Columnists

Regular Columnists

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

 


This has gotta change!

BY ED FELIEN The cops in Minneapolis have got to be brought under control. They must be held to the same standards of behavior as the rest of us. Our civil rights in Minneapolis are protected by the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission. If some person, some business, or some institution…

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America the Beautiful

BY TONY BOUZA America’s police are out of control. This is news to you? White America hires cops to control blacks. This is called racism. The Minneapolis cop did not murder Floyd. It was manslaughter. The prosecutor mangled it, but did he have the police union’s endorsement? Why didn’t he…

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Hayden loses challenge

BY DAVE TILSEN After losing the DFL endorsement by a wide margin, Sen. Jeff Hayden filed a complaint with the DFL state central committee that the endorsement was tainted and should be invalidated. He argued that the leadership of the DFL in the district, the leadership of the credentials committee,…

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Worth Watching 6.20

BY ED FELIEN Last month we introduced a new feature on our website—exclusive interviews with Stephen McClellan and musicians from local rock bands—Yellin’ at McClellan. He was going to have a new program this month featuring The Lanes, but “the George Floyd killing has definitely shifted the nation’s priorities and…

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Friendship Academy of the Arts grade school to expand

BY STEPHANIE FOX The original plans were for a huge ceremony and celebration to mark the literal groundbreaking at the Friendship Academy of the Arts site in March. But the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 virus made large gatherings and public celebrations impossible. Instead, the groundbreaking ceremony on April 17…

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Elderberry Jam

June 1 The young people that are fueling these these, the reporters call them protests, and although the intent is about change that label doesn’t seem right to me.  Gathering is too generic.  They are so earnest, almost spiritual at times, but not doctrinaire but peaceful.  20,000 people almost silent…

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Heartbreak Hotel

BY ED FELIEN Well, since my baby left me Well, I found a new place to dwell Well, it’s down at the end of Lonely Street At Heartbreak Hotel —Elvis There are lots of reasons for homelessness. More than half of all working adults in America are a paycheck away…

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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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Nurses look for solution to unsafe COVID working conditions

BY ELAINE KLAASSEN Instead of spending their day-off on desperately needed rest and self-care, Twin Cities nurses staged an informational picket in front of United Hospital in St. Paul, demanding “nurse protections” and protesting “United’s retaliation against workers for trying to protect themselves from the COVID-19 virus.” In the early…

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DFL endorses Fateh over Hayden

BY DAVE TILSEN The state DFL decided that all Senate district conventions would have to be online this year because of the threat of the COVID-19 virus. This had never been done before, and none of us knew how it was going to turn out. A lot of people put…

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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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A complaint, a dreamboat and a nightmare

BY ED FELIEN On April 29, the Minneapolis City Council agreed to begin paying out more than a million dollars to stop the civil trial of Officer Lucas Peterson, charged with the wrongful death of Terrance Franklin. I couldn’t resist writing to the Council: “Your refusal to hold Lucas Peterson…

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