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Frank Hornstein
Hornstein retires after 20 years in legislature
Pallavi Dixit
A LINDEN HILLS COLLAB
The Osprey Initiative’s litter boom is a floating barrier designed to capture litter at the storm water outflow. The blue float line slows the speed of incoming storm water, so that whatever trash it is carrying can be easily contained by the boom. The whole system will be removed in November, and put back in the water next April. It’s designed for minimal environmental impact, including easy navigation of wildlife. (Photo by Margie O’Loughlin)
Lake of the Isles trash boom installed
Vikas Narula (left), George Floyd (center), and Alvin Manago (right) on the free Third Sunday Sailing event in August 2019. (Photo submitted by Vikas Narula)
Sailing for Everybody
The Minneapolis Sailing Center (MSC) is a non-profit organization that works to improve access to what has historically been one of the world’s most exclusive sports. MSC Executive Director Ted …
2024 Animal Advocate Award
Minnesota Senator Scott Dibble (DFL) of Minneapolis was presented with the 2024 Animal Advocate Award by Animal Humane Society (AHS) in recognition of his work to support the welfare of …
Events - July 2024
COMPLETE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE Jackdonkey Productions is excited to venture into the fast-paced, coordinated, and physical production of “The Complete Works of Shakespeare” …
WACSO: Heffelfinger Fountain at the Rose Garden
Heffelfinger Fountain at the Rose Garden. I’ve been coming to this fountain since I was a little kid. We’re pretty lucky to have such cool places to hang out at in this city. …
Park News - July 2024
  Clinton Field improvements The Minneapolis Park & Rec Board has approved a new concept plan for improvements at Clinton Field Park at 2433 Clinton Ave in the Whittier …
What can one person do to help birds avoid collisions with windows? Close your curtains at night, especially during the migration season, to reduce light spread. Make sure outdoor light is directed downward and use minimally. And consider using window markings.
Make the Twin Cities more bird-friendly
Cradling the Mississippi River on either side, the Twin Cities are a critical, yet hazardous, resting place for migrating birds. An estimated 40 million birds migrated through the Mississippi River …

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July 2024 Connector

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Mindful Creativity
 WACSO: Dog treats.
Dog treats. I’ve seen this guy handing out treats to all the passing dogs around Lake Harriet for years. I guess that makes him dog’s best friend. (Illustration by WACSO)
Drew (at left) and Jacob Wesson explored public safety in Minneapolis in their award-winning documentary.
Washburn twins earn film award
By Tesha M. Christensen   Creating a five-minute documentary about public safety in Minneapolis was “eye-opening” for a pair of 18-year-old twins from Washburn High School. …
‘‘Thresholds’ is supposed to explain to multiple audiences how the autistic brain comprehends and takes in sight, sound, smell and touch as opposed to the non-autistic brain,” said Michael Wolfe.
Show combines neurodiversity, art and science
Anxiety, restlessness, being a superpower and feeling free and unchained are some of the emotions Saint Paul actor Michael Wolfe experiences while waiting for a bus. Wolfe, who identifies as a …
Anna Sharratt of Twin Cities Makers Circle remarked, “The way I studied craft in Sweden, it’s used to challenge gender stereotypes, and to talk about how you can make or repair things you might otherwise buy.
Get creative with Twin Cities Makers Circle
Longfellow resident, handcrafter, and entrepreneur Anna Sharratt is offering up all kinds of fun classes through her new business. In her Twin Cities Makers Circle (TCMC) classes, participants use …
Reilly Tillman (at right) started filming over 18 years ago for his recently released film on Laurel Massé (at left). The documentary will be shown during this year's Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival April 11-25. (Photos submitted)
Musician focus of local filmmaker’s MSPIFF film fest entry
A film that has been long in the making will premiere during the Minneapolis Saint Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF) running April 11-25 at the Main Cinema, 115 SE Main in Minneapolis. …

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COLUMNISTS
Donald L. Hammen is a longtime south Minneapolis resident, and serves on the All Elders United for Justice steering committee.
Reconnecting, streaming, thinking in pictures
RECONNECTING WITH STORIES AND JOURNEYS From time to time I need to remind myself what I am tasked to do  when it comes to writing Stories and Journeys. I am tasked to write what I’m …
Authors at the 2023 Twin Cities Book Festival in St. Paul.
You’re invited to (support) the Twin Cities Book Festival
The Twin Cities Book Festival is Minnesota's largest gathering of readers and one of the region's premier art events. It also might be the best-kept secret in the country . Presented annually by …
Suzie Marty is an artist and curator at Everett & Charlie art gallery in Linden Hills. She is also an avid supporter of buying local, and a marketing specialist for the Southwest Connector. Contact her at ads@swconnector.com.
The sound of healing love
I had the pleasure of experiencing a sound bath by Royce Vagnier. It transcended me into a beautiful, relaxing, and healing place.  For many years I have dipped my toe in different realms …
Elise Moore (left) and Valerie Blomberg met at Disco Death Records recently to talk about vision and planning for the upcoming year. (Photo submitted)
Lowry Hills East
NEW BOARD MEMBERS The Lowry Hill East Neighborhood Association (LHENA) is excited to announce the election of its new Board of Directors and Executive Committee. The updated list of board members and …
Mercado Central, el mercado latino en la esquina de Lake Street y Bloomington Avenue en Minneapolis.
Mercado Central sigue enseñando a la comunidad 'Cómo comprar el estanque'
Ciudad de México está a 2,106 millas de Minneapolis. Pero no tienes que viajar tan lejos para experimentar la auténtica cultura latina. El Mercado Central está a unos …

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Home & Garden
Jon Trappe
Talking lawn care with U of M
People are getting back into our yards and gardens, with pent-up demand following a long winter. University of Minnesota Extension Educator Jon Trappe has tips for yards that accomplish multiple …
A rain barrel collects roof runoff so you can save the rainwater for later use. Reroute downspouts away from pavement and onto grass, a rain barrel or a rain garden. (Photo courtesy of the University of Minnesota Extension)
A watershed moment
What is a watershed? What is our local watershed called? Where does it begin and end?  What is the largest watershed in the U.S.? According to board chair of the League of …
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.
How real estate agent commissions will now affect us
You’ve heard, I’m sure, about the court ruling and the decision by the National Association of Realtors: Buyer’s agents will no longer receive a “standardized” 2.7% …
Jill Carmody is a senior manager at the Habitat for Humanity’s Minneapolis ReStore. They are both a drop-off site for leftover paint products, and a retailer for the Amazon brand of recycled paint. Carmody said, “PaintCare has made it easy for people to recycle their left-over paint, which is the right thing to do for the environment.”
Recycle your left-over paint with PaintCare
Did you know there’s an option for recycling leftover paint in Minnesota? That’s right, recycling, not just disposing of leftover paint. Since 2014, the non-profit PaintCare has been …
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. …

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Voices Against Violence
Dr. Catherine Barrett
‘Oppressive’ experience:’ 57 hearings, 80 court orders, 12 parenting time schedules
What do you do when 11 judges and referees, 20 therapists, 12 mediators, two parenting consultants (with 37 directives), one custody evaluator, and one guardian ad litem haven’t been able to …
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 …
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 …

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Rebuild Repair Recycle
The city held an open house on June 10 at the Minneapolis American Indian Center at 1530 E Franklin Ave. to share a city proposal to use the former 3rd precinct police station building at 3000 …
Street projects on Hennepin Avenue from Lake to 26th, West Lake, France and Upton mean that getting around southwest Minneapolis is challenging right now, but traveling by bus will get faster when …
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 …

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Aging Well
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) has kicked off a new program, Cycling Without Age, aimed at helping older adults with mobility issues enjoy time and connect with others in …
Knute Nelson and Walker Methodist, two esteemed leaders in the aging services field, have successfully merged, marking a transformative step forward in their shared commitment to enhancing the lives …
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 …

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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 - July 2024
BIKE TRAILS OPEN The reconstructed South Cedar Lake and Minnesota River Bluffs trails are now open for public use from the Midtown Greenway in Minneapolis to Shady Oak Road in Minnetonka. The …
Neighborhood news - June 2024
E-waste Collection Event JUNE 29 What do old cell phones, aging computers, and obsolete chargers have in common? They are all part of the e-waste problem in the U.S. According to a 2023 study, …
Valerie Blomberg
New Lowry Hills East neighborhood coordinator
Valerie Blomberg is the new Wedge Neighborhood Coordinator. She moved to Lowry Hill East (the Wedge) in 2019. She started volunteering with LHENA soon after, supporting the neighborhood potlucks that …
Dr. Kate Beane
Kate Beane to speak, free event
  For the West Maka Ska Neighborhood’s third Neighborhood Talk, we are thrilled to host Kate Beane, PH.D! Join us on May 23 from 5-7 p.m. at the Bakken Museum (3537 Zenith Ave. S) as …
Neighborhood news - May 2024
GRAMMY RIDES ACROSS AMERICA Come laugh and learn with 66-year-old Donna Minter (aka Grammy) to discover her Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) to bicycle 3200 miles in Fall 2024 on the GRAMMY Ride …

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Opinion
Anna Bonavita is a former physicist with a passion for culture, cuisine and environment. Born in a small village in Bulgaria but swept up in the waves of globalization, she claims several countries as the source of her cultural identity. Her travel nonprofit, Esperienza, provides small-scale, immersive experiences. She is also the founder of the Italian Cultural Center of Minneapolis/St. Paul, the Italian Film Festival, and The Communal Table.
Italian travel: Think differently
This time of the year many of us begin to dream of traveling to distant places. As Baby Boomers, we often possess both time and money to allow us to make yet another memorable trip to (where …
Green party candidate should be part of forum
The decision by the League of Women Voters to exclude Green Party candidate Toya Lopez from the upcoming Minnesota House of Representatives District 61A forums is a disappointing one. It is …
Michael Wilson
Striking labor disputes in the City of Parks
Consistently rated in the top 3 park systems in the country, our beloved Minneapolis parks have a labor problem. The largest bargaining unit of unionized workers at Minneapolis Park and Recreation …
A mural in Minneapolis at the corner of Portland Ave. and East Lake St. (Photo by Eric Ortiz)
Something needs to change. We have a plan.
Research shows that negativity is four to seven times more powerful than positivity. We are hardwired for negativity . This negative bias is why we focus more on "bad things" to make sense of …
Michelle Krueger and family enjoy hosting exchange students through International Cultural Exchange Services. They’re looking for host families for next year. (Photo submitted)
Hosting exchange students is an enriching experience
This fall, our family will host Marilys, an exchange student from France, as our youngest daughter will be a sophomore at Southwest High School. We are so excited as a few years back, we hosted Lola, …

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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
Rise and Remember 2024 (Photo by Jill Boogren)

RISE AND REMEMBER 2024

On May 25, Singer Kashimana and Brass Solidarity led a joyful procession from the solidarity fist at 38th St. and Chicago Ave. to the Say Their Names cemetery, where 400 candles were placed around …

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Web Extras - Contact us to sponsor this content
7 tips for avoiding food poisoning while traveling
It's time for a vacation. FoodReady compiled a list of tips for avoiding food poisoning while traveling so that you can enjoy a worry-free trip.
What to know when buying a used electric vehicle
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Workplace summer safety tips: How to keep your cool when the heat is on
NEXT compiled some practical strategies to help prepare your business for summer-related incidents and mitigate risk.
Divided we drive: America's EV adoption gap
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New research reveals self-care savvy cities (and what we can learn from them)
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