PDD News Sieve Posts

Duluth 2016 General Election Results

Nov 08, 2016 2 Comments

election-2016

Donald Trump wins the presidency nationwide. Hillary Clinton takes Minnesota, barely; in Duluth she nearly doubles Trump’s vote total.

Rick Nolan holds his congressional seat by just over 1,000 votes. Democrats and incumbents fare well in Duluth overall.

With 4,120 of 4,120 Minnesota precincts reporting, below are the unofficial statewide results in races relevant to Duluth.

President and Vice President of the United States
Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine – 1,363,704 | 46.41%
Donald J. Trump and Michael R. Pence – 1,320,895 | 44.96%
Gary Johnson and William Weld – 112,767 | 3.84%
Evan McMullin and Nathan Johnson – 53,021 | 1.8%
Jill Stein and Howie Hawkins – 36,916 | 1.26%
Write in – 27,095 | 0.92%
Dan R. Vacek and Mark Elworth, Jr. – 11,275 | 0.38%
Darrell Castle and Scott Bradley – 9,454 | 0.32%
Alyson Kennedy and Osborne Hart – 1,668 | 0.06%
“Rocky” Roque De La Fuente and Mic – 1,428 | 0.05%

Read More


News and Current Affairs, Politics

Listen: Gaelynn Lea’s album Deepest Darkness, Brightest Dawn

Nov 07, 2016 No Comments

Classically trained violinist and songwriter Gaelynn Lea‘s holiday album Deepest Darkness, Brightest Dawn will be released Friday, Nov. 11, and she performs Saturday at Beaner’s Central with the Brothers Burn Mountain. Click above to hear the full album.

Read More


Music ,

Duluth Area Median Income by Neighborhood

Nov 03, 2016 3 Comments

Karl Schuettler, director of marketing, research and analysis for Northspan Group, recently geeked out on some U.S. Census figures on his blog, A Patient Cycle. Of particular interest is a table showing median income by neighborhood across Duluth and neighboring communities.

Read More


Random ,

Jon and Erin Otis: Barrel Brokers

Nov 01, 2016 No Comments

Photo by JaneCane Photography / www.janecanephotography.comDuluth Barrel Works owners Jon and Erin Otis are the subjects of a new profile story in The Growler magazine. The story details how Duluth Barrel Works buys, sells and repurposes solid oak barrels from wineries in California and bourbon distilleries in Kentucky. Jon converts some into rain barrels and breaks others down to create unique tables, benches, stools, candle holders and more.


News and Current Affairs

Hoops Brewing will launch in spring 2017

Oct 28, 2016 1 Comment

dave-hoops-growler-magazineFormer Fitger’s Brewhouse master brewer and current Bev-Craft lead consultant Dave Hoops will open a beer hall in the Waterfront Plaza building in Duluth’s Canal Park business district. Hoops Brewing will occupy the former Timber Lodge Steakhouse space at 325 S. Lake Ave., opening in spring 2017.

“I’ve always wanted to build a boutique brewery and I’m doing this the way I dreamed of doing it,” Hoops told The Growler magazine, which broke the story before Hoops Brewing issued a news release. “I don’t have any aspirations of being real large. I want to be a destination beer hall, really servicing local, very limited distribution.”

The news release from Hoops Brewing notes the brewery will operate a small system geared toward serving the on-site 250-seat beer hall. In total, Hoops will occupy a 9,000-square-foot space inside a historic brick-and-exposed-timber space on the water’s edge of the Duluth Harbor.

hoops-brewing marshall-wells-hardware-company-duluth

The Waterfront Plaza, also known as the Meierhoff Building, was designed in two sections and constructed in 1900 as headquarters for the Marshall-Wells Hardware Company, one of the world’s largest hardware wholesalers. In its prime, Marshall-Wells produced 40,000 products and had annual sales of nearly $100 million. The company liquidated in 1958 and the building sat vacant until the Meierhoff family bought it in 1966.

Hoops Brewing will share the first floor with Suites Hotel, which also occupies the second, third and fourth floors. The sixth floor and part of the seventh floor are condominiums. The Duluth branch of Barr Engineering occupies the fifth floor and parts of the seventh floor.

Read More


News and Current Affairs

Beer finally flowing in Duluth Lakeside at Amity Coffee

Oct 27, 2016 1 Comment

amity-coffee-nate-pykkonenProhibition has finally ended. Amity Coffee became the Lakeside neighborhood’s first seller of over-the-counter alcohol today. In June the Duluth City Council repealed a more than 125-year-old neighborhood liquor ban.

At left, barista Nate Pykkonen pours a Bent Hop Golden IPA, one of two Paddle Paddle Brewing tap beers at Amity. Bottled and canned beers are also available, as well as wine.


Random ,

Hermantown Zen House moving to former Sala Thai location

Oct 26, 2016 No Comments

zen-house-japanese-restaurant-steve-kuchera-dnt-photoThe Duluth News Tribune reports the Hermantown Zen House restaurant in the ICO convenience store at Maple Grove and Haines roads is moving to Duluth’s Woodland neighborhood. Zen House manager Joe Shortino told the paper ICO sold the property and the rumored buyer is Kwik Trip. An ICO official told the News Tribune a sale is pending, but would not disclose the buyer.

Zen House’s new location will be 4023 Woodland Ave. Sala Thai occupied that building before moving to 114 W. First St. in 2015.


News and Current Affairs, Restaurants , ,

Kaszuba leaves Brewhouse for Bev-Craft

Oct 18, 2016 No Comments

Frank Kaszuba announced recently on Facebook he is leaving his position as head brewer at Fitger’s Brewhouse. His new employment is with Bev-Craft, a Superior-based consulting firm that helps new breweries by providing “development assistance, brewhouse planning, recipe formulation, ingredient selection, brand creation, and sales planning and assistance.”

Read More


News and Current Affairs, Videos , ,

St. Louis River Estuary National Water Trail Master Plan (Draft)

Oct 17, 2016 No Comments

nwt-master-plan-report-draft-2016Duluth’s Parks and Recreation division is inviting the public to comment on a revised draft of the St. Louis River Estuary National Water Trail Master Plan. The plan seeks to recognize “one of the world’s largest freshwater estuaries as a premier paddle destination that targets a wide range of skill and interest levels,” according to a news release. “The rich history of this river as a significant waterway for Native Americans and Voyageurs and as a working river serving the twin ports of Duluth and Superior, combined with the expansive natural resources surrounding the estuary, provide a tremendous opportunity to showcase this amazing resource to the community.”

The draft plan was created during a nine-month planning process. It will be open for comment until Oct. 28. A revised plan will be presented to the Parks Commission on Nov. 9.


News and Current Affairs

Bull Moose Party at Lester Park

Oct 02, 2016 2 Comments

bull-moose-at-lester-dnt

The Duluth News Tribune reports the Eckels family picnic at Lester Park today “included a visit from a bull moose that gave a few snorts and, at one point, passed within 20 feet of the group.”

Bull moose meanders through Lester Park


News and Current Affairs, Outdoors ,

Duluth 2016 General Election Sample Ballot

Sep 29, 2016 3 Comments

2016duluthgeneralelectionballot1

This ballot shows races on the western side of Duluth. Depending on where you live you might see:

State Representative District 3B
Timothy Brandon, Republican
Mary Murphy, Democratic-Farmer-Labor

State Representative District 7A
Dylan C. Raddant, Republican
Jennifer Schultz, Democratic-Farmer-Labor

County Commissioner District 2
Patrick Boyle
Linda Ross Sellner

… and then of course the back side has the judicial races.

Read More


News and Current Affairs, Politics

League of Women Voters Duluth 2016 Voter Guide

Sep 28, 2016 No Comments

2016lwvvoterguideWith the election cycle now in full swing, the League of Women Voters Duluth has published an online Voter Guide — a tool for voters to know who their regional and local candidates are and where they stand on issues.

This is the first time the LWV of Duluth has offered its Voter Guide electronically. The 76-page PDF offers perspectives from candidates in 10 races on the Nov. 8 General Election ballot:

United States Representative District 8
State Senate District 7
State Representative District 3B
State Representative District 7A
State Representative District 7B
County Commissioner District 2
County Commissioner District 3
Minnesota Supreme Court Associate Justice
Sixth Judicial District Court 13
Sixth Judicial District Court 15


News and Current Affairs, Politics ,

Duluth’s Apollo Connection

Sep 22, 2016 No Comments

bob-gilruthAs a teenager in Duluth, Robert Rowe Gilruth built model airplanes. Three decades later he would be a key player in NASA’s plans to put a man on the moon.

An article in the February issue of Air & Space magazine details how “without Bob Gilruth, there would not have been a Mercury, a Gemini, or an Apollo program.”

Bob Gilruth, the Quiet Force Behind Apollo


History

Out with the Tycoons, in with the Blind Pig

Sep 16, 2016 2 Comments

TycoonsThe Duluth News Tribune reports Tycoons Zenith Alehouse will close Oct. 17 and reopen Oct. 22 as the Blind Pig.

“The Blind Pig is going to be a gastropub and alehouse — higher quality but more casual,” Marissa Saurer told the DNT. She’s the marketing manager for Just Take Action, the company that owns the soon-to-be former Tycoons and future Blind Pig, along with Fitger’s Brewhouse and its Barrel Room, Endion Station and Burrito Union.

The Rathskeller, a second bar on the Michigan Street level of Tycoons, will not be affected by the change.

Duluth News Tribune: Blind Pig to replace Tycoons Alehouse


News and Current Affairs, Restaurants

Entrepreneur eyes West End for distillery

Sep 12, 2016 No Comments

kevin-evans-photo-by-clint-austinKevin Evans, CEO of Duluth Whiskey Project LLC, is interested in opening a distillery at the former Franklin Foods facility on the 1900 block of West First St. in Duluth’s West End. The Duluth News Tribune reports the Duluth City Council could vote tonight on a resolution authorizing up to $50,000 for Barr Engineering Co. to conduct an environmental investigation of the former Arrowhead-Kemps dairy operation, which closed in 2013. The property is listed by Holappa Commercial Real Estate at $450,000.

Read More


News and Current Affairs ,