Leaf alert – here’s what to do

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When the leaves fall from your trees each year, consider them a resource –they contain nutrients that your lawn or garden needs! After playfully enjoying your leaf pile, here are a few eco-friendly options:

Bag up dry leaves to use as a carbon source, or “browns,” on your backyard compost pile in the coming year. Use a mulching mower to break leaves into tiny pieces and leave them on your lawn. Compost your yard waste at home or at a county compost site. For Hennepin County information, click here. Continue Reading

Getting your Halloween fright on in the Twin Cities

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If you want a good scare this Halloween, you have lots of choices: movies, haunted houses, costume parties and contests and a bed and breakfast that will give you nightmares. Here are a few local selections:
HauntedHouse.com, which describes itself as the world’s first Halloween website (a fairly dubious claim, to be sure), lists several scary houses in the Twin Cities area. One of these Dead View Cemetery in Cottage Grove promises to that their cemetery and other scenes are very “dark and horrifying and will leave you running in terror.” The Dungeons of Darkness and Doom Haunted House promises to be as scary as it sounds. It is produced every year by Evilhill Productions with students from the Main Street School of Performing Arts. Continue Reading

They’re going to the Extreme on the West Side of St. Paul

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It’s the talk of the town – Ty Pennington has brought his Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’s design team to the West Side of St. Paul, and YOU can get in the act!  Neighborhood House and the St. Paul Chapter of the American Red Cross, both located on the West Side are sponsoring an “Extreme Food Drive” and an “Extreme Blood Drive” to accompany the build.

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Five Jr. Frostys for a dollar

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I stopped by the Wendy’s at Dale and University tonight to pick up some fries, and as my server set them on my tray, she produced an orange book of coupons. “We’re selling these,” she said flatly. “Five Jr. Frostys for a dollar. Do you want one?” Seeing my blank look, she repeated slowly: “Five Jr. Frostys for a dollar.”

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Monthly sale at United Labor Centre offers discounted groceries, produce, meats

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Stretch your grocery dollar by purchasing a discounted grocery package from Fare for All Express, Friday, October 9 from 3:00-5:00 p.m. at the United Labor Centre, 312 Central Ave., Minneapolis. For $17, you can purchase a grocery package containing fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, and frozen meats. Meat-only and vegetarian-only packages also are for sale. Fare for All Express emphasizes that the program is open to everyone and has no income requirements. Fare for All Express accepts cash, EBT, credit cards or debit cards. Continue Reading

NEWS YOU CAN USE | Minneapolis absentee voting begins

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Absentee voting in the 2009 Minneapolis municipal elections begins on Friday, October 2. This election will determine the Mayor, City Council, Board of Estimate and Taxation, and Park and Recreation Board. The general election will be November 3.  Because of Ranked Choice Voting, the actual ballot will look different this year, but the process for getting and returning it will be the same as before. (Click on the PDF at the bottom of the article to see a sample ballot.) To receive a ballot, individuals have to fill out and return an application. The application and instructions can be printed from the internet or picked up at city or county election offices. Continue Reading

NEWS YOU CAN USE | Free car lights on Saturday

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On Saturday, October 3, you can get free lights for your car and contribute to feeding hungry families in the Twin Cities, all in one stop. From 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Minnesota (AASP-MN), in cooperation with the Minnesota State Patrol, will hold the 15th annual Lights On For Safety event. Technicians and automotive technical students will inspect exterior vehicle lights and replace them if needed.They will also collect your donations of cash or non-perishable foods for local food shelves. Locations for the event:
Metro:Brooklyn Park – Hennepin Technical College, North CampusBurnsville – AAA MN/IAMinneapolis – Dunwoody College of TechnologyWhite Bear Lake – Century College, East Campus
Greater MN:Duluth—MN DOT/State Patrol HeadquartersMankato—South Central CollegeMoorhead—Minnesota State Community & Technical CollegeSt. Cloud—St. Continue Reading

Flu is here: Where to get flu shots

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The federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that flu is “widespread” in Minnesota, its highest category. That would be the flu variously known as H1N1 novel influenza, swine flu, or pandemic flu. Students at the U of M lined up for flu shots for the “regular” flu, available to students who are 18 or over. Lots of places, including my doctor’s office, haven’t received the “regular flu” vaccine yet, due in part to delays from one of the manufacturers. And the swine flu vaccine won’t arrive until mid-October. Continue Reading

Kill IE6 and feed the hungry

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Internet Explorer 6, writes Brent Gustafson, senior new media designer at the Walker Art Center, “lacks support for so many things that it is simply a nightmare to work with. The amount of time and money wasted in supporting this browser across the web is staggering.” If you needed an excuse to upgrade to IE8, now you have one: if you download the new browser from this site, Microsoft will donate eight meals to Feeding America—16 meals if you’re upgrading from IE6.

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Public transportation now free to all disabled veterans

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Disabled veterans are now eligible for free public transportation throughout the state thanks to a new law passed by the Minnesota Legislature. Veterans must show their Veterans ID bearing the words “Service Connected” or the initials “SC” below their photo. The cards are given at the time of enrollment at any Veterans Affairs facility; locally at the VA medical centers in Minneapolis and St. Cloud. Free transportation is also extended to personal care attendants who are assisting a disabled veteran as they travel. Continue Reading