Paul Lundgren Posts

Heiko has a party

Heiko has a party

An artistic collaboration between Jeremiah Brown, Brian Barber and Banksy. T-shirts go on sale never.

R.I.P. Edgewood Joshua Smith

Photo by Paul Van Antwerp

Photo by Paul Van Antwerp

We are crushed at Perfect Duluth Day to learn our great friend Edgewood Smith died on July 15.

Web Woods Trail

Web Woods Trail entrance

New hiking paths pop up in Duluth faster than I can keep track of them. Web Woods Trail was in the news when it opened in 2012, but I didn’t check it out back then, and soon I’d forgotten about it. So when my wife asked if I’d ever been on the trail off Oak Bend Drive in Duluth Heights all I could respond with is: “What trail?

Poll: What is the best outdoor concert venue in the Duluth area?

What is the best outdoor concert venue in the Duluth area? It’s is an all-things-considered poll — acoustics, aesthetics, parking, lavatories, etc.

Note: This is PDD’s first runoff poll, which means instead of having an elimination round and a final round of voting, the options with the fewest votes will simply start dropping off of this poll. So check back, because if you vote for something and it drops off the list, you can vote again for one of the remaining options until we have a winner.

This poll is now closed. The results were:

Bayfront Festival Park — 71.5 percent
Big Top Chautauqua — 19 percent
Leif Erikson Park — 9.5 percent

Eliminated during run-off vote: Barker’s Island Pavilion, Billings Park, Chester Bowl, DeWitt-Seitz parking lot, First Street, Glensheen Mansion Pier, Lake Place Park, Lake Superior Plaza, Lincoln Park Pavilion, Lucius Woods Performing Arts Center, Northwest Iron parking lot and Wade Municipal Stadium.

What is the best place for outdoor concerts in the Duluth area?

It’s been a while since we’ve done a poll on PDD, and this post leads us into the next one. Before we publish a ballot on Saturday, we have to ask the question and make sure we aren’t missing any good nominees.

What is the best place for outdoor concerts in the Duluth area?

Barker’s Island Pavilion
Bayfront Festival Park
Big Top Chautauqua
Billings Park
Chester Bowl
Glensheen Mansion Pier
Lake Place Park
Leif Erikson Park
Lucius Woods Performing Arts Center

Anything else that should be on the ballot?

Don’t worry, the sandstone will be back

Ye Olde Central High School

Lest anyone driving by the Central Administration Building, aka Old Central High School, fear the cool sandstone wall is being replaced with ugly concrete blocks, let it be noted that the 120-year-old brownstone blocks are being restored and will return.

sandstone

Public Officials with Cool Names

Brainerd Police Chief Corky McQuiston

Brainerd Police Chief
Corky McQuiston

Bass Lake Fire Department Chief Marvin Mullet

Bass Lake Fire Department Chief Marvin Mullet

Superior City Attorney Frog Prell

Superior City Attorney
Frog Prell

Itasca County District Court Judge Korey Wahwassuck

Itasca County District Court Judge Korey Wahwassuck

Duluth 2015 Primary Election Primer

The filing period for Duluth city and school board offices closed on July 21. Below are the offices up for grabs and the names of those who filed. The Primary Election will be held Tuesday, Sept. 15.

 
Duluth Mayor
(Top two candidates advance to General Election)
Thomas Cooper
John Howard Evans
Jane Hammerstrom Hoffman (withdrew)
Howie Hanson
Chuck Horton
Emily Larson
James Mattson
Robert D. Schieve
John Socha

At-large Duluth City Councilors
(Two positions; no primary in this race, all four candidates advance)
Jim Booth
Elissa Hansen
Noah Hobbs
Kriss Osbakken

First District Duluth City Councilor
(No primary in this race; both candidates advance)
Gary Anderson
Karl Spring

Second District Duluth City Councilor
(No primary in this race; candidate is unopposed)
Joel Sipress

Third District Duluth City Councilor
(No primary in this race, both candidates advance)
Jay Cole (withdrew)
Barri Love
Em Westerlund

Fifth District Duluth City Councilor
(Top two candidates advance)
Allan Beaulier
Derrick Ellis
Jay Fosle
Janet Kennedy

At-large Duluth School Board Member
(Top two candidates advance)
Alanna Oswald
Jim H. Unden
Renee K. VanNett

District Two Duluth School Board Member
(Top two candidates advance)
Jane Hammerstrom Hoffman
David Kirby
Charles Obije

District Three Duluth School Board Member
(No primary in this race; both candidates advance)
Loren Martell
Nora Sandstad

St. Louis River photos from National Geographic

07stlouisriver.adapt 06stlouisriver.adapt  

03stlouisriver1.adapt   01stlouisriver.adapt-takephotoshere

On April 7, National Geographic published a photo gallery featuring images of the St. Louis River. The intro to the piece notes the St. Louis is “the eighth most endangered river in the U.S.,” according to a ranking by the advocacy group American Rivers.

Explore Duluth/Superior LocalWiki

miniwiki

Chris Handsone and Esther Derby have launched a LocalWiki for Duluth and Superior. Similar to Wikipedia in general, the LocalWiki effort is intended to “collect, share and open the world’s local knowledge” by allowing anyone to create and edit information about where they live — “their local government, the history of their neighborhoods, streets, social movements, noteworthy local figures, social services, schools — every facet of life in their community.” Check out the Explore Duluth/Superior LocalWiki at localwiki.org/duluth/_explore.

Sclavi’s is on the ropes again

Sclavis

Sclavi’s Italian Restaurant in Superior is threatening to close for what would be the third time.

“We are in need of your patronage, immediately,” the restaurant’s Facebook page noted yesterday. “We are close to closing our doors permanently. This is rock bottom.”

Jefferson People’s House closing July 12

Jefferson People's HouseJefferson People’s House will close July 12, according to an announcement on the Facebook page of the worker-owned cafe, bookstore and social-justice community spot that specialized in coffee and toast.

It’s the fourth piece of coffee-shop related news in recent weeks. Jitter’s has changed ownership and become Lake Superior Bakehouse, Vietnamese Lotus Inn has reopened as VN Coffee House and Cookie Temptations has opened a coffee shop in the Fitger’s Brewery Complex.

Jefferson People’s House is located in a storefront just below Anytime Fitness on the corner of 15th Avenue East and Jefferson Street in Duluth’s Endion neighborhood.

Below is the Facebook message to customers:

Dear Cherished Community,

June 1st, 2014, we started a venture that has involved love, affection, fierce dedication, and cooperative exuberance. Jefferson People’s House has seen a year of delicious toasts and community growth. We rode this train until the tracks ran out. Our team has simultaneously discovered new opportunities and have decided as a collective to dissolve Jefferson People’s House to put our energies into new, exciting projects. We have loved our time together, and it is bittersweet that we leave this adventure. Our official closing date is July 12. In the meantime, we will be open regular hours (barring July 3-5.) Keep an eye out for our closing weekend events, July 10th and 11th. Our Flowers and Coffee CSA will continue as planned through October.

Much love and solidarity, Jefferson People’s House

Baseball at Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum

Dave Birdsall - The Old Man Babe Ruth Yankee Contract

On display at Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum in Duluth through Aug. 31 is a stunning array of baseball history. At left: A 1866 baseball card featuring “The Old Man,” Dave Birdsall — considered to be the very first baseball card. At right: Babe Ruth’s 1922 contract with the New York Yankees.

Happy dozenth birthday to us

Kissing Booth HanabiAaronGall Food Share christmas08 car-with-ATV Captured berries woodland-caribou Wilco Ness ThumbsUp Diorama The Release SoundUnseenNorShor RosvallOptics prop8four Meatloaf Mandell at Quinlan's 2009HCIS leif-erickson LastBow FireOnTheWater

Perfect Duluth Day is twelve years old today – Monday, June 29, 2015. The official celebration is at the Red Herring Lounge tonight at 8 p.m. Because it’s our dozenth birthday, there will be complimentary doughnuts from A Dozen Excuses Donuts. Serving as video DJ will be Lake Superior Aquaman. And there will be prizes and merriment as usual.

PDDXII Facebook invite (consider yourself invited)

Thanks to all of you for helping to keep Perfect Duluth Day perfect!

Vote Chocolate Ants

Vote Chocolate Ants

Perhaps someone can explain.