Podcasts about lake harriet

Summer Jamz! Today, Brian, Sean, and Colleen discuss their favorite summer hits, Sean admits to accomplishing an "aqua-dump" in Lake Harriet as a child, Colleen reveals her favorite swim position (doggy style) and Brian recounts the terror of a full body shave. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/brian-oake-show/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Lake Harriet Lower Elementary and  Dowling Elementary both celebrate 100 years this year. 

This podcast hit paid subscribers' inboxes on Nov. 14. It dropped for free subscribers on Nov. 21. To receive future pods as soon as they're live, and to support independent ski journalism, please consider an upgrade to a paid subscription. You can also subscribe to the free tier below:WhoJim Vick, General Manager of Lutsen Mountains, MinnesotaRecorded onOctober 30, 2023About Lutsen MountainsClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: Midwest Family Ski ResortsLocated in: Lutsen, MinnesotaYear founded: 1948Pass affiliations:* Legendary Gold Pass – unlimited access, no blackouts* Legendary Silver Pass – unlimited with 12 holiday and peak Saturday blackouts* Legendary Bronze Pass – unlimited weekdays with three Christmas week blackouts* Indy Pass – 2 days with 24 holiday and Saturday blackouts* Indy Plus Pass – 2 days with no blackoutsClosest neighboring ski areas: Chester Bowl (1:44), Loch Lomond (1:48), Spirit Mountain (1:54), Giants Ridge (1:57), Mt. Baldy (2:11)Base elevation: 800 feetSummit elevation: 1,688 feetVertical drop: 1,088 feet (825 feet lift-served)Skiable Acres: 1,000Average annual snowfall: 120 inchesTrail count: 95 (10% expert, 25% most difficult, 47% more difficult, 18% easiest)Lift count: 7 (1 eight-passenger gondola, 2 high-speed six-packs, 3 double chairs, 1 carpet)View historic Lutsen Mountains trailmaps on skimap.org.Why I interviewed himI often claim that Vail and Alterra have failed to appreciate Midwest skiing. I realize that this can be confusing. Vail Resorts owns 10 ski areas from Missouri to Ohio. Alterra's Ikon Pass includes a small but meaningful presence in Northern Michigan. What the hell am I talking about here?Lutsen, while a regional standout and outlier, illuminates each company's blind spots. In 2018, the newly formed Alterra Mountain Company looted the motley M.A.X. Pass roster for its best specimens, adding them to its Ikon Pass. Formed partly from the ashes of Intrawest, Alterra kept all of their own mountains and cherry-picked the best of Boyne and Powdr, leaving off Boyne's Michigan mountains, Brighton, Summit at Snoqualmie, and Cypress (which Ikon later added); and Powdr's Boreal, Lee Canyon, Pico, and Bachelor (Pico and Bachelor eventually made the team). Alterra also added Solitude and Crystal after purchasing them later in 2018, and, over time, Windham and Alyeska. Vail bought Triple Peaks (Crested Butte, Okemo, Sunapee), later that year, and added Resorts of the Canadian Rockies to its Epic Pass. But that left quite a few orphans, including Lutsen and sister mountain Granite Peak, which eventually joined the Indy Pass (which didn't debut until 2019).All of which is technocratic background to set up this question: what the hell was Alterra thinking? In Lutsen and Granite Peak, Alterra had, ready to snatch, two of the largest, most well-cared-for, most built-up resorts between Vermont and Colorado. Midwest Family Ski Resorts CEO Charles Skinner is one of the most aggressive and capable ski area operators anywhere. These mountains, with their 700-plus-foot vertical drops, high-speed lifts, endless glade networks, and varied terrain deliver a big-mountain experience that has more in common with a mid-sized New England ski area than anything within several hundred miles in any direction. It's like someone in a Colorado boardroom and a stack of spreadsheets didn't bother looking past the ZIP Codes when deciding what to keep and what to discard.This is one of the great miscalculations in the story of skiing's shift to multimountain pass hegemony. By overlooking Lutsen Mountains and Granite Peak in its earliest days, Alterra missed an opportunity to snatch enormous volumes of Ikon Pass sales across the Upper Midwest. Any Twin Cities skier (and there are a lot of them), would easily be able to calculate the value of an Ikon Pass that could deliver 10 or 14 days between Skinner's two resorts, and additional days on that mid-winter western run. By dismissing the region, Alterra also enabled the rise of the Indy Pass, now the only viable national multi-mountain pass product for the Midwestern skier outside of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. These sorts of regional destinations, while not as “iconic” as, say, Revelstoke, move passes; the sort of resort-hopping skier who is attracted to a multi-mountain pass is going to want to ski near home as much as they want to fly across the country.Which is a formula Vail Resorts, to its credit, figured out a long time ago. Which brings us back to those 10 Midwestern ski areas hanging off the Epic Pass attendance sheet. Vail has, indeed, grasped the utility of the Midwestern, city-adjacent day-ski area, and all 10 of its resorts fit neatly into that template: 75 chairlifts on 75 vertical feet with four trees seated within 10 miles of a city center. But here's what they missed: outside of school groups; Park Brahs who like to Park Out, Brah; and little kids, these ski areas hold little appeal even to Midwesterners. That they are busy beyond comprehension at all times underscores, rather than refutes, that point – something simulating a big-mountain experience, rather than a street riot, is what the frequent Midwest skier seeks.For that, you have to flee the cities. Go north, find something in the 400- to 600-foot vertical range, something with glades and nooks and natural snow. Places like Caberfae, Crystal Mountain, Nub's Nob, and Shanty Creek in Michigan; Cascade, Devil's Head, and Whitecap, Wisconsin; Giants Ridge and Spirit Mountain, Minnesota. Lutsen is the best of all of these, a sprawler with every kind of terrain flung across its hundreds of acres. A major ski area. A true resort. A Midwestern dream.Vick and I discuss the Ikon snub in the podcast. It's weird. And while Alterra, five years later, is clearly doing just fine, its early decision to deliberately exclude itself from one of the world's great ski regions is as mystifying a strategic choice as I've seen any ski company make. Vail, perhaps, understands the Midwest resort's true potential, but never found one it could close on – there aren't that many of them, and they aren't often for sale. Perhaps they dropped a blank check on Skinner's desk, and he promptly deposited it into the nearest trashcan.All of which is a long way of saying this: Lutsen is the best conventional ski area in the Midwest (monster ungroomed Mount Bohemia is going to hold more appeal for a certain sort of expert skier), and one of the most consistently excellent ski operations in America. Its existence ought to legitimize the region to national operators too bent on dismissing it. Someday, they will understand that. And after listening to this podcast, I hope that you will, too.What we talked aboutWhy Lutsen never makes snow in October; Minnesota as early-season operator; the new Raptor Express six-pack; why the Bridge double is intact but retiring from winter operations; why Lutsen removed the 10th Mountain triple; why so many Riblet chairs are still operating; why Moose Return trail will be closed indefinitely; potential new lower-mountain trails on Eagle Mountain; an updated season-opening plan; how lake-effect snow impacts the west side of Lake Superior; how the Raptor lift may impact potential May operations; fire destroys Papa Charlie's; how it could have been worse; rebuilding the restaurant; Lutsen's long evolution from backwater to regional leader and legit western alternative; the Skinner family's aggressive operating philosophy; the history of Lutsen's gondola, the only such machine in Midwest skiing; Lutsen's ambitious but stalled masterplan; potential Ullr and Mystery mountain chairlift upgrades; “the list of what skiers want is long”; why Lutsen switched to a multi-mountain season pass with Granite Peak and Snowriver; and “if we would have been invited into the Ikon at the start, we would have jumped on that.”Why I thought that now was a good time for this interviewFor all my gushing above, Lutsen isn't perfect. While Granite Peak has planted three high-speed lifts on the bump in the past 20 years, Lutsen has still largely been reliant on a fleet of antique Riblets, plus a sixer that landed a decade ago and the Midwest's only gondola, a glimmering eight-passenger Doppelmayr machine installed in 2015. While a fixed-grip foundation isn't particularly abnormal for the Midwest, which is home to probably the largest collection of antique chairlifts on the planet, it's off-brand for burnished Midwest Family Ski Resorts.Enter, this year, Lutsen's second six-pack, Raptor Express, which replaces both the 10th Mountain triple (removed), and the Bridge double (demoted to summer-only use). This new lift, running approximately 600 vertical feet parallel to Bridge, will (sort of; more below), smooth out the janky connection from Moose back to Eagle. And while the loss of 10th Mountain will mean 300 vertical feet of rambling below the steep upper-mountain shots, Raptor is a welcome upgrade that will help Lutsen keep up with the Boynes.However, even as this summer moved the mountain ahead with the Raptor installation, a storm demolished a skier bridge over the river on Moose Return, carving a several-hundred-foot-wide, unbridgeable (at least in the short term), gap across the trail. Which means that skiers will have to connect back to Eagle via gondola, somewhat dampening Raptor's expected impact. That's too bad, and Vick and I talk extensively about what that means for skiers this coming winter.The final big timely piece of this interview is the abrupt cancellation of Lutsen's massive proposed terrain expansion, which would have more than doubled the ski area's size with new terrain on Moose and Eagle mountains. Here's what they were hoping to do with Moose:And Eagle:Over the summer, Lutsen withdrew the plan, and Superior National Forest Supervisor Thomas Hall recommended a “no action” alternative, citing “irreversible damage” to mature white cedar and sugar maple stands, displacement of backcountry skiers, negative impacts to the 300-mile-long Superior hiking trail, objections from Native American communities, and water-quality concerns. Lutsen had until Oct. 10 to file an objection to the decision, and they did. What happens now? we discuss that.Questions I wish I'd askedIt may have been worth getting into the difference between Lutsen's stated lift-served vertical (825 feet), and overall vertical (1,088 feet). But it wasn't really necessary, as I asked the same question of Midwest Family Ski Resorts CEO Charles Skinner two years ago. He explains the disparity at the 25:39 mark:What I got wrongI said that Boyne Mountain runs the Hemlock double chair instead of the Mountain Express six-pack for summer operations. That is not entirely true, as Mountain Express sometimes runs, as does the new Disciples 8 chair on the far side of the mountain's Sky Bridge.I referred to Midwest Family Ski Resorts CEO Charles Skinner as “Charles Skinner Jr.” He is in fact Charles Skinner IV.Why you should ski Lutsen MountainsOne of the most unexpected recurring messages I receive from Storm readers floats out of the West. Dedicated skiers of the big-mountain, big-snow kingdoms of the Rockies, they'd never thought much about skiing east of the Continental Divide. But now they're curious. All these profiles of New England girth and history, Midwest backwater bumps, and Great Lakes snowtrains have them angling for a quirky adventure, for novelty and, perhaps, a less-stressful version of skiing. These folks are a minority. Most Western skiers wear their big-mountain chauvinism as a badge of stupid pride. Which I understand. But they are missing a version of skiing that is heartier, grittier, and more human than the version that swarms from the western skies.So, to those few who peek east over the fortress walls and consider the great rolling beyond, I tell you this: go to Lutsen. If you're only going to ski the Midwest once, and only in a limited way, this is one of the few must-experience stops. Lutsen and Bohemia. Mix and match the rest. But these two are truly singular.To the rest of you, well: Midwest Family's stated goal is to beef up its resorts so that they're an acceptable substitute for a western vacation. Lutsen's website even hosts a page comparing the cost of a five-day trip there and to Breckenridge:Sure, that's slightly exaggerated, and yes, Breck crushes Lutsen in every on-mountain statistical category, from skiable acreage to vertical drop to average annual snowfall. But 800 vertical feet is about what an average skier can manage in one go anyway. And Lutsen really does give you a bigger-mountain feel than anything for a thousand miles in either direction (except, as always, the Bohemia exception). And when you board that gondy and swing up the cliffs toward Moose Mountain, you're going to wonder where, exactly, you've been transported to. Because it sure as hell doesn't look like Minnesota.Podcast NotesOn Midwest Family Ski ResortsMidwest Family Ski Resorts now owns four ski areas (Snowriver, Michigan is one resort with two side-by-side ski areas). Here's an overview:On the loss of Moose ReturnA small but significant change will disrupt skiing at Lutsen Mountains this winter: the destruction of the skier bridge at the bottom of the Moose Return trail that crosses the Poplar River, providing direct ski access from Moose to Eagle mountains. Vick details why this presents an unfixable obstacle in the podcast, but you can see that Lutsen removed the trail from its updated 2023-24 map:On the Stowe gondola I referencedI briefly referenced Stowe's gondola as a potential model for traversing the newly re-gapped Moose Return run. The resort is home to two gondolas – the 2,100-vertical-foot, 7,664-foot-long, eight-passenger Mansfield Gondola; and the 1,454-foot-long, six-passenger Over Easy Gondola, which moves between the Mansfield and Spruce bases. It is the latter that I'm referring to in the podcast: On Mt. FrontenacVick mentions that his first job was at Mt. Frontenac, a now-lost 420-vertical-foot ski area in Minnesota. Here was a circa 2000 trailmap:Apparently a local group purchased the ski area and converted it into a golf course. Boo.On the evolution of LutsenThe Skinners have been involved with Lutsen since the early 1980s. Here's a circa 1982 trailmap, which underscores the mountain's massive evolution over the decades:On the evolution of Granite PeakWhen Charles Skinner purchased Granite Peak, then known as Rib Mountain, it was a nubby little backwater, with neglected infrastructure and a miniscule footprint:And here it is today, a mile-wide broadside running three high-speed chairlifts:An absolutely stunning transformation.On Charles Skinner IIISkinner's 2021 Star Tribune obituary summarized his contributions to Lutsen and to skiing:Charles Mather Skinner III passed away on June 17th at the age of 87 in his new home in Red Wing, MN. …Charles was born in St. Louis, MO on August 30, 1933, to Eleanor Whiting Skinner and Charles Mather Skinner II. He grew up near Lake Harriet in Minneapolis where he loved racing sailboats during the summer and snow sliding adventures in the winter.At the age of 17, he joined the United States Navy and fought in the Korean War as a navigator aboard dive bombers. After his service, he returned home to Minnesota where he graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School, served on the law review, and began practicing law in Grand Rapids, MN.In 1962, he led the formation of Sugar Hills Ski and purchased Sugar Lake (Otis) Resort in Grand Rapids, MN. For 20 years, Charles pioneer-ed snowmaking inventions, collaborated with other Midwest ski area owners to build a golden age for Midwest ski areas, and advised ski areas across the U.S. including Aspen on snowmaking.In the 1970s, Scott Paper Company recruited Charles to manage recreational lands across New England, and later promoted him to become President of Sugarloaf Mountain ski area in Maine. In 1980, he bought, and significantly expanded, Lutsen Mountains in Lutsen, MN, which is now owned and operated by his children.He and his wife spent many happy years on North Captiva Island, Florida, where they owned and operated Barnacle Phil's Restaurant. An entrepreneur and risk-taker at heart, he never wanted to retire and was always looking for new business ventures.His work at Sugar Hills, Lutsen Mountains and North Captive Island helped local economics expand and thrive.He was a much-respected leader and inspiration to thousands of people over the years. Charles was incredibly intellectually curious and an avid reader, with a tremendous memory for facts and history.Unstoppable and unforgettable, he had a wonderful sense of humor and gave wise counsel to many. …On the number of ski areas on Forest Service landA huge number of U.S. ski areas operate on Forest Service land, with the majority seated in the West. A handful also sit in the Midwest and New England (Lutsen once sat partially on Forest Service land, but currently does not):On additional Midwest podcastsAs a native Midwesterner, I've made it a point to regularly feature the leaders of Midwest ski areas on the podcast. Dig into the archive:MICHIGANWISCONSINOHIOINDIANASOUTH DAKOTAThe Storm explores the world of lift-served skiing year-round. Join us.The Storm publishes year-round, and guarantees 100 articles per year. This is article 98/100 in 2023, and number 484 since launching on Oct. 13, 2019. Want to send feedback? Reply to this email and I will answer (unless you sound insane, or, more likely, I just get busy). You can also email skiing@substack.com. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stormskiing.com/subscribe

Get ready to join me, your host Journey Joe Mitchell, on an exploration of Minneapolis like never before. Listen in as we traverse the city's stunning chain of lakes, each with its own unique allure, from the cultural hub that is Lake Harriet to the athletic buzz around Lake Calhoun. Marvel at the iconic Stone Arch Bridge, bask in the historical richness of the Mississippi River, and immerse yourself in the diverse recreational activities at the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.You're also in for a treat as we journey through Minneapolis's vibrant art and music scene, from the iconic Walker Art Center to the legendary First Avenue Club.Whet your appetite as we savour the city's dynamic culinary landscape, exploring everything from the food revolution in the North Loop to the globally inspired offerings at the Midtown Global Market.And don't forget the city's buzzing craft beer culture! From there, we'll take a stroll through the eclectic shopping scene and conclude with the pulsating nightlife. So, gear up and get ready to explore Minneapolis, a city that's as diverse, energetic and constantly evolving as the experiences it offers.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4952649/advertisement

Rev. Ashley Horan, Aimee Bryant, and Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout lead worship with you at the bandshell at Lake Harriet. By the waters, we'll embody the joy and talk the truths of willful change we can make to the ways we do community. We'll live a little of love's post-pandemic, not-far-along-enough-yet call. Truth be told, it has more to do with play and laughter and loving yourself than we've often understood. And the possibilities, when we're willing to untether from the needful, are more wonderful even than we could have dreamed. Singing to Gather- Rev. Ashley Horan, Aimee Bryant, and Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (:30) Words of Welcome and Call to Worship- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (3:55) Singing Together- Morning Has Come (7:03) Poem- I Thank You God - e. e. cummings (8:07) Singing Together- Morning Has Come (10:23) Singing Together- Breathing In, Breathing Out (14:42) Reading- Building a Common Life by Elea Kemler- Allison Connelly-Vetter (22:39) Community Prayer- Rev. Ashley Horan (28:55) Practice of Giving and Receiving- Rev. Ashley Horan (40:09) Offertory- Light of a Clear Blue Morning by Dolly Parton- Dr. GTR (42:45) Reading- Touched by an Angel by Maya Angelou (47:07) Anthem- Home by Diana Ross- Aimee K. Bryant and Dr. GTR (48:36) Message- To Change What We Know- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (52:06) Singing Together- We Are the Ones (1:02:35) Benediction- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (1:06:50)

Even though February is technically sometimes our shortest month, it can sometimes feel like the longest and dreariest here in Minnesota. That's why MPR News reporters are focusing on fun things to do in the cold weather. MPR News reporter Elizabeth Shockman talked to MPR News host Cathy Wurzer about cold dipping. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.  Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.    We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here. 

It's well known that lakes are a hub of activity in the summer, but did you know that Minnesota lakes are bustling with activity throughout the winter? The Art Shanty Projects is a winter festival that takes place on Bde Unna a.k.a Lake Harriet every year like clockwork. Snowfall and warming weather called for relocation and an operation they call “Project Beach”. Artistic Director, Erin Lavelle, hosted me at the Welcome Shanty and offers you a sneak peak at into 2023's Art Shanty Project.

John is joined by Wedge LIVE lifestyle producer Paula Chesley for a special miniseries featuring the stories of real people, not just surviving, but thriving through a Minneapolis winter. This time we're featuring the artists and participants in the Art Shanty Projects. Music, meditation, climate awareness, winter fashion, froga (frozen yoga), bathwater ice sculpting -- this episode has something for everyone. You can see the Art Shanty Projects at the Lake Harriet bandshell Saturdays and Sundays January 21 – February 12, 2023, 10am-4pm. For more information: https://artshantyprojects.org/ Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://twitter.com/wedgelive Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

After our guests' 2023 reflections and insights last week, hosts Laurie Fitz and Rick Bernardo this morning joined Charity Barlass (www.instagram.com/IamCharityBarlass), Susan Hart Gaines (www.WildHartCoaching.com), and Diana-Christine Teodorescu (DCTeodorescu@SomnioQuam.org) on how we might move “From Being to Doing to the Results We Want.” And today's the first day for www.ArtShantyProjects.org at Lake Harriet. 

John is joined by Wedge LIVE lifestyle producer Paula Chesley for a miniseries featuring the stories of real people, not just surviving, but thriving through a Minneapolis winter. For this episode recorded January 1, 2023, we're at Lake Harriet narrating people jumping into a hole in the ice as if it's the Rose Parade. We speak with first timers, longtime ice dippers, and skeptical observers who live in the neighborhood. Then we head over to Embrace North, a sauna and ice bath facility in Linden Hills which helped organize this event. Paula ventures into the sauna for more conversation and gets the story from the founder of Embrace North, the self-styled Sauna Papi. From Guatemala, to California, to Minnesota -- Luis Leonardo talks about how he turned his dread of winter into a business and a community. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: https://twitter.com/wedgelive Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

Creating Wellness From Within is a podcast devoted to empowering you to live your best life by taking accountability for your own personal wellness … brought to you in part by Integrated Health Systems located in Denver, CO. Women in particular have a tendency to take care of everyone else around them first, while putting their own self care and wellness on the back burner. This podcast is designed to give you actionable advice and tools to help you power up your own wellness journey, and live the best life possible!I am your host, Amy Zellmer. I am editor-in-chief of MN YOGA + Life magazine & The Brain Health Magazine, and author of several books. Additionally I am passionate about yoga, photography, wellness, and all things glittery! You can find out more about me at www.creatingwellnessfromwithin.comFollow me on: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter         Today's guest is:  Tanya BoigenzahnTanya is the owner and director of Devanadi Yoga and Thai Yoga Bodywork, LLC in Minneapolis, MN. Devoted to sharing the gifts of yoga, wellness and well-being with clarity, fun, ease, and joy, she is a long-time daily practitioner and teacher dedicated to the constant evolution of her own soul as well as connecting students from all walks of life to living in light and reaching their fullest potential. Her background is diverse with including a rich study of Tantric Hatha Yoga, Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy, Meditation, Ashtanga Vinyasa, Restorative, Prenatal and more. A gypsy at heart, Tanya loves to travel and lead retreats around the world. She sees clients and trains others in Thai Yoga Bodywork, Reiki, and mentors students to deepen their personal practice and teaching. Outside of yoga, she enjoys biking Lake Harriet, cooking Thai curries, hiking in National Parks, and cheering on her teenage son, River, in his favorite sports.  Tanya was selected by Origin Magazine as one of the top 100 Yogis Changing the World in their “Powerful Leaders” issue. She is also a featured guest teacher offering classes and tutorials on YogaInternational.com, and is one of the founders of the Shakta Yoga Collective.  www.devanadiyoga.com or www.tanyaboigenzahn.com or www.clearvisionretreat.comENJOYING THIS PODCAST?Consider supporting the podcast for $5 a month through Patreon.

Patty and the Buttons performs for Sunday Swing Brunches at the Aster Care in Minneapolis. It's on every week from 11 AM to 2 PM. Accordionist Patty Harison leads the group, and he knew that the audience would come back once the darkest days of the pandemic were gone. He knew that from March 2021, when Patty and the Buttons held forth in the cold at the Lake Harriet bandshell.

Some call it a plunge. Others call it a dip. Molly Leutz and Sally Morgan take a polar dip through the ice on Lake Harriet almost daily during the winter months. The Minneapolis ladies explain why they partake in this ancient Nordic tradition and offer some very practical tips for beginners. After this interview, Jodi tried it… and is now hooked.Follow Sally Morgan online at www.sallystoryteller.com.Follow Molly Leutz on Instagram at @msmollyleutz.

There has been an awakening in recent years in the business community. Now more than ever, companies are understanding their social responsibility to serve their employees, customers, communities, investors, and entire ecosystems. There are two types of value in business - commercial value and social value.  One of the reasons we rebranded the podcast to Value Builders was to create an opportunity to talk more about the intersection between commercial value and social value. In this episode of Value Builders, I sit down with Marcy Twete, Founder and CEO of Marcy Twete Consulting, to bring the social value conversation to the podcast. Marcy is helping companies build sustainable and responsible business value and I'm excited to tap into her expertise to talk more about how companies can create more social value.  In the discussion, Marcy defines social value and several of the foundational concepts that companies need to understand and embrace to serve their stakeholders and communities and compete in the future.  She also shares her perspective on why environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies and investments are good for business. We discuss how social value impacts commercial value and we touch on the recent trends including the rise in transparency, the importance of ESG strategies to investors, and why it matters for customers.  About Marcy Twete Marcy Twete is a recognized leader in corporate responsibility and sustainability for multinational Fortune 500 companies, and has a background both broad and deep in ESG (environmental, social, governance) factors, ethical decision-making, marketing and communications. She is the founder and CEO Marcy Twete Consulting where she advises corporations of all sizes, their investors and key partners on environmental, social, and governance risks and reputation management. In addition to leading her consulting practice, Marcy also co-hosts Office Baggage, a podcast that tackles topics for women in business that are all too often brushed under the office rug. In June 2020, she will launch Table Stakes: The Podcast for Responsible, Sustainable Businesses & Leaders, discussing the issues of sustainability with forward-thinking leaders to forecast the future of responsible business.Marcy is a proud Trustee at the Chicago Architecture Center, and a former member of the Boards of Directors for Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana and Step Up. She received her undergraduate degree in Political Science from the College of Saint Benedict and her MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. In late 2020, after nearly 10 years in Chicago, Marcy and her husband Charlie  relocated to their former home of Minneapolis with their tabby cat Betsey and terrier mix Pearl. You'll find them running on Lake Harriet and Minnehaha Creek near their home in South Minneapolis.

Patty and the Buttons recently resumed playing their Sunday Swing Brunches at the Aster Care in Minneapolis. It's on every week from 11 AM to 2 PM. Accordionist Patty Harison leads the group, and he knew that the audience would come back. He knew that from March 2021, when Patty and the Buttons held forth in the cold at the Lake Harriet bandshell.

Note: This episode was recorded on Friday, June 11.Climatologist Kenny Blumenfeld and Jim du Bois discuss the June 14, 1981 tornado that struck Edina, Minneapolis, St. Paul and the Har Mar Mall in Roseville. Also, a look at the rapidly expanding drought conditions in Minnesota. SPEAKERSJim du Bois, Kenny Blumenfeld Jim du Bois 00:00Edina, Lake Harriet, HarMar? Whatever you call it, it's the 40th anniversary of a significant tornado event in this area. This is Way Over Our Heads. It's a weather and climate podcast. I'm Jim du Bois. Kenny Blumenfeld is a climatologist. Kenny, we'll get to the 40th anniversary discussion here momentarily, but, boy, just looking out the window at the garden in the yard, you can tell that something kind of turned the corner over the last few days. Kenny Blumenfeld 00:34Well, we were super hot, right? I mean, newsflash, it was hot as hell. And yeah, and we didn't get any precipitation or, you know, some people got a little downpour here and there, but there wasn't anything widespread and substantial. And our gardens, our grasses. Everyone is feeling the effect of that. It's become really dry. So I know we're going to talk about the tornado, but we can really quickly recap the heatwave, shall we? Jim du Bois 01:05That sounds good, Kenny. Kenny Blumenfeld 01:06All right. So we are speaking on Friday, June 11. This should be the last day of the consecutive run of 90 degree highs and 70 degree lows in the Twin Cities. So I think we can call it, the heat wave will break. today. Although if you look at the Weather Service forecast, it's not exactly cold next week. They've still got temperatures, you know, in the 80s and 90s in much of Minnesota through next week. It's just not as humid and not quite as persistent. I think there's going to be some ups and downs. But, so the main event heat wave will end at some point on Friday, probably before most people hear this. Maybe it'll end with a little pop, some thunder. But I think the strongest storms will be out in Wisconsin, and you know, before we recorded, overnight on Thursday night and into Friday morning there's monster thunderstorms in the Dakotas. I mean, just from eastern Montana, into especially North Dakota, but also parts of South Dakota, they had reports of wind driven tennis ball-sized hail. And the winds were were being clocked by I think it was one of the stations out of Williston, had a, a real weather station, had a 93 mile an hour wind gust. So there were some really strong winds. And these storms were producing pretty large hail. So, wind driven large hail can pack a punch and do a lot of damage. We don't have anything like that to worry about. It's just been hot. It's probably going to not rain very much until the next time we talk. And that's going to be over a week. And as we were talking about before we went on, yep, Minnesota has slipped or I should say lurched into drought. We've been kind of teetering on the edge of it. Now over 40% of the state is actually in an official drought designation of moderate drought. And the entire state is at least abnormally dry, which is kind of a pre-drought category. So, the majority of the state is either abnormally dry, or in that first level of drought, which is called moderate drought. And there's even some pockets of the next level, which is severe drought in parts of southern Minnesota. We've just, these precipitation deficits are catching up with us. We're spending too much time in between rainfall events, and when it rains is not enough to catch us up. And as we had happen, you know, then we have a scorching heat wave laying on top of that, and that just made it, it's been too much. So, we need to come out of this pattern or it's just going to escalate. But yeah, we're at the beginning of a drought officially now. Jim du Bois 03:40And Kenny, there's really no immediate relief in sight, correct? Even going out 6, 10 days. Kenny Blumenfeld 03:46I mean, you know, the Weather Service mentioned in their discussions last night and this morning, in some of the recent discussions, that it's not the same heatwave, for sure. It looks like there's going to be a couple hot days next week. But this sort of day after day run does not look like it's making a return. But it's gonna be a while before we're, you know, down in the low 50s at night. I hope that happens in the next week or so. But it doesn't look very likely at this point. But yeah, I wouldn't say the kind of relief that you're thinking of. On the other hand, Jim, when it's 95 degrees every day, and and the nights don't get below 70, you know, maybe, maybe high of 88 feels like relief. Jim du Bois 04:33It's all relative, isn't it? Kenny Blumenfeld 04:35Yeah, I think it is. Jim du Bois 04:37And I also assume no real relief in sight as well regarding precipitation. Kenny Blumenfeld 04:44Yeah, this isn't super promising. I was on a radio show this morning speaking with a host from the Two Harbors area, and we were just talking about how the weather models right now are very up optimistic as they have been for months, that it's going to start raining hard in about seven days, but it just never gets much closer than that. And so, it's hard to have now that we've had this multi month pattern where it looks wet, it looks like you're gonna get into a wet pattern, but it doesn't really materialize, maybe one out of four times that actually materialize, and so you end up with, you know, one week per month, it's actually getting decent precipitation. It's hard to trust that prognosis. There's nothing really in the forecast for the next week or so showing significant precipitation in Minnesota. Certainly nothing to start pulling us out of this major deficit that's building. But you know, the weather is not that easy to predict, once you get into, you know, that two-to-five-week period. And so, maybe Jim, maybe there's a pattern change coming that we don't see, maybe we're going to get, you know, we're expecting a really active tropical weather season. And maybe, maybe a couple of these are going to come up the zipper just right up the Mississippi and dump a bunch of rain on us or at least help export some of their moisture into our region. And, you know, imbue the next systems that come by after that with extra moisture, and we end up getting dumped. It's hard to know. But right now, we're in a drought pattern, and I don't see any strong signals of that changing soon. Jim du Bois 06:22Well, let's certainly hope that we get a pattern shift and get some of that much needed precipitation. It sounds like dry conditions and drought are fairly common in the western parts of the United States right now, hearing about very serious drought conditions in Colorado, concerns about water in California, wildfires in California, potentially also Washington State and Oregon. So, just a real need for precipitation in a rather substantial part of the country, it sounds like. Kenny Blumenfeld 06:53Yeah, yeah, basically, the western half or so of the country is running pretty dry, maybe the western 40%. And we're on the eastern edge of that. And then we're starting to get some signs of it. What's interesting is, you don't have to go too far to the east. You know, in the eastern US where I'm going to be next week. I mean, there've been Flash Flood Watches, and they've got precipitation surpluses. So, it's really, we're just on different sides of the same pattern where we're stuck in getting kind of dry air pulled into our region, there are other areas that are in that kind of non-stop conveyor belt moisture. Jim du Bois 07:29Well, as we had promised in the tease, we're going to talk about a tornado event that took place 40 years ago, this coming Monday, June 14, and it did depend where you were living in the Twin Cities at the time in terms of how you would probably describe the event. If you were in Minneapolis, it was the Lake Harriet tornado. If you were in Edina, the Edina tornado. It famously knocked down the marquee on the Edina Theater, which sadly has now apparently gone out of business in the wake of COVID. But then it could have been the HarMar tornado if you were in that area. And it was a rather significant event. Kenny, how did that particular event unfold? Kenny Blumenfeld 08:15Yes, so it was Father's Day weekend, and I actually did a fun run with my dad and my brother that weekend and it poured, poured, poured, poured in the morning. And it was just, you know, we think of this event, and I've, you know, done research on severe weather, and we remember there's a tornado that went across the Twin Cities, and that was a big deal. But that whole weekend was very stormy and even in the morning, the morning of the tornado, a violent thunderstorm complex moved across the southern Twin Cities metro and into kind of the Rice County area, Northfield area, and it produced estimated winds of 80 to 120 miles an hour. This was a completely separate storm, Sunday morning, June 14, 1981. It was demolishing outbuildings in rural parts of the southern Twin Cities area. So, that was, we just had a, you know, meteorologically we had strong winds aloft, we had a moist, very humid airmass moving in, and a low-pressure area approaching from the west bringing in a cold front, and that's just a really good recipe for severe weather. And so, later that day as the air became quite muggy in the Twin Cities area, a thunderstorm blossomed over the southwestern Twin Cities metropolitan area, started producing hail in the Lake Minnetonka areas. There were a couple thunderstorm cells, but the main one moved into the Edina area in the late afternoon and produced a tornado not too far, just a little bit southwest of 50th and France, and that tornado tracked right over the Edina movie theater, twisted and then bent down, I don't know if you remember the old pictures, but it bent that marquee and then kind of twisted it to the ground, and then it tracked from that point over essentially western and northern Lake Harriet. I mean it crossed about half of the lake and hit particularly hard the pavilion at Beard's Plaisance. It threw that, lifted it off its structure and threw it into the lake, picked up a bunch of water from the lake, picked up some fish from the lake, which is something that tornadoes like to do occasionally. Knocked down almost every tree in the Roberts Bird Sanctuary, pretty much every tree in the Rose Gardens and the old park commissioner house by Lyndale Farmstead was damaged pretty extensively. And then the tornado just tracked over the Chicago-Lake area past, went and damaged old Agassiz School. Mercifully, it actually appeared to briefly lift off the ground and miss the area between the University of Minnesota and downtown Minneapolis, and then it went back down near St. Anthony Park in St. Paul, tracked into the HarMar area where it actually deposited some of those fish from Lake Harriet into the parking lot. Jim du Bois 11:05Wow. Kenny Blumenfeld 11:06Neat little sight. Did a lot of residential and tree damage at the time, and then moved into Roseville where it finally dissipated after doing extensive damage. I think officially it was 83 injuries and one fatality near Lake Harriet, was rated an F3 tornado, I guess retroactively, we would call it an EF3, pretty damaging winds probably in the, you know, it's always an estimate, in 50 mile an hour range. And it was not enormous, but it was a good size tornado occasionally up to a half a mile wide at the base. And yeah, I mean it was, and then we were a little slow to pick up on it. So, the original warnings, I lived not too far from Lake Harriet. That's where I grew up. So, we had the winds pass our house, I mean, big gusts of wind and you can see the trees kind of bending and, but we didn't know that there was a tornado, there was no warning yet. It was about three or four minutes after the wind subsided that the first report officially came in and the sirens went off. And so, there was a little bit of a catch-up game going on between the warnings and where the tornado actually was. And that led to some confusion. Initially, it was assumed that there were three separate tornadoes: one in Edina, and one in Minneapolis, and one in Roseville. And it wasn't until a couple days later that it was confirmed to be a single track. The former State Climatologist Earl Kuehnast walked the entire length of the tornado path and was able to confirm a pretty much continuous track. Jim du Bois 12:43Well, Kenny, we all have memories of that day. I remember I had worked an early shift, 5:30am at a radio station in the Twin Cities. I was living over by the University of Minnesota at the time, it was Father's Day, as you mentioned, and we were having dinner for my dad. So, I had gone home about 2:30 or so and caught a brief nap until I was roused by the Civil Defense sirens and walked down to our front porch where my mom and dad were sitting and my mom who grew up on a farm said oh, we already heard the tornado pass by. We were living, or my parents were living at that time by Bde, Bde Maka Ska. So, it crossed rather close to my childhood home. So that was my memory. But then of course, I went back to work and drove down to the site around, it would have been 38th and Bryant and phoned in from something quaint called a telephone booth to the radio station and described what had happened. Talked to a couple of people whose houses had been in the path. But what are your memories, Kenny, of that day? Kenny Blumenfeld 13:52Oh, I mean, it was, I was you know, playing soccer in the backyard. The sky turned kind of green, and I was already, so I was already a huge weather fan even though I was seven, I was only seven years old. But I loved storms. I was terrified of them. I remember we were playing soccer outside, there was a brief kind of a sun shower, and then it got muggier and within about 15 minutes or a half an hour of that, you can see this much darker and more ominous clouds on the horizon. And our horizon, we're south Minneapolis, so we could basically see, you know, maybe 10 miles or something because it was, there's lots of trees and I was sort of looking up because of very dark clouds not too far away. And my mom told my friend he had to go home. And I went into the house and then kind of watched as the winds picked up. And you know, they were pushing the trees almost to the point of snapping and bending but you know, almost uprooting and almost snapping but they never did. But I did remember very distinctly that the trees were kind of pointed down the street to the north at the beginning of the storm, at the beginning of this gust, and then about a minute later, they were pointing kind of almost, not quite the opposite direction. I didn't know what that meant at the time. It was only years later I figured out oh, that was you know, we were about a mile away from the tornado that was the circulation of the tornado passing. The winds would have been, as it's to our northwest, the winds would have come, you know, essentially, kind of out of the west or southwest initially. And then as the tornado passed, they would have been basically coming out of the northeast. So, that sort of made sense. I would say 50 to 70 mile an hour winds, 50 to 60 mile an hour winds in our neighborhood. But you only had to go a few blocks to the north, and you can see trees down, trees down on houses, and then the more significant damage as you got into the area where you were 38th, you know, the Lyndale Farmstead area, Agassiz School I think it was 38th and Grand and then that whole area up into Chicago-Lake, they were hit very hard. Jim du Bois 15:53Well, Kenny, we will chat again in about two week's time, you and your family are going to be riding roller coasters throughout the eastern and southeastern part of the country, correct? Kenny Blumenfeld 16:04That is correct. Guilty pleasure we have. We've always been roller coaster enthusiasts. It's something I've done with the kids for several years. So, got a little road trip planned to go visit some of the good ones. Jim du Bois 16:18Well, Kenny, make sure you enjoy, and everybody stay safe over the next 48 hours or so probably, especially the next 12 hours, it'll still be pretty hot. Stay hydrated. Don't work too hard outside. Pay attention to your body's signs. And Kenny, we'll look forward to checking in with you when you're back on terra firma, and not somewhere up on a roller coaster. Kenny Blumenfeld 16:44Yeah, losing my mind going down a big steep drop. Alright, well, thanks, Jim. You have a great weekend, and we'll talk to you in a couple of weeks. Jim du Bois 16:52This is Way Over Our Heads. It's a weather and climate podcast. I'm Jim du Bois. Kenny Blumenfeld's a climatologist. We'll talk to you soon.

Way Over Our Heads TranscriptWed, 6/9 12:04PM • 18:39SPEAKERSJim du Bois, Kenny Blumenfeld Kenny Blumenfeld 00:00Are you happy, Jim? This is Way Over Our Heads, a weather and climate podcast. I am climatologist Kenny Blumenfeld, and with me is professional broadcaster Jim du Bois, who ordered a heat lover's pizza with extra sauce. Are you happy, Jim, are you liking this? Jim du Bois 00:21I am liking it. But I'll put a couple of caveats on it. I understand that a lot of people are not fans of hot weather for very good reasons. I also as a gardener, and as the owner of farm property, am concerned about our ongoing dry conditions. And also hot weather like this, you really need to take it seriously. Because if you are outside and engaging in any kind of physical activity, physical exertion, you really need to pay attention to staying hydrated and listen to what your body is doing. If your body is giving you signs that you're doing too much, you need to stop, get to a cool place, drink plenty of liquids. And just don't take this for granted. I mean, very serious consequences can come from a heatwave like this. And I did notice, Kenny, that, you know, we hear so much about tornadoes and other severe weather events producing fatalities and injuries. But actually the biggest killer in this country is heat. Kenny Blumenfeld 01:21Yeah, I mean, it is, it's kind of a quiet killer, right? Because you don't see it happening the way you do, you know, you can see the tornado, you can see lightning. And people just usually, you know, quietly succumb. Yeah, I've been thinking a lot about, you know, folks who live outside, and you know, we have a lot of that in the Twin Cities and in other parts of Minnesota. And, you know, I feel pretty uncomfortable being out there for, you know, 45 minutes if I'm not wearing the right clothes, so I just can't even imagine what it's like to, you know, not really have shelter. And fortunately, you know, various entities around the state do a decent job of opening up cooling shelters. But Jim, did you know, I mean, I'm sort of giving away the ending, but do you know-and this is a quiz for you and for other listeners-what the most recent mass casualty weather event in Minnesota History was? And we're talking about, it doesn't have to kill the people. But you know, multiple, often dozens of injuries and hospitalizations from the same event. Do you want to take a stab at that? You got any guesses? Jim du Bois 02:31Boy Kenny, that's a tough one. Nothing comes to mind immediately. But just because of the topic we're on today, I'm going to speculate that it has something to do with heat. Kenny Blumenfeld 02:41You are correct. And the answer is, and this is surprising to I think a lot of folks, the answer is the 2007 Twin Cities marathon, which was in October. So not exactly when you think of heat waves. But this just shows how sensitive we are to heat because here you have a bunch of elite athletes who are in better shape then the vast majority of us, and there were dozens of hospitalizations from this event. And they were serious. I mean, people went into cardiac arrest. I mean, it was a significant casualty event with, you know, lots of hospitalizations. And it was because, you know, for the conditions, it was not scorching hot. Temperatures were generally in the 80s. The dew points were right around 70 degrees, and people just weren't prepared. They hadn't been training for those kinds of conditions. I mean, usually in October, we'll think of a typical October morning. It's crisp, not muggy. You know, so even though it wasn't a mid-July heatwave, even kind of a fringe heatwave, if people aren't prepared, they can in almost, you know, any circumstance succumb to the effects of extreme heat. So yeah, lots of cautionary tales out there. Obviously, people have to be careful. But truthfully, Jim, physically, you're kind of enjoying the weather? You like going outside even when it's 94 degrees? Jim du Bois 04:05Well, Kenny, I do I've been actually doing quite a bit of landscaping and yard work, again paying attention to those body signals and keeping very well hydrated and taking little breaks every now and then. But again, I love this weather. My body seems to acclimate well to it. I know that's not the case for other people. So, while I revel in this heat, I understand it's a miserable thing for a lot of folks. Kenny Blumenfeld 04:31Yeah, I mean, you know, I don't mind it, because it's, I find it statistically fascinating. And I always love the opportunity to go jump in a lake. I haven't jumped in a lake, and mostly what I've been trying to do is responsibly manage the temperature of our house. Ah, yeah. Yeah, it's been fun. So we had a few restless nights, I would say, but you know that that all comes with the territory. I mean, you shouldn't live in places where you couldn't survive it if you didn't hav e your accoutrement of modern life. But climatologically, this is a fascinating heat wave. I have to tell you, Jim, this is a, it's a record breaker for sure. It's not the worst heatwave we've ever had. But it's fascinating. And it's potent for how early in the season it is, and what kind of stats it's putting up for this early in the season. So, shall we go into it a little bit? Jim du Bois 05:32Let's do it, Kenny. Kenny Blumenfeld 05:34Alright, so when we talk about early season, these are always arbitrary thresholds, but just to establish, the vast majority of Minnesota's great heat waves have occurred in July. July eats up about 40% of our 90 degree days across the state. And so, most of our heat records are set in July. And so, it's not unusual during summer, and especially July, to have multiple days where the temperature climbs into the 90s, or even into the one hundreds in parts of the state. But once you're before about June 15th, it becomes a lot less common. There's a few reasons for that. One is, you know, early in the summer, the summer is still pretty young, we're still often in a fairly active weather pattern where the air masses are changing hands frequently. And you kind of have to think of heat waves as kind of a creature of midsummer, where, you know, the jet stream is way off to the north, and all of the changeable weather is somewhere in southern or central Canada. And we're just stuck, you know, hot, hot, hot. So, it's a little unusual to get into a pattern like this before about mid June. We did it right before you and I started podcasting. We actually had one on Memorial Day weekend of 2018. And you probably loved that. We hit 100 degrees that Memorial Day and had six days in a row in the Twin Cities where the high temperature was above 90. But this one is actually, even though our temperature wasn't quite as high, we hit 99 on what was that Saturday, the fifth in the Twin Cities. It's been noteworthy for the lack of cooling at night, the really high low temperatures. I mean, have you noticed that the 75s? I mean, of course the Twin Cities has this a little worse, our urban heat island is keeping us even warmer, but you can look to other stations in southern and central Minnesota in the last few nights they haven't even gone below 70. That kind of behavior is definitely a midsummer type of creature, and not something we expect early in June. So, International Falls hit 98 degrees on Friday. That's their hottest slash earliest record. In other words, they had never been that hot so early in the year. That was a big one. The overnight low in the Twin Cities on Saturday was 78 degrees. That's also the warmest we've ever been for an overnight low so early in the season. We had multiple high temperature records on Friday and Saturday, every major climate station in Minnesota broke a high temperature record on Friday. So, that's pretty good performance right there. You know, we have cooled down a little bit in parts of far northern Minnesota where it started raining, it had some rain and thunderstorms. So the heat has somewhat broken in International Falls, and then there's always a little bit of a break along the north shore. But southern and central Minnesota are still roasting. And so now we're on day six in many places, as we record this, it's Tuesday, June 8. And although we can't guarantee it looks like we're gonna notch 90 degrees again in the Twin Cities and other parts of southern and central Minnesota. And depending on where you are, it'll make it either six days or five days in a row. And if you look at the average temperature during that time, it's among the, if not the very warmest, sort of five or six day run prior to June 15 anywhere on record. And in the Twin Cities, that record goes back almost 150 years. So it's really an impressive, it's an impressive heatwave. Jim du Bois 09:28And Kenny, in a normal year, we'd get, what, about 13 days where we have a high of 90 or above? Is that ballpark? Kenny Blumenfeld 09:35Yeah, that is correct. And so you know, we could conceivably hit that number in June alone. I mean, we're only seven plus days into the month and we've already notched five or six depending on if we actually make it today. The forecast has 90s again on Wednesday, Thursday, maybe Friday. That gets us a cool, what, 10 or 11 days? So we're off to a fast start. And I know, I don't know if it brings up any questions for you. But we've been getting in my day job, we've been getting a lot of questions about, does this mean and you know, every day of summer is going to be hot? Is this going to be the hottest summer on record? Fortunately, it's way too early to make calls like that. And fortunately, we have a lot of stiff competition. You know, the summer of 1936 was so unbelievably hot, I don't think Minnesotans can even comprehend it. Virtually every all- time high temperature record throughout the state was set that summer. And the summer of 1988, where, and I'm sure a lot of our listeners weren't around then. But for those of us who do remember, the summer of 1988 was brutal. We had 44 days in the Twin Cities with temperatures of 90 or higher. And I think four or five days where the temperature exceeded 100 degrees, including 105 at the end of July in the Twin Cities. I think even, there were even stations in western Minnesota that hit 110. Which we just don't do that that much. So, suggesting that this is going to be the hottest summer on record, It's premature because the competition is so stiff, but we are off to a hot start. And you know, I wouldn't be surprised if June puts up some notable hot weather statistics. Jim du Bois 11:26Well, Kenny, you've been talking about those high low temperatures we've been experiencing over the past few days, I think everybody can notice that the humidity is beginning to creep up, we're seeing the dew point starting to increase. And as we get more moisture in the air, it's easier for the atmosphere to retain heat. So are we going to see continued high low temperatures over the next several days? Kenny Blumenfeld 11:51Yeah, I do think so Jim. That's a good point. And for those who, if saying retain heat is kind of confusing, just think of it like this: when the air is really dry it can change temperatures quickly; the lack of water allows the temperature to go up and down pretty readily. So, as the sun comes out in the desert areas, temperature shoot up, sun goes down same areas and the temperature drops. So you might get a 50 degree temperature range and typical summer day in the desert. Once you start adding moisture to the air, it takes more energy to heat the air up and it retains that energy, and so it's harder to cool it down. So that's why tropical areas only have a small temperature range daily, you know. So, in Baton Rouge in the summertime, you know, the high might be 94 degrees, but the low is only going to be 78 or something like that. So yeah, adding moisture to the air will make it harder to cool off at night. And you're right, we, folks probably started noticing the humidity on Monday. So, we could sort of now start talking about not just temperature, but the Heat Index values because the moisture in the air makes it even feel hotter. Yeah, so until this breaks, Jim, I think that we're gonna have warm nights above 70 degrees. And this is already the longest run in the Twin Cities again, up to or and including June 15. So through June 15, this is already the longest run of nights where the temperature has stayed at or above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. In other words, we haven't gone below 70 degrees in the Twin Cities since, was it last Thursday? So Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, we're on Tuesday now. So, we are already on our sixth day without going below 70 degrees. So that's a long run for this early in the season and even looking at any time of the summer, this is going to be one of the longest runs where we stay entirely above 70 degrees. So this is quite a heat wave. Jim du Bois 13:50Well, is there any relief inside Kenny, any cold front coming our way? Any much needed rain coming our way? Kenny Blumenfeld 13:57Yeah, so to the much needed rain. The good news, if there is any really good news with this, it's that on the northern edge of this heat, the last few days have been very active in North Dakota and parts in northern Minnesota. Now it hasn't been a region wide wash out where they've had widespread heavy precipitation, but there has been some heavy precipitation. I don't see great prospect for the kind of heavy rain that we really need regionally, but our best chance in central and southern Minnesota is going to be basically Thursday night-Friday morning into parts of Friday. That's kind of the main chance other than that up 'till that time, you know, we could see some afternoon thunderstorms that would be pretty isolated or in a narrow band any of the days just given these conditions. Any little boundaries that set up could easily ignite isolated thunderstorms, but the the main event would tend to be on on Thursday, Thursday evening, overnight. It's just the timing isn't great, and that the trajectory of the storm system isn't great. So, I can't guarantee widespread heavy precipitation. Out in parts of the Dakotas, there's going to be a severe weather outbreak quite likely on Thursday with large hail and maybe some tornadoes, but those storms are going to be pretty old by the time they get into Minnesota. And it's just going to be the wrong time of day to talk about real, you know, real beneficial rains. But I think, you know, north, parts of northern Minnesota still stand a chance of getting an inch or more over the next few days. So that's good. In terms of the heat breaking, I mean, this system coming through Thursday night into Friday, is going to, quote, break the heat. And there's kind of a divergence in the weather models in what happens after Friday. I said, quote, break the heat, because it's not looking like, you know, temperatures are going to drop into the 60s or necessarily be refreshing. But giving us a break anyway, with temperatures in the 80s for highs and maybe 60s for lows, as opposed to, you know, 90s and low one hundreds for highs and mid-70s for lows, so a bit of a break. And then, once you get kind of into the weekend, past the weekend, two of the three models just bring the heat right back. The Canadian model and the European model just have the heat coming back by Sunday or Monday, and that most of next week, we're hot again. The American model, the GFS, actually has, in some instances anyway, indicated that maybe mild air kind of digs in for several days. And maybe we spend several days next week, right around normal for temperatures. So, there's some hints, but we have seen from these models also some hints that we have a long term persistent heat event. We're going to talk on Friday to commemorate the Lake Harriet tornado of 1981, the Roseville Har-Mar tornado, the Edina tornado of June 14 ,1981 because it's the 40th anniversary of that event. But then I'm going to be gone for a while, and so while I'm gone, I don't want to disappoint people. I want people to know it could go either way. I could see June being dominated by warm to hot weather with only a few breaks thrown in there. And I could also see, you know, there's a reasonable, though it's not a smoking gun at this point, reasonable chance that temperatures fall back to normal for several days or so. But yeah, so there's at least a minor break or minor relief in sight coming basically Friday, Saturday. And then the question is, does the heat return immediately after that? Or is it a real break? Jim du Bois 17:56Well, if you are the type of person who enjoys this hot weather, this is your time. But again, everybody needs to be very cautious. Make sure you stay hydrated. Listen to what your body is telling you. Take a break if you're working outside, be careful if you're doing any strenuous activities at all, and stay safe. And Kenny, we will check in with you on Friday of this week and talk about that 40th anniversary. Kenny Blumenfeld 18:22Very good. Well, good talking with you, Jim and yeah, everybody just stay comfortable and don't work too hard. Jim du Bois 18:30This is Way Over Our Heads, it's a weather and climate podcast. I'm Jim du Bois. Kenny Blumenfeld's a climatologist. We'll catch you next time.

The polar plungers of Lake Harriet, Dean Phillips and the meaning of privilege, and the troubled legacy of Dustin Diamond.

Ceramic artist Damien Wolf recommended the vivid plein air paintings of Colleen Cosgrove of St. Paul. Painting outdoors, Cosgrove takes on subjects both large and small, from tomatoes newly plucked from her garden to landscapes, using bold strokes and bright colors. “I like her work because it makes me look at the world around me differently,” Wolf said. He recalls seeing Cosgrove paint during the Art Shanty project on Lake Harriet in Minneapolis: “She [was] standing outside in the freezing cold painting all the other exhibits in the Art Shanty, and her color choices actually brought warmth to the scene around her.” Cosgrove’s work is on display at the Frameworks Gallery in St. Paul through October. It will be at the “Extremely Minnesota” exhibit at the Robbin Gallery in Robbinsdale Nov. 5 through Dec. 5. Courtesy of Nicholas Pumper "St Monica, Full of Hope" by Nicholas Pumper. Ella Moróne followed the work of Minneapolis artist Nicholas Pumper throughout college. Both graduated from the University of St. Thomas this year. Pumper’s acrylic paintings are inspired by his love of nature and his Catholic faith. He posts his work and his process regularly on Instagram, and Moróne appreciates his meditations about why seeking beauty and creating art matter. Music educator Scott Kummrow of Fergus Falls enjoys the work of singer-songwriter David Stoddard, who has produced seven albums and has performed across the U.S. and Canada. Kummrow said he got to know Stoddard’s music when he performed on the open mic scene in western Minnesota, albeit “at a different level than everybody else.” Stoddard sings and plays piano, guitar, and accordion; his songs range from introspective folk songs to humor. “He’s good at being funny and also creating good music at the same time,” says Kummrow, who recommends seeing Stoddard perform live. Next chance: a livestream concert on Nov. 2 with singer-songwriter Beth Wood. Can't see the video? Click here.

This week on Sporting Journal Radio, how can we capitalize on the increase in outdoor participation? Fishing license sales were through the roof this year during the COVID pandemic. What will it mean for hunting? How to we recruit and retain those people? We ask 3 people who specialize in outreach, Ray Ruiz, who connects […]

Listen for yourself. We are forming a class of dissatisfied clients for a class action lawsuit against fake prophet Mas Sajady. Visit: www.massajadyclassactionlawsuit.com

Lynn O’brien brings her band and her original songs to the Lake Harriet Bandshell in Minneapolis, Saturday night August 24 at 7:30. Lynn is a songwriter who gets inspiration from what is going on around her. During a conversation with Phil Nusbaum, Lynn told of her approach.

Tjarnblom plays with a nychelharpa, cello, mandolin and harmonium. It isn’t the usual lineup for a Nordic Band. But this is no ordinary Nordic band. Tjannblm reflects the rich legacy of Swedish and Finnish music, plus the creativity of group members. Catch Tjarnblom at the lake Harriet Bandshell in Minneapolis Sunday July 14 at 2pm. When Phil Nusbaum talked with Cheryl Paschke and Joe Alfano of the group, the conversation turned to the Tjarnblom repertoire.

People love to talk about the weather. If you are talking to someone with which you have nothing in common, there is always the weather. People are especially fascinated by special events, such as storms. Our Minnesota Story Book would be wanting without a storm story.The one we hear today features a tornado that was named after a mall that it almost destroyed; it was also a very up close and personal experience for me and my family. Severe weather is often referred to as having a recipe. In order to cook up a tornado, we have to begin with the finest ingredients. Take a warm, juicy afternoon, so sticky in made you feel as if you were wearing a sopping wet wool sweater. Mix in a mass of cool dry Canadian air along witht a hot, moist flow from the Gulf of Mexico and you have a the makings of a good storm. We pick up the story mid afternoon, June 14, 1981. 3:00 PM, during a Sunday house cleaning event, an authoritative voice in the radio advised that conditions were ripe for an outbreak of severe weather and possibly, tornadoes. I shrugged. Nothing out of the ordinary for a hot humid June day. I continued doing the dishes which because of the party last evening overflowed the sink. 3:45 PM, sirens streaked across the sky like banshees and the radio waves blossomed into a controlled panic. A tornado was on the ground in Edina and was traversing Lake Harriet. Whoa ! Time to turn on the TV meteorologists. ¨Seek shelter immediately!” the box warned. Yes indeed a funnel was rapidly moving from the SouthWest to the NorthEast across the urban landscape. I recalled my fatherś tale that the worst tornadoes come from the southwest. Further dispatches put the beast at Bloomington and Lake St. Two miles away! It appeared to be moving in my direction so I did what anybody would do; I dashed out to the back deck of my apartment building to look for it. My neighbors had heard the warning and joined me on the deck. “Tornadoes never strike the cities” we chuckled. The sirens continued blaring as we scanned the sky like Ahab looking for the white whale. From the top edge of my vision I detected movement. “What’s that ?” I said pointing to chunks of two by fours, sheets of plywood and roofing shingles swirling almost directly overhead. It couldn’t be a tornado, it was a clear of color, no dark ominous funnel cloud, no rumbling freight train sound. It looked harmless, lazily spinning, I could imagine riding along inside it as it drifted off toward the Mississippi River As it reached the banks of the river, I saw branches and leaves whipped about the treetops as the funnel dropped from the clouds again. [ the wind began to swithc the house to pitch ] 4:00 PM I raced back to my TV to gather more details. The spinning column of air and debris, sailed over KSTP TV station, then St. Anthony Park where falling debris clobbered roof tops, then it cut a line across a dusty farm field headed for Har Mar Mall. Now uncloaked, it revealed itself as a dark funnel shaped twister. Rising in strength as it hit the ground, the twister ripped the roof off an electronics store and the the front part of the Target on Snelling and County Road B. My grandmother, living in the Golden Age Nursing Home a short block away, had no time to take cover, but except for some trees stripped bare of their leaves her building was unscathed. Central Park in Roseville was now the bull’s eye. [ withc riding broom music ] 4:15 PM My mother was just pulling into her driveway on the sw corner of the park and saw the swirling dark cloud less than a block away and closing in. As she ducked into the house she saw birds being sucked into the the twister. As the door slammed shut the house shook as a large tree crashed onto the roof. Nails were sucked out of the wall or popped due to the pressure. Before she could think about what to do, the twister had moved on, leavingl 29 humongous Cottonwoods uprooted and splintered around the back yard.

This week Kevin, Dave and Darrin cover the upcoming training class and ice dive. * * We continue to refine our audio workflow on Discord. We like it better than skype but do discover a few things we need to fix. This week it was Kevin's audio. We probably had some auto-leving turned on that fought our recording software. We fixed as much as we could in post, but there are still a few spots where Kevin may be a little quiet. We may add a host "quieter" as a stretch goal on patreon * * ### If you receive any value from the show please consider supporting us via our patreon page. [www.patreon.com/scubaobsessed](http://www.patreon.com/scubaobsessed) ## Show Notes **First 'ghost ship' of 2018 washes up in Japan** [https://www.news4jax.com/news/international/first-ghost-ship-of-2018-washes-up-in-japan ](https://www.news4jax.com/news/international/first-ghost-ship-of-2018-washes-up-in-japan ) **Discovery of a lone zebra mussel has stepped up vigilance at Lake Harriet** [http://m.startribune.com/discovery-of-a-lone-zebra-mussel-has-stepped-up-vigilance-at-lake-harriet/469160513/?section=sports](http://m.startribune.com/discovery-of-a-lone-zebra-mussel-has-stepped-up-vigilance-at-lake-harriet/469160513/?section=sports) **Treasure hunting scuba diver uses GoPro to record finds** [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5278793/Treasure-hunting-scuba-diver-uses-GoPro-record-finds.html](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5278793/Treasure-hunting-scuba-diver-uses-GoPro-record-finds.html) **Grand Haven Tribune: Man joyriding on Muskegon Lake watches truck sink below ice** [http://www.grandhaventribune.com/Fire-EMS/2018/01/16/Truck](http://www.grandhaventribune.com/Fire-EMS/2018/01/16/Truck) **After pool party cancelled, northern nudists invite Calgarians to get naked in Edmonton** [http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/nude-swimming-event-edmonton-calgary-1.4485023](http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/nude-swimming-event-edmonton-calgary-1.4485023) **Cave-diving scientist finds new life forms underwater** [https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/a-lot-can-go-wrong-when-youre-a-professor-who-does-research-by-cave-diving/2018/01/12/926cd12e-f4aa-11e7-b34a-b85626af34ef_story.html?utm_term=.2d2fdc122c81](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/a-lot-can-go-wrong-when-youre-a-professor-who-does-research-by-cave-diving/2018/01/12/926cd12e-f4aa-11e7-b34a-b85626af34ef_story.html?utm_term=.2d2fdc122c81) **The world's longest underwater cave has been found in Mexico** [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/central-america/mexico/articles/divers-identify-world-largest-underground-cave-network-in-mexico-yucatan-peninsula/ ](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/central-america/mexico/articles/divers-identify-world-largest-underground-cave-network-in-mexico-yucatan-peninsula/ ) ### **Shipwreck discovery suggests pirates liked booty and books** [http://woodtv.com/2018/01/15/shipwreck-discovery-suggests-pirates-liked-booty-and-books/](http://woodtv.com/2018/01/15/shipwreck-discovery-suggests-pirates-liked-booty-and-books/)

Brad McLemore started his rock journey at an early age, a journey that went from garage bands to the Tonight Show stage. He saw it all. The good, bad and the deadly. His lifelong passion for music is now concentrated into his two House of Music locations, Lake Harriet and Linden Hills.  Brad is an amazing mentor to those that not only want to learn the art of music, but take that art and turn it into a career. Who were Brad's earliest inspirations? How did education save his life? How did he end up playing on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and what has inspired him to keep growing House of Music? Brad doesn't hold back and you'll hear it all during his conversation with Tim Murphy in episode 34 of the Edina-SW Minneapolis Advice Givers (r) Podcast.    Subscribe to the Advice Givers (R) podcast here:   Stitcher iTunes   Interested in becoming a guest on Advice Givers? www.podcastbookit.com is the place to start. Or email Dave Lawson directly at dlawson@edinaadvicegivers.com   Thanks for making SW Minneapolis such a fun and fulfilling place to work, live and play. And thanks for supporting the only podcast that highlights the amazing people in this area. 

We speak with Thom Sandberg about his debut novel Lylian: Lost Land of the Lytles, loosely based on the Lake Harriet elf. He is a long-time advertising creative and has worked in Minneapolis, London, Istanbul and Tokyo. We then talk with Mark Levine about the publishing business. He is the founder of Hillcrest Media and was also one of the founders of Click Media. In addition, he is the author of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing and two novels.

Download MP3 audio – 7:44, 11.09 MB – or Read Transcript Radio address for August 4, 2012, about an outdoor concert at the Lake Harriet bandshell, and the planes flying overhead.

Photo highlights from Blooma Bellyrama at Lake Harriet in Minneapolis...

This week Kevin, Dave and Darrin cover the upcoming training class and ice dive. * * We continue to refine our audio workflow on Discord. We like it better than skype but do discover a few things we need to fix. This week it was Kevin's audio. We probably had some auto-leving turned on that fought our recording software. We fixed as much as we could in post, but there are still a few spots where Kevin may be a little quiet. We may add a host "quieter" as a stretch goal on patreon * * ### If you receive any value from the show please consider supporting us via our patreon page. [www.patreon.com/scubaobsessed](http://www.patreon.com/scubaobsessed) ## Show Notes **First 'ghost ship' of 2018 washes up in Japan** [https://www.news4jax.com/news/international/first-ghost-ship-of-2018-washes-up-in-japan ](https://www.news4jax.com/news/international/first-ghost-ship-of-2018-washes-up-in-japan ) **Discovery of a lone zebra mussel has stepped up vigilance at Lake Harriet** [http://m.startribune.com/discovery-of-a-lone-zebra-mussel-has-stepped-up-vigilance-at-lake-harriet/469160513/?section=sports](http://m.startribune.com/discovery-of-a-lone-zebra-mussel-has-stepped-up-vigilance-at-lake-harriet/469160513/?section=sports) **Treasure hunting scuba diver uses GoPro to record finds** [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5278793/Treasure-hunting-scuba-diver-uses-GoPro-record-finds.html](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5278793/Treasure-hunting-scuba-diver-uses-GoPro-record-finds.html) **Grand Haven Tribune: Man joyriding on Muskegon Lake watches truck sink below ice** [http://www.grandhaventribune.com/Fire-EMS/2018/01/16/Truck](http://www.grandhaventribune.com/Fire-EMS/2018/01/16/Truck) **After pool party cancelled, northern nudists invite Calgarians to get naked in Edmonton** [http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/nude-swimming-event-edmonton-calgary-1.4485023](http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/nude-swimming-event-edmonton-calgary-1.4485023) **Cave-diving scientist finds new life forms underwater** [https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/a-lot-can-go-wrong-when-youre-a-professor-who-does-research-by-cave-diving/2018/01/12/926cd12e-f4aa-11e7-b34a-b85626af34ef_story.html?utm_term=.2d2fdc122c81](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/a-lot-can-go-wrong-when-youre-a-professor-who-does-research-by-cave-diving/2018/01/12/926cd12e-f4aa-11e7-b34a-b85626af34ef_story.html?utm_term=.2d2fdc122c81) **The world's longest underwater cave has been found in Mexico** [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/central-america/mexico/articles/divers-identify-world-largest-underground-cave-network-in-mexico-yucatan-peninsula/ ](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/central-america/mexico/articles/divers-identify-world-largest-underground-cave-network-in-mexico-yucatan-peninsula/ ) ### **Shipwreck discovery suggests pirates liked booty and books** [http://woodtv.com/2018/01/15/shipwreck-discovery-suggests-pirates-liked-booty-and-books/](http://woodtv.com/2018/01/15/shipwreck-discovery-suggests-pirates-liked-booty-and-books/)