June 22, 2023 - MN Spokesman-Recorder

The Challenge of Police Reform

Despite the DOJ’s efforts some doubt the MPD will change

By H. Jiahong Pan

Contributing Writer

n Friday, June 16, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it had concluded its investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) and disclosed that officers had engaged in patterns and practices of discriminatory policing.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that the conduct—which included using excessive force and unlawfully discriminating against Black and Native people, as well as violating the rights of those exercising protected speech and those suffering a mental health crisis—violated the First and Fourth Amendments to the Constitution. In addition to violating free speech and Constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure, the MPD violated the Safe

Streets for All Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Civil Rights Act.

“The patterns and practices we observed made what happened to George Floyd pos-

sible,” said Attorney General Garland. “As one city leader told us, ‘These systemic issues didn’t just occur on May 25, 2020. There were instances that were being reported by

the community long before.’”

The report, which was partially informed by Communities United Against Police Brutality (CUAPB) in its all-volunteer effort to collect

over 2,000 testimonies from people affected by Minneapolis police officers’ misconduct, listed the following findings:

MPD officers shoot first, ask questions later, citing Mohamed Noor’s killing of Justine Damond in a Southwest Minneapolis alleyway in 2017. Noor is no longer with the MPD and has served his sentence in prison;

MPD officers tend to tase children and people with behavioral health issues;

MPD officers use excessive force on people accused of minor offenses or no offense at all, including confronting and pinning against the hood of a car at gunpoint a teenager accused of taking a $5 burrito without paying;

MPD officers did not ensure the safety of those in their custody. Aside from failing to get medical help for George Floyd, they also failed to get

an ambulance for a woman detained by police who was having an asthma attack;

MPD officers stop Black and Native American people six times more often than White people, and stopped collecting racial data for the people they stopped after May 25, 2020;

MPD officers retaliated against those exercising their right to free speech, including assaulting journalists and bystanders who were criticizing their work, actions protected under the Constitution, regardless of whether or not profanity was used;

MPD officers responded unnecessarily and overacted to people experiencing mental health crises, at times escalating those situations; Marginalized communities were no strangers to Minneapolis Police Department

■ See DOJ on page 5

Protests erupt over U of M budget cuts

By Abdi Mohamed

Contributing

Writer

hop from the top!

That’s the message that University of Minnesota students, faculty, and staff have been chanting at recent protests against the university’s 2023-24 budget cuts and current administrative changes.

In late April, students rallied outside McNamara Alumni Center after word spread about the university’s plan to significantly cut the budgets of the ethnic and gender studies programs.

According to a statement released by the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), the university planned to cut 50 percent of American Indian studies, 30 percent of Chicano and Latino studies, 27.5 percent of African American studies, and 10 percent of Gender, Women, and Sexuality studies programs.

The student-led group,

along with other unions tied to the university, demanded that these programs be fully funded and that any necessary financial changes should first be taken out of the “bloated” administration.

Siobhan Moore is a member of Students for a Democratic Society, a national studentled organization with a history dating back to the 1960s, where students fought for racial equality and protested the Vietnam War. As a prospective transfer student to the U of M, Moore doesn’t want to see these programs cut before she gets a chance to enroll.

“We think it’s fundamentally wrong that such a bloated, overpaid university administration is able to off-load these budget cuts onto the backs of students, staff and faculty at the university and say that we have to, well, tighten their belts while they’re raking in six, seven-figure salaries annu-

ally. President Gabel is getting a $200,000 sendoff bonus,” Moore said.

Former University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel resigned from her role following criticism of her joining the board of directors at Securian Financial. Several critics called for an investigation into Gabel’s relationship with Securian, since the financial service company had several ties to the university that accounted for more than a billion dollars.

The controversy only underlined concerns by UMN students and staff as Gabel’s base pay started at $706,000, with performance pay and retirement contributions. The proposed budget cuts coming soon after the news of the university president’s conflict of interest was enough to draw more scrutiny.

In the past year there’s been an uptick of union activity at the university. In the spring,

graduate student workers at the UMN voted to form a union, after a 2,487-70 vote. They voted to unionize to secure workers’ rights and higher pay.

As it stands, the minimum pay for a graduate student worker at the UMN is $16,000, with a maximum stipend of $25,000. That’s compared to a cost of living for Hennepin

County of $37,025.

Sumanth Gopinath, an associate professor of music theory, was also present at the April protest along with other UMN faculty. Gopinath was elected president of the U of M’s campus chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), an organization founded in 1915 with the

aim of advancing academic freedom and helping shape the standards for higher education.

Gopinath has seen his organization take on more issues since the onset of the pandemic, as they advocated for more safety and protections for faculty and staff at the university when there was an effort to return ■ See U of M on page 5

Twin Cities could see extended summer smog

By H. Jiahong Pan

Contributing Writer

ast week, the air in the Twin Cities was hazy, smokey, and extremely bad for your health, especially if you have pre-existing heart or lung conditions. On that day, air quality readings in Minnesota were above 250 on the air quality index, which is calculated based on the level of pollutants in the atmosphere in a cubic meter.

Air quality readings over 100 are considered un-

remain above 50 through the end of the week, when cleaner air from above the Great Lakes will blow over the Twin Cities.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency believes the air quality readings set a new record for the worst in the Twin Cities since data collection began in 1980. The air pollution is primarily caused by wildfires in Ontario, Canada, which is just across the border to the northeast of Minnesota. For

air pollution was also aggravated by ground

level ozone pollution from smog, which is emitted from vehicles, production plants and refineries.

The air quality caused both the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and St. Paul Parks and Recreation to cancel all outdoor activities and events Wednesday evening. Canterbury Racetrack in Shakopee also had to call off their races, and the Minnesota Aurora, an all-women’s soccer team, had to relocate

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland at Friday’s DOJ press conference Photo by Chris Juhn

Protests over University of Minnesota budget cuts

Photo by Abdi Mohamed

Photos by Chris Juhn

Metro Transit service changes with increased ridership

By H. Jiahong Pan

Contributing Writer

Amid Metro Transit’s round of service cuts that began last December, Route 9 and 645, which connect Minneapolis with the western suburbs of St. Louis Park and Minnetonka, resumed operating once every hour and two hours, respectively. Beginning June 17, Metro Transit not only increased frequency times on the 9 and 645, but also on routes 7, 23, 94 and the Orange Line, to name a few, as well as shift service around on some other routes.

Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, which operates service south of the Minnesota River, will also make some minor service changes, partly in response to the summer recreation travel.

Nevertheless, the December service cuts weren’t enough to deter East Phillips resident Jonathan Wharton from giving up his car in January, when he began riding both routes to and from work at a bar in St. Louis Park. “I started taking the bus as part of my no-car challenge in January. So far, I haven’t driven since,” said Wharton, on his way home from a meeting last Wednesday afternoon.

With ridership increasing and the agency saying its ongoing operator hiring efforts are successful, Metro Transit feels confident enough to restore some of the service cuts made in December.

“We’ve been encouraged by our recent hiring successes, with more than 170 bus operators hired since the beginning of the year,” said Metro Transit spokesperson Drew Kerr, adding that they remain 150 operators short of being able to

provide 80 percent of the public transit service the agency provided pre-pandemic. At the same time, ridership continues to increase.

In April, Metro Transit had more than 137,000 riders, compared to close to 119,000 riders a year ago. Still, the ridership remains at 55 percent of pre-pandemic February 2020 levels.

Service on Route 7, 9 and 23, which serve South Minneapolis, will run every 30 minutes during the weekday. On weekday evenings, the 7 will run every 30 minutes, and the 23 will run one hour later. The 9 and 23 will continue to operate once an hour in the evenings, and all three routes will continue to operate hourly on weekends.

Connecting Minneapolis to St. Paul, Route 94 will no longer run on an alternating 30-minute to one-hour service gap. Instead, buses are scheduled to arrive every 30 minutes during the day, and every 20 minutes during rush hour. The F branch to River Park Plaza, across the Mississippi River from downtown, remains suspended. On I-35 W, the Orange Line will once again operate every 15 minutes throughout the weekday.

In the suburbs, the 225 and 227, which serve northern Roseville and Arden Hills, will run every hour on weekdays and Saturdays. They will do the same with Route 615, which connects Ridgedale with downtown Hopkins and St. Louis Park, and Route 804, which connects New Brighton and Mounds View with Northtown.

Route 805, which connects Anoka and Coon Rapids with

Northtown, will run once an hour, but only on weekdays. Frequencies on the 645, a limited-stop route operating along frontage roads next to I-394 in western Hennepin County, will increase to every 30 minutes during rush hour and every 60 minutes on weekends. The 645 will also once again serve the Lake Minnetonka communities of Mound, Spring Park and Orono, after service was cut back to Wayzata last December.

to operate every 30 to 60 minutes in the afternoon, starting after 4:30 p.m. The agency will keep two trips that serve the Inver Grove Heights’ Walmart during the 7 a.m. hour, as well as one trip during the 2 p.m. hour. Service to the Walmart would also end later, with the last bus leaving at 11:23 p.m.

Finally, Route 68 service will run every 30 minutes in the evenings between 5th Avenue and South Street in

plewood Mall. The 355, which connects downtown Minneapolis directly to Woodbury Theater park-and-ride and bypasses downtown St. Paul, will return with two trips in each direction. The 850, which connects western Anoka County to downtown Minneapolis, will also see more trips.

The agency plans to add back more service in August. In addition to the service increases, several routes will be detoured because of construction. Route

Authority will also be adding and adjusting service despite their own challenges with hiring and retaining drivers.

The 4FUN bus, an express shuttle connecting Mall of America with ValleyFair Amusement Park, Canterbury Racetrack and Mystic Lake, began making an additional stop at Burnsville Transit Station on June 3, and will also begin running on Thursdays and Fridays beginning June 22. They will increase service on Route 490, an express route that connects downtown Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota with Shakopee’s Southbridge Crossings parkand-ride and downtown Prior Lake, citing rider demand.

n Saturday, MSR former co-publisher and vice president emeritus was recognized by state leaders in two proclamations delivered by Minnesota Senate President Bobby Joe Champion, declaring June 17, 2023, as Norma Jean Williams Day. The funeral service for

Norma Jean Williams and the Celebration of Life repast that followed were well-attended. At the Celebration of Life, held at the Chambers Hotel in Downtown Minneapolis, the sunshine-yellow décor reflected the spirit of Norma Jean.

The program began with MN Black Music Associa-

The frequency increases on the 9 and 645 are welcome news for Wharton. “I do like more service being added because I get out [of work] at night. Sometimes I can catch the bus, sometimes it will be too late [for me to catch it],” said Wharton. South St. Paul and Inver Grove Heights will also see service changes taking effect on June 17. All Route 68 buses will serve Robert Street to as far south as Marie Avenue. The agency will eliminate service on Thompson Street between Oakdale and Robert streets as a result.

On weekdays, service to the Walmart in Inver Grove Heights will be streamlined

South St. Paul and downtown St. Paul, as opposed to the current schedule, which operates alternately every 20 to 40 minutes. The change, however, will be introduced on Sunday afternoons, as the agency increases service between 5th Avenue and South Street and 75th Street and Concord Avenue, which will alternate every 20 to 40 minutes in frequency, compared to the current oncean-hour schedule.

The suburban express buses will receive a boost as well, with added trips on Route 250, which connects downtown Minneapolis to Blaine, and Route 270, which connects downtown Minneapolis to Ma-

5 and the C and D Lines will detour off of Osseo Road and onto Highway 100 and Lake Drive through the city of Robbinsdale, as Hennepin County replaces the bridge deck over the Canadian-Pacific railroad tracks.

Several downtown St. Paul routes, including the 3, 62, 67 and 75, will run on Robert Street because the city of St. Paul is rebuilding Minnesota Street. Metro Transit conducted a survey in 2021, to determine whether or not all downtown St. Paul north-south routes should stay on Robert Street. The agency was unable to comment on its decision by press time.

South of the Minnesota River, Minnesota Valley Transit

In addition, MVTA also plans to realign Route 497 away from the downtown Shakopee commercial corridor, which includes a number of bars, boutiques, a Mexican ice cream shop, a senior living community and the Minnesota River waterfront. The agency is making the change to eliminate delays associated with their buses waiting at train crossings along the railroad tracks on the downtown southern border. Buses will now operate as far north as 4th Avenue and at the same time will also begin serving the Shakopee Police Department.

MVTA will also redirect an existing Route 495 trip departing Marschall Road Transit Station at 10:25 p.m., which will instead start at Mystic Lake Casino at the same time.

H. Jiahong Pan welcomes reader comments at hpan@spokesman-recorder.com.

June 17th proclaimed Norma Jean Williams Day

tion owner, Pete Rhodes, who was the master of ceremonies, sharing how he got his start as Norma Williams’ assistant, when she was hosting radio shows on KMOJ

and KFAI, interviewing African American celebrities. The published obituary was read by Michael Diehl, and then Senator Bobby Joe Champion read the proclamations

from Governor Tim Walz and the Minnesota State Senate declaring June 17th Norma Jean Williams Day The Williams and Jackman families want to thank every-

one for the many cards, flowers, and all the support that has been offered at this time. Your love for Norma Williams has been felt and is greatly appreciated.

“I do like more service being added.”

Minnesota State Representative Bobby Joe Champion

Photo by Pete Rhodes

Photo by H. Jiahong Pan

Caregiver’s career reflects progress for people with disabilities

By Sheletta Brundidge

Contributing Writer

In her 42-year career working as a caregiver at Hammer/ Northeast Residences, Barb Matter has been a firsthand witness to change that dramatically improved lives for thousands of Minnesota citizens with developmental disabilities.

In 1981, fresh out of college armed with a social work degree, Matter began her career at Hammer as a direct support professional.

“I fell in love with the work and never left,” said Matter, now 64 and nearing retirement.

“Working hands-on with people we support and their families has brought me so much joy.”

At the time Matter became part of the direct support workforce, many people with disabilities still lived in institutionalized settings.

zata. Matter was a resident counselor on Mickey’s floor and the two formed a bond; Matter stayed close to Mickey and his family in the following four decades.

“Mickey’s long relationship with Barb is priceless. She brings out a playfulness in him that he doesn’t show other people,” said Mickey’s sister Julie Wesley-Wong.

Now aged 55, Mickey was part of the first wave of people with disabilities who left institutional settings for the community. For many years he has lived in a Hammer group home with three other men.

His sister calls Mickey “a delightful man” and is proud of the opportunities he’s enjoyed. He has socialized, found peers, and participated in activities like scouting, weightlifting, and being on a bowling team.

“In the late ‘80s we got the

their community; we mow and shovel and are good neighbors.”

Matter said the goal of supporting people like Mickey is to “push their limitations” and be by their side through the course of a lifetime. “We teach skills like cooking and laundry, support them with work and their jobs so they are contributing,” she said.

In her long career, Matter was promoted from in-home caregiver to manager and is now a director. She has trained and mentored many people on the direct support staff, like Sedinu Nagbe, who now works at the group home where Mickey lives.

Nagbe and her family came to the U.S. from Liberia when she was 12 years old and began her career at Hammer when she was 21.

“I was just looking for a job, but I’ve become committed and have now done this work for 17 years,” Nagbe said.

“Barb has been my boss and my colleague. She’s supportive and helped me learn. Barb has qualities I admire, the way she gets to know the individuals and the history of the people we support.”

have Alzheimer’s disease.

Mickey’s family and the staff are prepared for whatever his advancing years may bring.

One of the first people that Matter supported was a teenager named Mickey. He lived in a boy’s dorm when Hammer was on one campus in Way-

funding and licensing to move into our group homes,” Matter said. “I was determined to make sure it was their home. The people we support are part of

Just like the rest of the population, many adults supported through Hammer/Northeast Residences have greater needs as they enter their senior years.

According to the National Down syndrome Society, about a third of people with Down Syndrome who are in their 50s

“We’re thinking about what’s next for him, so he can age in place,” said his sister Julie.

“He’s 18 months younger than me and he’s always been my little buddy, but now we have to think about how he can age with dignity.”

In the closing years of her career, managing end-of-life care has been part of how

Barb Matter has supported the people with disabilities that she works with. “Back when people were institutionalized, they didn’t live as long,” Matter said. “Now we’re with them into old age. At Hammer we’ve now supported 24 individuals through the end of life with hospice care.”

As Matter retires, she knows she will miss her work, her colleagues, and the people she’s supported “who are in my heart.” But she is proud to

have been an eyewitness to the sometimes overdue but profound changes that have led to fuller lives for people with disabilities.

“We have work to do, especially to bring up the pay for our direct care work staff who give so much,” she said. “But in a little over one generation, yes, we have seen real progress.”

Sheletta Brundidge welcomes reader comments to sbrundidge@ spokesman-recorder.com.

“Back when people were institutionalized, they didn’t live as long. Now we’re with them into old age.”

(l-r) Barb Matter and Sedinu Nagbe Submitted photo

Nadine’s

Plus Size Boutique Black Business SPOTLIGHT

By Chris Juhn Contributing Writer

When Nadine Walker started her online business in 2012, she never imagined that she would eventually be able to open a plus-size boutique in Brooklyn Park that caters to women of all shapes and sizes.

“I started doing pop-ups in 2021,” said the 34-year-old entrepreneur. “I opened up at this location in March.”

In the few short months that Nadine’s Plus Size Boutique has been open, business has been pretty good. And although she still maintains her online business, she’s confident she made the right decision in opening a storefront clothing store in a strip mall, even as many small retailers are struggling.

MSR: What made you decide to open up a store here?

NW: I felt like there was a need in our community for plus-size clothing that’s more urban, more fashionable. I’m 34, and I wanted more ageappropriate clothing for me and my peers. And then on top of that, I’m very spiritual. The numbers 1-4-4-4 came to me as an angel number. So, when I saw the [building] address, I was like, yes, this is it.

MSR: How’s the response been from the community?

NW: The response has actu-

Fashion for all shapes and sizes

ally been really good. All the businesses in the strip mall are family owned. They have been very welcoming to me. I’ve done collaborations with Down the Street Nutrition, where the owner had a ladies’ night. She would help them get pampered and then they came here to the boutique. They’d purchase pieces from me, and I gave them some style tips. So, they’ve been really welcoming.

MSR: What inspired you to start your business?

NW: What inspired me was my grandmother. I’m named after my grandmother. She was very stylish. She stepped wherever she went, even to the grocery store. She instilled in us to always look our best, no matter our size, especially if we’re plus. As women, we really have to make sure we look our best because there’s a stigma [with plus-size women]. She was our style icon. So that’s what inspired me. On top of that, I don’t like not being able to see or wear fashionable, plus-size clothing for women my age, and for women of color.

MSR: Where do you get your clothing from and what are your bestselling items?

NW: I get my clothing from different manufacturers. A lot of them are based in LA, so sometimes I’ll fly out there if

we need to buy in bulk. If not, we shop online from different manufacturers. Our jumpsuits and bodysuits are our bestselling merchandise.

MSR: What has been your biggest challenge in owning your own business?

NW: To be completely honest, it’s purchasing a sign. Signs range anywhere from

$8,000 to $12,000. I’ve been applying for different grants and stuff like that, to help get established. I’d say being a standalone [business] has also been a challenge. It’s not like when you’re in a mall where you know everybody going into the mall will walk by your storefront.

an idea to create a hotel and spa in Stillwater. It will be a staycation that’s far enough to get away, but still close enough to where you can go home and see your children and loved ones. I want it to be somewhere where women of color are able to go and feel safe and feel good. Because

MSR: What’s been the most rewarding part of your business?

NW: To be honest, seeing plus-size women come into the boutique. They come out of the dressing room and the look on their faces and the smiles, compared to how they were when they first came in and were skeptical. But once they try things on, they’re like, ‘this is for me.’

MSR: What advice would you give to an aspiring entrepreneur?

NW: Get a mentor who has been through everything—the ups, the downs, the highs and the lows. They can actually walk with you and give you the steps that you need to be successful.

Nadine’s Plus Size Boutique is located at 1444 85th Ave. N., Brooklyn Park, MN. For information, call 612-293-0371, or go to www.nadinesboutique.store. Nadine’s is hosting a sip-and-shop from noon to 6 p.m., on July 15, which will include other vendors of color selling their products.

MSR: What does success look like for you?

NW: My vision is for my business to expand. I actually have

right now, it’s hard for women of color to feel safe and to be relaxed.

Chris Juhn welcomes reader comments at cjuhn@spokesmanrecorder.com.

I felt like there was a need in our community for plus-size clothing that’s more urban, more fashionable.

Boutique owner Nadine Walker

Photos by Chris Juhn

DOJ

Continued from page 1

misconduct. Activists cite the killings of Jamar Clark and Terrence Franklin as examples of MPD officers brutalizing Minneapolis Black and Native residents with impunity beyond the DOJ’s investigation window, which examined a period dating back to 2016.

At a City Hall press conference after the DOJ’s announcement, Toussiant Morrison recounted how he was handcuffed on top of a squad car in the fifth grade as he walked down the street after school.

“Walking down the street after school, I got pulled over by cops and bent over on the hood of [their squad car]. I had the same thought: Wow, everything has to change,” said Morrison. “How is it that we have [Mayor Jacob Frey] who needs to see a public lynching of George Floyd to think everything has to change?”

In 2017, activists founded MPD150, which prepared a report recommending abolition of the Minneapolis Police Department, citing findings similar to what both the Department of Justice and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights found—that MPD officers criminalize community members, escalate their interactions, and retaliate against those who try to hold them accountable.

Additionally, a report published this month by Global Rights For Women found that MPD routinely failed to adequately handle domestic violence calls. They’ve only taken reports or made arrests in 20 percent of those calls.

U of M

Continued from page 1

to the classroom. As enrollment dropped in recent years, the university has looked to make cuts to control expenses, forcing the AAUP and other campus groups to rally together.

“What we wanted to do in our AAUP chapter was to ensure that what would result from that would be equitable. The university administration, via a committee, had proposed an equitable pay cut to manage these expenses, starting at all employees earning $40,000 or more.

We felt that $40,000 is a low salary to start making cuts given the poverty rate, and living wage in the Twin Cities,” Gopinath said.

Soon after the university shared their proposed budget for the 2023-2024 academic school year, John Coleman, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, penned a letter to the editor of the “Min-

POLLUTION

Continued from page 1

their game indoors and was closed to the public. In spite of the human health effects, hospitals did not experience an uptick in cases or symptoms linked to bad air-quality.

The MPCA believes we can expect more such days, although not necessarily consecutive days, moving forward where air quality will degrade to conditions similar to last Wednesday’s. “It’s very possible we could have more events like this,” says MPCA meteorologist David Brown.

“It’s hard to say exactly how heavy the smoke will be. But these fires [in Canada] are continuing to grow and drought is continuing to worsen across the Midwest,” adding Canada’s wildfire season hasn’t

“If you think Derek Chauvin was bad, look at the record for many of the officers who are part of the Minneapolis Police Department. It wasn’t just about one officer. It’s about a system and it’s about a culture that has refused to change,” said civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong.

have people meet with organizations and firms shortlisted to be the independent evaluator that will monitor compliance with the agreement. Communities United Against Police Brutality CUAPB) is opposed to the proposed monitors, reportedly made up of law firms that have worked with the city before.

Changes to Minneapolis police are expected to take years, said Mayor Frey. “Not a day goes by that I don’t wish that we did have that sort of magic wand where we could wave it and then suddenly everything changes,” said Frey. “There’s either a legal reason that we can’t, or there’s an extended process that we have to go through in order to make the change that is being advocated for.”

Chief Brian O’Hara said the officers who were involved in the incidents called out in the report have either been terminated or have otherwise separated from the department.

Frey doesn’t want dueling consent decrees and wants one evaluator to oversee implementation of federal and state consent decrees, with the goal of ensuring people feel safe going to the police if and when they need help. “We don’t want two distinct agreements, with two distinct monitors, with two different determinations of whether compliance has been met or not. That’s not a way to get to clear, objective success,” said Frey during the DOJ’s press conference.

With regard to the collection of racial data, Chief O’Hara says it is as simple as removing the option for officers to select “unknown” when they report the race of someone who they intercept, as the intent of the report is for the officers to make that decision.

Local organizations and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison welcome the findings made by the Department of Justice and look forward to fixing them. “I’ve always feared that after the convictions of Derek Chauvin and others for the murder of George Floyd, too many people would dismiss that tragedy as an aberration,” said Attorney General Ellison in a statement.

across Minneapolis.

“This is an all-hands-on-deck moment where the community, state and federal government are on board with focus to address what is ailing policing in Minneapolis.”

“If you think Derek Chauvin was bad, look at the record for many of the officers who are part of the Minneapolis Police Department. It wasn’t just about one officer. It’s about a system and it’s about a culture that has refused to change.”

Meanwhile, a statement from the legal team that represented Tekle Sundberg, Amir Locke and George Floyd are concerned that the City is taking action contrary to what is recommended by the Department of Justice and the Department of Human Rights, and calls for the federal government to take action.

The DOJ’s findings come on the heels of an investigation led by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) that also found the MPD engaged in patterns of practice of discriminatory policing. Both the city of Minneapolis and the MDHR have submitted a court-enforceable agreement to a judge for consideration.

Hennepin County Judge Karen Janisch is currently accepting comments on the agreement until June 23, and plans to hold a hearing on July 13.

The MDHR also plans to

nesota Daily,” the school paper, to clear things up. According to Coleman, there was a budget coding error that reduced the teaching assistant and unassigned instructor budget by nearly a million dollars.

Despite this discrepancy, Coleman stated that cuts were necessary due to the decreased university enrollment. He pointed to low enrollment numbers at community colleges that have led to this reality.

The reduction of teaching assistant and unassigned instructor (TA/UI) spending by U of MN comes to $2 million dollars, which Coleman stated, is less than 6 percent of the budget reduction. He also shared that about $1 million in TA/UI spending goes unspent each year.

In a request for comment, the university responded by reiterating Dean Coleman’s points in an email: “CLA (College of Liberal Arts) undergraduate enrollment is down 1,300 students since the 2019-20 academic year, almost entirely

even started. The early wildfires, coupled with drought, are linked to climate change, which is caused primarily by our burning of fossil fuels.

The MPCA does not have the authority to cancel any outdoor gatherings if air quality degrades again. “Our role is more to just provide them with input of how bad the smoke forecasts are,” says MPCA supervisory meteorologist Matt Carlson. And although many government agencies heed the MPCA’s advice, not every agency has a contingency plan on what to do.

The state does not have the resources to provide assistance such as free N95 masks to people who need them should we have another day with acrid air.

Both the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board as well as St. Paul Parks and Recreation plan to follow guidance from the MPCA

“We have people who are not qualified to apply for this thing,” said CUAPB founder Michelle Gross. “We want to see a real monitor. The thing about monitoring in any of these consent decrees is that they [monitors] are the secret sauce that makes these consent decrees work.

“If you want to bring in some person from out of town that has minimal experience and let them just check the boxes, we will get the result that the city desires. But the community will not tolerate that.”

the result of a decline in transfer students. To reflect this situation in the proposed FY24 budget, CLA planned a collegewide $2 million reduction in the Teaching Assistants/Unassigned Instruction (TA/UI) line item. That reduction equals roughly 1.4 percent of CLA’s

As the DOJ begins to engage the community on what a consent decree should entail in the coming months, residents remain concerned about potential retaliatory behavior that Minneapolis police officers may exhibit given the findings in the reports.

They worry that MPD will exhibit similar behavior to what happened after Floyd’s murder, where they stopped collecting racial data of those who they detained. Both Frey and O’Hara insist officers need more direction in what behavior is expected of them.

“Now, two separate, independent investigations by state and federal authorities have found very serious and systemic problems that we have to fix.”

The Minnesota Justice Research Center, the organization that conducted engagement around informing the Department of Human Rights’ court-enforceable agreement, released a statement from its executive director Justin Terrell. “The Minnesota Justice Research Center welcomes this news and calls upon leaders within both the City and MPD to take this historic opportunity to re-imagine policing in—and with—communities

“Our legal team remains skeptical about Minneapolis’ commitment to change and accountability. We are deeply concerned that while City leaders appear to be cooperating with the DOJ directives to create change, the City is doing the opposite, and vigorously defending the conduct of the officers who shot and killed Amir Locke,” said the team.

“The efforts by the City to try and dismiss this case should be a red flag for the community that City officials publicly stood next to and supported the Locke family in the aftermath of his killing, but the City now seeks to avoid ALL accountability for Amir’s death.”

H. Jiahong Pan welcomes reader comments at hpan@ spokesman-recorder.com.

total budget for academic departments,” they stated.

The university also noted that ethnic and gender studies will be funded at their current TA/ UI levels for the upcoming fiscal year. They emphasized that nothing has been finalized and anticipate an approved budget by late June.

Moore finds the timing of these cuts to be interesting as

in determining whether or not to cancel their outdoor events or relocate them indoors, if possible.

Clubhouses owned by the Minneapolis Park Board that have air conditioning units are equipped with filters. Ramsey County invites people to go to one of their designated cooling shelters should they need respite from dirty air, which can be found at their website.

Should the Canadian wildfires affect the Twin Cities again, those seeking protection from dense air pollution should stay indoors. If you must travel outdoors, wear an N95 mask. For ozone air pollution, the MPCA advises driving less, not filling vehicles up with gasoline in the mornings, or carpooling.

H. Jiahong Pan welcomes reader comments at hpan@spokesman-recorder.com.

they came well after students petitioned for a change. “If it was a clerical error, all right. But these cuts still need to not happen, period. I think it is also very telling that it took students calling in and signing a petition, which I think we’re at 1200 or more signatures on our petition at this point,” she said. “Even if it’s not 50 percent out of the American Indian Studies Department, like any percentage of cuts is just wrong.”

Gopinath responded to the university’s logic that these cuts have come due to low enrollment in the CLA program by saying that he believes that students can still gain a lot from a liberal arts education.

“They’re saying that fewer

students are going into degree programs in the liberal arts and humanities because they don’t see them as degrees where they can have a future career,” he said. “That’s one of the things that I think is incumbent upon us, within the liberal arts and humanities, to advocate for how these degree programs are actually meaningful—both in terms of like, how there could be a more robust jobs pipeline that extends from our college into various professions.”

Gopinath stated that he believes this issue goes beyond modern-day politics given the fact that these programs have chronically been underfunded. He pointed to how student activists in the past had to fight for these programs to exist and believes that the same struggle must continue today.

The proposed cuts have led some to compare the university’s sense of direction and priorities to the political actions of conservative governors and legisla-

tures working to ban culturally relevant curriculums across the country. Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, has recently pushed for these changes including a move to ban African American AP courses in school.

Jasper Nordin, a leader of the local SDS chapter, made this connection at the April rally.

“They are attacking diversity and ethnic studies programs all over the country. Universities are enacting budget cuts just like these,” he said. “In 1962, a group of 70 Black students took over Royal Hall and occupied the building for a moral cause.

“Out of that action came one of the first African American studies program in the entire country, which was established right here at the University of Minnesota. Now, 60 years later, the university is trying to undo the victory won by that struggle.”

Abdi Mohamed welcomes reader comments at amohamed@ spokesman-recorder.com.

“They are attacking diversity and ethnic studies programs all over the country. Universities are enacting budget cuts just like these.”

Nekima Levy Armstrong at the press conference following the DOJ’s findings

Photo by Chris Juhn

Arts & Culture

Carbon Sound aims to bolster appreciation of Black music

with a positive message.”

By Charles Hallman

Contributing

Writer

Carbon Sound, a Black music stream, website and app from Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) and The Current, in partnership with KMOJ, is expanding the narrow definition of how many see Black music. It was launched on June 16, 2022, and joined MPR’s other musical streams, including Purple Current and Rock the Cradle.

According to its website, Carbon Sound “is dedicated to celebrating…Black musical expression through genres including hip-hop, R&B, Afrobeats, funk, electronica and more.” It celebrated its first anniversary on June 19, at the Fine Line in Minneapolis.

Content director Julian Green, midday host Sanni Brown, and community engagement specialist Andre Griffin are the guiding force behind Carbon Sound. Last week, Green and Brown spoke to the MSR in separate interviews.

“It’s just been a journey,” said Green. “It’s weird to think that we’ve been able to do so much in a year. It feels like just yesterday when everything started. I think all of us—myself, Sanni and Andre—are very proud of what we’ve put together.”

Brown added, “I call myself the host with the most. I want to take up three hours of your time. I want you to learn about music, and I want you to learn about positive stuff. The goal of my show is to brighten people’s day and make it a little bit better. I want them to walk away with music, to walk away

Brown, a Chicago native and 2008 Concordia University-St. Paul graduate, was already working at The Current

versity in the late 2000s; she was accepted and attended the University of St. Louis for journalism and broadcasting.

Along with being Carbon

when Green hired her to join Carbon Sound. “I asked my supervisor at the time what it was about, and when the opportunity to apply came out I went through the interview process, and I got it,” she noted.

Before coming to MPR in 2018, Brown previously worked at KMOJ and myTalk 107.1 FM. After graduating from Concordia with a psychology degree, Brown applied for a “Do you want to be a DJ?” scholarship from Globe Uni-

Sound’s original host, Brown still hosts “The Message,” a hip-hop and R&B show, every Wednesday on The Current. Green, who grew up in Milwaukee, studied journalism at the University of Minnesota and graduated in 2021. He first gained his broadcasting experience working at the

school’s student-run radio station Radio K in various roles, including program director. In his senior year, he founded The Vanguard, a 24hour hip-hop stream that still exists.

He joined MPR in late 2021, first as an intern. “My superiors let me know about a new grant they were applying for from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to fund an alternative stream,” recalled Green. “Things lined up so

that luckily I was able to be accepted for this position to lead the project called The Urban Alternative Project.

“It was really from the

and a six-pack of beer on Fridays, sit next to the radio, turn it up. We would eat ribs and fries,” recalled Brown. “She was jamming by herself. I remember, I would hear songs and go in there and dance. I truly believe that’s the power of music.”

Said Green, “I think music was pretty much all around me for a lot of my life.” He remembers getting the Rock Band video game for Christmas, when he was about nine or 10.

“The concept of the game is to play along with all those [music] alternatives. I would just obsess over that game when I was a kid. All those different kinds of music turned me into a listener of everything.”

Brown and Green are both determined and dedicated to pushing Black music locally, beyond its typical boundaries.

“There’s just so much talent here in the Twin Cities that we really feel honored to be able to highlight and to bring them potentially to a national audience,” said Green.

ground up

and luckily being able to use my experience at Radio K… working with people inside of MPR and others to build what was necessary for Carbon Sound to become what it is,” continued Green.

Both he and Brown proudly boast of their musical love that was first nurtured as youngsters growing up in their family homes.

“My mother would come home with barbecue and fries

“I really like what we’re doing,” said Brown. “There is a magic here. And I know that the Black artists…have not had a platform. We have a platform like Carbon Sound…to really elevate them.”

Listeners can tune in to Carbon Sound at carbonsound. fm or via the Carbon Sound app, which can be found at the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

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

Summer Watchlist: June 23-28

The Perfect Find - Netflix movie

By Nadine Matthews

Contributing Writer

Below are highlights of upcoming series and movies scheduled to premiere or return to our screens in June that feature notable Black talent. We’ll continue to roll out our screen picks each week.

June 23

The Flash - theatrical release

Barry Allen uses his super speed to change the past, but his attempt to save his family creates a world without superheroes, forcing him to race for his life in order to save the future. Kiersey Clemons (“Dope,” “Dear White People”) is featured as iconic character Iris West, journalist and love interest of the superhero.

Asteroid City - theatrical release

In this comedy the itinerary of a Junior Stargazer convention is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events. Featuring Jeffrey Wright (“Basquiat,” “Westworld”).

God Is a Bullet - theatrical release

When vice detective Bob Hightower finds his ex-wife murdered and daughter kidnapped by a satanic cult he is frustrated by bumbling botched official investigations. Bob quits the police force, gets tattoos, and infiltrates the cult to hunt down the charismatic cult leader. Featuring Jamie Foxx (“Ray,” “Collateral”).

After a high-profile firing, Jenna’s fashion career comeback hits a snag when she falls for a charming, much younger coworker—who happens to be her boss’s son. As sparks fly, Jenna must decide if she’ll risk it all on a secret romance. Featuring Gabrielle Union (“Being Mary Jane”), D.B. Woodside (“The Night Agent”), Janet Hubert (“Fresh Prince of Bel Air”), and La La Anthony (“Power”).

I’m A Virgo - Amazon Prime Series Follows a 13-foot-tall Black man who lives in Oakland, CA. Directed by Boots Riley (“Sorry To Bother You”). Featuring Jharrell Jerome (“Moonlight,” “When They See Us”), and Mike Epps (“Friday After Next”).

June 24

Keyshia Cole: This Is My Story

- Lifetime Movie Network

Biopic of R&B star Keyshia Cole, who was adopted at a young age and overcomes a difficult childhood to pursue her dream of becoming a singer. As her star begins to rise, Cole reunites with her two sisters while struggling to keep her biological mother in rehab. Features Keyshia Cole, Debbi Morgan (“Eve’s Bayou”).

June 26

Average Joe - BET+ Series Follows Joe Washington, who discovers his recently deceased father had stolen millions of dollars from dangerous people, and now those people think Joe knows where it is, so he must find the truth and

the millions. Featuring Stanley Autry (“Black Panther”) and Ashanti Roberts (“P-Valley”).

June 28

Hijack - Apple TV Series

A hijacked plane makes its way to London over a 7-hour flight, while authorities on the ground scramble for answers. Featuring Idris Elba (“Thor: Ragnarok”) and Jyuddah James (“Sanditon,” “Criminal: UK”).

Grown-ish - Freeform Series S6

A spinoff of ABC’s “Blackish,” Zoey Johnson is off to college and must live outside the nest, dealing with drugs, sex, and relationships along the way. Featuring Yara Shahidi (“Black-ish”) and Trevor Jackson (“Superfly”).

And Just Like That - HBO Max Series S2 Continues following the romantic exploits of a group of close friends in New York City. Featuring Nicole Ari Parker (“Soul Food”) and Karen Pittman (“The Morning Show”).

Black Mirror - Netflix Series S6 Anthology series exploring a twisted, high-tech multiverse where humanity’s greatest innovations and darkest instincts collide. Featuring Zazie Beetz (“Atlanta”), Paapa Essiedu (“I May Destroy You”) and Myha’la Herrold (“Industry”).

Nadine Matthews welcomes reader comments to nmatthews@spokesman-recorder.com.

(l-r): Julian Green, Sanni Brown, Andre Griffin

Photo courtesy of MPR

Time to act on crime, violence and police reform in America

By Andrew M. Cuomo and Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.

America 2023: tumultu-

ous times, yes. Yet, amidst the greatest domestic challenges of American history, our nation has attempted to respond through transformative public policy initiatives that have moved America toward a more perfect inclusive union.

Today there are new challenges to be sure, but there are also ongoing battles that have yet to be won. There are civil rights struggles and conditions that harken back to the 1960s that still abuse people of color every day, that still deny justice, equality and opportunity for all. There’s an old saying: The first step to solving a problem is admitting it — and the first step can be painful.

There is still gross inequity in our education system, between rich school districts and poor districts. There is still inequality in access to healthcare, employment, and financial credit. And there is a basic violation of civil and human rights in our criminal justice system.

The truth is, crime is out of control in this country, especially in too many of our cities. While many choose to turn a blind eye, it is people of color who are the majority of crime victims: People of color account for 73 percent of rape victims; 72 percent of robbery victims; and 80 percent of felony assault victims. Indeed,

68.7 percent of the people in prison are Black and Brown and 44 percent of the people killed by police in the U.S. are Black and Brown. The obvious answer is that we do need police reform as well as reform of the entire justice system.

By Marian Wright Edelman

Our nation celebrated its third commemoration of Juneteenth as a federal holiday, marking the jubilant day in June 1865 when many enslaved people in Texas finally learned they were free from federal troops arriving in Galveston after the end of the Civil War. The news came more than two and a half years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, freeing all slaves in the Confederate states.

Family friends took them in as they were forced to spend the next several years rebuilding their lives.

Both memories are key pieces of the full story of American history.

after that, many Americans did not know what Juneteenth symbolized.

• One: we need to change the culture and premise of policing. Today, it’s estimated that less than 10 percent of police officers’ time is actually fighting violent crime. We need to rethink how we police 911 calls in an emergency. We need more specialized and better trained emergency responders for different needs: domestic violence, substance abuse, mental health, homelessness, gang problems as well as the response to violent crimes in progress.

• Second: We need danger-

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ous guns off the streets and away from dangerous and mentally ill people. We need to reduce, not increase, concealed weapons in our cities. We need to keep guns out of the hands of anyone under 21, and fill gaps in the background check system so that it’s universal and nationwide. And we need to bring back the assault weapons ban because weapons of war have no place on our streets or in our communities.

• Third: We need to reduce recidivism. The vast majority of violent crimes are repeated by a small number of people who keep hurting others over and over.

• Fourth: We need to have more effective alternatives to incarceration, safer jails, but dangerous and repetitive violent people must be taken off the streets to protect all Americans, in particular, the most vulnerable who are disproportionately victimized in Black and Brown communities.

• Fifth: We have to stop over-criminalizing petty, nonviolent acts. Eighty percent of crimes are misdemeanors, and many are petty nonviolent acts. Some of the most horrific examples of police abuse occurred when a minor arrest escalated: Eric Garner was killed for selling loose cigarettes; Rodney King was beaten within an inch of his life for speeding; George Floyd was killed for allegedly passing a counterfeit $20 bill; Alton Sterling killed for selling CDs; Philando Castile killed for a broken taillight; and Michael Brown killed for jaywalking.

We believe that the time to act is now. These specific categories of civil rights have been violated for too long and the time to make a difference is surely too short. As a nation we cannot afford to remain silent about extremists’ hatred, violence, crime, and the fearfilled deterioration of American cities and towns.

This is for us a sense of urgency and civic responsibility. We have decided to work and act together, and to speak out publicly with recommended commonsense solutions to crime, violence, guns, and police reform that we know the majority of Americans support.

Andrew M. Cuomo, is a lawyer and the former governor of New York State. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), and former executive director and CEO of the NAACP.

While Juneteenth is still a very new federal holiday, many Black families have celebrated this day for generations, a tradition that began almost immediately in Texas following the first “Jubilee Day.” We honor this date because, in my beloved friend and role model Fannie Lou Hamer’s eternal words, nobody’s free until everybody’s free.

Mrs. Opal Lee, the 96-yearold “Grandmother of Juneteenth” who is one of the activists who worked tirelessly to push for Juneteenth’s recognition as a national holiday, remembers her own early childhood in Marshall, Texas, where Juneteenth was celebrated at the local fairgrounds with games, music, and food, and always felt like a second Christmas.

But she also remembers Juneteenth in 1939, soon after her family had moved into a new White neighborhood in Fort Worth, Texas. That night a White mob set fire to their new home, destroying the furniture and possessions her parents had just so proudly unpacked.

“We don’t want people to think that Juneteenth is a stopping point, because it isn’t.

It’s a beginning.”

Mrs. Lee, who eventually earned a master’s degree in education and spent more than 20 years as an educator and counselor in Fort Worth public schools, remains committed to making sure students learn the full truth about our nation’s history of injustice and violence so “we can heal from it and not let it happen again.” As she says, “I’m adamant about schools actually having the truth told.”

Her own children’s book Juneteenth: A Children’s Story is just the kind of history and truth that some schools and libraries in her home state and elsewhere are desperately trying to ban and hide right now. Some current members of Congress voted against making Juneteenth a federal holiday. But truth hidden will always be brought to light.

For more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation slavery continued as usual in Texas, but on June 19, 1865, U.S. Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 finally informing all people in Texas that all enslaved people were free. For decades

Now it is a federally recognized annual holiday that teaches all Americans about that inescapable moment in our history and officially reminds us of the ongoing struggle to make the promise of liberty and justice for all real.

As Mrs. Lee also says, “We don’t want people to think that Juneteenth is a stopping point, because it isn’t. It’s a beginning.”

On June 13 Mrs. Lee was one of the honored guests at the White House’s Juneteenth Concert, and as Vice President Kamala Harris opened the event, she invited her to come to the stage. Mrs. Lee greeted all the “young people”—telling the whole audience they were included if they were not yet 96—and said: “Please, could I just say this to you, young folk: “Make yourself a committee of one to change somebody’s mind. If people can be taught to hate, they can be taught to love. And it’s up to you to do it. We are the most powerful country…and we must get together and get rid of the disparities, the joblessness and homelessness, and health care that some people couldn’t get and others can, and climate change that we are responsible for. If we don’t do something about it, we’re all going to hell in a handbasket.”

We honor this spirit on Juneteenth as we remember again that ”nobody’s free until everybody’s free.’

Marian Wright Edelman is founder and president emerita of the Children’s Defense Fund.

Ignoring the fiction of a nuclear silver bullet

By Ben Jealous

A growing chorus in Washington equates weaning our country off energy from killer fossil fuels to relying more heavily on new nuclear power plants. The same debates are happening in state capitals from Richmond to Raleigh, Springfield to Sacramento. This chorus distracts from the real work ahead of ensuring clean, renewable, affordable energy for every community.

The risk of nuclear energy is an easy dividing line. To opponents, names like Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima are all the evidence we need that a catastrophic event is unavoidable and unacceptable. For supporters, those events are a sign that disasters are few. Both are rightthey happen infrequently, and when they do occur, they are cataclysmic.

The more compelling reasons we should drop the silver bullet thinking about nuclear power are its cost and its reliability.

Since the mid-20th century when nuclear power entered the public imagination, the belief has been that energy is “free”—start the chain reaction and make electricity. It’s not, and it never has been (uranium must be mined and reactor fuel is consumable). We’ve reached a point where renew

able sources like wind and so

lar power are cheaper, in part because they are quicker to come online.

Lazard, a global investment bank and financial consultancy that reports annually on the

“levelized cost of energy” from various sources, found that nuclear power is two to six times more costly per megawatt hour than wind and solar (which now cost the same per megawatt hour). The capital cost of large scale solar and wind is at least eight times lower.

The time to get new wind and solar into the electricity grid is at least half the time for a new nuclear plant. History shows that anyone who estimates the completion date for a new nuclear plant is wrong.

Unlike most industries that rely heavily on science and technology, the cost of building nuclear plants is rising over time. In Silicon Valley, they call it a reverse learning curve.

edly in recent years. Additionally, a reactor goes offline for routine maintenance at least every two years, which means a plant must have more total capacity to cover that maintenance routine.

By comparison, wind and solar farms have much fewer operational problems. And battery backups have gotten faster than the gas power generation that nuclear plants often turn to meet peak demand.

It’s time to confront nuclear’s challenges—uranium mining, accident risk, cost, and climate vulnerability—and double down on the solutions we know will be central to our shift away from fossil fuels.

We can’t afford the distraction of a fiction around nuclear power when burning fossil fuels threatens the health of millions around the world annually. Our focus must be on bringing the clean air, cost saving, and economic benefits of clean energy to communities across the country as quickly as we can. From home energy retrofits and rooftop solar to wind energy and battery storage, we have more and better ways than ever before to transform our energy systems from fossil fuels to energy that’s actually clean, reliable and renewable.

Supporters of nuclear power like to argue that nuclear plants are required for reliability, and that they can operate all the time.

This ignores nuclear’s vulnerability to climate change.

Severe weather, extreme temperatures, and both floods and droughts have forced nuclear plants to shut down unexpect-

Ben Jealous is executive director of the Sierra Club, the nation’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization. He is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania and author of “Never Forget Our People Were Always Free,” published in January.

Nobody’s free until everybody’s free

To opponents, names like Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima are all the evidence we need that a catastrophic event is unavoidable and unacceptable.

As a nation we cannot afford to remain silent about extremists’ hatred, violence, crime, and the fear-filled deterioration of American cities and towns.

Summer Guide

Jonathan McReynolds

June 22 – 7:00 p.m.

The Fillmore – 525 Fifth Street North, Minneapolis

Grammy, Dove and Stellar award-winner Jonathan McReynolds continues his “My Truth Tour.”

On the heels of his fifth-consecutive Billboard Gospel National Airplay #1 single, “Your World,” McReynolds now lifts a brand-new track, “Able” featuring Marvin Winans. For more info, visit bit.ly/JonathanMcReynolds.

15th Annual Community Empowerment through Black Men Healing Conference

June 22 – 23

Metropolitan State University, Founder’s Hall – 700 East Seventh Street, St. Paul

The 15th Annual Community Empowerment Through Black Men Healing Conference will explore practical trauma-informed, culture-sensitive, outcome-driven, current and future approaches that can lead to community empowerment and healing. The conference is open to men and women of all cultures working with the African American community or interested in the topic. For more info, visit www.brothershealing.com.

Juneteenth: Celebration of Freedom

June 23 – 8:00 p.m.

Minnesota Orchestra – 1111 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis

The Minnesota Orchestra presents a program in honor of Juneteenth. With conductor André Raphel at the podium, the concert includes Adolphus Hailstork’s jubilant “Three Spirituals” and William Grant Still’s “Afro-American” Symphony, one of the most celebrated American symphonies ever written. Singer Jevetta Steele, performance poet Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and Justice Alan C. Page all lend their voices to this evening of celebration and remembrance. For more info, visit bit.ly/JuneteenthMNOrchestra.

The 25th Annual Twin Cities Jazz Fest

June 23 – 24

Mears Park – 221 Fifth Street East, Lowertown, St. Paul

The Twin Cities Jazz Fest is a non-profit organization with the mission of bringing communities together to enjoy and appreciate the art form of jazz and inspire new generations of youth. This year’s lineup includes headliners Paquito D’Rivera and the Dizzy Gillespie Afro Latin Experience, Camille Thurman with the Darrell Green Quartet, Christian McBride, Lucia Sarmiento, and Nabaté Isles. Admission is free. For more info, visit www.twincitiesjazzfestival.com.

CHIP

Continued from page 12

Wayzata Art Experience

June 23 – 25

300 to 600 Lake Street East – Wayzata

The Wayzata Art Experience, held in the heart of downtown Wayzata, provides a two-day celebration of art, music, food and fun for all ages. Established in 2004, the Wayzata Art Experience is held on the shores of Lake Minnetonka. For more info, visit artexperience.wayzatachamber.com.

Soul Food Festival

Marks added that this year’s draft is top heavy with underclassmen or players who bypassed college to enter the NBA draft early. “It’s a big challenge as far as finding impact players now instead of a 19- or 20-year-old that’s probably going to be really good two years from now.”

“A lot of people look at this as a three-player draft,” Givony concluded.

Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments at challman@ spokesman-recorder.com.

SOE

Continued from page 12

school at Texas A&M (201819), for her master’s degree in sports management.

Whetstone coached the Texas A&M Women’s Club Basketball Team to a 31-4 record and a 2018 club championship, as well as a regional title in 2019. During that time, she also served as operations assistant for the Aggies women’s volleyball team. When she was asked to

June 24 – 4:00 p.m.

Farmers Market Annex – 200 East Lyndale Avenue, Minneapolis

The Soul Food Festival, returning to downtown Minneapolis for its third year, promises to be bigger and better. The fest is presented by The Black Market, an organization that seeks to positively impact 10,000 African American and women-led businesses over the next 10 years. For more info, visit bit.ly/TBMSoulFoodFestival.

Roots, Vol. I A Journey Through African American Music Towards Community Healing

June 24 – 25

The Capri Theater – 2027 West Broadway, Minneapolis

Greta Oglesby presents this journey through African American music—spirituals, jazz, blues, and gospel—with Sanford Moore and the Kingdom Life Ensemble. For more info, visit capri.simpletix.com.

Black to Nature: Trees & Community

June 25 – 1-3 p.m.

Carl Kroening Nature Center, North Mississippi Regional Park – 4900 Mississippi Ct., Minneapolis

Enjoy an afternoon of celebrating the strength and beauty of trees. Meet a tree person on stilts, learn about trees on a guided walk, and create a wood craft with Northside community artists. At 2 pm, attendees will honor those who have passed on with a tree planting ceremony. For more info, visit bit.ly/BlacktoNatureTreesCommunity

Black Girl Joy

June 25-26 – 2-5 p.m.

Midtown Global Market – 920 East Lake Street, Minneapolis

“Black Girl Joy” is described as a healing space to celebrate Black women. With all that’s happening in the Twin Cities, it’s important to recognize those who are often at the forefront of organizing, protesting, serving, and protecting the community. For more info, visit knownmpls. com/event-details/black-girl-joy

coach the volleyball team, she admitted, “I didn’t realize I’d be doing everything by myself. “I had a real solid group of 12 girls that listened to me, that understood what I was trying to do. And understood I was trying to win.

“That really shaped me. After that, I really knew I could coach” and run a program effectively, she said.

Wearing multiple hats along with coaching is par for the course at a junior college such as Madison College, a twoyear community college where

students can earn an associate degree, technical diploma, or certificate in one of more than 180 programs. Along with her coaching duties, Whetstone is also the school’s eligibility, compliance, and game-management coordinator.

“I have been doing administration work for a while,” she said.

Whetstone joins the growing number of Black women hired as head basketball coaches at all levels. “I can say there has been improvement. Sometimes I feel like there’s a lack of representation of people that look like me

in the majority of these [head coaching] positions.”

Whetstone looks forward to her first season leading the Madison College women’s basketball program, where she inherits a club that went 8-20 last season and has only six first-year players eligible to return this season.

“This is a great university,” said Whetstone. “I’m excited to be able to build and try something new.”

Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments at challman@ spokesman-recorder.com.

The MSR will publish a weekly guide to summer festivals, concerts, fireworks, and fun activities through Labor Day weekend and the fall equinox. The calendar will include events for foodies, stargazers, art and music lovers, and outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy over the summer. a media call. “You have the first tier, which is Victor. The second tier, which is Brandon Miller [Alabama] and Scoot Henderson [G League Ignite]. And then that third tier is pretty wide with the Thompson twins [Amen and Ausar] (Overtime Elite), [Cam] Whitmore (Villanova), Jarace Walker (Houston), Anthony Black (Arkansas), [Taylor] Hendricks (UCF), Gradey Dick (Kansas).”

Crutchfield Dermatology Foundation awards second annual Mel Reeves Memorial Scholarship

The Crutchfield Dermatology Foundation recently issued the second annual Mel Reeves Memorial Scholarship to Cor’ney Merriman at the High School for Recording Arts (HSRA).

Merriman, also known as Ney Ney, has overcome many obstacles on her path to graduation. She has faced many life challenges with strength, grace and resilience.

She is an entrepreneur who has mastered the art of

beat-making and instrumental compositions. She even set up her own business licensing beats to other artists.

Ney Ney was recently accepted into St. Paul College and will be studying to be a medical assistant. She also takes pride in telling others that she looks like one of her heroes, Ida B. Wells.

With the belief that education is a proven pathway to success in America, the Crutchfield Dermatology

Foundation, in association with the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder (MSR), partnered with the High School for Recording Arts for the $1,000 scholarship after longtime journalist-activist and MSR community editor Mel Reeves passed away in 2022.

The school works with atrisk youth both in and out of school and guides them on a pathway to high school graduation.

New grant will support programs and services in MPS and SPPS

By Faaya Adem MSR Intern

In an effort to reduce opportunity gaps in Minnesota, Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), Achieve Twin Cities and The Cargill Foundation announced the launch of a $3.925 million grant on Thursday, June 15.

This grant will be invested in MPS’ Girls in Engineering, Math and Science (GEMS) and Guys in Science and Engineering (GISE) programs. It will also further the development of MPS’ STEM for All curriculum and Achieve Twin Cities career and college readiness centers in 28 MPS and Saint Paul Public School high schools.

This grant is expected to provide support for MPS and Achieve Twin Cities programs through 2026.

MPS’ GEMS and GISE programs offer opportunities and access to STEM programming for students in grades K-8.

MPS’ STEM for All program is an initiative to increase access to STEM programming for students in grades K-8 by increasing the engagement of students and their families.

Achieve Twin Cities provides career and college readiness services in MPS and SPPS high schools. 18,000 students use these services each year, with 95 percent of them graduating with a postsecondary career pathway plan.

“We are honored to facilitate this collaboration and will use this generous support to ensure that each and every student has the guidance and resources they need to access high-demand, living-wage careers,” said Danielle Grant, Achieve Twin Cities president and CEO. “Our partnership is absolutely critical in addressing our community’s wide opportunity gaps and is integral not only to the lives and long-term financial independence of our students, but

Wayne Glanton: Tribute to a man who helped build Minneapolis’ Black community

also the health and vitality of our entire region.”

The Cargill Foundation is Achieve Twin Cities’ largest funder, receiving over $26.8 million in grants alongside MPS since 2000. Nearly 80 percent of the Cargill Foundation’s annual $14 million contribution supported low-income children and families of color in Minneapolis and Saint Paul in 2022.

“At Cargill, we strive to advance racial equity, and we believe in preparing and inspiring children for postsecondary education, careers and beyond,” Michelle Grogg, vice president for Global Corporate Responsibility at Cargill and executive director of The Cargill Foundation, said. “Through partnerships with organizations like Achieve Twin Cities, The Cargill Foundation is dedicated to connecting low-income youth of color in our Twin Cities headquarters community to a strong educational foundation.”

By Charles Hallman

Contributing Writer

Wayne Glanton, a successful Black businessman in Minneapolis, passed away May 27 at the age of 101.

One of the founders of Sabathani Community Center in South Minneapolis, Glanton was committed to his family, his faith, and his community. Born April 24, 1922, he attended and graduated from Minneapolis Central High School in 1941 and attended Dunwoody College to study construction. He was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Forces (now the U.S. Air Force) in 1943 during World War II, and mainly served his time in Florida.

After being honorably discharged, Glanton returned to Minneapolis and completed his college education at Dunwoody and the University of Minnesota. He was employed by Hennepin County for 21 years as a land engineer.

Three years after marrying Clodeal Richardson, Wayne founded Glanton Construction Company in 1954, and he and his late wife later became owners of a True Value Hardware franchise in South Minneapolis. His company was also involved in construction of the current MSR building at 4th Street and 38th Avenue South.

“He was a pretty busy guy,” said Minneapolis native Andrew Rose of Wayne Glanton.

Rose said he was Glanton’s “adopted” son, as Glanton was the father of three daughters. The two were active members of the Johnnie Baker VFW Post in North Minneapolis, and Rose said he often drove Glanton around the state to check on his construction projects.

“He was a very decent guy. He was a good businessman,” said Rose of Glanton, who was also a very active member of Calvary Baptist Church in South Minneapolis.

Glanton was preceded in death by his wife Clodeal, daughters Elaine Dyer and Jackie Scott, parents Rosalind and Herbert, brothers Jack and John, sister Vera Wright, and grandson George Dilliard, Jr.

Mel Reeves Memorial Scholar Cor’ney Merriman (right) holding her plaque with HSRA faculty member Haben Ghebregergish Submitted photo

MPS Edison High School’s Career & College Center Photo courtesy of Cargill

(l-r) Andrew Rose Sr. and Wayne Glanton Photo courtesy of Facebook

Employment & Legals

Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) is hiring a Staff Attorney

Full Time, Hybrid. Apply deadline: July 7th, $79,000-$85,000. Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA), the state’s leading public-interest environment and energy law firm seeks an attorney with a minimum of 4 years of experience to join our team of powerful, mission-driven, in-house litigators. We advocate in state and federal courts, administrative proceedings, and at the legislature to protect and defend Minnesota’s environment and the health of its people. The Staff Attorney will litigate in state and federal courts and administrative agencies and provide legal advice to MCEA and other clients. Interest and experience in energy law, especially practice before the Public Utilities Commission, is preferred for this position.

MCEA strives to create a mission-focused work environment that is equitable and inclusive; we highly value diversity and are an equal opportunity employer.

How to apply and more information at: https://www.mncenter. org/job-openings, hr@mncenter.org, 651-223-5969

Phone and Internet Discounts Available to CenturyLink Customers

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission designated CenturyLink as an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier within its service area for universal service purposes. CenturyLink’s basic local service rates for residential voice lines are $18.59-$26.00 per month and business services are $27.00-$45.00 per month. Specific rates will be provided upon request.

CenturyLink participates in the Lifeline program, which makes residential telephone or qualifying broadband service more affordable to eligible lowincome individuals and families. Eligible customers may qualify for Lifeline discounts of $5.25/month for voice or bundled voice service or $9.25/month for qualifying broadband or broadband bundles. Residents who live on federally recognized Tribal Lands may qualify for additional Tribal benefits if they participate in certain additional federal eligibility programs. The Lifeline discount is available for only one telephone or qualifying broadband service per household, which can be either a wireline or wireless service. Broadband speeds must be at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload to qualify.

CenturyLink also participates in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides eligible households with a discount on broadband service. The ACP provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands.

For both programs, a household is defined as any individual or group of individuals who live together at the same address and share income and expenses. Services are not transferable, and only eligible consumers may enroll in these programs. Consumers who willfully make false statements to obtain these discounts can be punished by fine or imprisonment and can be barred from these programs.

If you live in a CenturyLink service area, visit https://www.centurylink.com/aboutus/community/ community-development/lifeline.html for additional information about applying for these programs or call 1-800-201-4099 with questions.

From Classified Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder

VITS Consulting Corp has openings for the positions:

PHONE: 612-827-4021

FOR BILLING INQUIRIES & TEARSHEETS

PLEASE CONTACT

Business Analyst with Master’s degree in Business Administration, Engineering (any), Technology or related and 1 yr of exp to work closely with team to identify and analyze core business process and workflows. Responsible for tracking and publishing the status of all new projects to stakeholders. Conduct business process improvement reviews and was involved in identifying gaps in the current structure. Develop and publish Infrastructure Build process documents. Participate in weekly and monthly status meetings, and conducting internal and external reviews as well as formal walkthroughs among various teams and documenting the proceedings.

ACCOUNTING DEPT

BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER. COM

QA Programmer with Associates degree in Comp Appl/Comp Sc, Tech or related and 3 yrs of exp in assisting full life cycle development including requirements analysis, design, prototyping, coding, unit testing, integration and test. Design, development, implementation, maintenance software development work. Prepare and Review Test Condition and Test cases based on Business Scenarios. Work in SQL for database validation for testing. Perform Functional Testing, System testing, Integration Testing and Regression Testing.

+ 2 WEEKS ONLINE: $150 TOTAL: $506.80

From Display Ad Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder

PHONE: 612-827-4021

Systems Engineer with Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering any, Technology, Management or related and 6 months of exp to design system solutions, providing technical input for all aspects of projects including design, system integration, and risk and compliance tools, providing support to facilitate the delivery projects within time and maintain customer satisfaction. Perform Gap Analysis and define the future system requirements as needed. Documenting Requirement specifications, design specifications, Data mapping documents, and other project related information. Provide technical guidance or support for several cross functional teams in the development or troubleshooting of systems. Prepare all program and system implementation documentations for future use.

FOR BILLING INQUIRIES & TEARSHEETS

Please proof, respond with email confirmation to dis play@spokesman-recorder.com. For more exposure: We are also inviting our clients to advertise on our web site for 2 weeks for a flat net fee of $150 per position with purchase of print ad.

signed this summons a written response called an Answer within 21 days of the date on which you received this Summons. You must send a copy of your Answer to the person who signed this summons located at: Swor & Gatto, P.A. 1177 West Seventh Street Saint Paul, MN 55102

Please proof, respond with email confirmation to ads@spokesman-recorder.com.

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

Please Note: New email address for all future ads ads@spokesman-recorder.com

4. YOU WILL LOSE YOUR CASE IF YOU DO NOT SEND A WRITTEN RESPONSE TO THE COMPLAINT TO THE PERSON WHO SIGNED THIS SUMMONS. If you do not Answer within 21 days, you will lose this case.

The MSR handles billing digitally. This means you will get e-tears and e-mailed invoices unless you specifically request a hard copy.

PLEASE CONTACT ACCOUNTING DEPT billing@spokesman-recorder.com

Work location is Plymouth, MN with required travel to client locations throughout the USA. Please mail resumes to 14264 23rd Ave N, Plymouth, MN 55447 (or) e-mail : Jobs-p@vitsconsulting.com”

The MSR handles billing digitally. This means you will get e-tears and e-mailed invoices unless you specifically request a hard copy.

EMPLOYMENT DISPLAY

SIZE: 2 COL X 9 INCHES

Please proof, respond with email confirmation to ads @spokesman-recorder.com.

The MSR handles billing digitally. This means you will get e-tears and e-mailed invoices unless you specifically request a hard copy.

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 ordered to participate in an alternative dispute resolution process under Rule 114 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice. You must still send your written response to the Complaint even if you expect to use alternative means of resolving this dispute.

From Classified Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder

PHONE: 612-827-4021

I hereby acknowledge that sanctions may be awarded pursuant to Minn. Stat. §549.211.

To

YOU ARE NOTIFIED that a

Restraining Order has been issued on May

hearing has not been scheduled. You may request a hearing on this matter 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

VIEW

her players, she noted. “I felt like they did a good job of adjusting in the best way that they can. I had a great group of girls there. They didn’t complain… even though they were coming from a Division III program.”

In a press release, Coyle said Arterberry brings “a world-class experience for our student-athletes and will prepare them to be successful athletically, academically and socially.”

LYNX

Continued from page 12

“I’m a firm believer that if you want to be successful, you have to put in the work,” said Arterberry. “I have sacrificed a lot to get to where I am right now. I think if you want to be successful, you just have to put in the work and you have to continue to grow.

“You have to push yourself sometimes, even when you don’t want to. Sometimes

what is going to happen.”

Continued from page 12 from road games for the remainder of this season. This came after earlier this month the 6’9” veteran was harassed by a social media personality at the DallasFort Worth airport waiting to leave.

Since Griner was released from a Russian prison last December, many have expressed concern about her safety.

“It’s scary,” Lynx guard Rachel Banham told us last week after a practice. She and her fellow W players throughout the league have

expressed support for Griner as well as calling for better travel options for teams, since all teams typically fly on commercial flights.

“I haven’t been in any situation that I feel uncomfortable,” added the Lakeville native. “But you never know

Last week league officials announced that although teams will still continue to use commercial flights, clubs can use a public chartering service if available.

Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments at challman@spokesman-recorder. com.

when you don’t feel like it… There’s always room to grow. So, you got to put in the effort…put in the work and you’ll see the results.

“I want to motivate my student-athletes,” said Arterberry. “I want them to know that whatever they put their minds to, they can get it. That’s how I live my life on a daily basis.”

Arterberry assumes a Gopher tennis program that last season was forced to shut down early due to too many injuries and not enough players to compete. “Our goal is to continue to grow and build this program,” said the new head coach.

“I need everyone’s support— fans, the [players’] family and friends—to come out and support the team and just show love to these girls, and we’ll get there.”

Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments at challman@ spokesman-recorder.com.

FOR BILLING INQUIRIES & TEARSHEETS

PLEASE CONTACT ACCOUNTING DEPT @ BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER.COM

Dated: April 24, 2023 SWOR AND GATTO, John Paul J. Gatto (#0387730) Paul J. Gatto (#33741) ATTORNEYS FOR PLAINTIFF 1177 West Seventh Street Saint Paul, Minnesota 55102 651-454-3600 jpg@sworgatto.com paulg@sworgatto.com

RAMSEY COUNTY LEGAL NOTICES FLAT RATE: $110

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder June 22,29, July 6, 2023

Please proof, respond with email confirmation to ads@spokesman-recorder.com

STATE OF MINNESOTA CASE TYPE: PERSONAL INJURY DISTRICT COURT COUNTY OF SHERBURNE TENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT FILE NUMBER:71-CV-23-526

The MSR handles billing digitally. This means you will get e-tears and e-mailed invoices unless you specifically request a hard copy.

Jaime Smith, SUMMONS Plaintiff, vs Riki May Kitzrow, Defendant.

THIS SUMMONS IS DIRECTED the above-named Defendant:

1. YOU ARE BEING SUED. The Plaintiffs have started a lawsuit against you. The Plaintiffs’ Complaint against you is attached to this Summons. Do not throw 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: Brantingham Law Office 2200 E. Franklin Avenue, Suite 202 Minneapolis, MN 55404

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

4. YOU WILL LOSE YOUR CASE IF YOU DO NOT SEND A WRITTEN RESPONSE TO THE COMPLAINT TO THE PERSON WHO SIGNED THIS SUMMONS. If you do not Answer within 20 days, you will lose this case.You will not get to tell your side of the story, and the Court may decide against you and award the Plaintiffs 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 ordered to participate in an alternative dispute resolution process under Rule 114 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice. You must still send your written response to the Complaint even if you expect to use alternative means of resolving this dispute. Dated:

Rachel Banham

Photo by Charles Hallman

Employment & Legals

STATE OF MINNESOTA IN DISTRICT COURT COUNTY OF HENNEPIN FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT Case Type: Condemnation COURT FILE NO. 27-CV-23-7018

State of Minnesota, by its Commissioner of Transportation, Petitioner, vs. 2545 Boatman, LLC Respondents. IN THE MATTER OF THE CONDEMNATION OF CERTAIN LANDS FOR TRUNK HIGHWAY PURPOSES NOTICE

To the Respondents hereinabove named:

You, and each of you, are hereby notified that on September 5, 2023, at 1:00 p.m., or as soon thereafter as counsel can be heard, before Judge Francis J. Magill, in the Government Center at Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, via remote hearing, the Petitioner will present a Petition now on file herein for the condemnation of certain lands for trunk highway purposes. This hearing will not be in person at the Courthouse. The remote hearing may be accessed by video at https://Zoomgov.com/ join, or by phone at 833-568-8864. For either method, the Meeting ID is 160 407 2732 and the Meeting Password is 309514. A copy of the Petition is attached hereto and incorporated herein.

YOU, AND EACH OF YOU, ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED, that Petitioner will also move the court for an order transferring title and possession to Petitioner of the parcels described in the Petition in accordance with Minn. Stat. §117.042, as of October 10, 2023.

YOU, AND EACH OF YOU, ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED, that all persons occupying the property described in the petition must VACATE THE AREA BEING ACQUIRED AND MOVE ALL OF YOUR PERSONAL PROPERTY FROM THE AREA BEING ACQUIRED ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 10, 2023. All advertising signs or devices located in the area being acquired must be removed by October 10, 2023. YOU, AND EACH OF YOU, ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED, that (1) a party wishing to challenge the public use or public purpose, necessity, or authority for a taking must appear at the court hearing and state the objection or must appeal within 60 days of a court order; and (2) a court order approving the public use or public purpose, necessity, and authority for the taking is final unless an appeal is brought within 60 days after service of the order on the party.

Dated: May 25, 2023

KEITH ELISON Attorney General State of Minnesota

s/Mathew Ferche MATHEW FERCHE Assistant Attorney General Atty. Reg. No. 0391282 445 Minnesota Street, Suite 1400 St. Paul, MN 55101-2134 (651) 757-1457 (Voice) (651) 282-2525(TTY ATTORNEY FOR PETITIONER STATE OF MINNESOTA DISTRICT COURT COUNTY OF HENNEPIN FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT Case Type: Condemnation - - - -State of Minnesota, by its Commissioner of Transportation, Petitioner, vs. 2545 Boatman, LLC, SH Bloomington, LLC, 2510 Boatman, LLC, State of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Department of Natural Resources, Wintrust Bank, National Association, Bank Of America, National Association, Wings Financial Credit Union, GN Hearing Care Corporation, County of Hennepin, Gary E. Zywotko, Pioneer Bank, successor in interest by corporate merger, consolidation, amendment, or conversion to Farmers State Bank of Madelia, Inc., GNMN002, LLC, Computer Connection Corporation, Meridian Crossings, LLC, Corporate Eats Inc., Equitable advisors, LLC, Piedmont Office Realty Trust, Inc., VSA, LLC, City & County Credit Union, Wal-Mart Real Estate Business Trust, Walgreen Co., El Guanaco Bakery and Cafe, LLC, Harbor Freight Tools USA, Inc., Family Dollar, Inc., Toppers Pizza LLC, Health Center, LLC, The Lambi Corporation, Relaxing Minnesota, Inc., Pilgrim Dry Cleaners, Inc., CSM Investors, Inc., TRANSAMERICA

Life Insurance Company, Ulta Salon Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc., Burlington

Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation, Sierra Trading Post, Inc., Baby Superstore, Inc, Sportmart, Inc, Golf Galaxy, LLC, Freeman Enterprises, LLLP, AnchorBank FSB, Regions Financial Corporation, TBS Mart Inc., doing business as TBS Mart International Foods, an unregistered assumed name, $5 Tan, Inc., doing business as $5 Tan, Hong Kong Garden 55420 Inc, Yasmin Abu Inc, Kabobs Indian Grill, L.L.C., Fantasy House, Inc, Dollar Tree Stores, Inc., Bill Smith, doing business as Ott’s Liquors, an unregistered assumed name, Pizza Hut of America, LLC, Robinson A. Cordon Morales, Cricket Wireless LLC, Jackson Hewitt Inc., Subway Real Estate, LLC, SuperCash Inc., doing business as SuperCash, Concierge Apartments

Property Owner, LLC, Fannie Mae, Berkadia Commercial Mortgage LLC, Roger W. Simonson, U.S. Bank National Association, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., Saravanh Phommakhy, also all other persons unknown claiming any right, title, estate, interest or lien in the real estate described in the Petition herein, Respondents. - - - -IN THE MATTER OF THE CONDEMNATION OF CERTAIN LANDS FOR TRUNK HIGHWAY PURPOSES - - - -PETITION

To the District Court above named the State of Minnesota brings this Petition and respectfully states and alleges:

I.

That Trunk Highway Legislative Routes numbered 394 and 393, which has been renumbered 35W and 494, respectively, and which has been located according to law and designated as controlled access highways, pass over the lands herein described.

That it is duly covered by Right of Way Plat Orders numbered 99798, 99799, 99920, 99921, and 99922; Designation Orders numbered 28880 and 29050; Centerline Order numbered 28000; Amended Width Order 99952; and Temporary Order numbered 99952. II.

That the Commissioner of Transportation deems it necessary that the State of Minnesota for trunk highway purposes obtain the lands herein described in fee simple absolute, and an easement as to Parcel 322E, together with the following rights:

To acquire all trees, shrubs, grass and herbage within the right of way herein to be taken, and to keep and have the exclusive control of the same, to acquire from the owners whose lands front thereon any existing right of access to said highway in those cases which are herein particularly mentioned, and to keep and have the exclusive control of all access to said highway in accordance with the law governing controlled access highways, and to acquire a temporary easement in those cases which are herein particularly mentioned.

With reference to Parcels 340, it is the intention of this proceeding to except all severed mineral rights, not including rights to sand and gravel, and reserve to the owners of the severed mineral rights, their heirs, successors and assigns, the rights and privileges to explore for, mine, and remove the minerals, but only in such manner that will not interfere with the use of said land for highway purposes or with the safe and continuous operation of any public highway thereon, and further the severed mineral owners reserve the right to relocate the highway at the mineral owners’ expense pursuant to Minn. Stat. §l60.l0 as such may be amended.

It is the intention of the above-named Petitioner to move the court for an order authorizing the Court Administrator to accept and deposit payments, in an interestbearing account, from the Petitioner to the court pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 117.042.

Further, it is the intention of the above-named Petitioner to move the court for an order transferring title and possession of the parcels herein described, prior to the filing of an award by the court appointed commissioners, pursuant to Minn. Stat. §117.042.

The Petitioner reserves its right to recover costs of clean up and testing and all other damages arising from the presence of pollutants, contaminants, or hazardous materials on the property described herein, from all potential responsible parties, including respondents herein where appropriate, in a separate legal action to the extent permitted by law.

III.

That the following described lands in these proceedings taken are situated in Hennepin County, Minnesota; that the names of all persons appearing of record or known to your Petitioner to be the owners of said lands or interested therein,

including all whom your Petitioner has been able by investigation and inquiry to discover, together with the nature of the ownership of each, as nearly as can be ascertained, are as follows:

FEE ACQUISITION Parcel 340 C.S. 2782 (35W=394) 913 S.P. 2785-424RW

All of the following:

That part of Lot 1, Block 1, CONTROL DATA ADDITION, shown as Parcel 340 on Minnesota Department of Transportation Right of Way Plat Numbered 27-243 as the same is on file and of record in the office of the Registrar of Titles in and for Hennepin County, Minnesota; the title thereto being registered as evidenced by Certificate of Title No. 1413670; together with other rights as set forth below, forming and being part of said Parcel 340: Access: All right of access as shown on Minnesota Department of Transportation Right of Way Plat Numbered 27-243 as the same is on file and of record in the office of the Registrar of Titles in and for Hennepin County, Minnesota, by the access control symbol(s). Temporary Easement: A temporary easement for highway purposes, shown as Parcel 340 on Minnesota Department of Transportation Right of Way Plats Numbered 27-242 and 27-243 as the same are on file and of record in the office of the Registrar of Titles in and for Hennepin County, Minnesota, by the temporary easement symbol, said easement shall cease on December 1, 2028, or on such earlier date upon which the Commissioner of Transportation determines by formal order that it is no longer needed for highway purposes.

Names of parties interested in the above-described land and nature of interest:

Boatman, LLC Fee

Boatman, LLC Fee

of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Department of Natural Resources Mineral Rights Wintrust Bank, National Association Mortgage BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION Mortgage Wings Financial Credit Union Mortgage GN Hearing Care Corporation Lessee County of Hennepin Taxes Parcel 340A C.S. 2782 (35W=394) 913

S.P. 2785-424RW

All of the following: A temporary easement for highway purposes in that part of the Northeast Quarter of Section 4, Township 27 North, Range 24 West, shown as Parcel 340A on Minnesota Department of Transportation Right of Way Plat Numbered 27-242 as the same is on file and of record in the office of the Registrar of Titles in and for Hennepin County, Minnesota, by the temporary easement symbol; the title thereto being registered as evidenced by Certificate of Title No. 727766, said easement shall cease on December 1, 2028, or on such earlier date upon which the Commissioner of Transportation determines by formal order that it is no longer needed for highway purposes.

Names of parties interested in the above-described land and nature of interest:

Gary E. Zywotko Fee Pioneer Bank, successor in interest by corporate merger, Mortgage consolidation, amendment, or conversion to Farmers State Bank of Madelia, Inc., and Nicollet County Bank of St. Peter GNMN002, LLC Easement Computer Connection Corporation Lessee County of Hennepin Taxes Parcel 310A C.S. 2782 (35W=394) 914 S.P. 2785-424RW

All of the following:

A temporary easement for highway purposes in that part of Lot 3, Block 3, CLOVERLEAF ADDITION, shown as Parcel 310A on Minnesota Department of Transportation Right of Way Plat Numbered 27-242 as the same is on file and of record in the office of the County Recorder in and for Hennepin County, Minnesota, by the temporary easement symbol, said easement shall cease on December 1, 2028, or on such earlier date upon which the Commissioner of Transportation determines by formal order that it is no longer needed for highway purposes.

Names of parties interested in the above-described land and nature of interest: Meridian Crossings, LLC Fee Corporate Eats Inc. Lessee U.S. Bank National Association Lessee

Equitable advisors, LLC Lessee

PIEDMONT OFFICE REALTY TRUST, INC. Lessee County of Hennepin

West, shown as Parcel 316 on Minnesota Department of Transportation Right of Way Plat Numbered 27-244 as the same is on file and of record in the office of the County Recorder in and for Hennepin County, Minnesota, by the temporary easement symbol, said easement shall cease on December 1, 2028, or on such earlier date upon which the Commissioner of Transportation determines by formal order that it is no longer needed for highway purposes.

Names of parties interested in the above-described land and nature of interest:

Commercial Mortgage LLC County of Hennepin

Taxes and Special Assessments

EASEMENT ACQUISITION

Parcel 322E C.S. 2785 (494=393) 904

S.P. 2785-424RW

That part of Tract A described below:

Tract A. Lot 1, Block 1, LAKEVIEW HIGHLANDS 1st ADDITION, according to the plat thereof on file and of record in the office of the County Recorder in and for Hennepin County, Minnesota; the title thereto being registered as evidenced by Certificate of Title No. 1230104; which lies northeasterly of Line 1 described below: Line 1. Beginning at a point on the north line of said Lot 1, distant 12 feet westerly of the northeast corner thereof; thence southeasterly to a point on the east line of said Lot 1, distant 26 feet south of said northeast corner and there terminating; containing 156 square feet, more or less; also a right to use the following described strip for highway purposes, which right shall cease on December 1, 2028, or on such earlier date upon which the Commissioner of Transportation determines by formal order that it is no longer needed for highway purposes: A strip being that part of Tract A hereinbefore described, adjoining and southwesterly of the above described strip, which lies northeasterly of a line run parallel with and distant 5 feet southwesterly of the southwesterly line of the above described strip and its extensions; containing 176 square feet, more or less.

Names of parties interested in the above-described land and nature of interest:

Roger W. Simonson Fee

U.S. Bank National Association Mortgage Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. Saravanh Phommakhy Lessee County of Hennepin Taxes and Special Assessments

WHEREFORE, Your Petitioner prays that commissioners be appointed to appraise the damages which may be occasioned by such taking, and that such proceedings may be had herein as are provided by law.

Dated: May 9, 2023

KEITH ELLISON

Attorney General State of Minnesota

s/Mathew Ferche

MATHEW FERCHE

Assistant Attorney General Atty. Reg. No. 0391282

445 Minnesota Street, Suite 1800 St. Paul, Minnesota 55101-2134 (651) 757-1457 (Voice) (651) 297-4077 (Fax) mathew.ferche@ag.state.mn.us

NFL internship inspires Hamline coach

By Charles Hallman Sports Columnist

s players use the offseason for improving their skills, coaches often do the same.

Hamline Football Coach

Chip Taylor, the only Black coach in the MIAC, is beginning his seventh season as head coach. Recently Taylor did his own in-service career development regimen by spending time with the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers.

“As a younger coach, I had done some NFL internships,” Taylor told the MSR, during a break as he sat behind his desk. “I did one with the [Arizona] Cardinals in 2008. I did it the next year, 2009, with the [Kansas City] Chiefs.

“When I first got the Hamline job, I tried to do it with the Detroit Lions,” recalled the coach. “I sent in my stuff and didn’t get it. That was 2015. So, I left it alone.”

This spring, however, Taylor attempted once again: “I called the [Steelers] running backs coach who I knew from Valparaiso and told him exactly what I wanted to do.”

coach

management (2013), and a master’s in business administration (2015). She also played tennis there collegiately, and finished as a three-time Southwestern Athletic Conference champion (2011-13).

As a result, he got to watch up-close one of the NFL’s most successful coaches in action, Mike Tomlin during the team’s OTAs (organized team

activities). “He’s never had a losing season. I think that’s what doesn’t get talked about enough,” observed Taylor. “He’s a leader of men.”

Taylor said he learned a lot.

“The way he did things, it’s was just very refreshing,” he said of Tomlin. “From a program standpoint, he talked about conditioning and being in supreme conditioning shape. I thought that was pretty cool.

“He wants to practice hard… little things like that, we talked about,” continued Taylor. “How he talks to his team when he presents something. How he presents it. He’s really, really good at that.”

It was a lot to take in, but Taylor said he hopes to use some of what he learned from Tomlin when he begins preseason practices at Hamline in August. Of the experience, he says he learned, “things that make me really reevaluate how I want to run my team meet-

ings. This was a really good experience, man.”

The 2023 off season is slowly winding down, but Taylor reiterated that there’s never enough time to get everything done to prepare for the upcoming season, which begins at home on Sept. 2, versus Crown.

“We’re in the thick of June.”

Three-player draft?

The 2023 NBA draft is June 22. Minnesota has only one pick, the 53rd player, late in the second round.

Experts are calling this draft not so deep. Victor Wembanyama, a 19-year-old from France, is projected to go No.

1. Then, according to ESPN draft analysts Bobby Marks and Jonathan Givony, who gets selected next is open to speculation.

“I think there’s not a lot of separation in that four-to-10 range,” explained Givony during

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For the Lynx, ‘Change Still Starts With Us”

By Charles Hallman Sports Columnist

For its 25th anniversary season, the Minnesota Lynx unveiled its new Nike Rebel Edition uniforms that the team will wear at least 11 times this season. Minnesota is one of five WNBA clubs with Rebel Edition uniforms, which were first launched in 2021 to honor important moments in league history.

ibly proud of our franchise.”

A key uniform detail, “Change Starts with Us” sits in the center of the waistline and repeats down the side tape. It’s more than a catchy slogan, noted Knox. “These values have always been rooted in the franchise” since she joined the organization and she’s now in her 11th year with Minnesota.

The Lynx, along with the entire WNBA, a league that is majority-Black, has been

social justice [work],” continued Knox, who was part of four championships in seven years, the most of any Twin Cities pro team in modern history. “We used our platform the entire time I’ve been here. I am so proud to come to work every day helping to change the world and make it a better place.

“I think it starts with our core values and unapologetically using our platform whenever

ois Arterberry has been working for a long time toward one day becoming a big-time college head coach. After two seasons guiding St. Thomas through its transition from Division III to Division I, last month Arterberry was named University of Minnesota head tennis coach, bringing more than nine years of coaching experience to Dinkytown.

Arterberry becomes the school’s first Black woman to be named a head coach in 22 years, and only the third Black woman HC ever hired at Minnesota.“Oh, wow. That’s amazing,” said Arterberry when told this in our exclusive interview shortly after Gopher AD Mark Coyle hired her. “I have been working my entire career to get to this point, just to get a Power Five job. Everything that I’ve done has been centered around this.”

A top tennis player in her home country, Arterberry represented Grenada in 2014 at the Caribbean and Central American Games. She was the number-two female player from 2002-14, and a five-time Gre-

en’s tennis team, first as a volunteer aide, then as an assistant coach. She also was a volunteer assistant coach at North Carolina-Asheville (2018-19). Now she finds herself in her first head coaching job at a big-time school like Minnesota. “The opportunity came and I took a chance. And it worked out,” Arterberry said. “To be honest, I’ve been applying for jobs at this level for a really long time and haven’t had any looks.

It only seems fitting that the new Lynx uniforms would celebrate, along with its 25-year existence, the team’s achievements both on and off the court, including perhaps the franchise’s most significant and defining moment in team history that occurred back in July 2016.

The players then unveiled black warmups with “Change Starts With Us” on the front, to protest two Black men killed by police, and called for an end to racial profiling and senseless violence.

“We were the first [WNBA] team franchise to use that platform,” recalled Minnesota Lynx President of Business Operations Carley Knox. “We got some backlash. I am so incred-

front and center in promoting racial justice and protesting injustice in this country long before it became fashionable among other professional U.S. leagues. It became the first

and wherever we see injustice,” she said. “I don’t see that changing with the people in our organization. It’s so deeply rooted… It’s about having an impact on future generations.

“This is bigger than basketball. It always has been. It’s been more than wins and losses,” said Knox. The Lynx players, past and present, “are incredible role models for both boys and girls in our community, and help raise the next generation to do good and help that change.”

Travel to games can be scary WNBA officials are now working with Phoenix center Brittney Griner and her Mercury team on traveling to and

The Grenada native’s coaching journey began as a graduate assistant for two years at Southern University, where she graduated with a B.A. in business

nada Sports Woman of the Year award-winner.

After her graduate assistant stint, Arterberry was named Eastern Illinois head coach (2017), after two seasons as Jackson State men’s and women’s HC. She joined St. Thomas after two seasons working with the University of Missouri wom-

There’s a lot of reasons why I think it didn’t work out.”

The Minnesota opening “was just a good opportunity and I took the opportunity,” she said proudly.

Coaching across the river at St. Thomas through its transitional years was challenging for

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ngel Whetstone is the 13th head coach in Madison College (WI), women’s basketball history. When she was hired in May, Whetstone joined University of WisconsinMadison’s Marisa Moseley as the city’s only two Black women head college coaches.

“This is my tenth season of coaching some type of basketball,” Whetstone recently told the MSR. She was the video and creative content coordinator at Missouri State for the past few years, where she helped the Bears women’s team reach the WNIT and finish 20-12.

Her coaching experience in collegiate athletics includes SIU-Edwardsville basketball operations director (two years), which also included brief stints as interim head coach in the spring of 2021, and assistant coach/operations director at Division II Rollins College (FL), where Whetstone also earned her business degree.

The Florida native said she began seriously looking into coaching after high school, where Whetstone was a twosport athlete in basketball and

volleyball. “It was definitely right after high school,” she recalled.

“When I went to Rollins, I just asked the coach, ‘I just want to be involved with the team.’”

Whetstone was a student assistant coach and team manager for Rollins. During her first stint with the team, the school made three NCAA Tournament trips, and she also assisted at a local high school that finished as the state runners-up in 2016.

“That’s what sparked my love of coaching,” stated Whetstone, who later was an assistant varsity coach at a Texashigh school (2018-19). But that love was finally cemented while she was in graduate

New U of M tennis head

saw her chance and seized it

Head basketball coach must wear multiple hats

“This was a really good experience, man.”

(l-r) Hamline Coach Chip Taylor and Pittsburgh Steelers HC Mike Tomlin Submitted photo

“I’m a firm believer if you want to be successful, you have to put in the work.”

Lois Arterberry Courtesy of Minnesota Athletics

“Sometimes I feel like there’s a lack of representation of people that look like me in the majority of these head coaching positions.”

Mitchell Palmer McDonald’s ‘Prep

Angel Whetstone Courtesy of Missouri State University Athletics

“I am so proud to come to work every day helping to change the world and make it a better place.”

MN Lynx uniforms Courtesy of the Lynx