BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Openings, closings and other changes I guess I’m going to keep this section. Lulls are only temporary; change is the only constant, according to Olivia Butler and other wise ones. Tavern on Grand will close permanently in June 2024, after nearly 35 years in business. It’s…
BY KAY SCHROVEN The Minneapolis Frank Theatre players in “Ironbound” subtly and eloquently connect us to important matters of our time – immigration; women’s independence or lack thereof; domestic violence; class; economic issues; relationships; addiction; and parenting. Love is a luxury for Darja, a 30-something mother and Polish immigrant living…
BY KAY SCHROVEN This iconic thriller has had multiple lives since it was first written in the early 1950s by Frederick Knott, an English playwright. Seventy years later the story still resonates and fills theaters. It is best known in the U.S. for the 1954 film version directed by Alfred…
BY ED FELIEN 1. The U.S. is in the unique position, as Israel’s storehouse of ammunition and weaponry, to demand an immediate end to hostilities. 2. With support from the U.N., the U.S. must commit to the restoration and rebuilding of Gaza. 3. The U.S. and the U.N. must recognize…
BY DANIEL COLTEN SCHMIDT Daniel Colten Schmidt: How does it feel that the city decided not to evict Camp Nenookaasi yesterday? Jorge “Chico” Grijalva: It’s a feeling you’re not used to, because you’re used to getting evicted. I used to move camp every day. So I didn’t deal with evictions…
BY CAM GORDON Part 1 – The Rise Last year, the city of Minneapolis saw an exodus of staff in two of its smaller and newer departments: Racial Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, and Performance Management and Innovation. Both lost all their staff in 2023. One of those who left was…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Change without pain Sometimes you know you need a change in your home environment. Kids have moved, your partner has passed away, or your marital status has changed. Your ability level may have changed, or you’re just tired of all the STUFF. You would move to…
BY ED FELIEN Erica Bouza Fragile and delicate. The last time I saw her was in their bedroom. I looked at her and almost wept. The sadness and loss she read in my eyes frightened her. But she was strong as steel when convinced of a righteous cause. I wrote…
BY MIKE MADDEN Veterans for Peace Chapter 27 joins Southside Pride in its call for a cease-fire and an end to the war on Gaza. Like Editor Ed Felien, we recognize that the United States, functioning as Israel’s arsenal, is in a unique position to accomplish this goal by simply…
BY DIANE J. PETERSON AND JOHN KOLSTAD Our Minnesota Legislature keeps allowing ever-increasing billions of our tax funds to pay private corporations to manage the health care of people who cannot afford their own medical care. However, most legislators and patients do not comprehend how this government function operates. On…
BY ED FELIEN The Star Tribune missed an opportunity to fully explain the extent of Donald Trump’s connection to the white supremacy movement when it published “Trump denial strikes familiar tone; Professing ignorance on Hitler similar to remarks about Klan, QAnon, Proud Boys” by Jill Colvin on Dec. 28. They…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Openings and closings – I spoke too soon? Last time I mentioned that these were becoming less frequent, and I might drop this section, but then the end of the year (or something) caused a rebound. A Bar of Their Own, a sports bar that shows…
BY KAY SCHROVEN “It’s not the strongest of the species that survive but the most adaptable.” – Charles Darwin Chris Montana and his wife Shanelle of Du Nord Social Spirits are a living example of Darwin’s theory. When Du Nord’s well-laid plans were interrupted in 2020 because of the global…
Speech by Ilhan Omar: “I am also saddened by the fact that 535 Members of Congress could come together in one breath and fully condemn the horrors of what Israelis experienced, and that there is now only a few handful of them who could get to the point of saying…
BY DANIEL COLTEN SCHMIDT Smith Foundry is an iron foundry in the residential East Phillips neighborhood. It has been in operation since 1923 and has been polluting the neighborhood since its inception. This past August, 100 years after the foundry opened, the EPA sent Smith Foundry a Notice of Violation…
