus: Jordan Sundberg

Apr 29, 2016 2 Comments

SF-TeaserJordanS

This week’s Selective Focus profile subject is Jordan Sundberg, an illustrator and designer with a deceptively simple style. She tells her story below.

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Art

Fever Dream : Ever Child teaser trailer

Apr 28, 2016 No Comments


 


Music, Videos

Duluth Home Inspector Recommendations

Apr 28, 2016 3 Comments

Looking for recommendations for the best home inspector in the area … thanks in advance!


Recommendations

Norm’s Beer & Brats Demolition Video

Apr 28, 2016 1 Comment

The old Polish Club meets its demise. Video by Tony Rogers.


R.I.P. ,