Here is info I just received by email. I can't vouch for the accuracy of the account of damage at the end, however. It seems a bit overstated.

Lutheran Social Services is working in conjunction with Gustavus alumni to help clean up at Gustavus this weekend. Our efforts have been concentrated on contacting people by phone, but please forward this email to friends and other alumni.

*Buses leave for St. Peter from the LSS building at 2485 Como Avenue in St. Paul, at the junction of Como and Hwy. 280, at 7:30am on Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5.

*Work will be outdoors; dress appropriately. Bring work gloves, rakes, pushbrooms, and garbage bags if possible.

*Bring something to drink. The water in St. Peter is in short supply.

*Buses will depart St. Peter in the late afternoon--around 4 or 5.

*RSVP by replying to this email, or call Mikayo Yamamoto at Lutheran Social Services at 612 969 2271.

*For more information, call Gustavus at (507) 933 8000, or LSS at (612) 969 2319.

This from the Star-Tribune:

Alumni and students wanting to aid cleanup efforts at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., can grab their rakes this weekend.

Buses are scheduled to depart from Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, 2485 Como Av., St. Paul, at 7:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Organizers prefer that people use buses, although groups riding in vans also can participate. Van drivers are asked to preregister by calling the college at 1-507-933-8000, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays. If you get a busy signal, try calling later.

Volunteers are urged to dress for outdoor work. They should wear work gloves, and can bring rakes and shovels. Tasks include picking up tree limbs, sticks, rocks and other debris. No indoor work is anticipated.

The college, which has about 12,000 alumni in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, has fielded many calls from people offering assistance.

Students who assist in the cleanup won't have access to their dorm rooms. The college hopes to reopen April 14.

People can make financial contributions to Rebuilding a Greater Gustavus, President's Office, 800 W. College Av., Gustavus Adolphus College, St.Peter, MN 56082.

The following are unattributed excerpts from an account of the damage at Gustavus.

Most of the arboreteum is destroyed, trees and all. . . . With most roofs on campus off or damaged, with most windows out, one can only imagine how much damage there really is. The tennis bubble dedicated to Bud Swanson who died just a week ago, is gone. Rundstrom Hall's top floor is collapsing. Johnson Hall has gaping holes in the tops of the side walls. All the hymnals in the chapel are soaked, many windows broken. Gustavus Adolphus is lying face down in the mud. Classrooms have debris hanging out the broken windows. Most of the library books are wet. Holly House has some partial walls left and a night stand with a glass vase of fresh flowers not even tipped over. The apartment complex is without a top story. The Swedish house is without a roof and most of the top floor is gone. Adolphson House is destroyed. Brick House is partially destroyed. The large new Granlund statue in front of the chapel looks undamaged. The storage areas of the stadium are destroyed, so the stadium probably isn't safe any more either. Most of the large trees are down. They put on priority to board up all first floor windows to prevent looting. They accomplished that. Now they are going to start with the rest of the windows. The roof of Old Main was damaged but the cupola and clock are still there. The spire crumbled on to the roof of the chapel. People on College Ave. saw the large brick entrance sign to the college fly down the hill. The tennis courts-fencing, etc. are ruined. All the buildings housing service vehicles and equipment are destroyed. They pulled garage roofs off the college trucks and found some of the trucks usable. Dorm rooms are still open to the elements with clothes hanging out the windows. They have allowed no students to go into their rooms, sending them all home.They are saying no students back until the Tuesday after Easter at this point. . . . No car in the college parking lots made it through. It rained all day yesterday with brisk winds. Last night it snowed and is still snowing. I feel so bad for everyone there.

Dan Currell

Winthrop & Weinstine

3000 Dain Bosworth Plaza

60 South Sixth Street

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402

(612) 347 0671

fax 347 0600

dcurrell@winthrop.com

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(612) 721 5119

dancurrell@aol.com