Paul Lundgren Posts

Go west, young man

Mar 03, 2014 11 Comments

Star Tribune: Duluth visitors, please look to your right, too

The focal point of Duluth Mayor Don Ness’ State of the City Address will be creating a secondary tourist destination along the St. Louis River.

“We have the largest freshwater estuary in the world in the St. Louis River,” Mayor Don Ness said. “You have all of these amazing natural amenities and outdoor recreation experiences in a fairly small concentrated area.”

The plan comes as hundreds of millions have been spent – with a similar sum still to come – to clean up the St. Louis River, saddled for decades with old industrial pollution. It is in concert with efforts to revitalize the long-neglected working-class part of town, where factory hands raised families in tight-knit communities near their jobs.


Uncategorized

Duluth Mystery Photo #7: Mr. Green

Mar 02, 2014 8 Comments

Is Green the photographer’s name or the dude in the photo? Who is this dapper West Ender?


History, Photos

Yoshikas Sauna Revisited

Feb 26, 2014 4 Comments

On the Bumper to Bumper show on KFAN Radio, broadcast out of the Twin Cities and on the air in Duluth on KQDS AM 1490, host Dan Barreiro and his crew took on the subject of a new “cuddle business” opening near Sacramento, Calif. The subject turned to a “health club” called Yoshiko’s Sauna in Minneapolis that was in business during the 1990s. Later in the show they discovered an old post about Duluth’s Yoshikas Sauna on Perfect Duluth Day and … well … that’s the clip above.


History , ,

Perfect Play or Musical of 2013: Duluth Playhouse Children’s Theatre’s Cats

Feb 25, 2014 3 Comments

It was a big year for Duluth theater in 2013, with eight productions receiving a significant number of votes for the honor of best play or musical. In the end, the Duluth Playhouse Children’s Theatre production of Cats emerged as the favorite.

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Art, Polls , ,

Whole Foods Co-op in West Duluth, a/k/a WFC – Denfeld

Feb 25, 2014 11 Comments

Here’s how the Whole Foods Co-op broke the news about its new store on Feb. 24:

Whole-Foods-Denfeld

whole-foods-co-op-west-duluth

The future location of Duluth’s second Whole Foods Co-op will be 4426 Grand Ave. It will be a 7,000-square-foot store.

jefferson-bus


News and Current Affairs , ,

Duluth reference in Best Man Down

Feb 24, 2014 1 Comment

The majority of the 2013 film Best Man Down is set in Lutsen, though none of it was shot north of Forest Lake. In this scene, Duluth is referenced briefly in the dialogue while the Northland’s NewsCenter’s Michelle Lee is on the television in the background.


Videos

Duluth Mystery Photo #6: Snowdrift Family

Feb 23, 2014 9 Comments

This image seems timely considering recent weather in Duluth, but it’s actually from 1935. It’s an “Illustrated Current News” poster, published by the Marlin Co. The website bonanza.com is selling it for twenty bucks under the headline “1935 news poster: Duluth Minnesota snowstorm; Farnam family ice home.”

The caption on the poster reads something like: “The family of Clinton Farnam was completely isolated during a recent snowstorm … (then it gets hard to read) … they had to dig a tunnel from the doorway to the roadway, which (blurry again) … Photo shows family with friends just after they had evacuated themselves.”

So, this week’s mystery is less of a mystery than usual, but can anyone fill in the blurry parts of the caption and tell us more about Clinton Farnam, his family, and the snowstorm of 1935?

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History, Photos

Snow Swimming

Feb 21, 2014 No Comments

Shanesaw and Scuba Steve have a little fun during today’s snow day.


Videos

Video Archive: 1989 Denfeld Hockey

Feb 21, 2014 2 Comments

It’s been 25 years since Denfeld played in the 1989 Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament. Through the miracle of shaky old VHS tapes, we take a look back. Above is the gloriously cheesy video profiling the school, produced for between-period entertainment.

Below are local TV news highlights of Denfeld’s route to the tournament.

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Sports, Videos , ,

Best Play or Musical of 2013 (Final Ballot)

Feb 21, 2014 No Comments

Of the 18 plays or musicals originally nominated for this poll, three have advanced to the final ballot — Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Cats and The Pillowman. Now it’s time to pick the winner.

What was the best play or musical of 2013?

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This poll is now closed. The results were:

Cats (Duluth Playhouse Children’s Theatre) – 42.3 percent
The Pillowman (Renegade Theater Co.) – 33.3 percent
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Renegade Theater Co.) – 24.4 percent


Polls

Poll: Best Play or Musical of 2013

Feb 20, 2014 No Comments

This poll is now closed. The three plays advancing to the final ballot are:

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson – Renegade Theater Co.
Cats – Duluth Playhouse Children’s Theatre
The Pillowman – Renegade Theater Co.

The other nominees were:

Almost, Maine – Duluth Playhouse
Burnt Part Boys – Renegade Theater Co.
Collected Stories – Duluth Playhouse at the Underground
Everything You’ve Done That Hurt Me – one-man performance by Jonathan Manchester
Frozen – Duluth Playhouse at the Underground
God of Carnage – Duluth Playhouse
Godspell – Duluth Playhouse
How the Grinch Shut Down Christmas, or, I Saw Rudolph Twerking Santa Claus – Rubber Chicken Theater
Last Summer at Bluefish Cove – UMD Theater
Merry Wives of Windsor – Wise Fool Shakespeare
Metamophoses – Duluth Playhouse
The Princess Bride (live read) – Rubber Chicken Theater
Seussical the Musical – St. Scholastica Theatre
Tuesdays With Morrie – Duluth Playhouse at the Play Ground


Polls

Lake Superior Ice Cover

Feb 18, 2014 No Comments

Satellite imagery of the big lake from Jan. 4 to Feb. 16. Video by Paul Schonfeld. Music by Chilly Gonzalez. Sure to remind many of you of the hand jive.


Videos

Best Play or Musical of 2013 Nominations

Feb 18, 2014 25 Comments

Returning to our periodic infatuation with polls, the next item up on the PDD Awards list is determining Duluth’s Best Play or Musical from 2013.

Before we do that, we rely on you to supply the nominees in the comments. Ready. Set. Go.


Uncategorized

For those in a summer mood …

Feb 17, 2014 1 Comment

“Duluth Sketches: Park Point After The Flood” video by Shawn Donovan.


Videos ,

Duluth Mystery Photo #5: Baby Marge

Feb 16, 2014 6 Comments

This photo is for sale on eBay under the heading “Vintage Snapshot Photo Babies Family on Rocks 1920s Duluth Minnesota #250.” The description reads: “Offered is a great vintage picture of a darling baby girl sitting on a pile of rocks with another child and a group of adults. Photo is from the 1920s. I bought these photos from a living estate, and baby’s name is Marge and lives in Duluth Minnesota. This picture was taken down by Lake Superior probably.”

There’s not much to go on here for pinpointing a location, but apparently we do have a baby name. So, who is this Marge?

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History, Photos