Like Dorothy who was whisked away from drab Kansas to exotic Oz, I daily confront the complications of living in a new and strange land. I keep learning that things I thought were a normal part of the world were actually regional characteristics. For example, Midwest roads and streets are laid out in an orderly grid, crossing each other at 90-degree angles in predictable intervals. As a Flatlander, I took that grid structure for granted. I was amused but also reassured by Minneapolis’s alphabetical street names (Colfax, Dupont, Emerson, Fremont, Girard, Holmes). Continue Reading
The most important thing you do this week is something that is happening on Tuesday, August 12, all over Saint Paul at a place close to you. In fact, it is happening all over Minnesota. It is primary election day. In spite of the many efforts to encroach on voting rights, Minnesota still remains one of the less problematic places to exercise that legal and moral entitlement. If you are wondering about when, where, or how to vote, check out the Secretary of States web site. Voting is one of those ways in which we can leave a positive mark in our community. Engaging in the arts is another. Continue Reading
Suppertime is a blog in comics form, exploring local restaurants, bars and other food establishments in and around the Twin Cities. I eat, I talk, I draw. In this Suppertime, we visited JL Beers. The food was good, the staff was friendly, but it was all about the beer flights. Continue Reading
By this time of the summer, the “ohmydog, the weather isn’t trying to kill me anymore!” novelty of being outside can wear off, and it gets easy to fall into a rut: you and your partner take your pooch to the dog park and then to your favorite dog-friendly patio, night after night, all summer long. And it’s lovely, and you enjoy it, but isn’t it time to shake it up? Winter always comes too soon, so you’ve got to get out there and soak up the best of summer while you can. Continue Reading
Sheridan Memorial Park, a new park that recently opened on the upper Mississippi River in Northeast Minneapolis, hosted the second annual Riverfront Fest on August 1. The event, a project of the Mississippi River Partnership, aims to create awareness of the importance of the river in Minneapolis. For many attendees, it was their first look at the park, which features a veteran’s memorial created by artist Robert Smart. The project was a collaboration between a group of World War II veterans, the Sheridan Neighborhood Organization, and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.
It’s hard to find a more authentic cross section of South Minneapolis’ cultural diversity in one place at one time than the annual Hosmer Library Talent Show, which this month enjoys its 16th year. This is not, by the way, a contest where you come to try and finish first or at the very least second or third. It’s a community get-together where you come to cheerfully leave the daily grind behind and casually connect with your neighbors—including the ones you didn’t know before. And, as the area has grown increasingly international in its ethnicities, Hosmer Library’s outreach has seen to it that so does representation among performers.
Update: Scroll down to the Storify to see scenes from 2014’s National Night Out.It’s that time of year again, National Night Out is back! Celebrated the first Tuesday of August, this year’s NNO will mark 31 years of communities across the nation coming together with “lights on, dusk to dawn,” to get to know neighbors, reflect on community happenings, and sip root beer floats while planning ways to promote safer neighborhoods.In 2013, as in previous years, Minneapolis ranked #1 for National Night Out celebrations among cities with a population size of 300,000 or more, according to the National Association of Town Watch (NATW). Saint Paul also made a strong showing last year, ranking #3 out of 142 cities with a population size between 100,000 – 299,000.For more on National Night Out, see the related links belowList of registered NNO events in Saint PaulList of registered NNO events in MinneapolisNATW website for nation-wide NNO informationNational Night Out is Tuesday, August 5!Will you be participating in National Night Out this year? Do you attend National Night Out in your neighborhood or do you join gatherings outside of your community? Let us know if and how you celebrate NNO in the comment section below.To add scenes from your community to the Storify below, use the hashtag #NNO14 and check back to see your photo or post added to the National Night Out in the Twin Cities 2014 highlights reel! [If you don’t see the Storify photos and comments below, please refresh your browser window.][<a href=”//storify.com/tcdailyplanet/national-night-out-in-thetwin-cities-2014″ target=”_blank”>View the story “National Night Out in the Twin Cities 2014″ on Storify</a>][<a href=”//storify.com/tcdailyplanet/national-night-out-in-thetwin-cities-2014” target=”_blank”>View the story “National Night Out in the Twin Cities 2014 Highlights” on Storify</a>] Continue Reading
We have about a month of summer left. Folks who bring us all the State Fair fun have been breaking in the fairgrounds and getting ready for the great get-together. The summer has not been lazy for a lot of us, especially the young people who have been pedaling around Storymobile, which has been a great way for us to meet even more neighbors than we’ve collected through the years of publishing the Saint Paul Almanac. If you have not encountered the lure of the shiny red box and bike, look for us and we will ask, “Do you have a story to share with us?” We want you to tell us about one or many of the things you love about Saint Paul. Think about it. In the meantime, read about some other Saint Paul loves that might just bring a smile to your face. Continue Reading
Saturday night outside the Bachelor Farmer felt like the summer night we deserve in Minnesota after last winter. The weather was a little dicey – it rained for a while – but it just didn’t matter. People of all ages were there to see music, eat fancy picnic style food and drink a little local craft beer in a fun parking-lot location above the Mississippi and overlooking the back of the downtown skyline. (What a pretty city!)The food was an odd mix of crayfish, meatballs, corn and bannock. I decided that the crayfish were just too much effort for my hunger level but the meatballs, which were more Swedish and Italian, were a tasty treat with vinegar potato salad and some vegetables. Continue Reading
Summers in Minnesota are beautiful but short. A great way to savor the summer days is to take a tour of all the gorgeous rivers, lakes, and historical sights the Twin Cities has to offer. So, for TC Spotlight this week we’ve highlighted just a few of the many outdoor tours around town to help you get out and soak up the rest of the summer. Share your favorite summer tours and activities in the comment section below.Como-Harriet Streetcar Line tourMake a trip on the trolley part of your next visit to the Lake Harriet and enjoy bit of 1900s, electric mass-transit era history on the Como-Harriet Streetcar Line, the “museum on wheels.” The Como-Harriet Streetcar Line, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and operated through cooperation of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, used to run around Minneapolis and St. Paul. Continue Reading
