April 29, 2021 - MN Spokesman-Recorder

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THE VOICE OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY SINCE 1934 April 29—May 5, 2021, Vol. 87 No. 39

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Chauvin verdict Response tempered Celebratory mood muted as police violence continues

By Mel Reeves Contributing writer

T

he celebration that took place in the Twin Cities after the conviction of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd was somewhat muted. According to many activists speaking at rallies acknowledging what many called a “people’s victory” there is much work still to be done. Some said the conviction should have been a foregone conclusion, after all they asked, what other ver-

dict could have been reached?

An Australian newspaper, The Batoota Advocate ran a headline that read, “Murderer who got caught committing murder on video found guilty of Murder.”

being charged, that few Black people could be found who had confidence in a conviction. Even Saturday Night Live acknowledged this in a skit during the trial. And the U.S. Supreme Court has

“The system that allows them to keep killing us is still in place.”

Historically so many police officers have either been exonerated and not faced indictment or been found innocent of killing Black people after

set the bar high making it difficult to convict police officers allowing them to hide behind “reasonableness” standards and the well-worn ■ See Verdict on page 5

Thirteen-year-old Adam Toledo had his hands raised when Chicago police shot him on March 29.

Twin Cities activists join National Day of The real heroes of Action Against Police Violence a historic decision

Attorney General Ellison reflects on Chauvin trial

By Charles Hallman Contributing writer

Photo by MSR

Toshira Garraway speaking at National Day rally demanding that cases be reopened MSR news services The Twin Cities and cities across the nation, including Orlando, Spokane, Boston, Cincinnati, Baltimore, and Las Vegas, took part in National Day of Protest Against Police Violence on Saturday.

The protests were led by families who

have been victimized by police violence.

The protesters’ demands included: all “killer cops” be jailed, reopen all of the cases of officer-involved killings, and the end of the system of policing as we know it.

Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence led the spirited rally in St. Paul in front of the Governor’s Mansion.

There were a few hundred in attendance and several people spoke who have lost family members to police violence in Minnesota.

The mothers of Kobe Dimock Heisler, Demetrius Hill, Jaffort Smith, and Hardell Sherell, who were all killed by police in Minnesota, took the mic and told of their struggles to get justice for their sons.

Many doubt that Derek Chauvin would have been correctly charged with murdering George Floyd or eventually convicted of the crime had it not been for the intervention of the Minnesota Attorney General’s office. As a result, Attorney General Keith Ellison has been hailed as a legal hero. However, Ellison is quick to point out that there are many individuals who played an important role in the Chauvin trial.

The state’s first Black attorney general told the MSR that, besides the 12-person jury, there are others who deserve recognition. “Because of

the real heroes.”

Since last week’s guilty verdict, many point to Frazier’s smartphone video as the key turning point in the trial—without it, the case might not have happened.

The then-17-year-old Frazier captured the final few minutes of Floyd’s life on her phone and posted it on social media.

“It was a historic and it was a courageous thing that she did,” stated the Minnesota AG of Frazier, who also was a prosecution witness. “She was just walking to the store to buy snacks…but she saw an appalling situation. The only thing she could do, she whipped out her [phone]… and the results energized a worldwide movement.

“I’m not really a politician… I’m actually just a humble civil rights worker.”

■ See Day of Action on page 5

Chauvin verdict deeply scrutinized

Opinions vary on its implications for police reform

on whether or not it represents cause for greater confidence in the criminal justice

By Charles Hallman system for Blacks and other Communities of Contributing writer Color.

A Morning Consult survey conducted afNearly all Americans agree with the conviction of former Minneapolis policeman ter last Tuesday’s Chauvin verdict (April 20Derek Chauvin for the murder of George 22) found 91% of Blacks approve of Chauvin Floyd. Opinion remains divided, however, being found guilty on all three charges. Al-

Allissa Richardson, assistant professor of Journalism in the USC, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

Angela Porter, adjunct professor, Mitchell/Hamline School of Law Submitted photos

most 60 percent (57%) of Blacks said they were “surprised,” 59% were “confident,” and 74% were “happy” when the verdict was handed down.

But when the poll asked respondents if the Chauvin verdict gave them more confidence in the U.S. criminal justice system, there was only a two-percent difference between Blacks (54%) and Whites (52%).

Local attorney and law professor Angi Porter closely followed the Chauvin trial from jury selection to the verdict handed down. She regularly gave expert analysis on Sirius XM during the trial.

“My reaction to the verdict was elated,” said Porter, “[and] especially surprised because of the timing of deliberations—less than 11 hours.”

Porter, a Rochester, Minn. native who currently lives and works in Minneapolis, is a discrimination and sexual misconduct investigator at the University of Minnesota and a Mitchell Hamline School of Law adjunct professor. She also practiced law for several years at a local large law firm and once worked as a U.S. District Court judicial law clerk.

■ See Scrutinized on page 5

Keith Ellison [Darnella] Frazier, people like [prosecution witnesses] Donald Williams, Mr. [Charles] McMillian, Alyssa Funari… regular folk. None of them knew George Floyd, minding their own business, and a fellow human being was being treated in an inhumane way that was causing him to lose his life in front of them.

“They challenged law enforcement, and they couldn’t do anything,” continued Ellison. “Then they came and testified, which is also very hard. Two [witnesses] were still minors and the other two just slightly older. They are

MSR file photo “Bless that young lady,” said Ellison. “I hope very good things come her way. I hope that she becomes a filmmaker, because it was her video that really rocked the world. She’s talented, smart, [and] composed herself very well on the witness stand, only 18 years old.”

Ellison also gave credit to his prosecution team: “We needed somebody who had a passion and dedication, people who [had] technical expertise beyond my staff.”

The team, which consisted of a total of 13 lawyers and a jury consultant, included ■ See Ellison on page 5

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Metropolis

April 29—May 5, 2021

Chauvin conviction: the sentencing considerations

J

of George Floyd’s death. Aludge Peter Cahill will though the jury convicted sentence Derek Chauvin, Chauvin on all three charges, on Wednesday, June 16, he will only be sentenced on 2021 at 1:30 at the Hennepin the most serious charge.

County Government Center.

A unanimous jury of Sentencing To summarize, Chauvin’s twelve convicted Chauvin on all three charges, 2nd De- conduct happened in a single gree (unintentional) Murder, incident and it was directed 3rd Degree Murder, and 2nd at one person, George Floyd.

Degree Manslaughter. Judge The jury convicted him of Cahill will sentence him only three charges, all of which on the most serious charge, described different legal thewhich is 2nd Degree Murder. ories about the same conduct.

In Minnesota, even if a per- This is why Judge Cahill will son’s conduct can be charged impose a sentence on only the under different statues, the most serious charge, 2nd Deperson can only be punished, gree Murder (unintentional.)

Some wonder whether the or sentenced, for one offense.

Each of the three charges sentences for the three chargrequired prosecutors to prove es will be “stacked.” I have that Chauvin’s actions were explained why there will not a, not the, substantial cause be three sentences to “stack,”

but Minnesota law does allow for permissive consecutive sentences in some situations.

I once had a sentencing before a judge who took great care to explain to my client what his sentence would be. He told my client that, although he was being sentenced on two different charges, he would be serving them at the same time. He went on to explain that he would not be serving the sentences back to back, and that when he got out on the longest sentence, he would be done serving his time. My client responded, “Oh, you mean they are concurrent?” We all had a good laugh, including the judge, who said, “Yes.” People wonder why Chauvin’s sentencing date is scheduled so far way, on June 16 at 1:30. The answer is that the judge and the lawyers have work to do before then.

The state has asked the judge to give Chauvin a greater sentence than allowed under the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines.

According to the sentencing guidelines grid, the judge can sentence Chauvin to a range of 128 to 180 months.

The midrange sentence is 150 months, or about twelve and a half years. This is the

sentence former MPD officer Noor received after being convicted of 3rd Degree Murder.

Judge to consider aggravating factors The judge has the authority to impose a greater sentence than the guidelines recommend if “aggravating factors” are present.

The aggravating factors put forth by the state are: • Chauvin was in a position of authority, as a police officer.

• Children were present.

• George Floyd was particularly vulnerable because he was handcuffed behind his back.

• Chauvin’s actions were particularly cruel.

• Chauvin was part of a group of three or more who committed the crime.

The judge will rely on the evidence he heard in the trial, rather than inviting any additional testimony. Although some of these factors are straightforward (the presence of children) others are subject to interpretation (particular cruelty, as compared to other cases.) For this reason, the judge is giving the law-

yers the opportunity to do research and write briefs on whether aggravating factors are present.

After considering what the lawyers have written, the judge will decide whether there are aggravating factors and, if so, which ones. Once the lawyers have his decision, they will do research and write briefs arguing what sentence Chauvin should receive.

At the same time, a probation officer will be writing what is called a presentence investigation, or PSI. This includes Chauvin’s social history, any history of substance abuse disorder, mental health issues, or medical issues.

George Floyd’s family will be asked whether they want to submit victim impact statements, which would be included in the PSI. Chauvin will be asked whether he wants to give a statement.

Judges look at whether the person take responsibility for his actions and whether they express remorse. The PSI is a confidential document so it will not be available to the public.

Although the lawyers will have submitted their arguments in writing, the judge will ask if they have any additional comments. Finally,

the judge will ask Chauvin whether he wants to exercise his right of allocution, which simply means his right to make a statement to the court before he is sentenced.

The judge will then impose his sentence. There is a Minnesota case indicating that a judge will probably not be reversed by the appellate court if, after finding aggravating factors, he imposes what is referred to as a “double departure.” This means doubling the top of the box (180 months) allowed by the sentencing guidelines, which would be 30 years. This is one reason why Chauvin will probably not receive the statutory maximum of 40 years.

Considering that Noor received twelve and a half years, we can expect Chauvin to receive more prison time. With a range between twelve and a half and thirty years, my completely speculative guess is that Chauvin will receive a sentence in the ballpark of twenty years.

Sadly it will not bring George Perry Floyd, Jr. back.

Mary Moriarty was a public defender for 30 years, most recentlyfor Hennepin County.

Revisiting the pros and cons of school choice

By Charles Hallman Contributing writer The school choice issue has long been debated in this country. Proponents say school choice is good for parents and children. Opponents say it is not fairly available along socioeconomic lines. The MSR recently talked to persons from both sides to see where the issue stands today.

“We all know school choice is more than charter schools,” declared Aaliyah Hodge, a senior consultant for the Center for School Change (CSC). Charter schools are independent public schools that have more authority and flexibility with decisionmaking and curriculum than traditional public schools.

But charter schools also are subject to stricter accountability in spending and academic performance. Minnesota was the first U.S. state to have charter schools and the first state to pass a charter school law.

Charter school opponents often argue that these schools aren’t public and are very selective in their student populations.

“I’ve heard those comments that [charter schools] take money from neighborhood schools,” admitted Hodge. “But I look at it that it gives [more power] to the parents. Why would a parent have a child in a school district that is not serving their kid’s needs?”

“There were African Americans, Latinx, Native Americans, as well as White mothers” looking for change for their children, recalled CSC Director Joe Nathan, who helped write the Minnesota charter school law.

“Some wanted a school K-12 because they liked the idea of older kids and younger kids learning from each other [at the same location],” he continued.

“Some wanted a different kind of philosophy for the traditional school.

“What we’ve seen in the U.S. over the last 50 years is a growing recognition that there is no single best school for all young-

Aliyah Hodge

Submitted photo

This practice, which has been in place since the 1990s, has created more rather than less racial segregation in schools, Orfield said.

“Minneapolis is more segregated…in schools than they have ever been,” stated Orfield. He blames open enrollment, which Orfield says has “allowed a lot of White people to exit diverse schools to go to Whiter schools using school choice. It hasn’t provided the same choices for African Americans.

“Studies say [charter schools] have created a lot of all-Black schools, a whole lot of allLatino schools, and now are starting to create a whole lot of White schools.

“The pandemic ideally will end up helping the school choice movement by showing more Americans the value of having [education] options during times of prosperity as well as times with challenges,” said McAllister. “We must find innovative, proficient and costeffective ways to [deliver] education for more disadvantaged children.”

Orfield said he considers the school choice issue to be just one facet of this country’s inequities that need addressing.

“The nation has never rigorously addressed racial segregation and economic inequality that affect not only Black people but also Latino people in central cities. A whole ocean of systematic inequalities that is growing faster here [in Minneapolis] in the last 20 years, is now trying to get through a pandemic.”

“Some youngsters have had great difficulty with distant learning, and some really thrived with distant learning,” observed Nathan. “It also shows that some youngsters really need to be in a school building and some have done very well from learning at home.

sters,” argued Nathan. He said school choice for parents and children should be “in the best interest of the student, not the best interest of the system.”

K-12 enrollment in Minneapolis and St. Paul charter schools has grown significantly—1,791 (2001) to 11,624 (2019) in Minneapolis, and 2,993 (2001) to 12,432 (2019) in St. Paul.

Nationally, “More options also mean a greater diversity of school environments that provide better matches for parents and students looking for the ‘right fit’ for children’s development,” said Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools President Lenny McAllister, a school choice proponent. He told the MSR that school choice, in light of historical academic achievement gaps, has helped Black children and other students of color. He disagrees with those who claim that school choice produces “re-segregation.”

Hodge while in high school took PSEO classes, which later helped her graduate from college with a bachelor’s degree at age 19 and her master’s at age 21. She started People for PSEO, which provides PSEO information for students and parents.

University of Minnesota Law Professor Myron Orfield, director of the school’s Institute Charles Hallman welcomes on Metropolitan Opportunity, reader responses to challman@ told the MSR that while he is spokesman-recorder.com. not totally anti-school choice he does not like open enrollment.

Obituary

Emmett Timmons

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Sunrise, April 2, 1938 — Sunset, April 5, 2021

mmett Timmons was born on April 2, 1938 to the late Joe L. Timmons Sr. and the late Florene Timmons.

He was preceded in death by six siblings: Joe Jr. and James Timmons, Irene Sanford, Pearl Erskine, Gladys Similton and Leola Kennamore.

Emmett confessed hope in Christ early in life and actively served at Lowe’s Chapel United Methodist Church in Huntsville, Alabama. He graduated from Council Training School; served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, and was honorably discharged in 1962. Emmett graduated from J.F. Drake State Community and Technical College certified in engineering design.

He was employed as an engineer designer at Boeing Company and Teledyne Brown in Huntsville, Alabama, where he engineered designs for the Apollo Space Program, specifically spacecraft-launch vehicles.

In a prior marriage to the late Lela Timmons, five daughters were born. Emmett was a “Girl Dad.” He ingrained success, showered his daughters with love, and was equally loved. He proudly attended high school and college graduations and ministerial ordinations. As an entrepreneur, he licensed and operated “Debbie’s Vending Company” named after his daughter the Rev. Deborah Timmons. Debbie’s Vending Company operated as a neighborhood shop for summer treats. From his daughters, five grandchildren were born.

Living in St. Paul, Emmett was employed at 3M Company Customer Engineering and retired upon completing 27 years of service. At 3M, he volunteered as a tutor, coaching in math and sciences.

At 3M he met his loving and caring wife Dotty, sharing over 23 years of wedded bliss. Emmett and Dotty enjoyed cruising through St. Paul in their red convertible Corvette with smiles of love and happiness. As Emmett’s health declined, Dotty became a special caretaker to Emmett. With the marriage to Dotty, Emmett joined the love of a daughter, two sons, six grand-children and six great-grandchildren.

Emmett was a member of Hamline United Methodist Church where he at-

tended regularly before his health declined. In St. Paul, Emmett was also employed as a freelance photographer for the Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, Insight News, Laprensa and Asian American Press. Emmett’s quick-wittedness with photography was extraordinary. As a namesake photographer, he covered celebrities, icons, and worked as a private photographer for weddings and key events.

Emmett relished good music.

He leaves to cherish his memories a devoted wife, Dotty Tyler Timmons; five biological daughters Sandra Timmons, the Rev. Deborah Timmons and Cheryl Timmons of Huntsville, Alabama, Zelda Henderson of Decatur, Georgia, and Audrey (Randy) Story of Washington, D.C.; daughter Michelle (Andre) Smith of St. Paul, Minnesota; sons Willie and Toby Tyler, St. Paul, Minnesota; grandchildren Amber, Amanda and Amaya Henderson, Trinity and Randy Story, Essence, Estan and Estanie Tyler, Lakieya Leroy, Maleah Smith and Tobius Tyler; six great-grandchildren Estan Jr, Sanaa and Zya Tyler, Ramero Robbins Tyler, Damagio and Kaliegah Rowan of St. Paul, Minnesota; three sisters, Betty Watkins, Sylvia Rennicks and Jennifer (Thomas) Laster all of Huntsville, Alabama; two brothers, Earl Timmons, Sr. and William Timmons both of Huntsville,Alabama; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Emmett was interred at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 22.

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder April 29, 2021

Health & Wellness

April 29—May 5, 2021

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Keloids: Can we get rid of them?

States, mostly within certain ethnic groups. We don’t understand why they form, but we notice that they tend to run in families. And although we can’t explain why, keloids are more common in people with darker skin: Blacks, Latinos and Asians are 15 times more likely to develop keloids than White people.

By Dr. Valerie Lemaine, M.D., M.P.H. Guest contributor This week, I want to touch on a topic all too familiar to many of us: keloids. What are they?

Keloids are raised, overgrown scars that form at the site of a skin injury such as surgery, vaccinations, ingrown hair, body piercings, tattoos or acne. Less commonly, keloids may appear in areas of the body where there has been no obvious trauma or cuts.

The initial “injury” may have been so slight that one never even noticed it. Highrisk areas for keloid formation include the earlobes, the chest, the back and the lower abdomen.

It is believed that keloids affect approximately six million people in the United

Treatment It is difficult to remove keloids completely. Excess scarring can be minimized if treatment is begun soon after the keloid appears. Unfortunately, there is no single treatment for keloids that is successful for everyone.

Different treatment modalities are often combined to help maximize results. Often, the selected treatments Symptoms While keloids are benign, will improve the symptoms they can itch, burn, and cause caused by the keloids, but discomfort or pain. If large they may not provide comenough or if they involve the pletely satisfying results.

Courtesy of Wikipedia.com • Corticosteroid injections: skin over a joint, keloids may be disfiguring and debilitat- This widely used treatment ing, and they may interfere will often be the therapy of the keloid and the irritation. compression dressings, as with movement. People with choice for small and younger However, many people don’t well as radiation therapy soon after surgery, scar formation is reduced and keloids are less likely to recur.

• Laser therapy: Lasers, such as carbon-dioxide (CO2) laser, can be used to reduce the size of keloids. If this treatment modality is chosen, it should be followed by monthly corticosteroid injections into the treated area, or in conjunction with other intralesional injections. To this day, there is no scientific evidence that lasers work better than surgery.

• Fluorouracil injections: Fluorouracil is a chemotherapy drug that can be injected into keloids. Usually, this product will be used when Courtesy of MGN other methods have failed. keloids are often very self- keloids. Here, a corticosteroid want to repeat them because Other emerging options for management of keloids curconscious and may suffer such as triamcinolone (Kena- they are often painful.

• Surgery, compression rently under study include from social anxiety, especially log) is injected into the keloid. when the keloids are difficult The injections can be repeated dressings and radiation ther- bleomycin, interferon, botulievery four to six weeks. They apy: Removal of the keloid num toxin A and imiquimod. to hide. may help reduce the size of with surgery alone is rarely Given the imperfect treatsuccessful, with recurrence in more than 45% of people. ment options available, the However, when combined best advice for people prone with silicone sheets or other to keloid formation is to

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avoid any non-necessary surgery (e.g. cosmetic surgery) or trauma to the skin (e.g. tattoos, body piercings, ingrown hairs).

If you have a keloid, first consult with a board-certified dermatologist. Before your appointment, it is helpful to think about what you expect from treatment.

Are you primarily looking to ease your symptoms like pain and itch? If you have a keloid on your earlobe, are you hoping to wear earrings again? Is flattening of the keloid important to you? It is important to discuss these elements with your dermatologist to help you set realistic expectations about what treatment can do.

In the cases where surgery is recommended, a referral to a board-certified plastic surgeon is key. If radiation therapy is considered in combination with surgery, you will also be referred to a radiation oncologist.

Dr. Valerie Lemaine, M.D., M.P.H., is a top-ranked, boardcertified plastic surgeon in private practice in Bloomington, MN. She received her M.D. from University of Montreal, Canada.

She also completed a reconstructive microsurgical fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Dr. Lemaine then accepted a staff position at the prestigious Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) where she taught, practiced and published clinical research. In 2018, she transitioned to private practice and joined Plastic Surgery Consultants and Minnesota Oncology.

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April 29—May 5, 2021

Opinion

The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder (MSR) welcomes and values commentary and feedback from the community. The articles found here are edited for clarity and/or space, but the opinions are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of the MSR.

Attorney General Keith Ellison’s address to the public after the Chauvin verdict

The Chauvin trial is an exception to the rule

By Paul Street Since most U.S.-Americans know little about social and political reality beyond their own limited experience and bubbles, powerfully deceptive narratives and images disseminated by the corporate media easily distort public perceptions.

Now we have the Derek Chauvin trial. Is it a good thing that cable news has been broadcasting this dreadful proceeding from gavel to gavel, offering endless microscopic forensic coverage of the prosecution and defense of George Floyd’s racist cop murderer?

Not so much. It isn’t just that any fool can see that Chauvin lynched Floyd in cold blood and that it is distressing to watch Chauvin’s lawyer present the clearly videotaped nine and a half minute asphyxiation of Floyd as if it were merely an incidental co-morbidity alongside Floyd’s supposedly drugand disease-induced death.

The defense strategy is smart but absurd and sociopathic. It not-so-≠subtly channels the vicious racist, mass-carceral War on Drugs at its core, appropriately enough.

It’s not even that the obsessive focus on one case has diverted attention from the nation’s broad and deep system of brutal racial oppression and inequality—a system replete with racist mass incarceration, racist felony branding, and the almost routine murder and maiming of Black and Brown people by cops (numerous victims since the Chauvin trial began include Daunte Wright, just outside Minneapolis, and

Adam Toledo, a 13-year old shot with his hands in the air in Chicago!).

No, it’s even worse. “Another deep problem here,” the Chicago anti-fascist activist Jay Becker writes, “is that people who haven’t followed other ‘trials’ of cops who kill (the few there have been) will think that Chauvin’s prosecution is typical when it is anything but.

The chief of police testified against him. The prosecutors actually prosecuted. Nope, it’s really quite unprecedented and evidence of the deep, deep fear that last summer’s rising against White supremacy has instilled in all law enforcement and the powers that be at large.”

Indeed. The danger here is that knowledge-starved Americans and Whites especially will think this case is characteristic of how racist cops are usually treated when they kill and cripple Black and Brown people. Nothing could be further from the truth.

There have been some few partly or fully successful prosecutions of killer White cops whose crimes were just too egregious, too clearly caught on tape, and too notorious to successfully defend within courtrooms and the court of public opinion. Chicago cop Jason Van Dyke’s vicious 16-shot killing of the Black teenager Laquan McDonald (October 2014) and North Charleston, North Carolina cop Michael Slager’s sadistic murder of Walter Scott (April 2015) come to mind.

But such prosecutions and convictions are remarkably rare—Van Dyke got off with an absurdly short sentence). Most

killer cops like the murderers of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, and many more go free. And there’s never been anything remotely like the Chauvin trial.

What’s it all about? Among the hundreds—if not thousands—of incidents in which White cops have killed Black Americans, the murder of George Floyd was distinctive in two key and related ways.

First, it’s not just that it was caught on tape by a citizen—as were the killings of Walter Scott ad Eric Garner—but that it was a prolonged and deliberate lynching of a prone “suspect” that could not possibly be defended as a “split-second action made in the heat of action.”

This is the standard defense used in countless cases, certain to be used by Daunte Wright’s recent killer, Brooklyn Center officer Kim Potter. Second, it provoked the largest single protest wave in U.S.-American history, putting tens of millions of Americans in the streets behind calls not merely for improved police conduct but also for the dismantlement of the nation’s giant, globally unmatched racist mass arrest and incarceration state. This monstrous criminal injustice system traces back to the nation’s unresolved legacies of Black chattel slavery, Jim Crow terrorism, hyper-segregating ghettoization, and racial fascism.

So the media here is stepping up to create an illusion: a government passionately committed to social and racial justice and to the disciplining of its gendarmes when they go too far.

Chauvin is the sacrificial lamb for the preservation an insidious regime of racial oppression that rarely punishes its worst on-the-ground perpetrators. One can already hear the paranoid-style murmurings of the absurdly aggrieved White-Amerikaner Trumpenvolk. These deranged White nationalists pathetically claim to be the real racial victims of the nation’s supposedly “radical Left” and “PC” politics, government, and media. They are taking the media’s extreme Floyd-Chauvin coverage as proof that “Anglo Saxon” Caucasians are the true wounded party.

It will take a prolonged people’s uprising, bigger than the George Floyd Rebellion, to defeat all this and the imperialist class dictatorship that lay behind it at the end of the day.

Everyone involved [in this prosecution] pursued one goal, justice. We pursued justice wherever it led. When I became the lead prosecutor for the case, I asked for time and patience to review the facts, gather evidence, and prosecute for the murder of George Floyd to the fullest extent the law allowed. I want to thank the community for giving us that time, and allowing us to do our work.

That long, hard, painstaking work has culminated today. I would not call today’s verdict “justice,” however, because justice implies true restoration. But it is accountability, which is the first step towards justice. And now the cause of justice is in your hands. And when I say your hands, I mean the hands of the people of the United States.

The cause of justice is in your hands—the hands of the people of the United States George Floyd mattered. He was loved by his family and his friends. His death shocked the conscience of our community, our country, the whole world.

He was loved by his family and friends—but that isn’t why he mattered. He mattered because he was a human being. And there is no way we could turn

away from that reality.

The people who stopped and raised their voices on May 25 2020 were a bouquet of humanity—a phrase I stole from my friend Jerry Blackwell. A bouquet of humanity, old, young, men and women, Black and White. A man from the neighborhood just walking to get a drink, a child going to buy a snack with her cousin, an off-duty firefighter on her way to a community garden.

Brave young women—teenagers—who pressed record on their cellphones.

Why did they stop? They didn’t know George Floyd. They didn’t know he had a beautiful family. They didn’t know that he had been a great athlete. And they didn’t know that he was a proud father, or they he had people in his life who loved him.

They stopped and raised their voices, and they even challenged authority, because they saw his humanity. They stopped and they raised their voices because they knew that what they were seeing was wrong. They didn’t need to be medical professionals or experts in the use of force.

They knew it was wrong. And they were right.

These community members— this bouquet of humanity—did

it again in this trial. They performed simple, yet profound, acts of courage. They told the truth, and they told the whole world the truth, about what they saw. They were vindicated by the chief of police, by Minneapolis’s longest-serving police officer, and by many other police officers who stepped up and testified as to what they saw and to what they knew.

What happened on that street was wrong. We owe them our gratitude for fulfilling their civic duty and for their courage in telling the truth.

To countless people in Minnesota and across the United States who join them in peacefully demanding justice for George Floyd, we say, all of us, thank you.

In the coming days, more may seek to express themselves again through petition and demonstration. I urge everyone to honor the legacy of George Floyd by doing so calmly, legally, and peacefully.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is the first African American attorney general in the history of Minnesota. He led the prosecution team to successfully convict former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin of the

Jury bias: two ways it can be reduced

By Angela M Jones

Shortly after the guilty verdicts were revealed in former police officer Derek Chauvin’s trial for murdering George Floyd, legal experts suggested Chauvin will appeal, arguing that his right to a fair trial was threatened by extensive pretrial publicity.

High-profile incidents of police killings often result in widespread pretrial publicity about the defendant and victim. The Derek Chauvin case was no exception.

Information that comes out before the trial begins can elicit strong emotional reactions and shape jurors’ judgments of credibility.

The police often have the first chance to shape public opinion because they have staff experienced in making statements to the press—and the press is eager to get those statements. Unfortunately—though not uncommonly—early media attention on the death of George Floyd was based on inaccurate police statements that minimized the role of Derek Chauvin.

Information provided by the news, including misleading information, can create opinions that are resistant to change. This happens especially when the information aligns with readers’ preexisting beliefs.

Furthermore, pretrial publicity that casts either the defendant or the victim in a negative light can lead jurors to interpret ambiguous trial evidence in ways that support the slant of the information that came out before the trial began.

A video created by a committee of judges and attorneys to be shown to jurors aims to highlight and combat the problems presented by unconscious bias.

For example, in an experiment, mock jurors were more likely to convict a defendant when they were exposed to Paul Street writes commen- anti-defendant pretrial publicity tary and books. His latest book compared with those who did is “The Hollow Resistance: not receive this pretrial informaObama, Trump, and Politics of tion. In contrast, exposure to proAppeasement.”

defendant pretrial publicity decreased the likelihood of mock jurors convicting.

The process of jury selection, formally called “voir dire,” does little to eliminate jurors with biases that they are not consciously aware of—known as implicit bias—regardless of whether those biases stem from pretrial information specific to the case or are deeper-seated biases associated with race or gender.

To address these implicit bias concerns, several courts across the country have developed safeguards, including special instructions like those about implicit bias given in Chauvin’s trial and educational videos shown during jury selection.

However, there is little evidence that these proposed remedies are effective.

Public confidence in police In criminal trials, it is commonly believed that jurors grant police officers credibility by virtue of their job. Jurors also grant police officers much discretion when it comes to use of force, even deadly force.

Yet, public confidence in the police is at record lows, especially among Black adults.

Frequent viral videos of police violence, recent investigative reporting exposing the extent of police misconduct, and few examples of police accountability have likely all contributed to the decline in public confidence in policing.

More broadly, the way policing and issues of race are portrayed in the media has the potential to create biases that affect the impartiality of the jury pool. For example, Black male victims of police violence are often described in the news using language that dehumanizes and criminalizes their behavior.

the relevance of race in a case, especially when a case involves a Black male victim, White jurors exhibit less racial bias.

Another potential solution is to have racially diverse juries, like the one in Chauvin’s trial.

To avoid appearing prejudiced, White jurors become more careful in their contributions during deliberations with a racially diverse jury.

Diversity offers the opportunity for many perspectives to enter the deliberation process, resulting in deliberations that are more thorough and accurately reflect the facts of the case.

Importantly, the public has more confidence in the verdicts of racially diverse juries and views them as fairer.

To increase the diversity and representativeness of juries, two changes could be made by courts. For example, the use of peremptory challenges—which attorneys can use to remove a juror without reason except to discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, or sex—could be curtailed. Attorneys use these challenges more often to strike minority jurors, even though they claim it’s not a challenge based on race.

Efforts are also underway in state courts to better manage the way jury pools are compiled and jurors are summoned to court.

These efforts ensure jury pools reflect the demographics of the community from which they are drawn, ultimately translating to more diverse and representative juries.

Historically, juries in American criminal courts give police officers wide discretion in their use of force, up to and including deadly force. The outcome of the Chauvin trial provides some evidence that this wide-ranging discretion can be challenged.

Race and racially diverse juries Two potential solutions exAngela M Jones is assistant proist for addressing implicit racial fessor, Criminal Justice, and Crimibiases. nology, Texas State University.

The first is making race a more explicit part of a trial.

When attorneys call attention to

April 29—May 5, 2021

Verdict

police officer Kim Potter, who has subsequently been charged with second Continued from page 1 degree murder. State and local police responded violently- in the days following his death-- to overwhelmingly “I feared for my life.”

“Our families will not be quiet be- peaceful protesters, demanding prosecause of this conviction. The police cution of Potter. Law enforcement not have caused so much pain and so only targeted and jailed peaceful promuch hurt. Too much pain and hurt testers attacking them with tear gas for us to get too excited about one and supposedly non-lethal projectiles, rinky dink cop [Chauvin] taken off but they also maced, jailed and beat the street. They need to reopen all members of the press.

Also during the trial, Minneapolis the cases involving police violence,” said Toshria Garraway, the founder of police were involved in an incident in Families Supporting Families Against which one of their officers was caught Police Violence one of the groups that on video beating a youth while he was was actively leading efforts for pros- being held by other officers. Activists ecution of Floyd’s killer. Her fiancé, Justin Teigen, and the father of her son, was found beaten to death by St. Paul police in 2009, and his body was thrown into a dumpster.

“The media and powers that be will try to argue that the Floyd verdict shows that the justice system works.

It doesn’t. Chauvin is one out of thousands. A clock is right twice a day, but called a press conference to denounce I can count on one hand how many the action pointing out that police times the courts have been right in a seemed to be trying to provoke the decade,” said Brian Taylor longtime community because they were upset fighter for human rights and anti-po- that one of their own may have to pay lice violence activist visiting Minne- for his misdeeds. Community members also pointed out that this behavapolis from Cincinnati.

Taylor and many others attribute ior flies in the face of the testimony Derek Chauvin’s prosecution and given by Minneapolis Police Chief conviction to the movement of people Medario Arradondo, who painted the in the streets. Community members, police department as sensitive to the needs of the community. activists and in particular families of those victimized by police violence led the charge demanding that all four More victims of police violence Not long after the news that police officers involved in the murder of Floyd, including Thomas Lane, Tou Chauvin had been convicted hit the Thao, and J Alexander Kueng and airwaves, police in Columbus, Ohio Chauvin be charged to the fullest ex- had shot and killed 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant. In Elizabeth City, tent of the law.

North Carolina police shot and killed Andrew Brown Jr after he attempted Misconduct continued through the to run from police in his car when they trial Before the trial could conclude, attempted to serve him with a warrant.

According to the website Gun Vioon April 11, twenty year old Daunte Wright was killed by Brooklyn Center lence Archive, since the start of the

Chauvin trial to his conviction 103 people were shot and killed by law enforcement.

“So many more families have been ignored. There have been over 470 murders in the last 20 years in Minnesota. There are hundreds more officers that are still out here they need to be held accountable. I was happy for the family of George Floyd. The police who took Justin’s life are still out there and many others who have killed our loved ones are still out there,” said Garraway.

Enough is enough! We can’t continue to have our families re-traumatized over and over and they show up at fu-

“The media and powers that be will try to argue that the Floyd verdict shows that the justice system works. It doesn’t.”

Ellison Continued from page 1 Jerry Blackwell, a local civil rights lawyer; Steve Schleicher, an experienced trial attorney and prosecutor who also worked 13 years in the U.S. attorney office; and assistant state attorney generals Erin Eldridge and Matthew Frank.

Ellison also acknowledged the expertise of the medical expert witnesses who testified on behalf of the prosecution. Of particular note was Dr.

Martin Tobin, who refuted the defense’s argument that Floyd died because of drugs in his system or underlying health problems. He said that Floyd died because he could not get enough air into his lungs while he was handcuffed and pinned to the ground.

“We’re not supposed to bring in evidence [that] says the same thing,” explained Ellison. “They were supposed to build on and complement each other. They were the key to success.”

Scrutinized Continued from page 1 She thought that “Juror 52,” a Black man, would have been very influential if selected as a jury member. “All of his answers [during the jury selection process] were very good, and you could tell he has a strong sense of identity,” observed Porter. “There’s no way he would acquit Derek Chauvin.” However, Juror 52 was not selected.

Darnella Frazier’s video was the trial’s key pivotal point, noted Porter.

“We can’t praise that sistah enough,” she stressed. Frazier’s video showed a different angle on what happened to Floyd than did the police body camera views presented during the trial.

“I’ve been following [the use of police body cameras] since Jamar Clark was killed in 2015,” continued the attorney.

“The body cams are from the perspective of the police, from their vantage point.

Day of Action

nerals where a young man should be alive and you show up with these fake tears while ignoring the cries of these other families,” she said referring to the appearance at Daunte Wrights funeral of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Senator Amy Klobuchar who failed to prosecute police for misconduct during her term as Hennepin County Attorney.

Demands that the “killer cops” be jailed and that all the cases of police violence that resulted in death be reopened was advanced by speakers at rallies held around the Twin Cities including downtown Minneapolis and George Floyd Square.

Reminiscent of the bad old days The presence of the cousin of Emmitt Till, Deborah Watts at one of the rallies after the conviction, and the video of Chauvin literally squeezing the life out of Floyd with his knee, reminded many of the really bad old

days of lynching and racial terrorism.

For some, the people standing around that “bouquet of humanity” as prosecution attorney Jerry Blackwell called them, made them hark back to those days in which Whites murdered Blacks with impunity with no consequences. And it reminded folks of helpless l Black folks or anybody else were helpless to do anything about it.

Nearly swept under the rug This case may likely have resulted in the officers being cleared because the initial police report appeared to clear the officers.

“He was ordered to step from his car.

After he got out, he physically resisted officers. Officers were able to get the suspect into handcuffs and noted he appeared to be suffering medical distress. Officers called for an ambulance.

He was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center by ambulance where he died a short time later,” is what Minneapolis police spokesperson John Elder had written about the incident.

When challenged by the mainstream media Elder claimed, “this had literally zero intent to deceive or be dishonest or disingenuous. Had we known that this [situation] was what we saw on the video, that statement would have been completely different.”

There is a good chance that this case would have been swept under the rug if Minneapolis police chief Medaria Arradondo had not received a call from a citizen urging him to take a long look at the video then 17 year old Darnella Fraser had uploaded to Facebook.

Hennepin County prosecutor Micheal O Freeman has a history of clearing White officers in the deaths of Black people. His presence at the press conference after the verdict struck a sour note with many especially when he said, ”we need to prevent

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, crazy,” recalled the former bowing to public pressure, state and U.S. Congressional appointed Ellison to handle Representative.

“The real front line of the the prosecution shortly after

“The real front line of the work of justice is at the state level.”

Floyd’s death. “Maybe people now understand why I left Congress [to run for attorney general]. A lot of my friends said, ‘Are you out of your mind?’ They thought I was

You don’t see the expression on their faces, for example. You don’t see things that they do with their arms.

“Frazier had a continuous video,” she pointed out. “By having the courage to post it immediately, she had such an impact on how this played out, not just the trial and the investigation. The global outcry was absolutely pivotal. Because she was at that bystander angle, we didn’t have to rely on body cams.”

University of Southern California Assistant Communications and Journalism Professor Allissa Richardson said Frazier’s video “needs to be cemented in history.” Richardson studies how mobile and social media can be used by marginalized communities to produce innovative forms of journalism.

“She [held] her camera [and was] quiet not to narrate over it. She showed incredible bravery in becoming [a] witness while Black,” said Richardson of Frazier, whose video and its impact will be included in her upcoming book “Bearing

work of justice is at the state level. I wanted to be on the front line “I love this country. I am a very patriotic person. And what that means for me is to

Witness While Black.”

Porter said the Chauvin trial also showed racial bias, which sometimes in her opinion came off very badly. The defense throughout the trial often used racial stereotypes, portraying Floyd as “this huge, humongous person who was high on adrenaline and high on drugs,” she observed.

“It made a lot of people mad because it does hit on those historic stereotypes.”

Even the jury questionnaire included “overt questions regarding racial issues that are being talked about these days in the country,” such as the individual’s feelings about Black Lives Matter, she added.

She also was critical of presiding Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill’s admonishment of U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters prior to the jury deliberations. “I thought it was gratuitous… inappropriate,” she said. “I think we need to examine and critique [the trial].”

Minnesota Attorney General Keith

Elk. Bayle Adod Gelle, the father of Dolal Continued from page 1 Idd, spoke of the pain of continuing the efDel Shea Perry told of her son Hardell fort to get justice for his son.

Through tears, Tybetha Prosper told the Sherell who was left to die in a Beltrami story of her son Naajikhan Adonis Powell County Jail.

Gabriel Black Elk of Native Lives Matter who she said had checked himself into a spoke on behalf of his brother Paul Cast- mental health ward at Hennepin County away who was killed by police in Denver, Healthcare last September. According to Colorado, in 2015. He told the crowds that his mother, the police were called when he it is encouraging to see their support. “We refused to take his medicine. He was taken feel like we are all alone. It means a lot to the Hennepin County jail where not when people come out to marches and ral- long after arrival authorities said he was lies. That makes us feel good,” said Black found hanging in his cell.

5

these killings in the first place make policing and fair and safer for all especially for Black men and women and other People of Color.

As many have noted at demonstrations, it appeared that the system had an easier time indicting and convicting a Black officer Mohamed Noor for killing a White woman (Justine Damon). Noor shot and killed Damond near her home in July of 2017. Noor was convicted of third degree murder and manslaughter in 2019.

A problem of the system of policing “Too often in these cases, juries are rarely impartial; they seem more inclined to exonerate and acquit when the defendant is White,” wrote Keith Mayes in a Washington Post editorial.

“This has to end. We need true justice that’s not one case that is a social transformation that says that nobody is beneath the law and nobody is above it. This verdict reminds us that we must make enduring systemic societal change,” said Minnesota Attorney General at the press conference following the verdict. “We need to use this verdict as an inflection point. What if we just prevented this problem instead of having to try these cases?”

“The system that allows them to keep killing us is still in place. It’s like they threw us a bone. They didn’t do it because it was the right thing to do.

They did it because they were afraid of the consequences if they did not do the right thing,” said Garraway. “If they had listened to the community in the first place and had police accountability there would have been no George Floyd. Until that system is dismantled we are still going to catch hell.”

Mel Reeves welcomes reader responsed to mreeves@spokesman-recorder.com

help this country be the best it can be. In the area of policing, our country has never had a relationship [with its Black communities].

“I’m not really a politician…

I’m actually just a humble civil rights worker. I have a law degree, so I use that,” he continued. “People have entrusted me with being elected [to his present office].”

Ellison reaffirmed that the work isn’t done and everyone seeking change must keep demanding it through peace-

ful protests and other means.

“We need to pass the George Floyd policing [bill]. We need to write letters to the people who represent them in Congress, and they also need to write the state legislators to get better.”

Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@ spokesman-recorder.com.

the trial is over we must begin conversations for change.

“The three things that I would offer [are] number one, build community with others outside of the community,” Smith-Pollard said. “Number two, honor what’s been lost,” such the Floyd family and others must do who are still grieving his death. “And number three, give people an action item [such as] the George Floyd Justice in Policunapologetic in pursuing these charges. ing Act,” which has been passed by the U.S. House and awaits action by the U.S. He created a great team.”

The attorney also warned against Senate.

A group of 38 faith, social justice, being complacent because of the guilty verdict. Chauvin’s sentencing isn’t until health care, social service, and other comid-June. The three other former police signing organizations sent a letter to the officers must still stand trial for their in- Minnesota Legislature last week urgvolvement in Floyd’s death, and their ing lawmakers to pass a set of police trial is scheduled for later this year. “We accountability bills in this session. have a lot to monitor,” she said.

Charles Hallman welcomes reader Rev. Dr. Najuma Smith-Pollard, program manager of the USC Cecil Murray responses to challman@spokesman-reCenter for Community Engagement in corder.com.

Los Angeles, told the MSR that now that Ellison’s role in the Chauvin trial cannot be overlooked or underestimated, said Porter. “I saw him as being a pivotal figure even though he wasn’t actually the key [prosecutor],” she noted. “He was

“My reaction to the verdict was elated.”

She questioned why he was taken to jail. “How do you take somebody from a mental health facility and take them to jail and not put them in a health unit in jail?’ said Prosper.

“There are hundreds of mothers that led up to George Floyd and Daunte Wright,” said Toshira Garraway of Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence.

In Minneapolis on Saturday, several hundred gathered near Lake Street to protest the killing of 13-year-old Adam Toledo

by Chicago police on March 29.

From print to online www.spokesman-recorder.com We’re have more ways to hook you up!

6

April 29—May 5, 2021

Business

Local boxing gym promotes health and wellness Ludy’s Gym, Champions Only Boxing & Fitness

ney has been challenging and enlightening. Perseverance is key. The owners are focused on providing a stellar boxing

A/1 Contract No. 22-001

Everyone is expected to abide by proper COVID protocol, and social distancing and masks are heavily enforced.

Black Business SPOTLIGHT

By Ashley Lauren Contributing writer

When customers arrive at Ludy’s Gym in South Minneapolis they can expect to be acknowledged, welcomed and motivated to begin their fitness journey.

The new gym, a nonprofit, was established in late Janu(l-r) Jeremy Jacobsz, Ludy Webster ary 2021 through a collaboration between coach Ludy Webster and Jeremy Jacobsz Overall, the owners of Champions Only Boxing. worked tirelessly to bring The spotless boxing and the idea into fruition. The fitness facility showcases neighborhood, and youth, in a professional boxing ring, particular, have embraced the a plethora of boxing bags, new gym. “We’re open arms jump ropes, weights, an echo to everybody,” said Webster. bike, merchandise, and exThe owners shared helpceptional customer service. ful advice for youth: “You They also offer memberships can channel a lot of energy, and one-on-one training sesbring everything here. You sions. Everyone is welcome, can explode on the bag, exfrom ages six and up. plode in the ring and get your Webster, co-owner and exercises in.” They also place coach, grew up in South an emphasis on “respect and Minneapolis. He developed self-discipline.” a love for boxing at a young age. “Wes Hayden was my Ludy’s gym is located at 2235 E. 38th St. in South Minneapolis.

Ludy’s Gym, Champions coach at Sabathani [comOnly Boxing and Fitness is munity center] on 38th, and a coach that did everything into place.” Both owners are and fitness facility. The non- located at 2235 E. 38th St. in for me,” recalled Webster. grateful for outpouring of profit organization is geared South Minneapolis. The gym is Hayden was a Golden Gloves support from family mem- toward serving youth in the open Monday-Friday, 6 am-9 pm, and Saturdays 10 am-2 pm.

Boxing Champion and well- bers who helped them make neighborhood.

Like many other local entiknown coach that influenced the dream a reality.

For more info, visit www.luThe owners emphasized ties, the COVID-19 pandemic Webster’s plight. has caused the business own- dysgym.com or call (612) 729ers to be cautious. As a result, 5250. they are focused on keeping Ashley Lauren welcomes everyone safe and healthy.

Webster said, “We were real readers’ responses to alauren@ scared about that. Things spokesman-recorder.com. started opening up a little bit.”

The boxing bags are 6ft apart to ensure social distancing.

Legals Co-owner Jacobsz serves in the capacities of a coach, trainer and former boxer. “I grew up in the North suburbs, so Anoka, Blaine, Coon Rapids, Brooklyn Park area. I started boxing when I was 18 or 19,” said Jacobsz, now age 30. “Altogether I have over 11 years of experience.” He aspires to help individuals in the community by offering exemplary training and conditioning.

Jacobsz added, “I was at Uppercut [gym]—so I started training there, but I changed my image. People know me as Champions Only Training, Champions Only Boxing.”

He is thrilled to offer his skills and expertise alongside Webster who operates in the same space. The collaborative effort will be beneficial for everyone who subscribes to the gym.

Their new gym and fitness center “came together pretty fast,” recalled Webster. “We got a little help from USA Boxing on a couple of the items, but most of it was out of pocket,” he said. They explained that “nothing was given.”

Their teamwork and focus have equated into success in just a short amount of time.

The gym is being occupied frequently and they aspire to

how boxing can serve as an oasis and safe haven. Jacobsz said, “If you go to a regular gym, you’re gonna go in there mad and angry,” but their gym focuses on enhancing the quality of life for individuals, especially if you’re having a bad day. “We’re gonna work with them—we’ll show you different things,” said Webster.

Webster and Jacobsz also discussed the multitude of people dealing with anger and stress lately. As a result, they encourage individuals to visit their facility and learn about their services. Boxing and fitness have many great benefits. “Being able to get things out in a different way.

So you’re working out—it’s like a release,” said Jacobsz.

He stressed that a boxing gym is “unique and going to a regular gym is not the same.”

Webster added, “I really love working with the kids.

Boxing saved me; I would say it probably saved my life. I was rippin’ and runnin’ when I was young, big time, but it’s funny, as I was getting older—I would go out with my friends and knew I could only stay out so long.” Boxing taught him about making sacrifices and learning discipline.

The entrepreneurial jour-

INVITATION TO BID Sealed bids will be received by the Public Housing Agency of the City of Saint Paul for REFUSE HAULING SERVICES AT MT. AIRY HOMES, Contract No. 22-001, until 11:00 AM, Local Time, on MAY 11, 2021, at which time they will be publicly opened and read aloud via the Zoom App. Bids must be submitted electronically, in a pdf format, to Northstar Imaging, www.northstarplanroom.com A complete set of bid documents is available at www.northstarplanroom.com, under public plan room, REFUSE HAULING SERVICES AT MT. AIRY HOMES, Contract No. 22-001, or calling 651-686-0477. Digital downloads are at no charge, contact Northstar for hard copy pricing.

move into a bigger space as the number of participants continue to increase. Webster noted that the Kids Boxing classes are very popular.

Classes take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5 pm.

In essence, hard work is truly paying off. Jacobsz further expressed, “We didn’t save up for this, we didn’t anticipate this.” Webster added, “Everything started falling

Photos by Ashley Lauren

Legals

State of Minnesota County of Ramsey

Susan Nelson and Stephen Herman Plaintiffs vs.

Fenny Mayieka, Defendant

Personal Injury District Court Second Judicial District 62-CV-21-751

2.

SUMMONS

YOU ARE BEING SUED. The Plaintiff has started a lawsuit against you. You must respond to this lawsuit even though it may not yet be filed with the Court and there may be no court file number on this Summons.

YOU MUST REPLY WITHIN 20 DAYS TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS. You must give or mail to the person who signed this summons a written response called an Answer within 20 days of the date on which you received this Summons. You must send a copy of your Answer to the person who signed this summons located at: Swor & Gatto, P.A. 1177 West Seventh Street Saint Paul, MN 55102

3.

4.

5.

6.

YOU MUST RESPOND TO EACH CLAIM. The Answer is your written response to the Plaintiff’s Complaint. In your Answer you must state whether you agree or disagree with each paragraph of the Complaint. If you believe the Plaintiff should not be given everything asked for in the Complaint, you must say so in your Answer.

YOU WILL LOSE YOUR CASE IF YOU DO NOT SEND A WRITTEN RESPONSE TO THE COMPLAINT TO THE PERSON WHO SIGNED THIS SUMMONS. If you do not Answer within 20 days, you will lose this case. You will not get to tell your side of the story, and the Court may decide against you and award the Plaintiff everything asked for in the Complaint. If you do not want to contest the claims stated in the Complaint, you do not need to respond. A default judgment can then be entered against you for the relief requested in the Complaint.

LEGAL ASSISTANCE. You may wish to get legal help from a lawyer.

If you do not have a lawyer, the Court Administrator may have information about places where you can get legal assistance. Even if you cannot get legal help, you must stil provide a written Answer to protect your rights or you may lose the case.

ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION. The parties may agree to or be ordered to participate in an alternative dispute resolution process under Rule 114 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice. You must still send your written response to the Complaint even if you expect to use alternative means of resolving this dispute.

Dated: January 25, 2021

PRE-BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD ON TUESDAY MAY 4, 2021, AT 2:00 PM LOCAL TIME. CONTACT VANESSA AUSTIN FOR MEETING DETAILS. The PHA reserves the right to reject any or all bids or to waive any informalities in the bidding.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AGENCY

VANESSA AUSTIN PROJECT TECHNICIAN (651) 228-3179 VANESSA.AUSTIN@STPHA.ORG

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder April 29, 2021

A/1 Contract No. 22-002 INVITATION TO BID Sealed bids will be received by the Public Housing Agency of the City of Saint Paul for REFUSE HAULING SERVICES AT ROOSEVELT HOMES, Contract No. 22-002, until 11:30 AM, Local Time, on MAY 11, 2021, at which time they will be publicly opened and read aloud via the Zoom App. Bids must be submitted electronically, in a pdf format, to Northstar Imaging, www.northstarplanroom.com A complete set of bid documents is available at www.northstarplanroom.com, under public plan room, REFUSE HAULING SERVICES AT ROOSEVELT HOMES, Contract No. 22-002, or calling 651-686-0477. Digital downloads are at no charge, contact Northstar for hard copy pricing.

Bids must be accompanied by a $500 Bid Bond, Non-Collusive Affidavit, a MN Responsible Contractor Compliance Affidavit, and EEO-1 submittals.

The successful bidder will be required to furnish both a satisfactory performance bond and a separate payment bond.

PRE-BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD ON TUESDAY MAY 4, 2021, AT 2:00 PM LOCAL TIME. CONTACT VANESSA AUSTIN FOR MEETING DETAILS. The PHA reserves the right to reject any or all bids or to waive any informalities in the bidding.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AGENCY

VANESSA AUSTIN PROJECT TECHNICIAN (651) 228-3179 VANESSA.AUSTIN@STPHA.ORG

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder April 29, 2021

A/1 Contract No. 22-011 INVITATION TO BID Sealed bids will be received by the Public Housing Agency of the City of Saint Paul for FURNACE REPLACEMENTS AT MCDONOUGH HOMES, Contract No. 22-011, until 10:00 AM, Local Time, on MAY 12, 2021, at which time they will be publicly opened and read aloud via the Zoom App. Bids must be submitted electronically, in a pdf format, to Northstar Imaging, www.northstarplanroom.com From Classified

Department/MN

A complete set of bid documents is available at www.northstarplanroom.com, Spokesman-Recorder under public plan room, FURNACE REPLACEMENTS AT MCDONOUGH HOMES, Contract No. 22-011, or calling 651-686-0477. Digital downloads are no charge, contact Northstar for hard copy prices.

PHONE: 612-827-4021

THIS SUMMONS IS DIRECTED TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANT: FENNY MAYIEKA. 1.

Bids must be accompanied by a $500 Bid Bond, Non-Collusive Affidavit, a MN Responsible Contractor Compliance Affidavit, and EEO-1 submittals. The successful bidder will be required to furnish both a satisfactory performance bond and a separate payment bond.

SWOR AND GATTO, P.A. By: John Paul J. Gatto Marcus P. Gatto (#0391160) John Paul J. Gatto (#0387730) ATTORNEYS FOR PLAINTIFF 1177 West Seventh Street Saint Pual, Minnesota 55102 651-454-3600

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder April 29, & May 6 & 13, 2021

Bids must be accompanied by a 5% bid guarantee, MN Responsible Contractor Affidavit, a Non-Collusive Affidavit, and EEO-1 submittals. The successful FOR BILLING bidder will be required to furnish both a satisfactory performance bond and a INQUIRIES separate payment bond.

& TEARSHEETS

PRE-BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, PLEASE CONTACT 2021, AT 10:00 AM LOCAL TIME AT THE MCDONOUGH COMMUNITY CENTER, 1544 TIMBERLAKE ROAD, ST. PAUL, MN 55117.

ACCOUNTING DEPT

@

BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RE-

The PHA reserves the right to reject any or all bids or to waive any informalities CORDER.COM in the bidding.

SUMMONS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AGENCY FLAT RATE

$200

KA YANG PROJECT LEADER (651) 292-6089 KA.YANG@STPHA.ORG

The MSR handles billing digitally. and e-mailed invoices unless you specifically request a hard copy.

Minnesota 2021 This Spokesman-Recorder means you willApril get29, e-tears

State of Minnesota Ramsey County

District Court Second Judicial District Court File Number: 62-DA-FA-21-385 Notice of Issuance of Emergency (Ex Parte) Order for Protection by Publication (Minn. Stat. § 518B.01, subd. 8)

In the Matter of Zoua Pa Moua and OBO Minor Child vs Naosue Yang To Respondent: YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an Ex Parte Order for Protection has been issued in this case. You may request a hearing if you contact the court administrator's office within 12 days of the date of publication of this notice. You may obtain a copy of the Ex Parte Order for Protection and the form to request a hearing from the court administrator's office at the following address: Ramsey County District Court 25 West Seventh Street St Paul MN 55102 Failure to request a hearing or to obtain a copy of the Ex Parte Order will not be a defense to prosecution for violation of the Court's order.

Dated: April 19, 2021

Donald W. Harper Court Administrator

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder April 29, 2021

April 29—May 5, 2021

Arts & Culture

7

Former Prince bodyguard recalls ‘Purple Gang’ in debut memoir

Teddy Pendergrass, and Earth Wind and Fire.

Released in late 2019, the book’s title derives from a song Since his untimely passing on originally in Prince’s fabled vault PHONE: April 21, 2016, 612-827-4021 many books have and offers a glimpse into the been written in an attempt to Purple One’s world during the FOR BILLING chronicle the life, legacy, and ca- height of his career.

Safford, who is the brother-inreerINQUIRIES of the artist known as Prince. & aTEARSHEETS With career that spanned four law of famed Detroit concert proPLEASE CONTACT decades, capturing the mystique, moter and “Purple Rain” star BilACCOUNTING DEPT essence, and magic of the artist ly Sparks, was inspired to write BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER.COM was@nothing short of a tall order. the book after reflecting deeply For former bodyguard and about his time with Prince and LEGAL NOTICES bandmate Wally Safford, con- his own life and career in and SIZE: 2an COL X 4.5account =9 structing honest of outside of the entertainment inRATE PCIto(1ST RUN) dustry.

Prince and$15.53 his rise superstarTOTAL: “I wanted to write this book dom required$139.77 behind-the-scenes access to one of music’s most because I wanted to do my memoirs, “said Safford. “I wanted mysterious and iconic stars.

Written in collaboration with to talk about me growing up in Please proof, respondeditor with email confirmation to display@spokesDetroit, especially during the ’67 former Ebony magazine man-recorder.com riots. I also thought about my career in music and Prince just hapThe MSR handles billing digitally. pened to be the icing on the cake.”

This means you will get e-tears and e-mailed invoices unless Safford’s career into the en- you specifically request a hard copy. tertainment industry began in

Classified ByFrom Marquis Taylor Department/MN Contributing writer Spokesman-Recorder

Courtesy of Lil Gater’s Publishing

Dr. Margena Christian, “Wally Where’d You Get Those Glasses?” is a 172-page memoir that chronicles Safford’s years with Prince, as well as other legendary acts such as The Commodores,

the 1970s when he worked as a bodyguard and assistant for The Commodores. This time would be followed up by stints with Teddy Pendergrass, Parliament -Funkadelic, and Earth Wind and Fire, who would serve as a connector to Prince.

“Bob Cavallo, Joe Ruffalo, and Steve Fargnoli was a management team that represented Earth Wind and Fire. They also represented Prince. I knew them from my days touring with Earth Wind and Fire, so I was able to blend right in with the crew,” explained Safford.

“When I first met Prince, I knew he had that ‘it’ factor. It was something special about him that was different and also on point,”

Courtesy of Lil Gater’s Publishing

Wally Safford in front of a Prince mural

Prince had members of the Nation of Islam watching his back early on. We did security for him and were also responsible for things related to promotion like putting up posters and creating a buzz. Prince really believed and trusted in us.”

While Prince is synonymous with the Twin Cities and the Minneapolis Sound, he also had a deep connection and rich history to Detroit. Safford shared firsthand accounts of that unyielding bond between Prince and the Motor City.

“Detroit was like a second home to Prince. He used it as a

he said.

Prince, who was notoriously aloof and guarded, developed a liking for Safford and would bring him into his inner circle.

Along with his brother-in-law Sparks, and other associates, Prince would dub the group “The Purple Gang” named after the 1920s Detroit crime syndicate. “’The Purple Gang’ consisted of myself, Billy Sparks, Mitch James, Greg Brooks, and Nur and Abdul Muhammad,” Safford recalled.

“Nur and Abdul were Elijah Muhammad’s nephews. Many people don’t know this, but

Safford would later transition from a bodyguard to a member of Prince’s band where he would serve as a dancer. He can be seen throughout the 1987 concert film “Sign O’ the Times.”

When thinking about his fondest memory of Prince as well as his legacy, Safford reflected on his musical output and their times spent together working.

“My fondest memory of Prince was during rehearsals where he would be cracking jokes and horse playing around. You’d be in rehearsals for hours and he would spend a majority of his time working on one song and playing around with it in different grooves. Eventually you’d hear five or six different versions of the same song. To me, his greatest work came out of rehearsals.”

He continued, “A new Prince album can come out every year from now until the year 3000. You see it with his upcoming release ‘Welcome 2 America’ where he discussed the things that are going on today. It’s important that we keep his music alive so that the younger generation knows who Prince is.”

Wally Safford’s memoir, “Wally, Where’d you Get Those Glasses?” is available for purchase online and at most major retailers.

His podcast, “Wally’s All Access” is also available on all streaming platforms.

testing ground for a lot of his material,” Safford recounted.

“I remember one show in Detroit where he opened for Rick James and tore the stage up!

The people in Detroit were like, ‘Prince belongs to us now!’ He also had a birthday concert at Cobo Arena in June of ’86 and afterwards, he called up the radio station and spoke to The Electrifying Mojo, who broke a lot of Marquis Taylor welcomes Prince’s records in Detroit and reader responses at mtaylor@ played a role in his success there. spokesman-recorder.com.

Prince once said, ‘If you can make it in Detroit, you can make it anywhere.’ And that’s why he was so beloved in the D.”

Simon Burris *Africana Diaspora Black History MORE Than A Month Crossword *CHADWICK BOSEMAN* www.simonburris700.com Across 1. *Dennis _ _ _ man; former basketballer 4. *Oprah Winfrey's formal request 8. *Turner; slave rebellion leader and others 12. *Ida Anne Elliot writer: initials 13. *LeBron James' home state 14. *___ Fitzgerald "A tisket, a tasket" singer 15. *"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" superstar: 17. *African jungle king 18. Money in Germany, France or Poland 19. Pounding parts 21. *Nigeria Economic Policy: initials 23. *Kobe Bryant as first-year player (1996) 27. *Coretta Scott King's birth month: abbr.

30. *Spike ___; actor / director 32. Sweater style 33. *Soccer star Pele's word for "river" 34. Pueblo brick 36. *Shaquille O'Neal's shoe size; perhaps ?

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35. *"Black Panther" starring actor 38. Stable horse handler 42. Email option 44. *_ _ _ colm X; human rights leader Down 46. Stand Against Racism & Injustice: (acronym) FOR BILLING 1. *Condoleeza ___; former Secretary of State 48. Rome's country: abbr.

INQUIRIES 2. *President Obama's birthplace (Island) 49. *Rita ___; U.S. poet laureate & TEARSHEETS 3. * A word in a Maya Angelou poem 50. Santa ___ (hot winds) PLEASE CONTACT 4. *Dr. Dre's Death ___ Records 51. *Tiger Woods or Serena Williams, for example DEPT 5. Sent byACCOUNTING mail 52. Go for it @ Harris; BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER.COM 6. *Kamala ___ president 53. IN., CO., ME: abbr.

7. Casino game 55. *_ _ _ SPOTS; singing group (1940s) 8. *___ Mandela; South African statesman RAMSEY COUNTY 9. *Muhammad ___; champ boxer 10. Total 1WEEK loss only:RUN abbr.

11. *Willie Brown; ___$100.00 Francisco former mayor FLAT RATE PREPAID 16. *___ Cheadle; film actor

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN-RECORDER 3744 4th Ave. South • Minneapolis, MN 55409 Phone: 612-827-4021 • Fax: 612-827-0577

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cecil e. NeWmaN

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Charles Hallman

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Dr. Deirdre Golden

Dr. Mitchell P. McDonald

Aleezeh Hasan

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Dr. Clarence Hightower

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Abeni Hill Dwight Hobbes

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Tiffany Johnson Brandon Jones

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Onika Nicole Craven Steve Floyd Chris Juhn Travis Lee

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INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER

8

April 29—May 5, 2021

RentHelpMN is now open for BULLETIN applications

Courtesy of MGN Minnesota Housing announced on Tuesday that RentHelpMN is now open and accepting applications. RentHelpMN makes it possible for eligible renters to get caught up on overdue rent and utilities dating back to March 13, 2020.

It also makes provisions for those at risk of falling behind on rent payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It should be noted that RentHelpMN is in Phase One, in which people with past due rent who meet eligibility requirements are invited to apply.

To apply for RentHelpMN, visit renthelpmn.org or call 211. The 211 helpline has dedicated multilingual staff available to answer questions about RentHelpMN, 8 am to 8 pm, Monday through Saturday.

Visit renthelpmn.org to learn more about the program and eligibility requirements and to apply.

PUC approves customer bill relief

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) approved $9.6 million in refunds to Xcel Energy’s electric service customers. $2.9 million will be allocated to the PowerOn Program to provide discounted electricity service to qualifying individuals. The remaining funds will be split between commercial and industrial customers as credits on their bills.

“As Minnesotans face financial challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is vital that we target relief to those that need it most” said Commission

Vice Chair Joseph Sullivan.“Leveraging this funding will help Minnesotans in need while also providing refunds to other Xcel ratepayers.”

Xcel Energy’s PowerOn Program provides bill payment assistance to customers enrolled in the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Currently, the PowerOn program participants pay three percent of their household income towards their electricity bills. Additionally, the program offers a balance forgiveness option for eligible ratepayers.

Xcel Energy received the funds as part of a settlement reached with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, utilities-such as Xcel Energy, were required to enter into contracts with the DOE to manage the disposal and storage of spent nuclear fuel from the Prairie Island and Monticello nuclear plants.

However, the DOE never accepted the spent fuel, and the waste is currently being stored by Xcel Energy. The DOE settlement reimburses Xcel Energy and its customers for these storage costs.

Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church

Worship Mount Olivet Missionary Baptist Church

Bethesda Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Billy G. Russell, Sr. Pastor

Rev. Arthur Agnew, Pastor

Rev. James C. Thomas, Pastor

451 West Central

St. Paul, MN 55103 651-227-4444

Church School 9:30 am Morning Worship 8:00 & 10:45 am Prayer Service:

Wednesday 7 pm "Welcome to

Mt. Olivet Baptist Church"

At the Old Landmark 1118 So. 8th Street

2600 E. 38th Street Minneapolis, MN 55408 www.greatfriend.org Phone: 612.827.7928 Fax: 612.827.3587 info@greatfriend.org

Mpls., MN 55404 612-332-5904 www.bethesdamnonline.com bethesdamn@prodigy.net

Sundays 8:00am Sunday School 9:30am Worship Service

Sunday Service Times: Early Morning Service 9 am

The Friendly Church Where Everybody Is Somebody

Sunday School 10 am Sunday Worship 11:30 am Wednesday

Prayer Meeting, 6 pm Adult Bible Class 7 pm Children's Bible Class 7 pm

Pilgrim Baptist Church Rev. Doctor Charles Gill 732 W. Central Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 Sunday Worship Service: 9:45 AM Sunday School: 8:45 AM

Crossword Puzzle Answers (from page 7)

Employment & Legals State of Minnesota Hennepin

In Re the Marriage of Ivorine Balkaran Petitioner and

District Court Court File Number: 27FA05865 Case Type: Dissolution without Children

Summons (Check One) X Without Real Estate With Real Estate

Kadar Bridgemohan Respondent THE STATE OF MINNESOTA TO THE ABOVE-NAMED RESPONDENT: SIGNED BY: WARNING:Your spouse has filed a lawsuit against you for dissolution of your marriage. A copy off the paperwork regarding the lawsuit is served on you with this Summons. This summons is an official document from the court that affects your rights. Read this summons carefully. If you do not understand it, contact an attorney for legal advice.

1.

The Petitioner (your spouse) has filed a lawsuit against you asking for a dissolution of your marriage (divorce). A copy of the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage is attached to this Summons.

2.

You must serve upon Petitioner and file with the Court a written Answer to the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage and you must pay the required filing fee. Answer forms are available from the Court Administrator’s office. You must serve your Answer upon Petitioner within thirty (30) days of the date you were served with this Summons, not counting the day of service. If you do not serve and file your Answer, the Court may give your spouse everything he or she is asking for in the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage.

3.

This proceeding involves, affects or brings into question the real property located at the following address: N/A 4.

(For a second property) This proceeding involves, affects, or brings into question the real property located at the following address: N/A OR X This proceeding does not involve real property NOTICE OF TEMPORARY RESTRAINING PROVISIONS 1. Neither party may dispose of any assets except (a) for the necessities of life or for the necessary generation of income or preservation of assets, (b) by an agreement of the parties in writing, or (c) for retaining counsel to carry on or to contest this proceeding.

2. Neither party may harass the other party.

3. All currently available insurance coverage must be maintained and continued without change in coverage or beneficiary designation 4. Parties to a marrage dissolution proceeding are encouraged to attempt alternative dispute resolution pursuant to Minnesota law. Alternative dispute resolution includes mediation, arbitration, and other processes as set forth in district court rules. You may contact the court administrator about resources in your area. If you cannot pay for mediation or alternative dispute resolution, in some counties, assistance may be available to you through a nonprofit pro-

State of Minnesota

District Court

From Classified Ramsey County Second Judicial District Court File Number: 62-DA-FA-21-398 Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder WESLEY FRANCIS MCKEOWN GUBBIN

April 29—May 5, 2021

9

From Classified Principal IT Developer Department/MN JD Spokesman-Recorder Edwards for Medtronic, Inc. at its facility in Mounds

View, MN. Provides technical & functional expertise in PHONE: and 612-827-4021 implementing post implementation support and maintenance of JD Edwards globally. Bachelors’ degree or foreign PHONE: 612-827-4021 equivalent in Information Technology, Computer Information FOR BILLING Systems, Computer Science or Computer Management and FOR BILLING INQUIRIES In the Matter of Rosemary Lynne Gubbin vs WESLEY FRANCIS five&(5)TEARSHEETS years’ experience as a JD Edwards IT Developer and INQUIRIES MCKEOWN GUBBIN five (5) years of post-bachelor’s progressive experience in all & TEARSHEETS PLEASE CONTACT of the following: JD Edwards One World XE and EnterTo Respondent: PLEASE CONTACT ACCOUNTING DEPT prise One 9.1 Technical Tool Set; AS/400, DB2, SQL, EDI/ YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an Ex Parte Order for Protection has been issued ACCOUNTING DEPT @ and BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER.COM ASN SAP ECC; Middleware technologies and protocols in this case. You may request a hearing if you contact the court administrator's @ BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER.COM interfacing with Factory Works; 21 CFR part 11 environment office within 12 days of the date of publication of this notice. You may obtain a copy of the Ex Parte Order for Protection and the form to request a hearing regulations forCOUNTY manufacturing, distribution, supply chain, RAMSEY from the court administrator's office at the following address: finance, manufacturing and order to cash; Development Tools; Programming DISSOLUTION OFRamsey MARRIAGE County District Court 1WEEK RUN Languages to include C, C++, Visual Basic, Java2.0, SQL- Structured Query Language, RPG 25 West Seventh Street 3 WEEK RUN FLAT RATE $100.00 PREPAID St Paul MN 55102 and CL; Relational Databases to include DB2, Oracle 8i, FLAT RATE $200.00 PREPAID MS-SQL Server 7.0 and MS Access 2000. Apply at https:// Failure to request a hearing or to obtain a copy of the Ex Parte Order will not be jobs.medtronic.com/, Req.#210009TP. Medtronic is an equal a defense to prosecution for violation of the Court's order.

The MSR handles billing digitally. opportunity employer committed to cultural diversity in the This and e-mailed invoices unless you Dated:means April 20,you 2021 will get e-tears Donald W. Harper workplace. All individuals are encouraged to apply. specifically request a hard copy.

Court Administrator Notice of Issuance of Emergency (Ex Parte) Order for Protection by Publication (Minn. Stat. § 518B.01, subd. 8)

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder April 29, 2021

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF WAIR PRODUCTS INC. State of Minnesota Ramsey County

District Court Second Judicial District Court File Number: 62DAFA21289 Case Type: Domestic Abuse

In The Matter Of Tracy Ann Jones Vs Mark Paul Vanliew Notice of Hearing by Publication (Minn. Stat. § 518B.01, subd. 8) To Respondent named above: An order has been issued directing you to appear to a hearing on May 5, 2021 at 9:15am before Judge Janet Poston for an Order for Protection Hearing and explain why the relief sought in the Petition for the Order for Protection should not be granted. You must contact the Ramsey County Court Administrator’s Office at 651-266-5130 for hearing location details.

You may obtain a copy of the Petition and any order issued from the court from the Ramsey County Court Administrator's Office.

If you do not appear at the scheduled hearing, the Petitioner's request may be granted as a default matter. Failure to appear will not be a defense to prosecution for violation of the Court's Order.

Court Administrator Ramsey

vider or a court program. If you are a victim of domestic abuse or threats as

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder April 29, 2021

PLEASE BE ADVISED that Wair Products Inc. is in the process of dissolving and has filed a Notice of Intent to Dissolve with the Secretary of State of MinFrom Classified nesota on March 30, 2021. Claims may be made with the Company by filing Department/MN such claim in writing. The date by which all claims must be received shall be 90 days after the first publication date of this Notice.

Spokesman-Recorder All claims to be submitted should be addressed to: Wair Products Inc. c/o Thomas PHONE: Johansson 1401 W Broadway Avenue, Minneapolis MN 55411 612-827-4021 Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, April 8, 15, 22, & 29, 2021

FOR BILLING INQUIRIES & TEARSHEETS PERSONAL DRIVER/ ASSISTANT NEEDED PLEASE CONTACT ACCOUNTING DEPT We are@ looking for a dynamic individual for the role of DrivBILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER.CO er/Personal Assistant. This is a unique position that requires exceptional interpersonal skills, a proactive approach to your RAMSEY COUNTY duties and respect for personal boundaries. The ideal candidate must be willing to accommodate a high degree of flexibility in1WEEK their work schedule and be available on short notice.

RUN Compensation will be$100.00 commensurate with experience and FLAT RATE PREPAID include a competitive salary and extended benefits package.

Contact ( Davidklatzker99@gmail.com ) for more details.

defined in Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 518B, you are not required to try me-

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder April 22 & 29, and May 6, 2021

diation and you will not be penalized by the court in later proceedings.

IF YOU VIOLATE ANY OF THESE PROVISIONS YOU WILL BE SUBJECT TO SANCTIONS BY THE COURT. Dated: 10/16/20

Signed: Ivorine Balkaran 313 Portland Place Bloomington MN

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder April 29 & May 6 & 13, 2021

Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State Certificate of Assumed Name Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 333 ASSUMED NAME: Nicole's Tasty Treats PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS: 3423 Emerson Ave N Minneapolis MN 55412 USA NAMEHOLDER(S): Name: Address: Nicole Marie Harris 3423 Emerson Ave N Minneapolis MN 55412 USA If you submit an attachment, it will be incorporated into this document. If the attachment conflicts with the information specifically set forth in this document, this document supersedes the data referenced in the attachment.

By typing my name, I, the undersigned, certify that I am signing this document as the person whose signature is required, or as agent of the person(s) whose signature would be required who has authorized me to sign this document on his/her behalf, or in both capacities. I further certify that I have completed all required fields, and that the information in this document is true and correct and in compliance with the applicable chapter of Minnesota Statutes. I understand that by signing this document I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Section 609.48 as if I had signed thisdocument under oath.

SIGNED BY: Nicole Harris MAILING ADDRESS: None Provided EMAIL FOR OFFICIAL NOTICES: nicoleharris07@gmail.com Minneapolis Spokesman-Recorder April 22 & 29, 2021

Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State Certificate of Assumed Name Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 333 ASSUMED NAME: Dante’s Dots PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS: 2616 DuPont Ave South Apartment 5 Minneapolis MN 55408 USA NAMEHOLDER(S): Name: Address: Henry Alex Dante 2616 DuPont ave south Apartment 5 Minneapolis MN 55408 USA If you submit an attachment, it will be incorporated into this document. If the attachment conflicts with the information specifically set forth in this document, this document supersedes the data referenced in the attachment.

By typing my name, I, the undersigned, certify that I am signing this document as the person whose signature is required, or as agent of the person(s) whose signature would be required who has authorized me to sign this document on his/her behalf, or in both capacities. I further certify that I have completed all required fields, and that the information in this document is true and correct and in compliance with the applicable chapter of Minnesota Statutes. I understand that by signing this document I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Section 609.48 as if I had signed thisdocument under oath.

SIGNED BY: Henry Dante MAILING ADDRESS: 2616 DuPont Ave Aouth Apartment 5 Minneapolis MN 55408 EMAIL FOR OFFICIAL NOTICES: dantesdots@gmail.com Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder April 29 & May 6, 2021

State of Minnesota County: Dakota In the Matter of the Application of: Jasmyne Janee Wilson

District Court Judicial District: 1st Court File Number:19WS-CV-21-244 Case Type: Name Change Notice of Hearing by Publication (Minor Name Change) Minn. Stat. § 259.10

From Classified Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder Sr. Data Scientist PHONE: 612-827-4021

For Medtronic, Inc. located in Mounds View, MN. Works with the AACOE in formulating and executing departmenFOR BILLING Turner tal plans for insights and analytics capability development.

INQUIRIES Masters’ degree in Data Science, Computer Sciences, & TEARSHEETS For a Change of Name to: Mathematics or Statistics and (2) years’ experience in Data Eden Giselle Wilson PLEASE CONTACT Analytics and two (2) years of post-bachelor’s progresACCOUNTING DEPT Machine learning, TO: Ashford Turner sive experience in all of the following: From Classified Name of parent to be notified @ BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER.CO Predictive Modeling, Prescriptive Modelling Data Mining, Department/MN Data Cleansing, Text Analytics & Social Media Analyt501 W. Franklin Ave. #101,Spokesman-Recorder Minneapolis, MN 55405 LEGAL NOTICES ics; Designing and deploying data processing pipelines An Application for Name Change has been filed by Jasmyne Janee Wison for a using Apache Spark, Cloudera SIZE: 2 COL X 4 = 8 Data science workbench PHONE: 612-827-4021 change of name for the minor child (ren) Eden Giselle Turner to Eden Giselle (CDSW); Programming to include Python, R, RATE $15.53 PCIlanguages (1ST RUN) Wilson. A hearing on this Application will be held at Remotely via Zoom SQL and NoSQL; Building Dashboards using Power BI, on June 1st, 2021, at 9:15 a.m. Meeting ID: 161 549 6681 Password: 046841.

SUBTOTAL: $124.24 FOR BILLING You may obtain a copy of the Application for Name Change from Northern Spotfire and Tableau from multiple data sources like Apache Service Center, 1 W. Mendota Rd. #140, West St. Paul, MN 55118 .

INQUIRIES Hadoop, Oracle Exadata and SQL server; Mining data and RATE $10.35 PCI (PER ADDITIONAL RUN) $82.80 X 2 & TEARSHEETS building Analytics models using tools to include MATLAB, If you do not appear at the scheduled hearing the Petitioner’s Application for a Name Change for minor child (ren) may be granted.

AlteryxSUBTOTAL: and Cloudera$165.60 Data science workbench; Developing PLEASE CONTACT Total: $289.84 statistical modeling techniques to include decision trees, ACCOUNTING DEPT Dated: April 20th, 2021 Maria Jost logistic regression, Bayesian analysis, Neural Networks @ BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER. Court Administrator Please proof, respond with email and TensorFlow; Neo4j network graph dataconfirmation and databases to disp COM Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder April 29 & May 6 & 13, 2021 and building predictive and statistical models; Utilizing spokesman-recorder.com the Agile methodology. Apply at https://jobs.medtronic.

ASSUMED NAME com/, Req. #210009TJ. Medtronic is an equal opportunity The MSR handles billing digitally.

FLAT RATE $150.00 employer committed to cultural diversity in thee-mailed workplace.

This means you will get e-tears and invoices From Classified 2 WEEK RUN All individuals are specifically encouraged torequest apply. a hard copy.

Virtual Legal Focus Group unless you On Behalf of: Eden Giselle

Department/MN

Attention Hennepin County residents: Spokesman-Recorder Interested in a fun way to make a little extra cash? If you are Please proof, respond with email confirmation to interested in participating in a Virtual Legal Focus Group on PHONE: 612-827-4021 display@spokesman-recorder.com and won the 2017 national title.

Monday, May 4th, May 10th, or May 26th “There are a lot of jobs out from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. via Zoom, there that can give Black womContinued from page 10 please call Rochelle at 612.375.1707 or simply go to FOR BILLING The MSR handles billing digitally. en an opportunity. Bring them https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KWVYMXB INQUIRIES This We means in. Interview them. If you don’t and fill out the form. pay you $60.will get e-tears and e-mailed in& TEARSHEETS unless you specifically request a hard incopy. the 1990s. hire them, let them know why,” From voices Classified PLEASE CONTACT We will call you with further details and to get you “He changed my life,” said urged Staley.

Department/MN confirmed once your information is received.

ACCOUNTING DEPT Thorson of Haskins. “I will be Said O’Banion, “We’ll conSpokesman-Recorder @ BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER.COM forever grateful to him.” tinue to see [more Black coaches Johnson and Kemp have hired].”

PHONE: 612-827-4021 is the priority.” known each other for several It is not only important to hire EMPLOYMENT DISPLAY If a college player not yet 21 years.

Kemp started his coachBlack coaches, but also to give FOR BILLING SIZE: 2 COL X 2 = 4 INCHES years old wants to leave early to ing career at Minnesota State them the necessary support. “I’m Continued fromINQUIRIES page 10 RATE $38.25 PER COL. INCH pursue pro dreams, they must go Moorhead and also held stints at so excited about Loyola because & TEARSHEETS SUB TOTAL: $153.00 overseas to do so. Reeve said she North Dakota State, Toledo and it is a great fit and there is that PLEASE CONTACT totally opposed to players Ohio, and the last two seasons at support system,” said O’Banion.

Another reason why I don’t is not ACCOUNTING DEPT +2 WEEKS ONLINE @$150 entering early if the rules were William & Mary. see any need for@early entries is “Some people want to win BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER.COM TOTAL: $303.00 “Coach Johnson has worked the press conference and then again simple economics. The av- changed: erage NBA salary is $10 million, ASSUMED NAME“If a player wants to begin their his way up the ranks and more let people just kind of fend for pro career, they should be able to than qualifies to do this job,” said themselves. I would encourage while the maximum WNBA FLAT RATE sal$150.00 Kemp. ary is $221,450. 2 WEEK RUN do so,” she said. and invite athletic directors…

Asked about this uptick in to really rally around the coach, “Men are leaving college [earCharles Hallman welcomes read- hiring Black coaches, Kemp said, regardless of what that person ly] for millions of dollars. [Womer responses to challman@spokeshaving this opportuni- looks like.” en] would be leaving for thouPlease proof, respond with email confirmation to“[Johnson] disty is going to open more doors for sands of dollars,” noted Reeve. man-recorder.com. play@spokesman-recorder.com people like me and other coaches “It’s a very different mindset for Charles Hallman welcomes readwho previously haven’t have er responses to challman@spokeswomen in sport where education that chance.” man-recorder.com.

The MSR handles billing digitally.

“Representation matters,” notThis means you will get e-tears and e-mailed invoices unless you specifically request a hard copy. ed South Carolina Coach Dawn Staley. Now in her 20th overall season, Staley has led her teams to three Final Fours in six years

Coaches

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Sports

April 29—May 5, 2021

As NFL Draft weekend approaches, prospects await their fate

T

he 2021 NFL Draft is this weekend (April 29-May 1).

Minneapolis South graduate Elerson Smith is projected by several NFL mock drafts as a late-round pick, possibly on the second day but most likely on the third and final day of the draft.

If selected, the 6’-6” Northern Iowa defensive end will be the third Minneapolis City Conference player picked this century (Ra’Shede Hageman, 2014; Tyler Johnson, 2020).

“I am looking forward to it,” Smith told the MSR. He knows he will be waiting awhile to see and hear his name called: “I’m not a first-round guy,” he admitted.

After graduation from South in 2016, Smith attended UNI, where he earned his communications degree. He redshirted his first year; then, as a redshirt soph in 2018, the player appeared in all

“I’ve been playing football for the last 10 years,” Smith noted.

Two former Minnesota Golden Gophers, Rashad Bateman and Benjamin St-Juste, both are projected as earlier picks. The 6’0” Bateman could go as high as 20 and as low as 29, and the 6’-3” St-Juste is seen as being a fourthround selection.

“I was proud of myself,” said

Elerson Smith in action for UNI Courtesy UNI

“I’m pretty sure that I will be because the UNI football season nervous come was postponed and held this spring because of the pandemic. draft day.”

He opted out and began preparations for the draft.

Smith played in the 2021 Senior Bowl on Jan. 30. Since then, he has put on about 20 pounds of muscle. He’s now 262 pounds, up from 245 that he weighed for the game, and definitely up from 190 pounds where he was when he left South.

Rashad Bateman Courtesy U of M

Elerson Smith

13 games and finished second on the team with 7.5 sacks.

The following season Smith posted his best year with 63 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, and 14 sacks. He didn’t play in 2020

He also believed his March 22 Pro Day performance at UNI impressed pro scouts, especially his overall speed and “a good raw jump” when measured for his vertical leap and broad jump.

Courtesy UNI

Bateman after his April 1 Pro Day at Minnesota.

“Teams were happy with what they saw. I had fun,” added StJuste.

At least 42 invited Black players from the 2020 and 2021 classes participated in a two-day HBCU combine at the University

Benjamin St-Juste Courtesy U of M

PreP Scene Dr. Mitchell PalMer McDonalD

Ahmil Jihad, the Edison High School coach recently named the 2021 Minneapolis City Conference Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year, had a season to remember, though it didn’t conclude like he and his players would have liked.

“We had one of our best seasons,” he said, “but we couldn’t participate in the playoffs because of COVID. Our players were devastated.”

The Tommies were on a roll, having finished second in the

(l-r) Edison Coach Ahmil Jihad, guard Jabari Langley, and Athletic Director Brett McNeal. Langley scored more than 1,000 points in his career, becoming the second-leading scorer in school history.

Courtesy Ahmil Jihad

Maroons vs. Golds game returns The University of Minnesota will hold its annual spring game Saturday, May 1 at 11 am. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the game was cancelled last season.

Gopher Basketball Coaches Lindsay Whalen and Ben Johnson will serve as guest head coaches. Whalen will help lead the Maroon team, and Johnson will help guide the Gold team.

The winning team gets the Goldy’s Cup, and the best player will win the new Sid Hartman Spring Game MVP, named for the late sportswriter who died last year at age 100.

Both guest coaches got in their pregame predictions.

“I know a little something about winning gold and have no doubt that we will win Goldy’s Cup,” declared Whalen.

“I was fortunate to have a lot of success on Minnesota football fields in high school and expect that to continue during the spring game,” noted Johnson.

of Alabama-Birmingham April 9-10. Last year’s event was canCharles Hallman welcomes celled due to COVID-19.

Every player deserves “the reader responses to challman@ opportunity to have his talent spokesman-recorder.com. assessed by pro scouts,” HBCU

Jihad leading Edison City Conference with a 9-3 record and feeling confident as section competition approached.

They had a winning record of 15-10 last season. It was their first winning record since Dante Johnson and Dwayne Maybon had Edison in the thick of things during the mid- to late-1990s.

“There is a lot to be thankful for this past season,” Jihad acknowledged. He is on the mark with that comment.

Not only did Edison place three players on the all-conference team—Mohammed Mohamed, Johnny Spencer and Jabari Langley—but also Langley became the school’s secondall-time leading scorer.

Jihad, a 1984 Minneapolis North graduate, was hired by fellow 1985 graduate and former basketball star Brett McNeal. He’s had quite the journey up to this point.

He credits community activist Kwame McDonald and former University of Minnesota

Combine Executive Director Phillip Blackwell told Sports Illustrated.

The waiting game commences later this week as many former college football players, now seeking their first post-collegiate job in the NFL, look to hear their names selected and called sometime during the weekend.

“I’m not too nervous. I feel confident,” said Smith. “I’m pretty sure that I will be nervous come draft day.”

football great Ken Foxworth for starting him on a path that will cement his legacy as one of the best high school coaches in state history during the 1980s.

“When I was a student at the University of Minnesota, Ken Foxworth and Kwame McDonald introduced me to [thenmen’s basketball coach] Clem Haskins,” Jihad remembered.

“I became a student manager.”

Jihad added that he learned a lot from the position. “I was helping recruits, breaking down film, building relationships with players and staff,’ he said. “I learned a lot from that experience.”

His coaching resume includes years of coaching the STREETS and Howard Pulley AAU programs and seven years as an assist for the boys’ program at Minneapolis South.

However, most remember his tenure as coach of the girls’ program at Minneapolis South during the mid-late 2000s.

During that time, he coached one of the state’s all-time greats in Tayler Hill, culminating in a Class 4A state championship in 2009.

For all his accomplishments Jihad is now focused on making Edison the best it can be. He’s a basketball coach. He’s a mentor.

He’s a guiding force in his community.

Ahmil Jihad is right where he is supposed to be.

Mitchell Palmer McDonald welcomes reader responses to mcdeezy@gmail.com.

Notable uptick seen in Black coach hirings son at the ‘U’. They [Loyola] reached out and I reached back.

We started a conversation, and it became more and more clear uring this off-season that there was a good fit between that began earnestly in Loyola and myself.”

March, nine of 17 DiviAccording to The Undefeated, sion I women’s college basketball 51% of men coaches and 47% of head coaching hires have been women coaches hired thus far in Black, and eight of those nine have been Black women. Additionally, 25 of nearly 50 MBB Division I HC hires have also been Black.

Danielle O’Banion last week accepted the Loyola University Maryland job after three seasons as a Gopher assistant, her second stint—she was on staff from 2002 to 2007.

O’Banion was a Kent State head coach (2008-12) and has held assistant jobs at Harvard and Memphis. “We don’t get those second opportunities” to Danielle O’Banion be head coaches, she said in a Photo by Brad Rempel MSR phone interview.

She was honored at the 2016 2021 have been Black.

NCAA Final Four with the Pat New Minnesota Coach Ben Summitt Most Courageous Johnson recently hired as assistants Jason Kemp and Dave Thorson from William & Mary and Colorado State respectively.

“It was important to me to have guys that I know,” Johnson told us.

“They understand what I am about, my style and my personality. When I started to go into this whole staff [hiring] situation…on my list first, trying to find guys I Award by the U.S. Basketball had a previous relationship with.

Writers Association for her suc- That was important,” Johnson cessful fight against cancer. Now said, also stressing the imporcancer free, O’Banion was diag- tance of trust, teaching ability, nosed with Stage 2 lymphoma and ability to recruit. cancer in 2014 and underwent Thorson once coached Johnchemotherapy, not missing any son when he coached at Minnegames during her treatments. apolis De La Salle High School.

On her new position, she said, He worked as an assistant at “I can honestly say that I was not Drake and Colorado State and actively looking to do anything got his college coaching start on besides get really good this sea- Clem Haskins’ Minnesota staff ■ See Coaches on page 9

By Charles Hallman Contributing writer

D

“There are a lot of jobs out there that can give Black women an opportunity.”

Scarce W roster openings spur talk of expansion, early entry are 2021 top pick Rennia Davis of Tennessee and Asheika Alexander, the team’s first-ever HBCU signee.

“We are really truly excited

WNBA training camps are now open as all 12 clubs prepare for the 2021 season that begins in about three weeks. “There’s a lot of work to do,” said Minnesota Head Coach/ General Manager Cheryl Reeve last Sunday, the first day of camp.

While most of the Lynx players are in, three who are expect-

“HBCU schools don’t get enough recognition.” ing to be on the regular season roster next month are still overseas playing and will arrive late.

“It’s impacting all of us,” noted Reeve of this annual problem that affects every team.

Also, because of the coronavirus there are no male practice players, who helped in team preparations through scrimmaging. Keeping players fresh during camp will be a premium leading up to the season.

Minnesota has 21 players on its training camp roster, and Reeve said that she plans to keep only 11 players for the season.

Among the players competing for one or two open roster spots

about the addition of Asheika Alexander,” Reeve told reporters, including the MSR, two weeks ago. Five HBCU players have been WNBA draftees, but none since 2002, when three Black college players were selected.

“HBCU schools don’t get enough recognition,” added Reeve. “We really felt like we wanted to give an opportunity to what we think is a really good basketball player. So, we’re ex-

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert MSR file photo cited for her to be in camp.”

Because of the few roster spots open annually, the conversation recently turned to the “E” word—expansion. The WNBA,

once having as many as 16 teams, hasn’t added a new franchise since Chicago (2006) and Atlanta (2008). Personally, I have long been an advocate of expanding rosters from 12 to 15, a la the NBA. “Expansion is certainly on the list of things I’ve been thinking about down the road,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert when asked by a reporter during a pre-draft conference call.

“I think the roster expansion is tied to the CBA,” responded the commish, “but it’s also tied to the economics and the salary cap and everything that’s been negotiated. That’s certainly something, probably in the next CBA, that could be talked about.” The current CBA kicked in last year and runs through 2027.

Another “E” word, a new word of sorts, has emerged as of late—early entry. League rules currently prohibit players coming into the league before they are age 21 or have played at least three college seasons. Unlike the NBA’s one-and-done rule, the W players come in more mature and more fundamentally ready to play pro ball than do the males.

Reeve told me that the early entry issue is perhaps tied to the performances this past season of a couple of college freshmen.

But such talk wasn’t brought up with past college phenoms such as Candace Parker, Seimone Augustus and Maya Moore, among others.

“Some [college] players are awfully good,” admitted the Lynx HC-GM. But are they ready for prime-time pro games is a question we should ask rather than get swept up in the hype.

■ See View on page 9