Mining debate about trust; Twins fall to major league-worst; Drought diminishes

Posted at 8:00 AM on May 4, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Op-Ed: Trust at heart of copper mine debate
Sam Cook asks in the Duluth News Tribune: "If things go badly years down the road, what are the chances that a mining company can be held financially responsible?"

Cook's reflection came after this week's forum on the PolyMet project and proposed copper-nickel mining in the Arrowhead region of the state. You can listen to the entire forum here.

Minnesota Twins GM Terry Ryan: 'You can't feel sorry for yourself'
Pioneer Press: "General manager Terry Ryan doesn't seem inclined to dynamite his team less than a week into May, but he wasn't defending it much a day after the Twins fell to a major league-worst 6-18."
Boston Herald: Twins manager Gardenhire says his team played like Little Leaguers
Unrelated
Big League Stew: "The British are whining, the British are whining -- about some Minnesota Twins fans stealing the anthem of one of England's professional soccer clubs, Leeds United."

Now that some parts of the state have had a months worth of rain in the first three days, the drought is starting to diminish. Climatologist Mark Seeley discussed a comprehensive resource for tracking "recent rainfall totals and resulting impacts." in the state. See for yourself at the Puddles Page.

Last defendant in racial beating sentenced
Brainerd Dispatch: "The second defendant in a Feb. 6, 2011, racially-motivated attack in downtown Brainerd will serve more than five years in prison for the crime."

Dayton OKs wolf hunt, license increases
MPR News: "The governor's decision disappoints some environmental groups. Steve Morse of Minnesota Environmental Partnerships says both bills were peppered with unfortunate new policies, along with measures that Gov. Dayton badly wanted."

High tech classrooms in northeast Minnesota redefine distance learning

MPR News: "A school district collaborative in northeast Minnesota is using high tech video technology to link classrooms with others in the region."

Minnesota schools find it harder to shorten their school weeks
MPR News: "People in the Sleepy Eye Public Schools District in southwest Minnesota watched with interest in recent years as 11 rural districts switched to four-day weeks."

Dayton vetoes bill that would weaken teacher seniority
MPR News: "Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed a bill Thursday that would have forced school boards and teachers unions to consider teacher performance when making layoff decisions, rather than just seniority."

For one Vikings' fan, new stadium is personal
"It's not about the Super Bowls we've lost."

AP: "Supporting the Minnesota Vikings is Larry Spooner's lifelong passion. He has been camping out at the Minnesota Capitol with his purple van, trying to help the Vikings win more support for a Metrodome replacement in downtown Minneapolis."

Minnesota Senate fails to override fireworks veto
Pioneer Press: "State Sen. Michael Jungbauer took to the Senate floor Thursday, May 3, in an unsuccessful push to legalize the kinds of aerial and high-powered backyard fireworks that are readily available across state lines in Wisconsin or the Dakotas."

Who Built The 405? Oberstar wades into California political skirmish
BuzzFeed: "Who Built The 405?: Former Minn. Rep. Jim Oberstar says it's Berman. This is what they're fighting about in L.A.."

Minnesota business lets customers drive a tank
WDAY: "There are certain perks in this life that a select few will ever experience - being a billionaire, hitting a game wining shot as millions watch. How about driving an army tank and blasting through cars and buildings?"

Minnesota to lift burning restrictions Monday in 13 more counties
Star Tribune: "State burning restrictions are being lifted next week in 13 more Minnesota counties."

Post Bulletin: "Finding shoes for the nation's tallest man takes more than a trip to the mall." (h/t: @CathyWurzer)

Arts Around MN: Split Personalities; Homegrown; Marc Johnson-Pencook

Posted at 3:58 PM on May 4, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Washington Gallery, an artist cooperative in Duluth, MN will be displaying an exhibit titled "Split Personalities" through the month of May. The exhibit is a collaborative effort by local artists Brett Grandson and Evan Unverdorben. The title comes from this collaboration, and from the different medium used in the exhibit. Unverdorben will be exhibiting his work in abstract painting, and Grandson will be presenting his landscape photography. The studio will be open for the public every Saturday and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. until May 27.

To check out music happenings in Duluth this weekend, the annual Homegrown Music Festival is continuing to celebrate local music acts until Sunday, May 6th.
"The Homegrown Music Festival is Duluth's annual showcase of rawk and/or roll devil music," organizers contend. "It began as a simple birthday party with a handful of bands and a bunch of beer. Now it's a complete bureaucracy, run by a volunteer steering committee and a fiscal agent, featuring about 150 musical acts, along with a few filmmakers and other artists."

Every day this weekend there will be a different act at many different venues throughout Duluth and the surrounding area. The event provides the chance to check out the local music talent, and to witness a diverse amount of musical styles.

In Robbinsdale artist Marc Johnson-Pencook is exhibiting his work at Robin Gallery throughout May. The opening reception is this weekend on Saturday May 5th from 4:00p.m.-8:00p.m.

"For this art show I have put together a cross section of my black and white artwork from the past five years along with some older pieces that represent my personal landmark work," says Johnson-Pencook. "My drawings can be organized into 'series' and 'sequential' art. A lot of my single composition belong to a running series ;( skeletons, bugs, musician portraits).The book illustrations fulfill my challenge of creating sequential art.

"I have always loved comic art and film making as storytelling devices. Illustrating a book creates a decision making process of pacing the pictures in a strategic way so that they work in conjunction with the words and decorate the readers' mind with images. So for this month of May I share my imagination with you."

Robbin Gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11a.m. - 4p.m. and Thursday evenings from 5:30p.m.-8:30p.m.

-- Lis Pedersen, contributor, Minnesota Today