FINAL ENTERPRISE STORY

Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes, but each year more and more lakes are being destroyed by harmful contaminates and pollution. In 2006, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) accelerated their lake monitoring activities due to the passage of the Clean Water Legacy Act which came with additional funding for these projects. Currently, the MPCA is monitoring 100 lakes each year for the quality of water. There are several organizations in each county that are taking steps to grow awareness on what the public can be doing in order to move forward with cleaner lakes and rivers.
The Rice Creek Watershed District (RCWD), which is based out of Blaine, MN, has set out to raise awareness and begin restoration in the areas of Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey, and Washington counties in Minnesota. Their mission is to conserve and restore the water sources of the district for beneficial use of current and future generations. The Rice Creek Watershed District is now offering three Cost-Share Grant programs in 2009. Matthew Kocian is the Lake and Stream Specialist for the District, who stated that they do not take any donations from the public. However he said they do rely on volunteers to collect water quality samples and cost-share on projects on their land. He also stated, “Many of the projects are initiated by homeowners, completed using a combination of Rice Creek Watershed District staff and contractors. Rice Creek Watershed District does not sponsor river clean ups, such as removing garbage from rivers, but our staff sometimes participates in them. Our projects focus more on reducing pollutants like phosphorus.”
Several lakes around the area has benefited from the projects. Kocian said, “The RCWD has sponsored water quality and infiltration projects (rain gardens and lakeshore stabilization) on many of the lakes in the watershed, including Turtle, Long Lake, Peltier, Johanna and Golden. The word ‘restore’ is a big subjective, without defining an endpoint, but I believe that improvements in water quality in some lakes can be attributed to RCWD projects. Very rarely can ‘restoration’ be achieved in one single project.”
The Rice Creek Watershed also takes responsibility for enforcing certain laws such as reminding the public that it is illegal to dump yard waste such as leaves, twigs, and grass clipping into a public drainage ditch. Also, it is a misdemeanor under state law to obstruct a public draining or tile system. They take it upon themselves to make sure the public are educated on these laws and also finding information on keeping water clean through Bluethumb.org.
The Blue Thumb project is aims to encourage homeowners to use native plant gardening, raingardens, and shoreline stabilization to reduce runoff from their home landscape in an effort improve water quality. Blue Thumb helps partners present a unified public education message. When speaking to Dawn Pape, the coordinator for Blue Thumb, she mentioned that they provide services to mostly businesses, greenhouses, vendors and a lot of government facilities.
What do these projects entail? The first would be the planting of raingardens, which are gardens which take advantage of rainfall and stormwater runoff in its design and plant selection. It is designed to withstand the extremes of moisture and concentrations of nutrients, particularly Nitrogen and Phosphorus that are found in storm water runoff. Raingardens are close to the source of the runoff and serve to slow the storm water as it travels downhill, giving the storm water more time to infiltrate and less opportunity to gain momentum and erosion power. Raingardens look attractive and may support habitat for birds or butterflies. What makes a raingarden is how it gets its water and what happens to that water once it arrives on the surface. But below the surface of the garden, a number of processes are occurring which mimic the hydrologic action of a healthy forest. Soils are engineered and appropriate plants are selected for the raingarden. Nitrogen and phosphorus levels and overall sediment loads in the storm water are reduced by the action of plants and growing media on the water. Multiple raingardens over an area will have a positive cumulative effect on both the volume and quality of storm water runoff.
The other service that Blue Thumb provides is shoreline stabilization. By planting native plants on shorelines and banks, they act as a buffer between the yard and the lake. The roots of native plants filter and absorb polluted runoffs and excess nutrients before they ever enter the water. The natural height and density of native plantings also discourage geese who prefer turf. “We at Blue Thumb like to promote neighborhood blue thumb parties, where the host educated on how to plant around the banks and which specific plants to use. We also will train the host so they can continue Blue Thumb parties on their own, and promote Blue Thumb by putting a sign in their yard,” said Page.
Lake Josephine was one of the more recent Blue Thumb projects, in the city of Arden Hills, MN. Cathy Johnson, a local resident who lives nearby the lake was very impressed by the results of the projects. “We used to take our kids over to the lake on the weekends. We knew the lake was not in perfect condition, but ever since they put in the new landscaping it is more appealing to visit and take family pictures! We take the dogs for walks every day in the summer now and enjoy the beautiful scenery,” she said. Her husband Bob added, “I went over there a few times while they were planting and they were all very friendly to us. I never really had the interest to ask them anymore questions, but once I realized how quickly everything came together I would definitely want to get more involved with their projects.” The Johnson’s have lived near Lake Josephine for over 20 years and said they hope more lakes in the area benefit from restoration.
Information can be found at www.bluethumb.org such as how raingardens work, projects completed by the shorelines stabilization projects and they also have charts helping pick the specific types of plants you can purchase to help with your own garden.

Going Green? Raingardens are the wave of the Future
In 2009 the Green Movement swept the nation with environmentally safe practices. The Green movement promotes recycle content and less plastic use, but water quality has not been a main agenda. Doug Thomas, the administrator for the Rice Creek Watershed, District brought up a few points about the green movements effect. He says the Green Movement and Water Protection are two separate issues that are linked by the same concern. “The green movement in my view has been seen more by the average person as being about energy conversation/clean energy, such as wind power, high efficiency light bulbs, recycling, and using recycled products. That said I have seen some communities like Shoreview through their environmental committee promote water conservation, things like rain-barrels, native plantings, and rain-gardens. If there is a link I think it is with the idea of water conservation and a general theme of clean water,” he said. However, practices such as switching from plastic to paper are not as costly as putting a raingarden into your yard. Thomas says they are doing their best to raise awareness and the green movement is helping. “I guess in the end I do think that the awareness that is coming out of the green movement will spin off when it comes to a citizen making a link or connection to activities that they read about that relate to clean water.”

Journalism Perspective

I was very excited about this class because in high school creative writing was my favorite class. Journalism is not creative writing. Learning how to write factual, to the point hard news was so hard for me. Learning how to keep my opinion out of my writing was even harder! I have a lot more respect for the journalist career because it has to be a tough job, not only with deadlines and interviews and finding sources, but then watching closely what you write in case you are sued for Libel.

I have to say this was a very intense class that pushed me really hard and for that I am happy. It taught me how to get things done quickly and make sure I was checking over everything for imperfections. I really liked Blogging in this class, that was my favorite part about the class!

MOA Apologizes to Palin

The Mall of America gave an official apology to Sarah Palin after internal notes and comments were released to the Associated Press as mall guidelines. Palin is currentley on tour in support of her book, "Going Rouge: An American Life." Some of the supposed guidelines were making sure Palin was referred to as Governor and foreign reporters would be banned.

A Positive Outlook Can Help MS

Meghan Forestell Pierson has fought two life threatening diseases within her lifetime. One battle she won against Leukemia when she was just a girl, however her ongoing struggle against Multiple Sclerosis is something she fights daily.

When Pierson was three she was diagnosed with Leukemia and was on chemotherapy until the age of six. Although she does not remember much from that time of her life, she recalls having to mix chemo meds with chocolate syrup so she would take them. She went into remission after kindergarten and considered herself extremely lucky to have never developed more cancer.

However at the age of 25 after being misdiagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, Pierson experienced extreme shock when she found out she had Multiple Sclerosis. “I was devastated and so sad. It took about six months for it to sink in. I started treatments for it in December, two days before my 26th birthday. Giving myself a shot every other night was miserable. It took me at least another year to get used to that and then it just became part of my life,” she said.

Multiple Sclerosis is the most common neurological disorder diagnosed in young adults. Its causes are not yet fully understood and researchers continue to search for answers. This disease damages the protective insulation surrounding nerves in the brain and spinal cord. Studies show that women are three times as likely to develop multiple sclerosis as men. Unfortunately, this proved accurate for Pierson.

Pierson said she is extremely thankful for the love and support her family and friends give her on daily basis. Her husband Roger is someone she can always rely on, who has been there for her from the start of her diagnosis. She said, “Roger gave me shots and came with me to doctors appointments. He gave me my injections for a very long time when I was still scared to do it myself. I get frustrated and angry and sad, and he helps me through it.”

She also has a lot of support from online websites, chat rooms, and networks that specialize in MS. When she was still trying to cope with MS, this provided her with a safety net of other people dealing with the same thing she was going through.
“We can all share our sad and happy stories together. MS is a really strange disease because unless you know someone has it, it’s not always visible. So even though I struggle with pain every day, outsiders cannot see that. So knowing other people with MS who have to deal with the same thing is huge.”

In the fall of 2008, Pierson’s doctor urged her to consider the option of pregnancy. The doctor explained to her that in studies shown in women with multiple sclerosis, pregnancy has the tendency to slow the development of the disease and lesions on the brain. Pierson and her husband had been planning a child, but now with the doctors strong push towards a baby, they decided to go ahead and try in the spring of 2009. By late summer to her delight Pierson discovered she was pregnant.

Her happiness sadly was short lived when in October she went through a miscarriage. “I am still working on overcoming the loss of our baby. That has been the absolute hardest thing I have ever had to deal with. I know that everything happens for a reason and I am starting to become alright with not knowing what that reason is. I think that is pretty profound.”

Pierson is proud to say that she has participated with the annual MS Society walk for the last three years. She has an intense love for her three cats she has at home, and has uniquely named her team for the walk “Team MeowS.” The M and S are capitalized to represent MS. The walk is typically 6-8 miles and her team is filled with her supportive friends and family. “I always cry at the finish line because there are a lot of people in different stages of MS that cannot participate for one reason or anther, so they line the finish line and cheer us all on. And if I can’t walk someday, I’ll definitely be cheering on those who can!”

Pierson still tries to just take each day at a time and that makes things easier for her. She has advice for people who are recently diagnosed and are struggling with the disease. She said, “Try and be positive and surround your self with positive people. You have to be an advocate for yourself, nobody else will do that for you. And sometimes that is a difficult thing for people to do. It’s a lot of work to be your own advocate but it’s worth it.”

911 Reports of Dahmer Case

Jeffery Dahmer is behind bars for killing a total 17 people and he is pleading insanity. Police officers found 11 mutilated bodies in the apartment of the 31 year-old. However, the transcripts of a 911 call have been released and there is evidence that some of these deaths could have potentially been prevented.
Knerak Sinthasomphone, one of Dahmer’s victims, had been spotted on the corner of 25th and State where Dahmer resided. The 911 transcripts reveal Glenda Cleveland, a resident of the neighborhood, called 911 to report a naked boy who was outside covered in bruises. Cleveland stated, “He’s been beaten up real bad…He can’t stand up…He has no clothes on. He is very hurt.”
In response, the dispatcher sent two officers to investigate the scene. The officers made homosexual remarks and reported the male to be seriously intoxicated. Dahmer of course had been briefly interviewed and he calmly explained the naked boy was his 19 year-old boyfriend.
Cleveland followed up by calling the officer saying her daughter flagged down a policeman after they walked up on a young child being molested by a male guy. She asked the police officer who old the boy was, to which he responded repeatedly that he was an adult. The officer said, “It’s all taken care of. It’s as positive as I can be. Ok. I can’t do anything about somebody’s sexual preferences in life.”
Cleveland replied by saying, “Well, no, I’m not saying anything about that, but it appeared to have been a child. This is my concern.”
The two officers have been suspended after the arrest of Jeffery Dahmer and his confession to this incident.

Minneapolis Police Dog Dies in Fall from Roof

A possible burglary was unfolding at the former Downtown Jaguar auto dealership around 8:15 Monday. The dog Chase, who had been on the force since 2007 was atop the building and fell to it's death. He was rushed to the University of Minnesota for medical treatment but nothing could be done. The three suspects were apprehended at the scene.

Stress Relief

My job is the main cause of stress in my life. I work at a fast paced customer service call center for a box company called ULINE. I take over 120 calls daily and by the end of the day of some days I'm ready to slam my fist through my computer screen. Luckily, I have a few ways to relieve stress to save myself, and my hands, a lot of pain.

The first and most sucessfull way is by heading directy to the gym after work. The nice thing about my company is they understand the pressure of dealing with customers, and they give us an amazing discount to Lifetime Fitness. After a long day, there is nothing better than revitalizing your body with a dose of healthy exercise. I crenk up the tunes on my Ipod and run through any issues I have lurking in my head. By the time I get off the treadmill I ususally have forgotten my troubles and feel great from the endorphins.

Another stress reliever is sitting down on my cozy couch and watching a good TV show or movie. I'm currently hooked on the show "LOST" and while I'm watching that show I am completely focused on all the entertainment it has to offer. I recommend this show to anyone!

Finally, I have my amazing boyfriend Ben, who is always willing to listen to me vent about my bad days. He is always on my side no matter how silly the issue might be. Somehow no matter how upset I am he puts a smile on my face and makes me feel so much better. Or if all else fails he pops open and hands me a cold beer.

Former Packer Brett Favre Leads Vikings to Victory

The Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers have always had an intense rivalry. In 2009 quarterback Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers signed on to begin playing quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. This decision sparked much attention in the football league and has caused much debate for all of the fans.

The Vikings have been on an almost undefeated roll with Favre as their leader. Favre already has achieved much fame and success in his career, along with several awards and recognitions including: most AP NFL MVP (most valuable player) awards, most consecutive starts by a quarterback, and most wins by a starting quarterback. According to officialbrettfavre.com, in the playoffs Favre stands behind Joe Montana in pass completions, passing touchdowns, passing yards, and passing attempts.

In a recent poll conducted through facebook, the question asked was, “Now that Brett Favre has joined the team, do you find yourself watching more games or tuning into how the Vikings are doing?” 20 people responded to the poll between the ages of 20-32. The results were as follows: 30 percent of the responders were already die hard Vikings fans that found themselves watching with higher expectations, 65 percent said they are watching more Vikings games now that the team is doing much better than past years, and 5 percent said they are not watching and do not care.

One of these true fans named Jason Kemp, a 25-year-old from Elk River, MN commented, “I have always been a huge Vikes fan and I know that they are way better now that they have Favre on the team, but it has no bearing on if I choose to watch them or not. All true Vikings fans hated Favre only because he was a Packer, but respected him as a quarterback because he is one of the best of all time. I love that we are actually trying to win a title this year by trying to get a high caliber player like Favre.”

The change from Packer to Viking has been hard on Favre himself, having to face the angry and betrayed packer fans in the game that took place in Green Bay. As he entered Lambeau Field, his one time home arena, the crowed welcomed him with boos and jeers. “I had mixed emotions coming in, because I know how special these fans are,” Favre said in an interview on espn.com. “I want to lead this Vikings team to a Super Bowl, believe me, I do. And I will do everything in my power.”

Other fans have been tuning in to Vikings games for reasons other than Favre. Meghan Forestell-Pearson, a 30-year-old college administrator says she used to only watch the game because her husband is a true Vikings fan. However recently she began taking a bigger interest in the team. “I watch more football than I have in the past. I think it's because they have a good team this year. Favre is part of that but they also got rid of a lot of the slime balls on that team. Go Vikes!”

Creationists hand out Darwin book with new intro

Earlier this week, a Christian group went to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus and passed out over 1000 free copies of Charles Darwins, "On the Origin of Species." This new book contained a 50 page intro that makes the case for creationism before Darwins classic work on evolution.

Flu Shots Unpopular to Young Adults

The H1N1 virus has gotten a lot of attention from the media in the past year and flu shots are hard to find, but where are they going? A recent poll shows that the majority of flu shots are not going to young adults between the ages of 18 to 29. The results show that two out of 50 of these young adults actually took the time to get vaccinated. The common response when asked if they had gotten the flu shot this year was, “I never get sick. I don’t need one.”

In addition to low numbers of young adults that did receive the flu shot, none of them were the new H1N1 vaccination. Many people are worried that this was rushed to market because of the recent scare, therefore are very uncomfortable with the idea of putting it into their bodies.

However, when speaking to young adults there were several misconceptions they had about the regular flu shot. “I had the flu shot once years ago and it made me sick,” said Erin Vander Wyst, a 22 year old college student. “They do offer the flu shot on campus but most of us will not even consider it.” Several other people shared this view point, that the flu shot is not preventative because it gives you the flu.

Some of the people interviewed even volunteered at a mass inoculation for kids ages 5-9. Having been exposed to the vaccine and having the education of the flu shot did not seem to help sway their opinions. “The inoculation was the closest I got to flu shots,” said Jarrod Hammer, a 26 year old volunteer.

Alyson Saunders, 19, responded to the poll by saying, “I did not get any shots, even when my work was giving them away free.” Like most of the others she was not educated on the benefits of the shot and that preventive action is the best defense against the flu.

E.T. Phone Rome

The Vatican has called in experts to study the possibility of of extraterrestrial life and its implications of the Catholic Church. The Vatican recently held a five day conference which included thirty scientist from all over the world. These scientists were Catholic and non-Catholic, and they were called to explore the issue of life forms on other worlds.

The Happiest Place on Earth

I have had the fortune of being able to travel with my family on many separate occasions. The most memorable and enjoyable of these travels was our entire family visit to Disney World. When my grandmother died in 2006, she left a lot of money with my Mom and Aunts. They decided to pool the money and buy everyone a plane ticket to Florida for Christmas. I had been to Disney World once before as a child, and honestly I thought it was much more fun as an adult. There is a reason why they call it the happiest place on earth, and I would go back in a second if I had the money.

My favorite theme park was MGM Studios, where I faced my ultimate fear, heights. I braved to ride the “The Hollywood Tower of Terror.” This is basically “Power Tower” in the dark. I am absolutely terrified of heights and free falls, but I decided to face my fears in memory of my grandmother. It was an amazing adrenaline rush which boosted my confidence and raised my bravery bar. Since then I have been able to do all kinds of other scary rides, included the Rip-Cord at Valleyfair which is basically the superman ride. Next year I’m planning to skydive for my 25th birthday.

It was in that magical place where I really discovered that the only thing holding you back from accomplishing your dreams are yourself. Anything can be done if you put your mind to it. Thanks Mickey!

Cub Foods ends gasoline promotion

Cub Foods ends their alliance with Holiday Gas station after two years of offering coupons. The last coupons have been printed and need to be honored by their expiration date. When spokesperson LeeAnn Jorgenson was asked why Cub decided to drop their program, she said, "The change allows us to provide greater value to our customers in other ways."

Halloween 2009

I spent the night before Halloween this year at Epic Nightclub downtown Minneapolis. Everyone was dressed up so it really felt like the 31st. This was a techno concert and there were so many creative costumes. I unfortunately didn't think to put on a costume that night, but everyone else picked up the slack. The most creative costume I saw was a man walking around in a full body one piece that was pure green that glowed in the black light. (see pictures) I also was very impressed by two girls who were working at the door dressed up as Mario and Luigi. Finally to top it all off, I ran into a group of 3 penguins, one actually took a picture with me. Penguins are my favorite animal so I was thrilled to meet a few! Halloween is the perfect time to show your creative side and be silly. I never fail to have a good time every October 31st, or October 30th this year!

A Professor's Love for Music Makes Life Fully Lived

“Music is so much a part of my life, it feels like eating or sleeping,” Professor Bergstrom has said about music enriching her life. Music was able to reach her when she was very young and has continued to enhance her life well into adulthood. Bergstrom has been teaching at Anoka Ramsey Community College for eight years, making classical music relevant for students to discover and appreciate.

When asked what the first musical moment which first affected her life, Bergstrom had a very unique memory. “My mother used to have my sister and I ‘sing’ conversations instead of speak them. It was playful, memorable, creative, and it made me think of music as being something improvisatory, free, and very powerful in communicating,” she said.

Her mother was able to inspire her musically while working with church music. The two of them have very similar personalities and are able to share ideas, resources, and help each other out in various jobs. Bergstrom even performs at her church whenever she goes home to visit her family.

She decided that singing was her passion in high school and also focused on instruments such as the piano and the flute. She began playing piano as soon as she could maneuver her walker over to the piano. From there she began piano lessons in first grade, but quit as soon as she could due to a major disliking of the actual lessons. She started studying voice once she was in high school and was able to understand where she wanted to go in her life. “I chose singing over piano or flute because of the connection it has with text, emotion, and communication,” she said about deciding to become a voice major in college.

Bergstrom attended Augsburg College in Minneapolis, going for a Bachelors Degree in Music, with a Voice Major. Also she had a minor in Organ and Flute performance. She went onto the University of Minnesota Twin Cities to accomplish her Masters Degree in Music and Choral conducting.

It was not until she graduated from Augsburg that she decided to pursue a job in the teaching field. “As I came to absolutely love directing church choir rehearsals and not just teaching them the notes and rhythms of the piece, but actually talking about the composer and why that person wrote this type of music or what was happening in the world when the piece was written,” Bergstrom said. “I got so much energy and joy and fulfillment out of that role, I decided to pursue conducting and teaching, rather than performing as the primary focus of my career.”

Bergstrom has been selected as an “Emerging Conductor,” and was honored to conduct the Minnesota Chorale, which is the choir that sings with the Minnesota Orchestra. One of her composition has also won the Cincinnati Children’s Choir Composition, which was performed last March. She has been composing since college after taking lessons there and in graduate school. Bergstrom mostly likes to compose for competitions not to win them, although she says it is an added bonus, but they serve her well as a deadline so she will have more discipline to work hard on them.

Bergstrom says the best part of her job is taking witness to music in the life of her students. “Watching or reading about a student’s reaction to the first time hearing Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings or seeing and hearing the thrill of a choir performing Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus with a professional orchestra, nothing is better than that!”

H1N1 Closes Some Schools in Metro

The H1N1 flu virus outbreaks are being reported at several Twin City schools. Some schools are closing and others are are altering their instructions for absent students. The numbers of schools reported with an outbreak reach a number of 288 last week.

Interview of Melissa Bergstrom

1. Q: What was your first memorable moment when music affected your life?

My mother used to have my sister and I "sing" conversations instead of speak them. We would just
make up melodies and sing something like, "What do you want for lunch today?" and I would sing in
response, "Grilled cheese, please." And she would sing back, "what would you like to drink?"
etc, etc. It was playful, memorable, creative, and made me think of music as being something
improvisatory, free, and very powerful in communicating. High notes were for important words
or intense emotions, fast notes were for excitement, etc.

2. At what age did you begin to play an instrument? What did you play? Were
you in Choir?

Besides singing around the house, I mostly concentrated on instruments, particularly the
flute and piano. I began playing piano as soon as I could maneuver my walker over to the piano
(there are pictures!), but began lessons in first grade (though I quit as soon as I could, I hated
piano lessons - but I love playing the piano!). I sang in church youth choirs, camp, and in school
throughout elementary, middle, and high school. I first started studying voice in
high-school.

3. What reason did you choose your instrument?

I decided that singing was my "main gig" in high-school, and decided to be a voice major in
college. I chose singing over piano or flute because of the connection it has with text,
emotion, and communication.

4. Have you played in any orchestras, symphonies or "garage" bands?

I've played jazz flute in several bands, sung in a bluegrass band, conducted many choirs
(church and community groups), and still gig quite a bit with my husband, Sam, a guitar player.

5. What is your most accomplished musical moment?

My senior and honors voice recitals at Augsburg College still stand out as a high point in my solo
voice performance career.

6. Have you won any competitions or awards?

I was selected as an "Emerging Conductor" last year and was honored to conduct the Minnesota
Chorale (the choir that sings with the Minnesota Orchestra). A composition of mine won the
Cincinnati Children's Choir Choral Composition and was performed there in March, so I flew out
there to attend that concert.

7. Where did you attend college? What was your major?

Augsburg College in Minneapolis - Bachelors Degree in Music, Voice Performance Major/Organ
and Flute Performance Minors
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities - Masters Degree in Music, Choral Conducting

8. At what age did you decide to teach music? Was there any influence behind this decision?

I didn't decide to actually go into teaching until after I graduated from Augsburg. I had
planned to have a part-time church music job and sing. But as I came to absolutely love directing
church choir rehearsals, and not just teaching them the notes and rhythms of the piece, but
actually talking about the composer, why that person wrote this type of music, what was
happening in the world when this piece was written, I got so much energy and joy and fulfillment
out of that role, I decided to pursue conducting and teaching rather than performing as the
primary focus of my career.

9. How long have you been at ARCC?

This is my 8th year.

10. What is your favorite part about your job?

Making music - especially "old" or "classical" music - relevant to people's lives. Watching or
reading about a student's reaction to the first time hearing Samuel Barber's ADAGIO FOR
STRINGS or their first orchestra concert or seeing and hearing the thrill of a choir performing
Handel's HALLELUJAH CHORUS with a professional orchestra - nothing better then that!

11. Do you still play any instrument?

I do still sing, play flute, organ, piano, and a little bit of tuba for fun (that's what I played in
high school and college band).

12. What kind of music do you enjoy listening to?

Most everything - INCLUDING country and rap (which seem to be the two people make exceptions for
when they answer this question). Honestly, I am hungry to hear what others are creating in any
style or genre. It is all interesting and all communicates something about life. I do tend to
find myself listening to choral music because of my career but also some off-the-wall
comedian-musician groups like Flight of the Conchords, Tenacious D, etc.

13. What does music mean to you? How does it affect your life?

Music is so much a part of my life, it feels like eating or sleeping. When my son died in 2006, I went
for months without touching my piano and that separation between my daily life and music, my
inability to play or sing reflected the emptiness I felt in my soul. When I was able to slowly
return to singing , playing, performing, that was an enormous step forward out of grief.

14. Who is your favorite composer? Either classical or modern, or both?

There is absolutely no way I can answer this question! Too many favorites! They are all my
favorites! (Cop-out answer, I know, but it is the truth!)

15. What other hobbies do you have?

Reading non-fiction and being with my husband, Sam (fellow music faculty at ARCC), and 4-month-old son, Finn.


1. My sister played the flute so I'm familiar with the way she performed,
but I've never heard of Jazz-Flute. Can you explain that a little further?

I play a "regular" flute, but I play it in a jazz group, so there are style differences, tone
differences, and definitely a lot of improvisation (notes aren't written down, so you
"spontaneously compose" and make stuff up!).


2. Okay, I asked your favorite musician and you answered like I would have!
So basically, how about a top five or even top ten if you had to break it
down, and why they are your favorite?

Composers on my top five list (and ignoring the usual top five of Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn,
Handel, Bach) would definitely be Samuel Barber both for his Adagio for Strings and his songs
for voice and piano, Stephen Sondheim for his work in musical theater, John Dowland the
Renaissance English lute song composer, Benjamin Britten the 20th century English composer
for his gift with writing for voices so colorfully and beautifully, and Egil Hovland the 20th
century Norwegian composer for his challenging but evocative choir compositions that can be
satisfying for a professional choir but attainable by an amateur church choir or college
group.


3.How did you meet your husband? Since you are both musicians I'm interested to hear the story!

My husband and I met in college - first day of class! I slept in and was late to music theory on the
first day of college classes, and he says he fell in love with me when I barged in to the classroom
still in my pajama pants and hair all over the place. Strange but true...



4. Your mother sounds like a very interesting woman to inspire your sister and you to sing to each other. What else did she do to inspire you?

My mom and I are so much alike. She is a musician, working in church music, and we have very similar
personalities, too. We have shared ideas, resources, and helped each other out in our various
jobs immensely. I still perform at her church whenever I go home to visit.

5. Can you elaborate more about your composition(s). How long have you been composing? Where do you get your ideas? What kind of music is it? How much have you composed?

I've been composing since college. I took composition lessons there and in graduate school,
but mostly wrote pieces for people I knew personally. A few of my pieces were performed by
ensembles at Augsburg College, which was quite an honor. The vast majority of my pieces are
vocal works, either solo voice with piano (or guitar), or choir. So all my ideas usually come
from the text I choose. I try to read the text over and over, and I usually scribble all over the
text trying to find patterns or words that jump out at me to highlight in the music. I've composed
quite a bit, actually. When I worked in church music, I would compose quite often for my church
choir and for the organ. Now that I'm teaching I don't have quite as much time, but I'm working on a
set of solo songs for voice and piano right now based on poetry of Ginger Andrews. I'm hoping to
have them ready to enter into a contest by December 1. Those contests aren't really about
winning (though that's nice!), but they serve me well as a deadline so I have more discipline and
follow-through with my composition ideas.

Andrew Lloyd Webber Diagnosed with Cancer

The composer Andrew Lloyd Webber was diagnosed with prostate cancer Sunday. This famous composer is known best for his works: "Phantom of the Opera," "Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat," and "Jesus Christ Superstar." He was knighted in 1992 and named into Britain's House of Lords in 1997.

Night of the Living Dead never felt so good!

They came from all over Minnesota, staggering slowly and hungrily chanting one word, Braiiiiinss. This was Washington Avenue downtown Minneapolis Saturday night, which was out numbered by zombies looking for brains and beer. It could be only one event, which was the fourth annual Zombie Pub Crawl. Once a year, 17 local bars along the west bank are host to the undead. The gouls can be heard chanting, “What do we want? Braaaaiiiiinnnns. When do we want them? Braaaiiiiinnnnssss.”

The weather was extremely cold on Saturday, with the high in the 20s and flurries of snow falling from the sky. This did not stop the living dead, with a turn out of over 5,000 zombies who could not resist the gathering.

The only thing better than watching the zombies going from bar to bar conversing and socializing, was watching them dance to the zombie anthem Thriller, by the late Michael Jackson. This song celebrates its 26th year anniversary and because Michael Jackson buzz is still in the air, these zombies were dedicated to preserving the intentions of the song. The theme was heard at every bar, along with the theme from Ghostbusters and other Halloween favorites.

Common themes along the crawl were the zombie Jesus, the Abraham Lincoln zombie, and of course prom queen zombies. It is amazing to see the creativity that goes into the appearance of becoming a zombie. Some of these people are planning months and months in advance to make sure they are standing out among the crowd.

A loyal zombie crawl enthusiast named Jennifer Schreifels, 24, never misses the opportunity to get dressed up and stagger around downtown. “I do this every year and it keeps getting better. It’s so cold this year and still everyone is all dressed up! These are my people!”

It was interesting to hear what any newcomers had to say as well. Benjamin Laabs, 26, was almost overwhelmed by the turn out of the crawl. “I can’t believe how many people are here, this is amazing! So many people went all out for this!” He was dripping blood and clothes torn from rising from the ground, determined to fight the cold and have a good time.

The bartenders seemed to enjoy the crawl also. This was surprising due to the fact that not only are they serving so many people, but a lot of them are actually scary to look at. A young bartender at Grumpy’s Bar said, “The pub crawls are always so stressful, but zombie crawl is my favorite because these people are hilarious. I don’t even have to worry about orders because of the drink specials. They just have to moan at us and we serve up the zombie special.”

Among the large crowd there were a handful of people not satisfied with the festivities. The common factor of these unhappy customers was they were not dressed up. Jovan Knudson, 28, was extremely upset by the long lines and getting fake blood all over her winter coat.

It is important to remember when attending Zombie Crawl, to be prepared to be targeted for blood splatter. Wear old clothes and shoes when possible and dress up to blend in with the crowd. These Zombie’s keep the party going until bar close and then they return to their graves.

Bear seeks beer, then keeps his cool in grocery

A 125 pound black bear walked into a Marketplace Foods in Hayward, Wis. It headed straight for the liquor section and stayed there for about an hour before Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources came to the scene. They were able to tranquilize the bear and get it out of the store. No alcohol was consumed by the bear.

Obituary

Sarah deRosier's life was cut short Saturday night, due to an unfortuanate Fire Spinning accident which resulted in 3rd degree burns. DeRosier always said she wanted to go out doing something she loved, and she held fire spinning closest to her heart.

DeRosier was pursing her Asocciates of Arts degree to move onto a career in Medical Transcripting after graduating. She was a hard worker and always very motivated to give her best in what ever she was doing. She began her fire spinning career three years ago and wanted to become more professional. Despite warnings from her cautious parents, she would light up any time she found the opportunity.

The funeral will be held at St. John's Baptist Church at 2:00 pm on Friday, followed immediatly by a cerimonial scattering of her ashes. The family has asked for any donations to go towards fire safety awareness.

She is survived by her Parents, Phil and Martha deRosier; her 28 year old sister Ann Nimchuck. She also is survived by her loving boyfriend Benjamin Laabs.

Ambition is the Key to Success

Living a busy life may be on Rachel Halverson’s plate, but this does not hold her back from achieving her dream of figure skating. Years of practice and competitions have taught Halverson the values of self-motivation, discipline and patience along her journey of pursuing figure skating.

Starting at age eight, she began her lessons at the Elk River Ice Arena. Her family has been very supportive from the beginning; in fact her entire family has been on the ice in one way or another. Her mother was a recreational skater growing up, and her father was a hockey player.

“You have to work hard for what you want and it isn’t always easy. My coaches help motivate me, but ultimately I’m the one pushing to be the best that I can be,” Halverson said.

With dedication on her side, Halverson can be found at the rink Monday through Friday. Currently she is working toward the goal of earning a spot on the European skating tour, which asks many requirements of the skater. Halverson is preparing the first requirement, which is sending in an audition tape with certain jumps, spins, and footwork included. She is finishing up the last touches of her tape and will be sending it in soon.

“I’m really busy all the time. It’s sometimes hard to fit everything in, but I love skating so much that I would never give up on it.”
Not only can she be found at the rink almost everyday of the week, Halverson is also taking classes at the Elk River Area High School and Anoka Ramsey Community College as a PSEO student. As a senior, she strives to graduate with 40 plus college credits in order to have flexibility with college. This will benefit her greatly if she does go on a skating tour having several credits under her belt.

“I want to seize this opportunity when I can because college will always be there for me. I’m thinking about attending Biola University in California, but I’m not sure what I’ll major yet.”

Joseph Nash, concentration camp survivor, dies

Joseph Nash was only a teenager when he was imprisoned in the concentration camp Dachau. He was a good man who did random acts of kindness throughout his life. After the war he came to Minnesota and opened his own business. He died Thursday at his house in St. Louis Park at the age of 86 from Cancer.

Interview of Tawana "true" Grimes with follow up questions

Question 1:
I read over your introduction to your blog, and I'm wondering about your nick
name? does it have any special meaning?

Answer:
My first & middle name is Tawana Rue. “true” came about as a nickname from the first letter of my first name ‘t’ with ‘rue,’ which equals “true.” Since a lot of people have trouble pronouncing “tawana,” true is a lot easier to remember and say.

Question 2:
I noticed you are a Beatles fan! Me too! What are some of the reasons why
you love the Beatles and what is your favorite song?

Answer:
I remember seeing the Beatles for the very first time when they appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. I was in the sixth grade living in Austin, Texas, and I think the year was 1963. I just love the beat and uniqueness of their music, that its overall fairly easy to listen to. Most of all, their music has been timeless and no other music group has really come close to it.

Question 3:
In regards to hobbies, with four kids did any start with their inspiration?

Answer:
Although I was fortunate to travel and hike a little when I was a kid, I have traveled & hiked more with my kids. Since I raised them to be global in their thinking, they also got a love of travel from me. Two kids have actually lived in Latin America for six months or one year. And, three have spent time in Europe. We all would definitely travel more if funds were available. Regardless, we love being with family and spending time outdoors, though we’re not the best Minnesota winter people!!

Question 4:
Tell me a little about your hobbies?

Answer:
Aside from travel, hiking and being with family at get-together's, I like to read, listen to music, cook and inexpensively decorate the house, go to movies. It just seems there’s not always enough time to enjoy hobbies while in school. No matter what, we’re all busy people.

Question 5:
What's it like going back to school in your experience?

Answer:
Although it’s been very hard, it’s also been quite the adventure. While I’ve publicly embarrassed myself on too many occasions, I’ve been continually amazed at the variety of terrific learning experiences that have come my way. I’ve had some academic disappointments but I learned from them, too. Returning to school has also been humbling because the more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know. There have been plenty of times when I felt like a complete imbecile and wondered what the heck I was thinking about when I returned to college. On the other hand, there are days when I know I’m in a good place. I’ve learned to celebrate the smaller things, too. Although I have gotten quite a bit of negative feedback from family about going back to college, my four kids have been the best supporters! I’ve been happy to meet wonderful students and make good friends and equally blessed to have excellent, wonderful teachers who really care. Although life & a lot of stressful events got in the way, I think it will all work out and I’ll be a better person as a result. I have so much to be thankful for.

1. I was wondering if you could elaborate of your travels, where have you
gone and did anything interesting happen on your journey?

I wish I could say the destinations have been exotic and far away. But, Mexico has been the most frequented place so far – Cancun, Guadalajara, Mazatlan, Monterrey, Puerto Vallarta, Once, my son’s professor at Tech de Monterrey recommended this quiet little remote village on a lagoon that only the natives frequented.
2. Is there anywhere you want to travel to that you have never been to?
why?

I really want to go to Europe some day. And, I want to see it like those young college graduates who buy a Euro pass, backpack across the continent and stay in inexpensive, quaint little inns.

3. What kind of books do you read in your spare time? Any favorites?

When I was a young kid, “A Wrinkle in Time” was unlike anything I’d ever read. Plus, I was really into the Nancy Drew mysteries then, ha! I still like non-fiction books about real people best. I also like John Grisham novels (and the movies based from them).
I wish I had more time to read for pleasure. Before my oldest son graduated from U of M, Twin Cities, his CLA professors always encouraged students to read the most interesting, well-written books. Therefore, Justin always carried a good book around with him at all times.
However, I did take a lot of time out to read while going through some medical treatments at Mayo Clinic five years ago. Since the treatments caused weird complications and serious brain fog that affected concentration, I was unable to do much more than live in a recliner and rest. That’s when I spent an entire summer to read every one of the books Nicolas Sparks had written. Since those novels didn’t require too much thinking, I could read one in a couple days. However, it didn’t take long to recognize a distinct pattern that I didn’t care for, that Sparks usually killed off one of the main characters. I didn’t care for that at all.

4. You mentioned decorating your house, is this for holidays or do you have
an overall theme to how you decorate?

My decorating is very eclectic. I’m partial to cheerful, easygoing yellows and soothing blues, with a touch of green. Since the winters are not my best times, I try to achieve spring/summer all year around. The last two winters, my bedroom was in a tropical motif. Now, it’s yellow with royal & true blues and blue toile accents. Since I’ve been a student, my humble home is always a disaster and there’s been no time for decorating. But, if I had a personal assistant and housekeeper, it could be a sweet place.

5. My last question is what do you do in the winter, since you said you are
not the best Minnesota Winter family?

For our family’s first winter, I bought and burned 2 ½ cords of firewood. I kept a fire going in the fireplace EVERY day that winter. Most people I met really made fun of that. I didn’t care, though, because those comforting fires, although unnecessary for warming the house, helped us get through what we first believed to be a frozen hell. When the winters got to us, we found it helpful to go to local places that resemble indoor parks. My kids ski & snowboard a little. What’s even better is heading off to a warm & sunny getaway, although a lack of funds has kept us from doing that the last few years. Even now, when it gets down to subzero temperatures, I unfortunately spend too much time complaining and asking myself, “Why do we live here?”
On the upside, I think the winters help us slow down our hectic lives and spend more time together as a family. I love walking outside after a fresh now and listening to the quietness. I also enjoy hugging my mug when it’s filled with hot apple cider, cocoa or tea. It helps to step up visits to a health club during this time. Our family down south finds it hard to believe that we continue to live in Minnesota and go through terrible winters. They think we stay because our brains cells have been frozen so many times that we aren’t smart enough to leave and move back down south, ha!

Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2009, 7:34 PM
Hello Again True! I have just a few more questions I'm hoping you can answer
for me, just to make sure I have covered all my bases here!

1. You mentioned that you like to read, cook, and be with family. Is there
any particular hobby that you hold above the rest?
I love being with family and get-togethers with family & friends the best.

2. Why is this hobby so important to you? Do you have any specific examples
of how it has enriched your life?
Other than my faith, there’s nothing more important in my life than family, which includes four children and family down south. We might not be perfect but we can always count on each other for help, love and support. That’s what families are for.

3. If you were not interested in this particular hobby, do you think it
would have made your life different?
I cannot imagine my life without my kids and extended family. It would be so empty and sad. My heart goes out to people who have no children or family. I don’t see how they get through the tough times in their life.

4. Being a mom is such a huge part of your life, and it sounds like your
kids are so supportive! Can you elaborate a little more on their ages and
how they are supporting you going back to school?
Since three of my kids have gotten through their college experience, they know how hard it is and understand the challenges. They’ve been very appreciative of how I helped them get through college. On the other hand, even though I attended college over thirty five years ago in Texas, I am now much more aware of what my college kids dealt with. Also, I was diagnosed with ADHD and a couple learning disabilities seven years ago. So, my trials at college have helped me better understand what my youngest son has gone through in secondary school.

5. What are your kids names and what do they do?
Justin, 30, works at Children’s Hospital in the business office where he uses his bachelor’s degree in Spanish-Portuguese and minor in Latin American studies and economics. He’s an awesome chess player and also writes music and sings. He’s plays the acoustic guitar, bass guitar, mandolin and piano. He’s played with several bands. Happily, Justin’s getting married Dec. 5 at the Weisman Art Museum at U of M. Both families are so excited!! Justin is the first kid in the family to get married, so it’s a big deal. We absolutely adore Kassie, 23, who he met at a funeral!
I just helped Summer, 27, get ready to move. It was bittersweet to see her head off to Vermont Sept. 27. Since she started a new career selling life insurance in February, Summer has a job with that same company in Burlington. Prior to this, she was a hair stylist after graduating from Aveda Institute (2002). She also earned an AA degree from Normandale (2001). Since she’s fluent in French, Summer plans to attend a university in Montreal or Toronto in the near future to get a bachelor’s in English. Summer used to draw a lot as a kid and played the clarinet. She plays the guitar and piano and has also written a little music.
Holland, 23, graduated from Normandale in 2007 as a registered nurse. She worked at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis, for two years, until moving to Nicaragua in January this year to serve as a volunteer missionary. Currently, Holland is on a three-month traveling nursing assignment in Burlington, Vermont, before she heads back to Nicaragua in January 2010. Her hobby is painting that she began in a painting class at NCC. Holland learned how to unicycle in the fourth grade and took two years of dance in high school. She plays the violin and drums and used to play in a small band.
Benjamin, 22, is the assistant manager at National Camera on Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis. He’s really an awesome photographer, too, and does a few weddings a year. Interestingly, he began collecting vintage cameras when he was in middle school. Then, in high school, he took up photography before setting up a dark room at our home. Currently, he lives in Minneapolis with four roommates in an older two-story home that has a soundproof music room in the basement. Ben plays the piano and bass guitar in a band and records specialty sounds for music.

Sleeping in Longer Will Benefit Health

Staying up late might make you the life of the party, but lack of sleep catches up in a very harmful way. Diana Gant, one of the nation’s leaders in the study of sleep is recommending nine hours of sleep each night to avoid serious risks to your health. “Nine hours is better,” she said in a recent interview. “I know not everyone agrees with me, but that’s what I keep finding.”

Gant has been with the psychology department for 17 years and studying sleep even longer. Her interest began by wanting to write about people who only slept a few hours and still remained productive. As her studies progressed, Gant discovered that people who go without sleep become drowsy, which directly affects public and personal safety. “It can make people clumsy, stupid, and unhappy,” she said.

These problems can cause astronomical consequences, and may even be related to major disasters. Gant said, “I look at a lot of disasters like the space shuttle Challenger, the accident at Russia Chernobyl nuclear reactor and the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The element of sleeplessness was involved in all of them, at least contributed to all of them, and maybe, probably, caused all of them.”

Gant gathers her studies partly in laboratories and partly on statistics that connect sleeplessness and accidents. One interesting study finds the number of traffic accidents after the shift to daylight savings time in the spring, when people typically lose one hour of sleep. Her studies found an 8 percent increase of accidents occur the day after the time change in the spring. To further support the research, a decrease was found in accidents in the fall when people gain an hour of sleep.

“Think of sleep like exercise. People exercise because it is healthy. Sleep is healthy.” Gant said. She recommends that people relax for about an hour or so before going to bed, to wind your body down to prepare for sleep. Tobacco, coffee, caffeine, and alcohol all affect sleep and should be avoided when possible. She also said it should be cool conditions for the room you sleep in, 65 is best for good sleep. These simple steps can quickly bring about good sleep patterns, which will benefit health tremendously. She ended by saying, “Get a comfortable bed, and keep your bed lines clean and fresh.”

3 H1N1 Deaths Double the State's Toll

The H1N1 flu virus as claimed three more lives in Minnesota. This has brought the total up to six since the new strain developed in April. The three were older, one in her 40s and the other two in their 50s, all with preexisting health conditions. It is believed that the overall severity of the disease is the same as seasonal influenza.

Earliest Memory

Thinking back into the early years of my life, one particular memory stands out among the rest. When I was in kindergarten I was in the morning class, which meant I would be home just in time for lunch. My mother was a stay at home mom at the time, and she would always greet me when I got off the bus with lunch ready for me. Most days it would be my favorite, which was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a glass of milk. Immediately after I ate, my mom would let me relax by watching my favorite movie, “The Princess Bride.” This movie has continued to be one of my favorites into adulthood, having a special place in my heart because we go way back! I watched it so much as a child, I can practically recite it from beginning to end. Although the majority of the movie was too adult for me to understand as a child, the overall theme of true love will conquer all has been a strong moral for me. It is amazing how some specific things can trigger your memory such as certain smells or sights. Even pieces of music or film are able to do this. Any time I watch this movie it brings me back to a time of innocence, before the worries of bills, work, or deadlines. It’s important to remember these things to hold onto your youth and embrace your inner child.

DiCesari accused the commissioners of shortchanging the county.

With the county’s budget at $127 million, can one assume there would be plenty of money for equipment and personnel? The answer is no, in fact, it is causing much debate over how this money should be spent.

The meeting Thursday night between the county sheriff and county commissioners was anything but calm. Sheriff DiCesari wants available money to go towards new vehicles for the Police Department. In addition, he believes the county can hire five more deputies.

“It is getting too costly to maintain the older vehicles.” He said. “Commissioners eliminated the equipment budgets for my department this year, and now I can’t buy anything. My deputies can’t keep driving these old vehicles.”

Commission president Anne Chen suggested to DiCesari deputies not to drive their cruisers home everyday because it would make more cars available and preserve mileage. DiCesari had no trouble with a rebuttal, stating the fact that deputies drive their cruisers home and parking them in their neighborhood was a deterrent to crime.
“You are putting the lives of the people of this county in jeopardy.” He said.
The commissioners voted 5-2 against the sheriff’s request.

The argument continued to be heated when immigrants became a topic of issue. There were statements thrown around about them being the problem for law enforcement, schools and healthcare

Commissioner Anita Shenuski said, “They take away jobs from decent people and work for next to nothing. If something gets stolen, you can be it is one of them that’s taken it.”

President Chen denied that immigrants are the problem, bringing up the point that they are hardworking people that add to our economy and are tax paying citizens.

Minneapolis Cops Get Guide to Policy Violation Penalties

Effective October 1 Minneapolis Police officers will have new guidelines for discipline if they violate any policies. It took the past year for Police Officers Federation to develop the discipline matrix. An email sent to officers said the new matrix will encourage respect and trust among department employees and the community. The matrix may be made public but the Federation has not made a decision of that yet.

My First Day at ARCC

It is hard to believe that my first day at ARCC was six years ago. I cannot say I remember the first day with perfect detail, but I do remember a lot of emotion that went along with the rite of passage. I started the day focused on what to wear thinking, “How do college student dress?” I can’t remember what I wore but I know for certain that I was overdressed. I had gone on campus prior to the first day to map out where classes would be so that I would not be late to class or worst case scenario, get lost. That alone was the only shred of confidence that I had that morning. When I got on campus, everyone seemed to know exactly what they were doing and where they were going. I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb. With my stomach in knots, I took a deep breathe and tried to relax as I entered my first and most dreaded class, which was math. I really lucked out with that class because I had an amazing teacher. Sitting through the class was very unnerving and the day continued with my only worry being about the next class. As the semester went on I got into the swing of things, I even started wearing pajamas to class. I decided to join the Creative Writing Club and that was where I made most of my college friends and had a sense of belonging. College is such an extreme change after high school, and a first realization of adulthood. The first few days of course are overwhelming and stressful, but that comes with any major change in life.

Last Thing Mother Does is Save Her Child

Stacey Morgan, 33, was hit by a car Thursday morning while pushing her newborn baby in a stroller. In the last few moments before she was struck, she pushed away the stroller in attempt to save her child. The driver was an eleventh grader who recently received his license. Reports show he was not speeding or under the influence, but investigators think he was either talking on his cell phone or texting. Stacey Morgan died shortly after the incident from massive head trauma.

I-790 Crash Leaves 2 Dead and Highway Closure

Interstate 790 is closed due to disaster striking early this morning with a chain reaction crash killing two drivers and leaving 20 injured.

While at the scene, Fire Chief Tony Sullivan reports that of the 20 serious injuries, four are life threatening. Two of those injuries were rushed by helicopter from Memorial Hospital to the trauma center in Statesville, 50 miles away. All five of the fire department’s ambulances were on the scene, along with ambulances from four nearby cities.

The accident started with two tractor trailers colliding with each other around 6:45 a.m. According to Sgt. Albert Wei, a total of four tractor trailers and 14 cars were involved after the initial crash. One of the tractor trailers was hauling diesel fuel.

“We are very lucky that it didn’t roll over or dump any fuel or catch fire,” said Wei.

The scene of the accident is causing an uneasy feeling for the officers and emergency workers. When he arrived, Sullivan stated the scene looked like something from a war zone. In his 18 years at the fire department, he had never seen anything like this.

Sgt. Wei has closed both north and southbound lanes and is not sure when they will reopen. He is urging drivers to take an alternate route on I-690, east of the city. This has created quite a mess for rush hour traffic, causing delays up to three hours.

A Fine Officer Lost

Officer Richard Critten was responding to a domestic disturbance, which became deadly. There had been several occasions of disturbance at Aspen Village of No St. Paul, due to a man authorities knew only too well, Devon Dockery. When Critten arrived at the scene, things became heated quickly, starting with a struggle that ended with gunfire. Officer Critten, 57, is the first No St. Paul police officer to die in the line of duty.

*Side Note*
I chose this story because I live right across the street from Aspen Village. When I went outside on September 7th, the entire street was lined with police cars and ambulances. When talking with people who gathered around the scene of the crime, the story of what had happened varied from person to person. I made a mental note of how journalism really is about finding the facts of an event and making sure they story is right. I'm posting pictures that I took of the scene.

Panera Bread

My favorite place is a soup and sandwich restaurant called Panera. Not only has Panera been my top spot for a quick bite and delicious cup of coffee, I now spend hours typing away on my laptop while enjoying their food. I have spent a lot of time at Panera the past few weeks because it is a great spot to relax and work on my homework.

I keep going back to Panera because they are fast and consistent. I can always count on their coffee to be fresh, hot, and decadent. I enjoy being able to walk into a restaurant, order food, and be eating within five minutes of sitting down. The majority of the staff are very friendly. In fact, most of the early morning staff see my face and instantly reach for a coffee cup.

Unfortunately, there have been a few occasions when I have had issues with the service. I remember standing in line for over ten minutes one morning because one person was on the register, several people in line, and employees were just standing around not paying any attention. That situation was the most irritating because it left me with the impression that the staff could not care less about their on the go customers. I did not return to that location for a long time in lieu of that incident.

I think because of the fact that I worked in the food industry for several years, it is really important to see customer service at it's best. Over the years, Panera has maintained their efficiency and friendliness. Those key elements keep me coming back for their delicious food and coffee.

The Do's & Don'ts of Leads

Leads are rather overwhelming because there is a lot to remember when it comes to do’s and don’ts. The most important thing to remember while writing them is to be as specific and to the point as possible. It is easy to exaggerate on a subject, especially when you are trying to entice a reader. That is why it is so important to be concise and keep your lead to only one sentence or two. Also, be sure to use strong active verbs to paint a mental picture in your readers mind.

There are a few things to avoid while writing leads. Stay away from stating the obvious because you run the risk of sounding cliche or even dull. Be sure to stay away from lists for this same reason, in addition to your reader losing interest because you are giving away so much information. Also try not to mislead your readers, you are setting the tone for the story which needs to be based on accurate and truthful information.

"Her Rights Were Violated"

SUMMARY:

Kerra Cameron, 34, knew she had a condition of passing out from panic attacks. While shopping at a local Target, she collasped, alarming several shoppers who called paramedics. Her fiance, tried to explain everything would be fine and she just needed a few minutes to recover, but the paramedics ignored him. He even called her mother on his cell phone to have her explain that everything was all right. Against her cries of protest, they rushed her to the hospital and would not allow her to see a doctor until she had a CAT scan and an EKG. In total, she accumulated $1,470 of medical bills from an incident that could have been avoided if the paramedics had listened to her several pleas not to take her to the hospital.

Top 3 Most Noteworthy News Experiences

1. The Tragedy of Princess Diana

I was really too young to understand the severity of the situation when it happened, but I'll never forget the way I felt the night Princess Diana died. The year was 1997 and I was only 12 years old sitting on my parents couch in front of the television waiting for Saturday Night Live to start. Suddenly, the announcer came on with breaking news and it was on every channel. They only showed two pictures on the station, the first of Princess Di's lovely face, and the other of the car wreck scene that was mostly blurred and dark from the night. My father called for my mother who was sleeping upstairs, and she came down to watch the progression of the story. At the time, the only information being release was the car was driving at a high speed to avoid paparazzi, which in itself is a terrible tragedy. That was the first major event that I can remember being on every channel that impacted me on an emotional level.

2. September 11th

Shock, horror, and then indescribable fear. These were the first few emotions that hit me when I learned that an airplane had just crashed into the Twin Tower and it was being described as an attack on America. I was a Junior in high school and we watched coverage in every class that day, which continued well into the evening when I got home. Who could ever forget September 11th after living through it, no matter where you were in the country or world for that matter. I remember following the horrendous acts of terrorism came the banding together of humanity, bringing forth the slogan, “United We Stand.” I can not honestly say I had ever appreciated being American until I saw with my own eyes that people could stand together and honor those who lost their lives that dreadful day. I remember recording newscasts from CNN to MTV just to capture the intensity to show my children someday so they could understand what it was like to go through a historical moment.

3. The Washington Bridge Collapse

An event that hits so close to home. I drive over that bridge so often it’s amazing to think that it really did happen. I was sitting in a neighborhood bar that day with my cousin when all the TVs surrounding us declared Breaking News. The entire bar went silent, which in itself is an incredibly rare instance and an event that can only occur after a powerful shock. My phone rang and of course it was my mother making sure I was safe. However, shortly after her call most of the major cell phone companies lost service, making panic even more widespread when families could not reach their loved ones to make sure they were alright. That was the moment that stood out for me because our society is so reliant on technology that in those circumstances when it is not available we are basically blind.

Introduction

Hello and allow me to introduce myself!

My name is Sarah deRosier but my nickname is Rah. This is my first online class and my first time back in school since 2006. Along with Media Writing, I am taking Music Appreciation, in hopes of heading towards my ultimate career goal of being a music/movie critic. I look forward to brushing up on my writing skills and learning new ways to approach the writing arts.

My current passions are music and movies, obviously. I enjoy going to concerts in my spare time and never limit myself when it comes to genre.

I also spin poi, more specifically fire, which has been my main hobby for the past two years. Next summer I am trying to go public by spinning for the Minnesota Renaissance Festival but that is a large goal I have yet to accomplish. Now you can find me at any backyard barbecue!

I look forward to the opportunity to expand my writing horizons with the focus on media, along with making new friends along the way.