BY STEPHANIE FOX The 2024 election season is over except for the shouting (lots and lots of shouting). But, although Minnesota and the City of Minneapolis has one of the highest voter turnouts in the country with highly engaged voters, many people don’t know what goes on behind the scenes.…
BY ED FELIEN A super-majority of the Minneapolis City Council issued a Housing First statement of principles and objectives. Finland has a policy of Housing First as a solution to homelessness: first, get them a safe place to stay, then get them a job, and then make them pay rent. Here…
BY CAM GORDON Is it possible that the city’s new Executive Mayor – Legislative Council charter change is making it harder for our city government to function well? That certainly appeared to be the case in October, when Mayor Jacob Frey, the council majority, city attorney and other department leaders…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Openings and closings. Du Nord Cocktail Room and Lagniappe opened about a month apart in the newly renovated Coliseum Building at Lake and 27th. Du Nord co-owners Chris and Shanelle Montana were a big part of the project to renovate and open The Coliseum, so…
BY ED FELIEN Another month, another probable attempt on Trump’s life. Vance said: “I’d say that’s pretty strong evidence that the left needs to tone down the rhetoric and needs to cut this crap out,” “the left needs to tone down the rhetoric”????? The Trump campaign is built on Fear…
BY CAM GORDON Power struggles over how to respond to encampments came to a head in September, following two fatal shootings near southside encampments. “We need to put a stop to these,” said Mayor Jacob Frey, referring to the encampments, following the second shooting death on Sept. 18. Outdoor camping…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE New school year, hot news items Our last Education column was out the first of March 2024 (so remember it was written in February.) Just days after that, many important education news items inundated the local media. So I’m going to cover most of that “in…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE What’s changed? And where can I eat? On 28th Avenue and 42nd Street, as everywhere, it’s fall. Kids back in school, lake beaches closed, air conditioners sent to the shop for their autumn tune-up and pumpkin-spice scents fill the air. Not a lot has changed since…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE The future of the University neighborhood We’re going to start our look at Dinkytown by focusing on its neighborhood ecosystem. In 2023, the boards of four of the so-called University neighborhood associations (NAs), Marcy-Holmes (MHNA) which includes Dinkytown, Southeast Como (SECIA), Prospect Park (PPA) and Nicollet…
BY ED FELIEN The City Council voted 10 to 3 on Sept. 20 to provide a $1.5 million dollar grant to Agate Housing. Chavez wrote: “Agate Housing and Services recently announced the closing of its 42-bed shelter program and 95-bed board and lodge program at 510 South 8th St despite…
BY ED FELIEN The Museum of Russian Art has a charming exhibit of watercolors by Alexander Viazmensky in one of its backrooms. It’s all mushrooms. His detail, down to the specks of dirt clinging to the roots, is astonishing. The flyer advertising the show has on its cover (unsurprisingly) a photo of…
BY ED FELIEN About the middle of September, Todd Lipelt got called to serve as a juror in Hennepin County District Court. It was a horrific experience. He was rejected for a trial the first day, but he got picked for one the second day. The case was the State of…
BY STEPHANIE FOX The South Minneapolis neighborhood of East Phillips held its annual Harvest Moon Block Party on Sept. 21, an annual event where local community and civic organizations come together to give residents information on what is happening in their area, from local problems to possible solutions. Some groups…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Openings, closings and changes Forepaugh’s, the venerable fine dining place in St. Paul, has reopened in its original place, a mansion built by a guy named Forepaugh. Wife and husband duo Mary Slater and Tenzin Dechen have opened a new Lao cafe called Asian Duck…
BY ED FELIEN I confess, I always kind of resented Joe Selvaggio. My best friend for almost twenty years, Tony Bouza, always said that I was his second favorite hero. I would ask him, “Who’s first?” He would always answer, “Joe Selvaggio.” But I had been publishing Southside Pride for…
