January 21, 2002 - As a young boy growing up in Duluth, Minnesota Public Radio's Classical Music Director Rex Levang listened to broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera and dreamed of being a contestant on the Opera's Quiz. Well, his dream came true, as Rex was part of a panel of opera fans who answered questions sent in by listeners and crafted by the Quiz Master. He recounts his experience with MPR’s Greta Cunningham.
January 21, 2002 - What if you could remember everything that's ever happened to you--the good and the bad. That's the premise of Minnesota-born author Anne Ursu's new novel "Spilling Clarence." The book centers on the psychological reactions that afflict the residents of Clarence, Minnesota after a leak at a psychopharmaceutical factory spills a drug into the atmosphere. One by one, the residents are traumatized by memories of the past. Anne Ursu says the idea to write a novel focusing on memory was a happy accident.
January 18, 2002 - Minnesota's climate is nothing if not extreme. The state seems to see it all including blizzards, floods, drought, and tornadoes. The new "Weather Permitting" exhibit at the Minnesota History Center explores how Minnesotans have experienced weather over the past decades. The exhibit is expected to be on display for five years and features artifacts, hands on activities and fun weather facts. I toured "Weather Permitting" with the exhibit's curator--Loris Sofia Gregory. She says the exhibit was a natural given Minnesota's diverse climate:
January 17, 2002 - MPR’s Greta Cunningham interviews conductor Nicholas McGegan as he prepares The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra for their performance of George Frideric Handel's "Gloria in Excelsis Deo," a piece that had been lost and wasn't performed for more than 300 years.
January 16, 2002 - The Minnesota History Center has kicked off a film series exploring the lives of women who live in Islamic countries. The documentary films explore a similiar theme--women struggling to find their place in a restrictive society. With one exception the films are directed by Islamic women. The History Center's Danielle Dart was in charge of choosing four films to screen from a catalog of 25. She says she picked films that highlighted a wide range of experiences.
January 15, 2002 - A proposal for two new stadiums will be voted on this year. The concern: they only have a vague proposal about how the stadiums will be funded.
January 11, 2002 - A new report provides troubling news about the status of African American men living in Hennepin County. The African American Men Project studied African American men between the ages of 18 and 30. The Hennepin County Board of Commmissioners ordered the study in 1999. The idea came from a commissioner who saw a group of African American men hanging out on the streets and wondered why they weren't in school or at work. Gary Cunningham is the director of Planning and Development for Hennepin County. He says the report finds many African-American males in Minneapolis are living in difficult conditions. Cunningham says the report also includes a number of alarming statistics.
December 21, 2001 - It's looking like Minnesota will get a white Christmas after all. A developing winter storm is on track to bring snow to most of the state by tomorrow evening. Bill Harrison is a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Chanhassen. He says the storm is centered over the Rockies right now:
December 21, 2001 - The white stuff can't come fast enough for Minnesota's ski industry, which has been struggling with record warmth this winter. Officials at Giants Ridge Resort in Biwawbik have been scrambbling this week to prepare their green slopes for a "Big Air" snowboard competition this weekend. Aaron Vovk (Voke) is the Events Coordinator at Giants Ridge. He says its been diffacult to make enough snow for the event:
December 20, 2001 - President Bush's choice to lead the new Transportation Security Administration pledged today to meet every deadline in the law enacted to improve airline safety. John Magaw testified before the Senate Commerce Commitee. If he's confirmed by the Senate, Magaw will serve a five year term as head of the new agency within the Department of Transportation. Minnesota Congressman James Oberstar is the ranking member on the House Transportation Committee. He says he's impressed with what he's heard so far in Magaw's senate testimony: