Neighbors and buses sideswipe 36th Street Bikeway project

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For bikers and motorists merging on to the new and improved West 36th Street in Minneapolis the view may be a Tale of Two Cities. For bikers, the best of times and excitement over a separate, partitioned 10 foot wide expressway; for motorists relegated to the other half of the roadway, “Wow, the new repainted traffic lanes look awfully narrow?” Minneapolis recently completed construction of the model 36th Street West Bikeway Project, which converted half of the street into a protected bikeway and pedestrian corridor.This is a Community Voices submission and is moderated but not edited. The opinions expressed by Community Voices contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the TC Daily Planet.The protected lane is comprised of a 3 foot buffer and railing separating vehicle traffic from a 10 foot wide bicycle and 7 foot wide pedestrian path. Running from Lake Calhoun to Dupont Avenue South, the $180K project was cooperatively funded by the city of Minneapolis, Hennepin County and two East Calhoun neighborhood groups. Continue Reading

OPINION | A thought caused it all: Exploring common ground for change, from both sides of prison walls

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As I sit here at my desk in Lino Lakes Correctional Facility, I watch the mid-afternoon traffic of Highway 35 pass my window. I’m subdued by the sound of early October rain as it hits my window sill. I can hear the sound of jangling keys as they pass my door, the ever-present presence of the correctional officer. Usually it makes me nervous, but today it does not.

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What Veterans Day means to a veteran: A collection of stories from Veterans’ voices

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Veterans’ Voices—a program of the Minnesota Humanities Center—is a network of Veterans, connected through the humanities, operating as a positive and creative force in Minnesota whose mission is to form a public narrative that affirms Veterans as positive leaders and contributors to our future. These Veterans involved with the Veterans’ Voices program have compiled a short collection of what Veterans Day means to Veterans, written in their own voices.This is a Community Voices submission and is moderated but not edited. The opinions expressed by Community Voices contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the TC Daily Planet. What Veterans Day Means to Me By: Angie BaticaWhat does Veterans Day mean to me? It is a day that deserves to recognize and appreciate Veterans who served in a branch of the United States military on November 11th of each year. Continue Reading

How you can help celebrate Veterans Day

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My brother was a homeless veteran. Since his death, Veterans Day isn’t just another meaningless federal holiday. I’m grateful that two years before my brother died, he found housing. Yet over 57,000 veterans are homeless each night, according to HUD. Sixty percent of them are in shelters, the rest un-sheltered. Nearly 5,000 are female.

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OPINION | Green energy can end African famine

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While Ebola occupies the world’s attention, a humanitarian crisis is quickly unfolding in Somalia. In August, the Somali federal government declared famine in several regions.The rain necessary for food arrived a month late and was brief in duration. Drought grips much of the country, leaving nearly three million Somalis at risk for food insecurity. In conflict areas, over a million people remain displaced from their homes. UNICEF estimates that 200,000 children could die by the end of the year if no action is taken.The Horn of Africa is considered one of the poorest regions in the world, and ongoing droughts continue to plague this region. Continue Reading

OPINION | Swede Hollow Park – commuter rail?

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Friends of Swede Hollow is working on a campaign to keep commuter rail out of Swede Hollow Park. One of the proposed light rail routes for the Rush Line corridor (a transit line from Forest Lake to Union Depot in downtown St. Paul) would pass through Swede Hollow Park. Friends of Swede Hollow does not oppose the Rush Line or light rail, but strongly oppose the proposed route through Swede Hollow. There are other ways for the Rush Line to get to Union Depot.

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North Minneapolis Hmong Halloween

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University of Minnesota tutors and volunteers took a group of 25 North Minneapolis Hmong refugee youth out trick-or-treating last Friday.This is a Community Voices submission and is moderated but not edited. The opinions expressed by Community Voices contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the TC Daily Planet.The tradition of taking Hmong refugee kids out trick-or-treating started in 2005. A group of Hmong refugees had just arrived in the United States from a Thai refugee camp. One day they reported hearing the strangest story: That one day out of the year, they could walk up to someone’s house, mumble some noises, and the person would throw candy at them.These Hmong refugee students said that of course they were way too sophisticated to believe such a ridiculous story. We told them it was true, and took them out for their first Halloween trick-or-treat in their lives.Every year since then volunteers have taken Hmong refugee students out for Trick-Or-Treat.This year, 25 refugee youth put on face paint in the basement of St. Continue Reading

Saundra McCoy: Minnesota Vikings fans stadium feelings

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Last week while driving home from work on Interstate 35E, I noticed the progress of the new Vikings Stadium. Well at least the massive piles of steel that it will be built from. As reported by Craig Peters in his article, “New Vikings Stadium Nearly a Quarter Complete through Symphony of Work”, the new Vikings stadium is ahead of schedule and was 23 percent complete at the end of September. I am excited to know the stadium is set to open in July 2016.This is a Community Voices submission and is moderated but not edited. The opinions expressed by Community Voices contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the TC Daily Planet.Controversy about whether or not there should be a new stadium, where it should be and who will pay has faded. Continue Reading