Minnesota House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher apparently has received another union's backing in her bid for the DFL endorsement for governor, says MPR's Polinaut.

It's from Greater MN AFSCME Council 65. This follows Kelliher's endorsement Thursday from operating engineers.

This AFSCME council has about 13,000 members outside the metro area; the bigger AFSCME Council 5, has 43,000 members and has endorsed former U.S. Sen Mark Dayton in the governor's race.

So the heft of unions around the state continues to be spread among several DFLers, as Doug Grow reported last week, with these other developments so far:

• Northern Central State Regional Carpenters Council: Tom Bakk.
• Minnesota Nurses Association: Paul Thissen.
• Local 20, Teamsters: R.T. Rybak.
• Four local steelworkers unions: Tom Rukavina.

Four Minnesota schools have been named "Family-Friendly Schools" by the Minnesota Parent Center.

The schools had been nominated by parents who believed their school officials have created a family-school partnership.

The four winning schools are:

• Woodland Elementary School, Brooklyn Park;
• Highland Park Elementary, St. Paul;
• Zachary Lane Elementary, Plymouth;
• Cologne Academy, Cologne.

"We were looking for schools that communicate with parents regularly and in many ways; schools that involve parents in the learning process, not just schools with a strong booster club; and schools that have parent involvement in decision-making at the school," said Heather Kilgore, program coordinator of the Minnesota Parent Center.

This is the first year for the awards, which came with a plaque.

Minneapolis election officials are close to finishing their ballot counting from the Nov. 3 election, the first time they've used the new ranked voting method, reports MPR.

While most of the results are complete, candidates for an at-large park board commissioner are still waiting for final word.

Candidate Bob Fine is leading so far, and there are three seats available, so he's feeling fairly confident, he told MPR.

"I have a degree in math, so I understand how things work very well mathematically," Fine said. "I don't think it's possible. I would have to drop down, I would have to drop down to fourth and looking at second place votes and where they may come, I don't think it's very likely I'm going to end up dropping that far."

Election officials in St. Paul, where a charter amendment change to use ranked-choice voting was approved in November, have been stopping by the Minneapolis warehouse where the counting is happening.

They might use a different process to tabulate the results to speed things up, said Ramsey County elections chief Joe Mansky.

Apparently it didn't help enough when IronWorld USA changed its name in June to the Minnesota Discovery Center, because the museum and research center in Chisholm says it is closing at 5 p.m. today.

The center's website calls it a temporary closing, and that 47 people will be laid off.

A statement says:

"The financing model developed two years ago, combined with the world economic situation, just doesn’t work”, states CEO Mike Andrews. “Our overhead costs, not fundable by grants or sponsorships, are considerably higher than our declining subsidy and endowment interest. Although we experienced an increase in visitor attendance, it is not enough to make that up difference in a limited market.”

Officials said they're reviewing all options and are "optimistic about the future of the facility."

It first opened in 1977 as the Iron Range Interpretive Center with 34 exhibits and a nominal admission charge. The Hall of Geology was added in 1979, followed by the opening of the Research Center library and archives in 1980. A name change in 1984 made it Ironworld USA in 1984, followed by rebranding as Ironworld Discovery Center and then Ironworld, before the Discovery Center moniker.

Minnesota House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher reports another union endorsement in her bid for the DFL endorsement in the 2010 governor's race.

She's added the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 49 to her list; last week, she was endorsed by the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE).

Union endorsements, though, have been spread among the myriad DFL hopefuls. Doug Grow reported here last week that the union endorsements are coming earlier than normal in this year, and along with Kelliher's recent additions, are going to many candidates:

• The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees:Mark Dayton.
• Northern Central State Regional Carpenters Council: Tom Bakk.
• Minnesota Nurses Association: Paul Thissen.
• Local 20, Teamsters: R.T. Rybak.
• Four local steelworkers unions: Tom Rukavina.

The Operating Engineers union snared by Kelliher reports it has 12,000 members in Minnesota.

Despite strong opposition from Vikings ownership, the full Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission today approved a resolution seeking a two-year lease agreement for the team at the Metrodome.

But that extension comes at a cost; under the language of the action, the Vikings would be liable for up to $4 million a year in rent that for the past nine years has been forgiven by the commission, the team's landlord.

Owners Zygi and Mark Wilf lashed out at commission member Paul Thatcher last night in a letter. (PDF)

Three Minnesotans were elected to the National League of Cities board of directors at a national convention last week in San Antonio.

Willmar Mayor Les Heitke was elected second vice president of the board. Under the league's rules of succession, Heitke is scheduled to be board chair in 2011-2012.

Also elected to two-year terms on the board were Minneapolis Council Member Sandra Colvin-Roy and Moorhead Council Member Greg Lemke.

They were among 23 new members to the board, which meets throughout the year to shape the organization's  priorities and direct advocacy, research and membership activities.

Jim Miller, executive director of the League of Minnesota Cities, is in the middle of a two-year term on the national board.

The NLC says it is "the nation’s oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership, and governance. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 U.S. cities, towns, and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans."

Ten Minnesota legislators, who paid their own way to take a fact-finding tour of Israel, have returned and say it provided a global perspective and insights into the troubled region.

“I am deeply moved by the historical significance of this region, the complexity of this conflict and the importance of getting it right, said state Sen. Terri Bonoff, of Minnetonka. "While I have discovered the improbability of an easy solution, I have also become convinced that solving this peace puzzle is imperative. The security of all nations is inextricably linked to it."

State Rep. Frank Hornstein of Minneapolis said:  “Our interfaith and bipartisan group had a chance to experience many dimensions of this dynamic region, including diverse perspectives on the peace process. It is more important than ever for leaders at all levels of government to develop a global perspective, especially in a region of such significance for Christians, Jews, and Muslims.” 

Others on the trip were: Rep. Bernie Lieder, Crookston; Rep. Tina Liebling, Rochester; Rep. Steve Simon, Saint Louis Park; Rep. Jeremy Kalin, North Branch; Rep. Sandra Masin, Eagan; Rep. Sarah Anderson, Plymouth; Sen. Ann Rest, Golden Valley and Rep. Phyllis Kahn, Minneapolis.

During the eight-day visit, the group:

• Met with Palestinian and Israeli officials to discuss ongoing peace negotiations.
• Met with the parents of captured Israeli soldier Gilat Shalit, and presented proclamations from the cities Minneapolis and St. Paul demanding his release from Hamas captivity in Gaza.
• Participated in a ceremony at Israel's Holocaust Memorial Museum, Yad Vashem, honoring Rep. Bernie Lieder for his role in liberating Nazi forced labor camps in World War II.
•  Visited three Israeli high-tech companies conducting intensive research and development of technologies to promote solar energy, and electric vehicles, including Cima Nanotech, which is headquartered in St. Paul.
•  Visited an Israeli pre-school for Ethiopian Jewish immigrants, funded in part by donations from the Minneapolis Jewish Federation.

Former state Rep. Allen Quist, who now farms in St. Peter, makes it official: He's challenging Congressman Tim Walz in the 1st District.

His announcement said: "If people like what Congress is doing, they should vote for the incumbent. But if they believe, as I do, that Congress is headed in the wrong direction, then I will be the alternative."

Although he'd vowed to give up running for office after losing the 1998 Republican endorsement to Norm Coleman, Quist said three bills now in Congress made him get back in the ring: the $787 billion stimulus bill, cap and trade, and the health care bill.

"Representative Walz has been on the wrong side of all three," Quist said.

Walz is in his second term representing the southeastern Minnesota district.

The Vikings-Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission kerfuffle that exploded Tuesday spun out of control tonight.

Team owners Zygi and Mark Wilf sent an angry letter to Paul Thatcher, chairman of the commission’s finance committee, informing him that they have instructed team staff to halt all “engagement” with the agency, “unless and until the Commission gets serious about resolving the near-term revenue issues and acting like a partner with us to retain this valued franchise in the Minnesota for the next generation of fans.

“The time for more political games on this issue has expired,” they added. “Actions - not words - will signal to us whether the Commission is a partner or an obstructionist in our efforts to resolve our long-term stadium issue.”

They added bluntly: “Your actions yesterday leave us confused and questioning the future of this franchise.”

The letter came after a resolution passed in Thatcher’s committee seeking to forge an extension of the Vikings’ Metrodome lease, which expires after the 2011 season. Thatcher also declared that the political chances for a new stadium effort during the 2010 legislative session were dim.

The letter said:

“The Minnesota Vikings are shocked, exasperated and extremely disappointed by the flawed ‘revenue relief’ proposal advanced by you and passed in your Committee ... This action was a cynical attempt to advance a ‘proposal’ that you know is totally unacceptable to the Minnesota Vikings and fails to address the issues important to both the short-term and long-term success of this franchise in Minnesota. We can’t help but note the irony that the actions in your Committee threaten the Viking’s future relationship with the MSFC — a Commission which claims it has a mandate to keep the Vikings in Minnesota.”

Added the men, who are landlords of major commercial properties: “We can’t conceive of treating a tenant in such a disrespectful manner if the goal is to retain a valued tenant with a new, long-term lease.”

They added: “Despite the fact the Vikings are at the bottom of the [NFL] in stadium revenues and have the most uncompetitive stadium deal in the NFL, this ownership group has made significant investments —from ownership capital, not stadium revenues — to turn this team around and inject a renewed sense of enthusiasm and pride in the Minnesota Vikings ... Your actions yesterday leave us confused and questioning the future of this franchise.”

The full commission meets Thurday morning to vote on the finance committee resolution.