Cooper

Photo by Justin Elston licensed under Creative CommonsStretching south from I-94 along the Mississippi River, the Longfellow community includes these neighborhoods: Seward, Longfellow (of course), Cooper, Howe, and HiawathaThe Greater Longfellow Neighborhood may be best known for its bungalows.It proudly declares itself a Traditional Bungalow Neighborhood on signs throughout the community, and has had its special homes featured in countless magazines and books. Built to be affordable, manageable and most of all beautiful, Longfellow provides the perfect setting for Craftsman cottages. But maybe it’s the Mississippi River and its biking and walking trails on the east, or historic Minnehaha Falls to the, or the new Hiawatha Light Rail line on its western border that Longfellow is best known for. Or perhaps, it is the lush, new, Midtown Greenway bike path on its northern border.It can be difficult to decide.And you can’t ignore Lake Street, which travels through Longfellow to the Mississippi, providing a vast array of shops and businesses.  From sushi to Sliders, from motor scooters and car mechanics to veterinary care and cappuccino, you can find it here.Longfellow remains an affordable, friendly, diverse and walkable neighborhood, with scenery second to none.(Description from livemsp.org)For detailed demographic information, see the neighborhood profile from Minnesota Compass.   Continue Reading

Bergwall

What makes a blog a blog?  Bogging is in the vein of reporting events as one sees it without a required degree or job position.  It is also similar to writing a letter to the editor in the newspaper.  Although my last letter to the editor I wrote to our home town paper was censured in Sept 2009.  I was writing about my  3lb. Continue Reading

FREE SPEECH ZONE | Massachusetts voters have no idea who REALLY won the Senate election

Well, it is over. Scott Brown is a new Senator, so the assumption is that Brown is the big “winner” in this election. Yes, but he is not at the top of the heap. Maybe it is the Republicans? Good guess, but wrong again.  We do know who the losers are: it would be anyone in America who has the misfortune to fall ill without any (or adequate) health insurance.  But as to the winners, there you have to dig a bit deeper than the choices mentioned above. Continue Reading

Union Park

UNION PARK – comprised of Merriam Park, Snelling Hamline and Lexington-Hamline neighborhoods, is one of 17 neighborhood districts in Saint Paul. In 2007, the Merriam Park, Snelling Hamline, and Lexington-Hamline Community Councils merged into one organization to represent all residents of Union Park, hence the name, Union Park District Council (UPDC). (Information from UPDC website)For detailed demographic information, see the neighborhood profile from Minnesota Compass. Continue Reading

Blonk blues


Imagine not finding one under the tree. So put yourself in my place when I take it upon myself to lead my wife to the garage. Then try to understand the glee that possesses me as I throw back the sheet. “I bought one for the whole family,” I announce. “We are now proud owners of our own Blonk.”  Continue Reading

Gift of the Magi


And so they set out again, José and Maria,
hurried, still ill-prepared for the journey,
his tools packed in a canvas bag,
her swollen body eased up on the back
of a donkey where she winces
at each contraction. Continue Reading

The joys of nostalgia

Perhaps it is necessary to reach “a certain age” for nostalgia to be openly allowed. Unrelated to the soupiness often found this time of year, I find myself with a faulty yearning for a way of life we will never again experience.

Continue Reading

Story Possibility: Kwanzaa at Midtown Market

Story: Preview of Kwanzaa celebration at Midtown Global Market, list other Kwanzaa activities around town. What else can you tell us about Kwanzaa? Is this an annual event at Midtown Global Market or is it the first time? PRESS RELEASE: KWANZAA: A CELEBRATION OF CULTURE, COMMUNITY AND FAMILY AT MIDTOWN GLOBAL MARKET WHAT:      Midtown Global Market will be filled with educational and fun activities as it celebrates Kwanzaa on Saturday, December 26 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.                  Festivities will include:• An opening ceremony hosted by WCCO-TV anchor Reg Chapman, including a Kwanzaa overview and the lighting of the Kinara candles. • “Wake-Up” jazz music by Barbara LaSeur• Storytelling with Nathando Zulu and the Black Story Tellers Alliance• A performance by Voice of Culture African Drum and Dance Co.• Traditional Kwanzaa and holiday songs by jazz musician Thomisina• children’s activities and prizes • Kwanzaa trivia with prizes for everyone                  This event is free and open to the public.   Kwanzaa is a celebration of family, community and culture.  It is an African American and Pan-African holiday that is celebrated worldwide December 26 through January 1.  The celebration originates from the first harvest celebrations inAfrica. Continue Reading