Twin Cities Daily Planet | Latest Headlines

No class size caps in proposed St. Paul teacher contract

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:29:36 +0000

Just a week ago, the St. Paul Federation of Teachers planned a picket and rally at the district headquarters to stand united with parents in order to achieve class-size caps. The rally was to be held on Tuesday, January 31, but the day of the rally, it was called off.

MONDAY PICK | What is Black Art Jeopardy! registration deadline?

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:18:11 +0000

Answer: The mandatory to-do before competing in historical trivia pertaining to artists and cultural icons recognized in the second month of the year. Black History Month meets the sport of trivia in Black Art Jeopardy! at the Hosmer Public Library. The categories are a potpourri of Black Poets, African American Novels, Black Playwrights, Black Muralists, Black Women Visual Artists, and Black Photographers. The registration deadline is Wednesday, Feb. 15 and the event is Thursday, Feb. 23. Now that you have the topics, it's time to hit the Google searches.

Black Art Jeopardy!

Talking politics — and elections

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:15:25 +0000

Who’s up? Who’s down? Who’s expected to win the next contest? If this or that candidate wins (or loses), what are the implications for the race going forward? These are the types of questions that mainstream media reporters and analysts are fixated on as another presidential race ramps up.

SATURDAY PICK | Introducing Kayla Plosz's "visually seductive" abstractions at Soo Visual Arts Center

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:01:27 +0000

Minneapolis College of Art and Design is a breeding ground for original art in this city. Ergo Kayla Polsz, one of MCAD's MFA students that Soo Visual Arts Center chose to exhibit a solo, comprehensive body of work. Plosz's oil abstractions, described as "visually seductive," will be on exhibit through March 25. The opening reception is tonight at SooVAC from 6 to 9.

Kayla Plosz Exhibit at Soo Visual Arts Center

Changing the rules, mid-game

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:34:46 +0000

Imagine you’re a business owner, looking to construct a new building on property you’ve owned for many years. You spend several months and tens of thousands of dollars planning it. Finally, you submit your land use application to the city.

Love story: Young TVbyGIRLS filmmakers explore an age-old topic

Jennifer Thaney — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:32:22 +0000

Sixteen years ago, Barbara Wiener supported a friend through a grueling, 40-hour labor. When a baby girl was finally born, Wiener was inspired. "I remember holding her and promising to make growing up for her easier," Wiener recalled.

WEDNESDAY PICK | Jennifer Danos fools the eye at Bethel University

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:50:11 +0000

Artist Jennifer Danos lives in the Twin Cities, but she's well-traveled—a fact that's relevant to her work, often site-specific installations that inspire meditation on questions of time and space. On February 8, Danos will be at Bethel University's Johnson Gallery talking about her new installation there: Architectonic Obtrustion 3. Playing with elements of trompe-l'oeil seen on the floors of Italian palazzi, the show is sure to be an eye-opener.

Jennifer Danos: "Architectonic Obtrusion 3"

University parters with National Science Foundation to renovate St. Anthony Falls Laboratory

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:24:13 +0000

The St. Anthony Falls Laboratory sits right on the Mississippi River, overlooking St. Anthony Falls. It uses the Mississippi river, diverting water from above the falls and sending it back to the river below the falls.

@2012 Adam Hirsch

MUSIC | The Current's 7th Birthday Party at First Avenue: Saturday night

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:04:46 +0000

Seven years ago, it looked like 89.3 The Current was about to become the little radio station that could. With the dawn of 2012, it's clear that The Current has become a veritable powerhouse in the Twin Cities music scene. By releasing coveted tickets to MPR members before the general public, it's a wonder that there are still fans that haven't yet joined the ever-growing flock of individuals contributing to public radio in efforts to gain (or attempt to) access what have become member-exclusive shows. No exception to this members-only phenomenon, The Current's 7th Birthday Party sold out in a matter of minutes—even with the two-night split between eight treasured local acts. Finding a ticket to either show became a game of visiting The Depot and begging for a ticket (usually to no avail) or taking chances with Craigslist sellers who often resell tickets at exorbitant prices. And while there are a few kind-and-fair-hearted sellers willing to resell their tickets at face-value ("It's public radio! Why would I want to make a profit?"), it's clear that snagging entry to this birthday party was like winning a Golden Ticket.

Latino Voices at Lake Nokomis Lutheran Church

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:30:58 +0000

“We are economic refugees, not illegals,” Alicia * told an audience of about 30 people at Lake Nokomis Lutheran Church on January 29. Alicia, a student at Normandale College, spoke of crossing the border as an undocumented immigrant when she was 14 years old. Six years earlier, her father had come to the United States.