February 1, 1997 - Minnesotans got their first look yesterday at the new baseball stadium the Twins want them to help build. The stadium design features a ten-acre sliding roof, 42-thousand seats on four decks, and left-field bleachers that hang over the field. It was was unveiled at the Mall of America on the site of the Twins' former home, Metropolitan Stadium. The stadium's price is estimated at 350 million dollars. The taxpayers would have to come up with about 200 million dollars. The saga of the Twins stadium captured headlines this weekend...Weekend Edition Sports Commentator Jay Weiner says he can sum up his reaction to the new stadium design in one word.
February 3, 1997 - Deborah Biede fights against time. Today on our Odd Jobs report we'll hear how she also battles dirt, loose seams and frayed edges. Biede conserves clothes and other textiles in the Minnesota Historical Societies Archive. She uses a variety of tools and techniques to preserve yesterday's heirlooms for tomorrow. Minnesota Public Radio intern Brian Bull talked with Biede in the textile laboratory at the History Center in St. Paul.
February 4, 1997 - A short reflection on Dan Olson’s Voices of Minnesota series, as part of Minnesota Public Radio's 30th Anniversary Celebration.
February 5, 1997 - Mainstreet Radio’s Mark Steil reports that county governments in Minnesota are in a financial squeeze as state and federal grants decline. They must either cut services or find new revenue sources. In southwest Minnesota, a bookmobile with a roadrunner painted on its side is directly in the path of the funding dilemma. People who use it say it's foolish to cut a service which enriches minds.
February 6, 1997 - In case you haven't noticed, this is Sweeps Week, when all the commericial broadcasters bring out the programming they think will bring them the biggest audiences and the biggest advertising dollar. Here's a sample of what Channels Four and Five were offering yesterday.
February 6, 1997 - The films of Kenji Mizoguchi are known for their long takes, compassionate view of women, and uncompromising social realism. But the problem is that his films are not that well known. Mizoguchi, considered one of the most important directors of all time, was born at the turn of the century in Tokyo. He died in 1956, having made as many as 86 movies. On Friday, the Walker Art Center and the U-Film Society begin showing a selection of Mizoguchi. We asked Marlena Gonzales Tamrong, an associate film curator at the Walker, and Kinji Akagawa, a Japanese-born artist and teacher, into the studio to help us understand Mizoguchi's films and their impact. Marlena Gonzales Tamrong is an associate film curator at
February 7, 1997 - Midday examines aviation safety with pilot and author John Nance, a commercial pilot and a Lt. Colonel in the Air Force Reserves. He's written a number of aviation thrillers, the most recent, Medusa's Child. Nance also answers listeners call-in questions.
February 7, 1997 - MPR’s Dan Olson reports on a University of Minnesota Symphony Orchestra performance of the music of Roy Harris, Rimsky-Korsakov… and “Beijing Drum,” a piece of new music by a Chinese composer Zhou Long written for the pipa, an instrument similar to a lute.
February 7, 1997 - MPR’s Chris Roberts profile sisters Julia and Irina Elkina, one of Russia's more prominent duo-piano teams. The immigrated to Minnesota, and now call Minneapolis their home. One advantage they may have over other piano duos, is they also happen to be identical twins.
February 7, 1997 - A reading by Robert Treuer, "the Tree Farm," part of the Voices from the Heartland series.