Columnists

Regular Columnists

Ed Felien  •  Elaine Klaassen  •  Polly Mann  •  Tony Bouza  •  David Tilsen  •  Debra Keefer Ramage  •  Stephanie Fox  •  Johnny Hazard 

 


The war that went away

BY ED FELIEN What happened? For about two days, a state of war existed between the United States and Iran. On the first day of summer, Saturday, June 21, President Trump sent three B-2 bombers into Iran and bombed three sites: the Natanz Enrichment Complex; the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center;…

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No Kings Day

BY ED FELIEN My wife and I went to the No Kings demonstration at the State Capitol on Saturday, June 14. We drove around the Capitol for more than half an hour and finally found a parking place behind the Capitol at the bottom of Arch Street. We climbed up…

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Outsourcing Run Amuck

BY CAM GORDON New concerns about city contracts with private and nonprofit groups surfaced in June. With over $589 million budgeted for contractual services for this year, more than the city will pay in salaries and wages for all city employees, taxpayers may want to take note. On June 2,…

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Highland Park: Growth and Diversity

BY DEBRA KEEFR RAMAGE A brief history of Highland Park If you have lived in Minnesota long enough, you have learned that we live on stolen land and from whom it was stolen. Maybe, though, you do not know by whom or some of the more terrible details. I looked…

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Mall Surprises on 66th Street

BY STEPHANIE FOX At the intersection of Nicollet and 66th Ave. there are three malls, one on each corner, offering a huge variety of shops. For those who have learned to go around round-abouts, it’s easy to visit one and then move on to the others. TOUS les JOURS at…

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Entertainment and History on Cedar Avenue South

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Things to do on Cedar Avenue Near the northern end of Cedar, in the Seven Corners and Cedar-Riverside area, you’ll find many entertainment options. Theatre in the Round was founded in 1952 and is the longest-running theatre in Minneapolis. Their 2025-26 season will kick off Sept.…

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What’s the count?

BY ED FELIEN When I was on the City Council more than half a century ago, John Derus, the Majority Whip, came into my office to complain about my bringing up all sorts of resolutions at Council Meetings that didn’t have the votes to pass (like Rent Control or municipalization…

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Another love letter to Chief O’Hara

BY ED FELIEN Thanks for being there. Former Police Chief Arradondo and Mayor Frey weren’t at the Third Precinct when it burned in 2020, but you were there last month at Lake and Bloomington to personally stand between angry demonstrators and armored troops, some wearing ICE badges, and to escort…

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Rest in Power, Melissa Hortman

BY ED FELIEN The tragic murder of Melissa Hortman has left us with another great emptiness in the progressive leadership of the Minnesota Legislature. She, as Speaker of the House, along with Kari Dziedzic, as Senate Majority Leader, led the Minnesota Legislature in 2023 to pass the most progressive legislation…

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Harris committed the Humphrey error

BY ED FELIEN In 1968 Hubert Humphrey thought he had it in the bag. LBJ had signed the Civil Rights Bill, started the Great Society and began a War on Poverty. It looked like Happy Days were going to be here all over again. LBJ decided to not run for…

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What the Mayor Didn’t Say

BY CAM GORDON On May 6, Mayor Jacob Frey delivered the annual state of the city speech. During an election year, like this one, when a mayor is running for reelection, like Frey is, the speech is often used not only as a time to reflect and set the stage…

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Welcome, Welcome Emigrantes!

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE A perilous time for immigrants I am proud, I am proud I am proud of my forefathers and I say They built this country They came from far away To a land they didn’t know The same way you did, my friend – from “Welcome Welcome…

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Business thrives on Franklin Avenue

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE The Avenue is great for coffee or breakfast If you want to go out for breakfast or a coffee and snacks, Franklin Avenue will spoil you with choices. Norway House, 913 E. Franklin Ave., now has a full-service cafe with Scandinavian type coffee drinks, bakery items,…

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