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December 23 - 27, 2002
[ Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday ]
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Monday, Dec. 23, 2002 |
Mendota Heights weighs the future of Pilot Knob
When riverboats approached the junction of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers a century and a half ago, boat captains often used the top of a nearby hill as a navigational reference point. By the time the hill was named Pilot Knob, it had been a regional landmark for generations of natives and explorers. Now, city officials in Mendota Heights are considering a developer's plan to build town homes near the top of Pilot Knob. The development would be an impressive addition to the tax base of the Twin Cities suburb. But opponents consider Pilot Knob a historic site that should be left untouched. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports.
Disinfectants used on Norwalk virus could be ineffective
Researchers at the University of Minnesota say in a new study that common disinfectants used to clean the Norwalk virus from surfaces are ineffective. Norwalk is commonly found in the feces of an infected person, and it spreads when people ingest it after it gets on their hands or into their food. About a thousand Minnesotans have been infected this winter, including members of the Minnesota Vikings and the Minnesota Wild. U of M researchers say the disinfectants commonly used to clean bathrooms and other public facilities either don't work or need to be used in greater amounts than recommended. Joining us on the line is Doctor Sagar Goyal, with the U of M's college of veterinary medicine.
A new gift of old music
Many churches around Minnesota host fine pipe organs. Most of them also have a piano they can wheel out for certain occasions. But rarely can a church add its own harpsichord to Sunday services. Bethlehem Lutheran Church in St. Cloud has just unveiled a meticulously crafted replica of one of the finest harpsichords ever made. As Mainstreet Radio's Jeff Horwich reports, the fit between church music and harpsichord is more natural than you might think.
Monday Markets
Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Farrell discusses the latest economic news.
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Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2002 |
Pawlenty names top tax collector, workplace safety official
Gov.-elect Tim Pawlenty has picked a longtime tax policy analyst to serve as commissioner of the state Department of Revenue. Dan Salomone, executive director of the Minnesota Taxpayers Association, will serve a key role as the new administration wrestles with a $4.5 billion state budget shortfall. Pawlenty has also announced his selection of an attorney from Lakeville to head the Department of Labor and Industry. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
Help wanted: Maestro
Two major regional orchestras in our area are searching for a new music director. Fargo/Moorhead is interviewing five possible conductors. South Dakota will form a committee in January to begin a search. Music Director Susan Haig abruptly left during her second season in Sioux Falls. Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland reports.
Some churches will ring Christmas bells by hand
From Silver Bells to Jingle Bells, bells are associated with the holidays. Their melodic tones will sound from bell towers across the region tonight and tomorrow, but that ringing is more often than not courtesy of computer chips and other high technology. But we found at least two churches in the Twin Cities whose bells are powered by the human touch. One church, the historic St. Clement's Episcopal Church in St.Paul, has three men who ring bells the old fashioned way....by pulling on cords to get a distinctive cascade of sound. The other place is the House of Hope Presbyterian Church on St. Paul's Summit Avenue. There, a traditional carillon is located high up in a bell tower. It is a trip that David Johnson makes every week.
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Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2002 |
Listings not yet available.
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Thursday, Dec. 26, 2002 |
End-of-the-year tax tips
The end of the year is less than a week away, just enough time to talk to your accountant about what you can do to minimize your taxes. Many people have refinanced their mortgages or lost a job this year. Ed Slott is a certified public accountant and the editor of Ed Slott's IRA Advisor. We called him for some last-minute tips. He says for people who did lose a job, there are a few tax issues.
Norway in a cafe
An anthropologist from Norway is studying the descendants of Norwegian immigrants in west central Minnesota. Sarah Lund wants people in her country to understand why Norwegian immigrants came to America and how they lived. Lund is focusing her research on the Norway Lake community north of Willmar. That's where she found a small cafe that's a researcher's gold mine.
Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post reports.
Minnesota leader on race and poverty is leaving
A Minnesota leader on the topics of race, poverty, and law is leaving the state to work on a new initiative in Ohio. john powell is the executive director of the Institute on Race and Poverty, located at the University of Minnesota. He started the institute in 1993 to consider how race and poverty intersect, and the dynamics of those intersections. powell is a nationally recognized authority in the areas of civil rights and civil liberties. He is an attorney and a professor in the U of M law school. powell says he found Minnesota a very welcoming place to start his institute.
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Friday, Dec. 27, 2002 |
A look back at Minnesota's 2002 U.S. Senate race
The year 2002 brought Minnesota one of its most remarkable elections. It included record spending, unprecendented national attention, and the death of a political icon. Today at noon on Midday, we'll have a special report on the 2002 Senate race put together by Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik. Here's an excerpt from the program, picking up with the day of the plane crash that killed Paul and Sheila Wellstone and their daughter, along with three campaign workers and two pilots. Wellstone Campaign Manager Jeff Blodgett recalls his last conversation with the senator.
Public weighs in with ideas for balancing budget
If you have an idea how to balance Minnesota's budget deficit, Gov.-elect Tim Pawlenty would like to hear from you. State finance officials have been gathering suggestions from the public on their website. Earlier this month, the state economic forecast predicted a $4.5 billion shortfall. Dan McElroy is the incoming finance commissioner. He's on the line now.
The snow makers
Snowmobilers and cross-country skiers are a little depressed about the lack of snow this winter. But downhill skiers and snowboarders are doing okay. They don't need real snow, because ski hills can make the stuff. Lutsen ski resort has several feet of artificial snow on the ground. Chris Julin paid a visit to the snow makers at Lutsen, and he has this Mainstreet Radio report.
Meteorologist Mark Seeley
University of Minnesota Meteorologist Mark Seeley looks back at December weather and talks about the lack of snow.
Two companies fight for piece of heart-failure device market
Two companies with Minnesota connections are fighting for what could become a two billion dollar business treating heart failure with their devices. Fridley-based Medtronic and Indianapolis-based Guidant Corporation are both out with resynchronization devices that can regulate hearts that aren't beating normally. Sam Black wrote the story for this week's edition of The Business Journal. He says heart failure is not what most people think it is.
Word of Mouth
Marianne Combs looks at highlights from the arts scene in Minnesota this year.
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