May 15, 1997 - The next three Fridays, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis is screening 23 regionally-produced films and videos in the 1997 Film and Video Showcase. This year, there were double the number of submissions from the local filmmakers. One of those is Peter Syvertsen (SEE-vert-sen), who made a 17-minute film called "26 Summer Street", based on a William Carlos Williams short story. Peter Syvertsen (SEE-vert-sen)'s "26 Summer Street" shows May 16th, in the third and final Friday night of the Walker's 1997 Film and Video Showcase. The showcase of short movies actually begins tomorrow night, and includes Chuck Smith's "Once Again", Hayden Groom's "Family Tree", and Mary Ahmann's "The Last Goodbye". Sun 28-MAY 19:29:01 MPR NewsPro Archive - Wed 04/11/2001
May 19, 1997 - A Voices of Minnesota interview with retiring Augsburg College president, Charles Anderson. Also Israeli novelist Abraham B. Yehoshua is in the Twin Cities to speak on the topic of "Israeli Identity in a Time of Peace" and "Modern Democracy and the Novel". He has won numerous awards for his writing and is an activist in the Israeli Peace Movement, working for a compromise with the Palestinians.
May 22, 1997 - Mainstreet Radio’s Catherine Winter presents a profile of the band, Conga Se Menne. The group from Upper Peninsula of Michigan utilizes some bongos, steel drums, and a tropical beat. They call their music Finnish reggae. The reggae beat is surprisingly similar to the Finnish schottish and soca is not far from a polka.
May 26, 1997 - A Voices of Minnesota interview with Joe Gomer, one of the Tuskegee Airman during World War II. Also Walter Benjamin of Hamline University, author of "War & Reflection." He looks back on his experiences as a member of the Navy in World War II and the ongoing meaning it has in his life.
May 28, 1997 - MPR’s Mariann Sullivan interviews Twin Cities singer Lucia Newell, who discusses her passion for Brazilian music. Newell also demonstrates the different vocal and rhythmic styles.
May 29, 1997 - Mainstreet Radio’s Rachel Reabe profiles Minnesota's Linda Eder, who is wowing Broadway audiences as the female lead in the musical version of Jekyll and Hyde. 36-year-old Eder, who grew up outside Brainerd, has an exceptional, powerful voice, according to the theater critics and fans singing her praises.
May 30, 1997 - INTRO: The changes wrought in the Catholic Church by Vatican II in the 1960's still meet with resistance by traditionalists. One area in particular is the use of latin in saying the mass. Latin IS allowed under certain circumstances, and a group dedicated to promoting the latin mass is holding its annual convention in the Twin Cities this weekend. Mary Stucky reports the latin mass brings a with it a certain style of worship.... centuries of musical heritage... and a lot of controversy.
May 31, 1997 - In sports news: The Philadelphia Flyers take on the Detroit Red Wings in Game One of the Stanley Cup finals tonight. The Flyers have not won hockey's top prize in 22 years and the Red Wings are seeking to end a 42-year title drought. The Minnesota Twins play game two of their three game series against the Anaheim Angels tonight. The Twins are in the midst of a five game road series. Although it seems like plans for a Twins stadiums are "on ice"--hockey plans are heating up in St. Paul, Weekend Edition Sports Commentator Jay Weiner says while a NHL team may come, the Twins are threatening to go---so, we turn to a Marvin Gaye song to summarize this situatuion---WHAT'S GOING ON???
May 31, 1997 - A new carousel rolled to life in Minnesota this weekend. Twenty hand-carved animals dip and bob to kalliope music at Lark Toys in the small town of Kellogg along the Mississippi River. It's the first carousel carved of Minnesota wood by Minnesotans and features many native animals.
June 3, 1997 - MPR’s Chris Roberts profiles Minneapolis band The Hang Ups. Roberts interviews vocalist and guitarist Brian Tighe about the band and CD "So We Go."