December 17, 1998 - for morning edition Thursday, Dec 17 Members of a state council set up to reform Minnesota's forestry practices are scheduled to vote today on a long- awaited set of guidelines for loggers. The voluntary guidelines are intended to protect wildlife, lakes and streams from environmental damage caused by increased timber harvesting. The timber industry says the guidelines are a significant step forward, but environmental groups say they fall far short of what's needed. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Losure reports. For more than a decade, environmental groups have been concerned about increased logging to feed the expansion of Minnesota's pulp an
December 17, 1998 - The crumbling farm economy in Northwestern Minnesota is starting to erode local government budgets. Polk county commissioners are struggling to balance the county budget. It appears employee layoffs and reduced services for county residents are inevitable. Mainstreet Radios Dan Gunderson reports. Polk county tax revenue took a big hit when hundreds of East Grand Forks homes were washed off the tax rolls by the flood of 1997. But its budget problems started long before the flood. For the last half dozen years Polk county commissioners took the path of least resistance. They held down tax increases by trimming a l
December 21, 1998 - The cold weather has settled in just in time for the official start of winter. The winter solstice is today, it marks the exact moment the earth starts to tilt back towards the sun. For those of us in the norhtern hemisphere, this means we'll begin to see longer hours of daylight. The Minneapolis Planetarium is marking the occasion with a special celebration tonight. Bob Bon-a-DUR is the Director of the planetarium. He says people have been celebrating the solstice for most of recorded history: Bob Bon-a-DUR is director of the planetarium. Tonight's celebration began at 5 o'clock. Shows will run every half hour until 8 p-m, with a fireworks display to mark the official moment of the solstice at 7:56.
December 22, 1998 - Mainstreet Radio's Tom Robertson reports on the people behind the balsam boughs in Minnesota.
December 23, 1998 - In these days of plastic, tinsel and even aluminum christmas trees, many people prefer the smell of a REAL tree. An increasing number of Americans are returning to the tradition of cutting their own Christmas tree... But as Minnesota Public Radio's Hope Deutscher reports this surge in sales comes as many Christmas tree growers are getting out of the business... Driving down the lane through Sherman Mandt's 60-acre tree farm near Perham, Minnesota...Durk and Bobbie Currier and their three children are trying to pick the perfect Christmas tree. Bobbi Currier explains the difficulty:
December 23, 1998 - Elk once roamed much of Minnesota, but unregulated hunting in the 1800s so reduced the elk population it's now limited to a handful in the northwestern part of the state. A herd of about 30 animals lives near the town of Grygla, a product of an elk reintroduction program in 1935. Since then, the herd has been the subject of controversy because of damage it has caused to local crops. As Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Robertson reports from Bemidji, the Department of Natural Resources is seeking public comment on a draft management plan for how best to deal with Minnesota's elk.
December 23, 1998 - Greg Lemond retired from the world of cycling four years ago, but his bike hasn't had a chance to get rusty. He spent two weeks last January riding from Hanoi to Ho Chi Min city on "The Vietnam Challege" organized by World Team Sports. The 12-hundred-mile ride was the first officially sanctioned event between the United States and Vietnam. It brought together veterans, many who were disabled, from both countries. Participants hoped to heal some of the wounds caused by the Vietnam war. Lemond went along to lend encouragement, help change flat tires and offer support. A new film, which will air on NBC Saturday afternoon, brings the 16-day adventure to life. Lemond says it was the most amazing ride of his life:
December 23, 1998 - The U.S. was once a nation of farmers. But now, we're a country full of people who's families once farmed...so the story of foreclosure, bankruptcy and the letting go of a lifestyle is not uncommon. One South Dakota family experienced all of that a decade ago. Their story is still an open wound filled with anger, defeat, revenge and hope. Mainstreet Radios Cara Hetland reports: Bill was born and raised on a farm in southeastern South Dakota. For 19 years, his live was measured by the weather and the sky as he worked the soil raising corn, soybeans and lifestock. Today it doesn't matter how much rain falls or how dry the land is as Bill goes to work in Sioux Falls..
December 23, 1998 - Low prices for this year's crops have left many farmers struggling... and now, they're making decisions for the next planting season. With both crop and livestock prices the lowest they've been in decades, farmers may have to diversify in order to make it as agriculture changes. Minnesota Public Radio's Cara Hetland reports: Pioneer seed salesman Brian Jergans finishes up a sale for next spring. Most farmers buy their seeds early, to get in on price breaks and to ensure they'll get the seed they want. This year, farmer Jim Lammers will buy ten different varieties of corn. Salesman Brian Jergans encourages customers to test varities and check data over three years before ordering large quantities.
December 24, 1998 - While its members haven't been chaining themselves to trees, the largest grassroots environmental organization in the country hasn't been absent from the fight to stop the rerouting of highway 55. Local members of the Sierra Club have been using the courts to fight their battle. Jill Walker is a local Sierra Club volunteer. She says her organization can't condone the civil disobedience tactics protesters at the site have engaged in, but she does think their methods can be effective.