For The Love Of Duluth Tom Jamison

The Duluth Children's Museum has an incredible history, dating back to 1930 when it was founded by Mabel McKinney Wing during the Great Depression. Despite a handful of relocations since, its mission has remained untouched, serving as an incredible resource for kids and teachers in the Duluth community. Today, the Duluth Children's Museum is thriving, with a new location in Lincoln Park and a new Executive Director, just the fifth to ever hold that special title. Drew Jensen is our guest this episode, taking us through his journey to joining the team (twice!) and mapping out his plans for the Duluth Children's Museum in the years to come.

There is perhaps no better place to open a record store than right here in Duluth, thanks in part to the current vinyl revival happening nationwide and the fact that the Zenith City is known for its music scene. That's why the newest record shop to move into town fits right in - and stands out for all the best reasons. River City Records & Books opened in Lincoln Park late last year and has been thriving ever since. Store Manager Dury Nelson joined us to talk all about how the new addition is finding its groove.

Duluth is full of creative and inspirational people making a difference in the world. Gaelynn Lea is one of them, making her mark as an incredible musician, composer, disability advocate, public speaker & soon-to-be author. She skyrocketed to fame back in 2016 after winning NPR's famous Tiny Desk Contest. She's taken the entertainment world by storm ever since, working with some of the biggest names in both the music and movie industry. She also has two TED Talks to her name, is the cofounder of Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities and is currently penning her very first book about it all. Hear about her journey in her very own words in this sweet episode.

Warning: you won't stop laughing once you start this episode, featuring Steve Solkela. He does it all, as a musician, comedian, stuntman, opera singer, actor and composer, among many other talents and titles. He's most famous for his Overpopulated One Man Band, a solo show that has earned him rave reviews and fans as far as Finland. The master multitasker has an impressive resume, with an even more incredible journey earning it. Get ready to laugh so hard it hurts in this hilarious episode of For The Love Of Duluth.

Just two months (not even!) into his brand new role as Mayor Of Duluth, Roger Reinert sat down with us for an exclusive conversation. During this hour-long chat, we covered a long list of topics, including his goals for his first year in office, his extensive career in politics, his award-winning role in the Navy and his Minnesota roots. We cover this with him and so much more in this very special season five premiere. Enjoy.

Don Ness has firmly cemented himself in the history books of the Zenith City and rightfully so. From growing up in the Hillside neighborhood in the 70s and 80s to holding the title of Mayor of Duluth for nearly a decade, it's unlikely you'll find anyone more passionate and engrained in this community. Once called one of the most popular Mayors in the country, the Northlander now helps Duluthians in a different way, acting as the Executive Director of the Ordean Foundation. In our season four finale, we have an in-depth conversation with Don Ness about it all, from why he stepped away from politics to the incredible work he does today.