Your participation in these elections is very important. If you have questions the Minnesota Secretary of State’s web page (sos.state.mn.us) presents a section entitled “What’s On My Ballot?” You should also notice that early voting has begun. Absentee ballots cast before Election Day are an increasingly important part of Minnesota’s election process.

In all, 46 Minnesota school districts will have operating levy questions on the ballot and 39 will present voters with bonding questions for new or remodeled facilities. These are significant if not critical issues for your schools and we urge you to give these ballot questions careful and informed attention.

There is a basic difference between a bond question and an operating levy question.

Operating Levy Questions

So what is an operating levy question? Generally it is a question on the ballot asking for property tax support for the running of the schools. In some districts it is a renewal of a previously voter-approved tax levy. In some instances the operating levy request will be divided into two or more questions, each addressing a specific but different need. The questions may include an annual increase for inflation.

In the past 15 to 20 years, voter-approved tax levies have become a basic part of Minnesota school funding. During those years the amount of state funding hasn’t kept pace with basic inflationary costs. Program requirements have also been added to school responsibilities without adequate state funding.

The voter-approved operating levy procedure has become a necessary tool for school districts dealing with funding issues. These property tax levies aren’t for “extras” but for curriculum, programs, services and class size. Your vote may make a difference. Students in districts where voters have approved operating levies typically are at an advantage to students in districts where levies were not approved.

Bond Questions

A bond question asks voters for approval to borrow money for projects related to facility and capital equipment needs. The bond is like a mortgage. The monies aren’t used to run the schools but to build, maintain and/or equip the schools.

The bond calls for a payback period of a specific number of years. Bonds for new schools, for example, often have a 20-to-30 year payback. Equipment bonds may have a payback of 5-to-10 years, depending on the projected life of the equipment.

Each district’s request is unique to that district’s needs. Student population growth demands additional space. Shift in student population location requires new schools in areas where neither schools nor homes had been located before. Changes in technology and higher expectations for student learning require space and equipment to provide opportunity for quality learning.

Student safety is a greater need today than it was for previous generations and it has become more difficult to keep schools safe and secure. Safety and health improvements are costly and often require bond support for implementation.

The reason the proposed bond and levy issues are referred to as ballot “questions” is because your vote on those issues is based on a yes or no answer. But the real question, and it is a question not a foregone conclusion, is “how will my vote affect the students in our schools?”

Each school district should have completed a study process, open to the public, to determine the needs on which the ballot questions are based. Each question should be accompanied with an analysis of what will happen for the students if the issues are approved and what will happen if they are voted down. These answers and support data should be available to the public in either print form, on-line and/or in public forums.

We encourage voters to find those answers and consider the impact of their vote on students. School districts have a responsibility to inform the voters of consequences of their vote. We encourage and expect school districts to make that information readily available for voters to consider.

Parents of students now enrolled in the schools have the clearest focus of the consequences of a yes or no vote. However, community members without students in the schools have a responsibility to be informed on these questions because it is their community that will be defined by the management of these schools.

– An opinion of the ECM Publishers Editorial Board. Reactions to this editorial — and to any commentary on these pages – are always welcome. Send to: editor.sun@ecm-inc.com.

October, proclaimed “College Knowledge” month by state officials, gives Minnesota students and families a chance to save money and learn more about college completion. Those savings can help Minnesotans reach an important goal that a newly released poll shows most Minnesotans don’t know about.

Here’s the problem. Minnesota Office of Higher Education statistics show that more than 80 percent of high school graduates enter a college or university. But only 61 percent of our young people, ages 25-44, have earned some form of certificate or diploma. The Office of Higher Education shows a huge gap among various groups: 23 percent of American Indian, 27 percent of Hispanic, 35 percent of African American and 65 percent of Asian American and white students have earned a post-secondary certificate at a two-year college, or a four-year degree.

As Larry Pogemiller, commissioner of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, pointed out to me: “Any debt, when you don’t complete a certificate or diploma, is too much debt.” He explained that there’s no economic benefit for students who start, but don’t complete a certificate or degree.

Taking a small step toward making a two- or four-year college more affordable, many Minnesota public and private post-secondary institutions are waiving admissions fees for all or part of October. Many colleges have eliminated the application fee, year-round, for students from low-income families. Admissions fees can add up, so this helps. A complete list of participating colleges and universities can be found here: http://bit.ly/2wwJvAy

Along with this savings opportunity, a newly released poll shows the vast majority of Minnesotans don’t know about an important goal that the 2015 state Legislature set. After studying what Minnesota needs to continue making progress, the Legislature decided that by 2025, 70 percent of Minnesota adults, ages 25-55, should have attained some form of post-secondary certificate or degree.

Setting a goal doesn’t guarantee that it will be achieved, but getting there is more likely if people know about it. Most Minnesotans don’t.

Center for School Change, where I work, commissioned a statewide poll, conducted in July 2017. Public Policy Polling, a widely respected organization that accurately predicted both national and Minnesota presidential results last year, administered the poll.

This poll found that only 25 percent of Minnesotans said they were “very” or “somewhat” familiar with the goal. Only 24 percent thought the goal was 70 percent or higher. When told that the goal was 70 percent, the majority of Minnesotans (59 percent either strongly or somewhat supported it). Results are here: http://bit.ly/2g92JWH

Rep. Sondra Erickson, R-Princeton, chair of the Minnesota House Education Innovation Policy Committee, responded that the poll “points to the need for the K-12 system, especially secondary schools to be talking with students about this goal, and the reasons for it.”

Rep. Jenifer Loon, R-Eden Prairie, who chairs the Minnesota House Education Finance Committee, agreed, saying “there needs to be more discussion of the goal focused on ‘What does this mean for me and my kids?’”

Rep Bud Norness, R-Fergus Falls, chair of the Minnesota House Higher Education Committee told me he “wasn’t shocked” by the poll’s results. He continued, “We have to keep trying to educate people.” Norness believes higher education must “deliver relevant education that leads to jobs.” He cited an example in Perham, where the local community is not satisfied with some job training programs, and is establishing its own.

Sen. Greg Clausen, DFL-Apple Valley-Rosemount, believes “Students and families need to understand that most Minnesota jobs — now — require at least some post-secondary education — not necessarily a four-year diploma.”

While agreeing “absolutely” that students need to know about the goal, former Minnesota legislator Larry Pogemiller was not surprised by the poll’s results. He told me: “I don’t think it’s unusual… most Minnesotans don’t know every specific provision that the Legislature passes. However, institutional players better know. We need more students not only entering but earning some form of higher education certificate or diploma.”

The Office of Higher Education has convened education and community groups to help achieve the “attainment goal.” OHE also has many resources for College Knowledge month, helping students and families prepare to not just enter, but succeed in some form of post-secondary education: http://bit.ly/2y20ZbP

Joe Nathan was a Minnesota public school teacher and administrator who directs the Center for School Change.  Reactions welcome, joe@centerforschoolchange.org. or @JoeNathan9249

One-third of the new revenue is constitutionally dedicated to “…the Clean Water Fund and may be spent only to protect, enhance, and restore water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams and to protect groundwater from degradation….” The constitutional amendment further provides that these funds “… must supplement traditional sources of funding for these purposes and may not be used as a substitute.”

The tax increase went into effect on July 1, 2009, and the one-third allocated to the Clean Water Fund currently amounts to just over $100 million per year. About $750 million has been spent from the fund in the eight years the increased sales tax has been in effect.

Shortly after the constitutional amendment was approved in 2008, the nonprofit Minnesota Environmental Partnership commissioned a poll to ascertain the motivation of voters supporting the amendment. It was clear its passage was driven by concern for water more than any other factor.

While over $100 million of additional funds every year to address Minnesota’s water problems might seem large, we recognize that the increased funds pale in scope to the magnitude of the problem.

During the campaign for passage of the referendum to amend the constitution, a constant refrain was “40 percent of Minnesota’s waters are impaired.” That rallying cry did much to raise public awareness and generate support to increase taxes to address the problem.

In 2014, six years after voter approval of the increased tax, state agencies involved in implementing programs funded by the Clean Water Fund collectively produced a document they described as Minnesota’s Clean Water Road Map. The road map established goals for what would be achieved during the 25-year life of the Clean Water Fund. The goals were described as “ambitious, yet achievable.”

Many were surprised and disappointed that the “ambitious” goals reflected aspirational, cumulative, single-digit percent improvements in water quality measurements over a quarter-century.

Not long after this road map was released, Gov. Mark Dayton announced his buffer initiative, an ambitious legislative proposal that would do much to protect Minnesota’s lakes and rivers from nutrient loading and sedimentation. The buffer law that ultimately passed was a mere shadow of the original proposal, and it was further eviscerated in implementation.

Gov. Dayton wants to make water a high priority during his last term in office which ends in 2018. He is participating in 10 “Water Quality Town Meetings” from late July through early October. For the past few months the governor’s mantra has been “25 by 25.” His aspiration is to see a 25 percent improvement in water quality by 2025.

While most of the additional funds for clean water have been well spent on efforts that advance the constitutional goals described above, there have been some concerns raised by several stakeholder organizations. These concerns fall into three categories: (1) a substitution of Clean Water Funds for traditional sources in violation of the constitution; (2) a siphoning of Clean Water Funds for other purposes; and (3) a lack of focused expenditures determined by economic and scientific analysis of investment and expected outcomes.

All three concerns were raised by the Clean Water Council, a 28-member, statutorily-created advisory council appointed by the governor, in its December 2016 biennial report to the Legislature. Of special note is the council’s observation to some alarming rates of administrative costs being charged to the Clean Water Fund. The council learned that the Pollution Control Agency charges the fund administrative costs as high as 24 percent, and concluded that to be inappropriate.

The Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR), a nonprofit group involved in water policy, describes the actions of the 2017 Legislature as “… a potentially unconstitutional raid on the Clean Water Fund.” The FMR asserts that the 2017 legislative action “betrays the expectation of Minnesota voters by raiding $22 million in Clean Water Fund money for administrative costs for local governments.” The group laments that good projects were eliminated or reduced in funding because of the raid.

While better focused and appropriate expenditures of the Clean Water Fund will facilitate better outcomes in addressing water issues, just as the Dayton road map demonstrated, spending an additional $100 million-plus annually will not by itself move the needle very much. To really make a significant difference in water quality we need significant change in how we are using the land, especially the land most impacted by runoff.

Gov. Dayton is to be commended for steadfastly raising concerns about what is happening to our water. But given his current posture of avoiding any consideration of regulation, it is hard to understand how “25 by 25” can be achieved.

We hope when Dayton completes his water quality town meetings the administration’s task will be to devise a plan with a vision as to what must happen to enable Minnesota to achieve a 25 percent improvement in water quality by 2025.

Without such a plan we must remind Dayton of de Saint-Exupery’s admonition that, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.”

– An opinion of the ECM Editorial Board

Reactions to this editorial — and to any commentary on these pages – are always welcome. Send to: editor.sun@ecm-inc.com.

The first annual Bat Festival in Minnesota was, shall we say, a “batacular” success.

People lined up for hours to learn about bats, thanks to a sponsorship by the Organization for Bat Conservation.

Cortney Solum, visitors’ center manager at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Bloomington, estimated the attendance at 3,000, the biggest turnout at the center over many years.

The aim of the festival was to dispel the myths and misinformation about bats and the needless fear so many people have of them. They succeeded by having presentations, speakers, games for kids and the opportunity to see real, live bats from Africa.

Kids colored paper bats, cut them out, and even had their faces painted like bats. The kids warily peeked into the bat cave to see what was inside.
Visitors even had an opportunity to see the bats come out at sunset.

There was bat yoga for the adults, who also had a chance to see a movie about bats, filling an auditorium for multiple showings.

One vendor showed people how to turn their phones into bat detectors.

What’s good about bats? They spread seeds, eat insects and are great pollinators for farmers.

People learned there are 1,200 different kinds of bats in the world.

How can we help bats? Put up a bat house or plant a bat garden that includes night-blooming flowers.

Few bats are harmful to people, because they prefer habitats that are away from people.

You can learn more about bats at: batconservation.org.

Why did so many go to Bat Fest? Solum said people attended because they were curious, since they had heard so many bad traits about bats.

Their two main questions dealt with having bats in the house and what good are they? One way to lead them out of a house is by installing a one-way tube.

They came away realizing that although bats sometimes carry disease and are messy, they also have good qualities.

The event was so successful, the refuge hopes to have a bat festival next year.

Maybe that’s a good lesson for all of us during these divisive times. Don’t make judgments about people we suspect are evil until we have all of the facts.

____

Don Heinzman is a columnist for ECM Publishers.

Referring to the PiM Arts Charter in Eden Prairie, Ed Wilms pointed out that, “The transformation we saw in him from a kid who ate his lunch in the bathroom stall so he didn’t have to talk with anyone to having the lead role in the school musical his senior year was incredible.”  Though his three sons are “dramatically different,” Wilms said the school served each of them well.

Kelley Zender, a parent of three children at DaVinci Charter in Ham Lake wrote, “From the moment my children and I walked into DaVinci, we felt the warm and welcoming environment. The staff gets to know each child for who they are and finds amazing ways to reach each child at their academic level. All three of my children have grown leaps and bounds in all areas of their life; academic, social, problem solvers, and emotionally.”

As Elizabeth Ryan explained, “Where our student was lost and bored in a traditional setting, at Northwest Passage Charter High School (Coon Rapids) he is challenged and able to meet these challenges with confidence, maturity, responsibility, and grace.”

Khadija Abdi wrote: “I like Ubah Medical Academy (in Hopkins) for its uniqueness to connect with families and students. I’ve had four children go through this HS and I feel their learning needs were individualized and personalized to their learning needs.”

Tom Sagstetter explained: “We chose Spectrum (in Elk River) because it was a smaller school that would challenge our kids. We really like the smaller class sizes, the focus on post-secondary options, and community involvement from the students and Spectrum.”

Charters are free, public, non-sectarian schools with no admissions tests. Their focus and curriculum varies widely, while they are required to take statewide tests. As someone told me, “When you’ve seen one charter school, you’ve seen one charter.”

A few examples:

• Swan River, an elementary Montessori in Monticello

•Lionsgate in Minnetonka, which focuses on students on the autism spectrum

•Two very different K-12 schools in Stillwater — New Heights and St. Croix Prep

•Project-based schools making extensive use of the community such as Northwest Passage in Coon Rapids and River Grove in Wilder Forest, near Marine on St. Croix

•Arts Focused Schools like Arts and Science Charter in Isanti, DaVinci in Ham Lake or PiM Arts Charter in Eden Prairie

•College prep schools including Spectrum in Elk River, Ubah Medical Academy in Hopkins or Eagle Ridge in Eden Prairie

While there’s still plenty of work to do, charters have helped produce progress. Minnesota’s graduation rates have increased over the last decade, and the number of graduates who have to take remedial courses at colleges has declined from about 29 percent to about 21 percent.

It’s also been encouraging to see some districts, such as Forest Lake, Mankato, Rochester and St. Paul, create new options in response to charters. Moreover, several local teacher union presidents and charter advocates joined together to convince the 2016 Legislature to allocate $500,000 to help district educators create new “teacher led” district options, similar to some Minnesota charters. And some districts such as Farmington and Spring Lake Park have asked for and received greater flexibility, similar to charters, so they can make revisions they think are important, in response to what some call “the charter challenge.” District schools are good options for many students.

Noting the progress in Minnesota, more than 40 other states and the District of Columbia have adopted charter laws. Chartering offers rural, suburban and urban families more good options. And all this started, 25 years ago, here in Minnesota.

Joe Nathan, was a Minnesota public school teacher and administrator who directs the Center for School Change.  Reactions welcome, joe@centerforschoolchange.org.

Job statistics can be mercurial, especially the more often you measure them. One month’s job-loss chill can be followed by a white-hot month of gains.

But the overall trajectory in Minnesota is unmistakable — this state is wide open for business.

In the eight years since the Great Recession officially ended, Minnesota has added 314,261 jobs, an 11.7 percent increase that matches the national rate, according to the state’s Department of Employment and Economic Development.

A seasonally adjusted gain of 4,400 jobs in June pushed the labor market to new heights. In part because of a weak report last June, year-over-year job gains totaled 77,478, or 2.6 percent — the largest gain since May 1998, at a growth rate not seen in nearly six years.

Minnesota’s unemployment rate is 3.7 percent, below the nation’s 4.4 percent, and its share of employment among the working-age population is at its highest level since January 2009, DEED reported last month.

Many people in Koochiching and Itasca Counties have reason to worry about their prospects, with unemployment rates of 7.8 percent and 6.9 percent, respectively. They’re a far cry from the 2.7 percent in Eden Prairie and Rochester or the 2.5 in Northfield.

Regional disparities are often affected by plant closings in smaller communities or the vicissitudes of industries such as mining and timber, whose booms and busts are facts of life in northern Minnesota.

Seemingly as predictable, and more statistically significant, is the nagging problem of underdeveloped human capital in Minnesota’s minority communities.

Despite June’s excellent job gains, racial employment disparities actually rose slightly, DEED reported. Black Minnesotans’ unemployment rate rose from 8.1 percent in April and May to 8.4 percent. Hispanic unemployment rose from 5.3 percent to 5.5 percent.

White unemployment held steady at 3.1 percent.

The Twin Cities metro area has the highest proportion of working adults among the nation’s 25 largest metro regions. But 13 percentage points separate the share of working non-Hispanic whites from that of people of color, reports the Itasca Project, a business-led civic alliance. The gap ranks the Twin Cities near the bottom of the 25 metro areas.

Gaps in employment and income persist even when education is considered. Unemployment among black high school graduates is three times higher than among white high school graduates, the Itasca Project says.

Among blacks with bachelor’s degrees or higher, the unemployment rate is double that of whites with similar education.

Growth in the Twin Cities labor force absorbed the post-recession job demands but is projected to slow in the next decade as the population ages. Though it would have seemed unthinkable eight years ago, employers and state officials are now grasping for ways to fill jobs in an ever-tightening labor market.

To capture and retain workers at a time when the region’s diversity is growing, DEED advises employers to lower barriers impeding nonwhite workers and other populations, including the disabled, youth and people with less education.

Schools, both high schools and secondary, should sharpen their focus on career-aware counseling and programs. An example is the new career Pathways program at Burnsville High School, which clusters coursework into strands that allow students to explore professional fields and even begin credentialing work.

Too many minorities with post-secondary degrees, particularly blacks, wind up in temporary jobs or other low-wage work, which depresses their earnings as a group. But when blacks are able to find jobs in industries related to their majors, wage disparities disappear, according to DEED.

People of color comprise 24 percent of the Twin Cities region’s working-age population; their ranks are projected to grow to 50 percent by 2050. Without a virtuous cycle of inclusive education, training, recruitment, employment and advancement, Minnesota’s economy will fall short of its potential.

An opinion of the ECM Editorial Board. Sun Newspapers is part of ECM Publishers Inc. Reactions to this editorial – and any commentary we publish – is always welcome. Send to: editor.sun@ecm-inc.com.

2018 Trout and Salmon Stamp Competition
First Place: Nicholas Markell

Nicholas Markell, of Stillwater, won the DNR trout and salmon stamp contest with a painting of a brown trout.

Stillwater artist Nicholas Markell has won the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources trout and salmon stamp contest with a painting of a brown trout. The painting was selected by judges from among 14 submissions for the annual contest.

Markell is now a two-time winner of the trout stamp contest, having previously won in 2012. Four entries advanced to the final stage of judging during the contest Aug. 3 at the DNR Central Office in St. Paul. Other finalists were Scott Wenner, second place; Ted Hansen, third place; and Richard Goodkind, fourth place.

The DNR offers no prizes for the stamp contest winner, but the winning artist retains the right to reproduce the work, which will also be featured on the state’s 2018 trout and salmon stamp. The following species will be eligible for the 2019 stamp: rainbow, brook, splake and lake trout, coho, pink, chinook and Atlantic salmon. Brown trout designs will not be eligible for the 2019 stamp.

The trout and salmon stamp validation is sold for $10 along with fishing licenses and is required for Minnesota residents ages 18-64 and nonresidents older than age 18 and under age 65 to fish designated trout streams, trout lakes and Lake Superior and when in possession of trout or salmon. For an extra 75 cents, purchasers can receive the validation, as well as the pictorial stamp in the mail. It also is sold as a collectible.

Revenue from stamp sales is dedicated to trout and salmon management and habitat work. For more information on trout fishing license requirements, visit mndnr.gov/fishmn/trout.

Jeff Dayton, left, performs in 1996 with Glen Campbell in Branson, Missouri. (Submitted photo)

The music world lost a legend Aug. 8 when Glen Campbell, whose career spanned six decades and produced 21 Top 40 hits, died of Alzheimer’s disease.

The 81-year-old Arkansas native became a household name with hit songs like “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “Wichita Lineman” and “Rhinestone Cowboy” and also worked as a top-level studio guitarist, television host and actor.

Late in his career, a few years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2011, the country-music star embarked on a farewell tour, which was documented in the 2014 film, “I’ll Be Me.” Among the audience members for Campbell’s three final shows at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville was Jeff Dayton, a Long Lake native who spent 15 years as Campbell’s guitarist and bandleader.

Dayton, who lives and works in Nashville as a songwriter, producer and session guitarist, regularly returns to Minnesota to perform in and around his hometown.

Before a recent show in Nashville, Dayton took some time to speak with the Sun Sailor about his years working with the country music icon and the impact Campbell will leave behind.

Question: When did you first meet Glen Campbell?

Dayton: I was living in Phoenix in the ’80s and my band was playing all the time and doing really well in the post-Urban Cowboy country music boom. I had heard Glen lived in town, but I never ran into him until he showed up at one of the concerts we played, opening for Merle Haggard, who was an old pal of his. He really liked our set and came backstage to meet me. The very next night, there he was at a private event and I offered to let him sit in with us. He jumped right up with us and we did a 30-minute set for a surprised, delighted crowd. Nobody was more delighted than I was. He called me three days later and said, “you guys are great and I’d love to know if you’d be my bandleader and bring your boys on the road with me.”

Q: What did it mean for you as a musician to be asked by Campbell to lead his band?

Dayton: Especially since Glen’s passing, it’s so apparent that everyone who was part of his career knows how respected we became by association. We got gigs all like crazy after that, including a VIP trip to Maui to play for President George and Barbara Bush. … without Glen!

Q: Do you have any favorite memories from your time as his touring guitarist and band leader? 

Dayton: Just being on stage with one of the best all-around talents in history was amazing enough. We did about 4,000 shows together in those 15 years and I learned something every day, whether it was on guitar, singing, writing or entertaining.

Glen Campbell stands between Kenny Rogers and Jeff Dayton backstage in 1997 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Submitted photo)

Q: When was the last time you interacted with Campbell?

Dayton: My last visit with Glen was the inspiration for my song “Long Slow Train Out Of Town.” Check it out on YouTube or iTunes for the full narrative.

From left: Glen Campbell with fellow musicians Bryan White, Jeff Dayton and Derek George backstage in 1999 in Branson, Missouri. (Submitted photo)

Q: Can you explain the meaning behind the song and why you decided to write it?

Dayton: I knew Glen was trying to connect and he was having a hard time getting out from behind the cobwebs in his mind. The sad, puzzled look in his eyes, his failing guitar playing and general confusion was hard to witness after years of friendship. I wrote the song standing in the pool of my grandmother’s old house in Fountain Hills, Arizona about six months later. It was a spiritual experience.

Q: In April of last year, you performed two shows as a salute to Campbell in Chanhassen. How did those shows go over?

Dayton: We’ve done four sold-out shows in Chanhassen and we have more coming, plus we’ve done as many in Sedona, Arizona, and have a mini-tour going out west to play the Salute to Glen in Colorado and New Mexico next month. We also played St. Michael last winter at Le Musique.

Q: Do you have plans to do any future tribute shows?

Dayton: I have a Nashville show Aug. 19 called Remembering Glen and some great guys are coming to join me, including Chris Gantry who wrote “Dreams Of the Everyday Housewife.” I already know it’s going to be standing room only.

Q: Can you describe one Glen Campbell song that feels extra special to perform?

Dayton: One song? Maybe “The Highwayman,” or “Wichita Lineman”… maybe “A Better Place” or “Gentle On My Mind.” Any of those.

Q: Any parting thoughts?

Dayton: Glen was the perfect trifecta; the all-around pro; an amazing singer, guitarist and writer. Add entertainer to all that and it’s apparent that someone like Glen might never happen again. I’m forever grateful for the many wonderful years of adventures, fun, travel and learning I got to enjoy while I stood beside a true Hall of Fame icon. God bless ol’ Glen.

The choir will perform twice at 9:15 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. at the Cross of Glory Baptist Church, 4600 Shady Oak Rd. S. The show is free to attend. Donations are welcome.

The performance will feature lively African song and dance, well-known children’s tunes, traditional spirituals and gospel favorites. The choir’s sound can be described as a joyful blend of contemporary and traditional.

The choir is a nonprofit humanitarian and relief organization dedicated to helping Africa’s most vulnerable children.

Music for Life, the choir’s parent organization, works in the African countries of Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa.

The organization has educated more than 52,000 children and impacted the lives of more than 100,000 people through its relief and development programs. The organization’s overarching goal is education that helps create new leadership for Africa’s future.

Find out more information at africanchildrenschoir.com.

Cub Scouts from Pack 524 experiment with paper plates and pennies, simulating a solar eclipse. In the activity, plates represent the sun, pennies stand in for the moon and their eyes are the earth. Photos by Olivia Alveshere

It’s been 38 years since the continental United States saw a total solar eclipse. This time around, Minnesota was north of the path of totality, but the Twin Cities area was expected to see about 85 percent coverage after 1 p.m.

Cloud cover hampered the view, but Scouts made the most of their time together with fun activities.

Scouts created artwork showing exactly what happens during an eclipse, and made pinhole cameras to keep their eyes safe from the sun.

One must not stare directly into the sun during an eclipse, 7-year-old Cub Scout Zach Reiland explained. Special glasses or a pinhole camera must be used “so it doesn’t burn your eyes.”

An experiment with paper plates and pennies simulated what was about to unfold. In the activity, plates represented the sun, pennies stood in for the moon and Scouts’ eyes were the earth. Partners backed up with a paper plate until they were told that the penny obscured it.

“Eclipse Tag” had the moon take out the sun, swiping yellow neckerchiefs, and trivia about the solar eclipse was popular with older boys.

The United States will see another total eclipse in 2024.

olivia.alveshere@ecm-inc.com