News and Current Affairs Posts

Missing Child in West Duluth: Darren Torcotte

Mar 09, 2017 No Comments

Darren TorcotteUpdate: Darren Torcotte has been found.

The Duluth Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating missing child Darren John Torcotte. Darren is a 13-year-old white male, 5-foot 8-inches tall, 118 lbs., has brown hair and brown eyes. Darren was last seen wearing a baby blue jacket and light-colored gloves. He was last seen this morning leaving his home in the area of the 300 block of 59th Avenue West. The Duluth Police Department needs the public’s assistance in locating Darren to ensure he returns home safely. Anyone who sees or knows of Darren’s whereabouts is asked to call 911.


News and Current Affairs

Cars out of control on slippery Lake Avenue

Mar 07, 2017 1 Comment

Cars were sliding out of control down an icy Lake Avenue in Duluth this morning. Perfect Duluth Day obtained permission to use some cell phone footage of two different car crashes at Lake and First Street, which originally appeared in this post. Permission to use the footage was later rescinded, so that’s why it’s no longer here. The original clip is shared on Perfect Duluth Day’s Facebook page.


News and Current Affairs

Artist scouting Duluth’s West End for mural location

Mar 02, 2017 2 Comments

Paul LaJeunesseCollege of St. Scholastica Assistant Art Professor Paul LaJeunesse was recently selected as the Duluth Art Institutes’s inaugural Lincoln Park Craft District Artist in Residence. LaJeunesse discussed project plans during an Advance Lincoln Park meeting today at the DIA Lincoln Center Arts for Education building. He said he is currently scouting the neighborhood for a mural location. The permanent work will incorporate images of people and places that represent the area. LaJeunesse has created public murals before, including “Confluence” for the North Shore of Chattanooga, Tenn. in 2014.

The aim of the residency program is to support the role of artists as effective community builders and to support and expand the revitalization of the Lincoln Park neighborhood, where the DAI has operated its satellite location for arts education since the early 1990s.

The inaugural year of the residency is scheduled for two terms, with LaJeunesse in residence March to June 2017. A national artist will be selected for the second term, July to September 2017.


Art, News and Current Affairs , ,

Hydrologists say they’ve solved the Devil’s Kettle mystery

Feb 28, 2017 3 Comments

Devils KettleWhere does the water go? That’s the question that has puzzled scientists and random hikers along the Brule River for decades.

Upstream from the Devil’s Kettle waterfall at Judge C.R. Magney State Park, the river splits in two at a rock outcropping. “The east side of the river plummets 50 feet into a pool, in typical waterfall fashion,” according to Minnesota Department of Natural Resources “Field Notes” in the March/April 2017 issue of Minnesota Conservation Volunteer magazine. “But on the west side, the water plunges into a cavernous hole in the rock and vanishes.”

Where does it go?

In late fall 2016, hydrologists Heather Emerson and Jon Libbey measured water flow above Devil’s Kettle at 123 cubic feet per second. Several hundred feet below the waterfall, the water was flowing at 121 cubic feet per second. “In the world of stream gauging, those two numbers are essentially the same and are within the tolerances of the equipment,” Green explains. “The readings show no loss of water below the kettle, so it confirms the water is resurging in the stream below it.”

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News and Current Affairs

PDD Quiz: February 2017

Feb 26, 2017 No Comments

duluth potteryDespite being the shortest month, February was full of stuff and things. How much do you remember? Take the PDD Quiz to find out!

Our next PDD Quiz, on the subject of Duluth in popular culture, will be published on March 12. E-mail question ideas to Alison Klawiter at [email protected] by March 9.


News and Current Affairs, Random

Duluth art scene finds place in Lincoln Park craft district

Feb 20, 2017 2 Comments
Duluth Pottery co-owners Tom Hollenhorst and Karin Kraemer pose in the loft of their new art studio with partner artist Luke Krisak. Duluth Pottery is remodeling the former P&J Paint building in the West End.

Duluth Pottery co-owners Tom Hollenhorst and Karin Kraemer pose in the loft of their new art studio with partner artist Luke Krisak. Duluth Pottery is remodeling the former P&J Paint building in the West End.

The art world is quickly carving out space for itself in an ambitious neighborhood revitalization project in Duluth’s West End neighborhood.

An established Twin Ports potter, a new gallery and retail store with studio space and an arts arm of an American Indian social service organization have all recently announced plans to renovate and open buildings on West Superior Street. All three projects fall within the boundaries of the Lincoln Park Craft District, a rebranding and redevelopment effort organized by neighborhood businesses last year.

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Art, News and Current Affairs

Duluth Cross City Trail plan reveals new West Duluth route

Feb 14, 2017 No Comments

Duluth-Cross-City-Trail-Mini-Master-PlanThe final draft of the Cross City Trail Mini-Master Plan was released today by Duluth’s Parks and Recreation Division. It outlines the vision for a 10.3-mile multi-purpose paved trail system that connects the Duluth Lakewalk with the Willard Munger State Trail. Much of the trail has already been constructed over the past five years.

The plan is the culmination of more than 12 years of planning and development work. The public entered the process in 2010, when maps of potential routes were released for feedback. Several controversial alternate routes through West Duluth were discussed in the ensuing years when certain right-of-ways became unavailable, but a new route similar to what was initially presented has emerged.

Pending approval of the plan by the Duluth City Council, construction will start on a major new segment called the “River Route,” which will run from the current western end of the Cross City Trail at Carlton Street, under the ore docks, across Interstate 35 and through the riverfront area. The new segment will end at Irving Park. Two proposed connecting trails would create a loop between Irving and the Munger Trail terminus that would include a section completed last summer on the DWP Trail.

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Local bookshop, national attention

Feb 13, 2017 No Comments

Zenith Bookstore DuluthIn addition to stories on Perfect Duluth Day in September and the Duluth News Tribune this morning, Zenith Bookstore was mentioned today in the book industry newsletter Shelf-Awareness.

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News and Current Affairs ,

Nifty: Constitutional amendment providing gender equality under the law

Feb 11, 2017 3 Comments

I’m having fun looking at what Minnesota legislators are up to. This seems like the kind of thing people could be talking about, no?

Senate SF0224 3 01/26/2017 Proposed by Cohen
Senate SF0101 2 01/12/2017 Proposed by Dibble
House HF0189 3 02/02/2017 Proposed by Omar
House HF0313 1 01/17/2017 Proposed by Hornstein

A bill for an act proposing an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution, article I, by adding a section; providing for gender equality under the law.

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News and Current Affairs

Earth Rider Brewery coming to Superior

Feb 09, 2017 6 Comments

Tim_Nelson

Earth_Rider_BreweryTim Nelson and his company Bev-Craft have announced plans to build Earth Rider Brewery in Superior. The new craft brewery will service bars, restaurants and liquor stores throughout the Arrowhead region.

The brewery will reside on the north end of Tower Avenue at 1617 N. Third St., just across Ogden Avenue from Bev-Craft’s offices above the Cedar Lounge. The building being redeveloped for the brewery is the former Leamon Mercantile Co.

Nelson expects redevelopment of the structure to begin in the spring with the first batch of beer brewed in late summer.

Earth Rider’s brewing operations will occupy a 16,300-square-foot facility, with a project budget to exceed $2.5 million in private investment with support from the city of Superior, Superior Choice Credit Union, Wisconsin Business Development, Douglas County Development Association, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Northland Foundation, Northeast Entrepreneur Fund and APEX.

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News and Current Affairs

Carnivores rejoice: OMC Smokehouse opens

Feb 09, 2017 No Comments

OMCCrewFor more than two years, Duluth carnivores have been salivating at the prospect of OMC Smokehouse, Tom Hanson’s new restaurant venture. The wait will be over when OMC opens Wednesday, Feb. 15.

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News and Current Affairs, Restaurants , ,

Endion Owl

Feb 09, 2017 No Comments

OwlCop

Duluth police officer Richard LeDoux photographed this barred owl sitting on the hood of his squad car at the intersection of 21st Avenue East and Superior Street in Duluth. The owl stayed there about a minute and then flew off.

Duluth News Tribune: Owl lands on Duluth squad car


News and Current Affairs

Masonic building gets new life from sailboat accessory company

Feb 08, 2017 No Comments
ShipShape Canvas owners and employees, pictured from left: Thomas Welinski, Tami Sanders, Jonathan Fure, Alice Carlson, Andy Radtke, owners Barb and Jim Welinski.

ShipShape Canvas owners and employees, pictured from left: Thomas Welinski, Tami Sanders, Jonathan Fure, Alice Carlson, Andy Radtke, owners Barb and Jim Welinski.

A growing sailboat accessory manufacturer will move its operations into a historic and long-abandoned West Duluth property this spring.

ShipShape Canvas has purchased the former Euclid Lodge 198 at 611 N. Central Ave. Founded in 2006, the company is currently located at 732 E. Fourth St., where it makes custom canvas covers for sailboats in winter storage.

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News and Current Affairs

R.I.P. St. Margaret Mary Church of Morgan Park

Feb 07, 2017 2 Comments

St Margaret Mary Church 1 St Margaret Mary Church 2

The two photos above, posted to Facebook by Tim Beaulier, show yesterday’s demolition of St. Margaret Mary Church in Duluth’s Morgan Park neighborhood. WDIO-TV’s Eyewitness News reported last week the church was set to be razed.

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News and Current Affairs, R.I.P. ,

Duluth MakerSpace in full swing

Feb 05, 2017 1 Comment

Duluth MakerSpaceDuluth’s 10,000+ sq. ft. cooperative member workshop is in full swing this month. Duluth MakerSpace offers a different class or event every night in February — everything from welding to electronics to soap making. Wednesday nights are also free demo nights with a different demonstration each week. 

Paid membership is not necessary to take classes or attend demo nights.

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