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Readers and writers: A novel of hope and a memoir of optimism

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:12:00 GMT

Fiction or non-fiction — we have both today; a novel about family and memory, and a memoir about the power of living with hope, both from authors who will be at Magers & Quinn.“The Gravity of Love”: by Brian Duren (Willow River Press, $15.99)Brian Duren and his new book.That day in April, when she disappeared, she became a missing person for my sisters, me, and Ken, but Dad had been a missing person for her for over twenty years. Her love for him, like some gravitational force that operates through time as well as space, drew her back here. And I realized, too, as I looked down at his name, that the absence of love also exerted gravitational pull. Dad had always been the missing person in my life, and that absence had haunted me and never let me go. — from “The Gravity of Love”What price does a man pay when his father never loved him? What does a mother do, torn between her love for husband and son who cannot get along?Those are questions at t...

Hastings riverfront factory soon to reopen as $30M Confluence Hotel

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:12:00 GMT

After 14 years of planning and more than a couple of setbacks, the Confluence Hotel in downtown Hastings will be open to the public starting next month.What used to be the H.D. Hudson Manufacturing plant on the banks of the Mississippi River is now home to a boutique hotel with 77 guest rooms, nine apartment-style rooms, a bar and restaurant and a banquet hall, said the Confluence’s general manager, Deanna Payne.Located at 200 Second Street W., near where the Mississippi and the St. Croix rivers merge, the 100,000-square-foot building was used for more than 100 years to manufacture handheld compression sprayers.In 2010, the property was acquired by the Hastings Economic Development and Redevelopment Authority for nearly $3 million and put to a vote: tear it down or rehabilitate it?“The public overwhelmingly wanted the building to be rehabilitated,” said John Hinzman, Hastings’ community development director.Multimillion-dollar cleanupRehabilitating a property that manufactured comme...

Skywatch: An earlier start for stargazers in September

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:12:00 GMT

Summer stargazing can be so comfortable! However, for many folks with Monday through Friday jobs, the wake-up call for work restricts extended nights under the stars to the weekend. In September, though, nightfall begins much earlier, especially later in the month. That’s extra good news because Saturn returns in glory to the early evening sky this September.This coming Thursday we have a rare blue moon, the second full moon this month. The next full moon, on Sept. 29, will be considered the full harvest moon of 2023 since it’s within 10 days of the Autumnal Equinox, the astronomical beginning of autumn. This year the equinox is on Sept. 22, when the northern and southern hemispheres will experience nearly equal amounts of daylight and darkness. From then until Dec. 21, the sun’s daily path across the sky will get progressively lower around here as days get shorter as nights get longer.The planet Saturn is putting on a big show this month. Look for it in the low southeastern sky jus...

Trudy Rubin: Why Ukraine’s fight is America’s fight

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:12:00 GMT

On my recent trip to Ukraine, I met with a friend who is now a commander on the front line, someone I highly respect and have known since before Russia invaded last year. He posed a question I think Americans should ponder.“Why don’t Americans have optimism about Ukraine?” he asked me in a darkened restaurant in a frontline city. “Americans fought for independence against the most powerful empire at that time, the British, who had the world’s best military. Many of the American fighters were farmers. Yet you won. So why don’t you believe in our fight?”Of course, many Americans do support Ukraine. But too many fail to understand that Ukraine is battling a dictator, Vladimir Putin, who longs to restore the Russian empire.Putin has declared that Ukraine has no right to exist as a sovereign nation. He already claims to have “annexed” four Ukrainian provinces, giving him control of the country’s seacoast.Ukraine is not, as many ...

Letters: Don’t overlook Al Quie’s pioneering role in improving the judiciary in Minnesota

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:12:00 GMT

Gov. Quie’s meritorious legacyOne overlooked feature last weekend in the reporting about the death of former Gov. Al Quie was his pioneering role in improving the judiciary in Minnesota.During his single term from 1979-1982, Quie, a non-lawyer, established an informal advisory group to provide guidance to him on selection of judges to fill vacancies on state court benches, which  is the exclusive prerogative of the governor, although judges stand for re-election every six years.Quie’s unofficial approach marked a departure from past practice in which selections to open positions were often made in the form of a patronage system based on political pay-backs, personal factors, and even friendships. While those considerations continued to exist — and still do to some extent — under Quie’s initiative merit became the most salient qualification.While not novel, that process formed a template for other states and also is used informally by senators in recommending candidates for the...

MN Department of Human Services shares smartphone-hacking tool with St. Paul police, other agencies

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:12:00 GMT

When St. Paul police need to hack into a suspect’s cellphone, they don’t have to go far.Under a deal with the Minnesota Department of Human Services, approved by St. Paul City Council in June, police officers have around-the-clock access to a controversial smartphone-hacking device called GrayKey. Under the joint-powers agreement, the St. Paul Police Department agreed to pay $7,000 a year for access to the device located in the digital forensics lab that DHS operates from its building at 444 Lafayette Road.DHS also has deals to share access to the smartphone hacking and data-extraction device with the state departments of Commerce and Natural Resources, according to records obtained by the Pioneer Press. The state Department of Public Safety has its own GrayKey device, too.These deals are the latest local examples of how GrayKey, which was created by the technology company GrayShift to crack cellphone encryption, is being used by an increasing number of law enforcement a...

Literary calendar for week of Aug. 27

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:12:00 GMT

WILLIAM DYER: Former literature teacher at Minnesota State University, Mankato, launches his book “Teaching Fools: Masters and Mentors” about building his cabin on Lake Superior’s South Shore and the characters that make it happen. 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2, Barnes & Noble, Eden Prairie Center, 8251 Flying Cloud Dr., Eden Prairie.HELLO LLAMA: Red Balloon Bookshop hosts a special story time featuring a costumed character reading from “Llama Llama’s Little Lie,” latest in this bestselling series by Anna Dewdney with more than 35 million books in print worldwide. During this stop on a national tour, little Llama fans will have a chance to hear a reading of the new book, have pictures taken with costumed Llama, and participate in activities such as crafts. In the new book, Llama accidentally breaks Mama Llama’s favorite picture frame and thinks a little lie will keep him out of trouble, learning a lesson about telling the truth. Dewdney, wh...

Ask Amy: Grieving daughter needs more comfort

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:12:00 GMT

Dear Amy: I married my husband two years ago.He has two children from a previous marriage, both in their mid-20s.I have a teen still at home.We have a really nice time with his children. We regularly talk/check in with them, and I believe we have a good relationship.However, recently my mother died — after a sudden and torturous battle with cancer.My stepchildren have not expressed their condolences in any way, and both skipped the funeral.I then saw them two days later and they did not address it at all.My feelings are very hurt, but I’m not sure they should be.My mother used to say that young adulthood was her least favorite phase of life — people in their 20s are particularly self-involved.So this may just be the behavior of that age group.I haven’t shared my feelings with my husband because I don’t want him to feel bad.Related ArticlesAsk Amy | Ask Amy: A landmark birthday isn’t cruising along Ask Amy | Ask Amy: Siblings c...

Word Game: Aug. 27, 2023

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:12:00 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — PRACTICE (PRACTICE: PRAK-tis: To do or perform often, customarily or habitually.)Average mark 60 wordsTime limit 60 minutesCan you find 60 or more words in PRACTICE?TODAY’S WORD — PRACTICE pace pacer pact pair pare paretic part pate pear peat pert pica pier pieta pirate prate price race rapt rate react recap rice ripe rite accept acetic acre aper arctic cape caper caprice care caret carp carpet cart cater circa cite crape crate crept tape taper tare tarp tear tier tire trace trap trice trip tripe ipecac irate epact epicTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissi...

Bridge: Aug. 27, 2023

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:12:00 GMT

“Show me a good loser, and I’ll show you a loser.” — Major League baseball manager Leo Durocher.In baseball, there are good and bad outs. If a team has a runner on second with nobody out, and the batter hits a ground ball to the right side of the infield, he makes an out, but it’s a “productive out.” The runner advances to third and is in position to score on (for instance) a fly ball.In bridge, there are good and bad losers. Losing a finesse you didn’t need to try is bad, but trading one loser for another to your advantage is good.In today’s deal, West led his singleton ten of diamonds against four hearts. (West’s bid of two spades was preemptive; East’s pass to four hearts was inexplicable; only double-dummy defense would have beaten four spades.) East took the ace and returned the nine, and West ruffed South’s king and led the queen of clubs.South played low from dummy, ruffed in his hand and drew trumps, but...