Students and Duluth City Planning: Fresh Ideas

"Architecture students create designs for a better Duluth"
John Myers, Duluth News Tribune (December 13, 2012)

"University of Minnesota architecture and landscape architecture graduate students showed Duluth civic and business leaders what their finished projects might look like once the city's trouble spots are turned into treasures.

"Imagine waking up in your bedroom in what had been an idle ore dock on Duluth's waterfront - with stores, offices and restaurants down the hall and an outdoor skating arena just outside your door.

"Imagine turning an abandoned granite quarry in West Duluth into a world-class ice-climbing destination and speed-skating oval....

"...An effort by 36 graduate students in the University of Minnesota's College of Design did more than just imagine those scenarios - they spent the fall quarter of their final year in school designing and planning the projects. On Wednesday, the grad students in architecture and landscape architecture showed Duluth civic and business leaders what the finished projects might look like...."

Duluth, Minnesota, across from Superior, Wisconsin, is half of a port city at the west end of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Taconite pellets get transferred from rail cars to ore carriers on a series of huge ore docks. One of those docks isn't in use.

Some See Ore-Loading Chutes - - -

Some of the students saw that expanse of unused ore dock, and started thinking. They propose "...transforming the massive structure of wood and steel into a multi-use destination with condos, shops and public recreation space. Their concept even turns the giant ore-loading chutes into bleachers for an outdoor skating arena...."
(December 13, 2012)

Others have plans for parts of Duluth that are unused or hard to maintain. Then there's old Casket Quarry in West Duluth. It's already being used for ice climbing - unofficially. What some students suggest is officially recognizing what's already being done, and re-engineering the place a bit.

Sounds like a plan to the Lemming.

Somewhat-related posts:

• "Lemming Tracks: Designing Better Street Lighting"
  (March 21, 2012)
• "Houston, Texas; Civic Pride; Futuristic Architecture; and Admiral Horatio Nelson"
  (February 1, 2012)
• "Ohio City Dusting Off 1978 Restoration Plan"
  (December 21, 2011)
• "Minneapolis Skyways: Warm Winter Walking"
  (November 9, 2011)
• "This Post is Not About the Royal Wedding"
  (April 28, 2011)

It's Bright, Shiny, and Spins: the Mall of America's Americana Carousel

"Minnesota Carousels (page 1)"

• Americana Carousel

Bloomington, MN
RoadSideArchitecture.com

"The 'Americana' Carousel at the Mall of America is a reproduction style carousel ('a hand-painted contemporary version of the classic American merry-go-round'). It features 34 figures and one chariot. Despite its lack of historic value, it is in great shape and wonderful in its garishness which will hopefully instill appreciation for carousels and ensure their preservation."

"Garishness?" One of the photos of RoadSideArchitecture.com's page shows a (horse? hippocampus? seahorse?) that's a bright, intense blue - and very shiny. If the photographer had taken a step to the right or left, light might not have been reflected into the lens quite so much.

That said, the carousel critters are new. And still have that fresh-from-the-factory shine. Which, along with the amusement-park colors, make them anything but subtle.

Here's a photo of the carousel, taken by someone else: who used existing light. Interestingly, the animals don't look quite so garish this way:


(Baseball Bugs, via Wikimedia Commons/Wikipedia, used w/o permission)
Mall of America Carousel

Maybe, decades from now, when the Americana Carousel isn't quite so shiny, folks will remember those shiny horses, cat, goat, and - thing. Then it'll be 'historic.'

Which is pretty much what happened to the Cafesjian carousel: which is another topic.

Posts, related and otherwise:

• "St. Paul, Minnesota, and The Curious Case of the Cherished Carousel"
  (November 16, 2011)
• "Why is Everybody Ignoring the Suckermouth Catfish?"
  (August 1, 2010)
• "Dutch Merry Go Round Inside Out House Doesn't Spin"
  (October 27, 2009)
• "Another Dubai Skyscraper: This One Spins"
  (June 27, 2008)
• "Dome Home Turns: Cool, Yes! Practical? Well - - -"
  (March 17, 2009)

St. Paul, Minnesota, and The Curious Case of the Cherished Carousel

The Lemming had planned to write about what happened to St. Paul's Town Square Park. It used to be a remarkable indoor park area - occasionally used for social gatherings like high school proms. Alas! The fate of St. Paul's downtown Town Square Park remains a mystery. To the Lemming, anyway.

In sharp contrast, the fate of Cafesjian's Carousel, once of the Minnesota State Fair grounds, and briefly in residence at Town Square, was in the hands of folks who know how to tell a story.

A tip of the Lemming's hat to Our Fair Carousel, Inc., the not-for-profit owner and operator of Cafesjian's Carousel.

Who's carousel? As the Lemming hinted, there's quite a story about that.

Cafesjian's Carousel

Oddly enough, someone named Austin McFadden paid to have Cafesjian's Carousel built. The Lemming guessed that someone decided that "Cafesjian's Carousel" sounded cooler than, say, "McFadden's Merry-Go-Round." The Lemming was wrong. More about that later.

Cafesjian's Carousel/ourfaircarousel.org has a nicely-done website about the St. Paul cultural landmark.

Excerpts:

"Cafesjian's Carousel--History"
Our Fair Carousel

"A State Fair Tradition... Back in 1914, an enterprising man named Austin McFadden paid the Philadelphia Toboggan Company $8,500 to build a carousel, bring it to St. Paul, and assemble it on the grounds of the Minnesota State Fair. He ran it as a concession for many years, after which it passed into the hands of other families.

"Each year during the fair, Minnesota families would ride the carousel. Parents brought their children, grandparents rode with grandchildren, young people rode with friends and sweethearts, and over the years the carousel wove itself into the stories of thousands of families.

"Most of those families, perhaps believing that the State Fair owned the carousel, took for granted that 'their' carousel would be at the fair forever. That was not to be.

"Slated for Auction... In 1988, Minnesota carousel fans were shocked to learn that the privately-owned carousel had been put up for sale. By the time the story hit the newspapers on November 11, twenty horses and a chariot were on a truck headed for a December 10 auction in New York. According to the story, the carousel's owners had tried unsuccessfully to find someone to buy the carousel and keep it intact...."

There's more on that page, about what it took to keep the carousel in Minnesota, and in one piece. Not that "twenty horses and a chariot" are exactly one piece. "Intact" was a good choice of words, in the Lemming's opinion.

The Curious Case of the Cherished Carousel Continues

"...Operating at St. Paul's Town Square... The carousel moved into a new home at Town Square Park, an enclosed city park on the top level of a building in the heart of downtown St. Paul. The building housed a variety of stores and restaurants, and for about two years, business at the carousel was good...."
("Cafesjian's Carousel--History," Our Fair Carousel)

From another page on the website:

"In 1990, the carousel opened in an enclosed city park on the top level of Town Square in downtown St. Paul. (Note escalators in the foreground and shops on the level below the carousel.) Initially a shopping center, Town Square soon began to evolve into an office building, drawing few carousel visitors. By 1993, slow business at the carousel forced Our Fair Carousel to seek a new location."
("Town Square Larger View," Our Fair Carousel)

A Four-Season Indoor Carousel: Closing?!

"...By 1993, however, downtown retail business was in decline and Town Square itself was beginning a transition from retail to office space...."
("Cafesjian's Carousel--History," Our Fair Carousel)

Even the best merry-go-round needs people who want to go around merrily. And have time to do so. That transition from urban shopping area to buildings with 'office space for lease' in the windows was not good for Cafesjian's Carousel.

It's probably difficult to feel like a merry-go-round ride, when you're on coffee beak and worried about downsizing. And that's another topic, probably for another blog.

The Curious Case of the Cherished Carousel Concludes: For Now

"...New Home in Como Park... In spring 2000, Cafesjian's Carousel opened in a new, $1.1 million copper-roofed pavilion in Como Park. When the carousel is in operation, eight 14-by-14-foot garage-style doors can be opened in various configurations to suit the weather. Just outside the doors..."
("Cafesjian's Carousel--History," Our Fair Carousel)

The Lemming's glad that folks with the skills and level of interest it takes to work out arrangements for Cafesjian's Carousel. Moving that twenty-horse piece of Minnesota history across town, and having a place to set it up at the end of the trip, was a big job.

So was bringing it back to the way it looked in 1914. And that's another story:

• "Cafesjian's Carousel--Restoration"Our Fair Carousel
  

Cafesjian's Carousel: Cool Name, and More

As the Lemming said, the carousel that Mr. McFadden paid a toboggan company to build didn't get its name on coolness alone. Back to Our Fair Carousel's website:

"Our Major Benefactor..."
Our Fair Carousel
"Cafesjian's Carousel is named for Gerard L. Cafesjian, who has contributed more than $1.2 million to its purchase, restoration and operation. Mr. Cafesjian was an executive with West Publishing Company; he is now retired and lives in Florida....

"...'I believe something special happens on a merry-go-round,' he said. 'The music, the magic and the movement combine to create a one-of-a-kind experience. When we preserve the carousel we also preserve that joy and hope--that happiness--for the entire community, for years to come.'..."

A sincere tip of the Lemming's hat to Gerard L. Cafesjian.

The Lemming Sounds Off

Folks like Mr. Cafesjian, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, and others, are part of why the Lemming doesn't mind living in a world where a great many people have a great deal more money than the Lemming.

The Lemming thinks it's easier for a wealthy individual to decide that an old carousel is worth restoring, than it would be for some collection of bureaucrats.

Then there's Cousteau, who decided that Earth's oceans were more than just water, salt, and seaweed.

The Lemming's also run into self-important boors with more money than sense: but like everybody else, they buy food, clothing, and other necessities. Some of them pay a staff to carry out their crazy orders. That's where folks like the Lemming sometimes get their paychecks. And that's yet another topic.

St. Paul's Town Square: Closed Since 2001

"St. Paul's Town Square Park will be shuttered by year's end; The indoor downtown park that has hosted proms, weddings and noontime concerts has fallen to budget cuts.(NEWS)"
Joe Kimball, Star Tribune, via Highbeam Research (December 22, 2000)

"With little fanfare, downtown St. Paul's indoor Town Square Park will close at the end of the year, a victim of budget cuts.

"Closing signs had not yet been posted Thursday in the city-run park that has hosted band concerts, weddings, corporate events and lunch-hour naps for 20 years.

"By late next week, however,a gate is expected to be installed at the top of the escalators that come up from the skyway level, eliminating access to the 26,000 square feet of gurgling fountains and plants and trees that thrive under a canopy of windows...."

All that the Lemming has been able to learn about what happened to that outsized indoor facility is this caption: "The Town Square courtyard has been reopened in early 2003, but as a rentable space for events, owned by a private company." ("Town Square Complex," Fotki)

What the name of that rental company is, and whether the indoor park is still in use, seems to be one of the more jealously-guarded secrets in St. Paul. There's a hotel adjacent to the old Town Square Park, but they're remarkably reticent. 'Nuff said.

Minneapolis Skyways: Warm Winter Walking

"Minneapolis Skyway System"
Wikipedia

"The Minneapolis Skyway System is an interlinked collection of enclosed pedestrian footbridges that connects various buildings in Downtown Minneapolis enabling people to walk in a climate-controlled environment. The extensive system is renowned as the largest continuous system in the world,^[1] and is compared to the underground cities of Houston, Texas, and Canadian cold-weather cities Toronto and Montreal.^[2]

"The system forms a network of climate-controlled, pedestrian walkways that link sixty-nine full city blocks over seven miles (11 km).^[3]..."

From the Lemming's point of view, Minneapolis is 'down south,' and that's almost another topic.

The Minneapolis skyway system makes sense here in Minnesota, where words like "winter" and "cold" have a different meaning than they do in, say, San Diego. Or Brazilia.

St. Paul, Minnesota, across the river from Minneapolis, has a skyway system, too. And, until 2001, had an indoor city park. And that is another topic. As the Wikipedia article said, cities that have enclosed and climate-controlled pedestrian areas aren't all that uncommon. Not in North America, anyway.

One of the Wikipedia map links still works, but another fell victim to website 'improvements' since it was posted. After a little nosing around, the Lemming found two useful maps on the Minneapolis city website. (ci.minneapolis.mn.us) Since there's no telling how long those URLs will be useful, the Lemming archived both maps on a stable website:

• Steps to a Healthier Minneapolis: Skyway Walking Map
  • Archived from
    ci.minneapolis.mn.us/benefits/docs/SkywayWalkingMap.pdf
    Copyright © City of Minneapolis (2004)
  • Print document size: 11 inches by 8.5 inches
• Downtown Minneapolis
  Copyright © City of Minneapolis (2008)
  • Archived from
    ci.minneapolis.mn.us/about/maps/downtown.pdf
  • Print document size: 48 inches by 36 inches
    • You'll be doing a lot of scrolling to use this map
      • In the Lemming's opinion
      • Unless you've got a large-format printer

The City of Minneapolis holds copyright on both those maps - and those links and archived copies are used without permission. More of the usual disclaimer: this discussion of Minneapolis skyways; display of image(s); links; and use of the letter M; are not intended to imply endorsement, or any other sort of connection, with the City of Minneapolis.

And, while the Lemming is thinking of it:

• Observe traffic rules
• Not for internal use
• Drive safely
• Recycle

Almost-related posts:

• "Hong Kong's Mid-Level Escalators (It's About Time!)"
  (September 27, 2010)
• "Geisel Library: University of California, San Diego's Big Glass Landmark"
  (August 15, 2010)
• "Santa Monica Place, Cool New Mall in California: It Would be Even Cooler Here"
  (August 10, 2010)
  • Literally "cooler"
    • The Lemming lives in central Minnesota
• "Cool Office Design; Lots of Photos; Just About Zero Text"
  (May 12, 2009)
• "Skyway Retreat"
  (September 21, 2007)

Sinclair Lewis Days Parade - Webcam, Weather, and All That

"Sinclair Lewis Days Parade: July 18, 2009"
A Sauk Centre Journal Realreel
video, 3:44

This is blatant self-promotion by the Lemming. And, possibly, your best bet for seeing at least part of a Sinclair Lewis Days parade this year, in comfort. Even if you live in Sauk Centre, or are visiting for the festivities.

As an alternative to that short video of the 2009 parade, you could check out this eye-on-the street webcam in Sauk Centre, right on this year's parade route, provided by - you guessed it - the Lemming:

Small Town America: Minnesota

Just one downside about Small Town America: Minnesota - there isn't any sound.

Dropping the Editorial 'We' -

My video feed supports audio - but I haven't figured out how to get a microphone outside the window - and keep the thing in working order. I may use the inside mike, and give a sort of 'color commentary,' in the tradition of those televised Macy's Thanksgiving Day parades.

Or, I may think better of it.

When? Sauk Centre's Sinclair Lewis Days parade is scheduled for "7pm on Saturday July 16th," on the Sauk Centre Chamber of Commerce website.

I'm lucky, in a way - the parade route was moved away from this end of town a few years ago. Which was, for most folks, an improvement. The reason it's back in its old path is the Minnesota government shutdown. I understand that, since the state services are gone - temporarily, I trust - we "can't" close Highway 71 for the parade.

I'm pretty sure local law enforcement could handle the situation: My guess is that it's more a case of we aren't allowed to close Highway 71.

The Weather - Good News, Bad News

First, the good news.

Right now, it looks like we probably won't have another storm tomorrow evening. Not even rain.

Now, the bad news.

There's a heat advisory out for this part of the state - effective through Wednesday Evening. Todd county, just north of us, is one of the few counties around here that's not in the advisory - so we may get away with merely oppressive heat.

That's not good news for folks in the parade - or watching it. Oh, well: It could be worse.

Part of the Advisory

"Statement as of 3:46 PM CDT on July 15, 2011

"... Excessive heat watch remains in effect from Saturday afternoon
through Wednesday evening...

"An excessive heat watch remains in effect from Saturday afternoon
through Wednesday evening.

"* Temperature... afternoon highs in the low to mid 90s with low
temperatures in the mid to upper 70s

"* heat index... 105 to 110 degrees in the afternoon and early
evening...."
(via wunderground.com)

Vaguely-related posts:

• "Lemming Tracks: Sauk Centre Storm and the Lemming"
  (July 13, 2011)
• "Lemming Tracks: The Lemming Gets Transparent"
  (April 18, 2011)
• "New York City Blizzard, New Jersey Common Sense, and Central Minnesota Routines"
  (December 28, 2010)
• "Repairing Violins in Small Town America: This One's Personal"
  (December 21, 2010)
• "Another Tornado Warning: Second This Week"
  (July 17, 2010)

Lemming Tracks: Sauk Centre Storm and the Lemming

Last week the Lemming opined about a serious dust storm in the American southwest:

"Arizona Dust Storm: THIS MAY BE THE END OF CIVILIZATION AS WE KNOW IT!!!!! - or, not"
(July 6, 2011)

Then, Sunday evening, about 8:10 or so, the power went out. And stayed that way for 21 hours. Restoring data connections - telephone, television, and Internet - took several more hours.

The Lemming didn't have to guess why the power failed. Wind was whooshing past, first from the south, then from the northwest, more or less. Street lighting was out, but visibility wasn't a problem. a bit of greenish sunlight filtered through the clouds, and lightning was going like photoflash at a celebrity event.

Part of a tree was in the street, in front of the Lemming's house. Happily, those three lovely trees had been taken out during the 2008 Ash Street Project. One of them was practically hollow, and would have snapped off during the storm. The other two? They'd either have blocked the street or fallen on the house - maybe both.


("Thursday: Ash Street Project Takes Trees," Through One Dad's Eye (June 13, 2008))
Much better - a controlled fall, back in 2008.

I miss those trees: but I also like having an intact house, and a clear view westwards. (Through One Dad's Eye (June 13, 2008)

What's remarkable is that nobody got hurt or killed in town. With 90-mile-an-hour winds, hundreds of trees down, quite a few on vehicles or houses: that's really good news. The Lemming opined about that in another blog. ("Storm in Sauk Centre, Minnesota: Trees Down, Property Damage, No Injury," A Catholic Citizen in America (July 12, 2011))

With all that going on, you'd think the Lemming would have photos to show.

Well, the Lemming does have some photos: but they're not posted yet. Remember, the power was out for almost 24 hours, the house was offline for longer than that - and the Lemming had a whole lot of catching up to do when power came back.

Like the Monday and Tuesday posts for this blog, that aren't there. Check back in a few hours: the Lemming plans to poke around and see what's worth posting.

Related posts:

• "Joplin, Missouri, Tornado: Minneapolis, Too"
  (May 23, 2011)
• "Heavy Weather Weekend"
  (May 22, 2011)
• "Winter Weather, Chicago, and a Really Big Storm"
  (February 2, 2011)
• "New York City Blizzard, New Jersey Common Sense, and Central Minnesota Routines"
  (December 28, 2010)
• "Midwest Blizzard: Dome's Down; Next Stop, East Coast"
  (December 12, 2010)

Heavy Weather Weekend

"Heavy storms maul Minnesota; 1 dead, 22 hurt"
CNN (May 22, 2011)

"High winds and possible tornadoes struck Minneapolis and other parts of Minnesota on Sunday afternoon, leaving at least one person dead and injuring nearly two dozen others, police said.

"The system was part of a line of severe weather that swept across the Midwest on Sunday. The National Weather Service warned of tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds from the Ozarks to the Great Lakes as the storms moved in...."

This probably won't affect the whole country as much as flooding at the other end of the Mississippi River, but today's storm is a whole lot closer to the Lemming's home.

Which may not be the best reason for writing a post, but it'll do for the Lemming.

---

"Mpls. sets curfew, offers help for tornado victims"
KARE11 (May 22,2011)

"Chaos has triggered a curfew on the north side of Minneapolis, where police and public safety crews are working to help victims of a suspected tornado Sunday.

"Police will enforce that curfew for a wide section of the North Side beginning at 9 p.m., and ending at 6 a.m. Monday. The area under curfew stretches from Penn Avenue to Interstate 94, from Dowling Avenue to Plymouth Avenue....

"...'Our number one concern is for the health and safety of our residents,' said Mayor R.T. Rybak. 'Emergency responders have been working hard on the scene, going door to door to check on the well-being of folks in this area.'...

"...The city has set up a shelter at the Northeast Armory, near the intersection of Broadway and Central, and is sending so-called 'rescue buses' out to transport residents who have been left without shelter as a result of Sunday's storm. The first two buses, each carrying nearly 3 dozen people, arrived at the armory shortly after 7 p.m.. The shelter has a capacity of 400, and more people are expected to pour in when the 9 p.m. curfew kicks in.

"A Family Assistance Center is also open at the Northeast Armory at 1025 Broadway St. NE. Family members who want to check on loved ones should not go to the neighborhood, but instead should go to the center or call 651-268-8537...."

There's a few angles the Lemming could play up on the KARE11 article, including but not limited to:

1. Shock and dismay at police threatening the residents of Minneapolis
2. Interest in the Northeast Armory shelter and 'rescue buses' carrying folks there
3. Sadness at the death of someone in today's storms

The Lemming's picks are numbers two and three, for what that's worth.

Meanwhile, in Kansas

"Kansas tornado kills 1, destroys 20 homes"
Rick Martin, CNN (May 22, 2011)

"One person was killed and at least 20 homes destroyed after a weekend tornado that struck a town in eastern Kansas, state officials said.

"The storm also damaged another 200 homes around Reading, about 100 miles southwest of Kansas City, said Sharon Watson of the Kansas Division of Emergency Management. She said the agency received a report of a tornado touching down at 9:15 p.m. Saturday.

"The agency said five others were injured in addition to the fatality, and power was knocked out to much of the town of about 250. Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback issued a disaster declaration for 16 counties on Sunday, a step toward getting state and federal aid for the affected areas...."

The Lemming will omit the obvious, and insensitive, references to Dorothy and Toto. Saturday's Kansas storm isn't funny. Certainly not for friends and families of the person who was killed.

After catching up on the news, this weekend's rain and drizzle here in central Minnesota doesn't seem quite so important.

More:

• "2011 Spring Flood, Wild Weather, and the Lemming"

North Dakota Winter Storm Wimps Out: Only a Foot of Snow

"Winter storm arrives later, weaker than expected"
Stephen J. Leem GrandForksHerald.com (March 22, 2011)

"The winter storm hit eastern North Dakota a little later than expected and doesn't have quite the punch earlier predicted.

"But it's got enough to drop a foot or more of snow on the Devils Lake Basin by Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service's report about 7:20 p.m. Tuesday. From six inches to 12 inches could fall across much of eastern North Dakota and northwest Minnesota, the weather service said...."

The Lemming's #3 daughter and son-in-law live about 40 miles south of Grand Forks: They've got about nine inches of snow on the ground now, and expect about eight more before the storm passes. That's on top of freezing rain that came earlier.

Roads won't be open for a while there - but they've got a snowmobile, so getting to town shouldn't be a problem.

Back to that article.

"...By Tuesday evening, Interstate 94 from Fargo to Bismarck was closed by the Highway Patrol. U.S Highway 83 from Bismarck to the Canadian border was closed, and a stretch of U.S. Highway 2 from just west of Minot to east of Rugby was closed. State highway officials put a no-travel advisory out for most of the state's highways, and a travel alert for the remainder.

"The winter storm warning that went into effect at noon Tuesday remains in effect until 7 p.m. Wednesday....

"...Power outages were reported in several cities in central and southwest North Dakota beginning Tuesday morning as ice formed on power lines, state officials said. But most outages were repaired within a few hours....

"...No Delta airline flights to and from Grand Forks were canceled for Tuesday or Wednesday, according to the Grand Forks Airport Authority's website. In Minot, some flights were canceled Tuesday because of icy, slushy conditions....

"...Williston, N.D., and Dickinson, N.D., broke records Tuesday for precipitation that dated to 1975 for the date. By 7 p.m. Tuesday 0.45 inch of precipitation fell at Williston and 0.41 inch at Dickinson, breaking records set in 1975, according to the weather service. The 5.2 inches of snow that fell on Williston by 7 p.m. also set a record."

One reason the Lemming loves living in this part of the world is that we have blizzards, howling winds, raging thunderstorms, freezing rain, and the occasional tornado - often enough so that we're prepared for them.

Or should be: and that's another topic.

Slightly-related posts:

• "Accura Commercial; Baudette, Minnesota; and Weather That's Not Boring"
  (February 15, 2011)
• "Winter Weather, Chicago, and a Really Big Storm"
  (February 2, 2011)
• "Blizzard, Cold, and Walking in to Fetch the Tractor"
  (January 31, 2011)
• "Minnesota Winters: Bitter Cold, Springlike Warmth, and Everything in Between"
  (February 1, 2009)
• "Minnesota Seasons: Inspiration and Tourism"
  (February 8, 2010)

Cheeseburger Bill: Minnesota's Shocking Attack on Contemporary Values

"Cheeseburger bill could become law"
Bizarre Bazaar, Action News, 6abc.com (February 22, 2011)

"Don't blame Mickey D's or the King for your gut.

"That's the gist of the "cheeseburger bill" approved by a state House panel in Minnesota.

"The measure would block consumers from suing fast-food chains and other food companies for their weight problems...."

This "Cheeseburger bill" is, in the Lemming's opinion, a shocking attack on values - indeed, on an entire way of life - that has made America what it is today.

If the Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act passes, there is no telling what dire consequences may ensue. Imagine, if you will, the horror of someone slamming a car door on their hand - and not being able to sue the dealership that sold them the car.

The "Cheeseburger bill," in the Lemming's opinion, threatens the very foundation upon which today's American culture is based. Should it pass, a concept at the very core of American culture is at risk: the idea that the consequences of every act, no matter how foolish, are not the responsibility of the person directly involved.

Someone has to be blamed, of course: which is where greedy corporations come in. Generations of Americans have been raised with the comforting knowledge that that they, personally, are not responsible for their actions. It's the other guy. Generally someone with enough money to make a lawsuit worthwhile.

And now, some Minnesota politico is attacking this cornerstone of American culture.

The horror! The horror!

A Little More Seriously, Background on the "Cheeseburger Bill"

"'Cheeseburger bill' debate gets reheated in Legislature"
Mark Sommerhauser, St. Cloud Times (February 6, 2011)

"Attention fast-foodies: The 'cheeseburger bill' is back.

"State law would bar people from suing restaurants for causing them to gain weight, under a proposal revived by a Central Minnesota legislator.

"The Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act is authored by Rep. Dean Urdahl, R-Grove City, who also calls it 'the cheeseburger bill.'

"Urdahl says his bill would shield restaurants, farmers and others in the food business from frivolous litigation. He points to a 2002 New York case in which people sued McDonald's Corp. after eating its food for years and becoming overweight.

"Fast-food chains have long taken heat from people who say they contribute to the U.S. obesity epidemic. In December, a California mother joined the Center for Science in the Public Interest in filing a class-action complaint against McDonald's, calling for the company to stop using toys to market Happy Meals to children.

"But to Urdahl, such cases are absurd.

" 'If you eat too many cheeseburgers at a fast-food restaurant and get fat, it's not their fault. It's your fault,' Urdahl said.

"Urdahl has introduced his cheeseburger bill repeatedly since 2004. It passed the state House in 2005 before stalling in the Senate. With Republicans now controlling both chambers of the Legislature, Urdahl hopes it will have new life in 2011, after legislators have tackled job-creation and budget issues.

"The proposed liability exemption wouldn't apply if a weight-gain claim were based on certain violations of law, according to the bill.

"Twenty-three other states have passed laws similar to what Urdahl proposes, according to the National Restaurant Association...."

Big Cheese is Victimizing You!

The Lemming has seen the "Cheeseburger bill" described as "frivolous." Maybe it is. It certainly flies in the face of America's habit of suing someone else when things go wrong.

Or, maybe there's more to this "Cheeseburger bill" than meets the eye.

As is well known:

• Cheese is a fatty food
• Cheeseburgers are common fare at fast-food businesses
  • As well as other foods high in saturated fats
• Many foods high in saturated fats contain vegetable oil
• The "Cheeseburger bill" was introduced by a Republican
• Republicans are tools of Big Oil
  • As is well known
    • In some circles

You see? It all fits together! We're not just victims of Big Oil!!

BEWARE BIG OIL AND BIG CHEESE!!!

No, the Lemming doesn't think so. But lard that silly notion up with enough emotive words and verbal filler: and somebody might buy it.

Isn't the Lemming "Apathetic?"

The Lemming has discussed the name of this blog, and the sense in which it exudes "apathy" before.

Accura Commercial; Baudette, Minnesota; and Weather That's Not Boring

An Accura television commercial's narration caught the Lemming's attention:

"Every year year we travel to Baudette, Minnesota, to see how our luxury vehicles ... perform under the most brutal, punishing conditions. If your winters are tougher than this, you don't need a new car: You need a new place to live."

Baudette, Minnesota, is near the Canadian border, a bit south of Lake of the Woods. The Lemming thought you might like to see what current conditions are in Baudette:


Despite what that Acura commercial showed, temperatures around 25 below Fahrenheit aren't quite typical. The Lemming checked the Wunderground.com almanack for today (February 15) in Baudette, and found that the average high today is 19 degrees above, with a low of minus five . Fahrenheit, that is. Celsius, that'd be be about minus seven down to minus 20.

Here in central Minnesota, where the Lemming lives, the average is a comparatively balmy 25 degrees for a high and three for a low. Celsius, about minus four and minus 16.

We're both in Minnesota, so "average" weather is more of a mathematical abstraction than something that actually happens. According to the Wunderground.com records, a place near here had a record high of 45 °F in 1981, and a record low of -23 °F in 1970, 'on this day in history.'

For Baudette, Minnesota, it's a record high of 47 °F in 1981 (that was a warm year), and low of -45 °F in 1939.

Say what one may about Minnesota, our weather isn't boring.

Lest Acura be accused of exaggerating the ruggedness of Baudette's winters, today's average high and low in Winnepeg, Manitoba are 22 °F and 2 °F. The records were 32 °F in 1998 and -31 °F in 2003.

Of course, there are places with colder winters than Minnesota. Like the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole. And that's another topic.

More:

• City of Baudette, Minnesota
• lakeofthewoodsmn.com

Winter Weather, Chicago, and a Really Big Storm

"Hardy Chicago brought to standstill by blizzard"
Mary Wisniewski, Edition: U.S. (February 2, 2011)

"Chicago, a city that usually sneers at winter, was brought to a near standstill on Wednesday by a blizzard packing the third highest snowfall in the city's history.

"Chicago public schools, which hadn't closed since 1999, were shut on Wednesday and will be closed again Thursday. Courts were closed. Five suburban commuter rail lines were down.

"Lake Shore Drive, the city's main north-south thoroughfare, was closed and still littered with over 100 abandoned cars late Wednesday afternoon. Many side streets were impassable, and even plowed arterial streets and highways were eerily empty.

" 'This is pretty unbelievable,' said John Paczesny, 48, a maintenance worker at a Chicago church. He was out with a snowblower clearing a path Wednesday morning, snow clinging to his mustache and eyebrows.

" 'I was around in '67 but this is really crazy,' he said.

"The highest snowfall on record in Chicago was in January 1967, with 23 inches, followed by January 1999 with 21.6 inches. The 2011 blizzard's total was 20.2 inches at O'Hare Airport, according to the National Weather Service. The blizzard is expected to be followed by bitter cold, with wind chill temperatures forecast to plunge to 20 to 30 below zero Wednesday night...."

Brush fires on the north side of the Los Angeles area? Unpleasant, at best, for folks living in the tinderlands: but a seasonal routine in the news. New York City having trouble dealing with snow, traffic - and occasionally garbage? Again, not all that unusual a news item. You'd think they'd have included alleys in the city's street plan - and that's another topic.

Chicago having trouble digging out? That's news. One of the advantages to living in the American Midwest is that harsh weather is a seasonal routine: Folks learn to deal with it. Then there's Minnesota, that's north of the flyover states and this storm - and the Lemming will get back to that.

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"Storm Leaves Much of Country Shivering, Shoveling and Awaiting More"
Michael Cooper, The New York Times (February 3, 2011)
('Third?' It's only 8:50 p.m. in New York City as the Lemming's writing this post)

"The blizzard that dropped a foot or more of snow across a staggeringly wide area of the country, from Oklahoma up through a paralyzed Chicago and across parts of an ice-glazed New England, finally began to weaken Wednesday. It left behind a long trail of spun-out cars, darkened homes, closed schools and stranded fliers...."

Schools in central Minnesota were two hours late - and then not opening at all - because of this storm. Not all the schools, but a fair percentage.

Which brings the Lemming to this bit of blatant self-promotion:

• "Small Town America: Minnesota"
  "From the heart of darkest Minnesota: my view of small town America
  "The first view-on-the-street webcam in Sauk Centre, Minnesota"

That's a link to the Lemming's webcam, looking out on the corner of Ash and South 9th in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. Right now, there's not much to see but a whole lot of dark. And it'll be off for a few hours, later in the evening. But the Lemming plans to have the view available again, well before morning.

Back to Minnesota and weather. It's like the joke goes: 'here in Minnesota, we don't have a climate, we have weather.' This is a state where it's typically hot, cold, wet, dry, and anything in between. One of the Lemming's favorite Minnesota headlines, from decades past, was "National Guard Arctic Maneuvers Canceled Due to Inclement Weather."

This time, happily, the 'storm' part of this weather system stayed mostly to the south of us Minnesotans. The part we did get, most of us dealt with the same way we do every time: Get inside (except for winter sports enthusiasts - another topic), wait for the storm to pass, then dig out.

Then there are the folks who operate the road-clearing machinery. They're out clearing snow as it comes down - unless it gets really bad.

Blizzard, Cold, and Walking in to Fetch the Tractor

"Blizzard, Ice Storm, Nasty Cold All Aiming for Midwest"
Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather.com (January 31, 2011)

"Both a major blizzard and an ice storm will hit a large portion of the Midwest just ahead of Groundhog Day. Arctic air will charge in during the storm in some areas and after the storm in others, leading to additional concerns.

"For some locations, the storm may be a two-day event or much longer than a typical winter storm.

"An area of snow streaking eastward from the northern Plains and spotty ice breaking out over the middle Mississippi Valley Monday is just the start of the storm that will grow much worse with time...."

The Lemming lives in central Minnesota, north of most of the excitement this time. Even so, quite a few area schools were opening two hours late - and changed that to 'closed for the day' a little later. Sauk Centre, Minnesota, schools didn't - and that's another topic.

On a personal note, the Lemming's daughter, a brother-in-law and son-in-law made it all the way to my daughter & son-in-law's place this afternoon. Then they got stuck in the driveway. No crisis. The last I heard, the young men were walking in to get the tractor/plow. The Lemming's daughter called to talk with my wife - Information Age communications is wonderful.

And that's another topic.

Traveling in Minnesota? Road Conditions Online

"Welcome to 511 Traveler Information"
Minnesota Department of Transportation

If you aren't planning to drive through parts of Minnesota, this online resource probably won't be much practical use to you.

But if you are, it's a pretty good resource: with display options for folks with dial-up Internet; the sort of "High Bandwidth" connection the Lemming's household has; another for "newer phones and smartphones;" and MetroTwitter (twitter.com/mndottraffic), for folks who want to know about "Minneapolis/St. Paul traffic incidents."

The "High Bandwidth" option uses Google Maps, and seems to notice where the viewer's ISP is: the Lemming's map is centered between Sauk Centre and St. Cloud, Minnesota: which is pretty close. The map can be dragged to show what's off the edge at first.

It looks like MN-DOT updates their data - better than they did a few years ago, happily. The Google Maps displays information about blocked or closed roads, "Danger" spots, weather, crashes, road construction - yes, it happens in winter - and driving conditions boiled down to "Normal/Good," , "Fair," and "Difficult."

Aerators in Minnesota Lakes: Good for Fish; For People, Not So Much

"DNR: Stay clear of aerators on lakes"
StarTribune.com (January 6, 2011)

"...As frozen lakes are aerated to help keep fish alive, officials are warning people to be careful around the open water.

"While aeration isn't a new concept, early winter storms have made it more difficult than usual for aquatic plants stuck under the lakes' icy surfaces to get sunlight and produce the oxygen that fish need.

"Consequently, some aeration systems are being turned on earlier than normal, and people need to be careful when they go out on the lakes to avoid the open water and thin ice, said Marilyn Danks, an aquatic biologist for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources...."

The Minneapolis Star Tribune article says there are only about 270 Minnesota lakes with aeration systems in use this year.

If the Lemming did the math right, that means you've got about a 1 in 37 chance that the lake you snowmobile or ice fish on this winter won't have an aeration system in it. The odds are even slimmer, counting all the ponds, puddles, and damp spots that aren't big enough to count as "lakes" in this part of the world.

Minnesota's authorities recommend that folks use their brains. Lakes with operating aeration systems have signs at public access points that say so. And if a sign says "thin ice:" That means that the ice may be thin.

We're pretty good, in this part of the world, about recovering bodies. But, in the Lemming's opinion, it's better if folks use their heads and stay alive to enjoy another Minnesota winter.

Winter Storm: Here It Comes Again!

The Lemming opined on the way New York City, New Jersey, and central Minnesota deal with winter storms, yesterday:

• "New York City Blizzard, New Jersey Common Sense, and Central Minnesota Routines"
  (December 28, 2010)

It's not that high winds, bone-chilling cold, and smothering snow don't affect us. We freeze to death as easily as someone living in lower Manhattan.

The difference, in the Lemming's opinion, is that we've learned how to deal with inclement weather. Most of us, anyway. Those who don't, get rescued, move to places like New York City, or, well: die.

Here's a sample of how folks here in Minnesota and North Dakota are handling the current storm:

Winter Storm: North Dakota, Minnesota, December 30, 2010

"Stay Home!"
Valley News Live (December 29, 2010, updated December 30, 2010)

"UPDATED - 7:00PM THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30

"Interstate 94, Highway 10 to close at 7 p.m.

"DETROIT LAKES, Minn.— (6:30 p.m.) The Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Minnesota State Patrol will close Interstate 94 from Moorhead to Alexandria and Highway 10 from Moorhead to Detroit Lakes at 7 p.m. due to hazardous road conditions. The highways will remain closed until further notice.

"Snow plows will be pulled from all area state highways and interstates in Mahnomen, Clay, Becker, Wilkin, Otter Tail, Traverse, Grant, Douglas, Big Stone, Stevens, Pope and Swift counties. Motorists are advised not to travel until conditions improve and Mn/DOT and the Minnesota State Patrol open the roads.

"Motorists should plan accordingly. When a road is closed it is illegal to travel in that area. Motorists can be fined up to $1,000 and/or sentenced to 90 days in jail. In addition, if travelers need to be rescued from a closed road, other expenses and penalties will apply.

"UPDATED - 4:00PM THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30

"I-29 closed from SD border to Grand Forks; plows being pulled in south central and eastern part of state due to areas of zero visibility

"The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) has CLOSED I-29 both northbound and southbound roadways from the South Dakota border to Grand Forks due to high winds causing near zero visibility. Conditions are such that they are creating a life-threatening danger to motorists. The roadway is impassable and it is against the law to drive past a road closure device on a closed road.

"South Dakota Department of Transportation has also closed I-29 from the North Dakota border to Brookings. For more information on South Dakota road conditions go to www.safetravelusa.com.

"Other road closures and notices issued by NDDOT:

"DDOT snowplows will be pulled from the roads at dark due to areas of zero visibility in Bismarck, Jamestown, Valley City, Fargo, Wahpeton, Hillsboro, and Grand Forks areas. The plows will resume operation early tomorrow morning if conditions are safe to be out.

"I-94 closed on both eastbound and westbound roadways from Jamestown to Fargo due to high winds causing near zero visibility along with glare ice conditions. Conditions are such that they are creating a life-threatening danger to motorists. The roadway is impassable and it is against the law to drive past a road closure device on a closed road.

"No Travel Advisory in effect for the south central and eastern portion of the state due to high winds causing blowing snow and areas of near zero visibility. Motorists should be advised that roadways may be reduced to a single lane or become blocked by snow drifts at structures and sheltered areas..

"Cities affected by the No Travel Advisory include: East of Bismarck, Flasher, Selfridge, Fort Yates, Linton, Napoleon, Steele, Jamestown, Valley City, Edgeley, Ellendale, Devils Lake, Carrington, Rugby, Rolla, Langdon, Casselton, Fargo, Wahpeton, Hillsboro, Grand Forks, Drayton, Cavalier, and surrounding areas.

"A Travel Alert is in effect for central North Dakota through Saturday morning. Conditions are such that motorists can still travel, but may experience hazardous winter driving conditions due to high winds causing blowing and drifting snow and reduced visibility. Motorists should be advised that snow drifts may be encountered at structures and sheltered areas and are encouraged to reduce speeds.

Cities affected by the Travel Alert include: Minot, Devils Lake, west of Bismarck and surrounding areas...."

Repairing Violins in Small Town America: This One's Personal

A tip of the hat to the Sauk Centre Herald, for permission to re-post this article, from their December 21, 2010, edition.

---

Bringing music back to life
Jill Warren, staff writer, Sauk Centre Herald (December 21, 2010)

"Kaas takes on violin restoration

"Deacon Lawrence Kaas has taught himself how to repair violins. For the last five months he has been perfecting the fine mechanics of working with the instrument." Sauk Centre Herald photo by Jill Warren

"Since it's origination in the 1500's, the violin has been producing beautiful music, and during the 17th and 18th centuries the art of violin making soured. Today, people of all ages enjoy playing the instrument, and Deacon Lawrence Kaas enjoys repairing them.

" 'I am convinced that if I follow the rules of building and repairing violins, I can make any violin sound it's best. The rest is up to the person playing it,' Kaas said.

"The art of violin repair, and violin playing, is new to Kaas. He grew up playing the piano, and only started repairing violins about five months ago.

" 'I'm 77 years old and I just started a new trade,' said Kaas who also does wood carvings and clock repair.

"Working with intricate projects is nothing new for Kaas. He has been doing fine mechanics and woodworking since he was in high school. For Kaas, it's not a question of if he can do it, but a question of how long it will take him to perfect the skills necessary to do it.

" 'You can't just pick up a violin and fix it,' he said. 'There's a lot of practice that goes into perfecting that kind of work.'

"Kaas reads books to learn how to do things, and the art of violin repair just happens to be a subject he has familiarized himself with lately.

"Kaas started learning about this trade by practicing on violins of his own that he acquired from family members or found in pawnshops.

"His woodworking background was helpful, especially when it comes to being familiar with the vast array of intricate tools needed to repair the instruments.

"Kaas fixed his first violin for someone else three months ago, and now he is working on several violin repairs for other people.

"Repairs can range from replacing a bridge, mending a seam or crack and reattaching broken pieces. The fixes can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.

"Through this process, Kaas has learned a lot about the violin and has even started playing the instrument.

"The favorite part for Kaas, though, is learning the stories behind each of his projects.

" 'I love when a violin comes in and has a story behind it,' Kass said. 'You wish you could know the story behind every violin that came in.'

"Whether it's a violin belonging to a customer's great-grandfather that just needs tuning, or a cracked violin abandoned at a pawnshop, every violin that comes into Kaas's workshop gets the attention of a skilled craftsman."

---

As a rule, this blog runs micro-reviews: not an entire article.

What's different this time is that Deacon Kaas is my father-in-law. One might say that I took this topic more personally than most. I plan to be back tomorrow, with opinions about whatever I find online.

Again, my thanks to the Sauk Centre Herald: for permission to re-post their article.

Glensheen Mansion, the Congdon Estate: Duluth, Minnesota

"Glensheen: the Historic Congdon Estate"
University of Minnesota Duluth

"A hallmark of extraordinary design. A businessman’s enduring legacy. A showcase of diverse interior styles. But at its very heart, a family home. Welcome to Glensheen, the historic Congdon estate. Along the shore of Lake Superior, a 7.6-acre expanse of wooded land enfolds the 39-room Jacobean Revival mansion that is Minnesota’s premier historic house museum. The interiors of the mansion have endured, boasting nearly all of the same furnishings and décor that graced the rooms when estate was completed in 1908...."

The University of Minnesota Duluth's website gives a decent introduction to the Glensheen mansion, along with information you'll need if you plan to visit the place. Which the Lemming recommends, by the way: I've been there, on one of their guided tours, and was impressed by the house and its history.

The U. of M. Duluth also points out that their Glensheen mansion and site hosts private parties, corporate events and weddings.


(from steffofsd, Flickr, used w/o permission)
Glensheen Estate, Duluth MN, August 15, 2006. Photo by steffofsd/Stephanie, on Flickr)

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"History of Glensheen Mansion, Chester Congdon, and the Murder of Elisabeth Congdon"
Curtis Carper, Associated Content (September 20, 2007)

"At the start of his professional career Mr. Chester Adgate Congdon was a school teacher in Chippewa Falls Wisconsin. In 1892 Chester and his family moved to Duluth Minnesota, entering a law practice in partnership with William Billson...."

The style is a trifle on the dry side: but this piece is a fairly short read - split into two pages - and does a good job of telling the basics of the Congdon/Glensheen story. And yes: there was a murder at the mansion, of the youngest of Congdon's daughters.

Neither of these resources mentions one of the features of Glensheen that impressed me. Duluth winters are not particularly mild, and the Congdons had children. C. A. Congdon had a sort of enclosed gallery built on a lower level of the house, running the length of the south side. Its purpose was to provide a space where the kids could play - and run - during winter months without freezing.

Salmonella in Eggs: Let the Blames Begin

"More Egg Recall News: Companies Point Fingers on Salmonella Contamination"
Katherine Hobson, Health Blog, The Wall Street Journal (September 1, 2010)

"FDA officials may have released inspection reports - which included observations of vermin and other unsanitary conditions - on the two farms at the hub of the humongous egg recall, but the agency has not yet identified the precise source of the salmonella outbreak.

"Now one of the farms and its feed supplier each suggest the other is the problem, the WSJ reports. Wright County Egg, which recalled 380 million eggs and where the bulk of the nasties in the FDA's reports were observed, has suggested the problem may be tainted bone meal, a feed component purchased from a supplier. Not surprisingly its Minnesota-based supplier, Central Bi-Products, begs to differ, saying its 'heat-processed bone meal was untainted when it was shipped,' the WSJ says.

"The FDA found salmonella in the bone meal, among numerous other places, at Wright's facilities - and the agency's inspectors reported problems that may explain how stored bone meal could be contaminated, including porous bins that were 'exposed to live birds and avian feces' and possibly accessible to rodents, the WSJ says...."

This is hardly surprising: Wright County Egg has - at best - a monumental public relations problem on its hands. American's are picky about manure showing up where it shouldn't be - and even more fussy about diseased eggs on the grocery shelves. Whoever's in charge at WCE would naturally want everybody to believe that they're the victims in this piece.

Things could be worse for those two egg farms, though: conditions in their barns hadn't killed the mice. (August 31, 2010)

I live in central Minnesota, and would just as soon believe that a company in this state wouldn't be shipping salmonella with its feed.

For that matter, I'd just as soon believe that a company in the next state south of us wouldn't sell tainted eggs. Bad things happen - and sometimes company bigwigs make really, really stupid decisions. Remember those poison peanuts?

The Lemming may be biased: but it does seem that mixing feed - no matter how pristine it was when it arrived - with bird poop isn't a good idea.

This investigation - and the mess that those egg farms are in, literally and figuratively - aren't likely to go away any time soon.

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Related posts:

• "Salmonella In Eggs: It's Enough to Make You Sick"

And Now, for Something Completely Different: A Video in Somali, with English Captioning

"Ku Soo Dhawoow Maktabadaada – Welcome to Your Library!"
Lewiston Public Library, Lewiston, Maine

"This short video in the Somali language with English subtitles provides information for the Somali community on how to use the library. Special thanks to the Hennepin County/Minneapolis (MN) Public Library....

"Produced in 2005 by Cobblestone Films, with the cooperation of Rochester (MN) Public Library, Owatonna Public Library, and the State of Minnesota, with grant funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)...."

They've got the video on YouTube:

"Waa filin Af Soomaali ah oo"

asepahsalar, YouTube (April 01, 2008)
video, 8:59

"Ku Soo Dhawoow Maktabadaada: Video"

I found the Lewiston Public Library's page, and that video, while discovering which language Ku Soo Dhawoow is in. I've read the phrase on a clinic's sign, and since the same message's repeated three times three languages, I figured the one I didn't understand meant the same as the first two. Sort of like the Rosetta Stone.

Anyway, I discovered that Ku Soo Dhawoow is Somali, meaning "welcome:" or something pretty close to that idea.

I also learned that outfits in Minnesota have been partly responsible for putting together a sort of educational video. It's got English subtitles - which is probably handy for folks learning to read English - and very useful for me, since I know only one phrase in Somali.

The Minnesota connection in a Somali-language video isn't all that odd. Many Somalis decided to risk going to a foreign country, instead of dealing with war and a barely-functioning economy where they were born. A considerable number of them came to America: and a large number of those came to Minnesota.

Trust me on this: They didn't come for the climate.

Basically, Minnesota is one of America's leading poultry states: and that industry includes jobs where you don't need to speak fluent English. I've discussed Minnesota's attractions in another blog. (Another War-on-Terror Blog (December 4, 2008)

Tornado Videos: Near Campbell, in Wilkin County, Minnesota

I kept a close eye on the weather yesterday evening, as I usually do when there's a tornado warning out for my part of Minnesota.

The storm passed just north of Sauk Centre, Minnesota, where I live, but my guess is that folks living at the north end of Sauk Lake got some rather rough weather. Which will be the second time that's happened to them this summer.

The good news is that nobody seems to have gotten hurt. The bad news is that some folks elsewhere in the state are missing a house.

"Wilkin County, MN Tornado 8-7-10"

SevereStudios, YouTube (August 07, 2010)
video, 1:09

"Andy Gabrielson streams and videotapes spectacular up-close footage of a tornado in western Minnesota on Saturday, August 7, 2010.

"We're told the residents of the house that was hit were not home at the time...."

This footage, repeated on RussiaToday's YouTube account from SevereStudios', shows a bit more of that house.

"Tornado rips apart house in Minnesota"

RussiaToday, YouTube (August 08, 2010)
video, 1:10

"A powerful tornado has been caught on camera moving through the US state of Minnesota and destroying a house on its way. The twister touched down in Wilkin County, near the North Dakota state border. The footage, captured by a storm chaser ... shows the tornado crossing a road, then hitting a farmhouse and scattering debris. It could not be immediately verified if there were people inside the house. No injuries have been reported."

"Tornado caught on tape in western Minn."
KARE (August 7, 2010)

" A storm chaser captured some pretty dramatic video of a tornado in western Minnesota Saturday evening.

"The tornado touched down around 6:30 p.m. three miles west of Campbell in Wilkin County near the North Dakota border. The twister crossed an open field and hit a farm house, destroying it and scattering debris everywhere...."

The way the tornado popped that house open and whirled part of it around is why I pay rather close attention to severe weather watches and warnings. I've lived in this part of the world most of my life, and know what sort of things can happen.

I'm not afraid of bad weather: but I'm not stupid, either.