News | Southwest Connector

The Linden Hills business district will be altered on both the southwest and northeast sides of the Upton and West 43rd intersection, according to a Metro Transit plan for the E Line BRT. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)

Linden Hills businesses are concerned about a Metro Transit plan to reduce street parking and remove eight mature trees at 43rd and Upton for the E Line, which will run 13.3 miles between Southdale … more

By Tesha M. Christensen | 12/1/21 | 2 comments

Linden Hills artist, Edward Bock

Mixed-media artist and photographer Edward Bock uses unexpected textures, colors and mediums to create abstract paintings and fine art photography. After earning a degree in mass communications from … more

By SUZIE MARTY, artist and business owner, ads@swconnector.com | 12/1/21 | 2 comments

MEET TESHA - When a letter that she wrote was published in her hometown newspaper when she was a kid, Tesha M. Christensen was hooked. “I had gotten my first glimpse into the power of the printed word. I wanted more,” recalled Christensen. “I saw how newspapers could be used to generate change in their communities, and how they could inform and engage people.” She started her own paper and later wrote for her college newspaper, The Clarion. Shortly after earning her bachelor’s degree in English from Bethel University, she got a full-time job at her hometown newspaper, The STAR in Cambridge, Minn. – the same newspaper that printed her letter to the editor when she was a child. Christensen worked as the assistant editor and special sections editor of her hometown newspaper for 10 years, serving two counties and a circulation of 21,000 with a twice weekly newspaper. Over the years, Christensen covered a range of topics in Isanti and Chisago counties, from school board levies to new county parks to crime news. “I wrote about what new businesses were coming to town, local musicians, and rodeo shows, and a story about one local resident who saved the life of another,” Christensen recalled. “I love the ever-changing nature of this business, and how I learn something new with each story I write.” In 2012, Tesha started writing for the Longfellow Nokomis Messenger and Midway Como Frogtown Monitor after moving to South Minneapolis. She purchased the newspapers in 2019 when the longtime owners (Cal deRuyter and Tim Nelson) retired, and started her own business, TMC Publications CO. A lifelong learner, Christensen believes in the importance of the local newspaper to collect the stories of the neighborhood it serves. In the past she’s written for Northstar Media, the Isanti County News, ECM Publishers/Adams Publishing Group, Twin Cities Daily Planet, RedCurrent and The Alley newspaper in the Phillips neighborhood of south Minneapolis. She enjoys connecting with journalism students. “I love journalism, and I am passionate about sharing journalism with kids and young adults,” stated Christensen. “They are the future, and it’s so exciting to hear their ideas.” She taught journalism classes at Anoka-Ramsey Community College from 2006 to 2012, and taught for one year at Planet Homeschool, a homeschool co-op in St. Anthony, where she helped launch a school newspaper written by the middle and high school students. At TMC Publications CO, she works to partner with local schools looking for internship opportunities. Christensen appreciates connecting people through neighborhood news and seeks to make it relevant, trustworthy and local. Christensen has served on a variety of committees and boards over the years, and is a co-founder of Team Yarn - Head Huggers (teamyarn.blogspot.com), a small non-profit dedicated to making and donating hats, shawls and lapghans to those battling cancer and other serious illnesses. She lives with her two children and their two cats in a house with a big garden and a Little Free Library. Contact Tesha M. Christensen at 612-345-9998 or tesha@SWconnector.com.

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 … more

By Tesha M. Christensen | 12/1/21 | 2 comments

Light It Up, Kingfield!

Monday Evenings in December (Dec. 6, 13, 20, & 27) , 5-7 P.M. This December, Kingfield neighbors are once again invited to illuminate the neighborhood and get outside to enjoy winter, fight the … more

By Sarah Linnes Robinson, Executive Director, KFNA@kingfield.org | 12/1/21

Conversations, classes and cocktails

COmmunity development conversationLyndale Neighborhood Association’s Housing, Planning and Development Committee invites you to a Community & Developer Conversation about 3030 Nicollet … more

By Erin Cary, erin@Lyndale.org | 12/1/21

VISIT WITH STUDENT JOURNALISTS

Blake School journalists chat with Southwest Connector owner Tesha M. Christensen about their thoughts on journalism in October 2021. The class publishes the The Spectrum once a month on paper as … more

12/1/21

Did city mislead, downplay public input on 38th & Chicago survey?

Since late 2020 Mayor Jacob Frey has made known his intent to reopen the intersection at 38th St. E and Chicago Ave. S. When interim design surveys were returned in spring 2021, he and city leaders … more

By JILL BOOGREN | 11/30/21

Taylor Smrikárova of Seward Redesign (at left) and 4RM+ULA Managing Partner James Garret, Jr. are part of team working to create wealth for communities of color, and make 2800 E. Lake St. a demonstration site. An intensive community input process will begin soon. (Photo by Terry Faust)

U.S. Bank donates 2800 E. Lake St. for redevelopment

U.S. Bank is donating its branch property at 2800 E. Lake Street to nonprofit community development corporation Seward Redesign. Seward Redesign will partner with 4RM+ULA, an architectural design … more

11/30/21

Standish resident Josh Klauck owns or co-owns Angry Catfish, Northern Coffeeworks, Mend Provisions, and Northern Frameworks. He said, "Mostly I like to believe they all go hand-in-hand to create a community hub that has a little something for everyone. You might not be into coffee, bikes, fishing and the outdoors, but you probably connect with one of them and there's conversations that can be shared from there." (Photo by Andrew Nepsund)

Community hub with something for everyone

As Ericsson resident Josh Klauck tells it, he and a few friends were drinking beer at Buster’s on 28th, wondering what was going on with the old hardware store space next door at 4208 S. 28th … more

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN | 11/30/21

This year, anniversary activities were complicated by COVID-19 that restricted indoor gatherings. The banquet was postponed, but a walk was organized. (Photo by Terry Faust)

Becketwood celebrates 35th anniversary with walk down parkway

A month earlier, the West River Parkway had been filled with throngs of runners during the Twin Cities Marathon. But on a breezy November morning, another group of outdoor enthusiasts moved down the … more

By Iric Nathanson | 11/30/21

RETHINK owner Kristen McCoy in an upcycled denim blazer. She explained, “To upcycle is to add value to something in the processing. We’re able to take a worn garment and turn it into something new. We take jeans that are no longer wearable and cut them into denim squares. The result is a reversible blazer that still has a lot of wear. It’s on sale at the shop, and is size fluid (small to large).” (Photos by Margie O’Loughlin)

RETHINK upcycles old clothes with style

Artist and business founder Kristen McCoy has been rethinking the future of fashion for years. Along with her staff at RETHINK Tailoring & Sewing Lounge (3449 Bloomington Ave. S.), she offers an … more

By Margie O’Loughlin | 11/30/21

Jennie Leenay, GFS community member and caretaker of The People’s Closet, with their pup Joyoncé. It's important to Leenay that fashion reaches everyday people, and that people feel connected to themselves and their community. (Photo by Jill Boogren)

The People's Closet makes fashion, political statement

Sometimes a revolutionary act is quiet, unseen. Sometimes it’s loud and worn on a shirtsleeve. At The People’s Closet at George Floyd Square, it’s a little bit of both.Born out of … more

By JILL BOOGREN | 11/30/21

Restart for Hennepin County Sexual Assault Multidisciplinary Action Response Team

The Hennepin County Sexual Assault Multidisciplinary Action Response Team (SMART) hosted and coordinated by the Sexual Violence Center, is Hennepin County’s tool to find systemic solutions to … more

11/30/21

B Line plan moves ahead

B Line bus rapid transit service is to start in 2024, providing a faster connection between St. Paul’s Union Depot and Uptown Minneapolis. The $65 million project’s final corridor and … more

By JANE McCLURE | 11/30/21

Jerrod Brown, a professor at Concordia University in St. Paul, is the program director for a master of arts degree in human services with an emphasis in forensic behavioral health.

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 … more

By Jan Willms | 11/30/21

Tierra Encantada owner Kristen Denzer has been inspired by the ups and downs of parenthood. (Photo submitted)

Tierra Encantada owner releases Christmas book

From starting her own childcare business to writing a children’s book, Kristen Denzer’s ideas have been inspired by the ups and downs of parenthood. Denzer looked around for childcare for … more

By Chloe Peter | 11/30/21

CAMP NENOOCAASI

Sunshine breaks through the clouds of a brisk fall day in Minneapolis as people walk around the Camp Nenoocaasi encampment designed for Indigenous women in South Minneapolis. Flames flicker in a fire … more

By JAN WILLMS | 11/19/21 | 3 comments

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 … more

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN | 10/28/21 | 2 comments

“How is it possible that while the entire world is rising for justice, in Minneapolis police officers are hunting protesters and hunting individuals”? asks Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN). He’s referring to recently released body camera footage from the 2020 uprising in which an officer is heard saying they were going to “hunt” people now.

1,100 experiences with police

Standing with police accountability advocates, partners and supporters, Communities United Against Police Brutality (CUAPB) announced on Oct. 13, 2021 that they had collected 1,100 stories from … more

By JILL BOOGREN | 10/28/21

Under the direction of Courtland Pickens, Youth Choral Ensemble KNOWN Mpls brings high energy and positivity to the stage. Established in 2019, KNOWN is an audition-based community choir for singers ages 12-25.

George Floyd Global Memorial celebrates Floyd’s 48th birthday

On what would have been George Floyd’s 48th birthday, the George Floyd Global Memorial (GFGM), with community members and supporters, hosted “And Still We Rise,” a celebration of … more

By JILL BOOGREN | 10/28/21