Saturday, September 2, 2000

Back to school hardly rates passing grade for retailers
The start of school failed to loosen the purse strings in many U.S. households last month, meaning a disappointing drop in August sales for most clothing sellers and only modest sales increases for much of the rest of the retail industry.

Tower Motors hopes others copy its efforts
Businesses along Washington Street in north Brainerd are getting a face lift and room for expansion.

Who has the best job?
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) -- Looking for a good job? Manage money instead of modems.

At Ford, defending quality is Job 1
Ford Motor Co. raced into 2000 in high gear, powered by its popular sport-utility vehicles and other top-selling models, a string of newly acquired luxury-car makers such as Volvo and a brash chief executive who's shaking up the company that invented the assembly line.

August rally raises the temperature in cool investing summer
NEW YORK -- After staying cool for most of the summer, the stock market finally heated up in August.

Around the watercooler
TECHNOLOGY'S CHILDREN: Not only do children generally seem more comfortable with new technology than their parents are, a new survey suggests households with kids are characteristically more high-tech.

Area takes its chance to support lottery
No one can accuse Brainerd area residents of not having a dream in their hearts when they fork over a dollar for that lottery ticket.

SOCKING IT AWAY, SOMEHOW
In the era of IPOs and dot-coms and 1,000 percent returns, old-fashioned saving seems a bit out of date -- quaint, s-o-o-o 20th century.

Business notes
BAXER -- Mike Bentler and Casie Hines recently joined the In-Fisherman staff.

Vanguard's founder casts vote on federal retirement program
NEW YORK (AP) -- Ever the iconoclast, Vanguard Group founder John Bogle has developed his own unique plan for saving the Social Security system.

Slow tech development could hurt global economy
A failure by key countries to develop technologically could stall world economic expansion, according to a new report that evaluates 42 nations based on their capacity to participate in the global digital economy.

Five steps toward financial peace of mind
There's little question our financial lives are getting more complicated -- so much so that many people hate to even think about their money and bills, for fear of being overwhelmed.

Jewelry designed to keep bugs away without putting repellent on skin
EDINA -- Soldiers in ancient Egypt wore scarab beetles into battle, hoping the magical powers of the dung beetles would protect them.

Heaven would be amazed
Ephesians 2:13, 14 "But now Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall." NASB

Erickson fulfills that role at Salem Lutheran in Deerwood
DEERWOOD -- One of the spiritual amenities Salem Lutheran Church in Deerwood offers its parishioners -- and the community, for that matter -- is a diverse and multi-skilled ministry team.

Strong-willed kids insist parents earn right to lead them
QUESTION: I need more help in understanding how to interpret childish behavior. My problem is that I don't know how to react when my son, Chris, annoys me. I'm sure there are many minor infractions that a parent should just ignore or overlook. At other times, immediate discipline is necessary. But I'm not sure I'll react in the right way on the spur of the moment.

Who were the 'brothers and sisters' in Jesus' family?
Mention "Holy Family" and we immediately think of Mary, Joseph and Jesus. But in fact Jesus was raised in a boisterous household with four other boys and two or more girls.

Churches
GUMYs at Park United Methodist Church will kick off their fall activities with a pizza party at 6 p.m. Wednesday for all second- through fifth-grade youths of the church.

Spiritualist community offers path to 'inner peace'
LILY DALE, N.Y. -- Maybe it's the drive past farms and along the wooded shores of a quiet lake. Or maybe it's passing through a gate into a cozy community of 19th century gingerbread-like houses and streets not widened since their horse and buggy beginnings.

School menus
BRAINERD

Crow Wing Court
Kevin Michael Anderson, 19, 571 Cypress Drive S. No. 2, was sentenced for felony third-degree aiding a burglary to 60 days jail, placed on three years supervised probation and fined $50.

Accidents
ONAMIA -- Lalita Merrill, 14, Brainerd, was hit by a vehicle at 7:54 p.m. Friday on Highway 169 in Mille Lacs County near the entrance to Grand Casino in Onamia, reported the State Patrol.

State legislators' addresses
Area legislators and how to contact them.

Births
Robert and Nicole (Boss) Smude, Brainerd, a boy, Bailey Robert, 8 pound, 6 ounces, Aug. 10, 2000. Grandparents are Pam and Greg Peeters, Alex and Anne Smude Jr. and Dan Larson.

Brainerd Public Schools bus routes
SOUTH BRAINERD CITY BUS ROUTE

Crime
BURGLARY -- Ronald Dick, Nisswa, reported someone broke into his garage.

Agendas
Meets 8:30 a.m. Tuesday

Courts
The following recently appeared in Crow Wing District Court:

Livestock
SOUTH ST. PAUL (AP) (USDA) -- Friday cattle: 200

Cash grain
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Wheat receipts Friday 288, a year ago 254.

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

Raider golfers win second straight meet
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Central Lakes College Raiders men's team won its second straight golf tournament in two days, this time with a team score of 314 Thursday at the Wirth Golf Course.

Parnevik leads Air Canada
SURREY, British Columbia (AP) -- Jesper Parnevik, recovering from a hip injury, shot a 6-under-par 65 on Friday to take a one-stroke lead in the Air Canada Championship.

Meschke, Heslop compete in junior golf championship
PEQUOT LAKES -- They may not have shot their best rounds but the experience will motivate them for years.

Health care and medical services
Blood Pressure Clinics

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

Study suggests new drug could help stubborn asthma
FLORENCE, Italy -- A study suggests that an experimental drug could halve the number of asthma attacks suffered by people whose condition isn't well controlled with current treatment -- about 15 percent of all asthma patients, a researcher said.

Study: Teens experimenting with pot, but fewer have drug habits
WASHINGTON -- Illegal drug use continues to drop among young teens, according to the government's latest annual survey, but they are still experimenting with marijuana in numbers not seen since the late 1970s.

Oh, if she had not had children
What would I have done with all those hours, had I not been raising children?

Support groups
Crisis Line-Referral Ser.

How wives' actions affect husbands' health
This newspaper headline certainly caught my eye: "Working wives have ill effect on husbands' health."

Leakproof flashing around chimneys is key
My firm gets more calls about leaks around chimneys than about any other problem.

Design J-28 boasts cozy design
Design J-28, a cottage-style home with a steeply-pitched roof and reverse gables, illustrates how a roof can create a cozy look. See how the roof wraps Design J-28 and dips low to the ground around the front door? We associate that look -- from a very young age -- with comfort and security.

Fast company
The Talon Chair, made of carbon fiber, is following in the speedy wake of the 1995 America's Cup winning yacht Black Magic 1 of New Zealand and the Ferrari F50, both of which are made of the revolutionary material.

Habitat's 'Building on Faith Week' comes to lakes area
The Lakes Area Habitat for Humanity affiliate is sponsoring the first area "Building on Faith Week" Sept. 10-18. This event is a "blitz build," which calls upon many people from area churches, community organizations, building professions and others to erect the major parts of a house in one week.

Gardening with bulbs program set in Pine River
PINE RIVER -- Special care is required when planting, digging, dividing and storing bulbs.

Design a work space that meets all your needs
Ideas from quilter Sue Pierce of Rockville, Md., provide a starting point for designing your own work space at home:

Three options exist to fix sloping concrete walkway
Question: The concrete walk in the corner of our L-shaped house has settled to a slope of 3 or 4 inches. The slope causes rain water to seep into the crawl space. Can we top this walk with a thin layer of concrete, or will it crumble?

Summer blooming shrubs are in their glory
Even after a colorful summer of roses, marigolds and zinnias, shrubs that flower in late summer are still a treat.

Choices are limitless to cover your floors, walls, furniture
Cover the floors, walls and furniture, softly:

You can add dishwasher to already crowded kitchen
Of all the rooms in your home, your kitchen is probably the most space hungry, while at the same time being the most difficult to modify. And, adding a new major component to an already crowded kitchen may seem like an impossibility.

Program targets first-time homebuyers
More people should have access to home ownership with a new program in the lakes area.

Cloquet may be next to enact smoking ban
CLOQUET (AP) -- This northern Minnesota city could be the latest to enact a ban on smoking in certain public places like restaurants, bowling alleys and pool halls.

Eight sets of mothers, daughters are nurses
Jocelyn O'Dash remembers standing on the corner of South Sixth Street when she was 7, waving to her mother Sharon Manion, then a critical care nurse, as she rode by in an ambulance with its lights flashing and siren wailing, racing to St. Cloud Hospital or the Twin Cities with a patient.

Proposal would link shelters via Internet
ST. PAUL (AP) -- One call. That's all it should take for a woman to get out of an abusive home, Sen. Paul Wellstone said Thursday in announcing legislation that would link battered women's shelters throughout the country.

This was Brainerd
SEPTEMBER 1 - 60 years ago (1940) - An estimated 5,000 people watched the fireworks display at Roosevelt Field last night to climax one of the largest Labor Day celebrations ever held here yesterday. The celebration started with the nearly two-mile long parade at 10 o'clock.

State labor force shrinks as employees go back to school
As school begins across the state, employers lose an army of high school and college students who joined the work force for just a few months.

Gram's aide's computer seized
ANOKA (AP) -- Anoka County deputies seized the computer of a top aide to Republican Sen. Rod Grams as part of an investigation into negative e-mails sent about one of his potential challengers in the fall election.

Building damage assessed after storm
Brainerd still is being cleaned up after straight-line winds ripped through the town Thursday morning.

Tobacco survey shows use among state teens leveling off
ST. PAUL (AP) -- The latest snapshot of youth tobacco use in Minnesota brought mixed news to anti-smoking forces, who learned Thursday that teen use has leveled off even though underage access to cigarettes remains a problem.

Most districts target 2004 for Profile
ST. PAUL -- More than half of Minnesota's school districts promise to be up to full speed on the Profile of Learning by the time this year's freshmen graduate, the state education department reported Friday.

Local brief
STAPLES -- The Region 5 board will meet at 9 a.m. Sept. 14 in the Region 5 office in Staples.

This land is your land
Voters and elected officials will decide public land management issues.

This was Brainerd
September 3 - 30 years ago (1970) - The Brainerd State Junior College Red Raider football team has been revived after a 14-year lapse. Paul Belgum, line coach; Don Thompson, head coach; Bob Johnson, backfield coach and Terry Larson, Athletic Director.

Lightning strikes Minnesota men's vehicle
GRANDIN, N.D. (AP) -- Two Minnesota men say they feel lucky to be alive after lightning struck their sport utility vehicle while they were driving on Interstate 29 during a thunderstorm.

State briefs
ST. PAUL (AP) -- The World Wrestling Federation wants to tap Gov. Jesse Ventura's political prowess for a presidential forum it is trying to organize.

Farmers want more attention on ag policy
FALCON HEIGHTS -- A group of farmers gathered Friday at the Minnesota State Fair to launch a petition they hope will spur more discussion of agricultural issues during the fall campaign.

Local briefs
The Thirty Lakes Watershed Board added Duane Blanck as a member of the advisory board.

Regional briefs
Chip Jacobs, Duluth, jumped a wave and took to the air over Lake Superior on Friday near Park Point in Duluth. WInds were gusting up to 42 mph, creating ideal conditions for wind surfers. (AP Photo)

Brainerd officer attacked at library
A Brainerd man was arrested Thursday after assaulting a Brainerd police officer with a screwdriver at the Brainerd Public Library, according to Brainerd police.

Running for the melon
Crosby-Ironton cross country runner Joe Radinovich bit into his slice of watermelon after the annual "Run for your Melon" cross country meet Thursday at the Northland Arboretum.

Truck runs over, kills state trooper along I-90
LEWISTON (AP) -- Theodore Foss, a corporal with the Minnesota State Patrol, died while trying to keep the highways safe.

It doesn't look like Brainerd will need to raise tax rate
The proposed 2001 budget for the city of Brainerd is expected to increase $272,000 -- an increase of 2.8 percent from 2000 -- and the city's tax rate of 35 percent will not be increased.

Most Indians haven't benefited from casino boom
PEACH SPRINGS, Ariz. -- When American Indians began embracing gambling as an economic development tool in the 1990s, the Hualapai tribe in northern Arizona moved quickly to open a casino at its Grand Canyon West tourist site.

Gas prices, bad tires don't stop holiday travelers
Travel this Labor Day weekend is filled with risks. Temperatures in the Southwest are broiling. Sharks have attacked swimmers in the Gulf of Mexico. Tires are exploding, gas prices are steep and the airlines are packed and backed up.

Welfare rolls slow among Indian tribes with casinos
WASHINGTON -- Welfare rolls are still growing on Indian reservations, but the casino gambling boom of the 1990s has helped slow that growth and left some tribes hopeful they'll one day reverse the poverty that has plagued them.

Jobless rate ticks up to 4.1 percent
WASHINGTON -- The nation's unemployment rate edged up to 4.1 percent in August and total payrolls fell by a bigger-than-expected 105,000 during the month, the largest drop in nine years.

Criticism rising over Ray's plan to release Whitewater findings
WASHINGTON -- Independent Counsel Robert Ray says critics are misconstruing his plan to divulge conclusions of the Whitewater investigation just weeks before voters decide whether to elect Hillary Rodham Clinton to the Senate.

Clinton to leave missile defense to next president
WASHINGTON -- President Clinton has decided to leave to his successor the tough decision on beginning deployment of a national defense against ballistic missile attack, two senior administration officials said.

Bridgestone/Firestone talks continue
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Bridgestone/ Firestone workers remained on the job while company and union negotiators continued contract talks Saturday.

Engineers to study tires for safety defects
WASHINGTON -- Government safety engineers are poised to begin examining Firestone tires for possible safety defects that may have been responsible for 88 deaths and more than 250 injuries.

Appellate court delays Wen Ho Lee's release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Wen Ho Lee's homecoming was delayed after an appeals court stayed the release of the jailed Los Alamos nuclear scientist, leaving defense attorneys scrambling to respond to the order.

Changing weather thwarted fires
BILLINGS, Mont. -- Firefighters finally getting a break from the heat and high winds fueling wildfires across Montana have another dilemma -- dwindling supplies, from fire-retardant clothing to water hoses.

Rain offers firefighters encouragement, but flames still undefeated
HELENA, Mont. -- Cooler temperatures and rain forecast in the northern Rockies through the weekend are giving firefighters hope in their battle against raging wildfires, but fire managers aren't expecting the work to become any easier just yet.

Stocks plunge
MINNEAPOLIS -- Target Corp. shares fell 11 percent Thursday and Best Buy Co. Inc. stock was down nearly 13 percent after the two large Minnesota retailers reported slower sales growth.

Clinton pushes Congress to boost minimum wage
SKANEATELES, N.Y. -- Acknowledging a compromise offer by Republicans, President Clinton pressed Congress on Saturday to resolve differences and pass a bill to raise the minimum wage by $1, benefiting 10 million American workers.

Pentagon: Forces ready for one war, but not two
WASHINGTON -- Most U.S. combat forces are ready to perform wartime missions, but if the country had to fight two major conflicts at the same time it would run a high risk of increased casualties because of shortfalls in the ability to move, supply and protect troops, the Pentagon said Thursday.

Clinton stresses diplomacy in deferring missile defense decision
WASHINGTON -- In deciding to put off deployment of a national missile defense, President Clinton put heavy emphasis on not upsetting Russia, China and other nations that oppose or question the wisdom of such a system.

Reno: Gay ban won't keep Boy Scout Jamborees off federal land
WASHINGTON -- The Boy Scouts can still hold their Jamborees on federal lands even though they bar gays from being scouts or leaders, Attorney General Janet Reno says.

Prayer protest drowned out at field where school prayer debate began
SANTA FE, Texas -- A statewide prayer protest of a U.S. Supreme Court ban on school-sanctioned pre-game prayer fell flat on the high school football field that launched the debate.

League Leaders American League
BATTING--Garciaparra, Boston, .369; CDelgado, Toronto, .365; Erstad, Anaheim, .364; Stewart, Toronto, .343; MJSweeney, Kansas City, .340; Segui, Cleveland, .338; ARodriguez, Seattle, .332; Thomas, Chicago, .332.

Venus Williams, Seles survive early scares
NEW YORK (AP) -- Pressed by a player who started the year ranked No. 99 in the world, Venus Williams survived an early scare Friday night and stayed on course in the U.S. Open.

Umpires agree to new labor contract; 22 left unhired
NEW YORK (AP) -- While baseball umpires have a new collective bargaining agreement, the 22 umps let go a year ago are still wondering about their futures.

Top 25
How the top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college football poll fared Thursday:

Vintage Yankees defeat Twins
NEW YORK (AP) -- On a muggy night in September, Orlando Hernandez made it seem like October.

Cards beat Mets for first time
The St. Louis Cardinals knew they could beat Atlanta. Jim Edmonds wanted to show they could take the New York Mets, too.

NCAA suspends Badgers after shoe investigation
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Things could've been worse for the Wisconsin Badgers, but only if they lost their first game.

NFL kicks off season
Those little devils who conjure up the NFL schedule concocted a natural for the first Sunday night.

Indiana coach determined to beat cancer
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) -- In 30 years of coaching, Indiana assistant head coach Pete Schmidt had never missed a day of work -- until last fall.

Wisconsin wrestles with suspensions
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Wisconsin receiver Chris Chambers couldn't have picked a better time to be injured.

Odd triple play highlights Hargrove's return to Cleveland
Mike Hargrove returned to Jacobs Field and Cal Ripken came back to the Baltimore lineup. But it was a disputed triple play that had everyone in Cleveland confused -- and talking.

Clement upsets Agassi in U.S. Open
NEW YORK -- There were no tears.

Braves prepare for neck-and-neck battle to keep title streak alive
ATLANTA (AP) -- Chipper Jones was a mere bystander the last time the Atlanta Braves went down to the final day of the season in a pennant race.

Vikings ready to bear down in season opener
EDEN PRAIRIE (AP) -- OK, Daunte Culpepper confessed, things would be easier if Pro Bowler Randall McDaniel and Jeff Christy had stuck around.

College football's 'have nots' going for cash, not wins
San Jose State Coach Dave Baldwin was explaining the near-impossible situation his team faces Saturday, on the road against top-rated Nebraska. San Jose State was ranked 89th by one publication that tried to peg all 115 Division I-A teams in its preseason forecasts, 100th by another.

Rogers Communication agrees to buy Toronto Blue Jays
TORONTO (AP) -- Ted Rogers had just signed an agreement for his cable television and cell phone empire to buy a controlling interest in the Toronto Blue Jays, and already he had bigger plans.

Donald Edward Ash
LONGVILLE -- Donald Edward Ash, 77, Longville, died Friday, Sept. 1, 2000.

Sister Helen Mrosla
LITTLE FALLS -- Sister Helen Mrosla, 64, Little Falls, died Friday, Sept. 1, 2000, at the convent in Little Falls.

Donald Stackhouse
MISSION, Texas -- Donald Stackhouse, 80, Mission, Texas, formerly of Nevis, died Friday, Aug. 25, 2000, at the Comfort House in McAllen, Texas.

Meldan T. Kapsner
LASTRUP -- Meldan Theodore Kapsner, 78, Lastrup, died Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2000, at St. Cloud Hospital.

Harold V. Meyer
PIERZ -- Harold V. Meyer, 79, Pierz, died Friday, Sept. 1, 2000, at his home.

Shelley (Mayer) Carlson
MINNEAPOLIS -- Shelley (Mayer) Carlson, 47, Minneapolis, died Thursday, Aug. 31, 2000, at her home.

George W. Bush's quiet confidence
PORTLAND, Maine -- Gov. George W. Bush exudes a quiet confidence these days that contrasts sharply with recent media portrayals of him as off-message and stumbling. In a lengthy interview, Bush told me he will soon ratchet up the debate with Vice President Al Gore on several major issues. Bush said he's going to press his point that the military is in serious need of repair. In a scheduled return visit to the American Legion, he plans to invite retired military people to talk about the problems. Bush said, ``The fact is, the military can't meet its recruiting goals, parts for machinery are lacking, training of Air Force pilots is behind, morale is low in some instances. Yes, we still have the greatest fighting force in the world, but at this rate it won't be in two, maybe four years.''

Open Forum guidelines
The Dispatch encourages readers to sound off in the Open Forum.

Republicans, Democrats miss the point on military readiness
The following editorial appeared in today's Washington Post:

The politician's wife
Now that's a low blow. The estranged wife of Rep. Albert Wynn, D-Md., has gone to work for the campaign of his opponent, Paul Kimble, targeting her former love with inflammatory recorded calls to thousands of voters in Wynn's heavily black Fourth District.

Open Forums
This Labor Day weekend will be the fourth year marking the day that three boys (one relative) destroyed my parents' home by arson. I started writing these letters for the Open Forum on the first a

The Brainerd Dispatch's perspective
Editorial views in The Brainerd Dispatch represent a consensus of opinion by members of the newspaper's editorial board.

An opening door
Wise people often say closing one door just means another one is opening somewhere else.

Religion
Look at the difference 40 years can bring.

OTHER OPINIONS
The world mourns a missionary who fought the good fight When an American missionary serving in another country is murdered, people all over the nation are shocked and outraged. To callously take the life of another person -- especially a holy person -- is unconscionable to most people.

Open Forum
I watched Paul Koering in the parade in Pierz and it was gratifying to see someone with such energy and enthusiasm and a program to match. We need someone who can implement the values of central Minnesotans instead of rubber stamping bankrupt big government policy. We need Paul Koering.

Calendar
September - 7-- Antlerless permit lottery application deadline

Signs of fall are upon us as summer wanes
I love the word harbinger, which means a sign of things to come. It's the perfect word to identify the telltale signs of waning summer -- the harbingers of fall.

Move fast or hazelnuts will be lost to squirrels and worms
Many years ago when my brother Stephen and I, along with our respective cronies Danny and Sookie, were little urchins we managed to keep ourselves cheaply entertained. Clinging kids we were not, imaginative we were. We wandered the woods and the ghostly grounds and shifting sands of deserted mining areas with the reckless abandon only known by children.

Antlerless permit applications arriving slowly
The application deadline for antlerless deer hunting permits and special hunts is Thursday. Antlerless permit applications must be made through the new Electronic Licensing System and are coming in slowly, said ELS coordinator Tom Keefe. DNR officials are concerned.

Seizing the moment Popular DNR writer takes on new role in area office
There was a time when it seemed as if you couldn't turn on the radio or pick up a newspaper and not find a report or story by C.B. Bylander, the DNR's regional information officer in Brainerd.

Outdoor notes
To reserve a goose hunting station in the controlled hunting zone at Lac qui Parle Wildlife Management Area hunters must submit applications by Sept. 13. This year's season begins Saturday, Oct. 7 and ends Sunday, Nov. 5, or when the harvest index of 16,000 geese is reached.

DNR has pricey housing for Ely fire staff
ELY (AP) -- Taxpayers are picking up a hefty resort tab for a handful of Department of Natural Resources employees spending the summer on fire duty here.

Fishing report
BRAINERD/NISSWA - The big crappies have started hitting on Hubert Lake, Round, and Wilson Bay on Gull Lake. Most of these fish are suspended over 20 to 25 feet of water.

Volunteers saddle mules to deliver fish to remote mountain lakes
COFFEE CREEK, Calif. (AP) -- Charlie Steele wrestles coolers filled with tiny squirming fish onto his mule and lashes down the load with a rope hitch his family devised in 150 years of running pack trains into the Trinity Alps Wilderness.

In tune The time to make sure your bow performs well is now
All right, archers, it's crunch time.

50th anniversary
Louis A. and Harriette Thompson, Pillager, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with their family. They were married Sept. 2, 1950, in St. Mathias.

50th anniversary
Bob and Marlys Pritchard, Gull Lake, formerly of Minneapolis and Annandale, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house from 1-5 p.m. Saturday at the home of their daughter, Mrs. Lester Miller, 1463 Welton Road, Baxter.

Engagement announced
Stephanie Jones and James Quinnild announce their engagement. Parents are Robert and Phyllis Jones, Brainerd, and Vern and Pearl Quinnild, Barnesville. An Oct. 14 wedding is planned at St. Christopher's in Nisswa.

Wedding planned
Amanda Eide and Jason Thiesse announce their engagement. Parents are Bruce and Shelley Eide, Brainerd, and Bryan and Robin Thiesse, Brainerd. A Sept. 16 wedding is planned at St. Francis.

Wedding planned
Christina Hartley and Jason Campagna announce their engagement. Parents are Robert and Sharon Hartley, Brainerd, and Anthony and Susan Campagna, Roseville. A Sept. 23 wedding is planned at Lakewood Evangelical Free Church of Baxter.

Allord-Kelley
Jennifer Allord and Ryan Kelley were married July 22, 2000, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Brainerd with the Rev. Andrew Prin officiating.

Anderson-Loschko
Sara Anderson and Jim Loschko were married June 24, 2000, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Brainerd with Pastor Brian Wermager officiating.

Thesing-Pribyl
Heather Thesing and Lance Cpl. Steven Pribyl were married July 1, 2000, in Oceanside, Calif.

50th anniversary
Orville and Elsie Gibbs will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house from 2-4 p.m. Saturday at Mildred Bible Chapel Fellowship Center of Backus. No gifts please. They were married June 18, 1950.

Wedding planned
Gina Todd and Chris Thesing announce their engagement. Parents are Richard and Donna Todd, Baxter, and Kevin Thesing and Dode Pohlkamp, Brainerd, and Deb and Joe DeRosier, Fort Ripley. A June 2001 wedding is planned at Lakewood Evangelical Free Church of Baxter.

Otterstad-Ziaei
Sarah Otterstad and Sean Ziaei were married July 29, 2000, at the lake home of her grandparents, Conrad and Mary Ann Emerson, with Pastor Bill Pohl and Pastor Roy Hayes officiating.

Wedding planned
Leslie Ann Boonstra and Scott Gearey announce their engagement. Parents are Jon and Connie Boonstra, Buffalo, and Lynn and Debbie Gearey, Backus. A Sept. 30 wedding is planned at St. John's Lutheran Church of Buffalo.

Candidate ahead after Labor Day usually wins
WASHINGTON -- The presidential candidate significantly ahead in the polls around Labor Day has won every election for the last 50 years -- which offers little insight into what will happen this year.

Six seek Cass Commissioner District 4 spot on ballot
WALKER -- On Sept. 12, voters in the Walker-Remer area in Cass County Commissioner District 4 will narrow a slate of six candidates to two who will vie for the seat in the Nov. 7 general election.

Gore ahead by 10 points in national poll
WASHINGTON -- Al Gore holds a 10-point lead over George W. Bush in a national presidential poll of registered voters out Friday. Other polls show a double-digit lead in Vermont and an edge in Iowa.

Estate tax veto leaves issue for fall campaigns
WASHINGTON -- House Republican leaders are vowing a prompt attempt to override President Clinton's veto of a bill repealing inheritance taxes, but if that fails the so-called death tax debate will play out in the fall election campaigns.

Bush balking at JFK library debate site
BOSTON -- An image of President Kennedy flashed in the video clips shown just moments before George W. Bush accepted the Republican presidential nomination. Last spring, the daughter of the slain president honored Bush's father as a Kennedy Library Foundation Distinguished American.

In announcing bid, Goedker says he's not afraid to 'stand alone'
Gene Goedker, an at-large representative on the Brainerd City Council who filed for re-election this week, has ssued a filing statement in which he promised to "stand alone" on tough issues when necessary.

Potential challengers to Grams try to stand out in State Fair debate
FALCON HEIGHTS -- Under a cloudy sky, the tone of political debate turned a little darker during a candidate forum Friday at the State Fair.

Candidates will be asked to sign pledge to run positive campaign
Is there a place for civility in a political campaign?

As Labor Day arrives, unions step up efforts for Democrats
DETROIT -- In the weeks since his union endorsed Al Gore for president, Brian Thornberry's auto plant job has been as much about hard-sell politicking as about the "hard-trim" plastic and metal his department handles for General Motors.

Benson's goal clear in Southern 500
DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) -- Although Johnny Benson's choice of race tracks might be a bit of a surprise, his goal for the Southern 500 isn't.

Schwegel helps football team aim for dome finale
PINE RIVER -- When Pine River Backus football coach Randy Schwegel kneels along the sidelines, he's not searching for four-leaf clovers or looking for any other type of off-roster help.

Rangers blast Gobblers
CROSBY -- It looked to be a repeat performance by the Aitkin Gobblers football team against the Crosby-Ironton Rangers until Ben Baratto decided he wasn't going to let that happen.

Staples-Motley cross country teams have big shoes to fill
STAPLES -- Change can be subtle, almost imperceivable.

Area events Saturday College Football
Central Lakes at Hibbing 1:30 p.m.

Brainerd opens against volleyball powerhouse
Many teams would like to ease into a season with a sacrificial lamb as their first opponent.

Pequot blanks Onamia 53-0
ONAMIA -- Quarterback Chase Nelson rushed for one touchdown and passed for another as the Pequot Lakes Patriots football team shut down the Onamia Panthers 53-0 Thursday.

High school volleyball scores
Albany def. Litchfield 15-12, 15-7, 15-9

Tech booters romp
LITTLE FALLS -- The St. Cloud Tech Tigers scored nine goals in the second half and posted a 13-2 Central Lakes Conference boys' soccer victory over the Little Falls Flyers on Thursday.

Alexandria runner leads the way in girls' battle; BHS takes 2nd
There was a light mist on the pumpkin and no need to chill the watermelon.

A milestone
Helped by his father Mark Anderson (left) and friend Brian Stumvoll, Chad Anderson caught his breath after finishing ninth with a time of 19:23 in the Run for Your Melon cross country meet at the Northland Arboretum Thursday.

Abdul-Khaliq not your average freshman QB
MINNEAPOLIS -- College coaches, especially those coming off winning seasons, usually abhor handing over their offenses to a freshman.

Little Falls beats Apollo in area volleyball competition
ST. CLOUD -- The Little Falls Flyers volleyball team defeated the Apollo Eagles 15-11, 15-12, 13-15, 15-8 Thursday in Central Lakes Conference play.

Rangers' Anderson finishes first in boys' cross country
Boys' cross country teams from all over the country run to post the best time and maybe take home a trophy or a title.

Scoreboard
High School Football

Staples-Motley falters in opener
STAPLES -- The Staples-Motley Cardinals football team was defeated 40-14 by Long Prairie-Grey Eagle in its season opener Thursday.

Pequot netters beaten
PEQUOT LAKES -- The Perham Yellow Jackets defeated the Pequot Lakes girls' tennis team 4-3 Monday.

Braves win
FAIRFAX -- Like the Bee Gees the Brainerd Braves are "Staying Alive" in the Class C state amateur baseball tournament following a 15-5 pounding of Luverne in eight innings in the winners' bracket Friday night.

High school football scores
Adrion 27, Fulda 8

The survivor
High school season openers often don't cause heart palpitations because one team can be more skilled than another at this stage of the year.

Area sports briefs
Brainerd Warriors assistant baseball coach Keith Peterson has been named assistant baseball coach of the year by the Minnesota Baseball Coaches Association.

Warriors clip Cardinals
The Brainerd Warriors have a reputation for being one of the state's most potent running teams every football season.

BHS soccer teams open with wins
BYLINE3: The Brainerd Warrior girls' soccer team kicked off their first varsity game on a new Baxter soccer field and came away with a 2-0 Central Lakes Conference win over the Willmar Cardinals.

Skyrocketing computer demand creates electronic parts shortage
Soaring demand for everything from the computer servers that run office networks to the latest Pokemon toys has lead to an unprecedented shortage in electronic components that is expected to last through Christmas and well into next year.

Overcome by curiosity? There are Web tools for tracking paychecks and prospects
Ever wonder how much the guy in the cubicle next to you is earning? Of course you do. Paycheck envy is one of those natural human instincts, like foraging and procreation.

CD players taking on new form
It's only coincidence, probably, that one of Sony's new portable compact disc players looks like a cross between a miniature Frisbee and a hockey puck.

In 'Virtua Tennis' even the fans are realistic
For the first time since knee surgery 10 years ago, I spent a memorable afternoon on a tennis court recently -- playing like a pro.

Game testers say job isn't just a daily joyride
It's 7 a.m. and Ruben Brown arrives at the office. His plan for the day: pop a video game into his computer and spend the next eight hours picking off aliens, probing monster-plagued dungeons or playing Scrabble.

Dot.com journalists face high hurdles at Olympics
For dot.com journalists, the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, present some special challenges. For one, they aren't invited.

Fall is around the corner
Weather drawing by Jordan Nentl in the Baxter School third-grade class of Mrs. Brenny.

Skating back to school
Weather drawing by Mike Bidinger in the Nisswa School second-grade class of Mrs. Minerich.

With the military
Airman Jesse Strowbridge, son of James and Helen Strowbridge, Brainerd, recently graduated from basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Te

Mother disagrees that abusive boyfriend's ways have changed
DEAR ABBY: Last fall, my live-in boyfriend was abusive to me. My parents chipped right in and helped me move back to my hometown. They were wonderful and supportive even though I'd let them down in the past. They even bought a house so my children and I would have somewhere to live.

Senior calendar
LAKES AREA SENIOR

Little experience but lots of ambition School administrator shortage creates age of opportunity
Mr. Maher fancies himself the kind of principal who prefers to mingle with students rather than lecture them. He walks the halls at Flintstone Elementary in suburban Washington at least once every hour. He's big on punctuality and favors a sophisticated dress code for his staff.

What's doing
North-South: Tom and Carol Vind, 141.5; Ray Norrgard and Bill Black, 121; Pat Spradlin and Bruce Eastman, 115.5; Clayton Haglin and Mark Anderson, 107. East-West: Bud and Jean Forsberg, 133.5; Lorene Jewell and Pat Lande, 120.5; and Al and Carol Kline, 106.5.

Teen seeks words to comfort parents in times of trouble
DEAR ABBY: I am 15, and have never been very close to my parents. In fact, I haven't lived with them since I was a baby -- they were too young to raise me. They've always been "around," but they feel more like an aunt and uncle than my parents.

Organizations
Brainerd Jaycees

What's doing
Heartland Squares will square dance from 8-10:30 p.m. Friday at Ideal Town Hall. Caller: Mike McGuire.

Names and faces
VAIL, Colo. (AP) -- Looking suntanned and healthy, Gerald Ford donned a hard hat and helped start a $9 million renovation project on an amphitheater that bears his name.

This would be a good time to stop putting off signing up
It is so hard to believe that in a few days the kids will be going back to school! Where did the summer go?

Much obliged
In the month of July we served 1,150 meals over 25 serving days (we closed for the Fourth) for an average of 46 meals per day. The averages in August are running about the same.

Philippine rebels say American hostage is on hunger strike
ZAMBOANGA, Philippines -- An American man kidnapped by Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines is on a hunger strike, the guerrillas said Saturday.

Mexico's leader talks about challenges for next president
MEXICO CITY (AP) -- The economy is booming. Democracy is finally a reality. But decades of corruption and poverty that affect 40 million Mexicans remain a challenge for the next president, Mexico's outgoing leader told the nation in his final major address.

Control tower alerted Concorde pilot of trouble
PARIS -- The first word that something had gone terribly wrong with the Concorde came from the control tower when the plane was in the air, according to a preliminary report made public Thursday by investigators probing the fiery crash.