A Weekend of Beautiful Weather and Difficult Disc Golf

This past Memorial weekend the Twin Cities had some of the most incredible weather.  Although humid at times, the abundance of sun shine and a cooling breeze made it great to spend time outdoors.

A number of weeks ago the Star Tribune ran an article in the North section of the paper describing the disc golf course @ Bunker Hill Regional Park in Andover, MN

layout of the course provided by Anoka County

Informational signs are now in place, however, there is still construction on hole 6.  For a 9-hole course, it was moderately difficult.  The signs were helpful in determining the shot needed to hit the hole and the number of strokes also made it easy to find ones way to the next hole.  We didn’t have to pay-to-play as it were, but there was a day pass fee for the park of $5.00.

The Disc Golf course is very close to Bunker Beach, the water park in Bunker Hill, and was closed while we were there as their season does not begin until June (now).  It was amazing to see the number of water parks that begin their seasons in June closed with the phenomenal Memorial Day weather.

With as dry as it has been, the course was mostly dirt and scrub grass that was trying to grow in.  The sections that were in the forest smelled of pine needles blistering in the heat.  Near the parking lot we found the usual amenities: a large pavilion that was being used by the local VFW for the Memorial Day holiday, a large play area with a mister for cooling off in the heat, kind of neat to see them here in Minnesota when they are often found in the South and Western states of the country, and then finally a large grassy field.

Kristen and I picked out a nice spot in the shade and unrolled my University of Minnesota blanket, to enjoy a break and some much needed lunch.  For entertainment, we watched a group of kids and parents run wild around the field flying kites.  The father in charge would direct a corresponding child to run like the dickens to keep their kites in the air, searching for that essential updraft that would make it sore.  However, what would ultimately happen was the kid would keep running and the kite would smash to the ground.

With our stomachs full, we packed up and made our way to my parent’s house in Brooklyn Park, our base of operations for the weekend.  Feeling energized from lunch, we stopped at Brooklyn Park’s 9-hole disc golf course located in Central Park.

Map view provided by: http://www.playdg.com/

The course is made up mostly of grass and wood chips near the scoring baskets (is that their official title?).  Distances and Par are listed on the base of the throwing platform for the hole, however, unlike other disc golf courses; BP has not installed signs that show this information or how to best set up ones throw.

 However, the course is pretty user friendly and is a great introduction to the past time/sport/activity, that is Disc Golf, and the fact that the course is free: icing on the cake.

Before starting out on the course, we took a couple of shots around the putting circle (lower left corner of photo posted above) which allows players to practice putting from a number of distances that diminish as one gets closer to the hole (as opposed to an ascending order).  Kristen and I’s favorite hole is #8 from the top of the hill; and is also the best hole to watch other disc golfers perfect their throws and plead with their discs to ‘Get Down, Get Down, Get Down”.  The trick is to pick up enough of an updraft to carry the disc to the hole, but not too much, thus having the disc hug the hill as it approaches the hole.

That evening we got a Facebook message from a good friend from College, Matthew Rhett, who told us that’d he would be in town for the weekend and would be up for playing some disc golf.  An avid and semi-pro disc golfer recommended the 18-hole course @ Bryant Lake Park: part of the Three Rivers Park District.  We all agreed on the location and planned for a tee-off time of 10:00 Am the next day.  Kristen and I then went to bed with the hopes that our throwing arms would have enough rest by morning.

Kristen and I awoke with the excitement of playing a new course in the Metro area and reconnect with friends.  Along with Matthew, his older brother and former floormate of Kristen’s @ Middlebrook: Brian Rhett joined us along with his wife Katrina who I often tease as the Hurricane (I hope she doesn’t hate me for this) and their baby daughter Bella.  The course has a daily fee of $3.00 per person of which Matthew was kind enough to cover for all of us, I’ll have to take him out for a beer the next time he is in town, or challenge him to another round at a different course.

Here’s a description of the course from the Three Rivers Park Website:

The 18-hole disc golf course at Bryant Lake Regional Park offers short and long tee boxes, scenic lake views and the infamous hole #17, where golfers throw their discs off a cliff to reach the basket.  

Descriptions of holes can also be found on the three rivers park website, under the tour button.  The course was one of the most difficult that Kristen and I had ever played through, and the wind was also a contributing factor on a number of holes.

We had some throws where we thought for sure and always aloud “Well, that one is gone forever!”; only to later find our discs in either the thick woods or tall grass.  It also got incredibly hot through the course of playing and I had made the mistake of wearing mostly cotton and not bringing anything synthetic.

We kept pace with Matthew and Brian, while Katrina and Bella walked the course behind us.  I can’t remember how we did stroke wise, but will say that we’ll have to go to Bryant Lake again and continue to work on our disc throwing abilities.

This turned out to be a pretty lengthy post, and it took me a while to finish due to grabbing photos and reading some descriptions, finding links to embed etc.  Overall this was a really fun Holiday weekend for Kristen and I and we are looking forward to spending time with the Rhett Family again in late June during Cottage Grove’s Strawberry festival and a tour of Brian’s garden in his backyard.

Today its June 9^th already, and I am up North @ the Tulaby Cabin.  It’s been rainy, windy, cold and overcast and not a typical warm summer day as was promised.  But this has lead to some well needed napping and reading of books.

Kristen spent the last weekend and most of this week with her folks: Dave and Lola @ a campground near Collinwood Lake in Cokato, MN.  Lola recently bought a new camper and they spent the weekend breaking it in.  On Tuesday, Kristen and her Dad where out fishing and Dave was able to land a fairly large Carp weighing about 8 IB.  Hopefully Kristen will write a post about her weekend @ Collinwood in the next couple of days.

I need to write a post about new toy purchases, I recently upgraded my old phone to a new Palm Pre Plus through Verizon Wireless and the Pre Plus has been a handy device.  My father got one as well, and now we have 3G wireless through the Mobile Hotspot at the Cabin.  It has been nice for simple web browsing and checking email.

We’ll see if the weather makes it possible to launch the larger boat and maybe do some fishing if we feel adventurous.  Planning to be back in the cities Thursday and then down in Red Wing, MN Saturday for Fusion Dance’s annual Recital.  My older brother Frank’s students did really well this year as well as a number of his pieces were recognized for choreography awards.

Now, back to George Orwell’s 1984, of which I am reading through for the first time, and possibly a fresh pot of coffee.     

One of the Best Uses of: Sleepyhead by Passion Pit

My vote is for the Little Big Planet 2 Announcement Trailer. While I am not an owner of a PS3 or Little Big Planet, a good friend of mine has got a lot of mileage out of it and has created some good levels. The first time I heard the song "Sleepyhead" by passion Pit was in the first round of commercials for the Palm Pixi. However, the song didn't get me excited about the product itself; although I have gone on to buy a Palm Pre Plus through Verizon (of which I will dedicate a post to in time). The Song does a great job getting me excited for fans of Little Big Planet 2 and the changing adventures of the main protagonist: Sack-Boy.

The song fits well into the marketing of the game for its epicness of creativity and customization through the driving beats in the background of the song. The creator did a great job of linking moments from the game to the song.
So to wrap things up; this is (IMO) the best use of Passion Pit's Sleepyhead song in the use of marketing a product. Whomever attempts to use the song again for an IP, should consult this video to try an out due what was done, or choose another song. I hope the artists have gotten plenty of exposure from these marketing materials, and compels them to put out more tracks for our enjoyment.
As for Little Big Planet; I saw some great level designs based on ABC's Wipeout that were really well done and I am sure it will continue to be a great platform for beginning, amateur, and experienced game designers the world over. LBP 2 is expected to drop Winter of this year.

The Real Ghostbusters Makes #22 on IGN’s top 100 Animated Series!!

From IGN

"There's a part of us that actually appreciates The Real Ghostbusters more than the actual Ghostbusters movies.  Don't get us wrong, the first movie was classically hilarious, but The Real Ghostbusters just told some really mean and nasty supernatural stories. Their take on The Boogeyman -- and we all know that everyone has their own take on that creature -- was the best we've ever seen. This show had a notably darker tone than other cartoons on at the time, and did well in its research of creature myths and folklore. Most of the time, Venkman, Stantz, Spengler and Winston could often be found thwarting famously diabolical creatures. Samhain, Grundel, Tiamat, Marduk, Russian Domovois and even the freakin' Lovecraft beast Cthulhu! They all fell to the power of the real Ghostbusters!" Image obtained from IGN.com

The Real Ghostbusters: Winston Zeddemore ,Raymond Stantz,Peter Venkman and Egon Spengler

Citation:

Staff, IGN. Retrieved June 04, 2010, from IGN's Top 100 Animated Series: http://tv.ign.com/top-100-animated-tv-series/22.html

The reason I am posting this is The Real Ghostbusters was and remains one of my all time favorite animated series of all time. For years and years I would search the vastness of the internets in the hopes that a fan or dedicated group of fans would put together the episodes as a collection or a rallying cry to owners of the works to put a complete set. For the 25^th Anniversary of the original film: Time Life released a massive collector's edition DVD boxed set of the entire show: All episodes and special commentary of series producers; including another favorite of mine: J. Michael Straczynski – creator of Captain Power: and the Soldiers of the Future, and more well known; Babylon 5.


The IGN staff nails it in their critique on the series, that while intended for children, there were a lot of mature story lines and truthfully scary moments, particularly episodes that were written by Straczynski.  This allowed for the show to be enjoyed by adults and also add depth to the series.
Last Christmas, this was the top item under impossible never going to happen in a million years category: and my wonderful girlfriend Kristen totally GOT ME IT!! I contained my excitement and the next morning opened the iconic Firehouse Case and dived into Season 1. Months later, I am somewhere near the end of Season 2. Other television series have taken my focus, as well as some video games including: Ghostbusters: The Video Game for the Xbox 360 made by Atari. The game was a real treat for fans, with the majority of the original cast returning to reprise their roles from the first film, and a great mechanic for catching and defeating ghosts that was intuitive, rewarding, and most importantly fun.


For fans of animated series through the years and for those like myself who grew up in the late 80's and early 90's, there are many of the greats in IGN's list and several that are currently in my DVD collection. A series that I recently got back into from the early 2000's is Samurai Jack: from Cartoon Network's Genndy Tartakovsky; who also animated IGN's #21 on the list: Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003)


My thanks to the IGN editorial staff for this piece, and I hope they continue to produce these quality top 100 lists.

Wild Weather @ Tulaby Lake

Kristen and I spent the weekend up North, mowing lawn and enjoying some well needed rest and relaxation. We left the Twin Cities Friday evening around 6:20 PM. Feeling excited and ready for the weekend, we jumped onto 35W northbound hoping to make great time and have few stops.

Boy did we make a mistake, as soon as we hit the junction of 35W and county rd C we could already see traffic backing up from the single lane reductions in both directions starting at 35W and highway 694. We lost a lot of time on this stretch of highway, but were able to get off and found our way to County Rd 10, eventually merging with Highway 10 and on our way North.

Road Construction has been horrible this season trying to get North of the cities, lane closures on both 35 and 94 westbound in Rogers have made the necessity for side routes and new ways of getting to the cabin. We hit all greens on highway 10 and were able to make up some time.

Friday night we rolled in around 11:20 PM, got settled, and watched Star Wars: the Empire Strike Back (that celebrated its 30th Birthday on Friday) and made microwave popcorn as a snack before bed.

Saturday morning we enjoyed a breakfast of Hormel thick Bacon and Pancakes before heading up to the garage to prepare the mowers. We also got to enjoy a few cups of coffee: Starbuck's Yukon blend.

Saturday's weather was overcast with very high winds that made it difficult to mow, but we were able to finish a majority of the cabin property and Kristen taught me a new trick with the riding mower: by engaging the parking brake, you can keep the mower running and dismount without the mower shutting off. Saturday evening there were high winds which forced Kristen and I to cook our steaks on the stove as opposed to on the grill, of which we couldn't get lit because of the wind. That night a thunderstorm moved through that lit up the sky and had some soft thunder, but left very little rain.

The best day of the weekend came Sunday with clear skies and a slight breeze. Kristen and I took a hike to the Fire Tower near Tulaby Lake off of Highway 113 and we had gone a long ways before we realized that we had missed the turn to get to the tower and had instead followed a snow-mobile trail…Usually I hike this path with my dad in the fall and winter and forgot to turn left to ascend the hill. As we got further from highway 113 the bugs got worse and the wind couldn't keep us cool. So we hiked back to the cabin, changed into swimsuits, and I took a well needed dive into the frigid lake.

Sunday night we enjoyed watching some movies including Pixar's UP and The Box. The Box was an interesting science fiction/mystery film and starred a good friend of ours as an extra as a reporter dressed in1970's attire. We might have seen the back of his head during a scene but were both unsure. Also Sunday night more sever weather entered the region and dumped rain, hail, and strong winds knocking out the power Monday morning around 5:45 AM. Kristen and I woke up, did our best to clean up the cabin and then hit the road.

It feels nice to blog again, I know I say this a lot but I am going to try and update as much as I can. I have been meaning to write a post about some of the books I have been reading over the past number of months and some of the games I have played through notably: Dead Space for the Xbox 360. I received Dead Space as a gift from my older brother last Christmas and it was a very satisfying entry to the survival horror universe and a joy for fans of horror in space.

NEC 25th Birthday!!!

Photo courtesy of the wonderful staff @ the Neighborhood Energy Connection
624 Selby Avenue • Saint Paul • MN • 55104 • Phone: 651.221.4462

The NEC invites YOU to join us in CELEBRATING 25 YEARS of conserving, cycling, recycling, building community, driving less and driving change in the world.

Party with the NEC, HOURCAR members, celebrities, friends and supporters. We will be serving Summit beer, root beer, Chipotle burritos, chips & salsa, and cake.

Come one come all for great food, games, live music and fun
Thursday, February 25
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
SUMMIT BREWING CO. - The Ratskeller Room
910 Montreal Circle
St Paul, MN 55102

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by calling (651) 221-4462 ext. 136. Visa/MasterCard or checks accepted.

If anyone out there still reads the outpost known as "Nothin' but a Drew Thing" you know that I usually focus on issues related to Land use and Transportation (HSR, Woot!!), descriptions and photos of major occurrences in my corner of South Minneapolis, and whatever else crosses my Radar.

But now I am taking a big leap into the world of Home Energy efficiency, Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs), and Water Heater blankets, my specialty ;-)

In late January I started working with a great group of people over at the Neighborhood Energy Connection (NEC) as a crew member for one of their many programs: The Home Energy Squad (HES).

I have only been on the job for a few weeks and already I have been exposed to a lot of information on how simple, low cost improvements can result in significant energy use reductions and savings for home owners in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area.

We are hoping to have a strong attendance to our 25th Anniversary party, so if you consider yourself a home energy efficiency junky, a fan of delicious CHIPOTLE burritos, live music, and a great group of like minded people we hope that you can attend.

P.S. Xcel energy has partnered with major retailers in Minnesota offering its energy customers CFL light bulbs for as little as $1.00 per bulb, this is a great opportunity for home owners to replace their most used light fixtures with CFL bulbs that come in various shapes and lumens:
From the Wikpedia:

The lumen (symbol: lm) is the SI unit of luminous flux, a measure of the power of light perceived by the human eye. Luminous flux differs from radiant flux, the measure of the total power of light emitted, in that luminous flux is adjusted to reflect the varying sensitivity of the human eye to different wavelengths of light. The lumen is defined in relation to the candela by

1 lm = 1 cd·sr

That is, a light source that uniformly radiates one candela in all directions radiates a total of 4π lumens. If the source were partially covered by an ideal absorbing hemisphere, that system would radiate half as much luminous flux—only 2π lumens. The luminous intensity would still be one candela in those directions that are not obscured.

Not sure when the program ends, hoping to get to my local Home Depot and pick up a bunch for the fixtures I use the most.

A response to: MN 2020 Central LRT article

University of Minnesota Shouldn’t Slow Central Corridor Down

Posted using ShareThis

For some reason, MN 2020 wouldn't let me post this on its replies section, or at least it didn't show up after hitting refresh multiple times... So here's my response to the article and several other comments (three at the time of posting):

As a prior avid supporter of the Central Corridor (see posts tagged Central Corridor), I applaud the University's suit against the Metropolitan Council. However, it will not net the result that many transit supporters have discussed for many months now: The removal of LRT through Stadium Village with an alignment through Dinkytown.
While this would be too lengthy to discuss on this discussion panel, many of the Central Line's stakeholders including the University of Minnesota were promised a tunnel in choosing the current alignment, however, costs became prohibitive for a tunnel and an at-grade transit mall was selected and approved. All the while this was being negotiated, we had the 35W bridge collapse and be rebuilt "Transit Ready" so that it could carry some form of transit to be determined later, President Obama was elected and presented an administration much more favorable to investment in rail transit systems and transportation infrastructure than the previous administration.

Now, there is no shame (as stated by a commentator) on Bruininks for questioning the legitimacy of the ridership estimates of the Metropolitan Council who say that there will be greater ridership numbers through the current approved alignment. Personally, I would like to see what will happen to traffic counts for East River Road (a major bike/walk, slow traffic carrier) and all other roads once traffic is removed and replaced by trains. Also, The Vault (TCF Bank Stadium) is complete, if we want to bring people to the new Gophers' stadium via transit, why not run the train behind it and tie into the new biology corridor that is currently being planned, and then jog over to University Ave and run at-grade from there? This way, the businesses in Stadium Village do not have to give up there on-street parking through this tricky section of Washington Ave.
I want this project as much as any other transit supporter in the metro, however, people often preach "build once hurt once", or 100 year decisions have consequences on the built environment etc. This suit, allows us to take a breather, even though we are on the cusp of a final approval (or did we get that already?). I am not to the point of arguing in favor of the tax evaders of Minnesota, but the University of Minnesota is a major stakeholder along the line and should not be pushed around or intimidated by the council.
For those of us who desire a alternative alignment, it would be a losing effort, but if anybody has any resources to get it going again, you'd have my support.

-Update- Was requested to repost and submitted with no problems, be interesting to see if it stimulates discussion or results in rants. Thanks to Chris of Hindsight for the heads up.

-Second Update-

Important Message from the University of Minnesota on its relations with the Central Corridor: From the University's Youtube Channel

-I tried posting the video and it kept exceeding the margins, probably need to do some fiddling with settings regarding blogger. Plus its an older video from this summer and not really relevant to the current scuffle that will be over soon.

The Vaults Home Opener - I got to be on Television

I was wondering what television news channel that photographer was from :-D
Last night after the Kare 11 news broadcast, my girlfriend got a text from one of her cousins saying: "Where you and Drew @ the Game, I think we just saw Drew on the news". Sure enough, at the three minute mark of the video posted below is yours truly screaming go Gophers into the Camera...

The Photojournalists view of the Game



-Update, After watching it, I didn't know that they included me twice for the Rouser: My Favorite part of any Gopher Game has always been the Rah at the end!!

There has been a lot said for the historical significance of the Gophers returning to campus. The Gophers now have their own home to defend at the University of Minnesota; the best slogan by far has been: "Stadium Village, now with a Stadium" that was on all of the students who had bought season tickets. This game was completely sold out and an announced attendance of 50,508 people. Kristen and I were able to attend thanks to our friends (also alumni) who had to attend a wedding.

Kristen and I took some pictures and Video at the game which I hope to post soon along with an attempted reflection of my Dad and I's trip to the Wind River Range of which photos can be seen on Flickr:




It was a great weekend to be a Minnesota Sports fan; The Gophers won a tough victory over Air Force and have great momentum into their next battle with Cal; and the Vikings had a great game with Farve and Adrian Peteron's 64 yard touchdown run that was straight out a video game.

GO GOPHERS, RAH RAH Minnesota RAH!!!

The Route: Minnesota to Wyoming

View Pinedale Wyoming in a larger map

This evening/tonight or very early tomorrow morning; My Father and I will be embarking on a 10 day trip to the Wind River Range of Wyoming. We will be in the Bridger Teton National Forest and also plan on possibly spending some time in or near Yellowstone.

The past couple of weeks have flown by fast with taking hikes over to the hill @ Central Park in Brooklyn Park, MN and trying to get at least 3 miles a day in with our boots. There's also been a lot of prep work on the part of my Dad: buying food, laying out menus, laying out and acquiring gear, and now we are finally getting close to Zero hour.

I hope to journal or at least reflect on this trip when I return and write a post about Kristen's and I's adventure to Tower Sudan and Bear Head State Park that happened earlier in the Late Spring/Early Summer.

Wish us luck on the trails and hope we don't run into bears...I didn't mean for that to rhyme honestly it just happened that way ;-)

Too Perfect of a Horoscope

From Today's, July 3rd 2009, Variety A&E Section of the Minneapolis Star Tribune:

Scorpio:
"Usually when you fill your life with activities, you feel more vividly in sync with the universe. But right now, the opposite will be effective. Doing nothing and doing it well will elevate your consciousness"

Its not often that the horoscope nails you to a T :-D

In this economy, I have been unemployed now for roughly 8 months. I have not worked as hard as many others have been attempting to secure stable employment; but I do have a plan. I was recently accepted for the fall semester @ Metropolitan State University and plan on pursuing a second degree in Accounting.

This will sound cliche, we must all keep our collected heads up and be ready for the rebound to strike with innovation and drive that generations of Americans are known for through out history.

Have a great Fourth of July!

Lot’s to think about without telling you what to think!

November 20, 2008
-Thanks to Gary Eichten for the title of this post. The past 6 months I have been listening to a lot of Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) and National Public Radio (NPR) on my commute to Lakeville in the early morning hours. I always liked their tag-line of “Get out of the car smarter than when you got in”, but lately with all the economic turmoil you end up getting out of the car more frustrated than when you finished reading the Star Tribune. But more about politics, including my thoughts on the election, energy, and the economy later in the blog.

Currently I am in lay-off from Northern Pipeline Construction Company (NPLCC), reflecting upon the season and trying to think of how I should prepare for my next move. Oh Possibilities!! I wish I had someone to tell me what to think/do especially with the bad news on the table about the economy and the ever-looming threat of Unemployment reaching 8 or 9%.

About a month ago my brother Frank and I were talking about my season at NPL, while working on his basement. For example, the major themes I learned and challenges that I was encountering. Before answering him on what I learned, I paused, and then looked him right in the eye and said, “Wow Andrew, you really can’t tie Knots!!” We both erupted laughing and I went into my usual “Oh poor me” routine of which I am famous for. It has been a steep learning curve, diving straight into the deep end of construction, and being “Greener” than grass. Honestly it (Inability to tie simple knots) has been the most frustrating part of the job and something that I will have to dedicate time to in the off-season if I want to continue/survive another season.

The construction industry certainly has agreed with my body. Since leaving my last job seven months ago, I’ve lost over 30 pounds through sheer work and am almost back down to my weight in High School of 180 pounds. It also agrees with me in regards to satisfaction. To see the end result of a days, weeks, or months worth of work and what we accomplished; as opposed to advocating for something that may never come; such as my obsession with bringing High Speed Rail (HSR) to the Upper Midwest.
-A quick side-note on HSR. The California High Speed Rail bond measure on this Historic election season successfully passed!! It may take five to ten years for the results to trickle over to the Midwest, but hopefully California’s investment will have benefits for the rest of the country. As I stated on a message board on election night about this topic, “This is an issue where “Left Coast” envy can potentially be a great benefit”. I am fully willing to let California run quarterback on bringing rail renewal, just please, please, please don’t blow it. A great blogger, Robert Cruickshanks, has done a great job championing this issue, posting almost daily updates right up to the election. Those interested should link over and scroll through his posts.


Typing from the cold Northwoods of Minnesota, just sitting by a lake (Small nod to John Pryne) I find myself in the usual predicament. It seems that every six to seven months I am tired of whatever it is that I am doing and ready for a change. While I am able to find employment in that time period; there isn’t something that holds my interest or passion, and I (like many people my age and in the working world) face the music of paying the bills or going back to school to further my education to land the “passion” driven job that will keep me satisfied.

Fast forward to where this blog picks up, December 3rd 2008, and I am in my favorite coffee shop: Espresso Royal, typing away and getting set to head over to the West Bank of the University of Minnesota. I am considering revisiting my passion of High Speed Rail (HSR), especially with the recent developments that I alluded to above.

Well enough whining “poor me”, onto some topics I have been meaning to write about…

The Election;

About two years ago, I wrote a post on where I thought development in the Twin Cities would progress; this was before I really knew much about Barrack Obama. I quote the following from that post:

November- 2008: The Bush Presidency is over. Democrats reclaim the White House with anybody but the following: Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, John Edwards, or Joe Lieberman. In a stunning turn of events John McCain is elected and becomes one of the best things to happen to both Republicans/Democrats by being a great moderate President kicking the evangelicals out of the Republican Party and brining in more allies to assist with Iraq.
(Events are fictional, but I really hope they happen.)

In the fall of 2006, while studying abroad in Norway, on-board a train to Sweden; I listened to Barrack Obama’s book: The Audacity of Hope. I found myself nodding along with everything he talked about: Our need to change our politics, our policies from energy to economic, to social and etc. But mostly that as Americans, and as a people there is more that unites us than divides us. Like most Democrats, he became my Candidate and I am very happy he won the Election.

So what’s the point of posting the quote from 2006? John McCain was not the moderate/Maverick that we thought he’d turn out to be. He aligned himself with the Bush policies of the past 8 years, which now W is trying to say is not his fault, Nytimes or Washington Post, and he poorly vetted Sarah Palin for his VP, when someone (admittedly) like “T-Paw” Pawlenty of Minnesota would’ve probably won him more states. Also, Joe Lieberman has become a "independent Democrat"/Republican Hawk

Anyway, I am excited to see what Obama brings as the 44th President of the United States of America.

Onto Energy. There has been a lot of talk about renewable energy and the need for new power sources, reducing and eliminating foreign oil etc. One of the plans that has become quite popular and heavily advertised is the T-Boone Pickens Plan. The Texas Oil Billionaire has spent large amount of his fortune on wind farms in the Texas Pan-Handle and now awaits capitol for Transmission Lines to distribute the power to supposedly 300,000 homes. A similar problem exists in Minnesota; the need for major investment in Transmission lines to distribute power from renewable energy sources such as the large Wind Farms in Southwestern Minnesota. What ties the two together? That both of these plans should incorporate investment in High Speed Rail Infrastructure to carry the power as well as passengers if feasible. That way, the service would be using power from renewable sources, providing new areas for development and redevelopment, and reducing the need for short-haul air travel all at once.

I know I know, enough about the HSR but I had to get it off my chest. :-D

Not much to say about the economy except that we are officially in a Recession and have been for at least a year…Big surprise there I guess. Good deals on HDTV’s if you can afford them, I am hoping to snag one this year if given the opportunity.

Keep your heads up and ears to the ground when it comes to deals.

That’s all I got for now, got to get moving to the West Bank, and I have to walk or take the Campus Connecter because I no longer have a U-Pass :-(

Holy Smokes it’s been a while since I wrote!!!

March 8th!!

Well, it is time to blow the dust off of this blog and start writing again… WHOOOOOSHHHHH (the sound one makes when blowing off Dust)

It’s been an exciting few months. My Dad and I took our spring trip to Arizona, I changed jobs, and there have been exciting/controversial things happening around the state and the Nation that I have been meaning to write about, but just haven’t found the time.

I plan on dedicating several posts to the trip and hopefully I will be able to write them sooner rather than later before more of the details soon slip away. But in the meantime, for those interested, I have photos from the trip on my flickr page.

Other topics some months old that I have wanted to write about but others have covered well/better are as follows:

• The Democrats overriding Governor Tim Pawlenty on the Transportation Bill

To quote MPR:

A $6.6 billion transportation bill is now law after both the Minnesota House and Senate voted for the first time to override a veto from Gov. Tim Pawlenty. The House voted 91-41 to override the governor's veto, and the Minnesota Senate followed shortly after by a vote of 47-20.

Followed by:

• Senate dismisses transportation chief Molnau
  

This removes my hopes of having a dunk tank at the State Fair for Mrs. Molnau, and hopefully the new Chief, Tom Sorel, can improve the public perception of the agency and get some things done.

Amazing stuff in the realm of politics and the major issue of Transportation Infrastructure and funding for the state of Minnesota, all of which happened in the month of February.

As for one of my most common topics; the Central Corridor Light Rail line, I have become very apathetic and have tried to stop being updated on it constantly. The constant bickering and blaming that has risen from this project; accusations that the University of Minnesota is stalling, that St. Paul is worried about receiving the short end of the stick, to worries about the CEI for Federal Funding, the list goes on and on. Suffice to say, I will not be posting about this project until something MAJOR happens; which could include anything from; the line being delayed till next year, The project is canceled, the tunnel is reinserted into the plans, etc.

That’s enough writing/updating for now, but I do need to get back into the habit of it. Already I can tell my typing speed has gotten worse, and I have picked up old paper writing habits of too many sentences with run-ons which is my signature trade mark. A part of me misses writing papers, but then another doesn’t miss it all.

I think I will continue to research things that interest me; High Speed rail, Finance, Accounting, Photography, and then potentially go back to school and get a degree in accounting. I don’t know what I did wrong in my 4 years at the University of Minnesota to not find a job in Urban and Regional Planning in the state, maybe it was because I didn’t take Architecture, who knows…

Be it resolved

Today the Minnesota Senate District 47 DFL held their district convention this morning at Oxbow Elementary School in Champlin Minnesota. The convention started at ten this morning and things came to a close around three this afternoon.

I attended the convention as a delegate for SD 47B in Brooklyn Park’s w-e-p 06 along with my parents. This was the second step in my first caucus, that was held in February and had record breaking attendance on Super Tuesday , and involved sub-caucusing for delegate nominations to the state DFL convention which will be held later in April. We got to hear support from all of the major DFL candidates including Franni Franken who was campignging for her husband Al Franken (our family is supporting him), and former state senator Steve Kelly, who spoke on behalf of Mike Ciresi. In all honesty, I wish Steve Kelly was running this year, but I am glad to have had the opportunity to meet him and thank him for his support for Gopher Stadium and his continuing support of Minnesota Transportation issues. Many of the other regulars and die-hards attended and spoke as well.

I was extremely impressed with the impressive number of People Ashwin Madia was able to have come out for support. It will be an interesting battle for the third congressional district as Madia, Bonoff, and the republican candidate Erik Paulsen (source Wikipedia) face off for this seat. In my personal opinion, Madia possesses an impressive record and with his military training would make him a great Mayoral candidate for any of the cities in the Northwestern Suburbs of Minnesota. However, I , along with my parents, will be supporting Terri Bonoff In the race for the 3^rd District for her ability to defeat Republicans in two heavily conservative cities; Minnetonka and Plymouth.
Most exciting for me today was that my resolution from the caucus was included for the 2008 Resolutions to be voted on for approval:

Be it resolved that Mn/DOT fairly and promptly ensure that the traffic problems of the northwest metro, and the ongoing barriers to economic growth and development that go along with them, are not ignored; and, in particular, that it address without further delay the “Devil’s Triangle” (the intersections of 85^th Ave., US Hwy 169, and CR-81) and the completion of Hwy 610.

I will have to check and see how the voting went later on this weekend.

Been meaning to post on a number of topics, yet it is funny how the time slips away. Glad to see that the KU has returned to blogging, and is in the job search mode. Like many of the Minnesotan’s I am also looking forward to Spring and am in the process of planning a trip to the Grand Canyon and Arizona with my Dad around Mid-March (so a few weeks, not much time to plan!!).

Tonight, Kristen and I are planning on hanging out with some friends and then seeing Teeth at the Uptown Theater at Midnight. I hope to post about the film later in the week.

Summing up Christmas 2007

The Family and friends have been thoroughly briefed and updated, delicious feasts that have not been seen in months have been consumed, Presents and cookies that were wrapped and prepared with care have all been opened and consumed.

Even though the Economy and Media would tell us differently, The Wambach family (like most American Families) enjoyed a very bountiful Christmas and received a majority of the gifts that were on their lists.

Franky J got his new 80 GB Ipod, a major upgrade from his second generation Ipod; my mother received a new Ipod Nano as well as a Digital Camera of her own: The Canon Powershot SD870IS. She will have fun mastering it and taking pictures while on-campus. And my grandmother Marie, joined the 21st Century by receiving a cell-phone. It will take her a little bit to get used to it, but she will get the hang of it. Franky J’s present to all the Family Members was quite impressive, a photo calendar from Flickr of the Frank’s adventure in Glacier. I got my father the new Senseo one touch coffee maker, simply because I will more than likely use it as much as he does. A major gift of the Holiday this year was coffee. My brother gave my folks coffee from Tilly’s Bean in S. Minneapolis, while I gave my Aunt Andrea and her Husband Andrew three of Peace Coffee’s most popular blends (MPR, Twin Cities, and Medium Sumatran). Our house has been enjoying the Peace Coffee as well this winter.

I too received a majority of the items on my list. An item a look forward to diving into was the AIA Guide to the Twin Cities by Larry Millet ; one of my favorite urban historians, that I got from my Aunt Andrea while her Husband Andrew gave me Battlestar Galactica: Razor on DVD. I also gave a gift to myself this year with the first component of the new computer I am building (after the Beast decided to knock my graphics card out of commission): The Antec Sonata III Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply.

I found a great deal @ ZipZoomfly.com and had the fortune of having it delivered on Christmas Eve. Now I must watch the deal sites for prices to drop on the other crucial components: Processor, Motherboard, Memory, Graphics Card, Hard Drive, and possibly a new DVD-R drive. Franky J gave me The Orange Box: Half Life – 2, Episode 1, and Episode 2 and Team Fortress 2; I look forward to playing this and other killer apps once the project is complete.

But the most surprising present was from my folks, they gave me money: Money to put towards a new camera, computer, GPS device, or whatever else I need. For a long time I have thought about breaking into the DSLR market with either a Canon Digital Rebel XTI or the Nikon D40X; both are similarly equipped and priced starting now in the low $600 range. However, I am hesitant to make that plunge when a camera that is a step below the DSLR’s such as the Canon S3IS or the Canon S5IS both very well equipped but would be a much improvement over my existing point and shoot.

So, now comes the hard part of researching, reading reviews, and venturing out into the world of consumer electronics to find what I am seeking. Wish me luck, and I hope everyone in the blogosphere had a wonderful Christmas and is looking forward to a great 08.

The Holiday's are upon us once again!

Funny how I always intend to update this blog, yet I never find enough time. I can't count the sheer number of times that I have started a blog post with that sentence. Hmmm. Anyway, thanksgiving has come and passed and now we are in the full on rush towards Christmas. What I find really amazing is that it has been a years since my return from my study abroad in Norway, and 6-months since I graduated from the University of Minnesota.
Onto the topic of this days post:

Andrew's Christmas List for 2007

• Timex Men's Ironman Triathlon 42 Lap Combo Dual Tech Watch #T56371. Available at Amazon.com. Great for work, casual, and dress up
• Antec Sonata III Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply. Look for deals on this case as Christmas approaches on Dealnews.com or Newegg.com
• Socks – Casual, Dress, and Work
• Work Clothes – Carhart etc. for working in the truck and outdoors
• Wood Splitting Axe or Maul with a Friberglass handle for the Lake
• Red Wing Boots or steel toed
• Pajama Bottoms – Nice ones
• Gift Cards: Target, Amazon, Express, REI
• Thundercats DVD’s: Season 1 Volume 2, Season 2 Volumes 1 & 2
• Animaniacs Volume 3 DVD
• Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens or The Nixon D40X, Your choice based on price.
• Wood-working lessons with Dad

Updated Items Decmber 7th, 2007

• Accesories for IPod Nano: Griffin Technologies Tune Buds in Silver or Black, and the Griffin technologies Itrip for Nano or Ipod Road Trip (this includes the Itrip as well as car charger w/dock connection for Ipod and Ipod Nano's). Both of these products can be found on my Amazon list as well, but prices may differ at major electronic retailers.
• Coffee. Ground or whole bean. Would like Coffee from Espresso Royale in Dinkytown either their Hennepin Blend or if they have a good holiday blend would be nice for all of us to enjoy over the holidays.

• REI Tree Print Beanie

Other items as well as these listed above can be viewed at my Amazon Wishlist


My Brother's list can be seen here: Franky J's Christmas List

Kristen (the GF) is getting set for the Holidays as well, seeking things for her new apartment in South Minneapolis as well as work clothing for her new job as an HR rep at Metro Dental Care. She has the best list so far this holiday season.

I know I talked about this last year, more and more it is becoming harder to know what to ask for, when the gifts bcome more expensive and less "needs" and more wants. However, this year I "need" a lot of things, but also have a good mix of wants. We'll see how the holidays unroll, and hopefully I can get my brother to write a post about Friends Thanksgiving that happened a couple weeks ago.

I close this post on a important note, the Twin Cities and Minnesota recieved its firts signifigant snow fall of the year, not bad right? Well for a lot of motorists the mix of icy roads with blowing snow lead to cars in the ditch, and minor accidents. My Dad and I were on our way home today from spending 2 nights and a day at the Cabin; we were 12 miles from home when the 96 Explorer hit a rough patch of ice and spun-out on East bound Highway 10; smashing us into the Concrete Median. Thankfully, niether my Father nor myself was seriously injured or did we hit another vehicle. We think the Explorer is totaled. It was quite an innconvenience, and now the folks have to start car-shopping for a replacement vehicle. (UPDATE) We've been looking at the car listings, and my Dad has test drove several already; the folks have liked the Ford Escape and the Ford Fusion.

Back in My Element

This week I attended a Transportation field hearing at the Anoka County Court House. I was asked to attend and prepare testimony before the committee by Transit for Liveable Communities. I was impressed with the large turnout and the number of proffessionals working on transportation in the Northwest Metro who provided some great testimony on the state of our infrastructure, systems and sources of funding road and transit improvements, and where improvements need to be made.

Here is the statement that I prepared, and for time constraints limited to two paragraphs:

Transportation hearing Anoka County

I am a resident of Brooklyn Park – like most of the residents of the Northwestern suburbs I work in Minneapolis. Sometimes I drive and sometimes I take the 766 Metro Transit bus from the Noble Park and Ride. Either mode, it takes me an average of 45 minutes to an hour to travel 15 miles.

We need improvements in both roads and transit to reduce travel times, improve efficiency, and ensure the safety of our transportation system.

Better roads and transit will require setting priorities and finding revenue sources. In the Northwest Metro we now await the day that the Northstar Commuter rail line stops in our communities and eases many of our commutes. This is a major victory for transportation in Minnesota and the Northwest Suburbs. However, there is still more to be done. The completion of Highway 610, fixing the Devil’s Triangle (Intersection of 85th Ave, Highway 169, and CR-81), and the establishment of a dedicated transitway in the form of Bus Rapid Transit or Light Rail Transit for CR-81. And we need an improved North South road, a 252 without stoplights or an improved highway 10. We should push to keep these projects a priority in Minnesota.

To help keep these projects a priority, reliable sources of funding will be required in addition to the MVST amendment. A gas tax increase would help fund roads and brides (as constitutionally stated) while a regional sales tax could possibly be levied for transit improvements as has been successfully demonstrated in other similar sized Metropolitan Areas.

The issue of transportation affects everyone in Minnesota. We need Bipartisan efforts based on reality and a comprehensive vision for the future.

Before my Testimony, a representative from Ramsey stated that more leadership was needed from the committee. Representative Hortmann (DFL 47B my District) responded that the DFL majority and the committee are willing to negotiate and compromise, however, the Governor has to participate as well.

In the beginning of my testimony I thanked the committee for their hard work and leadership and stated that we have great leadership and representation from the local and county levels in state government and that the State is lacking in its leadership, that the real person who should be at these field hearings is Governor Pot-Hole Pawlenty himself.

It felt good to be surrounded with citizens and proffessionals who are passionate and concerned about the future of our state and region in regards to transportation and the affect it has on quality of life and economic and social vitality for the Midwest.

Since graduating from College in the Spring and looking and finding employment I haven't been able to enjoy reading up and emmersing myself in Transportation, particullary HSR. I have been continueing to follow the CA HSR plans and press releases. Although, one can argue that more exciting things are happening here with State government and the DFL's calling for the removal of Carole Molnaue as the head of MNDOT; it will be interesting to see how this is resolved.

Gophers play Ohio State this evenning, we will see if the weather holds. Right now, Purdue is kicking the snot out of Norte Dame 23-0 at the half. Gophers will more than likely get slaughtered, but it still should be a fun (if not infuriating) game to watch. Been meaning to write about the new job, and I think I will try and get some pictures of our store and talk about my posiition and the awesome new truck we recieved last week.

Until next post,

When the professionals are kicked out of Government…

…The results can be tragic.

I have not written in a while, and I have not posted my own photographs of the site because I have not been there to document it. Personally, I didn’t feel the urge to rush down to the river crossing (at the time of the collapse I was at my cabin in Northern Minnesota with my mom and Kristen) and take photographs while first responders and survivors risked their lives to get as many people out of harms way. In fact, a part of me is ashamed of all the people who flocked to the bridges, or to buildings with the best views for glimpses of the tragedy; at the Riverfront Guthrie in DT Minneapolis, staff began asking people if they had tickets for the evening performances, it was getting that crowded in the many observation decks and viewing areas of the theater. It was as if on-lookers were trying to become the next National Geographic photographers and the assignment was to document a catastrophe in your local community. I cheered when I read that two photographers were arrested by Minneapolis police for jumping security fences. I am sure that if one were to check Flickr by searching I-35W Bridge collapse, they would find close to 1,000 pictures. /End of Rant.

I have not written for a while for a number of reasons: In my last post I had a job with the City of Minneapolis and that job has since come to a close in Late July/Early August and I have been spending the last few weeks job hunting for the fall. On July 15th, my Grandfather Wallace J. Wambach passed away unexpectedly at the age of 82 from a heart attack. My brother, has a great post about one of the many memories with “Umpa”. I have been slow in deciding what to write about for my memory of my Grandfather, recently we had been chastising each other about the condition of the Cabin’s sanitary septic system and that I should be the one to inspect it.
I have been spending as much time as I can with the KU, who at the time is also applying for jobs. So far this summer we have been rollerblading quite a bit at the Three Rivers Park Recreation area (also known as Elm Creek Park), Kristen has been brushing up on her tennis skills in an attempt to teach me, and enjoying some of the mid-summer blockbusters including Transformers (my favorite), Harry Potter: The order of the Phoenix; but more on that in another post.

Onto the topic of the post:

While the reasons behind the I-35W Bridge collapse are still to be determined by the NTSB, and perhaps will be for some time, the blame and finger pointing is in full swing. I can’t believe the sheer number of cries from Anti-Tax citizens taking shots at Light Rail and Mass Transit projects as the number one culprit in this disaster. This is particularly interesting, considering that LRT and Mass Transit often REDUCE the number of cars on the road by providing ALTERNATIVES for those to get to and from their destinations.

However, the problem that plagues American government has persisted since the Republican take-over of the early to mid 80’s; when Moderate/Conservative Republicans made alliances with powerful Anti-Tax/Anti-Government entities (namely those who would lead the Neo-Conservative Republican Hi-jacking of the party) and removed professionals from many of the large departments in State and Federal governments. These professionals were replaced with Political appointees to enforce the agenda of the sitting administrations.

Recently the Star Tribune published a great editorial describing this very problem.

Another Bridge, a different outcome
August 22nd, 2007

Braun, a professional civil engineer, headed the Minnesota Department of Transportation from 1979 to 1986, serving Republican Gov. Al Quie and DFL Gov. Rudy Perpich. In 1982, he said, he saw corroded steel plates at the Smith Av. High Bridge, and heard the same thing from inspectors he'd heard for three or four years running: "There is oxidation on the plates, but it is no worse than last year."I just decided by myself that I was going to close the bridge," he recalled. The decision came out of the blue. "At that time, we had no funds programmed for the bridge; it was not on any priority list."
Nevertheless, the decision stuck. The old bridge was closed and a new bridge was built in its place. "Do what you think is right," was how Braun remembers the response of Quie, his boss, in the face of opposition by business owners adversely affected by the closure. "Quie was an absolute straight arrow," he said.
The shutdown began on a Tuesday. "A reporter asked me how the bridge could be safe on Monday but not safe on Tuesday," Braun related. "A good question. I responded that I could not predict when the bridge could fall down. It could be this afternoon, next month, next year, five years from now or never, but I was closing it on Tuesday. ...

But Braun exemplified other desirable traits in a transportation leader. He was an engineer, able to question inspectors and analyze data as only a professional can. He was decisive, and had earned the trust of the governor who backed his decision. And he was courageous. When a lawsuit was threatened over the High Bridge closure, he said in effect, "bring it on." A judge who ordered the bridge kept open would be shouldering the responsibility he bore as commissioner, and "I could sleep a lot better at night," he said. No lawsuit ensued.
None of Braun's successors at MnDOT's helm have had civil-engineering backgrounds. (Today, none of the department's three top leaders is a civil engineer.)

Star Tribune Editorial Board
Copyright 2007 Star Tribune.


August has been a very tragic and trying Month for the officials and citizens of Minnesota: to paraphrase Don Shelby of WCCO TV; we have endured draught, a bridge collapse, and now damaging floods in the South East of the state. With luck, these tragedies will lead to a galvanizing movement to fully invest in America’s declining Infrastructure.

I should also note, that the State of Minnesota should consider itself lucky that there were only minor casualties (13 confirmed as of August 21st, 2007) though many would argue that this tragedy should have never occured in the first place. It could have been far worse, and the low number reflects the excellent first responders and citizens this state has.

I have always been, and will continue to be proud of being from Minnesota.

Marty Seifert’s (R-Marshall) Top 5 “other places to get money before taxes”

From Todays Minneapolis Star Tribune: Gas-tax shift poses plenty of pitfalls; Representative Marty Seifert was mentioned near the closing of the article:

House Minority Leader Marty Seifert, R-Marshall, who labored to hold his tiny caucus together against a gas- tax increase last session, maintained Tuesday that "there are other places to get money before taxes."

In response to that statement, here is our short list of alternative revenue sources; enjoy.

5. Replace the bridge bake sale

4. Republican Talent Show…oh wait nevermind

3. Tolls on ALL Minnesota Bridges…It’s a fee, in keeping with Pothole Pawlenty

2. Carol Molnau Dunk Tank at the Minnesota State Fair

…and the Number 1 “other places to get money before taxes” for Minnesota’s Transportation crisis is....

1. Naming rights for the I-35W bridge.

You can create your own list at home for alternatives sources of revenue and send them to Marty Seifert c/o fixourbridgeonthecheap.com and your state representatives.

Update: August 9th, 2007

Other great ideas that we have had submitted to us:

"Win a date with Norm Coleman!" silent auction. His wife could take the photos.

Raffle tickets to the governors fishing trip

and lastly

"Bridge Rememberance Christmas Wreath" And in an especially sentimental touch, $35 for each one

Updates

First things first...I had my commencement from the University of Minnesota Sunday May 11th at CLA's morning ceremony. To quote my girlfriend Kristen, who has worked for the graduate school for a number of years, "Commencement does not equal graduation" and I am now one of several thousand University of Minnesota graduates eagerly awaiting my diploma. Kristen, who graduated from CEHD in Family Social Science, had her commencement earlier in the week. I finished out my final semester with a B average, and was pleased with a B- in Financial Accounting and a passing grade in German 1001 having opted to take the class pass/fail in hopes of learning the language a bit before making a return trip to Europe with Kristen sometime in the near future.
To celebrate, we had some of the family over for Burgers and Cake. Sunday was also Mother's Day, and my mother got a neat present: the Yankee Flipper Bird Feeder. My folks have been battling the squirrels in the backyard, and the flipper is designed to support the weight of birds, however, when a squirrel lands upon the bar, a motor turns on and begins to spin the platform tossing the squirrel off of the feeder.


The second major update is...I got a Job. Tomorrow, Monday May 21st, I start my 4 month paid internship with the City of Minneapolis as a Code Enforcement Field Inspector. I found out a number of weeks ago after filling out several applications, attending interviews, and finally receiving a call that I was offered the job. I am very excited and hope this will lead to other opportunities possibly in the city of Minneapolis or the region.

I have uploaded some new pictures on facebook and on flickr. Kristen and I made our first trip up to Tulaby Lake for the summer and saw all of the work my Dad and Mom have done; replacing the back-bedroom ceiling plaster with wooden panels, painting the walls to add more light, and put in Pergo laminate flooring. The wood flooring replaces the aging carpet and we hope to continue it into the other bedrooms and main hallway before tackling the coming remodel of the Cabin Kitchen. I hope to write a dedicated post with photos to the work that my folks have done with the improvements, as soon as I can grab the photos from my Dad's .Mac Homepage or off of his MacBook at home.

More to come as the summer progresses, I have a couple of topics that I have been meaning to write about bouncing around in my head: What I would do with $120,000 dollars (no saving or investing just straight spending), Green Building and Tax Increment Financing, and whatever else comes into my head.

A few sections from the Thesis

A day away from graduation and completion of my Undergraduate career from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. I turned this baby in two weeks ago, but have wanted to put up some sections ever since I started, so without further delay, here are a few pieces of the long awaited thesis.

Enjoy.

The Need for High-speed rail in the Midwest

Between January 2005 and January 2006, the federal Department of Transportation recorded 9,805 flights from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to O’Hare International Airport in Chicago (ORD), a distance of 334 miles (Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2007). While air and automobile travel dominate the regional market of the Midwest, an intercity high-speed rail (HSR) service with speeds of 200kmh/125mph or greater could feasibly compete with or substitute for regional air carriers and automobiles in fixed travel corridors with distances of up to 650 kilometers/400 miles or less (Gimpel & Harrison, 1997). This paper describes the reasons for renewed interest in passenger rail in the upper Midwest, the history of passenger rail service in the region, and the plans currently under consideration for implementing high-speed rail in the upper Midwest.

A Point of Crisis

In a speech to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Skinner (2000) stated that a major crisis is needed to galvanize the public and force a policy change in transportation. Since 2000, two major crises, the destruction of the World Trade Center by terrorists who hijacked airplanes and Hurricane Katrina, have made our need for new transportation options apparent.
In the closing chapter of his book: New Departures: Rethinking Rail Passenger Policy in the Twenty-First Century, Anthony Perl (2002) described the effects of September 11th, 2001 on the transportation industry. Immediately after the attacks, all air travel in the United States and Canada was grounded in the hope of preventing any further attacks. Many travelers on the East Coast, stranded from grounded flights, rediscovered the nation’s intercity rail system. Perl writes “For the five days following the attacks, Amtrak’s ridership was up 17 percent to around 80,000 passengers” (p. 265). Perl and others have argued that passenger trains have an important role in developing “a more robust, integrated network that can provide redundancy and multiply the available mobility options” and to not just be a fall back for a “vulnerable air transport network” (p. 266).
The second crisis, Hurricane Katrina, struck New Orleans, Louisiana on August 29, 2005. Hurricane Katrina engaged the USA in a discussion of the impact of unpredictable climate disasters associated with global warming. Writing pre-Katrina, Perl’s (2002) argument that passenger rail adds redundancy to the national transportation systems provides insight into what might have occurred had passenger rail been available as a tool for use in evacuation. Hurricane Katrina crippled Louisiana’s auto infrastructure and prevented large-scale evacuation. If a high-speed rail connection had been in place, in theory, multiple cars could have been brought to Louisiana and people could have been evacuated en masse before the massive flooding began.
The threat of increasing severity of storms associated with global climate change is challenging politicians, business leaders, planners and architects. For example, architects are being challenged to design more storm resilient houses for residents of the upper Midwest (Minneapolis Star Tribune, 2007). The nation was also reminded of the impact winter storms can have on travel when air travel in the northeast was shut down in February 2007 and passengers on JetBlue planes were stranded on runways and airports (Newsday, February 15th, 2007). Railroads are less susceptible to complete shut down due to winter storms (New York Times, January 23rd, 2005) because railroad companies use special trains and chemicals to keep rails clear of ice and snow. Had a more extensive rail system been in place, air passengers could have been transferred or rerouted from New York to other airports for international destinations or intercity rail stations for domestic and regional destinations. However, delays due to severe weather are common across all modes of transportation, including trains. I observed this first hand in November 2006 when a snowstorm significantly lengthened my train trip from Oslo Norway to Stockholm Sweden. Despite delays I was able to reach my destination, which probably would not have happened had I been traveling by air.
Just as our increasingly congested regional highways and other automobile infrastructure have resulted in the familiar experience of “gridlock”, congestion of major regional and international airport infrastructure is resulting in “wing lock”(Harrison, 1995). Billions of dollars would be needed to expand existing infrastructure to accommodate increased flights; new runways, new terminals, and storage facilities. The Rochester Rail Link Feasibility Study (2003) suggests that investment in a high-speed rail line could provide service to regional destinations eliminating the need for regional air carriers and reducing the need for costly airport expansions.
The crises of the early 21st century have pointed out the weaknesses of our transportation system. Improving passenger rail services would provide redundancy to our transportation system.

Current Proposals for High Speed Rail in the United States

The current demand for high-speed rail projects in the United States can be partially attributed to the success of high-speed rail in other parts of the world. For example, China completed construction of a Maglev train that runs from Pudong International Airport to Longyang Road station in Shanghai and has been operating at revenue service since January 1st, 2004. China’s Maglev operates at a maximum speed of 430-kmh/267 mph. Alan James states that despite the recent collision involving the Transrapid Maglev at its test facility in Germany, that China’s “exceptional performance (with Maglev) makes it not only the fastest, but also the most reliable transport in daily service on the Earth” (James, 2006). The French Consortium Alstom systems recently unveiled the V150 TGV that achieved a speed record for wheeled rail vehicles in April 2007 reaching 574.8kmh/357 mph (Bernard, 2007) making it the fastest conventional railed vehicle in the world. Through the success of the demonstration, Alstom hopes to break into new markets such as Argentina, Asia, and the United States. While the Japanese JR-Maglev train still holds the speed record for non-railed vehicles at 581-kmh/361 mph as of December 2003 (Xinhua News Agency, 2003).
The plan that holds the most promise for the Western regions of the United States has been proposed by the California High-Speed Rail Authority. Their planned system will link major city centers from San Diego to Los Angeles to San Francisco (700 miles) with modern trains traveling at sustained speeds of 220mph/354kmh.

-A Map of the proposed Route Alignment for California's High Speed Rail plan

The California High Speed Rail Authority created a video presentation describing the proposed plan. In the video, Quentin L. Kopp, Chairperson of the High Speed Rail Authority, states that with California’s population estimated to reach 50 Million people by 2030, the demand on existing transportation infrastructure will overwhelm and exceed capacity. Fran Florez, the Vice-Chair of the authority, states “there has never been a greater need for this (high speed train)” and that it will be the best way to address the challenges created by a dramatic increase in population. According to Anthony Daniels, the Project Director of the Authority, high-speed rail presents an opportunity to “tie California together, look after our environment” and keep California as the leader in sustainable practices for the 21st Century. Advocates hope to make this project a ballot measure in the 2008 elections.

Support is Growing

The Hiawatha line, Minnesota’s first light rail line, has been proclaimed across the 7-county metro as a smashing success, exceeding ridership estimates in the first year of operation and spurring redevelopment along the Hiawatha Corridor (Louwagie, 2006). Another major success is the approval of federal funding for the Northstar commuter rail line and the beginning of preliminary engineering for the Central Corridor light rail line. Included with the Central Corridor is the planned restoration of St. Paul’s Union Depot that was awarded $50 Million over the next 5 years in the federal transportation bill (Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority, 2003). These local rail transportation projects have renewed interest in regional rail including high-speed. On April 24th, 2007 Lori Sturdevant, a columnist of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, wrote an editorial describing two bonding bills passing through the Minnesota legislature. Both bills include $2 Million to plan for high-speed rail service between St. Paul’s Union Depot and Chicago’s Union Station.

-Representative Jim Oberstar, photo from MPR, speaking to the State Legislature encouraging local funding for transportation projects.

Minnesota’s Representative Jim Oberstar, chair of the U.S. House Transportation committee, was quoted in the article stating “that there has never been a better time in 30 years” to seek federal funding for rail passenger renewal in the upper Midwest. Minnesota’s contribution of $2 Million is small compared to those of Wisconsin and Illinois, but according to Oberstar it will show that Minnesota wants to be included in the project. Overall, Minnesota’s expected contribution to the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative (MWRRI) was $325 Million (Sturdevant, 2007). In the article, Sturdevant envisions a spur between the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus and the Mayo clinic in Rochester, which will be covered in the next section.

Current Plans for High Speed Rail in the Midwest

The Rochester Rail Link Feasibility study
The Rochester Rail Link Feasibility study was commissioned by the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the City of Rochester to evaluate options for a multimodal transportation link between the city of Rochester and Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport. The study, created by the firm Transportation Economics & Management Systems, Inc (TEMS), “focuses on the concept of Highway 52 as a multimodal corridor and a key connector for the 21st Century” (TEMS, 2003, p. 2). In the study, TEMS outlines three options for high-speed service shown below. The speed and class dictate important elements of required infrastructure such as track, signaling systems, and the different equipment options available.
• Maximum commercial speed of 150+ mph (FRA class 8 track) using Gas-turbine trainsets. This option has higher commercial speeds and acceleration rates than diesel electrics. The majority of Amtrak’s existing rolling stock is diesel electric. Gas-turbines have not been widely used due to higher fuel consumption rates. An example of a gas-turbine is the jet train manufactured by Bombardier, a Canadian manufacturer of rolling stock.

-The Jet Train from Bombardier, uses a 3,750 kw gas turbine instead of the overhead caternary. The train was to be the featured trainset of the Florida Overland Express.

• Maximum commercial speed of 180+ mph (FRA class 9 track) using electric trainsets. Electric trainsets use either AC or DC electric power fed directly to the train through an overhead wire caternary system. The advantage of electric power is that it provides very high peak power inputs, allowing for rapid acceleration rates and high maximum speeds. The disadvantage is the added capitol and maintenance expenses associated with the power transmission system. Electric trainsets are available from a variety of large manufacturers including Siemens, Alstom and Bombardier.

-The InterCityExpress (ICE) of Deutsche Bahn top speed of 330kmh/205mph. Other examples of electric systems are Amtrak’s Acela, the French TGV, and the Japanese Shinkensen.

• Maximum commercial speed of 250+ mph (Maglev) using Magnetic Levitation trainsets. Rather than relying upon steel wheels and rails, Maglev vehicles are magnetically levitated and propelled along their guideways. Currently there are two kinds of magnets; electromagnetic and superconducting. Electromagnetic vehicles have magnets located on the undercarriage and are attracted to reaction rails attached to the guideway, while superconducting magnets interact with conductors embedded in the guideway which creates a magnetic force that levitates the vehicle. Two companies manufacture maglev trainsets; JR maglev, a Japanese company and Transrapid International, a German transportation consortium.
(TEMS, 2003, p. 5-6)

-I never grow tired of this image. It is a modified JR-Maglev trainset in Maroon & Gold paint job including emblem leading to the phrase; "Even Maglev trains love Maroon and Gold" ;-)

One of the advantages of option 1, the 150+ mph technology using gas turbines is that it can run on upgraded but existing infrastructure, allowing for an incremental approach to investment, “while the two higher speeds require new dedicated systems built from the ground up” (TEMS, 2003, p.5).” Options 1 and 2 were projected to be cost effective, returning a cost to benefit ratio of about 1.4, while the maglev option was projected to have a cost benefit ratio of .56, which is less than 1(TEMS, p. 34). The infrastructure costs of maglev are estimated to be $70 million per mile (TEMS, p. 27). This suggests that while maglev may have high ridership and revenues, they are not high enough to offset the higher costs of infrastructure and maintenance associated with maglev’s high tech guideways. Detailed figures from the report and the route alignment can be viewed in the Appendix.
The Midwest Regional Rail Initiative Study
The Midwest Regional Rail Initiative (MWRRI) is a “continuing effort to develop an improved and expanded passenger rail system in the Midwest” (TEMS, 2004, p. 4) The initiative was supported through the cooperation of the nine Midwest states and their Department of Transportation (DOT) offices along with a steering committee of key staff from each state agency and Amtrak. This report updates prior reports describing infrastructure and capital equipment costs as well as ridership and operating costs for the expansion of passenger service in the Midwest.
The MWRRI describes potential passenger rail service between a variety of cities including the Twin Cities and Chicago. In this plan, Chicago would be the hub of increased passenger rail service in the region. The plan suggests that efficiencies in the use of equipment and employees could be achieved by cooperation (between states) and that increased ridership could create opportunities for volume discounts. The potential for improved service with lower costs provides attractive alternatives to current travel options.
The elements of the MWRRS plan are to: use current rail right-of-ways to connect rural, small urban and major metropolitan areas; to introduce modern train equipment operating up to 110 mph, and improve reliability and on-time performance. The MWRRS projects that 13.6 million passengers per year would use this system, which is four times higher than the current level of service delivers (TEMS, 2004, p. 9). A fully implemented system would provide 6 trips per day between the Twin Cities and Chicago. The travel time would be 5 hours and 31 minutes. The route is projected to deliver a positive cost benefit ration of about 1.4. The report assumes that the service would make use of gas turbine technology, which could be replaced by electrification at a later date if ridership is high enough to justify the higher costs. The Federal Railroad Administration estimated in 1997 that a Midwest rail passenger system would provide the highest level of economic benefit associated with rail investment, second only to the Northeast corridor.

Rails Contribution to a Sustainable Future

Sustainability “refers to economic development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2007). Tied into this is Sustainable Development- that follows the same principle but emphasizes “using renewable natural resources in a manner that does not eliminate or degrade them- by making greater use, for example, of solar and geothermal energy and recycled materials” (Knox & Marston 2004, p. 258).
Currently in cities around the world, the focus of sustainable development is on buildings and the companies that create them. Rating systems, such as the U.S. Green Building Councils (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) guidelines, are designed to “promote a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.” The benefits of a LEED certified building are:

• Lower operating costs and increased asset value
• Provide a healthy and comfortable environment for their occupants
• Reduce waste sent to landfills
• Conserve energy and water
• Reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions
• Qualify for tax rebates, zoning allowances, and other incentives through municipalities

(U.S. Green Building Council, 2007)

However, transportation continues to be a major user of energy and contributor to pollution. Sustainable transportation planning contributes to sustainability by “reducing automobile dependence, increasing use of public transit, and encouraging more reliance on nonmotorized modes such as walking and biking” (Bae, 2004, p. 363). In 1991, Congress passed the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA). This Act introduced the sustainability paradigm into transportation planning. ISTEA broadened transportation policy from increasing mobility to addressing the issues of energy consumption, air pollution and economic competitiveness. Next, in 1998, Congress passed the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). ISTEA and TEA-21 allowed funds that previously would have been allocated to highway construction to be used to develop walkways, bikeways, and public transit. Regional transportation planning agencies gained influence, and public participation was integrated into the transportation planning process of metropolitan planning organizations such as Minnesota’s Metropolitan Council (Hanson, 2004).
Smith (2003) states that a significant environmental advantage of railroads is their ability to run on clean forms of electricity, thus reducing emissions and conserving hydrocarbon fuels. He uses Switzerland as an example where all trains are electric, and 97% of their power comes from renewable hydropower. However, Electrified high-speed rail systems such as the TGV, ICE, and Shinkensen provide incentives for continued investment and development of better renewable energy sources and further reduction of the United States dependence on fossil fuels. Alstom Systems, a major transportation manufacturer and service provider, is joining the green bandwagon as well. One of their latest rolling stock brands, the Coradia Lirex: X-60 commuter train, was manufactured to reduce environmental impacts by being composed of lightweight materials thus reducing energy for movement. In addition, 95% of the material used to manufacture the train cars is recyclable (Alstom, 2004). Since 2005, Sweden’s Transport Company SL has begun to implement the X-60 and steadily replace its current fleet of commuter trains.
Investment in transportation infrastructure presents an opportunity to influence land use patterns in cities and metropolitan areas. In recent years, urban planners and policymakers have looked at rail transportation to achieve “smart growth” or transit-oriented development guidelines that provide higher densities, mixed-use developments, and increased transportation accessibility. Linked to these investments is the promise of economic revitalization for central cities and limiting the effects of “urban sprawl” often characterized by low-density and dispersed land use patterns and associated with the construction of express highways in metropolitan areas (Giuliano, 2004). By locating stops in existing urban areas, high-speed rail provides an opportunity to reconfigure land use patterns surrounding central stations and specific suburban growth areas. High-speed rail can also connect to local transportation systems such as light rail, commuter rail, and bus services creating regional multimodal transportation hubs that ease passenger transfers from regional to local and from one mode to another.
The Sierra Club includes these benefits in its reasons for supporting high-speed rail:

• HSR terminates at convenient downtown stations and also serves carefully selected suburban train stations
• HSR stations strongly encourage the redevelopment of pedestrian & transit-friendly office districts
• HSR stations are often shared with earth-friendly commuter rail trains that serve numerous far-flung suburban points
• HSR stations often feature direct connections with equally earth-friendly urban transit systems
(Karol, 2003)

With successful rail renewal in other industrialized nations of the world, passenger train stations are no longer just places to pass through to reach a destination. Rather, stations have become the center of activity for communities; with grand common areas for travelers, opportunities for vendors to set up small shops, and connections to other modes of mass transit in the community (Thorne, 2001). A project that ties into California’s high-speed rail plan is the redevelopment of the San Francisco Transbay Terminal into an intermodal hub for bus and rail systems including the high-speed plan, and a new neighborhood featuring San Francisco’s next super tall skyscraper. Advocates claim that the project has the potential to become the “Grand Central Terminal of the West”. The Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) hopes to begin construction of phase 1, the transit center, in 2008 and have the entire project complete by 2019 (TJPA, 2007). Plans for Minnesota include an intermodal station for Minneapolis next to the planned Twins Stadium that provides a connection between the Hiawatha line and the Northstar Commuter rail line (Meyer Mohaddes Associates, Inc, 2002) and redevelopment of St. Paul’s Union Depot that was mentioned earlier in the paper.

Conclusions and Recommendations

Based upon these findings, high-speed rail is needed in the Upper Midwest to add redundancy to the national transportation system, reduce congestion on our over burdened airports and expressways, limit transportation’s impacts on emissions, and continue to encourage sustainable development in our region’s major Metropolitan Areas.
However, Minnesota should be cautious in its pursuit and implementation of high-speed rail with both the Rochester Rail link (RRL) and the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative (MWRRI). A rail connection should still be considered between Minneapolis International Airport and Rochester. Rochester is the third largest city in Minnesota and home to the Mayo clinic, a major international destination. With high costs and limited land associated with expansion of Minneapolis International Airport, a rail line to Rochester would allow for Rochester to expand its airport facilities while reducing the number of cars on highway 52.
However, rail advocates that hope for Maglev trainsets zooming across Southeastern Minnesota at high speeds (including myself) should not hold their breath. Based upon the cost to benefit ratios for the Rochester Rail Link feasibility study by TEMS in which Maglev was below 1 at .56 (did not break even), Maglev remains an alluring but expensive mode choice with the majority of the cost in the construction of the guideway. However, in a few years if a new study results in a more positive ratio due to lower implementation costs as the technology becomes more readily available then the mode could be considered. However, until such time Maglev and Minnesota does not make financial sense.
For the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative, there are several changes that should be implemented. These include the creation of a high-speed rail authority for the region, the establishment of dedicated passenger rail right-of-way alongside existing transportation corridors, and eventual electrification of the entire network.
Due to the uncertain future of Amtrak despite continued federal subsidies and increasing ridership on specific routes, high-speed rail in the region could potentially be better served by a unified high-speed rail authority with the ability to contract out services such as operations and maintenance but with oversight by the involved states. This would allow the passenger service to be more entrepreneurially focused and limit the amount of annual subsidy.
Currently, Amtrak’s passenger trains share railroad rights-of ways with freight trains. Due to this, passenger trains must yield to passing freight trains that often results in significant delays or worst-case fatal collisions. Due to this interaction, the Federal Rail Administration requires strict weight regulations for crash safety standards. If the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative were to acquire dedicated passenger rail rights-of-way, passenger and freight rail interactions would be reduced if not eliminated completely. This would allow for faster travel times between stations as well as offer a wide variety of lightweight, fast, and energy efficient trainsets. Grade separation from roads could also be tied into dedicated passenger right of ways.
Lastly, railroad rights-of-way should be electrified through renewable energy sources allowing for rolling stock that draws power directly through overhead caternary systems rather than use gas-turbine trainsets that can only reach speeds up to 150 mph. Electrified trainsets possess the power to sustain high speeds of up to 350 mph, a speed that a few years ago could only be reached with maglev systems.
Almost all of these recommendations result in higher capital and maintenance costs, however, some of these changes would allow for true passenger rail renewal and allow the United States and Upper Midwest to catch up to what the rest of the industrialized world has enjoyed for 40 years. Come the revolution, let us bring high-speed rail to the Midwest.


And so there you have it, I thought about adding in Modifiable links to make it shorter, or to have people jump to or through different sections, but I am afraid I don't have the HTML know how to do it.
Man, 3 AM, time to get to bed.
Nighters Blogoshpere and hopefully these trains will be rolling soon.