news of the stupid - suv stuck on pedestrian bridge

News helicopters have been flying over Minneapolis again. This time it's because an SUV (Cadillac Escalade) got stuck on a pedestrian bridge that runs parallel to the Mississippi River, between the Washington and Franklin Avenue bridges, in Minneapolis. Let me repeat, yes a pedestrian bridge. The driver fled the scene. To get to the bridge the drive had to drive off road to get to the bridge.

News reports said, "The bridge is only about two-arm lengths wide and is not a straight path. The SUV and bridge were seriously damaged as the driver forced the large automobile several hundred feet down the path. The vehicle is registered to a woman living in Hudson. She told police that she lent the vehicle to a friend a few days ago. She said she is going to try to convince the man to turn himself into police"  

The SUV is reported to be a month old and worth $70,000. Police are not sure how they will remove the SUV but it won't be easy. They may need to use a barge to remove the vehicle. If that happens the cost to the driver could top $100,000. Yikes. The driver is being sought for suspicion of a DUI. (no really - can we all say GOSH IDIOT!)

afscme takes a stand to reject and strike

AFSCME locals representing 3,500 campus workers in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Crookston, and Duluth voted Thursday August 23 to authorize a strike. 72% of AFSCME clerical, health care and technical workers voted to reject the University of Minnesota's offer and strike.

The union said it would file its intent to strike Friday at the state Bureau of Mediation Services, the state agency that provides oversight on public employee bargaining. A walkout could start the first day of fall semester classes on Sept. 4.
I'm proud of union members for taking a stand against what the University is offering. It is very difficult to go on strike and go without to take a stand. I went out on strike the last time AFCSME 3800 clericals went on strike at the University of Minnesota. It was difficult but at the same time it was empowering to stand up for your rights together with your union brothers and sisters. Striking union members will get support from the community. You can count on that.
Help AFSCME and learn about the issues and what you can do at http://www.uworkers.org/
Stop the University from acting like a corporation and racing to the bottom.

a small harvest

This is the gardening season I live for, tomato season. Last weekend I went to the Dowling Garden Heirloom Festival and tried lots of different kinds of heirloom tomatoes and some peppers. If you have never tried heirloom tomatoes go to your local farmers market, co-op, natural, or yuppish grocery store and get yourself some. And if you have you know what I'm talking about.

Earlier in the season I planted four Pik Red tomato plants and one Black Russian heirloom tomato. I also planted swiss chard, lettuce, French sorrel, and herbs (chocolate mint, thyme, rosemary, basil, lavender, and catnip). It has been great to be able to walk outside and pick fresh herbs, salad, and tomato for dinner.

Everything has been very tasty. The French sorrel can be added to salad. The basil can be added to pasta or salads. The thyme and rosemary can be added to roasted vegetables. And of course all of the cats love the catnip.

city of bridges

is the closing of bridge #9 a power struggle between the mayor and the sheriff?

Yesterday on my lunch break I walked out on the Northern Pacific Bridge #9, which had been closed since the 35W bridge collapsed on August 1. The bridge was reopened by Mayor Rybak for a brief time on August 15. Then the bridge was closed the same day after recovery workers called the move "disrespectful to families of those still missing." According to MPR, "Hennepin County Sheriff Stanek opposed opening the pedestian bridge." Stanek said through a spokesperson, "Victims' families "do not want to see another picture of a body bag in a newspaper." On August 15, Sheriff Stanek emailed Mayor Rybak and asked him to close the bridge again. According to a Minneapolis spokesperson, "Rybak felt it important to give the public a better view of the remains of the bridge." I think Mayor Rybak was in the right to reopen the bridge. I think he understood that the residents of Minneapolis are truly grieving a major tragedy in our city.

As for the victims' families who "do not want to see another picture of a body bag in a newspaper" I agree. But who has printed and televised the "body bag" photos? THE MEDIA. Average people are curious, yes, but don't have any ill will towards the victims or their families. Many people have viewed the remains of bridge collapse because they have driven on that stretch of road or know someone who has driven across the bridge. Personally, members of my family drove over the bridge at 5:57 minutes before the collapse. A friend, had just driven over the bridge only to see a collapsed bridge and smoke in her rear view mirror. So this collapse has hit very close to home for myself and many of us.

I ask people to look at the mainstream media. If it bleeds it leads. I ask, how did the family of Chris Jenkins feel when they watched the local news to see their son's body being brought out of the Mississippi river in a body bag? How did Trevor Marsh's family feel when the media described in detail how he was murdered? Or when they televised the blood soaked place where his body was found. How do we as Americans view seeing dead Iraqis almost every night on television? They have families too. We see a lot of death. Why then are we not questioning the ethics of the media? Why?

The average citizens of Minneapolis are being punished because of the actions of the media. Sheriff Stanek and his cronies have average people confused with the media. As tax paying citizens of Minneapolis we own bridge #9. This is our city which if you haven't noticed has been hijacked by the media, the feds, the State of MN, and Sheriff Stanek. The paranoid actions of those in power will only lead to mistrust and conspiracy theories. People have asked, "what are they hiding?"

as an aside..........the "believability" of the sheriff
On a personal level, I have a hard time believing the Sheriff Stanek has sympathy for the collapse victims. Here is some background on Rick Stanek and why I think the man is a creep. Governor Tim Pawlenty appointed Stanek as public safety commissioner in 2003. After a year and a half he resigned because of a racial slur he made in 1992. There was outrage in the African American community in Minneapolis about his past actions as a Minneapolis police officer. In a deposition in 1992 Stanek admitted that he had told racist jokes and made derogatory statements about blacks while on duty as a Minneapolis police officer. During the time of his resignation one member of the St. Paul NAACP told the Star Tribune, "Anybody who makes racial statements like he did doesn't have any citizen's rights in mind."

When Stanek was a legislator in Minnesota he slashed then eliminated the Minnesota's Office of Crime Victims Ombudsman. The Ombudsman's role was to advocate for victim's whose crimes were ignored by law enforcement or rights were violated by law enforcement. Sanek won the 2006 Hennepin County Sheriff election. He has apparently tried to make nice with the African American community sense then. I still don't trust him.

Some interesting articles about Stanek,
The Rehabilitation of Rich Stanek
http://citypages.com/databank/27/1352/article14837.asp

Stanek resigns as public safety commissioner over racial slur controversy April 6, 2004
http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2004/04/16_scheckt_stanek/

august 15, bridge #9 is open

restricted areas

crazy cat seeds

Cosmos are easy flowers to propagate. Last year we received Cosmos seeds from Ted, who had a garden of beautiful dark pink, pink, and white Cosmos flowers. Weeks after we had planted the Cosmos seeds, we had a garden of cosmos. Cosmos flowers are a good mix with a semi-native prairie garden and they attract butterflies.

Growing Cosmos
Obtain Cosmos seeds, from friends or garden store. In spring plant seeds indoors four to six weeks before your region's average last frost date to get earliest bloom. Or, plant outdoors directly in the soil after the last frost date, 8 inches apart in full sun in average soil with good drainage. (We basically scattered the seed in the garden. This worked for us. We had a lot of Cosmos flowers last year and this year.)

To harvest seeds:
1. Wait for the plant to flower and dry 
2. Cut the off the flower head
3. Dry the seed pods on newspaper
4. After the seed pods are dry the seeds "will fall out"
4. Put in a moisture resistant container and store until the following spring
5. Next spring...
plant seeds indoors four to six weeks before your region's average last frost date to get earliest bloom. Otherwise, plant outdoors directly in the soil after the last frost date, 8 inches apart in full sun in average soil with good drainage.
6. Next year repeat. Happy gardening.

police lines

still in shock

This photo was taken from a building close to the bridge. Click on photo to enlarge.

minneapolis mourns - i35w bridge collapsed into the mississippi river

On august 1st the I35W bridge over the mississippi collapsed into the river. I heard the news a little after 6 p.m. I panicked because my parents and some family members were headed to the Twins game at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. I called my parents and they had just driven over the bridge shortly before 6 p.m. They were safe but what about the others? I watched the news and was in disbelief.

I biked down to the scene, not to gawk but to understand what had happened in my city. It was surreal to see the entire bridge completely destroyed. Gone. I've traveled this bridge over the last 20 years. I've biked under this bridge, many many times.

Please pray for and keep the victims and families in your thoughts. Give to the Red Cross. Hug your loved ones. Don't take anyone for granted.

Thank you to my friends from across the country and around the world that have emailed me to make sure I was ok.

west coast trip, a.k.a. "left coast"

Train travel is more fuel efficient than planes or cars, although it is slow travel in comparison. We left Minneapolis Friday at 10:50 pm and arrived in Portland Sunday at 10:30 am. In total it's about 36 hours. At first I thought I would go stir crazy on the train without the comforts of home (a computer, television, DVD, stereo, etc.) On Friday night we traveled from Minneapolis through St. Cloud, Staples, Detroit Lake, Fargo, Grand Forks, and Devils Lake.

Saturday morning we arrived the geographical center of North America, Rugby, North Dakota. During the day we traveled through North Dakota and Montana. On Saturday evening evening we made it to Glacier Park. The train stoped at East Glacier Park, Essex, and West Glacier, all destination stops for campers.

We awoke Sunday morning to beautiful views of the Columbia River George. We arrived at Portland's Union Station on Sunday morning. The station was built in the Italian Renaissance style and opened in 1895. It's on the National Register of Historic Places.

Portland has an amazing public transit system. Visitors to Portland's Union Station are greeted with a large neon sign, "Go By Train." Cars are not needed in Portland. You can travel in and around the city by bus, light rail, or street car. You can get a "free ride" on public transit in Portland's "fare-less square" where all public transit inside the square is free. Portland is also very walkable and bike-able.