‘The Color Purple’

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE The Broadway musical version of Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple,” now showing at St. Paul’s Park Square Theatre, is almost operatic. As such, it is able to showcase the powerhouse of talent that exists in the black community of the Twin Cities. Two lead artists, the…

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Peeves

BY TONY BOUZA Garrulous geezerhood lends itself most readily to peevishness—so, here are a few: When prominent folks are unmasked as fools, idiots, frauds, sex fiends or pimps, their default position is to kill the messenger. That means the press. Americans—potentially the best informed citizens the world has known—should see…

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Saying ‘I love you’ in Minneapolis

BY ELAINE KLAASSEN “Nada menos que todo un hombre” [“Nothing less than a real man”], by Miguel de Unamuno (1864 – 1936), is a novella (long short story) that will rip out your heart. It is so tragic, a needless tragedy, the story of a woman who died of a…

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Letters to the Editor

Stadium Whenever someone talks about the new stadiums I say I don’t believe in TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION (BASEBALL/FOOTBALL U of M makes students PAY). I fought it for years, begged my DFL caucus to demand that we get to vote as mandated by our city charter. Ziggy Wilf made out…

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Longfellow Energy Fair Feb 7

BY THE LONGFELLOW COMMUNITY COUNCIL It was a hot summer day when a group of neighborhood volunteers in Longfellow began thinking of the coming frigid winter and the high heating bills it would bring. What actions could they take now to reduce their electricity and gas bills in the coming…

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Minnehaha reconstruction

FROM HENNEPIN COUNTY Hennepin County, in partnership with the City of Minneapolis, will be reconstructing Minnehaha Avenue from 46th Street to Lake Street. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2015 and finish in 2016, lasting through two construction seasons. Improvements to Minnehaha Avenue are needed to address deteriorating pavement, utility…

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An envelope of light

BY GAIL RAJALA HAYDEN I went with a friend to Palmer’s bar, next-door to the Cedar Cultural Center.  After she left, and I was enjoying my second hot pineapple juice, Cadillac Kolstad sat down at the piano. This time it was the sudden and explosive quick first tap to the…

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New Year is time to protect the Earth

War is one of the major enemies of our environment. Our Earth is being destroyed by war. War is waged with toxins like Agent Orange and dioxins, which have left several generations of Vietnamese children with horrible birth defects and American soldiers still suffering. Now Agent Orange rears its ugly…

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Oprah was right

BY ED FELIEN In a video interview for People magazine’s website, Oprah Winfrey said, “I think it’s wonderful to march and to protest, and it’s wonderful to see all across the country people doing it, but what I’m looking for is some kind of leadership to come out of this…

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We can call it whatever we want!

BY ED FELIEN As part of the billion dollar giveaway to Zygi Wilf, the State Legislature agreed to let him sell the naming rights to the new Vikings stadium.  This can amount to a sizeable piece of change over 25 years.  Target agreed to pay $5 million a year for…

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Ice dams can be prevented

BY HANNAH STRONG Roof ice dams create an annual winter headache for many Minnesotans. When serious enough, ice dams cause water to leak through shingles, resulting in costly interior damage. However, with the proper know-how ice dams can often be prevented before they start. According to Patrick Huelman, coordinator of…

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