June 9, 1998 - The news from farm country is not good. Prices are low and costs are high. The squeeze is reminiscent of the farm crisis 20 years ago. The response by farmers is to buy more land and equipment to raise more food. Getting bigger in order to sell more product, the argument goes, is the only way to survive low prices. But a handful of farmers are going in the opposite direction. They're farming smaller, and they are making a living. But it may not be a style of farming others can afford to follow. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson has more. A January wind dragging temperatures below zero did nothing to cool the anger of thousands of farm families gathered 13 years ago at the capitol in St. Paul.
June 10, 1998 - Scott County and the city of Savage have abandoned their plan to extend a highway through a rare wetland known as the Savage Fen. The proposed road was blocked by the state Department of Natural Resources in order to protect the wetland and its rare and threatened plants. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Losure reports. SFX bird sound The Savage wetland is what scientists call a
June 12, 1998 - This weekend a music festival touted as the nation's largest outdoor vocal music concert makes its premiere in Central Minnesota. BIG SING U.S.A. is a two-day celebration of a capella music featuring national headliners including "The Bobs" and "Rockapella". Minnesota Public Radio's Gretchen Lehmann talked to two local groups showcasing their talent at the festival. The words "a capella" typically conjure images of barbershop quartets or four guys on a street corner, harmonizing 50's hits. But the style has moved far beyond its early roots. 90's Acapella groups blend ethnic rhythms, jazz harmonies and vocal percussion to create a decided
July 17, 1998 - A Mainstreet Radio special broadcast from Ely, Minnesota. Program highlights the northern Minnesota town and the BWCA, twenty years after major Congressional legislation in 1978…a controversial Act that banned mining, logging and most motor use. In this first hour of program, MPR’s Rachel Reabe interviews Mark Van Every and Barb Soderberg, representatives from the National Forest Service; and canoe outfitters John Waters and Gary Gotchnik about the various aspects of the BWCA.
July 17, 1998 - A Mainstreet Radio special broadcast from Ely, Minnesota. Program highlights the northern Minnesota town and the BWCA, twenty years after major Congressional legislation in 1978…a controversial Act that banned mining, logging and most motor use. In this second hour of program, MPR’s Rachel Reabe interviews Mike Hillman, a local historian, and Jim Krile, Director of the Blandin Community Leadership Program.
July 17, 1998 - MPR’s Leif Enger takes a look at the BWCA twenty years after legislation to protect it, and the divide in viewpoints on the land that have existed throughout the 20th century. Segment includes various interviews and commentary.
July 17, 1998 - A reading of an excerpt from Sigurd Olson’s “Wilderness Days.”
August 7, 1998 - A Mainstreet Radio special broadcast from Detroit Lakes. Program highlights the debate over recreational jet skis on the lakes. Rachel Reabe hosts a discussion on the controversary over personal watercraft with Jim Madima, president of Jet Supporters Association of Minnesota; Dennis Lang of the DNR; and Kris Hasskamp, a Minnesota state representative.
August 26, 1998 - Minnesotans have the opportunity this week to help decide the future of Voyageurs National Park. National Parks officials are convening informal meetings throughout the state in order to develop a management plan for Voyageurs. The park is relatively young; it was created in 1975. But in its short life it has been the subject of litigation, mediation, and now, some fear, overcrowding. Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil has this report. The prevailing wish among people at the Voyageurs Park planning session held Tuesday in Duluth was for the park to stay essentially
August 26, 1998 - (Saint Paul Wednesday ATC) There is a general sense of contentment among Americans about the good state of the nation's economy. Yet, here in Minnesota, family farmers are said to be facing a crisis because of low crop prices and a series of natural disasters. It's an issue that's now become part of the governror's race. Minnesota Public Radio's Karen Louise Boothe reports: Fall Harvest begins in less than a month. Even though a BOUNTY is expected there's little optimism among some farmers because of low commodity prices. Democrats place the blame on the Republican-backed Freedom to Farm bill that phased out federal price subsidies. In this year's mid-term elections, they're