Semi-rural lifestyle takes a hit

Star Tribune Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:24:07 GMT
Measure to limit roosters in parts of California city passes; one of several ballot measures

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Rooster owners here will have to silence their flocks. A local ballot measure seeking to stifle round-the-clock cock-a-doodle-dooing and prevent cockfighting won by a more than 2-1 margin Tuesday. ... The rooster measure in Riverside, a rapidly growing city about 60 miles east of Los Angeles, limits residents in certain areas to seven roosters per property, instead of the 50 birds now allowed. The ordinance also requires that birds be confined to an "acoustical structure" at least 100 feet from neighbors from sunrise to sunset.

[[keywords: LandUse;Whatever;Metro;]]

Free speech zones

Pioneer Press 06/03/2008 04:16:33 AM GMT
Board forum a soapbox for anyone but us, teachers say

At each of its monthly meetings, the St. Paul school board stops whatever it's doing, usually at 6:30 p.m., and opens the floor to the public. It's an opportunity for people to take concerns directly to the district's ultimate decision-makers, without administrative filtering. ... "It's a public forum for anyone who wants to come to speak to the board of education," she said. The latest incident was at the May Advertisement 20 board meeting. Four employees were scheduled to speak on health and physical education programming. Three dropped out. Word came from chief academic officer Valeria Silva that it wasn't the right forum, according to Liz Parr-Smestad, PE facilitator for the district and one of the four employees. "Valeria Silva has raised concern that the public comment period of the board meeting is not an appropriate avenue for addressing the board and the administration about concerns and advocacy for the physical education and health programs," read an e-mail sent by John Olson, program manager for science, health and physical education, to Parr-Smestad and another staff member. He also was set to speak. "The public comment period is designed for citizens to address the board directly since they normally do not have avenues of input that staff members have," Olson continued. "In your role as a citizen of St. Paul, you have a right to participate in the public comment period. In my role, I am going to decline to participate." Parr-Smestad sees the episode as "our First Amendment rights being squelched."

[[keywords: Schools;Officials;Metro;]]

Good thing we don't have a zoo

Pioneer Press Sat, 01 Dec 2007 21:58:41 -0700
Dakota County / County's project wish list is long

What could $4 billion buy? In Dakota County, the answer includes penguins, bus stations and a new public safety hub to take a bite out of white collar crime. ... All told, statewide requests are expected to amount to $4 billion, but lawmakers say they will pare them down to $1 billion. And whatever budget items survive the legislative wrangling could still face an uphill battle at the Statehouse. Last year, Gov. Tim Pawlenty vetoed a $334 million capital investment package that passed the House and Senate. But Dakota County officials say lawmakers usually smile on many of their initiatives, in part because of careful planning, local matching dollars, regional usefulness and a mix of partners. Specific items include $10 million for a new performing arts center in Burnsville, $30 million for the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley and $22 million for a bus rapid-transit system from Lakeville to Bloomington. The full list totals about $151 million.

[[keywords: PropertyTax;Metro;]]

Doing whatever it takes

Pioneer Press Wed, 23 Jan 2008 22:55:46 -0700
Eagan Fire Department offers free housing at station to volunteer recruits

By Frederick Melo Pioneer Press / Fire Chief Michael Scott knew something was afoot when an unusual scent wafted through his office at Eagan Fire Station No. 6. The chief dropped everything, as they say, and sprang into action. A quick investigation revealed the source of the mystery smell: Three of the department's youngest volunteer firefighters were baking chocolate chip muffins by the lounge. Food, it appears, keeps college students happy. And so does free housing. In an experimental effort to recruit and retain fresh faces, the Eagan Fire Department has turned its extra offices and ambulance bays into dormitory-like bedrooms for three Hennepin Technical College students. The students, ages 19 and 20, moved into the fire station off Pilot Knob and Wescott roads earlier this month. Since then, they've juggled college classes and part-time jobs with their firefighter training and emergency calls. "We tend to get a little more practice than most (young recruits) ... so we can teach them," said 19-year-old Michael Vruno. "It's a lot of fun." But the housing program is about more than building résumés and instilling a sense of camaraderie. Like other departments across the state, Eagan has seen a drop in recruits, even as emergency calls have hit record highs.

[[keywords: PublicSafety;Metro;]]

Maybe a newspaper can move in to the space

Star Tribune Tue, 17 Jun 2008 07:47:08 GMT
Rise in electronic banking versus checks leads to vacant Federal Reserve space

HELENA, Mont. - The shift to fewer paper checks and greater electronic movement of money in the United States has left the Federal Reserve with some empty office space. Processing of checks by the Fed, a service commercial banks purchase, is down as more Americans pay their expenses electronically with debit cards, automatic deductions from checking accounts or other options. More than two-thirds of the noncash payments in the U.S. are electronic, according to the Fed. Locations where the nation's central bank clears checks have fallen from 45 to 18 within the last few years, and the number of Fed check employees is down to 2,800 from 4,600 in 2003.

[[keywords: Whatever;Metro;]]