Columnists

Regular Columnists

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

 


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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Jubilee

BY ED FELIEN April. “When April the sweet showers fall And pierce the drought of March to the root, and all The veins are bathed in liquor of such power As brings about the engendering of the flowers.” —Chaucer “April is the cruellest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead…

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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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Restaurants closed

BY STEPHANIE FOX On March 16, in response to a rising number of COVID-19 virus cases, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey declared a local public health emergency, closing or limiting access to bars and restaurants except for take-out orders and delivery, until April 1. The same day, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz…

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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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Ego

BY TONY BOUZA “That Tony Bouza, he sure is full of himself, isn’t he?” Thus, did a wonderful old lady describe me to her companion as they left a talk I’d given. “You enter a room, big, loud and aggressive and suck the air out.” Thus, did a group of…

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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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District 62 Debate next Saturday

   BY DAVE TILSEN On Saturday, April 11, at 2 p.m., Southside Pride will host an online debate between the two announced candidates for the DFL endorsement for State Senate in District 62. District 62 runs from the edge of downtown to the City Limits at 62nd Street, from Lyndale…

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Will the Park Board sink the Bergan’s apartment bulding?

BY ED FELIEN I asked City Council Member Andrew Johnson on Dec. 27, 2019, whether the Park Board’s plans to reduce pumping water from the Hiawatha Golf Course would compromise the footings for the Bergan’s Supervalu construction project. The 2017 analysis by the Park Board (<https://www.minneapolisparks.org/_asset/0rc7ml/February-2017-Stormwater-Surface-Water-and-Groundwater-Analysis-Summary.pdf>) provides no clue. Figure…

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Justice for Terrance Franklin

BY ED FELIEN Sen. Susan Collins justified her vote by stating that the president had learned a “pretty big lesson” from impeachment and that he would be “much more cautious in the future.” City Council President Lisa Bender said, “I think our policy changes in the police department, leadership changes,…

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The race for State Senate District 62

Jeff Hayden                                             Omar Fateh BY DAVE TILSEN It’s election year again. Here in South Minneapolis we will have an election for our congressional seat, our state representatives and some of our state senators. I recently got a phone call from a young man who informed me he was running for…

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