Monday, September 3

With a week to go before the Minneapolis Mayoral primary, a couple of the front running candidates are bringing in heavy hitters from the national Democratic party. Monday, former Vice President Al Gore is scheduled to campaign in Minneapolis for incumbent Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton. Sunday, former U.S. Senator and Gore's rival for the 2000 Democratic Presidential nomination, Bill Bradley, flew in for a rally for DFL mayoral candidate R.T. Rybak. The two other leading candidates say the national names don't represent any significant support on the local level. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.

As the leading candidates look for attention through big name endorsements, the other people on the ballot struggle to get their message to voters. We've been giving you a chance to hear from those candidates here on Morning Edition. Today, we hear from DFL-er Dick Franson. Franson is a former Minneapolis alderman from the 12th ward. He's a retired first sergeant in the army and was an appraiser for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Franson told Minnesota Public Radio producer Julie Siple that he's the best qualified candidate for mayor because of his 41 years in government and the military.

Members of the country's largest Black religious organization, the National Baptist Convention-USA, are in the Twin Cities for its 121st annual meeting this week. The convention's 25,000 - 30,000 delegates will learn ways to better carry out the churches' mission of improving the spiritual health of its members. Organizers say to achieve that goal, the church needs to work harder to improve the physical health and wellness of its members. Minnesota Public Radio's Brandt Williams reports.

Getting ready for school can be an expensive task for many. The cost of a new box of crayons, a backpack and a couple notebooks can add up. Some families can't afford to equip their children for school. So each year, many teachers spend money out of their own pockets to ensure students are prepared. In Rochester a community-supported program called "Running Start" will help out about 1,200 students this year. Mainstreet Radio's Laurel Druley has more.

Well, parents aren't the only ones looking for ways to save money on the cost of education. School district administrators have spent the summer looking for ways to cut costs after getting less money than they had hoped for from the Legislature. Districts will get 2.6 percent more per student than they did last year, but in many cases that will be eaten up by rising energy and labors costs. Joining us now is May Ann Nelson, superintendent of the Fridley School District.

Today is the final day of the Minnesota State Fair. The Miller Lite Auto Race begins in the Grandstand at 2 p.m., and a number of musical acts will perform throughout the day at other state fair stages. This year's get-together offered the old standbys, like minidonuts and crop judging, along with some new attractions like the chance to watch pregnant farm animals give birth in a special birthing center. Jerry Hammer is the executive vice president of the fair.

On September 11, primary voters in Minneapolis and St. Paul will narrow a large field of mayoral candidates to two in each city. Here on Morning Edition we've been giving you a chance to hear from the candidates for mayor of Minneapolis who will not be included in our debate with the leading candidates on September 5. Mahamoud Wardere was born in Somalia, where he worked as an air traffic controller at Mogadishu International Airport. Wardere came to Minneapolis in 1993 to escape civil war. He is currently a social studies teacher for English as a Second Language students at Washburn High School. He says he brings a unique kind of experience to the job of mayor.

Many communities in Minnesota are struggling to provide municipal water and sewer systems to residents. Small towns with aging septic tanks and other contamination problems want a clean drinking water supply. But finding funding and navigating state and federal bureaucracies is a daunting task. The town of Laporte in north central Minnesota, has been trying for eight years, and locals say they're running out of time. As Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Robertson reports, the opening of a brand new school now hinges on completion of the water system.

St. Paul voters will elect a new mayor this year, with incumbent Norm Coleman stepping down after two four-year terms. Coleman's successor will likely come from a group of six candidates who have run the most aggressive mayoral campaigns. Last Friday we gave you a closer look at candidates Bob Long, Bob Kessler, and Bobbi Megard. Today, Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen has this report on the other three leading contenders: Randy Kelly, Jerry Blakey, and Jay Benanav.

A decade-long enrollment resurgence continues for Twin Cities Catholic educators, who will open three more schools this fall. Officials with the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis say the increased demand has helped two parishes reopen schools that were closed in the 1980s, and a new school is opening in Plymouth. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.

Tonight at 7 o'clock, the six leading candidates for mayor of St. Paul will participate in a live debate right here on Minnesota Public Radio. Tomorrow night, you can from the four leading candidates in Minneapolis. When voters go to the polls next Tuesday, they will see many other names on the ballot. Here on Morning Edition, we've been talking with the candidates in Minneapolis. Today we'll hear from Travis Manning, a DFLer who lives in the Whittier neighborhood. He works as the manager of an apartment building and Manning told MPR's Julie Siple that his experience in the Army Reserve has prepared him for the job of mayor.

A Minnesota man who survived the Holocaust is headed to Berlin, Germany Wednesday for the opening of a museum that documents 2,000 years of German-Jewish history. Eighty-year-old Henry Oertelt was invited to the opening because he donated several documents to the museum. The documents are related to the Holocaust and his time in Flossenbuerg Concentration Camp. Oertelt was in the camp when it was liberated at the end of the war, and he clearly remembers the final days before liberation.

The six leading candidates in St. Paul's mayoral race gathered at Concordia University last night for their last debate before next Tuesday's primary. The six are competing for the city hall office Norm Coleman is vacating after two terms. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen has this report on the debate.

U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher told the National Baptist Convention in Minneapolis yesterday that the church can play a major role in reducing health disparities between African Americans and Whites. The Baptist group is the largest black religious group in the United States. The theme of the convention is health and wellness. Minnesota Public Radio's Brandt Williams reports on the first full day of the convention.

The University of Minnesota is welcoming back students for the beginning of the fall semester. The challenge for many of the school's almost 40,000 undergraduates is figuring out how to pay for the rising cost of an education. Minnesota Public Radio's Patty Marsicano reports.

Another round of teacher contract negotiations is underway in most of Minnesota's 347 school districts, and recent changes in state law could complicate the talks. The Legislature this year set limits on contract amounts, provided financial incentives for districts that try new salary structures and temporarily waived the deadline for reaching a settlement. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.

A mediation session is scheduled for tomorrow in an effort to head off a possible state worker's strike. Yesterday, the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees turned down the latest contract offer. MAPE joins ASFME council six in preparing for a possible september 17 strike. The last time Minnesota state employees went on strike was in 1981 when workers walked out for 22 days. During that time the Minnesota Zoo was closed and state services, such as drivers licenses, were processed by administrators. Al Quie was the state's governor at that time and he joins us now.

Tonight at 7 o'clock, the four leading candidates for mayor of Minneapolis will participate in a live debate right here on Minnesota Public Radio. There are 18 other names on the ballot and here on Morning Edition, we've been giving you a chance to hear from them. Today, an interview with Mark Koscielski, who calls himself an Independent Fiscal Conservative. He owns the only gun shop in Minneapolis. He told Minnesota Public Radio's Eugene Cha that his experience clashing with government officials in the past has taught him some valuable lessons.

At 11 o'clock this morning, Midday will air last night's debate with the four leading candidates for mayor of Minneapolis. But the voters who go to the polls for the September 11 primary will see many other names on the ballot. Here on Morning Edition, we've been giving you a chance to hear from many of those candidates. This morning, we'll hear from Steve Houdek, who lives in the Nokomis neighborhood. He's a social worker for disabled adults. Houdek told Minnesota Public Radio's Julie Siple that he likes the Neighborhood Revitalization Program. Funding for NRP was reduced by the State Legislature just as it completes it's first 10-year phase. Houdek says as mayor, he would make NRP his top priority.

The Target Center in downtown Minneapolis was converted into a large Baptist Church Wednesday afternoon. The National Baptist Convention USA staged a preaching forum there, as part of an effort to preserve and strengthen the art of preaching. Two of the nations premier African American pastors, representing the history and the future of the Black Baptist Church preached the gospel and in turn brought thousands of people to their feet. Minnesota Public Radio's Brandt Williams reports.

With six days left before the Minneapolis primary election, the four front-runners for the mayor's seat debated city finances, housing for those who want it, city hall corruption and even snow removal at an MPR forum Wednesday night. By all accounts the race is close and the candidates are elbowing to try and be one of the top two to go on to the general election in November. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports.

More than 400 students from Minneapolis are now enrolled in suburban schools under a new desegregation program aimed at giving low-income families more educational options. State officials developed the "Choice is Yours" program as part of last year's settlement of an NAACP lawsuit. The program could include as many as 2,000 students in four years. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.

Republican State House majority leader Tim Pawlenty is running for governor. He made the announcement yesterday at the Croatian Hall in South St. Paul. He is now one of a growing number of candidates in a what could be a very unusual campaign. Governor Jesse Ventura says he won't announce whether he's running for reelection until next July. If he does run, the Democrats and Republicans will face the challenge of positioning themselves in a three-way race against an unconventional incumbent. Joining us on the line with his perspective on the race is DFL political consultant Pat Forciea.

Later this morning on Midday, you can hear last night's debate with the four leading candidates for mayor of Minneapolis. But when voters go to the polls for the September 11 primary, they'll see many other names on the ballot. Here on Morning Edition, we've been giving you a chance to hear from those other candidates. Today, an interview with Larry Leininger, who belongs to the White Working Man's party. He is a custodian at the University of Minnesota, and has lived in Minneapolis for most of his life. He says his platform is based on race.

It's a big weekend for classical music: the St, Paul Chamber Orchestra opens its new season and prepares to welcome new maestro Andreas Delfs and the Minnesota Orchestra is opening its season with an Ovation to departing music director Eiji Oue. In Sioux Falls the South Dakota Symphony is also about to embark on a new direction under the baton of a new Music Director. Susan Haig is bringing her love of music and a take-no-prisoners attitude as she works to bring the arts to a broader audience. Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland reports.

Governor Jesse Ventura hit the road Thursday in the first leg of what he's calling "Tour 2001." Ventura spent the day talking with rural residents about tax reform, tax relief and farm conservation. But he also fielded questions about what his involvement will be in negotiations over a looming strike by state workers. Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post has this report.

As President Bush and others push faith-based initiatives as a way to provide social services, delegates to the National Baptist Convention USA are among those who must consider how such church-government partnerships might work in practice. During a panel discussion Thursday at the Twin Cities convention, some considered faith-based programs the best way to reach people who need social services. However, several ministers warned that by taking federal dollars, the church may lose some of its independence. Minnesota Public Radio's Brandt Williams reports.

On Tuesday, primary voters in Minneapolis and St. Paul will narrow a large field of mayoral candidates to two in each city. Here on Morning Edition we've been giving you a chance to hear from the candidates for mayor of Minneapolis. Today, an interview with Bill McGaughey. McGaughey is a landlord and a self-publisher. He lives in the Harrison neighborhood of North Minneapolis, and has been in the city for over 12 years. He says affordable housing is the biggest issue facing the city, and the solution is to let the free market work.

Voters in Minneapolis and St. Paul who go to the polls for the September 11 primary will see many names on the ballot. Here on Morning Edition, we've been giving you a chance to hear from many of the candidates running in Minneapolis. Today, we'll hear from two more candidates. The first is Gregory Brown who's an assistant manager and bartender at Tracy's Saloon. Brown lives in the Hiawatha neighborhood of Minneapolis. He told Minnesota Public Radio's Eugene Cha that creating more affordable housing would be his top priority as mayor.

What do you like best about Autumn? Fall colors? A nip in the air? Low pollen counts? Mark Seeley tells us what to expect and when.

While many Christian churches are abandoning the organ for more contemporary music, a congregation in Mahtomedi is spending over $1 million to bring one in. St. Andrew's Lutheran Church has installed a 1927 Casavant pipe organ, one of the largest of its kind in the upper Midwest. The instrument was restored by Schantz Organ Company in Ohio. It has more than 7,000 original and restored pipes, the smallest the size of a pencil, the largest 32-feet high, weighing over 1,000 pounds. I visited the church, where musicians are now tuning the organ. Musical director and organist Bill Chouinard says the instrument has quite a history.