Leonard Parker, an award-winning Minnetonka architect who designed many well-known public buildings in Minnesota and other civic structures around the world, died of lymphoma Monday. He was 88.
Parker and his firm, Leonard Parker Associates, designed the University of Minnesota's Mondale Hall, which houses the law school, and the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. They also designed the Minneapolis Convention Center and, in St. Paul, the Minnesota Judicial Center and Minnesota Public Radio's headquarters. Parker's 50-year career also included designs of the South Korea embassy in Ottawa and the U.S. embassy in Santiago, Chile.
"All kinds of people in the construction industry can put up buildings," Parker, whose Minneapolis-based firm is now known as Parker Design International, told the University of Minnesota Alumni Association for a 2005 article. "But we architects don't just build buildings. We create works of art."
After earning a master's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Parker worked in Michigan for six years with famed modern architect Eero Saarinen, who designed the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and Christ Church Lutheran in South Minneapolis. It was with Saarinen that Parker learned the ethos he brought to architecture, said his son B. Aaron Parker, a fellow architect.
"He would exhaustively examine design alternatives at the beginning of the design process," B. Aaron Parker said. "He was thorough and exacting in his follow-through
and having the details the way they were supposed to be."
Parker won hundreds of awards, including the American Institute of Architects Fellowship and the Gold Medal from the group's Minnesota chapter. When it was built in 1978, the U's law school building incorporated one of the first known large-scale "green" roofs in Minnesota, B. Aaron Parker said.
Parker, a 1948 University of Minnesota graduate, taught architecture at his alma mater for 34 years.
"Few people have had as big an impact on the School of Architecture as Leonard Parker," said Thomas Fisher, dean and professor in the College of Design. "For decades, he ran a successful architectural practice and taught as an adjunct in the school, showing generations of students not only how to become skilled designers, but also how to work in ways that would help ensure their own success in the profession."
Parker's ambition to become an architect started at age 14 after he and a friend biked from their hometown of Milwaukee to Racine, Wis., according to the U of M Alumni Association article. The destination was a building his friend wanted to see.
"I didn't care about the building," Parker said in 2005. "But I thought riding a bike to Racine sounded good!"
After six hours and 45 miles, Parker and his friend arrived at the Johnson Wax headquarters, whose iconic building was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
"I'd never seen a building like that," Parker said. "It was incredible! The building engineer showed us around, and he spoke of Mr. Wright with such deference. I thought, 'Wouldn't it be great to design buildings like this and have people talk about you with such respect!' I made up my mind right there. I was going to be an architect."
Services for Parker will be held at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday at Temple Israel in Minneapolis. LINK
"Tropical Beach Party February 19 -21, 2011"
It’s all about the sand! Bring the whole family to our winter get away – the Tropics Trail at the Zoo. We’ll supply sand, palm trees, exotic animals and more.
Activities:
Meet Snoopy – (11:00 – 1:00)
Large indoor sand box – (9:00 – 4:00)
Sand art activity – (11:00 – 2:00)
Keeper talks – Tropics Trail (11:00 & 1:00 each day)
Saturday – (Hornbill & Faces of the African Forest)
Sunday – (Bali mynah & Tapir)
Monday – (Toucan & Tamarin)
Valleyfair welcomes Snoopy back to Minnesota with a whole new planet to explore! Planet Snoopy is a new family area with over 20 rides and attractions, shows, and daily visits from the PEANUTS gang! The Park will open on May 14, 2011. LINK
This is a humorous country fable about escaping Minnesota winters by Dan Adler who wrote and performed it. LINK: Youtube
The privately run Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton may reopen and house prisoners from California.
According to a news release from the owner, Corrections Corporation of America, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation intends to award a new contract to them to manage about 3,200 offenders in Appleton and at the company's Colorado facility.
Appleton Mayor Ron Ronning, a 16-year employee of the prison, told the West Central Tribune that he's hoping the prison will reopen early in 2012.
The 1,600 bed prison closed in February. The company didn't give a specific time frame for employees being rehired there.
At full operation, its economic value was estimated at $45 million a year. LINK
A body found by hunters in western Minnesota Saturday afternoon has been identified as a mentally disabled man who had been missing from a Hancock group home for the past six years, according to the Stevens County Sheriff's Office.
The hunters discovered the human remains just south of Morris and west of Hancock Saturday afternoon.
Investigators identified the remains were of Jack Eisel of Hancock, Minn. Eisel was last seen wandering away from the Willams Home boarding house on Nov. 26th, 2004, according to the Stearns County Sheriff's Office. The body was found in a wooded area just 2 and a half miles from the Williams Home in Hancock. Eisel was 40-years-old when he was reported missing in 2004. LINK
Find your way through the Vikings Norseman at Sever’s Corn Maze in Shakopee, MN and you could win tickets to an upcoming Vikings game.
Sever's Corn Maze - America's Largest Corn Maze - Shakopee, Minnesota
www.severscornmaze.com
Join us for our 14th year of family fun. This year, Sever's Corn Maze and Fall Festival is proud to partner with the Minnesota Vikings 50th Season and we'll be giving away Vikings tickets each and every weekend throughout our season. So, Show Your Horns and be sure to make your way out to the Twin Cities original and America's largest corn maze.
THIS WEEK: We are open Thursday Oct. 21st through Sunday Oct. 24th. All shows and attractions will be open and operating each day. Hours are 11am - 6pm. The weather looks great, so come on out.
Storm chaser Bill Doms captured this impressive, photogenic tornado in western Minnesota on August 7, 2010! This tornado caused significant damage to a farmstead near the town of Campbell, but thankfully there were no injuries reported. At one point there were two other funnels present as the larger tornado completed its rope-out! LINK: Youtube
A storm chaser captures a tornado Wilkin County, Minnesota shredding a farmhouse. There were no reports of injuries. (Aug. 8). LINK: Youtube
A TheAfternoonDLight spoof of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys song Empire State of Mind, Minnesota version... LINK: Youtube
Reigning AL Most Valuable Player Joe Mauer made his eight-year, $184 million contract extension with the Twins official Monday. The St. Paul, Minnesota native is a three-time batting champion. (March 22). LINK: Youtube
Rapid waters at the Coon Rapids dam along the Mississippi River. Loved the sound and watching the different waves in the water.
Took this while I was out for my walk. LINK: Youtube
Before they were the first women to become famous on the Grand Ole Opry and the National Barn Dance, The Cackle Sisters, (also known as the DeZurick Sisters) were raised on a farm in Royalton, Minnesota. To develop their unique yodeling style, Caroline De Zurik has said they simply "listened to the birds and tried to sing with the birds."
"QUOTE" You can hear and download more tracks on wfmu's beware of the blog. I especially love tracks like "Peach Pickin' Time in Georgia","Little Golden Locket" and "Sing Hallelujah", where they seem to hit the sweet spot between their bizarre but amazing stereo-clucks and brilliantly close harmonies. LINK: Boingboing, Via: Youtube
The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission is ready to move forward with a new stadium--but the Vikings may already be moving on to other options. Uh-oh.
Go to LINK to read the whole article.
Oct 31-Nov 3, 1991 Halloween Blizzard. Over 28 inches at MSP, nearly 37
inches at Duluth. Nasty windchill conditions, deep snow drifts harsh
on wildlife, many roads closed for days. Perhaps one of the largest and
longest lasting blizzards in state history.
Really glad this Halloween wasn't like that for the kids.
Harsh winters:
1995-96: Dec 8, 1995 blizzard in WC MN
Jan 10 blizzard in WC MN
Jan 17-18 blizzard in SW MN
Jan 26-29, 1996 blizzard in southern and western counties
Feb 10-11, 1996 blizzard in northern counties, Governor closed schools
Mar 23-25, 1996 blizzard in northern and central counties, Hwy 10 closed
1996-97: Nov 16-17, 1996 Blizzard in NW and WC
Dec 17-19, 1997 Blizzard in western and southern counties
Dec 20-21, 1997 Blizzard in NW
Dec 23, 1997 Blizzard in WC
Dec 31, 1997 New Year's Eve Blizzard in NW
Jan 4-5, 1997 Blizzard in western counties
Jan 9-10, 1997 Blizzard in western and southern counties
Jan 15-16, 1997 Blizzard in western counties
Jan 21-22, 1997 Blizzard in western counties
Mar 4, 1997 Blizzard in WC
Apr 5-6, 1997 Blizzard in western counties during flood fight
Total seasonal snowfall at Fargo-Moorhead 117 inches, set up worst flooding
ever.
More at the LINK
She’s apparently the youngest hunter to legally kill a moose in Minnesota since at least 1922 when the state began restricting moose hunting, said Lou Cornicelli of the Department of Natural Resources. The Legislature last year reduced the minimum age to hunt moose from 16 to 10, opening the door for young hunters like Kelly. And she was the youngest of 104 hunters who registered a moose this season, which ended Sunday.
"I feel really happy and proud,’’ Kelly said Wednesday. "Shooting a moose is an accomplishment whether you’re 12 or 38 – you’re going to put the same amount of effort into it. It’s a big sense of accomplishment because I am 12. The moose is as wide as I am tall. I can sit inside his antlers.’’
Kelly was accompanied by her dad, Jeff, who couldn’t hunt – or even help her call in a moose – because he got a license, and a moose three years ago. A limited number of licenses are issued in a lottery drawing, and since 1991 hunters have been allowed just one in a lifetime. LINK
More details at the StarTribune.
Crop art is exactly what it sounds like: Art made with crops. Generally speaking, that means everything from crop circles to grape-vine wreaths. But we're talking about a very specific kind of crop art. One seldom seen outside the surreal confines of the Minnesota State Fair. This crop art is all about seeds--thousands of them--glued together to form an image. Right now, you're thinking about preschool macaroni pictures, aren't you? Don't. Real crop art is much more challenging.
Lillian Colton deserves the credit for keeping crop art alive in Minnesota. This Abe Lincoln--again, all seeds, including the background--is one of hers. Colton first entered the crop art competition in 1966, the second year of its existence as a special category. Back then, Sheehy says, people were using the seeds like stitches of thread. You'd have a big, blank background with seeds forming some abstract shapes or mimicking old-fashioned embroidery samplers. Colton (truly, a Happy Mutant before her time) went in an entirely different direction. At the 1967 fair, she unveiled her first portrait, using seeds like drops of paint to create texture, depth and shadow.
"She really blew it open by showing you could do any subject matter," Sheehy says. "And the virtuosity she introduced by using the really tiny seeds, it raised the bar with obsessive quality in the art." LINK
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