Random Posts

Ideas for Charity Giving for the Holidays

This year for Christmas my family decided to skip the gift giving and donate to local charities. I’m looking for ideas — whether it’s “adopting” a family for Christmas, donating winter clothes, food shelves, etc. I know there is a lot out there in the Twin Ports I could donate to, but thought I would ask PDDers for ideas that maybe I never thought of. Thanks for your help!

What are we naming this storm?

The Cyber Monday Snowopolis?

Thankful in Duluth — 2013 Edition

It’s an annual tradition at PDD to take a moment and reflect on what we are thankful for. How unique, right?

For starters, we’re thankful for the new old Nordic ski trails at Spirit Mountain, Sax-Zim Bog, wicked North Shore icicles, artisan bread at the Red Mug, lift-accessed mountain biking at Spirit Mountain, animated music videos, Boreal owl irruptions, Magic Smelt Puppet Troupe and a lot of other things I’m thankful I don’t have time to link to because it’s time to make the Thanksgiving glogg.

Could Duluth lose Christmas City status?

This story is four days old, but I just heard about it and it’s pretty much the biggest controversy in the history of Duluth, so it needs some space on PDD.

Apparently the commentators of the Christmas City of the North Parade telecast — Michelle Lee, Kevin Jacobsen and Barbara Reyelts — did their announcing in front of a green screen inside the Northland’s NewsCenter studio. And they still wore jackets.

This revelation, of course, has me fearing that Santa Claus might strip Duluth of its Christmas City of the North status and perhaps bestow it on Superior or Thunder Bay.

Help-Portrait donations/volunteers needed

Duluth’s Help-Portrait Committee is organizing the second annual Help-Portrait event to take place on Dec. 7. Donations are needed to help provide free portraits this holiday season to those who may have never had the opportunity to have a professional photograph. We also need volunteers in the form of photographers, hair and make-up artist and people with big hearts.

“Christmas City” 45 for sale on eBay to support Bentleyville Tour of Lights

Security Jewelers is auctioning off a mint condition 45 of Merv Griffin’s “Christmas City,” the song recorded 50 years ago to promote the Christmas City of the North Parade. Check it out on eBay. The proceeds are being donated to Duluth’s Bentleyville Tour of Lights — America’s largest free, walk-through Christmas lighting display.

Wanted: Urbanism blogging about Duluth

I’ve been a fan of this site, and your city, for many years. I’m also the “editor” (unpaid) of Streets.mn,  a website trying to start conversations about urban design and transportation issues in Minnesota cities. We need people from Duluth who might be willing to blog about things up there … things like new developments, freeways, Duluth skyways, bike lanes, how to cross Superior Street, the bus system, etc.

If you or anyone you know is interested, or if you have any ideas / hate mail, please e-mail me at blindeke @ gmail.com. Streets.mn is about two years old, and has grown to over 40,000 hits per month. We really want to include more of Minnesota’s urban areas, and Duluth is my personal favorite.

Thanks for your help and understanding, and may the Duluth Family Sauna always be a weird place straight out of Twin Peaks (c. 1991).

P.S. Here are some of my posts about Duluth, just to prove that I’ve been there before: Sidewalk of the Week: Canal Park, Duluth and Other City Sidewalks: Morgan Park, Duluth.

Snazzy Winter-time Stationery

Perched on the scandalously beautiful hillside of Duluth – where winter can reign – this winter-time stationery was cooked up out of a love for the quirky side of life and the delight it brings. It also was designed and printed in our Zenith City and even features a design of our harbor, illustrated with pizazz by moi.

Bye Bye Plaza

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The Never-ending Duluth ISP Problem

Charter is getting nastier. I’m getting frustrated. In the vain hope that something has changed in the world of ISPs in Duluth, I did a web search from a link in a previous PDD post from a few years ago.

Surprise Surprise. Something has changed.

Does anybody have any experience dealing with Air Fiber? From their website they don’t seem to be as big of jerks as the other guys. And that they might actually give me what they say they will.

Thoughts?

Winter will be Hard: Wildwoods Retreats and Raccoon Relocation

Scary Duluth Basements

There are so many potentially creepy houses in Duluth, especially along Greysolon Road. Aren’t you just dying to know what’s in the basement? Could be catacombs of dead people you weren’t aware of, or an ancient demon perhaps.

Rooms can be very difficult to photograph, but post your photos/video tours here anyway. If you think the space is creepy but the photo doesn’t convey it, feel free to add some description as to why this place is so dreadfully scary.

College of St. Scholastica hiring director of academic technologies and online learning

The director of academic technologies and online learning will provide the college with strategic leadership at the intersection of pedagogy and technology. He or she will develop and implement distinctive and emerging strategies for technology-enhanced face-to-face, blended, and online learning. The role will collaborate with faculty and staff to create an online teaching and learning environment that reflects the college’s Learning Outcomes, Catholic Benedictine heritage, the college’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, and ensures the academic rigor and quality of brand through meaningful assessment, emphasizing active learning and incorporating appropriate instructional technologies.

Compensation: $70s per year

View full position listing

Gripes about the cost of internet in Duluth/Superior

Well, it turns out the discounted internet I’ve been getting from Charter (for the past 10 years) came to an end. Unless you are a new customer or have the “triple pay” it costs like $58/mo. I don’t need 30mpbs, 10mpbs is fine for what I do … and would happily pay $30/mo for it.

Shopping on a Fall Day

Today was cold, it was oftentimes overcast, and I was kind of depressed. So I went shopping.