Buzz

St. Paul Winter Carnival ranked 4th in the world by National Geographic

National Geographic Traveler Wednesday, January 25, 2012

For National Geographic Traveler, the St. Paul Winter Carnival takes fourth-place in the world when it comes to wintry festivals.

Anchorage's Fur Rendezvous topped the list.

The Traveler's writeup of the event explains how Winter Carnival began when a reporter wrote that St. Paul was "another Siberia, unfit for human habitation in the winter." Beginning in 1886, St. Paulites asserted their local pride with the winter festivities.

Vending Times recognizes local vending machines for bike repair

Vending Times Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Vending machine industry publication Vending Times profiled two Minneapolis entrepreneurs who are boosting the robust local biking scene. The pair, Chad DeBaker and Alex Anderson, have launched Bike Fixtation, which combines a large vending machine with a standalone bike repair rack.

The machine vends bicycle repair products such as tubes, lights, tools, and patch kits, as well as refreshments like energy bars and water bottles.

The article notes that the bicycle service stand allows patrons to perform repairs at the site, and includes an assortment of tools like Allen hex keys and wrenches.

DeBaker says in the feature that the company sees the potential for expansion to college campuses, bike trails, and any public location that attracts bicycle ridership.

Minneapolis named a top city for charitable giving

Scarborough Research Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Minneapolis is among the top cities in the nation when it comes to charitable giving and volunteering, according to Scarborough Research.

The firm measures numerous trends throughout the year, including shopping patterns and media behaviors, and ranks the results by city.

For its charitable giving study, it tracked donations and volunteer work from the past year.

Minneapolis was ranked second, after Salt Lake City, in both charitable giving and volunteerism. In a previous Scarborough study, done in 2008, Minneapolis was ranked third in the nation for charitable donations.

Huffington Post highlights historic election in Minnesota

Huffington Post Wednesday, January 18, 2012

The Huffington Post recently highlighted the historic election of Democrat Susan Allen, an openly lesbian Native American, to the Minnesota legislature.

While campaigning, Allen had publicly stated, "I reflect the great diversity of our district, as a Native American woman and a member of the LGBT community, and hope to bring this important voice to the state capital to offer more balanced, representative contributions and input," according to the story.

Tiffany Muller, who led political operations for Allen, is quoted, saying, ”This is our first win of 2012, and it’s a fantastic way to start off what will be a very exciting year for LGBT candidates.”

St. Paul ice rink chosen by NBC for live coverage of 'Hockey Day in America'

Pioneer Press Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Downtown St. Paul’s Wells Fargo WinterSkate rink will serve as the backdrop for NBC's live coverage of “Hockey Day in America,” the Pioneer Press reports.

The broadcast features four National Hockey League games on Feb. 19, including the Minnesota Wild vs. the Boston Bruins at the Xcel Energy Center.

“With ice at many lakes too soft to skate on, and temperatures unseasonably pleasant, more than 20,000 skaters have headed to downtown St. Paul for free ice time,” the story states.

The choice of the rink as a broadcast backdrop means that it will be open an extra two weeks this year.

Business site ranks Minnesota fourth best-run state

24/7 Wall St. Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Business website 24/7 Wall St. issued its annual report on how well America's 50 states are run, and Minnesota came in fourth, just behind Wyoming, Nebraska, and North Dakota.

The site reviewed data on financial health, standard of living, and government services to determine how well each state is managed. Based on that information, 24/7 ranked the states from best to worst.

Minnesota moved up one place in this year's rankings due to improvement in several categories, including violent crime rate and health insurance coverage.

Admitting that the comparison was a challenge because of the unique characteristics of each state, the site did note that, even given the differences, states can do a great deal to control their fate. The editors write, "Well-run states have a great deal in common with well-run corporations. Books are kept balanced. Investment is prudent. Debt is sustainable. Innovation is prized."

Women's Health calls Minneapolis a top city for women's fitness

Women's Health Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Fitness magazine Women's Health took a look at top cities for health and happiness, and recognized Minneapolis as one of the top 10 cities for women.

The city has the fourth-highest number of female joggers, as well as one of the lowest breast cancer death rates, the article noted. Women's Health praised the number of lakes and paved shoreline paths in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, since that amount of recreation space makes it easier for women to increase their fitness levels.

"Preliminary research suggests that women who are physically active may have a 30 to 40 percent lower chance of developing breast cancer," says Dr. Jennifer Ligibel, an oncologist at Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, in the article.

Huffington Post cites Minneapolis lessons in biking and walking

Huffington Post Wednesday, January 11, 2012

The Huffington Post recently featured a story by local writer Jay Walljasper titled, “How to Boost Biking and Walking in Your Town: Lessons From Minneapolis.”

Walljasper cites numerous reports that show Minneapolis has become a top biking city.

He attributes it in part to various street improvements “including more bike lanes and special bicycle-and-pedestrian boulevards -- installed around town in the past year as part of the Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Project.”

Joan Pasiuk, who heads Bike Walk Twin Cities, is quoted, saying, "The goal of this project from Congress was to shift some trips, and this data shows it is happening," adding, "The implications for overall health and transportation access are outcomes the community will realize from the numbers we're reporting."

Getting accurate bike and pedestrian counts is critical in terms of influencing transportation policies, according to Pasiuk.

Bleacher Report calls Minnesota a top baseball state

Bleacher Report Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Bleacher Report, which covers all kinds of sports news, has a list of “10 Reasons Minnesota Is a Very Underrated Baseball State,” accompanied with a slideshow.

“When you think of Minnesota you think snow, cold, Bob Dylan and Prince, but you really should be thinking about baseball,” it states.

Besides the team’s achievements, its home, Target Field, “is the best stadium in the league.”

The article also notes Minnesota's support of the minor-league St. Paul Saints.

The story and slideshow highlight local baseball greats who are known throughout the major leagues, historic events in Minnesota baseball, and the state's supportive fan base.

Local publishers recognized for unique literacy effort

Publishers Weekly Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Publishing industry magazine Publishers Weekly recently highlighted the collaboration of three Twin Cities literary presses on a distinctive literacy promotion effort.

Coffee House Press, Milkweed Editions, and Graywolf Press are partnering with a Wisconsin literacy group called Little Free Library, and the Walker Art Center, to produce "little free libraries" of books that are ideal for coffee shops or restaurants, the magazine noted.

If the promotion is successful, the presses may make books more widely available. The non-profit literacy group estimates that there are between 200 to 300 of their little free libraries maintained around the world, with the majority in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Northside social-service startup awarded $28 million federal grant

Minnesota Public Radio Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Northside Achievement Zone, a joint initiative of the public schools and social service agencies in North Minneapolis aimed at boosting the academic achievement of thousands of neighborhood kids, has received a $28 million implementation grant from the federal government, Minnesota Public Radio reports.

The money, from the Department of Education's Promise Neighborhood Program, will help the NAZ scale up its school-and-community work, which focuses on helping both students and families via "connectors"--mentor/coach/facilitators who assist students with schoolwork and families with issues like housing. The program is modeled on the Harlem Children's Zone in New York City.

According to NAZ CEO Sondra Samuels, who is quoted in the piece, the grant will allow the program, which currently serves 150 families, to grow exponentially. "We have about 2,000 families and about 5,500 children that make up the Northside Achievement Zone," she says, "and we want to get to as many families and kids as we possibly can."

Minneapolis comes in at first place for National Night Out

City of Minneapolis Wednesday, December 21, 2011

The National Association of Town Watch ranked Minneapolis in first place for its National Night Out activities in 2011, according to city information.

National Night Out is a community-building celebration that encourages neighbors to get to know each other through block parties and other get-togethers. It’s been a tradition in Minneapolis for 28 years.

This past summer, nearly 60,500 people showed up for 1,173 events.

“The impact of NNO lasts throughout the year. Neighbors who know and care about each other, do a better job of watching out for one another and reporting crime and suspicious behavior to police,” a prepared statement from the city reads.

Business Journal ranks the brainiest cities in the state

Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal Wednesday, December 14, 2011

A study by The Business Journals--the city-specific publications that include Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal--looked at education levels in over 14,000 U.S. cities to discover which have the "brainiest" residents.

Topping the list locally was North Oaks, a suburb of St. Paul. Almost 75 percent of North Oaks residents have a bachelor's degree or higher, The Business Journals reported, and more than 39 percent have earned a graduate or professional degree.

North Oaks came in 106th in the nation overall. Chevy Chase Village, Md., was considered the national pinnacle, with almost 93 percent of adult residents possessing bachelor degrees.

Report shows Minnesota manufacturing jobs holding steady

Manufacturers News Wednesday, December 14, 2011

According to the 2012 Minnesota Manufacturers Register, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News, the state lost less than one percent of manufacturing jobs from October 2010 to October 2011.

Publisher Tom Dubin noted that the economic recovery is gaining momentum in Minnesota, and added that the state's educated workforce and solid infrastructure have been a draw for a variety of enterprises.

Bright spots in the past year have include the opening of a tractor plant in Jackson, the expansion of an ethanol plant in Welcome, and the expansion of a pet litter production facility in Detroit Lakes.

Huffington Post features Minneapolis's Central Library as cultural center

Huffington Post Wednesday, December 14, 2011

As a part of a Huffington Post series called “Libraries in Crisis,” the Minneapolis Central Library is featured as a cultural center.

Despite budget cuts, “more people than ever are visiting their local library,” the story states.

That point holds true at the Minneapolis Central Library, where the busy computer area, teen center, and New Americans Center show how library use is changing.

“Librarians across the country are looking to institutions such as this to show the way forward. For their part, the librarians here say their hope is that this library can be more of a cultural center than a book repository,” the story reads.