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@ LAKE STREET
Breathing new life into 27th and Lake
Alternative to police
REMEMBERING GEORGE FLOYD
A towering tribute
A bodacious birthday bash draws far-flung fans. What took so long?To create something entirely new, never seen, touched or heard before – something that resonates deeply with the beholder …
Johnston appointed city coordinator
Amid complaints of a racist work environment raised by city employees and with a Human Resources investigation underway, a divided Minneapolis City Council approved the mayor’s nomination of …
Senate D. 62 primary: Fateh and Laden face off
The Democratic Farmer Labor (DFL) Senate District 62 primary race between first-term incumbent Omar Fateh and union leader Shaun Laden is heating up as Fateh is facing questions about past campaign …
Public safety on ballot again this year
This is part of a series about the 2022 municipal elections by the League of Women Voters Minneapolis. In November, you won’t see an obvious question on the ballot like last year’s …
When you vote in primary on Aug. 9, stay in your lane
The primary election on August 9 will determine the candidates for the general election. The top vote-getter in each primary race will appear on the ballot in November. In Minnesota, any registered …
What happened to my old polling place? Redistricting!
This is part of a series about the 2022 municipal elections by the League of Women Voters Minneapolis.The Hennepin County Elections office has sene out postcards to registered voters. You may find …
Hennepin County Attorney and Hennepin County Sheriff Candidate Forums set
A consortium of Hennepin County Leagues of Women Voters (Brooklyn Park/Osseo/Maple Grove, Crystal/New Hope/East Plymouth/Robbinsdale, Edina, Golden Valley, Minneapolis, Minnetonka/Eden …
Brunch at the Washburn Water Tower June 18
The Washburn Water Tower was built in 1932 by the Minneapolis Water Department. Located in the Tangletown neighborhood, the water tower is perched on the highest hill in the area and overlooks much …
IN HIS OWN WORDS: advocating for ME/CFS
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a multi-system disease that causes dysfunction of neurological, immune, endocrine, and energy metabolism systems. Billy Hanlon, a …
Dreaming of journalism
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 …
AN OPEN LYNDALE
In 2011, Our Streets Minneapolis hosted its first event on two miles of Lyndale Avenue. Since then, over 575,000 people have attended Open Streets events. After a pause in 2020 and a scaled down …
ONE YEAR LATER
One year after law enforcement officers killed 32-year-old father and comedian Winston “Boogie” Smith Jr. at the top of an Uptown parking ramp, his family, friends and community members …

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BEGINNING A NEWSPAPER

Welcome, readers of the new Southwest Connector. We’re glad you’ve picked up a copy of our inaugural edition. It’s an exciting time for neighborhood journalism. Thanks for coming …

June 16, 2022 Connector

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What does public safety mean to you?

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Voices Against Violence
 FAILED BY FAMILY COURT
Helpless and hopeless.That’s how Kelsey Kruse felt for years as she tried to co-parent with her ex and his wife, Brett and Sarah Hallow.And then one day, she got the call she was scared …
‘I RAN’
At 25, Sarah* doesn’t speak to her dad. And she points the finger squarely at him and how he treated her before and after her parents’ divorce.She knows that people often blame mom when a …
Professor gives tips to helpers on how to help families affected
Like many issues, domestic abuse situations have only been heightened by COVID-19. Jerrod Brown, a professor at Concordia University and program director for the Master of Arts degree in human …
They took her children away
When Starr Jones* tells her story, people can’t believe this is happening in Minnesota. They can’t believe that the dad was investigated by child protection when their first daughter was …
'She must have done something wrong'
Broke. Homeless. And in danger of losing custody of her children. That’s where Bonnie Roy found herself while trying to get a divorce in Minnesota 10 years ago. Because of her own …

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Home & Garden
 Guardians of our freshwater
What thoughts or images come to mind when you hear “freshwater”? Do you see a sparkling lake, hear water lapping against the shoreline, feel it tickling your toes? Is it a gurgling creek …
Grubs Vs Nematodes: showdown in the soil
Large bare patches of dirt, tufts of dead grass, and birds feasting on insects squirming from the ground – if your lawn is starting to look like a scene from “Grapes of Wrath,” you …
Add long-blooming perennials for color all season
Many of us would love to have a yard full of beautiful flowering plants that bloom all season long, providing food for pollinators as well as visual interest. Lots of perennials have showy flowers in …
Home renovations to age in place
At age 69, I was a “silver sneaker” poster child – fit and healthy, living on my own, fiercely independent and proud of it. Ironically, my main fitness exercise, avid fast walking …
Go native in your yard for bugs, birds, beauty and biodiversity
Despite the roller-coaster temperatures and freeze-thaw hazards in Minneapolis this month, after all it is March and the familiar flowers of spring will soon emerge. But as many people anticipate and …

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Mindful Creativity
CUBAN FILM FESTIVAL
The 13th Minnesota Cuban Film Festival runs Thursdays, May 26-June 30, 2022 at the MSP Film in The Main (115 SE Main St., Minneapolis). For complete films lineup visit: …
Art on The Edge:
Collaborating and connecting for community, consciousness, and the curious. That’s how the conversation began between Kelly Wagner, owner of The Edge magazine and myself, Suzie Marty, owner of …
Art-A-Whirl and the creative class:
Art-A-Whirl spans neighborhoods and disciplinesWhatever corner of the Twin Cities you live in, chances are you or someone close to you has participated as an artist or a guest in what Anna Becker, …
Ukraine, women-directed films highlighted in 41st MSP Film Festival
Welcoming its patrons back to a fresh look, the MSP Film Society opened the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF) on May 5 at the theater on 115 SE. Main. Formerly the St. Anthony …
MEET SOUL PAINTING ARTIST ANNE PRYOR

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Rebuild Repair Recycle
How can people have hard conversations that will bring them together versus driving them apart?In a city that is engaged in tough conversations about policing, race and more, Chelsea Rowles suggests …
Soon, a light-rail train will stop in one of the most natural areas of Minneapolis. The Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board (MPRB) is considering how to plan for the future of Cedar Lake and Lake …
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, …

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Aging Well
By CHLOE PETER “Elders from diverse backgrounds are becoming more aware of the importance of working together to build power,” said St. Paul resident Vic Rosenthal. “For many …
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 …
It is widely known that aging is accompanied by varying rates and degrees of cognitive decline. However, neuroscience research has revealed that by keeping physically, socially, and mentally active …

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HENNEPIN AVENUE
 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 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, …
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
Opinion
 My brother has cancer
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 …
Honoring our unsung community heroes
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, …
We can do better to build peace
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 …
Celebrating Jackie Robinson’s leadership legacy
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 …
Optimism is not for the faint-hearted
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 …

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COLUMNISTS
 Imagining a healthy world
When you imagine an ideal healthy world for human beings and all who inhabit the earth, what do you envision? I recently had an amazing conversation with my adult daughter sharing our visions for a …
(Alas?) No shortage of things to write about
Last issue marked my 10th column for the Southwest Connector, so with a lifetime total of that many published stories, I’d like to share few things I’m learning from this. First off, as …
Inspiring others with your own hard work
Among my favorite things to read are the New York Times’ featured obituaries. Every Saturday, there is an obit about a renowned person that I’ve probably never heard of who did something …
Living intentionally
With Memorial Day around the corner, we as a community, country and individuals take time to honor those who have served and died in active military service. With wars raging in various parts of our …
To everyone who wants to savor the world
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 way …

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George Floyd Memorial Square

MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS AT GF SQUARE OPEN HOUSE

Questions about community input, justice and preservation of the George Floyd memorial dominated feedback at a public works virtual meeting on future reconstruction of 38th and Chicago on April 26, …

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Neighborhood organizations
 PORCHFEST JUNE 16
Porchfest is just a week away! Join Kingfield on Thursday, June 16 from 6-9 p.m. for an evening of acoustical music held at multiple outdoor venues throughout Kingfield. PorchFest is a chance for …
2022 Hennepin County Master Gardener volunteer learning garden tour
The 2022 Hennepin County Master Gardener Volunteer Learning Garden Tour is back and set for July 9, 2022 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. It’s bigger and better than ever this year with 10 …
50TH TWIN CITIES PRIDE FESTIVAL RUNS JUNE 25-27
The 50th annual Twin Cities Pride Festival will be held at Loring Park on June 25 - 26, 2022 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will feature local BIPOC and LGBTQ+ vendors, food courts, a beer garden, and …
JUNETEENTH PARADE JUNE 18
Juneteenth Parade (presented by the Juneteenth Community Board) will be on Saturday, June 18 from 11 a.m. to noon. The parade ends at Bethune Park (1304 10th Ave. N.). From noon to 6 p.m. there will …
JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION at HARRISON
Harrison Recreation Center and Harrison Neighborhood are collaborating to host an outdoor Juneteenth celebration with music, dancing, activities, and food on Friday, June 17 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at …

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