A.J. MacDonald

About me

A.J. MacDonald (ajmacdonald@tcdailyplanet.net) is a journalism student at the University of Minnesota.

workaround

Boom Bap Village 2011 festival to showcase Hmong hip-hop culture

By A.J. MacDonald, TC Daily Planet

Artists and enthusiasts will unite in St. Paul July 1 for Boom Bap Village 2011, a Hmong hip-hop event featuring breakdancing, documentary screenings, Hmong food, and a community arts project for attendees to participate in.MORE »

Cleaning the Central Corridor in St. Paul, courtesy of the EPA

By A.J. MacDonald, TC Daily Planet

The construction-burdened Central Corridor can seem like a messy ordeal to drivers, walkers, bikers, and bus riders, but a cleaner future lies ahead. University Avenue property owners in St. Paul could receive aid to get the ball rolling on future developments due to a $1 million grant awarded through the EPA’s Brownfield Program.
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Bike Walk Week celebrations continue

By A.J. MacDonald, TC Daily Planet

Bike Walk to Work Day was marked by a downtown Minneapolis celebration at the Hennepin County Government Center Plaza on June 9. The event was part of the fourth annual Bike Walk Week initiative to encourage transportation without vehicles taking place from June 4-12 this year.
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Regla de Oro opens for Christmas in South Minneapolis

By A.J. MacDonald, TC Daily Planet

The bustling Uptown intersection of Lake Street and Lyndale Avenue welcomed a new gallery and fair trade store among the area's numerous restaurants and shops with the grand opening of Regla de Oro November 20. The space adds Latin American flavor and social justice awareness to the popular Lyn-Lake restaurant and shop destination. MORE »

Low-paid workers ask retail companies to clean up their act

By A.J. MacDonald, TC Daily Planet

UPDATED 11/22/2010—"I was fired for standing up for my rights," Patricia Gil, who used to work cleaning a Lunds & Byerly's grocery store, said through a translator.MORE »

Sweeping changes, some closures ahead for St. Paul parks and recreation centers

By A.J. MacDonald, TC Daily Planet

A draft of the St. Paul Parks and Recreation System Plan, proposing sweeping changes to parks, buildings, and other recreational facilities across the city, sparked discussion at the first of five public meetings, held November 3 at the Hillcrest Recreation Center. The proposed closing of the Duluth and Case Recreation Center, located at 1020 Duluth St. in East St. Paul, and added dog parks were attendees' main concerns. MORE »

Spero's social conscience shapes business plans

By A.J. MacDonald, TC Daily Planet

"Social responsibility in entrepreneurship. That's what we're all about," said Rebecca Brandt-Fontaine, General Contractor of Spero Properties, LLC, a home remodeling company working to revitalize housing in the Twin Cities. MORE »

Community Sings Saturday night in Minneapolis

By A.J. MacDonald, TC Daily Planet

A Community Sing will be held at the Eagles Club at 2507 E. 25th St. at 7:30 p.m. Saturday October 9 as the second event in the effort by Minnesota Community Sings to reinstate a retired Minneapolis tradition.MORE »

VISUAL ARTS | Intermedia Arts faces "Legacies of War" in Laos and Minnesota

By A.J. MacDonald, TC Daily Planet

The floor isn't usually something that grabs your attention—let alone alarms you—when you enter an art exhibit. But the yellow dots beneath your feet at Legacies of War might inspire a double take when you are prompted to imagine that they are bombs, posing the threat of detonation at any moment. MORE »