Q When driving on Interstate 94 between Minneapolis and St. Paul, I can see a round tower with a pointed top that looks like a witch's hat. What is the purpose of this?

A It's the Prospect Park Water Tower. Built in 1913, it was originally built to be both a water tower and a bandstand. Only one concert was held in the bandshell, because it was too difficult for musicians to carry their instruments up the tower's spiral staircase. It was used as a water tower for 40 years.

The tower observation deck is open once a year. This year it's May 30, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Information from City of Minneapolis, Prospect Park East River Road Neighborhood organization.

Removing ceiling tile Q I plan to remove the hall ceiling in our home and am concerned that the 12-inch ceiling tiles from 1966 might contain asbestos. How can I tell for sure?

A Have tile tested for asbestos. There are more than 3,000 building products and other items that contain asbestos, according to the Minnesota Health Department. The only way to determine if a material contains asbestos is to have it sampled by a certified asbestos inspector and analyzed by a laboratory. The Health Department recommends that you hire an asbestos consulting firm to conduct any sampling for you.

Asbestos-testing labs are listed in the yellow pages under "Asbestos." The Health Department has guidelines for hiring asbestos contractors. Go to www.health.state.mn.us. Type "asbestos contractor" into the search window. Or call the Health Department's Asbestos Unit at 651-201-4620.

Send your questions to Fixit in care of the Star Tribune, 425 Portland Av. S., Minneapolis, MN 55488, or call 612-673-9033, or e-mail fixit@startribune.com. Past columns are available at www.startribune.com/fixit. Sorry, Fixit cannot supply individual replies. Fixit appears daily in Source except on Friday.