BY CLINT COMBS On Jan. 6th, inside the Minneapolis council chambers, the city and the Department of Justice (DOJ) reached a historic settlement — a federal consent decree aimed at reforming the Minneapolis Police Department following the killing of George Floyd. The settlement includes bans on neck restraints and First…
BY CAM GORDON This month, the city council, mayor and two large utility companies are poised to sign agreements that will give CenterPoint and Xcel exclusive rights to be the city’s natural gas and electricity providers for 10 more years, with options to extend it another 10. When the gas…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Art, theater, circus, puppets, music Adventures in Cardboard (AIC) leads off our camp offerings in the arts category, although it could go in games or adventure as well. AIC was founded in 2012 in Powderhorn Park and has gathered a fanatic following, as evidenced by its…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Why are pet products booming? It’s partly generational, partly the pandemic aftereffects, and partly just vibes. Which means, in this case, when things go viral, it’s the thing to do, so it goes even more viral. In the U.S., about 66 percent of households include…
BY TOM ABELES “Just because you invite me to the table doesn’t mean that I get something to eat.” – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The standard development model used by Minneapolis is to invite residents to a series of listening sessions to get ideas and then build possible…
BY KATHRYN KELLY The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) held an open house at the Nokomis Community Center on Jan. 16th, to show off their progress with Hiawatha Links, the new name for the Hiawatha Golf Course project. At the entrance to the gym, the MPRB had several boxes…
BY ED FELIEN Park Board arrogance on Lake Hiawatha plan The Park Board had a public hearing in January to ask for public comments on their plan for Lake Hiawatha. On their project page they said: “Groundwater Pumping Permit “Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has issued a Water Appropriations Permit…
Dear Editor I agree will Bill Marshall about Metro Transit cutting stops (Letter to the Editor, Southside Pride January edition). As a senior and someone with a back injury, I know personally what it is like to have to walk extra steps when stops are closed. Recently, Metro Transit changed…
Dear Cam, Ed, and the readers of Southside Pride. What to do about property taxes? Such an easy problem to solve! Why doesn’t the State of Minnesota buy the Minnesota Twins and operate the team to benefit all the communities that depend on property taxes to pay for necessary services…
BY CLINT COMBS Brenda Short’s path to launching her mayoral campaign in Minneapolis has been shaped by both her past political involvement and current challenges. In 2022, she was actively involved in Don Samuels’ congressional primary campaign against Ilhan Omar, canvassing and door-knocking for the former school board member. Samuels’…
BY LEE SAMELSON Now more than ever, taking action at the local level to slash pollution that causes climate change is critical, and through a clean energy transition that Minneapolis residents overwhelmingly support across cultures and zip codes. In the August issue of Southside Pride, I co-authored with Ulla Nilsen…
BY DAVE GUTKNECHT At last, we have a U.S. president who may not be completely beholden to the military-industrial complex and its lobby, or to the Israel lobby. Yet both of these extremely powerful forces, and a triumphalist outlook in U.S. ruling circles, make it difficult to alter foreign policy…
BY STEPHANIE FOX If you hadn’t noticed, grocery prices have risen lately. Since 2021, costs have risen 25 percent, a little more or less depending on the type of food product. Estimates are that in the U.S., 30 to 40 percent of food is wasted. Part of the problem is…
BY KAY SCHROVEN If you’ve not seen a Frank Theater production, or been to Open Eye Theater, I cannot think of a better time or reason than to see “Sanctuary City”, directed by Wendy Knox. She and her talented team are the essence of what makes the Twin Cities a…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Openings and closings The Cabana Club has opened in St. Anthony Main as of Jan. 3; this was covered by Racket’s Em Cassel on Jan. 9. Catzen Coffee, a cat cafe and coffee lab, has opened on Grand Avenue in St. Paul. In early January, Travail…
