Columns | 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.

Extremism leaves everything out of whack

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Sometimes, it feels like the whole world has gone crazy, and we're all on one big hamster … more

By Eric Ortiz | 8/3/22

Are we accomplishing enough with the Jan. 6 hearings?

Without an obstructionist Republican megaphone, these hearings are both coherent and revealing – nothing like what you get when one party is doing everything they can to obscure any progress or … more

By Larry LaVercombe | 8/3/22

Dawn2Dusk farm provides land, infrastructure, and sharing of knowledge of farming and markets, as well as building community to beginning farmers through 1-on-1 support. (Photo by Susan Schaefer)

FARMERS MARKETS

Summer in the cities finds metro residents flocking like sheep to partake of the bounty offered at more than 15 local farmers market from various neighborhood locations. (See sidebar on page 3.) … more

By SUSAN SCHAEFER | 8/2/22

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

WRITING WITH A SENSE OF GRATITUDE

Gratitude for the life of my brother, Richard A. Hammen, an out-of-town reader of the Messenger. Reader as long as his powers of comprehension were intact. Gratitude for the fact that he was the … more

By Donald L. Hammen | 8/2/22

You can learn a lot from youth sports coaching

Sports have been around since the dawn of human civilization thousands of years ago. But organized community youth sports are a little younger. They got started in the mid-1800s and became an … more

By Eric Ortiz | 7/27/22

A LOOK BACK AT OUR HISTORY-MAKING, 2021 RANKED-CHOICE ELECTION

The 2021 city elections in Minneapolis were historic. We had record-setting turnout, the highest for a municipal election in over 45 years, and elected a city council that has, for the first time in … more

7/27/22

The words are easy, the work is hard

Law and policy are comprised of words, but it takes committed action to create change. As the new year began in 1863, President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation took effect. However, it … more

By Reva Chamblis | 7/27/22

Larry LaVercombe (left) meets with Ward 13 Council Member Linea Palmisano at the 50-foot, publicly owned right-of-way in Linden Hills.

Part 2: Can we improve parking in Linden Hills village?

In the last Connector, I wrote about the parking issues in Linden Hills, and while a big part of me wants to take a break from this topic and write about both “Dobbs V. Roe” and the Jan. … more

By Larry LaVercombe | 7/27/22 | 1 comment

Michele Rae, RPh, MA, NBC-HWC is the founder of The Center Within, LLC and author of “Living From the Center Within: Co-Creating Who You Are Becoming.” She provides holistic coaching designed to accelerate and support personal, professional, and organizational transformation.

Get outside: It’s good for you!

Were you able to get outside over the Fourth of July long weekend? I was lucky enough to swim in a lake, listen to loons and enjoy a picnic with friends and family. We are so fortunate to have access … more

By Michele Rae | 7/27/22

Sandy Forseth creates opportunities for the community to make chalk mandalas. She will be at Art on the Edge in Linden Hills on Saturday, July 23.

Meet chalk mandala artist Sandy Forseth

Sandy Forseth will be creating a chalk mandala for “Art on the Edge” in Linden Hills on Saturday, July 23. Learn more about her. Tell me a little about who Sandy is…I am a … more

By Suzie Marty | 7/13/22

New fellowship to help youth find their purpose

I heard a terrible story the other day from my friend. The story started with a young man arguing with his mom on a hot morning in Minneapolis. It ended with his death. After the argument, he shot … more

By Eric Ortiz | 7/13/22

Can we improve parking in Linden Hills village?

The Linden Hills Village at 43rd and Upton is one of the most vibrant neighborhood business nodes in all of Minnesota. We have award winning restaurants (and chefs!), wonderful coffee shops, a toy … more

By Larry LaVercombe | 7/13/22

Civic leader Joan Voderbruggen was a driving force behind the Prince Mural Project. (Photo by Susan Schaefer)

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 … more

By SUSAN SCHAEFER | 6/21/22

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 … more

By Donald L. Hammen | 6/21/22

The simple things in life are often the best. (Laney Smith/Unsplash)

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, … more

6/19/22

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 … more

6/16/22

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 … more

By Michele Rae | 6/16/22

The 17th Annual Linden Hills Woofstock will be Minnesota biggest party for dogs.

(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 … more

By Larry LaVercombe | 6/16/22

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 … more

By Suzie Marty | 6/2/22

Gabby Giffords and husband, Mark Kelly, a senator and astronaut. (Courtesy 'Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down')

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 … more

By Larry LaVercombe | 6/2/22