February 24, 1999 - A Mainstreet Radio special broadcast from community room at City Hall in Thief River Falls. Mark Steil hosts a discussion on farm crisis and its impact on mental health with local farmers and Winnie Stoltman, counselor with the Disaster Response Network based in East Grand Forks.
February 24, 1999 - While few people would automatically come out against environmentally-conscious design... the rainforest-friendly rubber often meets the cash-conscious road when the bills come due. Despite this, "Green" architecture is gathering steam in Minnesota. A new building opening in St. Paul next month showcases green design options, while Hennepin County is developing what architects hope will be a model for other government bodies across the country.
February 24, 1999 - Brooklyn Park's planning commission holds a public hearing tonight on whether to let the Minnesota Orchestra build an outdoor amphitheater. Some Brooklyn Park residents say the amphitheatre would be a boon to the city and enhance its image; but many neighbors fear it will be a noisy boondoggle, disturbing their tranquility.
February 24, 1999 - The Saint Paul school board has officially named its finalist for superintendent. A public interview of Patricia Harvey, a former Chicago school administrator, is scheduled Monday night. Board members say they're ready to offer her the job.
February 25, 1999 - Erik Paulsen, Republican representative of Eden Prairie; and Mark Asch, vice-president and State Issues Chairman of Common Cause- Minnesota, discuss the bill to have "Initiative and Referendudm" in Minnesota. Paulsen and Asch also answer listener questions.
February 25, 1999 -
February 26, 1999 - Bill Morris, pollster of Decision Resources; Lee Ronning, executive director of 1000 Friends of Minnesota; and Karen Christofferson of the Builders Association of the Twin Cities, discuss a new survey about what kind of house and community people want to live in. Morris, Ronning, and Christofferson also answer listener questions.
March 1, 1999 - Breakfast on Pluto is the new novel by acclaimed Irish writer Patrick McCabe. The story takes place around Ireland and in London during the 1970's when IRA bombs were heard all-too-often. McCabe's dark, wild and comedic tale earned him his second Booker prize nomination...he was nominated for "The Butcher Boy" in the early 90s. McCabe has an atypical central character, Pussy Braden, a tranvestite prostitute who flounces through the Irish political chaos. McCabe told Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Curtis he didn't intend to write about Braden when he started, his main character was supposed to be a little girl, but then the book took a direction of its own.
March 1, 1999 - MPR’s Michael Khoo visits the Majestic Ballroom in Cottage Grove on the venue’s last night open. Khoo interviews ballroom dancer patrons as they kick up their heels one last time. For a quarter century, the Majestic has entertained the fancy footwork of those dancers with a taste for polkas, waltzes, and foxtrots.
March 1, 1999 - Voters in the Pipestone/Jasper school district must decide soon whether to build a new school or repair the old one. The state fire marshall has set a deadline for action, and calls the situation serious. This is a scenario many school districts are encountering as their buildings age and the cost to update and improve increases.