BY ED FELIEN No, not him. The other guy, Charles Koch. Charlie Koch loves doing what he’s doing. He did it to Carter in 1979. Remember the gas shortage, worrying about heating oil supplies for the winter? Then, Reagan promised a Morning in America. It was a clear manipulation of…
BY KAY SCHROVEN On Friday, Oct. 14, Mortenson Construction, the Lake Street Council and numerous small business owners, many of them BIPOC, gathered under a big white tent at Lake Street and Chicago Avenue to celebrate the progress made in the restoration of Lake Street. There were photo displays of…
BY CAM GORDON In October, a power struggle about how to respond to groups camping outdoors came to a head, not only outside City Hall between city officials and the community, but within City Hall and the City Council itself. Nearly four months have passed since the council voted to…
BY ED FELIEN, PUBLISHER Bill Cottrell wrote to me, “What a one-sided newspaper you operate and write for. I am disappointed with your clear bias and lack of any effort to present a fair and impartial paper.” So I invited Bill to write 300 words to present his point of…
BY TOM ABELES When a major river meets a blockage, the river finds a suitable bypass. Similarly, when a major blood vessel in a human has a blockage, it can result in death, or the body finds an alternative path. In either case, the alternative is problematic. The route down…
BY JOHN CHARLES WILSON Metro Transit is facing one of the worst crises I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been a transit fanatic since the 1970s. This crisis isn’t caused by a lack of funding or ridership, but because of a shortage of drivers. Quite a few routes in the Southside…
BY ED FELIEN Our ancient mothers and fathers spent a lot of time looking at the sun and the moon. They marked when the sun would be highest in the sky and when it would be lowest. They noted the days halfway between the darkness and the light, and they…
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…
Check out this animated film by Bob Millea!
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE The density dilemma In a piece titled “Will density save Dinkytown?” Tina Nguyen for Twin Cities Business magazine examines the impact of 6,000 additional multifamily housing units in less than 10 years, as Dinkytown and other neighborhoods surrounding the University campus undergo massive development booms. These…
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…
