Earliest Memories

Earliest Memories


I have a lot of little memories, from when I was three and four. I think this is because my grandmother died around this time. She was a huge part of my life when I was younger. I was named after her, and she lived right next door. She was my father’s mother, but my mother’s best friend, which I now see for the remarkable circumstance that it was.

She taught at the catholic school that my father, uncle, and aunt had attended in their youth, and that my mother later worked at also, and that my brother and I attended when we were of an age to enter kindergarten.

I remember her there best, in the office collecting papers for this or that nun, and gossiping with the secretary, helping out in the kitchen near the basement. Watching kids play at recess.

I remember her at her kitchen in her apartment. which was up a very tall rickety wooden staircase. The kitchen was very small, and every inch was utilized, without an inch to spare. The walls were stained yellow with the many meals that had been cooked, and the many cigarettes smoked.

One particular memory I have of her there, was walking in with my brother, and she was wrapping apples in tin foil, for what purpose I could never find out. She told me and my brother to play in the living room, but not to eat any Oreos out of the candy dish next to the couch because they were stale. I remember very clearly my brother and I eating them anyway, hiding behind that couch and giggling, because we knew it was her and that she would immediately forgive us for disobeying.

Teen slain in Minneapolis fast-food parking lot

Star Tribune Monday


A 18-year-old Minneapolis man was shot to death and a 15-year-old boy was wounded on West Broadway in Minneapolis at a Burger King the parking lot on Sunday.

Witnesses identified the dead man as Haywood Eaton of Minneapolis The 15-year-old was a bystander who was crossing over to the Burger King From a nearby McDonalds.

A women who was waiting for a bus with her 2-year-old daughter who witnessed the killing, said one group was at the drive-through window when the other group drove by and spotted its rivals.

The women said "They just started fighting and then they just started shooting,"

The killing was the 14th of the year in Minneapolis according to Sgt. Jesse Garcia.

Sheriff accuses Commission President of “Shortchanging” his department.

Sheriff accuses Commission President of “Shortchanging” his department.


County Commissioners voted 5-2 against Sheriff Gus DiCesari request for new cruisers and deputies at a meeting last Thursday afternoon.

DiCesari told the commissioners he needed to purchase eight new police cruisers to replace older vehicles that have more than 150,000 miles on them, “ It’s getting to costly to maintain the older vehicles….This is the first time in my 27 years as sheriff that the county hasn’t allocated money to the sheriff’s department to buy equipment. My deputies can’t keep driving these old vehicles. Something bad is going to happen.”

Commission President Anne Chenn explained the county ran short of funds this year because they had to spend $30 million on a new prison to alleviate overcrowding; in addition to increased costs for health care for employees, and higher fuel costs.

DiCesari accused the county commissioners of “shortchanging” the county sheriff’s department to save money and as a result “…putting the lives of the people of this county in jeopardy.”

Commissioners Anita Shenuski and Raymond Laybourne blamed the shortage of funds on the recent influx of migrant workers in the area. They support the sheriff and said during the meeting that the county should spend more money on law enforcement, and spend less on programs for migrant workers.

Shenuski stated in a heated argument with Chenn that the problems started when the county allowed migrants to come here for work. “They are a problem for our law enforcement, our schools, and our healthcare systems. They take away jobs from decent people and work for next to nothing and if something gets stolen you can bet it is one of them that have taken it. We need to protect our local residents from them”

Chenn denied that the immigrants are the problem “Those [immigrants] who come here to work are decent, hardworking people they are employed at jobs that local people don’t want to do. They add a great deal to the local community and pay taxes.” Chenn then accused Shenuski of being a hypocrite for trying to blame the migrants for everything.

Commission member Jose Gardez said many of the migrant workers become permanent members of the community, opening businesses and eventually earning citizenship. The county commissioners estimate that 5,000 migrant families are working in agricultures, construction, and service industries in the area.

Chenn suggested that the deputies refrain from driving their cruisers home each day as this could make more cruisers available, and also preserve gas mileage. However, the sheriff claims that letting the deputies drive the vehicles home each day and parking them in their neighborhoods is a major deterrent to crime.

First Day At Anoka Ramsey

My first time stepping inside Anoka Ramsey Community College was a bit surreal. Everything looks like some design module for 70s architecture, and reminded me of my High School, except even uglier.
I was attempting to sign up for classes, and getting the run around from office to office, person to person. I was sweaty and nervous, and feeling flushed, unaccustomed to the exertion of running from place to place. The school was bursting with people, everyone getting their books and trying to figure out the same things I was trying to figure out.
I liked the faces I saw in the crowd. Many people looked as lost as me, which was heartening, as no one likes to be the only one feeling like a fool.
I remember stepping outside and seeing a lake behind the building, and really liking that. I imagined myself taking a break after class, getting some fresh air, and collecting my thoughts. Once I imagined myself there I realized that I could IMAGINE myself there, and I knew everything was going to be all right.

King of Diamonds Gentleman's Club in Inver Grove Heights Changes Hands.

King of Diamonds Gentleman's Club in Inver Grove Heights changes hands.

Former owner of King of Diamonds Gentleman's Club, Larry Kladek, is going to federal prison on Tuesday to begin serving a 20-month sentence for tax evasion. He sold his club to his wife, Susan Kladek.. Mayor George Tourville said that, "a lot of people would like it to be gone," as the city forges ahead with a $1.6 million proposal to turn the historic Rock Island Swing Bridge into a new recreational pier, but the mayor said that families could use it as a teaching moment about property rights, business rights and morals

2 dead and 24 Injured in Interstate 790 Pile-up.

At least two are dead and 24 others injured after two tractor-trailers collided at Interstate 790 west of the cities Tuesday morning causing a chain reaction involving a total of 17 vehicles, according to preliminary reports.
The collision which occurred at 6:45 may have set off a chain reaction involving 16 other vehicles. A tanker hauling diesel fuel-which was one of the four tractor trailers involved in the crash-was struck by another vehicle and careened of the road; however the driver was able to stop the vehicle without rolling over, and dumping its flammable contents onto the road. Only the truck part of the tanker was damaged, and the driver was uninjured; according to Sgt. Albert Wei of the police department.
Four of the 24 injured had life threating injuries, according to Fire Chief Tony Sullivan, who arrived at the scene along with all five of the departments ambulances along with ambulances from four nearby citys’ fire departments.
Sullivan described the scene in Interstate 190 as looking like something from a war zone. Bodies lying along the side of the road as emergency workers rushed to the aid of commuters sitting next to their cars covered in blood.
Memorial Hospital’s, “ Life Flight” helicopter hurried to the scene to take two of the most severally injured people to a trauma center in Statesville, which is 50 miles away.
The accident which occurred on the northbound lanes Of Interste 790, closed off the entire highway running north and south. Commuters were forced to reroute to Internate 690 causing a back up for three hours in rush hour traffic. As of press time Interstate 790 was still closed and Wei was uncertain when it would reopen.

New Alcohol Restrictions In Russia

In an attempt to halt Russian citizens alcoholism President Dmitry Medvedev has ordered new restrictions on the sale of beer and some similar beverages.

More than half of the deaths of Russians between the ages of 15 to 54 have been caused by alcohol; according to a study published in June in The Lancet Medical Journal.

My Favorite Coffee Shop

When I first moved to the midwest from the bay area, one of the things I missed the most was the architecture. So when I was first introduced to Uncommon Grounds in Uptown Minneapolis; I was immediatly enchanted with the victorian summer house that had been converted into a high end coffee shop.

I have been frequenting this establishment for a number of years. If I am not at home or work, I am typically to be found there. Over the past decade I've sat in every seat, and gazed out every window, tried every drink.

New baristas are trained in on making my drinks they way I like them, and I have bussed many a table there when it has become busy.

I enjoy it there very much becasue it is a tiny community with in a community. I like the history of the place, over a hundred years old now, it once was a wealthy families summer house, the city has literally grown up around it.

The importance of the lead

The lead is the most important part of a news story; because it is meant to draw the reader in. A good lead is like an advertisement for the rest of the story.

The purpose of the lead is to quickly summaries the event and the result while using interesting verbs, and specific information to communicate what the reporter is about to go into detail about.

In writing a lead the reporter should try to be interesting while writing in a way that everyone can understand. The purpose of this is the reader will be able to know what the story is about without having to read the whole article; as a way of deciding if they want to read the following article.

It is important to avoid stating the obvious or using negative language; while reporting unusual or important developments in the story.

The best leads communicate the most information using the least amount of words; all the while (hopefully) piquing interest in the reader. All this is in an effort to communicate clearly the overall theme of the story.