By JIM WALSH | jwalsh@pioneerpress.com | Pioneer Press
The hunt for the King Boreas medallion has become an obsession for many Minnesotans. But a few years ago, one hunter got proactive with his obsession -- and helped himself and his fellow hunters in the process.
Steve Worthman, an employee of the Minnesota Department of Revenue, is the author of "The St. Paul Parks: A Treasure Hunter's Guide" (Hunter's Press; $8), a book filled with the sorts of details that only clue writers and hard-core hunters could appreciate.
"After it's found, a lot of people say, 'I was standing right next to it,' but I've never been that close," says Worthman, who has been hunting the medallion for 10 years. "I had to do something. I charted all the parks from a bird's eye view, every view I could take, and jotted down every bit of information about the parks. And I included 70 pictures."
The book was published in 1996, and Worthman is in the process of updating it (a few copies of the current edition are available at the Hungry Mind Bookstore in St. Paul). Worthman became a father for the second time at this time last year, which forced him to take last year off from the hunt. But he'll be back at it late this week.
"It's fun; crazy, but fun," he says. "I have to find that damn thing. There's no excuse now."
Copyright 1998 Pioneer Press.