DULUTH: It’s a privilege to have a task that takes me all over Duluth and the surrounding Northland region to be more informed about the stories I can share on the News Tribune. 2023, my first full calendar year as a journalist for Arts and Entertainment Journal. , and there’s no shortage of stories to choose from to choose a variety that includes some particularly memorable moments. Here are 16 of them.
(Why 16? Well, last year I picked 15, and that’s just a partial year, so I thought I’d be better off getting at least one more on this year’s list. )
On the evening of December 9th, I stand on the most sensitive of the stairs that run from Fitger’s to Lakewalk. Next to me is Ken Buehler, general manager of the North Shore Scenic Railroad and host of a holiday drone display the railroad brought to Duluth. It’s a breathtaking sight to watch the drones take off from the shore and cross Lake Superior in a majestic procession.
As the drones began to dance, it became clear that something was wrong: the lights went out as some remote aircraft, buffeted by strong winds, joined the numerous debris lying beneath the lake’s surface. “If anyone needs a drone,” Buehler joked, “Feel free to swim up and buy one!”
The Canelake candy dynasty is well-known to many Northlanders, but it was news to me — and apparently, news readers appreciated it since lots of readers clicked on twin Northlandia features about the twin Canelake sisters and their family businesses.
It’s a lot of fun to see the Dayton characters come back to life. Digital maker Wyatt Buckner and I also enjoyed our stop in the basement of the candy store, where a collection of other characters await their turn in the spotlight.
“Bad Bob the Wild Albino” was a rail rider who spent some time in the ’80s hanging out in a boxcar that’s now part of the Northern Rail Traincar Inn. It’s also, as a colleague pointed out after I published a story about the Two Harbors establishment, the name of a character played by Stacy Keach in a 1972 Western. Apparently, Bad Bob, who signed his handle on the boxcar ceiling, was a movie fan.
The most impressive moment of the day also turned out to be the most poignant. Two tour guides from Zenith Adventure took me to the Duluth Boat Channel, all paddling. The Rise and Ride Sunrise Paddle experience is designed to come with the view of a beautiful sunrise over Lake Superior, but smoke from the Canadian wildfires left us floating amid an eerie fog as the unseen sun peeked over the horizon.
While sitting in the Miss Mitchell, a World War II B-25 bomber, I found myself thinking about Star Wars. The roar of the engines, the cockpit full of switches, the firing positions. . . Sitting in the nose of The Bomber as we flew over Duluth brought the story back to life and gave me a new appreciation for the importance of events like the Duluth Airshow, which allow attendees to witness the past, the offerings and the long history of aviation.
With the Minneapolis band’s bassist Chris Bierden being treated for brain cancer and present but unable to perform, singer Channy Leaneagh said this could be the band’s last concert. He then sang an a cappella rendition of “I Remember Everything,” the last original song recorded by the late John Prine. Prine’s loss to COVID-19, which had such a devastating effect on the music industry, added resonance to the melodious song about love and memory.
That set the vibe for a wildly positive, muddy but joyous three-day celebration. In its second year, Boubville felt like a Friendsgiving where everyone is a friend as long as they care about art and the people who make it. From drag to rock to electropop, Boubville’s garage shows were the place to be for performers and audiences alike throughout a long, festive weekend.
After my first sailing lesson, the boat I had used was rigged by another guy, someone who had only been learning for a few months. This student had progressed to the point where he could take a boat on his own or take his friends for a while. walk. ” That would be great,” I thought.
In the deep, white snowy landscape of January, we walked among a variety of enclosures that are home to tigers, lions (plus 4 cubs rescued from Ukraine) and other cats. We didn’t hear any noise from the animals as the facility is not a zoo. It’s a refuge. Playful and calm, the cats seemed very content with their personal shelter.
The Depot vibrates with the power of a premiere, with a red carpet, and the Duluth East Choralaires set the stage with seasonal songs before grabbing popcorn and getting ready to enjoy the show. Producer Mandy June Turpin, in introducing the film, promised “many more” films made in Duluth.
The large enclosures allow researchers to monitor experimental situations in swaths of northern Minnesota peatlands, reading the effects of atmospheric changes. This is an important study with global implications, and it will be conducted here because we have a rich environment and the infrastructure for scientists that helps maintain it. The fact that these are excavator robots and mechanized domes just made the story. . . well, a little more fun.
With everything that happened this year, I’ve almost forgotten that I was dancing on the same level as Flo Rida at Bayfront Festival Park, where I was part of an organization of men called “GDFR. “
As I sat watching the hip-hop pop star’s delayed but energetic set aired on June 30, I felt a pat on my shoulder. It turned out to be a member of the artist’s team asking me, “Do you want to party?”Scenario? If there’s one thing I’ve learned from Ghostbusters, it’s that when you’re asked if you’re a god, you say yes.
Our driver, Larry “MacGyver” Lyons, pulled up and we all piled out, running through the rain to take refuge in the concrete shelter overlooking the mine. Interpreter Jim Kotonias gave us a quick lesson about iron ore, McManus grabbed a large order of potica to share on the ride back to Duluth, and musician Steve Solkela fired up his accordion for a proud paean to the Range.
As the visiting filmmakers piled up and pulled out their phones to record the performance, I thought, “Surely they’ll never do this. . . And neither do I. “
This story was edited at 6:49 p.m. on Dec. 26 to restore a portion that had been deleted in a production error. It was edited again at 8:41 a.m. Dec. 27 to correct the name of the Flo Rida song “GDFR.” It was originally published at 5:35 p.m. on Dec. 26. The News Tribune regrets the errors.