On his LinkedIn profile, Lee Syndegaard of Gentle Transitions shares his mission statement:
Does the thought of downsizing and moving overwhelm you?
The Southwest Connector is excited to welcome Lee Syndergaard to " Let's Connect ," our monthly community speaker series, on Friday, May 3, 2024.  Syndergaard is the managing director of …
Police officer Paul Elmstrand, officer Matthew Ruge and firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth
Violence Free Minnesota issues statement on Burnsville Police and EMT domestic violence homicides
Violence Free Minnesota issued the following statement on Tuesday, Feb. 20 to call attention to the full circumstances around Shannon Cortez Gooden's murder of two police officers and an EMT in …
Gina Rautenberg
Two local women speak at 'Let's Connect' in March on International Women’s Day
The Southwest Connector is excited to welcome Gina Rautenberg and Karen Binkowski to " Let's Connect ," our monthly community speaker series, on Friday, March 8, International Women’s …
Mary Pattock
Task force considers how to reform met Council
On Feb. 1, the Metropolitan Governance Task Force issued its final report on how to reform the Metropolitan Council.  It offered not one or two recommendations, as some members had hoped …
Begin planning kids' summer recreation now
Due in part to high demand, parents who want to place their kids in summer rec programs or summer camps should being vetting such programs and camps well in advance of summer. The following are a …
Crime in 5th precinct
Between Feb. 9 and 12, 2024, the 5th precinct had 17 reported robberies. Incidents have mainly occurred in the evenings. In two of these incidents, the victims’ cars were also taken, according …
Mindful Creativity
Mark Rivard of Do Rad Things
Hear from Mark Rivard, creator of Do Rad Things, at 'Let's Connect' event in February
Every artist has an interesting origin story. But nothing compares with how Mark Rivard got started. Rivard began illustrating skateboards with Sharpie markers in the early 2000s. That led to an …
Dr. Joan Madden and Richard Baldinelli founded the 53rd Street Brass Quintet.
Bound by Brass
Musicians Richard Baldinelli and Dr. Joan Madden exude joy whether playing their trumpets in the 53rd Street Brass Quintet, looking forward or reminiscing. The two musicians capture the delight of a …
One of Heid E. Erdrich’s favorite spots in the neighborhood is the Kenwood School Stone Poem Rain Garden.
A people’s poet
This month, Southwest resident Heid E. Erdrich became the first poet laureate for the city of Minneapolis.  “We need poetry, even if we don’t know we do. There’s a human …
Grace Trinity Community Church hosted “The Technicolor Truth” art exhibit Sept. 16-Nov. 18, 2023.
Real hope is messy, edgy, and freeing. It’s what we need right now.
On Dec. 3, 2023, more than two billion Christians around the world celebrated the first week of Advent, which is honored by lighting the first of four Advent candles. For Christians, Advent is a time …
Potter Bob Arnoldy is behind @potteryinthegrotto and free items in his curbside pottery grotto.
Pottery in the Grotto: Building Community
Potter Bob Arnoldy has created a treasure in Linden Hills with his curbside pottery grotto. He explains the concept of the grotto and how the community has embraced it. Q: So, tell us what pottery in …
COLUMNISTS
Eric Ortiz vive en The Wedge con su familia. Cuando no está construyendo comunidad, es el director de contenido de la Fundación Strong Mind Strong Body y escribe libros infantiles bilingües con sus hijos. Su primer libro,
Es hora de destacar nuestra humanidad con la inmigración
Todos tienen una voz, pero no todas las voces son escuchadas hoy. Este no es un problema nuevo. Mis abuelos paternos, ambos mexicano-americanos de primera generación que crecieron en Los …
Youth and elders brainstorm ideas during a community solutions workshop at Walker Library on Feb. 3.
A solution for school disengagement
T he world has changed. Our education system has not. As a result, school is broken . It's so bad that many kids don't go to school anymore. Chronic absenteeism was an issue before the pandemic. …
Larry LaVercombe is a writer, filmmaker, and activist, born in Detroit and arrived in Minneapolis in 1975.  He lived in a treehouse in San Diego before getting an MFA from the USC Film School.  He writes most days, and as Team Larry he has been selling residential real estate in Minneapolis for 26 years.
Your property values went up if you live by Bryant bike lanes
So the guy says, “Government’s job is to build the roads. Our city built this ‘bold and transformational’ bike-friendly project, and they managed to forget you might need to a …
Tesha M. Christensen
Getting the paper to your front door just got a little harder
Being a small business owner has its good and bad days. In late December 2023, we got some tough news. Independent Delivery Service (IDS), a staple in the Twin Cities for 40 years, was shutting down …
Donald L. Hammen is a longtime south Minneapolis resident, and serves on the All Elders United for Justice steering committee.
Winter musings
Welcome to the start of year three for Stories and Journeys. Welcome to the start of year eight of my retirement journey including Medicare plus supplement. Another reader has told me their take on …
Home & Garden
Patricia Neal works with children to tend their neighborhood sponsored garden.
Local model for an urban CSA
“Four years ago, I realized we needed a model for an urban CSA,” says Craig Neal, founder and chief gardener of the Neighborhood Sponsored Garden (NSG) located in a backyard on Beard Ave. …
Christy Johnson of United Goods does minimalistic, graphic prints in small sizes. (Photos submitted)
Inside the head of minimalist State icon artist
Christy Johnson, founder & CEO of United Goods started working as a graphic designer and artist in 2003 in Minneapolis. A life-long creative, she’s loved to draw since she was a kid. Over …
These small lightboxes made by Longfellow artist Chris Miller can brighten tables and shelves. Other larger ones function as furniture. (Photo submitted)
How to add art to your home
Longfellow mosaic artist Chris Miller believes that art is like jewelry for your home. “I made this piece in glass a few years ago and I display it each September during LoLa Art Crawl. It says …
A series of 50 native plant gardens along Nicollet Avenue provide food sources and nesting space for pollinators.
Nicollet Pollinator Pathway for Rusty Patched Bumble Bee
There’s a new pathway in southwest Minneapolis, but it’s not for people.  The Nicollet Avenue Pollinator Pathway is a series of 50 native plant gardens along and around Nicollet …
April showers bring May flowers, and May flowers bring in the bees. This bee is feasting on creeping Charlie. (Photo submitted)
No mow May helps pollinators
Stumbling over bicycles and skateboards in the back of the garage, your fall is broken by the lawn mower handle. Wrestling your new turf terrorizer out of its winter hold, a vague memory forms of the …
Voices Against Violence
Christmas Eve luminary supports Domestic Abuse Project
For 25 years, the warm glow of hundreds of luminaries have lit Dupont/King’s Highway on Christmas Eve. The annual event not only brings neighbors together, but it has raised over $50,000 for …
Dani's daughter sent her teddy bear with her mom on Oct. 2, 2023. “I couldn’t stop thinking about how my daughter would take the news that her mom wasn’t coming home for a month,” said Dani.
Domestic abuse victim jailed
During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a Minnesota judge ordered a victim to jail for not forcing her daughter to see her father. Dani* was ordered to serve 30 days in jail on Oct. 2, 2023 or …
Thi Synavone works as the executive director at Standpoint.  (Photo submitted)
FROM THEIR STANDPOINT
Thi Synavone came to the U.S. in 1979 as a Laotian refugee. After living in many states, her family settled in Minnesota in 1988. Synavone said that growing up, domestic and sexual violence was never …
CAUGHT BETWEEN
She lived in Minnesota for only five months and her daughter was born in Iowa, but Dani* has been dragged into family court in Minnesota nearly every one of the past 11 years by her ex-boyfriend. …
Colorado becomes the first state to limit court use of family reunification camps
A bill signed into law this week in Colorado prohibits family courts from ordering children to participate in reunification programs that isolate them from a trusted caregiver. Many of these programs …
Rebuild Repair Recycle
The long process of reopening Nicollet Ave. at Lake St. took another step forward this month. City planners released design concepts for the public areas planned for the 10-acre site where a surface …
Hennepin County is working to build a Lyndale Avenue for today and tomorrow. The county is partnering with the city of Minneapolis, Metro Transit and others to continue improving safety for all users …
The reduction of traffic lanes on Lyndale Ave from 31st St. to Franklin Ave. has improved safety and will remain in place.   Called the “4-3 Lane Pilot Project,” Hennepin …
Aging Well
In an exciting development for the local television landscape, “Inside Senior Living,” a groundbreaking docu-series, has announced its partnership with PBS North. The series, set to …
Graham Bennett, 14, is a tech wizard who goes to The Kenwood Retirement Community once a week to help residents with their phones, iPads, laptops, and computers. His path to the Kenwood was a natural …
Faith-based, nonprofit healthcare and housing organizations look to expand options for customers, team members, and communities Knute Nelson, based in Alexandria, Minn., and Walker Methodist, based …
AWARD WINNING NEWSPAPER

20 AWARDS FOR TMC PUBLICATIONS IN 2023

TMC Publication's three newspapers earned a total of 20 awards at this year's Better Newspaper Contest. Congrats to the winners! NEWS1) First Place, Sports Story - Eric Erickson, “Unforgettable …
Neighborhood organizations
Neighborhood news - Feb 15, 2024
SAFETY WORK COMING TO STREETS Transportation planners with Minneapolis Public Works are co-coordinating traffic safety improvements 26th St./Dupont Ave, 26th St./Emerson Ave., 28th St./Dupont …
Robert Skafte
Neighborhood news - Jan 18, 2024
Kingfield Empty Bowls Feb. 11 The 13th Annual Kingfield Empty Bowls event will take place on “Soup-er Bowl” Sunday, Feb. 11, 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Judson Memorial Baptist Church. …
Karsten Potts works at at Horn Towers with students in LNA’s Computer Basics class.
Lyndale Neighborhood Association update December
Imagine you are an older adult living in a low-income apartment complex in the heart of Minneapolis. You need help paying your monthly internet bill and learn about a low-cost internet discount …
Youth enjoy the new Spark'd Studio space at Whittier Park
Neighborhood news - Dec 14, 2023
LIGHTS RIDE Bryn Mawr Bikes Lights Ride will go past cheerful holiday lights on Sunday, Dec. 17. The group will leave from the corner of W. Laurel Ave and Cedar Lake Road at 6 p.m. First time …
Neighborhood news - Nov 30, 2023
BLAISDELL Y RENOVATIONS The Blaisdell Y is excited to share that they will undergo renovations to improve member experiences. The renovations will began the week of Monday, Nov. 27 and are …
Opinion
Local author loves paper newspapers
Just writing to let you know we did get our paper. Hope your delivery services work out — I myself love a paper newspaper and appreciate reading about what’s happening in the ‘hood. …
One happy family: Cal, Eric, Emilia, Maria, and Eva Ortiz. And their dog, Edison (aka Eddie).
Getting more connected in a human way
Happy New Year. Welcome to 2024. Are you happy to be here? Have you already started writing an inspiring 366-page book this leap year (one page for every day)? Or are you still recovering from …
Donald L. Hammen is a longtime south Minneapolis resident, and serves on the All Elders United for Justice steering committee.
My take aways from Medicare open enrollment
Dec. 7 has come and gone. Medicare Open Enrollment has ended for 2023. Yet it feels like the engagement with me and Medicare has just begun again. So, if you have read this far you have taken the …
Terry Faust
Do you think you might be lonely?
My counselor recently asked if I thought I was lonely. I'd been doing virtual visits with him for the past year, maybe once a month, for depression. It had never occurred to me to think of myself as …
Hopewell Music Cooperative North looking for new space by Jan. 31
Hopewell Music Cooperative North is up against seeminglyinsurmountable odds. Effective January 1, 2024, Hopewell Music will lose its long-time home at North United Methodist Church located on 4350 …
HENNEPIN AVENUE
Amazing Thailand has struggled without street parking for customers in front of their building at 3024 Hennepin Ave. S., especially as they’ve shifted business to takeout, says general manager Korawan (Yin) Muangmode, second from left, shown with her brother and family,  owners Dee and Kulsatreet Noree with Yindee and Sandee (age 4), and head chef Khamsouk Pathilath (left).  (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
Hennepin Ave design: Helpful or hurtful?
If the proposed reconstruction plan for Hennepin Ave. passes, Kristin Traynor says The Corner Balloon Shoppe will be moving from 2455 Hennepin Ave. “I have an extremely diverse group of …
Hennepin for People has drawn people together at various events to inform and educate on the project. (Photo submitted)
Hennepin for People supports city’s proposed plan for Hennepin Ave. South
As woman of color, Wedge resident Chandra Lalla says she knows how “our streets don’t serve everyone well.“For generations, city streets were built solely with car travel in mind, …
Corner of Lagoon and Hennepin, looking south, in 1938. (Minnesota Historical Society)
True progress on Hennepin requires a business plan
Small businesses are the lifeblood of any community. They provide distinctive character to a neighborhood and are the engine that drives a local economy. Without local businesses, there is no local …
COMPETITION FOR SPACE ALONG S. HENNEPIN
By Tesha M. Christensen In a one-way presentation on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022, city staff acknowledged that there are competing desires for E. Hennepin Ave., and they can’t all be addressed …
BUSINESSES SUBMIT LETTER TO CITY
In all, 115 Uptown businesses collectively asked the city to conduct “a more thorough analysis, update studies and ultimately begin to incorporate the views, suggestions, and proposals of the Hennepin Avenue business community into a new plan for Hennepin Avenue that is truly inclusive for all.”
George Floyd Memorial Square

George Floyd Square’s Brass Solidarity goes to HONK!

“Throughout the country and across the globe, a new type of street band movement is emerging — outrageous and inclusive, brass and brash, percussive and persuasive — reclaiming …

Web Extras - Contact us to sponsor this content
How do airplanes fly? An aerospace engineer explains the physics of flight
U.S. airlines carry more than 800 million passengers per year. Lasha Kilasonia/iStock via Getty Images Plus Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If …
Leading Automotive Brand Celebrates Industry Success
(BPT) - 2023 was immensely successful for Kia, as the auto maker introduced six new or refreshed models, grew overall market share, and captured new audience consideration for the company’s …
Tips to Maximize Your Outdoor Space
(BPT) - Spring is almost here! The rising temperatures serve as a reminder that it’s time to start preparing for outdoor entertaining. Whether you are looking to completely revamp your setup or …
El apoyo entre compañeros ayuda a la prosperidad de personas con parálisis
(BPT) - Cuando Ligia Andrade Zúñiga tenía 28 años, sufrió un accidente automovilístico que le causó una grave lesión en la médula …
Descubre 5 formas económicas de aprovechar al máximo el verano
(BPT) - ¡El verano está a la vuelta de la esquina! Como los niños están de vacaciones, es el momento perfecto para planificar un viaje o dos, y pasar tiempo de calidad …