Opinion | Southwest Connector

Eric Ortiz lives in the Wedge with his family. When he’s not community building, he’s the director of media for Big Edition and writes bilingual children’s books with his kids. Their first book, “How the Zookalex Saved the Village,” is available in English and Spanish.

We need to make kids America's top priority

It's hard to get a consensus on anything in the United States these days. But one issue unites the whole country. According to " The State of Kids and Families in America 2024 ," a report from … more

By Eric Ortiz | 4/17/24

Donald L. Hammen is a longtime south Minneapolis resident, and serves on the All Elders United for Justice steering committee.

Encounters and conversations

So far in 2024, I have been showing up for more meetings and events in-person or via Zoom. In person showing up has been enabled by three factors. 1) The mild winter weather enabling me to be out and … more

By Donald L. Hammen | 4/17/24

Letters - Apr 2024

Thanks for your coverage Thanks to Cam Gordon for his coverage of the March 2 rally on Lyndale Avenue, and the contrasting viewpoints of the two participating groups on the reconstruction … more

4/17/24

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% … more

By Larry LaVercombe | 4/17/24

Mercado Central, the Latino marketplace at the corner of Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue in Minneapolis.

Mercado Central keeps teaching community ‘How to buy the pond’

Mexico City is 2,106 miles from Minneapolis. But you don't have to travel that far to experience authentic Latino culture. The Mercado Central , or Central Market, is a few minutes from any … more

By Eric Ortiz | 3/26/24

Prior to starting Ambit, Chuck was a Big Four Consulting Manager in the Data & Digital Trust practice advising the Big Tech industry through the dynamic internet regulatory landscape to create safer digital experiences for everyone.

Engaging the next generation of news consumers

Social media and the internet have fundamentally disrupted how news is consumed and how that news is monetized. News consumers are increasingly reading their news on social sites, enabling social … more

By Chuck Peters | 3/20/24

Weighing in on legislation

Dear Reader, you have continued to tell me your Medicare stories via tesha@tmcpub.com . A Southwest Connector reader, Judy M., has written to tell me her Medicare Advantage story and her … more

By Donald L. Hammen | 3/20/24

We’ve set our priorities in Ward 7 office

I am thrilled to be writing in after my first two months in office, a period during which my new team has come together and jumped right into the work, learning the ins and outs of the city … more

By Katie Cashman | 3/20/24

Letters - Mar 2024

We like ucare medicare advantage plan Read your column in the Southwest Connector on Medicare Advantage plans. Would like to point out the following: Medicare … more

3/20/24

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, "Cómo el Zookalex Salvó al Pueblo", está disponible en inglés y español.

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 … more

Por Eric Ortiz | 2/14/24

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. … more

By Eric Ortiz | 2/14/24

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 … more

By Larry LaVercombe | 2/14/24

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. … more

1/29/24

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 … more

By Tesha M. Christensen | 1/24/24

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 … more

By Donald L. Hammen | 1/24/24

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 … more

By Eric Ortiz | 1/18/24

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 … more

By Donald L. Hammen | 1/18/24

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 … more

By Terry Faust | 12/21/23

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 … more

12/15/23

“Human beings are meant to be connected,” stated author Marissa Bader (right) of Linden Hills in response to a question posed by local journalist Eric Ortiz during the first Let’s Connect Coffee Time on Dec. 1, 2023. The next event will be on Jan. 12, 9-10 a.m. at Everett & Charlie art gallery.

Marissa Bader spreads joy to the world

Be a kind human. That has been Marissa Bader's life goal since her dad taught her that how we treat others matters, that no human is less or more important than any other, and to always treat … more

By Eric Ortiz | 12/14/23