Stopping the war in Ukraine: a call for negotiations and an end to name-calling
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).…
Operation Safety Net 2.0
Lake Street Council awards grants to rebuild Lake Street

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.…
Hiawatha Landscape: A Brief History
In praise of curb cuts
On strike!

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…
The Children’s Theatre’s new production might help kids understand race and racism

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…
Lake Hiawatha, the dumping ground

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…
Seen elsewhere:

“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…
Amir Locke
Mental health for all

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.…
Even if coordinated strikes don’t happen, this is historic (and at the last minute – they didn’t!)

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…