January 2007

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Payday for Pruitt

Filed under: Media

McClatchy's chief dealmaker makes a tidy bonus

McClatchy Co. will pay Chief Executive Gary Pruitt a bonus of $950,000 for 2006, bringing his total compensation package to $2.5 million, the Associated Press reports. Local media watchers will recognize Pruitt as the architect of a series of deals that have turned the Twin Cities newspaper industry on its head in the last year: McClatchy's purchase of rival Knight-Ridder; the quick resale of Knight-Ridder's Pioneer Press to Hearst to be managed by Dean Singleton's Media News group; and finally last month's unexpected fire sale of the Star Tribune to a private equity firm.

In the wake of the first transactions, some 40 longtime PiPress newsroom staffers took buyouts; a number of employees in other departments were laid off--those who lacked union protection with precious little in the way of notice or cushion. Shoes have yet to drop at the Strib.

It's hard to imagine anyone's toasting Pruitt's reward in either daily's newsroom, his lofty and oft-repeated proclamations about McClatchy's commitment to journalistic excellence notwithstanding. Indeed, in City Pages' analysis of the Strib sale, featured on the cover three weeks ago, staffers had harsh words for Pruitt:

"Pruitt is a joke," said another newsroom source who prefers anonymity. "He said he would consider taking the company private again if the pressure for profits from Wall Street became too much. When he bought the Strib and critics said he paid too much, he said, 'I will prove them wrong over time and I look forward to doing that.' But he and McClatchy came into Minneapolis with all these promises and damaged two newspapers, us and the Pioneer Press."

Hard to imagine news of his million-dollar bonus has sparked healing feelings on Portland Avenue.

Posted by Beth Hawkins at January 31, 2007 2:55 PM | Comments (1)

 

At what point does silicone freeze?

Filed under: Sex

According to a press release from Mass Media Distribution, the "Exotica Swimwear Extreme Bikini Team" will be ice fishing on White Bear Lake, just off the Mahtomedi city beach on Park Avenue at 1:00 p.m. today. Voyeurs can watch bikini-clad vixens such as Valerie Carpender and Whitney Harchanko (pictured left) drill holes, bait hooks, and attempt to catch fish in what's forecast to be flurries and 17-degree temps. "I think people will be surprised by how strong these ladies are and I hope they inspire women everywhere to get out and participate in outdoor activities like Minnesota's great pastime of ice fishing," touts Danny C., one of the "countries [sic] most respected experts on exotic swimwear." The Exotica Swimwear Extreme Bikini Team: showing the world women can achieve anything... if they look good in a bikini.

Posted by Corey Anderson at January 31, 2007 9:00 AM | Comments (4)

 

Bao Vang drops out of city council race

Filed under: Politics

Bao Vang will not be seeking election to the St. Paul City Council. As reported in today's Pioneer Press, she has bowed out of the Ward One race. In 2003 Vang lost by 357 votes to Debbie Montgomery. Vang told City Pages on Friday that she intended to once again challenge for the central St. Paul post, but apparently changed her mind over the weekend. Her decision leaves Melvin Carter III as the primary challenger to Montgomery.

(I can't for the life of me find a link to the story on the Pi Press web site. If anyone can locate it please post in the comments section.)

Posted by Paul Demko at January 31, 2007 8:55 AM | Comments (2)

 

1/31 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

We remember Disneyland ride engineer Don Edgren at Corpus Obscurum.

We're happy to announce the release of our new Media Taster! The City Pages Media Taster lets you actually hear the great music you read about in City Pages—just launch, click, and listen. Simply download the Media Taster and you'll automatically receive a digital mixtape of music on a semi-regular basis (including free MP3s), legal and free of charge.

THESE DAYS

Two fungal diseases, Panama disease and black Sigatoka, are cutting a swath through banana plantations, leaving the future of the fruit in jeopardy.

Human trials of an experimental treatment for obesity derived from cannabis, which is commonly associated with stimulating hunger, are scheduled to begin in the second half of this year.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Jake Mohan is heading into his fifth year blogging about music, grocery shopping in the middle of the night, yuletide drinking games, and vomiting in taxi cabs at his eponymous blog.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Top 50 Cover Songs of All Time according to Rivalfish

Diagrams of James Bond villains' lairs [via Incoming Signals]

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"The Kiss comics that have come out were licenses; they weren't truly part of the mythology. This is all of us working together. [Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley] care about every panel of every comic and how an image looks on a shirt."

— Platinum Studios chairman Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, announcing a partnership with the rock group Kiss to create a new comic-book entertainment company called the Kiss Comics Group

Posted by Corey Anderson at January 31, 2007 12:09 AM | Comments (3)

 

The New Voyageurs comment thread

Filed under: City Pages

This week's cover feature, The New Voyageurs, by Mike Mosedale, tells the story of six Minnesotans who braved a trek down the Mekong River, through Cambodia and Vietnam, battling whirlpools and dysentery. Along for the ride was veteran City Pages photographer Michael Dvorak, who shares some amazing photos, both in the cover story and in the photo gallery, Life on the Mekong. Check out the cover story here and the gallery here, then come back to share your thoughts on this remarkable journey.

Posted by Corey Anderson at January 30, 2007 4:23 PM | Comments (0)

 

1/30 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

David Brauer subs for Britt Robson, discussing Garnett's 44-point game at Balls.

We remember pioneering female kickboxer Lilly Rodriguez at Corpus Obscurum.

Download free MP3s from local artists such as Big Quarters, Fort Wilson Riot, Malachi Constant, and more at Music To Go.

THESE DAYS

The city of Miami is planning an official celebration at the Orange Bowl whenever Cuban president Fidel Castro dies.

The Church of England is staging its first "U2-charist" communion service in the central town of Lincoln—replacing hymns with hit songs by the Irish supergroup.

Air America Radio announced Monday that it has reached a tentative agreement to be sold to the founder of a New York area real estate company and that its headline personality, Al Franken, would be leaving next month.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Jason Schueppert is currently working on a degree in Chemical Dependency Counseling and blogs about stinky college roommates, interrupting chickens, and one of my new favorite bands, Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, at Thirsty Thursday.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Map of current emergencies around the world [via BoingBoing]

Name the band from the band members's first names pop quiz [via Attu]

Waiting for you Bears fans this weekend: The Ladies of Alary's

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"Michael, I feel, needs to become a Muslim because I think it's a great protection for him from all the things that he's been attacked with, which are false."

— singer Jermaine Jackson, offering advice to his brother, the troubled King of Pop

Posted by Corey Anderson at January 30, 2007 6:45 AM | Comments (2)

 

Norm Coleman loves lamp

Filed under: Minnesota Politics

The Sleuth, WaPo's D.C. insider blog by Mary Ann Akers, recently reported on a dumpster-diving expedition by Sen. Norm Coleman that left him sporting a giant gash on his head for last week's State of the Union address. In the post, Coleman claims his actress wife Laurie accidentally tossed an antique lamp that he was then enlisted to retrieve, whacking his head on a "piece of wood" in the process. A couple of questions come to mind about this tale: How does one inadvertantly throw away a lamp? And how does one strike their head on a piece of wood in a dumpster so hard that they "see stars?" If E. Howard Hunt hadn't died last week, I would guess he had something to do with this operation.

Posted by Corey Anderson at January 29, 2007 3:29 PM | Comments (2)

 

The Battle for Ward One

Filed under: Politics

The Ward One city council race in St. Paul promises to be one of this year's most intriguing political contests. One-term incumbent Debbie Montgomery faces at least two contenders for the post.

Melvin Carter III officially kicked off his campaign Saturday at the Martin Luther King Recreation Center. Roughly 100 supporters packed a classroom at the center where, Carter noted, he grew up running track and taking piano lessons. In a high energy speech that evoked the history of the central St. Paul ward, along with its diversity, the 28-year-old made clear that he will be a formidable contender. "Our work is great, but our message is simple," Carter told the crowd. "As one we win."

Four years ago Montgomery, a retired St. Paul cop, outpolled a broad field of contenders to secure the post, beating Bao Vang in the general election by 357 votes. But Montgomery's tenure on the council has been marked by widespread frustration over her fickleness. More than one political observer has remarked that whomever has her ear last is likely to get her vote.

(Tou Ger Xiong, Vic Rosenthal, Melvin Carter III, and Bill Finney.)

Carter has already garnered the backing of ACORN and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (which four years ago endorsed Vang). An impressive assemblage of supporters were on hand at the MLK center. Former police chief Bill Finney spoke on his behalf, as did Vic Rosenthal, executive director of Jewish Community Action (and four years ago a candidate himself for the Ward One post). Longtime union and DFL activist Roy Magnuson was on hand to lend support, along with Pakou Hang, who is challenging veteran incumbent Dan Bostrom in Ward Six.

Vang said last week that she will once again be seeking the council seat. Another rumored candidate, however, Brooke Blakey, said that she's not running and will support the incumbent. The ward has traditionally been represented by an African American (Jerry Blakey and Bill Wilson held the post prior to Montgomery), a point of considerable pride in the black community. Montgomery is the sole minority on the city council.

Carter's resume includes working as an organizer with Wellstone Action and serving on the board of Take Action Minnesota. Most recently he worked as a policy associate for St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, a post that he resigned last month to run for city council. His mother, Toni Carter, is a Ramsey County Commissioner, while his father, Melvin Carter, Jr., is a retired cop.

Posted by Paul Demko at January 29, 2007 11:12 AM | Comments (4)

 

1/29 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

We remember electron microscope developer James Hillier at Corpus Obscurum.

Download free MP3s from local artists such as Askeleton, the Hopefuls, Chris Koza, M.anifest, the Plastic Constellations, and more at Music To Go.

THESE DAYS

South Buffalo congressman Brian Higgins (D-NY) walked out of a Catholic church service last Sunday after a deacon berated him during a sermon for the lawmaker's recent vote supporting stem cell research.

Researchers believe that carbon monoxide prevents the development of multiple sclerosis symptoms, such as paralysis, by stopping harmful molecules called free radicals from forming in the nervous symptom.

Citing the controversy surrounding the Dakota Fanning film Hounddog, the leader of the state Senate Republicans says he wants the government to review scripts before cameras start rolling in North Carolina.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

A group of Minneapolis residents blog about energy policy and issues relating to climate change at Energista.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

British comedian Ricky Gervais (The Office, Extras) interviews Larry David and Christopher Guest for Britain's Channel 4.

Top 25 Worst Album Covers of 2006 via Pitchfork

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"We hope all New Zealanders will recognize this meat industry milestone and mark it by enjoying lamb for dinner on Feb. 15, to celebrate 125 years of meat exports."

— Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton, declaring February 15, 2007, "National Lamb Day" in New Zealand

Posted by Corey Anderson at January 29, 2007 6:33 AM | Comments (0)

 

1/26 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

2008 GOP hopefuls suffer a setback when sides chose shirts and skins at American Idle.

We remember former Minneapolis Millerette Betty Trezza at Corpus Obscurum.

THESE DAYS

Many Canadian citizens applying for a passport have been informed their chance to remain a citizen expired years ago because of an obscure provision in the Citizenship Act, a little-known law that applied between 1947 and 1977, that states if you lived outside Canada on your 24th birthday and failed to sign the right form, you automatically lost your citizenship.

Authorities at Tarleton State University in Texas said they plan to investigate a Martin Luther King Jr. Day party that mocked black stereotypes by featuring fried chicken, malt liquor, and faux gang apparel.

Hugh Hefner insists Ozzy spawn Kelly Osbourne will never appear in Playboy, because her body would need too much airbrushing.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Former North Dakota farm boy Jeremy lives in Eagan and blogs about jury duty, Jack Bauer's bathroom schedule, and robot vacuum cleaners at Afterglide.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Swimwear for the fundamentalist Christian

Lloyd's of London's 2007 Political and Economic Risk Map [PDF]

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"The world is much safer today because of it."

— Vice President Dick Cheney, to CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Wednesday, January 24, on the U.S.-led ouster of Saddam Hussein

Posted by Corey Anderson at January 26, 2007 6:41 AM | Comments (0)

 

3Q New Minneapolis Foundation President-to-be Sandy Vargas

Filed under: 3 Questions

Earlier this week, trustees of the Minneapolis Foundation announced they had chosen Hennepin County Administrator Sandy Vargas to succeed Emmett Carson as their new President and CEO. As the top unelected executive in Minnesota's largest county government since 1999, Vargas has played a major role in the way Hennepin County wields its $2 billion budget. She comes to a venerable foundation boosted by Carson's successful 12-year tenure, particularly in its highlighting and addressing of racial disparties in this region, and in promoting and managing philanthropy. The Minneapolis Foundation currently manages $640 million in assets, administers more than 800 charitable funds and distributes about $40 million in grants each year. Vargas will begin her new position on April 1.

City Pages: Okay, we know the usual deal is to be modest and self-effacing, but put your thinking cap on for us please and tell us why you were the right hire for the Minneapolis Foundation.

Sandy Vargas: I think there are several reasons. I do feel some modesty, but to be frank with you, because of the work I've done in Hennepin County, I understand strategic thinking and know how to implement the strategic positions of the Minneapolis Foundation. Not only the words on paper, but how the mission and the plan get materialized in a concrete way in projects and initiatives that make this community a better place to live for everyone, not just certain people. Second, I have broad, long-term, senior management experience. Hennepin County has a $2 billion budget and 12,000 employees, and my job here is to figure out how to be more responsive to taxpayers and the people we serve. We have five fundamental goals [at Hennepin County]: Create the highest level of health for all of our citizens; create an environment and programs that support people on a path to self-reliance; ensure the safety of children and vulnerable adults; make sure that due process is carried out for all through our work with the court systems and criminal justice; and finally the huge issue of mobility in the Twin Cities area.

This background brings me up to speed on the things critical to the Minneapolis Foundation and allows me to help convene different groups of people and connect the dots when taking broader strategic action on these issues. For example, the Minneapolis Foundation has been a leader in the area of identifying racial disparities. I see something like using that knowledge in the area of immigration and immigrant health disparities as fitting into that framework.

CP: There is already a fair amount of interaction between Hennepin County and the Minneapolis Foundation. You probably have a very keen knowledge and opinion about what is most needed within Hennepin County right now. Does that give the County an advantage in getting Minneapolis Foundation dollars?

Vargas: Well, we tend to be dealing with the same strategic issues, so there has been an ongoing dialogue. But what I would like to see in the future is real partnership around the really tough issues, like multigenerational poverty. How do we get these chronically poor kids ready for school? All-day kindergarten is a priority for the Minneapolis Foundation, so how can we get the right commitment in a partnership with Hennepin County to educate all our kids and really move that agenda forward? Housing and homelessness is absolutely another issue. The City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County just finished a ten-year plan to end homelessness, working specifically around issues of supportive housing. The Minneapolis Foundation can bring flexible dollars to this problem in areas where because public housing dollars tend to be less flexible. And in health, I could see a very good partnership being created with the Hennepin County Medical Center, where a lot of indigent people are treated. One focus of the Foundation is health disparities. Many people without resources don't have as much access because they don't know or don't understand where the resources are or how to get them. I think a partnership with the immigrant communities, and the Native American community, and with HCMC and the Minneapolis Foundation would be very interesting.

CP: Right now you are at Hennepin County. When you go to the Minneapolis Foundation, how much of it is jumping the fence, from public government to nonprofit donor, and how much of it is essentially the same?

Vargas: What is the same is that I believe in collaboration. I don't think any single government or group can do it on their own. Again, we want to tackle the tough issues. Why don't kids of color do as well as other kids in the school system? And even then, we know that all kids of poverty are in greater need of help with their academic achievement. So public dollars need to be brought to bear, but what about providing incentives to help kids achieve in the public schools? That would be an example of maybe how Minneapolis Foundation could be utilized in ways that public dollars can't.

I think we have to look at systems. The criminal justice system has a high presence of men of color in it. We have to ask ourselves why is it so predominantly men of color; not saying right or wrong, but can it be better? There too, we need to learn how to get kids on the right tracks at a tender age and give them positive options for activity, and then as they get older give them a chance to work and be successful.

I have a tremendous respect for the work of Emmett Carson because he had a very strategic view of what this community needed to do, especially around the issue of racial disparities. The projects he funded left us with a rich set of knowledge for us to continue on with. What I would like to do in same area is try and convey an urgency and build a big tent for everyone to come in. We need to emphasize that as a community we are interdependent, and if we want to continue to thrive as a community we can't ignore poverty and the lack of opportunity and education, regardless of whether it is people of color or not. And we need to make everyone feel welcome so we can work together to remedy those things.

Posted by Britt Robson at January 25, 2007 5:33 PM | Comments (1)

 

The eternal optimist braces himself, merrily, for prison

Filed under: Minneapolis

Since he was convicted of accepting bribes from a developer last summer, former Minneapolis city councilman Dean Zimmermann has retained a freakishly upbeat public posture. That didn't change after Zimmermann announced he would be serving his 30-month sentence in Littleton, Colorado--a city best known as home to the Columbine High School killers and burial site of the notorious cannibal Alfred Packer.

In an email to supporters, however, Zimmermann made note of another distinguishing feature of Littleton: the federal prison there--where he is scheduled to report on January 29--is regarded as one of the 12 best places to do time in the country.

In support of this claim, Zimmermann sent a link to an article in Forbes magazine that singled FCI Englewood as among the best federal pins in the country. Among the perks, according to the magazine: inmates can shoot pool and play ping pong and foosball.

In his email, Zimmermann also laid out his plans and hopes for his stint in the big house (or, more accurately, the "big camp"--as Zimmermann will likely spend his time in the insitution's minimum security wing):

Just to bring everybody up to date: I was given a 30 month sentence. I am going to go through a substance abuse treatment program, and for that, I will get from 6 to 12 months off my sentence. Then if I get the standard 15% off for good behavior that will be another 4 1/2 months off. So the best case scenario is that I will be in for 15 1/2 months. But probably more.

So I expect it will be between 16 and 22 months. We shall see. It is kind of like going off to college, but not for so long. I am hoping to be able to do some teaching while I am in. I would like to do literacy if possible and perhaps to teach plumbing and electrical skills to young inmates-give them something they can earn a living with when they get out. When I get there, I will volunteer to be on the maintenance crew. If I can get on the maintenance crew, I will see if I can get them to assign an assistant or two to me, so that I can teach them handyman skills. Well, that is my thinking, who knows if it is possible.

Posted by Mike Mosedale at January 25, 2007 3:31 PM | Comments (4)

 

1/25 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Britt Robson assesses Randy Wittman's head coaching debut at Balls.

We remember local breakfast cereal industry innovator Lester Borchardt at Corpus Obscurum.

THESE DAYS

Taxi drivers in China's financial capital of Shanghai are to be issued with "spit sacks" to curb their habit of rolling down their windows and spitting into the road.

Tuna are fast disappearing, with important stocks at high risk of commercial extinction due to weak management, warns a WWF briefing.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Lee Odden, Thomas McMahon, and Karen Sams post about social media, online PR, and blogging at the Online Marketing Blog.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Two hamsters in a high-speed wheel will be the funniest thing you see today.

Henriette Mantel and Steve Skrovan have co-directed a documentary examining the life of consumer advocate turned presidential candidate Ralph Nader entitled An Unreasonable Man.

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"Honoring a man whose legacy involves breaking animals' bones and scalding animals to death in defeathering tanks is contrary to the values of most compassionate citizens."

— actress/author Pamela Anderson, to Postmaster General John E. Potter on KFC's request to put Colonel Sanders on a stamp

Posted by Corey Anderson at January 25, 2007 6:40 AM | Comments (0)

 

Can't take my hands off of you

Filed under: Politics

Michele Bachmann paws the President

Rep. Michele Bachmann undoubtedly made quite an impression on President Bush after last night's State of the Union Speech. As captured by KSTP-TV, the freshman congresswoman, whom Jesus himself tapped to run for office, collected an autograph from the President following his speech. But this little memento was apparently not enough for the Stillwater Republican. She then proceeded to latch on to the President's shoulder and hold on for some 30 seconds. Bachmann also managed a kiss and a hug from the Commander in Chief. Thankfully fellow freshman Rep. Keith Ellison didn't attempt such a Presidential close encounter. We suspect he'd have ended up being pawed rather indelicately by Secret Service officers.

Posted by Paul Demko at January 24, 2007 11:02 AM | Comments (14)

 

1/24 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

THESE DAYS

Taking cholesterol supplements during pregnancy may prevent at-risk mothers from conferring alcohol-related damage to their growing fetus, according to a preliminary study in zebrafish.

A team of British and Canadian adventurers has described the "surreal" experience of arriving at the most remote point in Antarctica—only to find a bust of Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin.

An Argentinean tattooist is being sued by a boy who requested a soccer team logo on his back and ended up with a tattoo of a penis instead. [h/t Du Nord]

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Ninety-five community members due battle over which city is the best at mpls vs st paul.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

The only MacGyver tool you'll ever need

Web Junk wants you to vote for your favorite "Greatest Internet Superstar." Gotta go with the angry Winnebago salesman on this one.

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"I will not be sacrificed so Karl Rove can be protected."

— Scooter Libby's defense attorney Theodore Wells, recalling Libby's side of a conversation between Libby and Vice President Dick Cheney, during his opening statement at Libby's perjury trial.

Posted by Corey Anderson at January 24, 2007 1:01 AM | Comments (0)

 

Gangs of St. Paul cover story comment thread

Filed under: Crime

This week's cover story, Gangs of St. Paul, written by Paul Demko and photographed by Mike Dvorak, focuses on the younger and more randomly violent gangsters currently feuding with each other in the capital city. "The [amount of] guns that we're recovering off these kids is just incredible. They're just blatantly going down the street shooting. You have a target, but you don't know what you're going to hit," says St. Paul investigator Sandy Kennedy. Read the story, then come back to give us your thoughts.

Posted by Corey Anderson at January 23, 2007 5:16 PM | Comments (8)

 

Kevin Hoffman named editor-in-chief of City Pages

Filed under: Media

Village Voice Media today announced Cleveland Scene managing editor Kevin Hoffman will take over for departing editor Steve Perry early next month. The press release issued by Village Voice Media executive associate editor Andy Van De Voorde is after the jump:

Kevin Hoffman will be the new editor-in-chief of Minneapolis/St. Paul City Pages, Village Voice Media announced today.

Hoffman, presently the managing editor of VVM's Cleveland Scene, will take over from departing City Pages editor Steve Perry early next month. Perry announced yesterday that he is leaving the paper to pursue other opportunities.

A 1998 graduate of Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, Hoffman worked for the Associated Press and the daily Wilkes-Barre Times Leader before receiving his master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in May 2001. He briefly worked at the weekly Cleveland Free Times before being hired as a staff writer at Scene in January 2002. He was promoted to the managing editor position at Scene three years later.

During Hoffman's tenure at Scene, the paper took first-place in general excellence in the Missouri Lifestyle Journalism Awards and was named the best weekly in Ohio in numerous state contests. Hoffman himself has won numerous awards for his writing, and his story "Soul of the Brute" was included in Penguin Books' Notes from the Underground; The Most Outrageous Stories from the Alternative Press, published in 2005.

Hoffman, 30, will be in Minneapolis next week to meet City Pages staff. He is married to Erin Hoffman, an attorney specializing in constitutional law.

Posted by Corey Anderson at January 23, 2007 11:44 AM | Comments (10)

 

Steve Perry leaving City Pages, begs for end to 20-plus years of worse-than-lame Journey jokes

Filed under: Media

Yesterday I mailed this note to my colleagues at the paper. I should add a thank-you to all the readers I've spoken to and corresponded with through the years.

My last day will be February 16.

The image, by the way, is of ex-Journeyman Steve Perry as Robocop, and it's from one of the many tributes and fan letters intended for him that I've received at City Pages over the years. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I want to let you know that I'm going to be leaving City Pages next month. It's no secret that I've had the sorts of philosophical and practical differences with management that regularly arise when the ownership of a newspaper changes hands, and I appreciate the candor and ease with which I've been able to discuss those matters with people from VVM over the past year. But now I think it's best for me and everyone else that I move on. The 13 years I've spent here in two separate terms as editor have been more rewarding and more fun than I can say, and I'm very proud of my colleagues and the work they've done week in and week out. I'm also grateful to Mark Bartel for his leadership and for giving me the chance to come back to a wonderful job four years ago.

But the ground is moving under the feet of editors and reporters
everywhere, and at this point my own interests lie mainly in the area of figuring out how to do journalism online. That's what I want to work on now, and I'm lucky to live in a city with one of the best, most vibrant online cultures anywhere in the country. I wish everyone here the best, and I look forward to working with you toward a smooth transition over the next month.

Posted by Steve Perry at January 23, 2007 8:44 AM | Comments (11)

 

1/23 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Britt Robson breaks down the Timberwolves' loss to the Jazz at Balls.

Diablo Cody has recently been contacted by Playboy magazine. Check out next month's centerfold at Pussy Ranch.

Peter S. Scholtes has compiled his best posts from 2006 at Complicated Fun.

THESE DAYS

According to a report in the January issue of the Journal of Health Services Research & Policy, black patients are more likely to get less experienced surgeons than white patients.

This morning, Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson, who is charged with violating probation, will ask a circuit judge for permission to leave the state of Illinois to play in the Super Bowl on February 4th in Miami.

Terrie Berenden, a pet shop owner in the southern Dutch town of Zelhem, has created a beer for dogs made from beef extract and malt.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Jayne Haugen Olson blogs about shopping in the Twin Cities at Life in Style.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Stuff Magazine gives you the spoiler, you guess the movie

Ten Riskiest Businesses to Start from Forbes

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"I am not prepared to go without the T-shirt. I might forfeit the fare, but I have made up my mind that I would rather stand up for the principle of free speech."

— Australian Allen Jasson, who was barred from a London-bound Qantas flight at Melbourne Airport last Friday for wearing a t-shirt that depicted President Bush with the phrase "World's number 1 terrorist"

Posted by Corey Anderson at January 23, 2007 6:35 AM | Comments (0)

 

Coleman lends support to softer anti-surge resolution in Senate

Filed under: Politics

Senior Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman today identified himself as a supporter of a compromise resolution put forth by his Republican colleague John Warner (R-Virginia) regarding President Bush's plan to increase the troop size by 21,500 in Iraq. Although he is not a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Coleman nevertheless joined the three committee members who sponsored the resolution--who include Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska) besides Warner--at a press conference announcing their position.

The Warner resolution stakes a middle ground between Bush's troop escalation and a bipartisan resolution put forth last week by Sens. Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska), Joe Biden (D-Delaware), and Carl Levin (D-Michigan), that flatly opposes Bush's surge proposal. The nonbinding resolution supported by Coleman simply states that the White House consider "all options and alternatives" to a troop escalation.

Posted by Britt Robson at January 22, 2007 4:28 PM | Comments (1)

 

1/22 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

THESE DAYS

The Dutch Party for Animals, which entered parliament for the first time last November, has forbidden the use of poison to deal with a mouse infestation in its offices.

Essex rock band Koopa has made chart history by becoming the first unsigned band to land a UK top 40 hit.

Evangelos Michelakis of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, and his colleagues tested dichloroacetate on human cells cultured outside the body and found that it killed lung, breast, and brain cancer cells by switching off their "immortality."

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Blogging about cartoons with brunch in Uptown, poetry, yoga, and happiness experiments at Old Man Summer.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

The image of Christ on a Yucaipa, California, doggie door

10 Greatest Robberies of All Time

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"We recommend all male workers drop their ties and jackets. We hope all sectors will follow this recommendation so it will become a national habit."

— Chile's Commission for Energy Efficiency director Nicola Borregaard, encouraging workers to dress casually during the summer to reduce dependence on air conditioning

Posted by Corey Anderson at January 22, 2007 1:13 AM | Comments (0)

 

Minnesota by the numbers: Rise of the geezers and other statistical curiosities

For Malthusians, misanthropes and fear mongers of all stripes, there is plenty to get worked up over in the latest report from the Minnesota Demographic Center, Halftime Highlights: Minnesota at Mid-Decade.

For gerascophobes (no need to lunge for the dictionary, it's just the ten dollar term for people scared by the prospect of aging): Between 2000 and 2005, the population of people 85 years or older increased by 18.9 percent.

For suburbaphobes: Of the ten communities in Minnesota that recorded the largest increase in population between 2000 and 2005, nine are suburbs of Minneapolis and St. Paul. By percentage, the largest increase occured in Forest Lake, which surged by 155 percent.

For garden variety xenophones: Between 2000 and 2005, the Latino population surged by 29 percent. As of 2005, one quarter of the children under age one in Minnesota were non-white.

Posted by Mike Mosedale at January 19, 2007 1:32 PM | Comments (0)

 

1/19 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Jack Sparks gives "two thumbs up" (sorta) to the Johnny Cash tribute at the Cabooze this weekend.

Jennifer Garner, Michael Cera ("Arrested Development"), and Ellen Page ("Hard Candy") are lined up to star in Diablo's movie. Get the scoop at the Pussy Ranch.

Peter S. Scholtes delivers a harrowing tale about Artist of the Year Michael Yonkers at Culture To Go.

THESE DAYS

United Methodist bishops and clergy are urging Southern Methodist University to take themselves out of the running to establish the George W. Bush Presidential Library.

Republican State Rep. Betty Brown is battling the owner of Louis' Lunch over which Texas eatery invented the hamburger.

Three elections workers in Ohio's most populous county conspired to avoid a more thorough recount of ballots in the 2004 presidential election, a prosecutor told jurors during opening statements Thursday.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Follow the pregnancy of one of the original Minnesota bloggers, Ana Voog, at Trance Missions.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Barbershop quartet Crackerjack Junction sings the Ewok Celebration Song from Return of the Jedi

From Cracked: The 20 Worst Rhymes in Pop Music History

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"I always felt they disabled me from what I wanted to do. Now, I own them. They're like wearing a great necklace. You can't pay for that sort of accessory—though I know people do. But they never look as good at the real ones."

— actress/singer Jessica Simpson, on her boobs [via Egotastic]

Posted by Corey Anderson at January 19, 2007 3:51 AM | Comments (0)

 

Crime blotter: directionally impaired

Filed under: Crime

On January 14 at 3:34 a.m., Richfield police officer Robert Schletty was parked at the intersection of 67th Street and Portland Avenue South when he observed a 1995 Ford Escort pull into the lot. The driver, Andrew James Cole, proceeded to exit the vehicle and wave at the officer. Cole then approached the squad car and asked for directions to downtown Minneapolis. Schletty observed that the man's eyes were bloodshot and watery, and that he staggered back to his car. The cop proceeded to follow the Escort as it exited the parking lot and noticed that the vehicle was weaving in its lane. Schletty pulled over the car and the driver agreed to take a breathalyzer test. According to a criminal complaint filed this week in Hennepin County District Court, Cole blew a .20, or more than twice the legal limit. The 23-year-old resident of downtown Minneapolis is charged with driving while impaired.

Posted by Paul Demko at January 18, 2007 12:34 PM | Comments (1)

 

1/18 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

In tandem with this week's cover story, The Neighbors You Don't Know, check out the photo essay by Mike Mosedale on a Dinkytown homeless encampment called Life in the "Clump of Woods."

Britt Robson discusses the smackdown the Hawks gave the Timberwolves last night at Balls.

Peter S. Scholtes has three questions for the Godfather of Hip Hop, Afrika Bambaataa, at Culture To Go.

Diablo Cody gives us her take on the Golden Globes (and Russell Stover's Net Carb Peanut Butter Cups) at Pussy Ranch.

Jim Walsh goes after Garrison Keillor for knocking MySpace at the Walsh Files.

THESE DAYS

Hindus in Europe are opposing a German call for an European Union ban on the display of swastikas, the 5,000-year-old Hindu religious symbol that became the insignia of the Nazi Party, saying it was 'sacred' to the community.

An examination of the Defense Department database devoted to gathering information on potential threats to military facilities and personnel led to the deletion of 1,131 reports involving Americans, 186 of which dealt with "anti-military protests or demonstrations in the U.S."

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Show and production manager 9W blogs about the Golden Globes, memories of First Ave. shows past, and knee surgery at Stage Right... Stage Left.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Tom Dickson's Letterman-esque blender-promoting videos using pickled pigs feet, dancing princesses, an iPod, and more: Will It Blend?

Introducing Hawkeye, the scuba diving cat

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"Africa at the time of slavery was still primarily a jungle... Life there was savage... and those brought to America, and other countries, were in many ways better off."

— Gerald Schoenewolf, a member of the National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality's Science Advisory Committee, from a recently-published essay entitled Gay Rights and Political Correctness: A Brief History

Posted by Corey Anderson at January 18, 2007 6:43 AM | Comments (0)

 

You have to fight for the right to pray

Filed under: Business

Muslim workers at an Arden Hills manufacturing plant are suing the company for the right to pray five times a day. The class-action lawsuit, filed last month in U.S. District Court, targets Celestica, a Toronto-based electronics manufacturer, and Adecco, a temporary-work agency that provides employees for the Arden Hills factory.

According to the lawsuit, prior to May 27, 2005, Muslim workers at the plant were permitted flexibility in break times that allowed them to meet their prayer requirements. A change in policy, however, mandates that all employees take breaks at times determined by the company. Subsequently Muslim employees were disciplined or terminated for violating the new guidelines. "A lot of our plaintiffs were punished for taking prayer breaks," says Sofia Andersson, an attorney with Nichols Kaster & Anderson who is working on the case.

The lawsuit contends that the new strictures violate the employees civil rights. According to the complaint, roughly 100 current and former workers could be included in the class. The workers are seeking monetary damages, as well as an order mandating that the companies make reasonable accommodations for the religious beliefs of their Muslim workers.

In court filings, neither company disputes the assertion that workplace rules regarding breaks were changed in May, 2005. But they argue that the present arrangement does not violate the rights of workers. "Essentially, Plaintiffs demand that they be permitted to cease work and engage in prayer whenever they deem it necessary regardless of their employers's legitimate business needs," Adecco charges in its response to the lawsuit. "This request for an 'accommodation' is unreasonable and would result in an undue hardship to these Defendants."

In 2002 the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Oberto Sausage Company for failing to accommodate the religious beliefs of its Muslim workers. In that case, employees were fired for taking unauthorized breaks to end their fasts during the month of Ramadan. Under the terms of a consent decree, the company agreed to pay $362,000 in damages and to not engage in further discriminatory practices.

Posted by Paul Demko at January 17, 2007 10:30 AM | Comments (4)

 

1/17 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Peter S. Scholtes has the top ten Minnesota music video moments of 2006 at Complicated Fun.

THESE DAYS

Michigan's second-highest court says that anyone involved in an extramarital fling can be prosecuted for first-degree criminal sexual conduct, a felony punishable by up to life in prison.

The Senate voted 87-0 to strip away the pensions of members of Congress convicted of white-collar crimes such as bribery, perjury, and fraud.

Seattle Weekly wonders if those ugly Bill Cosby sweaters from the 1980s are back.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Minneapolitan Anna Blume blogs about being an Amazon Super Seller, grilled sandwich experiments, and muscle injuries related to zipping up your pants at a movement in art and literature based on deliberate irrationality and negation.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Borat in 30 seconds, re-enacted by bunnies

Muppets with Attitude

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"What happened to the Duke lacrosse team was practically a lynching without the rope. And for the first time in my life, Mr. Oreo Cookie without the chocolate on the outside can understand why people celebrated when O.J. Simpson was acquitted."

— conservative CNN host Glenn Beck, during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day broadcast of his Headline News program

Posted by Corey Anderson at January 17, 2007 6:42 AM | Comments (1)

 

The Neighbors You Don't Know comment thread

Filed under: Minneapolis

Our cover story this week, The Neighbors You Don't Know, is written and photographed by Mike Mosedale. Mike spent time in a homeless enclave in Dinkytown dubbed the "Clump of Woods," where Willie, Terrible Tee, C-Note, Cool Harley (pictured), and others shared their life stories: "All the drinking and partying we're doing is just a slow way of committing suicide," Tall Joe says, tossing an empty into the trash heap. "And there goes another one." Check out the story here, then come back to discuss it.

Posted by Corey Anderson at January 16, 2007 4:22 PM | Comments (15)

 

MAC Considers Giving Revenue to Northwest

Filed under: Business

In which the Lindbergh terminal comes to resemble a stadium

The Metropolitan Airport Commission today is considering a proposal wherein it would pass on to tenant airlines $181 million in concession "rebates" between 2006 and 2020. In short, Northwest would get to shore up the bottom line using cash the airport collects from car rental companies, food stands, and so forth. In exchange, Northwest would agree to operate a "hub" at the airport until 2020.

Wait--isn't that what Northwest promised back in the early '90s, when it borrowed $270 from the MAC? Why yes, yes it is.

Except that back then, Northwest had a slightly better pitch: Keeping the hometown airline here was important because it was one of the state's biggest and best employers, providing secure union jobs with good benefits. Yeah, those jobs. The ones that ultimately proved too much of a drag on the bottom line and had to be eliminated.

The best paragraph of the Star Tribune's critical coverage of the proposal needs no comment:

MAC documents and interviews with airport officials show that one of the incentives behind the proposal is to ensure the airport recoups a big subsidy it granted Northwest in the 1990s. Northwest still owes $262 million on the $270 million it borrowed from the MAC 15 years ago. MAC officials say the latest subsidies would ensure repayment of that loan.

Posted by Beth Hawkins at January 16, 2007 3:52 PM | Comments (1)

 

Pumping up Defibrilator Sales

Filed under: Business

Medtronic to advertise medical device to consumers

In the last decade, pharmaceutical companies have shown that sometimes all a drug needs to succeed on the open market is an alarming diagnosis and enough advertising dollars to create a firm association between malady and remedy in the minds of consumers. Now it appears Medtronic is poised to see if the formula transfers to the astoundingly lucrative medical device industry. The Twin Cities-based company plans to spend $100 million educating consumers about sudden cardiac arrest and the role implantable defibrillators can play in preventing it.

Sales of implantable defibrillators and pacemakers plummetted last year in the wake of a series of recalls and safety warnings concerning defibrillators sold by Guidant, but Medtronic has problems of its own: Last fall plaintiffs got the go-ahead to pursue some 270 personal injury lawsuits alleging that a defect sometimes caused batteries in the devices to lose power in just days.

The ad campaign is being billed as a pubic awareness campaign aimed at people who may need to talk to their doctors about sudden cardiac arrest, but a look at the commercial posted at a Medtronic site looks more like a good old fashioned ad.

Posted by Beth Hawkins at January 16, 2007 3:01 PM | Comments (0)

 

1/16 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Britt Robson discusses last night's Timberwolves/Pistons game at Balls.

Share your memories of Bill Batson on the eve of his 50th birthday with Jim Walsh at Culture To Go.

THESE DAYS

The letter "X" soon may be banned in Saudi Arabia because it resembles the mother of all banned religious symbols in the oil kingdom: the cross.

The best-selling console during the holiday season in America was Sony's six-year-old PlayStation 2.

An east German pensioner who breeds rabbits the size of dogs has been asked by North Korea to help set up a big bunny farm to alleviate food shortages in the communist country.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Jenni Ripley of Minneapolis creates "the 404 of the week," and blogs about her knitting club and pouring water into her bra at Chocolate Mussolini.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Peluca, the short film that inspired Napoleon Dynamite

This is what Muppet Babies leads to: Hannibal Rising, the cannibal as troubled teen

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"I know you like your scotch, but don't order it... Last night when we were hiding in the closet, I had to take a leak in the worst way, and when I couldn't bear it any longer, I found a fairly empty bottle of Johnnie Walker Red - and now let's just say it's quite full."

— E. Howard Hunt, in his new book American Spy: My Secret History in the CIA, Watergate & Beyond, discouraging G. Gordon Liddy from ordering a drink on the eve of the Watergate break-in

Posted by Corey Anderson at January 16, 2007 6:41 AM | Comments (0)

 

1/15 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Britt Robson analyzes the Timberwolves' weekend games at Balls.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day we remember his secretary, Dora E. McDonald, who passed away on Saturday, at Corpus Obscurum.

THESE DAYS

Exxon Mobil has stopped funding the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a nonprofit advocating limited government regulation, and other groups that have downplayed the risks of greenhouse emissions.

The rate of syphilis in China has skyrocketed, increasing 25-fold since the early 1990s, according to a new report from a government health agency.

A farmer's home in northern Serbia was destroyed in a blaze caused by three pigs that broke out of their pen, walked into the living room and knocked over the TV.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Sherman and Robert blog about multiple Thanksgivings, sacred time spent on Minnesota lakes, and quitting smoking at Fully Present.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

He skateboards, he water skis, he poops on the carpet: Extreme Pete

Watch how an Xbox is made

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"I've been serving for 13 years, fighting for everyone's rights. Why wouldn't I be able to stand up for my own rights and participate in the freedoms that make this country what it is?"

— Air Force Staff Sgt. Michelle Manhart, who was relieved of her duties last week for participating in a Playboy magazine pictorial

Posted by Corey Anderson at January 15, 2007 6:22 AM | Comments (0)

 

Sprawl of the Wild Part II: Northwoods for sale

Filed under: Environment

For anyone dismayed by the real estate bonanza that has so radically transformed Minnesota's north woods over the past decade, one question has long loomed at the forefront: When will it ever stop? Answer: Barring nuclear war or economic catastrophe, no time soon.

At least, that seems to be a reasonable inference from this week's little-noted announcement that the Potlatch Corporation plans to sell some 120,000 acres of its holdings in northern Minnesota. The reason: The land, much of which has been traditionally open to the public for purposes of hiking and hunting, is simply more valuable for development than for timber production.

If all proceeds as planned, the sale will amount to one of the largest real estate transactions in recent Minnesota history--surpassed in scale only by the 1999 sale of 310,000 acres of woodland by another forest products company, Boise Cascade. That land was bought by Forest Capital Partners, an investment company that is expected to parcel much of the property off for subdivision.

Tom Landweher, assistant state director at the Nature Conservancy, says he was not surprised that Potlatch executives decided to unload some of the company's land holdings. The size of the prospective sale is another matter. "It's a big chunk of land," Landwehr notes. "There are roughly a million acres of forest land owned by industrial companies like Potlatch [in Minnesota], so this represents about 10 percent of that."

While Potlatch has yet to identify the parcels it intends to sell, Landwehr expects that many of the plots will be those that are most closely intermingled with existing public lands. Such proximity raises the value of the land--who wouldn't want their ten-acres adjacent to a state forest? The unfortunate corrolary, of course, is that development in the middle of a public lands generally serves to degrade the qualities of those places.

Landwehr doubts that the state or non-profit like the Nature Conservancy will be in a position to step in and buy much of the Potlatch land. "Some of that land will be $2,000 an acre or more. You're talking tens of millions of dollars," he says. Additionally, he notes, a lot of local units of government in northern Minnesota would resist any such efforts because they want to kept as much land as possible on the tax rolls.

"It used to be the only type of land people bought in northern Minnesota was waterfront," Landwehr observes. "Now people are satisfied 10 acres in the middle of nowhere. It's one of the big cultural changes in the last 15 years. People no longer require water."

Posted by Mike Mosedale at January 12, 2007 2:33 PM |