Saturday, May 6, 2000

On-the-job
Q: I worked overseas for five years doing business-skills training in Russia. I had to return to the United States because I contracted tuberculosis and couldn't get adequate medical care and follow-up there. My 10-month treatment has been a success, and I am healthy now.

Hunt Technologies in search of partner? Stay tuned
RENEE RICHARDSON

Barnes & Noble to buy Funco
MINNEAPOLIS -- Bookstore giant Barnes & Noble Inc. has agreed to buy electronic games retailer Funco Inc. for $161.5 million in cash, ending a bidding war for the Eden Prairie-based company.

United Way thinks local to get more results
LOS ANGELES -- The United Way is changing the way it does business, putting more money into communities and small projects that are calculated to improve people's day-to-day lives.

Business notes
Cheryal Lee Hills, Mid-Minnesota Builders Association, was recently selected as executive officer of the year for leadership at the Builder Association of Minnesota convention.

CDs and bonds looking better
NEW YORK -- With stock market volatility and higher interest rates, fixed-income investments such as bank certificates of deposit and bonds are starting to look more attractive to some investors.

What's the prescription for marker traders' anxieties?
BOSTON -- The Dow is falling and voices are rising at Adams, Harkness and Hill. Equity trading director Ben Marsh is shouting ''At 20 7/8, I'm a buyer!'' across the trading room floor.

Economic complacency precedes inflation
NEW YORK (AP) -- While the Federal Reserve has few clear signs of success in its yearlong attempt to slow the economy from a dash to a comfortable trot, it may at least be routing complacency.

Room to grow
AITKIN -- In October of 1999, Aitkin Iron Works began looking to the future.

ConAgra exec pushes food giant into overdrive
OMAHA, Neb. -- Only three months after he became CEO of ConAgra Inc., Bruce Rohde faced a crisis.

Computers, telecommunication companies projected to thrive this year
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The strong performance of information technology companies should keep the U.S. economy steaming ahead this year, the Commerce Department predicted Tuesday in its annual forecast of winners and losers in American business.

State's exports grew slightly in 1999
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Figures released Friday by the Minnesota Department of Trade and Economic Development show that manufactured exports grew 1 percent in 1999, to $9.2 billion.

Analyst ratings: When 'buy' means 'hold' and 'sell' means you're too late
NEW YORK -- With just one word -- buy, sell or hold -- a Wall Street analyst can change a company's fortune.

National Day of Prayer
The 48th annual National Day of Prayer brought together about 110 people in front of the Bataan Memorial, next to the Crow Wing County Courthouse, during Thursday's lunch hour.

Diocesan scandal leaves parishioners baffled, hurt, angry and without school
LAKEPORT, Calif. -- Hanging in the front office of Holy Family Elementary School, a polished brass plaque reads: ''First Catholic school in Lake County. Congratulations! Nov. 11, 1998.''

Good parents, great parents
Consider with me a few thoughts concerning the role of a family -- primarily moms and dads.

Dad can play peacemaker for strong-willed daughter, mom
QUESTION: My teen daughter, Cynthia, and I have incredible fights sometimes. No one has ever gotten to me in quite the way she can. We actually yell at each other when these battles are going on. How unusual is that kind of conflict between mothers and daughters? And is there hope for us?

Survey: Most religion news addressed politics, not faith
WASHINGTON (AP) -- National media coverage of religion doubled during the 1990s, but most of it addressed political issues rather than faith, spirituality or theology, a study says.

Churches
St. Blaine's Guild will meet 1 p.m. Thursday in Room 2 of the church; St

Agendas
Meets 9:30 a.m. Tuesday

Court
The following recently appeared in Crow Wing District Court:

Court
The following recently appeared in Crow Wing District Court:

Livestock
SOUTH ST. PAUL (AP) (USDA) -- Thursday cattle: 600.

Agendas
The Brainerd Economic Development Authority will meet at 8 a.m. Wednesday at city hall.

Court
WALKER -- The following recently appeared in Cass County Court:

Dissolutions
Bjerkness, Charles A. and Kari L.

Metals
NEW YORK (AP) -- Spot nonferrous metal prices Thursday.

Cash grain
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Wheat receipts Thursday 77, a year ago 71.

Accident
LAWLER -- The Aitkin County Sheriff's Department reported 13-year-old Marlin Vickstrom, rural Lawler, died Thursday after he fell from his family's vehicle.

Births
Cuyuna Regional Medical Center-Crosby

Franco, McCallister share Compaq Classic lead
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- With a spectacular 7-under-par run in a span of six holes, McCallister latched onto a share of the lead after the second round of the Compaq Classic.

Davies and Turner tied
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- With the iron shots Laura Davies is hitting, she has little need for her driver.

W-DC golf team takes Blueberry Pines
MENAHGA -- The Wadena-Deer Creek Wolverines boys' golf team cruised to an eight stroke win Thursday at Blueberry Pines in Menahga.

Stankowski beats wind
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The first day of the Compaq Classic was a breeze for Paul Stankowski.

Pierz girls take golf meet
KIMBALL -- Amber Sitzman of Pierz earned medalist honors with a round of 40 Friday and the Pioneer girls team finished first with a score of 184 in a Central Minnesota Conference meet on Friday.

Pequot Lakes golfer is medalist at Fergus invite
FERGUS FALLS -- Jackie Heslop of Pequot Lakes garnered medalist honors with a round of 78 Friday at the Fergus Falls Invitational.

Lundstrom closes strong for first-round lead
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- David Lundstrom never has trouble identifying the major weakness of his golf game. Fixing his poor putting is another matter.

Thalidomide again draws FDA fire, this time over promotion as cancer fighter
WASHINGTON -- The drug thalidomide has once again run afoul of the Food and Drug Administration, this time over the unapproved promotion of the medication as a cancer fighter.

Medical alert
WASHINGTON -- Many doctors are failing to adequately treat patients with high blood pressure because they still believe the top number in a person's blood pressure reading is less important than the lower figure, the National Institutes of Health says.

Support groups
Crisis Line-Referral Ser.

The tipping point in the war on teen smoking
An enormous public health campaign is being waged to prevent teens from smoking.

Drugmaker warns of deaths linked to breast cancer drug
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Pharmaceutical maker Genentech Inc. has warned doctors that the breast cancer drug Herceptin is linked to 15 deaths and 47 other adverse reactions in patients.

Health care and medical services
Blood Pressure Clinics

Child in need
I recently went to interview two brothers to be enrolled in Kinship Partners. I left their home saddened by what I encountered.

Risk factors affecting teen health
Although teens are adopting better health habits in some areas, key risk behaviors such as marijuana and tobacco use are on the rise.

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

Mouth clicks: Trying to eat responsibly
Trying to eat responsibly and willing to spend time at your computer in order to do it? The Department of Agriculture has a new Web site for you.

Home office
Many people are setting up home offices for their own businesses these days, while countless others are doing so to have a place to bring extra work home from the office.

Baxter woman paints murals on walls of her home
BAXTER --Combine regular house paint with imagination and talent and the result may be whimsical scenes and murals that transform interior walls.

Stay totally tuned in
So you weren't home for ''A Prairie Home Companion'' last weekend? You miss Jon Miller's baseball broadcasts? You'd like to ''return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear''? What's a radio fan to do?

Here's why sweet potatoes aren't yams
POUND RIDGE, N.Y. (AP) -- One thing about sweet potatoes: Purists don't call them yams, terming it a widespread misnomer. Another thing: They're very good for you. And third: Certain varieties grow easily in the North.

Housing briefs
Janie Lapka from RE/MAX Lakes Area Realty of Brainerd recently received her broker's license after passing the broker's test and attending 40 hours of the broker's course in St. Paul.

Tips for buyers
1. Shop early and often. Ask when the shop puts out new merchandise.

Find your dream house at the bookstore
Your dream house may begin on paper, at the bookstore:

Tips to help flush toilet
Question: My toilet suddenly started acting up. I either have to hold down the handle for 3 seconds before it flushes or snap it really quick to flush. Otherwise too little water flows to flush. What can I do?

Governor gearing up for fishing opener
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Gov. Jesse Ventura said Friday he's hoping for a big day during the governor's fishing opener on Crane Lake, saying his guide told him the walleyes will probably be biting.

Ventura is big winner in budget agreement
ST. PAUL -- Now that legislative leaders have reached an agreement that splits the budget surplus three ways, conference committees begin their work with a sense of urgency.

House sends public safety bill back
Happenings Thursday at the Minnesota Capitol:

Minneapolis library has plan to stop Internet porn use
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Minneapolis Public Library, under pressure from the public, its staff and city leaders, is attempting to stop patrons from using its library computers to view pornography on the Internet.

Jury finds Owatonna man guilty of murder
OWATONNA (AP) -- A prosecutor argued Charles Whitney Slabaugh be taken into immediate custody and sentenced to nearly 17 years in prison after a Steele County jury found him guilty of killing his wife and setting fire to the couple's home.

State to study Brainerd, Baxter annexation dispute
Brainerd's and Baxter's dispute over annexation of land east of Highway 371 is on its way to Minnesota Planning.

Former security guard sentenced to 20 years for attempted killing of boss
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- A former security guard was sentenced to the maximum 20 years in prison for shooting his ex-boss.

Moorhead man convicted in baby sitter's death
MOORHEAD (AP) -- A jury convicted Michael Gianakos early today in the 1997 killing of a baby sitter from Fargo, N.D.

Six longtime educators to retire from CLC
This will be the last graduation for six retiring Central Lakes College employees with 151 years of combined service to higher education in Minnesota.

E-mail threat sent to House members
ST. PAUL (AP) -- State police said today they won't arrest a man who sent threatening e-mail messages to some members of the Minnesota House of Representatives.

Rural housing shortage leaves migrant workers homeless
WILLMAR (AP) -- A group of migrant workers unable to find affordable housing has spent nearly a week sleeping in a parking lot.

Local briefs
Area child abuse prevention agencies in Crow Wing, Cass and Aitkin counties and organizations representing six other area counties received $92,734 in funds raised through CellularOne's "Santa Clause" promotion and "Radiothon to End Child Abuse," the annual December fund-raiser organized by WJJY/K101, Brainerd; KIKV, Alexandria; and KB101, Bemidji.

Kidnapper caught after woman left notes
FARGO, N.D. -- Desperate notes scrawled on a bathroom wall and a paper towel helped authorities find a Minnesota woman and her son who were allegedly forced by the woman's former boyfriend to go with him to Canada.

82-year-old volunteer serves as friend, mentor to Dilworth children
DILWORTH (AP) -- Four days a week, 82-year-old Margaret Severson helps Dilworth first-graders master the alphabet and learn to count, generously rewarding them with praise and soft, warm hugs.

Legislature looks toward end of session
ST. PAUL -- A three-way budget agreement in hand, lawmakers head into a whirlwind week that may be the last of the session.

MnSCU names interim executive director
ST. PAUL (AP) -- An interim executive director was appointed Friday to the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities board of trustees.

Prostate cancer victims find help
Reflecting on a full life of 78 years, Bud Burton has many stories to share.

Student-behavior tracking, MnSCU salaries covered by new laws
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Juvenile justice workers will have more access to student behavior records under a bill Gov. Jesse Ventura signed Friday.

Pets of the Week
Annie is a 1-year-old tan and white female dog. She has been spayed. She likes to play and is good with children.

Nasty 'love bug' sabotages computers
Several area businesses and home computer users have been struck with the so-called "computer love bug," the aggressive self-propagating computer virus that spread little love around offices Thursday.

Tax cut, budget plans outlined
Examples of vehicle registration fees for five years under the current structure and under a proposal outlined by Gov. Jesse Ventura.

Ventura trip to Mexico to focus on agriculture, technology
MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota leaders will try to expand an already growing presence in Mexico with a five-day trade trip this fall led by Gov. Jesse Ventura.

Board chair Sluss cites challenges county faces
It could have sounded like a campaign declaration, but Crow Wing County Chairman Terry Sluss said he was not ready to make that announcement one way or the other yet.

This was Brainerd
20 years ago (1980) - The possibility of separate incidents of arson is being probed in fires which destroyed a pig barn and gutted five units at a motel early this morning. Damage in those two fires totaled an estimated $80,000.

Wenzel says passage of K-12 aid bill will help area schools
Increased state aid to Brainerd and other schools facing financial shortfalls should be a first priority for funds from the budget surplus, Rep. Steve Wenzel, DFL-Little Falls, said last week as negotiations to wrap up the Minnesota legislative session continued.

Olson's lawyer to abandon case
LOS ANGELES -- A noted attorney, who has represented former Symbionese Liberation Army member Sara Jane Olson since her arrest, left the case because of illness Thursday and will be replaced by another nationally renowned defense lawyer.

NSP: Lack of nuclear waste storage site threatens Monticello plant
MONTICELLO (AP) -- If the nuclear industry and government can't find new ways to store radioactive waste by 2003, Northern States Power Co. says it may not renew the operational license for its Monticello nuclear plant.

Judge dismisses light rail lawsuit
ST. PAUL -- A Ramsey County District Court judge today dismissed a lawsuit filed by lawmakers against Gov. Jesse Ventura over a $548 million light rail project in Minneapolis.

This was Brainerd
May 7 -- 80 years ago (1920) -- All arrangements have been perfected for the opening of Lum Park on Friday evening with a big dance. All who have seen this beautiful spot will agree there is no finer in Northern Minnesota.

Ex-Wolves, Gophers coach dies
ROCHESTER (AP) -- Bill Musselman, the first coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, died early today from heart and kidney failure related to a liver disease, a Mayo Clinic spokesman said. He was 59.

Firefighters contain fire near BWCA
COOK (AP) -- Sooty, smoky mop-up work awaited crews today, after firefighters contained a wildfire that burned more than 1,000 acres just west of a vulnerable blow-down area in the popular Boundary Waters Canoe Area.

Spring twirl on a tire swing
Jacki Smith (left) and Brittany Fyock spent a summer-like Thursday night twirling on a tire swing at Garfield Elementary School. (Dispatch Photo by Clint Wood)

Clinton stops for lunch in Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- President Clinton found a little Southern cooking in Minneapolis.

Philippine troops find headless bodies
TALIPAO, Philippines -- Philippine troops found two headless bodies Saturday near the former stronghold of a group of Muslim rebels, indicating the rebels were telling the truth when they claimed to have beheaded two hostages, an official said.

U.N. peacekeepers seized in Sierra Leone
UNITED NATIONS -- Secretary-General Kofi Annan is rounding up African leaders to exert pressure on Sierra Leone rebels to release at least 92 U.N. peacekeepers and civilians they have taken hostage over several days of clashes. At the same time, Annan said Thursday the United Nations was seeking to mobilize a rapid-reaction force to move into Sierra Leone to reinforce the 8,700-member U.N. mission that has come under attack by rebels of the Revolutionary United Front. The United States, Britain and France have been approached, but so far none have committed any troops or logistical help, Annan said. Britain and the United States both ruled out any ground troops on Thursday. ''Ideally one would want to see a rapid-reaction force go in to assist,'' Annan said. ''But this can only happen if those with capacity are prepared to offer.'' The U.N. peacekeeping force for Sierra Leone was dispatched in January to oversee a cease-fire and peace agreement to end an eight-year civil war in which the rebels killed thousands and tortured and maimed tens of thousands more. Beginning Monday, RUF rebels began seizing U.N. staff in three towns -- Makeni and Magburaka in central Sierra Leone and Kailahun in the east -- just as a Nigerian-led regional intervention force was pulling its last troops out of the country. The initial clashes began after the United Nations refused to hand over 10 rebel fighters who had come to a U.N. disarmament center to turn in their weapons. Rebel leader Foday Sankoh denied Thursday that his troops were holding any U.N. hostages. The United Nations on Thursday scaled down its estimated death toll of seven peacekeepers killed to four missing and presumed dead, spokeswoman Marie Okabe said. They were believed to be from the Kenyan battalion. At least 92 U.N. peacekeepers, unarmed observers and civilians have been detained since Monday, including a 23-man contingent of Indian peacekeepers that was surrounded Thursday by RUF rebels in Kuiva, near Kailahun, Okabe said. Annan said he had spoken with the leaders of Nigeria, Mali, Liberia, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Togo and Libya, hoping they could use their influence with Sankoh to persuade him to call an end to the attacks. The Security Council again condemned the attacks on the U.N. mission.

President hopes to cut listeria outbreaks
WASHINGTON -- President Clinton announced steps Saturday to reduce outbreaks of a deadly foodborne pathogen, including a requirement that processors systematically test their plants for the listeria bacterium.

Government proposes overhaul of air bag safety standards
WASHINGTON -- Children and small women will be better protected from inflating air bags, Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater says of an overhaul of the federal government's air bag standards.

Community mystified by latest Columbine tragedy
LITTLETON, Colo. -- Five Columbine High basketball players gathered on a home patio court to shoot hoops as they struggled to grasp why their close friend and teammate committed suicide.

Leftist outsider is London's first elected mayor
LONDON -- Leftist ''Red Ken'' Livingstone became London's first elected mayor today, exploiting his popular image as a cheeky outsider by capitalizing on Prime Minister Tony Blair's efforts to thwart his candidacy.

Planetary alignment arrives with a big yawn
LOS ANGELES -- The sun, the moon and five of the planets marched right into perfect formation, just as the doomsday prophets had said they would. But the world didn't end.

Former White House lawyer denies coverup in e-mail issue
WASHINGTON -- Former White House counsel Charles F.C. Ruff acknowledged Thursday that he failed to pursue an e-mail breakdown vigorously enough to insure compliance with subpoenas covering the messages, but he emphatically denied there was a coverup.

Asian nations agree to currency plan
CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- Thirteen Asian nations agreed Saturday to support each other's currencies to contain any future economic crisis like the one that devastated the region in 1997 and 1998.

Marine band vocalist has sung for his last president
WASHINGTON -- Don Quixote wore a suit of rusty armor, but he'll don the scarlet-and-blue dress uniform of the U.S. Marines when Master Gunnery Sgt. Michael Ryan does his farewell performance after 30 years entertaining seven presidents and more than 2,000 public concerts.

National briefs
ATLANTA (AP) -- The millions of lottery players who lined up at convenience stores, drove across state lines and joined office pools for a shot at instant riches in the $230 million Big Game jackpot will have yet another chance to do it all again.

Jobless rate falls to 3.9 percent in April
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The surging economy pushed the nation's unemployment rate down to a three-decade low of 3.9 percent in April as 340,000 workers found jobs. The jobless rates for blacks and Hispanics plunged to record monthly lows.

Mourners say farewell to Cardinal O'Connor
NEW YORK -- During his 16 years in New York, Cardinal John O'Connor was at the altar in St. Patrick's Cathedral for an assortment of funerals and memorial services: for city heroes, for New York Yankee great Joe DiMaggio, for the victims of TWA Flight 800 and Swissair Flight 111.

Emissaries say 21 Philippine hostages alive
JOLO, Philippines -- All 21 hostages kidnapped by Muslim rebels from a diving resort were alive and being held in a single location outside a military encirclement, sources close to the negotiators said today.

Justice Department conducting criminal probe in former CIA director case
WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department is conducting a new criminal investigation of whether former CIA director John Deutch violated the law in mishandling secrets on his home computer, officials say.

Mom sues Burger King over tot's Poke Ball death
LOS ANGELES -- The mother of a toddler who was suffocated by a promotional Pokemon toy from Burger King filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the fast-food chain, the toymaker and a safety-testing company Thursday in Los Angeles.

U.N. response to Sierra Leone crisis may determine its future in Africa
UNITED NATIONS -- For the United Nations, there is more at stake in its handling of the current crisis in Sierra Leone than the freedom of peacekeepers being detained there by rebels.

Guerrillas launch second day of rocket attacks in Israel1
KIRYAT SHEMONA, Israel -- Children playing soccer and adults buying bread scattered in panic today as Lebanese guerrillas fired rockets for a second day at this Israeli border city, where people had just emerged from a night in the bomb shelters.

Bush on defensive over charge that he's too chummy with NRA
MISSION VIEJO, Calif. -- George W. Bush was forced Thursday to defend himself against charges that he would be in the pocket of the National Rifle Association, and declared that ''I'll make the decisions as to what goes on in the White House. I'll make it clear what my positions are.''

Guilty pleas arranged in 6-year-old's school shooting death
FLINT, Mich. (AP) -- Three men accused of possessing stolen guns, including the one a first-grade boy allegedly used to shoot a classmate, have agreed to plead guilty to federal firearms charges, authorities say.

New heartbreak at Columbine: Students reeling from basketball star's suicide
LITTLETON, Colo. (AP) -- A star member of the Columbine High School basketball team who witnessed last year's shooting rampage committed suicide, hanging himself at his home.

IRA says it will soon begin disarming
BELFAST, Northern Ireland -- The Irish Republican Army announced Saturday it will soon begin disarming -- a hugely significant and long-awaited breakthrough in the effort to revive the Northern Ireland peace process.

Tigers beat Twins in 11th inning
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Bob Melvin thinks the Detroit Tigers are on to something.

So much to think about at Derby
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- So much to think about, so little time.

This Kentucky Derby could be a Woide-Open affair
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- If anything is more abundant than bourbon and tobacco in Kentucky it is the optimism that exudes from those with horses entered in Saturday's 126th Kentucky Derby.

Underwood taking small steps
IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Sprawled across a navy blue sofa, Dimitrius Underwood doesn't have a care in the world.

Drivers moving to faster class at NCMS
Several racers at North Central Motor Speedway, which opens its 42nd season on Saturday night, have moved up to the next faster class over the years.

Blazers mourn death of Musselman
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- They sat listless in the front rows of the Rose Garden, grudgingly rising to go through a halfhearted practice. Their coach did all he could to fight back tears.

Miller paces Indiana
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Playoff heroics are nothing new for Reggie Miller. This year, they came earlier than usual.

Johnson shows heat on mound and plate
On the mound, Randy Johnson showed off his 100 mph heat. At the plate, he got pretty steamed, too.

Rangers overcome eight-run deficit
A five-run deficit meant nothing to Texas. And an eight-run lead wasn't good enough for Oakland.

National sports briefs
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- Sophomore Schea Cotton, who led Alabama in scoring during his only season there, will enter the NBA draft.

Utah advances in NBA playoffs
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- When Utah won convincingly in the first two games against Seattle, it seemed no stretch to think the Jazz would make short work of the SuperSonics.

Tyson makes it clear he wants Lennox Lewis
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Mike Tyson toweled his head off and then shook a finger to make his point. The only thing missing in the steamy gym was Lennox Lewis to receive it.

Lukas shooting for Derby win No. 5
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- When you've won four Kentucky Derbys like D. Wayne Lukas has, you have every reason to beam with confidence.

NFL Hall of Famer establishes foundation in daughter's name
ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) -- On a family trip to Florida, Tracey Biletnikoff told her father she planned to break up with her boyfriend. He was too stifling, she said, calling all the time and complaining when he couldn't track her down.

Flyers win in 5 OT periods
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Philadelphia Flyers needed 2 1/2 games to get one victory.

Return to reality
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The real Los Angeles Lakers returned to form, and the upset-minded Sacramento Kings never stood a chance.

A look at the NBA second round
Matchups in the second round of the NBA playoffs:

Forsberg's goal helps Colorado Avalanche oust Detroit Red Wings
DENVER (AP) -- So much for depth perception.

Second game with catcher's interference plays factor asTwins lose
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- An umpire told rookie catcher Matt LeCroy he might get more calls if he scooted up some, and he was absolutely right.

Shaquille O'Neal needs title that's not MVP
LOS ANGELES -- The chant has been the same for a couple of months now.

Joanne T. Hayes
Joanne T. Hayes, 70, Brainerd, died Thursday, May 4, 2000, at her home.

Bertha I. Davis
MONTICELLO -- Bertha I. Davis, 85, Monticello, died Wednesday, May 3, 2000, at the Monticello Nursing Home.

Lenora A. Doble
VADNAIS HEIGHTS -- Lenora A. Schroeder Pearson Doble, 80, Vadnais Heights, died Thursday, May 4, 2000, at St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul.

Regina Fleming
LITTLE FALLS --Regina Fleming, 89, Little Falls, died Wednesday, May 3, 2000, at the Lutheran Care Center of Little Falls.

Gilman Homme
PINE RIVER --Gilman Homme, 90, Pine River, died Wednesday, May 3, 2000, at the Country Care Home in Pequot Lakes.

Open Forum
I am disappointed that the local book book store recently closed. It was a place where kids could sit and read. It was one of my favorite stores.

Life without Regis
WASHINGTON--It's as close to a national emergency as you can get in the post-Cold War world: Regis blackout.

A new arts group - Dispatch Editoirial
This summer won't be much of a vacation for people immersed in an outgrowth of the Blandin Community Investment Partnership. Members of the Blandin Cultural Arts Steering Committee will try to turn months and months of discussion into concrete action.

Abortion - Dispatch Editorial
Want to cast a pall on a discussion among friends? Bring up the topic of abortion. No other nationwide issue has been as divisive and as emotional over a long period of time as that topic.

Loving thy neighbor's lawn
Grass.

It's all relative
As someone who has lots of ''Miami relatives,'' I was perplexed last week to see these two words go down in history with a new and pejorative meaning.

Low-income housing needs should be recognized
The problems faced by the residents of the Lakeview Mobile Home Park demonstrate in a very visible way what many residents of the Brainerd area face on a regular basis in their search for adequate low-income housing. The shortage of affordable housing is profound. Prospective residents may spend between 8 to 12 months on a waiting list for Section 8 housing, which as of 4/24/00 numbered 389. Actions reducing the number of housing units serving primarily low income people, such as the closing of the Lakeview Mobile Home Park, adds to an already crowded pool of people seeking low-income housing.

Open Forum
It seems to me all this fighting and arguing between our cities is just dividing us more and more. Maybe Baxter should annex Brainerd and we can call this the Baxter lakes area. No I have a better idea, the Unorganized area should annex Baxter and Brainerd and we can call it the Disorganized lakes area.

North Country Calendar
1-31 -- Arbor Month

Ever-present dandelion has many virtues
Before I see my rosy-cheeked Mariah, her cheery voice sounds. "Mom, mom -- I've got something for you," she says as she rushes into my office. Proudly she thrusts toward my face a collection of short-stemmed dandelions clutched tightly in her 6-year-old hand.

Wedding planned
Heidi Buck and Dale Plasek announce their engagement. Parents are Rollin and Linda Buck, Brainerd, and John and Margaret Plasek, Hinckley. A spring wedding is planned.

Wedding planned
Tracy Shaw and Rick Wallin announce their engagement. Parents are Larry and Judy Shaw, Pillager, and Charles and Gloria Benzie, Pillager, and Dale Wallin, Pequot Lakes. A June 17 wedding is planned at Christ Community Church of Nisswa.

25th anniversary
Richard and Eileen Leino will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary Wednesday. They were married in 1975.

Knapper-Timm
Alice Knapper and Kevin Timm were married April 17, 2000, at Spirit of Hope United Methodist Church of Golden Valley with the Rev. Cliff Kessen, Tigerton, Wis., and the Rev. Tim Thorstenson, Minneapolis, officiating.

Engagement announced
Cindi Zeien and Ronald Cartwright announce their engagement.

Wedding planned
Casie Schackman and Chad Tighe announce their engagement. Parents are Tracy Schackman, Walker, and Tom Schackman, LaPorte, and Carol Tighe and Gary Tighe, both of Owatonna. A May 20 wedding is planned at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Nisswa.

Wedding planned
Kyla Kelly and Blaine Joerger announce their engagement. Parents are Mark and Kathy Kelly, Staples, and Joe and Cindy Joerger, and Sue Joerger, all of Staples. A June 10 wedding is planned in Staples.

Wedding planned
Chaycie Jo Aylward and Jason Jerome Kramer announce their engagement.

Wedding planned
Sarah Moser and Jamie Rubel announce their engagement. Parents are Mary and Larry Moser, Pequot Lakes, and Teri and Ken Rubel, Staples. An Aug. 12 wedding is planned at St. Francis Catholic Church.

Wedding planned
Heather Fortune and Severin Neumann announce their engagement. Parents are Karl and Wanda Fortune, Kodiak, Alaska, and Tate and Arlean Neumann, Pequot Lakes. A May 26 wedding is planned at the Tate and Arlean Neumann residence.

Engagement announced
Katy Caughey and Dana Blume announce their engagement. Parents are Bruce and Rosanne Caughey, Fort Ripley, and Dale and Debbie Blume, Norcross. A July 8 wedding is planned at St. Mathias Catholic Church near Fort Ripley.

Lovsted-Olson
Laura Ann Lovsted and Gary Lee Olson were married March 25, 2000, at Chapel of the Fountain, Las Vegas, Nev., with Philip York officiating.

Wedding planned
Tana Solarz and Jesse Johnson announce their engagement.

Wedding planned
Lori Sher-rod and Craig Petersen announce their engagement.

40th anniversary
Larry and Suzanne Sundquist recently celebrated their 40th anniversary at their home.

Rusty Wallace wins pole for Pontiac 400
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Even after blowing the doors off every one that preceded him in qualifying, Mike Skinner knew the sky was moving Rusty Wallace's way.

Patriots softball team also defeats Pine River-Backus
PINE RIVER -- The Pequot Lakes Patriots collected 12 hits Friday en route to a 16-0 Park Region Conference victory over the Pine River-Backus Tigers.

Brainerd tennis team falls to Alexandria
ALEXANDRIA -- The Alexandria Cardinals won two out of three doubles matches to edge the Brainerd Warriors 4-3 in Central Lakes Conference action on Friday.

Take me out to the ball game
Becki Wagner (center) of the Central Lakes College Raiders softball team bit her thumb after a teammate was thrown out at second base during the Raiders' first game in a doubleheader against North Community College on Thursday.

Cardinals win S-M Invitational
STAPLES -- The Staples-Motley boys track team won nine individual events and two relays to claim first place at the Staples-Motley Invitational Thursday.

Pierz girls place 4th
KIMBALL -- Amber Sitzman shot an 84 Thursday and led the Pierz Pioneers to a fourth-place finish in the Kimball Invitational in girls golf.

Warrior JV netters lose to LF
The Brainerd Warriors junior varsity tennis team lost 6-2 to the Little Falls Flyers Thursday.

Bohn shows he's on road to recovery
Tennis is a hard enough sport but add playing with mono and it might be the hardest.

All-Century baseball team to be honored
Among them is a pitcher enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, N.Y.

Local sports briefs
Fort Ripley smelt fry Friday

Scoreboard
High School Baseball

Warrior girls still looking for offense
The Brainerd Warriors softball team's hitting problems continued Thursday in a 2-0 loss to Central Lakes Conference rival Sartell.

PR-B boys golfers win
BAY LAKE -- Logan Sasse shot a round of 38 to help the Pine River-Backus Tigers claim first place with team score of 206 in a Mid-Minn East boys' golf meet Thursday at Ruttger's.

Big bat
In the second game of a doubleheader sweep of North Hennepin Thursday, Central Lakes College freshman Becki Wagner swung at a pitch which was as high as her shoulders.

Warriors topple Sartell
SARTELL -- Chris Macy was 3-for-5 with three RBI and one run scored Thursday to lead the Brainerd Warriors baseball team to a 11-7 Central Lakes Conference win over the Sartell Sabres.

Coach enjoys competing in Brainerd invitational
A win or a loss was not the most important thing on the mind of Minneapolis Patrick Henry coach Dave Wicker Friday night.

S-M sweeps C-I
STAPLES -- Thanks to solid pitching by Amanda Noska and Sarah Berg, the Staples-Motley Cardinals swept the Crosby-Ironton Rangers in a Mid State Conference doubleheader Thursday in area girls softball.

Rangers take a doubleheader from Staple-Motley
CROSBY -- The Crosby-Ironton Rangers swept the Staples-Motley Cardinals by scores of 7-6 and 7-3 in a Mid State Conference doubleheader Thursday in area high school baseball.

Brainerd records win in weekend baseball tourney
The Brainerd Warriors baseball team took a vacation this weekend.

Raiders bounce back with sweep
Sometimes it is Central Lakes College softball coach Dennis Eastman's job to jump start his team's offense when it stalls.

Pitching leads PL Patriots over Tigers
PEQUOT LAKES -- Mike Langer pitched a complete game and struck out four batters Friday to help the Pequot Lakes Patriots defeat the Pine River-Backus Tigers 9-0 in Park Region Conference play.

Home users facing security fears
In the last few months, as cable and DSL modems have spread, I've been hearing from increasing numbers of readers who are concerned about the security of their computers.

Six of top 10 highest paid chief executives head computer firms
NEW YORK (AP) -- Six of the nation's 10 highest paid chief executives work for high-tech firms, according to Forbes magazine.

E-mail virus carried what may be clues to its origin
The maker of what is perhaps the most destructive computer virus ever left clues within that seem almost too helpful. Buried in the code of the ''LOVELETTER'' are e-mail addresses and the name of a city: Manila, the Philippines.

Cameras move everyday photography into the digital age
If you've ever wanted to say goodbye to photo finishers who lose your film, print pictures with pale-green skin tones, or scratch your negatives, now is the time.

Appleworks 6 proves to be a major upgrade
Apple's long-awaited update to the popular Appleworks productivity suite has arrived, and one thing is certain: This is a major upgrade.

Stopping cybersnoops with physics
Researchers are reporting encouraging progress in experiments to develop an unbreakable computer code that harnesses the unpredictable realm of quantum physics.

Microsoft, EA Sports step up to the plate
Hey slugger, ready to hit the digital diamond?

Increase in fraud in online auctions attracting attention
As online auctions have soared, so has the fraud. While Web site safeguards vary, consumers can reduce their risks by following some basic guidelines.

Brainerd forecast
Today -- Partly sunny. Highs upper 70s. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph becoming north around 10 mph.

Get ready for opener
Weather drawing by Ryan Salfer in the Lowell School first-grade class of Sharon Jendro.

Record heat hits state
Summer-like heat sent the thermometer soaring in Minnesota on Friday, with some cities setting records.

Around the world
Amsterdam 74 48 cdy

Around the nation
Albany,N.Y. 79 61 cdy, Albuquerque 89 57 clr, Amarillo 83 57 clr

Start planting
Weather drawing by Sara Parsons of Mrs. Pelto's third grade class at Baxter school.

Around the nation
Albany,N.Y. 74 57 cdy

Brainerd forecast
Tonight...Partly cloudy. Lows near 60. South wind 10 to 20 mph.

Clouds, thunderstorms expected
A frontal system hovering over the Great Lakes and New England on Saturday was expected to bring showers, thunderstorms and possible wind gusts over 40 mph to the area.

What's doing
Florence Rebekah Lodge No. 111 recently met for a social meeting with an Easter party and program. Eva Young, secretary of the lodge for 17 years, was recognized and honored for her many years of dedicated service to the lodge.

Teens with good information make good choices about sex
DEAR ABBY: I'd like to comment on a letter you reprinted from a mother who taught her 13-year-old daughter about sex, sexually transmitted diseases and the various forms of birth control. As a result, perhaps she helped her daughter prevent an unwanted pregnancy or disease. Your response was that ''every daughter should have a mother like you!''

Names and faces
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) -- When his St. Louis Rams misbehaved, coach Dick Vermeil knew just how to deal with it. He threatened to tell their wives.

School lunch menus
MONDAY -- B-Poptart, cheese slice or yogurt, juice. L-Taco salad or tacos, soft pretzel, corn, pineapple chunks.

Organizations
Brainerd Jaycees

What's doing
North-South: Sandy Chase and Gordon Becker, 109; Clayton

Much obliged
The 2000 tax-filing season is complete and we would like to take this opportunity to thank the following RSVP/AARP Volunteer Tax Aides for their untiring efforts and assistance to the many persons seeking help with their federal and state tax forms.

For Mother's Day, offer gift of healthier life
DEAR ABBY: Another holiday is approaching, and the same old question is echoing across the country: What to buy for Mother's Day? The ''usual'' gifts, such as flowers, Sunday brunch and a card, are nice. Yet these gifts are common. Let me suggest another option: the gift of a healthier life.