View Finder

Fishing kids take over Minneapolis lakes

Steve Date — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 13:04:23 +0000

Steve Date

My dad taught me how to fish. Some of my earliest memories are of being out in a boat with him at mom-and-pop type resorts in northern Minnesota. He showed me how to use a spinning rod, tie knots, bait a hook with a chub minnow, cast for bass in the weeds and work a walleye jig off a sand bar.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateVernon and grandson Terrell catch a sunfish at Cedar Lake.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateUnder the Cedar Avenue bridge at Lake Nokomis

We didn't usually catch many fish, though. My dad was never known as an early riser, and my mom used to needle him about how he was always heading out onto the lake in the heat of the sun just as all the real fishermen were coming in.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateThe channel between Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateLake Harriet

I have a photo somewhere of me when I was very small, holding up a northern pike. For years, I thought I had caught the fish that I was proudly holding up for the camera, only to find out Dad had recycled one he'd caught earlier and put it on my line when I wasn't looking, so I could have the thrill of reeling it in. It was pure, dishonest deception of a little kid, of course, but I want to thank him for giving me that manipulated memory.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateLake Calhoun

MinnPost photo by Steve DateLake Nokomis

Last weekend was Take A Kid Fishing Weekend. It's an annual event sponsored by the Minnesota DNR. Since I live in "The City of Lakes" in the "Land of 10,000 Lakes", it wasn't hard for me to find a few adults taking young people out to wet a line and perhaps create a few memories — fish or no fish.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateLake Harriet

MinnPost photo by Steve DateDonald Mendoza fishes with his son, D.J., and daughter, Jeanette, at Lake Harriet.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateLake Nokomis

Eloise Butler continues teaching Minneapolis kids nearly 80 years after her death

Steve Date — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 13:11:55 +0000

Steve Date

The Eloise Butler Wildflower and Bird Sanctuary in Minneapolis was, for me, one of those "going-to-stop-there-someday" places. I finally visited for the first time a couple of summers ago. As part of a science-focused summer school curriculum, the Minneapolis School District made it possible for all of the 4th grade summer school classes to take a field trip there. Ms. Butler would have loved the idea.

I'd driven by the sign on Theodore Wirth Parkway many times, but never knew who Eloise Butler was. On that field trip, I learned along with my students that she taught science in the Minneapolis Public Schools for 36 years, and became well-known for taking her students "botanizing" in the forests and bogs of the area.

Photo from a Minneapolis Park Board information signEloise Butler loved exploring the forests and bogs of Minneapolis.

Eloise Butler believed strongly what I and a lot of teachers still do, that the best way to teach students about natural science is to help them experience it first-hand.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateStudents make observations at the Quaking Bog.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Worried about the growing city of Minneapolis encroaching on natural areas, Butler, along with several other MPS teachers, persuaded the Minneapolis Park Board to set aside a small, 20-acre parcel of land as a natural garden. This "Wild Botanic Garden" opened in April of 1907.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateWild Iris

MinnPost photo by Steve DateAnemone flower

The nature sanctuary is the oldest public wildflower garden in the U.S. and contains more than 500 plant species and 130 types of birds. Amazingly, this small piece of land exhibits 3 distinct habitats — forest, wetland and prairie. Barely a couple of miles west of downtown Minneapolis, it's a quiet little pocket of natural beauty.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

The sanctuary is open from April to October and admission is free. There are a variety of programs and activities available, including naturalist-led hikes and specialized classes such as Gardening with Wildflowers, Medicinal Plants of the Garden, and Wildflower Photography. You can also just wander on your own on the paths and conduct your own self-guided tour.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateA bee works the False Blue Indigo.

MinnPost photo by Steve DatePink and White Lady Slipper, the state flower of Minnesota.

Eloise Butler died in the park in 1933. Her ashes were scattered in the place she loved. She left a wonderful legacy for the city of Minneapolis. It makes me happy that she was a public school teacher in my city.

She knew that if the city would agree to keep this place in its natural state, that children — and adults — would always be able to visit and "let nature be your teacher."

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Thank you, Eloise Butler. Because of your belief in the importance of teaching children by immersing them in nature, coupled with your diligence and foresight, Minneapolis children are still learning in your special place.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateEloise Butler's legacy of teaching Minneapolis Public School students continues.

Bloomington World War II veteran takes his Honor Flight

Steve Date — Thu, 31 May 2012 13:13:33 +0000

Steve Date

Honor Flight Twin Cities was created 7 years ago for the purpose of flying aging World War II veterans to Washington D.C. for a day to visit their memorials.

Norman Roloff of Bloomington served on a troop transport ship in the Coast Guard during the war and got his Honor Flight on April 28. He was part of a group of 100 veterans who left Twin Cities International Airport early in the morning, spent a busy day in the nation's Capitol and returned late that same evening.

Norm sat down with me recently and told me about his recent trip. The still photos in the video were graciously supplied by the Honor Flight photographers who went along on the flight to document this special day.

Honor Flight Twin Cities is part of a national organization dedicated to honoring American veterans in this way. For more information or to make a contribution, visit their website or contact Twin Cities trip coordinator Jerry Kyser at 651-481-8835.

Courtesy of Honor Flight Twin Cities

FFA program brings farm animals to urban schools

Steve Date — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:24:00 +0000

Steve Date

Forgive me for writing two weeks in a row about the school where I work, but we've had a couple of pretty interesting events recently. Last week's View Finder was about a trip I took with a hundred 5th-graders to the north woods.

At 7:00 AM last Friday, a large bus full of high school students (along with some cows, pigs, and sheep) from several FFA chapters in western Minnesota arrived at Andersen United Community School in Minneapolis and made quite an impression on our students and faculty.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateThis was the first time most of our students had ever petted a pig.

Morris Area High School teacher and FFA advisor Natasha Mortenson coordinated the event and is the lead for the Ag in the Classroom program. I met her about a year ago while doing videos about some of her students at the Minnesota state FFA convention on the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota for a series on rural youth in Minnesota.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateReporters Steve Brandt of the StarTribune and Kim Insley of KARE 11 were both at Andersen School to interview Natasha Mortenson, Coordinator of Ag in the Classroom.

Matt Huot, one of my video interview subjects last May, told me about the Ag in the Classroom day they had recently conducted at two North Minneapolis schools. He spoke about it with such excitement and enthusiasm that I immediately asked Mortenson to bring the program to our school this year.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateMatt Huot shows our kids how to milk a cow

Last August, I did videos with some other FFA members at the Stevens County Fair in Morris.

They were all at Andersen on Friday, along with several dozen other members from several Minnesota chapters, conducting introductory lessons about how food gets from the farm to our plates. They visited all our classrooms, from pre-Kindergarten to 8th-grade. After the intro lesson, they led the excited students outside to meet the livestock.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateBrooke Wente leads a discussion about food in one of the classrooms

Ag in the Classroom gives FFA members from rural Minnesota a chance to put the public speaking skills they've learned to good use by teaching city kids (and teachers) about the importance of knowing where our food comes from, what life on a farm is like, and maybe even inspire some of our students to pursue careers in ag-related fields.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateFront to back: Lloyd Lesmeister, Brady Wulf and Jake Moser of the Morris FFA Chapter show their livestock to Andersen School students.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

The Morris FFA Alumni Club generously paid for the trip and brought and grilled 1500 Minnesota-grown hamburgers, one for every student and staff at our school.

The FFA kids and their animals were a huge hit with our students. Ag in the Classroom is one of those good-will activities that ends up being equally meaningful for both sides. After talking with some of the high school students and remembering Matt's comments from a year ago, I think they got just as much out of the day as we did.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateFirst graders Talaya Davis and Citlally Cortez WhiteEagle enjoy cheeseburgers provided by the Morris FFA Alumni.

Natasha Mortenson and fellow FFA advisor Nick Milbrandt are hoping to expand the Ag in the Classroom program next year and are looking for urban schools as well as other FFA chapters who would like to find out more about how to participate. You can contact Natasha Mortenson at nmortens@morris.k12.mn.us.

Wolf Ridge: Educational and life lessons for grade-schoolers

Steve Date — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:13:37 +0000

Steve Date

Last week I spent 3 days with 100 fifth-graders at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, Minnesota, a few miles from the north shore of Lake Superior. I'm a teacher at Andersen United Community School in Minneapolis.

My school has had a tradition of taking students to Wolf Ridge — since well before my arrival four years ago. Anyone who has ever been there knows what a wonderful experience this is. I hope these photos convey some of that.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateWolf Ridge is located in a stunningly beautiful setting.

Our students always have a great time at Wolf Ridge. There's intensive instruction in various sciences. They also learn a lot about themselves. The climbing wall and the ropes course are "challenge by choice" activities, but most kids give it their best effort and it almost always results in a positive and memorable experience — physically, emotionally, and sometimes even spiritually.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateHigh ropes course tests everyone.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateNone of these girls had ever done this before. They climbed like spiders.

Nearly all of our students qualify for free lunch, which is the usual measure of poverty in the school system. Wolf Ridge likes having us up there every year, for this very reason — few schools with our high percentage of families in poverty are able make their way to Wolf Ridge. Schools with higher-income families can more easily pay their way or provide scholarships for those who can't pay. Andersen teachers have raised the nearly $25,000 it takes to send our 5th graders every year mostly by writing grants and soliciting individual contributions.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateCanoeing on Wolf Lake.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateOddly enough, students love KP duty.

We are extremely grateful to those organizations and people who have supported us over the years. I am personally thankful to the teachers I've teamed with who have spent countless of their own time each year to write the grants and procure other funding sources to make this possible. I hope we can do it again next year, but the money always seems to be touch-and-go until the very end.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateOjibwe heritage class provides hands-on experience with the ways of native cultures of Minnesota.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateMaking a basket out of black ash strips.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateCleaning up after making a fire and cooking wild rice.

Many of our students have never been to the north woods, never been in a canoe, climbed a rock wall or experienced what life was like for native cultures of Minnesota. They've never studied birds or wetlands or been challenged to walk across a cable 25 or 30 feet above the ground.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

These are great things for any kid to be able to do, regardless of how much money their parents earn. It's the kind of educational experience that's sorely lacking in many of our schools these days. Thank you to everyone who helped make this trip possible for our students.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateMr. Date's class pauses to take in a sunset view from Marshall Mountain.

Our street car lines — yesterday and today

Steve Date — Thu, 10 May 2012 13:13:37 +0000

Steve Date

My mom used to remind me that I once rode on a streetcar in Minneapolis. Since the last car ran in the summer of 1954, I was a year old at most, so I have no recollection of it. But she knew it was important to remember that part of our local history and wanted me to know that I had been a small part of it.

The Twin Cities had one of the best public transportation systems in the country through the first half of the 20th century. It began with horse-drawn streetcars in the 1870s followed by trial periods of cable cars and steam engines.

When electricity emerged as the energy of choice in the 1890s, the light-rail system blossomed and ridership took off. By the 1920s, an elaborate and extensive web of tracks covered the metropolitan area. There were over 500 miles of rail, stretching from Stillwater to Lake Minnetonka, and from Anoka to Hastings.

Within the city limits of Minneapolis and St. Paul, more than two-dozen routes were spread out in such a way that most people had to walk no more than a few blocks to catch a streetcar.

Streetcar routes in Minneapolis and St. Paul, 1933.

Streetcars dominated public transportation through World War II. But in 1949, a group of investors took control of the Twin City Rapid Transit Company — which by then included buses — and the end of the streetcar era was in sight. Buses were becoming cheaper than rail to run and driving a car to work had become part of the post-war American dream.

Car No. 1300 made the historic final Minneapolis streetcar run on the Como-Harriet Line on June 19, 1954. The cars were quickly sold to other cities and put into use or sold as scrap metal.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateThe old rail bed of the Como-Harriet line is now a walking path on a hill above Lake Calhoun.

In 1971 a group of individuals and the Minnesota Transportation Museum had the foresight and the funding to reconstruct about a mile of the Como-Harriet track and restore some of the cars as a tourist attraction and living history museum. Many people enjoy riding the old streetcars and the volunteer operators love telling the history of this bygone mode of transportation.

MinnPost photo by Steve DatePassengers wait to board at the Linden Hills station.

The current ride runs from the Lake Harriet station and stops abruptly on the southeastern shore of Lake Calhoun, at the site of the old Lakewood Cemetery Station.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateOld Lakewood Cemetery Station stood where the restored track now ends.

The track once continued north from there, across a bridge at 36th Street and along Lake Calhoun, up on a small bluff above the lake. After a few blocks, the tracks ran through an alley between James and Irving Avenues on its way toward Lake Street.

Streetcar stop in alley between James and Irving Avenues in the 1950s.

The Como-Harriet line must have been one of the most scenic routes in the city. Passengers enjoyed views of the lakes, a beautiful cemetery and residential areas on their way downtown.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateCar No. 1300 travels between Lakes Harriet and Calhoun.

The Hiawatha line, our first light-rail train since the '50s, has been successful. A second one, between the two downtowns, is now under construction and others are in the planning stages. I think about what we once had here and feel sad that it all had to be destroyed. But I guess good ideas have a way of coming back around.

I was at Lake Harriet last weekend and decided to take a ride. I thought about my mom and wondered if car No. 1300 might have been the one I rode on with her as a little guy.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateInside car No. 1300.

Thank you, Mom, for reminding me about my streetcar ride. Even though I don't remember it, I haven't forgotten.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

The Falls of Minnehaha flash and gleam

Steve Date — Thu, 03 May 2012 13:10:34 +0000

Steve Date

"Where the Falls of Minnehaha
Flash and gleam among the oak-trees,
Laugh and leap into the valley."

Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis became well-known after Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned these words in 1855 in Song of Hiawatha. The "laughing waters" tumble 53 feet from a Platteville Limestone ledge as Minnehaha Creek nears the end of its 22-mile journey from Lake Minnetonka to the Mississippi River.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateLooking down from above the falls.

Czech composer Antonin Dvorak visited Minnehaha Falls in September of 1893, shortly after publication of his "New World" Symphony. It's been reported that he lingered at the falls for over an hour, and was quite taken with the view. "It is so intensely beautiful that words cannot describe it," he said. Having no paper available, the story goes that he wrote a musical theme in rough form on the cuff of his shirt, which later became the slow movement of his Sonatina in G major, opus 100.

Visitors today not only enjoy views from above the falls, but staircases take them down to the base, where a recently rebuilt pathway allows for an easy hike to the place where Minnehaha Creek flows into the Mississippi River.

I spent a couple of hours recently walking from the falls to the river with my camera.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateRecently improved walking path and erosion-controlled banks of Minnehaha Creek below the falls.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

MinnPost photo by Steve DateLast year's flooding gave rise to habitat-friendly walkways.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateBeavers are constantly working to alter the flow of the stream.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateMississippi River is visible past the foot bridge at the mouth of Minnehaha Creek.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateFishing below the Ford Bridge and Lock and Dam #1 at the mouth of the creek.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateMinnehaha Park has other attractions, such as Sea Salt Restaurant, which is only a few steps from the falls.

Minnehaha Park is one of the oldest parks in the celebrated Minneapolis Park system. While there's much more to do there than gaze at the falls, the "laughing waters flashing and gleaming among the oak trees" remains the main attraction and a truly beautiful place to spend a couple of hours.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateThere's no sign that says "Take photo here," but there probably should be.

Steampunk reigns at 'Alternate History Day'

Steve Date — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:23:21 +0000

Steve Date

The Minnesota History Center presented "What If? Alternate History Teen and Family Day" on Saturday, Apr. 21, with music, fashion, art, film, a writers workshop, and and a hands-on "Steampunk Fashion Art" activity by Leonardo's Basement.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

MinnPost photo by Steve DateAaron Vanek, Minneapolis

MinnPost photo by Steve DateJon Hogan, Eden Prairie

MinnPost photo by Steve DateJeff Wessell, Chaska

MinnPost photo by Steve DateAllysa Dallmann, Bloomington

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

MinnPost photo by Steve DateAlex Walton, teacher at Leonardo's Basement, Minneapolis and Avery Sellers, Minneapolis.

Sights and sounds of Lanesboro's Ibsen festival

Steve Date — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:04:55 +0000

Steve Date

The Commonweal Theatre Company in Lanesboro, Minn., kicked off its 15th annual Henrik Ibsen Festival last weekend with "Pillars of Society," featuring a world premiere new adaptation by Minnesota playwright Jeffrey Hatcher. The Commonweal employs an actor/administrator model: resident actors and apprentices combine to cover all jobs associated with presenting the production and running the theater.

There were several events associated with the Norwegian-based festival, including folk music, food, lectures, sales of Scandinavian merchandise and even a day-long playing of a lawn game called "kubb."

The Commonweal has gained national and international recognition as the only theater company in North America to stage an annual Ibsen play.

In my video, Hatcher and members of the Commonweal Theatre talk about Ibsen, this year's festival, and its significance in the community.

A visual visit to Fort Snelling

Steve Date — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:07:13 +0000

Steve Date

Fort Snelling was built in the early 1820s near the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers, a place of great significance for both the Dakota people and European fur traders. No battles were ever fought at the fort. It served mostly as place to regulate the fur trade, rather than as a strategic military outpost.

The river valley below the old fort is a state park and nature preserve.

After the Dakota conflict of 1862, about 1,600 American Indians were detained there, awaiting an unknown fate. Hundreds died of while incarcerated. Most of the rest were moved to reservations in South Dakota and 303 were sentenced to die. President Abraham Lincoln reduced the sentences of 246 to life in prison, but left 39 to be executed. Thirty-eight were hung in Mankato, Minn., on the day after Christmas in the largest mass execution in U.S. history.

I visited the fort recently and took a walk around Pike Island, stopping for a moment at the sand point where the rivers meet -- a sacred place for the Dakota people and now a peaceful urban space enjoyed by hikers, boaters and nature-lovers.

Minnesota's summer 2012 starting in March

Steve Date — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:30:53 +0000

Steve Date

Spring has come to Minnesota with unprecedented warmth and color. It looks as if this month will be the warmest March on record in the Twin Cities.

Warm temperatures and sunshine last weekend brought green grass and budding or blossoming trees. I took my camera to several locations around Minneapolis and to Keller Golf Course in St. Paul.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateKeller Golf Course, St. Paul

MinnPost photo by Steve DateLoring Park, Minneapolis

MinnPost photo by Steve DateLake of the Isles, Minneapolis

MinnPost photo by Steve DateNear Lake Harriet, Minneapolis

MinnPost photo by Steve DatLake Harriet Rose Garden, Minneapolis

MinnPost photo by Steve DateMinnesota River near Fort Snelling, Minneapolis

MinnPost photo by Steve DateLakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis

Spring comes to Stillwater

Steve Date — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:08:13 +0000

Steve Date

Stillwater is one of the oldest towns in Minnesota. Settlers from the east began arriving soon after treaties with Ojibwe and Dakota tribes were signed in the late 1830s. Stillwater's picturesque setting on the St. Croix River, charming old buildings, Victorian houses, boating opportunities, antique shops, and restaurants have made it a popular tourist destination.

The warm weather we've had in Minnesota has brought walkers, ice cream eaters, motorcyclists and shoppers to Stillwater in numbers not usually seen at this time of year. Here are some photos from a sunny, breezy afternoon last weekend.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateMotorcycles and ice cream in March

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

MinnPost photo by Steve DateThe iconic lift bridge over the St. Croix River

MinnPost photo by Steve DateLast of the winter ice gathers in the river's curve

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

MinnPost photo by Steve DateStairway up the bluff from downtown is popular with serious runners

MinnPost photo by Steve DateHouses on top of the bluff have magnificent views of the river valley

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

MinnPost photo by Steve DateView of downtown Stillwater from the bluff

Nicollet Island memories come back into focus

Steve Date — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:20:00 +0000

Steve Date

Some of my earliest memories are of Nicollet Island in downtown Minneapolis. My mother lived in the Grove Street Flats for a time as a child. She would take my sisters and me down there sometimes, usually to go to mass at Our Lady of Lourdes church just over the bridge, where she was married and where I was baptized. "The Island" and surrounding areas were pretty run-down in those days. Now it's an odd little gentrified-but-funky neighborhood in the middle of the Mississippi River just above St. Anthony Falls.

Nicollet Island's 48 acres contain Victorian houses, apartments and condos, a high school, a hotel, the iconic Grain Belt Beer sign, trails, open spaces, remnants of old factories and great views of the river, the downtown skyline, and the old village of St. Anthony.

The Hennepin Avenue suspension bridge crosses the island at the site of the first bridge ever built over the Mississippi River in 1855.

I paid a recent visit and found that while some things had changed, there were still a surprising number of my childhood memories waiting there for me.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateGrove Street Flats

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

MinnPost photo by Steve DateThe downstream tip of Nicollet Island just above St. Anthony Falls.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

MinnPost photo by Steve DateView toward the old town of St. Anthony from Nicollet Island. Our Lady of Lourdes Church in background.

Views of Minneapolis’ Prairie School houses: ‘Art you can live in’

Steve Date — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Steve Date

The early 20th-century houses in Minneapolis designed by William Gray Purcell, George Grant Elmslie and George Feick, Jr. are turning 100 years old. They are prime examples of Prairie School residential architecture. Some are in nearly pristine condition, while others have been unsympathetically remodeled or have been allowed to deteriorate, showing their centenarian sags and wrinkles. Because of that, some of these original works of art are financially within reach of less-than-wealthy people. I know this, because I used to own a Prairie School house at 4920 Dupont Ave. S.

The house I used to live in was featured in the January, 1913, issue of The Western Architect..

Dixie Legler and Christian Korab wrote about our house in "At Home on the Prairie: The Houses of Purcell & Elmslie." An employee of a company that had commissioned Purcell, Elmslie & Feick for a commercial project wanted them to design a house for his daughter and her new husband, Harold E. Hineline. “[He] wanted us to do a nice little house for the young couple,” said Purcell.

They used a barn that had been converted into a house as the inspiration for the design. It was “a very simple project [that] had a great influence on all my later work,” Purcell said. “In this little house I made my first detailed examination of the relation of a building to the size of people and the geography of movements.”

MinnPost photo by Steve DateDrawings of leaded glass windows in the Hineline house.

Purcell grew up in Oak Park, Ill. He worked for a time in Louis Sullivan's studio, where the Prairie School of architecture was born -- Frank Lloyd Wright being its most notable progeny. Feick, who was Purcell's classmate at Cornell Architecture School, also worked for Sullivan. In 1907, Purcell and Feick decided to leave Sullivan and opened a design office in Minneapolis. In 1909, they talked Elmslie -- Sullivan's chief designer -- into coming to Minneapolis to join them.

MinnPost photo by Steve DatePurcell-Cutts (Edna Purcell) House, 2328 Lake Place, Minneapolis — 1913.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateUpper window detail of the Purcell-Cutts (Edna Purcell) House, 2328 Lake Place, Minneapolis — 1913

They did many commissions -- houses, churches, banks and other buildings -- all over the Midwest. Some of their best-known works in Minnesota are the Merchants Bank in Winona and the Purcell-Cutts and E.L. Powers houses in Minneapolis. For a time, Purcell, Elmslie & Feick were the most successful Prairie School architecture firm outside of Chicago. In a mere eight years, various permutations of this three-man team sprinkled more than two-dozen of these residential gems around the Twin Cities.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateMaurice I Wolf House, 4109 Kings Highway, Minneapolis — 1912.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateCharles T. Backus House, 212 W. 36th St., Minneapolis — 1915.

Most of the Twin Cities’ Purcell and Elmslie houses can be seen (at least the front view) in a leisurely couple of hours of driving around. When we lived in the Hineline house, people would sometimes stop and look at the house and maybe snap a photo or two. Because we weren't the most astute students of architecture at the time, we mostly stabilized the deterioration in the house and are grateful that subsequent owners have put the time, thought and money into repairing and replacing some of the detail that had been lost over the years. Thankfully, many of the owners of other Purcell and Elmslie houses have done the same.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateEdward L. Powers House, 1635 West 26th St., Minneapolis — 1910.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateE.C Tillotson House, 2316 Oliver Ave. S. Minneapolis — 1912.

These days, I’ve become the gawker with a camera, trying to catch a glimpse of some of these attractive and historic homes without being too intrusive. Last Sunday’s blue sky and new blanket of snow framed the simple, understated beauty of this uniquely American “art you can live in.”

MinnPost photo by Steve DateOscar Owre House, 2625 Newton Ave. S., Minneapolis — 1911.

MinnPost photo by Steve DatePaul Mueller Studio, 4845 Bryant Ave. S., Minneapolis — 1911.

Visit the Prairie School Traveler website for a listing of Purcell, Elmslie & Feick houses in Minnesota along with those by other Prairie School architects.

MinnPost photo by Steve DateCharles J. (Harry S.) Parker House, 4829 Colfax Ave. S., Minneapolis — 1913.

Views of ‘Rock the Cradle’ event

Steve Date — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:19:49 +0000

Steve Date

Last Sunday, 89.3 The Current held its annual "Rock the Cradle" at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Children's Theater in Minneapolis. This year's co-sponsor was Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.

According to the sponsors, Rock the Cradle "brings together families and social groups from all over the Twin Cities to enjoy music, art, books, puppetry, theatre and the community for a fun, engaging day."

I dropped in at the event with my camera for a couple of hours. Here are some photos.

Open Eye Figure Theatre Puppet Show

Kevin Kling reads his book "Little Big Brother."

Representatives from the MacPhail Center for Music provide hands-on experience at the "Musical Instrument Petting Zoo."

Kid rockers at "Kids Disco — The biggest dance party in town"

Representatives from the MacPhail Center for Music provide hands-on experience at the "Musical Instrument Petting Zoo."

Sunny winter views around Lake of the Isles

Steve Date — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:30:31 +0000

Steve Date

The combination frozen city lakes with little snow on the surrounding ground has made for an unusual winter look in the Twin Cities this year. I took a walk around (and on) Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis last weekend and enjoyed the mild, sunny weather.

Sights and sounds from Cherish the Children Pow Wow

Steve Date — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:40:26 +0000

Steve Date

This week's View Finder is a video of sights and sounds from the 14th annual Cherish the Children Pow Wow held last weekend at St. Paul Central High School. The event is sponsored by the Ain Dah Yung Center, "A healing place within the community for American Indian youth and families to thrive in safety and wholeness."

Beautiful February views of Minnesota wetland

Steve Date — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:00:38 +0000

Steve Date

This has been an unusual winter in the Twin Cities area. We're virtually snowless. While winter-embracers are grumbling, those of us who have never really accepted the idea that everything should be covered in a blanket of white from November to April are calling this brown winter a dream come true.

I visited several wetland areas over the weekend and found some odd (for Minnesota) but beautiful February views. These photos were shot at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Bloomington, Wood Lake Nature Center in Richfield and Lilydale Regional Park in St. Paul.

With a winter like this, golf can't be far off, right?

View from the visitors center at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Bloomington, Minnesota

Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge

A family out for a walk on the ice, Wood Lake Nature Center, Richfield, Minnesota

Wood Lake Nature Center

Forest between the old town of Mendota and the Minnesota River

Ice fishing at Lilydale Regional Park, St. Paul, Minnesota

Lilydale Regional Park

Scenes from the pond hockey championships at Lake Nokomis

Steve Date — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:02:00 +0000

Steve Date

The 7th annual U.S. Pond Hockey Championships were held last weekend at Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis. It's the largest outdoor hockey event in the country, with over 270 teams and some 1,700 players participating.

Minnesota, the self-dubbed "State of Hockey," turns out an estimated 30,000 spectators each year for the event. Spectators have a great time standing outdoors on a windswept Minneapolis lake watching grown men and women play like kids again.

The event symbolizes what Minnesota winters are all about.

All photos by Steve Date

U.S. Pond Hockey Championships at Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis.

Players change clothes and prepare for games in warming house.

Aloha Minnesota.

Nathan Molenda pops a wheelie on his fat tire winter bike.

The "Crazy 88s."

Bringing a little formality to the occasion.

Who says hockey uniforms can't be fashionable?

"Minnesota Nightcaps" women's team gets ready in the big tent.

Time out for a nap.

U.S. Pond Hockey Championships, 2012.

Video clip highlights Marv Davidov's lifetime philosophy of social justice activism

By Steve Date — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:59:00 +0000

Steve Date

Longtime Minnesota peace activist Marv Davidov died last weekend at age 80.

He spoke with me on camera during a Sept. 2, 2008, protest rally at the Minnesota State Capitol held during the Republican National Convention.

In this clip, Davidov — who was profiled by MinnPost's Doug Grow last year — speaks about the importance of activism and nonviolent protest in the name of peace and social justice.

Twin Cities remembers Martin Luther King

By Steve Date — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:47:00 +0000

Steve Date

Today's View Finder is a slideshow of photos from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations at St. Paul Central High School, the march to Concordia University in St. Paul and an event at Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis.

Scenes of northern Minnesota during a mild winter

By Steve Date — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:17:00 +0000

Steve Date

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Eddy's Marina, Mille Lacs Lake

This winter's strangely mild weather has resulted in some unusual January land-and-water vistas.

Lack of snow cover, lingering color, and thin ice on lakes are all extremely rare for this time of year.

I shot this group of photos on a weekend trip from the Twin Cities north to Fifty Lakes and Emily, Minn., last weekend.

For the record, I did not venture out onto the ice.

Como Park's warmth and color -- inside and out

By Steve Date — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:24:00 +0000

Steve Date

The last few days have been unseasonably pleasant in the Twin Cities. Visitors to Como Park in St. Paul last week were enjoying the usual indoor options, such as the zoo buildings and the conservatory, but it was good to spend time outside as well.

The Minnesota winter feels shorter when we can sneak in a few days of comfortable sunshine at this time of year.

This week's View Finder is about the outdoor scene as well as people taking time to enjoy the warmth and color of the indoor spaces of Como Park.

A visual visit to the northern edge of Minneapolis

By Steve Date — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:29:00 +0000

Steve Date

The Twin Cities have an extensive and well-planned parks system. I've lived in or near Minneapolis all my life and I'm still discovering public natural spaces that I've never visited before. On the recommendation of a friend, I paid a couple of visits last weekend to the North Mississippi Regional Park. It's a thin strip of prairie and woodland along the northernmost mile of the west side of the Mississippi River from Webber Parkway to the northern edge of Minneapolis.

Last May, a tornado ripped through north Minneapolis along a diagonal path from Theodore Wirth Park to North Mississippi Regional Park before hopping across the river. Some parts of the park lost many large trees. Stumps, severed branches and newly open spaces remind visitors of the power of the wind.

The park is only a couple of hundred yards wide in places and the traffic of I-94 is always audible. The freeway's sound barrier is often in sight. But if you face the river, or better yet, climb down to the shoreline, you don't feel as if you're in the middle of an industrial zone in a big city. Prairie grasses, trees, waterfowl and the river itself remind you of what the river was like before the city of Minneapolis grew up around it. Biking and walking trails going through the park extend northward and connect the suburbs to the inner city.

The tornado damage is often noticeable, but hasn't destroyed the natural beauty of this place. Even the brown-gray tones of December provided me with an appreciation for this little gem of a natural space.

Documenting changes for small businesses along light rail line

By Steve Date — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:58:00 +0000

Steve Date

Nick Clausen is a former TV videographer. He'd been telling one-minute video stories for years when he realized that he wanted to do something more meaningful with his skills. A few years ago, he decided to try to make a feature length documentary film.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Light rail construction on University Avenue in St. Paul.

Clausen grew up near University Avenue in St. Paul and continues to live in the area. He knows the stretch of "The Avenue" between downtown St. Paul and the Minneapolis border well and decided the small, independent businesses there would be an interesting subject for a film.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

University Avenue

As he began to talk to people about his idea, he found out that the planned light rail line was not welcomed by all the owners of small businesses on the proposed route. Some were adamantly opposed, and worried that they might not be able to survive the loss of revenue during the construction period. Others thought that the line itself would not bring in any new business for them after its completion.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Street traffic is difficult for small business during the construction phase.

Clausen began filming in 2009 and expects this to be a four-year endeavor. He has found five small, diverse businesses on University Avenue to check in on periodically — before, during and after the construction period comes to their block. A sixth subject decided to go out of business before the construction began.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Passenger waits at temporary bus stop on University Avenue.

I recently spent an afternoon with Clausen as he interviewed two of his five subjects. Alex Pham owns the Pho Ca Dao restaurant at 439 University Ave. and Tim Wilson owns Urban Lights Music at 1449 University. Pham is anticipating a significant loss in business and Wilson says he had an 80 percent loss of revenue during some parts of the construction phase.

(There is some dispute over how much revenue small businesses are losing. The policy director for St. Paul's mayor says documented business losses have not been nearly as severe as some of the claims made in public.)

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Nick Clausen interviews Pho Ca Dao restaurant owner Alex Pham.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Nick Clausen interviews Tim Wilson, owner of Urban Lights Music.

In this video, Clausen talks about his documentary project and introduces us to Alex Pham and Tim Wilson.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

The business landscape of University Avenue is changing because of the light rail line.

A visual visit to Starbase Minnesota

By Steve Date — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:15:00 +0000

Steve Date

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Instructors Tim "Igneous" Swanson and Alyssa "Joule" Heser welcome students to Starbase Minnesota.

I've been spending this week at Starbase Minnesota with more than 100 5th graders from Andersen United Community School in Minneapolis. Starbase is a science, math and engineering program for inner city students in grades 4-6, located in an Air National Guard building at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Starbase is an engaging, week-long program that focuses on some of the same standards we teach in school, but teaches them in a way that we never could. The Starbase instructors are all licensed teachers and do a wonderful job with our students.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Instructor Joule helps students program a "Mars rover."

The Department of Defense provides classrooms, access to aviation resources and volunteers from the Guard serve as guest speakers as part of the program. There are a host of other funders, including many science and technology-related companies and foundations.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Members of the military speak to students and answer questions.

This is my fourth year attending Starbase and I'm impressed by the high quality of instruction and lessons. Because of the technology required, these are the kinds of activities that are difficult or impossible to do at school. The program gives kids a chance to apply their learning in fun and motivating ways. My students love it.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Students compare the density of the atmospheres of Earth and Mars.

After a year in a temporary facility, Starbase returned in September to its refurbished home with larger and technologically updated classrooms.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Students are welcomed to the redesigned Starbase facility by instructor Scott "Viper" Halupczok.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Students use computers to design rockets for their mission to Mars.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

New classrooms have plenty of space for science activities.

It seems like my students learn more math and science in a week at Starbase than they ever would at school. I've been impressed and I think it's a good use of Department of Defense funds and of corporate and individual contributions. I hope it can continue to be funded in future years to serve lower-income students from Minneapolis and St. Paul.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Instructor Ben "Kelvin" Sonquist says goodbye to students as they board the bus.

Almost-winter views near the north shore of Lake Superior

By Steve Date — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:02:00 +0000

Steve Date

I spent a lot of time on the north shore of Lake Superior as a kid in the '50s and '60s. But my only memories are of summer, and mostly of the 50-mile stretch between Duluth and Gooseberry Falls.

Last weekend I drove to Grand Marais and experienced the almost-winter of late November. Although the leaves had fallen many weeks ago, there was a surprising amount of color evident in the grasses and lichens on rocks and in the forests near the lake. The winds of November blow cold, but haven't erased the beauty of the rugged shoreline.

Exploring Nicollet Avenue's unusual Lustron houses

By Steve Date — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:24:00 +0000

Steve Date

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Lustron houses on Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis.

I lived a few blocks from the row of metal houses on the 5000 block of Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis for many years before I paid any attention to them. I took more notice about eight years ago when my daughter Emily, who was studying architectural history, told me about how interesting they were.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

5009 Nicollet Avenue

About a year ago, I was driving down that block and the afternoon sun reflected off one of the houses like a flashbulb. I was intrigued and decided then that I wanted to learn more about these odd Lustron houses.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

The front of Buck Holzemer's Lustron house reflects the afternoon sun.

When I found out they were not only porcelain-enameled steel on the outside, but were metal on the inside as well, I wanted to get inside one.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

5015 Nicollet Avenue

Buck Holzemer owns the blue house that flashed me that day. A mutual friend introduced us recently and he gave me a tour of his 1950, 1,000-square foot, baby-boomer beauty.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Buck Holzemer and his 1950 Lustron house.

The Lustron Corp. began to design houses in 1947 and marketed them to GIs returning from World War II. There were nearly 3,000 of these enameled-steel homes constructed between 1948 and 1950. The low-maintenance exterior, invented by Carl Strandlund of Chicago, had the color baked in. It was meant to appeal to the modern post-war family. Holzemer likens the exterior panels to "the top of your stove."

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Roof as well as siding are all metal.

According to the Lustron Preservation Organization, about 1,500 Lustron houses nationwide still stand. Many of these have fallen into disrepair, but owners such as Holzemer are trying to preserve them in an authentic way as much as they can. This can be difficult, however, because of the unique design and unusual use of metal throughout. Some owners gave up on being true to the original idea and made changes such as putting vinyl siding over the metal finish.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Maintenance and painting of metal panels has been problematic. Note also the distinctive decorative trellis.

Holzemer removed the siding on his house to expose the original metal. But this caused multiple new problems because of holes in the metal and the difficulty of painting over it. He also fixed a bad kitchen remodel by a previous owner and installed a new heating system among other things.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Buck Holzemer remodeled his kitchen it the original 1950 style.

When Holzemer bought the house, he was attracted to the simple, clean, mid-20th century modern style, but he had no idea how much work it would be to restore and maintain. He laughs and says he probably wouldn't have done it if he'd known what he knows now.

In this video, Buck Holzemer gives me a tour of the inside of his Lustron house and talks about the restoration and repair work he's done.

Scenes from the Big Water Film Festival

By Steve Date — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:24:00 +0000

Steve Date

The Big Water Film Festival in Washburn, Wis., is a small, but growing event that just finished its fourth annual run last weekend. I had two short documentary films entered, so I spent a beautiful November weekend near the south shore of Lake Superior.

Twin Cities filmmaker Melody Gilbert sang the praises of the BWFF last year and encouraged me and other members of IFP Minnesota's monthly Docuclub to enter some of our work.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

BWFF committee member Jeremy Oswald is interviewed by a local TV station.

Bayfield, Wis., a few miles up the shore from Washburn, has long been a tourist destination, as well as a place to start a boat trip to Madeleine Island the other Apostle Islands.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Bayfield, Wis.

Washburn is trying to build on that for itself, and the Stage North Theater is the cornerstone of its development as both a tourist town and a healthy, thriving community for the locals.

The Big Water Film Festival is part of that effort. Local businesses proudly sponsor the event, and committee members are all area residents who are passionate about developing the arts as a part of a strong and well-rounded community.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Noreen Ovadia Wills, owner of Coco Cafe and Bakery, one of the film festival sponsors.

The natural beauty of Lake Superior and the surrounding north woods provide a gorgeous backdrop for attracting visitors to this kind of event.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Lake Superior visible in the distance from a high ridge near Washburn.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Visitors take a walk near the shore of Lake Superior in Washburn.

I recently visited the Commonweal Theater in Lanesboro, Minn., and the effect the Stage North Theater is having on Washburn reminds me of that phenomenon. Washburn is holding on to its small town values and lifestyle. But residents realize that welcoming and fostering things often thought of as only found in bigger cities, such as high-quality theater, good restaurants, and events like the film festival, breathe life and money into the local economy and help make their town a better place to live.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Director Joe Dressel and Chris Cummings, writer and lead actor of "Rough Tender," winner of Best Feature film.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Filmmaker J.J. Kelley, winner of 2010 Best Documentary at BWFF for Paddle to Seattle.

The Big Water festival is not only a great opportunity to see a lot of good, independent films, but to meet and chat with many of the filmmakers in a casual, relaxed atmosphere. The Stage North's bar and lobby is a small, comfortable area where everyone gathers — established and novice filmmakers mingle freely with the audience and everyone seems to be instant friends.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Lobby of Stage North Theater

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Doug White produced "Girl of My Dreams," winner of Best Short-Short Film.

But what I'll remember most is the warmth and gratitude extended by the festival committee members to the filmmakers who attended. Their hospitality, generosity and personal connection throughout the weekend made me feel welcome in a way I hadn't expected.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

BWFF committee members Claire Duquette, David Siegler and Kristen Sandstrom.

Member of the festival committee are encouraged by the way the event has grown each year and are already talking about next year's event. The festival is a good thing for the town and good for the Upper Midwest's independent film community. I'll be submitting another video or two in 2012. I'd love to spend another November weekend in Washburn, Wis.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Scenes from Day of the Dead events in the Twin Cities

By Steve Date — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:08:00 +0000

Steve Date

The Mexican holiday of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) originated with the Aztec culture in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. After the Spanish conquest, the tradition was moved to coincide with the Catholic All Saints Day, which is the day after Halloween in modern America.

MinnPost/Steve Date

Ketzal Coatlicue Danza Azteca dancer

Although the images of Day of the Dead include human skeletons and depictions of death, those who celebrate it want it known that it is not ghoulish or macabre and not Halloween, but rather a joyful connection of family and friends in life and death. While there are regional differences in the rituals, it is believed that it's a time for families to remember and communicate with loved ones who have crossed over into death.

Ofrendas, or altars, are assembled in homes and businesses to remember and honor those who have passed on. They include photos, foods and personal items intended to entice the deceased to come back for a brief visit. Images of skeletons and skulls are everywhere — on drawings, paintings, paper cuttings, candy, cakes and bread — all to mock death and welcome back the departed spirits. Skull masks are worn and many people paint their faces in whimsical depictions of death.

I took my camera along to several Día de los Muertos events in the Twin Cities, including at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul. In Minneapolis, the Midtown Global Market, Mercado Central, Centro El Zócalo and El Colegio High School all had ofrendas and art work on display and hosted events over the past week.

The Ketzal Coatlicue Aztec dance group, led by Susana DeLeon, made several appearances, including a procession Tuesday evening commencing at Mercado Central on Lake Street. Participants sang and read poetry while walking the 12 blocks to El Colegio School, where a large crowd welcomed them as they performed traditional Aztec dances.

Decorations and ofrendas will remain on display for several weeks in many locations.

Scenes from a 'wake for the middle class'

By Steve Date — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:50:00 +0000

Steve Date

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Protesters participate in a "New Orleans-style wake for the middle class."

The American Dream movement, MoveOn.org and OccupyMN joined forces Sunday to hold a "New Orleans-style wake for the middle class" at the Hennepin County Government Center Plaza in Minneapolis followed by a march to the Metrodome just before the Vikings-Packers game.

According to an email invitation from a MoveOn member, the event was organized to "highlight the jobs and security the middle class has lost during this economic crisis, celebrating our reawakening and discussing our journey back to a just and viable economy via the Contract for the American Dream."

The Big Gay Race: Scenes from the run

By Steve Date — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:07:00 +0000

Steve Date

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Michelle Frey is a professional distance runner, and her husband, Jacob, used to be one. This past January they got the idea to organize a 5K run in Minneapolis to raise money and awareness about an organization called Minnesotans United for All Families, which was launched as the coalition to defeat the proposed constitutional amendment in Minnesota that would ban same-sex couples from getting married.

I took my camera along for the run this past Saturday. It was a cool, windy morning, but several thousand enthusiastic runners and supporters showed up for the event that began and ended at the Wilde Roast Cafe at Riverplace in downtown Minneapolis.

The political agenda is serious. And "The Big Gay Race" is a catchy name, but don't be fooled by that. This was no gay pride parade. As I walked around and ran the race, I realized that what this gathering was really about was the importance of family — all families. There were people of all ages and there seemed to be equal numbers of gay and straight people, but you couldn't really tell who was who, and it didn't matter.

This was a loving and caring community coming together for a pro-marriage and pro-family celebration, pure and simple.

Exploring the Mississippi below St. Anthony Falls

By Steve Date — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:40:00 +0000

Steve Date

The Mississippi above St. Anthony Falls in downtown Minneapolis is a different river than the stretch from the falls to Ft. Snelling a few miles south. This section, which separates Minneapolis from St. Paul, is the only true gorge on the entire length of the river.

The deep channel and steep banks are the result of 10,000 years of erosion and migration upriver of the river's only waterfall as it broke away a limestone layer protruding over softer sandstone underneath. The falls stabilized at the present location in the 1870s.

The fall colors peaked more than a week ago in the Twin Cities. When I explored this part of the river with my camera last weekend, many trees had lost their leaves, but brilliant reds, oranges and yellows were still to be found on the bluffs and in the little tributary valleys. I ended up down by the water's edge, where the Minneapolis Rowing Club was taking some of their last excursions of the year.

Now, just a few days later after I shot these photos, the colors on river bank have mostly faded to the winter hues of brown and grey.

But it's still a beautiful walk.

Putting on a show at the Twin Cities Marathon

By Steve Date — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:20:00 +0000

Steve Date

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

A strong finish from the Cathedral to the Capitol.

I don't like to admit this, but when I used to run marathons I found it a little irritating to hear people yell "looking good" especially toward the end of the race. In my mind I was looking anything but good. But watching the Twin Cities Marathon last Sunday as spectator for the first time in 20 years changed my mind.

It made me realize that perhaps the greatest value of this race is its role as a community event. It's a little like a small town parade, where the townspeople are both the entertainment and the audience. They put on a show for themselves.

On one level, the marathon is one of the purest forms of human competition — running a long distance against another person. But out of a field of 8,500 runners, only a few dozen have any chance at all of winning the race.

For most, running a marathon is a personal triumph. While most people in reasonably good health could run 26.2 miles if they put their mind to it and dedicated a year to training, the fact is that few actually do.

As a runner, the scenery and the crowds become a blur as you become part of the river flowing through the course. You know you are in the middle of something special, but you can't take time to stop and look around. I enjoyed being able to take that time this year.

On Sunday, it was about our community. I was touched by the personal interactions between runners and spectators. There were 8,500 runners and many thousand more spectators — total strangers — being happy together and nice to each other. Hand slaps, signs, cheers, volunteers handing out water and runners thanking them and apologizing for spilling it. I saw kids running up to hug their moms on the course like she was a star — about an hour after they'd dropped her off at the start line. I was thrilled seeing the exuberance of runners as they were near the finish and felt the pain of those who couldn't make it.

They were looking good, and I found myself yelling it a few times.

We were all looking good.

Revisiting Highway 61

By Steve Date — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:24:00 +0000

Steve Date

After a couple of day trips down past Lake Pepin earlier this year, I've grown to like the scenery and little towns on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River. But when I drove from Minneapolis to Winona Sunday, I took in the more familiar views from the Minnesota side along good old U.S. Highway 61.

I gave myself a little extra time, knowing I would want to stop and shoot a few photos. Late September in Minnesota and Wisconsin "bluff country" means cool, sunny days and the first fall colors beginning to take over the green, tree-covered hillsides and valleys. This is a gorgeous time of year, and the weather that day did not disappoint.

I'm glad I don't have to choose which side of the river is a nicer drive, because I can't. Bob Dylan's song popped into my head on Sunday. The lyrics have absolutely nothing to do with what I was doing, but at that moment I was very happy to be "out on Highway 61."

Capturing Keller Golf Course's beauty and history

By Steve Date — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 15:01:00 +0000

Steve Date

"Don't try to cut the corner on Number 1."

Forty-five years later, I still hear Spring Lake Park High School golf coach Monrad Peterson's voice whenever I tee up on the first hole at Keller Golf Course in Maplewood.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

The opening hole at Keller Golf Course.

It's a course I've always loved, but played infrequently over the years. About a year ago I decided to change that when I came to the realization that Keller is my hands-down favorite course to play.

I love this special place for several reasons — the beauty of the landscape, the course design, its rich history and my personal experiences there.

Beauty
This place is gorgeous. You don't have to be a golfer to appreciate the views of the rolling green-carpet terrain with its beautiful trees and ponds and dramatic changes in elevation.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

The green on hole No. 12 (formerly No. 3).

Golf course design
Paul Coates, the chief engineer of Ramsey County, drew up the original layout in 1929. Imagine that happening today: Hiring a county engineer to design a golf course of any kind, let alone one that would host PGA tournaments — impossible.

According to a Golf Digest article, Coates, at his own expense, traveled to many of the great courses of his day for ideas. He also spent a lot of time picking the brain of legendary golf course architect Donald Ross. He should get some sort of award for rising to a challenge way above his pay grade and expertise — and knocking this project out of the park.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Roger Buoen hits a drive over a wildflower-filled ravine toward the fairway on the 16th hole (old No. 7).

History
Keller began hosting a PGA tour stop, The St. Paul Open, in 1930 — its second year of operation. This tournament continued until 1968. Keller was also the site of two PGA Championships, a Western Open, 11 LPGA events and a National Publinks Championship.

By the 1960s, Keller had become a lower-echelon course on the pro tour, lacking the length and amenities to which the PGA was becoming accustomed. But it was still Minnesota's chance to host a big-league golf event, and we loved it.

All of the great pros of the '30s through the '60s played there. Back in the days when most of the top players played most of the tournaments, you had a chance to see them all at a relatively minor stop like St. Paul. One can get misty-eyed just reciting the names as you walk around the place — Hagen, Hogan, Snead, Sarazen, Nicklaus, Palmer — and on and on.

Of the many old photos that hang in the Keller Clubhouse, I think this one is my favorite. Ben Hogan leads a group of spectators on the narrow walkway leading to the 16th (old No. 7) fairway.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Ben Hogan and fans, 1940.

Keller certainly has its share of stories. I'm not sure how true they all are, but they're fun to hear — and repeat.

Legendary golfer Gene Sarazen supposedly once took 12 strokes on the short par-3 13th (now the 4th) hole, withdrew from the tournament and vowed never to return. The rather large oak tree smack in front of the green is one of only two original trees that were growing on the land before they designed the course (the other is in front of the 17th hole).

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

An inconveniently placed old oak tree guards the front of the green on the 4th hole (old No. 13), the site of Gene Sarazen's demise.

Gangsters of the '20s and '30s sometimes came to St. Paul to get away from the authorities in Chicago. Legend has it that John Dillinger quickly dropped his clubs and jumped a train next to the 3rd (now the 12th) hole when he heard that FBI agents were coming.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Bob Whereatt does his impression of John Dillinger on the hole where he supposedly dropped his clubs and hopped a train. I didn't know Dillinger was a lefty.

"Champagne Tony" Lema wrote in his book, "Golfer's Gold," that in the evening, after a drink or two, the guys would hit balls from the old 3rd tee across Highway 61 into Keller Lake.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Justin Buoen watches his drive from the tee where tipsy pros used to hit balls into Keller Lake across the highway.

A few years after the PGA left Keller, the LPGA arrived with the Patty Berg Classic, which ran from 1973-1980, named after our local legend who helped found the women's tour. It kept Keller alive as a professional venue for a while longer and provided more memories for those of us in the galleries. It was a great course for the women and it was sad when the tournament left for bigger and more modern suburban courses.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Keller takes you back in time to the point where wearing clothes like this just seems like the right thing to do.

Personal Experiences
I don't remember much about that first visit to Keller with my golf team other than Mr. Peterson's advice and feeling excited up about playing a course that the pros played.

But later that summer I went back there with my friend Steve Erickson to watch the St. Paul Open. I remember walking up to the clubhouse when we arrived and the first player I saw was Tom Weiskopf, one of the top pros of that era. He was standing at the top of the stairs that led down to the locker room. It was a thrill. Then we walked a few yards over to the practice green and listened to Chi Chi Rodriguez making wisecracks. It was all very cool.

Roger Buoen, MinnPost's co-managing editor, also has a lot of memories of watching the St. Paul Open as a teen, and we always talk about those days when we play Keller together. My favorite story of his also involves Tom Weiskopf, who was known for a graceful swing but also for a bad temper and getting flustered on the golf course. Roger was sitting next to the second green (then No. 11) when Weiskopf's group came through. After missing a short putt on the green, Weiskopf walked over to Roger and made eye contact. Roger was, of course, excited that one of his favorite golf stars was about to say something to him, perhaps offering words of golfing wisdom. "Can't putt on these shitty greens," big Tom said as he walked away. That cracks me up every time I think about it.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

The 13th hole (old No. 4) is a short, but tricky par-3 over a deep valley.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

An autographed photo of Arnold Palmer putting on the 13th green (old 4th) hangs in the Keller Clubhouse.

I have a memory for just about every hole at Keller, whether it's from a St. Paul Open or from playing there ourselves as teens. I vividly recall lipping out a six-foot putt on the second hole of a playoff in the regional tournament my senior year in high school that kept me out of the state tournament in 1971. It was the same green Weiskopf missed his putt on. I guess I couldn't putt those greens either, shitty or not.

Keller will be undergoing a major renovation, scheduled to begin about a year from now. I have heard that most, if not all, the greens will be rebuilt and the clubhouse and little stone pro shop building will be razed. I understand that some of the greens need to be rebuilt. But I hate to hear that the clubhouse and pro shop have to go. They are historically significant structures (with emotionally significant memories) and should be preserved.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Keller's distinctive clubhouse sits on a hill above Highway 61.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

The little stone pro shop building next to the first tee. They don't build them like this anymore.

But soon both buildings will be gone. Please allow me to scream just once, "Don't do it!"

I haven't seen the architect's plans, but we can only hope that they preserve as much of the original design of the course as possible.

When I recently played the first hole, I heard Mr. Peterson's voice, as usual, and aimed a little farther left. But the ball didn't obey and sailed over the corner toward the green.

It ended up behind a tree.

I'm going to being playing Keller as much as I can over the next 12 months and take a lot of pictures. I'm worried the upcoming facelift is going to change this sweet old lady beyond recognition. I want her to look old, not new.

When the time comes, I hope somebody scatters some of my ashes around there, so I can be a tiny part of this place that is such a part of me.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Autumn shadows creep across the still-green grass.

Monarch Butterfly Festival bursting with color

By Steve Date — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:24:00 +0000

Steve Date

My intention with View Finder is to find visually interesting places, events and people and use my camera to share them with you.

I've been doing a personal blog for a year and a half, and I've experienced something very nice as a result of it. People occasionally comment about how a post relates to them or they send me ideas for other subjects to feature or places to visit. That is the strength of this format — connecting with someone from anywhere in the world on a personal level around something that resonates with both of us.

I stopped for a couple of hours at the Monarch Butterfly Festival at Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis last weekend and shot some pictures. This wonderful, family-oriented, Latino-flavored festival has been around for 3 years. Several thousand people attended and did art projects, ate tasty food, took in some good music and dance, learned a lot about monarch butterflies, and generally had a great time.

The kids enjoyed releasing tagged monarchs into the Lake Nokomis wildflower garden, to help the Mariposas Monarcas begin their almost comically impossible 2,300-mile journey to Mexico.

They fly from Minneapolis to Mexico. Think about that for a moment.

I look forward to this new adventure.

Here's to improbable journeys.

Inside MinnPost: New MinnPost blog, View Finder, focuses on what's visually captivating

Never flashy, Harmon Killebrew was the perfect role model for a Minnesota 8-year-old

By Steve Date — Wed, 18 May 2011 15:44:00 +0000

Steve Date

Photo by Peter Freeman/Courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society

Harmon Killebrew hitting his 500th home run in a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Metropolitan Stadium.

The Minnesota Twins' inaugural season began a few days after my eighth birthday. I knew nothing about baseball, and neither did any of my friends, but we all signed up to play Little League that spring. I still remember going to the registration night with my dad, new glove on my hand — as if we were going to hit the field right after we filled out the form.

I also brought my baseball glove on my first visit to Metropolitan Stadium a couple of months later. My memory tells me that the Twins beat the Kansas City Athletics 4-3 and Harmon Killebrew hit a home run. We sat in the second deck on the first-base side. You can probably look it up and prove me wrong, but it's my memory and I'm sticking to it.

The Twins were Minnesota's only major league team at the time — the Minneapolis Lakers basketball team had left for L.A two years earlier, and the Vikings wouldn't arrive until September. We 8-year-olds didn't know squat about playing baseball, but we knew we had a big-league ball club and the bonus was that it came with an established star player — Harmon Killebrew.

Harmon was never flashy, never cocky, never sexy. He and Minnesota were a perfect fit.

He was also not particularly large in stature, although he seemed like it to us kids. At 5'11″ and a bit over 200 pounds, other big hitters towered over him in old photos. But his stocky frame and muscular legs, coupled with a memorable extension when he swung the bat, turned out to be a perfect combination for hitting a baseball a long distance. He was a power hitter, period. He even later admitted that he never paid much attention to his batting average. He drew a lot of walks and also struck out a lot, but he also gave us plenty of thrills.

Possibly the oddest tribute in sports is the stadium seat that hangs high on a wall above the "Log Chute" ride inside the Mall of America in Bloomington. The mall was built over the old Met Stadium site. The lone seat marks the approximate landing spot of his longest home run at the Met, estimated at 522 feet.

Harmon's greatest attribute was not his ability to play baseball, however. When you listen to all the tributes to him over the coming days, I guarantee you will not hear a single one that doesn't mention his character — who he was as a person. Of course it was a different era, and sports stars hadn't yet become the rich, ungrateful, "don't-give-crap-about-being-a-role-model" jerks that seem all too prevalent today. But even in those innocent early '60s, we all knew Harmon was someone special, someone we could look up to, to emulate. He might strike out with the bases loaded now and then, but he would never let us down. And he never did.

Twins baseball was a big part of my life in elementary school, and Harmon was the biggest Twins star. To be honest, I had a lot of "favorite players" in those earlier years — Tony Oliva, Bob Allison, Zoilo Versailles, and a little later, Rod Carew. I remember trying to start a Lennie Green fan club during that first season. But Harmon was who I imagined I was when I was at the plate.

Photo by Peter Hohn/Courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society

Ossie Bluege, who scouted and signed Harmon Killebrew for Washington in 1954, awarded Killebrew an inscribed plaque commemorating his 500th home run.

In recent years, Harmon showed us all how to grow older. He did it by staying busy, making himself useful, and teaching younger people to care about the sport he loved so much. He mentored younger Twins players — who are too young to remember his playing days — and became their hero, too. I watched the sports on a local news channel Tuesday night and they showed a press conference with a bunch of former Twins. Teary-eyed Hall of Fame St. Paul boy Paul Molitor said, "I picked the right guy to be my hero." Jack Morris was completely choked up and said that it was Harmon's quiet strength and kindness that he will remember. The TV sports reporter, who is about my age, concluded with, "He was my childhood. He was our superstar."

In the past few weeks and months, Harmon also showed us how to die. His straightforward, three-paragraph statement just last week began with this sentence, "It is with profound sadness that I share with you that my continued battle with esophageal cancer is coming to an end." No sugar coating, no false hope, just the truth.

Let the tributes roll in. Harmon deserves all of them.

An aging Mickey Mantle once said something like, "Ah, to be 25 again and the star of the Yankees." I say, "Ah, to be 8 again and pretending to be Harmon Killebrew."

Steve Date is a teacher in the Minneapolis Public Schools and a part-time video journalist and documentary filmmaker who frequently contributes to MinnPost. He wrote this for his blog, Trying to Pay Attention.

Film, panel discussions focus on labor's role in society

By Steve Date — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:58:00 +0000

Steve Date

Courtesy of Catherwood Library Kheel Center

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire

Dr. Peter Rachleff, professor of history at Macalaster College in St. Paul, thinks of the immigrant workforce as the "canary in the coal mine of our society." The way employers, government and the media treat them "has been — and is — an indication of the kind of treatment that will soon come our way."

One hundred years ago this month, 146 garment workers, most of them young, Jewish and Italian female immigrants, died in a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City. "Exit doors had been locked, elevators failed, fire escapes crumbled, and the fire department's ladders did not reach high enough," according to a description provided by Jewish Community Action, one of the sponsors of a series of upcoming events.

Rachleff contends that the fire stands as a warning about what can happen when workers are not allowed to organize. "Two years before the fire, women workers in the Triangle shop participated in a strike for union recognition. They lost. With no collective voice, their only choice was to continue to work in a dangerous setting." The fire marked a turning point in labor history.

Rachleff, working with JCA, is one of the coordinators of the series, called "Then and Now: Immigrants, Workers and the Search for Justice." They've enlisted more than 30 historical, educational, religious, labor, immigrant rights, and social justice organizations to support and participate in the project.

The kickoff is a film screening about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and panel discussion on Sunday, March 6, at 3 p.m. in the John B. Davis Auditorium at Macalester.

Other events in the series include the JCA Freedom Seder, photo exhibits, documentary film screenings (including the Minnesota premier of "Abused: The Postville Story"), Jewish Labor history bus tour, and other study and education sessions. For a complete listing of events and participating organizations, go here.

According to Rachleff, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire "should stand as a warning to all of us of what can happen when workers are denied the right to organize and protect their interests -- indeed, their very lives -- through collective bargaining."

The scene playing out at the Wisconsin state capitol illustrates the timeliness of this examination of labor history, Rachleff says. Gov. Scott Walker "wants to strip public employees of their right to collectively bargain about their benefits, their job descriptions, their working conditions."

Rachleff hopes the series "can heighten our awareness of not only the connections between the past and the present ... but also the linkages between immigrant and native born workers, especially in an era of hard economic times, like today."

Christa McAuliffe still inspires Minneapolis teachers

By Steve Date — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Steve Date

Grace Corrigan lost her daughter 25 years ago today — and we saw it happen.

NASA

Christa McAuliffe

Anyone who is old enough cannot forget the faces of Grace and her husband, Edward, as they watched the space shuttle Challenger explode 73 seconds after liftoff on Jan. 28, 1986. Their daughter, Christa McAuliffe, was one of the seven astronauts who died that day.

Christa had been chosen to be the first Teacher in Space, a program announced by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, intended to "inspire students, honor teachers, and spur interest in mathematics, science and space exploration."

I got to know Grace Corrigan because of several trips I took with a Minneapolis Public Schools program called GEMS — Girls in Engineering, Math and Science. Julie and Brad Blue, the former coordinators of the program, had befriended Grace and invited her to spend some time with the Minneapolis teachers at Cape Canaveral. We also went to Coalwood, W.Va., home town of Homer Hickam and the Rocket Boys, featured in the movie "October Sky."

Grace has been able to overcome the pain of losing her daughter by channeling her grief into continuing Christa's mission of promoting education. She's make countless public appearances and speeches, all with the same theme — let's not forget Christa and what she was all about.

REUTERS

The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded seconds after takeoff on Jan. 28, 1986.

Although Grace has slowed down just a bit in recent years, she still visits Challenger Center educational programs and schools, especially those named after her daughter. She also helps raise money for some of the scholarships across the country in Christa's name.

I made this video from footage shot in West Virginia during three years of my visits with Grace and a group of Minnesota teachers.

MinnPost video by Steve Date

Minnesota non-profit working to bring profitable outcome in Africa

By Steve Date — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:26:00 +0000

Steve Date

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Ray Menard

Ray Menard, executive director of Cheetah Development in Hastings, Minn., takes adage about teaching a man to fish rather than giving him a fish one step further. "Show him how to sell fish and he will eat steak", says the Cheetah website.

When Menard visited Africa in 2008, he came to the realization that traditional aid to developing countries, while well intentioned, wasn't working. He describes what he saw in Tanzania as "broken links in the economic chain" of that country. For example, small farmers were growing a lot of food, but there was a breakdown in the system of transporting it to market and selling it.

Originally educated as a biochemist, Menard has been involved in business development and consulting for nearly 30 years. After Sept. 11, 2001, he was instrumental in the effort to design a system for the logistics and security of hauling debris away from the World Trade Center site.

While in Africa, Menard realized that business development is the key to success for developing countries. "It's Development 101," he says. He started up Cheetah Development, a non-profit company here in Minnesota that invests in small- to mid-sized for-profit business ventures in Africa.

"There is a better way than handouts," says Menard. "What we're doing is helping them unlock their own resources, so they can feed themselves, clothe themselves and send their own kids to school."

Discipline and profit
Cheetah Development is based on the premise that the discipline required to turn a profit will help these business owners develop the skills necessary for long-term success. Menard sees a gap between existing large-scale venture capital and microfinance in the developing world. He calls this "the missing middle" and believes this is where investment capital is most needed. Cheetah's projects will focus on the $5,000 to $500,000 range of business size.

Cheetah has already begun a handful of projects in Tanzania, mostly involving transportation, preservation and distribution of foods. The most visible of these so far is the bicycle project.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Left to right: Bob Brown, John Hehre, Lloyd Kenely and Mark Stonich building the prototype bike.

In Tanzania, bikes are used for far more than transporting people – they are trucks for moving goods. Farmers add structure to the frame of an ordinary bike and pile on hundreds of pounds of food and other items to transport to market. Sometimes they get so heavy that they can't even be ridden and are used as something like a wheelbarrow. Regular bicycles aren't built for this kind of stress and often break.

In keeping with its philosophy, Cheetah Development is planning to build a bike factory in Tanzania that will build ultra-heavy duty bicycles, specifically designed for use by farmers that will bear loads up to 1,000 pounds.

Cheetah has put together a design team of Twin Cities engineers and marketing people from various fields that have volunteered their time and expertise to build a prototype bike as well as design the new factory in Tanzania.

Pam Saylor, a sales manager for Kurt Kinetic, a manufacturer of parts for the bicycle industry, will be in charge of sales. Design and construction of the prototype is being done by Bob Brown, owner of Bob Brown Cycles, a St. Paul custom-frame bike company, Lloyd Keleny, part of the original Rollerblade engineering team, Mark Stonich, owner of Bikesmith Design and Fabrication in Minneapolis, and John Hehre, president and CEO of Creative Processes, Inc. They've been working since last spring to build a prototype bike.

Menard hopes to have the first factory in Tanzania up and running in the first quarter of 2011. The factory will be sized based on pre-orders, but he hopes to build several thousand bikes in the first year of production. He's currently raising money for that effort and for the other projects that are underway.

Menard uses the word catalyst from his biochemistry days — something that facilitates a reaction without getting used up by the reaction — to describe Cheetah Development's role. He thinks the economic challenges of sub-Saharan Africa present enormous opportunities for investment in the people who live there. Cheetah Development is in the business of teaching fishing (business-building) to the people of Africa to give them the skills to change their own lives.

MinnPost Video

MinnPost video by Steve Date

Jim Lehrer on moderating presidential debates and buses

By Steve Date — Tue, 04 May 2010 13:48:00 +0000

Steve Date

Second of two reports

REUTERS/Jason Reed

Sen. John McCain, left, and then-Sen. Barack Obama, center, greet moderator Jim Lehrer following a presidential debate in Oxford, Miss., on Sept. 26, 2008.

Jim Lehrer has been the moderator of 11 presidential debates. In today's video report, the anchor of the "NewsHour" on PBS who visited Minnesota this weekend talks about what it's like to be at the center of such a historic event.

Lehrer also talks about a planned visit to the Greyhound Bus Museum in Hibbing, Minn., with good friend and author Paul Nagel of Minneapolis.

And Lehrer, who has long had a passion for buses and owns a 1946 Flxible Clipper, does his famous "bus call."

Lehrer traveled to Minnesota as part of a cross-country tour visiting PBS stations and promoting his new novel, "Super."

Jim Lehrer on the future of news reporting

By Steve Date — Mon, 03 May 2010 14:34:00 +0000

Steve Date

First of two reports

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Jim Lehrer autographing a book during a University of Minnesota Friends of the Libraries event on Friday.

Jim Lehrer, anchor of the "NewsHour" on PBS, traveled to Minnesota this weekend as part of a cross-country tour visiting PBS stations and promoting his new novel, "Super."

You can read his blog about the trip here.

I got a chance to spend a little time with him Friday, and I asked him about the news business, about what it's like to moderate a presidential debate and about one of his passions — buses.

In today's first of two video reports, Lehrer gives his take on the state of the news media and where it's headed.

An actor's life: A rare look backstage at the Guthrie

By Steve Date — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:20:00 +0000

Steve Date

Last of three parts

Ever wondered what goes on backstage at the Guthrie Theater before the play starts? In today's third video installment of An Actor's Life, local actor Bob Davis takes us on a rare tour of the theater building just before a performance of "Macbeth." The camera allows us to visit places that most of us never see.

Then Davis takes us to his dressing room as he prepares himself while the "Bloody Sergeant" puts on makeup, Macduff studies his lines and the wisecracking "Flyboys" strap on battle gear and prepare to descend to the stage on ropes for the play's opening fight scene.

With a dark suit, a little makeup, some new glasses and a severe part of his hair, Davis transforms into the Thane of Rosse.

Part one: Making a living in the Twin Cities
Part two: 'Shakespeare is designed to be played'
Part three: A rare look backstage at the Guthrie

An actor's life: 'Shakespeare is designed to be played'

By Steve Date — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:30:00 +0000

Steve Date

Photo by Michal Daniel

Bob Davis, left, as Rosse and J.C. Cutler as Lenox in Shakespeare's "Macbeth" on the Wurtele Thrust Stage of the Guthrie Theater.

In the second video of the series, Bob Davis, who plays the Thane of Rosse in the Guthrie Theater's current production of "Macbeth," shares his love for playing Shakespeare.

"Shakespeare's the best", he says. "I'm a big fan — a big fan".

This video also includes a "fight call," the fight-scene choreography run-through just before the audience comes into the theater prior to each performance. The actors practice these moves every day to make sure the scene looks good, but also because safety is the first priority on stage.

"Macbeth" opens with an exciting, but complicated, fight scene that requires precise coordination between actors, lighting people and stagehands. During fight call, half-speed fight scenes become beautiful dances that take on a different quality from the way they appear in the actual play.

Davis and wife, Mary Alette, started Brazil!, an acting school for children that they ran for 10 years. His favorite part was the summer Shakespeare camp, where they taught 9-16 year-olds how to do Shakespeare plays. The kids learned to act Shakespeare's own words in pared down versions of his works. They were "transformed," he says, by being able to actually learn lines and act scenes that at first seemed very difficult on the page.

Davis has been in a wide variety of plays over the years, but says he always looks forward to the research, the preparation and the acting skill required for making Shakespeare's words come alive for audiences that aren't always used to hearing the language.

"The whole experience of playing Shakespeare is very rich for an actor and hopefully for an audience, too," he says.

Part one: Making a living in the Twin Cities
Part two: 'Shakespeare is designed to be played'
Part three: A rare look backstage at the Guthrie

An actor's life: Making a living in the Twin Cities

By Steve Date — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:14:00 +0000

Steve Date

First of three parts

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Bob Davis in the dressing room just prior to taking the stage as Rosse in the Guthrie's production of "Macbeth."

Bob Davis describes his role as the Thane of Rosse in the Guthrie Theater's current production of Shakespeare's "MacBeth" as "the character that has the most lines that you're least likely to remember. He's a carrier of information."

For him, going out on the Guthrie's famous Wurtele Thrust Stage is "still a thrill."

"I think it's the most respected theater in the country and to actually work there...is an honor and a privilege", he says.

Davis is living the dream career that he and wife, Mary Alette, set out on almost three decades ago when they moved to Minneapolis after studying acting together in southern California. They wanted to "raise a family and do plays" and decided that Mary Alette's hometown was the best place to do that.

Davis has now been in more than 50 different productions at the Guthrie, remaining steadily employed there since his first role as the Chaplain in "Leon & Lena (and lenz)" back in 1987.

I first met Davis back in the mid '90s when I taught two of his sons at Windom School in Minneapolis. We reconnected recently and I realized that he and Mary Alette have raised their three sons — Charlie, 27, Max, 24, and Jack, 20 — and put them through college on a local actor's salary. I wanted to know more about what that's been like. Bob invited me into his home to tell me about it — and then took me to work with him.

Courtesy of the Davis family

Davis' family, left to right: Sons Max, Jack, Charlie, wife Mary Alette and Bob.

I've produced a three-part videos series about Davis and the Guthrie's production of "MacBeth." My video camera takes us to places that many theatergoers wonder about, but most of us never see.

In today's installment, Davis talks about what it's been like to piece together a living as an actor in the Twin Cities, mostly in stage roles, but also commercial work and the occasional movie role.

In the second video, we'll visit the Guthrie's main stage for "fight call," the fight choreography rehearsal that takes place prior to every performance of "MacBeth." Davis also shares his love for playing Shakespeare and talks about his experiences in the "Brazil" theater workshop for children that he and Mary Alette ran for 10 years, teaching children to do Shakespeare plays.

In the third video segment, Davis will take us on a rare backstage tour of the Guthrie as actors prepare to go on stage for a performance of "MacBeth."

Part one: Making a living in the Twin Cities
Part two: 'Shakespeare is designed to be played'
Part three: A rare look backstage at the Guthrie

Haitian art sale: Small fundraiser can make big difference

By Steve Date — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:09:00 +0000

Steve Date

International organizations and big-name entertainers are raising millions of dollars for relief efforts to help the victims of the earthquake in Haiti: a telethon with Wyclef Jean and George Clooney, millions of $10 phone donations to the Red Cross, Kanye West and Snoop Dogg singing "We Are the World."

But there are also many smaller-scale fundraisers going on. Organizers of last Friday's Haitian art sale at St. James Episcopal Church in Minneapolis say they hope that people realize it's not only the amount of money raised, but the way it's used that can make a big difference in Haiti's recovery.

For the past 15 years, three Episcopal congregations in Minneapolis and Edina have collaborated with local organizations in Haiti to help feed and educate some of its most impoverished children. Volunteer workers from St. James, along with St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Minneapolis and St. Albans Episcopal Church in Edina, have made regular trips there, building relationships within communities and working under the guidance of the Haitian Episcopal Church to build and maintain schools.

Members of these congregations have personal and emotional ties to the people of Haiti. Photographer Gary Eckhardt, a member of St. Albans, donated some of his photo collages to the art sale. He showed me pictures of children and their school, where he had worked during his most recent trip to Haiti last fall. He's heard that the school was destroyed by the earthquake, adding, "all these kids, we have no knowledge of whether they survived or not."

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Herb Grika, the coordinator of the event.

Jane Peck, a member of St. Luke's, said her trips to Haiti have taught her that a little money can go a long way. "We've realized that if you want the money to work well and if you want projects to work well, you have to be working on a grass-roots level with Haitian people themselves," she said. "You have to have people on the ground working for years in that country."

Herb Grika, who is not affiliated with the sponsoring churches, was asked to coordinate the art sale and readily agreed after learning the money would be used for immediate lifesaving expenses through two organizations, Episcopal Relief and Development and Partners in Health.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Photographer Gary Eckhardt sold some of his photos.

Haitian artists created most of the items up for sale. Grika was able to obtain many pieces of art, and also donated several from his own collection. "We were able to get works, not only from Haiti, but from Africa and by Native American artists, donated from friends and members of the churches," he said.

Grika told me that most of the art was sold during the six-hour sale at St. James lastFriday. The remaining items were put up for sale the next day at a similar event held at Alliance Française in Minneapolis. The three churches raised about $7,000.

Johnson presents her vision for Minneapolis schools

By Steve Date — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:01:00 +0000

Steve Date

Bernadeia Johnson, deputy superintendent of the Minneapolis schools and the district's only candidate for superintendent, outlined a vision of hope and hard work Monday night in the first of three events scheduled to introduce her to the public.

A largely supportive crowd of about 75 people, including several school board directors and district administrators, showed up on a snowy evening at the Minneapolis Park Board Headquarters in North Minneapolis.

Johnson talked of how her childhood in segregated Selma, Ala., and frequent visits to Minneapolis helped shape her outlook on diversity, equity in education and the importance of community and family support for children. She presented a vision for the Minneapolis schools that centers on what she said are her core beliefs about teaching and learning and her optimism about support from the community.

A question-and-answer session followed her remarks, and most who spoke expressed support for Johnson. The school board announced last month that Johnson would be the only candidate to succeed Superintendent Bill Green, who is leaving his job in July to teach at Augsburg College in Minneapolis.

Two more of these sessions are planned — this morning at the American Indian Center, 1520 E. Franklin Avenue (8:30-10 a.m.) and Wednesday evening at Field School, 4645 4th Ave. S. (6:30-8 p.m.). The school board will conduct Johnson's formal interview for the position on Thursday in the assembly room at the district headquarters, 807 Broadway St. NE., at 6 p.m..

For more information, go here.

Minnehaha AIDS exhibit: A teacher's call to action

By Steve Date — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:10:00 +0000

Steve Date

Courtesy of World Vision

One of the rooms in the 3,000-square-foot interactive exhibit.

Steve Ramgren, a physical education teacher at Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis, traveled to Zambia in the summer of 2008. He toured poverty stricken areas with high rates of HIV and AIDs. He was so moved by meeting children who were affected and orphaned by AIDS that he felt compelled to act, but wasn't sure how.

When Ramgren saw an exhibit last fall at Colonial Church in Edina called "AIDS - Step Into Africa" by an organization called "World Vision," he knew he wanted to try to bring the exhibit back to Minnesota this year and get his school involved. Here's a video report on the exhibit:

World Vision is a Christian relief and development organization that works in impoverished areas worldwide, by "tackling the causes of poverty."

The 3,000-square-foot interactive exhibit nearly fills the gym at Minnehaha Academy. Visitors enter a village and experience the life of one of four featured African children who are living with the reality of AIDS in their community. The exhibit has been experienced by hundreds of thousands of visitors in over 90 U.S. cities since 2007.

Many of the exhibit guides are Minnehaha Academy students. Ramgren hopes that these students and other visitors will be touched in some way and moved to take action. He would like to take a group of students to Africa one day and have them see the problem first hand. He hopes that as they head off to college, his students will think about pursuing careers that are "not just about making money," but about doing things to help impoverished people in Africa or other places.

"AIDS - Step Into Africa" has been at Minnehaha Academy all week and will be open through Saturday at Minnehaha Academy's south campus, 4200 West River Parkway in Minneapolis. The exhibit is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For more information, go here and here.

On air in Minneapolis and St. Paul: TV shows produced by the homeless

By Steve Date — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:49:00 +0000

Steve Date

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Director Ron Kenebrew, left, and host Ted Dennis discuss a camera shot.

Pastor Luis Alvarenga of First Lutheran Church in St. Paul uses television as part of his ministry. But he is more social activist than TV evangelist.

Alvarenga formed the Multimedia Collaborative www.mmcstudio209.com shortly after arriving in Minnesota two years ago with the goal of inviting people from the community, especially the homeless, to produce programs on MTN (Minneapolis) and SPNN (St. Paul) cable-access stations.

Alvarenga developed his TV and radio skills in his native El Salvador covering sports and later as a news reporter. When he came to the United States, he began producing shows in Los Angeles for and about Salvadoran immigrants.

First Lutheran pays for SPNN membership and classes for the Multimedia Collaborative crew and on-air talent, which is almost entirely composed of people who are homeless or have been homeless. Alvarenga recruits trainees through his church and from homeless shelters.

Alvarenga said he hopes to help them develop skills that can result in employment in media or other fields. About 30 people have been trained over the past two years, some getting jobs and others doing freelance work or moving on to other pursuits.

The Multimedia Collaborative produces three shows. "Voices for Change Forum," www.voiceschange.wordpress.com hosted by Ted Dennis, focuses on issues of homelessness. Alvarenga is the moderator of "Voices," featuring immigrants and discussions of immigration reform, and "Voces," the Spanish version of the show. ("Voices" airs Fridays on SPNN at 9 p.m.; show times vary on MTN.)

I spent an evening with them recently as they recorded a "Voices" show featuring two local homeless musicians, Tony Criss and Dennis Peoples.

Postville after the raid: We are 'holding our collective breath'

By Steve Date — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:01:00 +0000

Steve Date

POSTVILLE, IOWA — One year ago today at 10 a.m., federal agents arrested 389 workers at the Agriprocessors kosher meatpacking plant in Postville.

In the first of two video reports, people helping with relief efforts in Postville said the town's social fabric has been devastated since the raid after the community's population was reduced and the plant's operations were significantly cut back.

In today's video we hear about Guatemalan workers, who were the largest group among the detained, and why they came to Minnesota.

Postville is a town that is "holding our collective breath," said Maryn Olson, local coordinator of the Postville Response Coalition. She said that residents are waiting for many issues to be resolved that are out of their control. But ultimately, she said, it's up to the people of Postville to make it a healthy community again.

Postville: One year after the raid

By Steve Date — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:57:00 +0000

Steve Date

First of two parts

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Postville is still struggling to recover from a raid by federal agents at a local meatpacking plant last year.

POSTVILLE, IOWA — On the morning of May 12, 2008, about 900 federal agents entered the Agriprocessors meatpacking plant in this small town and arrested 389 undocumented workers. Most were charged with felonies for stealing Social Security numbers or identity theft. At the time, it was the largest immigration raid in U.S. history.

Agriprocessors was the largest kosher meatpacking plant in the country. It had been under investigation by several Jewish groups since 2006 for allegations of workplace safety issues, unsanitary conditions and violations of workers' rights.

This was the first time that the government used felony charges instead of immigration law to prosecute workers. Many workers were put in prison and served sentences of five months or more before being deported. "Postville" became a landmark event in the struggle for comprehensive immigration reform and workplace justice by a variety of organizations nationwide.

Last July, a rally was held in Postville in support of the detained workers. I rode one of the buses sponsored by Jewish Community Action of St. Paul and filed a series of video reports about the event. Those reports are here, here and here.

After the raid a year ago, replacement workers were hired, including people from other immigrant groups as well as homeless shelters, treatment facilities and temporary labor agencies from all around the country. Last fall, the plant was closed for a time. Then it began operating on a limited basis, employing far fewer workers than before. It is currently up for sale, but as yet no deal has been struck.

A few dozen of the arrested workers were allowed to stay in Postville after being processed, having to wear ankle bracelets while awaiting trial. About 30 detained workers and their families remain there today. A few others have been allowed to return temporarily in return for future testimony against the company. Sholom Rubashkin, owner of Agriprocessors, was arrested last year. He is now awaiting trial.

I drove to Postville recently to see how the town had been dealing with the loss of the workers and most of the jobs at the plant. I found a town that has not yet recovered. It is a town on hold, awaiting the results of the trial, the sale of the plant and the outcome of legal proceedings against the detained workers. My two-part video report shows what some of the people helping with the recovery effort in Postville had to say about loss and about hope for Postville.

There will be an interfaith service at St. Bridget Catholic Church in Postville on Tuesday at 3:30.

For more information on the relief effort for detained workers and others in town adversely affected by the events of the past year, go here.

Jewish Community Action, the organization that planned last summer's rally in Postville, and the Interfaith Coalition on Immigration are also holding events Tuesday.

Tuesday: The people of Postville try to recover.

Video report: Fleeing Bhutan for a better life in Minnesota

By Steve Date — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 13:47:00 +0000

Steve Date

WHY WE ARE HERE

Krishna Humagai and his wife, Nar mya, are happy to be in Minnesota. Their smiles are frequent and genuine, but their faces also reflect the hard times they've seen.

Originally from the tiny Himalayan country of Bhutan, the Humagais and their four children, ranging in age from 18 to 24, arrived in Minnesota eight months ago after living in a refugee camp in Nepal for 17 years.

I met the Humagai family at Bhutan Day at the International Institute of Minnesota in St. Paul. It was a chance for nearly all of the approximately 120 members of "the newest community in Minnesota" to gather for informational workshops, food, music and cultural celebration.

Governments worldwide have use ethnic cleansing to marginalize or rid a country of racial or cultural "undesirables." In Bhutan, these people are the Lothsampas, an ethnic Nepali cultural group that had been living in southern Bhutan for more than 200 years.

In 1988, the Bhutanese government imposed a policy called "one nation under law," which prohibited minority groups from practicing their religion, culture and language. In 1990, the Lothsampa people protested against the initiative and the government cracked down, arresting leaders and causing most others to flee. More than 100,000 Lothsampas, or about one-sixth of the population of that country, became refugees. Most of them ended up in the camps in Nepal.

At the Bhutan Day event, Mangala Sharma, organizer and matriarch of the community, seemed to be everywhere at once. At one moment she was greeting people in the lobby, then performing a mock job interview at an employment workshop, making sure the food table was set up correctly, speaking from the podium in the auditorium, giving interviews for the press, interpreting for families, and generally attempting to make personal contact with every one of the several hundred people in attendance.

Because she had been a political activist in the 1990s, and thus in danger, Sharma obtained political asylum the United States in 2000. Later, her husband, a doctor, was able to join her. They lived in Atlanta until he took a position at Hennepin County Medical Center in 2007. They were the first Lothsampa refugees to come to the Twin Cities. Since then, she has made it her mission to help as many Bhutanese refugees as possible get out of the camps and have a chance to make a better life in Minnesota.

Growing population
The Twin Cities' Bhutanese population has grown from a mere half-dozen people a year ago to about 120 today. Sharma expects this number to continue to grow, perhaps doubling in the next year.

Sharma organized Bhutan Day to allow the Bhutanese to get to know each other. "We're really not a community yet," she said.

She said they need to come together more often, so they can build relationships to support each other and learn out about resources that are available. They also need a place to do that, so Sharma and others have recently founded the Nirvana Center, "the first Bhutanese center in Minnesota," which will soon take on many of the practical as well as cultural functions of acclimating Bhutanese refugees to life in Minnesota.

Sharma wants others to know that these refugees are reliable, responsible and hardworking and will be good for Minnesota. They are all thankful for the help they have received from individuals and various agencies, she said. The children have only known life in the refugee camps, and are "really motivated to contribute to Minnesota society."

The Humagais are trying to learn more English by attending ESL classes through Adult Basic Education in Minneapolis. Krishna Humagai, 49, says that the No. 1 priority for him and his children is obtaining employment.

Nar mya, 47, says that while she misses her homeland, she is grateful to be in Minnesota and wants to spend the rest of her life in the United States to make a better life for her children.

"I hope they will do something good in America," she said.

This report is part of an ongoing MinnPost video series — called "Why We Are Here" — about immigrants who tell why they left home and came to Minnesota.

Video report: Liberians in Minnesota face deportation

By Steve Date — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:11:00 +0000

Steve Date

WHY WE ARE HERE

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Aba Hamilton Dolo, second from right, with her family (left to right) son Phillip, daughter Bijoux and husband Emmanuel Dolo in their Coon Rapids home. Aba is currently facing deportation.

Aba Hamilton Dolo of Coon Rapids might have some tough decisions to make next month. Washington Yonly, who lives in Brooklyn Park, is anxious about his future as well.

Both face deportation to their home country of Liberia on March 31.

Emmanuel Dolo, Aba's husband, is a permanent resident of the United States. So is her 15-year-old son, Phillip. Their 4-year-old daughter, Bijoux, is a U.S. citizen. If Dolo is deported, the Dolos say there is no good solution to the choices they must make for the family.

Yonly has lived in the United States since the early '90s. At 58, he says he is worried about facing the prospect of returning to a country that is so different than the one he left.

"The infrastructure is destroyed," he said. "There are no jobs. Many of the houses no longer stand."

Dolo and Yonly are among a group of about 1,000 Liberians who have been living in the United States as temporary residents. Their status is classified as "Deferred Enforced Departure" (DED). Previously, they and thousands of other Liberians had been given "Temporary Protective Status" to live in the United States because of the civil war in Liberia that began in 1989.

The war continued until elections were finally held in 2005. But Liberians in the United States say that the country has yet to recover after two decades of strife and should not be considered safe for people to return to. In September of 2007, President George W. Bush directed Michael Chertoff, then secretary of Homeland Security, to take this into consideration and defer enforced deportation for 18 months — until March 31, 2009.

Dolo, Yonly and many others, including Kerper Dwanyen, president of the Organization for Liberians in Minnesota, say they believe that conditions in Liberia have still not improved enough for those in exile to return. They are asking President Obama and Congress to extend their status as well as work toward a path for permanent legalization for those in this situation.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Washington Yonly, photographed at his home in Brooklyn Park, faces possible deportation.

Dolo's return to Liberia would not benefit the United States or Liberia, she said. If she takes her American masters degree and professional skills back to Liberia, she said, the United States would be losing a hard-working, tax-paying, productive member of the community.

"I would go back and be unemployed in a country that's not ready to accept me back," she said.

Not only that, she added, but there are 20 to 30 people in Liberia who depend on money she sends back from here that would have to manage on even less than they have now.

Many Liberians on DED status have been here for upwards of 15 years, some more than 20 years if they were in the country on student visas when the civil war broke out. Like Dolo, most have family members here who are U.S. citizens or have permanent resident status.

Dwanyen says they have been in this country too long to be expected to pack up and immediately return to Liberia.

Liberia, Dwanyen said, is not stable: "Unemployment is between 80 and 85 percent. Less than 5 percent of the country enjoys stable electricity. The health care situation is totally in ruins. The educational system is still in ruins. The security situation is very, very tenuous. For that reason, we're saying it's not humane to send people back."

But Dwanyen argues that even if the nation was stable, "the fact that people have lived here for 18 years — at some point the mind decides to move on. And even if they haven't moved on mentally, their children that were born here have no idea what Liberia is and it's uprooting them to a country they don't know. That's the humanitarian and family unification aspect of this."

In this video, Minnesota residents Aba Hamilton Dolo and Washington Yonly and Kerper Dwanyen, president of the Organization for Liberians in Minnesota, describe conditions in Liberia. This report is part of an ongoing MinnPost video series — called "Why We Are Here" — about immigrants who tell why they left home and came to Minnesota.

Video report: Protesters at support rally for Israel offer their views

By Steve Date — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:39:00 +0000

Steve Date

A vocal group of about 250 protesters gathered Sunday outside the Sabes Jewish Community Center in St. Louis Park to oppose recent Israeli military action in Gaza.

Members of the Jewish community were among those involved in the protest, which was organized by Lisa Albrecht, who is affiliated with the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network.

In this video, we hear several of them, as well as several Palestinians, speak about the situation in Gaza.

Inside the Jewish Community Center, about 750 were on hand to hear Minnesota politicians and religious leaders speak in support of Israel's current actions in Gaza. Video here.

Gaza history lesson
Above, Dr. Peter Rachleff, professor of history at Macalester College in St. Paul, offers a quick history lesson about Gaza and talks about our society's view of race.

Video report: Local leaders voice support for Israel

By Steve Date — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:10:00 +0000

Steve Date

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Norm Coleman, center, and Rep. John Kline, right, are among those at the Sabes Jewish Community Center event.

An overflow crowd packed the Sabes Jewish Community Center in St. Louis Park yesterday afternoon to listen to Minnesota political and religious leaders speak in support of Israel's recent actions in Gaza.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton, U.S. Senate hopefuls Norm Coleman and Al Franken and U.S. Reps. John Kline and Michele Bachmann were among those presenting a united front in support of Israel.

A vocal group of protesters lined the entrance to the center, calling for an end to the Israeli incursion and the killing of innocent Palestinians in Gaza.

Here's a video report of Sunday's event. MinnPost will have a video report featuring the views of those opposed to Israel's actions in the coming days.

Heart of the Beast: Not your traditional Nativity story (video)

By Steve Date — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:42:00 +0000

Steve Date

From the moment Maria (Lizette Gomez Vega) is summoned by angels while in line at Torilleria La Perla in the food court of El Mercado Central, it's obvious this is not going to be a traditional telling of the Nativity story.

Director Sandy Spieler uses several locations near the In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre (HOBT), as well as the surrounding streets, to stage "La Natividad," based on the traditional Latin American Christmas story called La Posada (inn or shelter).

Spieler says this production is an excellent example of HOBT's artistic vision and mission — to bring performers, audience and neighbors together for a performance and in the end, to share food together and celebrate. There are no sets, other than a small puppet theater at one of the four stops. The audience moves with the performers through the streets to four indoor venues. Each location is used "as is" — nothing changed or disturbed. The final scene, at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, is followed by eating and festivities.

The play is loosely set in modern times, weaving back and forth in a dreamlike way between actors (sometimes wearing large masks and sometime not) small puppets, large puppets and a host of strange characters. It matches modern day politics and attitudes with those of the time of Jesus. References to current times come as humorous, moving and sometimes startling surprises sprinkled throughout the evening.

The story begins in El Mercado Central, as merchants continue to conduct business with actual customers while Maria finds out she's pregnant and she and Jose begin their journey to Bethlehem. Everyone treks across Lake Street to a storefront where Jose (in small puppet form) worries about how he will support his family and ruminates about the plight of immigrant workers.

In the Avalon Theater, HOBT's home, we meet King Herod (Ben Kreilkamp), who sets off on an anti-undocumented immigrant tirade that would even make CNN's Lou Dobbs cringe. We also meet the Walker Community Church Choir — angels who alert everyone to the coming event and musically guide us along the rest of the journey.

The procession then heads up 15th Avenue, following Jose and Maria as they look for a place to stay. We know the rest of the story, but by this time we also know that there will be twists and turns along the way.

Chance meeting
Spieler and St. Paul's ministry team of Pastors Luisa and Patrick Cabell Hansel created the project three years ago after a chance meeting in a nearby Target parking lot. Spieler had been leading various Christmas productions at Walker Community Church, most notably "The Hunt". As they talked, the three realized they wanted to do this type of production together in the neighborhood of the church.

Spieler hopes this production's direct connection to the Latino community can be beneficial to all. The management of El Mercado Central has been very supportive, even though the play can be a temporary disruption to business. "I hope that people in the audience who are new to the neighborhood will come back and visit the shops and eat some of the wonderful food at the Mercado", she says.

"La Natividad" finished a seven-performance run Sunday. The audience size is limited because of the small size of some of the performance spaces. All shows this year were sold out in advance.

HOBT recently announced that it is temporarily closing its doors for financial reasons. Spieler says it's a short layoff and thinks that the long-term picture is still bright for the theater company.

Somali refugees describe a country in chaos

By Steve Date — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 06:01:00 +0000

Steve Date

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Gandi Mohamed (left) and Right Mohamed Hassan

The early 1990s were a terrible time in Somalia. When Minneapolis residents Mohamed Hassan and Gandi Mohamed fled in 1991, the country was in turmoil. War was raging and thousands of refugees were trying to get out of the country.

They say the situation is worse now.

Incidents of hijacking of oil tankers by Somali pirates have increased dramatically recently and there are local reports of Minneapolis teens and young adult men "disappearing" from the Twin Cities, apparently being flown back to Somalia to fight in the civil war. In Mogadishu, crime, poverty and violence are rampant. Chaos reigns.

According to Hassan and Mohamed, the Somali government is ineffective and corrupt. Warlords and tribal factions have been allowed to take power. Two years ago, troops from neighboring Ethiopia entered the country and have occupied it since then. The U.S. government, concerned about stopping terrorism in the region, has supported this incursion. But thousands of innocent Somalis, including many women and children, have been killed and injured by the Ethiopian army.

Hassan left the capital city of Mogadishu when he was 18, fleeing on foot in what he thinks was a southerly direction. He made it to Kenya. After some time in a refugee camp, he came to the United States and lived in Maine. After stops in Dallas and Nashville, he eventually found his way to the growing Somali community in Minneapolis.

Mohamed was younger when he left. He and his family lived in a refugee camp for nearly three years, where his younger sister died of malnutrition. He came directly to Minneapolis from Kenya, attending Sanford Middle School, North High and then transferring to Roosevelt High School, graduating in 1999. He went to college and joined the Air Force, doing a tour of duty in Iraq at the beginning of the war.

Both men are U.S. citizens. They have no plans to move back to Somalia. But because it is their homeland and they still have friends and family there, they are very concerned about the current situation and the future of that country as well as the East Africa region. Hassan says he talks regularly to family members in Somalia who are fearful they could be killed at any time.

Hassan heads Somali Cause, an organization that is trying to raise awareness about the situation in Somalia as well as provide humanitarian assistance to the country. Hassan received some video from friends in Somali that shows some of the effects of the violence and lawlessness that is Somalia today. Some of those images can be seen in my video interview with Hassan and Mohamed.

Smithies gather to celebrate their history

By Steve Date — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:13:00 +0000

Steve Date

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Left to right, Sally Pillsbury ('46), Helen Kramer ('34) and Molly Woehrlin ('53).

The list of Smith College alumnae is impressive. Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Barbara Bush, Julia Child, Molly Ivins, Yolanda King, Sylvia Plath, Margaret Mitchell, Julie Nixon Eisenhower and Nancy Reagan are just a few of the notables.

Minnesota also has its share of Smithies. Sally Pillsbury, Marilyn Carlson Nelson, Molly Woehrlin, Helen Kramer and 12 other alums from the classes of 1934 through 1963 were honored last week at the Metropolitan Ballroom in Minneapolis. Teams of Smith alums interviewed them for an oral history book called "Strong Women Building Strong Communities."

Smith College, located in Northampton, Mass., is one of the "Seven Sisters" elite private colleges. Smith prides itself on its history of attracting and producing strong women who make a difference at both the local and national level.

Smith College President Carol Christ addressed the crowd and spoke of this tradition and of how her years as president have provided her with "a privileged perspective on the history of women in the 20th and now the 21st century." She said she was deeply moved by the book presentation and noted "this living history — to have these oral histories, is so important to us all in understanding our histories".

The book project is the brainchild of Laurie Kramer, Betsey Whitbeck and several other alumnae. They hope that it is just a beginning, that now others can begin to collect the stories of Smith graduates from the '50s to the present.

In this video, Helen Kramer ('34), Sally Pillsbury ('46) and Molly Woehrlin ('53) share their thoughts about Smith graduates, single-gender education, the changing roles of women in society and the oral history book project.

Video: United Negro College Fund Walk for Education

By Steve Date — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:14:00 +0000

Steve Date

Caroline Wanga knows what it feels like to not fit in.

When she came to Roseville from Kenya at age 10, few of her schoolmates looked like her and none of them spoke with the kind of accent she had. "As soon as I opened my mouth to say something, everyone knew I was different," she recalls.

It was lonely at first, but by the time she graduated from a more diverse Edison High School in Minneapolis in 1995, she had developed the academic and social skills necessary for college.

Wanga's life took an unexpected turn when she had a child while attending college. She decided to quit school and focus on raising her daughter. She worked for several years before realizing that she needed to go back and finish her degree if she was ever going to have a career.

With the help of the Single Parent Support System program at Texas College, a United Negro College Fund (UNCF) supported school, she was able to manage attending classes and taking care of her daughter. She completed four years of coursework in two and a half years and was Valedictorian of her graduating class — and graduated debt-free.

Wanga now works as a business user coordinator for Target Corporation in Minneapolis. She and many other UNCF recipients were on hand Saturday at Lake Nokomis for the 15th annual Walk for Education. They were joined by other supporters who want to raise awareness for the various programs and colleges the UNCF supports.

Wanga says that many students of color need this kind of support and programming that's "outside the box" in order to succeed in college. Many African American students are more successful in historically black colleges because they share similar experiences with many other students instead of feeling isolated.

In this video, she and others at the Walk for Education talk about the importance of helping more African American students get prepared for and be successful in post-secondary programs.

Part 3: The Postville rally

By Steve Date — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:44:00 +0000

Steve Date

POSTVILLE, IOWA — This is the third installment about a rally here Sunday to support 400 undocumented workers who were arrested in a raid at a kosher meat-packing plant.

Those attending the rally — spearheaded by Jewish Community Action, a social justice group in St. Paul — encountered counter-protests during their march through Postville and on to St. Bridget's Catholic Church.

The immigrant workers were arrested May 12 at the Agriprocessors Inc. plant in Postville. Here's an interview with one of the arrested workers, Candy Alejandra Garcia, who is required to wear an ankle bracelet since her arrest. Interpreter Viviana Szleifer also appears on this video.

Postville rally series: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Sights and sounds of the Postville rally

By Steve Date — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:34:00 +0000

Steve Date

POSTVILLE, IOWA — This is the first of two video reports on a rally here Sunday to support 400 immigrant workers who were arrested earlier this year in a raid on a kosher meat-packing plant in this community. About 1,000 people attended the rally spearheaded by Jewish Community Action in St. Paul, a social justice group that bused about 130 people from the Twin Cities to Postville on Sunday. The undocumented workers were arrested May 12 at the Agriprocessors Inc. plant. The second video report will appear Tuesday.

Postville rally series: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

The Postville raid: Local group rallies to support immigrant workers

By Steve Date — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:32:00 +0000

Steve Date

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Vic Rosenthal is leading a group to Postville, Iowa.

Three buses with about 130 people will roll out of Temple Israel in Minneapolis Sunday morning for a four-hour trip to Postville, Iowa, to draw attention to a raid on a kosher meat-packing plant that has come under fire from immigration reform groups and members of Congress.

They will join similar groups from Chicago and Wisconsin at a rally and march in support of the immigrant workers from the Agriprocessors plant who were arrested in the May 12 raid.

Critics of the raid object to the immigrants' group prosecutions that they say violated due process. The decision to disproportionately go after workers instead of employers has also been attacked.

"Workplace justice and comprehensive immigration reform" are the reasons for the event, Vic Rosenthal, executive director of Jewish Community Action in St. Paul, a social justice group spearheading the rally, told me in a video interview.

There have been other raids on food processing plants, but the one in Postville was unusual: It was the largest action of its kind to date, with nearly 400 immigrant workers taken into custody. And rather than immediately deporting undocumented workers, government officials chose to first charge the detainees with a range of crimes, including use of false Social Security numbers, illegal re-entry into the country and fraudulent use of alien registration cards.

Most of the workers accepted plea agreements on the lesser charge of Social Security fraud and now face five months of jail followed by deportation, resulting in major problems for their families as well as the town of Postville itself.

Vic Rosenthal: The rally is about "workplace justice and comprehensive immigration reform."

Congressional hearing
Meanwhile, lawmakers in Washington, D.C, on Thursday questioned the legality and effectiveness of the government's tactics in the raid, according to the Associated Press.

The workers were given seven days to decide whether to accept the plea agreement, and they appeared in groups of 10 at the plea hearings.

"This looks and feels like a cattle auction, not a criminal prosecution in the United States," said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., a former immigration lawyer and chair of the House Judiciary subcommittee on immigration, which held a hearing Thursday on the raid.

Focus on working conditions
Rosenthal told me that his interest in Postville began two years ago when he, along with a delegation of Jewish leaders led by Rabbi Morris Allen of Beth Jacob Synagogue in Mendota Heights, traveled there and met with Agriprocessors owners to discuss allegations of abusive working conditions described in an article published by the Forward, a major Jewish newspaper in New York.

Rabbi Allen, from the Conservative movement, advocates an initiative called Hekhsher Tzedek, which is recognized by some as a "supplement" to the interpretation of kosher certification to assure not only that methods of inspecting and slaughtering animals are in accordance with Jewish law, "but that the food is produced in a way that demonstrates concern for those human beings who are involved in its production."

After several meetings, the delegation was frustrated because while the company listened to their concerns, they were only willing to make "very tiny little changes," Rosenthal said. "The reality is that they were really not willing to recognize that there were real problems with the way workers were treated."

Since the raid, the issues have expanded from kosher practices and workplace conditions to immigration policy, according to Rosenthal.

On Sunday, bus riders will be offered information sessions about immigration, workplace conditions and Hekhsher Tzedek. An interfaith service at St. Bridget's Catholic Church in Postville is planned, followed by a march to the gates of the plant, where those attending the rally will urge Agriprocessors to support the detained workers and their families.

The small town of Postville (pop. 2273) is expected to get national media attention Sunday, but Rosenthal said he hopes the crowd is manageable and stays focused on the issues of workplace justice and immigration reform.

"We don't think it's fair to overrun the town and give them more headaches than they already have now." he said. "We want to do this in a way that's consistent with what their needs are and not simply impose our will on a town that's already been through a very difficult situation."

Look for my video report about the event Monday on MinnPost.

Postville rally series: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Video report: At 53, she's the oldest player in U.S. Open

By Steve Date — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0000

Steve Date

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Martha Nause, the oldest player in the Women's U.S. Open this week, will be playing with the youngest golfer in the tournament.

At 53, Minnesota's Martha Nause will be the oldest player in the Women's U.S. Open this week at Interlachen Country Club in Edina. She recently made it through sectional qualifying at the Skokie Country Club in Glencoe, Illinois.

How does she feel about being the oldest? "I like it a lot," she replies. She credits her longevity in large part to staying in good physical condition. "I've always enjoyed working out," she said, "even way before it was popular with pro golfers."

Her playing partners for the first two rounds will be an old friend and a 13 year-old — the youngest player in the tournament. "How funny is that?!" Nause emailed me when she learned of her playing partners. She will be grouped with Sherri Turner (51), one of the few players in the tournament that she knew well from her tour days, and Alexis Thompson, who is 40 years Nause's junior.

Nause compares the influx of very young players competing in LPGA events over the past few years to what happened to running after Roger Bannister first broke the 4-minute mile "barrier" in 1954. When Michele Wie came along a few years ago and played well at such a young age, "everyone thought, 'Hey I can do that, too,'" she said.

Younger players and a much more international field are among the changes in the tour since Nause retired in 1999. Another big difference is the amount of money up for grabs these days. Now a winner often takes home as much as the total tournament purse was worth when Nause was playing regularly.

Nause doesn't feel badly about not making the big bucks, though, as she remembers the tour's close-knit community in her day. "Yeah, I did miss out on the big money," she said, "but from what I've heard about the tour culture now, they're missing out on a lot of what I had back then."

Quiet determination
Nause plays as many of the Legends Tour events as she can, but is frustrated that women's senior golf tour hasn't caught on with sponsors like the men's Champions Tour. The men have proven that golfers in their 50s and beyond can still compete at a high level. She's convinced that by staying in good physical shape, using smart practice techniques, wise course management and playing in more events, she and other women of her age can stay competitive for many more years.

Nause displays a quiet, methodical determination on the practice range, but breaks into a quick smile when asked what she would like to talk about. "Let's talk about Macalester golf," she said. It's clear she pours her heart and soul into coaching golf at Macalester College in St. paul. She said she's constantly thinking about how her tournament experiences can help her be a better coach. She's also realizing how the skills she's developed as a teacher have forced her to examine her own game and have improved her level of play.

Nause was struggling and discouraged with her game during the week before the sectional qualifying and had thoughts of withdrawing. Friends encouraged her to hang in there and not give up. Karla Leon, one of her Macalester golfers who lives in Ecuador, gave her an email pep talk that boosted her spirits and reminded her to employ some of the strategies she teaches her players to use when they get frustrated. This was an unexpected, but much appreciated, return for her efforts as coach.

The biggest crowds this week will be around people named Lorena, Annika, Michele and others, but a lot of baby boomers as well as some middle-schoolers might find some inspiration on Interlachen's first tee at 12:30 Thursday. It's become more common for very young players to compete at this level, but Martha Nause and Sherri Turner are hoping that some "4-minute miles" will start happening for them and other women in their age bracket.

"I don't go into any tournament without wanting to win it," she said about her goals for this week. "Realistically, I don't know how my game will stand up against ... the current top players in the world."

She can hardly wait to find out.

PREVIOUS: This golfer regained her balance, and now may be in the Women's U.S. Open

Video report: This golfer regained her balance, and now may be in the Women's U.S. Open

By Steve Date — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:53:00 +0000

Steve Date

When asked what's important to her these days, pro golfer Martha Nause of Inver Grove Heights thought for a moment and said, "balance". She, of course, meant living a balanced life, but in the early 1990s, a disease that caused the loss of physical balance nearly ended her playing career.

On Monday, Nause will be playing 36 holes at the Skokie Country Club in Glencoe, Ill., trying to qualify for the Women's U.S. Open, which will be held at Interlachen Country Club in Edina June 26-29. If she makes it in, it will be her first LPGA event since she retired nine years ago.

At 53, Nause knows her best playing days are behind her and that it will take two very good rounds to qualify. Her competitive spirit is as strong today as when she was playing the tour regularly from 1978 through 1999—but it's different now. She says she enjoys competitive golf more now, because she doesn't need to make a living at it. "When it's your livelihood," she says, "that's a lot of stress".

For most of her playing career, Nause lived a life that totally revolved around golf. "From the moment I woke up in the morning to the moment I went to sleep at night, my entire life was devoted to trying to be a better golfer," she says. She won three tournaments during her career on the LPGA tour.

In July of 1992, she was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, a debilitating disease of the inner ear, causing her to have a great deal of difficulty maintaining her balance. Doctors told her that she might never recover completely enough compete on the pro tour again. But she didn't give up, fighting through many months of the disease to have the highest winnings of her career in 1994, capped off by a victory in the du Maurier Classic in Ottawa, Canada, one of the LPGA's major tournaments.

After retiring from the tour, Nause was offered the job of coaching the men's golf team at Macalester College in St. Paul. She worked hard the first year to change the culture of the team and produce some respectable showings in a tough golf conference. The next year the administration asked her to take on the women's team as well. She blended the two programs and has brought them around to being competitive again. Nause says she enjoys teaching young players almost as much as she enjoyed her first career.

Interlachen Country Club, the host for this year's Women's U.S. Open, is best known as the site of Bobby Jones' U.S. Open win during his "grand slam" of majors in 1930 and as the home course of Patty Berg, Minnesota golf legend and one of the founders of the LPGA. It was also the site of the Solheim Cup in 2002.

Nause knew Berg and enjoyed a friendly relationship with her. "My first putter that I purchased as a 10 year old was a Patty Berg putter, so I feel I have a long relationship with Patty," she says.

Nause grew up in Sheboygan, Wis. Her parents were accomplished golfers and she was inspired by watching her mother compete in events. Nause attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., and played on the college golf team. By graduation, she had her sights on the pro circuit, earning her tour card in her first attempt in 1978.

Nause looks forward to playing in front of a hometown crowd, surrounded by family and friends. She says she expects capacity crowds at Interlachen and thinks it's important for Minnesota to continue to host major tournaments.

The du Maurier win exempts Nause from local qualifying for the U.S. Open and moves her to the sectional tournament at the Skokie Country Club. When she tees it up on Monday, she'll be hoping to earn a ticket to Interlachen and revisit her past life, at least for a few days.

"I really want to make it," she says, "but if I don't, it's not the end of the world anymore."

Her life seems to be in balance now.

Nause is one of eight Minnesota golfers among 90 trying to qualify in Glencoe, Ill., for 19 available slots in the Women’s U.S. Open. For more information, go here.

UPDATE: Martha Nause grabbed one of 19 berths available at the qualifier in Glencoe, Ill. Nause shot 152, three strokes behind the leaders.

Video report: Music led to bigger project in Kenya

By Steve Date — Thu, 15 May 2008 17:38:00 +0000

Steve Date

SECOND OF TWO PARTS

In part one, Simon Saitoti ole Tumanka, a Maasai tribal leader from Kenya, talked about the recent post-election violence in Kenya and the ongoing problems facing the indigenous Maasai people.

In this installment, Saitoti and Minnesota's Hans Johnson speak about how Johnson's trip to Kenya seven years ago to record traditional Maasai music evolved into the Maasai Cultural Foundation. Johnson established the foundation to address the health and education needs of the Maasai and help preserve their culture by continuing the music-recording project.

To hear Maasai music or learn more about the foundation, go here. For more information about the Maasai people and related websites, go here.

Video report: Preserving music -- and working to improve life in Kenya

By Steve Date — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:55:00 +0000

Steve Date

FIRST OF TWO PARTS

Simon Saitoti ole Tumanka was working his way through a large burrito when I met him recently on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis. The typical American food portion is one of the many new things he'd experienced in the three days since arriving from his native Kenya. It's his first trip outside of Africa. Saitoti and Hans Johnson, his host, had been sightseeing and were about to leave for a two-week visit to Duluth, where Johnson lives.

Saitoti was a Maasai warrior in his younger days. Now he is a cattle herder, teacher, school board chair, preacher, political activist, husband and father of five. At the age of 40 he's considered a community elder. His home is a mud and dung hut in the town of Namuncha, in the Rift Valley, but he owns a cell phone and a computer.

Johnson, 27, a native of Duluth, recently graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in anthropology. With the experiences he's had in Kenya over the past seven years, he could probably teach some of the college courses he's taken.

Johnson first became interested in the Maasai culture at age 14 when his dad returned from a trip to Africa with photos, a few artifacts and some audio recordings he'd made of Maasai music. Hans was interested in all of it, but was most taken by the singing. This fascination continued until at age 20, he decided to go to Kenya and begin a music preservation project with the Maasai.

The Maasai, an indigenous people, have historically been semi-nomadic cattle herders and hunters in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. Today there are over a half-million Maasai, about 350,000 living in Kenya. According to Saitoti, their property, their rights and their problems have been largely ignored by the Kenyan government for years, going all the way back to British colonial days.

Because of their relatively remote locations, most Maasai villages avoided direct contact with recent post-election violence in Kenya. But, according to Saitoti, the economic effects of the strife hit everyone hard. People were afraid to go into the cities. The economy came to a standstill as businesses and banks were closed. Saitote says the country is now beginning to "heal," but he's not optimistic that the government will help bring about any long-term change for his people.

Plans for political office
Saitoti is frustrated and plans to run for political office soon. He says the Maasai lack sufficient representation in the government. Maasai land has been "stolen — illegally taken" from them, he says, by corrupt and selfish officials with ties to other tribes.

Johnson met Saitoti on his first visit to Kenya in 2001. Saitoti became his guide and cultural mentor. On that and subsequent trips, they've made more than 300 recordings of Maasai tribal songs. Johnson produced a CD called "The Music of the Maasai," which made enough money to allow him do more recording and begin other projects. He paid for Saitoti to finish his high school education and enlisted him as a partner in his organization, the Maasai Cultural Foundation. Sales of a second CD, called "Rhythm of the Maasai," continue to raise funds for the organization.

Photos courtesy of Hans Johnson

The Maasai Cultural Foundation built this adult literacy center in Namuncha, Kenya.

The foundation's mission includes three types of projects:

• Public health work, such as providing clean water, drought relief and AIDS awareness.

• Education projects, including starting an adult literacy center and constructing a building for the center.

• Cultural preservation through the recording of Maasai music.

A strong bond between the two men was immediately evident when I visited them. They chatted and joked together with the ease of old friends.

But with the camera rolling, Saitoti became serious. He wants everyone to know about what's happening in Kenya and the problems facing the Maasai. Inter-tribal fighting, illegal government takeover of Massai land, recent post-election violence, lack of clean water, poor education, the effects of drought, the marriage of young girls and the spread of AIDS are among the many issues that he wants to discuss with anyone who is interested.

Saitoti appreciates the help that charities, missions, and other organizations have given the Maasai. He says that all the good things that are currently happening with his people are because of the efforts of these groups.

Johnson and Saitoti have been in northern Minnesota for the past week visiting schools, churches, social service organizations, and meeting with elected officials. Johnson hopes his friend will learn a lot about the United States and that Minnesotans learn about the Maasai people. Saitoti will return home to Kenya this weekend.

This trip is "an exchange of all sorts of things," said Johnson, "I'm hoping he'll gain a lot of knowledge — and maybe a little weight, too." They both laughed as Saitoti prepared to finish his burrito.

To hear more Maasai music or learn more about the Maasai Cultural Foundation (MCF) founded by Hans Johnson and Simon Saitote, visit their website.

For more information about the Maasai people and links to other websites go here.

Video report: Classroom's chairs bounced for exercise balls

By Steve Date — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:01:00 +0000

Steve Date

"Students need to move", says Lisa Hartman, a fifth grade teacher at Andersen Elementary School in Minneapolis. She knows this from educational and brain research. She also knows it from 15 years of teaching.

Hartman has always taught her students about the benefits of good nutrition and exercise, but when she heard about teachers who were using large exercise balls instead of chairs in their classrooms, her "radar went up."

As a fifth grade teacher myself, my own radar went up when I heard that she had gotten a "Wellness Grant" of $750 from the Minneapolis school district to pay for an exercise video, posters and exercise balls for all the students in two fifth-grade classrooms at Andersen. I visited Hartman's class last week to see how it all works.

"When we first started using the balls," she said, "students had to earn the right to use them."

She used them for short periods of time at first, teaching students how to use and take care of them. "They have to keep them pumped up and clean," she said. She found that her students become quite attached to them and are eager to take on the responsibility.

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

Lisa Hartman

After everyone had earned their ball, they began using them all day in place of chairs. If students' use of the ball is not appropriate, they lose the privilege of having their ball for the rest of the day. "I've had to do that very few times," she said. "It's positive reinforcement. They will do anything to keep them."

Hartman leads the class in a morning exercise routine on the balls, following along with the video. At first the students became tired during the workout, but now they can easily get through the entire video. "They were all winded," she said, but now the physical benefits are starting to show.

During my visit, several students told me that sitting on the balls while they work helps them concentrate. During the recent Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) exams, students begged Hartman to try to change the start time of the test so they could get their morning workout in. They felt it would help them do better on the test.

Sometimes $750 can go a long way.

Anti-bullying curriculum draws criticism and support (video)

By Steve Date — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 20:07:00 +0000

Steve Date

Despite opposition from some parents, Minneapolis schools are moving ahead with a pilot curriculum in three elementary schools to fight bullying by focusing on diversity, gender stereotyping and name-calling.

Parents opposed to the curriculum — developed by Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights lobby — say it places too much emphasis on learning about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender families. And, they argue, the program is weak on teaching about racial and religious diversity and that it undermines parental authority by causing confusion in children.

They asked Superintendent Bill Green and the school board to withdraw the curriculum at Hale Community School, Jefferson Community School and one other school that has yet to be selected.

But in the school district's newsletter released this morning, Green endorsed the curriculum, saying "it's absolutely essential to create an environment that is respectful of all people regardless of any differences known or implied."

School board members listened to parents' views on the "Welcoming Schools" anti-bullying curriculum during a forum preceding its board meeting March 11.

Hale parent Arbuc Flomo read a written statement by a group opposed to the curriculum. Several parents of Hale students attending other Minneapolis schools spoke in favor of the curriculum.

Hale Principal Bob Brancale said that based on the reports he's received about students' use of anti-gay language, there is a need for an anti-bullying program that includes gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) issues. He said that teachers had also expressed concerns to him about this behavior, but sometimes took care of the incidents in class without writing a formal behavior referral to his office.

The district was looking for schools to pilot the anti-bullying curriculum that includes teaching about GLBT families. Brancale said he believed the curriculum could address his school's needs, and offered to pilot the program at Hale.

Brancale said most of his teachers support the curriculum. "About 19 out of our 23 classroom teachers support it and most have expressed interest in being trained in the use of the pilot curriculum," he said.

Brancale emphasized that Hale has a "very low suspension rate — less than 1 percent." Of about 240 behavior referrals this school year, 60 were for bullying. About half of those involved some form of gay slurs. Brancale and the dissenting parents disagree on the significance of the percentage of referrals involving gay slurs.

Parents who expressed support for the curriculum said such a program has been needed for some time. "We need an anti-bullying curriculum and we need one that specifically includes the GLBT community," Hale parent Sylvia Crannell told the school board last week.

Tim Cadott, principal of Burroughs School whose two sons attend Minneapolis schools, also spoke to the board. "My boys should not have to go anywhere in Minneapolis public schools and hear 'that's so gay' or 'faggot' or words like that, because that's my family." Turning to the audience, he added: "I've taken care of your children for 27 years, you have to take care of mine, now. They're in your hands."

When asked abut her response to the meeting, Chair Lydia Lee said in an email that board members "did listen intently" to the comments at the session. "The focus and purpose of using the 'Welcoming Schools' curriculum is for students to understand the impact on children of bullying and name-calling," Lee wrote. "It is not a means for teachers to advocate for or object to any particular family structures.

"It is the intent of the Minneapolis Public Schools that children learn to accept diversity in their midst in the many different ways in which it can appear," she said. "How this takes place is an administrative decision. While the Board of Education is kept apprised of curricular matters, its members do not make curriculum decisions."

Brancale said he's listening to parents on both sides of the issue and is looking for other anti-bullying programs that include GLBT issues. So far he hasn't found any, he said, that sufficiently address the issues.

Because of the amount of time needed for teacher training, Brancale said, he isn't sure if the program will begin late this spring or next fall.

Hale school's anti-bullying program prompts debate over focus on gay issues (video)

By Steve Date — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 15:50:00 +0000

Steve Date

The Minneapolis Public School District recently decided to pilot a new anti-bullying curriculum guide called "Welcoming Schools" and was looking for schools that wanted to implement it.

Bob Brancale, principal of Hale Community School in South Minneapolis, had been receiving a number of student behavior referrals from teachers that involved the use of gay slurs. As he wrote Hale's School Improvement Plan, he identified a need for an anti-bullying program that was inclusive of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender issues (GLBT). (Hale's sister school, Field, is not part of the pilot program.)

Associate Superintendent Marianne Norris said that "Welcoming Schools" and Hale School seemed like a good fit. She said the district is always looking for successful new programs that they can add to the "tool bag" that schools use when a need arises.

Lesley Chaudhry, a parent with a child who attends Hale, spoke up at an informational meeting about the curriculum at Hale last Thursday night, and said she isn't happy about the way the new program is being introduced. Chaudhry said that parents weren't given sufficient notice or input into the "Welcoming Schools" curriculum selection. When she learned that the program was developed by the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights lobbying group, she said "that just raised big flags for me."

Many others in the school community spoke in support of the program at the meeting, some telling personal stories illustrating the need for this type of curriculum.

Chaudhry, a Muslim, strongly believes that children should be taught to be polite and to treat people of all backgrounds and family situations with respect. In fact, her child has been a recipient of harassment because of religious affiliation. But she and some other parents feel that "Welcoming Schools" places an overemphasis on GLBT issues and she is suspicious of educational programs developed by special interest groups.

Chaudhry also believes that when schools teach something at odds with what's being taught at home, children are conflicted and the parents' role is undermined. She said she doesn't go to the school to teach about her religion or its holidays because she believes that "it's really important for kids to have that knowledge that what their parents are telling them at home is true."

Jessi Tebben, coordinator of Out4Good, the Minneapolis Public School program whose mission includes "creating safe and supportive schools" for GLBT students, families and staff, is responsible for implementing the "Welcoming Schools" pilot at Hale, Jefferson and another as yet unnamed school. Many parents welcome this type of program and in fact have asked for an anti-bullying curriculum that is inclusive of GLBT issues for some time, Tebben said.

Norris says that schools need to teach about respect for GLBT families and staff. "I still think we have one group that it's OK to discriminate against in our country and that's many of our GLBT people."

"Out4Good has been around since 1996," Tebben said. The district has had "policies with respect to sexual orientation and gender since 1992,"
and she wants it known that the inclusion of GLBT issues is part of the educational standards of the district.

The "Welcoming Schools" curriculum guide is expected to begin being used by teachers "toward the end of this school year or next fall," said Tebben. She said the program has an "opt out" option for parents who don't want their child to participate.

Community members are expected to speak about the issue during the Public Comments forum before the Minneapolis School Board meeting tonight at 5:30 p.m. Meetings are held in the third floor Assembly Room at the Educational Services Center, 807 N.E. Broadway, Minneapolis.

Part 3 of Togolese immigrants Cowami and Akossiwa Djagli's story

By Steve Date — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:25:00 +0000

Steve Date

WHY WE ARE HERE

This is the third in a series of video interviews with Cowami and Akossiwa Djagli. The couple, originally from Togo, West Africa, tells their story about why they left their homeland to come to Minnesota, and what life is like now for them and their children.

In Part 1, Cowami and Akossiaw Djagli talked about winning an immigration lottery in 2001 and moving to Minnesota, and in Part 2, they talked about what they learned on their visit back to their home country of Togo last year.

In today's final installment, they talk about a movie they are making with their friends. They hope that sales of the movie will enable them to raise money to help improve conditions for their friends and families in Togo.

Part 2 of Togolese immigrants Cowami and Akossiwa Djagli's story

By Steve Date — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:45:00 +0000

Steve Date

WHY WE ARE HERE

This is the second in a series of video interviews with Cowami and Akossiwa Djagli. The couple, originally from Togo, West Africa, tells their story about why they left their homeland to come to Minnesota, and what life is like now for them and their children.

In Part 1, Cowami and Akossiaw Djagli talked about winning an immigration lottery in 2001 and moving to Minnesota. In today's installment they tell about what they learned on their visit back to their home country of Togo last year.

They won the lottery: A new life in America

By Steve Date — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 16:50:00 +0000

Steve Date

MinnPost photo by Steve Date

The Djagli family prepares for dinner.

WHY WE ARE HERE

Cowami and Akossiwa Djagli won a lottery in 2001. By this time next year, they hope to be movie stars.

Their lottery winnings weren't a large sum of money, but a chance to move to the United States from their native Togo in West Africa. It was a dream come true, but they've come to realize that living a better life in America isn't enough. Now they have a new dream — to use what they've learned here to help improve the situation back home.

As for becoming movie stars, Cowami's cousin Ade Adigoun wrote a screenplay for a romantic drama called "Beyond Love." The Djaglis and a group of other Togolese actors have been rehearsing the script for several months. Shooting will begin soon and they hope sales of the film will raise enough money to help those they left behind in Africa.

Cowami, 32, is an operations clerk at Wells Fargo. Akossiwa, 29, is assistant chief housekeeper at the Millenium Hotel in Minneapolis. In the evening, they attend classes offered by the Minneapolis Public Schools Adult Basic Education program at the Lehmann Center.

Togo is not familiar to many Americans. It is a 60-mile wide, finger-shaped country, smaller in area than West Virginia. It's not as well known as some of its neighbors, such as Ghana and Nigeria, and hasn't experienced the amount of strife of some other African countries.

Poverty is pervasive and public health is also an issue, with many rural areas lacking clean water and good medical care. Because Togolese must pay for their education, many children do not attend school. Cowami wonders why most international aide efforts go to countries in the eastern and southern parts of Africa rather than Togo. He says that many people in Togo are also lacking basic necessities and that until recently, their government hasn't been helpful to those in need.

Courtesy of Rei-artur

Togo is a small country in West Africa.

Togo, part of the "slave coast" of West Africa, gained independence from France in 1960. Attempts at forming a democratic form of government have been stalled by several coups. General Gnassingbe Eyadema ruled for 38 years after seizing power in 1967. When he died in 2005, his son took control and ruled for a short time in defiance of a constitution that had been adopted in 1992. Recent elections have given some Togolese new hope that democracy will take hold and that living conditions will improve.

The lottery the Djaglis won is called the Diversity Visa Lottery. The U.S. government controls immigration by awarding green cards to a limited number of people from "underrepresented" countries each year. Cowami and Akossiwa were among the 50,000 winners from more than 10 million qualified applicants worldwide in 2001.

They chose to come to Minnesota because Cowami's aunt lives here. They feel very fortunate to be here. Like most Africans, they say that the impression they had of the United States is that it's a "dream country" where "everything is shining."

"Everybody in Togo would like to get out from the country and go to maybe France or Germany, but everybody wish they can come to the United States," Akossiwa says.

While glad to be in the United States, they have come to realize that emigration from Togo will not fix the problems there. Cowami is forming a nonprofit organization, called Jehovah-Jireh, which he hopes will be a way for people in the United States to help the Togolese attain a better way of life.

Cowami believes education is key to the future of Togo. Because families must pay for school and school supplies, many children don't receive an education. He's astounded that someone his age can go to school here for free, while children in Togo who "are the future of a country" can't get an education. He knows that if he had not come to America and sent money back to his family, his brother could not have gone to school.

Cowami prefers to stay away from the politics of Togo, so that the government will let his organization do the things that he envisions. He says that the important thing he's learned from living in the United States is that the way to make change is from the bottom up — people "putting their hands together to do what is right."

"America did not build America," he says. "Americans built America."

Last year they took their children, son Junior, 5, and daughter Almira, 2, to Togo to visit their grandparents and see the country their parents left.

"We want them to know Africa," says Akossiwa. "They should know where they are really from. Maybe some day they will go back and help with what we are trying to do."

Part 4 of Cambodian immigrant Theary Kem's story

By Steve Date — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:50:00 +0000

Steve Date

WHY WE ARE HERE

This is the final installment in our four-part series of interviews with Theary Kem, an immigrant from Cambodia who now lives in Shoreview. In this installment, Kem discusses how difficult it was to come to America, his first impressions of Minnesota, and remembers his family members who didn't survive the Khmer Rouge labor camp.

In Part 1, Kem talks about Cambodia during the war in the early 1970s. When the Khmer Rouge took over in 1975, Phnom Penh was evacuated and Kem was separated from this family and taken to a labor camp. In this installment, Kem describes life in the camp.

In Part 2, Theary Kem tells how he survived in a Khmer Rouge labor camp after being separated from his family. Many of those around him died of illness, starvation or execution.

In Part 3, Theary Kem and two friends stowed away on a ship in the middle of the night to escape the Khmer Rouge labor camp. After a few days at sea, they were discovered. The ships' captain said he would have to turn the ship around and take them back. But Kem and his friends convinced the captain of their need to escape the Khmer Rouge labor camp and they eventually made their way to America.

Part 3 of Cambodian immigrant Theary Kem's story

By Steve Date — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 16:50:00 +0000

Steve Date

WHY WE ARE HERE

This is the third in a series of video interviews with Theary Kem, an immigrant from Cambodia who now lives in Shoreview. In this installment, Kem describes how he and two friends escaped from a Khmer Rouge labor camp.

Kem's story, shown in four parts, is the first of an ongoing MinnPost video series — called Why We Are Here — featuring immigrants who tell why they left their homelands to come to Minnesota. The final video of the series on Kem will be posted Tuesday, Dec. 18.

In Part 1, Kem talks about Cambodia during the war in the early 1970s. When the Khmer Rouge took over in 1975, Phnom Penh was evacuated and Kem was separated from his family and taken to a labor camp. In this installment, Kem describes life in the camp.

In Part 2, Theary Kem tells how he survived in a Khmer Rouge labor camp after being separated from his family. Many of those around him died of illness, starvation or execution.

Part 2 of Cambodian immigrant Theary Kem's story

By Steve Date — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 16:50:00 +0000

Steve Date

WHY WE ARE HERE

This is the second in a series of video interviews with Theary Kem, an immigrant from Cambodia who now lives in Shoreview. Kem's story, shown in four parts, is the first of an ongoing MinnPost video series — called Why We Are Here — featuring immigrants who tell why they left their homelands to come to Minnesota.

In part one, Kem talked about Cambodia during the war in the early 1970s. When the Khmer Rouge took over in 1975, Phnom Penh was evacuated and Kem was separated from his family and taken to a labor camp. In today's installment, Kem describes life in the camp.

Kem's story concludes next week with his account of escaping from the camp and his difficult journey to the United States.

An escape from the Khmer Rouge; a life in Shoreview

By Steve Date — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 16:50:00 +0000

Steve Date

WHY WE ARE HERE

Theary Kem, 49, is an accountant for Travelers Insurance in St. Paul. He and his wife, Marida, and children Sophie and Alan live in a large house in an upper middle-class neighborhood in Shoreview.

This may not be the first image that comes to mind when you hear the words "immigrant" or "refugee," but the life he lives is not atypical for people who have come from other countries and have been in the United States for more than 10 years. Over time, immigrants do as well or better than the average American on most economic and educational measures.

"They" pretty quickly become "us."

Kem's story, which will be shown in four parts, is the first of an ongoing MinnPost video series — called "Why We Are Here" — about immigrants telling how and why they left home and came to Minnesota.

The series is not meant to be an examination of immigration policy, but simply a forum for those who are often not heard to be able to speak up and tell others about themselves. The stories are personal and direct. In the coming months, you'll hear from immigrants who come from a variety of cultures and experiences. Each has an interesting story to tell.

'I need to let it out'
Kem's story is both horrifying and inspirational. It is painful for him to bring up memories of his life in Cambodia back in the 1970s, but he said he needs to talk about it. He still has flashbacks and sleepless nights, but realizes that holding the memories inside is not beneficial to him or to others.

"I don't need to keep it in my chest. I need to let it out," he said.

He has begun writing a memoir about his family and his experiences, with details provided by his one surviving family member, an older sister who still lives in Cambodia. His father and seven brothers and sisters either were executed or died of starvation in a Khmer Rouge labor camp in 1977 and 1978. Another brother died in an accident.

Like Kem, Cambodia is still trying to recover from events that happened 30 years ago. Top officials from leader Pol Pot's regime have been arrested and are finally going to trial. Kem said he hopes that people around the world will take notice and pay attention to other places where genocide goes on today.

Kem said he is telling his family's story to encourage other immigrants and refugees to speak up about their own pasts so they can heal. He also wants others to know "why we are here, why we came, why we left our countries."

But before you hear Kem tell his story, you should know something about me. I am a teacher in the Minneapolis public schools, and a part-time video journalist for MinnPost. About 90 languages are spoken in the households of Minneapolis students. During my years at Windom School I have come to know families from more than a dozen different countries. I have also taught English as a second language to adults at the Lehmann Center in Minneapolis. The stories I have heard from immigrants are powerful, moving and sometimes frightening.

But they are always stories of hope.

Tuesday: Life in Khmer Rouge labor camp.