Happy birthday to me happy birthday to me happy birthdy happy birthdaaaaaaaaay happy birthday to meeeeeeeeeee :) lol hope everyone's doing well and has a merry christmas and happy new year!! I'm 26 tdy.. whoot whoot!! Anywho.. I'll be up at Guldens on hwy 61 in Maplewood celebrating it up if anyone is interested in stopping by, if ya get bored or something like that. Take care all!!

real?

Starting Jan. 1, 2005 all cell phone numbers will be made public to telemarketing firms. Your cell phone may start ringing like crazy on Jan. 1, and most of you pay for incoming calls. (I don't. :D )

According to the National Do Not Call List, you have until Dec. 15th to get on the national "Do Not Call" list for cell phones. Call 1-888-382-1222 from your cell phone, or go to

www.donotcall.gov

I read that you will only get calls on your cell if you put yourself on a list.  You have to sign up to have your number listed on 411.  I guess some cop somewhere was sending out e-mails saying what you posted which was confirmed inaccurate.  I'll try and look for a link later.  I think I'm close anyway.
<edit> video  http://wcco.dayport.com/viewer/viewerpage.php?Art_ID=4396&tf=wccoviewer.tpl

Oh, and....

Happy Happy MM!!!!

real?

NO!

Unless you gave your cell number to anybody that sells lists.....like a credit card or a mag.

Happy b-day MM

Weatherbug in SSP---  GUST NW 48MPH today...

AVG is about 24mph right now....

 

"AUNTIE EM!!!!!"
Hey all of you! I guess I need to get a new 'puter. James (the boy) got the game Warcraft, and spends all his time playing it on my sweet 'puter, and Dan (the hubby) spends countless hours playing texas hold'em. So I just watch Friends re-runs over and over...
I photoed at a weird school this week- The Guadalupe altenative. It's located kind of underneath the hwy 52 bridge off Concord. It's not a public school, but a program funded by United way The kids there are allowed to cuss (which they do- ALOT!) and smoke right outside.
Huh.
I also was at the Wellstone Elem, and during my break, went to the PP and got my buttons. Usually I wait until the last minute, drive all over hell, and turn it into my own little hunt. Heh.
When's the "park pool" starting???
Yakyakyak- I needsomemorecoffee.

JOE

'People's park' coming to pass

Vento Nature Sanctuary is the result of citizens working to reclaim a sullied river parcel.





BY KARL J. KARLSON






Pioneer Press

There is no easy catch-all name to describe what a new city park near downtown St. Paul represents.

Its 27 acres include a wetland and 12 other ecosystems, including prairies and woodlands. It is home to a cave that American Indians call "waukon tepee" (sacred house)' and believe is inhabited by "un kte hi," a water/underworld god. Relics of the brewing and railroad empires that dominated St. Paul society for generations are scattered about.

This nature-culture-history setting is the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary, which will opens this spring at the foot of Dayton's Bluff. The park has been two years in the making and about 10 years in the planning.

"It reflects the values of Bruce's interest in improving the East Side, the (Mississippi River) as a natural resource and the quality of life in the city,'' said Carol Carey, a member of the steering committee involved in creating the park. Vento, an East Side congressman who represented the 4th District for 24 years, died in 2000 from asbestos-related cancer.

Weiming Lu, president of the Lowertown Redevelopment Corp., one of the 25 groups involved in the process, said the project and its success are unusual.

"This is not a government or a developer's idea. It's a lot of dedicated people, willing to do what is necessary, getting behind this and making it happen,'' he said.

The park got its start when area activists wanted connections between the many trails around St. Paul, such as a link from the East Side to downtown.

Such connections are part of the park, though "we still have to find the money — maybe $3.5 million — for the bike/path bridge over the railroad tracks to the Sam Morgan trail along the Mississippi River,'' said Sara Clark, a staff member of the Lower Phalen Creek Project.

The group, formed in 1997 by Friends of Swede Hollow, now serves as the umbrella organization for the 25 public and private partners in the park's creation.

So far, the park has cost $6.2 million, with $5.7 million of that raised from government and private sources. They are working on raising the rest, she said.

The park will open in spring and be run like any other city park, but it will be another two years or more for all the work to be done, she said. Plans call for establishing a formal park entrance area with parking as well as exhibits to explain the park's features and history.

RESTORING THE PARK

I t took two years for heavy earth-moving machines to transform the park from polluted railroad yards covered with scrub plants and litter to a landscaped area with graded paths, three ponds and groves of oak and cottonwood trees.

"It was a brownfield, contaminated with petroleum products,'' said Sherry Van Duyn, a civil engineer with Landmark Environmental, which worked on making the land usable again.

That required digging down 4 feet in places to remove 7,500 tons of highly contaminated soil, moving 20,000 tons of soil on the site and bringing in 25,000 tons of fill to cover pollution hot spots.

The park is now seeded and "will be green in the spring,'' said Anthony De Mars, a plant consultant with Emmons & Olivier Resources. Hundreds of scrub plants, such as Siberian elm and buckthorn, were cut down, most of them mulched and plowed back into the land. They have been replaced by 9,000 newly planted native species, he said.

Two small creeks that flow into the ponds are fed by spring water that seeps from the foot of the bluff.

DAKOTA CULTURE

One of the park's important features is Carver's Cave, known as "waukon tepee" in Dakota. As part of planning for the park, The 106 Group archaeological consultants did a 120-page report on the cave and concluded it merited inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.

The first European description of the cave comes from the 1766 expedition of Jonathan Carver, who wrote about its many rock carvings. He noted that it was used by the Dakota living nearby.

Over the years, the cave was lost and rediscovered several times.

The rock carvings were described in 1889, but those who have been inside most recently have not found them.

In 1913, the cave was opened to the public and drew about 2,000 visitors. Eventually, its entrance was covered by debris falling from the bluff or placed in front of the cave.

In 1977, the city used backhoes to reopen the cave, but some Dakota objected. It was sealed with a metal door that is still there.

In early December, the first official visit to the park was made by fifth-graders from the nearby American Indian Magnet at Mounds Park All Nations school. They are growing seedlings that will be planted in the park later.

It is unlikely that all the digging and soil removal at the park destroyed prehistoric sites, according to Anne Ketz of The 106 Group, which monitored the process.

The area was a wetland where Trout Brook and Phalen Creek emptied into backwaters of the Mississippi River, she said. It was filled in by early European developers and then railroads.

"The site's buried under about 15 feet of fill,'' Ketz said.

HISTORY IN THE PARK

In 1855, the North Star Brewery was built at the base of Dayton's Bluff, using a cave for storage. The brewery eventually was owned by Jacob Schmidt, who moved the business to a West Seventh Street brewery about 1900 after a fire destroyed much of the original facilities. Schmidt's brewery and family wealth played a large role in St. Paul society for years.

The site once was covered with railroad yards and shops. Five narrow, parallel concrete paths that ran between tracks, one about 500 yards long, are still on the site, reminders of this railroading past. Freight trains from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe — the remaining vestige of James J. Hill's railroad — still often rumble past on tracks that separate the park from the river.

It is said that in the 1880s, the railroads cut much of the sandstone of Dayton's Bluff back 50 feet, including the front of Carver's Cave.

Light hearted

Pioneer Press

It takes a lot of spirit, a sizable Christmas budget and a good rapport with the power company to dazzle with a holiday display. And you can't be afraid of heights, either. Here's our annual list of some of the area's best.

"How do they get those lights way up there?"

"I wonder how long it takes?"

"I'd hate to pay that utility bill."

"Gee, honey, we'd like to, but Daddy's way too busy to put a Rudolph on our rooftop."

Yes, it's time to pack up the SUV, the sports car or the sleigh to see all there is to see. All those glittery, twinkling, glowing and sometimes gaudy holiday lights beckon.

Here's a list of holiday light sites sent in by readers to help you with your touring. Or, call one of the limo services listed and let them do the driving.

APPLE VALLEY

12754 Foliage Court:Lots of lights and display; Ruppert family.

13780 Elkhart Road:Santa's Enchanted Forest, renovated figurines and 20,000 lights; on most weekends, Santa will be on hand for tours and to hand out Christmas treats; Lloyd family.

9029 Coffman Circle:Timed display of more than 3,000 lights that starts over every 90 seconds; dusk-11 p.m. daily; Brian Sweeney.

County 42 and Cedar Avenue:Perkins holiday display.

BURNSVILLE

1120 Aspen Drive:Themed displays with 40,000 lights; Mr. and Mrs. Claus and elves chat with children and collect food for the local Community Action Council. Lights daily, Santa appears 5-8 p.m. Sunday; Esch family.

COTTAGE GROVE

7405 Jensen Ave. S.:More than 10,000 lights and many figurines.

7788 Jasmine Ave. S.:More than 50 figures, including hand-painted Santa in sleigh with reindeer and hand-painted holiday train, manger scene and more than 15,000 lights; Myron Bailey.

8285 Hemingway Ave. S.:"Santa on Hemingway" includes more than 7,000 lights, live Santa 6-8 p.m. Friday-Sunday. Accepting donations for Friends in Need Foodshelf; Dan Moran family.

8550 Hadley Ave.:Max Seim has programmed an 18-foot tree made with 16 strands of lights. Different patterns twinkle and rotate in a lively display.

HUDSON, WIS.

1431 Idaho Ave. E.:Thousands of lights, animated deer, Rudolph, Santa, elves, helpful mice and Santa's sleigh, Nativity scene, carolers, animated angels, Santa and Mrs. Claus and other figures; Wagner family.

708 Wisconsin St.:Christmas lights display; McNamee family.

INVER GROVE HEIGHTS

6812 Cloman Ave. E.:Thousands of lights celebrate the holidays; McElmury family.

7806 Dawn Ave.:Thousands of lights, candy canes outline the yard with chasing lights, Santa drives a '57 Chevy, huge lighted ornaments hang from oak trees, "Support Our Troops" display. Food-shelf donations collected; Eisen family.

7818 Davidson Court:Handmade train, large flag, Ferris wheel, merry-go-round, helicopter; Rodney Bosworth.

7945 Dawn Ave.:Holiday lights in honor of daughter Jamie Lynn; Rick Reller.

8771 Hamlet Ave. S.:About 7,800 lights and 50 characters and candy canes, 26 handmade ornaments with 100-300 lights in each; John Dick family.

8950 E. 89th Court:More than 30,000 lights, 150 lighted figures with Nativity scene, skaters, Disney characters, skiers, Viking/Packer duel, "Thanks to the Troops" salute; Mueller family.

LAKE ELMO

8350 59th St. N.:Holiday display complements its neighbor; Gary Wenger.

8330 59th St. N.:Homemade manger and Santa, sleigh and reindeer, 40,000 lights; Thill family.

LAKELAND

111 Quamwell Ave. S.:Disney characters, snowmen, Santas, candy canes, choir girls and boys, soldiers, manger with Jesus and barnyard animals and angel; Dupre family.

LEXINGTON

4040 Restwood Road:More than 9,000 blue lights of various sizes, pine trees decorated in oversized ornaments and stars; Schaffhausen/Christensen families.

MAPLEWOOD

1269 Farrell St. N.:More than 14,000 lights, deer on roof, motion chasers; Portz family.

1776 Birmingham St.:Santa on chimney, deer and sleigh, animals, wise men, lighted trees, eight-foot star and trailers atop a 50-foot tower, 12,000 lights; Vic and Norma Mohrlant.

MENDOTA HEIGHTS

679 S. Freeway Road:Nativity scene with 50-year-old figurines, mechanical Christmas card, interactive snowman, Mrs. Claus, Santa and elves; Wills family.

MOUNDS VIEW

5079 Rainbow Lane:Holiday display with 10,000 lights; Kriz family.

NEW RICHMOND, WIS.

1172 Alfred Place:Moving merry-go-round, teeter-totter, "God Bless America" scene, angels, globes, lighted trees, church with choir, snowmen, stars, trains, flying reindeer, Snoopy, igloo and penguins, deer, Disney characters, Mr. and Mrs. Santa, reindeer crossing; Meyer family.

OAK PARK HEIGHTS

14196 Upper 54th St. N.:More than 40,000 lights, 100 figures, elf village and holiday theme displays; Wolzson family.

OAKDALE

1198 Guthrie Ave. N.:House covered in lights, snow globe, ice castle, many handmade items; Morrissey family.

6953 26th St. Court N.:Hand-painted wood figures, 9,000 lights, Disney and holiday fantasy characters; Behling family.

ROSEMOUNT

3787 152th St. W.:Seven houses in the neighborhood decorated for the holidays; Jackie Engebretsen.

6063 160th St. E.:Victorian Christmas scenes of families ice skating and children putting on a Christmas play, candy and toy stores, snow fairies, carolers, bobsled ride, toy castle, elves workshop, snow family, Grinch and Santa with a sleigh full of toys. Until 10:30 p.m. daily into early January; Fox family.

ROSEVILLE

1766 Maple Lane:Candy cane archway to winter wonderland, Bullwinkles, toy elves, nutcrackers on duty; Johnson family.

2190 N. Pascal St.:Balcony display on south side of building includes thousands of lights, three lighted trees and Santa; Lawton family.

303 S. Owasso Blvd.:Dozens of lighted Christmas trees over two acres; Charles and Terri Anderson.

SHOREVIEW

513 Doris Ave.:More than 20,000 lights, 100-plus yard ornaments with Santa and friends on roof, Miller family.

SOUTH ST. PAUL

137 Fifth Ave. S.:Thousands of lights, more than 70 figurines, Santa's workshop and big snowman; Schneider family.

239 Dessa Lane:More than 15,000 lights and 125 figurines including Santa, reindeer, Grinch, Disney characters, carolers, manger, train, strobe star 40 feet in the tree and ice castle. On weekends and most weekdays, live Santa and Mrs. Claus, elves and Grinch. A Santa shack accepts donations for charities; Fink family.

525 Seventh Ave. S.:More than 3,500 lights and 40 figurines; Schaffer family.

ST. PAUL

1358 Laurel Ave.:More than 5,000 lights, Santa and Mrs. Claus, reindeer carrying Santa's sleigh with elf and presents, holographic train with Santa and the snowman; Zgodava and Johnson families.

1649 Ashland Ave.:Large Nativity scene, many snowmen, Disney characters, bears, gingerbread men, carolers, soldiers, thousands of lights and music; Behr family.

1769 Pinehurst Ave.:Santa and reindeer, candy canes and star made years ago out of beer cans by Mark's father; Patty Partridge and Mark Gerlach.

269 W. Ivy Ave.:About 10,000 lights, Santa and reindeer on roof, Santa on lighted train and motion-lighted train, numerous lighted figurines; Litzinger family.

788 Buffalo St.:Thousands of lights, flying Santa, soldiers, trees, manger scene, polar bear and music; William Flag.

796 S. Robert St.:Several thousand lights, moving deer and train set.

939 Idaho Ave.:Hundreds of colored milk jugs outline display of spiritual and old-fashioned Christmas decor, 30-foot evergreen has large-bulb Christmas lights; Bill and Renee Buron.

979 E. Fourth St.:Winter display created by 11-year-old Gabriel, Ripley family.

Interstate 94 and Snelling Avenue:Ornaments hang from ceiling, more than 5,000 lights decorate inside of shop; Malt Shop Restaurant.

STACY

5435 Emily Lane:Manger, Santa's workshop, outlined tractors with elves and Santa driving, penguins, polar bears, snowman, church, carolers, Disney characters, Santa with eight reindeer and elf, Santa and train, Santa and eight reindeer heading into the sky and more; Ed and Jane Leight.

ST. PAUL

1085 Hall Ave.:Santa in handmade sleigh, candy canes and lots of lights, Degnan family.

1254 Charlton St.:Giant snowman, lights, Nativity scene, stars and, weather permitting, handmade ice candles; Sperl family.

434 W. Marie Ave.:Christian and secular themes include church, Nativity, penguins, Santa, elves, angels, Snoopy, bears, gift boxes (many hand-crafted), 20,000 lights; Waldhauser family.

WHITE BEAR LAKE

1808 Eighth St.:Handmade decorations include holiday village, church, giant greeting card, snowman and polar bear, decorated trees, 4,000 lights, food-shelf donations accepted on weekends; Louismet family.

WOODBURY

2095 Cottage Grove Drive:140 lighted figurines including soldiers and cannon, North Pole house with Mrs. Claus, Disney characters, bears, Santa flying with reindeer, more than 8,500 lights on the house and another 25,000 in bushes and trees, light sequencing, collecting canned items for food shelf on weekends; Greg Mitsch family.

2921 Aldrich Trail:About 100,000 lights; Lomnicki family.

2977 Meadow Brook Drive:Grinch, Santa, polar bear, snowmen, blinking candy canes, manger scene, lighted archway over the driveway, flying sleigh and nine reindeer, 117 strands of lights. Toys for Tots drop-off location; Scott Wilmar.

3223 Canterbury Court:More than 50 illuminated figures including Nativity scene, choir, skaters, Santa with sleigh and reindeer on roof. 4-11 p.m. through Dec. 31; Baran family.

6080 Woodbine Avenue:"Our Christmas Wonderland"; Jakober family.

 

 

 

 

 

239 Dessa Lane:More than 15,000 lights and 125 figurines including Santa, reindeer, Grinch, Disney characters, carolers, manger, train, strobe star 40 feet in the tree and ice castle. On weekends and most weekdays, live Santa and Mrs. Claus, elves and Grinch. A Santa shack accepts donations for charities; Fink family.

** This one is just off 21st ave North......I talked to a neighbor....said he gets power from 4 houses.....said they are calling it "tackytown".

I was impress with the "ice castle" ....gotta do that next year.

wow! Power from 4 neighbors to light a holiday display?? unreal!!!

I just read about the rotty that needs a home... my heart breaks for him! I REALLY wish we could take him in, as i've always wanted a rottweiler.... maybe when we get a bigger house. LOL Like ESD would let THAT happen. Hum... maybe I could sneak him in and he wouldn't notice. LOL

Don't waste your time driving by the one on 5th Ave. So. in SSP.  I think they must nominate themselves each year. 

Kitch cooler story about carvers cave area, are they going to restore the cave entrance that the railroad dammed up?

I doubt it....

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/10403247.htm

Good article in today's paper about Crosby...and the gates at como.

 

Some one actually knocked on my door last week and wanted a picture of my light display. Made me fell good. Wind played havoc with them yesterday. It was pretty cold up on the roof fixing them .

No kidding. Half my icicle lights are in the gutter now.

wow! Power from 4 neighbors to light a holiday display?? unreal!!!

no kidding. my brother was disappointed with me yesterday when i told him my estimated light capacity with the power in the garage. "what??? only 400000 lights?" i told him if i ever blew the breaker for the garage i'd run another conduit and panel in for it. too much power??? ain't no such thing.

has me2 mentioned that her husband tripped his 150 amp main breaker with all of their lights? (and everything else that was on in the house at the time.)

http://www.plymouthlights.com/

hey....Look what I found....

Our 2004 display features over 32,000 lights and a computerized light show synchronized to music broadcast on an FM frequency.  We have doubled our computer-control capabilities over last year, and added many great new displays.  

This years also features 24 new rope light mini-trees that dance to the music.  It also features an all-new "toyland" area themed for kids, two Light Flurries virtual snow machines, and much more.

Yikes.

Clue Master 12/10/04 12:42pm

hahaha- that Meister kinda resembles you CM.

The cave was closed up by the city way back- part was due to the railroad but also because the water levels got high during certain parts of the year and the historical significance of the Indians and Carver that the city THOUGHT they were preserving by sealing. The city basically wrecked it. (Back in the 1800's)-This cave has been written about from all over the world about how significant it is to our local and national history and the city just sealed it with a gate and tons of earth materials -ie rock, gravel sand dirt. There is a group (I think affiliated with the U of M) trying to work with the city to restore it. But it has been a long slow process.

When I was about 15 or so I remember some splunkers going in there with diving gear, always thought that would be fun but I would not want to get stuck and run out of air.

That water is freezing! you need scuba gear! I have talked with people who have been in there- I have been told you can get in there now- but I have always put it off cause I always think I will be able to do it-but now with the city trying to seal the caves along the bluffs it does worry me that I need to do that kinda think sooner than later. Even Crosby caves have been not in use -they used to store boats but now they don't due to sandstone chunks falling and damaging the boats-Unfortunatly in October I had the opportunity to 'investigate'the Hidden Falls cave (Jaycees) but I was busy that day!!!! rrrrr I have a feeling that was my only chance to see it besides on the video that my friends got of it.

I have spent a lot of time in the "jaycees"...crosby cave..

too bad I didn't know you way back when....I had a key.

oooooooh, I like men with big keys ;)

well....I've seen the Lost city of Atlantis down there.....

its a big "wall carving" on the sandstone.

--I heard you could get access from the ford plant cave all the way to the jaycees part.

 

I don't know....but the main reason they quit storing the boats in the cave is because the wood was rotting on the boats.....and devolopment of the cave mold...the white cotton shit that looks like "cotton candy"

yeah that too- mold- more moldy talk!

Thanks for the light display addys!

JOE!

http://www.80smusiclyrics.com/games.shtml#null

Well this is fun as hell.  Allow some time to go through the games.  Oh, the memories

Brown College
1440 Northland Drive
Mendota Heights

December 22nd 11:00am to 6:00pm

Portfolio show the cooler crew is invited. I hope to see every one there Oh and I will be wearing a suit=D

a suit???
like santa!! sweet...I have the girls that day....they would love to see santa

Has anyone checked out the "no time for cold feet " stills?
Gee- I miss Green. *sniff*
I am so KEYED for the next hunt!
 (err.... Anytime, now Green sweetie- You can appear.
Artemis!!!!! Hello!
 Hoe the devil are you? Hannah is 9 now, and wishes you well!
 Green? are you shy? CALL ME!

http://web.okaygo.co.uk/apps/letters/flashcom/

 

I heard this is cool....i can't look at it at work...so posting here for you guys to play with.

Now that's just weird. Who says the net can be a waste of time?

Sometimes I think I am on everyone's "ignore" list.
I know I'm weird- I simply cannot help it.

but KT that's what makes ya so likeable :D

KT?

Now Why would you say something like that?

Cleaning shop JT?

.

.

 

You want a WHAT for Christmas?!?!?

 

a map to the medallion!!!

and

maybe

this

wonderful

joe!!!!

joe

and a

"God damn! Mad dog. " joe

I got this in my email from my Aunt today.  I thought people here might appreciate it, but I will have to break it out amongst several posts because of it's size...

<img src="

The temperature in
Harbin


reaches forty below zero, both Fahrenheit and centigrade, and stays below freezing nearly half the year.  The city is actually further north than notoriously cold


Vladivostok


,


Russia


, just 300 miles away.  So ! what does one do here every winter?  Hold an outdoor festival, of course!  Rather than suffer the cold, the residents of


Harbin


celebrate it, with an annual festival of snow and ice sculptures and competitions.  This is the amazing sculpture made of snow greeting visitors to the snow festival in 2003.