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CHANHASSEN
THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2012
$1
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Villager Free speech pushed in custody case BY RICHARD CRAWFORD editor@chanvillager.com
Andrew Peterson legacy. But who would pay for the restoration work? An estimate that Petersen-Biorn got put that cost at $101,000.
A freedom of speech argument has become a prominent sidebar issue in a Carver County custody case. A website blog, co-founded by Lea Sage Banken, has provided a variety of court documents pertaining to her case as well as other cases in the county. Banken’s former husband, Jeremy Banken, has custody of their three young children. Material on the blog — particularly public comments posted on the site — have raised concerns and prompted Carver County Judge Richard Perkins to issue an order calling for certain comments to be removed from the site. An evidentiary hearing related to the order to take down comments from the site was conducted last week. Attorney Christopher Banas argued the material on the website is harassing and has negatively affected Jeremy Banken’s “safety, security and privacy.” Public comments posted on the site have threatened violence against Jeremy Banken as well as the judge. One, for example, is directed at Perkins: “Forget cuffing and removing his black robe it takes too much time. Just hang him from the nearest tree.” Lea Banken said she has the ability to control what material is on the site but there are other “administrators” who have had the ability to put material on the site as well. She represented herself in court because she said she doesn’t have money for an attorney. She said her website is protected by the First Amendment and that she is working for judicial reforms at the state Legislature. In her closing comments, Lea Banken said the blog has served as an avenue to petition the government for change. “I am not directing this blog at Mr. Banken, or Mr. Banas,” she said. “There is certainly no intent to attempt to torment, threaten, stalk, or cause distress. The blog is not meant for them to read.” But during the hearing last week, Jeremy Banken and his attorney indicated that they hear about the blog frequently from acquaintances wondering about information on the blog. The blog has received more than 100,000 page views, according to Lea Banken. During the hearing, Judge Perkins noted that an order he issued in February doesn’t require Lea Banken to shut down the entire website.
Barn to A5 ®
Free Speech to A11 ®
PHOTO BY UNSIE ZUEGE
The granary was restored in 2006 and 2008 by Swedish carpenters. Ward Holasek, owner, is proud of his farm’s place in Carver County history.
Peterson barn on firmer footing Swedish immigrant’s property gets upgrade BY UNSIE ZUEGE uzuege@swpub.com
The north barn on the Andrew Peterson farm, also known as Rock Isle Farm, is a jewel in the rough. Right now, it looks a little ragged around the edges. Two severe storms, one in July and one in August 2010, blew out the east side of the barn, and the gate below. At the time,
Wendy Petersen-Biorn, executive director of the Carver County Historical Society, thought the barn was a total loss, so damaged that the only alternative was to raze it. But she was wrong. Linda Pate, a preservation specialist from the State Historic Preservation Office, came out to look at the barn. There was hope. The barn could be saved, but the historical society had to move quickly, first to stabilize the building, remove the contents, and then call in a qualified contractor. The historic barn could be restored. Petersen-Biorn saw it as a mixed blessing. Good for the historic property and the
PHOTOS ONLINE FOR MORE PHOTOS OF THE ANDREW PETERSON FARM AND A MAP OF THE BUILDINGS ON THE PROPERTY, GO TO
www.chanvillager.com.
Shooting for the stars Carver County native releases book of music photography BY MOLLEE FRANCISCO mfrancisco@swpub.com
There is no such thing as a short story when Rob Shanahan’s telling it. But with a past as rich as his, who can blame him? It may have taken a couple of decades, but the Norwood native (preYoung America merger) has worked his way up in the ranks to become one of the preeminent music photographers of his generation. He’s a favorite among artists like Joe Walsh, Sheila E. and Ringo Starr. And he’s got a book full of photos (with forward written by Starr himself) to prove it. Shanahan will sign copies of his first book — the aptly named “Volume 1: Through the Lens of Music
Photographer Rob Shanahan” — at the Jeune Lune in Minneapolis on March 15. The event is also a gallery show where a limited number of prints from the book will be available for purchase. “I’m so honored and excited to share the success of this book with my home state,” he said in a phone interview.
HEADING WEST Shanahan, who bears a slight resemblance to actor Matthew McConaughey, fell in love with photography at a young age. As a teenager, he commandeered the Pentax camera his mother had bought his dad one Christmas. “He never figured out how to use it,” Shanahan explained.
And while his dad may not have mastered the camera, Shanahan quickly taught himself how to not only shoot photographs, but also how to develop his own film in the family bathroom. “I still remember unwinding that first roll of film and looking at the negatives,” he said. “I don’t know what made me think I could do it.” Shanahan graduated high school in 1984 and began taking business classes in Mankato. He kept up with his photography along the way, taking aerial shots of farms in southern Minnesota and renting dark room space at a local photo lab. Then in 1988, just a couple semesters shy of his degree, Shanahan decided to up and move to California
PHOTO BY ROB SHANAHAN WWW.ROBSHANAHAN.COM
Shanahan was on stage to capture this moment in Boise when Eddie Van Halen saluted his brother Alex’s drum solo. with his 16 -year-old brother T.J. where they hoped to get into the music scene. Shanahan bought an old van from his high school computer teacher,
INSIDE OPINION/A4 OBITUARIES/A5 LIGHTENING BOLT/A6 SPORTS/A8 CALENDAR/B2 CLASSIFIEDS/B7 TO REACH US SUBSCRIBE: (952) 345-6682 EDITOR: (952) 345-6471 OR E-MAIL EDITOR@CHANVILLAGER.COM.
packed it with his drums, his photography equipment and a box of 8-tracks. “I pointed the vehicle to-
Shanahan to A2 ®
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