My Earliest Memory

My earliest memory is of when I stole my parent car. I was around the age of four or five. My older sister and I stayed up late and played the game Truth or Dare. She dared me to drive our parent car down the drive way and back. I wasn't the type to let a dare go to waste. I got in the car and turned the key. She saw that I was comfortable going down the driveway and back. She then triple doggie dared me to drive around the block, this meant I had to. I did it! No one told so no one cared.

Necessities to protect and serve are denied

“You’re putting the lives of the people of this county in jeopardy.”

Sheriff Gus DiCesari laid his claim of “jeopardizing lives” at the feet of several County Commissioners after his request for new police cruisers and hiring five Deputies was denied.

Thursday afternoon, Sheriff DiCesari met with the County Commissioners claiming he needed eight new police cruisers to replace those with 150,000 miles or more. Sheriff DiCesari supported his claim when he said, “It is getting too costly to maintain the older vehicles and they spend too much time in the repair shop.” After the request was denied, DiCesari accused the county of “short changing” the county’s Sheriff’s Department to save money.The Commission President, Anne Chenn disagreed with Sheriff DiCesari’s claim and said the county does not have the money to buy new police cruisers or hire Deputies because the county ran short of money this year due to an increase in health care costs for employees and higher fuel costs. Chenn told DiCesari that the Sheriff’s Department would have to make do this year because the county did not have the additional $580,000 to supply the Sheriff's Department with its needs. Chenn suggested that Deputies not drive their cruisers home each day as they do now. This would make more cars available and preserve mileage on the vehicles. DiCesari argued that letting deputies drive their vehicles home is a deterrent for crime in that neighborhood.

DiCesari’s requests were denied by a vote of 5 to 2. Commissioner, Anita Shenuski supported DiCesari’s request. She shook up the room and brought a more intense topic to the table. Shenuski said that the city should spend more money on the sheriff’s department and law enforcement than programs for migrant workers. During the meeting Sheruski said, " we never had problems until we started letting migrant workers come to this county to work. They are a problem for our law enforcement, our schools and our healthcare system. They take away jobs from decent people and work for next to nothing. And if something gets stolen, you can bet that it is one of them that’s taken it. We need to protect local residents from them.”

In the migrants defense, Chenn disputed Sheruski’s statement and replied with, “those people who come here to work are decent, hardworking people being employed at jobs that local resident don’t want to do. You are being a hypocrite when you try to blame those people for everything.” The County Commissioners estimate that there are around 5,000 migrant families now in the county working in agricultural, construction and service industry jobs. Commissioner Joe Gardez said, many of the migrant workers become permanent members of the community, opening businesses and eventually earning citizenship.

California funds biggest energy efficiency plan

California is getting aggressive with their energy efficiency programs. The California Public Utilities Commission has launched it newest effort on saving energy. The program, the commission’s president calls, CalSPREE aims to cut energy use by offering rebates and developing programs to educate, train, and help others to save energy. 

My first day at Anoka Ramsey Community College

My first day at ARCC I attended classes on campus Wednesday August 25, 2009. The day after most staff and students roamed the halls, intently listened to lectures and found friends from last semester. 

This day also marked the first day I have ever attended ARCC. I was unfamiliar with the staff, campus and the city of Coon Rapids, home of ARCC. 

I was not intimidated by the unfamiliarity of ARCC because I have been in situations lacking certainty many times before. I felt ready for what was to come. The long lectures, the extensive research and late night study sessions were awaiting my arrival. I felt a slight progression to where I want to be, a graduate. 

I started my morning with an introduction to Philosophy and ended with the review of simple, well-known materials of Astronomy. I spent more time dipping my toes in different areas of the campus in efforts to find appropriate areas for studying, researching and common conversation.  

I ended my day with a visit to the student center enjoying music and announcements of campus happenings.

A father alone spreads help to others like him

A Minnesota native has loved and lost. He experienced the devastating death of his wife and turned it into a positive. He created a blog that bloomed into a nonprofit foundation that offers support to men and women that have lost their spouse and left to raise their children.

The body of a news story

Two deaths were the end result of a devastating chain reaction crash that began with the collision of two tractor trailers.

The intense sound of sirens may have acted as alarm to wake up some people but for others it was melody encouraging great vitality. Around 6:45 a.m. two tractor trailers collided while traveling northbound on Interstate 790. According to the Police Departments Sgt. Wei, the accident caused a major pile up totaling 14 vehicles and four tractor trailers. One of the tractor trailers was a tanker hauling diesel fuel. The truck of the the tanker was damaged by a car. Wei said, It was very lucky that it didn’t roll over or dump any fuel, or catch fire. Wei said, the driver did not suffer any injuries.

 As a result of the accident there were two casualties and 20 others injured. Four of them in life threatening conditions, were taken to the hospital. Memorial Hospital’s “Life Flight” helicopter had taken two of the worst injuries to the Statesville Trauma Center, 50 miles away. 

 All five of the Fire Departments ambulances along with others from a nearby city were on the scene. Fire Chief, Tony Sullivan said, when he arrive the crash scene looked like something from a war zone, with bodies laying along the road, people covered with blood sitting next to their cars, emergency workers running from place to place trying to help the injured and sirens wailing in the distance as more fire trucks and ambulances were called. Sullivan said, he had never seen anything that bad in the 18 years he’s been with the Fire Department. Wei said, police officers were having trouble figuring out which people were from which vehicles, and who were the drivers and who were the passengers.

According to Wei, the accident closed the entire highway, both northbound and southbound. Cars are sitting bumper to bumper and drivers are waiting for the signal to pass. Wei has no idea when it would be open again. Divers that would normally take Interstate 790 are now redirected to travel on Interstate 690, on the eastern side of the city. 

Men looking for hope and parent loosing it.

Many Somali- American men traveling far distances to their homeland are being shot to death while overseas or held behind bars for fighting. People of the community are hoping that the young Somali men will see the deaths and imprisonment as a warning sign and discourage them from fighting.

Young Men:' Searching for Something Better.' - Star Tribune

Summer's Hottest Restaurant

Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque & Pirate Bar in Stillwater, Minn has been a big hit with locals and out-of-towner's. The steady flow of customers confirms their success. There is an authentic feel to the bar. Considering I've never been on a pirate boat, I could not differentiate what is authentic and what is not.  It fits with Hollywood's perception of pirates, their boats and the food they ate while on an adventure. Human skulls, fake of course, line the walls of the bar, eye patches and parrots complete the ensemble, and to make things more interesting, yet exciting, the crew treats you like a mate on deck. The entrees and appetizers are less than gourmet, but they pull the whole pirate theme together. The caribbean style food with satisfy your hunger with out a doubt. 

"dos and don'ts" of leads

I have a trouble electing the adverbs and adjectives that need deleting.  I often incorporate them into my writing, which may turn my readers away. The adverbs and adjectives, I so commonly use, may give an objective view to my audience. They are unnecessary and may state the obvious. I have learned that sentences with out adverbs or adjectives make my story stronger, more intelligent and in some cases less opinionated. 

Writing with an echo is an area I struggle with. I am redundant with particular words. This weakness makes my story weak. I learned to avoid an echo by better understanding the english language and expanding my vocabulary.