Wolfpack Press

This Week in History – Feb. 1st

Mr. Adams — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:06:47 +0000

This Week in History by Nate Pearson

This week in history, on February 1^st, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia broke up in reentry 200,000 feet above the state of Texas, killing all seven of the asternouts on board. NASA’s worst fears came true on February 1^st, after ten minutes in the reentry phase. It was only when the shuttle started traveling 23 times the speed of sound that it was obvious disaster was to take place. The cause of the accident was discovered through video footage 80 seconds after takeoff when foam ripped off the shuttles propel tank, damaging the shuttles left wing. The left wing, missing the heat-resistant covering, tore off upon reentry, taking the rest of the ship with it. At 8:53 a.m. the Columbiaexploded. Although this incident did not escape NASA, little could be done about it, for no one could pinpoint the exact location or extent of the damage.

Parks and Recreation Commision Needs Youth Seats

Mr. Adams — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:29:57 +0000

The city of Cottage Grove has a Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission who is tasked with overseeing the development and operation of ongoing park and recreation needs of the community.

Considering the parks serve our youth demographics perhaps more than any other segment of the population, we have two seats on the 9 member commission reserved for youth. Recently, two opening have become available and I’d like to ask if we could print an article in the school newspaper explaining this opportunity.

For those that serve, they will be directly involved with the analysis and decision making process for the entire parks and recreation system in Cottage Grove. They will be responsible for reviewing and discussing parks, trail plans, recreation programs, playground designs, land management, natural resource management, ice arena activities, and much more. Where recommendations are made to the City Council, these youth seats will have a vote. Meetings take place 9 times per year (two months on, one off) on Monday evenings at 7pm at City Hall and regular attendance is expected. Serving on this commission is not only a great way to serve your local community but is also a valuable resume builder and provides great work experience.

Anyone wishing to apply may log onto the city’s website at www.cottage-grove.org and click on “e-forms” and “commission applications” or pick up an application at city hall.

Contact:

Zac Dockter

Cottage Grove Parks and Recreation Director

Phone: 651-458-2847

Fax: 651-458-6080

8635 W. Pt. Douglas Rd.

The State of the Union in 2012

Mr. Adams — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:10:42 +0000

[From the NY Times. A version of this editorial appeared in print on January 25, 2012, on page A28 of the New York edition with the headline: The State of the Union in 2012.]

A year ago, after the last State of the Union address, we applauded President Obama for challenging the Republicans’ blame-government, slash-and-burn rhetoric. He explained why Washington must do more to help put millions of struggling people back to work and why any credible plan to wrestle down the deficit must include the wealthy paying a fairer share of taxes.

After a rough start to 2011, economic numbers have improved, and Mr. Obama has pushed Congress to extend the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits and outlined an ambitious jobs agenda. But the country’s problems are profound. There are 13.1 million unemployed, and the risk of stagnation is real. Republican candidates are pounding on the wrong, but seductive, notion that the real problem is government spending — especially on the “others,” the poor and minorities. Congressional Republicans have barely wavered in their obstructionism.

Mr. Obama has become steadily more assertive, but he will have to push even harder. The State of the Union address was a chance to do that, and he did not squander it.

He sounded many of the same themes as last year, but his tone was sharper and he was far more willing to apportion blame, particularly singling out the financial industry for its excesses and politicians who are still determined to defend tax cuts for the rich and undo desperately needed financial regulations. “We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by,” he said, “or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules.”

Mr. Obama’s talk of “an economy built to last” was a bit too folksy, but he is right that the country can’t rely on some invisible hand to develop a strategy to compete in the 21st century. Washington must do a lot more to create good jobs, to encourage new industries, to build the infrastructure to support a vibrant economy and to address climate change and promote energy independence.

The president’s calls to deny tax breaks to companies that outsource and provide a tax credit to companies that bring jobs back home are good ones. The real challenge will be to ensure that those repatriated jobs are good-paying jobs. The president called for better job training and education, but a skills gap isn’t the main problem. Employers aren’t going to do a lot more hiring until consumers buy more products. Demand is unlikely to recover until Congress agrees to more federal spending, including aid to states for hiring.

Mr. Obama’s idea to use half of the savings from winding down the wars for public-works projects is laudable and could put hundreds of thousands back to work. Republicans are sure to insist that the money be used for deficit reduction, setting up another battle to simply do the obviously right thing. Mr. Obama has pushed banks and Congress to make it easier for borrowers who are current in their payments to refinance. On Tuesday night, he called — finally — for a full investigation of the lending abuses that inflated the bubble and led to the crash. That is the best hope for getting meaningful redress for borrowers.

In addition to his longstanding call to let the high-end Bush-era tax cuts expire, Mr. Obama called for a “Buffett rule” to ensure that millionaires pay an effective rate of at least 30 percent, ensuring that they never pay less than the middle class. “You can call this class warfare all you want,” he said. “But asking a billionaire to pay at least as much as his secretary in taxes? Most Americans would call that common sense.” We agree.

Over the last year, Americans have become more aware of the deep inequities in the economy and of the government’s responsibility to act. Mr. Obama deserves some of the credit for that, but it has a lot more to do with the unrelenting tough times and the efforts of Occupy Wall Street and other protests. What Americans want now is strong political leadership.

Porter backers launch petition in support of District 833 superintendent

Mr. Adams — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:07:20 +0000

By: Judy Spooner, South Washington County Bulletin

Organizers of an online effort in support of School District 833 Superintendent Mark Porter say their site has seen hundreds of visitors and that people concerned about Porter’s contract non-renewal have signed a petition.

Vicki Strong of Woodbury started the site, 833 Citizens in Support of Mark Porter, after the School Board voted last month not to extend Porter’s contract, which ends in June. She said it had 250 visitors and 30 signatures on Wednesday, the day the site launched.

The petition expresses support for Porter and calls on board members to explain why they did not renew his contract. The Dec. 15 contract vote was 5-2, with board Chairwoman Leslee Boyd and members Ron Kath, David Kemper, Tracy Brunnette and Marsha Adou voting in favor of not offering Porter an extension. Members Jim Gelbmann and Laurie Johnson voted against the non-renewal.

Boyd and other board members in favor said they could not speak publicly about specific reasons for their decision, citing employee privacy laws.

Strong has been joined by other District 833 residents in launching the website and petition. Bill Blass of Woodbury, who has helped Strong, was among citizens who spoke against the board’s decision at a Jan. 5 board workshop.

“Chair Boyd continues to say she doesn’t hear dissent,” Strong said. “She must walk in a different community than I do.”

Boyd did not respond to a request for comment on the petition.

Petition organizers are asking Porter supporters to attend the board’s next meeting, Thursday, Jan. 26.

Strong, who went to school in District 833, said the last seven or eight years have been good for the district. The administration worked well with the community to build East Ridge High School, she said.

But people are concerned about the “process” used to end Porter’s tenure, Strong said. No one is answering the main question, she said, about why he was fired.

Strong said the board, “that is openly bickering,” made a decision that was “harsh and quick.”

Porter is known for his integrity and honesty, she said.

There’s also not a lot of support for the board’s decision coming from staff members who are hesitant to speak out publicly, according to Strong.

Strong said she plans to deliver the online petition, and petitions from those who downloaded them to circulate for signatures, to Boyd at the Jan. 26 meeting.

The group’s website is at: 833citizensinsupportofmarkporter.weebly.com/index.html

Just Be You – A Student Manifesto

Mr. Adams — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:01:44 +0000

Author – Unknown

Can you really trust others with your life, or the mistakes you make? Mistakes are supposed to teach you lessons and give you the opportunity to grow as a person, but what if your mistakes were written on your back where a former best friend stabbed you repeatedly?

What if all your secrets and mistakes were told to everyone in your high school by the people you trusted? Your best friends’ betrayal would cause the destruction of everything that meant something to you.

After your disappointments were left out for the world to see you notice something people look at you differently and even worse you cannot look at yourself the same.

So why is it that other people can force you to look at yourself so differently?

Society forces us to try and fit in and conform. Why would anyone conform? Life is more interesting than that.

Say what you want to say not what you think others would want to hear.

Be yourself – do not care what others think. Be happy with your mistakes because mistakes help you grow. The past is behind you so leave it there. You will make more mistakes and with those mistakes you will also create more memories.

Life is for living. Open your mind. Be yourself. Be creative.

Ms. Shooting Star (Poem) – Author: Unknown

Mr. Adams — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:53:43 +0000

So there I was walking down the street, then I saw you and my heart skipped a beat.

You walked on by and gave me a smile, oh how I wish you could’ve stayed for a while.

Your beauty has got me running a mile just to see you and say: “Hi, dang girl, you blow my mind.”

Your personality could blow any guys mind.

You are so pretty, nice, kind, smart and a real sweet heart.

You may be shy but so am I.

You are so fun and easy to talk to whenever I see you.

Your smile just brightens my day.

You are really good with kids and that is no joke.

You like helping people and that is no surprise just another quality of yours that makes you who you are which is a true work of art.

You are so nice and beautiful / you just take my breath away.

You just make me what to say: “Hey girl you wanna hang out sometime? I really want to show you a fun time. I may not blow your mind but I like you a lot/hope you will at least give me one shot/one chance to see if you do. You are one special girl, that everyone needs to meet. So, hey girl, what do you say? Yea or nay?”

Pearl Harbor: Through A Victim’s Eyes

Mr. Adams — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:44:18 +0000

By: Taylor Diedrich – Staff Writer

On December 7, 1941 Japanese airplanes attacked a navel base in Honolulu, Hawaii. We may go over this in history every year and most of us just blow it off and say “its history”. I sat down with 79 year old, native Hawaiian, Lucille Aegerter to tell the story of this horrible day.

LA: On December 7, 1941 I, Lucille T. Aegerter at nine years old, lived in Honolulu, Hawaii. We lived up high on a hill. At about 7:15am I was asleep and I heard a lot of banging noise. I got up and I ran outside with my family. We looked into the sky and I saw a lot of airplanes going over my house. I noticed while looking at the airplane, that it was a Japanese I could tell this by the red circle. Not knowing what it was, I looked further away and noticed a lot of black smoke. I saw the bombs falling in the direction of Pearl Harbor… I lived seven miles away from Pearl Harbor.

TD: how did you feel?

LA: It was the most awful feeling not knowing what’s going on. After we saw the bombs falling. We went into the house and turned the radio on to see what was going on. There was nothing said about the bombing until a few hours later when President Franklin Roosevelt came on. He told us “Pearl Harbor has been bombed..” Knowing that, we went outside and looked off the deck and saw a lot of smoke was still burning.. Constantly… The neighbors and us got together and decided to call our family and friends that we knew who worked in Pearl Harbor to make sure they were ok, but no one answered.. They were dead…. Some of their families, who also worked in Pearl Harbor, were also dead. Later on we went to my grandparent’s, who lived right on Pearl Harbor, we noticed the damage to the ships. You could still see the guts hanging from the trees..

TD: How was life after pearl Harbor?

LA: I was in elementary school at the time, and we were advised to carry our gas masks everyday until I left elementary school. We tested it every two weeks to make sure they would work. During the war we were in complete darkness.. No lights could be on as soon as it got dark. We were short of food. Air raid shelters were made in case of another attack. When the sirens went off we all ran to the air raid shelter. We did this until the war was over.

TD: I know there were prisoners of war held near where you worked. Did you encounter any of them?

LA: In my junior high school years I worked for the pineapple fields. While I worked there, there was an army base on the field. To my surprise there was a man standing by the barbed wire fence. I noticed he had a grey and white striped outfit. On the front and back there were the letters P.O.W, meaning prisoner of war, he was a German prisoner. I didn’t think they would let him by the barbed wire close to us. He began to talk to me, but I couldn’t understand. He was asking me questions. He kept watching us as we worked.

TD: Thank you for sharing that.

LA: You’re welcome. I hope this will change people’s minds about Pearl Harbor.

Popular former Park teacher, coach loses cancer fight

Mr. Adams — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:10:36 +0000

By: Jon Avise, South Washington County Bulletin

Jerome Detviler, a popular longtime educator and athletics coach at Park High School, died this week following a long bout with abdominal cancer.

Detviler, 61, graduated from Park in 1968 and then taught and coached at the Cottage Grove high school for more than three decades. Known for his affability and sense of humor in the classroom, he was an accomplished coach, as well, who was on the coaching staff that helped lead the Park girls’ soccer team to a state championship in 1990.

According to an obituary, Detviler died Monday at his Cottage Grove home. He is survived by Irene, his wife of 40 years, two children and two grandchildren.

First diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma in September 2008, a May 2009 benefit held in Detviler’s honor drew more than 800 attendees to the VFW Red Barn in Cottage Grove and raised more than $10,000 for cancer research.

On a Facebook site created in support of Detviler during his illness, former students, colleagues and acquaintances poured out dozens of messages expressing grief as news spread of his death, posting condolences and memories of their teacher, coach, mentor and friend.

“He made an impact on all of us and loved every day of doing it,” one message posted Monday read. “We only all should be so lucky to make an impact on so many people. RIP JD. You were the best.”

In November, Detviler was an inductee in the seventh class of Park’s athletic Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame announcement noted his efforts as a long-time soccer, Nordic skiing and track and field coach: “While his teams were very successful, his ability to bring a love for the sport to his athletes made him a great coach.”

A visitation will be held on Friday at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Cottage Grove from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. A service will follow immediately afterward.

Scott Wente contributed to this story.

Park High School coaches want conference change, but what about community? Public meeting planned

Mr. Adams — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:00:35 +0000

By: Scott Wente, South Washington County Bulletin

Park High School athletic staff see leaving the Suburban East Conference as a way to bolster the school’s sports programs, but first want to hear from the community.

The school’s activities department is inviting students, parents, teachers and local residents to a “community input night” on Park athletics and activities Wednesday, Jan. 11. It will begin at 7 p.m. in the Park lecture hall.

The meeting, to be led by Park Activities Director Phil Kuemmel, comes as coaches and staff are looking at ways to improve the school’s competition and bolster participation. Kuemmel said there is general consensus among coaches that the best solution is to leave the big-school-dominated Suburban East Conference, where Park has struggled to compete in many sports.

Kuemmel acknowledged that any decision about a conference change would require District 833 School Board approval and that so far discussion mostly has involved school coaches and staff.

“We’re trying to improve the climate in the whole entire building” he said of Park.

Superintendent Mark Porter said any proposed change would need the support of the broader Park community, not just the consensus of a small group of coaches. He and School Board members encouraged Kuemmel to solicit more ideas and feedback.

“It does need a broader input before you would move this thing ahead,” Porter said of a conference change. “We’re willing to explore it.”

All three District 833 high schools are in the Suburban East, but Park teams generally have fared worse among conference opponents.

Kuemmel said Park has “unique challenges” that East Ridge and Woodbury high schools may not face and said school staff and coaches believe the district should consider “expanded opportunities” to help Park students.

Park has a higher percentage of students from low-income families, and Kuemmel said Park’s “socioeconomic demographics” are a factor in student-athlete participation. For instance, he said, there are fewer youth traveling athletic teams in Park’s boundary than in Woodbury’s or East Ridge’s, and those teams serve as feeder systems to the high school programs.

Also, Kuemmel said, more Park students may have to decide between getting an after-school job and playing sports.

“I would say that definitely comes into play,” he said.

A smaller pool of participants can make it harder to compete against larger schools, he said.

Kuemmel said some Park teams are competitive in the Suburban East, but a conference change may be better for “the overall culture of Park athletics.”

The Classic Suburban Conference could be an attractive alternative for Park because the schools are similar in size and athletic offerings, Kuemmel said.

“We’re not just going to go anywhere,” he said.

For instance, Park is not eyeing the St. Paul City Conference as an alternative, as some have speculated.

“That’s not going to happen,” he said.

If Park were to leave the Suburban East and was not picked up by the Classic Suburban, it may explore creating a new conference, Kuemmel said. That was unsuccessfully floated in previous discussions about Park’s conference alignment.

Even if Park left the Suburban East, the school still would want to compete against intra-district rivals Woodbury and East Ridge in non-conference competition, Kuemmel said.

Short of a conference change, there are other ways District 833 could help Park, Kuemmel said. For instance, it could restore team bus service to away games at Woodbury and East Ridge. That was eliminated in budget reductions, and student-athletes now must carpool or rely on bus service paid for by booster clubs. Those clubs increasingly are being used as a funding source.

Kuemmel said that school officials want to get public input on “a number of issues affecting Park High school.” He said the school’s focus is to offer “high quality, competitive athletic programs at Park.”

A New Vikings Stadium On The Horizon?

Mr. Adams — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:48:53 +0000

Written By: Sarah Miner

A huge pile of snow gradually began building on the roof of the Metrodome last winter and the weight became too much for the old stadium to handle. During the middle of a huge snow storm, the Metrodome roof collapsed. Its roof caved in, leaving the Vikings out of a stadium for the remainder of the season. Nearly a year later, talks of a new stadium are in the works. This new stadium would be located either in Arden Hills or Minneapolis, depending on what officials and the cities have to say.

But the real question: would this stadium be beneficial to Minnesota and its citizens? The answer isn’t so crystal clear. The stadium would have significant economic effects, creating more jobs for construction workers and an estimated 3,400 full and part time jobs once the building is finished. Currently, the Metrodome employs just 2,800 people. The stadium, when not being used by the Vikings, would be open for the public, meaning concerts and community events could be hosted in the new stadium. 95% of the materials costs to build the stadium will eventually go back to tax payers and the new stadium will bring in more viewers with its heightened publicity, increasing revenue. Without the new stadium, Minnesota won’t see the return of the NCAA Final Four, a Super Bowl, or other large scale national or international events. The new stadium will also have more restaurants and bathrooms and will ultimately make game day more enjoyable for fans.

Sounds perfect, right? Well, not quite. With every major contribution to the new downtown landscape comes with a price. The cost of this fancy new stadium? $400 million. The Vikings would pay for 40% of the cost to build it but the other 60% would come out of tax payers’ pockets. The Vikings also believe that whoever uses the stadium must help in cover the hefty cost it is to build it. But if officials cannot come to an agreement on where the site of the new stadium will be, building will inevitably be delayed. Delaying construction would cause the projected cost of the stadium to increase by $50 million. The last thing tax payers want is to have to pay more because of debating officials.

But looking at this realistically, it’s time for an upgrade. The Metrodome is the second oldest stadium in the NFL and can’t hold nearly as many fans as other stadiums in the league. When it comes down to the answer, a new stadium would be in the best interest of fans and officials.