Today, right now! It's the first day of the first year without my brother. He died! Myself, my sister-in-law, and my nieces – we continue to mourn. Labor Day week-end of 2021 was the last time …
more
By Donald L. Hammen
|
8/31/22
|
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Sometimes, it feels like the whole world has gone crazy, and we're all on one big hamster …
more
By Eric
Ortiz
|
8/3/22
|
Without an obstructionist Republican megaphone, these hearings are both coherent and revealing – nothing like what you get when one party is doing everything they can to obscure any progress or …
more
By Larry
LaVercombe
|
8/3/22
|
Gratitude for the life of my brother, Richard A. Hammen, an out-of-town reader of the Messenger. Reader as long as his powers of comprehension were intact. Gratitude for the fact that he was the …
more
By Donald L. Hammen
|
8/2/22
|
Sports have been around since the dawn of human civilization thousands of years ago. But organized community youth sports are a little younger. They got started in the mid-1800s and became an …
more
By Eric
Ortiz
|
7/27/22
|
The 2021 city elections in Minneapolis were historic. We had record-setting turnout, the highest for a municipal election in over 45 years, and elected a city council that has, for the first time in …
more
7/27/22
|
Law and policy are comprised of words, but it takes committed action to create change. As the new year began in 1863, President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation took effect. However, it …
more
By Reva Chamblis
|
7/27/22
|
I heard a terrible story the other day from my friend. The story started with a young man arguing with his mom on a hot morning in Minneapolis. It ended with his death. After the argument, he shot …
more
By Eric
Ortiz
|
7/13/22
|
I support Ryan Winkler for Hennepin County Attorney because I want a leader in the county attorney’s office who will hold accountable the people we’ve trusted to protect us. From my time …
more
7/13/22
|
The Linden Hills Village at 43rd and Upton is one of the most vibrant neighborhood business nodes in all of Minnesota. We have award winning restaurants (and chefs!), wonderful coffee shops, a toy …
more
By Larry
LaVercombe
|
7/13/22
|
My brother has cancer! I'm stunned! I'm in shock! What now? My inner and outer worlds are out of sync. I feel scared. I feel so alone. Are you with me, dear reader? If you are, you have taken the …
more
By Donald L. Hammen
|
6/21/22
|
There are a lot of local heroes today. But we don't hear much about these heroes. They don't usually make the papers or headline news.
We thought we would change that, for a brief moment, …
more
6/19/22
|
Back in 2013, I was a seventh grader who took a trip to Washington, D.C. for a family wedding. In the midst of a government shutdown, we decided to go to a National Geographic Museum. It was one of …
more
6/16/22
|
Everyone deserves an opportunity to reach their full potential. But not everyone gets that opportunity today. Due to a never-ending cycle of violence, dreams are being snatched daily.
Violence is …
more
by Eric Ortiz
|
6/2/22
|
Imagine all the people living in peace! Wait! Not just yet! Imagine us walking exploring the yard surrounding my house. It's spring but feels like summer. We see tulips, dandelions, violets …
more
By Donald L. Hammen
|
5/30/22
|
In the 20th century, we made major public investments to transform the metro Mississippi River for commercial and industrial purposes. However, some of that old infrastructure is no longer useful, …
more
By Colleen O’Connor Toberman
|
5/24/22
|
The Minnesota Twins recently celebrated the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s debut in Major League Baseball. Planting People Growing Justice Leadership Institute was represented during the …
more
By Dr. Artika Tyner
|
5/24/22
|
Why is pessimism so compelling? Is it that we fear being disappointed? Is it so foolish to have optimism and hope? My experience is that optimism seldom leads to complacency. Rather, it’s …
more
By Larry
LaVercombe
|
5/24/22
|
It's time to start healing. But how do we create a healing community when people are hurting?
"A traumatized gang member is more likely to cause trauma. A cherished person is going to find the …
more
By Eric Ortiz
|
5/24/22
|
The world is opening up again. That’s good news for all of us who are still here. But just when you think life can’t get any more absurd, Elon Musk buys Twitter. The richest man on Earth …
more
By Eric
Ortiz
|
5/5/22
|