Monday, December 27

Squabbling over the proposed Hiawatha Avenue light rail line from Minneapolis to Bloomington has made lots of news this year. But looking ahead, is rail, or any form of public transit going to be a big part of the Twin Cities transportation picture twenty years from now? A lawmaker and a transportation planner say no. The system, 20 years from now, they argue, will look a lot like the one we use today. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson has the first in our series of reports on the year ahead.

Negotiators for the state and its second-largest employees union are back at the bargaining table today to try to avert a strike. Members of the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, or MAPE, could walk off the job as early as tomorrow at midnight if the talks are unsuccessful. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

It's been nearly two months since St. Paul voters rejected plans to use the city sales tax to build a new ballpark for the Minnesota Twins. The campaign left one side elated, the other deflated, and both sides in the red. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo looks at the debts remaining after the St. Paul stadium debate.

1999 has been packed full of financial news. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Farrell and I spoke with two local financial experts about the trends of the past year. Mary Kay Stern is the President of Sit Mutual Funds, and Jim Paulson is the chief investment officer at Wells Capital Management. Paulson says the importance of sentiments on inflation has changed in the past year.

The Minnesota Reform Party will ask a federal judge today to stop national Reform Party officials from planning the 2000 convention in Long Beach, California. The state party wants to make sure outgoing national chairman Russ Verney doesn't negotiate contracts before his term ends that will lock the party into the Long Beach site. Jack Gargan will take over as the Reform Party's national leader this weekend. Gargan was elected with the recommendation of Jesse Ventura. Mr. Gargan is on the line now.

For decades, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has been cutting back on emissions from factory smokestacks, to protect the state's air. But today, the greatest threat to clean air in Minnesota is not smokestacks, but motor vehicles. PCA Commissioner Karen Studders says the agency is changing how it does business to take on this new threat. As part of Minnesota Public Radio's look ahead to the new year, MPR's Mary Losure talked with the head of the PCA about the state's growing air pollution problems.

Neil Haggerud, author of Jailhouse Stories: Memories of a Small Town Sheriff, discusses his book. It is published by the University of Minnesota Press.

Deb Schadegg, President of MAPE, discusses the contract settlement with the state.

Minnesota is now the 21st most-populous state in country, losing the 20th spot on the list to Arizona. That ranking is based on old census information. But with a new millennium, and a new century, also comes a new decade. And that means a new Census. State demographer Tom Gillaspy studies demographic information all decade long, and can give us a preview of what the coming census may reveal. He joins us on the line now.

Jay Weiner is a sportswriter for the Star Tribune, and a commentator here on Minnesota Public Radio. He discusses the year in sports.

The Minnesota Attorney General's office is suing Minnesota Public Radio, alleging improper use of donor lists. The lawsuit claims MPR exchanges names with other organizations without full disclosure to its members. MPR says it will vigorously fight the lawsuit. The company says it has done nothing wrong and that its practices are in line with those of other non-profits. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

Dental care is a vital but sometimes overlooked part of health care. Studies have shown that illnesses like heart disease can be linked to poor dental care. In rural areas, finding a dentist to take care of your teeth can be a problem, especially for low income and elderly people. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Reha reports.

There are signs that the crisis in agriculture eased a bit the past year but farmers anticipate more tough times in the year 2000. Despite a pledge to end farm subsidies, federal government props in the form of emergency aid appear to be the only thing keeping many Minnesota farmers in business. In the third of our series looking at the past year and on to the next, Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Steil reports the political arena will be a major focus for farmers, but they'll also be keeping an eye on the weather.

Fears of violence and computer mayhem have scotched plans for millennial celebrations in some cities, most notably Seattle. But in Minneapolis and St. Paul, festivity organizers are determined that their shows will go on. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo previews the biggest of the New Year's events in the Twin Cities.

David and Johanna Hecker are devout Christians who have been living for 22 years in Northeast Minnesota. When they heard about the anticipated problems with Y2K, they offered to sell land to other Christians and help build cabins to avoid any millennial disruptions. Visitors arrived from all over the country. But as Mainstreet Radio's Amy Radil reports, things haven't quite worked out as the Heckers hoped.

William Studwell, a music historian at Northern Illinois University. He rates the Gopher Rouser as the 11th best college fight song in the country.

1999 was another big year for corporate mergers. When New Jersey based Allied Signal bought Honeywell for more than $15 billion, it became the second year in a row that Minnesota lost the headquarters of a Fortune 500 company. In 1998, Minneapolis had lost the corporate offices of Norwest Bank when it acquired Wells Fargo and moved its top executives to San Francisco. It's clear the forces driving such mergers will continue - even though investors are increasingly skeptical of buyouts. Bill Catlin of Minnesota Public Radio has the next in our series of reports on the year ahead.

Tad Piper is stepping down as CEO of US Bancorp Piper Jaffray after 16 years. His grandfather founded the company early this century. US Bancorp bought Piper Jaffray in 1998 to expand into the business of trading stocks and underwriting stock and bond issues. Piper will remain the company's chairman. He's on the line now.

With the New Year and new Millennium now less than a day away, Minnesotans have apparently been heeding advice not to panic about Y2K. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports.

Usually at this time we talk with University of Minnesota meteorologist Mark Seeley, who is away this week. Joining me on the line is Rick Hilbrant, a forecaster for the National Weather Service at the Twin Cities office in Chanhassen.

In November, St. Paul voters rejected Mayor Norm Coleman's proposal to build a new ballpark for the Minnesota Twins. Coleman had sold the stadium as a key link in his efforts to rejuvenate downtown St. Paul. But it was only one piece of a broader strategy to attract business and build grand new public amenities. In another of our series of reports on the year ahead, Minnesota Public Radio's Andrew Haeg looks at prospects for reviving St. Paul.

It appears that the Y2K bug has dampened enthusiasm for New Year's Eve partying. Minnesota Public Radio's Eugene Cha chatted with folks on the Nicollet Mall In Minneapolis about their plans for tonight.

Tonight as wishes for a happy new year echo around the world, occupants of the St. Scholastica chapel in Duluth will make more specific wishes: prayers for peace, love and justice in the new century. The Benedictine Sisters of St. Scholastica Monastery are joining 40 monasteries around the country to observe the dawn of the new millennium with a 12-hour prayer vigil from seven tonight until seven tomorrow morning. Area religious leaders and members of the public are also invited to attend. Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil reports.

In place of the Word of Mouth arts roundup this morning, we're going to play an excerpt from tonight's special Word of Mouth millennium show which features people in the arts, talking about the next 1,000 years. Here's a sample:

Minnesotans from across the country are having an impromptu homecoming in El Paso, Texas at the turn of the millennium. Thousands have gathered on the Rio Grande where the University of Minnesota football team faces the University of Oregon in the Sun Bowl this afternoon. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports.