Say their names

BY ED FELIEN    Terrance Franklin    Jamar Clark    Thurman Blevins    Travis Jordan TerranceFranklin: The city just agreed to pay $795,000 to the surviving family of Terrance Franklin rather than contest the wrongful death suit against MPD Officer Lucas Peterson. Peterson claimed in his police report that Terrance…

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Eliminate the police?

BY DAVID TILSEN In response to the groundswell of action, grief and political pressure, the Minneapolis City Council has finally decided that it must do something about the Minneapolis Police. The City Council has proposed two things. First, the council has committed to do a deep community engagement on what…

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The ‘rotten apples’ theory

BY TONY BOUZA Throughout my involvement in policing—since 1953—I’ve been periodically reminded that every police department harbors a few rotten apples and, if we can only excise them, the entire barrel can be rescued. An attractive notion, but flawed. Those apples are the alpha males that set the tone and…

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The Hiawatha Golf Course Master Plan Survey

BY KATHRYN KELLY The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board published the results of their survey for the Hiawatha Golf Course preferred plan. The responses have been compiled to try and quantify the results. This assessment is a best effort considering the vast variety of responses. The top 11 responses were:…

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Generative chaos

BY ELINA KOLSTAD I have never appreciated having a garden more than I have this year. In 2020 my garden is a sort of destination in our new socially distant reality, therapy in turbulent times, and supplements groceries from the store, allowing me to stretch out shopping trips a little…

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Cry

BY AMY BLUMENSHINE Cry, the Beloved Community. It’s really different watching breaking news when it’s your own neighborhood and your own heart that’s breaking. The Southside and my neighborhood, Powderhorn Park, in particular, have been full of heartbreak in recent weeks. We feel in the center of an erupting maelstrom…

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Governor Walz, you can do this!

BY ED FELIEN I know you’ve got a lot on your plate, but there are some concrete things you can do to help end homelessness and take some of the pressure off the encampment at the Powderhorn Sanctuary. Hennepin County is buying hotels for the homeless. You can do that,…

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Defund the police: a letter to the City Council

BY ELAINE KLAASSEN I support the City Council in its intention to defund the police. I’m assuming, though, this doesn’t mean there will be no public safety mechanism in place in the future. I’m hoping this means starting over from scratch, as I understand they did in Camden, N.J., redefining…

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Defending the homeless in Powderhorn Park

BY DAVE TILSEN Friday morning, June 12. I made coffee and looked out on Powderhorn Park, but the view was not as I expected. There were about a dozen tents pitched in the park across the street from my house. I surmised what had happened. A group of homeless people…

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Meeting our new neighbors

BY KAY SCHROVEN We have new neighbors in Powderhorn Park. The media calls it “the tent encampment,” described as over 100 (and growing) homeless people living in tents, some recently evicted from the local Sheraton Hotel where they were being temporarily housed, post protests/riots and the associated destruction. Living a…

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How has Nicollet Avenue fared so far?

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE On May 30, the fifth night of all-night protests and associated property damage responding to the racist murder by police of George Floyd, attention turned to the 5th Precinct police station at Nicollet Avenue South and 31st Street. The 3rd Precinct station had been abandoned by…

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worth watching (6.20)

BY ED FELIEN Last month we introduced a new feature on our website—exclusive interviews with Stephen McClellan and musicians from local rock bands: Yellin’ at McClellan. This month he hosts his old friends, The Lanes: – https://youtu.be/KkNgAi0-s04 Steve: “Mike and Kiki Lane form the core of a band called The…

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Emails from Lily Lamb, June 16

**Good Morning Neighbors- As many of you have heard, we will be gathering as a community tonight at 6 p.m. demanding response and action from our city, county and state officials. Below is the link to the google sheet where you can see a suggested list of contacts. Additionally, on…

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Welcoming our new neighbors

BY NATHAN HOUSE On Wednesday night, June 16, several hundred Powderhorn Park residents gathered together to hear statements from local activists regarding encampment at the park, now in its sixth day of occupancy. Hundreds of people without homes have sought shelter on the east and west sides of Powderhorn park,…

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