BY ED FELIEN Why did the cops have to kill Travis Jordan? They were called to a mental health crisis—a man was depressed. He was talking about taking his life. The cops arrive. He comes out to his front yard. The cops say he had a knife. So, they shot…
BY ELAINE KLAASSEN My friend Alex Chandler, who describes herself as a person with a passion for making the world a better place, is part of the ethical consumer movement. She looks for “companies that are committed to Fair Trade and environmentally-friendly practices, treat their employees well, and do not…
BY ED FELIEN Hi Bob, Did you see the latest issue of Southside Pride with your picture on the cover? Was it a fair representation of your ideas? I’d like to take you up on your suggestion that we go over more carefully the police reports and evidence collected in…
BY ASHLEY FRAY I have a chronic mental illness. Schizo-affective disorder. Schizophrenia plus major depression. I am afraid. I am returning to a five-day-a-week work life. There is a problem that worries me. When I am alone, the voices in my head and I have conversations. For me it is…
BY ED FELIEN The following is my correspondence with Michael Schroeder, Assistant Superintendent for Planning: Hi Michael, In your Sept. 21 email, you said: “I have a meeting with MPRB staff next week to look into this further. I understand the boulders were placed to mitigate a head cut in…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE We have a stunning lineup of interesting things to do or alternative ways to shop or give for the 2018 holiday season. In order to have enough space for all, not all details are given for all events. For well-known events and venues, almost no details;…
BY STEPHANIE FOX A few years ago, Roosevelt High School teacher Ben Rengstrof noticed that while classes offered by the Minneapolis School District focused primarily on getting students into college, programs in basic life skills were lacking. He had an interest in cooking—at the time, just a hobby—but decided that…
BY LUZ MARIA FRIAS, PRESIDENT AND CEO, YWCA Minneapolis For years, YWCA Downtown and Uptown locations have charged for parking. We decided to implement a pay parking system at YWCA Midtown to address the misuse happening in our lot, and to ensure there are enough available spaces for our fitness…
BY RICHARD TAYLOR Readers should note that most of the contents of Ms. Frias’ article about the parking situation were plucked from a form letter sent to members two months ago and simply ignores the many criticisms made of her parking extravaganza. She asserts my articles contain “many inaccuracies”—but she…
BY TONY BOUZA Great events cast their shadows before them. Minneapolis is heading for a reckoning likely to affect every person in the city. The Justine Damond killing, in July 2017, will likely result in a settlement costing citizens three dollars each for every million. The lawyer for the family…
BY ELAINE KLAASSEN Seward Neighborhood has written an intriguing book about its own history. The project has involved a “cast of thousands,” and took seven years to complete. Its 19 chapters start before the arrival, in 1850, of the first non-Natives who built homes and settled, and end in the…
FROM ST. JOAN OF ARC CATHOLIC COMMUNITY After years of silence, the bells of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Community are ready to bring their joyous sound to the neighborhood again. Church bell ringing goes back thousands of years. Historically, church bells announced the time of day, ringing on the…
BY ED FELIEN I loved the façade on the Modern Cleaners building ever since I first saw it as a small child looking out the window of a Chicago Avenue bus. It seemed so sleek, so smooth, so modern. The architectural style is Streamline Moderne, a final flourish of Art…
BY ED FELIEN On Oct. 8, Council Member Cam Gordon wrote on neighborhood forums: “The second draft of the new Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan is now published and you are invited to a Second Ward Community Meeting to learn more, ask questions, share thoughts and hear from others on Monday,…
BY ED FELIEN I lived in Dinkytown from 1962 to 1964, upstairs over what was then Oscar’s Barber Shop at 1302 SE 4th St., home of The Hair Shaft, today. I was just starting graduate school for my master’s degree in theater, and I was teaching freshman English and speech…
