Twin Cities Daily Planet (https://www.tcdailyplanet.net/author/mary-turck/page/14/)
Mary Turck (maryturck@gmail.com) is a freelance writer, editor, teacher, and lifelong activist. She is the former editor of the TC Daily Planet, the Connection to the Americas and AMERICAS.ORG. She is also a recovering attorney and the author of many books for young people (and a few for adults), mostly focusing on historical and social issues. She lives in St. Paul with her husband, two daughters, and two cats.
Going to the Great Minnesota Sweat-Together? Whether you focus on French fries or love those llamas, send us your best State Fair photos. Sharing your pics with us is easy: just tag them with #tcdpic on Instagram, Tumblr, Flickr, or Twitter—or e-mail them to jay@tcdailyplanet.net. Check back right here to see your photos in our gallery. Continue Reading
UPDATED 7:45 p.m. – Parents said that promised water bottles didn’t get to Loring Elementary School in north Minneapolis, despite the heat wave that sent temperatures soaring to a record 98 degrees on the first day of school for Minneapolis Public Schools. The 2013-14 school year began Monday, August 26, for Minneapolis Public School students in grades 1 – 12 and was scheduled to start Tuesday, August 27, for ABE and Wednesday, August 28, for kindergarten, pre-kindergarten, ECFE and High Five students. Stephanie and Christopher Pichner brought water and ice to Loring Elementary School in north Minneapolis, and eventually took their children home early. Christopher Pichner said that the school is classified by the district as “partially air-conditioned,” because the administrative offices and media center are air-conditioned, but the classrooms are not. Stephanie Pichner, who volunteers in the school, commented on the Minneapolis Public Schools Facebook page: Your decision to start school today was irresponsible. My son’s classroom is easily 100 degrees right now. You can’t get hot and sweaty children to sit still, trapped in a classroom and call that getting an education. But at least my mind is at rest knowing that the administration and those in charge of making these decisions are nice and cool in their air conditioned offices. Continue Reading
From “Please publish this information about my organization’s fundraiser” to “I want that story taken down!” to “You spelled my name wrong,” we hear from lots of people who want us to do — or undo — something. Some of the questions come up over and over, so here’s a short list of three things we do and three things we don’t do. ONE: We DO publish news and opinion, including your news and opinions. What we publish come from three places:1) original reported articles, assigned and edited by the Daily Planet;2) articles republished from media partners; and3) your unedited contributions — Community Voices articles, blog entries, Neighborhood Notes, comments.Yes — we really do want your stories and we publish a lot of articles, blog posts and comments that you send us every week. Tonight we have a beautiful slide show of the Japanese Lantern Lighting at Como Park contributed by Saibal Ghosh. Continue Reading
After we published “Snelby” residents seek commercial/residential balance in St. Paul, Craig Blakely contacted us with a correction and details on the plans for parking at the intersection. The parking plans drawn up by the city’s Planning and Economic Development (PED) department and Ryan Companies, the developer. Two PDF documents (attached below) explain the plans in detail. In brief, here are the highlights:”[T]he City could help “solve” the parking problem at Selby and Snelling by establishing a Parking Improvement District that comprehensively managed on-street parking and comprehensively improved off street parking …”At the request of a large majority of the property owners in the area, the City Council would create the Selby-Snelling Parking Improvement District (PID) … Continue Reading
If you live on St. Paul’s East Side you know about the brutal gang attack on Ray Widstrand and at least some of the aftermath in the community (below). If you don’t, you may need a little background to understand what lay beneath the August 15 community meeting attended by hundreds of neighbors (and the brouhaha over a mayoral candidate’s attempt to speak/campaign at that meeting.)Background: Assault, murder, meetingOn August 4, at about 11:30 p.m. Ray Widstrand went for a walk near his house and encountered “a group of 30 to 40 teens brawling near the intersection of Payne and Minnehaha avenues.” (City Pages) They attacked, beat and kicked Widstrand until he lay bleeding and unconscious in the street. He’s still hospitalized, has had two brain surgeries, and, according to the Pioneer Press, “recently awoke from an induced coma.”Widstrand’s brutal beating followed by a few weeks the shooting death of Vincent Allison, age 17, in another gang-related street fight on Payne Avenue. Continue Reading
Another great summer weekend ahead! Here’s what’s on tap in the Twin Cities:Unify University parade in St. Paul on SaturdayWest Bank Music Festival in Minneapolis on SaturdayPhillips Music Festival in Minneapolis on SaturdaySt. George’s Greek Festival in St. Paul on Saturday and SundayJapanese Lantern Lighting in Como Park on SundayCivil War Weekend at Fort Snelling on Saturday and SundayAnd the Renaissance Fair kicks off this weekend in Shakopee!Send your photos, tweets, comments to editor@tcdailyplanet.net or tag them with #tcdpic and we’ll add them to the Storify below. [If you don’t see the Storify photos and comments below, please refresh your browser window.] [<a href=”//storify.com/maryturck/tc-weekend-unify-university-minneapolis-music-gree” target=”_blank”>View the story “TC WEEKEND | Unify University, Minneapolis music, Greek and Japanese celebrations” on Storify</a>] Continue Reading
Terrance Franklin was shot to death by Minneapolis police on May 10. He was shot after a police chase, in a basement laundry room, where the only people present were Minneapolis police officers, their dog, and Terrance Franklin. Since then, demonstrations and demands for action and information have been met with the standard “we’re investigating” line from MPD and promises of a grand jury investigation. But no information. Not from the police. Continue Reading
What a weekend ahead! The Irish Fair in St. Paul, Twin Cities Polish Festival in Minneapolis and AfriFest in Brooklyn Park are just the beginning.Also in Minneapolis: the Powderhorn 24 has bike riders going for a 24 hour ride. Help them beautify their bikes from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday at Heart of the Beast Theater. On the Southeast side of Minneapolis, Como’s first Art Fair/Concert takes place on Saturday, August 10 from 12-6 p.m. at 22nd Avenue SE and Como Avenue.Open Streets Minneapolis celebrates Minnehaha Avenue between Lake Street and Godfrey/Minnehaha Parkway on Sunday — car-free fun from 11-4 on Sunday.We’re putting together a Storify of photos, tweets and comments below: check back as the weekend progresses and you might see yourself! Continue Reading
“Dad has to purchase phone time through a prison phone system. Fifteen minutes cost $3.30 plus a $1 calling fee, more than for regular long-distance service. If my dad calls and we miss it, he is still charged a calling fee. We are limited to 300 minutes per month and 15 minutes per phone call. Using all his time costs about $86 a month.” (From Feeling Disconnected)On Friday, Anika Bowie, the Hamline University student who wrote this paragraph, might get good news. Continue Reading