Youth Performance Company empowers young adults with ‘Just Before Sleep’

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YPC offices return to Prospect Park neighborhood
Ask any elementary school teacher or parent: children and young adults contribute a great deal, but working with them on a daily basis — especially over many years — can be trying. Almost 20 years after establishing the Youth Performance Company (YPC), there is no trace of burnout or cynicism in founder and acting Artistic Director Jacie Knight. A graduate of Augsburg College, Knight is an impassioned advocate for youth empowerment through artistic expression. “We’re here to promote young artists in the community,” said Knight. “We want to listen to them, and what they feel is important.”
“Just Before Sleep”Sept. Continue Reading

SNG looks to rebuild after financial collapse

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Staff laid off as NRP penalty and financial problems surface
After apparently pulling itself out of debt in 2003 after the mismanagement of Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) funds, the Seward Neighborhood Group (SNG) once again finds itself in the red. Since July 2003, when recently resigned Executive Director Lori Stone took the helm, SNG has raised roughly a half million dollars in foundation grants, employed full- and part-time staff and managed a number of community programs.
The success has proven unsustainable, however. By mid-September — less than a month after Stone left the organization — the group’s checking account was overdrawn by $1,000, said current Board Treasurer Kevin Brown, and there was no money to meet payroll. On Sept. 14, the SNG Board of Directors was forced to lay off all its paid staff, as more and more evidence of financial trouble began to surface. Continue Reading

Seward Neighborhood Group in financial and organizational disarray — REVISED SEPT. 16

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Correction: In the original version of this article, posted online on Friday, Sept. 14, The Bridge stated that a call had been placed to former SNG Executive Director Lori Stone, and that it had not been immediately returned. In fact, Stone did not receive that call; the message that was left was not at her phone number. We apologize for the mistake; the following story has been revised appropriately. What appeared at first to be a time of transition has become a much tougher trial for the Seward Neighborhood Group (SNG), as years of financial mismanagement and current funding shortfalls come to light. Continue Reading

Oak Street Cinema reopens with Bergman festival

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Free screening, blockbuster preview also set for September
After a brief summer hiatus, Minnesota Film Arts (MFA) returns this month to the Oak Street Cinema, 309 SE Oak St., with a pair of feature films and a week-and-a-half-long tribute to legendary Swedish director Ingmar Bergman, who died July 30 at the age of 89. The Oak Street’s resurrection begins Thursday, Sept. 6 at 7:30 p.m. with a free screening of director Jospeh Grieco’s “Canvas,” which tells the story of 10-year-old Chris Marino as he and his parents struggle to deal with his mother’s schizophrenia and his father’s injury, according to an Oak Street press release. Grieco will be in attendance for the film, presented by the University of Minnesota Psychiatry Interest Group and sponsored by the university’s Department of Psychology and The Wasie Foundation. MFA will showcase Begrman’s films Sept. Continue Reading

Harry’s brings fine-dining flair to American classics

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As head chef at the new Harry’s Food and Cocktails, Steven Brown wants to democratize haute cuisine, to bring his gourmet sensibilities to the people — and as often as possible. “I don’t want to see people four times a year,” said Brown, whose last chef’s gig was topping the white-linen tables at Levain, which closed in South Minneapolis last new year’s eve. “I want to see them once a week. We want to see people come back over and over and over again.”
Brown said he employs the same principles of cooking at Harry’s that he did at Levain. “It’s just a different genre of food,” he said. Continue Reading

Officials disagree over LRT for new 35W bridge

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Public meetings on LRT, bridge reconstruction set for this week
As people look ahead to the future in the wake of the 35W bridge collapse, some have said the design of a new bridge should incorporate Light Rail Transit (LRT), specifically a reconfigured Central Corridor line. With the planning of the new bridge on the fast track — for possible completion in the fall of 2008 — state and Metropolitan Council officials are recommending against including LRT. Planning for the replacement bridge project has moved along quickly, to the concern of some local residents. The first design of the bridge will be released this afternoon. Mayor R.T. Rybak has lobbied for the bridge to incorporate LRT, or at least for the governor to investigate the possibility. Continue Reading

Local businesses and officials discuss economic, transportation impacts of bridge collapse

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Deadline for disaster relief contact is end of day, Wednesday, Aug. 8
Representatives of local businesses gathered at Augsburg College on Aug. 7 with local, state and federal officials the hear and speak about the effects of the 35W bridge collapse and what is being done to mitigate the impact. “It’s going to be along haul that we’re going to have to work through,” said County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin (District 5). “It will take the help of the business people to make it work,” he said, calling for their “work, support and patience.”
Bob Lind, manager of business finance for the city’s Community Planning and Economic Development department (CPED), urged local businesses who may experience financial or other impacts from the disaster to email him at Bob.Lind@ci.minneapolis.mn.us by the end of the day on Wednesday, Aug. Continue Reading

Elected officials connect with neighborhoods immediately affected by disaster

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Recovery, transportation and ongoing investigation discussed
In the wake of the tragedy that occurred Aug. 1 in the heart of the city representatives and elected officials from the local, state and national levels met with residents and business owners from the neighborhoods — especially Bridge-area neighborhoods — surrounding the collapsed I-35W bridge to discuss the immediate and long-term impacts of the catastrophe. Officials and their constituents focused on short- and long-term transportation needs; the ongoing recovery effort and investigation; and communication between the various government agencies, organizations, neighborhood representatives, the media and the public. Sen. Larry Pogemiller led the meeting, and he credited Rep. Diane Loeffler and Ward 3 Council Member Diane Hofstede with calling for the officials and government agencies to connect with neighborhood stakeholders. Marcy-Holmes resident Eric Nauman pointed out that the congregation of officials from so many levels and agencies of government was “unique,” and he said the neighborhoods appreciate the more unified communication.Scene of recovery effort very dangerous
“We’re proceeding with caution,” said Hofstede, who, like others assembled at the Nicollet Island Inn, pointed to the many heroes of the past few days. Continue Reading

Game over

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I spent the evening of the presidential elections of 2000 in an open-air bar in Mexico. As one might expect, I was surrounded by other Americans. My table-mates and I — backpack travelers who had met only recently — took turns spouting our liberal ideals to each other (see “preaching to the choir”), while our fellow compatriots on a business trip stood at the bar, cheering loudly every time a state went red on the map. There were introductions and polite conversation between the two groups, and the businessmen even bought us an expensive round of good tequila shots — and then another. After one late red-state victory, however, one fellow turned to me and jovially said, “It’s like a sport, isn’t it? Continue Reading

What’s in a name? Old St. Anthony or East Bank

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The Bridge received a phone call last month from a business owner on First Avenue Northeast, demanding that we stop erroneously referring to his area of town as the “East Bank” neighborhood. “There is no ‘East Bank’ neighborhood,” he said. “This is Old St. Anthony.” He wanted to know why our reporters consistently got it wrong. The answer is simple: “East Bank” is the city’s officially designated name for the small triangle of neighborhood between the eastern riverbank, Central Avenue to the east and the railroad tracks to the west. Continue Reading