News and Current Affairs Posts

Northern Waters Restaurant will close Dec. 31

Just two years after opening, the Northern Waters Restaurant at Mount Royal Shopping Center will close. A news release from owners Eric and Lynn Goerdt indicates the business has been sold and a new restaurant will replace it in early 2018.

Hermantown coffee shop changes hands, rebrands

 
In a swift transition of ownership, the two-year-old Pelican Coffee closed Nov. 12 and the new Yellow Bike Coffee opened Nov. 13. There wasn’t a day without caffeination at 5094 Miller Trunk Highway in Hermantown.

Video: Sen. Al Franken announces resignation

Boutique hotel opening in Lincoln Park

A small and stylish boutique hotel — the first of its kind in Duluth — is set to open this spring in the Lincoln Park craft district.

The husband and wife team of Andy Matson and Chelsy Whittington plan to open the three-suite hotel on the second floor of a historic building they recently purchased at 1923 W. Superior Street. The new accommodations will be called the Hotel Pikku, which means small or odd in Finnish.

Matson and Whittington said travelers who want to experience a trendy, centrally-located neighborhood away from typical Duluth tourist areas will stay at the Pikku Hotel. Clients or patrons of other Lincoln Park businesses are also potential lodgers. The cozy, completely renovated rooms with kitchenettes will rent for between $100 and $150 a night.

A peek at what Bent Paddle’s new taproom will look like

Bent Paddle Brewing Company plans to relocate its taproom to a larger, revitalized space in the former Enger & Olson Furniture store building at 1832 W. Michigan St. This new location is directly adjacent to its main production brewery and current taproom in the Lincoln Park neighborhood.

How tall trees feed themselves

A faculty member at the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Biology Department has conducted research on tall trees that has been published in Nature Plants and will be highlighted in the journal Nature. Assistant Professor Jessica Savage has been teaching at UMD for about a year and is the lead author of a paper detailing the process tall trees use to transport sugar or feed themselves.

The article, “Maintenance of Carbohydrate Transport in Tall Trees,” was published today on nature.com. An online subscription is required to fully nerd out and read the work, but a 277-word abstract is available for free.

New brewer takes the stern at Voyageur in Grand Marais

Voyageur Brewing Company recently hired Stuart Long to head up its 20-barrel operation on historic Highway 61 in Grand Marais. The new brewer hails from Southern California and intends to make a few changes at Voyageur, which he hopes will usher in a new era of growth for the company.

As Duluth’s image improves, economic cup half empty/full

Duluth is the only metropolitan statistical area in Minnesota to see its gross domestic product decline in 2015 and 2016. That’s the subject of a story by Greta Kaul, data reporter for MinnPost.

But the news isn’t nearly as dire as it might sound.

Hoops Brewing named a top new brewery by critic John Holl

Craft Beer & Brewing magazine published a list of five “Top New Breweries” this month. Hoops Brewing of Duluth made the list, which was compiled by the magazine’s senior editor, John Holl.

Up North Lit

The Duluth area saw the launch of a new online literary journal in 2017. Up North Lit debuted in June with its Summer issue and has also published a Fall 2017 issue.

PDD Quiz: November 2017

The year 2017 barrels ever onward and another month is nearly behind us. A lot of stuff happened in November, but how much of it do you remember? Step up to the quiz and test your knowledge.

The next PDD Quiz, on local holiday traditions, will be published on Dec. 10. Please send question ideas to Alison Moffat at [email protected] by Dec. 7.

R.I.P. MP: Morgan Park School preliminary demolition underway

Demolition of outbuildings on the Morgan Park School site began this week. Developer Aaron Schweiger plans to construct several 12-plex apartment buildings on the property. It will be called Morgan Park Estates.

Missing Person: Todd Sarkala

Update: The Duluth Police Department reports Todd Sarkela has been located and is safe.

The Duluth Police Department is seeking the public’s help in locating Todd Sarkela. He is a 55-year-old white male described as 5-foot 9-inches tall, 120 lbs., with hazel eyes and sandy hair. He was reported missing on Nov. 19. His family last had contact with him on Nov. 16.

Bob Monahan launches Downtown Duluth hostel project

Red Herring Lounge owner Bob Monahan stands outside the former Garon Brothers jewelry store at 217 W. First St. Monahan plans to renovate the building and open a 46-bed hostel.

Visitors to Duluth can soon add a hostel to the growing number of lodging options available in the Twin Ports. Nightclub owner Bob Monahan and an undisclosed partner purchased the former Garon Brothers Jewelry store at 217 W. First St. and plan to open a 46-bed hostel in the space next spring.

Duluth’s Hailey Sault on Outside’s “Best Places to Work” list

Outside Magazine’s list of the 100 best places to work included Duluth Marketing Agency Hailey Sault at the #15 spot. The agency is located in the recently renovated top floor of the Dewitt Seitz building in Canal Park.

Perks mentioned include: Jigsaw puzzle area, dogs, beer and bingo.

According to the stats, PR and Marketing firms made up nearly a quarter of the list, and common traits of companies on the list were “letting Fido sleep under your desk, having plenty of games, and having offices that are close to plenty of adventure.”