Hartman tapped for DECC director job

PDD News Sieve May 14, 2021 No Comments

After a national search, the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center announced today that Dan Hartman will serve as its next executive director. Hartman has been director of Glensheen Mansion since 2013 and prior to that was curator at Veterans Memorial Hall. He also served on Duluth’s city council from 2010 to 2014.

As a senior at the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2006, Hartman led the student campaign to build the DECC’s Amsoil Arena. He follows interim executive director Roger Reinert, who has headed the DECC since August. Hartman will start in his new role at the DECC on June 14.


News and Current Affairs

Steve’s Overpopulated One-Man Band – “Oatmeal Raisin”

PDDTV May 14, 2021 No Comments

Just in time for prom season, Steve Solkela and his Iron Range friends have a new music video for those left feeling alone on the shelf, like an oatmeal raisin cookie. Hey, sometimes the healthiest option gets picked last.


Music, Videos

How did the city of Cloquet get its name?

Paul Lundgren May 14, 2021 2 Comments

As mentioned in the “Northeastern Minnesota Nomenclature” post on Perfect Duluth Day last summer, the city of Cloquet gets its name from the Cloquet River. But how did the river get its name?

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History , ,

Driftwood Dan from Duluth

Paul Lundgren May 13, 2021 No Comments

The 1999 movie Los Enchiladas! drops references to both Duluth and Superior. It’s not clear whether the character Driftwood Dan lives in Duluth or merely collects driftwood in Duluth, where his mother resides.

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Videos

Monthly Grovel: May 2021

Paul Lundgren May 13, 2021 No Comments
(Enter the amount of your choice.)

Herd immunity could elude us forever, but things are feeling safer and Minnesota’s governor is letting people cautiously cluster. When you are ready to poke your head out, the PDD Calendar remains the faraway leader in listing Duluth area events. Each month we reach out with one beggarly blog post to remind everyone that human beings and not machines are at work editing and publishing calendar events. So if you appreciate it, drop a few bucks in the PayPal account.

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Random

Anthony Bennett – “I’m a Politician”

PDDTV May 12, 2021 No Comments

Duluth’s Anthony Bennett has a new album set for release on May 28. Fun’s Over contains 12 tracks recorded during the pandemic, including the first single, “I’m a Politician.”

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Music

Charlie Parr – “Last of the Better Days Ahead”

PDDTV May 12, 2021 No Comments

Charlie Parr‘s next album, Last of the Better Days Ahead is due out July 30 on the nonprofit record label Smithsonian Folkways. The video for the first single is directed by Parr himself.


Music, Videos

Postcard from Superior Street in 1871

Paul Lundgren May 12, 2021 2 Comments

What did Superior Street look like 150 years ago? Well, a little something like what’s shown in the postcard image above.

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History

The Life and Times of Ignatius Donnelly

PDDTV May 11, 2021 1 Comment

Silver Brook Township’s Mike Scholtz has a new documentary, produced for the southwestern Minnesota Pioneer PBS series Postcards.

The subject is Ignatius Donnelly, an American congressman, populist writer and amateur scientist known for his writings about the lost continent of Atlantis. The story begins near the town of Donnelly, roughly 200 miles southwest of Duluth, and takes viewers on a wild ride exploring the amazing legacy of the man.

Duluth actor Jody Kujawa plays the role of Donnolly in reenactment scenes.


History, Videos , ,

St. Louis County Jail designs approved in 1921 … sort of

Paul Lundgren May 11, 2021 No Comments

One hundred years ago today — May 11, 1921 — the Duluth Herald published a story about plans for a new St. Louis County Jail. The building that would eventually be constructed looks somewhat similar to the drawing here, but there were numerous changes to the plan.

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History ,

Homegrown 2021 Unofficially Unofficial Recap Video

PDDTV May 10, 2021 No Comments

The pandemic put the kibosh on official in-person events during the Homegrown Music Festival, but with restrictions easing up a bit there were numerous unofficial events accompanying the hours upon hours of online video content put out to avoid a superspreader.

In addition to the slaptogether kickball game, outdoor video art installation in West Duluth and the scavenger hunt, there were little bits of actual live music happening with limited attendance. The video above captures clips of some of the unofficial activities, with a note that nothing is officially unofficial, it’s all unofficially unofficial, really.

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Music, Videos

Mystery Photo #139: Three Men in Caps

Paul Lundgren May 10, 2021 2 Comments

Anyone who wants to delve into the difference between a flat cap and a newsboy cap and a bakerboy cap and on and on can feel free to do so, but the main mysteries we seek to solve are who these three gentlemen might be and whether they were Duluthians.

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History, Photos ,

Videos: Homegrown 2021 Day Seven

PDDTV May 09, 2021 No Comments

Saturday’s online Homegrown Music Festival content begins with the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra‘s season-ending show, From Beethoven to Milhaud. At the 2:18:43 mark a big blawk of local rawk begins.

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Music, Videos ,

Plume

PDDTV May 09, 2021 No Comments

Duluth’s Gaelynn Lea composed the music for this video, which features 21 acrobats from around the world performing movements layered with animation.

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Videos ,

Art outside Wussow’s Concert Cafe and Zenith Bookstore

David Beard May 09, 2021 No Comments

I parked to watch the new media installation by Daniel Benoit and Tom Moriarty. Below is the description from Facebook:

This installation is a pilot project initiated by the Duluth Public Arts Commission, with plans on the horizon for more rad art like this to be shown around Duluth 🌟

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Art , ,