Blogosphere

ArtZany!-Radio for the Imagination | Kids and Holidays 11/28/2014

KYMN Radio - 2 hours 30 min ago

Listen Fridays at 9:00am (replayed on Saturday at 9:00am) to Paula Granquist on ArtZany! – Radio for the Imagination

Today in the ArtZany! Radio studio Paula Granquist celebrates kids and holidays with her twins and Maia Haag of iseeme.com.

Click here to listen to the show! ArtZany! – Radio for the Imagination 11/28/2014

 

Today in the ArtZany! Radio studio Paula Granquist celebrates the joy of family and children and music and reading and cooking for the holidays. First, the twins come to the studio to share music and stories. Next, Maia Haag, co-founder and president of iseeme.com will share the story of the beautiful, personalized picture book The Night Before Christmas. Happy Holidays!

iseeme.com

Create a unique holiday gift for the special child in your life with this personalized Christmas book! Customize this classic Christmas poem by Clement Clarke Moore with your child’s name, town, favorite pet and more. Pick a special dedication message, upload your holiday photo, and even include your child on Santa’s “Nice” list. Children will delight to see themselves in this favorite holiday storybook and hear their names as you read it to them year after year.

Holidays are about traditions and families coming together to celebrate those traditions. This year, start a new holiday tradition by reading the personalized book, My Night Before Christmas.

mychroniclebooks.com

The post ArtZany!-Radio for the Imagination | Kids and Holidays 11/28/2014 appeared first on KYMN Radio - Northfield, MN.

That timeless tune

Manitou Messenger - 3 hours 13 min ago

That timeless tune

Yet it fits an older time

Do you recognize it?

And does it take you back

Back in time

This mental time travel

To a place you’ve never been

Only imagined—From before you were born

What does it say?

What does it touch?

 

Feel the extension

The long stretch

Thinner and thinner

Clay, putty, plastic, metal

It doesn’t really matter

It doesn’t really show

And that’s okay

 

Just a façade or is this

The real the new

The way it’s meant

And what did you lose?

Do you even care?

I do.

 

Was it worth it?

Bet it wasn’t

 

Feeling the smooth soft

Feel everything

Is this right yet?

Have I plunged in yet again

“And what would you recommend?”

Can you?

Or is everything important

Pages full of bright yellow

Not of pink or blue or orange or green

That’s okay too

But where is the importance?

Dog ears, and kitty whiskers?

 

Meaning, simple meaning

Can you trace it back

Does the origin even matter?

Of course. – But why?

And is the integral still the same

Forward or backwards?

What about the derivation. I don’t know

“And that’s not okay” – why?

 

When will you be taken back

When will it show what you lack

Will you travel to a place you’ve never been

Where the rules are different

To a time that never was—

A time and place you could never be

And will you even notice then?

Will you even care then?

I don’t know

I don’t know

And that’s not okay

But it has to be…

Categories: Colleges

Yoga

St. Dominic - Church News - 3 hours 29 min ago

The next yoga class will take place December 4 – January 29 (no class on Dec. 11).  Cost is $36, payable to Heartwork Yoga Studio.  Please register with Nancy Ludescher in the parish office by Tuesday, December 2.

Categories: Organizations

Merlin Players bring 'Santa Diaries' to the Paradise Theater stage

Northfield News - Thu, 11/27/2014 - 5:00pm
Sydney Place-Sallstrom loves Christmas and she’s preparing for her third consecutive holiday-themed show with the Midwest premier of “The Santa Diaries,” presented by The Merlin Players.
Categories: Local News

Today’s news update – Elko man stopped in traffic – jailed; Northfield gets “honorable mention” ; Happy LOCAL shopping!

KYMN Radio - Thu, 11/27/2014 - 12:02pm

Elko man stopped in traffic – jailed

An Elko man is in jail after Rice County deputies found him stopped in a lane of traffic, passed out.  Early Sunday morning, deputies responded to Halstad Avenue and 30th street west to find 27 year old Shawn Christopher Maus stopped in the oncoming lane of traffic.  The car was running, the doors were locked.  Maus was unresponsive but breathing.  He woke up and tried to put the car in gear then started reaching into the back seat.  He then tried to run out the passenger door where he was apprehended.  Medical personnel cleared him to take a field sobriety test where he blew a .22, nearly 3 times the legal limit.  A half empty bottle of whiskey was found in the car.  Maus has 2 previous dwi convictions.  He’s charged with 2nd degree DWI, a gross misdemeanor and open bottle.  Remember DWI Enforcement patrols are on the road every weekend now through December 27th.  For a Smart Ride home, in Northfield, call 645-4447.

Northfield gets “honorable mention”

Several months ago, Northfield applied to be a Bicycle Friendly Community.  City Administrator Nick Haggenmiller said the city is assessed by things that relate to bicycling including infrastructure.  Northfield received their report card and got an “honorable mention” which is something to brag about for the first attempt according to the bicycle community.  Haggenmiller said the goal now is for the City to partner with Bike Northfield and other related organizations to continue work on being a named City which could include seeking out and applying for grants.  Along with this discussion came talk of completing the Mill Towns Trail.  Mayor Graham and council want this to move forward, Councilor Zweifel pointed out that they get “stuck in Northfield” when trying to get a route through town due to opposition from some property owners.  City Engineering technician Jasper Kruggel will coordinate talks with the various organizations.

Happy LOCAL shopping! 

Local businesses are looking forward to Black Friday and Small Business Saturday.  One study found that for every $100 spent locally – $45 was turned back into the local economy compared to $14 for a big box chain.  Another study estimates that 68 cents out of every dollar spent with a local merchant is returned to the local community in some way.  Whether those numbers are absolute may be debatable but what isn’t is the impact it has on small downtown businesses.   Happy shopping.

Click below to listen to FULL newscast:

11-27-14 news

Listen for news updates on-air at 6, 7, 8, Noon, 3 and 5

The post Today’s news update – Elko man stopped in traffic – jailed; Northfield gets “honorable mention” ; Happy LOCAL shopping! appeared first on KYMN Radio - Northfield, MN.

Postcard: Thanksgiving 2014

Winona Media (Leslie Schultz) - Thu, 11/27/2014 - 6:11am

Categories: Citizens

‘Morning Show’ with Jeff Johnson | LBSA Thanksgiving 11/26/14

KYMN Radio - Thu, 11/27/2014 - 5:16am

LBSA log

Jeff Johnson speaks with Laura Baker Services Association’s Lynn Milland and volunteer Paula Tieken about their annual Thanksgiving Dinner open to the public. 

LBSA Thanksgiving 14

The post ‘Morning Show’ with Jeff Johnson | LBSA Thanksgiving 11/26/14 appeared first on KYMN Radio - Northfield, MN.

Three area women aim to 'cover' baby carriers and strollers with business

Northfield News - Thu, 11/27/2014 - 12:00am
Two area sisters, with the help of one daughter, are hoping to "cover" your need with their online business.
Categories: Local News

Remembering and Celebrating the Extraordinary

My Musical Family - Joy Riggs - Wed, 11/26/2014 - 9:39pm
I’m used to being the one with the press hat and reporter’s notebook, so it’s always a little unnerving for me to be on the other side of an interview. It’s also a rare occasion, fortunately. It’s not that I don’t trust other reporters to do quality work — it’s mostly that I don’t trust myself to speak off the cuff and provide insightful and quote-worthy remarks. I prefer to refine my words on the page before letting them loose into the world.

Fortunately, Star Tribune reporter Matt McKinney is a professional, and he did a thorough and thoughtful job with the obituary he wrote recently about my friend Ted Papermaster.

Matt interviewed me last week, and the story ran in last Sunday’s edition along with a photo of Ted. Here's a link to it, in case you didn’t see it already: Obituary: Theodore Papermaster, longtime Twin Cities pediatrician, World War II vet.

My friend Jane Burns, a former Des Moines Register colleague of mine, wrote to me after reading the piece and said she was glad to see that the Star Tribune still sees the value in publishing obituaries on “seemingly ‘ordinary’ people who have led extraordinary lives.”

I am, too.

That’s one reason why I got into journalism in the first place; I find the stories of real people so fascinating.

It’s impossible to convey everything about a person in a short piece, but you can get to the essence of what was important to him or her, and be reminded of how one life can have an impact on so many others. I know Ted made a difference to many, many people, in ways he probably didn’t even realize.

So on this Thanksgiving Eve, I am feeling especially thankful for Ted, and all the other people I have met through researching the life and career of my bandmaster great-grandfather, G. Oliver Riggs.

Today would have been G. Oliver’s 144th birthday. He was born in 1870, on a farm outside the town of Wapello in Louisa County, Iowa. When he died at age 75, the St. Cloud Daily Times ran his obituary on the front page. The newspaper did not interview any Papermasters for that story — that would have been an interesting coincidence — but it ran a photo of G. Oliver and summarized his extraordinary life in about seven paragraphs.

G. Oliver on left, at age 29; on right, about age 74While I generally admire brevity, in the case of G. Oliver I think there is much more to say — I plan on telling my story of his extraordinary life in about, oh, 25 chapters or so.

Happy Birthday, G. Oliver! Here’s to celebrating many more!

Categories: Citizens

Darkness Ride

Blowing and Drifting - Christopher Tassava - Wed, 11/26/2014 - 7:42pm

The gang of gravel cyclists here in Northfield have, under the leadership of the indefatigable Bruce A., made a custom of rides on (or nearly on) nights with full moons. These "Full Moon Howl" rides are pretty great. This month, another of the gang’s leaders, Joe P., proposed the opposite – a "Darkness Ride" on the night of the new moon.

And so it came to pass on Saturday that nine of us went for a 25-mile roll to Randolph and back. I rode the Buffalo, loaded pretty well with my racing gear. The conditions were pretty good, and I was feeling strong, so I snuck in a few short full-gas efforts, but the companionship was the best part – even if it’s hard to get good photos of bike riders in the dark, whether they’re rolling

or stopped.

After the ride, we gathered at Joe’s house, where his girlfriend Julie put on a huge spread of food and drink and where we were all bitten by this ferocious beast.

What an amazing night.

Categories: Citizens

What the hell is wrong with people?

Carol Overland - Legalectric - Wed, 11/26/2014 - 6:23pm

Photo from STrib of woman hit when guy drives car through protest.

In Minneapolis, a guy drives into demonstrators, a couple jump up on the hood to keep from being run over, and one isn’t so lucky, he hits her, pushes her a ways down the street — a miracle that he didn’t run her over.  Watch the video.  Crowd pictured trying to lift the vehicle off her, get him to back up, somehow she’s pulled from underneath, and then he hammers down, almost running over a couple more people.  What the hell is wrong with people?

VIDEO – Peter Lang – STrib – street video and KSTP helicopter video and more street video

STrib: Car plows through protesters during Ferguson rally in south Minneapolis

STrib: Mpls. police: Driver who hit protester was fleeing ‘the mob’ but is considered suspect

VIDEO- KSTP report: Man who drove into Mpls. protesters was trying to get away from crowd

That KSTP piece has been updated to note that the driver is now “suspect” and not “victim” as was stated in previous police report, and are looking for victims and witnesses:

The man drove away from the intersection. Police eventually caught up with him and questioned him. No charges have been filed and the man was not taken into custody. Police are now calling him a suspect in the case.

The Minneapolis Police Department Traffic Unit is actively investigating. Police are asking any injured people or witnesses to call the Traffic Investigations Unit at 612-673-2981.

On the good news side, the STrib has also updated its article, and notes that the MPD announced it is now referring to the driver as the “suspect” and not the “victim” and has referred the matter to the County Attorney (important because the County Attorney handles the larger, heavier offenses).  Not only that, but about the perp,  Jeffrey Patrick Rice:

Rice’s driving history in Minnesota includes three drunken-driving convictions, with the most recent coming in 2003. He’s also been convicted of driving with an open liquor bottle, and driving after his license was canceled and also in violation of restrictions placed on his license. The most recent of these convictions came in early 2008.

From the state’s site (click it for a larger version):

And from the Police Department:

In another incident, later yesterday, a van rams through two groups of demonstrators and the second time, right in front of the cops who go after him, and at the end of this, he’s taken out of the van, into the cop car.

Video of white van driving through protesters and getting arrested

What the hell is wrong with people?

Categories: Citizens

This Thursday and Friday: Buy Nothing Day!

Carol Overland - Legalectric - Wed, 11/26/2014 - 4:34pm

    IT’S BUY NOTHING DAY!
    DON’T GO SHOPPING TOMORROW OR FRIDAY!

One of the things I love about Alan Muller is his arrest record, he walks the walk.  That’s Alan and now Rep. John Kowalko objecting when the public was not allowed to speak at a Delaware legislative energy committee meeting on proposed legislation:

Seven Arrested in Buy Nothing Day Protest at Delaware Mall (2007)

And on to trial:

Two Sisters and ‘Santa Claus’ to Go on Trial for ‘Nothing’ A jury trial for three of the seven people arrested at Christiana Mall on Black Friday, aka Buy Nothing Day, in November 2005 is scheduled in the Court of Common Pleas on Monday, February 12, 2007, in Courtroom 5A. Sisters Anna and Rachel White and Alan Muller decided to challenge the charge of ‘criminal trespassing’ instead of paying a fine. They are represented by Wilmington attorney Michael Modica. At the time of the arrest, Anna and Rachel White were wearing Santa hats and t-shirts that said “NOTHING – What You’ve Been Looking For!” and “Ask me about NOTHING” and carrying bags labeled “FREE SAMPLES – NOTHING.” Alan Muller was dressed like Santa Claus. WHAT: Jury Trial (State of Delaware vs. Anna White, Rachel White, & Alan Muller) WHEN: Monday, February 12, 2007 – 8:30 a.m. WHERE: Court of Common Pleas, 500 N. King St., Wilmington, Delaware

And they were convicted:

‘Buy nothing’ activists fined, banned from mall Ruling supports Christiana center’s ‘humorless’ stance

By SEAN O’SULLIVAN, The News Journal

Posted Tuesday, February 13, 2007  

WILMINGTON — A trio who promoted “nothing” at Christiana Mall on Thanksgiving weekend 2005 will have to pay fines and stay away from the shopping center for six months to a year.

On Monday, Anna White, her sister Rachel White and Alan Muller were convicted by a Court of Common Pleas jury of third-degree criminal trespass, a violation.

Anna White and Muller, who is also executive director of Green Delaware, were each fined $75 and banned from the mall for a year by Chief Judge Alex J. Smalls. Rachel White was fined $25 and barred from the mall for six months.

Anna White said she was disappointed by the verdict and is considering her appeal options, saying the case raises questions about freedom of speech and the limits that can be set on people in quasi-public places such as a mall.

“I think it is a slippery slope when you ban people like us, who were not doing anything wrong. Where does it go next?” said Anna White.

The White sisters were arrested Nov. 25, 2005, by Delaware State Police. The women, who were wearing red Santa hats and white T-shirts with the phrase “Nothing — what you are looking for,” had refused to leave when ordered to do so by non-uniformed mall officials. Muller was with them, wearing a Santa suit.

All three testified that mall officials refused to provide identification, give their names or explain why they had to leave. Frank Kaleta, director of mall security, testified that he did not give his name or identification, but said he did clearly identify himself as mall management.

A second security officer, Nicholas Shovlin, now a state trooper, said he gave his name and showed a badge.

During his opening statement, defense attorney Michael W. Modica wore a Santa hat, telling the jury, “This is a case about Christiana Mall getting worked up about nothing.”

He said the trio were engaged in a lighthearted attempt to get people to think about consumerism.

Deputy Attorney General Natalie Haskins said it was “a very simple case.” The trio were asked to leave by the owners of a business, they didn’t, they were arrested and were guilty of trespass.

The three never shouted slogans or accosted shoppers, but only walked, answering questions from shoppers when asked, according to testimony. They said they planned to leave if asked by authorities. Kaleta testified that the three were involved in “political action” and that violated the mall’s ban on solicitation or demonstrations.

Modica said later they would not have been confronted if they’d had “Shop Till You Drop” on their T-shirts: “I think it’s a ridiculous case. I think the mall overreacted and was just humorless.”

The lone alternate juror, Dan Weigman, who did not participate in deliberations, agreed. He said mall security did not properly identify themselves and police never asked the group to leave, so he would have voted to acquit.

As for the upcoming holiday shopping season, Anna White said, “I guess we won’t be going to the mall this year.”

 

 

Categories: Citizens

City Council Meeting

City of Northfield Calendar - Wed, 11/26/2014 - 4:31pm
Event date: December 2, 2014
Event Time: 07:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Location:
801 Washington Street
Northfield, MN 55057

Daisy Camp schedule for end of 2014 and into 2015

Always Family Center - Wed, 11/26/2014 - 2:10pm
I have an update on Daisy Camp to share.  See below! We have our 2015 calendar of events ready to go (click here for schedule).  We are still adding more events. Our last event for 2014 is on the Financial Nuts … Continue reading →
Categories: Businesses

Today’s news update – Multiple accidents keep emergency personnel very busy; Nfld PD warn of possible scam; Haggenmiller to bring back Levy options to council; Extra DWI enforcement starts today

KYMN Radio - Wed, 11/26/2014 - 12:02pm

Multiple accidents keep emergency personnel very busy

There were multiple accidents along I-35 this morning including a rollover.  Some with injuries, none life-threatening, 1 car leaking gas and a transport vehicle with a prisoner with  chest pains.  At one point, around 8:45 this morning, Rice County and Northfield police reported 25 vehicles involved in accidents south of County Road 1 along I-35.  Officers were asking for more help from the Fire department to get traffic to slow down.  They were almost struck a couple of times.  A school  bus went off the road in Lonsdale around 9am.  One child received a minor cut.  Weatherman Bob Matheson reports that the National Weather Service has now issued a winter storm warning for our area with accumulations of 7 to 10 inches expected.  The warning is set to expire at 6pm.  Bottom line is to use extreme caution on the roads, in town be careful at intersections and leave plenty of stopping distance.  AAA recommends 6 seconds at highway speeds in bad weather.

Nfld PD warn of possible scam

[drop after 3pm]  The City of Northfield and the Northfield Police Department are warning residents of a possible scam.  Communications Director Michelle Mahowald explains that they received reports from 2 residents saying they received suspicious phone calls.  Mahowald said the callers said they were working with the City of Northfield.  They asked questions like “do you use a car to go to work?”, “does your husband use a car to go to work?”, “how is your home heated?”, “are you single or married?”  The City does not contact residents anonymously or ask for personal information of this type.  They want to remind residents not to share personal information online, by mail or by phone with anyone you don’t know.  Don’t share travel plans on social media or in other ways that could jeopardize the security of your home or family.  Report any suspicious calls to the police at 507-645-4475

Haggenmiller to bring back Levy options to council

Northfield City Administrator Nick Haggenmiller was directed by City Council last night to bring back some options regarding the levy.  Council met in a work session last night to discuss, among other things, the 2015 levy.  They approved a preliminary levy in September of 2.8% but none of the councilors seemed interested in that number.  However, the divide is clear as Mayor Graham wants no increase while others voiced concern over spending down the healthy balance the City currently carries.  There are at 2 major street projects on the horizon.  2nd street from Madison to Spring St. is set for reclamation next year with an estimated cost of $3.2 million.  And Woodley street is set for reconstruction in 2016 with another hefty price tag.  While staff agrees that a 0% increase is doable, it’s not sustainable.  Haggenmiller sat in for Mayor Graham this morning.  His interview is online at kymnradio.net.

Extra DWI enforcement starts today

The Rice County MOD Squad which includes all Rice County law enforcement agencies – including the Northfield Police Department, will be conducting extra DWI enforcement starting today.  The extra enforcement campaign runs on weekends through December 27.   For a Smart Ride home in Northfield call 645-4447

Click below to listen to FULL newscast:

11-26-14 news

Listen for news updates on-air at 6, 7, 8, Noon, 3 and 5

The post Today’s news update – Multiple accidents keep emergency personnel very busy; Nfld PD warn of possible scam; Haggenmiller to bring back Levy options to council; Extra DWI enforcement starts today appeared first on KYMN Radio - Northfield, MN.

New Local Wine: A Trip to the Cannon River Winery

Winona Media (Leslie Schultz) - Wed, 11/26/2014 - 11:50am

When, in the course of research for my post on wine labels, I was encouraged to visit the ten-year-old Cannon River Winery in nearby Cannon Falls, Minnesota, I was interested. When I called to inquire, I learned that not only were tours and tasting available — and often live music — but that the next day was an annual showcase for local artisans who produce cheese and chocolate.

Once arrived, we learned more about the wines and the vineyard. The Cannon River Winery has an informative website, and has accomplished a lot in its ten years of operations. The space contains a shop, a tasting room, and a capacious event room with high windows and touches of stained and leaded glass.

In addition to winning a clutch of medals for its delicious products, it has celebrated the stories of its family and of Minnesota regions with its wine names and labels. My favorite is the “Grandma Series”.

On the day we visited, we were also able to view original art work submitted for the winery’s annual label contest and to vote for our two favorite pieces.

Their shop and tasting room is decorated for Christmas…

They are an official sponsor of the St. Paul Winter Carnival, and will be present there with three special wines: Boreas Royal Reserve, Winter Ice, and Vulcan’s Revenge…

And one of their upcoming events in December is….

Next year, I plan to visit again. I want to discover which two pieces by local artists were transformed into wine labels. I hope to visit their vineyards and (possibly) to assist in bringing in the harvest. (They offer this opportunity with a catered lunch — it sounds like a wonderful way to learn about viniculture. Perhaps my wine-ignorance will fade in time. I am fairly certain my wine appreciation will increase.

For now, I am just glad to know about this local landmark, and to have a bottle of Gunflint Red to uncork one snowy day in January. This time, I know I haven’t just fallen for a lovely label, because I have already tasted a sample of this wine, and I know it is to my taste!

Until another Wednesday, wishing you well!

Categories: Citizens

New Wine in Intriguing New Bottles

Winona Media (Leslie Schultz) - Wed, 11/26/2014 - 11:49am

It all started almost as an after-thought…and turned into two fraternal twin posts on wine, a subject on which I know very, very little…

One day this month, on my way home from doing a string of errands, I thought I would try to replace the now-empty bottle of Côtes du Rhône, a delicious French red wine given to  us last month by a friend. I stopped at one of the local places, Firehouse Liquor in Dundas.

Once in side, for once not in a hurry, I wandered a bit. I didn’t find exactly what I was looking for, but the helpful staff did point me toward the South African salute to Côtes du Rhône when I finally asked for what I had come in to seek. That bottle made me laugh out loud when I saw it, and, knowing we were having a Capricorn dinner guest the next day, I bought it on a lark, for the label.

Now, I have never bet on a horse race, but if I did, I suspect my money would go on the horse with the name I like best. What I know about viniculture could fit in a teaspoon, and I sometimes have purchased a wine due solely to the appear of the label’s name and graphics. (Results have been mixed. If it is too sweet, tinny, biting, or sharp, then one sip is all it gets.) Even with books, a subject in which I have immersed myself for decades, I have sometimes been seduced in to judging a book by its cover. (Again, with mixed results: happy spontaneous discoveries balanced by impulsively acquired literary equivalenst of sand bags to be discarded at the earliest opportunity.)

And yet, at least since the god Dionysus sailed into view of the Greek coast, sponsoring maenadic cults and sharing Apollo’s temple at Delphi, wine has been part of western culture, western story-and-myth making. Without it, we wouldn’t have Homer’s immortal metaphor, “the wine-dark sea”. (This line resonates for me not only with classical allusions but with the memory of being a giddy-headed tweeny-bopper — a few years after my wild fan love of Barnabas Collins and Dark Shadows – in Melbourne, Australia, memorizing all the lyrics to the rock-opera “Jesus Christ, Superstar” and rippling out to purchase the first album of Australian cast member Jon English: “Wine Dark Sea”. There, I admit it — I have always had a weakness for the craggy, Byronic, goatish, bad boy on the scene. In vino veritas. But I digress…)

As I looked closely at the offerings from today’s vintners, I was struck by two strands or story lines emerging from the standard labels identifying vintner, grape, region, and alcohol content: the dark, brooding, and even macabre; and the light-hearted, whimsical, and friendly. Both used clever names, eye-catching graphics, and succinct back stories to attract buyers. Vampires are back in literary vogue, and so are goth-inspired wine appellations. Yet this is also an age of domestic fiction, and that, too, is reflected back on new wine labels with a softer side.

Here is a short photo “tasting” of these visual decoctions, beginning with the dark side:

Even the boxed wine sometimes follows this trend…

Followed by the gentler, softer, lighter side, sometimes lady-like, sometimes girly:

In addition, there is also the simple and relaxing eye candy of the colorful labels:

Was I imagining these trends? Or had I just been inattentive before? Sean Adams, owner of Firehouse Liquor since 1983, confirmed what I had been seeing. “The tendency toward weird or amusing names goes back at least ten years,” he noted. “But there has been a great improvement in the quality of the wine behind those names. A catchy new name or logo isn’t enough any more. People are more discriminating about taste, too.”

One of my favorite bits of packaging is this bottle:

This combines the dark red wine and the frightening name “Predator” with a cute logo of a voracious “good” garden predator, the ladybug.

Another wine that made me think was this one:

This Australian wine borders on the gallows humor but with more historical acumen that most. While our family elected to spend two years as immigrants to Australia, most of the original “settlers” (from 1788 to 1868 ) were “transported”, that is, given the choice of a long and uncertain sea voyage to the Australian penal colony or a short, dead-certain cart ride to their local gallows hill. If convicted of any one of nineteen more minor violations of ‘Bloody Code’ of British law back then (which listed 222 crimes deserving of the death penalty), this choice might have been yours. As the wine label summarizes “Nineteen crimes turned criminals into colonists….This wine celebrates the rules they broke and the culture they built.”

I also learned that Firehouse Liquor hosts monthly wine-tasting events, and the reactions of customers influence what ends up on the store shelves. The next one scheduled is on Monday, December 15, 2014 from 2:00 to 7:00 p.m. During that time, all wines in stock are on sale for 15 percent below their shelf price.

In talking with Firehouse Liquor staff, I looked more closely at local wines.

I decided to buy a bottle of this 100% cranberry wine from the Chisago Lakes Area north of the Twin Cities for Thanksgiving. The clear, light color and the tartness of cranberries might go very well with the turkey tenderloin Tim has planned.  Here, too, I was drawn into the story behind the logo: the honeybee represents the Peterson family’s heritage as producers of fine honey, and the vineyard itself is “where four generations of Petersons continue to live, work, and play.”

This focus on local wine at my local liquor store got me thinking. I asked a staff person whether the local wine was any good, and was told that, yes, it often was very good. She pointed out the offerings of Cannon River Winery in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. Had I ever been there? No? “Oh, it is a wonderful place! You should go!”

I knew where it was. I had seen the mural on the outside of the building but I had never been inside. More meandering?  I pulled my car over on the way home to phone Tim. Tomorrow was a Saturday. Would he like to consider a field trip? He would!

And so, this unplanned post on wine turns into a pair of posts, since that field trip deserves its own space. Here is a preview of coming attractions:

 Until the next post, wishing you well!

Categories: Citizens

Happy Thanksgiving! The library closes early today.

City of Northfield Calendar - Wed, 11/26/2014 - 11:46am
Event date: November 26, 2014
Event Time: 09:30 AM - 05:30 PM
Location:
210 Washington St.
Northfield, MN 55057
Description:
Our library catalog and website are available!

Community News: Northfield declares Snow Emergency

KYMN Radio - Wed, 11/26/2014 - 11:28am
MEMORANDUM Public Works Department Streets & Park Division

Date:    November 26, 2014

SUBJECT: Snow Emergency

Date Snow Emergency is declared: 11/26/2014

Date residential streets will be plowed: 11/26/2014

Date all downtown parking lots except 5th & Washington Street are closed: 11/27/2014

Date of downtown snow removal: 11/28/2014

Date 5th & Washington Street lot is closured: 11/28/2014

Length of Snow Emergency: 72 hrs

The Public Works Department has declared a SNOW EMERGENCY for the City of Northfield.  The snow emergency will start on the date above and will continue until the streets are plowed curb-to-curb after the weather system has passed.  During the emergency there is NO PARKING OR TRASH/RECYCLING CANS ALLOWED ON CITY STREETS.

All downtown parking lots will be open unless signed accordingly.  When the lots are signed there is “No Parking Allowed from 2:00 AM till 6:00AM” All downtown parking lot permit holders must park in the proper unsigned lots during the event.

The 5th & Washington Street lot will be closed during the downtown snow removal, which is currently scheduled for the morning outlined above.  During the downtown snow removal, permit holders who normally park in the 5th and Washington Street lot should park in another downtown parking lot.

When a snow emergency is declared you may not park on a City of Northfield Street until it is plowed curb-to-curb and weather system has passed.

For updated information call the City of Northfield parking hotline at 507-645-3080 or check the City of Northfield web site at www.ci.northfield.mn.us

The post Community News: Northfield declares Snow Emergency appeared first on KYMN Radio - Northfield, MN.

Bookmark and Share

Syndicate content
http://northfield.org/aggregator
northfield.org
crawl=CC-MAIN-2014-49
84204
application/http; msgtype=response
sha1:PB2Q3FILPOQSOO4YGUTHVHMDPTFKYRDL
<urn:uuid:08ee4849-7b87-4a52-9102-ff057df5987f>
2014-11-28T19:14:00Z
64.90.61.169
sha1:NXFMOOOIXNDAYFHYDB7YZBSDPQHNMHBX
<urn:uuid:f43ff24c-7f30-4114-9e99-137e1aba6c3f>
http://northfield.org/aggregator
length
response
<urn:uuid:e4e69bc2-4219-4209-a53d-9468ea666dc2>
robots: classic
hostname: ip-10-235-23-156.ec2.internal
software: Nutch 1.6 (CC)/CC WarcExport 1.0
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2014-49
operator: CommonCrawl Admin
description: Wide crawl of the web with URLs provided by Blekko for November 2014
publisher: CommonCrawl
format: WARC File Format 1.0
conformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf