NewsNight Minnesota; 7049; NewsNight Minnesota Episode from 11/24/1999; SD-Base

NEWSNIGHT Minnesota is a production of Can't he see all the stations of Minnesota Public Television. The story of the Guthrie Theater expansion just got extended. This is NEWSNIGHT good stuff and I'm Lou are going to hear some of the city council debate tonight and meet the man behind death of the dream another in our immigration series. Tonight how did Laotians come to make up 10 percent of world's population. Also we have a return engagement with Laura Cavanaugh me in the spotlight. NEWSNIGHT Minnesota is made possible in part with support from the blending Foundation creating a stronger Minnesota by bridging rural and urban communities. And by the McKnight foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life for Minnesota families education and family reporting on NEWSNIGHT Minnesota is supported in part by university St. Paul providing Christian higher education for more than a century. Well it's not exactly what the folks over at the Guthrie Theater wanted to hear but the answer is

no no to the Guthrie's plan to move the theater to a new site and add new Parkland council members voted 7 A6 against the plan. There was an opposition have problems with a variety of issues. There is a cost of moving the city's impound lot and its public works operations. There are parking concerns and the mere fact that the Guthrie is talking about shifting to some of the city's most valuable land. Here are some of the comments from today's council meeting. Both sides of course. I don't want to got through to leave this city. The government has a great plays a great role in the life of this city that they knew best when it has many many things for people to do and read don't theater is a wonderful thing. We're lucky to have it but they don't want me to do it. The most valuable piece of land in the city of Minneapolis. I know that change is difficult for people and we want to many people want to see no change in that area and we want it to be exactly how it is. This is an opportunity for us to have a big vision and to figure out how we can create change in our city and I'm sorry I

didn't have the opportunity to play on the ball field or experience the Guthrie as a child but I want my kids to have that opportunity in the future and I think that by creating change and thinking big will have the opportunity to do that 20 years from now. But I don't want to sign onto that just saying that you know absolutely you know that. You know notwithstanding what you may call it that we're going on to this. I mean there may be a way my guests are very overweight. You know when we can come up with a workable plan for the area but I think it's premature at this point to be a thing that you know we're we're directing you know that we're going on here for implementing them. For me this is a really really important project for two pieces. For one thing we're telling the Guthrie we want to be partners with them. And let's not kid ourselves. It's D-Day. They look at other spy heating and so you know we're sending a message today. We want to locate another two or three. That's what we're doing and we need to be real about that. We tell him exactly who want to be partners with him we're

talking to park where we want to be partners with him. But the other thing that we're saying is we're saying to the north side the other part of my world here you deserve to be hooked up to the cultural center of the city of Minneapolis. Now Council members as we said couldn't agree on that but they did get agree on one thing today by a whopping vote of 11 to 2. They will now spend a hundred thousand dollars to let somebody else study this whole thing and tell them what they should do. Close to 200 Minnesotans are heading to Seattle next week they are all concerned about a meeting of the World Trade Organization the WTO sets of rules for international trade which world governments then agree to. But a coalition of labor farm and environmental groups argue that the last round of talks in Uruguay produced rules that favored investors and big business over workers farmers and the environment. And certainly producers across Minnesota and across the country had a difficult time having their voices heard in your way we think this is a great opportunity for

producers across the country to be there and to be part of the process and have their voices heard. As we meet this upcoming week in Seattle the delegation from Minnesota is believed to be the largest from any state east of the Rockies. There will not be a merger between Senex cooperatives based in amber Grove Heights and farmland industries Senex officials had sought to merge with farmland the largest co-op in the country but said its members failed to ratify the deal by the required two thirds falling just short with 64 percent approving. Eighty nine percent of farmland voters were in favor of one of the stumbling blocks included Senex members being an easy with the consolidation inside the industry and also the feeling that the move was being made to help bail farmland out of financial troubles. And one more item to pass along the Golden Gopher football team has accepted imitation to play the University of Oregon in the sun bowl. It's on New Year's Eve. The Sun Bowl dates back to 1935 and is played in El Paso Texas.

All right tonight here on Channel 2 at 8:00 o'clock Stay tuned for death of the dream. It is a co-production between 20s. But television and the Afton Historical Society press the documentary is about the changing face of rural Minnesota where we've been and where we might be going the same through the disappearance of old farmhouses. And I had a chance to talk with the producer of the program John Whitehead about the show quite enlightening here's we have to say. Well we had the book Death of a dream gambler TOG River which is this beautiful book of still images black and white photographs. But there are no people in it. And the essay is great in the book. So our challenge to put on TV was to really bring alive with a cast of characters or put people put faces families stories and history with those abandoned houses if you will. And I looked at it what I really liked about it in particular was. You're talking about farming it appears you're talking about architecture buildings houses. But you're really not.

Yeah we sort of talk around farming we're really trying to. Of oak time in the past there wasn't so far in the past. But it was a rich rich part of the tradition. When life was moving at a simpler pace but a lot harder and in order to talk about the houses in order to talk about the lives within the houses we have to talk about farming enough so that we give context to that because that was the enterprise they were engaged in. But it's not about agriculture it's about I suppose the culture and the life that surrounded the farm community. I think the way the strobes structure is we sort of take different slices at that experience of growing up in a farm house. Historical we do a little environmental thing we sort of talk about the prairie. So there's an ecological slice and then we talk about the architecture and some of the social and cultural history and that's sort of the beginning of the piece and then then we really move into people's first hand experiences and we meet these elders these five or six people retired

farmers and we move inside the house and through their eyes we look at the different rooms in the house the kitchen the parlor the bedrooms and the life inside the houses and then the third actor the conclusion is kind of where we're at now and look and look toward the future. So that's where the where the flow of it. All right. And you brought a clip set up for. You have this clip that you're going to see is a lot of farmers talk about very nostalgic Lee in you know reverently about the community that people had. That if there's anything you can mourn right now because farmers are still farming and there will still be farmers in the land but what we have lost I think in we have to take stock of is a sense of community because there are fewer people on the land and farms are bigger. And that's what people really miss. And so this this is about the threshing bees that people had when people would come together and move from farm to farm and thresh wheat. And it was a really great time of year for a lot of people. All right let's take a look. You know we're talking about what is a farm I think it was heaven for boys

especially threshing time. For older farmers and nothing you can do my says this era of cooperation and entrepreneurship better than threshing five or six farmers would get together a needed funding and there you were moving from one farm to the other. You always wonder when are they going to get going to get here in time for morning lunch. We'd hear the tractor coming and that was Dad's favorite time of the year. Got together with the neighbors and of course it was normally as they got along. So good you know and all I remember is the heaping tables you know. I think with food. And I remember I watched band outside weatherman wash because you know I feel for the grain best than smoke from all the thrashing. It's terrible to have to leave and go to school.

We're investing time in. There was a time. Things in. The fields are clean. And don't support away. What is left of you and yours in the minds of boys. I. Wanted this joy never to end. The splashing of hands. Oh it was amusing. Touching. For. One of my favorite quotes. One gentleman talking about you know you can get teary eyed watching this but we are talking about basically the good old days of farming when they were in transition. Yeah it's easy to romanticize or get nostalgic but you got to remember that these days were tough. It was a lot of hard work. I don't think anyone

wants to turn the clock back although we remember it fondly and we have to as we move in the future we really have to rethink how how it is going to go and we don't answer those that question this piece but I think we pose it in a way that I think people will want to be interested in finding solutions. Tonight the fourth installment of our series on immigration and Minnesota the state is home to thousands of Laotian Americans most living in the metro area but a significant number of Laotian families are making a new home in the far north right along the Canadian border or greater Minnesota reporter Jim Newman went to war ode to find out why. When Minnesotans think of war road hockey might come to mind.

Or a beautiful border country lake. Or maybe ice fishing. But probably not the Asian store. Exotic costumes or dates. More than 200 people of Laotian heritage live than war well that's more than 10 percent of the population. Most came here to work at Marvin windows and doors. Jonathan Karl a builds windows at Marvel. He lives in downtown Dora in a small apartment with his new wife. Always a good you know to start you know it's like first you know like mommy was like you know take you know everything you know like you're working at a pay you go taking a benefit. And I you know to go you know to start my good you know. Marvin employs about 100 Laotians many in production jobs that require little labor the labor market here is tight and the rapidly expanding company is hungry for more workers. It's primarily that family is important to them. The

relationships between a family is strong and therefore they want to be good providers they want to be independent. They want to be able to. Provide for family. And they're not afraid to. To. Make an attempt by. By working hard. To reach those goals. Well mostly oceans move here to find work. They stayed for other reasons good schools and safe neighborhoods. Good things a lot of which you know no crying and that is a bad thing. I mean a lot of snow when the snow came down in late 40s 60 you know a lot of these the Laotians. They enjoyed the small town atmosphere I think they feel like. There's less threatening things that happen here. It's true for parents I mean because like other people they came from L.A. come over here. So nice little town. Now a lot of problems no gangs no crime. So nice. The Laotian teenagers who came here with their parents usually after

stops in other American cities. You have your road mostly favorable reviews. At first. I moved it was like. It was different you know I didn't really not adapt to it see in California when I was there. There are things I hate big and there's a lot of game being the stuff you know and I never had a title world like on the way here. I'm going to Fargo and some of the big Tampa hoping or yeah I get to live in a big town you know is I'm happy about it. I was sorry come of the world is like nothing I was like I was really surprised but I do have to you know I've gotten used to it and. Everything's OK so far you know I think sometimes they have to put up with a little bit of stereotyping you know stereotypes that have gone on forever and then you know and they come to America they get a new car they don't pay taxes they'll teach your dog. You know all those kind of things and some of the kids are pretty patient with it. And some aren't That's one of the things. Certainly they have to deal with. Yes.

Do you regularly elementary school gym. It's part of a community mentoring program. For the kids who participate. And. They got game. I don't live in the community. I work here. No I don't think but I think that they're trying. I think they're putting a lot of effort because of the mixed races. When you mix different races together you got problems. But I think the community record it and are trying to improve is for the kids. There are still. A few days ago they played the role to play. And they were. We're quite a bit taller we got quite a bit of height but they got the youth speed. Wright says playing games with Laotian students is mostly a preventative measure. Overall he says the Laotian community hasn't caused many problems. You hardly ever know they're here you know. We deal with like a seat belt safety

because the children don't understand. Children should be using the seat belts. We do deal with some animal issues when raising chickens in town and they don't understand they shouldn't be or things like that. But as far as being a criminal act act active a community no right says the Laotians are almost invisible in one room with one exception. The Asian store this is the worst. One I swear making you see why. It's my time. Need. To try. To help out my people you know they don't go to. The bio dad and many as you know they have been here and these so happy happy enough anyway and if the economy stays strong and Marvel keeps hiring it looks like the Laotian community will call war road home for a long time.

Talk a bit more about the Laotian experience in Minnesota and we'd like to welcome back the past young He's former director of the Mung American partnership. Interesting you heard a couple of people in that report say the communities almost invisible yet they're 10 percent why is that. I think people. The Laotian live in the world Minnesota. Their hard work or something when the last time I visited them they most of them worked to shift when at Marvin's Wendell's. And they're also a very close knit community and so they say they stick together and we were warmly received by the families and the other thing that I think it's really good is that you have people owning their own homes. I mean I was really surprised that almost all of them bought their own homes bought their own houses and build it in fact. So it's not like buying in and existing the kids ended up playing the

police department I understand because I have a hard time getting games with native born American kids. Do we expect too much to expect the immigrants to meld too quickly with mainstream Minnesota. I'm just thinking of the Slovaks and the Norwegians and the Finns and the Germans and I mean everybody always has a hard time fitting in for a while you know and I think they did have a hard time fitting in when we visited them. In fact they wanted to they want to see if we can provide some assistance in helping them to gain access to. To work with the police department to work with some of the social service agency there to educate the school system about the needs of their community. And so it's good to see that much progress has been made in the area and now they are playing games with the police to right the problem and then also they do have ESL teachers there in full integration I mean that's something that you can't rush no you can't you know and I think the community need to you know we need to allow the community time to feel comfortable enough to

really be able to do that and I think with every new immigrant the first thing that's on your mind is will I have food on the table or a roof over my head. And so once you're done with that and you're comfortable in selling him then that's when you start branching out and reaching out to the people around you. Can you compare Warroad to other towns in the metro area. The family's doing better there as a whole I think the I think the families are actually doing very well. I mean when I visited them I told them you're you are actually what we would like to see the rest of the community be like because you have jobs and you're also owning your own home. And at that time they were driving all the way to where they paid to buy the rice and there so I saw their fish sauce. So I'm glad to see that now they do have a store that provides that. But they're also traveling to Winnipeg to be with the larger community there. And it's about a couple hours to Winnipeg versus driving five six hours to the Twin Cities.

And so there's also ways that support system in place but I think they're doing very well in fact that's what the original resettlement policy was to integrate people into communities where there are jobs. Well the corp issue is not that not that we're going to get a minute to go. Compare Minnesota and how the Mung communities are doing here too. Across the country. Better than average looks. I think your people are doing much better. I mean there's a lot of people really because I mean the perception is we've seen all the news reports we've done many of them some of the problems with the integration. Yeah it's very minor when you look at it it's very minor in comparison in comparison to the larger community I mean we have 50 about 50 60000 mowen twins in the area and people have moved here from other communities because of the fact that we have strong educational programs here. We have strong social service programs here so that I think that's we're doing pretty well in Minnesota and compared to other states. All right Lee puffy young Thanks from LA. Thank you so much for having me.

All right we're going to get into Thanksgiving how else with style. Welcome back to the I mean she's back in the spotlight tonight. And with her new holiday CD will be performing this coming Sunday at the Saint Anthony park United Church of Christ but not before she joins us tonight. We do welcome you back. Thanks for having us. Brought a whole lot of people with you this time time who you got here who have brought the whole band on saxophone we have Pete Whitman and on trumpet and flugelhorn we have Joe has grove on bass we have Mr. Tom Lewis and on dramas Mr. Field.

All right now tell me about the new CD The name Angels Angels we haven't heard yet. It's a play on the old Christmas carol angels we've heard on high and the whole album features original compositions based on old Christmas carols and then arrangements of some Christmas tunes and a few secular turns thrown in. And it also features Lucian Newell on half of the cuts singing wonderful her wonderful vocals. All right I normally show a number for people to talk about tickets that is number four. This is the number to call to order the CD you can call 24 hours a day 1 8 8 5 6 7 3 2 0 1. You are right that's what. Tell me what's your favorite song on the CD. Well this one that we're doing right now Russian Strat I think is a really fun one. Oh yeah. Thank you for saving the best for us. OK you got it all right away. You got it. Long. From.

Birth. Thank you thank you make it look so easy. How do you get the engagement you also other places.

Think outside my hometown. Thank god Minnesota First United Methodist Church it's a benefit concert for wings of mercy. You can call 1 800 98 mercy. OK we're going to number the number on the screen if you get a new CD and you know it should all North Dakota come to the Dakota December 16th. All right was there my terrified All right just want to say thanks everyone have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Don't forget death of the dream tonight for Kim Merry Gentlemen. Everybody here at NEWSNIGHT we will see you would you please take us away. Time to go. NEWSNIGHT Minnesota's make the bold part in supporting the blended Foundation

creating a stronger Minnesota by bridging rural and urban communities. And by the McKnight foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life for Minnesota families. Education and family reporting on NEWSNIGHT Minnesota is supported in part by Concordia University St. Paul providing Christian higher education for more than a century.