February 2007

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What if a School Closed and Nobody Hollered?

Filed under: Education

Perhaps Hell has in fact frozen over. Last night at Minneapolis Public Schools HQ, the school board discussed the likely closure of a number of city schools and the transfer of their students to other schools. And no one screamed. No names were called. Nary an accusation of indifference or ineptitude was floated. We can't say for sure when last there was so much quiet discussion at 807 Broadway, but it's probably safe to say there are middle-schoolers who couldn't say the alphabet last time this happened.

Last night the board and the public got their first gander at the so-called North Side Initiative, under which MPS would close anywhere from four to eight schools at the end of this academic year. In concert, the district would beef up resources in the remaining schools and lower class sizes in early grades. And yes, that deafening silence would be coming from Minneapolis's African American community, which has long been at odds with school administrators.

Of course, none of this is to say that any dust has settled. Board member Chris Stewart, for one, hasn't exhaled and doesn't expect to know whether the reorganization plan will earn the district any renewed community trust until administrators hear from the parents of the 1,100 to 1,800 children facing reassignment.

Today's Star Tribune contains a fine account of the plan and the conditions that gave rise to it. But if you're interested in more detailed information or want to try to handicap the odds for a particular school, a visit to the MPS website will supply even more details.

A chart laying out the proposed timeline and direct comparisons of the three proposed scenarios can be found here. (Caveat: scenario C bit the dust last night.) But even more helpful is the presentation found here, which includes clear, concise information on which classrooms are half-full and which bursting at the seams.

Posted by Beth Hawkins at February 28, 2007 3:22 PM | Comments (1)

 

2/28 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Britt Robson's last Three-Pointer is now posted at Balls. We thank Britt for all his work at City Pages and wish him well.

Peter S. Scholtes has the last official 2006 list: Top 50 CDs from 2006 at Complicated Fun

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

A University of Minnesota student's graduation is in jeopardy because she's refusing to pay for a scholarship for studies in Tanzania where she suffered sexual harrassment and numerous rape attempts.

A Vancouver woman admitted Monday that she coached her two children—beginning when they were 4 and 8 years old—to fake retardation so she could collect Social Security benefits on their behalf.

A teenage girl in southern Pakistan, whose late father lost her in a poker game when she was two years old, has asked authorities to save her from being handed over to a middle-aged relative.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Steve from Minneapolis photographs and reviews local concerts, and schools the uninitiated on national and international acts with links and videos at Rock 'n' Roll Star.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Top All-Time Political Donors from opensecrets.org

Everyone is having fun at the house party until a couple of drunken Jedis get into it

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"I felt very remorseful for having thrown the phone at someone that didn't deserve it."

— Model Naomi Campbell, who's apparently fine with throwing phones at people who do deserve it. Campbell lost her shit and hit her maid with a cell phone over a pair of missing jeans last year.

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 28, 2007 1:51 AM | Comments (0)

 

The Next Big Thing comment thread

Filed under: City Pages

This week's cover story, The Next Big Thing by Peter S. Scholtes, is a profile of the diminutive lead singer for Little Man, Chris Perricelli. An excerpt: "Perricelli's singing is the most compelling local Bowie impression since Venus's (of All the Pretty Horses), though he claims to have arrived at his style before people told him he sounded like either Bowie or T. Rex's Mark Bolan... Unlike Bright Eyes', the frontman's quaver doesn't come off like an affectation. And like Jack White, whom he admires, he's so versed in so-called classic rock that he seems to be changing the rules from within." Get to know Chris Perricelli (and listen to Little Man's "Undertow") here, then come back to share your thoughts.

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 27, 2007 6:48 PM | Comments (12)

 

2/27 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

City Pages intern and budding model Mary O'Regan leads us through the Marlboro smoke and empty Diet Coke cans with a photo diary chronicling her experiences modeling for the upcoming Voltage Fashion Amplified rock and fashion show on April 11 at First Avenue. Check out the first installment here.

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

Hundreds of women staged a "nurse-in" at a Pennsylvania mall to support a mother ordered by security to stop breastfeeding in public.

Later this month, the Clifton (N.J.) city council is expected to introduce an ordinance setting a limit on how long dogs can bark.

The Telegraph is reporting that the U.S. is secretly funding militant ethnic separatist groups in Iran in an attempt to pile pressure on the Islamic regime to give up its nuclear program.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Zach Korb blogs about community planning, historic preservation, and real estate updates at An Affair with Urban Policy.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

From the Jimmy Kimmel Show: Kathie Lee Gifford's PSA on throwing up in your mouth... a little

Terrorism finger puppets [via BoingBoing]

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"It's good to have a second career."

— White House Press Secretary Tony Snow on Al Gore's documentary winning an Academy Award during Sunday's broadcast

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 27, 2007 6:39 AM | Comments (0)

 

Strib as Case Study

Filed under: Media

The online magazine Slate today lays out a fascinating case for why the about-to-be-closed sale of the Star Tribune and the trend it caps may actually be good news for journalism. Not good immediate news for anyone drawing a paycheck over on Portland Avenue, but good news for the Fourth Estate As We Knew It and maybe really good news for newshounds hereabouts in a couple-three years when the pendulum resets itself.

(In case you've been living under a rock in recent months, the last week of December McClatchy sold the Strib to a private equity concern for $530 million--less than half what McClatchy paid for it in 1998.)

Jack Shafer explains:

Although this halving of newspaper value, which was unforeseen by such an industry sage as John Morton, is tragic news for McClatchy and Times Co. stockholders, it's potentially good news for journalism. It pops the bubble that had carried newspaper valuation beyond the Van Allen Belt. And by doing so, it presents publishers—and Wall Street—with more rational expectations about what sort of profits the newspaper industry can make without destroying itself.

Posted by Beth Hawkins at February 26, 2007 11:55 AM | Comments (1)

 

The hits keep coming

Filed under: Crime

Friday's Minneapolis City Council meeting brought two different payouts over one alleged police misconduct incident. The full council approved a $10,000 payday to Christopher D. Perry and $5,000 to his brother Mario P. Perry, who was a juvenile when the two ran afoul of the cops on November 16, 2004.

Payouts over claims of police misconduct are nothing new in this town (see "The Hit Parade Revisited," CP 7/20/2005), but this incident seemed rooted in some rather, uh, dubious behavior. According to a city attorney's memo urging the council to approve settlement, MPD officers James Burns and Michael Geere were cruising the north side looking for "an identified murder suspect known to frequent" 4050 Bryant Avenue North. The officers found a car "with four occupants" illegally parked in the alley behind the address. Officer Burns approached the car and "smelled marijuana and saw a 'philly blunt' in the ashtray," according to the memo from the city attorney's office.

From there various high jinks ensued, and accounts predictably differ, but someone on the scene was arrested after allegedly wielding a tire iron, insults were hurled, and at some point the Perry brothers resisted arrest. One thing all parties agree on is that force was used by the police officers. As a result, both brothers "received various scrapes and bruises," and Chris Perry suffered a broken tooth, according to the account from the city attorney's office, which is no doubt vague on some details.

The Perry payouts are the third and fourth police-related settlements so far this year, bringing a grand total of 32,000 taxpayer dollars doled out to save the hides of the men in blue in a court of law. Though the number of payouts hit a high in 2004, with some 24 settlements paying out more than $2 million, last year the city forked over only $633,250 over 10 alleged MPD misconduct incidents. Still, payouts over use of force and other allegations against the police likely won't go away soon. "It's a total crapshoot," says one city hall insider. "There is no predictable trend year to year."

The Perry situation mostly went up in smoke: An obstruction charge against Chris was dismissed, and Mario was never charged with any crime. "This was a totally unnecessary incident, but they got hurt," says Al Goins, attorney for the Perry brothers, adding that the settlement was "small potatoes." "The city got a look at these kids, decided their records were clean and that they were going to present well in a trial, so they settled. The main issue is whether the city is going to get serious about reigning in its department over use of force."

Posted by G.R. Anderson Jr. at February 26, 2007 10:59 AM | Comments (0)

 

2/26 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Britt Robson tries to find the positive in the Timberwolves' recent performances at Balls.

We remember the inventor of electronically enhanced tap dancing at Corpus Obscurum.

Download free MP3s from local artists such as Duplomacy, Telephone!, Hockey Night, the Blind Shake, and more at Music To Go.

THESE DAYS

Fake bull testicles and other anatomically explicit vehicle decorations would be banned from Maryland roads under a bill pending in the state legislature.

A jailer at a Mississippi county jail was arrested and charged with introducing contraband after money and marijuana were found in his mashed potatoes.

The Humane Society of the United States says its investigating coats—some with designer labels such as Andrew Marc and Tommy Hilfiger from higher-end retailers—manufactured with fur from dogs.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Twenty-eight-year old St. Paulite Kelly is beginning her ninth year blogging about conquering the three-egg omelette, imaginary eye tumors, and shoes that smell like cat pee at Wonderment.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

A gallery of retro flight attendant cheesecake shots

Top 10 Christian Tourist Traps

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"Whitaker is knock-kneed—my father was bowlegged."

— Jaffar Amin, critiquing Forest Whitaker's Oscar-winning performance of his father, Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, in the film The Last King of Scotland

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 26, 2007 6:36 AM | Comments (0)

 

2/23 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Diablo Cody has Juno cast updates at the Pussy Ranch.

Download free MP3s from local artists such as Avenpitch, Future Wives, Romantica, Brother and Sister, and more at Music To Go.

THESE DAYS

KFC has asked Pope Benedict XVI to bless the Fish Snacker Sandwich, a Lenten addition to the chain's otherwise chicken-centric menu.

Actor and national dodgeball champion David Price is suing the writer, Rawson Marshall Thurber, and distributor of 2004's Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, starring Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn, claiming elements of the hit movie were derived from Price's script.

New Zealand's newest television station is transmitting its signal from its studio to the top of Cape Wanbrow using a $10 kitchen wok.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Darrell Schulte blogs on vacuum cleaner shopping, scratchy mom legs, and rocking horse butt stink at Schulte in Minnesota

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

From McSweeney's: Condensed Letters to Penthouse Forum

A Wikipedia list of famous smokers

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"It's ridiculous, this is something that never happens to translators."

— Israeli translator Gili Bar-Hillel, on the fame he has received from translating the Harry Potter series into Hebrew

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 23, 2007 6:43 AM | Comments (1)

 

Hometown companies rate high in customer satisfaction index

Filed under: Business

The University of Michigan released their American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) on Tuesday for the fourth quarter of 2006. The ACSI is a national economic indicator of customer evaluations of the quality of products and services available to household consumers in the United States. So, how did our hometown corporations fare? The biggest gain in retail on ACSI's 100-point scale came from Richfield-based Best Buy, whose score rose 7 percent to 76. The report cited top-line products and extensive service offerings as factors, while opening numerous stores during 2006. In the department and discount stores category, Wisconsin-based Kohl's ranked highest with a score of 80, while Minneapolis-based Target dropped 1.3 percent to 77. Eden Prairie's SuperValu dropped 4 percent to 74 in the supermarket category, with the recent acquisition of poorly performing Albertson's stores impacting their score. The rest of the numbers after the jump...

Minnesota-based company scores on the American Customer Satisfaction Index 100-point scale (4th Quarter 2006)

Target 77 (-1.3% from last year)
Best Buy 76 (+7% from last year)
uBid, Inc. (Petters Group Worldwide, LLC) 74 (+1.4% from last year)
SuperValu 74 (-3.9% from last year)
UnitedHealth Group 68 (+6.3% from last year)

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 22, 2007 9:25 AM | Comments (2)

 

2/22 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Britt Robson combs through the wreckage of last night's Wolves' loss to the Bobcats at Balls.

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

An Oconomowoc, Wisconsin man said he broke into an apartment with a cavalry sword because he thought he heard a woman being raped, but the sound actually was from a pornographic movie his upstairs neighbor was watching.

On the first day of Lent, the Church of England launched a comedy club that will feature only clean comedians.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Bryan Lambert mocks, judges, and chides those he considers... um, not so smart at, appropriately enough, You Are Dumb.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Blogger gloveshot has posted the entire 1970 yearbook of St. Louis County School #70, the year the Embarrass high school closed

Horror movie legend Boris Karloff in a cigarette lighter commercial

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"She thought lice were eating her hair extensions, so decided to get rid of them as soon as possible."

— a source for Britney Spears on why the singer went nutzoid and shaved her head between brief stints in rehab

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 22, 2007 6:50 AM | Comments (0)

 

Mission: Impossible comment thread

Filed under: City Pages

This week's cover story, Mission: Impossible, by Beth Hawkins, looks at the challenges facing the reshuffled Minneapolis School Board and its most controversial member, Chris Stewart: "Of course, Minneapolis Public Schools has a reputation problem of its own. In four years the district has lost 10,000 students and had four superintendents, two of whom left following flare-ups involving race. The board gave the third, African American Thandiwe Peebles, a $180,000 settlement to leave despite evidence that, in addition to having a caustic style, she used highly paid district staff to do university coursework she needed to complete to get her superintendent's license, to walk her dog, and to run other personal errands." Read the cover story here, then come back to share your thoughts.

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 21, 2007 2:47 PM | Comments (2)

 

2/21 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Chuch Terhark interviews author Chuck Klosterman at Culture To Go.

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

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer admitted to financial analysts that the predictions for Vista had proved 'overly optimistic' and he blamed the pirates in China, India, Brazil, Russia, and other emerging markets.

New studies of Greenland and Antarctica have forced the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to conclude there is a 50% chance that widespread ice sheet loss "may no longer be avoided" because of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Former Miami Heat star Tim Hardaway's name is off his South Dixie Highway carwash, just days after he declared on a local radio program, "I hate gay people."

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Minneapolitan J. Whitaker creates twisted and hilarious illustrations, and has some special plans for a certain inner-ring suburb coming up at fatlotion.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

A flute player named Greg Pattillo doing a beatbox version of the Inspector Gadget theme

Paperclips, weed killer bombs, casket jet-skis: The Complete List of MacGyver Episode Tricks

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"A significant number of people feel uncomfortable with a nude person running around."

— Kerry Carlson, president of the Midpeninsula Rangers Peace Officers Association, after fining Darryl Delacruz, a Silicon Valley engineer, for jogging in the nude in Fremont Older Open Space Preserve in San Jose

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 21, 2007 12:07 AM | Comments (0)

 

NoDak politicos show Bono no love

Filed under: Politics

North Dakota lawmakers last Thursday defeated a resolution to honor U2 frontman Bono for his advocacy of debt relief for Third World countries. Fargo state Rep. Scot Kelsh sponsored the measure after reading in a magazine that no state had honored the Irish singer and activist in such a way. "This is something that does matter to us as citizens of North Dakota, the United States, and the world at large," Kelsh told the Associated Press. Rep. Gil Herbel, a Republican, thought the resolution was intended to honor the late singer and U.S. Congressman Sonny Bono. "When I saw the resolution, I was looking for Cher's name in there," Herbel said. The resolution was defeated 58-35. Minnesota Lege, what say you?

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 20, 2007 3:46 PM | Comments (0)

 

St. Paul Ward One candidates forum tonight

Filed under: St. Paul

The St. Paul Branch NAACP will host a city council candidates forum tonight at St. Peter Claver Church, on the corner of Oxford and St. Anthony, from 7:00 - 9:00 pm. The purpose of the forum will be to heighten awareness of issues in St. Paul's Ward One and to hear from the candidates currently running: the incumbent councilmember, Debbie Montgomery, and challenger Melvin Carter III. Questions will be asked by a panel and the community will be given the opportunity to ask questions of the candidates as well. For further information call (651) 649-0520.

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 20, 2007 7:09 AM | Comments (0)

 

2/20 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

We remember remote control co-inventor Robert Adler 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 (OFFSPRING EDITION)

Nearly one in three Britons think that if a woman jumps up and down, washes or urinates immediately after sex, she can prevent pregnancy.

A Bakersfield pediatrician, intending to create a "Christian atmosphere" for his patients, refused to treat a child with an ear infection because her mother was sporting a tattoo.

Doctors at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary used Sildenafil, also known under the trade name of Viagra, to open up tiny blood vessels in a premie's lungs and save her life.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Frostbrand, drawnLeftward, and LookingNorth follow the strange municipal politics in the eastern suburbs at What's Left of Maplewood (MN).

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Rotten Tomatoes rates the Best of the Best Pictures of the last eight decades

Children's drawings re-imagined as photographs by Yeondoo Jung

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"He was in his house, sitting in his chair, as if watching television, and the television was, in fact, still on."

— Dr. Stuart Dawson, Suffolk County deputy chief medical examiner, discussing how police found the body of Southampton, New York, resident Vincenzo Riccardi, 70, who had apparenlty died of natural causes in front of his television over a year ago

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 20, 2007 6:22 AM | Comments (0)

 

2/19 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

We remember Mary Poppins visual effects wizard Peter Ellenshaw at Corpus Obscurum.

Following Diablo Cody as she goes on location in Vancouver, visiting the set of her movie Juno, at Pussy Ranch.

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

A bill introduced by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) would block social networking programs and websites like Fark and MySpace from computers at public libraries and schools.

A plywood poster bearing a spray-painted image of male genitals and the phrase "eat me," landed Youngtown, Arizona, mayoral candidate Ken Champagne in jail on Valentine's Day.

The number of waivers granted to Army recruits with criminal backgrounds has grown about 65 percent in the last three years, increasing to 8,129 in 2006 from 4,918 in 2003, Department of Defense records show.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Reviews and information on upcoming books releases and author signings from the biggest independent bookstore in Minneapolis, Magers & Quinn Booksellers.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

The American Idol Rejection Algorithm

Don't read this during breakfast: One man's homoerotic encounter with Dick "Li'l Dickens" Cheney

A leathery Al Pacino joins George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, and Don Cheadle for one more heist: Ocean's 13

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"I fear that radical Muslims who want to control the Middle East, and ultimately the world, would love to see 'In God We Trust' stricken from our money and replaced with 'In Muhammad We Trust.'"

— Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA), Friday, February 16, advocating for the proposed troop surge in Iraq

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 19, 2007 6:26 AM | Comments (0)

 

A Pandemic of Disinterest

Filed under: Health Care

Most of the time, public health officials complain that news media handling of medical news is shallow, sensationalistic, and otherwise long on distortions and short on science. But the headlines sparked by the flu deaths of a Minneapolis firefighter and four children in the last couple of weeks may actually be underkill, suggests Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. Osterholm has long cautioned that we're dangerously unprepared for a flu pandemic, and sooner or later we're guaranteed to have one.

Case in point: Less than a month ago, public health officials across the country were worried that millions of doses of flu vaccine would go unused this season. That would mean more cases of the flu, and more flu deaths, too. But beyond that, the glut could cause vaccine manufacturers to cut back on production next year and beyond, ultimately stymieing efforts to ramp up our capacity to produce vaccine.

According to information posted on the website for Osterholm's center, in 2002 vaccine manufacturers produced a record 95 million doses, but were left with 12 million unsold. Consequently, in 2003, producers cut back to 87 million doses. This flu season, manufacturers had shipped more than 102 million doses by the end of December.

Hundreds of people die of flu in Minnesota every year. But alarm about the deaths of the children--three of whom were otherwise healthy and unvaccinated, the other vaccinated but "medically fragile"--caused enough of a stampede to pediatricians' offices and supermarket clinics that Minnesota public health officials ordered thousands more doses of flu vaccine.

"If you want to pick all our ancestral buttons, have children die," says Osterholm. "If we'd had 10 deaths in nursing homes, this would never have made the news."

Posted by Beth Hawkins at February 16, 2007 12:54 PM | Comments (8)

 

Minnesotans currently prefer Coleman to Franken

Filed under: Minnesota Politics

In a poll conducted by SurveyUSA for KSTP-TV Minneapolis and WDIO-TV Duluth of 639 registered votes, Minnesotans prefer Sen. Norm Coleman to challenger Al Franken, 57 percent to 35 percent, with eight percent undecided. Another DFL candidate, lawyer Mike Ciresi, would lose to Coleman 57 percent to 34, in a poll also conducted on Wednesday, February 14. According to the survey, a quarter of all Democrats would vote for Coleman and 58 of Independent voters would do the same.

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 16, 2007 10:59 AM | Comments (1)

 

2/16 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

We remember Rosa Parks' lawyer, Charles Langford, at Corpus Obscurum.

Following Diablo Cody as she goes on location in Vancouver, visiting the set of her movie Juno, at Pussy Ranch.

Download free MP3s from local artists such as the Original Mark Edwards, Danny y Elliot, Malachi Constant, Cloud Cult, and more at Music To Go.

THESE DAYS

A Chinese company chairman has been sentenced to death for running a scam involving giant ants.

Ruth Reichl of Gourmet's Choptalk blog has a bone to pick with the Walker Art Center over their restaurant 20.21's "neat fee" when ordering your single malt scotch sans ice.

Hershey is cutting 1,500 jobs over three years as part of a plan to scale back production and move some manufacturing to Mexico.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Bowling politicians, politicians as wet farts, and the lost art of forethought are just a few topics mulled over at The Pubhouse Dialogues.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

The Ugliest Musicians Ever as chosen by Blogcritics

5,000 years of Middle East imperial history in 90 seconds

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"He can get an air-purifying system for his office."

— Congressman and GOP presidential candidate Tom Tancredo (R-CO), responding to Rep. Keith Ellison's office notifying Capitol Police of Tancredo's cigar smoke "coming through the walls"

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 16, 2007 6:39 AM | Comments (0)

 

3Q: incoming Star Tribune editor Nancy Barnes

Filed under: 3 Questions

Yesterday Nancy Barnes was named the new editor of the Star Tribune. She came to Minnesota from the Raleigh News & Observer in 2003 and previously served as the paper's managing editor for content. Barnes takes over at a time of great flux for the state's largest daily newspaper. In late December the McClatchy Company announced that it was selling the Strib to Avista Capital Partners for $530 million. The deal is expected to go through in early March. I reached Barnes by telephone this afternoon.

 

City Pages: How would you characterize newsroom morale in the wake of the sale?

Nancy Barnes: It's been an uncertain time would be the best way to characterize that. People don't know exactly what to expect. I think the appointment of an editor, whether they like me or not, helps because it lets them know who's going to be there and what the situation is. But I think until we actually get through this transition and really get a sense of what it's like under the new owner people will be just a little bit on edge, and I recognize that.

CP: How do you expect the paper to change under your direction?

NB: When I talked to the staff yesterday I talked a lot about the need to move more quickly into more methods of digital reporting. We'll be doing a lot more video in the upcoming years. It's something a lot of newspapers do on their web sites. We do some of it. We do more now than we did six months ago. But six months from now we're going to want to do more.

I've been working real hard in the last six months to put in place a good investigative and computer assisted reporting team. That should help us be a stronger newspaper in 2007. We'll take a look at some of the beats and see if there are some changes that need to be made in terms of what we are covering. Are there some things in the community that should be covered that we aren't covering now? Those are some of the things that we'll be looking at.

CP: You are the first female editor of the Star Tribune. How do you feel about that?

NB: I've been told that that's the case. I haven't actually researched it. It's the year 2007. If we're still marking our firsts, I'm not sure that's really a good thing. But, you know, somebody had to be there.

Posted by Paul Demko at February 15, 2007 3:50 PM | Comments (1)

 

St. Paul Scrum

Filed under: Politics

There won't be much political drama in 2007. With statewide elections just completed and the presidential sweepstakes still a year away from heating up, there's little to sate political junkies. But St. Paul's off-year city council races present a number of intriguing contests. Four races in particular bear watching.

Ward One: Melvin Carter III is challenging one-term incumbent and retired cop Debbie Montgomery. Carter, who most recently worked as an aid to Mayor Chris Coleman, has the backing of ACORN, St. Paul Fire Fighters Local 21, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Montgomery has received the blessing of the St. Paul Police Federation, as well as the St. Paul Building and Construction Trades Council. This race also happens to feature the city's only two black candidates in a ward that has traditionally been represented by an African American. The Saint Paul branch of the NAACP will host a debate between the two contenders next Tuesday at St. Peter Claver Church at 7 p.m.

Ward Four: This is the only open seat, with Jay Benanav stepping down after a decade in office. Labor activist Bernie Hesse, Russ Stark, executive director of the Midway Transportation Management Organization, and veteran DFL operative Randy Schubring are running active campaigns. All three have agreed to abide by the DFL endorsement so this race will essentially be over after the April 14 ward convention. Hesse has so far dominated the endorsement sweepstakes, procuring support from ACORN, AFSCME, the firefighters union, and the St. Paul Area Trades and Labor Assembly.

Ward Five: David Haas, a financial planner (and the brother of former Randy Kelly staff-er Nancy Haas), is looking to unseat Lee Helgen after just one term. Helgen narrowly defeated Kris Reiter four years ago, following her incumbent father's death less than one month before the general election. Helgen is backed by AFSCME and the St. Paul Area Trades and Labor Assembly, while the police union is supporting Haas.

Ward Six: This is arguably the most intriguing contest of the bunch. Pakou Hang, who was the campaign manager for Mee Moua's successful state senate campaign in 2002 and has also worked as an organizer for Progressive Minnesota (now known as Take Action Minnesota), is challenging veteran council member Dan Bostrom. A retired cop, Bostrom has not faced a challenger in his last three re-election contests. Hang, who is Hmong, will look to capitalize on the ward's shifting demographics, with large increases in the East Side's Asian population. (See this interesting map posted at City Hall Scoop for an indication of how significant the Hmong vote will be.) The incumbent is supported by the police federation and the building trades; Hang has received the blessing of ACORN. Several groups, including AFSCME and the firefighters union, have so far declined to endorse either candidate.

Take Action Minnesota, which has established a redoubtable reputation in recent years for winning elections, will screen candidates on Monday evening. Of note: three of the city council aspirants--Carter, Hang, and Hesse--are former board members of the organization. Another potentially powerful player, the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce, will begin interviewing candidates later this month.

Posted by Paul Demko at February 15, 2007 11:29 AM | Comments (1)

 

Congressman Walz raises concerns about funding for VA medical care

Filed under: Health Care

Freshman Congressman Tim Walz from the First District yesterday delivered testimony in front of the House Budget Committee regarding the Bush Administration's budget proposals on veterans' programs. The 24-year veteran of the Army National Guard and son of a Korean War veteran, Walz raised numerous concerns about the shortfalls he sees in the funding of VA clinics and hospitals and the proposed enrollment fees that would affect those most in need of care. Read Walz's testimony to the committee following the jump.

 

Congressman Tim Walz (MN-01)
Budget Committee Testimony
Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Chairman Spratt, Ranking Member Ryan, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify on some of the budgetary matters facing America's veterans today. Your willingness to hear testimony from me, as well as so many of my colleagues and other concerned citizens demonstrates your strong commitment to writing a fiscally sound budget that fulfills the needs of our veterans. I hope that my testimony today can aid you in your work.

Mr. Chairman, I am here today to discuss veterans' priorities within this budget from my perspective as a 24 year veteran of the Army National Guard and the son of a Korean War veteran. Last week, the President released his FY2008 budget request for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and while I am pleased to see at least slight increases in some important areas, the majority of his budget request leaves me deeply concerned. During his 2002 State of the Union speech, this President spoke of the need to care for our nation's veterans. He went so far as to ask Congress to "approve an historic increase in spending for veterans' health."

Since then, Mr. Chairman, the President has not followed through on his promises to America's veterans. In fact, President Bush has not mentioned veterans' issues in his last four State of the Union addresses. And in 2005, only a few short years after his 2002 promise to fund an historic increase in veterans' health care, the Department of Veterans Affairs was left so dangerously underfunded that Congress had to appropriate an emergency fund of $1 billion to keep the doors of our VA clinics and hospitals open.

This year, in his FY2008 budget request, the President has again placed veterans far too low on his list of priorities, underfunding VA medical care by $3.5 billion over five years. The President has requested a 6 percent increase in funding for VA medical care which is wholly inadequate. While certainly an improvement over his .4 percent increase request in FY2006, the FY2008 request does not meet the needs of a rapidly growing number of new veterans needing VA medical care, coupled with rapidly escalating health care costs. As a practical matter, that means that the VA will not be able to provide the care that our nation's retired servicemen and women are entitled to. You don't have to take my word for it: this request is a full 6.7 percent below the recommendation of the Independent Budget, a report put out by a group of veterans' service organizations.

Mr. Chairman, you don't need me to read you the statistics. What I need to express to this committee is the human impact of these budgetary decisions. It is not acceptable for us to exclude entire classes of veterans from the VA system. The men and women we call Priority 8 veterans served this country in the same ways other veterans did. The lack of a combat injury is no excuse for excluding them from the health care system they were promised access to. Barring 1.6 million veterans from their own health care system is unfair and unacceptable.

Mr. Chairman, the President's budget request proposes increased co-payments on prescription drugs and new enrollment fees for priority 7 and 8 veterans. These fees will drive out the veterans who need the system most, adding to the 47 million Americans who now lack health insurance.

If fees don't drive our veterans out, access to care just might. In my district, there are less than a half dozen primary care veterans clinics in operation. Mr. Chairman, my district is 300 miles wide - it stretches from the border of South Dakota to the border of Wisconsin. Veterans from my district who need more than a regular physical must charter vans through their Veterans Service Officers in order to make the drive to the VA Hospital in Minneapolis. A three hour ride is an excessive hardship, only made worse by the fact that this President is asking our veterans to pay more for those services when they finally arrive at the hospital. We can do better.

Mr. Chairman, the President's FY2008 budget request for the Department of Veterans Affairs represents the wrong priorities for our nation's veterans. However, the responsibility to do right by veterans does not lie with the President alone. We, the United States Congress, have the solemn responsibility and duty to create a budget that fulfills the promises we made to those who served.

We are responsible for caring for those who gave of themselves in years past and to care for those who are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan in the future. The President's budget asks for only minimal increases in mental health services for Iraqi veterans despite recent studies that show 1 in 6 soldiers in Iraq report symptoms of depression, serious anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder. At a time when the VA expects to treat 5.8 million patients, including 263,000 veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan in the coming year, it is Congress' duty to increase funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs and specifically to increase funding for both research into and treatment of the mental health conditions that plague many of our veterans.

At a time when Harvard University and the American Customer Satisfaction Index are recognizing the VA for its quality medical care, it is Congress' duty to ensure the VA does not veer from this upward trend and that it continues to improve not only quality of care but access to care.

At a time when our VA system is straining under the weight of both an aging veterans population and an entirely new group of veterans returning from the War on Terrorism, we must ensure funding matches not just monetary inflation but also the inflation in the number of veterans eligible for service.

Mr. Chairman, I am here today to ask you to help fulfill this duty by increasing the President's request for veterans' programs. The President's $86.75 billion request is simply not enough. As a veteran and the descendent of a long line of men who served this country, I can say with authority that properly funding our VA system does more than just provide veterans with the health care they were promised. Properly funding our VA ensures a new generation of soldiers will enlist and it helps to keep our communities both physically and economically healthy.

Thank you.

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 15, 2007 10:07 AM | Comments (0)

 

2/15 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Britt Robson discusses the Wolves' solid win over Denver at Balls.

Follow Diablo Cody as she visits the set of her movie Juno at Pussy Ranch.

PizzaMan and the Snake recall where their pizza delivery and sex lives have intersected on the Streets of Pizza.

Download free MP3s from local artists such as the Original Mark Edwards, Apraxia, the Get Up Johns, the Hopefuls, and more at Music To Go.

THESE DAYS

Determined to stop their students from consuming alcohol on weekends, the staff at Pequannock Township High School in Morris County (NJ) will be using a controversial test that can detect if students have been drinking within the past seven days.

Ben & Jerry's has named a new ice cream in honor of the host of the Colbert Report, "Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream," which contains vanilla ice cream with fudge-covered waffle cone pieces and caramel.

A Dutch primary school teacher dying of cancer is overseeing one last project among her pupils: they are making her coffin.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

It takes eleven bloggers to produce the Shitizens, a blog that rarely makes sense, but is often bewildering and cryptic.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Not in the upcoming Michael Bay movie: The Redneck Transformer

Star Trek: The Next Generation's Wil Wheaton goofs on his old show in its episode guide on TV Squad [via Incoming Signals]

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"Nobody can sit in an office in Washington, D.C. and decide to create prosperity."

— Vice President Dick Cheney, telling National Association of Manufacturers members at a Wednesday breakfast meeting that Bush intends to veto the "Employee Free Choice Act," which would make it easier for employees to create a union in their workplace if a majority of workers sign cards authorizing one

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 15, 2007 6:38 AM | Comments (0)

 

Al Franken releases his candidacy video

Filed under: Minnesota Politics

Last year it was penguin movies, this year it's candidate videos on the internet. Humorist and former Air America host, Al Franken, as expected, today announced his candidacy for the senate seat currently held by Norm Coleman. The eight and a half-minute video features anecdotes about his middle class childhood in St. Louis Park and his wife's more difficult Maine upbringing. He also does what I can only assume is a workmanlike impression of his father. Check out the video and let us know if Al's ready for prime time.

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 14, 2007 4:47 PM | Comments (1)

 

Crime blotter: 57-year-old Minneapolis resident bowls, gets drunk--and steals things

Filed under: Crime

On November 19 at 11:24 a.m. Brooklyn Center police officers were dispatched to AMF Earle Brown Lanes. The responding cops were informed that there had been a series of thefts from rental lockers in recent weeks. The manager of the bowling alley stated that four individuals had lost items valued at a total of $1,155.35.

According to a criminal complaint filed today in Hennepin County District Court, in response the manager of the bowling alley had set up a hidden surveillance camera near the rental lockers. On November 13, shortly after 10 p.m., the video camera recorded a gentleman, subsequently identified as Richard Lee Peters, removing a large ring of keys from his pocket and opening several lockers. According to the complaint, the tape shows Peters removing two bowling balls, a bag, and a pair of shoes from locker number 76. He subsequently places the items in his own locker, number 113. The bowling alley manager informed the police that Peters is a frequent bowler who competes in leagues twice a week.

On December 29 officers executed a search warrant at Peters' residence on the 4300 block of James Avenue North in Minneapolis. They recovered a purple Columbia bowling bag, a Tornado bowling ball, a pair of white and purple bowling shoes, a 15-pound red and black bowling ball, and a right hand wrist guard. They also recovered a key ring with nine keys on it.

Peters was arrested and transported to the Brooklyn Center Police Department. According to the criminal complaint, Peters admitted stealing numerous items from the bowling alley in the preceding months. The suspect stated that he gets drunk and steal things.

Peters has been charged with one count of theft and one count of receiving stolen property. According to records maintained by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the 57-year-old has no prior felony convictions.

Posted by Paul Demko at February 14, 2007 1:26 PM | Comments (0)

 

The Smiling Face of Pain comment thread

Filed under: City Pages

In this week's cover story, The Smiling Face of Pain, Britt Robson recalls the humble and grateful Tim Pawlenty from last November's narrow re-election and how that moment of contrition was all too brief: "While fiscal conservatives howled over the perfidy of Pawlenty's embrace of uninsured children, others gleaned a mixture of political calculation and perhaps a pang of conscience in his new stance. As one commentator put it: 'The last election affected Tim Pawlenty the way Marley's ghost affected Scrooge.' But it took the 'new' Pawlenty less than 60 days to reveal himself as more cunning and two-faced than any redeemed Scrooge. In health care, as in education, transportation, and most every other bread-and-butter issue affecting Minnesotans, the budgetary priorities of Tim Pawlenty continue to make it more likely that the Tiny Tims of this state will have to fend for themselves." Read the cover story here, then come back to this thread to discuss it.

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 14, 2007 11:30 AM | Comments (9)

 

2/14 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Peter S. Scholtes unveils his monster Minnesota Mixtape at Complicated Fun.

Download free MP3s from local artists such as the Original Mark Edwards, Cardinal Sin, Valet, Little Tin Box, and more at Music To Go.

THESE DAYS

Bangkok police will begin patrolling "high-risk areas" after school hours on Valentine's Day to crack down on "inappropriate" underage kissing.

The Department of Veterans Affairs began notifying 1.8 million veterans and doctors Monday that their personal and business information could be on a portable hard drive that has been missing from an Alabama hospital for nearly three weeks.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Amanda Bays blogs about loyalty, the joys of a radiated towel, and Sunday mornings that last into the afternoon at Not Quite Set.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

The Jimmy Kimmel Show spoofs the recent controversial Snickers ad, with a 3 Musketeers ad of its own

Vote for 'CCO reporter Jason DeRusha's new blog name here

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"My dream has always been to be on the 'Today' show."

— Former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber, on landing his real dream job of sharing a couch cushion with Al Roker

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 14, 2007 6:33 AM | Comments (0)

 

2/13 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Peter S. Scholtes has your Mardi Gras in Minneapolis itinerary at Complicated Fun.

We remember the first Hispanic elected to the Minnesota House at Corpus Obscurum.

Download free MP3s from local artists such as Chris Koza, Stnnng, the Blind Shake, Tim Rally Gold, and more at Music To Go.

THESE DAYS

"The Safety Act" introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives by sponsor Lamar Smith (R-TX) would require ISPs to record all users' surfing activity, IM conversations, and email traffic indefinitely.

A filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission last week stated that, in the fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2006, Harvard University acquired 5,773,889 shares of stock in Blockbuster Inc., comprising an eight percent share of the company. [via Hacking Netflix]

Funding for the National Cancer Institute had been going up steadily for a decade, but now President Bush wants to cut the funding for the second year in a row, this time by $40 million.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Life's instruction manual, including what to do after a car accident, tips for college living, child care choices, and more, can be found in blog form at What Happens Now.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

The 10 Least Romantic Love Song Lyrics from Cracked

Agatha Christie, Ernest Hemingway, Victor Hugo, and other authors who wrote in the nude

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"It makes sense that the Grammys—so soulless and bland—are headed by a man who saw Elvis on TV and thought: 'I want to be a record executive.'"

— David Marchese, discussing NARAS president Neil Portnoy's Grammy speech in a Salon.com review of the telecast

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 13, 2007 6:44 AM | Comments (0)

 

Slate calls BS on the wind chill factor

Filed under: Environment

Daniel Engber has a piece at Slate.com, the topic of which speaks to our hearts and extremities—the wind chill factor. In our part of the country, where chatting about the weather goes beyond small talk and television meteorologists are considered celebrities, Engber's piece gives the reader a bit of insight into the history of calculating the wind chill factor, and, quite frankly, how meaningless it is: "The updated model patches over the worst flaws of the old wind chill system, but it's not anything close to perfect. [Randall] Osczevski and [Maurice] Bluestein made a set of new assumptions to determine wind-chill-equivalent temperatures. Namely, they geared their calculations toward people who are 5 feet tall, somewhat portly, and walk at an even clip directly into the wind. They also left out crucial variables that have an important effect on how we experience the weather, like solar radiation. Direct sunlight can make us feel 10 to 15 degrees warmer, even on a frigid winter day. The wind chill equivalent temperature, though, assumes that we're taking a stroll in the dead of night." Read the article here.

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 12, 2007 1:59 PM | Comments (1)

 

2/12 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Britt Robson analyzes the Wolves' win over the pitiful Celtics at Balls.

We remember Motown's first employee at Corpus Obscurum.

THESE DAYS (INTERNATIONAL EDITION)

Some Malaysian colleges may soon offer courses on how to keep public restrooms clean.

Brazil's health ministry have vowed to proceed with plans to put condom vending machines in schools and sought to defuse criticism with a new study showing that parents in the world's largest Roman Catholic nation approve of the idea.

A UK poll discovered men in denial of their obesity with 100% underestimating their waist measurement.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Poems ruminating on televised wife swapping, Bible verses, stray cats, and childhood at Stands to the Mystery.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS (RETRO EDITION)

Artistic photographs featuring long exposure images of 1980s arcade games

1980s relics Kevin Costner, William Hurt, and Demi Moore somehow got hired to star in a movie about a murderer with a split personality entitled Mr. Brooks.

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"We have something called 'naked Sundays.' You have to keep marriage alive, spice it up. We do everything naked. We cook naked."

— singer Christina Aguilera, to Ellen DeGeneres, on how she keeps her marriage to the Gollum-esque Jordan Bratman interesting

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 12, 2007 6:36 AM | Comments (0)

 

2/9 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

We remember Pearl Harbor hero August "Augie" Giusti 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 an