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LET'S CONNECT
Southwest Connector launches 'Let's Connect,' a new community speaker series
Three council members spoke with citizens about the Third Precinct station on Nov. 16, 2023.
Community considers benefits agreement for police
KingDemetrius Pendleton (left) brought in the artwork of Nedahness Rose Greene to Listen 2 Us Studio at 38th and Chicago.
Nedahness Rose Greene photos showing at Listen 2 Us Studio
Airport noise commission holds special meeting Nov. 29
The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) Noise Oversight Committee (NOC) will hold a Special meeting this week on November 29 at 10:15 A.M. at the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) …
36th ART (Avenue Revitalization & Transformation), a resident-led coalition of Seward and Longfellow community stakeholders in partnership with SPRAYFiNGER® and Hiawatha Collegiate High School, have transformed the railroad/Greenway bridge over 36th Avenue South with the production of two 80-foot wall murals. The aging bridge, built in 1908, is part of the final stretch of rail before it crosses the Mississippi River. “The goal was to reimagine the bridge as an interpretive landmark and a connecting point for our two neighborhoods. The vision expanded and we now seek to partner on more public art along the blocks north and south of the bridge,” said Jack Becker, 36th ART Project Manager. The mural was dedicated on Nov. 11, 2023. (Photo submitted)
Murals Transform Railroad/Greenway Bridge Over 36th Avenue South
The goal of the project was to transform the bridge into an attractive, valued gateway between the Seward and Longfellow neighborhoods and to artistically engage high school youth in an initiative to …
Lisa Priest (left) and Bill Baldus chat about the future of the playground at the closed Cooper school. Priest lives within two blocks of the school and her children play there regularly. She started PlayMPLS to save the playground and has lots of ideas on how that could happen.
Community rallies to save Cooper School playground
The community objection to the Minneapolis Public School (MPS) district’s announcement to demolish the playground at the now-closed Cooper school convinced the district to delay the demolition …
Aurin Chowdhury will replace Ward 12's Andrew Johnson soon.
Election results in south Minneapolis
The Longfellow-Nokomis area will see few changes in city council representation following the Nov. 7, 2023 election where all 13 Minneapolis City Council seats were on the ballot and all the …
Arnée Martin credits the guranteed income program for giving her more confidence to pursue her art.
Guaranteed income for artists
Arnée Martin wanted 100 rejections.  “The worst they can say is no,” Martin said.  As an artist applying for grants and scholarships, the TikTok trend of …
Collaborating together on the
‘Inside Senior Living’ docu-series explores aging
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 …
Community Co-Creation Team partners to conduct independent survey on George Floyd Square
The 38th and Chicago Community Co-Creation Team (the CCT) has partnered with the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) at the University of Minnesota and the McKnight Foundation to design and …
A new sign says
Overlook renamed along West River Parkway
On Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) Commissioners voted to name a previously unnamed overlook near the intersection of West River Parkway and East 44th Street …
Jennifer Polzin
Tubman raising funds to add pet shelter
Tubman, an innovative organization dedicated to providing support and resources to individuals and families affected by domestic violence and trauma, is raising funds to add a pet shelter. Tubman's …

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Dec 2023 Messenger

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AWARD WINNING NEWSPAPERS

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 …
Citizens have different plan for Roof Depot site

Residents speak: No city project at Roof Depot Site

Read more about the Roof Depot issue

Rebuild Repair Recycle
It has been over three years since Gandhi Mahal, a well-known and popular restaurant at 3009 27th Ave. S. in Minneapolis, was burned down during the social uprising following the death of George …
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 …
D&J Glove Repair welcomes the opportunity to bring back the glory days of your baseball glove. “As far as I know, our repair business is the only stand-alone shop in the U.S.,” …

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Facebbok
Aging Well
With affordable housing a priority at all levels of government, state and local commissioners and elected officials joined leaders from Ecumen – a nonprofit leader and developer  of …
Thirty-five years ago, at Thanksgiving, I moved to Minnesota from my Philadelphia home. I relocated back to my hometown in time for Passover and Easter. In November 1988, the Twin Cities were cold …
Some time ago, after suffering the shocking and unexpected loss of my still young husband, Martijn, while we were living in Europe, I experienced what is called traumatic grief. In addition to a year …

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Opinion
Donald L. Hammen is a longtime south Minneapolis resident, and serves on the All Elders United for Justice steering committee.
I'm still pondering Medicare, Medigap and Advantage Plans
MORE ON MEDICARE DURING  OPEN ENROLLMENT This is more about what I am thinking, learning experiencing in my life as an elder. In the interest of full disclosure, as I write I am wearing my …
The South Minneapolis-based organization COPAL launched a Minnesota to Puerto Rico delegation this year. The cohort included elected officials such as Senate Majority Leader Bobby Champion and partners such as the Minnesota Environmental Partnership and the Latino Economic Devlopment Center. (Photos submitted)
The 'power' of community in Puerto Rico
Power is generated: electric power, community power, people power. This past August, a delegation of fifteen Minnesotans visited the island of Puerto Rico to learn from communities on the frontlines …
Letters - December 2023
How about a shoveling contest? Last winter may have been the worst winter for ice that I’d seen in all my 63 years. I often found it challenging to walk on the sidewalks, even when …
2023 Ranked Choice Voting Elections in Minnesota: Bloomington, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, St. Louis Park and St. Paul
This fall, Bloomington, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, St. Louis Park, and St. Paul all used ranked choice voting for their municipal elections and were among 21 cities in seven states using ranked choice …
Trusted and reliable, local newspapers matter to their communities
A recent Gallup study showed that America’s confidence in the national mass media has reached a near record low. While that’s disturbing, it’s not unexpected.  The digital age …
Voices Against Violence
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 …
CAUGHT BETWEEN
She lived in Minnesota for only five months and her daughter was born in Iowa, but Dani* has been dragged into family court in Minnesota nearly every one of the past 11 years by her ex-boyfriend. …
Colorado becomes the first state to limit court use of family reunification camps
A bill signed into law this week in Colorado prohibits family courts from ordering children to participate in reunification programs that isolate them from a trusted caregiver. Many of these programs …
A court ordered siblings to a reunification camp with their estranged father. The children say it was abusive.
One Thursday afternoon in December, a father and two of his estranged children boarded a flight from Salt Lake City to Texas, beginning an effort to repair their fractured relationship. A family …
Longfellow
Well friends, my time in office has come to an end. I want to thank you, the people of Ward 12, for giving me the opportunity to serve you over the past decade, and for your tremendous support along …
Calling all pizza lovers! Last month Longfellow Community Council hosted our first-ever pizza party, and it won’t be our last. Thanks to the 100+ neighbors who came out to the Toolbox …
Ben Howery joined LCC in August of 2023 after recently completing his undergraduate in urban studies. He joins the team from the Southeast Como Improvement Association where he gained experience in …
Nokomis
Did you know that a number of members of the Nokomis East Business Association (NEBA) both live and operate their businesses within the Nokomis community?   NEIL OXENDALE Neil …
“Part of why I like being a teacher is because I have more ideas than I could possibly do myself. I love being able to say ‘Here are a bunch of ideas!’ and watch others bring them …
They say it takes a village. We say it takes a special neighborhood. Add a small but dedicated group of volunteers and passionate businesses, and you have Nokomis Days. Our Nokomis Days celebration …
Arts
Arnée Martin wanted 100 rejections.  “The worst they can say is no,” Martin said.  As an artist applying for grants and scholarships, the TikTok trend of …
  More than a dozen dancers took their show on the road, literally, Oct. 8, 2023, by bringing a flashmob to Open Streets Lyndale.  In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage …
With a whirlwind of color, choreography and music, the South Asian Arts & Theater House (SAATH) brought the stage to life with a recent performance at the Cowles Center (528 Hennepin Ave.) to …
MESSENGER CELEBRATES 40 YEARS
Cal deRuyter and Tim Nelson began and ended their careers in neighborhood journalism. In 1977, their office was at Thomas and Fairview in St. Paul. (Photo submitted)
How a newspaper business developed
When I was chosen to be co-editor of our high school paper, it was exciting to learn the ropes of planning a publication, assigning stories, cleaning them up and eventually putting them on the page …
At Uptown Bill's, the coffeeshop, bookstore and performance venue in Iowa City which Tom Gilsenan managed for almost 10 years.
SO MANY STORIES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS
Our neighborhoods are full of wonderful stories. And for more than a dozen years, I got to tell those stories right here in the Messenger. It was grand. Minnehaha Falls is full of stories. It has …
20 years with neighborhood newspapers
It has been nearly 20 years since I handed in my first story to the Longfellow Messenger, and it is hard to believe the time has passed so quickly. I had arrived in Saint Paul from Montana with two …
Lewis Duemke
THE MOVERS AND THE SHAKERS
The Longfellow-Nokomis Messenger is not only one of Minneapolis’ oldest neighborhood newspapers, it is part of a long tradition of such Minneapolis and St. Paul publications.Coverage of city …
Carola Bratt wrote and edited for the Messenger when it was owned by the Milbraths.
Staff members through the years

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Home & Garden
There are a number of options for hydroponic systems – ways to a grow plants directly in water, without soil. (Photo submitted)
Consider hydroponic gardening
Although it’s been a mild fall so far, winter is rapidly approaching. Something that has always helped me maintain a good attitude despite Minnesota’s cold, snow, and short days, is …
Plants with berries (such as winterberry, shown here) and those with unique bark and stem colors (such as dogwood) add color during winter months. Add winter interest by leaving stems and flowers intact rather than cutting them down in the fall. (Photo submitted)
Planting for winter interest
The days are getting shorter and it’s almost time to wrap up the gardening season. When planning garden spaces, we often think about staggering bloom times so we can enjoy beautiful flowers …
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. …
Bulbs come in different sizes. Above (left to right) are daffodil, tulip, and crocus bulbs. At right is a hardy allium, a decorative onion that features a large, puffy flower on a tall stalk. (Photo submitted)
Tips for planting fall bulbs
Now that the days are becoming noticeably shorter and nights are getting colder, you may think the planting season is over. However, fall is the perfect time to put some hardy bulbs in the ground for …
Essentially, a rain garden is a low-lying garden bed with plants that can tolerate standing water. Some excellent rain garden plants include Purple Coneflower, Joe-Pye Weed, Prairie Blazing Star, Cardinal Flower, and Little Bluestem. There are also some shrubs and small trees that can thrive in a rain garden, such as Serviceberry and Chokecherry. Rain gardens are generally low maintenance because they use deep-rooted native plants that naturally thrive in our climate.(Photo submitted)
Rain gardens help during times of drought
Each summer – and especially in recent years – Minnesota experiences some degree of drought. When it does rain, it’s best to keep rainwater on your property and allow it to soak …
Racial Justice
Rashad Cobb (holding microphone) stands with family in grief over the loss at the hands of state troopers of his twin brother, Ricky Cobb II. “What are we gonna do for us, as citizens, together…? I’m a peaceful person. I don’t really agree with violence.”

‘Enough is enough’

Community members stood with the family of Ricky Cobb II at George Floyd Square on Aug. 5, 2023 to offer support and demand justice for Cobb, who was fatally shot on July 31 by a Minnesota State …

Through Their Eyes
Rashad Cobb (holding microphone) stands with family in grief over the loss at the hands of state troopers of his twin brother, Ricky Cobb II. “What are we gonna do for us, as citizens, together…? I’m a peaceful person. I don’t really agree with violence.”
Rashad Cobb (holding microphone) stands with family in grief over the loss at the hands of state troopers of his twin brother, Ricky Cobb II. “What are we gonna do for us, as citizens, together…? I’m a peaceful person. I don’t really agree with violence.”
Rashad Cobb (holding microphone) stands with family in grief over the loss at the hands of state troopers of his twin brother, Ricky Cobb II. “What are we gonna do for us, as citizens, together…? I’m a peaceful person. I don’t really agree with violence.”
Rashad Cobb (holding microphone) stands with family in grief over the loss at the hands of state troopers of his twin brother, Ricky Cobb II. “What are we gonna do for us, as citizens, together…? I’m a peaceful person. I don’t really agree with violence.”
Rashad Cobb (holding microphone) stands with family in grief over the loss at the hands of state troopers of his twin brother, Ricky Cobb II. “What are we gonna do for us, as citizens, together…? I’m a peaceful person. I don’t really agree with violence.”
Longfellow Business Directory articles
Ekta Prakash moved to Minneapolis 20 years ago as an immigrant from India and has served as CAPI’s CEO for the last 14 years.
A BETTER BUSINESS AS USUAL
Since we last printed the Longfellow Business Directory in early 2020, our business community, landscape and daily rhythms have been substantially and irrevocably changed. COVID-19 has presented a …
Ruhel Islam at the Gandhi Mahal site. Photo by Jan Willms
LONGFELLOW RISING
The year 2020 was challenging for the Longfellow business community, particularly in the main commercial intersection of Lake Street and Minnehaha Avenue referred to as Downtown Longfellow. The COVID …
As we heal the Coliseum, it is a sign that the broader community along Lake St. is healing. Taylor Smrikarova, Redesign
RESTORING THE COLISEUM
The Colisum, a community commercial center since 1917, was almost destroyed following the civil unrest after the murder of George Floyd. In order to restore this historic 80,000 square-foot building, …
Mother Earth Gardens
COMMUNITY VOICES
1) “We are asking questions about what our community needs, trying to use our space and resources to meet those needs, and trying to hold onto connections and awakenings that have been made …
A LONGFELLOW PARTNERSHIP
The Longfellow Business Directory has been an important part of the Longfellow community going back to the 1990s. It was started to help foster better communication within the business community, and …
Election
Aurin Chowdhury

Election results in south Minneapolis

The Longfellow-Nokomis area will see few changes in city council representation following the November 7 election results where all 13 Minneapolis City Council seats were on the ballot and all the …

Family

Christmas church services

Bethlehem Covenant Church3141 43rd Ave. S. • 612-721-5768www.bethlehemcov.org Pastor Colleen Nelson(Handicapped Accessible)Traditional Service – 9 AMContemporary Service –10:30 …

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School & Sports

Talking healthy school lunches with U of M

All students in the state of Minnesota will get free breakfast and lunch starting this next school year.  With more children now likely to eat two meals a day at school, many parents are …

TWO YEARS AFTER AN UPRISING

Breathing new life into 27th and Lake

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Hiawatha Golf Course: 8 years and counting

Dakota elder weighs in on debate over Hiawatha Golf

Read more about Hiawatha Golf Course

Web Extras - Contact us to sponsor content
Metros with the highest share of business travelers and their top destinations
TravelPerk used data from the National Household Travel Survey to rank metro areas by long-distance business trips.
The history of dog food and nutrition, from hunting to the raw food movement
Ollie looked at news articles, research journals, and historical sources to outline the major milestones in the history of dog food and nutrition.
Where to find women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ owned businesses to support this holiday season
Flowcode compiled a list of five resources to help discover women-, BIPOC-, and LGBTQ+-owned businesses this holiday season.
Black people spend longer in the hospital after giving birth. Here's why
Northwell Health partnered with Stacker to examine data from the Department of Health and Human Services to see which states have the most significant disparities in the length of pregnancy-related hospital stays for Black people.
5 effective studying methods for every kind of student
Everyone learns differently—Numerade outlined five study techniques to help students find the studying method that's most effective for them.
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