Columnists

Regular Columnists

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

 


Bravo, Trump

BY TONY BOUZA On these very pages, on more than one occasion, I pleaded for the one thing I felt America needed most. I even wrote a book about the subject, and the result? Silence. I begged the President to convene a National Commission on the issue—and a black president—for…

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Honey Badger don’t give a damn!

BY ED FELIEN Honey Badger don’t give a damn. ‘bout who you are or who I am. Honey Badger don’t give a damn.   Get out of his way.  He’s off the rails. He’s acting crazy.  He can’t be stopped. He’s gonna take it over the top.   Honey Badger…

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How to be jolly

polarized

DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE OK, so admittedly this has not been such a celebratory year. This time a year ago we were stunned (most of us) by the election results and dreading the year to come. It could have been worse, but it was still pretty hard. The hurricanes and earthquakes…

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CONFESSIONS OF AN UNREPENTANT MAOIST: Taking Power

campaign

BY ED FELIEN Before the Open Meeting Law, politicians decided destinies in smoke-filled rooms. Of course, that was also before the laws against smoking indoors. After the election, I was invited by Louis DeMars to a meeting at the Leamington Hotel to organize city government: free food, free booze, lots…

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The future of Hiawatha Golf Course

BY ED FELIEN Hiawatha Golf Course got a stay of execution. The Park Board rescinded its motion to stop pumping at Hiawatha Golf Course in three years and moved the date up to five years. So, now, in five years, the Park Board will ask the Department of Natural Resources…

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SPIRIT AND CONSCIENCE: The Church’s ongoing reformation

The mural on Trinity’s building at 20th and Riverside Is filled with biblical figures. The artist, Larry Rostad, wrote: “We have represented the extended family of faith with paint, in mural form …. Our hope is that Trinity’s mural will contribute to our neighborhood; may visible hand-painted images help reveal the INVISIBLE things of the Spirit.”

BY ELAINE KLAASSEN Cultural Uniqueness of Trinity Lutheran Congregation When I talked with Jane Buckley-Farlee, co-pastor of Trinity Lutheran Congregation, we discovered she had been at that church as long as I’ve been at Southside Pride—21 years. I’ve been reporting on religious groups, mostly churches, during all this time; overall,…

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Dinkytown holds memories for generations of Minnesotans

BY STEPHANIE FOX It started with the railroad, or at least that’s what some historians claim. The small four-block commercial section of the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood called Dinkytown may have gotten its name from the railroad tracks that ran through the area. Or maybe, not. Photographer and Minneapolis historian Steve Bergerson…

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Best and worst of Mexico after the quake

BY JOHNNY HAZARD At 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept.19, the annual simulacro that commemorates the earthquake on that date in 1985 had recently finished and I was working with a student in a second-floor office near the fire escape in Iztapalapa, Mexico City. He noticed something just before I did…

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The Justine Damond killing: some modest questions

BY TONY BOUZA Do you want to know why police departments across the breadth of America are screwed up?  Look no further than the July 15, 2017, shooting of Justine Damond—a white woman—by a Minneapolis police officer who is black. In this ghastly tragedy we encapsulate the nation’s ills.  Race,…

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THE DISH: Viva Mexico, la Primera Parte

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE The Dish visited two casual but popular Mexican restaurants for Part One (la Primera Parte) of our Mexican food exploration and rating report. The first, Dominguez Family Restaurant, is in South Minneapolis and is a full-service restaurant with beer and wine. The second, Andale Taqueria y…

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