Debra Keefer Ramage

Debra Keefer Ramage began writing freelance for Southside Pride in 2012, shortly after returning from a 13-year sojourn in England. She covers progressive politics, education, co-ops and neighborhoods. In 2017 she started doing Southside Pride’s restaurant review column, The Dish.


Longfellow/Seward Healthy Seniors in time of need

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Longfellow/Seward Healthy Seniors (LSHS) is a nonprofit that helps seniors live their most healthy and independent lives, following the “Living at Home / Block Nurse” model. It is one of three such programs in Minneapolis, the other two being Nokomis Healthy Seniors and Southeast Seniors. LSHS…

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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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Minnehaha Avenue in COVID-19 times

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE To my way of thinking, the good news is that the Midtown Farmers Market Saturday market started right on time, in early May. If you haven’t been yet, you should go. Geek Love Cafe had been closed, but at some point in late April or May,…

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Hard Times on 34th Avenue South

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE The Nokomis area centered around the business hub of 34th Avenue South and East 50th Street was already experiencing upheaval before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. While some businesses were doing well—the Bull’s Horn, Town Hall Lanes, the hardware store and others—some were teetering, closing, or despite…

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What’s open, opening, and closing on East 38th Street

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE As you may have noticed, for the duration of the pandemic, including the gradual “reopening,” the rebound if any, the aftermath, and the recovery, all neighborhood focus articles will concentrate on pandemic news. So, for East 38th Street, we’ll start with the Nicollet and East 38th…

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Chicago Avenue in the time of COVID-19

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Normally, our focus on the southern part of Chicago Avenue would include a couple of interesting dining or brunch experiences, or perhaps a quirky little retail shop or two. In the past we have highlighted massage therapists, bike races, parks and their activities, and coffee hangouts.…

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Saving the Earth like we mean it

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE I got addicted to a computer game called Onnect. Before I deleted it in exasperation, I was playing it an hour a day or more. I loved this game, but not enough to pay for it, so I had to watch some really annoying ads over…

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Not getting about so much right now

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Sadly, while it may be a fact that those over 60 are most vulnerable to contracting severe COVID-19, and therefore most needful of practicing social distancing, this same group has the lowest skill in using and access to online technologies that allow remote social connecting. Even…

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Lake Street in COVID-19 Times, 2020

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Normally, our focus on East Lake Street would include a couple of diverse dining experiences, a quirky little retail shop or two, maybe a race, festival or sports event, or some theaters, music venues or art galleries. In any case, you would be enticed to get…

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Minnesota bursts with wide array of summer camps

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE In Summer Camp world as well as in School Year world, STEM, the acronym for all technical things (Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics) has been merged with the arts to become STEAM. Although I haven’t found anything labeled as a STEAM camp, there is hardly an arts camp that doesn’t…

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Public housing for seniors

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Welcome to Getting About. This new monthly column will inform you about opportunities for those 60 and older to get out of ruts, make a difference, participate in exciting communities, build new communities, and have more control over your living environment. We’ll be looking at “the…

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