BY CAM GORDON On June 15, Judge Joseph R. Klein ordered the city of Minneapolis to immediately stop any ongoing implementation of the 2040 Plan until the city satisfies the requirements of the Minnesota Environmental Rights Act (MERA), which could include completing an environmental assessment. On June 20, the city…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Openings and closings It seems like the great wave of closings that plagued 2020 and 2021 is finally tapering off. There is only one south Minneapolis closing to announce, but it’s sad because we enjoyed announcing the opening and then had to follow up with a…
BY ED FELIEN The Minneapolis City Council Public Works and Infrastructure Committee invited public comments at their June 9 public hearing on their Stormwater Management Program and Annual Report. I asked them to: “Please, stop dumping on us. “You are poisoning us. Chemicals that you put on your lawns in…
BY ED FELIEN The Park Board was scheduled to vote on whether to close Minnehaha Parkway to cars at their June 15 meeting, but at the last minute they decided, due to the large volume of emails in opposition, to pull that item from the agenda. It is scheduled to…
BY ED FELIEN On Saturday, June 4, Minnesota state Sen. Patricia Torres Ray and Reps. Jim Davnie and Emma Greenman held a Senate District 63 Town Hall meeting at Corcoran Park to explain their work at the legislature this year. For Torres Ray and Davnie this Town Hall was probably…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE More updates on the Kmart site Yes, the old Kmart was supposed to be torn down by now. But then, following the George Floyd uprising, we had to tear down not one but two burned-out post offices instead, and the building was reconfigured to a double…
BY ED FELIEN Emily Koski, council member from Ward 11, hosted a Town Hall meeting Tuesday, May 31, to discuss water issues for the homes around Lake Nokomis. The beautifully printed, 12-page program brochure said 21 property owners around Lake Nokomis “complained” of wet basements, sinkholes and saturated soil during…
BY LYDIA HOWELL Picture a woman or a girl under 18 that you know – a partner, sister, daughter, niece, friend. Then, imagine grainy video of an egg being pierced by a sperm – the moment of fertilization. That fertilized egg is being elevated above already-born female and gender non-conforming…
BY TONY BOUZA Hubris is my foe. I strive to persuade Erica that she married a moron and worm, albeit one with a great memory. I fancy that our core problems are racism and income inequality. They impact everything. Even Roe v. Wade? That created a pause; then I remembered…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Some of us were delegates, some of us were alternates, and some of us were “volunteers.” Some of the alternates got upgraded to delegate. Some of us were officers in the newly formed political committee – the Democratic Socialist Caucus. (No official connection to the DFL,…
BY ELAINE KLAASSEN I met Marquise Bowie at George Floyd Square in February of 2021 on a day commemorating the assassination of Malcolm X. I introduced myself because he was wearing an Agape hoodie, which identified him as belonging to the group I had wanted to write about for a…
BY STEPHANIE FOX This year, the Minneapolis celebration called Open Streets is back after COVID shut down events around the city. But on Sunday, July 10, from 11 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., East Franklin Avenue from Portland to 26th Avenue will again be closed to motor vehicle traffic and open…
BY CAM GORDON A growing number of Southside residents are working to fund a People’s Climate and Equity Plan in next years’ Minneapolis city budget which is expected to come to the City Council in August for review. They hope to make their version of Minneapolis Green New Deal a…
BY TONY BOUZA Two years, plus, it’s time to review the results of George Floyd’s killing. It certainly sparked a debate. Also riots, trials, a movement and a lot of hand-wringing and national anguish. Looking back we can see a vast emptiness. Mostly wasted time. I’d credit the Ivy League…
BY STEPHANIE FOX Nearly 95% of American households have at least one member with a bank account. But among Blacks, that number is only 46%. That means that for many, even the simple act of cashing a paycheck means paying a fee to payday lenders. For these families, establishing creditworthiness…
