Wild in Minnesota

This is my first correspondence with Katherine. She replied both times very quickly.

Hello,

I am writing to let you know I have the great pleasure of getting to interview you for journalism class.

I'd like to know what area you call home?

What your hopes and dreams are?

What your education path looks like?

Have you traveled?

Why you chose to take this class?

What you enjoy doing for fun and laughter?

Are you an avid social net worker?

Thank you,

Kirsten

Oh, and a picture would be great.

These were the questions I sent after realizing that Katherine loved the Minnesota Wild. Katherine was prompt in her reply. I think this will make a great interview article. I am now looking for historical information about the Minnesota Wild to add dimension and depth to my interview. I look forward to having a face to face interview in the future. Because I do not know much about hockey I asked a friend give me some information about Minnesota hockey.

Q. How did you become a fan of the Minnesota Wild? A. My fiancé was a huge hockey fan and I found that I liked hockey too, so we both decided to watch the Wild together.

Q. Are there any other hockey teams you follow? A. I mainly follow the Wild, but I like to find out some things about the teams the Wild have rivals with, Such as the Colorado Avalanche, and the Vancouver Canucks.

Q Who is your favorite player? Why? A. Cal Clutterbuck. He gives the most hits in the NHL and he is very exciting to watch.

Do you dress up for games or paint faces? A. I have my Minnesota Wild gear, but I don't like to paint my face.

Q. Do your children play hockey? A. My daughter, Kylie, is just starting to learn how to skate, but we think she likes soccer more. My son, Shawn, is too young to play hockey because he is only a year old. My fiancé wants to get him into hockey when he gets older if he likes it.

Q. Do you have season passes? A. No. Hockey games are very expensive. We try to get tickets for our birthdays.

Q. How many games have you attended? A. I would say eight games.

Q. What do you think of Cal Clutterbuck's having so many penalties? Are the penalties justified? A. He really doesn’t get that many penalties compared to some of the other players. Usually he gets penalties for being too late on a hit, which is almost always justified.

Q. What do you think of the coach and his style? A. I like the coach. I really did not like his style the first year he coached, but since then he has revised it and the team has improved because of it.

Q. How is your team doing this season? A. I think they are currently doing the best they have since they became a franchise. The Wild are currently ranked sixth, but this is always changing because the points are very close. Every game counts.

Q. Do you drive to the games or take the rail system? A. What is your favorite snack to get while you watch a live game? We drive. I like to eat a soft pretzel at the game.

Q. Do you ever host MN Wild gatherings at your house? A. Yes. We find that when we do people like to talk too much and we miss part of the game, so it's best that we watch them as a family.

Q. Did you grow up playing hockey with your family? A. No. I did not get into hockey until I met my fiancé, Jared. I am glad he got me into hockey. I love the Wild and Minnesota is definitely the state of hockey.

Thank you, Kirsten

Robbery Leaves One Dead at the North Point Inn

North Point Inn bookkeeper Nina Cortez describes surviving a deadly robbery yesterday and finding co-worker Kevin Blohm dead.

Having worked for seven years as the bookkeeper at the North Point Inn, Cortez recalled arriving yesterday shortly before 9:00 a.m. and letting herself in at the back entrance. She remembers speaking with cook, Kevin Blohm and asking him to make some coffee. Blohm delivered her coffee and Cortez said, “that was the last I saw him.”

After removing $6,000 in cash and credit card receipts from the safe, Cortez was just beginning to count the money when an intruder barged in and grabbed $130 in cash. Cortez reported that she began kicking and screaming causing her chair to fall and the robber to leave the office.

She believes the man had an accomplice because she heard a man say, “get the money out of there.” She quickly locked the door and within minutes police arrived on the scene and discovered Blohm dead.

Cortez described a male robber in his early 20s wearing jeans, a blue plaid shirt and blue tennis shoes. She said he covered his lower face with a floral scarf and was between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet tall with a medium build.

The World Mourns Kirsten Hagen

Nobel Peace Prize winner and author of the Willi Hagen series of books, Kirsten Hagen died today at the age of 99 surrounded by family and friends at her home in Flisa, Norway. Hagen began her career at Anoka Ramsey Community College in Cambridge, Minnesota and earned PhDs from the University of Minnesota and Notre Dame. She worked tirelessly to bring freedom to the women of the world, while raising five children. Her daughter Jordan Wilson currently serves as the U.S. Secretary of State. Daughter, Anna Kennedy is a pop singer and son’s Jack, Knut and Abraham are all family physicians. She is also survived by 52 grand children.

Kirsten Hagen’s philanthropy changed the lives of millions of women throughout the world by providing educational opportunities. Thousands flocked to the small town of Flisa to pay their respects to this women’s rights champion. Described as eccentric, unpredictable, fiercely independent and controversial, Hagen had a way of persuading people. Donations to the International Fund for Educating Women can be made online at www.IFEW.org

Budget Woes

For the first time in 27 years, Sherriff Gus DiCesari believes that county commissioners are jeopardizing citizen’s lives by refusing to fund eight new police cruisers and additional staff for his department. Commissioners remain divided with some arguing that funding for police is more important than funding programs for migrant workers. Commission President Anne Chenn reported this year’s budget of $127 million dollars was depleted by higher costs for employee health care; rising fuel prices and a new prison costing $32 million dollars. The commissioners voted 5-2 against the sheriff’s request for additional money.