Sunday, March 12, 2000

Earnhardt Jr. loses pole
HAMPTON, Ga. -- It seems the only person surprised by Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s early-season showing is Little E himself.

Auto racing notebook
Now that NASCAR has dropped the other shoe -- making an expected aerodynamic change to the new Chevrolet Monte Carlos -- people in the Ford camp are taking it all in stride.

Local shorts
A season-ending awards dinner for North Star ice racers is scheduled 4 p.m. March 19 at the Fort Ripley Steakhouse.

Tech stock popularity drives NASDAQ
The NASDAQ composite stock index, the emblem of the nation's love affair with technology, soared Thursday to close above 5,000 for the first time.

Once a novelty, now-essential credit card turns 50
WASHINGTON -- In the 1950s, dapper men with mustaches and fedoras used them to settle their bills at Delmonico's, ''21'' or the Copacabana. They were a novelty for the affluent and the urbane, much like jet travel, at a time of postwar economic boom and optimism.

Experts give farmers advice on improving incoming in tight times
MARSHALL (AP) -- Depressed farm prices have been around a long time, it seems, but experts offered a small dose of optimism Thursday.

Business notes
Charter Communications is hosting the Brainerd Lakes Area Chambers of Commerce's Business After Hours event from 5-7 p.m. at Country Inn and Suites in Baxter.

Stocks mixed; investors cash in some tech shares
NEW YORK -- Stocks were mostly lower Friday as the consumer products sector, already trampled by Procter & Gamble's disappointing earnings forecast, slipped further on a similar warning from Dial Corp. High-tech stocks fell as investors cashed in some gains from the sector's recent rally.

Who needs gimmicks?
MERRIFIELD -- For Gary Stacken, owner of Lake Side Glass, giving out tins of Spam to people who come to his auto glass repair shop for a windshield replacement is serious business.

Hunt layoff total is 33
Hunt Technologies reported that 33 positions were cut Wednesday after announcing a company reorganization for a critical cash flow problem last week.

Carried along in a wave of market madness
Have you heard of the Gilder Effect?

Business notes
Marty Bosch, registered nurse, was recently recognized as Nurse of the Year by Planned Parenthood of Minnesota/South Dakota.

Survey documents unfilled jobs
ST. PAUL (AP) -- A state job vacancy survey shows Twin Cities businesses had 44,300 unfilled jobs at the end of last year, with 76 percent of the openings paying less than $12.50 per hour.

Chemical dependency groups and AA groups
Adult Children-Chem.Dep.

Organizations
Brainerd Jaycees

Federal legislators' addresses
Sen. Paul Wellstone

Support groups
Crisis Line-Referral Ser.

Court
The following recently appeared in Crow Wing District Court:

Court
The following recently appeared in Crow Wing District Court:

Agendas
Meets 7 p.m. Wednesday

Health care and medical services
Blood Pressure Clinics

Agendas
Meets 6:30 p.m. Monday

Kerr holds lead for second straight day
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- For an inexperienced frontrunner, Cristie Kerr has some definite ideas about protecting her two-shot lead in the Welch's-Circle K Championship.

Green Ahern share Audi Senior Classic lead
PUEBLA, Mexico (AP) -- At 7,300 feet above sea level, the scenic La Vista Country Club places a premium on club selection. Hubert Green and Jim Ahern made it look easy.

Players finding a tougher course
CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) -- The tees, the pins and the wind combined to make Heron Bay much more difficult for the Honda Classic field.

Webb challenging Tiger as the hottest golfer
So the hottest golfer on the planet is ... no, not Tiger Woods. It's Karrie Webb, whose only mistake so far this year is that she's playing on the LPGA Tour.

Area golf courses gearing up
For some reason I thought I was in Minnesota but I guess I'm not.

Season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday
Father Seamus Walsh walked into the aisle Wednesday at St. Francis Catholic Church before parishioners received ashes on their foreheads and told them Lent was a time for them to turn their lives around.

Local briefs
From noon to 6 p.m. March 22, the Northern Lakes Chapter of the American Red Cross will host an open house at its new location, 521 Charles St. in Brainerd.

This was Brainerd
March 12 -- 80 years ago (1920) -- Mrs. Geo. F. Murphy returned today from the Eastern Dry Goods markets where she was studying the styles and buying goods for the "Store of Quality."

Crow Wing looks at public transit
Getting around Crow Wing County in the future may be as simple as taking the bus.

MOVING THE MASSES
Looking at a draft model for public transportation in Crow Wing County, some early conjecture includes use of three new vehicles to service the countywide area, rotating service routes so all quadrants would be covered two days a week.

Three to participate in Crow Wing County Dairy Princess banquet
The 2000 Crow Wing County Dairy Princess banquet will be Saturday at the Brainerd Armory.

What about light rail options?
Taking up all that railroad track may have been a little short-sighted in terms of public transit.

MOVING THE MASSES
Experience gained from a newly minted public transportation service is just south of Crow Wing County's border.

Meeting on proposed tower for Mission Township set Thursday
A public information meeting regarding the proposed construction of a Nationwide Differential Global Positioning System tower in Mission Township of Crow Wing County is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday in the Minnesota Room at Breezy Point Resort.

Former Brainerd man assigned to Joint Staff in Pentagon
Bruce Carlson, the son of Cliff and Helen Carlson and a 1967 graduate of the former Washington High School in Brainerd, was recently promoted to lieutenant general in the Air Force and assigned to the Joint Staff in the Pentagon as director for Force Structure, Resources and Assessment.

Qwest, U S West face hurdles
WASHINGTON -- Federal regulators signed off conditionally Friday on the $46 billion merger of Qwest Communications and U S West. But signs of strain between the two telecommunications companies raised questions about how they will make the marriage work.

Poirier bills to be heard on House, Senate floors
ST. PAUL -- A package of proposals aimed at tightening restrictions on sex offenders and giving more tools to law enforcement could be on Gov. Jesse Ventura's desk by the end of the week, setting up a possible battle between the Legislature and the administration.

House panel OKs shooting fenced elk and deer
ST. PAUL -- A bill sent to the House floor Friday would allow the shooting of elk and deer in fenced preserves, a move opposed by the Department of Natural Resources and many environmentalists.

Ventura to promote tourism in Chicago
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Gov. Jesse Ventura said he will head south to Chicago to encourage residents to come explore Minnesota.

Texas company recalls lighters
WASHINGTON (AP) -- More than 213,000 lighters are being recalled by the manufacturer. The lighters can leak butane when ignited, causing an excessive burst of flame.

Tribal elders give support to UND using Fighting Sioux nickname
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) -- A group of elders on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation has given support to the University of North Dakota's use of the Fighting Sioux nickname, although some tribe members said some elders are still opposed to the name.

Gore, Ventura meet in private
MINNEAPOLIS -- Vice President Al Gore and Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura spent an hour Saturday over breakfast talking about campaign finance reform and special education funding.

Teen killed, two hurt in shooting outside Georgia high school
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) -- Police arrested a 19-year-old man in the shooting death of a teen-ager outside a high school where hundreds of students were leaving a dance honoring the girls' basketball team.

Largest tuition hike in four years expected at U of M
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- University of Minnesota officials expect tuition to increase 5 to 6 percent next fall, mainly to cover an increase in faculty pay.

Capitol notebook
Happenings Friday at the Minnesota Capitol:

Judge gives nod to new town of Ventura
ST. CLOUD (AP) -- Gov. Jesse Ventura is pleased that Minnesota's newest city is his namesake.

Ventura urges people to speak up on unicameral
ST. PAUL -- Gov. Jesse Ventura pleaded Friday with Minnesotans to pipe up on the unicameral issue like they did during the 1997 stadium debate.

Sustained oil price hike could ripple through U.S. economy
CINCINNATI -- Rising oil prices may have left their mark at the gas pump and on airline ticket prices, but their climb has yet to ripple through the U.S. economy.

It's a topsy-turvy tournament field: Injury hurts Cincy
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- In some hotel conference room in Indianapolis, the people who are on the NCAA men's tournament selection committee are going nuts.

WCHA playoffs
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Graham Melanson made 15 saves for his fourth shutout of the season as No. 1 Wisconsin beat Michigan Tech 4-0 Friday night in the opener of a best-of-three WCHA playoff series.

Here's hoping for some 'Monday Night Football' excitement
It's March, perhaps a major reason for the seeming madness of blowing up ABC's ''Monday Night Football'' with the announcement Wednesday that Boomer Esiason had been fired along with producer Ken Wolfe and director Craig Janoff. And yet, naming Don Ohlmeyer, one of the smartest men in the history of the medium, to reinvent the telecast next season would indicate a significant method to the madness, as well.

Upsets give NCAA committee plenty to mull over
The NCAA tournament selection committee will have plenty of data to play with when it's time to set the brackets for the 64-team field.

The road to the Final Four
INDIANAPOLIS -- It's a basketball junkie's dream: A comfortable chair in front of the TV, a reliable remote, round-the-clock room service and no annoying telephone calls.

Arguing doesn't help Red Sox
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -- Red Sox manager Jimy Williams is starting this season the same way he finished the last one: arguing with umpires.

McSorley should be sent to society's penalty box
The first time I saw the replay of Marty McSorley sneaking up in Donald Brashear's blind spot, then smashing the unprotected Canuck full-force in the temple with his hockey stick, my initial reaction was, ''Jail.''

Marjorie Hannahs
Marjorie Hannahs, 82, Brainerd, died Friday, March 10, 2000, at St. Joseph's Medical Center.

Guy R. Lund
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas -- Guy R. Lund, 46, Corpus Christi, Texas, died Wednesday, March 8, 2000, at the Corpus Christi hospital after a lengthy illness.

Vincent R. Peterson
FREEDHEM -- Vincent R. Peterson, 81, Freedhem, died Friday, March 10, 2000, at his home.

Donald A. Tangeman
Donald A. Tangeman, 71, Verndale, died Thursday, March 9, 2000, at the Tri-County Hospital in Wadena.

Henry P. 'Hank' Munsch
Henry P. "Hank" Munsch, 93, Brainerd, died Saturday, March 11, 2000, at Brainerd Manor.

McCain took it personal
WASHINGTON -- From the 2050 edition of the ''History of the English Speaking Peoples,'' revised, by Winston Churchill VI:

Isolating Pakistan
The following editorial appeared in Friday's Los Angeles Times:

Here's the question: Who wants to be a Hillary expert?
For months, New Yorkers have challenged Hillary Rodham Clinton to demonstrate her Empire State IQ. ''What's the state bird?'' ''What's in an egg cream?'' ''How do you spell Chappaqua?'' Now, candidate Clinton has turned the tables, urging voters to prove their skill at Hillary esoterica.

Wide open cupboards
Every now and then in the battle to understand the opposite gender there are gulfs in the road too wide to cross.

Open Forum
Certainly, the most visible annual reminder of The Salvation Army comes each December, when bell ringers stationed outside grocery stores and shopping malls urge us to drop a donation into the familiar red kettles.

Much obliged
We don't get through a single month without the very extraordinary efforts of a large number of people. It's hard to single individuals out for special th

Dedicated funds - Dispatch Editorial
The sorry state caused by the Minnesota DNR's budget predicaments were bemoaned by many anglers and hunters as the 2000 legislative session got under way.

Spring's flower show is about to begin
"Like winds and sunsets, wild things were taken for granted until progress began to do away with them. Now we face the question whether a still higher "standard of living" is worth its cost in things natural, wild, and free.

The good 'ol days of tulibee fishing are right now
LEECH LAKE -- All winter you've been sitting on a five-gallon pail and staring at a motionless bobber in a hole in the ice. Occasionally the bobber moves, giving hope that perhaps there's actually a fish down there that finds your bait acceptable. But then it stops again and you're left sitting on a five-gallon pail and staring at a motionless bobber in a hole in the ice.

Muzzleloaders are dedicated to preserving past
MISSION TOWNSHIP -- In a grove of popple and birch trees north of Merrifield is a small log cabin with wood shingles, three windows and a front door so low any one over five feet tall must duck to enter. There's no electricity or plumbing and the only source of heat is an old wood stove. The cabin is so primitive in appearance that one can envision a trapper coming through the door with a bundle of pelts over his shoulder and a muzzleloader in his hand.

North Country calendar
March -- 1-31 -- Crow hunting season (first split)

Bear hunt applications available on April 1
Applications for the 2000 Minnesota black bear hunting season will be available April 1 at

Outdoor notes
Firearms safety training classes are scheduled to begin March 20 at 6 p.m. at the Moose Lodge in

Stay mobile this time of year
Winter is waning but late season ice fishing just keeps getting better. Walleyes and northerns are off limits, of course, so perch, tullibees, sunfish, and crappies are now the fish of choice. The best way to catch a mess of them is to keep your gear lean, mean and mobile. By doing so you will get in on the best action wherever it may be.

Bald eagle boom: A success story
In 1982, it was uncommon to see a bald eagle soaring above the pine and the lakes of east-central Minnesota.

This is my last hike for a while
To me this column meant I could write about almost anything. Those of us who live in the north country are very fortunate.

Pequot manages to earn ticket to state
HIBBING -- History almost repeated itself Friday night at the Hibbing Memorial Arena.

Weekly league leaders
THROUGH SUNDAY

Duluth East faces Blaine for AA crown
MINNEAPOLIS -- Nick Licari serves as the Duluth East Greyhounds' guide through the treacherous state tournament.

Lifters set record
A record 130 senior and junior high students from Brainerd participated in the 10th annual Sertoma Sunrise Warrior Liftathon on March 1-2 at the Brainerd High School weight room.

Area events Saturday
Boys Basketball

Volleyball plays a role in Pierz victory
ST. CLOUD -- The St. Cloud Cathedral Crusaders defeated the Pierz Pioneers in the Section 5AA volleyball finals last fall.

Brainerd becomes capital of state pee wee hockey
If participants in next weekend's Pee Wee A state hockey tournament at Brainerd Area Civic Center emulate anyone, they couldn't select better role models than Bill Baker and Neal Broten.

Tie-score emotions
These Pierz fans dressed in red and white from head to toe exploded with emotion once the Pioneers tied St. Cloud Cathedral 44-44 in their Section 6AA championship game Friday night in Halenbeck Hall at St. Cloud State University.

Bowling
KOHOUTEK 3-4

States sweat Web sales tax loss
WASHINGTON -- Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt spent much of last week in Washington touting his mother. He was proud that she had done all the Christmas shopping for her 29 grandchildren on the Internet.

Web Napster file trading has music industry crying foul
Imagine walking into a music store, handing over a list of hundreds of your favorite songs, and leaving with all of them -- without paying a cent.

Another look at that spreadsheet
We often neglect the unique power that computers give to normal people: total control over numbers. If you don't know how to use a search engine, you can still go to a library to look things up. Absent online retailers, you can still order from a catalog. I can guarantee you that not one person in 1,000 can calculate mortgage payments with a pencil and paper.

Online taxes: Who would collect?
WASHINGTON -- The debate currently raging over ''taxation of the Internet'' has been marked by more heat than light -- at least at the sound-bite level where much of our public policy discussion takes place.

Considering your AOLternatives
So what does the competition have to offer?

Getting Internet users up to speed
Anyone interested in getting high-speed Internet access is advised to do some homework and compare notes with current customers. Many people had to suffer a few headaches before getting connected, and it's wise to be aware of their experiences before you plunge in.

AOL: The online service people love to hate
Its customers sometimes still grumble about busy signals. Annoying ads that pop up after they sign on. Software that trashes their other Internet connections. And, it seems, a gadzillion other things.

Severe weather forecast in Southeast
A low pressure system pushing into the Southeast on Saturday was expected to bring showers and thunderstorms to the Southeast and Gulf states, with severe conditions such as heavy downpours and high winds forecast in some regions.

Brainerd forecast
Today -- Cloudy with a 50 percent chance of light snow. Highs 30 to 35. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph.

Around the nation
Albany,N.Y. 35 27 rn -- Albuquerque 53 27 clr -- Amarillo 49 29 cdy

It's still winter
Weather drawing by Ashli Meyer in the Baxter School third-grade class of Mrs. Pelto.

Engagement announced
Heather T. Thesing and Marine Pvt. 1st Class Steven E. Pribyl announce their engagement. Parents are Gregory and JoAnne Thesing, Fort Ripley, and Gary and Cindy Pribyl, Minneapolis. A September 2001 wedding is planned.

Brain lesions produce giggling fits
A baby's first laugh should bring only joy.

Early warning for osteoporosis may be underfoot
Unexplained fractures of the foot may provide a new means of detecting osteoporosis in its earliest stages, says researcher Rodney L. Tomczak of Ohio State University.

Engagement announced
Kaye Stensrude and

Wedding planned
Staci Barnes and Timothy Stangl announce their engagement. Parents are Deborah Stover, Brainerd, and Jeffery Barnes, Bloomington, and Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Stangl, Pierz. An April 8 wedding is planned in Pierz.

Volunteers of the Month
Name: Rhodie Halverson

Tips to move a bird
Dear Readers: Here is some invaluable information from the Humane Society that really comes in handy if you are transporting a bird by car to your vet during an emergency or even if you are moving to another town.

'Sexy' side of evolutionary psychology isn't
Life is better since evolutionary psychology came along.

Wedding planned
Joni Lynn Benson and Brett Steven Dailey announce their engagement. Parents are Dennis and Nancy Benson and Steven and Jeanne Dailey. An April 29 wedding is planned at Grace Lutheran Church of Sebeka.

Child in need
Make my day -- make your day -- make a child's day!

Updates on major health topics
PREGNANCY

Engagement announced
Carrie Blommel and Kip Drevlow announce their engagement. Parents are Allen and Charlet Blommel, Clarissa, and Doug Drevlow, Sauk Centre, and Cindy Drevlow, Long Prairie. A July 29 wedding is planned in Clarissa.

Volunteer activities
TRAIL SURVEYOR -- Volunteers are needed to distribute Paul Bunyan Trail Users Surveys along the trail during April and May. Four days per week (including weekends). One hour per day. Training provided. MN Extension Service. Kent Montgomery 824-1068 or RSVP 824-1345.

Wedding planned
Carla Dianne Willie and Steve Mills announce their engagement. Parent

So, your child has been accepted to college
NEW YORK -- Over the next month, as high school seniors receive acceptance letters from colleges, their parents will start crunching numbers, trying to figure out how to pay for four years of tuition, fees, books and living expenses.

What's doing
There will be a benefit brunch from 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. today at Iven's on the Bay for Greta Biersach

Stennett-Anderson
Prudence Stennett and Josh Anderson were married on Jan. 8, 2000, at the International Pentecostal City Mission Church of Los Angeles with Bishop Delrose L. Walters officiating.

Wedding planned
Kolbi Satter and Jesse Grant announce their engagement. Parents are Verna Satter, Wessington, S.D., and Jim and Nancy Grant, Baxter. An April 8 wedding is planned.

Boyfriend's family invitation will be opportunity to learn
DEAR ABBY: I am an inexperienced college student in need of relationship advice. I am involved with a wonderful man who attends the same college. We are deeply in love; however, our hometowns are on opposite sides of the country.