The Northeast Turkeys made an appearance in the New York Times. Kirk Johnson writes about the growing phenomenon of urban turkeys: “For most Americans, turkeys come in plastic, from supermarkets. Their feathers are gone. Their gobble has been silenced. They are certainly not scaring the bejesus out of your dog, or attacking your car because they have seen a reflection of themselves in the grillwork and wrongly perceived an enemy worthy of attack. … It turns out that genuine, free-range wild turkeys — not to be confused with the farm-raised kind that most people will overcook on Thursday — are increasingly finding their free range to include suburbs from New England to California and lots of spots between. … Human-turkey conflicts are on the rise.”
File under Minnesota Weird. MPR’s Tracy Mumford reports: “A can of pumpkin at the grocery store this holiday season will cost you about $1.50. Three bucks if you’re going organic. … But if you’re looking for Festal Golden Pie Pumpkin, you’re going to have to look to eBay. … The online auction site has multiple listings for Festal, ‘pride of the Midwest.’ Three cans for $20, six for $32. Undamaged, unopened, unused — ‘The ONLY Canned Pumpkin To Make PIE With….’ one listing promises. … The Minnesota-born pumpkin brand was a longtime holiday staple before it began disappearing from local grocery store shelves. For decades it was produced by the Owatonna Canning Company in southern Minnesota. In the ’90s, the brand was sold to Chiquita, and then to Seneca Foods Corp. in 2003. Now the cans are a rare, coveted find.”
Calwho? City Pages’ Susan Du reports: “ People have talked about ditching the name Lake Calhoun for the better part of this decade. … The 19th century U.S. Secretary of War for whom the lake is named, John C. Calhoun, was a strong supporter of slavery who may never even have set foot in Minnesota. What he did accomplish was to authorize the construction of Fort Snelling, which was used as a concentration camp during the U.S.-Dakota War of 1892. … Contemporary Minneapolitans reluctant to keep dipping their toes in that legacy prefer Bde Maka Ska (Beh-DAY Ma-KAH-ska), meaning ‘White Earth Lake’—the oldest name the lake has ever had. … On Tuesday, the Hennepin County Administration Committee, comprised of all seven commissioners, voted 4-3 in favor of the name change as well. The nay votes came from Commissioners Jan Callison, Mike Opat, and Jeff Johnson.”
Soccer stadium construction continuing apace. The Pioneer Press’ Andy Greder reports: “For those driving by on Interstate 94 in St. Paul, Minnesota United’s Allianz Field has been a couple of tower cranes and little else since the start of construction this summer. … But 17 feet underground on the service level, about 40 percent of the concrete for the new Major League Soccer stadium has been set, and the steel structure will begin to sprout from the ground in the coming weeks. … The first steel piece, signed by some of the people who made the stadium’s private-public construction possible, was moved via crane from the field level and put into place on the the southeast corner of the concourse during a ceremony on Tuesday.”
In other news…
Noted Twin Cities dive-bar enthusiast Bill Lindeke on the former Sunrise Inn: “Bull’s Horn asks the question: Can a dive bar be preserved?” [City Pages]
Beer pairings: “The Surly Guide to Thanksgiving” [Surly Brewing]
That’s a big job: “Republican Tim Miller hopes to take on Collin Peterson” [Duluth News Tribune]
Never too early: “It’s a short drive to the tree farm” [St. Cloud Times]
Nice: “‘I have turned Michael Jordan into a Vikings fan.’” [Pioneer Press]
Unknowingly shoots? “Hunter in Wisconsin unknowingly shoots, kills rare albino deer” [Fargo Forum]
Guess he needs to row a little harder: “Gophers coach P.J. Fleck receives contract extension but no added raise” [Pioneer Press]
Go Rosemount High! “After 30-year absence, Minn. band to appear in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” [Star Tribune]
