BY STEPHANIE FOX It’s nearly Christmas and here in the North, that means holiday lights, tinsel-covered trees, and lutefisk. For many, it isn’t Christmas without a traditional bite or two of this iconic Norwegian delicacy. What many people don’t realize is that most of the country’s lutefisk originates right here…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Openings and closings We usually start with these, as they have been numerous in the upheaval since 2020 (and were even pretty frequent before then, due to economic chaos). But things seem to be leveling off, so I may drop this practice. The only notable closing…
BY FERN SNEDEKER (they/them) A queer community under increased surveillance. Queer bodies under attack—psychologically, ideologically, physically. Nudieland—where two men shot seven and killed one at a queer punk show in Phillips—is the most recent example on my mind. But it’s not even the most recent attack on the trans community,…
Why do you think Keith Ellison and Ilhan Omar endorsed Andrea Jenkins over the DFL-endorsed Soren Stevenson? It’s surprising because they have both benefited from DFL endorsement as did Soren Stevenson in this campaign. He lost by only 38 votes. Jenkins’ opponent Soren Stevenson refused to meet with the Star…
“It’s easier to fool someone than to persuade them that they’ve been fooled.” Most Americans, asked whether they support empire and imperial behavior, would say no. They don’t think we live in it—notwithstanding over 800 U.S. military bases around the globe and a trillion-dollar military budget, a constant state of…
As a Minneapolis resident and an arborist with 30 years in the tree care profession, I want to offer some deeper context to the issues raised in Cam Gordon’s Nov. 8 article on emerald ash borer and insecticide treatments. I ask fellow community members not to assume ill intent of…
I worked for the Minneapolis Park Board forestry department in the late ‘70s on a takedown crew with Dutch elm disease at its peak. This is where I heard the sound of the chainsaw singing the song of death for the elm trees. Now I’m a retired arborist who ran…
BY DANIEL COLTEN SCHMIDT Right now, Minneapolitans are demanding more participation in governance, particularly in the cases of environmental justice. In May of 2023, the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute (EPNI) was able to secure community participation in the redevelopment of the Roof Depot building. Now our attention must shift to…
BY JORDAN KUSHNER The political establishment nationally and locally has fallen into lockstep in its unquestioning support for anything Israel does. The military attack by Palestinian militants breaching the supposedly secure fence locking them into Gaza on Oct. 7, which included mass killings and hostage takings of noncombatants, has sparked…
BY CAM GORDON For over a decade, green insects called emerald ash borers (EAB) have been killing ash trees throughout Minneapolis. This fall the City Council appears ready to shift its policy in favor of using pesticides to combat the tree infestations – and it is mostly for financial reasons.…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Winter and holiday things, both new and traditional Here is your winter 2023-24 guide to holiday and winter-related events and things to do. Just like last year, this is a streamlined list, with the same limits. To wit: for online ticket sales, we provide the name…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Breaking it down This edition of “Gracefully” will focus on what elders, especially those living solo, need in order to thrive, and ways to satisfy those needs with resources available in south Minneapolis. We’re breaking down the needs into five categories; they’re not the usual categories,…
BY STEPHANIE FOX You may not know Phil Vandervaart personally, but you know his work. He has been a Twin Cities professional sign painter since 1983, creating artistic and imaginative signage for hundreds of small businesses in Minneapolis since moving here from Chicago. Some of his works include Palmer’s Bar,…
BY DIANE J. PETERSON AND JOHN KOLSTAD Although one normally perceives hospitals, and the doctors who work in them, to be dedicated to the overall health of patients being served, HCMC (Hennepin County Medical Center) revealed that it compromised that ideal in May by lobbying against a bill intended to…
BY JOHNNY HAZARD On Saturday, Oct. 28, I walked in the march against Israeli aggression in Mexico City. It was the second march to be held here since the events of Oct. 7 and the Israeli reprisals. Between 2,000 and 4,000 people marched from the Ángel de la Independencia (near…
