BY TONY BOUZA The days of our lives are numbered. But, short of suicide, we don’t know what that number is. My best estimate would be 26,645 days (73 X 365). So, what to make of it? As I think on it a very few items stand out—triumphs and disasters.…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Closings downtown, openings in South Minneapolis After all the hopeful hype last month about the downtown Minneapolis restaurant scene being back, the two most notable closings in mid-October were downtown. One was trendy and “of this decade” – Seven Steak, Sushi and Rooftop, which has apparently…
BY ED FELIEN If you’re concerned about Republicans taking the House in November, there are a couple of races where your contribution could make a difference. Angie Craig seems pretty safe. The 538 polls on Oct. 10 say she’s ahead by almost six points. Everyone is assuming the Supreme Court’s…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Stan-Eric, then and now This year we’re looking back into the history of the Standish neighborhood and this small business hub. Perhaps we should just go ahead and say the Standish-Ericsson neighborhood. At some point we should officially change the name to “Standish and Ericsson,” in…
BY ED FELIEN Goran (the G is pronounced as a Y) Gustav-Wrathall is taking direct action to calm 32nd Street around Powderhorn Park. He’s created his own little traffic circle that forces cars to slow down to go around it. He puts it up every night at 6 p.m. and…
BY TOM ABELES The city of Minneapolis is now holding a series of listening sessions regarding the development of the intersection at 38th and Chicago. These sessions are similar to those held regarding the future of the Upper Harbor Terminal. In the case of 38th and Chicago it is apparent…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE The MFT 59 strike aftermath, parts 1 – 4 In March of 2022, as you probably remember, Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) teachers, represented by the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers or MFT 59, and Education Support Professionals (ESPs, represented by ESP 59) went out on a historic…
BY DORIS OVERBY Sept. 3, 2022: Today was my first ride-along experience. I drove downtown to the temporary 3rd Precinct building. An officer opened the door, and then I met Sgt. Stanton, who greeted me with a smile and a firm handshake. I had not been inside the facility before.…
BY KATHRYN KELLY The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) finally passed the Hiawatha Golf Course Master Plan, which they labeled a “compromise,” saying it will reflect the history of Black golf in Minneapolis. In 1952, the MPRB passed another compromise with the Black community. After a petition by Black…
BY ED FELIEN Why is it important to vote for Keith Ellison? Because he’s doing what’s necessary and right, and he’s being punished for it. He’s getting attacked for being soft on crime in the midst of a crime wave. But the attorney general doesn’t prosecute crimes. That’s the job…
BY TONY BOUZA Managing a police department is not nuclear science or even brain surgery. It is about managing—i.e., Why are we here? What are we supposed to do? And how best to do it, cheaply? Capitalism at its purest. So why is it so damnably difficult to get them…
BY CAM GORDON In what is likely a response to the unusually low number of officers in the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) and the recommendation by the mayor’s Community Safety Work Group to “strengthen MPD’s recruitment and hiring process,” the mayor is recommending spending $740,000 on an internship program for…
BY LYDIA HOWELL As 29,000 students return to in-person learning, COVID-19 has exposed undeniable challenges for the nine-member Minneapolis school board. On Nov. 8, voters will elect two at-large (city-wide) seats and three district seats. The board faces a teacher shortage, budget deficits and continued concerns about less than half…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Many new openings to celebrate There are so many restaurants and things opening lately. First up, a plethora of fancy places to eat lunch in downtown Minneapolis (dinner too, in some cases). Several publications have heralded “the return of downtown,” especially the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.…
BY KAY SCHROVEN Commissioner of Public Safety Cedric Alexander is wasting no time getting out to meet the communities of Minneapolis. On Aug. 25 he was introduced to the Phelps community at Phelps Park by Andrea Jenkins, City Council president and Ward 8 council member. It was Alexander’s third week…
