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The city council is considering outdoor safe spaces like those in other cities (including Duluth and Denver) to be used instead of encampments in Minneapolis.
Encampment concerns continue
Roosevelt High School comes together to help fellow families during the annual Operation Holiday Basket. An estimated 15,000 baskets have been given out in 54 years as students compete to raise the most donations. Last year's volunteers are shown above. (Photo submitted)
54 years of giving
At the Town Hall meeting, neighbor Marcia Howard reminds people who wish to return to normalcy that George Floyd Square is now a historic landmark, and “what was normal was Black folk dying in the middle of the street.”
Health before aesthetics
Hiawatha Links
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) announces "Hiawatha Links," a new phase of design and engineering work that will build on the long-term plan for Hiawatha Golf Course completed in …
A second run leads to a home run
Longfellow resident Mary Haugh got a second run at life and decided to give vintage homes a second life, too. After surviving an aggressive form of cancer in the prime of her professional marketing …
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 …
Town Hall Lanes Brings Beer, Food, and Fun Together
We are so lucky to have a place that combines America’s three favorite past times in our own neighborhood: great beer, delicious food, and fun-filled bowling. Town Hall Lanes (5019 S 34th Ave.) …
Business - Dec 2024
Ingebretsen’s Gift Shop Turns 50 This year the Ingebrestsen’s Gift Shop celebrates its 50th birthday. Julie Ingebretsen started running a small counter with just a few imported gifts …
Lake Street Safety Center
City Briefs - Dec 2024
2025 city budget, tax levy increase In the next few weeks week city council members will formally consider amendments the Mayor Jacob Frey’s proposed $1.88 billion city budget for 2025 with a …
Minnesota back in a drought
The weather here in Minneapolis has been extreme recently, and drought is something we’ve experienced every year. Although the 2024 drought was not as severe as previous years, rainfall …
Green Party Presidential Candidate Dr. Jill Stein spoke in Crystal and at the GPMN HQ at 4200 Cedar Avenue South in Minneapolis on Oct. 18. As someone who has come to the Green Party specifically because of the party’s support for Palestinian human rights,Wissam Balshe believes the Muslim community will be energized by Stein and the Green Party’s message of peace and a demand for an end to the genocide in Gaza. “This attracted me and many Muslim Americans to join the Green Party,” he said. “I believe this growing Green Muslim movement will continue past the election, especially with more Muslims joining the party leadership ranks at the national and local levels.” Dr. Stein is currently on the ballot in 38 states and running write-in campaigns in another eight states, plus DC, representing a total of 510 potential electoral votes, more than enough to secure the presidency. (Photo submitted)
City Briefs - Nov 2024
Interstate 94 The Minneapolis City Council has passed a resolution updating priorities for the Rethinking I-94 project. The resolution opposes any expansion of lanes and supports highway removal that …
Three killed during shooting at homeless encampment
Two people were shot and killed at a homeless encampment near 44th and Hiawatha on Sunday, Oct. 27. From Council Member Aurin Chowdhury: As many in the Ward 12 Community know and for those …

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Dec 2024 Messenger

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Home & Garden
 Extension programs to keep you busy this winter
If you’ve been following this column the past few years, you will know that I’m a Master Gardener Volunteer through the University of Minnesota Extension. It’s a wonderful program …
Woodworker Bill Dossett (left) and Joe Hayes look over a set of windows being restored. According to Dossett, the dust collection system in the new building is an upgrade that has made a big difference for staff. Plus there's a room just for planing.
Hayes Window expands into new location, offers storm windows
Lost your storm windows over the years? Have windows you can’t open anymore because they were painted shut? Does the glass rattle in the wind? These problems don’t mean that you need to …
Many trees in the community went down in storms over the summer on both private and public land. The very dry conditions of the previous drought damaged tree roots.
What’s up with our trees this year?
Trees are an important part of the landscape in South Minneapolis. They shade our streets and yards, provide habitat for wildlife, improve the air, and reduce the urban heat island effect. If …
How to garden in a small space
Many of us in south Minneapolis have small outdoor spaces, so we need to do more with less. It can be a challenge to make space for a garden alongside everything else we use our yards for – …
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 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 …
Opinion
Donald L. Hammen is a longtime south Minneapolis resident, and serves on the All Elders United for Justice steering committee.
Scared and hurting but hopeful locally
As I start writing, it is as if my words are having to push through feelings of fear and a sense of something being lost. It feels like I am wanting to cry. I'm grieving as I write. It's Nov. 14. I'm …
Cam Gordon is the co-chair of the Green Party of Minnesota. He regular writes for the Southwest Connector and Longfellow Nokomis Messenger, covering government.
Why people vote third party
This year, like most, the campaigning and voting in partisan offices like president, congress, and state legislature, was dominated by the two largest parties – the Democratic Farmer Labor and …
Journalists under fire here in America
Photojournalist Linda Tirado, 42, is dying. When she arrived in Minneapolis to cover the civil conflict after the murder of George Floyd, she had impact-resistant goggles, a respirator, and a large …
Cindy Hollister has worked in the billing department at TMC Publications since 2021.
A different way to vote
Since the age of 18, I have voted in every single general election. Since my mid-30s, I have voted in every single mid-term election. And once Minnesota switched from caucus to primary elections, I …
Donald L. Hammen is a longtime south Minneapolis resident, and serves on the All Elders United for Justice steering committee.
On being a reader of stories and journeys
There comes a time when I am writing Stories and Journeys that I start to sense that I am done writing the column. It's time to click send to the publisher. At that point, I cease to be a writer and …
Rebuild Repair Recycle
It’s one thing to cull outgrown or unused clothes from your closet, but what do you do with a piano that’s outlived its usefulness in your home? Pianocycle is a Public Benefit Corporation …
Marigolds, hollyhocks, cosmos, and black eyed Susans. These are just a few of the late-summer flowers bursting into bloom right now. While many are cutting them for bouquets, farmer Maddy Bartsch is …
For 70 years, Eric Johnson has lived in the shadow of Bethany Church, but that shadow may soon disappear if the building’s current owner, Augsburg University, moves ahead with plans to demolish …

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Aging Well
  Don Fredriksen has dedicated countless hours for www.techforseniors.info through Gifts for Seniors.    Gifts for Seniors has helped older adults live fulfilling lives …
Nokomis Square Cooperative, a senior community, has been happily situated in the Nokomis East Neighborhood since 1984. The residents there are celebrating their 40th anniversary on Sept. 28. There …
There’s always a buzz in the neighborhood when a new business opens, but what about celebrating a business that has shown real staying power?  RoseLee Buechler (Rosie) has owned and …

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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 …
Voices Against Violence
Dr. Catherine Barrett
‘Oppressive’ experience:’ 57 hearings, 80 court orders, 12 parenting time schedules
What do you do when 11 judges and referees, 20 therapists, 12 mediators, two parenting consultants (with 37 directives), one custody evaluator, and one guardian ad litem haven’t been able to …
Police officer Paul Elmstrand, officer Matthew Ruge and firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth
Violence Free Minnesota issues statement on Burnsville Police and EMT domestic violence homicides
Violence Free Minnesota issued the following statement on Tuesday, Feb. 20 to call attention to the full circumstances around Shannon Cortez Gooden's murder of two police officers and an EMT in …
Christmas Eve luminary supports Domestic Abuse Project
For 25 years, the warm glow of hundreds of luminaries have lit Dupont/King’s Highway on Christmas Eve. The annual event not only brings neighbors together, but it has raised over $50,000 for …
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 …
Longfellow
The LCC Shoveling Network helps connect volunteer shovelers with residents in need. Sure, we just had the hottest September weather on record by far, and with record warmth this October, it might be …
The Seward and Longfellow neighborhoods threw a one-of-a-kind party on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. Following a weekend long paint-a-thon, the second stage of a two-year project was unveiled in the late …
Join us for a fun night of cornhole, mingling, and also sign up for Longfellow Business Association membership at our 1st Annual Cornhole Tournament. This event will bring together local business …
Nokomis
Colin Johnston, owner of Steve’s Tire & Auto – with service centers at 54th Street and 34th Avenue as well as 46th Street and Nicollet Avenue – projects a warm, friendly, and …
“When it’s dark, that’s when we shine. It’s like a little beacon,” said Fred DuBose, who opened SunBean coffee shop with his wife, Annie, eight months ago at 4553 S 34th …
Some people spend the entire year looking forward to the State Fair. I prefer Nokomis Days. Our celebration falls on the first weekend of August, but the planning gets underway in the cold, dark days …
Arts
The McKnight Foundation announces the selection of Ricardo Levins Morales as its 2024 Distinguished Artist, an award given annually since 1998. Theater maker Keila Anali Saucedo, who nominated Levins …
36th ART (Avenue Revitalization & Transformation), a resident-led community improvement initiative in South Minneapolis, is deepening its partnership with the Hiawatha Collegiate High School to …
The City of Minneapolis Department of Arts & Cultural Affairs has unveiled two new artist-designed asphalt murals on 21st Avenue in south Minneapolis. The murals are located near Folwell …
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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Citizens have different plan for Roof Depot site

Residents speak: No city project at Roof Depot Site

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Racial Justice
Rise and Remember 2024 (Photo by Jill Boogren)

RISE AND REMEMBER 2024

On May 25, Singer Kashimana and Brass Solidarity led a joyful procession from the solidarity fist at 38th St. and Chicago Ave. to the Say Their Names cemetery, where 400 candles were placed around …

Through Their Eyes
Rise and Remember 2024 (Photo by Jill Boogren)
Rise and Remember 2024 (Photo by Jill Boogren)
Election
What is at stake in the 2024 election personally for you? A recent NBC online news site presented 7 policy issues important to the American people in the 2024 election.  These include the …
The AI Revolution: Navigating Its Impact on Elections In the evolving landscape of democracy, elections have long stood as the cornerstone of citizen participation and political representation. …
As Minnesotans we understand that exercising our right to vote is fundamental to a healthy democracy. In the 2020 National election, MN was #1 in turnout with just under 80% of eligible voters …
Family
By Eric Ortiz Mark Rivard is not your typical educator. He never went to college. He was not that good a student in high school. And he calls himself “uneducated.” But he has found a …
Every artist has an interesting origin story. But nothing compares with how Mark Rivard got started. Rivard began illustrating skateboards with Sharpie markers in the early 2000s. That led to an …
Due in part to high demand, parents who want to place their kids in summer rec programs or summer camps should being vetting such programs and camps well in advance of summer. The following are a …

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School & Sports
Roosevelt Career & Technical Education (CTE) students debuted a rat rod go-kart they constructed on Friday, June 21 at the “50th Annual MSRA Back to the Fifties Weekend” classic and …
In a touching exploration of a life enriched by wanderlust, Nokomis author Autumn Carolynn invites readers to journey with her in her first book "Traveling in Wonder: A Travel Photographer's Tales of …
Ahmed Aden Amin  is the new principal at South High School. In 2021, he was hired as the principal at Sanford Middle School, where he attended school himself. He graduated from Roosevelt High …
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 …
TWO YEARS AFTER AN UPRISING

Breathing new life into 27th and Lake

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Hiawatha Golf Course: 8 years and counting

Update on Hiawatha Golf Course

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Web Extras - Contact us to sponsor content
Travel-hack your way to cheaper vacations
Money.ca explains the practice of travel hacking and how to incorporate it into your life.
Exploring U.S. home square footage trends
SoFi reports that U.S. home sizes have decreased slightly in the past few years due to rising interest rates and home prices.
35 essential business expense categories for businesses of all sizes
Ramp provides a guide to deductible business expenses, including 35 common expense categories for businesses of any size.  
Where people are moving to Florida from
SmartAsset evaluated the latest IRS data to see which households from different states are moving into Florida—and which states Floridians are relocating to.
12 of the best things to do in Amsterdam in winter
GetYourGuide shares 12 of the best things to do and see in Amsterdam this winter.
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