February 20, 1997 - A huge piece of countryside south of the Twin Cities near Rosemount has been off limits to development for fifty years. The owner, the University of Minnesota, says it may be interested in selling off a portion of the property. Some neighbors worry urban development moving south from the Twin Cities will overrun a portion of the land. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson has more.
February 13, 1997 - The University of Minnesota is one of the state's largest landowners and, thus, a big neighbor. Some residents of a Minneapolis neighborhood would like the U to be a better neighbor and agree to sell some of its surplus Minneapolis campus property to homeowners. The residents want a mix of housing to try create what some call an urban village environment. They are concerned the U will sell to the highest bidder which in this case may be a developer who wants to tear down the houses. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson has more. The developer is Dinnaken Properties owned by James Cargill, Sr. a former executive of Cargill the global commodity processing and trading company. The neighborhood is what generations of U students know as Stadium Village - a collection of businesses, apartments and houses where the best known intersection is Oak Street and Washington Avenue. The U intends
February 10, 1997 - Minnesota storyteller, playwright and actor Kevin Kling says his storytelling is from personal experience. The stories use humor because Kling says humor is a solvent that helps us accept the difficulty of our lives. Today on our Voices of Minnesota interview, Kevin Kling talks about storytelling. Riding the 21A bus line between St. Paul and Minneapolis was the source for one of Kling's best known works. "Fear and Loving" is a new collection of Kling stories about growing up. He was recently on stage at the Jungle Theatre in Minneapolis playing one of the leads in "Waiting for Gadot". Kling was born in Missouri and grew up in the Twin Cities suburbs of Brooklyn Center and Maple Grove.
February 10, 1997 - Minnesota storyteller, playwright and actor Kevin Kling says his storytelling is from personal experience. The stories use humor because Kling says humor is a solvent that helps us accept the difficulty of our lives. In our Voices of Minnesota interview, Kevin Kling talks about storytelling. Riding the 21A bus line between St. Paul and Minneapolis was the source for one of Kling's best known works. "Fear and Loving" is a new collection of Kling stories about growing up. He was recently on stage at the Jungle Theatre in Minneapolis playing one of the leads in "Waiting for Godot". Kling was born in Missouri and grew up in the Twin Cities suburbs of Brooklyn Center and Maple Grove. Minnesota Public Radio's John Rabe talked with Kling about his work.
February 7, 1997 - MPR’s Dan Olson reports on a University of Minnesota Symphony Orchestra performance of the music of Roy Harris, Rimsky-Korsakov… and “Beijing Drum,” a piece of new music by a Chinese composer Zhou Long written for the pipa, an instrument similar to a lute.
February 3, 1997 - Deborah Biede fights against time. Today on our Odd Jobs report we'll hear how she also battles dirt, loose seams and frayed edges. Biede conserves clothes and other textiles in the Minnesota Historical Societies Archive. She uses a variety of tools and techniques to preserve yesterday's heirlooms for tomorrow. Minnesota Public Radio intern Brian Bull talked with Biede in the textile laboratory at the History Center in St. Paul.
January 31, 1997 - Lawmakers will be lobbied on the bus this morning by mayors from several Twin Cities communities who want more money for transit and cleaning up polluted ground. The bus tour grows out of discussions among central city and suburban mayors who want a united front in lobbying for some of their interests. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports. Lawmakers will board the bus at the state capitol for a relatively short ride to one of the first sites - several acres of St. Paul land dominated by a huge mound of polluted soil. St. Paul mayor Norm Coleman says a priority among several cities is money to help clean up sites which can be used for development.
January 30, 1997 - A family of eight moved into a brand new home in St. Paul's Frogtown neighborhood. The home was built and sold at cost by the Builders Association of the Twin Cities with the help of the city of St. Paul. Many groups - private and public - are trying to address Minnesota's shortage of affordable housing. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports on the size of the gap they are trying to fill.
January 29, 1997 - Minnesota teenager's have a much higher rate of vehicle accidents than other drivers. State officials say the young drivers need more training. So, beginning the first of February, Minnesotan's 18 or younger will need to wait six months between getting their permit and their drivers license. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports. There's no waiting period for Minnesota fifteen year olds right now. The minute they get their permit and reach their 16th birthday, they can head for the nearest testing site and try for their license. Wayne Jerrow, a spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety says the new law requires a six month waiting period in an attempt to give the teens more experience. tape . . . the purpose is to give the young adults more practice time, and practice with their parents, with less risk.
January 21, 1997 - Many of the residents forced to move by the closing of a Hopkins mobile home park last fall have come face to face with Minnesota's affordable housing crunch - housing costs are rising faster than a lot of peoples' wages. The mobile home residents were given a cash settlement by a developer to help them relocate. Some used the money to move to another mobile home. Others found apartments. About a third of the residents used the cash to buy a home. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports. Christine Mcgovern knew it would be a stretch but she took a risk. She used her settlement of a few thousand dollars from the closing of the Hopkins mobile home park for a down payment on a house in Robinsdale. The monthly mortage payment of $600 was more than a third of her income - larger than most lenders say is prudent. Two weeks before Christmas McGovern lost