Public Enemy No 1

Captured thug now singing a different tune

It’s also the one used in Martin Scorsese’s 2006 Boston crime thriller “The Departed.”

When Scorsese and frequent collaborator Robbie Robertson put together the music for the award-winning iconic Hub film loosely based on Whitey and his Winter Hill gang, they had keen ears for tunes that thematically fit the FBI’s Public Enemy No. 1. The most recognizable jam comes from Boston’s own Dropkick Murphys. “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” turned the Dropkicks into a nationally known band. But it’s the older selections that really dig into Whitey’s mind and crimes.

The flick opens with the unsettling, paranoid shuffle of the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter.” Jack Nicholson voice talking about the Irish mob’s philosophy — Whitey’s philosophy — is the perfect overture for the story: “Rape, murder! It’s just a shot away!” gospel singer Merry Clayton belts out during the profane refrain. The rocker also speaking to Whitey’s future — a long search for shelter from a storm.

From there, Scorsese grabs tunes that tap into the history of Boston’s most notorious gangster. They’re classics nailing the psyche of a criminal kingpin wanted for multiple murder raps across the country and forced to spend years on the run.

A live cover of Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” by Irish legend Van Morrison, Roger Waters, and members of the Band mirrors anesthetized emotions of a cold-blooded criminal. The 1968 smash “Nobody But Me” by the Human Beinz encapsulates the wild ego of a budding mob boss. And for a guy who spent 16 plus years on the lam, the Allman Brothers’ “One Way Out” makes a perfect anthem.

For all the prophetic pop gems on “The Departed” soundtrack, nothing works better than the Beach Boys’ “Sail On, Sailor.” The song tells the story of an “unrepenting” sailor forced to travel an “unsettled ocean” blind to his futile quest to get away from his problems.

It’s even got the line: “Caught like a sewer rat alone but I sail.”

Now if that isn’t a theme song for Whitey, what is?

Summer's public enemy No. 1 | The Austin Daily Herald

Officials urge caution about emerald ash borer

It’s emerald ash borer awareness week throughout Minnesota, and this weekend may be the most important time for people to know.

As Memorial Day weekend approaches, many will be heading on vacations. And one of the biggest causes of EAB is transported firewood. The insects, which infest all three types of ash tree species in Minnesota, can easily be transported by firewood. That’s why the Minnesota Department of Agriculture declared it illegal to transport unapproved firewood through counties where EAB has been found. Those counties include Hennepin, Ramsey and Houston. However, the MDA has been treating its own firewood, which goes through a heat process and also doesn’t allow the beetle to return to the firewood.

Although many people may not think transporting firewood is a big deal, it has caused the insect to spread to other areas. The problem is awareness, said Val Cervenka, Department of Natural Resources forest health program coordinator.

“It takes time for that message to sink in,” she said about not transporting firewood.

Gov. Mark Dayton proclaimed the week of May 23 through 28 EAB Awareness Week to do just that — raise awareness.

Furthermore, the MDA is heading the way in EAB eradication and prevention and has taken several steps toward doing that.

According to Liz Erickson, MDA communications coordinator, ash trees are often being removed from places in the Twin Cities to limit the beetles’ rate of spread.

By removing some trees, the MDA has segregated some tree populations so the beetle can’t spread.

Another measure, which was started in Houston County last spring, will also be used in Hennepin and Ramsey counties. The MDA will release small, Asian, stingless wasps that eat the beetles’ larvae. Although the wasps do have stingers, they only sting EAB eggs and larvae — never humans or other animals.

Cervenka and Erickson both said the wasps have been tested in labs and won’t cause invasive specie problems.

Since AEB was discovered in Minnesota in 2009, it’s only been found in the three counties mentioned. But that’s not stopping the state from staying vigilant. In unaffected counties, officials are still hanging the easy-to-spot purple traps. The traps aren’t proficient at catching the beetle, but they are another way for officials to gauge the spread of the EAB.

“We know it’s going to keep going farther and farther,” Cervenka said.

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