Wellstone anniversary marked in many ways

10/25/2005

Jean Hopfensperger, Star Tribune
Last update: October 24, 2005 at 11:05 PM

A day earlier, “The Magic Green School Bus” documentary, made by a Minneapolis elementary school class, premiered at the Minnesota History Center.

And Twin Cities Public Television will broadcast another documentary about Wellstone’s political career this evening. ("Wellstone!", 9 p.m., TPT2, repeated at 8 p.m. Thursday.)

On the third anniversary of the plane crash that killed Wellstone; his wife, Sheila; their daughter, Marcia Markuson; three campaign staffers and two pilots, Minnesotans are commemorating the day in public and private ways.

There’s no big memorial service, but rather a series of political projects and artistic productions that, for the most part, are tied loosely to the date.

For many, today will be a day for personal reflection, said Bill Lofy.

Lofy is the spokesman for Wellstone Action, a political training center in St. Paul launched by ex-Wellstone staffers. The organization did not arrange a public event, he said, because it believed Minnesotans would “grieve in their own way.”

“For some people, that means being in a big community setting, such as the Minnesota History Theater [which staged a play about Wellstone last week] or ‘The Magic Green School Bus,’ “ Lofy said.

“For others, it means going out to the gravesite at Lakewood Cemetery on their own and taking time to reflect on what happened.”

Lofy said he was pleased that so many Minnesotans were visiting the Wellstone Memorial and Historic Site outside Eveleth, which opened last month. The wooded place, dedication of which was also linked to the third anniversary of the Wellstones’ death, is now sprinkled with flowers from well-wishers, he said.

At Wellstone International High School in Minneapolis, social studies teachers will devote their classes today to discussing the Wellstone legacy—especially for immigrants—and the new historic site in Eveleth, said Dixie Olmstad, school coordinator.

The school also is creating a memorial to the Wellstones on campus, most likely an exhibit with photographs, writings and other memorabilia, she said.

“Last year Sen. Mark Dayton visited us” on the anniversary, Olmstad said. “This year it’s more of a teaching opportunity.”

The Wellstone legacy will be part of an assembly held this week at the Paul and Sheila Wellstone Elementary School in St. Paul, said principal Christine Osorio.

For Ron Peluso, artistic director for the Great American History Theater in St. Paul, linking a theater reading to a political anniversary turned into excellent timing. The theater staged a reading of a play about the Wellstones’ lives last week, a trial run for a full-blown production.

“It was an incredible smash,” said Peluso. “For these readings, we expect about 120 people. There were more than 300 people.”

The downside: It was hard to tell whether the script was exceptionally outstanding—or whether the partisan crowd was exceptionally generous, he joked.

“But I’m optimistic,” he said. “I think it has great potential.”

Meanwhile, a group of students from Lake Country School in Minneapolis are walking on Cloud Nine this week, after their half-hour documentary about the Wellstones was featured at the Great American History Theater Sunday.

“There were 350 seats, and we didn’t have enough room,” said an enthused Mike Hazard, the project’s video artist. “Paul’s short stature, the twinkle in his eye, and his sincerity ... just reached these kids. It changed them, as well as moved the audience.

“Now they all believe they can change the world,” Hazard said with a smile. “And half of them are running for office at school.”