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THE VOICE OF BLACK MINNESOTA SINCE 1934
February 10-16, 2022
Vol. 88
www.spokesman-recorder.com
No. 28
THE AMIR LOCKE POLICE KILLING: Facts on file
Demonstrators march through downtown Minneapolis in protest of the police killing of Amir Locke. Photo by Chris Juhn
NEW CONSTRUCTION, same old barriers
Minority contractors grow frustrated with the lack of inclusion By Abdi Mohamed Contributing Writer
Last year, Minnesota saw more than 200 construction projects on road and bridges alone and that number is set to increase in 2022, as Gov. Tim Walz proposed a $2.7 billion package of state-funded construction projects to the 2022 legislative session. The proposal would be funded mostly by bonding, but also includes $276 million in general funding, made easier by the state’s projected budget surplus of $7.7 billion. The record “local jobs and projects” proposal will impact the state’s construction indusAmir Locke Courtesy of the Locke family try in a significant way. Part of that proposal includes By Mary Turck nearly $500 million for higher educaContributing Writer tion projects and $400 million for the entered that apartment, using a Developments in the case of the police key fob. As they came in, they began From sleeping to waking to dying. Minnesota Department of Transportation alone. killing of Amir Locke continue. This shouting that they were police and Nine seconds. The public construction bills are article summarizes facts known as of had a search warrant. The first police statements called press time. One officer kicked the couch where Locke a “suspect.” He was not. He was likely to be hotly contested due to Locke was sleeping. He woke up, startled, not named on the search warrant, was the divided legislature. Bonding bills n February 2, Amir Locke was wrapped in a blanket, holding the gun he not the target of an investigation, and require a three-fifths supermajority sleeping on a couch in a rela- was licensed to own and carry. Nine sec- had no criminal record. He had a gun vote in both the House and Senate. Once a bonding bill is passed, large tive’s apartment. At approxi- onds after the police entered the apart- and a permit to carry because he drove ■ See LOCKE on page 5 prime contractors will be able to mately 6:48 am, Minneapolis police ment, they shot and killed Locke.
O
MGN send in Requests for Proposals or RFPs and bid their prices on these public projects. As part of state and federal law, these prime contractors are required to allocate some of the construction work and funding to women and minority contractors. This record budget geared towards public construction gives Disenfranchised Business Enterprises or DBEs an opportunity to thrive in the near future if they’re brought on board for these projects. However, the experience of some minority contractors has made some ■ See CONTRACTORS on page 5
PARTING GIFT: End-of-life planning eases family burdens
By Feven Gerezgiher Contributing Writer
alone plan, for their inevitable fate. Despite his wise words, Freeman’s father had long avoided putting his affairs in order. The 94-year-old is in good shape and still working at his tax business. “He says, ‘Oh, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Freeman said, “And I let him know at 94, you’re on the bridge.” She accompanied him to a funeral home near their home in Chicago where they planned with a prepared “A to Z” outline. Beyond learning of his strong preference for burial over cremation, Freeman said she was able to learn and settle information she would never have known otherwise to give her father a proper send-off. Writing his obituary together, she discovered she had not known full names of his parents or his favorite song. Though Freeman spends much time preaching to her fellow elders at the YMCA, she says planning is for people of all ages. “People think that if they don’t have any money, they don’t need to have a will. Everybody needs a will. Everybody needs ■ See PLANNING on page 5
It may seem morbid to some, but Sandra Freeman has her funeral all planned out. Following her eventual cremation, family and friends will share stories and enjoy food with her favorite artist Nancy Wilson playing in the background. The retired, 70-year-old Minneapolis resident is in good health, but quoting her father, she jokes, “None of us is getting out of here alive.” Preparation is a lesson hard learned. Freeman says she has lost many loved ones over the years, only a small fraction of whom had planned for their death. In one instance, an aunt struggled to access bank accounts and insurance policies following the death of her husband, who left few instructions on where to access things. At 27, Freeman’s sister unexpectedly passed with no directive for her young child beyond a verbal promise that her sister should raise her child. Freeman finds many are reluctant to discuss, let
Lt. Gov. Flanagan discusses budget proposal to help ‘under-resourced communities’
By Charles Hallman Contributing Writer
The 2022 Minnesota Legislative session is now underway and both political parties have different budget priorities. Senate Republicans’ top funding items include permanent income tax cuts and more money for recruiting and retaining more police. House DFL members reportedly have been mostly silent with their funding plans. DFL Governor Tim Walz, however, wants more funding for schools and child care, along with programs and projects that benefit Black and Indigenous communities. “We’re really excited about that and hope the legislature will work with us,” Minnesota Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan told the MSR last week, during an interview in which she explained the $7.58 billion proposal for new funding that the Walz-Flanagan administration introduced to state lawmakers late last month. The administration’s budget proposals, unveiled on a 12-page spreadsheet, included new funding for schools, a
new paid family and medical leave program, required paid sick leave, more child care subsidies, money for affordable housing, and new funding to combat homelessness throughout the state. “We really focused on children and families,” explained Flanagan. The proposed funding for public pre-K for four-year-olds and early learning scholarships for children ages 0-3 “is a really important element of that,” she added. “There’s 1.8 billion for childcare and education, access to affordable quality slots for Minnesota families, increased pre-K access, child care business, and child care assistance. “We know that access to early childhood looks different all across the state, so by providing these dollars for mixed delivery, that really allows each community and each family to find the program that best meets their needs,” said Flanagan. “The most exciting parts” of Walz’s supplemental budget recommendations, according to the lieutenant governor, is its focus on families. “We’ve proposed universal breakfast and lunch [for] all of our public schools,
which we know will make a tremen- in the short run with some immediate relief for families,” said Flanagan. “But dous difference,” said Flanagan. The proposal also includes “mental also, for the long run, children and early childhood is that backbone of the economy. We need to start talking about it that way.” The Minneapolis bonding projects Walz and Flanagan proposed include “$100 million in cash and equity,” said the lieutenant governor and former state legislator. “For a really long time, even when I was in the legislature, all this was done behind closed doors as a secret handshake. “We wanted to [remove] those obstacles and provide some transparency [for] our communities.” This also includes funding for a new Northside state-ofLt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan Submitted photo the-art swimming center currently under construction, as well as other projects health support for our young people earmarked for Black, Indigenous, and and medical sick and safe time to make communities of color, she pointed out. “We’ve really seen that those investsure that if someone is ill or has to take care of a sick family member that they ments directly make a difference,” said don’t have to choose between caring Flanagan, who proudly referred to the for themselves, a loved one, and a pay- $1.9 billion bonding bill that the WalzFlanagan administration proposed in check,” she continued. “I think our budget works to invest 2020, which at the time was consid-
ered the largest in state history. But Flanagan quickly warned that this year’s budget proposals will be challenging as the divided state legislature is now in session: “That has been our challenge during our time in office,” she said. “What we have heard from folks on the other side of the aisle is that they want to cut taxes for the wealthiest Minnesotans. Our budget is clearly investing in children and families and infrastructure and public safety [and] economic opportunity for families. “I think that we’ve also been able to work with the legislature and come out with at the end of each session things that are good for Minnesotans,” Flanagan summarized. “The Black and Native community(s) has been underresourced for a really long time so part of this budget is making sure that we are doing what is needed and necessary to try to catch up [to] make Minnesota a better place.” Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@spokesmanrecorder.com.
2 February 10-16, 2022
Opinion The downside of driverless cars More driving, more pollution, more climate change
By Giovanni Circella and Scott Hardman
Banning history is racist: stand up, fight back! By Mary Turck
removed from schools in Texas, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia and In Florida, a school district Wyoming. Librarians and teachers canceled a civil rights history warn the trend is on the increase, seminar for teachers. Not only do as groups backed by wealthy the rancid rightwing racists want Republican donors use centrally to keep students from learning drawn up tactics and messaging about slavery, civil rights, and to harangue school districts into racism—they don’t want teach- removing certain texts. ers to learn history either. “They’re banning “J. Michael Butler, a history professor at Flagler College in St. AuPBS, but not the gustine, was scheduled to give a KKK.” presentation Saturday to Osceola “In October, the Texas state County School District teachers called ‘The Long Civil Rights representative Matt Krause sent Movement,’ which postulates that a list of 850 books to school disthe civil rights movement preced- tricts, asking that they report ed and post-dated Martin Luther how many copies they have of each title and how much had King Jr. by decades.” From civil rights history to been spent on those books.” The list includes books by graphic novels, just about any teaching or even reading about Ta-Nehisi Coates and the oftenBlack history and experience targeted “Stamped from the can be targeted. Jerry Craft Beginning” by Ibram X. Kendi. Christopher Tackett, a forwrote two graphic novels based on his own growing-up experi- mer school board trustee in ence as an African-American kid Texas, tweeted on January 27: in a mostly-white school. New “Today in Granbury ISD, at the Kid won the 2020 Newbery High School library, they came Medal, the Coretta Scott King with a hand cart and carried Author Award, and the Kirkus away multiple boxes of books Prize—and got banned in Texas. tagged with “Krause’s List.” The Florida legislature is They can do this because the considering legislation to block board voted 7-0 on Monday to any teaching about race that change district policy allowing would cause discomfort to books to be removed prior to a anyone. They mean, of course, review.” [Emphasis added.] In Ridgeland, Mississippi, the discomfort to any white people. When it comes to racism, Black mayor is withholding $110,000 people do not need a history from the county public library system. He says the quarterly class to feel discomfort. Racism, slavery, and the Ho- funding won’t be released unlocaust are prime targets for less the public libraries purge all the book burners, along with books about LBGTQ+ people. Library director Tonja Johnson any reference to LGBTQ people. Big conservative money is told the Mississippi Free Press: “’He explained his opposition behind the push to ban books and distort history teaching. to what he called ‘homosexual materials’ in the library, that The Guardian reports: “Literature has already been it went against his Christian
beliefs, and that he would not release the money as the long as the materials were there,’ the library director said. “The director then explained to the mayor that the library system, as a public entity, was not a religious institution. ‘I explained that we are a public library and we serve the entire community. I told him our collection reflects the diversity of our community,’ Johnson said. “Apparently, the mayor was unmoved. ‘He told me that the library can serve whoever we wanted, but that he only serves the great Lord above,’ she finished.” But book banning is not just in the South. In Pennsylvania, the York Dispatch reported that Central York High School told teachers they could not teach a long list of banned books and movies. “This is disgusting,” the teacher, who requested anonymity to protect his job, said. “Let’s just call it what it is — every author on that list is a Black voice. “Lauri Lebo, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania State Education Association, said she wondered if the Central York school board members had read any of the materials on the banned list. “‘They’re banning material from ‘Sesame Street,’ but not David Duke. They’re banning PBS, but not the KKK,’ Lebo said, in an email. ‘They’ve even banned the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators’ statement on racism.’” The article in the York Dispatch includes a four-page list of banned materials. We are not powerless in all of this. The Pennsylvania ban was overturned after student protests. Students also formed a banned book club to read and discuss the books banned by their schools. Parents, teachers, and community members successfully organized in Round Rock, Texas to keep Ibram X. Kendi’s widely-acclaimed “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You” on the school reading list. I’ve bought some of these banned books, including “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You,” and given them to young people I know. (I read the book first—it’s great! I highly recommend both this book and “Stamped from the Beginning,” which is the adult text.) Want to fight back? Buy banned books, give them to libraries and schools, and fight back against every single attempt to restrict the teaching of actual history in our schools.
For years, self-driving car technology has remained tantalizingly just beyond the horizon. Bold predictions notwithstanding, fully automated vehicles still haven’t appeared in showrooms. But the technology appears poised for a leap forward in 2022. Companies including Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Honda are bringing so-called Level 3 AVs to market that will let drivers take their hands off the wheel under specific conditions, and virtually every major auto manufacturer is testing selfdriving systems. Automated vehicles hold tremendous promise. Cars that handle most or all of the driving tasks could be safer than human drivers, operate more efficiently, and open up new opportunities for seniors, people with disabilities, and others who can’t drive themselves. But while attention has understandably focused on safety, the potential environmental impacts of automated vehicles have largely taken a back seat. We study automated vehicle technologies and how consumers are likely to use them. In two recent studies, our research teams found two creative ways to assess the real-life impacts that automated vehicles could have on the environment. By analyzing drivers’ use of partially automated vehicles and simulating the expected impact of future driverless vehicles, we found that both automated vehicle types will encourage a lot more driving. This will increase transportation-related pollution and traffic congestion, unless regulators take steps to make car travel less appealing.
without passengers. This could be a big problem. The transportation sector is already the leading contributor to U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. States like California with aggressive plans to combat climate change have recognized that reducing the number of vehicle miles that people travel is a critical strategy. What if automated vehicle technology makes it harder to achieve these goals? Real-world environmental impacts While we and other researchers have predicted these outcomes through modeling, no one has been able to verify them because fully automated vehicles aren’t commercially available yet. We found two innovative ways to use currently available technologies to study the real-world impacts of automated vehicles. In a study published in mid2021, we surveyed 940 people who drive partially automated vehicles. Systems like Tesla’s Autopilot can assist with driving tasks and reduce the burden of driving, although to a lesser degree than fully automated vehicles will.
“The potential environmental impacts of automated vehicles have largely taken a back seat.” We found that drivers who used Autopilot drove an average of nearly 5,000 more miles per year than those who didn’t. In interviews with 36 drivers of partially automated vehicles, they generally said they were more willing to sit in traffic and took more long-distance trips, all because of the increased comfort and reduced stress provided by semi-automated systems. In a separate study conducted in late 2019 and early 2020, we simulated the function of a fully automated vehicle by providing 43 households in Sacramento, California, with a chauffeur service to take over the family driving duties and tracking how they used it. These households increased their vehicle miles traveled by 60% over their pre-chauffeur travel, and dramatically reduced their use of transit, bicycling and walking.
More miles, more carbon Research has previously suggested that automated vehicles could cause people to drive more than they currently do, leading to more congestion, energy consumption and pollution. Riding in a car as a passenger is much less stressful than driving, so people might be willing to sit through longer trips and battle more traffic if they can relax and do other things during the journey. The promise of a relaxed, comfortable commute to work could even make some people move farther away from their workplaces and accelerate subLimiting automated car pollution urban sprawl trends. These findings show that auPeople would also have the tomated vehicles will encourage ability to send their cars on “zea lot more driving in the future ro-occupancy” trips, or errands
and that partially automated vehicles are doing so now. Is there any way to reap its benefits without making climate change, air quality, and congestion worse? Requiring future automated vehicles to use zero-emission technology, as California is doing, can be a big help. But until the U.S. develops a 100% carbon-free electricity system, even electric cars will produce some upstream emissions from power generation. To prevent an explosion in driving and associated harms, regulators and communities need to send signals that driving isn’t free. They could do this by putting a price on car travel, particularly on zero-occupancy trips. The main policies that have this effect today are federal and state fuel taxes, which currently average around 49 cents per gallon for gasoline and 55 cents per gallon for diesel fuel. But the impact of fuel taxes on drivers’ behavior will decline with the adoption and spread of electric vehicles. In place of fuel taxes, state and federal governments could adopt user fees or charges for the number of vehicle miles that drivers travel. Correctly pricing the cost of private vehicle travel could encourage travelers to consider cheaper and more efficient modes, such as public transit, walking and bicycling. These fees could be adjusted based on location—for example, charging more to drive into dense city centers—or other factors such as time of day, traffic congestion levels, vehicle occupancy and vehicle type. Another option would be to promote shared fleets of automated vehicles rather than privately owned ones. We envision these as commercial companies, similar to Uber, Lyft, and other ride-sharing providers. All of these policies will be most effective if they are adopted now, before automated vehicles are widespread. A transportation future that is automated, electric and shared could be environmentally sustainable— but in our view, it’s unlikely to evolve that way on its own. Giovanni Circella is the director of 3 Revolutions Future Mobility Program at the University of California, Davis. Scott Hardman is a professional researcher at Plug-in Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Research Center at University of California, Davis. This story was republished with permission from The Conversation.
White fear and progressive political stagnation By Dr. Luke Tripp
A large segment of the working class is fraught with economic and social insecurity caused by stagnant wages with decreasing benefits, a weak job market with a low probability for job advancement, and a lack of union protection. Much of the social insecurity experienced by the White working class is related to changes in the racial composition of U.S. society. Black people are challenging White privilege. But people classified as White are reacting to preserve their unacknowledged and unearned advantages inherent in the fabric of White supremacy. People classified as White Mary Turck has published extensively as a journalist and has deny the benefits of their edited the Connection to the Whiteness, which explains Americas and of the TC Daily their dismissal of racial oppresPlanet. Her website, http://mary- sion and their attitudes that put turck.com, includes her literary them in opposition to the social change advocated and pushed and political blogs.
by Black people. This dynamic causes deep racial divisions at all levels of society. Electoral politics reflect racial divisions. The Republican Party attracts predominantly White voters, while conversely, the Democratic Party attracts overwhelmingly Black voters. The efficacy of voting for policies and candidates who promise to improve Black lives is the question. Black people make strenuous efforts to shape social policy at the legislative level. They attempt to influence lawmakers with racial equity arguments supported with surveys, hard statistics, and examples of impactful equity programs and policies in other states. Lawmakers operate within the current political system, which is designed to reward the wealthy at the expense of the lower social classes. Even if a lawmakers wish to use their of-
fice to change how the system operates, it is unlikely that they will be able to do it. The reasons are many. • The political system is dominated by the big corporate capitalists who have a vested interest in it. They are not going to let progressives dismantle it. • The political system has enough legitimacy to defend itself against radical attacks. • The political system has many ways to marginalize dissident political critics. • The political system, through rewards, can bribe much of the opposition. However, The Poor Peoples’ Campaign and the Black Lives Matter movement have demonstrated that active and persistent pressure can compel several lawmakers to change their priorities. Dr. Luke Tripp is a professor at St. Cloud State University.
February 10-16, 2022
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4 February 10-16, 2022
Metro CenterPoint Energy Rate Increase Notification
RATE INCREASE NOTICE
If you do not have access to the internet, you may send or deliver your comment to:
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR CENTERPOINT ENERGY MINNESOTA CUSTOMERS CenterPoint Energy has asked the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) to approve an increase to natural gas rates for distribution service. The requested increase is for about 6.5 percent or $67.1 million per year. The requested increase would add about $4.05 to a typical residential customer’s monthly bill. The MPUC may either approve or deny the requested changes, and may approve a lesser or greater increase than was requested for any customer class or classes of service. The MPUC will likely make its decision on our rate request in the fourth quarter of 2022. If final rates are lower than interim (temporary) rates, we will refund customers the difference with interest. If final rates are higher than interim rates, we will not charge customers the difference. If you move before a refund is issued and we cannot find you, your refund may be treated as abandoned property and sent to the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Unclaimed Property Unit. You can check for unclaimed property at www.missingmoney.com. To make sure we can send you any refund owed, please provide a forwarding address when you stop service.
Minnesota Public Utilities Commission 121 7th Place East, Ste. 350 St. Paul, MN 55101 For assistance in submitting comments, or if you have questions, contact the Commission’s Consumer Affairs Office at: Phone: 651-296-0406 or 800-657-3782 Email: consumer.puc@state.mn.us Be sure to reference Docket Number 21-435 Important: Comments can be reviewed by the public on the MPUC’s website, except in limited circumstances consistent with the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act. The MPUC does not edit or delete personally identifying information or any other information from comments received.
PUBLIC HEARINGS Administrative Law Judge Ann O’Reilly will hold two in-person public hearings and two virtual public hearings so that customers have an opportunity to comment on the company’s request. Any CenterPoint Energy customer or other person may attend or provide comments at the hearings. You are invited to comment on the adequacy and quality of CenterPoint Energy’s service, the level of rates, or other related matters. You do not need to be represented by an attorney. The hearings will begin at their scheduled time and adjourn after everyone present has had an opportunity to comment or ask questions.
EVIDENTIARY HEARINGS Formal evidentiary hearings on CenterPoint Energy’s proposal will be held on April 6, 7, and 8, 2022, starting at 9:30 a.m. each day. The evidentiary hearing will be held in Courtroom 1 at the Office of Administrative Hearings at 600 South Robert Street, St. Paul, Minnesota. Individuals who cannot attend in person, may attend via Microsoft Teams (Teams) , a video conferencing platform. Members of the public who wish to attend the hearing through Teams may request an electronic invitation by contacting Judge O’Reilly’s legal assistant at michelle.severson@state.mn.us. The purpose of the evidentiary hearing is to allow CenterPoint Energy, the Minnesota Department of Commerce – Division of Energy Resources, the Minnesota Office of Attorney General – Residential Utilities Division, and parties who have formally joined the contested case, to present testimony and to cross-examine each other’s witnesses on the proposed rate increase. If you wish to formally intervene in this case, as a party to the litigation, you must serve and file a Petition to Intervene, pursuant to Minn. R. 1400.6200.
Date
Time
Location
February 22, 2022
6:00 p.m.
Golden Valley Library 830 Winnetka Ave N Golden Valley, MN 55427
February 24, 2022
6:00 p.m.
EVENT CENTER 10 Civic Center Plaza Mankato, MN 56001
March 1, 2022
1:00 p.m.
Virtual WebEx
March 1, 2022
6:00 p.m.
Virtual WebEx
Bad weather? Find out if a hearing is canceled – call (toll free) 855-731-6208 or 651-201-2213 or visit mn.gov/puc. Virtual Public Hearings Public hearings have been scheduled as follows to be held via video conference. March 1, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Attend by Internet Connection (Audio and Video) To join the virtual hearing using a computer, tablet or smart phone, where you will have audio and video capability, go to: https://minnesota.webex.com. In the gray box where it says, “Enter Meeting Information,” type the Event Number in the box to the right for the public hearing date you are attending.
March 1, 2022 1:00 p.m.
March 1, 2022 6:00 p.m.
Event Number: 2492 340 7866 Event Password, if needed: MnPUC!
Event Number: 2483 405 3637 Event Password, if needed: MnPUC!
TO LEARN MORE CenterPoint Energy’s current and proposed rate schedules are available at: CenterPoint Energy 505 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis MN 55402 Phone 612-372-4727 or 800-245-2377 Web http://www.CenterPointEnergy.com/RateCase Minnesota Department of Commerce 85 7th Place East, Suite 500, St. Paul, MN 55101 Phone: 651-539-1534 Web: https://www.edockets.state.mn.us/EFiling/search.jsp Select (21) in the year field, type (435) in the number field, select Search, and the list of documents will appear on the next page.
Directions for Appearing via WebEx. • Log on 5 to 15 minutes before the hearing begins. You will be asked to join the hearing through a Webex application or through a plug-in for your web browser. • Enter the Event Number shown in the box above. • Next you will be asked to enter your name, your email address, and an event password (if required). After entering this information, click “Join Now” and you will be granted access to the virtual hearing. • When you enter the hearing, your microphone will be muted. If you would like to ask a question or make a comment during the meeting, use the chat function to send a message to the meeting moderator, who will place you in the queue to comment. When it is your turn to comment, your name will be called and your line will be unmuted. You will then be able to ask questions or make a comment.
Questions about the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission’s review process?
To Attend by Telephone (Audio Only) If you do not have access to a computer, tablet, or smart phone, or if you would prefer to attend the hearing via audio only, you may join using any type of telephone. You do not need internet access to call into the hearing, however, you will only be able to hear (not see) the speakers.. You will still be able to comment and ask questions.
The table below shows the effect of both the interim and proposed rate changes on monthly bills for residential, commercial and industrial customers with average natural gas use.
Use the information in the box to the right to dial into the hearing. You will be asked to enter the access code for the hearing, as set forth in the box to the right.
March 1, 2022 - 1:00 p.m.
March 1, 2022 - 6:00 p.m.
Phone: 1-855-282-6330 Access Code: 2492 340 7866
Phone: 1-855-282-6330 Access Code: 2483 405 3637
Minnesota Public Utilities Commission 121 7th Place East, Suite 350 St. Paul, MN 55101 Phone: 651-296-0406 or 800-657-3782 Email: consumer.puc@state.mn.us Anyone with hearing or speech disabilities may call through their preferred Telecommunications Relay.
Customer Type (usage in therms)
Avg monthly usage in therms
Avg monthly bill: current rates
Avg monthly bill: interim rates
Avg monthly bill: proposed rates
74
$68
$71
$72
$69 $210 $1,096
$72 $219 $1,131
$80 $230 $1,136
$2,382 $9,152
$2,482 $9,490
$23,981
$24,403
$23,776
$24,480
If you would like to ask a question or make a comment during the hearing, press *3 on your telephone. You will then be placed into the queue to comment. When it is your turn to speak, the last few digits of your telephone number will be announced by the moderator and your line will be unmuted, allowing you to be heard.
Residential
Public Hearing and Process Information Administrative Law Judge Ann O’Reilly will preside over the public hearings and will provide the Commission with findings of fact, conclusions of law, and recommendations after the conclusion of the evidentiary hearing. The purpose of the public hearings is to receive public input on the proposed rate increase. At the public hearings, interested persons have the opportunity to: (1) ask questions of the utility and agency staff; and (2) offer verbal and written comments on the merits of the proposed rate increase. Members of the public may participate without needing to intervene as a party. Representation by legal counsel is permitted but not required. Please note that the public hearings will end when all attendees present have had the opportunity to comment and all other business has been concluded. You are encouraged to join the meeting at the scheduled start time to be placed on the queue to comment. Commenters will be called in the order they enter the queue. Therefore, it is advantageous to arrive at the beginning of the hearing.
Commercial/Industrial
Written comments may be submitted during the comment period before and after the public hearings. Follow the instructions below to provide written comment. Please contact Charley Bruce at 651-201-2251 or charley.bruce@state.mn.us or Tera Dornfeld at 651-201-2195 or tera.dornfeld@state.mn.us if you have questions on how to participate or have trouble accessing the public hearing using telephone or internet WRITTEN COMMENTS TO THE MINNESOTA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION You can still submit comments even if you do not attend a public hearing. Comments will be Comment Period Comments will be accepted through April 11, 2022, at 4:30 p.m. • Comments must be received by 4:30 p.m. on the close date. • Comments received after the comment period closes may not be considered. How to Submit a Written Comment Written comments can be submitted via: (1) the Commission’s eComments website; (2) electronic mail; (3) U.S. Mail; or (3) facsimile. To learn how to submit a comment in any of these ways, please visit mn.gov/puc, select “Consumers” from the dropdown menu on the right side of the page, then select “Public Comments and How to Participate.” This will take you to the Public Comment page, where you will find a list of ways to comment. Be sure to reference PUC Docket No. 21-435 in the subject line of your comment. CENT-1192_RateCase_NSP_AD_20_988x16_mech2_PressReady.indd 1
up to 1,500/year 1,500 to 5,000/year 5,000 or more/year
67 255 1,440
Small Volume Dual Fuel Sales Service up to 120,000/ year 120,000 or more/year
3,971 15,567
$2,310 $8,903
Large Volume Dual Fuel Sales Service 42,091
$23,466
Large General Firm Sales Service 41,602
$23,085
Demand charge (per Peak Day) 3,110
2/1/22 4:44 PM
February 10-16, 2022
Locke Continued from page 1
for a food delivery service and was afraid of carjackings in Minneapolis. The 22-year-old, who grew up in Maplewood and played high school football until he broke his collarbone, planned to move to Texas this week. In Texas, he would be near his mother Karen Wells. He planned to work in real estate and start a music career as a hip hop artist, like his father Andre Locke. The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus issued a statement denouncing the killing, noting that Locke was awakened “with a confusing array of commands coming from multiple officers who are pointing lights and firearms at him,” and that he “did what many of us might do in the same confusing circumstances, he reached for a legal means of self-defense while he sought to understand what was happening.” No-knock search warrant The police entered the Bolero Flats apartment building where Locke was staying without knocking. Minneapolis police do this a lot. A Star Tribune review of court records found at least 13 no-knock warrant applications since the
beginning of 2022, as well as 12 standard search warrants. That’s likely an undercount because many warrants are filed under seal and not made public until a later date—including the warrant for the search that killed Locke. Last year, MinnPost reported a police statement that 90 no-knock warrants had been issued between November 2020 and August 20, 2021. In contrast, St. Paul police have not used any no-knock warrants since 2016. Official Minneapolis policies in place since November 2020 are supposed to limit no-knock warrants to “exigent circumstances.” All of Minneapolis, a pro-Frey and pro-police political action committee, and Jacob Frey’s own campaign both claimed on their websites that Frey “banned no-knock warrants.” Clearly, that was not the case. After Locke was killed, both removed those statements. A Minnesota law also restricts no-knock warrants, including a general prohibition against these warrants between 8 pm and 7 am. That restriction was ignored on February 2. The Minnesota law also requires approval of applications for each no-knock warrant by “the chief law enforcement officer or designee and another superior officer.” On February 4, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey issued a new statement restricting no-knock
warrants: “In the fall of 2020, Mayor Frey issued an official policy restricting the execution of noknock/unannounced warrants. This policy required officers to announce their presence prior to entry in all but exigent circumstances. … “With the moratorium in effect, the only permissible way for MPD officers to execute a warrant is the ‘knockand-announce’ approach, which includes knocking, announcing, waiting a reasonable amount of time and only then entering. To execute a no-knock warrant under the moratorium, there must be an imminent threat of harm to an individual or the public and then the warrant must be approved by the Chief.” The warrant for the search that killed Locke was request-
Contractors
Continued from page 1 a health care directive,” she said. Planning for death can include a variety of topics. Preference for burial or cremation is one example. Health care directives describe the actions a person would want taken for medical care if unable to make decisions for themselves, such as do not resuscitate orders or organ and tissue donation. You can assign beneficiaries or executors of your legacy with a will, determine what happens to your social media, and, like Freeman, detail your wishes for your funeral. Freeman recalls her mother-in-law leaving behind a folder with comprehensive instructions. “She even wanted to be buried in her pink nightgown and pink slippers which I said, ‘You guys are not going to do that.’ Oh, yes, they did. Because she had it written.”
The police At least two SWAT teams were at the Bolero Flats apartments with warrants to search three apartments. The officer who shot and killed Locke was Mark Hanneman, who was hired by the MPD in July 2015. Prior to that time, he was a police officer in Hutchinson, MN for five years. As a Minneapolis police officer, he had three complaints filed against him, all closed without disciplinary action.
“My son did the right thing, as any law-abiding citizen that was sleeping in his own home,” said Andre Locke, the father of Amir at a rally on February 5. Photo by Chris Juhn
when prime contractors are looking to subcontract opportunities to other minority contractors, they’re likely to refer to one another. Continued from page 1 Given his experience, Smith feels strongly that construction work is a question how they might fare in promising industry for many Black accessing these public projects and Minnesotans who hope to build genwhether or not there will be an equi- erational wealth and go into business table distribution of state funding for themselves. He also sees some barriers to entry and sustaining busidespite the laws on the books. Marvin Smith, president, and CEO ness in the industry. of Bogard Construction has been operating his commercial demolition Frustrations with prime contractors and construction business going on 14 in bidding for jobs According to Smith, many of the years. Smith is also the president of the Association of Minority Contractors’ opportunities afforded to minorUpper Midwest Chapter (AMC), which ity contractors rely solely on public is focused on addressing the needs projects where prime contractors are required to hire on DBEs, but those and concerns of minority contractors. Smith stated that the organization prime contractors don’t regularly aims to provide newcomers to the partner with minority contractors on industry with the reliable information private projects. “The White larger they need to succeed. “We like to put contractors don’t hire minority conan emphasis on helping new startups tractors unless there are goals on the gain a foothold in the industry and project. In other words, it’s not an then making sure that we provide open market for us,” he said. The Minneapolis Fed alluded to this them enough support, enough guidance, and information to thwart any in their report last year on the barricostly mistakes on their part and to ers business owners of colors face in ensure that over time they become various industries. The report stated successful and can eventually grow,” that, “White construction contractors who know each other socially through he said. The AMC represents over 30 con- a club or sports league might agree to tractors, many of whom have over 10 work together to beat bids submitted years of experience in various con- by other contractors.” Smith sees that this approach to struction fields such as landscaping, flooring, roofing, and electrical work. only hire minority contractors on as The association allows contractors to DBEs is inadvertently driving down network and form partnerships so that prices as subcontractors are forced to
Planning
ed by St. Paul police regarding a St. Paul homicide. The St. Paul police did not request a no-knock warrant. But the Minneapolis police said they would not carry out the search unless they had a noknock warrant. The St. Paul police agreed to their terms.
Freeman keeps a similar folder in a secure place with everything someone might need to know, like bank information, the location of insurance policies, and copies of legal documents. Her medical provider has her healthcare directive on file to refer to in case of emergency. When it comes to bank accounts, Freeman says planning reduces the stress of navigating the complicated process of recovering someone’s funds from the state or bank, where funds might default without “payable-on-death” designations. She recommends updating wills periodically, ruefully sharing about a friend’s untimely death that left all his estate to a long-estranged ex-girlfriend whom he forgot to remove as beneficiary. Freeman also advised that planning helps ease the family’s grieving. With the weight of scrambling to organize— and fund— an often-expensive ordeal off their shoulders, her mother-in-law’s passing left family less broken up, she felt. Funerals can be pricey. The National Funeral Directors Association reports the median cost of an adult
As a Hutchinson officer, he was disciplined at least once, for actions while training with the Drug Recognition Evaluator program in the Twin Cities in May 2012. Two other officers on the two SWAT teams, Kristopher Dauble and Nathan Sundberg, were identified by the Minnesota Reformer last year as members of a SWAT team that roamed Lake Street in a white, unmarked cargo van five days after George Floyd’s murder, randomly firing 40mm marking rounds at people on the street. They are currently being sued in civil court over their actions. The MPD has not commented on any internal investigation. Sundberg was on the SWAT team that entered Apartment 701 and Dauble was on the other team. What comes next The Locke family is represented by Ben Crump, the attorney who represented the George Floyd family, and the Breonna Taylor family. Breonna Taylor was shot and killed by police executing a no-knock warrant in her apartment in Louisville, KY, shortly after midnight on March 13, 2020. The city of Louisville subsequently agreed to pay a $12 million settlement to Taylor’s family and to implement a range of policing policy changes.
lower their prices to outbid each other. He contends that this stifles a small contractor’s ability to grow. “That scenario creates a race to the bottom,” he said. “Because the slice of the pie is so small for us, we’re bidding from a place of desperation and survival.” Brittany Wells is the operations manager for ML Beasley Roofing Inc, a Minneapolis-based company founded by Maurice Beasley. Part of her job is to prepare the documents to bid on projects when prime contractors reach out to her company to come on board. Wells expressed frustration in dealing with some prime contractors who she says only reach out to meet their good faith requirements. “There’ve been some general contractors who have been awesome. Then there are other general contractors that just want the bid because I guess if they get a bid from a minority business that counts as meeting their goals but they will continue to use their preferred contractors,” she said. Minority contractors are expected to send in detailed proposals for their scope of the project with blueprints and dozens of pages of paperwork. After putting in dozens of hours and preparing this material for primes, minority contractors can still be denied the opportunity to work on public projects and the job may end up going to a subcontractor that isn’t a DBE.
“You’re not going with our company and it’s very time-consuming and you’re not even giving me a reason so that I can move forward and be more competitive in whatever area that was lacking,” she stated. Keia Isaacson, owner of Lakeside Floor Coverings and former president of the Association of Women Contractors, shared Wells’ discouragement in the bidding process with prime contractors. She recalled a time when she put together a 20-page proposal for a subcontracting job with a prime for a $5000 bid. “By the time I put in my administrative hours, there’s no profit,” she said. Isaacson added that breaking down the scope of work from one large prime to several subcontractors could also benefit the industry and help agencies reach their DBE inclusion goals. “I think the best way for them to be able to meet their goals is to break down some of these contracts into smaller contractors. Instead of putting everything on a big general contract, break out some of the smaller parts so the smaller companies can participate,” she said. While minority contractors are frustrated with the bidding process, they also have a difficult time working to secure their payments from prime contractors who take months to pay them out. “The way it’s set up is the prime or general doesn’t have to pay us till 10 days after they get the check,”
funeral in 2021, with viewing and burial, was $7,848. In the Minnesota region, the median cost of an adult funeral with viewing and ceremony followed by burial is $8,500. This cost does not include cemetery plot, funeral home staffing, or monument costs. Freeman noted costs of up to $20,000
and then selecting the right route that will fall in line with what their thoughts are for when that time comes.” Wesley recommends two foundational paths to prepare for death: life insurance policies or pre-planning with a funeral home. Depending on the deceased person’s coverage, life insurance would cover the cost of a funeral service or cremation, in addition to providing a lump sum of money for beneficiaries. If a person does not have life insurance or cannot qualify, meeting with a funeral counselor for pre-planning allows people to make advance payments for their desired service, with payments going into a trust account and transferrable to other funeral homes should a person move elsewhere. County or state assistance can help cover costs, Wesley said, though they have varying dollar amounts and guidelines to qualify. There are also limited resources for deaths of special circumstances, like veterans or homicide victims. Freeman used attorneys to create her will and notarize certain documents,
“None of us is getting out of here alive.” for people seeking the highest quality funeral for a loved one. Tracy Wesley is the CEO and executive director of Estes Funeral Chapel, a fixture of North Minneapolis. He has been working in the industry for 36 years, both on the management side and as a mortician licensed to prepare bodies for services. He meets with families about conducting funeral services, including grief support and preplanning services. “It’s really not a hard process,” he said. “It’s more of just a conversation of what that individual is looking for
5
Minneapolis pays millions for police misconduct every year. The two largest settlements both came in the past few years: $27 million to George Floyd’s family last year and $20 million to Justine Ruszczyk’s family in 2019. That’s the civil side of legal action. On the criminal side, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is working with Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman’s office to investigate possible criminal charges. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the police department is working with Pete Kraska of Eastern Kentucky University and civil rights activist DeRay Mckesson to review its no-knock warrant policy. These two non-Minnesotans consulted with Kentucky officials to revise their policies after the Breonna Taylor killing. Local activists have little confidence in the desire or ability of the mayor to take any effective action to control the police. In January, the mayor’s Community Safety Work Group barred the public from its meetings, prompting the resignation in protest of one member. Mary Turck welcomes reader responses to maryturck@gmail.com. Visit spokesman-recorder.com for the latest developments about this story.
Smith explained. His experience working directly with local and state government agencies has resulted in his payment being within 30 days whereas a prime contractor could take upwards of 90 days to pay. Isaacson also shared in that experience where she has had to keep after primes for her payment. “You’ve had to pay your manufacturers, your distributors, you’ve paid your employees, and now you’re sitting there playing bank for the small profit there is in commercial construction,” she said. A City of Minneapolis dashboard showcases the payout for workers of color and minority contractors on the city’s publicly funded projects. In 2021, minority contractors received just 7% of the city’s $136 million dollar payout on construction funding giving them a little over $9 million. This percentage is likely due to a number of factors, including a low number of minority contractors in the industry, prime contractors being unable to hire minority contractors in time, or prime contractors believing the bids were too high and hiring other contractors for the job. As the bonding bills work through the state legislature, many construction company owners await word from their network of contractors on new opportunities with hopes of meeting local, state, and federal inclusion goals. Abdi Mohamed welcomes reader responses to abdi.mohamed2012@ gmail.com. but she recommends online resources or books to keep it free or low-cost. It can be challenging, but you only have to go through planning once, she said. “Once you get it settled, put it away. You never have to mention it.” Minnesota state officials have assembled a comprehensive checklist for planning for death, and also tips for avoiding deceptive practices from the funeral industry. Find a few below. Summarized list: mn.gov/senior-linkage-line/olderadults/planning Detailed list: bit.ly/SeniorLinkagePDF Attorney General Office tips & list: www.ag.state.mn.us/consumer/ handbooks/probate/CH7.asp Feven Gerezgiher welcomes reader responses to Fgerezgiher@ spokesman-recorder.com.
6 February 10-16, 2022
Business
Flava Café
Black Business SPOTLIGHT
New coffee shop set to open in Frogtown By Ashley Lauren Contributing Writer Change is brewing in St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood as entrepreneur LaShante “Shaunie” Grisby is set to open her coffee shop, Flava Café. Grisby, who is originally from Detroit, Michigan, arrived in Minnesota in 2014. She went to Clark Atlanta for her undergrad degree in sociology and obtained a master’s in education “with a focus on youth development and leadership” in 2017, she said. There’s an inspiring story behind the Flava Café business. “Really it started in my head—when I was in undergrad, and it started out as a youth arts organization,” Grisby recalled. Over time she changed the scope of the business. Grisby explained, “I wanted to focus on arts mostly because I grew up in Detroit. It’s a very musical city—you know we’ve got Motown. So, music and writing, poetry, creative writing was always an outlet for me.” She added, “We didn’t have a lot of those spaces that nurtured that type of
LaShante “Shaunie” Grisby opment Corporation].” The shop is expected to open around May of this year, and Grisby is thrilled to be moving into the Frogtown neighborhood. “I wanted to be in a place that I felt represented me and our people—I wanted
Our Lady of Peace Physician Addresses Hospice Hesitation in Black/African American Families A recent report from the National Hospice Association reveals that only 8.2% of hospice patients were Black/African American. Medicare covers hospice care, so why aren’t people using it? Medicare spends about 20% more on the last year of life for Black and Hispanic people than White people. With lower hospice utilization rates, minorities receive fewer hospice-related benefits and improved quality of life. Overall, Medicare spends 30-40% of its entire budget on end-of-life care. Meet Dennis Cross, M.D. Dennis Cross is a physician with Our Lady of Peace Hospice & Home Health Care. He is an African American man who believes he was admitted to medical school in 1976 because a photo wasn’t required with his application. He also believes the under-utilization of hospice care by Black/African American people is caused by a legacy of distrust. “African American vets returning from WWII were not given access to the benefits of the GI Bill, and they were turned down for loans. When I was honorably discharged from the military in Vietnam at 21-years-old, no one in my hometown would give me a car loan. I understand layered institutionalized discrimination and the distrust it causes.”
Dennis Cross, M.D.
– Our Lady of Peace Hospice physician
According to Dr. Cross, “If a physician recommends that a Black/African American goes into hospice, there is distrust because the doctor doesn’t have history with the patient, so many assume it’s discrimination because they don’t want to care for them in the hospital. Americans are off the charts in putting faith in technology and medicine, not wanting to accept the fact that the time comes to expire, and as a result, families are missing out on a compassionate, peaceful hospice experience.” Hospice in your home – a good first step “A lot of people don’t know that hospice care is available in their home,” says Dr. Cross. “It’s covered by Medicare, and includes bathing and medication delivery, along with comfort services like healing touch massage and music therapy. In home hospice provides a space for building trust between the family and caregivers, and it gives families the opportunity to play a role in the care of their loved one. It’s a comfortable first step for Black/African American families, and if a second step is needed to hospice care in our hospice residence, they are prepared for it.” Dr. Cross offers these communication tips to Black/African American families with a terminally ill loved one and the physicians caring for them:
Flava Café products engagement for folks in my community. So, I wanted to create something that people could use as a way of escaping their reality, even if it’s just for a few hours.” Launching the coffee shop is a dream come true. “I started to think about coffee when I went to college, that’s when I started visiting coffee shops. I really liked the atmosphere—started to see and understand the organic relationships that happen there,” she said. As a result, she pondered the idea of starting her own business. The welcoming coffee shop vibe influenced Grisby’s business structure. “I thought about how I could create these communal spaces that don’t necessarily have to be this singular thing—it could be a multitude of things,” Grisby explained. She emphasized that her coffee shop will be multifaceted. In 2018, Grisby started working on her unique business concept. At the time she thought, “This is what I want to do when I retire; I want to open a coffee shop, and then I thought about how I can integrate the work that I already do in that space,” she said. Grisby continued, “I integrated my work in youth development and my love for coffee, community and music,” which exemplifies the essence of Flava Café. The coffee enterprise was officially registered as a business in 2020 and will be opening soon. “We have our first location at University and Dale,” Grisby said, “at the Frogtown Crossroads development in partnership with NDC [Neighborhood Devel-
Submitted photos
to be a part of revitalizing and uplifting the neighborhood,” she said. Grisby said she was grateful for the strong, influential, and wise women who collectively helped her live out her dreams. “The community and village that raised me, really all of the Black women that have supported me on my journey whether that was fulfilling college—to them helping fundraise,” explained Grisby. When customers support Flava Café they can expect a variety of hot beverages and locally sourced baked goods. Grisby noted, “There aren’t many Black-owned coffee shops that are franchised, it’s something I want to take into consideration at some point in our near future.” Despite some trials along the way, Grisby remains resilient and upbeat. “You have to have a mindset of persistence; yes, there will be challenges, yes, you will have bad days—and I think it’s OK to allow yourself to do that, but not too frequently,” she said. Overall, it’s important to stay focused and have a positive attitude. Grisby shared helpful advice for the aspiring entrepreneurs: “Own your ideas or idea—learning how to discern somebody’s wisdom versus pessimistic folks who’ve been beat down by the world is important.” She added, “Don’t be afraid to ask for help.” For more information, visit www.flavacafe.org. Ashley Lauren welcomes reader responses to alauren@spokesman-recorder.com.
1. Practice Active Listening Address the concerns any human being would have. Family: “Help me understand why my father should enter hospice.” Physician: “Why isn’t my suggestion of hospice not setting well with you, especially knowing there is no further treatment for your father?” 2. Ask questions Ask people how they would like to be addressed and how they would like you to interact with them. This sets the tone for respectful conversation. 3. Don’t be afraid to be honest It’s okay to say, “I don’t intend to be disrespectful or offend you, so please let me know if I am.” 4. Lean in and make eye contact when having a conversation Body language speaks for itself. Leaning in shows you’re interested in what a person has to say. 5. Show empathy Empathy is an outcome of human kindness, and it occurs when you take the time to move past assumption to sincerely understanding how a person is feeling. Dr. Cross talks a lot about empathy because it’s important in hospice, but it’s also important in every-day life. Dr. Cross says, “The goal is to open the line of communication about racial issues with human kindness, honesty, and respect.” For 80-years, Our Lady of Peace Hospice has provided medical, spiritual, and grief care to patients and families at no cost, beyond what is covered by Medicare. Families are wrapped in loving care and kindness from the people who ease their pain to those who make sure they have a warm blanket and sheets that match their pajamas. We focus on quality of life. We invite you to visit our website at ourladyofpeacemn.org, and we’re here to answer your questions.
Call us at 651-789-5031.
February 10-16, 2022
Arts & Culture
7
The latest jazz happenings On Jan. 25, NEA Jazz Master Benny Golson celebrated his 93rd birthday. The saxophonist from Philadelphia is a prolific composer with many jazz standards to his credit such as “I Remember Clifford,” “Killer Joe,” “Stablemates,” “Whisper Not,” and “Along Came Betty,” among others. In a Twitter appreciation tweet, fellow saxophonist—the legendary Charles Lloyd— wished the maestro a happy birthday and said: “Your music, mind, and words have been an inspiration to those of us who follow in your wake.” Jazz trumpeter Duane Eubanks also celebrated a January birthday. He released his album “Things of that Particular Nature” on Jan 20, 2015. It’s an oldie but a goody and I highly recommend it. The standout track, “Dance with Aleta” is dedicated to his beloved wife. In other jazz news, an expansive Bill Frisell biography, “Beautiful Dreamer” was announced by Guitar World magazine. I recently listened to his duo album with bassist Thomas Morgan, entitled “Epistrophy (Live at the Village Vanguard)” from 2019. Both Frisell and Morgan just won a Jazz Journalists Association Award for best duo, which is well-deserved. I was sad to hear that longtime LA Times jazz writer Don Heckman passed away in November 2020. The jazz community only learned of his passing recently. The JJA (Jazz Journalists Association) posted the news of his passing. He wrote about music for almost 15 years. I met him at a jazz club in L.A. in the early 2000s. Heckman was 89 and weeks away from his 90th birthday. He had Alzheimer’s. Another saxophonist making news is Kenny
Immanuel Wilkins’ “The 7th Hand” came out Jan. 28
Blue Note Records
Garrett. His album, “Sounds from the Ances- February 26 in Los Angeles. The show will be a tors” has been nominated for an NAACP Im- two-hour live television special on BET. I was happy to learn that Hank Mobley’s age Award for Outstanding Jazz Album (Instrumental). The NAACP Image Awards will air on masterpiece, “Soul Station ‘’ is back in stock
after being re-pressed. It’s an all-analog 180g classic vinyl edition from Blue Note Records. Saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, saxophonist Melissa Aldana, and pianist Ethan Iverson all have new music coming out from Blue Note Records in the coming months, so 2022 is off to a great start. Also, the 6 LP Tone Poet vinyl box set “Round Trip: Ornette Coleman on Blue Note” came out on Friday, Jan 28. Wilkins’ new album is “The 7th Hand” and it also came out on Friday, Jan 28. He will tour the U.S. with stops in NYC, SF, LA, and DC. A European tour is planned for him in March. Wilkins played with vibraphonist Joel Ross at the Walker Art Center last year. Speaking of vinyl, if you’re a vinyl fan, you’ll be happy to know that Mack Avenue Music has released “Oscar Peterson: A Time for Love, Live in Helsinki 1987.” Fans get three translucent LPs full of magical live music, and fantastic sound quality. Great news! The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival taking place April 29 to May 8 just announced its music line-up. Some of the artists performing at this year’s festival include Lionel Richie, Willie Nelson, Erykah Badu, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, The Newport All-Stars Celebrate George Wein, Nicholas Payton, The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra, Don Vapple & the Creole Jazz Serenaders, and many, many others. Weekend passes and VIP packages are on sale now. To view the full line-up and purchase tickets visit, nojazzfest.com. Robin James welcomes reader responses to jamesonjazz@spokesman-recorder.com.
Sundance Film Festival 2022 roundup taut, suspenseful, captivating drama about a U.S. Marine vet suffering from PTSD who tragically initiates a hostage situation when he is denied his veterans’ benefits. This film features a heartbreaking performance by London Covington as Easely’s young, worshipful daughter. Nicole Beharie is convincing as his strong-assteel hostage.
By Nadine Matthews Contributing Writer Once again, this year’s Sundance Film Festival was virtual and once again, a plethora of interesting films is very likely to land on your small screen some time this coming year. Here’s a look at some of the most entertaining and enlightening films. “We Need to Talk About Cosby” Now airing on Showtime, this thought-provoking and frankly uncomfortable to watch three-part docuseries brings to the fore the question of separating the artist (and in Cosby’s case, activist and educator) from the person. Should it be done? If so, when? Director and producer W. Kamau Bell sits down with a number of high-profile personalities including Jemele Hill, Marc Lamont Hill, Jelani Cobb, and former “Cosby Show” cast members to dissect the renowned comedian cum Jekyll and Hyde figure whose crimes, the film illustrates, go back at least as far as the beginning of his television career in the 1960s. We know this because victims from that time all the way to the present, appear and tell their stories in graphic, jaw-dropping detail.
Stills from (l-r, top to bottom) “God’s Country,” “Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy,” “Mars One,” “Master,” “892,” and “Nanny” Photos courtesy of the Sundance Film Festival
breathtaking costumes, and “Tantura” This documentary entermasterful cinematography tains the horrifying irony that make for a stunning ride. some Jewish soldiers might have massacred Arabs in the “Hallelujah” This off-beat dramedy village of Tantura in 1948 durfeatures a pair of immature ing what Jewish Israelis call grown brothers in Compton, The War of Independence CA, contemplating taking on (Arab Israelis call it The Catasthe responsibility of their lov- trophe). Using both contempoing niece and iconoclastic, sui- rary interviews and 140 hours cidal teen nephew in the wake of 20-year-old audio tape with of their parents’ absence. An those who were there at the oblique meditation on grief, time, director Alon Schwarz “Nanny” tries to decipher the truth. Visually stunning, and loss, and resilience. somewhat resonant of “Marte Um (Mars One)” Sembene Ousmane’s clas- “The Princess” This is a well-acted and A unique entry in the panosic “Black Girl,” director Nikyatu Jusu’s “Nanny” is ply of documentaries about superbly shot spirited drama a love letter to Black immi- the marriage of Diana Spencer about a close-knit working grant mothers. The drama into the British royal family class Black family in Brazil. A with supernatural elements, and its unhappily ever after dedicated mother is traumastars Anna Diop (“Green- ending. Solely using archival tized by an unlikely event and a leaf,” “Titans”) as a Senega- footage, “The Princess” gives father pins all his hopes on his lese nanny living in Harlem, the viewer the perspective of son’s talents in soccer. Family negotiating romance, and Diana herself in terms of the bonds are threatened, however, dealing with her complex, often physically and emotion- when their college-aged daughwealthy White employers ally claustrophobic nature of ter and teen son each shock while she lays the foun- the paparazzi’s presence, and them with their life choices, asdation to bring her young her love/hate relationship sertions of independence, and burgeoning identities. son to America. Sleek sets, with the press.
“Riotsville” Through the innovative use of archival footage originally shot completely by the government, “Riotsville” pieces together its legislative, and military response to the series of riots that swept the nation’s inner cities in the early to mid-60s. The National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorder, aka the Kerner Commission, was founded by then-president Lyndon B. Johnson, who believed the riots were caused by “outside agitators.” Militarily, in 1967, the army built a model town in Fort Belvoir, VA, that was used to train military and law enforcement how to respond to civil disobedience. It was called Riotsville and included soldiers in plain clothes playing rioting citizens. Today’s powerful militarized police is very much a product of lessons learned at Riotsville.
“Master” Starring Regina Hall (“Girls Trip,” “Black Monday”) and Zoe Renee (“Jinn,” “The Quad”) and debuting on Amazon March 18, 2022, “Master” uses supernatural drama to critique racial dynamics in predominantly White institutions, particularly in higher education. Hall stars as a professor and newly appointed dean of students, or master on the campus at fictional Ivy-Leaguelike Ancaster University in New England. Renee plays first-year student Jasmine. Hall and Renee deliver strong performances as characters trying their best to navigate White supremacy’s too-often tragic terrain.
“Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy” Scheduled for release on Netflix in mid-February, this docuseries shot by visionary filmmaking duo Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozah, features two decades of up close and personal footage of the mercurial, brilliant, and troubled rapper Kanye West. It is a must-see for hip hop aficionados and music history lovers. The film charts West’s rise from an in-demand producer whose own rap skills, ambition, and drive were woefully underestimated to a world-renowned rapper. “God’s Country” Thandie Newton (“Westworld”) stars as a big city cop turned small town professor who falls into conflict with the good ol’ boy locals and the faculty at her college. It is an imperfect, but splendidly shot, fascinating meditation on grief, loss, and anger.
“Honk For Jesus: Save Your Soul” This film is a slick satire about a fallen pastor of a megachurch and his wife as they try every trick in the book to regain their congre“892” gation and repair his reputaBased on a true story tion. Stellar performances of Brian Brown Easely and by Regina Hall and Sterling starring a thoroughly trans- Brown. formed John Boyega, and the late Michael Kenneth Nadine Matthews welcomes Williams (in his last screen reader responses to nmatthews@ performance), “892” is a spokesman-recorder.com.
8 February 10-16, 2022
Obituary
Celebration of Life for
Estella Justina “Tina” Groce Jones Sunset: August 9, 1947 — Sunrise: January 28, 2022
Estella Justina “Tina” Groce Jones was born to Jerry and Jeanette Jones on August 9, 1947, in Des Moines Iowa. Tina went home to be with the Lord on January 28, 2022, in Minneapolis MN. She was preceded in death by her parents, and survived by her husband Walter Groce, children David Mark Jones, Anthony Jones (Latandria), Kay Brown (Shawn), and Cory Butler; brothers Jerry Jones Jr. and Harold Jones; sisters Deborah Donaby (Versie), Jeanette Jones and Jeaneane Jones, and many grandchildren,great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, nephews and nieces. A memorial service will be held at Woodlake Lutheran Church, 2120 W. 76th Street, Richfield, MN, at 1 pm. A repast will follow the memorial service.
From: Classified Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder Phone: 612-827-4021 For billing inquiries & tearsheets, please contact Accounting Dept Please proof, respond with email confirmation to display@spokesman-recorder.com
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder February 10, 2022
The MSR celebrates Black History Month every day of the year and enjoys a living legacy as one of the state’s oldest Black businesses. Like last year, many of the events will take place online due to the ongoing pandemic. For in-person events, remember to check the venue’s COVID-19 protocols ahead of time. Below we’ve highlighted a few of the events taking place this week, and we will continue to roll out events each week in February. Share your events with us by submitting them to msrnewsonline@spokesman-recorder.com or upload it free-of-charge at spokesman-recorder.com/events.
February 11 Music and Stories: Understanding Historical Trauma Through Lived Experiences 5:30–7 pm via Zoom Enjoy an evening of musical performances and stories of lived experiences, culture, ancestry and history from four presenters. There will be an open dialogue to support students, faculty and staff to interpret and understand historical trauma, political, economic, social and racial oppressions. The event will open and close with music stories from jazz musicians Babatunde Lea and Navin Chettri. Free. For more info and to register, go to bit.ly/ MetroBHM. February 12 The Black Market 2–7 pm @ The Lab, 767 N. Eustis St., St. Paul, 55114 Come celebrate Black history by supporting Black business and get some Valentine’s Day shopping done at this pop-up market for BIPOC businesses. For more info, visit blackbusinessisbeautiful.org. February 17 Artist Talk: seangarrison in conversation with Seitu Jones 5:30–6:30 pm @ Minnesota African American Heritage Museum & Gallery, 1256 Penn Ave. N., Minneapolis, MN 55411 MAAHMG Artist-In-Residence seangarrison will discuss his exhibit Abstracproseality: Visual Notations from Dark to Light, which is on display at MAAHMG. For more info, visit maahmg.org. February 22 Detoxifying From Anti-Blackness 3–4:30 pm via Zoom This virtual event features speaker Marcellus Davis, Brooklyn Park’s first racial equity, diversity and inclusion manager. For info and to register, go to minnstate. zoom.us/j/92028884953. February 24 Black Joy: Strategies for Improving 5–7 pm @ Minnesota African American Heritage Museum & Gallery, 1256 Penn Ave. N., Minneapolis, MN 55411 A discussion with Marlee James, LPCC, founder of Reviving Roots Therapy & Wellness; Clarence Jones, outreach director for Hue-MAN; Phillip McGraw, filmmaker and executive director of V-Fest; and Natalie Walters, life coach and facilitator. Moderated by Tina Burnside. For more info, visit maahmg.org.
“This Free North” Documentary Panel Discussion 5 pm via Zoom Stream the Emmy-winning documentary “This Free North” at your convenience all month long at mcse.umn.edu. This brief doc showcases Black history at the University of Minnesota and its connection to contemporary students. After viewing the film, join a panel discussion to further explore the institution’s complex and ongoing history in an effort to cultivate a more all-inclusive and equitable future. Free. For more info and to register, go to bit.ly/ FreeNorthDiscussion. February 26 Black History Month Critical Race Theory— Our Community and Christian Response 10 am- 2 pm @ Golden Valley Lutheran Church, 5501 Glenwood Ave., Golden Valley, MN 55422 Enjoy a full lineup of activities starting with keynote speaker Pastor Keith Haney at 10 am, a lunch (soup/sandwich/cake for $10); followed by a community forum about critical race theory with Rose McGee of Sweet Potato Comfort Pie, Sen. Bobby Joe Champion, and other community leaders. For more info and to register, visit https:// bit.ly/BHCRT. First Annual Black History Month Fashion Show at Underground Music Venue 7:30-10:30 pm @ Underground Music Venue, 408 N. 3rd Ave., Minneapolis, MN This show was created by producer Az’Jaya to build opportunity within the community and break the cycle of Black art being overlooked. It will acknowledge some of the top models, designers, artists and photographers in Minnesota. Along with local artists, the show will feature some out-of-state designers as well. $40 – $55 For more info, bit.ly/1stBHMFashionShow. February 28 Racial Justice, Civil Rights and Fighting the Power 3–4:30 pm via Zoom Nekima Levy Armstrong, a civil rights attorney, freedom fighter, and Racial Justice Network founder will lead this discussion centered on continuing the fight for racial justice. For more info and to register, go to: minnstate.zoom.us/j/98710768656. VocalEssence Presents: The Aeolians 7-8:15 pm @ North Community High School, 1500 James Ave. N., Minneapolis, MN 55411 Hailing from a historically Black institution in Huntsville, Alabama, The Aeolians of Oakwood University was organized in 1946 by the late Dr. Eva B. Dykes. They have traveled widely, touching the hearts of both young and old with their soul-stirring performances. They are authoritative interpreters of spirituals and work songs that express the yearnings of their ancestors to be free. Please note: VocalEssence Singers Of This Age will open the concert. $30. For more info, visit bit.ly/VocalEssenceAeolians.
BEGIN A CAREER BUILDING STRONG COMMUNITIES THE UNION APPRENTICESHIP PREPARATORY PROGRAM Go to Buildingstrong.org to attend a Virtual Information session and apply. For more information: 612.379.4210 or TScott@buildingstrong.org
L E A R N M O R E AT: BUILDINGSTRONG.ORG
February 10-16, 2022
Health & Wellness
9
Sudden unexplained infant death: the silent epidemic “Your wings were ready, but my heart was not.” — Unknown
By Andrew W. Kiragu, MD, FAAP, FCCM Guest Contributor A word of caution: The following short, illustrative case may be triggering for some readers. The story of Baby J When Baby J was born, everyone who saw her knew that she was special. She was born a couple of weeks before her mother’s due date. She had some initial trouble with breastfeeding, which improved with the help of the lactation consultant, but otherwise she did fine and was discharged home with her parents. She was a sweet baby who hardly ever seemed to cry. She was the first child for her parents, who loved her dearly. They had big hopes and dreams for their baby, but this all changed one horrible night in December. Her mom had fallen asleep next to her after breastfeeding her and woke up suddenly to find Baby J limp and unresponsive. Her lips were blue, and she was not breathing. She asked her husband to call 911 and started CPR. The paramedics arrived five minutes later and noted the baby was blue and still pulseless. They placed a breathing tube and used this to provide the baby oxygen and took over CPR. To give medications emergently, they inserted a needle into the bone below her knee through which they injected epinephrine to try to get her heart restarted. They continued CPR and placed Baby J in the ambulance with her mother while her husband followed in their car. When they arrived in the emergency department her parents watched as the doctors and nurses at the hospital continued CPR and gave more medicines as they worked to save their baby’s life. They also did xrays and ultrasounds of her heart. The hospital staff worked on Baby J for over an hour but were not able to resuscitate her. Finally, the emergency room doctor came to tell her parents that despite their best efforts, Baby J had died. Her parents were devastated. Their hopes and dreams for their little angel were dashed and their lives would never be quite the same.
Reducing the risks Baby J’s death was one of the almost 3,500 deaths that occur every year from what is termed sudden unexplained infant death (SUID), or what many term sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). SUID encompasses a group of disorders that include SIDS, ill-defined deaths, and accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed (ASSB). Deaths from SUID had decreased in the 1990s after a focused campaign by the American Academy of Pediatrics to promote safe sleeping practices. Many of the risk factors for SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths are very similar. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recommendations for a safe sleep environment that can reduce the risk of all sleeprelated infant deaths. These include placing infants on their back to sleep, the use of a firm sleep surface, room-sharing without bedsharing, and avoiding soft bedding and overheating. Other recommendations for SIDS reduction include the avoidance of exposure to cigarette smoke and the avoidance of alcohol and illicit drugs while caring for your baby. In addition, breastfeeding and routine immunizations and use of a pacifier also help to reduce the risk of SUID. Sadly, Native American and African American babies are disproportionately much more likely than White babies to die from SUID. There are multiple reasons for this, including cultural practices around how to put babies to sleep based on advice from relatives, or parental choices about sleep position, beddings, toys in the crib, and even whether to put the baby to sleep in a crib or bassinet or in bed with them. Even when in the crib or bassinet, some parents feel that the baby will be cold without multiple blankets or that the baby needs to have all kinds of toys around them. Babies should be put to sleep on their back, but many parents say that their babies prefer to sleep on their stomach. Some parents choose to sleep in bed with their baby, and there are many reasons for this including parental concerns about the baby’s safety, or because they feel that their baby won’t fall asleep any other way. Some mothers may have just had a C-section and find it painful to constantly get in and out of bed. Sometimes parents are just too tired after long sleepless nights and find it easier to have the baby in bed with them for feeding and comfort. Unfortunately, this is very unsafe, and some parents have accidentally suffocated their babies by sharing the same bed with them. It is also very important to contextualize reasons behind increased rates of SUID in Black and Indigenous populations. We must not
lose sight of the connections with poverty and other adverse social determinants of health. Many of these are rooted in the systemic and environmental racism and the legacy of redlining in this country. The ABCs of safe sleep Infant safe sleep practices recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics help reduce sleeprelated infant deaths, but adherence to these recommendations remains inadequate. Many new parents may be unaware of these recommendations or of how significantly Black and Indigenous communities are impacted by SUID. There is a general lack of knowledge about how serious this issue of SUID is, because these devastating deaths rarely make the news. One is more likely to hear about a motor vehicle crash or firearm-related injuries or other injuries that are deemed more dramatic by the news media. The lack of this media spotlight has truly made the deaths from SUID a silent epidemic. It is therefore incredibly important to spread the message about safe sleep guidelines. While many factors that lead to increased SUID rates in our community are difficult to solve overnight, the message about safe sleep is as simple as “ABC”. Your baby should sleep Alone, on their Back, and in a Crib (or bassinet) that has a firm surface and is free of toys, blankets or other objects that could cause suffocation. The AAP and CDC have additional resources.
care in Minneapolis. He is an associate of the Children’s Respiratory and Critical Care Specialist’s group and provides pediatric critical care at Children’s of Minnesota and Gillette Children’s. He is a fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine
Dr. Andrew Kiragu is an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota and the co-medical director of the Pediatric Brain Injury Program at Hennepin Health-
is also a strong advocate on behalf of Minnesota’s children and is a past president of the Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He is also a past president of the Minnesota Association of African American Physicians.
To Protect Yourself and Others from Covid-19 Practice the 3 Ws
WEAR A MASK
WASH YOUR HANDS
WATCH YOUR DISTANCE
AAP Safe Sleep: https:// w w w. h e a l t hyc h i l d re n . o rg / English/ages-stages/baby/ s l e e p / Pa ge s /A- Pa re n t s Guide-to-Safe-Sleep.aspx CDC Safe Sleep: https:// www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/features/baby-safesleep/index.html
and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Kiragu is also engaged in injury prevention efforts nationally and statewide. He serves on the boards of Safe Kids Minnesota, the Midwest Injury Prevention Alliance, and the Injury Free Coalition for Kids. Dr. Kiragu
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Please visit our NorthPoint Health & Wellness website at northpointhealth.org, to find out more about the Covid-19 vaccine.
10 February 10-16, 2022
MDLC PUBLIC HEALTH ADVOCATE Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) is hiring Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid – multiple locations. For a Chief Equity and Partnership Officer details, go to https://mylegalaid.org/employment. Four years ago, we adopted a new strategic plan to center equity and environmental justice in our work. Hiring an Officer of Partnerships and Equity is a critical part of our strategic plan and organizational growth. MCEA’s goal is DATA SCIENCE – SENIOR ANALYSTS for this to be a successful and powerful position. MCEA has been the leading legal and scientific voice Job description: Data Science – Senior Analysts for Minnesota’s environment since 1974. A growing (multiple openings): Ovative Group LLC, Minneapolis, nonprofit with offices in Saint Paul and Duluth, MCEA MN. Req. Bachelor’s degree in computer science, supports its employees through a commitment to a living mathematics or related technical degree and 1 yr of data wage, a good benefits package, and regular opportunities science experience. Req. 1 yr of exp in SQL, Python, R, for professional growth and development. We value JavaScript, Git and HTML/CSS; 1 yr of exp with cloud diversity, equity, an inclusive culture, and respect in the computing technologies including Google Cloud, Docker, workplace. MCEA was featured on the 2021 Best NonMLFlow, Airflow and DevOps. Design, develop and profits to Work For list by the Nonprofit Times. deploy architectural platform for machine-learning Please visit our website at models. Remote work from home permitted. For http://www.mncenter.org/job-openings.html confidential consideration, please submit resumé to for full description and howthe to apply ads to run ONE TIME, week beginning 2/6/2022 careers@ovative.com. No agencies or phone calls please. Metro
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SEEKING R&D ENGINEER Sr. Design Assurance Engineer for Covidien LP (a Medtronic company) in Plymouth, MN. Req. Master’s in Biology or Mechanical, Industrial or Biomedical Engr. & 2 yrs. exp. in design assurance engineering. Must possess 2 yrs. exp. in: Reliability engineering for Class II & III Medical Devices; EU Medical Device Directive, EU (Medical Device Directive) 93/42 EEC, FDA 21 CFR 820, IEC 60601, ISO 13485, ISO 62366 & ISO 14971; preparing audit responses & agency communications; Design Controls, Design for Manufacturability, Design of Experiments, design verification/validation & process validations (IQ, OQ, PQ); Statistical process control, process capability studies, sampling plan, Gage R&R compliance & good manufacturing practices; Six-Sigma, Kaizen, Plan-dostudy-act, error/mistake proofing, DMAIC, lean mfg. & CAPA; & risk assessment, Failure Modes Effect Analysis & test method development for Product Development. To apply, visit https://jobs.medtronic.com/, select Req. #220002R5. No agencies or phone calls please. Medtronic/Covidien are equal opportunity employers committed to cultural diversity in the workplace. All individuals are encouraged to apply.
SENIOR SOURCING ENGINEER Sr. Sourcing Engineer for Medtronic, Inc. in Plymouth, MN. Req. Master’s or foreign equiv. in Mechanical or Biomedical Engr. & 2 yrs. exp. in the medical device mfg. industry; or Bachelor’s or foreign equiv. in Mechanical or Biomedical Engr. & 5 yrs. exp. in the medical device mfg. industry. Must possess mi. 2 yrs. w/each of the following: FDA 21 CFR Part 820, ISO 13485, ISO 14971, ISO 14969, ISO 9001, IEC 60601-1, & Good Manufacturing Practices; Lean transformation projects, product transfers, cost savings & material replacement projects w/component & service suppliers; process characterizations, optimization, Design of Experiments & supplier selection; root cause of product or process non-conformances using Six Sigma Client: Medtronic - Sr.flows Design Engineer Methodologies; process &Assurance process validations Size: x 4.5Reliability & Manufacturability, (IQ/OQ/PQ);3.4167 Design, Run Date: 2/10/22 Value Analysis, & Value Engineering; Gage R &R, Ad Options: For an additional $300.00 you can get online variables data distribution, sample size calculation, advertising as well. statistical process control, hypothesis testing & Normality Assessments; Critical Feature Identification, PFMEA; developing inspection methods (variables & attribute) & Corrective and Preventive Action; & Tool Design, Injection Molding process & Plastic part design. To apply, visit https://jobs.medtronic.com/, select Req. #220002CP. No agencies or phone calls please. Medtronic is an equal opportunity employer committed to cultural diversity in the workplace. All individuals are encouraged to apply.
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year illustrious career, Fowles are worth, what we want and finals (2010, 2011, 2013) and told the MSR, “I can recall back what we think we need to is a two-time league-leading Contunued from page 12 scorer (2012, 2013), 2009 when I was just entering this come together. Client: U.S. District Court - District of Minnesota “Women are very stubborn,” Rookie of the Year, and fiveleague and we was doing [the] US Magistrate Judge Vacancy Minnesota in field gold accu- collective bargaining agreement, added Fowles. “So, when we time All-Star, she also holds Size: 3.4167 x 3.25 racy, rebounds and blocks per we just took whatever there was put our mind to something, single-game scoring records Run Date: 2/10/22 game, total blocks, and dou- to give us because we weren’t it’s bound to get done. But in a Finals game (38 points vs. Ad Options: additionala$300.00 youenough. can get online I can definitely say that’s Minnesota, 2011) and a playstrong ble-doubles. For Sheanaveraged advertising as well. “We didn’t speak up for my focus on the things that off game (42 points vs. New double-double in 2021 (16 continued we deserve throughout this York, 2010). She also is a twopoints, 10 rebounds) and led [ourselves],” Fowles. “You fast forward league [and it] has definitely time Olympic gold medalist the W in shooting (64%). When asked how much of to a couple of seasons ago been tremendous to watch (2012, 2016). “Anytime Angel [is] on the the league she has seen trans- where you just have this un- over these last 15 years.” McCoughtry, the 12-year floor, something’s going to formed and changed for the believable force of women perbetter has over agreed to participate Minnesotawhat Display Network by running happen,” said Reeve of Mcveteran playedprogram in three league justthe understanding they Ad the course of her 15- in
paper has agreed participate in the Minnesota Display Ad Network program by running the main news to section of your newspaper (not the classified section of your newspan the main news section of your newspaper (not the classified section of your newspaes, advertisers may request a specific section. However, the decision is ultimately up to mes, may request a specific section. However, decision is ultimately to Greater aper.advertisers Ads may need to be decreased/increased slightly inthe size to Friendship fit your column up sizes. paper. Adsthese mayads. need to behave decreased/increased in size to fit your column Missionary t bill for If you questions, please slightly call MNA at 800/279-2979. Thanksizes. you. ot bill for these ads. If you have questions, please call MNA atBaptist 800/279-2979. Thank you. Church
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ing with the team and our PR Coughtry. “I’m grateful to be a part of people in Minnesota to see the community of Minnesota,” what they’re actively involved Client: Medtronic - Senior Sourcing Engineer in and how I can be involved,” McCoughtry told reporters. Size: 3.4167 x 5.25 she said. “I want to be inWhen asked about her Run Date: 2/10/22 volved in the plans to get involved, McAd Options: For an additional $300.00 you can community, get online and Coughtry told the MSR, “I’m advertising as well.I’m ready to learn what the actually glad you asked that community is about so I will question because that’s the be definitely [willing to] help first thing I thought about af- [fight against] social injustice.” ter signing. I understand this Charles Hallman welcomes is a mecca of social injustice. What can I get involved in? reader responses to challman@ spokesman-recorder.com. What can I do? “So, I actually plan on meet-
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Employment & Legals STATE OF MINNESOTA
DISTRICT COURT
COUNTY OF HENNEPIN
FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT
State of Minnesota
Case Type: Personal Injury
27-ET-CV-21-103
County of Hennepin
District Court
Rev. March 2021
State of Minnesota
CASE TYPE: CUSTODY
Court File Number: 27-CV-22-876
File No. Unassigned Freeman Thompson,
Concepcion Alonzo Vail
Plaintiff,
SUMMONS
SUMMONS
In the Matter of the Petition of
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE
in Relation to Certificate of
Linda Hubbard,
Mario Augosto Lucas Ramirez
Fourth Judicial District No. 27-ET-CV-21-103
Robert Derek Burgess,
v.
Petitioner, and
District Court
County of Hennepin
The Honorable: Christian M. Saude
(DOB: 04/06/2014)
11
Filed in District Court State of Minnesota Jan 21, 2022
Fourth Judicial District
FAMILY COURT
In re the Custody of B.B.L.A.
February 10-16, 2022
Title No. 1143858 issued for l
Defendant.
and in the County of Hennepin
Respondent.
and State of Minnesota and
THE STATE OF MINNESOTA TO THE ABOVE-NAMED RESPONDENT, LUCIANO DIAZ RAMOS, ADDRESS UNKNOWN: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED AND REQUIRED to serve upon Petitioner’s attorney an answer to the Complaint which is herewith served upon you, within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons upon you, exclusive of the day of service. If you fail to do so, judgment by default will be taken against you for the relief demanded in the Paternity Complaint. RANDEN, CHAKIROV & GROTKIN LLC Dated: November 10, 2021
/s/ Rebecca A. Randen Rebecca A. Randen, I.D. No. 396082 On behalf of Volunteer Lawyer’s Network Volunteer Lawyer’s Network 600 Nicollet Mall, Suite 390A Minneapolis, MN 55402 rebecca@rcglawoffice.com (612) 281-2151 ATTORNEYS FOR PETITIONER
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder February 10, 17, 24, 2022
THIS SUMMONS IS DIRECTED TO the above-named Defendant:
legally described as follows:
1. YOU ARE BEING SUED. The Plaintiff has started a lawsuit against you.
Lot 14 except the East or rear 49 feet thereof, “East View Heights” Addition to
The Plaintiffs Complaint against you is attached to this summons. Do not throw
Minneapolis
these papers away. They are official papers that affect your rights. 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. 2. 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:
TO: Clarence Champion; Jerry Williams A Petition and Report of Examiner of Titles are filed in the above-entitled case, brought under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 508 or 508A. You were identified in the Petition or the Report of Examiner of Titles as a party who may have an interest in the above-described land affected by the Order below. If you object to entry of the Order, you must show cause, if there is any, why this Court should not enter the Order. To object to entry of the Order, you must file an Answer, and pay the filing fee or an order waiving the filing fee, by March 3, 2022 (“the deadline”). No
Brantingham Law Office
response or action is required if you have no objection to the Order. If you do
2200 E Franklin Avenue, Suite 202
not file an Answer, the Order may issue with no further notice to you.
Minneapolis, MN 55404
ORDER:
3. YOU MUST RESPOND TO EACH CLAIM. The Answer is your written
That the Registrar of Titles, upon the filing with the Registrar of a certified copy
response to the Plaintiff’s Complaint. In your Answer you must state whether
of this Order, show by memorial on Certificate of Title No. 1143858 that Quit
you agree or disagree with each paragraph of the Complaint. If you believe the
Claim Deed Document No. T4054246 is null and void, and cancel Certificate
Plaintiff should not be given everything asked for in the Complaint, you must
of Title No. 1143858, and issue a new Certificate of Title to the owner as shown
say so in your Answer.
on now-canceled Certificate of Title No. 1098643, free from all memorials now appearing on the present Certificate of Title, the last of which is Document No.
4. YOU WILL LOSE YOUR CASE IF YOU DO NOT SEND A WRITTEN
T5906985, and free also from the memorial of this Order.
RESPONSE TO THE COMPLAINT TO THE PERSON WHO SIGNED
Filed in District Court State of Minnesota Feb 3, 2022 State of Minnesota
District Court
Ramsey County
Second Judicial District Court File Number: 62-DA-FA-22-71
Case: Vail and Ramirez, custody case Case Type: Domestic Abuse Size: 3.4167 x 5.75 Ad Run: 2/10/2022 - 2/24/2022 In The Matter Of Christina Johnson Notice of Hearing by Publication Ad Options: -(Minn. Stat. § 518B.01, subd. 8)
And Obo Minor Child Vs
Durell Lamarr Mitchell
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. 5. 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 still provide a written Answer to protect your rights or you may lose the case. 6. ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION. The parties may agree to or be
To Respondent named above:
If you choose to object, your Answer must be e-filed by your attorney. If you do not have an attorney, you may e-file the Answer, or the Answer may be filed by mailing it to: Examiner of Titles, A-701, Hennepin County Government Center, 300 South Sixth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55487-0071 with a check payable to District Court Administrator for $297.00 for the filing fee, or with an order waiving the fee. The Answer must be received by the Examiner of Titles by the deadline date. If you have questions about these procedures, you may contact the Examiner of Titles office by phone at 612-348-3191 or by email at Ex.Titles@hennepin.us IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that a copy of this Order to Show Cause and a copy of the Petition be served: (a) at least 20 days before the deadline upon the above-named parties residing in this State in the manner provided by law for the service of Summons in a civil action;
ordered to participate in an alternative dispute resolution process under Rule 114 of
(b) at least 20 days before the deadline upon each of the above-named nonresi-
An order has been issued directing you to appear at the Ramsey County
the Minnesota General Rules of Practice. You must still send your written response
dents and foreign corporations, partnerships, or associations that cannot be found
Juvenile and Family Justice Center, 25 W 7th St, St. Paul MN 55102 on
the Complaint even if you expect to use alternative means of resolving this dispute.
for service in the state by personal service out-of-state, or in the alternative, by two
February 28, 2022 at 9:15am SEE NOTICE OF HEARING and explain why the
weeks published notice of the Order to Show Cause and by sending a copy of this
relief sought in the Petition for the Order for Protection should not be granted.
Order and the Petition at least 2427-ET-CV-21-103 days before the deadline by first class mail to the
You may obtain a copy of the Petition and any order issued from the court from
non-resident’s or foreign entity’s out-of-state post office address;
Filed in District Court State of Minnesota 1/21/2022 2:08 PM
(c) upon each of the above-named parties who cannot be found by two weeks
the Ramsey County Court Administrator’s Office. If you do not appear at the scheduled hearing, the Petitioner’s request may be
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that a copy of this Order to Show Cause and a copy of the published notice of the Order to Show Cause and by sending a copy of this Order Petition be served:
granted as a default matter. Failure to appear will not be a defense to prosecution
and(a)the Petition atbefore least the 24deadline days before deadlineparties by first classinmail to the at least 20 days upon thethe above-named residing this State in last
for violation of the Court’s Order.
(b) at address least 20 days the deadline each ofanother the above-named nonresidents andand the known of before the party and byupon sending copy of this Order
the manner provided by law for the service of Summons in a civil action;
foreign corporations, partnerships, or associations that cannot be found for service in the state by
personal service out-of-state, in the alternative, by twoby weeks noticeto ofthe the Order to of Petition at least 24 daysorbefore the deadline firstpublished class mail address
Court Administrator
Show Cause and by sending a copy of this Order and the Petition at least 24 days before the
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder January 27, February 3, 10, 2022
Ramsey County District Court
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder February 10, 2022
Filed in District Court State of Minnesota Feb 1, 2022 State of Minnesota
District Court
Ramsey County
Second Judicial District Court File Number: 62-DA-FA-22-60 Case Type: Domestic Abuse
In The Matter Of Chisa Vanilla Hodges Notice of Hearing by Publication (Minn. Stat. § 518B.01, subd. 8)
Vs Losay Dominic Kimba, Sr. To Respondent named above:
An order has beenJohnson issued directing you to appear at the Ramsey County Case: vs Mitchell Juvenile and Family Justice Center, 25 W 7th St, St. Paul MN 55102 on 62-DA-FA-22-71 February 28, 20223.4167 at 9:15am SEE NOTICE OF HEARING and explain why the Size: x 4.5 Ad Run: relief sought in the2/10/2022 Petition for the Order for Protection should not be granted. Ad YouOptions: may obtain a -copy of the Petition and any order issued from the court from
Filed in District Court State of Minnesota Feb 3, 2022 State of Minnesota Ramsey County Case: Size: Ad Run: Ad Options:
District Court
Second27-CV-22-876 Judicial District Thompson vs Hubbard Court File Number: 62-HR-CV-21-680 3.4167 x 10 1/27/22 - 2/10/22 Case Type: Harassment --
Approved: Susan Ledray Dated: January 21, 2022 Approved: Susan Ledray Dated: January 21, 2022 Examiner of Titles Examiner of Titles Phone: 612-348-3191 Phone: 612-348-3191 Email: Ex.Titles@hennepin.us Email: Ex.Titles@hennepin.us By:
Susan T. Ledray, Examiner of Titles
Notice of Issuance of
vs
Harassment Restraining Order
Larry E. Reed
Jose de Jesus Franco Ramirez
by Publication
PO Box 43596
JUDGE OF THE DISTRICT COURT
Attorney for Petitioner Address
To Respondent:
Minneapolis, MN 55443 City, State, Zip Code
YOU ARE NOTIFIED that a Harassment Restraining Order has been issued on
612-384-0076
Phone Number
October, 20, 2021. A hearing has not been scheduled. You may request a hearing on this matter
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder February 3, 10, 2022
by filing a Request for Hearing HAR301 with the Court within twenty (20) days of the date this Notice is published. You may get a copy of the HRO from the court administrator’s office at the following address: Ramsey County Juvenile and Family Justice Center 25 W. 7th Street Room B122 Saint Paul, MN 55102
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
Failure to appear at a scheduled hearing or to get a copy of the Harassment
for violation of the Court’s Order.
Restraining Order will not be a defense to prosecution for violation of the
Ramsey County District Court
(c) upon each of the above-named parties who cannot be found by two weeks published (d) upon a dissolved, withdrawn, or revoked entity governed by Minn. notice of the Order to Show Cause and by sending a copy ofbusiness this Order and the Petition at least 24 days before the deadline by first class mail to the last known address of the party and by Stat. Chapters 302A, 322C, in the provided by sending another copy of this303, Order317A, and the321, Petition at leastor 24323A days before themanner deadline by first class mail to the address of such party as stated on the Certificate of Title if an address is so stated; Stat. Minn. 5.25. [Note: deadline date on the Order to Show Cause must be at (d) upon a dissolved, withdrawn, or revoked business entity governed by Minn. Stat. Chapters 317A, or 323A in the manner provided by Minn. Stat. § 5.25. least 30302A, days303, after date321, of 322C, mailing by the Secretary of State.] [Note: deadline date on the Order to Show Cause must be at least 30 days after date of mailing by the Secretary of State.]
Ana Lupe Ruiz Flores
the Ramsey County Court Administrator’s Office.
Court Administrator
deadline by first class mail to the non-resident’s or foreign entity’s out-of-state post office such party as stated on the Certificate of Title if an address is so stated; address;
Court’s order. Donald W. Harper
Wanted: Assignment Editor The MSR seeks an assignment editor to help identify, cultivate, and connect writers to news stories that center the voices of African Americans in Minnesota, as well as shine a light on issues of inequality and inequity. The ideal candidate will have a passion for discovering news and happenings in Minnesota. A degree in journalism or experience as a journalist is required. Must also have strong organizational and people skills, with an ability to coordinate assignments and work with writers of various levels of experience.
Juvenile and Family Court Administrator
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder February 10, 2022
View
helmets but won’t hire Black people. After a generation of Contunued from page 12 having to forcibly compel the NFL ownership class to actuwill likely be the impetus to ally sit down and interview overhaul the Rooney Rule. coaches of color, we are back More than that, the lawsuit to where we started.” One might say that by filwill be the next assault on the NFL’s granite wall of re- ing his suit, Flores is commitsistance to African American ting career suicide, but if successful, it will finally expose progress in the league.” “It’s unacceptable,” WCCase: Hodges vs Kimba Srthe NFL for the racist orgaCO-AM’s Henry Lake told nization that it is, something 62-DA-FA-22-60 most of us Blacks, like Bryus last week. Size: 3.4167 x 4.5 AdThe Run: Nation’s 2/10/2022 Dave Zirin ant, Rhoden, Lake and this Ad Options: -pointed out, “There are some columnist, and Whites such very real racists with very as Zirin, have written, spoke real power who sit in owners’ or stressed for oh so long— boxes and pull the levers of that the shield is unwilling to this league. We have a league change its racist ways. “The process for Black that puts anti-racism slogan[s] in the end zone and on players’ coaches revolves around two
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder February 10, 2022
outcomes: one and done or his fifth Whiteballed season never,” said Yussuf Khan in First of not playing football. While I am hugely supportand Pen. “But the one thing ive of Flores’ suit and rooting that they never are is first.” “We know where the prob- for him, I am also afraid that lem is,” continued Lake. “The the former NFL head coach problem is racism and the will ultimately become the grand ol boy network in the Kaepernick of Black coaches National Football League. Case: Flores vs Ramirez and also be Whiteballed out We’re at the point with the of the league. 62-HR-CV-21-680 “While Flores might never National Football League Size: 3.4167 x 4.5 Ad Run: where another2/10/2022 Black man get a second chance as an Options: -is Ad having to sacrifice … [his] NFL head coach,” concluded career. It happened years ago Khan, “his stand holds more significance outside of the with Colin Kaepernick.” Kaepernick sued the NFL game for he’s challenging a in 2017 alleging that the systemic issue plaguing so owners colluded to keep him many off of the gridiron.” and former teammate Eric Charles Hallman welcomes Reid out of the league. The NFL settled out of court, but reader responses to challham@ the Black QB just completed spokesman-recorder.com.
Pay commensurate with experience. To apply, send a resume to twilliams@spokesman-recorder.com.
WNBA
for Canada in World Cup qualifying action—the forContunued from page 12 mer on Thursday against Japan and Saturday against on that as well, so we’ll help Bosnia & Herzegovina— McBride on Friday against them think through that.” Belgium and Saturday against Puerto Rico. Globe tracking the Lynx – Crystal Dangerfield averaged 16 points and Finally– Former Gopher Destiny four rebounds for Elitzur Ramla that went 1-1 last Pitts had her third doubleweek, and Kayla McBride double of the season (20 had a 10-point perfor- points, 10 rebounds) to lead mance in a six-point win Texas A&M last Sunday to a for Fenerbahce last week 73-64 overtime victory over Kentucky. as well. Dangerfield is schedCharles Hallman weluled for action Thursday and Monday (Feb. 14). comes reader responses to McBride will be playing for challman@spokesman-reUSA, and Natalie Achonwa corder.com.
12 February 10-16, 2022
Sports
L awsuit exposes NFL’s longstanding racism
ormer Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores recently filed a lawsuit against the NFL and three teams alleging racist hiring practices. This didn’t surprise many of us. The longstanding elephant in the room has been there for all to see for years, especially with qualified Black coaches bypassed for head coaching jobs.
labor of NFL players, 70 percent of whom are Black.” Flores further points out: one of 32 teams has a Black head coach, four employ a Black offensive coordinator, 11 employ a Black defensive coordinator, three have a Black quarterback coach and six, including the Minnesota Vikings, have a Black general manager. The Rooney Rule, in place since 2003, was supposed to fix this—teams are required to interview at least one Black head coaching candidate but in actuality, these mainly are “sham interviews” conducted by teams, while their preferred White candidate is eventually hired. Black candidates “in over-
Ex-Miami Dolphins Head Coach Brian Flores An excerpt from Flores’ lawsuit— “In certain critical ways, the NFL is racially segregated and is managed much like a plantation. Its 32 owners—none of whom are Black— profit substantially from the
MGN
whelming numbers” don’t get NFL head coaching jobs, noted journalist Howard Bryant. William C. Rhoden wrote last week in The Undefeated, “Flores’ unprecedented suit
■ See VIEW on page 11
Black women making strides in coaching By Charles Hallman Sports Columnist adly, too often Black coaches at any level aren’t given full credit for what they do, especially their strategist skills, and especially Black women coaches. Over a span of 10 days, we’ve witnessed three Black females on the sidelines during a four-team girls’ high school basketball tournament at Hopkins High School; two Black females coaching against each other at a Suburban East Conference contest, and a Black female brought her Wisconsin club to play Minnesota at The Barn. “I think sometimes what we do just gets pushed under the rug a little bit just because we are Black women,” said Tanysha Scott, now in her second season as Roseville High School girls’ varsity basketball coach. “We are outsiders of the coaching community in this particular state.” “That’s why it’s so important,” added Scott after her club defeated host East Ridge, coached by Ashley Ellis-Milan, also in her second year at East Ridge. Scott was a 2001 De La Salle graduate and star at Minnesota Duluth (2001-05), where she earned a political science degree. She later cut her coaching teeth at AAU, then assistant stints at Blake and Minneapolis South, where she later served as the varsity coach (2013-15). She returned to her high school alma mater and led the Islanders to the 2019 state championship and was named All-USA Coach of the Year. “We’re changing that culture
Wisconsin Women’s Basketball Coach Marisa Moseley All photos by Charles Hallman and it’s a good thing,” said Scott. “It’s a good thing and it’s a really good thing for Minnesota.” Ellis-Milan starred at St. Paul Central (2001-05) and helped to lead her school to a third-place finish in the 2005 state tournament. She went on to star at Minnesota (2005-10), where she started 117 consecutive games and became a two-time all-Big Ten performer. After she earned her education degree, Ellis-Milan played pro ball in Germany and Greece before returning home,
he WNBA now is infused with the largest ever capital raise—$75 million—in women’s pro sports history. Nike, which is one of the league’s current partners and inaugural WNBA Changemaker, has made a significant equity investment in the league, and “further deepens the company’s support for women’s basketball,” read a league statement. WNBA legend and current New Orleans Pelicans Basketball Operations and Team Development Vice-President Swin Cash, NBA legend and businessman Baron Davis and Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. Secretary of State are among the initial investors group. Both the NBA and WNBA’s respective Board of Governors approved the $75 million financial infusion that according to league officials will be used for marketing, WNBA globalization, innovation, digital and consumer growth, and human capital and operational optimization as part of an overall effort to address some of the league’s obstacles to growth and generating new revenue. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert last week told reporters, including the MSR, “To build or grow a business, you have to have access to capital, and you have to have the right human capital and resources.” When a reporter asked how this will directly impact
Cathy Engelbert
Photo courtesy of WNBA
players, Engelbert responded, “This ultimately will be of huge benefit to the players as we kind of transform this economic model. “The more revenue you have, the more that drops to the bottom line, the more efficient you become, the more excellent talent you have and the more you can do innova-
When the MSR asked how the huge investment will impact the WNBA’s ongoing commitment for diversity, inclusion and equity, the commissioner said, “An important question as we think about again supporting womenowned businesses, Blackowned businesses, minorityowned businesses. Also, you
“It just gives us that ability now to invest in things that we didn’t have before.” tive marketing campaigns and elevate the players in the marketplace,” Engelbert continued. “It just gives us that ability now to invest in things that we didn’t have before.” Engelbert added that the new money will help the league, along with the 12 current clubs, increase its value “even shorter term, medium term and longer term.”
saw with our slew of new coaching hires we now are over half of our coaches, eight of 12 are women. We’ve got five persons of color coaching now, and so our owners are really stepping up.” Noelle Quinn (Seattle), Vickie Johnson (Dallas) and Tanisha Wright (Atlanta) are three former Black W players that are now head coaches,
Roseville Girls’ Basketball Coach Tanysha Scott
the suburbs. “We respect each other,” noted Scott of Ellis-Milan. “I gave her so much credit for what she does.” Ellis-Milan said, “It’s so cool to coach in this state right now for girls’ basketball because we just have so much talent everywhere throughout this state.” Marisa Moseley made her first visit to Williams Arena on Jan. 30 in her first season as Wisconsin head women’s basketball coach. It’s her second HC opportunity after three
Vivian Stringer (now on medical leave) as the Big Ten’s only Black WBB coaches. Like Scott and Ellis-Milan, Moseley also fully understands the significance of being a Black woman coaching at a predominately White school: “I take it as a huge responsibility, and I take it seriously,” she said. “I try to do the best job I can, not just as a coach but as a role model of the way that I carry myself and the way I teach the game.” Finally, the UW coach would like to see the day when Black women coaches are “normalized … so that at some point we’re not going to be talking about [being] first anymore but that it’s just a coach,” surmised Moseley. “I think it’s a small step in the right direction for us to move it and pay it forward. I think it’s good for us to be in these environments,” said Scott. “I love it,” concluded Ellis-Milan.
“We’re changing that culture and it’s a good thing.” earning a master’s in education, and getting into coaching. The St. Paul native was a Concordia-St. Paul assistant coach (2014-18) and also served as an assistant on Scott’s De La Salle staff before her first HC job at East Ridge. “It’s a lot more work than I thought,” admitted Ellis-Milan. “I like competing at a high level like this.” Scott and Ellis-Milan are two Black females coaching girls’ basketball at two predominately White schools in
The W receives historic capital raise By Charles Hallman Sports Columnist
East Ridge Girls’ Basketball Coach Ashley Ellis-Milan
seasons at Boston University (2018-21), and after 13 seasons as an assistant (2009-18, UConn; 2007-09, Minnesota; and 2005-07, Denver). It was her first time at the Barn since she left the Gophers many years ago. “The atmosphere was great,” said Moseley to the MSR after her first time back at the Barn since working on Pam Borton’s staff. “It was really a formative part of my coaching journey,” she stressed. Moseley joined Rutgers’ C.
Note: Visitation Coach Faith Johnson Patterson, the state’s winningest Black girls’ basketball coach, won her 500th game last week. Charles Hallman welcomes reader response to challman@ spokesman-recorder.com.
Fowles returns for one last season
he 2022 Minnesota Lynx roster is all but set as veteran center Sylvia Fowles has re-upped for her 15th and final WNBA season, along with the signing of free-agent forward Angel McCoughtry. Fowles was the second overall pick in 2008 by Chicago, the key part of a threeteam trade that brought her to MGN Minnesota in 2015, and a crucial member of the Lynx’s final and HOF Tamika Catchings is Indiana’s team president. James Wade, whose Chicago Sky won the 2021 WNBA title and Los Angeles’ Derek Fisher are the other Black coaches, both with dual HC-GM roles. “We’ve had a diversity in coaching initiative,” continued Engelbert, “and we’ve had some incentives to get more former WNBA stars in coaching roles. That has happened, and it happened quicker than I thought, that then they rose Sylvia Fowles to head coaching positions, two league titles (2015, 2017). which I think is great. McCoughtry was the first “I’m just proud of our owners and our coaches and GMs overall pick in 2009 by Atlanta who are really stepping up and and played the last two seaseeing the value of diversity, sons in Las Vegas. Both Fowles and Mcgiven how diverse our league is on the court,” said Engelbert. Coughtry spoke to reporters The new money “also will last week, including the MSR, help us be able to continue to in separate Zoom press condo the investment in our social ferences. “It pretty much was a nojustice platform, in Black-owned businesses,” she confirmed. “Our brainer to choose to come back teams are really doubling down this year and finish out my sea■ See WNBA on page 11 son,” the veteran center said. “A
lot of that had a lot to just do with the fans and making sure they get their appreciation of what I bring to this team.” Minnesota Head Coach and General Manager Cheryl Reeve boldly declared, “I feel very, very strongly that I say [Fowles is] the best center, and in the truest terms of being a center, that has done everything. It starts with her competitive drive, her passion, her will to win that produces
Angel McCoughtry Photos courtesy of Twitter in the way of statistics and rebounding.” Four-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (2011, 2013, 2016, 2021), 2017 league MVP, seven-time AllStar, and four-time Olympic gold medalist (2008, 2012, 2016, 2021), Fowles’ future Hall of Fame numbers can’t be argued against. The 6’6” center leads
■ See SOE on page 10