BY ELAINE KLAASSEN During this period of time when most of us are not anywhere near the coronavirus, yet closer than we think, we are watching and waiting and wishing the best for our family, friends and neighbors. Finding ways to get through the gloom and worry of this time,…
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…
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…
BY ED FELIEN Twenty years ago, Marty and Martha Roth used to write reviews of films and theater for Southside Pride, and their son, David, used to go to First Avenue. Now David works for KTCA and has produced a 60-minute documentary of what First Avenue meant to his generation.…
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…
BY ISABELA ESCALONA A coalition of labor unions, religious leaders and social justice organizations held a panel as part of a Week of Action on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at Shir Tikvah Synagogue. Rabbi Arielle Lekach-Rosenberg led the participants in a traditional Jewish covenant ceremony where elected officials joined in the…
BY SARAH MARTIN This past month, Venezuela’s President Nicholas Maduro wrote a letter to the people of the world denouncing the latest, treacherous U.S. escalation against that country. When the U.S. government should be entirely focused on the health and safety of U.S. citizens, the Trump administration has once again…
BY JOE HESLA Minneapolis is an unaffordable place to live for those who are poor and of moderate income. Since 2011, the metro has a net loss of nearly 1,300 affordable units annually. Meanwhile, our rents are skyrocketing. In 2010, the average rent was $941/month. In 2019, the average rent…
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…
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…
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…
BY ELINA KOLSTAD Well shit, this is scary. Every day we hear about more cases of the virus in Minnesota. In our community, employees at Seward Co-op’s Franklin store and Mayday Café have tested positive. Museums, schools and retail stores are closed. Grocery stores are still open, but shelves…
BY ELINA KOLSTAD The first Monday of February, about 50 people gathered at Matthews Center to talk some trash. Kellie Kish, recycling coordinator with the City of Minneapolis, Kate Marnach from Tare Market in Standish neighborhood, and Nancy Ford from Repair Lair on East Lake Street and Reuse Minnesota gave…
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,…
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…
