FREE SPEECH ZONE | We Have To Demand Power Won’t Concede

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When abolitionist Frederick Douglass said, “Power never concedes anything without demand. It never has, never will,” it was the middle of the nineteenth century. He was certainly prescient. Here, in the United States, in the 21st century, the struggle continues. In the following two cases, people had to demand their First Amendment rights, which were violated by over-reaching law enforcement. Continue Reading

Tips on finding a tax preparer

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The Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota (BBB) encourages taxpayers to do their research before selecting tax preparation help or they may get hit with fines and fees if the return isn’t correct or filed late. The BBB also cautions against tax preparers who claim they can obtain larger refunds than other tax preparers. Continue Reading

FREE SPEECH ZONE | Giving wisely during the holidays

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No Matter How You Give, Give Wisely with Advice from the BBB  Because of technology and the creativity of charities, there are many different ways that donors can give to a worthy cause. Whether you’re giving money, canned goods, used items or your time, the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance reminds donors that how you give is just as important as what you give. According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, charitable donations to the largest charities were down 11 percent last year. Despite the tough economy and the overall decline in giving, donors are still looking for ways to help the less fortunate particularly around the holidays. The Salvation Army reported that red kettle donations in November and December of 2009 actually increased by $9 million over the previous year. Continue Reading

Minnesota State Fair: Ready and waiting!

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The State Fair opens at 6 a.m. on Thursday, August 26, and the giant slide is ready, along with Thursday events including:  Boys II Men at the Leinie Lodge Bandshell at 8:30 p.m. Wild Goose Chase Cloggers at Heritage Square at 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Lebanese belly dancers at the Festival of Nations stage at noon, 1:30, 3 and 4:30 p.m. Karaoke at The Garden on Dan Patch Avenue from 6-10 p.m. and much more, including the daily parade at 2 p.m. See all of our State Fair coverage here. Last year’s attendance set an all-time record of 1,790,497, and eight of the ten top years for the fair have been within the past decade. The first State Fair was held in 1859 and, according to the Fair’s media office: Since its inception, the fair has been held every year with only five exceptions: in 1861 and 1862 due to the Civil War and Dakota Indian Conflict, in 1893 because of scheduling conflicts with the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, in 1945 due to war-time fuel shortages, and in 1946 due to a polio epidemic. And here’s a photo preview: Just before the fair begins – the barns are ready. The carny games and prizes await. Continue Reading

FREE SPEECH ZONE | Stop the Snoring, Save a Life

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In 2006, Forbes published a list of our most common fears. Number three on the list: fear of water, related to drowning. Imagine: you thrash under the water, desperate to break the surface. Your lungs begin to burn as you are unable to take a breath. Your vision darkens, and you become disoriented as the oxygen level in your brain and other vital organs becomes dangerously low.Whether or not you happen to be an aquaphobe, this is clearly an undesirable state of affairs, and one to be avoided at all costs. Continue Reading

Energy meter check-out at Hennepin County libraries

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Your television is off, but it may still be sipping energy and running up your utility bill. Using one of 49 energy meters available for free checkout from the Hennepin County Library system, you can now find out how much your appliances are costing you. 
Library users can reserve the hand-held power check energy meters online and pick them up at any Hennepin County library for a three-week check-out, thanks to a partnership between Hennepin County and Xcel Energy. (See Hennepin County Library Catalog – keyword Power Check)Xcel officials were looking for a way to get the meters into their customers’ hands, but didn’t have a system in place for checking them out, said James Catalano, market manager for the utility company. “We’ve done some great partnerships with the libraries in the past to demonstrate energy efficiency options and they did a wonderful job with this,” he said. The hand-held meters come with a five-foot electrical cord, a USB cable and instructions on how to use them. Continue Reading

SOS: Save our sculpture

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Since our Arts Orbit blog was founded two years ago, followed by our Arts Orbit Radar newsletter and ArtsOrbit Twitter account, we’ve illustrated all of them with an image of the Daily Planet logo cradled in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden’s Spoonbridge. I chose that image to represent our arts coverage because the Oldenburg/van Bruggen Spoonbridge and Cherry has become the signature icon of our local arts scene. The Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board are requesting state funding to repair and renovate the 22-year-old Sculpture Garden, and your voice can make a difference in whether or not that funding is granted.State funding for the project is contingent on its inclusion in the bonding bill now in legislative conference committee; the bill will likely be sent to Governor Pawlenty this coming week. The Sculpture Garden restoration has been singled out by some lawmakers and citizens as an example of government spending that is particularly unnecessary in tight-belted times; you may agree, or you may believe that $8.5 million is a reasonable price to pay for a much-needed restoration of one of the state’s most visible and beloved public places. Whatever your position on the matter, now is the time to let your representatives know your views. Continue Reading