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Opinion

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Should Minnesotans Do More to Support Cycling?

The state dropped two spots in the League of American Bicyclists’ annual rankings.

(Editor's Note: The map above was created by the League of American Bicyclists.)  Minnesota is still among the top states in “bike friendliness,” but its ranking fell a couple notches in 2013, according to the League of American Bicyclists. The state was ranked fourth this year, down from second in 2012. It ranked high in legislation and enforcement, policies and programs and education and encouragement. But it was middle of the pack in infrastructure and funding and lower tier in evaluation and planning. Minnesota was also missing three of the league’s “Top 10 Signs of Success: Use the map above to see how Minnesota compares to other states in the various categories. Do you think Minnesota needs to do more to support cycling? Share your …

Watts

3:39 pm on Friday, May 10, 2013

Has anybody else received the following when trying to reply in this thread: "This comment has been rejected." I received this as an immediate response from the Patch site, for a completely innocuous reply to somebody that was me actually agreeing with them and the post contained no foul language or anything that could be interpreted to violate any rules of the site. In fact, the reply came back …   more ›

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Local Voices: A Common & Dangerous Toxin to Dog

Westgate Clinic Pet Doctors shares information on xylitol.

Friday, May 3, 2013

Movie Reviews: Iron Man 3, The Place Beyond the Pines & Oblivion

Find movie reviews and showtimes for theaters in and near Southwest Minneapolis.

Editor's Note: All reviews and information aggregated from Moviefone and RottenTomatoes. Want to catch a movie this weekend? Here is Patch's roundup of movies playing at theaters in the Minneapolis area: Edina Landmark Theater, Uptown Landmark Theater, Lagoon Landmark Theater, St. Louis Park Cinema 6, and the AMC 16 Southdale. Iron Man 3 One sentence plot: Marvel's "Iron Man 3" pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. Rotten Tomatoes viewer score: 99 Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 80 Reviews: "But for all the clanking armies of iron knights on display to dazzle the eager kid in each of us, this summer epic rings hollow. There's no one home inside the suit." Rolling Stone Full …

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Folks without Snow on Twitter: 'Here's What I Woke Up To'

'Not even a drop or snowflake': The predicted May Day snowstorm largely spared Minneapolis and its suburbs.

There's no snow to shovel, so you might as well look at what other people in your situation are saying about the surprisingly dry driveway pavements in Minneapolis and its suburbs. Check out the Storify above or at Storify.com.

Andrew Esh

8:52 am on Friday, May 3, 2013

Your patience is being rewarded.   more ›

Parents Talk

Hey Mom and Dad: What Is Your Prom Budget?

A new Visa survey says families are spending over $1,000 for their child to go to prom. What price works for you, and how do you agree on a limit with your teen?

It has gotten more expensive to do most things in life, so we shouldn't be surprised that it has gotten more pricey to go to a high school prom. On average, parents and teens will spend $1,139 on prom this year. This is only a slight increase over last year but a 40 percent increase from the $807 average of 2011, according to a new Visa survey. The list of "needed" items can be endless: dress, tux, shoes (one pair formal and one for the dance?), corsages, limo, dinner, actual prom tickets and after-prom activities. "Prom is the new wedding," said Kit Yarrow, a consumer research psychologist, in a CNN Money article. "I think that every society has to have a rite of passage into adulthood for young people, and prom has become that."   Have …

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Mike B.

6:39 pm on Thursday, May 9, 2013

Scott, there is no such thing as "liberal ideals." Liberals are pro-abortion, pro-taxing people to death, pro-homosexual marriage, pro-kicking God out of the classroom.... these are not "ideals." These are evil beliefs.   more ›

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Hot Topics

Should MN Law Protect Coaches' Jobs from Complaining Parents?

Proposed legislation would ban school boards from dropping coaches' contracts 'solely' because of parent gripes.

Do high school coaches need a law to shield their jobs from parent complaints? Leave your comment below. A Minnesota Legislature conference committee is weighing whether to include this sentence in its omnibus policy and finance bill: "The existence of parent complaints must not be the sole reason for a board to not renew a coaching contract." The legislation is in response to increasing non-renewals of coaches' contracts, with as many as 35 percent in one sport (boys' hockey) involving parent complaints, according to a Star Tribune report: “This just came out from athletics directors and coaches who thought something more needed to be done,” said Rep. Dean Urdahl, a Grove City Republican who co-authored the bill. “The problem is … parents…

Orono

2:06 pm on Monday, May 20, 2013

My son attends a school with the opposite situation. He attends a private school, competion to attract new students can get severe. His school has gotten caught up in the desire to be a player in the sports arena in an effort to gain more students. While I admire the desire to become more competitive, when you dont have enough kids to field a football team, being competitve shouldnt be your first…   more ›

Monday, April 29, 2013

Hot Topics

How Well Do Schools Handle Conversations About Race?

Do the discussions taking place bring people together or tear them apart?

Race has been an inflammatory subject in local schools over the past few months. On Friday, about 150 Hopkins High School students walked out to protest what called the school’s unfair treatment of minority students. The protest followed news the week before that prosecutors had charged two Hopkins students with misdemeanors after a confrontation in the assistant principal's office over the school’s handling of an incident in which they say several white students mocked black culture. The two students accused Hopkins ski team members of organizing a "ghetto spirit day." The ski team members say it was actually called “rapper day.” Hopkins is not the only school facing such controversies. In March, about 300 South High School students from …

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Mike B.

6:23 pm on Thursday, May 2, 2013

As you state, the very minor inconveniences some minorities claim they experience pale in comparison to your husband's life-threatening experience , simply because he is white. But of course, that's doesn't make the liberal media's headlines. Same thing with George Zimmerman.... for every George Zimmerman, there are hundreds of whites brutally attacked and murdered by brown and black people.. It'…   more ›

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Become Part of Patch's 'Local Voices'

Share news, events, expertise and perspectives with your neighbors, constituents and customers. Start blogging today.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Tell Us: What’s the Biggest Challenge You’ve Ever Faced?

Whether it's being the first in your family to graduate college or raising money for a local cause, tell us your stories. Sponsored by Grape-Nuts.

In honor of the 60th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary’s historic scaling of Mount Everest, Patch is asking our readers across the country: What’s the biggest challenge you’ve ever had to overcome?  Have you kicked your smoking habit or finished a triathlon? Or maybe you made your final student loan payment, defeated cancer, lost 50 pounds or learned to knit. From everyday to extraordinary, please share your stories of the mountains you've conquered in the comments section below. You’ll not only inspire others, but also earn some well-deserved kudos! Tell Us: What’s the biggest challenge you’ve ever had to overcome? Share your story in the comments section below.   About this sponsorship: Patch has teamed up with Grape-Nuts cereal on this…

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Rachel Powell

8:46 pm on Friday, May 10, 2013

The question in this article is "What's the biggest challenge you've had to overcome? You're all jumping in with political comments that really, as you just admitted are NOT the biggest challlenge you have overcome. You just wanted to turn this into a "Let's bash everyone who doesn't share our belief system". Nobody really cares about your political views. Answer the question honestly or stay out…   more ›

Friday, April 26, 2013

Parents Talk: Which is Better for Your Baby – Cloth or Disposable Diapers?

Which have you used to cover your baby?

No matter how old your kids are – diaper changing always seems to make its way back into the rotation as friends and family bring new little ones into their lives. And, I have yet to change a baby wearing cloth diapers.  Most of my friends and family have opted for the convenience of a disposable diaper. However, it appears the cloth diaper continues to be a popular choice for many.  For example, a group of Twin Cities parents that joined together recently for the “Great Cloth Diaper Change” event – or the Burnsville-based business that sells cloth diapers. So, before I continue to share my parenting “wisdom” with family and friends with little ones – which do you choose for your child? Disposable or cloth? SHARE: Which is better – cloth …

yomammy

7:00 am on Tuesday, April 30, 2013

hint....skip the diaper genie---they reek. if you get the morning paper (gasp) the paper comes in a small plastic bag. perfect size for disposing individaul diapers. that and wal mart bags.   more ›

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