May 21, 2001 - MPR’s Tasha Rosenfeld interviews local jazz-pianist Herb Pilhofer about his CD "Full Circle.” Pilhofer was a standout in the Twin Cities jazz scene during the 1950's and 60's. He's spent the last three decades exploring other aspects of the music business, as a composer, producer and owner of the recording studio Sound 80.
May 17, 2001 - The Minnesota Nurses Association reports an overwhelming turnout today as its members vote on a contract proposal from 13 Twin Cities hospitals. If the nearly nine thousand nurses vote against the contract, a strike is possible. We'll talk with representatives on both sides. First, Jan Rabbers is spokesperson for the Minnesota Nurses Association. She says the majority of bargaining units are recommending nurses reject the contract
May 15, 2001 - Ramsey County dedicated its first Heritage park today to honor almost three thousand poor people buried in unmarked graves more than a century ago. The county is recovering the Maplewood site with fill leftover from recent sandbagging along the Mississippi. Robert Vogel is the Historic Preservation Planning Consultant for the project. I asked him to describe the site today:
May 14, 2001 - MPR’s Tasha Rosenfeld talks with Bob Frame, executive director of The Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, about organization’s list of the state's "ten most endangered historic properties." The annual register includes typical historic sites, including an old school house, a series of stone arch bridges, and Minnesota's oldest hospital. But at the top of the list is the Guthrie Theater, a structure built just four decades ago.
May 9, 2001 - Walker Art Center officials are downplaying reports they will have to close for up to a year during construction of the museum's ninety (M)million dollar expansion. At a community meeting earlier this week, Walker admisitrative director David Galligan raised that possibility. But he says at this point, it's only speculation:
May 8, 2001 - The Minneapolis School Board is holding a public meeting tonight to discuss the district's plan to radically change high schools to improve performance. Minneapolis has a 47 percent graduation rate... the second lowest in the state. The district will use a one (M)million dollar grant from the McKnight foundation to create what it calls "smaller learning communities." Bob McCauley is co-chairing the project. He says most dropouts return to highschool multiple times before leaving for good:
May 7, 2001 - For six years, Ruth Reichl was the most powerful food critic in the world. Her columns in the New York Times could propel a chef to immediate stardom or the unemployment line. These days she dispenses culinary tips to the readers of Gourmet Magazine -- which has seen a big jump in readership and advertising revenue since she took over as editor two years ago. But there was a time early in her career, when Reichl's influence seemed unlikely. In the 1970s she was living in a Berkley commune when she decided to accept a job as a restaurant critic at New West Magazine. In her new book "Comfort Me With Apples" Reichl recalls those early years and her friends' disappointment in her career choice.
May 7, 2001 - MPR’s Tasya Rosenfeld talks with Blois Olson about Minneapolis DFL convention. Supporters of Sharon Sayles Belton are questioning what went wrong for the mayor at the Minneapolis DFL endorsing convention. Newcomer R.T. Rybak pulled off a political upset, finishing with a dozen more votes than the mayor. It wasn't enough to reach the 60 percent necessary for party endorsement, but it did prevent the endorsement from going to Sayles Belton or city councilmember Lisa McDonald.
May 4, 2001 - The Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled religious and political leader, will make his first visit ever to the Twin Cities this Monday. Minnesota is home to the second largest population of Tibetans, almost one thousand strong. Local Tibetans practice Bhuddism, and teach their young people ancestral music and dance. Ngodup Tsering (No-doop SARE-ing)is organizing a group of young Tibetans who will preform traditional songs and dances for the Dalai Lama. I asked him to describe the different types of Tibetan music.
May 3, 2001 - Metrodome security ejected more than forty people from last night's Twin's game for throwing golf balls, hot dogs and plastic beer bottles at former Twin and current New York Yankee Chuck Knoblauch. The Yankees were forced to leave the field twice and the Twins came close to having to forfeit a game they ultimately won four-to-two. Dave St. Peter is the Twin's Vice President for corporate communications. He says most of the rowdy fans were young people: