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Here's a link from a reader, regarding the scope of the Gulf oil spill -- a very cool Web site that you've seen demonstrated on some news programs, I'm sure:
RE: Your answer June 16th on filling swimming pools:
http://www.ifitwasmyhome.com/
Jim Huddleston
Kasson, MN
And here's what print edition readers got yesterday, in Four Stars Feedback!
Touring the tortilla hot spots around Southeast Minnesota, I've found some great Mexican food in the least expected places — and readers continue to recommend more.
The Four Stars restaurant column on June 29 will recommend a quartet of great Mexican specialties to be found in area cantinas and restaurants. I've already sampled a lot of them, from Rochester and Byron to Owatonna and Wabasha. Let's just say that I've narrowed the list considerably, but I have miles to go before I write the column and go on a diet.
Top stops so far: Dos Amigos, Fiesta Cafe and El Carambas in Rochester, Margaritos in Byron, Plaza Morena in Owatonna, El Mariachi in Austin and others to be named later. There's plenty of excellent Mexican food in the area, obviously, and my job for the next two weeks is to find the best specialty dinner plates at the best places in the area.
Here's the latest from readers:
Bob Ruble of Rochester says, "My favorite in town is El Carambas. Eddie and the gang are first-rate. My favorite dishes are the chili rellenos and the shrimp cocktail — a huge ice cream sundae glass filled with large shrimp and chili sauce, cilantro and onions ... then try the Tacos Veracruz ... Oh, shoot, anything you try is going to be good as long as you have the orchata," the rice-water drink — and don't forget the Jarritos, the sugar-sweet Mexican soda pop. I'm a fan of Jarritos' tamarindo pop.
Readers also put in a good word for Azteca in Rochester, Loco Gringos Cantina in Wabasha and Los Gables in Fountain.
In the better-late-than-never department, a reader catching up with the May Four Stars review of the best burgers in the region says, "I recently visited the Pioneer Supper Club in Wabasha and I believe this to be the best-kept secret on the Mississippi River." Kelly McDonald of Wabasha goes on to say, "The food was great and the atmosphere was tremendous." She says the unique "dry-batter" fish on Fridays is among her favorites, along with the prime rib and the shrimp and scallops, also dry-battered.
I've been by the Pioneer, which is off the beaten track south of Wabasha, but haven't stopped in for a bump and a burger. Next time, Kelly, I promise we'll stop!
Here's a heads-up on the plan for July's Four Stars recommendations: We'll be celebrating the four very best outdoor restaurant patios or decks in the region — great places to dine al fresco. So start firing off your suggestions for best patios. I already have some favorites, by the way, which include City Cafe, Chester's, Victoria's, Whistle Binkies on the Lake and Dos Amigos in Rochester, Slippery's in Wabasha, and many more.
But before then, watch for the Four Stars review of best Mexican entrees on June 29, and date prisa!, or hurry up, with tips on Mexican dishes I must check out.
Buen apetito!
Hi Jay,
I just read your article on Mexican fare in tonight's Post-Bulletin. Sounds like a fun treasure hunt!
My wife and I love Mexican and we were excited to see Margaritos in your lineup. This is one of our favorite places in the area for Mexican fare and we've tried pretty much all of them. My personal favorite dinner at Margaritos is the Mexican Shrimp which is a tasty spicy shrimp dish served with beans rice and tortillas. My wife's favorite dish is the chicken chimichanga. Margarito makes his own chips and fresh salsa and now serves, of course, margaritas ;)
Looking forward to the other secrets you find!
Best Regards,
Jeff Ryan
Byron
Note today to the Minnesota State Lottery, copied to me and the Better Business Bureau:
Your signs with the prize for this week's Powerball game is not right. It has been over a week and they are still showing the wrong winning number prize. This is false advertising. Either fix the problem or turn the signs off untill you can. This only seems to happen when the prize is large. I will be sending a copy of this e-mail to the press and the MN BBB.
Assuming this guy's correct, with the vast marketing budget of the state lottery (and associated states in the Powerball game), you'd think the billboards would be updated quickly.
Here's one of the funnier press releases I've received recently:
Hi Jay,Hope my kids care enough to give ME back my youth...though it probably doesn't come in a bottle.
Father's Day is June 20th, just a little more than a week away. Instead of all those golf clubs that sit collecting dust, or faded #1 Dad memorabilia, give something back to Dad that you have taken away from him over the years, HIS YOUTH!Go Away Gray, an all natural supplement that you take twice per day, helps your gray hair go away! Within 6-8 weeks, Dad can get his youthful looks back! This is a great gift for Dads, and it will have little impact on your wallet! You can order it out of the convenience of your own home! ...
A reader called the newsroom this morning to complain about something racist in the paper recently. Turned out being this question to the Dear Teacher column Wednesday:
What are the red flags showing learning problems to look for on children's last report cards of the year? — Want to Know
The editor who took the call read the question and answer, and didn't find anything that might be racially offensive. The caller said it's the use of the term "red flag," which she said is a derogatory reference to Native Americans.
I've never heard that, nor on quick Google can I find it as a common complaint of political correctness.
When the editor first explained this to me, I thought it was gonna be a complaint that we were insensitive to the use of red flags for Communists. No such luck.
A note from a reader who's accustomed to bigger local news on page one:
...how truly wonderful it is to live in a town where the two stories on the front page "above the fold" last night were about what we should do with panhandlers and that some high school kid played around with the Mayo yearbook! We both agreed it's like we live in Mayberry!
Wow, what Chicago, Los Angeles and St. Louis and so on would give to have our problems! With all the bad that is going on right now, we here in Rochester have it pretty darned good.Readers might disagree that the panhandlers and yearbook stories deserved front-page play, but even so, all things considered, you'd have to say that we here in Southeast Minnesota "have it pretty darned good."
Just thought I would send this comment. Have a great day.
Pretty funny (or tragi-comic) note from a reader who read a story online this morning that's in print today -- we were able to fix it in proof:
I think it would be a good idea to have the other reporters at the PB read your Answer Man column regarding "graduated or graduated from" school. Here is an example from today's online P-B.James Robertson III graduates high school today, five years after Hurricane Katrina destroyed his high school transcript, three years after the Dallas school system told him he would need to restart high school and two years since he was homeless, sleeping on park benches in Texas.
In spite of your best efforts to educate the public in the proper term, we still see that someone thinks that "graduates school" is the proper term.
Joe B
Thanks for the heads-up, Joe!
Here's a note from an Austin reader regarding the Hormel field and the big rock...Saturday's Answer Man question:
I don't know about the Hormel rock, but I hoped one could see it in an aerial photo, like this one from the Minnesota Historical Society. I suppose it's one of the specks in the two fields.
The old Hormel plant is at the center, with the adjacent fields. You can see modern-day Interstate 90 across the top. The view is looking north northeast.
In case you're interested in helping out with this study, here's a news release I received -- and I did a little checking to make sure it's legit. With today's weather forecast, this might come in handy:
The Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, in collaboration with the National Weather Service (NWS), is conducting a large-scale study focused on public reception and interpretation of severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings and the public response to those warnings. Would you be willing to help us acquire participants for this important study?
Study participation is voluntary, simple, free, anonymous, and completed online. Our data collection period runs through the end of August. We would very much appreciate your help directing people to our survey at www.warningstudy.org. We welcome the use of blogs, social media, Web sites, and newspaper announcements to describe the study and refer people to the survey Web site after severe weather events have concluded.
Acquiring a large number of participants is critical to the study’s success, and your assistance in this regard would be extremely helpful to us. A press release appears below for your convenience. If you have any questions, please contact the study leaders: Pete Wolf at NWS Jacksonville Florida (peter.wolf@noaa.gov) or Dr. Christopher Godfrey at the University of North Carolina at Asheville (cgodfrey@unca.edu).
Respectfully yours,
Wesley Groetsema
University of North Carolina at Asheville
-------------------------------------------------------
For Immediate Release
April 30, 2010
Media Contact: Dr. Christopher Godfrey, UNC Asheville Assistant Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, 828/232-5160 or cgodfrey@unca.edu
Large-Scale Study to Determine Effectiveness of Severe Weather Warnings;
Participants Needed to Complete Simple, Online Survey
What action do you take when you hear a severe weather warning? Do you receive severe weather warnings from television, radio, phone, or some other source?
Your responses to these and similar questions are important to the University of North Carolina at Asheville's Atmospheric Sciences Department and the National Weather Service. The two organizations have launched a large-scale survey in the eastern United States to determine how the public receives, interprets, and responds to severe weather warnings.
To participate in the free, anonymous survey, click on www.warningstudy.org. The survey takes just a few minutes to complete.
“The data that we collect will help us to communicate future warnings more effectively,” said Christopher Godfrey, UNC Asheville Assistant Professor of Atmospheric Sciences. “More effective communication will ultimately save lives and protect property.”
To follow the study and get updates via Twitter, visit twitter.com/warningstudy.
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