BY FLO GOLOD (with research and fact-checking by Dave Gutknecht) The day after Russian troops invaded the eastern border of Ukraine, my Facebook feed filled up with Ukrainian flags, “Solidarity with Ukraine” banners, and a meme of a dove pooping on Putin’s head (a weird inversion of that peace symbol).…
BY DAVID TILSEN The effort to cause fear and division under the guise of protecting Minneapolis residents from each other during the Derek Chauvin trial has now been revealed to be more extensive and more ongoing than we were told. A recent article in the MIT Technology Review outlines a…
The Lake Street Council announced it has awarded funds to 20 business owners and nonprofit organizations to help them rebuild and invest in property on Lake Street. “In 2020, Minneapolis and St. Paul sustained more than $500 million in damages,” said Allison Sharkey, executive director of the Lake Street Council.…
1854 Township 28N, Range 24W, Hennepin County, Minnesota. Note the wetlands on both sides of the Creek and at the west side of Rice Lake. The blank southeast corner is part of the Fort Snelling Military Reservation. The curlicue representation of the Creek is typical of older maps. The town…
BY TOM O’CONNELL “Curb cut: (noun, North American) A small ramp built into the curb of a sidewalk to make it easier for people using strollers or wheelchairs to pass from the sidewalk to the road.” – Lexico.com I never paid much attention to curb cuts until a few years…
BY ELINA KOLSTAD My daughter is home from school, as many children in Minneapolis are, because of the teachers strike. Every indication is that the district didn’t take the negotiations seriously. Neither my school board member nor Superintendent Ed Graff responded when I reached out to them as a concerned…
BY STEPHANIE FOX At first glance, the Children’s Theatre’s latest production, “Something Happened in Our Town,” seems to have been written for the Twin Cities, but it’s bigger than that. The plot revolves around two families, next-door neighbors. The Perkins family is Black, the Hartleys are white, and the play…
BY KATHRYN KELLY Why won’t the city of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board care for their own residents? Since the 1940s, people in the southeastern portion of South Minneapolis have suffered from storm water problems, and the city of Minneapolis and the Park Board have failed to…
“Raise Your Voice, Silica Dust & Molten Iron” first appeared in the March 2022 edition of the alley community newspaper. It is reprinted here by permission. By Peter Molenaar Upon retiring from Smith Foundry, this writer undertook distribution of the Alley to the various agencies and businesses of the Phillips…
BY ELINA KOLSTAD The Minneapolis Police Department has once again killed a young Black man, practically in his sleep, when officers served a “no-knock” warrant – a type of warrant the voters of Minneapolis had been led to believe was banned by Mayor Frey. How did this happen? In spite…
BY LYDIA HOWELL It is estimated that 25% to 50% of people killed by police were in a mental health crisis. Despite Mayor Frey’s promises, diverting such calls away from police remains disorganized. Since 2005, COPE (Community Outreach for Psychiatric Emergencies) responds 24/7. You can reach them at (612) 596-1223.…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE The big story In a deliberately coordinated effort, MFT59 and MFT59-ESP, representing teachers and other professionals in the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) respectively, and SPFE (SPFT 28) representing both sections in St. Paul Public Schools (SPPS), filed “intent to strike” paperwork on Wednesday, Feb. 23. As…
BY MAGDALENA KALUZA Our neighbor, Miss Linda Taylor, is facing the immediate threat of displacement from her Powderhorn home of 18 years. As her neighbors, we are clear: We will not allow her to be intimidated and displaced by a landlord who already owns far more homes than they need!…
BY ELINA KOLSTAD “We’ve gotta keep the schools open. … When we don’t have [open schools], boredom sets in. And boredom is no excuse for carjacking.” These were the words of Mayor Frey in January of this year when he advocated keeping schools open during the recent omicron surge. He…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Now we know what’s going where Augustine’s was A new restaurant under development by a couple with a recognized track record of great restaurants has been announced for the space on Selby Avenue in St. Paul previously occupied by the French bistro Augustine’s. Kalsada, which means…
