NewsNight Minnesota; 3184; NewsNight Minnesota Episode from 07/22/1996; SD-Base

OK sounds like a plan. I haven't and I find that's not going. That's one love I just you know our oh man I hope I have but am I happy to see those guest Our guests are here. Let's. Note no time like the present there's. No one on the front page so when you do you can buy. Right here. OK just. Want to share the joys here Dave. No problem discussions it seems like you couldn't. Get. Any seconds. Tonight on NEWSNIGHT security questions at Twin Cities international prompt the response from the Metropolitan Airports Commission a new day and the new government on the white earth reservation.

But not everyone is happy with the changes. The Ordway goes Hollywood with a theatrical adaptation of a cinematic classic. And in our commentary aka mad Dharwad TASM thoughts for folks speculating on the cause of the crash of t w a flight 800. It's all next on NEWSNIGHT Minnesota. Tonight's broadcast of NEWSNIGHT Minnesota is presented in part by Norwest banks contributing to the growth of the Twin Cities through support and community service. BEMIS company a major supplier of Flexible Packaging and specialty coated products since 1858 by the attorneys of Briggs and Morgan providing a broad range of legal services to businesses individuals and government entities. Good evening I'm Kathy worser. No summer doldrums here we have plenty of news to tell you about this evening. Here's Ken Stone with our top stories. Thanks Kathy. Last week's horrifying crash of two W.A. Flight 800 continues to make front page news but this Sunday Star Tribune readers found another disturbing headline A Star Tribune reporter entered the secure perimeter of the airport on two separate

occasions without ever being stopped or questioned the reporter walked into a hangar where a jet was undergoing maintenance strolled through a cargo area where someone could have placed anything on board a plane a suitcase a stowaway or a bomb. All of this in the wake of heightened security measures ordered last fall by the FAA. Jeff Hamill is executive director of the Metropolitan Airports Commission the organization responsible for security at the airport when the Star-Tribune called you up on Friday. Your initial reaction. 3:45 in the afternoon late in the day at the end of a long week. Very disappointed. Somewhat surprised and obviously searching for a need to get something down and figure out what this is all about immediately. One of the questions that comes to mind is how in the world could this have happened. After last fall when the FAA made such a big deal about security I mean we've all stood in the longer lines all had to wait. And yet it seems like the employees especially at the airport are sleepwalking as far as security goes.

A couple things of keep in mind can first of all there are some 6000 employees that work in the maintenance area of the airport on occasion and any particular work shift. A lot of turnover of people lot of activity. The area that was penetrated by this person by the reporter for The Star Trip is a person and it went to an area where aircraft maintenance is being done. You don't see passengers you don't really see very many different varieties of people. The vast majority of people are our maintenance people administrative types or support people because so often the only people there are the people who belong there that after a while you just stop eating and I think I think that is the tendency for human reaction. Secondly there are tourism visitors that do come through on occasion. And what's happened here I think is that employees in this particular work area just did not check for identification badge is a proper secret invocation and as a result the person wasn't challenged. And that's clearly a violation of Maque procedure including violation of FAA regulation. What was the one thing out of all the things that the Star Tribune wrote about the breaches in security what's the one thing that made you the most worried. Well just the fact that someone can have access to an airplane or air cargo

loading area and walk from a non protected side through a building onto the ramp side and approach airplane that's disturbing because all the rules of the FAA is an act and all the rules that we enforce at the Airports Commission prevent are supposed prevent that from happening. And we routinely get calls of security checks are placed about response and usually those turn out to be no serious threat or nothing serious at all. In this case it was an intentional approach to a restricted area and a person simply was not challenged. Blue ribbon panels being put together I understand are they going to come up with a whole bunch of new policies or is it just a matter of having to enforce and follow what's already written down. The panel meets tomorrow the first meets at 2 o'clock and then with my senior staff people today we laid out kind of a criteria for that blue ribbon panel. It will be chaired by James Whelan who is the airport's Commission's Director of Public Safety. We probably have 10 or 12 initiatives that we want them to take a look at. More specifically we want to take a look at what broke down in this case. And I was what what what

failed in this particular situation that permit this activity that to happen and one is responsible to get that group to kind of evaluate themselves and consist primarily of airline people FAA personnel the various folks that are involved in the daylight daily activities of the airline operation airport operation. And we'll get to the bottom of how this happened and then figure out how we go about preventing it from having the future we've got less than a minute ago you mentioned that Northwest has pledged their full cooperation and yet when they were quoted by the paper they said that you're probably going to do a port portrayed this incorrectly or it will be perceived perceived by the folks which doesn't sound exactly like they're on board with this I mean it's Northwest onboard with the FAA. There's a breakdown here. There's no question in my mind they will have complete cooperation from Northwest Airlines. We've been talking to their security people who talk to senior management. I've had nothing but positive reaction from them. I think that they're concerned about what's being said in the in the media. The bottom line for me as a minister of a public agency is public perception is reality in my life. If people think that something is unsafe or something didn't work properly it's my job to fix it and that's what we'll do.

Time line for the blue ribbon panel. Depending on how many different issues they would identify it could be anywhere from a couple of weeks to correct the situation to possibly month or month and a half or given a person developing some new procedures. All right thanks for joining us. Thank you. Take a look at some other headlines we've got an update today a federal appeals court upheld the convictions of Sharif Willis and Vincent fields in connection with the 1994 incident at a Minneapolis gas station. You might remember Willis was accused of holding a dozen people at gunpoint at that gas station but the infields were convicted of firearms possession. Well this first gained attention in the Twin Cities as a vice lords leader who helped form United for Peace. A group which intended to bring gang leaders together with police. The effort began to collapse after the murder of Minneapolis Police Officer Jerry Huff me up less police believe that they have a serial killer on their hands over the weekend police found the burned body of a 21 year old man in Theodore Wirth park. Two other bodies have been found in or near Wirth park in the last two months they had also been burned. Police did give a rough description of a suspect today. They also added that the victims all had apparent links to drug dealing

or prostitution and that it appears the killer is not targeting the general public. The Federal Medical Center in Rochester has a new high profile patient. Former Chicago Congressman Dan Rostenkowski arrived at the facility today to begin serving a 17 month sentence for mail fraud. Roston Koski will stay at the hospital until he is fully recovered from the surgery that he underwent earlier this year. After that he'll be transferred to another federal prison. Other notable personalities to serve time in Rochester former televangelist Jim Baker and pull politician Lyndon Larouche. Officials in southern Japan are demanding a formal apology from the United States following the arrest of a Minnesota sailor the sailor a Nocona native Terence. Michael Swanson stands accused of slashing a Japanese woman's throat during a robbery attempt. The woman is recovering in a hospital. U.S. officials have issued a statement of regret but so far they haven't apologized directly to the woman. Meanwhile a seaman Swanson could face life in prison if convicted. And a Japanese court. And finally

tonight Minnesota stars continue to shine at the Olympic Games in Atlanta today St. Paul native Tom qualified for tonight's swimming final in the 200 meter butterfly and Greco-Roman wrestling Richfield gordie Morgan won his first match with a pin in the 163 pound weight class however he did lose his second match so he's going to have to wait for Russell backs to see how he places. But Brandon Paulson made it to the semifinals for his win in the 100 and 14 and a half pounds and Kathy told there's no 98 pound class so I was unable to qualify for this year's competition and that's it for now. That makes two of us. Thank you. Well last month when Eugene MacArthur won election as tribal chairman on the whiter of Chippewa Reservation it appeared to be the end of the wood DNA era and the start of political reform on white earth. But the euphoria of that moment has been short lived in the reservation is still mired in controversy once again. Here is Ken

Stone. It should be the best of times. The warm weather has turned white earth into a postcard for Minnesota tourism peppers are going crazy this year too. Summer also has Doyle Turner's garden bursting with peas and peppers. Last month Turner was harvesting goats. He finished just a handful of votes behind the winner Eugene Bulger MacArthur and since then Turner believes political reform has died on the vine. The person called me on the phone and this announcement was going on in Florida. And I said no I didn't have any idea. He said well you very good donors and because they're swearing Motors have themselves sworn in today. I was really really sad about that because we had on long and hard to to make a new beginning and this was my field was entirely the the worst we could do it and I was going to jump the gun and to do it this way in the traditional

swearing in date was July 9. It was only June 25th Turner another candidate say there were problems with absentee ballots and had asked for a new election and election judges reviewing the appeals but McArthur says he simply couldn't wait. Pete what people fail to understand that on that day it was was a seriousness of the condition of white or the emergency situation that existed. That day was the day after chip with DNA and two council members were convicted of fraud and other charges in federal court. When the unit was free until sentencing so he went back to his tribal office. The constitution clearly states a convicted felon cannot hold office. You know here we are a tribal council tribal government responsible for you know 22000 members you know sitting here with no ill legal government. I mean it's unprecedented because three of our tribal council members were convicted of felonies and were found guilty. And so in essence every We're sitting with a five member Jabal Council only two could legally hold the positions according to the constitution and so make Arthur with virtually no

warning was sworn into office in a semisecret ceremony. The swearing in ceremony for buggery McArthur took place right here just outside the tribal offices in the town of white earth. The location is pretty symbolic because it was right here five years ago that MacArthur and other tribal dissidents held a protest against the wood Diena government. They were arrested and thrown into jail. But now some of the people who were arrested alongside MacArthur are saying that MacArthur never should have been sworn in. The ceremony took place too soon. They're calling it a power grab. And you're now hearing people say that bugger MacArthur is no better than chip with DNA. There's a system in now that allows the guys to steal. No use changing the phrase if you can change a system that allows them to steal. Lol Ballenger was a former ally of MacArthur's who was upset about the swearing in and about this woman. I am absolutely convinced that we did the right thing. His nerve was bugger MacArthur's campaign manager and now sits on the tribal council as

secretary treasurer. It had to be secret and I guess that was the greatest criticism that came our way was the fact that we had not consulted with with all of the people. But if you had made it public if you hadn't kept it a secret what would have happened. We would have been sabotaged. We would our plan would have been disrupted. We would have we would have not gotten into the building. Today if if it had not been secret why DNA would still be in office today. Rick Clark would still be in office today. Gerry Riley would still be in office today. We would be outside wringing our fingers what to do. Visitor was one of the people would you know had arrested five years ago three times in fact right after MacArthur was sworn in. He appointed visitor as new interim secretary treasurer to replace Gerry Raleigh who had been convicted with DNA. But Secretary Treasurer is normally an elected position.

I think that the choice of appointing someone was very very bad choice again because the people what's causing the anger and the turmoil is the people have lost their voice in this whole thing. The people's wish was unheard and the people who they want to serve them on this reservation have been elected and so that if you appoint people again that's going to mean you're going to be that much more angry. I think there is so much mistrust. Over the past 20 years that mistrust has has just has just been ongoing and ongoing there's never been a reason for the people of our reservation to trust anyone. Their people do have a right to be cynical. I mean I'm cynical. I mean because I've I've lived here and I know you know I know I know how things happen. And so we have to set that record straight.

This is this is a new THIS IS A NEW This is a new day. You know the new day is often 12 18 hours long for both MacArthur and business. When we were there a steady stream of people came in asking for help despite the millions at the tribe's casino brings in poverty plagues fountains of tribal residence much of the housing has an adequate water sewer or insulation MacArthur in the new tribal council have cut their own pay and opened up council meetings for the first time in years and they say they're working on changing the election system on white earth to make it impossible for another chip with DNA to rule with an iron fist. Our goal is very simple my goals are two very simple open government and constitutional reform. You know I mean and that's I stand fast to those and it's going be a lot of hard work but we're going to do that you know. There's a nurse who has a Ph.D. from Harvard and who has spent more than a decade teaching schoolchildren on the reservation says this is about the children she couldn't save. I want to see justice done here. I have lived here I've seen so many people suffer I've

seen so many children grow up and just kill themselves. Either slowly by alcoholism and drug abuse or by suicide. I mean I am tired of it. I mean I have to I only have one life to live and I have to make the most of it every day and so I don't regret one one one move that I have made. I don't I have no regrets. Meanwhile Doyle Turner waits for a decision on his election appeal. The system is tainted but we still have to believe that the true judge will see the writing this and will come up with it with a new election and proper seating this time. Both sides agree political reform is inevitable. It is finally coming to White or they say. The question is who will bring it. It's not about power. It's about it's about. Developing and initiating a new government that that's responsible to the needs of the people and that allows participation by all of the people are people.

That's what it's all about it's not about me it's not about birth and it's not about Chip my DNA. It's about this government and how it interacts with our membership. Who screws covered up with the personalities. Why do you know and MacArthur and Turner and what it really boils down to is the voice of the people and this is not about power of Turner or of MacArthur or what do you know. It's about power from the people. They're the ones that you have the power right and they're the ones who should be choosing who to serve them and serve us to be the big word here. We talk about a power struggle at a time it's got to be a service struggle. Who's going to serve them. What do they want to serve them. That's the big question here. We learned today that the chip we're doing is going to be back in court later this week on Friday. He was released on his own recognizance after his conviction last month but he's allegedly violated the terms of that release so the lawyers will be back in court arguing about that. OK I think you can tell me what's the status of the appeal surrounding this election.

Well first of all there was a judge appointed by Chetwood DNA who came back in a very short time saying yeah you have to have a new election but that's been disregarded by just about everyone the new tribal council appointed a man by the name of Paul day. He is a Minneapolis lawyer also a Native American he is taking testimony and gathering evidence and they're waiting for his decision on whether there were enough irregularities in the election last June to have another one or not but no one's quite sure when he's going to come back with a decision. Former federal judge miles Lord is involved in this for how is he being received on the reservation. Well as in many things it depends on whom you talk to. Miles Lord got involved about five years ago. He was the lawyer who got all those protesters out of jail. That trip with DNA had thrown in when they held the protest. But now people are starting to look at Miles in a different way some people say that Miles is in there just to get his hands on the casino money he's going to represent the tribal council. So some folks are saying that Miles Lord is in it for the money and once again here's a guy in a suit telling people Indian people what to do. However other people

love Bulger and others are saying that Miles Lord has been extremely helpful. And sorting through a very difficult and admittedly unprecedented chain of events and in any event is going to be a player there for a while. Eric and good report thank you. Was. Oh right say you've won the Tony Award for Best Musical your production rent is a smash on Broadway bringing in get zillions of dollars if you're Ordway president kept MCCOLLUM What do you do next. Go to Disney World. Now he's off to see the wizard. Oh.

Yeah. You're wrong with. Us. I'm sure you call. Long US dollar.

We should mention the course that was a technical rehearsal tomorrow night is just the latest in a string of big nights for Kevin McCollum he's presiding over the premiere of the Ordway first independent theatrical production. I bet it's going to be just. I've heard it's going to be just a marvelous production very opulent. Well it's theatrical which is wonderful because we all know the movie so well. And what you can do in the theater with light and music and actually people showing up for each other with each other everybody's on stage to make it work. That's sort of the journey of Oz you know. We're all sort of trying to figure that out. Well you mention that everyone knows the movie and therefore isn't it kind of a big risk you're taking because everyone knows the movie you're following in the footsteps of one of the world's greatest movies. How can you live up to that. I think you have to understand the venue in which you are you are celebrating the story of Azaz is a journey musical and the best musicals are journey musicals. And the fact to created such fame is a film no one dared look at it as a theatrical and we're using as you can see the

music from the 1939 film. But we're making sure we don't have to bring on 12000 different sets. We're using the craft of the actors in the performers as well as the visual crafts that we have a disposal mean the Ordway is a world class performing arts center and we should've been producing a long time ago so it's exciting that we're finally you know producing. So what does the Ordway have at stake in terms of an investment in something like this. Well when we bring in a show let's say from New York or any theater brings in a show from New York you have to pay a certain amount of money as a guarantee to get the show to arrive because someone in New York or California is paying all the salaries. So my feeling is why let's do it here let's pay the salaries here. Let's let's I mean the Wizard of Oz is all about. Everything you need is in your own backyard. So that's what we have here. So. What is exciting is that it's basically the same investment we'd have been bringing in a road show. And yet we. Is it also a way to compete with your your main competitor. Jensen You know it's interesting because what happened was the Ordway had

the first banks series and we still have the forget like we had we actually through programming the Ordway first we were able to get the state of the Orpheum online in Minneapolis and now that whoever has decided I'm not quite sure who those two should be separate. It just it's again what the order has always done. We've always dealt with our mission and we want to provide the best entertainment so if someone or something changes and all of a sudden we can't do it that way anymore. Well we'll reinvent because that's that's what we do. You know we we want people to show up in the community for the community to see the community which is what the Ordway was built and I think that can lead I think lead to getting those two theaters in Minneapolis online and who knows we might end up for having them again. You never know. This is its premiere here in St. Paul do you plan on taking this across the country if the interest is there. I've structured it so that if it doesn't do anything else but here it's fine. We did it you know we created an economic equation where there's like a 50 percent capacity break even in the Ordway has always done extremely well where we're running it for four weeks so when people see

it and people start talking about it there will still be some tickets to buy because too often with a two week run of the Ordway once people start hearing about it oh you've got to go see it. There's nothing left. So what's great is we have some tickets left. Final question why not do this on Broadway. But but why go to Broadway first where they dare you to create the economic equation to return your investment as a not for profit in the Twin Cities. Why go to Broadway. We have everything you possibly need here in rice park is if New York had rice park it would be heralded as is the Times Square. It is it is the most beautiful urban environment I have seen in America so it's better than Broadway. Well Kevin good luck and other Congratulations on that Tony for rent. Thank you for coming on. Thanks Mosher. Well despite continued speculation there's still no official word on whether a terrorist bomb caused last week's horrifying crash of Flight 800. But speculation is enough to make tonight's commentator uneasy.

Saddened by the recent disasters of the T W Flight 800 crash we add that when Cities Program Billabong offer our condolences to all the victims of families their relatives and friends. May God bless the souls of the victims and provide the needed strength to their families. It is ironic that although this may still be considered an accident and that ending technological mishap there are Americans living near us it still feel uneasy and apprehensive. Every time a tragedy like this takes a place. I myself as an Egyptian American living in the Twin Cities who take to being an American citizen as serious as being an Egyptian. Sometimes they wish I could personally have the sense and power. To meet each and every one of the families of the victims and tell him or her. I did not do it. What hosts a weekly news and information program on cable access for the Twin Cities Arabic

speaking community. Well now it's time for you to share your thoughts on our program preferably in English although we have people on staff to cover most major language groups call our answering machines at 6 1 2 2 2 9 1 4 3 0 and let us know what you think about our topics. We'll try to play a few of your comments later this week. Time now for our traditional look at tomorrow's forecast with our decidedly untraditional weather map. The National Weather Service predicts partly sunny skies across the state with a chance for some scattered showers and thunderstorms in the northland should range from the low 70s to the low 80s. You couldn't have asked for a nicer parade weather on Saturday as evidenced by the crowds who turned out for the annual rando Day celebration in St. Paul. So we'll close tonight show with a few highlights of the precision drill teams courtesy of videographer Butch Bowering and editor Kevin Andrews. Good night. Thank you.

Minnesota is made possible by the contributors to the power of two campaigns program fund with major grants from the Blendon Foundation and the McKnight foundation. Tonight's broadcast of NEWSNIGHT Minnesota is presented in part by Norwest banks contributing to the growth of the Twin Cities through support and community service. BEMIS company a major supplier of Flexible Packaging and specialty building products is seen 58. And by the attorneys of Briggs and Morgan providing a broad

range of legal services to businesses individuals and government entities.