Strib union members rail against cuts, rally around ice cream

In a notoriously turbulent industry and facing yet another round of belt-tightening -- this time to the tune of $2.5 million -- newsroom staffers from the Star Tribune found solace outside the paper's headquarters Wednesday... in ice cream. The Minnesota Newspaper Guild picked up the tab for frozen treats, while a few dozen reporters and editors picketed upcoming cuts that could claim another 30 newsroom jobs, according to reporter and Guild unit rep Chris Serres. With a contract expiring at the end of July, some of the Stribbers I talked with had measured hope for an agreeable deal, but many had concerns about the long-term prospects for Avista Capital Partners as the paper's owner -- and about the future of local journalism.