Rich Broderick, Writer

For Karolyn Kirschgesler of St. Paul’s Rivercentre Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Republican National Convention was, with the exception of a few problems experienced by downtown businesses unfortunate enough to be located outside the security perimeter around the Xcel Center, a nearly unqualified success. It was, she testified Tuesday night, a “defining moment” – in a good way – for the city, an event less important for what happened the first week of September than as a boost to “business opportunities in the future.”

“St. Paul received some 31,000 mentions in the press,” she declared. “Almost all of them favorable.”

But her sentiments were not shared by the more than two dozen other speakers who testified nor for the crowd of more than 250 who filled the St. Paul City Council Chambers to overflowing for a town hall meeting called by 2nd Ward Councilmember Dave Thune to hear citizen reactions to the convention. MORE »

Rep. Betty McCollum (DFL-St. Paul) and two of her staff members met for more than 90 minutes this morning with representatives of the Minnesota chapter of the National Lawyers Guild and others speaking on behalf of protestors detained and arrested during this week’s Republican National Convention. MORE »

“Fully 40 percent of the people I talk to are working,” says Steve Rice. “That’s the main thing.” MORE »

To release either a CD or a collection of poetry is a major accomplishment, but Diane Jarvenpa, who sings under the name Diane Jarvi, has the unusual distinction of having released both a second book of poems, The Tender Wild Things, and a new CD – her fourth – The Wild Gardens, all within the past two months. MORE »

An example of how complicated source protection and water supply planning is in an urban area like the metro region can be seen in the recent experience of just one Twin Cities suburb: the City of Savage. MORE »