Recommendations Posts

Looking for a good HVAC contractor

Bonus time is almost here and this new Duluth resident would like to add air conditioning to the upper floor of the house I bought last August. (With our current weather, it seems like summer is just around the corner.) Home uses hot water to heat, so no ducts! Can anyone recommend someone?

McNair Event at St. Scholastica

There’s been a lot of heat on PDD, on the DNT, and apparently, even on NPR, about the “Unfair” campaign to raise consciousness about the existence of structures that result in white privilege. As a result, questions of race and class and gender are flaring to the foreground.

Just for a brief counterpoint, I want today to take a look at a program that “does it right” — that recognizes that race is one variable, an important one, but only one in a matrix of privilege and works to destabilize that matrix.

Long-term local mortgage in Duluth

Can anyone suggest a Duluth-area finance institution that borrows 15 years + fixed rate for a mortgage, and keeps the loan local/in-house?

Where to have VW Jetta TDI oil changed?

I’m just wondering if anyone has any good places to go get an oil change for a 2010 VW Jetta TDI.  This will be the first time it won’t be performed by a VW dealer because the free oil changes have expired. I’m assuming Foreign Affairs might be my best option. Normally I change my oil in all my vehicles but this is the first diesel engine I’ve ever owned, so I’m a little nervous to do it myself.

Duluth Plumbing Advice

I need some advice on my circa-early-1900s plumbing. The tub plugs up about every 6 to 9 months. We snake out a good hair clog and move on with our lives. Tonight we can’t snake the clog. This happened one other time and we paid Roto Rooter a couple hundred dollars for a visit. The Roto Rooter guy tried to sell me some treatment for another couple hundred dollars that would smooth out the pipes and stop future clogs. It sounded like snake oil last time, but now I’m wondering if they can actually do something to help. So A) I’d like opinions on a good Duluth plumber to work on a clog and B) would like to know if the Roto Rooter treatment is worth $200 (or whatever it costs these days).

Digital Photography Workflow Help!

Wondering if there are local photographers/graphic designers in Portslandia who are willing to help others figure out what they should/should not be doing in their digital workflow. I’m talking everything from camera settings to output. I’m sick of looking for answers in online forums. I need someone to sit down with me at my computer and let me throw questions at them. I’m running Lightroom 3 and Photoshop 4 on a Mac. Paid or unpaid help is appreciated!

Duluth Furnace Installation

We are looking to replace our furnace this spring. Can anyone recommend some places that sell and install furnaces?

Zenith City writers share their work

The Podium at Teatro Zuccone

Last night I attended a very special evening of area writers sharing essays, poems and stories at Teatro Zuccone. It’s really exciting to see this kind of event assembled. Kudos to all involved. If winter is the off-season for the Duluth arts and culture scene, you’d never know it by all the things happening in our community these days. Here’s a link to my review of the event last night and the writers who alternately made us laugh or think more deeply about the meanings of our lives, sometimes at the same time.

Duluthian staying in Rochester

We have an upcoming, at least week-long, visit to the Mayo in Rochester. We’ve stayed at the Fiksdal. Does anyone have any recommendations for not-too-expensive but not awful lodging etc. in Rochester?

Engraving in Duluth

I have a small plate for my guitar that I want to have engraved with my initials. After a quick search I’ve found a few places that would be able to do this for me, but I was hoping some of the fine folks here have any experience or recommendations with any of these companies.

Ideally, it would be laser engraving about 1×2 inches.

Jack Campbell of Excuse Me Princess releases EP

Jack Campbell is working with Nate Rendulich of Blue Water Dance and Keith Yanes of Coal Car Caboose and will be playing around town starting this Spring. Download the EP, Control, for free!

Duluth Care Package

Let’s say you were sending a care package to someone. You want it to reflect Duluth. The female recipient is in college out of state and isn’t from Duluth (although her parents are recent transplants). What would you send?

Duluth computer/internet labs

The Duluth Public Library is working on updating its list of places (other than the library) where patrons can access computers for internet access, word processing, etc.

Even with expanded hours coming, it’s good to give folks options if they aren’t near a library, need access when the library is closed, or have used up their computer time for the day.

The library has a pretty good list going, but I thought we could crowd-source a bit and see if anyone out there can suggest additions. We know about local colleges (UMD, St. Scholastica, and Lake Superior College) that offer some level of access to non-students, as well as the UPS store, which offers computer time for a fee. What are we missing? Where else can we refer our patrons?

Thanks!
Jeremy Osgood
Duluth Public Library

A decent auto mechanic in Duluth?

The other night my p.o.s. car took a poop. It seems to be something electrical. After a few attempted jumps nothing will power on, of course this happened on the first cold morning we’ve had all damn month.

I’m going to have to have it towed. Who should I take to? I live in the Hillside, but I’m a little leery of Hemlock because of a past experience, and my boyfriend recently had sub-par service from Murphy’s.

Open to any suggestions!

Snowbird seeking hookup without commitment

My parents are taking a little vacation from Minnesota down to Apache Junction, AZ [they will hike more in the 6 weeks they are there than my wife and I will all year]. They have an iPad and very little technical moxy. The condo they are in does not have ISP; and they would like temporary internet service.