Dec. 5, 12, 19
Foster Care Info Meetings
Volunteers of America is looking for skilled parents to provide care for troubled youth in one of their three foster care programs. They will be holding information meetings to talk about what foster care is, the 3 different VOA foster care programs, and requirements. Meetings give potential foster parents time to ask questions. There are many native foster children that want to stay/grow up in a native home (ICWA - Indian Child Welfare Act). We are specifically recruiting for native foster parents. Provide training, 24-hour support, and monthly stipend. 10:00 am - 11:30 am. Event takes place at: 7625 Metro Blvd. Edina, MN. For more info, contact Heather Thornton at 952-945-4064 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Aquila Tapio (Oglala Lakota)   will be the first student to recieve her master's degree from Augsburg College's new Naadamaadiwin, "Helping One Another" Tribal Special Education program.   
Tapio began her studies after moving to the Twin Cities when she was 18. Her initial two-year degree led to a four-year degree from the University of Minnesota, then a paralegal certificate from Hamline University and finally a teaching certificate and a forthcoming master's degree from Augsburg College. Tapio is currently enrolled in her final course. 

The Indian dating website "E-Snag.com" sent me an email notification saying they had two new matches for me. Since I gave up on that long ago I just had to open it (actually I forgot all about it, I only signed up so I had a topic for my column). The message was brief; rather curt really, they want me to expand my snag-wish list. Sheez! But I think I know one reason why I haven't received many responses. I put 'honest' down for one of my potential buck's qualities. Hai! Oh well, I don't understand why any man wouldn't want to snag up a woman with four geriatric cats, a spoiled little foofy dog, crushing debt and whom can beat your flat butt in Scrabble anytime, anywhere. I'm such a catch, ennit?

Yea!, Fond du Lac won in Federal Court. We no longer have to split the profits from Fond du Luth, our casino in Duluth. We had been giving about six million dollars annually to the city for the right to have a casino there.
Remember back in the bad old days when we gave 50% of the profits to the Joint Economic Development Commission, 24 % of the profits to the City and 26% for the Rez?
Now, as I understand it we get 100% of the profits and Duluth will have to look elsewhere for money. See, once in a while the good guys win. Maamakaaj astonishing

Vegas on Hennepin
Politicians, business interests and labor unions are applying a full-court press to build a new stadium for the Vikings (to mix sports metaphors). Team owners Zygi and Mark Wilf favor the old arsenal site in Arden Hills, while Minneapolis boosters - including Mayor R.T. Rybak and the Minneapolis Downtown Council - are dangling sales tax money to lure the Purple People Eaters to one of three proposed sites in the Mill City.
Of course, the Vikes have fallen on hard times of late (a dismal 2-9 on the season, as The Circle goes to press); but this is Political Matters, not the Sports Report.
Over at the Capitol, two Senate committees held a joint hearing Nov. 29 to hear testimony on proposed stadium sites. There is no bill in the hopper; and there is no funding mechanism for a new stadium (beyond the Wilfs' offer to put up $425 million, with the remaining $600 million coming from somewhere).
A faction in the Legislature, comprised of both Republicans and DFLers, is adamant that no public money be used to build a football stadium; at the same time, a knowledgeable source in St. Paul told me that the building trades unions and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce are flexing their muscles in support of a new home for the Vikings.