Egypt, the Next Chile
BY NATHAN BLUMENSHINE Recently I visited the Museum of Memory and Human Rights in Santiago, Chile. The exhibits focused primarily on the killings, torture and disappearances perpetrated by the Pinochet military regime during its 16-year rule after overthrowing the Allende government in 1973. As do many monuments memorializing tragedies, I…
Marijuana Reform: the good, the bad and the very ugly
Focus on vets
BY AMY BLUMENSHINE At least 22 veterans die by suicide each day. These deaths deserve our community attention. These deaths deserve our societal resolve to address the suffering some veterans experience before more tragic and unnecessary final losses reverberate through our communities. Veterans account for 20% of all suicides. Recently,…
Progress reported in fighting racist lending practices
BY ED FELIEN Minneapolis City Council Member Blong Yang will hold a hearing in his committee on the evidence of racist redlining lending practices by Minneapolis banks. Council Member Cam Gordon, in his newsletter to his ward, said, “On July 23 (1:30 p.m.) Myron Orfield from the Institute on Metropolitan…
Powderhorn Birdwatch “Growing up in the park”
Historic moments for Cedar Avenue, 2014
What happened to True Thai?
SNG reduces rates for loans to 2.5%
FROM THE SEWARD NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP The Seward Neighborhood Group (SNG) has allocated NRP Phase II funding for home improvements within the Seward neighborhood. Eligible applicants include owner occupants and rental property owners of 1-4 unit buildings: 2.50% fixed interest rate. $12,000 maximum. Flexible terms up to 10 years. Eligible improvements…
Memorial Day
Letter to the Editor “Include community participation in the city utility partnership”
Right now is a prime window of opportunity for energy sector labor unions, clean energy experts, advocates for low-income residents, business owners, building owners, environmental justice advocates and other energy stakeholders to be asking City Hall to include community input into the anticipated city utility partnership. The City of Minneapolis…
Extending the sun
BY ELAINE KLAASSEN Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church is the first community of faith in Minnesota to host a solar garden (a solar array) that feeds directly into the Xcel Energy electric grid. Bethel’s pastor, Brenda Froisland, says about the project, “When we say we nourish God’s creation, we really mean…
Speak up! I can’t hear you.
BY ED FELIEN This Fourth of July at Powderhorn everyone will have an opportunity to speak up and be heard. Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association and Southside Pride are co-sponsoring a speaker’s platform on the Tea House on the Lake. Before the age of Twitter and email, before radio and television,…
Charley’s Garden “The hungry insurgent never gives up”
BY CHARLEY UNDERWOOD I was sitting in a horticulture class at the university, discussing agriculture chemicals and feeling a little ornery, when one of my favorite professors challenged me: “Yes, but can we feed the world without using chemicals?” I snapped back: “Can we feed the world WITH chemicals?” And…
