Here’s a couple of interesting tidbits from across the web for you to enjoy and discuss:
1. Burnsville belittles its senior population with Senior Safety Camp.
Really? Camp for those over 55? You couldn’t have come up with a less ridiculous name?
2. The parent of the MN Sun newspaper has field for chapter 11 but word is that operations will continue and no layoffs will occur. You can read more from WCCO as well.
3. Apple Valley is considering lifting a 30 year ban on alcohol in Alimagnet Park. Well, it was not an entire ban because adults can already drink 3.2 beer there with a permit. Residents are pissed because it was banned all those years ago to curb underage drinking and they don’t want to see it return.
Because you know, a ban on alcohol in a city park is different than a ban on those under 21 being able to drink. This is nothing but ridiculous. If someone wants to drink beer in a park, go for it. That park is plenty big enough to handle that sort of activity and IMO the residents around it need to fucking suck it up.
4. A group of Apple Valley second graders got to play with and learn about various insects and animals including cockroaches through The University of Minnesota’s Bell Museum.
And I only got to play with mercury when I was in second grade. Boo.
5. A discussion was brought up on Topix (the forum that the Pioneer Press utilizes) by a concerned Apple Valley resident about the dangerous intersection at Galaxie and 157th. This resident cites several accidents and has asked the mayor to put the issue on the agenda for the May 17th Apple Valley City Council meeting.
I could not agree with this citizen’s issue more. The two unnecessary traffic lights further down Galaxie that funnel traffic into that mess in Founders Circle (and that stupid fucking roundabout) do nothing to stop the horrid crossing conditions at the 157th intersection. In fact, it’s so bad that I avoid it nearly at all cost, instead choosing to cut through the neighborhoods to get around it.
What do you think? Should this intersection be controlled in some way? If so, how? If not, what suggestions do you have instead?
6. According to several sources including the Star Trib and Pioneer Press, some douchebag kid in Lakeville is displaying a Confederate flag in the back of his pickup truck and people are all up in a huff. They are going so far as to ask that a policy be created to specifically ban Confederate flags from school property.
I’m not going to voice my opinion just yet but I am interested to know what y’all think about this one.
Related posts:
Dakota Complaints Map
Dakota Inmate Dashboard
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April 30th, 2009 at 10:48 am
Ooooh, some douchey little fuck teenager is all edgy and thinks he’s cool for sporting a rebel flag in the back of this truck. He’ll either realize in three years that he’s a total dumbass for doing that or move to Coon Rapids and eventually fit right in.
April 30th, 2009 at 11:13 am
Re: Drinking in the Parks. – I dunno, it is against park rules to have alcohol in most St. Paul parks. A few allow no more than 3.2 beer. I can see not wanting to make the park a place for drinkers to hang out at. Though to be honest, it seems that there are likely many other laws that can be used to prevent folks from being drunk in the park. So why not allow them to drink responsibly?
When I lived in Apple Valley, both of my sons got to stay over night at the Pine City Fort on a camping trip as part of 3rd grade social studies. This at Cedar Park Elementary. During the two days, the kids got to live like Fur Traders or Indians. Throwing Tomahawks at stumps, interacting with the players at the fort and play various games from the days there. It was fun, and not all that expensive. I wonder if they still do it?
157th and Galaxie – Weird. I tend not to go into Apple Valley much if I can avoid it (I hate traffic on Cedar and Ct Rd 42) and usually sneak in from 160th up Galaxy or Foliage. I’ve never seen accidents on Galaxie around 157th. I don’t see all that much traffic on Galaxie either. It’s all pretty well controlled by the lights down stream and upstream of that area isn’t it? What there are folks crossing for? Heading down to the liquor store? There are pathways on both sides of the road, and controlled intersections when you get to actual locations. My thought is that if there are accidents there, then it’s mostly just people problems. I.e. if you look at the google streetview of that intersection, note the van stopped across the marked walking path and not at the stop bar back at the stop sign. I’d like to see folks getting tickets for that.
I guess one thing you might do there is mark an actual cross walk there if something is drawing pedestrians to the intersection. Then re-post that road to 40mph for the entire length to slow cars down. Then stick an unmarked squad car there and start ticketing folks for not indicating their left hand turns onto 157th from Galaxie. and no, turning your turn signal on once you stop to turn, isn’t actually indicating your intentions.
As far as the confederate flag in the back window. Don’t the complainers have something better to do? Why should we give a moments thought to someone else thoughtlessness. If someone really wants to do something, I suggest writing on an index card why hanging up that flag is a bad idea and stick it under his windshield wiper. If he/she gets the point, great. If not, oh well. – a note on the Coon Rapids comment from Sornie… reminds me of the Thisweek video from the other day where the older guy figures out the reason why various roads are named what they are because he knows the type of people that lived in the area at that time.
I wasn’t aware that Coon Rapids was Minnesota’s local Red Neck territory.
April 30th, 2009 at 11:30 am
Confederate flag: Ignore it. Or point and laugh.
157th and Galaxie: Roundabout. But make it run clockwise and make it so the people in the circle have to yield to those entering the circle. Also, make it so that there’s 4 streets that converge there instead of 2. Finally, open a Dunkin Donuts drive thru in the middle.
Cockroaches/Cedar Park: Aside from reciting all the things he now understands about insects, etc. it was fun to hear my son (Cedar Park 2nd grader) talk about how he was the only kid in his class that would pick up the big cockroach and that when he did, it crawled up his shirt sleeve and wandered around inside his shirt before exiting up his neck and into his hair.
Senior camp: Are people 55-64 still considered “seniors”???
April 30th, 2009 at 11:49 am
Mikeh,
That’s a little passive aggressive, no? Obviously making such a big deal out of it has created a bigger problem as now other students are copycatting the idea just because it creates a stir.
–
What do you think about the student’s assertion that the flag is in memory of The Dukes of Hazzard?
April 30th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Drinking in the park – I guess I am out of the loop, I thought drinking in public was against the law. Open container or public intox or some such rule, so I had no idea you could even legally drink at the parks, 3.2 or otherwise.
Confederate Flag – I suggest ignoring it. These type of things seem to take care of themselves. Eventually he will wonder why his truck has eggs on it all the time, why his tires are always flat, and why someone keeps breaking his side mirrors. If not, then he probably has bigger issues.
April 30th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Regarding the Confederate Flag – I think the school is applying the proper first amendment test regarding public schools: Does it disrupt the educational environment? It’s too bad that this wasn’t spelled out better in the article, as these incidents are always a good opportunity to educate: Freedom of Speech also includes the right to say things that are offensive to others, and the fact that these are students does not mean they “leave their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate” (if I remember the quote correctly). Second, the kid is now parking his truck off campus, which seems to be a mature compromise (no matter what his reasons are for the sticker: Dukes of Hazzard or racism or whatever – recognizing one can’t get any alternate context from the sticker alone), and the school (properly) nipped the copycat behavior in the bud because it would have then disrupted the educational environment by its escalation. That being said: My kid would not have to be told by a principal why the symbol is offensive – hopefully he will have learned this at home and in (gasp) a social studies class.
April 30th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
the damage is already done at 157th. now if the city of a.v. tries to correct it, that’ll be a huge dose of humble pie. if they at least want to a little good, tear out the worthless round a bout and put it on galaxie, close one of those foolish one way streets and make it 2 way, cut out both of the traffic lights. aaaaaaaaaand bring back dunn brothers.
a lot of people died defending the confederate flag. i think it should be looked on with reverence and not displayed in a haphazard manner. that kid probably has no idea of what the story behind the flag really is. now people are going to get all whipped up and the school will create a policy? another school law! the flag law.
how about if it was a flag from a different country?
i say ignore it and it’ll take care of itself.
bb
April 30th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
bb,
Oh come on now, you seriously think that a high school kid of driving age doesn’t know what that means? Please.
April 30th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Confederate flag….reverence? Scuse’ me while I pick my jaw up off the floor. That is seriously whack.
April 30th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Drinking in the park: In Burnsville as long as it’s not glass or hard liquor you’re allowed to. (They have permits for large groups and kegs and such.)
Confederate Flag: I think the kid is silly for wanting to have it on his car. But since it is the history books it would be hard to ban from school grounds. What if someone was doing a history project? Or they wanted to host a reenactment? Start going over board with the laws and you’ll start backing youself into a corner.
Senior Safety Camp: Actually despite the name, usually is well attended. They call it that because there is Tikes Safety camp (4 and 5s) and Safety Camp. (6-10) It’s all in the same family. And participants seem to enjoy it. (Or it would be continually offered.) They choose a variety of topics, get to meet police officers etc. And seniors feel involved. So… dumb name but that is about the right age to reiterate defensive driving and other similar topics. (Plus the seniors use the camp as a sound board to tell the cops just what they think about xyz.)
April 30th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
4. My 4th graders today had the “best recess ever, Mrs. H!” because they were playing with a cockroach on the playground.
Mrs. Marcos, I stopped taking bb seriously weeks ago.
April 30th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Bill, we could use a lesson on how to quote and stick urls in places here.
The putting a note under the wiper is to let some folks get their steam out, and create an opportunity for the kid to learn. If they don’t want to learn, then fine, but if the want to, it may be a new perspective for the kid. Or he/she’ll just laugh and ball it up and throw it on the ground. but at least you took your shot. It’s better than complaining to the school, or the city, or the paper.
In general I think most kids see some of those symbols and can only view it from their limited perspective. They think it’s cool so they throw it on the back of their truck.
April 30th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
3. I don’t see why they can’t just allow alcohol and then enforce existing laws when situations warrant. Minors drinking? Well, it’s already illegal. Being rowdy and noisy to the point where it disturbs others? So is that. Banning alcohol stronger than 3.2 stuff won’t do anything; I see plenty of evidence that it’s being brought into parks as it is.
4. You know, I’ve never seen a cockroach in the wild, only in zoos.
6. I agree that there’s better ways to deal with it. But while I don’t have time to go into it now, I went to LHS in the mid-90′s when there were some, er, racial relations problems, so I can sort of see where the teachers are coming from even though I don’t agree.
April 30th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Came here to say this. Also to point out that the north won that war, so why do y’all insist on flyin’ our flag? Also wanted to point out the irony of the commenters on other boards defending these misguided young men and their first-amendment rights while I suspect they were some of the same folks lined up to ban flag burning during the last election. Guess unpopular speech is only worth defending when it gets under liberals’ skins…
April 30th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
157th/Galaxie: I live too close to that for comfort! My house shook one night from the impact of one of them and a little girl from across the street said she nearly got knocked out of bed by it! Some have been kind of ugly. Unfortunately I don’t know what to suggest to fix it.
As far as beer being banned in a park…that’s almost unAmerican.
May 1st, 2009 at 7:11 am
We live right on 157th and Galaxie too, we’ve never seen an accident, i turn left there during rush hour almost daily and I’ve never had a problem, even when I’m behind a school bus. IMO, it doesn’t need it.
May 1st, 2009 at 7:47 am
When free speech and the representation of unpopular ideologies are quashed under the claim that it will “disrupt the educational environment”, the school ceases to become a place of learning and simply becomes a place of indoctrination into the thoughts and values of the particular educators in power. Like it or not, that flag is a part of many people’s heritage. If that is how they choose to show their heritage, so be it. If they wish to ban the flag, they need to ban all flags and symbols that relate to culture. Ironically, those who want to foster an environment of diversity seek to limit diversity by eliminating symbols of unpopular cultures and view points.
What irritates me most is that the free speech standards schools are permitted to use has been twisted the wrong way. When a school declares something could be “disruptive to the learning process” because it causes those viewing the message to protest, or behave violently, they are sending the message that the bearer of the message is to be blamed and punished, and not those too intolerant to engage in civil discussion. (Ironic). Should a student be prohibited from having a bumper-sticker with a Star-of-David and a message on it that says “Shalom” on school property because a group that dislikes Jewish people or disagrees with their ideas or politics might react violently?
May 1st, 2009 at 8:01 am
SG: Good points. The focus sometimes improperly shifts from whether the initial message is disruptive to whether the responsive protest is disruptive. Example: black armbands – not disruptive. “Sit in” in the entryway of the school – disruptive.
May 1st, 2009 at 8:29 am
Hmmm….will I be able to stand Grandma’s stories anymore? “This one time,…At Senior Safety Camp…”
May 1st, 2009 at 10:53 am
MSPD: I’m never going to be able to look Grandma in the eye ever again. :) If Grandpa starts talking about apple pie, we’re in big trouble.
May 1st, 2009 at 3:09 pm
whoops, I meant SG. (sorry).
May 3rd, 2009 at 10:40 am
fyi from sundays st. paul paper from a shoreview resident.
On banning the Confederate flag
Pioneer Press
Updated: 05/02/2009 04:15:31 PM CDT
I read with great concern the petition signed by 50 teachers in the Lakeville school district to ban the Confederate flag on school grounds (“District asked to ban Confederate flag at school,” April 30).
There are no doubt shameful connotations that come with this familiar icon of the South. However, the ability to display the flag also represents perhaps one of the most unmatchable rights guaranteed through the U.S. Constitution. And in that right the situation becomes a teaching moment.
Today’s students should be saturated in the history of that flag, from those who flew it proudly during battle in the 1860s to those who identified it as a symbol of hate during the civil rights movement that gripped our country only decades ago.
If we are to make an impression on young people, the last thing that should be done is to impose more rules. Rather, let’s use education as a tool to help them make the right choices when they exercise the fundamental right to free speech.
As Thomas Jefferson so eloquently put it, our freedom of speech “cannot be limited without being lost.”
bb