West End News: August 15

I can’t stop talking about the blueberries this year.  It has to be one of the best years in history for both the quantity and the size of the fruit.  A couple from Minneapolis, Pat Nash and Katie Nulicek, camped at Sawbill for just over 24 hours this week.  Right after they set up camp, they headed for the blueberry patch and picked an incredible three gallons in just four hours.  They said the berries looked like large blue flowers on the bushes when viewed from a distance.
 
When you head out to pick berries, throw a compass in your pocket and make sure you pay attention to which side of the road you are on as you head into the woods.  It is very easy to get turned around when you wandering in circles with your head down and your eyes focused on delicious blueberries.  I’ve been seriously lost four times in my life and it is not a fun experience.
 
I’m a little behind the curve on mentioning the ongoing Brimson Market.  This lively farmer’s market is in Brimson on Highway 44 next to Hugo’s General Store.  It features fresh produce, baked goods, other treats and local arts and crafts.  Live music is also featured, to round out a fun small-town experience.  Their motto is “Taste the Northern Summer” and it is held every Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon through Sept. 7.
 
It was interesting to read an article this week about the 40th anniversary of the iconic Time Magazine cover that featured a picture of Gov. Wendell Anderson holding up a northern on a stringer with a bold headline proclaiming “The Good Life in Minnesota.”  It was that article that coined the term “Minnesota Miracle,” referring to a progressive legislative agenda that was quickly improving the quality of life for most Minnesotans.
 
Some might say that it was the last time that Minnesota had such a thoughtful and bipartisan legislative agenda.  No matter what your politics are, you have to look back wistfully to a time when compromise was the watchword, as opposed to the gridlock that is so prevalent in recent years.
 
The timing of that magazine cover anniversary is meaningful because Schroeder resident Tom Berg has recently written a memoir of that period, called “Minnesota’s Miracle: Learning From the Government That Worked.”  As I mentioned last week, Tom will be presenting a talk about his book and his years in the legislature during a time that is still being held up as an era of good government some 40 years later.  Tom had a ringside seat and has many interesting insights to share.
 
The talk will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24 at the Cross River Heritage Center in Schroeder.
 
While we’re on the subject of books, we are on the brink of a publishing event that is bound to make big news here in the West End.  Next month, the University of Minnesota Press is publishing an English translation of a popular Norwegian mystery novel called “The Land of Dreams” by Vidar Sunstol.
 
The book, which is set in our very own West End, won the Riverton Prize for best Norwegian crime novel a few years ago.  It is the first of a trilogy that is set here in the West End.  The books have been out for a while, but have never been available in English until now.
 
I originally heard about “The Land of Dreams” from a Dutch friend who read it in the Dutch translation several years ago.  She called me because there is a character in the book that is basically me.  The character has my exact name, lives at the end of the Sawbill Trail and operates Sawbill Canoe Outfitters with his family. 
 
My first concern when I heard this news was whether or not I was the murderer.  I was relieved to learn that I am a minor character and commit no crimes.  I did get in a little trouble from my wife, Cindy, when she learned that my wife in the book is named Barb.  My ex-wife’s name happens to be Barb, so this did not sit well with Cindy.
 
It will be interesting to see if I survive in the translated edition, but in any case it should be fun for West End residents and visitors to read about dark fictional crimes happening in our own backyards, and try to recognize who the local characters are based on.
 
I’ve had a few hints that the publisher plans some publicity when the book is actually released, so we should be hearing much more about this in the near future.

For WTIP, this is Bill Hansen, international man of mystery, with the West End News.