July 15, 2003 - People in Ashland, Wisconsin are frustrated about how long it's taking to clean up pollution on their Lake Superior waterfront. The city wants to expand a marina and try to draw more tourists to town. But the shoreline is full of dangerous wastes from an old gas plant. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports. {
July 15, 2003 - All over Minnesota this summer, people are bringing old fishing tackle back to the store. Two state agencies are teaming up with conservation groups to offer free lead tackle exchanges. There's growing evidence that lead tackle is poisoning loons and eagles. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports. {
July 14, 2003 - For lots of young people, summer means time to go to camp. There are different kinds of camps - hockey camp, language camp, Girl Scout camp. An increasingly popular option for talented young instrumentalists is music camp. MPR's Stephanie Hemphill visits Madeline Island out on Lake Superior, where young people from around the Midwest spend four weeks playing classical music.
July 14, 2003 - MPR’s Stephanie Hemphill interviews Young-Nam Kim, artistic director of the Northern Lights Chamber Music Institute, which is sponsored by the Chamber Music Society of Minnesota. The first institute was held at the YMCA's Camp du Nord near Ely in 2002. Kim reminisces about the camp experience and the fantastic audience of campers, families, and children.
July 7, 2003 - The debate over the use of natural resources plays out in the national forests and other public lands. A new book by the head of the U.S. Forest Service in the Clinton administration advances that debate with some new ideas. Michael Dombeck has just published "From Conquest to Conservation: Our Public Lands Legacy." Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill spoke with him. {
July 1, 2003 - MPR’s Stephanie Hemphill reports that people in Two Harbors are debating a painful choice. A developer wants to build a motel, shops, and condos on a key piece of real estate. Many local residents want to preserve their a favorite place for a quiet walk along Lake Superior, while others are questioning whether the city can afford what it'll take to keep the land, known as Lighthouse Point, as a park.
June 17, 2003 - Duluth is tearing down its only public housing project. The Harborview neighborhood was built in 1951. In those days, housing for low-income people was separated from everyone else. That's changing now, and most residents are pleased. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
June 4, 2003 - The U.S. Forest Service is planning to change how it manages the national forests in the northern part of Minnesota. The federal agency has designed a new plan, and it's asking the public for reaction. The plan calls for a greater diversity of tree types and ages, and habitats for a wider variety of native animals. But critics say it emphasizes motorized recreation and logging at the expense of the wilderness. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports. Host outro: For details on the plan, and information about upcoming public meetings, visit MPR's web site at Minnesota Public Radio - dot - org.
June 2, 2003 - People in Silver Bay, on Lake Superior's North Shore, are producing a new kind of iron. They're trying out a new technology to produce a very pure form of iron, called iron nuggets. If the experiment shows the nuggets can be produced profitably, it could offer a new future for the struggling Iron Range. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports. {
May 26, 2003 - The Memorial Day weekend is the traditional start for the summer tourist season. Tourism contributes nearly $10 billion to Minnesota's economy. Resorts and other tourist-oriented businesses are hoping for a summer season that will compensate for several years of struggle. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports. Back Announce: