Post-Oscar Edition

I’ve been traveling so much with Mark Dayton that its not surprising that I feel like the only woman in the world who hasn’t seen Avatar. I did take some post-Oscar time out to view The Hurt Locker and five days later I’m still in awe. This film puts into real context how brave the men and women of our military truly are, and it spares nothing when showing you the true horrors of this war.

If there were ever a time to feel honored to be working for one of the 23 Senators who voted against the Iraq war, it was certainly after seeing The Hurt Locker.

OK, that may seem a little heavy to kick off the second installment of my travel blog but nobody said building a Better Minnesota would be all Broadway show tunes. The goal of “87 in 87” is to listen and share ideas with the people. Some of the stories we’ve heard along the way are encouraging: we met a teacher from Kennedy Community School in St. Joseph, one of the first schools in the country to meet the LEED silver certification rating for green schools. This teacher told us that they didn’t fire the boilers at their school all winter! And some of the stories we hear, like when we see and hear firsthand the results of cuts to Local Government Aid (which Mark likes to call “Police, Fire and Potholes” because that is what LGA goes to fund) are truly depressing. But at the end of the day, the people of this great state have so much to offer and have such a positive outlook even in these most trying times. The one thing I’ve learned from listening to the people is the undeniable fact that they will be equal partners with Mark in his goal to make Minnesota great again.

Moving on Up

Well, at least to St. Paul. If you haven’t heard by now, Team Dayton is packing up and moving to greener and larger pastures in St. Paul. There’s nothing like spending your days making cardboard boxes and cleaning out cabinets. And although I don’t expect any sympathy from our soon to arrive Communications Director, who packed up his entire NY apartment while dealing with an unexpected bathroom flood, any move yields a little bit of stress!

The move does bring good news – mainly, our campaign is growing. We’re reaching more and more people with our message that we can and will do better with Mark Dayton’s experience. Our volunteer base has grown significantly and it seems that every high school and college student remotely interested in politics wants to intern on our campaign. Thankfully, our new office will be able to accommodate them and many more.

Shout outs and Accolades

In addition to the men and women who serve in the armed services, as portrayed in the above-mentioned Hurt Locker, I’d like to congratulate director Kathryn Bigelow, the first woman to win an Academy Award for “Best Director.”

I’d like to give a hearty shout out to the folks at Java River Café in Montevideo—we really appreciate the warm welcome in Monte last week!

And I’d like to give a “get well soon” to Twins closer Joe Nathan. He’s going to give the elbow some rest, and wait on a second opinion, before deciding on whether he will try to pitch this season. Either way, I wish one of the game’s best closers a full recovery.

Thanks for reading,
Katie Tinucci
Deputy Campaign Manager

Team Dayton’s Updates from the Road!

Team Dayton’s Updates from the Road! (March 3, 2010)

Anyone who has ever worked a campaign knows that the days start early and end very late. Today was no exception. Dana Anderson, our campaign manager and of course gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton, and I hit the road at 7:30 am for a week of talking to voters, working families and business owners  – all of which are vital to helping our economy recover.

As you know, we’ve been having a relatively tame Minnesota winter and our traveling weather has been very cooperative; mild and mostly sunny.  This is a relief since our destinations this week are scattered throughout Northern Minnesota, where the temperature as been known to plunge to dozens of degrees below zero

Mark brings travel mugs full of coffee for Dana and me. He brews a mean pot of coffee and despite my pleas he refuses to make free coffee for every voter a plank in his campaign platform. With coffee in hand, we drive to the sounds of the morning news. The big story today is the remarkable game between the U.S. and Canada in the Gold Medal hockey game. Mark is a former hockey goalie and has been raving about USA goalie Ryan Miller on Twitter since the Winter Games began.

After we get a full dose of the morning news, Dana and I flip between radio stations looking for song we both can sing along to.  I can’t get enough of Broadway show tunes while Dana has been living on a constant diet of Dave Matthews. When neither pops up we resort to singing light rock songs by Billy Joel, Elton John and Rod Stewart. If Mark ever wished he had headphones handy, it’s now!

Our first stop was the Digi-Key distribution center in Thief River Falls.  The company, which distributes electronic components, employs 2,060 people and is looking to hire more.  Rick and Todd gave us an excellent tour of the operation and showed us some of the amazing innovations that have made them a leader in the industry.  Hard to believe the company, which started so small, has grown to be so successful. Digi-Key is a great asset to the community, the region, and the state!

Our trip to Digi-Key was a success and so are the ‘Meet and Greets’ we’ve been holding in every county visited. The best thing about ‘Meet and Greets’ have been hearing from real voters about the concerns they have,  questions about Mark’s campaign and the ideas they’ve shared on how we can collectively build a Better Minnesota. Here in the Northwest region, the people are rightly concerned about flooding, and Mark used this opportunity to relay stories about how he came in to sandbag in Moorhead when the Red River flooded, and in Roseau when the Roseau River flooded.  Hearing directly from the people in the region and their stories on how flooding has impacted their lives has been an eye-opening experience. The residents here build and plan their lives around the possibility of a flood every year – you can’t help but admire their resilience and commitment to their communities.

Shouts-Outs and Accolades

A special thank you to Mark Froemke for helping to organize a breakfast with members of Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers Local 167G.  We had a great conversation, and we really appreciate Mark’s help in putting this event together.

Melody’s Café in Warren – This Marshall County hotspot has the best caramel rolls.

And a hearty round of handclaps goes out to the Roseau Boys’ hockey team, and the Warroad Boys Hockey Team.  Both are heading to State!

The List

Counties Visited: 48

Days on the Road: 44

Cups of coffee: Too many to count!

Thanks for reading,

Katie Tinucci

Deputy Campaign Manager

Mark at Memories Café in Red Lake Falls!

Pennington County Meet and Greet!

Friday, January 29th at 2:00 pm

Cup of Joe, 315 Duluth Ave N, Thief River Falls, MN

Red Lake County Meet and Greet!

Friday, January 29th, 11:00 am at Memories Café

217 8th Street SE, Red Lake Falls, MN

Meet and Greet at the University of Minnesota Crookston

Friday, January 29th; 9:00 a.m. at the Prairie Lounge, Student Center, UMN-Crookston, 2900 University Ave, Crookston, MN 56716

“Open House” at the home of Roger and Paulette Moe!

Thursday, January 28th, 5:00 – 7:00 PM at the home of Roger and Paulette Moe (17444 Park Ave SE in Erskine, MN)

To confirm your attendance at this event, please call (612) 333-2175!

Meeting with White Earth Tribal Council!

Thursday, January 28th, 3pm at the Event Center, Shooting Star Casino, 777 SE Casino Rd, Mahnomen, MN

Quick Facts About Mahnomen County:

Population: 5,190

County Seat: Mahnomen

Quick Fact: Mahnomen means “Wild Rice” in Chippewa.

Norman County Meet and Greet in Ada, MN!

Thursday, January 28; 12:00 PM at the Norman County VFW, 415 W Main Street; Ada, MN

Quick Facts About Norman County:

Population: 7,442

County Seat: Ada

Quick Fact: The 581 farms in Norman County make up a land area of 457,670 acres. The average size farm is 788 acres.