On Wednesday, September 24, 2008 SaveWCAL attorney Michael McNabb filed a Petition To Redress Breach of Trust [PDF, ?? pages] and the Order for Hearing with the clerk of court in Rice County, Minnesota.
Notice of the Petition was served upon St. Olaf College, Minnesota Public Radio and the Minnesota Attorney General by Thursday at noon.
In our organization's capacity as a recognized and legal representative of the donors to the WCAL charitable trust, the Petition filed by SaveWCAL lays out the sequence of events regarding the sale of the WCAL Charitable Trust assets.
The Petition requests the Court to issue a judgment declaring void the 2004 transaction between St. Olaf College and Minnesota Public Radio involving the assets of the WCAL Charitable Trust.
In the alternative, the Petition requests the Court to issue a judgment declaring that the transaction did not terminate the WCAL Charitable Trust and declaring that the principal assets of the trust include the current value of the $10.5 million cash payment received from Minnesota Public Radio, and the current value of the $2.96 million WCAL endowment, and Skifter Building.
The Petition also requests the Court to remove St. Olaf College as trustee for its attempt to liquidate the WCAL Charitable Trust without notice and without judicial approval and for its attempt to convert the assets of the trust to its own purposes.
The hearing on the petition has been set for Friday, October 24, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. at the Rice County Courthouse in Faribault, Minnesota. The public may attend the hearing. Maps and directions to the Courthouse in Faribault are available at:
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
As I communicate with some of my classmates (early 1960s) around the States, they're still furious about the sale of WCAL as I am all these years later. I still cannot support MPR even though I continue to listen to it.
I love it that you are still out there chewing on St. Olaf. Give 'em hell. WCAL forever!
Good for you! Every trip to Rochester, that tower is a painful reminder of theft.
In June 2006, during the preiminary meetings for the 50th reunion of St.O. '56, we received a bizarre handout from the PR department about President Thomforde leaving in another year. Much speculation, and looking into the information found out a lot about WCAL. A satire was written on the Board of Regents and their dual decisions to sell WCAL and fire President Thomforde.
SaveWCAL responds:
We're aware of that satire and we have it on our web site as "Big Yellow Taxi."
Simply amazing…; "Amazing Grace" – where art thou?
Never in a million years would you have expected to find St. Olaf and major staff to be so lost – in a "corn maize".
Now apparently following "city slickers" and their lawyers astutely, cash registers still clinging.
Truth, openness and honesty are "all in their hymnals" and still reflected in simple grace; "no charge".
"Looking in the mirrors…," what do the folks now see there?
Well, over the shoulder – if not in their mirrors – maybe they see only "cash cows" now.
And while that may sound like "corn"; many may still find this really "a-maizing".
"Ka-ching, ka-ch-ing"; oh, you don't you like that? For many, that's "music".
Sort of like today's Wall Street; is there a "bail-out" here, and soon forthcoming?
Don't like today's "news"; no need to turn that radio dial: it's not "connected", anyhow.
Whatever – at least, it's not working just now. Yet, "stay tuned,; just in case…"
My wife and I would never have made a penny's contribution if we thought it was for St. Olaf College. We responded (year after year) to requests to support WCAL and "the radio service of the College of St. Olaf" because it provided programing in Renaissance, Baroque and classical music and choral music, something sorely lacking on Minnesota's so called classical station. Every time I hear some early or mid 20th century music on MPR and can't change the station to WCAL I curse MPR and the College of St. Olaf for destroying my haven of peace and beauty. (MPR will never get a cent of my money again until we get the music back, and we'd been supporting them from their beginning.) Please take my contribution and keep trying to get some justice. I'd be happy to take time off of work if you need any more testimony.