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Chee Xiong (left) attends the Weaving Water Workshop on June 21, 2025 in downtown Minneapolis to explore indigo dyeing. She said, “I’m a Hmong person interested in the traditional way fabric was produced to make clothing in Hmong society. Most fabric is now produced and dyed by machine; I want to learn the process in which its dyed by hand. Joe Lopez (right) is a Minneapolis-based physical therapist and gardener. He has grown indigo in his home garden for the last two summers, and is experimenting with different solutions for mixing dyes.
We are water MN
By Margie O’Loughlin Minnesota is known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes – water shapes the landscapes, communities, and way of life. Almost everywhere you look, there is water. The … more
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DUAL BENEFIT
Minneapolis will soon be able to produce its own biochar, bringing the city one step closer to its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. This spring, the city will break ground on a new biochar … more
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They wanted to save the boulevard trees along six blocks of 29th Ave. and they came together to do just that. Then they celebrated together at Arbeiter Brewing. (Photo by submitted)
Motivated by a common goal
Residents along six blocks of 29th Ave. S have banded together to save 40 ash trees. “These are public trees that the whole community benefits from,” observed Loey Colebeck. “Many … more
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The Minnesota Toy Library is for parents, grandparents, educators, occupational therapists, and mostly, for kids, to come and choose toys that are fun and that help them learn. MTL Executive Director Rebecca Nutter said, “We can’t just keep consuming things. We need to do better.” (Photo submitted)
Minnesota Toy Library opens third metro location
The Minnesota Toy Library (MTL) is a toy lending program for families with children ages birth to five years. Members can check-out up to five toys at a time, and take them home for 2-4 weeks. And … more
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Aaron Blaser, owner of the Curioso Coffee Bar in Seven Points mall, said he has a “guarded optimism” about Uptown’s future. He believes in its potential “to be a real point of interest,” and thinks that having street construction wrap up will make a big difference.
Uptown: Reimagined
With significant street construction coming to an end along Hennepin Avenue from 31st to 28th Streets, Uptown is ready for a renaissance – French for rebirth. “I think we’re on the … more
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The Green Line Extension crosses the Kenilworth Channel on a bridge and then dips underground to travel under Cedar Lake Parkway. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
Constructing a tunnel
The Kenilworth Tunnel is expected to be complete in the first quarter of 2025. On July 31, 2024, Met Transit reached a major milestone when the lowest element of the tunnel was done. In September, … more
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Ericsson resident Jessica Wyn Miller (right), an entomologist, leads a Bug Club adventure into the world of bugs near her Minnehaha Creek-side home. She has found that her work as an artist intersects with insects.“I got excited for aquatic insects when I found out they reflect the health of a water," she recalled.
She hated bugs – so she decided to become an entomologist
Jessica Miller still shrieks sometimes when a spider jumps on her, but the south Minneapolis environmental entomologist has found that makes her more approachable when she’s teaching classes on … more
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Drew Kerr, a Linden Hills resident who works for Met Transit, stands near the closed main intersection at Upton and 43rd. It will be fully closed for about 10 weeks as the city completes a water and sewer project at the same time as Met Transit does work on the E Line. After the city’s work is finished, the intersection will be partially closed. Local businesses have maps available to show where customers can park.
Fast, frequent, all-day service
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 … more
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As the city prepares to tear down the old Kmart building, it considers how to reconnect Nicollet Ave. Over 500 residents attended an open house on Oct. 10, and 1,200 people responded to a survey by Oct. 12.
What do people think?
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 … more
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Motorists can’t cross Lyndale at 25th anymore, but pedestrians and bicyclists can use the median to pause while crossing. Last summer, the two lanes in either direction were changed to one lane in either direction with a center turning lane. The pilot project was deemed successful as crashes and injuries have been reduced.
Lyndale safer since 4-to-3 conversion
The reduction of traffic lanes on Lyndale Ave from 31st St. to Franklin Ave. has improved safety and will remain in place.   Called the “4-3 Lane Pilot Project,” Hennepin … more
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The Wilson’s back porch was opened up through careful deconstruction by a Better Futures crew. (Photo submitted)
Why throw away a house when parts can be reused?
From early 20th Century thrift to building cabins from contractor cast-offs, building materials reuse had long been an informal norm. But in a more recent world, entire houses have been thrown in the … more
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“You’re talking about our children breathing. You’re talking about our children living past 25 and not having heart issues that we don’t understand where they got them. It’s our future and our children,” said Jolene Jones on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at the Roof Depot site.
Residents speak: No city project at Roof Depot Site
For the Indigenous people and allies living in south Minneapolis, the Roof Depot conflict is an issue of life or death. And they can back it up with data.Their decade-long fight to stop a city-run … more
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Cassandra Holmes at the Roof Depot site on Tuesday evening, Feb. 21, 2023. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
PROTESTING CITY’S PLANS FOR ROOF DEPOT SITE
Over a hundred Minneapolis Police Officers and 50 squads shut down an eight-block radius around the Roof Depot site on Tuesday evening, Feb. 21, 2023, at about 6:15 p.m., and forcibly removed … more
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Carol Dungan submitted a statement on behalf of the Standish Ericsson Neighborhood Association Board, and then said she had a personal note for the MPRB board members. “I am deeply offended at the way some board members have addressed our community,” she said. “The misinformation coming from this board is unchecked and we deserve better. I would like you to consider giving us an apology for the op-ed that appeared today [in the Star Tribune].”
Is lake unsafe due to pollution from golf course?
The Hiawatha Golf Course Master Plan is heading to a public hearing, another meeting in a long line of contentious meetings since the course flooded in 2014 and the public learned how much pumping is … more
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Writers and editors celebrate the launch of “We Are Meant To Rise: Voices of Justice from Minneapolis to the World.” Left to right: Tess Montgomery, Samantha Sencer-Mura, Carolyn Holbrook, David Mura, Anika Fajardo, and Suleiman Adan. (Photo by Terry Faust)
Diversity of Twin Cities highlighted in anthology
Carolyn Holbrook loves to bring people together to discuss difficult issues. As an educator, author and advocate for the healing power of the arts, she has spent much of her life doing just that. … more
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East Cedar Lake beach will remain natural. A formalized event area and a concert area with natural materials is proposed, and some new soft surface trails will be added. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
No new structures on Cedar or Lake of the Isles
There are no new permanent structures in the revised master plan for Cedar Lake and Lake of the Isles.That means no picnic pavilions. No new bathroom facilities. No rental kiosks. These items were … more
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"We are committed to helping communities build connections through conversation and we will do our best to help however we are able," said Chelsea Rowles.
LIVING ROOM CONVERSATIONS
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 … more
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Xe Moua (left), with sisters Youa, Linda and Anna Yang of North Minneapolis, fish for bass in the Kenilworth Channel between Lake of the Isles and Cedar Lake on May 15. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
A SANCTUARY IN THE CITY
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 … more
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Both retail stores carry three main brands of computers: Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and Lenovo. Large quantities of computers are sold to schools and non-profits, but community members are welcome to shop, too. Wil James is the store manager of the St. Paul store. (Photo by Margie O’Loughlin)
Tech Dump recycles almost anything with a cord or battery
The non-profit electronics recycler Tech Dump just celebrated its 10th anniversary. With retail outlets now in St. Paul and Golden Valley, they provide an affordable, reliable source of refurbished … more
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