Here Comes Peter! The Magnificent Peter Shea

Writing about Peter Shea, his quietly amazing projects and his magnificent mind, is no easy task.  As my then-young son once observed, Peter is just so “Peter-ish.”  Any profile illuminates but a single facet of a multi-faceted man of ideas.

For example, if you have to ask “Why the Bat of Minerva”? then you probably don’t know Peter Shea – yet.   The Bat is Peter’s long-running cable show (15 years plus – Peter’s not so sure of the inaugural date.) is a midnight Saturday and Sunday night regular on Metro Cable Network/Channel 6 in the Twin Cities.  Peter says that the format, in which a disembodied Peter poses questions from off-camera “allows me, a shy person, to have conversations I want to have and to pursue lines of inquiry with real people rather than with books and articles. …and it does some diffuse good for the community, in several dimensions: providing a model of civil, extended conversation, giving people ideas about the lives they could live, getting ideas and ways of working into circulation, helping bright and under-exercised people realize what kinds of challenging work are available to them.”

Over the years the soft-spoken Peter has posed thought-provoking queries to scores of famous scholars, authors, scientists, Americans on the rise, global leaders.  In recent times the Institute for Advanced Study at the University of Minnesota has archived The Bat so the hour-long interviews are streamed for those who missed the midnight premiere. A sampling of recent interviews suggests the breadth and tone of Peter’s guests:

• October 6, 2010 – Juliet Schor, a professor of Sociology at Boston College where her research focuses on trends in work and leisure, consumerism, the family, and economic justice. Most recently she is the author of Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth (2010),
• September 29, 2010 – Mike Tidwell, author of Bayou Farewell and founder and director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.
• August 30, 2010 – Rob Gilmer, a Ph.D. candidate in the History Department at the University of Minnesota. In the fall of 2010, he will be teaching Oil and Water: The Gulf Oil Spill of 2010, a course which has garnered national attention.
• August 20, 2010 – Paul Barclay, a professor of History at Lafayette College where his research interests include Japanese empire, especially in Taiwan, frontier studies, and the use of images as historical documents or instruments of ideology.
• August 15, 2010 – Ann Waltner, a professor in both the Department of History and the Department of Asian Languages and Literatures and director of the Institute for Advanced Study at the University of Minnesota, talks about Matteo Ricci’s 1602 map of the world, recently acquired by the James Ford Bell Library.
• August 5-15, 2010 – Minnesota Fringe Festival

Though these are the most recent, the full list of interviews over the years is astounding – Eugene McCarthy, John Davis, Rosalie Wahl are among Peter’s favorites. He also mentions  Maja Cerar (violinist), Carolyn Walker Bynum (medievalist), Morton Subotnik (composer), Andrew Light (environmental ethicist) and Ann Sharp (educator).  The Bat website lists the boundless and boundary-less library of videos Peter has produced since the early days of The Bat when Peter’s two sons (now grown) ran the cameras and, Peter hopes, “got some of the message.” Peter, who allows he’s not much into numbers, produces some impressive ones, e.g. some 82,000 visits  to the IAS website and nearly 10,000 video views since Fall 2008.

True to form, Peter has plans.  One big plan is just unfolding.  In a new series entitled Meet the Neighbors Peter, who also works with Shalom Hill Farm near Windom,  has begun interviewing members of the rural community for cablecast on community cable then archived in a blog.  He’s also been asked by the U of M Department of English to profile all willing faculty – of course he’d like to expand that to other departments.  In general, Peter hopes to produce “rich and coherent archives.”  He cites, for example, “a fine collection of interviews from the Spark Festival of Electronic Music” and a “small but growing collection of interviews done in connection with the Minnesota Fringe Festival.”  One oral history project underway, documentation of the history of the philosophy for children movement.  High on the list of Peter’s current enthusiasms is collaboration on expanding access to  the lectures from “Oil and Water: The Gulf Oil Spill of 2010” a U of Minnesota course which IAS is providing online through the Bat.

Peter’s hopes for a bright technology future include great confidence in the future of cable, primarily because “the standard media have messed up fine productions with commercial interruption and commercial packaging to an extent that seems to me suicidal.”  At the same time, equipment is improving and coming down in cost so that “normal people with normal time resources can do interesting niche programming, and the shortcomings will be more than compensated by the lack of commercial distortion and the freshness and immediacy of low to the ground production.”  This offers unique possibilities for rural Minnesotans, Peter expects.  Other dreams include visions of easy archiving and repackaging, Internet 2, and every viewer both a producer of control of his or her own access options.

Learn more about Peter’s background, plans, persona and style by watching an interview archived on the IAS site.

You will never keep up with Peter’s fertile mind and high hopes – to keep abreast of the tangible products, watch the Bat of Minerva website or tune in to Channel 6 at midnight on any Saturday or Sunday.

Orphan Train Riders

Through stage productions, video and countless personal reflections most of us know something about the experiences of the Orphan Train Riders.  Beginning in 1854 and continuing until 1929  as many as 200,000 children were put on West-bound trains where they were sent to live – with mixed results – with new families in new homes.  The stories of these children, well recorded in numerous reports, are compelling.  Their descendents are estimated at over 2,000,000.

Thanks to committed individuals including an indefatigable Orphan Train Rider, Sister Justina Bieganek, OSF, the stories of Minnesota’s orphan train children are reflected, recorded and retold with love and care.  And each fall Orphan Train Riders and their descendents gather at the St. Francis Center in Little Falls, Minnesota, to remember.  Midst hugs, tears, laughs, scrapbooks, performance and good food, the stories unfold in a warm and wonderful celebration of tough times, good times, lives lived and survival.

One good story begins in 1913 when a 22 month baby arrived in Avon, Minnesota on the Orphan Train where she was met by John and Mary Bieganet who knew her only as child No 41.  The little girl was given the name Edith Peterson.  That little girl, now a nonagenarian, picks up the story.  “In 1929,” she notes, “two good things happened — the Orphan Train stopped and I entered the Convent.”  To be sure, in 1929 the young Edith Peterson joined the Sisters of St. Francis Little Falls where she took the name Sister Justina.

Among her many commitments over the past decades Sister Justina has played a key role in keeping the stories of the Orphan Train Riders alive.  In July 1861 Minnesota was the first state to carry out a gathering of Orphan Train Riders.  It all started when two Orphan Train Riders from North Dakota discovered their common heritage.  They decided that “if there are two of us, how many more shells in the ocean can we find?”   Starting with an ad in area newspapers, the region’s Orphan Train Riders met, reached out, and created a tradition that continues today with an annual gathering at the Franciscan Center in Little Falls.

This year, Sister Justina and her colleagues share the day with special relish. On Saturday, October 2, 2010, families, friends and interested persons (including “interested persons” Suzanne Mahmoodi and me) will gather for the 50^th Celebration of Orphan Train Riders of New York (the generic name for the Riders groups).  A special feature of this year’s reunion is presentation of The Story of the Orphan Train, a one-woman show created by professional actress Pippa White of One’s Company Productions.

Impossible as it is to capture the spirit of the reunion, there are many ways to share the story.  Sister Justina herself is profiled in print and has created a 40-minute DVD in which she shares her experience of riding the Orphan Train from New York to central Minnesota.  Information about that video is available through the Sisters of St. Francis (info@fslf.org).   Among the several websites devoted to the Orphan Train Riders are many that are state-specific,  maps, statistics, personal reflections, contacts and more.  There is also a great website offering quick links to scores of educational resources and projects.

The story of the Orphan Train Riders offers a close and clear reminder of our relatively recent history rich with challenges, choices and consequences.  Long-time historian of Minnesota’s Orphan Train Riders Renee Wendinger has created an excellent up-to-date collection of articles by and about the Orphan Train Riders replete with original newspaper clippings, details re. the railroad depots, geograhic distribution and more   For a list of Minnesota’s Orphan Train Riders, check here.  Many thanks to Sister Justina and to the many Orphan Train Riders and their progeny who tell the stories, whether replete with pain or happy memories, stories so far and yet so near.

The Banned Books of Our Times

Apologies that this did not get out before the event. [Publisher's note]

Banned in 2009 or 2010?  You’re in good company – with the likes of Maya Angelou, Marc Brown, Barbara Ehrenreich and Ernest Hemingway – and then again there’s Adolf Hitler.  They are a few score others are on this year’s list of Books Challenged or Banned in 2009-2010, compiled by Robert P. Doyle for the American Library Association.  It’s the lynchpin of Banned Books Week sponsored by ALA in collaboration with a half dozen organizations representing booksellers, publishers, authors and readers.  The aborted burning of the Qur-an has put a unique spin on this year’s recognition.

Some of the BBW messages are overt – exhibits, editorials, banners and badges.  Other are more subtle reminders that defending the rights and privileges of freedom deserves focused attention along with constant vigilance.  One blogger expresses the range of rights and privileges thus:

We enjoy the freedom to read.

We enjoy the freedom of expression.

We enjoy the freedom of the press.

We enjoy freedom of speech.

We enjoy freedom to study, research and publish.

We enjoy freedom to worship as we like

We enjoy the freedom to assemble and influence each other.

We enjoy the freedom to choose our leaders.

We have the right be schools, be well, be without fear, and more.

Joel Kramer, Editor and CEO of MinnPost, is featured speaker at one of Minnesota’s major BBW activities.  The Annual Dinner and Program sponsored by the Minnesota Coalition for Intellectual Freedom is Wednesday, September 22, 5:30 p.m. at the AAUW Clubhouse, 990 Summit Avenue in St. Paul.  For details contact Michael O’Sullivan (952 423 3492 or osulli14@frontiernet.net).

A Gubernatorial Debate Without Mention of Social Issues

“Don’t worry, they’ll just build a new building,” my friend assured me.  I was entering a much-vaunted auditorium at the University of St. Thomas with a cup of contraband coffee in my hand, timidly murmuring that they would have to re-carpet if I were to spill a drop.

The old anecdote crossed my mind recently as I entered an even newer auditorium, this time to hear a “debate” among gubernatorial candidates sponsored.  As I tried to listen to the spins and dodges, I kept reminding myself to think no small thoughts.  If anyone spilled the beans on the candidates’ avoidance tactics, the powers would indeed build a new building.  The reminder was pricey, painful and a prod to rethink the ways in which those who care about social issues respond to – better yet, get in front of – the issues.

Needless to say, the folks at this debate heard nary a word about social issues.  The prevailing mantra was predictable: “the economy, stupid” – writ large and arguably a little late.  Attendees could blithely stride past peaceful protesters who were not allowed to walk, talk or carry their message to the veranda of the Opus College of Business building.

The candidates are justifiably terrified that any sidelong glance at social issues will raise the hackles and open the checkbooks of those who prefer to ponder the “E” topic – taxes, job creation, the rights of the have’s, fiscal policy.  Candidates and their supporters alike have a preconceived notion of social activists.  For those who struggle to peace and justice, that’s a painful but necessary admission.  I’m reminded of Robert Burns who nailed it:  “O would some power the giftie gie us to see ourselves as others see us.”

This painful – not to mention expensive –  experience of the debate, now tempered by time, sharpened my focus  on the absence of social issues from the candidate debates in particular, from media coverage of the campaigns, and from public discourse in general.   Those who care about pay inequity, the rights of immigrants, domestic abuse, trafficking, the homeless, learning opportunities of poor kids, and other real life issues need to internalize the world view of the candidates.  Electoral politics, statistics, and language both shape and reflect a world view that is as real as it is unlike our own way of looking at things.  Some possible concrete steps to getting on the agenda:

• Change the questions (priority #1) –  If the candidate is bombarded with the same question in various venues, the issue makes its way to the candidate’s and the media’s agenda.
• Change the tone – Position yourself or your organization as  a co-conspirator against some common foe.  Invent one if necessary.
• Load them with the numbers – This I learned from the indomitable Nina Rothchild.  Statistics talk.  Sometimes they speak the truth; in the hands of liars, they lie or obfuscate.  Consider the source and the presentation. Apply the KISS principle and be able to back it up with hard data.
• Fact check – In the digital age it’s easy enough to track the facts.  Don’t swallow but follow the information track.
• Craft and communicate a vision – Everybody wants to look ahead to a better world – Create a vision that embraces positive change broadly defined to include crazy ideas such as justice.
• Listen, painful as that may be – Filter the rhetoric and get into the minds of those who echo, rather than initiate, strategies for addressing the issues.
• Invoke the founding fathers – Everybody else does.  It was Jefferson himself who wrote that:  “whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that, whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them right.”
• Remember that it’s not about laying new carpet  it’s about building a new building with a new foundation of social, as well economic, building blocks.
• Speak up – you’ve got the facts, the stories,  and  TJ’s confidence in the people to back you up.

A passion for info access is the dominant thread in my DNA.  Though the sources, format, techniques and skills change with the times, information is a powerful and relentless tool which, if used with skill and a little panache, will bring about change, starting with a revised agenda.  Posts re. the power and sources of information are about to boil over in my head.  Watch for future posts here and elsewhere.

Midtown Global Market Eateries at the Minnesota State Fair!

Manny Gonzalez at work

In case you need enticement to take in the Fair more than once, take the culinary route.  Though the diversity and abundance of ethnic delicacies are too much to survey – much less consume, here’s a taste sampler from the Midtown Global Market guaranteed to perk up the laziest taste bud.

In an interesting arrangement that allows all of the tenants to keep the home fires burning while they staff the Fair concessions, MGM restaurants will take turns at the International Bazaar

·         La Loma Tamales proffers their signature pork or vegetarian tamales (2/$5) through Monday, August 30^th.

• Jakeeno’s Trattoria serves their cheesy risotto on a stick ($6). They will also be bringing back their pear and gorgonzola salad with candied walnuts ($5) for $5 and their prosciutto wrapped asparagus (2/$5)   Jakeeno’s  will be at the MGM booth August 31 through September 3.
• Manny’s Tortas covers the MGM booth September 4-7.  Manny’s blends a non-alcoholic pina colada served in a fresh pineapple ($7) to wash down their classic tortas ($5) each.  Manny’s tortas, Cuban, chicken or vegetarian sandwiches, are replete with cheese, tomato, lettuce, onion, avocado, jalapenos, refried beans and chipotle pepper mayo.

Three other Midtown Global Market businesses will be located in the International Bazaar throughout the twelve days of the Fair.

• Holy Land Grocery and Deli dishes-up authentic Middle Easternfare;
• West Indies Soul Food features traditional Caribbean food;
• Fiesta in America offers an assortment of Mexican candy.

Outside the International Bazaar fairgoers won’t be at a loss for munchies.

Manny, who obviously just can’t get enough of the Great Minnesota Get Together, will be hawking his tortas in the Food Building throughout the Fair.

The Produce Exchange will feature their popular “Big As Yo’ Face” sweet and juicy peaches in the Agriculture Building, across from the entrance to the International Market.

Also in the Agriculture Building Salty Tart bakery will serve their award-winning macaroons.

Bon Appetit!

Kramarczuk’s at the MN State Fair

Kramarczuk’s is “back with a vengeance” in the words of Ordest Kramarczuk who recalls that his dad had a booth at the Great Minnesota Get Together back in 1963.  This year the Kramarczuk family and crew are frantically feeding Twins fans at Target Field.  They’re also back at the Fair.  They’ve collaborated with long-time friends Stephanie and Mike Olson who operate the Blue Moon Dine-In Theater. The Blue Moon is the exclusive vendor of Kramarczuk’s delectable brats, Polish and andouille sausage.   Ordest Kramarczuk is quick to note that all of Kramarczuk’s sausage, is made locally from farm-fresh pork.  Freshness is guaranteed because all of the sausage, made in limited quantities, is sold within just 48 hours.

The Blue Moon Dine-In Theater  has an extensive menu including what Steve Olson describes as an “awesome breakfast.”    It’s West of the Grandstand at the Southeast corner of Carnes Avenue and Chamber Street.  They’re open 6:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. every day of the Fair.

When they’re not vending their prize product at Target Field, Ordest and his son run the family business.  the iconic butcher shop/restaurant at 215 Hennepin (near University Avenue) in Northeast Minneapolis.

How to get to the Minnesota State Fair

As I write it’s just 24 hours and counting till the gates open at the 2010 Minnesota State Fair.  Be still my heart.  Though more about the Fair precedes and will follow this post the pressing issue of the day is getting there – especially getting there without squandering money better spent on bacon-on-stick, a kufta kabob or the Turbo Bungy.

Behold the bus:

• Check out the State Fair Express service – nonstop to and from the Fair from Express parking lots 8:00 a.m. to Midnight. Closer P&R lots are free.  Far flung lots ($5) operate throughout the metro area and the burbs (some operated by MVTA and SouthWest Transit).  Park ($5)  Hop on the bus, hop off at the Fairgrounds gate and look with pity on hot and hapless families stuck in traffic.  Insider’s tip:  Go to the MTC State Fair site – enter your address and the omniscient system will show you the parking lots closest to you.

• Regular bus routes are another option — Route 960, a State Fair special, runs frequently from Nicollet Mall. – Route 84 goes North-South on Snelling while Route 3 runs East-West on Como.

Bike or cycle:

• There are three free secured bike parking areas on the fairgrounds – Check Gate #6 (Como and Snelling), Gate #2 (Hoyt and Snelling and Gate #15 near the West Dan Patch Transitway Gate.  Open 6 a.m. to Midnight.

• Cyclists may also park, lock and ride the bus free from some of the Park & Ride sites.

• Motorcyclists can pay $5 to park 6:00 a.m.-midnight for $5 at the secure lot near Gage #7 in Como.

No bicycles or motorcycles may be operated on the fairgrounds during the Fair.

Accessible parking:

A parking lot for people with disabilities and their companions, including wheelchair-accessible transportation to and from the Fair, is located at 1039 DeCourcy Circle, East of Snelling off Energy Park Drive. The bus stop for the wheelchair-accessible Park & Ride is at  Como Loop Gate #9.  Lots more information about accessibility to all of the State Fair on the state fair site, email accessibility@mnstatefair.org, call 651 288 4400 or TTY 651 642 2372.

When in doubt, check it out:

The Minnesota State Fair and Metro Transit websites are treasure troves that will answer just about any question a Fair-goer can pose.   Everything you ever wanted to know about the Great Minnesota Get-Together – schedules, times, fees, competitions, entertainment and food you’ve never imagined is  online or call 651 288 4400. A great resource is Metro Transit’s TripPlanner service – online or call 612 333 3733 (TTY 612 341 0140).

Minnesota State Fair Calendar

It’s highly unlikely that anyone was ever afraid to ask anything about the Minnesota State Fair.  Just in case, the world needs to know about Fairchild’s Fantastic Fair Fun Funder on the State Fair website.  More than you ever wanted to know about the Great Minnesota Get Together!

Among the highlights you’ll find the answer to the perennial question:  What day is it?

During the Fair the question refers to what “special” deals are on today is it?   Here a snatch of hints but there’s lots more on FFFFF (or, as I prefer, F5)

Thursday, August 26 – Thrifty Thursday – reduced admission with discounts at the Mighty Midway and Kidway Rights.  At Carousel Park (9-4) it’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) Day – construct a bridge, experience the power of an earthquake (why?), engineer a construction or make concrete float.

Friday, August 27 – Governor’s Fire Prevention Day.  You’ll find Early Bird Specials till 1 pm. on Mighty Midway and Kidway rides, games and concessions.  More exciting perhaps are the youth firefighter competition or extinguisher training at Carousel Park as well as The Hot Zone at West Dan Patch where you’ll be treated to demo car fires, fire equipment, mock extrications, kitchen fires and other thrills for the amateur pyromaniac.

Saturday, August 28 – 4H Day.  Need I say more?  A busy day for 4-Hers from virtually all of Minnesota’s 87 counties.  It wraps up with the 4-H Purple Ribbon Audition at 6 p.m. in the Judging Arena.  Lots more including a bunch of sports guys, e.g. Joe Soucheray, Patrick Reusse, The Rookie and others, 10-noon at Carousel Park.

Sunday, August 29 – FAN Central Day.  Minnesota pro sports teams will be there, but there’s lots more including participants and winners in the Community Pride Contest  and a guest appearance by singer-songwriter Charlie Maguire and other Minnesota musicians.

Monday, August 30 – Seniors, Kids & MN State Patrol Day.  Over 65 and kids 5-12 get those special deals on admission and lots of discounts on rides.  At West Dan Patch Park reps of the Minnesota State Patrol will  offer a show-and-tell about their initiatives, techniques and duties.

Tuesday, August 31 – It’s Ticket Deal Tuesday featuring Early Bird Specials till 1 p.m. with discounts on rides, games and concessions.  The eighth annual Minnesota Cooks event at Carousel Park brings together local farmers, chefs, celebrities and the community for demos and discussions about sustainable food production practices and the farmer-to-consumer connection.

Wednesday, September 1 – Read & Ride Wednesday.   Public library cardholders receive a discount on admission when they show their library card.  In Carousel Park it’s the “Great Minnesota Read-Together” featuring a children’s CD release party, a reading of A Fabulous Fair Alphabet by author and illustrator Debra Frasier (10:30 a.m.), presentations by Minnesota mystery writers, games and activities all day at Carousel Park.

Thursday, September 2 — Seniors Day. As anyone 65 or better knows, it’s reduced admission and special events including “The State’s Largest Senior Stretch & Stroll” with mind and body-stretching exercises and lots of perks, e.g. t-shirts, that rare fashion feature of the Fair.

Friday, September 3 – MPR Day.  That’s Minnesota Public Radio for out-of-staters.  At 11 a.m. Minnesota’s primo host, Gary Eichten, welcomes the gubernatorial candidates.  Hold on to your seat for the arrival of Garrison Keillor  at noon to chat about the evening’s PHC show at the Grandstand and more.  Not to be outdone, The Current will feature live musical performances throughout the day.

Saturday, September 4 – FFA day offers attendees the chance to second-guess the judges of lovingly tended swine, sheep and market goats in the Swine Barn, while dairy cattle strut their stuff in the Judging Arena.

Sunday, September 5 – Minnesota History Day.  Take the State Fair Historical Walking Tour and receive a free 2010 commemorative art poster, not to mention the chance to work up an appetite.  The State Fair Foundation the Minnesota Historical Society host a mix of educational and entertainment including music, theater, trivia and a fashion show – all in Carousel Park and all day.

Monday, September 6 – Kids & Last Chance Day. Deals for kids, discounts, last chance deals and a Last Chance flyer at all info booths.  And then there’s the last chance for a corn dog, a bag of mini-donuts or one of the neophyte taste treats, maybe some fresh fruit salsa and chips, an Irish breakfast or a caramel apple puppy.

Parade of Community Gardens

Whether you prefer begonias or broccoli, petunias or peas, roses or radishes , an ornamental, native, even a therapeutic garden, there’s something for you at the 5^th Annual Parade of Community Gardens sponsored by the nonprofit organization Gardening Matters. “Community gardening isn’t just about growing vegetables and flowers.  It’s about growing community, both in and around the garden space,” says Margaret Shields, Communications Intern at Gardening Matters. “The Parade of Community Gardens presents the opportunity to connect the garden to the neighborhood and the neighborhood to the garden.”

To celebrate the riches of this community’s gardens, walk or bike to as many of the 66 participating gardens you can visit during the four-hour parade that stretches throughout the metro area from 10:00 a.m. till 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 21.

Gardening Matters has produced a Parade Guide that is loaded with details about the featured gardens.  There’s a great map divided by neighborhood.  Each entry has a brief description of the garden and the gardeners responsible.  The Parade is on rain or shine with backup plans in case of severe weather.  Everything is free and open to all gardeners, admirers and green thumb wannabes.

In addition to the Parade Guide, Gardening Matters offers a wealth of related information and communications and education tools.  “The mission of Gardening Matters is to connect gardeners with each other, with their communities and with the tools they need to ensure the long-term success of their community garden,” says Shields.  There’s an online garden directory, a virtual library of resources about gardening and more, a listserv to connect with community gardeners, monthly learning networks, a workshop on how to start a community garden and regular email and newsletters.

Look for Community Gardens on Parade throughout the cities – places of worship, parks, railroad land, senior centers, schools, businesses and vacant lots.  No matter who owns the land, “gardens, neighbors and novices are all encouraged to come out and celebrate the Parade of Community Gardens and feel the sense of pride and shared ownership in these important community spaces,” says Shields.

When you visit Gardens on Parade, ask the community gardeners on hand about their reasons for participating.  Some want to improve the neighborhood and enhance the involvement of neighbors.  Others see community gardening as a pleasant and productive road to health.  An increasing number find that one answer to the rising cost of groceries, coupled with today’s focus on nutrition, inspire them to dig, prune, weed – now pick and enjoy – their own produce.

Don’t forget your camera on Saturday.  There’s a Community Garden Photo Contest sponsored by  Bike Walk Twin Cities (BWTC), an initiative of Transit for Livable Communities.  Sponsors encourage you to submit photos of you, your shoes, your bike, your family and friends enjoying the Parade and touring the gardens.  Deadline for photo submission if Friday, August 27^th.  Winners will be drawn on Monday, August 30^th.  Prizes include a Burley Travoy, a NiceRide MN subscription, t-shirts, reflective arm/leg bands, and a bike light set.

BWTC also created special walking and biking routes for select self-guided tours to gardens on the Parade.  So, put on your comfort shoes, slather on the sunscreen and bug spray, then head out to walk or bike to meet your neighborhood community gardeners at as many of the 66 participating gardens you can visit during the Parade.

Check it all out online or call Gardening Matters at 612 821 2358.

And have a glorious ride or walk through your neighborhood – or learn about another community – by joining the Parade of Community Gardens next weekend.

KFAI Fresh Air Radio

By definition, Poking Around involves exploration of the radio dial, especially the diminishing segments thereof that remain independent.  The June gathering of independent public radio producers in St. Paul sparked latent poking around proclivities.   I did not attend in person but followed insofar as possible via the media.

KFAI where I serve with pride on the community advisory board was a player.  Still, that didn’t stop KFAI staffers and the board from tackling internal issues, to wit:  the program schedule.  Major changes!

Many listeners tune in for KFAI’s unique music offerings – roots, blues and world music, interviews and features wrapped in the commentary of volunteer dj’s, often collectors and performers who really know their genre.  There are several changes in music programming, including the fact that during the week the station will air music all night (8:00 p.m.-5:00 a.m.).

Other listeners tune in for Write-On Radio, the venerable local literary talk show that has hosted just about every Minnesotan who has an oar in the literary waters.  Write On Radio moves to has 7:00 p.m. on Tuesdays.  Politicos swear by Truth to Tell, Andy Driscoll’s public affairs interviews with a wide mix of informed guests, moves to Monday mornings at 9:00.  First Person Radio, hosted by Richard LaFortune and Laura Wittstock, an unique look at the contributions of issues of the American Indian community, moves to Wednesday mornings at 9:00.  The plan is “to create  a
new morning alternative for Twin Cities listeners that helps fulfill the mission of KFAI.”

To top it off, KFAI will dedicate of Sunday to broadcasting content of particular interest to immigrant communities in the metro area where the KFAI signal extends.

KFAI wannabe listeners beyond the reach of the signal, otherwise engaged at the appointed hour, or just eager to know more should check the options.  The volunteer producers of these shows offer supplementary support including archived and indexed streaming and websites.

FAQs about the new schedule are answered with care.

KFAI-FM      90.3 in Minneapolis       106.7 in St. Paul