September 22, 2022 - MN Spokesman-Recorder

MnDOT to rebuild I-94 through Twin Cities—or not

Gloves are still on in the Hiawatha Golf Course bout

By Al Brown Contributing Writer

Since the MSR’s last story, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) met on Sept. 8 and voted 6-3 to approve its Master Plan to redesign the Hiawatha Golf Course from 18 to 9 holes. But the action still has not deterred its loudest critics in the African American community.

In fact, the fight is still on.

“We are in the process of hav ing Hiawatha placed on the National Registry, and the Park Board will no longer be able to make changes because we will be listed on the National Reg istry as an 18-hole golf course. The Bronze Foundation has already submitted the applica tion to the state,” explained Darwin Dean, president of the Bronze Foundation.

“Once the application pass es from the state to federal

Some see it as an opportunity to undo the freeway’s harm

By Henry Pan Contributing Writer

Fordecades, Interstate 94 has cleaved neigh borhoods in Minne apolis and St. Paul in two, bringing with it pollu tion and destroying vibrant and prosperous communities along the way.

One of which is the Rondo

neighborhood, where Mae Adams, a retired teacher, grew up. “We had Black-owned doc tors and lawyers and they took that away from us,” said Adams from the porch of her son’s house in Rondo.

But as the freeway nears the end of its useful life, the Minne sota Department of Transporta tion (MnDot) is considering how to rebuild, if at all, the seven-

mile stretch between Hiawatha Avenue in Minneapolis and Marion Street in St. Paul.

Meanwhile, two community organizations, over the span of 13 years, have proposed differ ent ideas about how the free way should look. One wants to build a cap over the freeway in the Rondo neighborhood. The other wants to completely take it out.

How Rondo got cleaved Planning for a freeway con necting Minneapolis and St. Paul on its current route goes back as early as the 1920s, with the St. Paul city engineer designating St. Anthony Ave. for it, according to MNopedia. The route was approved by the Minnesota Department of

■ See I-94 on page 5

Retired judge offers her vision for Hennepin County Attorney

By Abdi Mohamed Contributing Writer

Martha Holton Dimick served eight years on the bench as a judge in the Fourth Judicial District after being appointed by Gov. Mark Dayton in 2012. Now in her first year of retire ment, Dimick hopes to use her free dom off the bench to continue pushing for reforms in the judicial system.

Dimick is currently in the race for Hennepin County Attorney and will be on the ballot in November against Mary Moriarty, the former head of the Hennepin County Public Defender’s Office. Dimick received 18% of the primary vote with Moriarty leading the packed field at 36%.

After receiving her law degree from Marquette University, Dimick worked in private practice for years before she was appointed to serve as the North Minneapolis community prosecutor by then-Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar, in 1999. A decade later she was hired as the deputy city attorney in Minneapolis, where she managed dozens of attorneys and staff in the criminal division. A few years lat er, Dimick would ascend to the bench and serve as a serious crimes judge.

Dimick makes her case for Henne pin County Attorney below.

MSR: What motivated you to join this race for the Hennepin County Attorney’s office?

conduct prevent us from saying certain things that would make it appear like we are not being fair or impartial or any indication of impropriety.

That really frustrated me. I’ve lived in North Minneapolis for 20 years, and I’m very invested in this commu nity. While sitting on the bench, you’re lucky if you can affect one person at a time. Knowing that Mike Freeman was retiring, I thought that that would be a good place for me to be to effect these changes, so I made the decision to run.

MSR: How did you make decisions as a judge while on the bench?

MHD: Being a judge is a very diffi cult position to be in, and some people refer to it as being a referee or calling the balls and strikes. What you have to do is, you have to look at both sides of a case…and of course, we have to look at the law, and the decisions that we make are not that easily done just based on an overview.

So, presiding over cases isn’t really a simple situation… That’s something that I don’t think a lot of people under stand.

MSR: You’ve shared that part of why you entered this race was because of how the judicial standards limited your expression in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death. What happened then and what were your frustrations?

MHD: All we did was approach the director of the board on judicial standards and get his opinion on how we should approach the situation. He gave us very specific guidelines, and with those guidelines, we went to the Supreme Court justices to get the

That really disappointed me because there were judges around the country that were making statements about this very tragic event, and here we are in Minnesota where it hap pened in Minneapolis and we couldn’t even make a statement regarding how it affected us as judges on the bench.

MSR: What sort of freedom comes from being off of the bench?

MHD: One of my main priorities is criminal justice reform, but crimi nal justice reform is going to entail coordinating with all of our justice partners—with probation, with psych services, with the county commission ers, the judges, lawyers, prosecutors, and defense attorneys. I don’t have all the answers, but I know all my justice partners have some valuable input that I know we can use to move forward.

MHD: I was a sitting judge, and I decided after George Floyd’s murder, a bunch of judges, we all wanted to make a statement to let the commu nities know how we were feeling or where we were at. But we were unable to do that because the rules of judicial

You have to also incorporate some of the entities that we rely on, like the probation department and sentenc ing guidelines. Also, you have to look at pre-sentence investigation reports when it comes to sentencing a particu lar defendant.

permission of the chief Supreme Court justice, and we were unable to get her approval.

MSR: What are some of the pitfalls in the legal system that you saw during your time as a judge?

MHD: A lot of the things that pop up in my head is that leniency is often times not dealt with equally, and that’s something we have to make sure we are doing equitably for everyone. You

Groundbreaking launches phase one of North High makeover

By Cole Miska Contributing Writer

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Friday, Sept. 16 at Minneapolis’ North High School for a Career and Tech nical Education (CTE) center. The event was attended by about 100 community mem bers including the design team for the expansion, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and North High alumni.

North High and Minneapo lis Public Schools (MPS) staff, including school board director Sharon El-Amin and interim Superintendent Rochelle Cox, also attended the ceremony.

“We’re so excited about the potential that [the center] brings and that we’ll really be exploring careers and the edu cational fields for our students as they make their choices

about where they want to go in the future,” Cox said.

The ceremonial ground breaking was done by three groups using golden shovels. The first groundbreaking was led by Cox, Frey, and North High Assistant Principal Steve White, with subsequent groundbreakings from employ ees of LSE Architects (the design team for the CTE cen ter) and a group of North High alumni.

The CTE center will offer courses allowing students to get trade certificates and post-secondary education level courses that will give them college credits towards a two-year or four-year degree.

Classes at the center will be available to all MPS students and will include engineering, robotics, drones, computer sci ence, and media arts.

Some teachers will be moved from other MPS schools to the new CTE center when it opens, causing uneasi ness among some teachers.

Kaytie Kamphoff, a teacher at Patrick Henry High School, expressed concern for the

future of “Herobotics,” Henry High’s robotics team. Kamphoff said three teachers would be moving from Henry to the CTE center when it opens.

“I am personally not super excited about losing three of our best Henry High School

teachers, two of which are Black CTE teachers, and one is our robotics coach,” Kamphoff said. “Plus, we will be losing our beloved Henry News Hour [due to its advisor transferring to North High], which is in its third season.”

The CTE center is expected to open in August 2023, and its completion will be phase one of a three-phase plan to renovate North High that is expected to go through 2025 with a total cost of $56 million.

“Almost every internal wall is getting touched,” White said regarding the renovation.

“Whole renovation. Every ceil ing tile, every floor covering, everything.”

Amaris Altoro, a current freshman at North High, said she is excited that the renova tions will be complete for her senior year. “[The completed

concept] looks like a college campus,” Altoro said. “It’s a really great school, and I think it deserves the renovation and a really great exterior.”

Sam Ero-Phillips, an LSE Architects employee and North High alumnus who graduated in 2001, worked on the CTE center and renovation. Ero-Phillips said his children will be the third generation to take classes at North High, and that it meant a lot to him that they will know he worked on the school.

“I’ve worked on so many schools, but to work on my former school—I spent four years here going to school— I’m happy that we’re making it happen,” Ero-Phillips said.

Cole Miska welcomes reader responses to cmiska@ spokesman-recorder.com.

■ HIAWATHA

Martha Holton Dimick

Courtesy of Martha Holton Dimick See DIMICK love to see more community policing.

Veteran pro golfer Tom Lehman (l) and Bronze Foundation

President Darwin Dean at Hiawatha Golf Course

Photo courtesy of Jeff Fabre

North High School alumni

Photo by Cole Miska

Westbound traffic on I-94

Photo by Henry Pan

Open Streets gets rave reviews but insufficient funding

By Henry Pan Contributing Writer

On a warm and sunny day earlier this September, thou sands of people took to West Broadway Avenue in North Minneapolis to scoot, bike, blow bubbles, perform and see performances, and buy and sell clothing, books and food.

The series of events, part of Open Streets Minneapolis, is now in its 12th year. They are organized by the City of Min neapolis and Our Streets Min neapolis and entail closing key corridors around the city to car traffic so people can be in community with one another.

“I love Open Streets. It’s a great way to network, to vend, to meet new people and just to be in the community,” said Crown Shepherd, who runs Liberate Your Bookshelf that sells books written by Black authors. Shepherd has been to seven Open Streets events in the past several years.

However, the event series may have trouble continuing. Not only does the organiza tion need money to treat its

participants fairly, but they also say the City does not ad equately support them.

“If we want to do eight events [annually] at the level that we want to do them, we’re looking at around a $500,000 budget,” said Em ber Rasmussen, who orga nizes Open Streets and uses they/them pronouns.

The first Open Streets event in Minneapolis took place on Lyndale Ave. through the Whittier, Lyndale, and Wedge neighborhoods in 2011. That event has since become the flagship Open Streets, with as many as 50,000 attending.

In total, close to 100,000 participate at up to eight Open Streets events annually. It’s so successful that it has influ enced similar events elsewhere in the metro, such as in Rich field. It also fostered a genera tion of advocates who want to see safer, calmer streets; Hen nepin County recently removed a traffic lane from Lyndale Av enue because of lobbying from those advocates.

“We can stand out in the street and not worry about

getting hit by a car,” said Keyez Williams, who per formed with his ’70s rock and soul band Casual Confusion at two Open Streets events this year: one on West Broad way, the other on Lyndale.

The City has a contract with Our Streets Minneapolis

instead receiving in-kind sup port, such as assistance with street closures and waste re moval—the quality of which they say is declining.

“Every year when I have these conversations with City officials, they’re always ask ing me how they can do less,”

that in-kind resource.”

Open Streets also had to pare back the number of events due to a lack of funds to hire additional staff to or ganize them, which includes connecting with those on the corridor to let them know ahead of time about the event.

Downtown has not had an Open Streets since 2017, and the University of Minnesota, Northeast, and Nicollet cor ridors have not had one since 2019.

“I’d rather do a smaller number of events in an inten tional way that really serves the participants, rather than just doing more and more un til folks aren’t having a good experience because we are overworked,” said Rasmussen.

event because they can’t pro vide any. “If people don’t have car access, they basically can’t come out to Open Streets.”

They also want to pay the artists who perform at Open Streets. “If an artist wants to come out to the street, they can for free, but we can’t pay them for their valuable service. And I feel that’s not right,” said Rasmussen.

The City is deciding how best to support Open Streets moving forward. But until Our Streets gets more fund ing, they plan to severely reduce the number of Open Streets that happen next year.

to run Open Streets for the next two years, with an op tion to extend it for up to two more years. But Our Streets will get no money from the City to organize the annual complement of Open Streets,

said Rasmussen. “I’m talking to folks who run trash for us, for example. They aren’t pro vided with additional fund ing from the City to support Open Streets, but they’re supposed to provide us with

Another reason Open Streets wants more money is to support those who exhibit. “The biggest thing that [people in the com munity have] said was, one, we need to bring the [exhibit] fees down, and two, we need to pro vide more resources for small businesses,” said Rasmussen, who adds that exhibitors must bring their own supplies to the

The Lyndale and West Broad way Open Streets are safe, Rasmussen said, with room for one or two more events depending on their budget.

The final Open Streets Minneapolis event of the sea son will take place on Sunday, Oct. 1 from 11 am to 4:30 pm on Minnehaha Ave. between Lake Street and 46th Street.

Henry Pan welcomes reader responses to hpan@spokes man-recorder.com.

Mpls advances controversial Roof Depot demolition

By Henry Pan Contributing Writer

The Minneapolis City Coun cil Policy and Government Oversight Committee on Mon day, Sept. 19 advanced with out recommendation plans to move forward with demol ishing a polluted building in a South Minneapolis neighbor hood beset by pollution.

In a 3-2 vote, with Coun cilmembers Robin Wonsley and Jason Chavez dissenting and Councilmembers LaTrisha Vetaw, Emily Koski and An drew Johnson supporting, the committee advanced an item to solicit proposals for demol ishing the Roof Depot building, located at 28th Street and the Midtown Greenway in the city’s East Phillips neighborhood.

The City plans to expand a Public Works facility located im mediately to the north to consol idate its water operations with a 100-year-old site in Fridley.

Councilmember Wonsley tried, but failed, to delay the vote as she understood the City was to discuss arsenic re mediation with the community before the proposal was sub mitted. According to Wonsley, such a meeting did not occur.

Residents surrounding the

site have long opposed the demolition, contending the project and its demolition will exacerbate pollution in one of the poorest, highly pol luted neighborhoods in the state. Indeed, the Hiawatha project’s Environmental As sessment Worksheet says the

Reade Manufacturing from 1938 to 1968 to develop arsenic-based pesticides.

While an arsenic spill oc curred in 1968, it is unclear if production ceased as a result.

The Minnesota Depart ment of Transportation dis covered arsenic contamina

an economic boon, as well as greening up the community rather than bringing other tox ins into the community. [You could] actually provide food out of that site,” said Graddick.

Steve Sandberg, who lives two blocks from the Roof Depot site and has been in volved with lobbying for an urban farm since 2015, said keeping the building there is better for the neighborhood.

project will increase green house gas emissions by 20%.

“There’s a long history of toxic substances being in this community. And [we have] an opportunity to change that,” said Collie Graddick, an activist who moved out of the neighborhood during the early days of the pandemic.

The Roof Depot building was built as part of a rail yard as early as the 1880s. According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the building was used by

tion on the site in 1994 as it prepared to widen and build an interchange at Hiawatha Ave. and Lake St. The Min nesota Department of Ag riculture oversaw cleanup that occurred between 2004 and 2006, part of it done by a developer who bought the site. Arsenic remains present on the site, buried four feet below the ground.

Activists want to repurpose the Roof Depot building as an indoor urban farm. “Creat ing an urban farm would be

“The Roof Depot is keeping those [toxins] sequestered and the City keeps saying that they’re going to tear it down to clean up, but turns out their plan is just to tear it down, take off the top three layers, three feet, without disturbing any of the toxins, and then just cover it back up again,” contended Sandberg.

If the City is able to move forward with its plans, it would include a job training center in response to com munity input, contending the plant will bring green jobs.

The full Minneapolis City Council is expected to vote on requesting proposals this Thursday, Sept. 22.

Louis Moore, president of the Major Taylor Bicycling Club, and Jerry Ciardelli of Erdahl Aerial Photography, rode through the Open Streets Festival on West Broadway in Minneapolis. By the way, Moore is 82 years old and Jerry Ciardelli is a spry 77.

Henry Pan welcomes reader responses to hpan@spokes man-recorder.com.

On Sep 17, Viking Cruises, international cruise line company, docked its newly launched cruise ship along the shores of the Mississippi in front of the St. Paul skyline.

The 386-guest luxury ship was launched earlier this month on Sep be New Orleans.

Photo and text by Chris Juhn

Activists gather inside the Minneapolis City Council chambers to oppose plans to demolish the Roof Depot site.

Photo by Henry Pan

A roller skater watches the band Casual Confusion perform on Open Streets West Broadway.

Photo by Henry Pan

Every year when I have these conversations with City officials, they’re always asking me how they can do less.

By Dr. Nathan Chomilo Guest Contributor

Another police shooting. A child is suffering the life long impacts of lead poisoning.

Families are struggling to find a place to live.

These are all outcomes that affect the health of ev eryone in our community and are heavily influenced by our participation in the civic duty of voting. Education, housing, nutrition and law enforce ment policies are just some of the examples of how our health is directly impacted by the policies our government does or does not enact.

Voting is one of the main ways that we can speak up and directly influence the con ditions that can improve our own health and the health of our community. Overwhelm ingly, People of Color, people with disabilities, low-income Americans, the uninsured, and young people are those most likely to be unregistered to vote as well as to experience barriers to voter registration.

This double whammy of increased barriers to voting and decreased participation has been shown to impact those who elected officials are responsive to. Politicians are less responsive to people

Health

Why voting is good for your health

who are non-voting or from communities with low voter turnout. This in turn leads to policies that favor those who show up at the polls, at times at the expense of those who do not or are not able to.

How our schools are run, where corporations are al lowed to build facilities that pollute the environment we live in, who has access to public programs like Medicaid, food stamps, housing or child care assistance, all this is de termined by elected officials. Therefore, a harmful cycle has developed where our commu nity started behind due to rac ist policies.

These policies made access to the ballot box difficult for

higher incomes.

Communities that have high voter turnout, espe cially those with high rates of poverty, have lower income inequality and higher wages. And to drive that point home further, in communities with high socio-economic inequali ty and poor voter turnout, sur veys have shown worse selfreported health compared to those that have a higher voter turnout.

Simply put, voting is good for your health.

Enfranchisement, improv ing access to voting, of Black voters in particular has been associated with reductions in Black and White child educa tion gaps. Enfranchisement of

the organization Vot-ER in 2019 to help patients get registered to vote while they were in the hospital.

right to vote is not the same as trying to influence whom or what someone votes for.

some and undesirable for oth ers. A low turnout left us with elected officials who depriori tized our communities’ needs and further deepened the dis advantage we face in attaining a fair level of health.

The good news is that there are ways we can break this cycle. Young adults who vote and are civically engaged have been shown to have better mental health, achieve higher levels of education, and have

women has been linked with subsequent increased spend ing on children and even lower child mortality.

Physicians and other healthcare providers are be coming more aware of the impact of voting and civic par ticipation on the health and well-being of their patients and communities. Dr. Alister Martin, an emergency medi cine physician at Massachu setts General Hospital, started

As an ER doctor, Martin recognized that there are no prescriptions or procedures that fix many of the conditions responsible for his patients’ poor health such as home lessness, hunger, joblessness or violence. Vot-ER has since collaborated with over 300 health institutions across the country to provide doctors, nurses, and other healthcare staff with tools that make helping someone register to vote easy.

In the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election, Vot-ER helped over 46,700 people vote by assisting with regis tration or showing how to re quest a mail-in ballot to vote from home. To date, a dozen Minnesota healthcare institu tions have had providers uti lize Vot-ER tools.

It should be noted that helping people exercise their

Most healthcare institutions have policies against express ing a political affiliation or posting or wearing any cam paign materials from a specific candidate or about a specific ballot measure.

However, this is fundamen tally different from helping individuals register to vote, and our current laws even acknowledge this. The U.S. tax code supports voter reg istration at nonprofit 501©(3) organizations (which applies to most hospitals in the U.S.), and the National Voter Regis tration Act of 1993 states that venues that provide public as sistance, including Medicaid services, are empowered to register eligible voters.

So if your doctor asks you if you are registered to vote, know that it is not a question they are posing just to get in your business. It is directly tied to your health. I hope that

you are registered and plan to vote on November 8. If not, you can still register on elec tion day.

There is a saying that when it comes to decisions being made about public policy, ei ther you are at the table or you are on the menu. Let’s make sure our community’s health is a priority on the 2022 table.

This article was previously published in the MSR on Oc tober 27, 2021.

Dr. Nathan T. Chomilo is the medical director for the State of Minnesota’s Medicaid/Medical Assistance & MinnesotaCare programs and practices as a general pediatrician in Brooklyn Center with Park Nicollet. He is a board member of the Minne sota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and an adjunct assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife and son.

One in three African Ameri can blood donors is a match for people with sickle cell disease

During Sickle Cell Aware ness Month in September, the American Red Cross em phasizes the importance of a diverse blood supply to help meet the needs of those with sickle cell disease—the most common inherited blood dis order in the U.S.

Sickle cell disease impacts more than 100,000 people across the country, most of whom are of African descent. Regular blood transfusions are critical to managing extreme pain and life-threatening com plications faced by many.

Unfortunately, they may develop an immune response

against blood from donors that is not closely matched to their own. However, because most individuals who are Black have unique structures on their red blood cells that are not often found in other donor populations, One in three African American blood donors is a match for people with sickle cell disease.

Seasonal changes can trigger pain crises for those battling sickle cell—possibly increasing the need for life saving blood transfusions.

Life-threatening complications

Sickle cell disease distorts soft, round blood cells and turns them hard and crescentshaped, which can cause se

vere pain. “When cells harden, they can get caught in blood

vessels, potentially leading to stroke and organ failure,” said Dr. David Mair, divisional chief medical officer for the Ameri can Red Cross.

Bathesheba Benson knows hope and pain more than most. Known as Sheba, her first sickle cell crisis happened when at home in Minnesota. She was just five years old and had a stroke. It was then that her family learned she had inherited the sickle cell trait from both of her parents.

“Oh, my goodness, it’s so hard,” she said. “I have to plan life out ahead of time. I have to double think about my decisions that I take in life.” Sometimes a crisis can’t be prevented. Certain fac tors, like extreme cold, elevate risks. Even something quite ordinary, such as five-minute walk to a nail salon, can ig nite the spiral. “I feel healthier

Partnering with the commu nity

To help ensure patients have the blood products they need, the American Red Cross is working with partners in the Black community to grow the number of blood donors who are Black through the sickle cell initiative, which launched in 2021.

In the first year of the ini tiative, the number of firsttime African American blood donors who gave with the Red Cross increased by 60%.

In September and October, the Red Cross launches Joined by Blood, a fall component of the initiative where the Red Cross is teaming up with com

munity organizations, like the National Pan-Hellenic Coun cil and others, to host blood drives and inspire donors who are Black to give blood to sup port patients with sickle cell disease. To learn more, visit RedCrossBlood.org/OurBlood.

Testing for sickle cell trait

At a time when health infor mation has never been more important, the Red Cross is screening all blood, platelet and plasma donations from self-identified African Ameri can donors for the sickle cell trait.

This additional screening will provide Black donors with an additional health insight and help the Red Cross iden tify compatible blood types more quickly to help patients with sickle cell disease. Do nors can expect to receive sickle cell trait screening re sults, if applicable, within one to two weeks through the Red Cross Blood Donor App and the online donor portal at RedCrossBlood.org.

How to donate

Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCross Blood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. Red

If your doctor asks you if you are registered to vote, know that it is not a question they are posing just to get in your business. It is directly tied to your health.

once I get blood in my sys tem—I feel brighter, stronger and healthier—you can see it in my face—my sister says ‘you look better’.”

Highways, now the Minnesota Depart ment of Transportation, in 1940.

Even though not everyone sup ported the alignment, they couldn’t divert the highway elsewhere. In 1947, St. Paul city engineer George Harrold proposed I-94 should instead run in between today’s Energy Park Drive and Pierce Butler Route, sparing neighbor hoods from destruction.

White flight, redlining, racism, and government support for highways for defense and to facilitate travel to and from the suburbs quickly sealed Ron do’s fate. “Their backs were up against a wall, like a lot of Black communities around the country,” said Josh Kohn stamm, who handles public relations for ReconnectRondo.

Construction began in February 1959, destroying 7,000 housing units, 6,000 of which were in St. Paul, and dis placing 25,000 people. Construction in Rondo began in 1960 and involved displacing 600 families and 300 busi nesses. The Rondo stretch was the first to open, with the entire freeway open to traffic by late 1967.

In 2015, then-MnDOT Chair Charlie Zelle apologized to Rondo community leaders for destroying their neighbor hood. A year later, MnDOT began engaging community members about how a rebuilt highway should look.

After pressure by local transportation advocates, MnDOT will study remov ing I-94 as one of the alternatives to

HIawatHa

Continued from page 1

level, we can then start apply ing for federal grants to fund our engineering project and our Alternative Six plan.”

But until the Bronze Foun dation reaches that stage, all funds are paid from private money. “We have to foot the bill ourselves to continue to wage this war. It’s indeed a process, but not cheap. But these are professionals that we need to develop our Alterna tive Six plan and help us to get Hiawatha on the National Reg istry,” said Dean.

“So, we are asking supporters as a nonprofit, to go to our web site www.bronzefoundation.org

rebuilding it as is, and plan to discuss why they need to do this project at an online meeting on September 26.

A land bridge

Even before MnDOT’s apology and planning, Rondo community members sought to reclaim what the government destroyed. Marvin Roger Anderson, who started the annual Rondo Days gathering to celebrate the lost commu nity, fostered the idea of a land bridge where people can create a cultural enterprise zone to restore and bring prosperity back to Rondo.

“What we really are focused on is the land bridge being a tool for restoring an entire geographic area, to create an African American cultural enterprise district. That’s what Rondo was,” said Keith Baker, who runs ReconnectRon do. “[We envision] housing [and] busi nesses, business incubation, creating a social fabric within a community that was destroyed, creating a way in which a community can become vibrant now.”

They have won support from local community organizations and busi nesses, private companies, and the state legislature, which approved $6 million in 2021 to study the idea. And with the passage last year of the Infra structure Investment and Jobs Act, sometimes known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the City of St. Paul may apply for a Reconnecting Commu nities grant with ReconnectRondo to study it further, and ReconnectRondo may apply for the grant themselves to draft a land bridge design.

Not everyone is satisfied with Reconnect Rondo’s vision. A petition created by Tish Jones and Pavielle French in 2021 questioned the orga

and please donate. This is about a lot more than just golf.”

Park Board Superinten dent Al Bangoura released a press release shortly after the vote stating that the use of the course is still available as 18-holes until the funding is secured for the projected rede sign. The MSR reached out to several members of the Park Board, but they did not reply by press time.

The Park Board’s decision to redesign the historic golf course seems off the mark to Dean, as he explained a litany of reasons why the vote is wrong. “In 1967, when that golf course flooded, none of the surrounding hous es were affected. In 1985, none of the surrounding houses were flooded.

“In 2014, when the Hiawatha Golf Course flooded, hardly

nization’s transparency and efforts to engage the community, which Recon nectRondo says they have worked to address. Both Jones and French were unable to comment for this story.

Meanwhile, the transportation advocacy organization Our Streets Minneapolis doesn’t think the plan goes far enough. “It would leave a high way underneath and all of the related harms, like asthma rates, air pollution; life expectancy is often lower [for those who live near highways],” said Our Streets Minneapolis Advocacy Director José Antonio Zayas Cabán. “And more

harmful for Minneapolis and St. Paul communities, not just when it was first constructed, but every day since then,” said organizer Alex Burns. “Is this something that we want to perpetu ate, or do we want to build something that achieves better outcomes for the people that live along the freeway?”

The proposal is supported by a coalition of environmental organiza tions, as well as at least three neighbor hood associations along the corridor that have different ideas about how the ultimate vision should manifest. Should their visions be fulfilled by MnDOT, it would become the longest freeway removal project in the United States as of today.

ReconnectRondo is skeptical that the removal could happen. “Two feasibility studies were done on [the land bridge] project,” said Kohnstamm. “You know, the [Twin Cities Boulevard, a coalition of organizations] hasn’t done that due dili gence yet. So, it’s impossible to tell. We know [the land bridge] is a viable way of revitalizing the community.”

African American cultural enterprise district regardless,” said Baker.

Why not give Rondo their land back?

Some in the community, like Adams, wonder why not just return the land where I-94 is to the community. “Put down our businesses, our housing, our neighborhood that was grown before [the government] came and took it from us. Then it would be Reconnect ing Rondo,” said Adams.

That’s what both proposals plan to achieve, but the two organizations are approaching it in different ways. “We’ve been advocating [for] a community land trust to ensure that private devel opers and speculators aren’t swooping in and buying up that land,” said Our Streets’ Alex Burns, adding that they need to understand from those along the corridor what a community land trust, which could include ownership opportunities, would look like.

than that, the land bridge is limited to a small section of the entire project. We feel all communities should be recon nected at once.”

Why not remove the freeway entirely?

In February, Our Streets Minneapo lis unveiled a proposal to completely replace I-94 between Hiawatha Ave. and Marion St.with a surface-level bou levard that includes walking and biking trails; fare-free fast buses, perhaps running on dedicated lanes; and hous ing and business development over a community land trust which ensures permanently affordable housing and business space.

“The highway has been immensely

any homes near the flooded course were extensively dam aged—and there is a reason for that,” explained Dean. “The golf course itself is designed to pull water in from several areas.

“The second thing I want to say about the recent decision,” Dean continued, “is the Min neapolis Park and Recreation

Ariane Long also does not think I-94 should be removed. “I-94 is the main highway. Why take it out of the main area?” said Long, who uses I-94 to get to her home in St. Cloud but is looking to move back to Rondo, where she grew up.

Nonetheless, ReconnectRondo appears open to retooling their proposal should MnDOT decide to remove I-94. “If MnDOT through its process decides to fill it in— through its process because it’s got to make those decisions, we don’t make those decisions—then we’ll figure out what our pivot is and what our incorporation is to still create an

agencies, but not MPRB. I hon estly believe they threw in the water issue with the intent to grab the land,” said Dean.

“Now what the Park Board plans to do is flood out the Back 9. Now think about this—when they do that…that type of heavy rainfall comes every 15-20 years. If they have destroyed the current irriga tion system, when that record rainfall comes, they will effec tively have paved the way for 500 homes in the area to have flooded basements.”

Board does not have a mandate to handle water. And although water is not part of their man date, they took it upon them selves to say, ‘We are going to fix that problem.’

“Water issues fall under the authority of the DNR and other

tice and make diversion available to more people, but we have to have the resources to do that. We’re finding out that these alternatives to incarceration are extremely successful and the recidi vism rate for people repeating crimes is very low.

have to understand that judges on the bench come from all walks of life. We try to do everything on a consistent basis and that can be improved, but the advantage that I have as a retired judge is that I have these relationships that I built with these judges on the bench.

I can still go back as a former judge and talk to them and speak to them and let them know what issues I think they need to address and vice versa.

MSR: What are some of the alternatives to incarceration that you think would be beneficial to people going through the legal system?

MHD: Well, we’ve got to increase our resources and get them through the systems a lot quicker. I’m very con cerned about if we have people that have a drug addiction and need treat ment, we’ve got to get them to those resources as quickly as possible.

Also with mental health issues, we have to address those issues immediately. We do have specialty courts that address those issues, along with PTSD for our veterans, and we do make those avenues available, but we have to increase our resources and expand them.

We also need to improve and increase resources for restorative jus

MSR: What was your early experience in the legal system and how did that time inform your work going forward?

MHD: I started out on the property team, so I worked as a prosecutor over North, and I worked over North for a number of years. I collaborated with law enforcement at the time along with community organizations. We did impact crime at that point. This was 1999, sort of at the tail end of the “Murderapolis” years, and we were able to decrease crime to such an extent that the Minneapolis Police Depart ment received a national award.

By the time I left the county attor ney’s office in 2009, the homicide rate in Minneapolis was 7, and as we know last year it was 46. We can do the same thing again. We are at a lower level of police officers in Min neapolis, we’re going to have to find other resources to collaborate with, but we can do that again.

MSR: What would you change in the management of the county attorney’s office if elected?

MHD: We have to let people know what the heck we are doing. I really want to see more of the county

As described in earlier report ing, the Park Board plans to flood half of it the Back 9, add a dog park, a BMX bike area, and a putt-putt area. And sadly, said Dean, “The newly-designed Park Board golf course was not designed by a golf course designer—meaning that design

attorneys in the communities. Letting people know that we work for them. We have to be more transparent with people. When I go out in the com munity at large in Hennepin County, it’s amazing how many people don’t often know what the Hennepin County Attorney really does, and I think that is a huge error on the coun ty attorney’s part.

In terms of the Chauvin case, and some of the police shootings, we can’t make decisions and go out there and blatantly make statements that com pletely outrage the community. We really have to be careful and make sure we have all of the evidence and which laws were violated.

MSR: What would you do differently in the prosecution of the officers involved in George Floyd’s death or other situations of police brutality?

MHD: At this stage, I would keep those cases in the office. The Hen nepin County Attorney’s Office has a wealth of smart, experienced attor neys. We have to hold police officers accountable for violations of people’s civil rights. We want to treat them the same way we treat any other offender who would commit a violent crime. But we need all of the information before we make that decision.

MSR: What are some things you’d like to do in office if elected to address public safety and help lower crime?

MHD: When we first heard the

ReconnectRondo has a similar idea, although they are not calling it a community land trust. “We continue to work with jurisdictional partners, community members and others to actualize a unique 4P financing mecha nism—people, public, private and phil anthropic—that allows ownership to be in the hands of the community,” said Baker. “We believe people in the neigh borhood should be able to invest in it and reap the return and benefit.”

Those interested in participating, including offering comments at the Sept. 26 meeting, can do so at https://bit.ly/ RethinkingRondoMeetingSept26.

Henry Pan welcomes reader responses to hpan@spokesman-recorder.com.

is not legitimate. It is something they rushed out to show the public that they already had an alternative 9-hole plan. But it wasn’t designed by a golf course architect.”

Another issue is with the MPRB’s urgency to move forth with the redesign. A recent MPRB release outlines that Hiawatha Park communities were invited to open events, thus implying there was a fair and open vetting of the matter with community input.

“The release left out one impor tant fact—people of color have used this park since it first opened, and their input appears to have carried the least weight in this vetting process,” lamented Dean.

“Some of us have known that the Park Board has been on a mission to redesign or shut down the course since 2014.

message “defund the police,” that was a terrible message to send to criminals. When we turn around, we’re missing 300 police officers. I’ll tell you, in my neighborhood that was just a death nail. We have to change the narrative and send the message that if you commit a crime, there are consequences.

If the offense is severe, like a violent crime involving a gun, murder, rape, or aggravated robbery as such, if the person is convicted, they’re looking at a prison sentence. But if it’s a lowerlevel crime or a lower-level felony that doesn’t involve a person, we give the person an opportunity to go through diversion and give them a second chance. I’ve done that a lot.

MSR: How would you like to see police interacting with the public?

MHD: I would love to see more community policing. It worked back in the day, and I think we need it in our trouble spots. I think we need them downtown and we need them in other areas where we’re seeing an increase in crime.

It just really pays to have the police walking the streets and letting people know that there’s a presence there and that they care. When you get to know folks and their kids, and you’re a regular person in the neighborhood, it makes a huge difference in terms of not only improving the trust in the police department but also in terms of tamp ing down the amount of crime in those neighborhoods.

But let’s look at this for what it is: There are specific people on the Park Board who say they want to make things better at Hiawatha Park. But yet their Master Plan does not include cleaning up Lake Hiawatha. The lake is so unclean that I would not eat fish from there, and no one should be swimming in that lake.” warned Dean.

“If the board wants to start somewhere, that’s where they should begin. But if they flood out the Back 9 it will become a marshland as it was many years ago before it became Hiawatha Park.”

The MSR will continue to follow this story as it develops.

Al Brown welcomes reader responses to abrown@ spokesman-recorder.com.

MSR: How would you deal with the current opioid crisis if elected to office?

MHD: Well, fentanyl is a lot more deadly than opioids and yet it’s not sen tenced, and the consequences are not as severe. I’d like to put more emphasis on getting the legislature to under stand how potent fentanyl is, how dan gerous it is, have it reclassified, perhaps. And we have to put more emphasis on targeting these drug dealers that are actually dealing with this very danger ous drug.

MSR: Why should voters come out and support you in this election?

MHD: Well, I think I’m the strongest candidate. I’m the most qualified candi date. I not only worked in the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, but I man aged an office as a criminal deputy of over 60 prosecutors and support staff. I was appointed to the bench by Gov ernor Mark Dayton, and I served on the bench for 10 years.

I got a very clear experience on how the system works. I’ve got lots of crimi nal justice partners that I’ve worked with and developed relationships with over the years. I also have the strongest message when it comes to public safety and criminal justice and police reform. I will do the best I can to improve the status of everyone in Hennepin County.

Abdi Mohamed welcomes reader responses to amohamed@spokesmanrecorder.com.

“This is about a lot more than just golf.”

“The highway has been immensely harmful for Minneapolis and St. Paul communities.”

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By Mike Moen

On the heels of a promis ing poverty report, there are renewed calls to make perma nent certain pandemic policies that helped struggling families in Minnesota and around the country.

Last week, an annual Cen sus Bureau report showed that child poverty fell sharply last year to a record low of 5.2%.

Arloc Sherman, vice presi dent for data analysis and research with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said that was largely fueled by the temporary expansion of the federal Child Tax Credit.

He noted that other census information revealed monthly payments from the credit helped eligible households meet basic needs.

“The families were saying, ‘We’re spending this money to buy food, we’re spending it to pay the rent, we’re buy ing books for our children’s school,’” said Sherman.

But the expanded credit

Good news on poverty should be the norm

expired, and Sherman predict ed that an uptick in poverty this year if Congress doesn’t revisit the issue.

In Minnesota, the Children’s Defense Fund urges the Leg islature to use surplus money to create a separate state Child Tax Credit. Opponents, including GOP lawmakers, say expanding government spending long-term will con tribute to more inflation woes, hurting family budgets.

But Sherman argued that global supply-chain issues and other factors are playing a role in the current infla tion problem. And he said if future investments are geared more for low-income families, rather than the large pandemic relief bills, they shouldn’t register nega tive economic waves.

Instead, he said it would help the country down the road.

“The good news is that now we’ve shown we actu ally know how to reduce that kind of poverty and povertyrelated stress,” said Sherman.

He said moving forward with this blueprint will result in better outcomes for kids, building on some of the prog

ress that was seen even prior to the pandemic.

In Congress, lawmakers who support reviving the

Child Tax Credit are looking for new opportunities to negotiate, including pend ing changes to certain busi

ness tax breaks.

Mike Moen is a writer for the Minnesota News Connection.

Minnesota joins coalition to develop hydrogen as clean energy opportunity

This week, Gov. Tim Walz joined governors in Wiscon sin, Illinois, Indiana, Ken tucky, Michigan, and Ohio to announce the launch of the Midwest Hydrogen Coali tion (M-H2 Coalition). The coalition will accelerate the development of clean hydro gen, from production and supply chain to distribution in agriculture, manufactur ing, transportation, and other industries.

“The development of clean hydrogen markets will create jobs and strengthen indus tries across our state,” said Gov. Walz. “I am proud to join a coalition that will work to expand the clean energy economy and reduce climate impacts on future generations across Minnesota and the U.S.”

The benefits of the initia tive include expanding the clean energy economy in Minnesota and creating goodpaying jobs; reducing long-

term costs for consumers and businesses; reducing harmful carbon emissions; and pro moting energy independence, according to press materials.

The Minnesota Department of Commerce will work with the M-H2 Coalition to pursue billions in hydrogen invest ments, particularly through

federal funding, to produce and use clean hydrogen.

“The Midwest Hydrogen Coalition brings opportunities for Minnesota to collaborate

with multiple states to draw more investment and develop more innovations,” said Com merce Commissioner Grace Arnold. “Clean hydrogen gives

us another great opportunity to transition to a clean energy economy.”

The Infrastructure Invest ment and Jobs Act provided the U.S. Department of Energy with $8 billion to fund regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs, networks of clean hydrogen producers, consumers, and connective infrastructure. The Inflation Reduction Act, recent ly signed into law by President Biden, creates a tax credit for hydrogen production, which will make clean hydrogen com petitive with fossil fuels.

The M-H2 Coalition will be able to leverage existing infrastructure and develop partnerships with commercial, university, research, and non profit organizations to fund and develop solutions for a robust market for clean hydrogen.

Source: The Offices of Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan

Obituary

It is with our deepest sorrow that we share you the passing of our beloved father, grandfather, uncle, cousin, and friend Arthur Frazier, Jr. on September 16, 2022, MN 55411.

Arts & Culture

‘The Woman King’ crowns International Film Festival

By Dwight Brown

The mighty women of the Agojie were war riors. From the 1600s to1800s in the West African Kingdom of Dahomey, this all-female military regiment gallantly fought their empire’s enemies.

Film fans first glimpsed the Dahomey Amazon legacy in the Marvel movie “Black Pan ther,” where the Dora Milaje special forces in the fictional nation of Wakanda were mod eled after those fighters. So, an introduction has already been made.

On a visit to Benin in 2015, actress/producer Maria Bello encountered the legend of the Agojie, fathomed a movie, and with screenwriter Dana Stevens crafted a fictionalized story of true-life female com batants.

Other corroborators in clude filmmaker Gina PrinceBlythewood, who researched the women, culture and era, adding her insight; Oscarwinning actress Viola Davis and her production company; and producer Cathy Schulman (“Crash”). The project is largely a female and POC effort.

In 1823, in a region that is now Benin, General Na nisca (Davis) leads a military regiment that serves at the pleasure of young King Ghezo (John Boyega). Her women and girls help protect the em battled kingdom of Dahomey from neighboring adversar ies like the Oyo Empire, led by the murderous Oba Ade (Jimmy Odukoya) and from White Brazilian enslavers, commanded by Santo Ferreira (Hero Fiennes Tiffin). Their mission also includes freeing and releasing captured Afri

cans headed for slave ships.

The wise Nanisca is aid ed by her top officers, the courageous Izogie (Lashana Lynch, “No Time to Die”) and the very nurturing Amenza (Sheila Atim, “The Under ground Railroad”). Girls and women vie to enlist in their army.

Nawi (Thuso Mbedu, “The Underground Railroad”), an abused and orphaned adoles cent, is among the candidates competing for a position in a troop that’s comprised of vir gin women who eschew mar riage and men. Nanisca eyes the rebellious aspirant, who doesn’t always follow orders but shows no fear and exhib its leadership qualities.

The two spar physically and verbally. Nawi: “They say that the soldiers are magic. But you look like an old woman to me.” Conflict and warfare rage around them.

The script sets the premise, time and location. The sol diers, kings and enslavers are large on the page, and even grander on a movie screen. Bigger than life. The rivalries, betrayals, palace intrigue, ro mances, mentoring, grudges, ferocious battles and sub plots are as epic and mythical

as those in The Gladiator or the Star Wars sagas.

The topical theme of fight ing oppression is evident in the war against enslavers. The righteous movement to pro tect others from human traf ficking and subjugation is gal vanizing. Black history buffs may know that some African tribes were complicit in the

(shot in Cape Town, South Africa) look regional and his toric due to Akin McKenzie’s (“When They See Us”) produc tion design. Costume designer Gersha Phillips (“Star Trek:

fection by cinematographer Polly Morgan.

When sequences need more drama, romance or thrills, Terence Blanchard’s score ups the ante, while editor Terilyn

Old Guard”) primed PrinceBlythewood for this feminist fable. Like an artist and a shaman, she creates an atmo sphere steeped in culture and history.

Along with the extraordi nary stunt choreography, she makes the fight scenes chaot ic, balletic and glorious. Under her guidance, the palace dra ma seems royal and dire and the romance between Nawi and the Brazilian Malik (Jor dan Bolger) is enchanting. Her creativity and versatility are on view throughout.

Davis is magnetic, intense and powerful as the com manding general. She heads an ensemble that milks the characters’ emotions (inno cence, anger, fear, romance) and adds human portraits to the story of slavery, especially for those who fought against it. The King: “Sometimes a mouse can take down an el ephant.”

A huge spectacle. A fic tional action-drama steeped in history. African in nature but universal in its depiction of greed, suppression and tyr anny. A deft team of female artists have masterfully cre ated a feminist allegory that will excite and inform movie lovers for years to come.

“The Woman King” pre miered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festi val and won a standing ova tion. Among a stellar group of diverse films and voices, it still rose to the top.

slave trading industry. Oth ers maybe not. This can be a learning experience. Nanisca to the King: “Let us not be an empire that sells our people!”

The King’s dwelling, the village and the port towns

Discovery”) enhances the pag eantry with lavish robes that drape the king and his wives and adds to the Agojie’s fiery personae with uniforms that highlight their lean physiques. All visuals are framed to per

A. Shropshire (“When They See Us”) makes 2h 15m roll by in seconds.

Writing and directing ro mantic dramas (“Love & Bas ketball”) and segueing into badass superhero films (“The

Visit NNPA News Wire film critic Dwight Brown at Dwight BrownInk.com.

On Sept. 16, “The Woman King” opened at number-one with a weekend estimate of $19 million, ahead of expert predictions.

Legendary jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis dies at age 87

MSR News Service

Last week the music world mourned the news that jazz pianist, three-time Grammy winner, and NEA Jazz Master Ramsey Lewis died peacefully at his home in Chicago on the morning of September 12. He was 87.

His family announced the news on his Facebook page. Read the rest of the family’s obituary below:

Ramsey E. Lewis, Jr. was born in Chicago on May 27, 1935. Growing up in the Cabrini Green housing project, he began taking piano lessons at age four and played piano at church, where his father was choir director. A jazz fan who played lots of Duke El lington and Art Tatum at home and took his son to jazz con certs, Ramsey Lewis Sr. en couraged Ramsey to embrace that music.

When Ramsey was a fresh man at Wells High School, saxophonist and pianist Wal lace Burton, a fellow church musician whose jazz ventures had enticed Ramsey, asked him to join his band, the Clefs, a septet of collegians that blended jazz and R&B.

Lewis needed to familiarize himself with bebop and other jazz styles but learned on the run. After the outbreak of the Korean War, the military draft claimed several mem bers of the Clefs, including

Burton. The three members who didn’t get drafted—Lew is, bassist Eldee Young, and drummer Redd Holt—formed what would become known as the classic Ramsey Lewis Trio. In 1956 they released their first album, “Ramsey Lewis and His Gentlemen of Jazz,” on the Chess label. Three years later, Lewis was invited to perform with the trio at Birdland in New York. Their three-week gig led to performances at the Newport Jazz Festival and the Village Vanguard, and record ings with Max Roach, Clark Terry, and Sonny Stitt.

Lewis broke through in a big way in 1965 with the early crossover smash, “The In Crowd.” The elegantly funky, Grammy-winning song (writ ten by Dobie Gray) was fol lowed by two more chart-top pers, “Hang on Sloopy” and “Wade in the Water.”

After Young and Holt left to form their own group, Lewis

continued in the trio format with bassist Cleveland Ea ton and future Earth, Wind & Fire eminence Maurice White on drums. He subsequently experimented on electronic keyboards in more expansive settings.

A high point was his 1974 album “Sun Goddess,” pro duced by White and featuring members of Earth, Wind & Fire (whose falsetto special ist Philip Bailey he would tour with years later). The record ing established Lewis as a fu sion music icon with broad appeal.

Over the years, Lewis has performed and recorded in a remarkable variety of musical settings. Throughout the ’70s, he embraced R&B and Latin music without abandoning mainstream jazz. In 1983, on the album Reunion, he recon stituted his most famous trio.

In 1995, he introduced the crossover supergroup Ur

ban Knights, featuring Grover Washington Jr., Earl Klugh, and Dave Koz. Urban Knights I was the first of eight albums by the band. In 2005, return ing to his gospel roots, Lewis recorded With One Voice, which earned him the Stellar Gospel Music Award for Best Gospel Instrumental Album.

Among his many honors were five honorary doctor ate degrees and an NAACP Image Award for Outstand ing Jazz Artist. “The In Crowd” single was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and his personal memorabilia reside at the Smithsonian Institution.

Lewis received a 2007 Na tional Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Award, which placed him in the hallowed company of such piano leg ends as Ahmad Jamal, Chick Corea, McCoy Tyner, Dr. Billy Taylor, and Cecil Taylor.

In his late ’80s, Lewis still connected with younger gen erations. His monthly Satur day Salon livestream series, produced during the pandem ic by his wife Jan, was critically acclaimed. His forthcoming al bum, “The Beatles Songbook: The Saturday Salon Series, Volume One,” which will be re leased November 11 by Steele Records, was drawn from the livestream performances.

Ramsey also spent the last year of his life working on his memoir “Gentleman of Jazz” with his co-writer Aaron

Cohen. The book will be re leased via Blackstone Pub lishing in 2023.

Ramsey Lewis is survived by his loving wife Janet Lewis; daughters Denise Jeffries and Dawn Allain (Michael); sons Kendall Kelly Lewis, Frayne Lewis (Juletta), and Bobby Lewis (Crystal); grandchildren Apryl Daniels (Dennis), Regan Lewis, Kris Jeffries (Nailah), Joshua Allain, Junell Lewis, Malachi Lewis, Aja Alain, Jor dan Lewis, Ramsey Lewis IV,

Johnson; and nephew James Johnson.

He was predeceased by his sons Ramsey Lewis III and Kevyn Lewis.

‘Ramsey’s passion for music was truly fueled by the love and dedication of his fans across the globe. He loved touring and meeting music lovers from so many cultures and walks of life.

It was our family’s great pleasure to share Ramsey in this special way with all those who

(l-r) Sheila Atim, Thuso Mbedu, John B oyega, Viola Davis and Lashana Lynch in “The Woman King” at the Toronto Interna tional Film Festival Photos courtesy of NNPA

Viola Davis and Thuso Mbedu in “The Woman King”

Dorien Olson-Lewis, Miyoshie Lewis, Meshach Lewis, Taylor Lewis, Kevai Lewis, Frayne Lewis Jr., Niya Lewis, and Asia Lewis; great-grandchildren Jalen Simmons, Dennis Dan iels III, Omari Jackson; nieces Paula Jackson and Kimberly

admired his God-given talents. We are forever grateful for your support.’ —Jan Lewis.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to The Jazz Foundation of America at www. jazzfoundation.org.

Ramsey Lewis

Photos courtesy of MGN

Opinion

By Melinda Burrell

I had been outside since 5:45 am, in 50-degree drizzle. My feet were soaked despite several changes of socks. My fellow out side poll observers, Republicans and Democrats alike, looked just as forlorn as we answered voters’ questions in Virginia during the 2018 election.

Decolonizing our minds to free our thinking

By Margaret Kimberly

The word decolonization should not be treated as trendy slang. It describes an important political and psychological process. Media and state attempts at indoctrination show just how important it is.

It is vital to free ourselves from belief in the systems of White Supremacy and imperi alism that are inculcated in the educational system and are af firmed and amplified by the me dia and establishment opinion. The recent death of Queen Eliza beth II puts the need for political and psychological liberation in high relief.

We are encouraged to admire an anachronistic monarchy and are exhorted to join in mourning an individual and a system that have caused great harm to Black and other oppressed people around the world.

It is important to point out that British prime ministers are heads of government while the monarch is head of state. Eliza beth bore responsibility for every UK government action during her 70-year-long reign. The concen tration camps and torture in Ke nya during the independence struggle were her responsibility.

So was the U.S.-backed de cision to undermine the com monwealth nation of Australia and dispatch Gough Whitlam, the elected prime minister, who strayed too far from the im perialist consensus. The Win drush scandal that deprived Ca ribbean immigrants of their rights happened under her reign, as did Britain’s invasion of Iraq and sup port for the destruction of Libya.

Yet anyone who questions the monarchy’s role as part of the Western axis of domination is rarely given access to media, making it difficult to be free of propaganda that is used to elicit fealty to monarchs, presidents, and the people and institutions who empower them.

From childhood we are taught that invaders of other nations, en slavers and colonizers, are worthy of respect and admiration. Centu ries of criminality are passed off as benign, and we are admonished to remember that the criminals in question were “products of their time” and are to be thought of with fond reverence.

The corporate media didn’t begin lionizing the queen of Eng land just this week. Her private life and that of her ancestors are the stuff of endless histories that permeate popular culture. Eras in British history are directly iden tified with past monarchs and called Elizabethan or Victorian or Edwardian. The idea that Ameri cans should also be interested in the royals is the result of heavyhanded indoctrination.

Of course, that is why the very deliberate confusion continues. The narrative that the U.S. and Britain have a “special relation ship” is based on manufactured sentimentality rather than the fact that the founding State acts in concert with its settler colony.

The indoctrination process can be like a sledgehammer, as it will be for the next few days, but can also be more subtle. None of my teachers said that the deaths of White people were worse than the deaths of people of col or, but the only time I heard the word genocide in a classroom was if the Nazi killings of Jewish people were discussed.

I was taught nothing of Bel gian King Leopold’s personal theft of the Congo’s resources or of the killing of some 15 mil lion people there. Nor was the word genocide used to describe the trans-Atlantic slave trade or chattel slavery as practiced throughout the Americas or the deaths by invasion, slaughter and disease of indigenous people that also took place in this hemi sphere.

At about 2 pm, a woman with three small kids in tow waved at us as she went in to vote. I loved seeing her—and other parents— bring their kids to the polls.

“Thank you for being here!” she called to all of us as she emerged. My colleagues and I smiled at her and each other. We felt good, be ing part of the electoral process… cold as it was.

Fifteen minutes later, the woman reappeared. She hopped out of her SUV with a tray of Star bucks hot chocolates. “You all look cold, and I wanted to thank you.”

This columnist was the recipi ent of a Eurocentric education, beginning with an emphasis on European history in high school. College continued this unstated belief in the superiority of the people being studied, that is to say White people who either were from the ruling classes or worked to further their interests.

History lessons were full of emphases on the blood lines of monarchs, and stories of which king or queen did what to whom were staples of the curriculum. It is a somewhat interesting fac toid that the monarchs of Great Britain, Russia and Germany in the early 20th century were all related, but that information doesn’t reveal anything about the causes of World War I. The lede was buried under historical fluff, but teachers and professors don’t announce that they are brainwashing students.

The elevation of one group as the sole victims of genocide and the erasure of others as not being worthy of the designation sends a subtle message that seeps into the mind and is im printed in memory.

Decolonization is hard work and serious business. It requires a rejection of what passes for news and conventional wisdom. Of course, its meaning can be changed at an opportune mo ment, as recently happened when the neoconservative fan tasy of breaking up Russia was reimagined as decolonization. That sort of trickery is proof that political education is key.

Our political education must take place within revolution ary educational structures. If it doesn’t, we will believe that World War II started in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. It actually began in 1937 when Japan attacked China. What ought to be a simple and com monly known fact is lost because White Supremacy centers the European experience.

When we learn new informa tion and unlearn falsehoods, the process of decolonizing begins. At that point no one has to direct us to ignore royal weddings or funerals or unveilings of Barack and Michelle Obama’s new por traits. We know the truth and free ourselves from believing in State propaganda.

Decolonized people know that the prestigious universities they are told to admire receive funds from the Defense Depart ment and the military industrial complex. They know that think tanks that are treated as oracles not to be questioned are also an extension of the State.

Corporate media are also compromised. The publisher of the Washington Post played a key role in Operation Mocking bird, the CIA’s plan to control the media. Of course, the cur rent owner, Jeff Bezos, has CIA contracts through Amazon, so

That was the best hot chocolate I’d ever tasted, and the warmest I’d been all day. But more importantly, I was touched by her kindness to wards three total strangers. A new University of Texas-Austin re port provides a psychological ex planation of what happened, with an experiment oddly similar to my experience.

People were handed a cup of hot chocolate and told they could keep it or give it to some

one else. Those who gave it to someone else reported a bump in their own happiness and an expected bump in the happiness of the recipient. The recipients did report a bump in happiness— but one higher than what the givers had anticipated. In other words, we underestimate the impact of our kind gestures.

Harvard Business Review re ported a similar experiment with compliments, finding that, though we are happy to receive compliments, we may be reluc tant to give them. Somehow, we think they will be seen as insin cere or cheap.

Happiness bumps: the science of the smile underestimate the impact of our kind gestures.

Again, we underestimate our ability to make others happy. But these kindnesses and compli ments are important, particularly now as we try to rebuild social fabric frayed by Covid isolation and toxic polarization.

We are wired with a need to feel valued and connected to others, which these unexpected kindnesses do. They raise our self-esteem and link us to each other. Research shows countless other kindness health benefits, from oxytocin reducing stress levels and blood pressure to se

rotonin increasing happiness.

Kindness is also contagious. Simply witnessing an act of benev olence lights up our brains posi tively and makes us more likely to replicate the kindness. In fractious times, it’s a simple way to make life a little easier for everyone.

First, remind yourself that people definitely will appreciate you appreciating them. Then consider—and commit to—some research-backed options. Do a friendly check-in with potentially lonely friends via text or a call. Send a card describing what you admire about someone.

Compliment a colleague on a task they’ve completed, the more specific about what you liked, the better. Smile as you pass strang ers on the street. Add an extra bump to a tip. Post a kind com ment on a website. Leave a thank you note for your letter carrier.

Trust the research. They’ll ap preciate it more than you’ll know. And they just might pay it for ward. We need this, right?

Melinda Burrell, PhD, @Melin daCBurrell, syndicated by Peace Voice, is a former humanitarian aid worker and now trains on the neuroscience of communication and conflict. She is on the board of the National Association for Com munity Mediation, which offers re sources for community approaches to difficult issues.

By Oscar Blayton

When President Theodore Roosevelt invited Booker T. Wash ington to dine with him at the White House in 1901, the South ern White press condemned President Roosevelt while many African Americans hailed him as a friend of the “Negro.”

But delving into the back ground of Theodore Roosevelt, it is not difficult to find troubling instances of his belief in White Supremacy. One such instance involves the most famous narra tive about Roosevelt.

As school children, we were taught that in the Battle of San Juan Hill, the courageous Teddy Roosevelt led his valiant Rough Riders to victory against a larger enemy force during the SpanishAmerican War. But that narrative is far from the truth.

Modern-day research has brought to light a different story where Black troops, from the 10th Cavalry (Buffalo Soldiers) and other units led in much of the fighting of that campaign and even rescued Teddy Roos evelt and his Rough Riders from annihilation.

According to Jerome Tuccille, author of “The Roughest Riders: The Untold Story of the Black Soldiers in the Spanish-American War,” Roosevelt “straggled up there (the top of San Juan Hill) with just a handful of the remain ing Rough Riders” after Black sol diers had taken the hill and the fighting was over.

Soon after the Battle of San Juan Hill was won, Roosevelt praised the Black soldiers for their valor and steadfastness. But as time passed, he walked back his praise, and by the time he was running for re-election as presi dent in 1904 and needed South ern votes, he denied that Black

little has changed. The decolo nized know that the media act as scribes for police departments as much as they do for the State Department.

Most importantly, radical and independent media, like Black Agenda Report, are a must for anyone who wants to free their thinking. BAR is one of the few

soldiers had participated in the battles in any meaningful way.

It was bad enough that Roos evelt, through the skillful manipula tion of the press, was able to center himself in a narrative of American heroism. But what is worse is that he diminished the sacrifices of Black soldiers and hid the story of their valor from history.

With friends like Theodore Roosevelt, people of color did not need enemies.

Today, there are many selfproclaimed friends of people of color. These friends are quick to point out what is best for us and assure us that the path they want us to take is superior to any other. This scenario plays out in educa tion and industry, as well as in every other area of American life. But nowhere is this phenom enon more injurious to our inter ests than in the political arena.

complicated political dance that prioritizes remaining in office over representing the people.

Four of these junior members— Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of NewYork, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan—are known as “The Squad,” and they have been attacked by Demo cratic politicians who self-identify as moderates or liberals.

While it is very easy to iden tify someone like Donald Trump as a threat to all people of good conscience, it takes close scru tiny to recognize the problematic characteristics of those who call themselves our friends. But it is for our own sake, and the sake of those who come after us, that we must scrutinize critically anyone who advocates against what we know to be in our best interest.

While we have allies, and indeed friends, people of color should not allow politicians to credentialize themselves by vouching for their own authen ticity as racially aware individuals. The struggle ahead of us is too critical to our well-being for us to be hamstrung by people claiming to be our friends while counsel ing a “go slow” approach to “se curing the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.”

Politicians claiming to be our friends have been attacking junior members of color in the U.S. House of Representatives because those junior members choose to faithfully represent the voters who sent them to Wash ington rather than engage in a

As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote in his 1963 letter from a Birmingham jail, “I am in Bir mingham because injustice is here.” His letter was in response to a statement in friendship from eight White religious leaders of the South who had cautioned him against his nonviolent pro tests and questioned why he had come to Birmingham.

The members of The Squad are in Washington because there is injustice in America. And we cannot allow politicians who think they are our friends to hobble those congressional rep resentatives who are prepared to fight for our best interests.

With friends like these who attack The Squad, who needs enemies?

Oscar H. Blayton is a former Marine Corps combat pilot and hu man rights activist who practices law in Virginia. His earlier commen taries may be found at oblayton1. medium.com.

publications, even left publica tions, which seriously analyzed the NATO attack on Libya, or the coups against the people of Haiti, or the U.S. role that began the current crisis in Ukraine. Reading BAR on a regular basis is an anti dote to mental colonization.

Margaret Kimberley is the exec utive Black Agenda of “Prejudential:

So, beware when a narrative is spun 24 hours per day, seven days per week. In all likelihood it is one that must be opposed, and in the best decolonized fashion possible.

When we learn new information and unlearn falsehoods, the process of decolonizing begins.

With friends like these… must scrutinize critically anyone who advocates against what we know to be in our best interest.

Contunued from page 12

for the outfield. “You’re an athlete, they put you in the most athletic positions” such as outfielder, noted Archer. “It’s still like that to this day.”

Since being drafted by Cleveland in the fifth round of the 2006 draft, Archer said he has been a starting pitcher

SOE

Contunued page

wife went in 10 years ago, and so that was a great mo ment.”

Now a vice president at Johnson & Johnson in Atlan ta, Gentil told us, “It’s been 20 years since I first got here.”

The late Minnesota coach Mike Hebert recruited her to be the school’s first des ignated libero or defensive player in anticipation of the

at every level from preps to pros, minor leagues and the majors. “It’s been my role for the last 10 years or so. This is what I’ve done, and I like doing it.”

“I just love the challenge,” said Archer. “There’s a hu man element that you have to be able to read the game with your eyes and pitch to that, but also know what your strength is with the hit

ters’ weaknesses.”

Asked if he intends to stay in baseball after his playing days wind down, he said perhaps in coaching. “I don’t know about a full-time coach,” adding that being a special assistant, a position that former MLB pitcher LaTroy Hawkins currently holds with the Twins, might be something he could do.

He recently has been

ViEw

NCAA changing the rules and allowing this position to become a regular part of col lege volleyball in 2002.

“I had to tell him three times before he understood that I was signing and I was gonna come here,” recalled Gentil (2002-05). “I commit ted on the spot. And I just loved it. It’s so great to be back.”

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

Worship

working with St. Paul Saints pitcher Simeon Woods Rich ardson on his pitching—one Black pitcher to another. “I got a lot of fulfillment out of that,” said Archer.

Next – Our interview with Simeon Woods Richardson

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

Contunued from page 12

at Bethel University. I moved to Springfield in 2018. One hundred percent of my play ers are students of color.”

HOF Museum

Before leaving for home, we took a two-hour solo tour of the Hall of Fame the day after the ceremony. It has been fully renovated and enlarged—it looks like a mall,

complete with stores and eateries inside.

Among the new exhibits is one on Black basketball play ers. “With the help of Claude Johnson of The Black Fives [Foundation] and others, we were able to really put forth a number of individu als” to include in the exhibit, explained HOF President/ CEO John Doleva. “There’s a category called Early Afri can American Pioneers, and that’s what it celebrates.”

“Bill Russell was very much

a catalyst to that,” noted Dol eva of the late HOF who re fused to accept his induction until the Hall seriously includ ed pre-integration Black play ers. Russell, who died earlier this year, finally accepted his HOF jacket and ring a few years ago once he saw things progressing as he wanted.

“He was the center of the whole thing,” said Doleva. We also ran into Marty Eggleston and Faith Single tary, who presented a silver decorated NBA ball to the

HOF Museum. On her fancy designed ball cover, Single tary said, “I’m really grateful for the opportunity.”

Eggleston told me that the ball once was used in the late 1970s movie “The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh,” which he called “my favorite basketball movie of all time. Spencer [Haywood, Class of 2015] was in that movie.”

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

Employment & Legals

From Classified Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder

State of Minnesota Fourth Judicial Hennepin County

PROBATE MENTAL HEALTH DIVISION

NOTICE OF INFORMAL PROBATE OF WILL AND APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

PHONE: 612-827-4021

In Re: Estate of FILE NO. 27-PA-PR-22-1098

LeRoy William Dempsey, Deceased

FOR BILLING INQUIRIES & TEARSHEETS

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS AND CREDITORS:

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

Notice is hereby given, that an application for informal probate of the above named decedent’s last will dated June 28, 2022 has been filed with the Registrar herein, and the application has been granted informally probating such will. Any objections may be filed in the above, and the same will be heard by the Court upon notice of hearing fixed for such purpose.

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The MSR handles billing digitally. This means you will get e-tears and e-mailed invoices unless you specifically request a hard copy. (pursuant to Section 524.3-607) and the Court otherwise orders.

Notice is further given that ALL CREDITORS having claims against said estate are required to present the same to said personal representative or to the Probate Court Administrator within four months after the date of this notice or said claims will be barred.

Dated: August 26, 2022 Lindy Scanlon Registrar

ProSe Sarah Lindahl-Pfieffer District Court Administrator

Notice of Probate of Will & Appt of PR Minn. Stat. 524.3-310;524.3-801 Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder September, 22, 29, 2022

State of Minnesota County of Hennepin

In Re: Estate of Marcy Clair Mann-Anderson, FILE NO. 27-PA-PR-22-1341

Deceased TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS AND CREDITORS:

Notice is hereby given, that an application for informal appointment of personal rep resentative has been filed with the Registrar. No will has been presented for probate. The application has been granted.

Notice is hereby further given that informal appointment of Cameron Julius Mann, whose address is 3216 1st Ave. S. Minneapolis MN 55408 as personal represen tative of the estate of the above named decedent, has been made Any heir, devisee or other interested person may be entitled to appointment as personal representative or may object to the appointment of the personal representative and the personal representative is empowered to fully administer the estate including, after 28 days from the date of issuance of letters, the power to sell, encumber, lease or distribute real estate, unless objections thereto are filed with the Court (pursuant to Section 524.3-607) and the Court otherwise orders.

Notice is further given that ALL CREDITORS having claims against said estate are required to present the same to said personal representative or to the Probate Court Administrator within four months after the date of this notice or said claims will be barred.

Dated: September 7, 2022 Lindy Scanlon Registrar ProSe Sarah Gonsalves District Court Administrator Notice of Inf Appt of PR Minn. Stat.524.3-310;524.3-801 Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder September 22, 29, 2022

Notice is hereby further given that informal appointment of Lois Mary Bergerson, whose address is 5800 Loring Drive, Minnetrista, MN 55364, as personal representative of the estate of the above named decedent, has been made. Any heir, devisee or other interested person may be entitled to appointment as personal representative or may object to the appointment of the personal representative and the personal representative are empowered to fully administer the estate including, after 28 days from the date of issuance of letters, the power to sell, encumber, lease or distribute real estate, unless objections thereto are filed with the Court (pursuant to Section 524.3-607) and the Court otherwise orders.

Notice is further given that ALL CREDITORS having claims against said estate are required to present the same to said personal representative or to the Probate Court Administrator within four months after the date of this notice or said claims will be barred.

Dated: August 26, 2022

Lindy Scanlon Registrar

ProSe Sarah Lindahl-Pfieffer District Court Administrator

Notice of Probate of Will & Appt of PR Minn. Stat. 524.3-310;524.3-801 Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder September 8, 15, 22, 2022

State of Minnesota Fourth Judicial District Court County of Hennepin PROBATE MENTAL HEALTH DIVISION NOTICE OF INFORMAL APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

From Classified Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder

In Re: Estate of Veronika Werner, FILE NO. 27-PA-PR-22-1298

Deceased

PHONE: 612-827-4021

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS AND CREDITORS:

Notice is hereby given, that an application for informal probate of the above named decedent’s last will dated 07-28-09 has been filed with the Registrar herein, and the application has been granted informally probating such will. Any objections may be filed in the above, and the same will be heard by the Court upon notice of hearing fixed for such purpose.

@ BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER.COM

Notice is hereby further given that informal appointment of Eric James Werner, whose address is 5875 Cheshire Cove Terrace, Orlando FL 32829 as personal representative of the estate of the above named decedent, has been made. Any heir, devisee or other interested person may be entitled to appointment as personal rep resentative or may object to the appointment of the personal representative and the personal representative are empowered to fully administer the estate including, after 28 days from the date of issuance of letters, the power to sell, encumber, lease or distribute real estate, unless objections thereto are filed with the Court (pursuant to Section 524.3-607) and the Court otherwise orders

2 WEEK RUN FLAT RATE $200.00 PREPAID

Notice is further given that ALL CREDITORS having claims against said estate are required to present the same to said personal representative or to the Probate Court Administrator within four months after the date of this notice or said claims will be barred.

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Dated: September 13, 2022 Alonna J. Warns Registrar

ProSe Sarah Gonsalves District Court Administrator Notice of Inf Appt of PR Minn. Stat.524.3-310;524.3-801 Minnesota Spokesman Recorder September 22, 29, 2022

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

From Classified Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder

NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE THE RIGHT TO VERIFICATION OF THE DEBT AND IDENTITY OF THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY LAW IS NOT AFFECTED BY THIS ACTION.

PHONE: 612-827-4021

FOR BILLING INQUIRIES & TEARSHEETS PLEASE CONTACT ACCOUNTING DEPT @ BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER.COM

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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that default has occurred in the conditions of the following described mortgage: DATE OF MORTGAGE: September 19, 2002 ORIGINAL PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF MORTGAGE: $65,000.00 MORTGAGOR(S): David L. Frey MORTGAGEE: Discover Bank DATE AND PLACE OF RECORDING: Recorded with the County Recorder in and for the County of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, on the 4th day of December, 2002, as Docu ment No. 7876121. ASSIGNMENTS OF MORTGAGE: Assigned to Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. as Successor by Merger to Morgan Stanley Credit Corporation in Assignment of Mortgage datedJuly 16, 2012, recorded February 20, 2013, as Document No. 9921142; further assigned to Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., successor by merger to Wells Fargo Bank Min nesota, N.A., as Indenture Trustee for MSDWCC HELOC Trust 2003-1 in Assignment of Mortgage dated February 4, 2013, recorded February 20, 2013, as Document No. 9921143; further assigned to FV-I, Inc. in trust for Morgan Stanley Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC in Assignment of Mortgage dated February 6, 2015, recorded March 2, 2015, as Document No. 10167057; further assigned to Palm Avenue Hialeah Trust, a Delaware statutory trust, for and on behalf and solely with respect to Series 2014-1 in Assignment of Mortgage dated April 4, 2019, recorded April 25, 2019, as Document No. 10653680; further assigned to ARCPE 1, LLC in Assignment of Mortgage dated April 29, 2020, recorded May 4, 2020, as Document No. 10782599; further assigned to Alabama 2, LLC in Assignment of Mortgage dated July 18, 2022, recorded August 5, 2022, as Document No. 11135301

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

LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY: Lot 3, Block 94, Remington’s 2nd Addition to Minneapolis PROPERTY ADDRESS: 3736 Lyndale Avenue S, Minneapolis, MN 55409 COUNTY IN WHICH PROPERTY IS LOCATED: Hennepin AMOUNT DUE AND CLAIMED TO BE DUE AS OF DATE OF NOTICE, INCLUDING TAXES, IF ANY, PAID BY MORTGAGEE: $71,650.62 THAT there has been compliance with all pre-foreclosure requirements; that no action or proceeding has been instituted at law or otherwise to recover the debt secured by said mortgage, or any part thereof; THAT pursuant to the power of sale contained in said mortgage, the above-described property will be sold by the Sheriff of Hennepin County as follows: DATE AND TIME OF SALE: October 13, 2022, at 11:00 a.m.

PLACE OF SALE: Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, Room 30, 350 South Fifth Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota to pay the debt secured by said mortgage and taxes, if any, on said premises and the costs and disbursements, including attorneys' fees allowed by law subject to redemption within six (6) months from the date of said sale by the mortgagor(s), their personal representatives or assigns. The date on or before which the mortgagor must vacate the propertyif the mortgage is not reinstated under section 580.30 or the property redeemed under section580.23: April 13, 2023, at 11:59 p.m.

From Classified Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder

THE TIME ALLOWED BY LAW FOR REDEMPTION BY THE MORTGAGOR, THE MORTGAGOR'S PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES OR ASSIGNS, MAYBEREDUCED TO FIVE WEEKS IF A JUDICIAL ORDER IS ENTEREDUNDERMINNESOTA STATUTES, SECTION 582.032, DETERMINING, AMONGOTHERTHINGS, THAT THE MORTGAGED PREMISES ARE IMPROVEDWITHARESIDENTIAL DWELLING OF LESS THAN FIVE UNITS, ARE NOT PROPERTYUSED IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, AND ARE ABANDONED.

PHONE: 612-827-4021

FOR BILLING INQUIRIES & TEARSHEETS CONTACT ACCOUNTING DEPT

Dated: August 23, 2022 Alabama 2, LLC Assignee of Mortgagee HOELSCHER LAW FIRM, PLLC By: /s/ Brian G. Hoelscher Brian G. Hoelscher #0238752 Attorneys for Assignee of Mortgagee 13100 Wayzata Boulevard, Suite 100 Minnetonka, MN 55305 (952) 224-9551 Email: brian@hoelscher-law.com THIS IS A COMMUNICATION FROM A DEBT COLLECTOR.

@ BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER.COM

PROBATE

2 WEEK RUN FLAT RATE $200.00 PREPAID

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FORECLOSURE DATA Minn. Stat. Sec. 580.025 (1) the physical street address, city, and zip code of the mortgaged premises is 3736 Lyndale Avenue S, Minneapolis, MN 55409; (2) the name of the transaction agent, residential mortgage servicer, and the lender or broker, as defined in section 58.02, if the person holding the mortgage is a transac tionagent as defined in section 58.02, subdivision 30 are as follows: – not applicable; or thename of the residential mortgage servicer and the lender or broker, as defined in sec tion58.02, if the person holding the mortgage is not a transaction agent as defined in section 58.02, subdivision 30 are as follows: residential mortgage servicer – Alabama 2, LLC, lender or broker – Alabama 2, LLC; (3) the tax parcel identification number of the mortgaged premises is: 04-028-24-44-0186; (4) if stated on the mortgage, the transaction agent's mortgage identification number is:not applicable; (5) if stated on the mortgage, the name of the residential mortgage originator as definedin section 58.02 is: Discover Bank Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder August 25 and September 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29, 2022

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

Advance Your Career the Financial Industry with Goodwill’s free 6-week training

Next class begins October 17, 2022 visit gesmn.org

Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) is hiring an Individual Giving Director

We seek an energetic and experienced employee to lead all aspects of our individual donor program and how our donors experience MCEA. This position is responsible for setting strategy and overseeing daily operations for all event and indi vidual giving fundraising activities. The successful candidate will develop, refine, and implement plans and systems to ensure that MCEA continues to grow. MCEA seeks a candidate who is deeply committed to our mission, highly organized, experienced in and capable of leading design and implementation of organi zation-wide strategies in a collaborative fashion,brings a track record of fundraising growth, is a good listener capable of giving and receiving honest feedback, and able to contribute positively to the creation of a diverse, equitable, inclusive team-oriented work environment that celebrates differences. MCEA has been the leading legal and scientific voice for Minnesota’s environ ment since 1974. We value diversity, equity, an inclusive culture, and respect in the workplace. The Nonprofit Times featured MCEA among the Best Nonprofits to Work For in 2021 and 2022, as well as the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal Best Places to Work in 2022.

Visit our website http://www.mncenter.org/job-openings.html for full description and how to apply.

Go to: spokesman-recorder.com, call 612-827-4021, or scan the code.

Halls of Fame recognize the best in sport

Working a roomful of Hall-of-Famers

Gophers M Club HOF grows by 11

f you played sports at the University of Minnesota and earned a letter, you’re auto matically in the school’s M Club.

“We talk every day about how fortunate we all are… You made this place better than you found it,” said U of M Ath letics Director Mark Coyle as he spoke at the Sept. 16 M Club Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Gophers’ football stadium’s Club Cam bria. The room had the incom ing 11-member Class of 2022, family members, existing HOFs and others.

“We appreciate what you did for our program,” stressed Coyle.

Turner, who died August 9, was inducted last week post humously. His basketball ex ploits (1971-73) were legend ary, but his post-Gopher life even more so.

(1998-2001) and set several receiving records. He joins his wife, former Gopher track star Shari Marks Johnson, who was inducted in 2012.

ot often does a longtime reporter get to work the room, especially in these pandemic times. But I did a cou ple of weekends ago get to work a room full of Hall-of-Famers in Springfield, Mass.

We got to talk to several HOFs. They said this:

Lou Hudson’s daughter, Adri enne Hudson, on her late father’s 2022 induction: “He hoped to achieve [this honor] within his lifetime. And now I can say, ‘Dad dy, you finally made it.’”

Clyde Turner (basketball) and Ron Johnson (football) were part of this year’s class along with Brazilian native Paula Gentil (volleyball). The three now make it 35 Hall of Famers who are people of col or. Of them, 34 are Black.

“There was diversity in this class of inductees,” noted Julie Manning, deputy athletics di rector and senior women’s ad ministrator. “Diversity is so im portant because it promotes creativity, unique perspec tives, and new opportunities. We are very intentional about being a champion of diversity and inclusion, and we live that every day.”

“He did so much for so many,” said Matasha Turner of her father and his influence on the community of his adopted hometown for over four de cades as a social worker and youth advocate, most notably his 35 years of youth basket ball camps.

“It was the longest [run ning] in the Twin Cities,” she pointed out proudly, “and this is one of his most passionate [endeavors].”

“It was a really significant basketball camp” that also emphasized education and life skills, added Mack Turner, Clyde’s brother.

“Clyde was just one won derful individual guy that had integrity,” said Rick Upchurch, Class of 2001. “He showed it each and every day.”

Johnson played football

“I’m just really excited for him, and I think it’s just impor tant for me that we are honor ing him and celebrating him this weekend,” said Shari of her husband, who is a television analyst and co-host for Gopher and Vikings football and hosts his own podcast show. “I’m just thankful that he’s been recognized for that here.”

A Detroit native, Johnson admitted that coming from a city that’s majority Black to Minneapolis and the U was a cultural adjustment, but he quickly adapted to his new en vironment. “It was just fun,” he told the audience.

Before the event, Johnson told the MSR, “I think the big gest thing [was getting] a col lege education, I don’t think I ever thought about the Hall of Fame, it never came up. My

■ See SOE on page 10

C. Vivian Stringer, Class of 2009, on the four women in this year’s class: “What we’re seeing is [we] want to give women an opportunity to play and be appreciated.”

M.A. Voepel, 2022 Curt Gowdy Print Media Award winner, also honored this year: “It’s wonderful because it’s celebrating women’s bas

for our sport,” Voepel contin ued, “the sport we both love. I feel like it’s kind of an award for all of the reporters of my generation, of which you are one; Michelle Smith, Cheryl Coward, Sue Favor and so many of those reporters have worked so hard on women’s basketball… [It’s] like a cel ebration of all of us who have worked so hard for the game.”

Lindsay Whalen, Class of 2022, as she recognized the only Minnesota media member

mate of 2022 HOF Lindsay Whalen: “The weekend was absolutely amazing. We’ve had a lot of fun. It’s been a blast.”

ketball, because that’s what my whole career has been on, and I’m just so appreciative being able to cover this game.

“We don’t get the attention

Current, former North players doing fine

present at her induction, said, “It’s a full moment for me.”

We also talked to several folk who was in the audience: Kim Bell, a Gopher team

Former U-M coach Pam Bor ton, who coached Whalen in her senior year: “I’m so proud of her. And not surprised.”

Cynthia Cash, mother of Swin Cash, Class of 2022: “Ev erything has come full circle, and all her hard work and ev erything she put into it on and off the court has paid off.”

The Hall invited members of two Springfield girls high school teams to take part in the red carpet activity prior to the Sept. 10 induction ceremony. “I am here for the first time,” said Natalia Dupiton of Springfield’s High School of Commerce. Na talia’s coach, Kailey Boyd, grew up watching Whalen.

Boyd added, “This is my third year as a head coach. I’m from Big Lake (MN) originally, and I went to play basketball

How Blacks in baseball get pigeonholed

By Charles Hallman Sports Columnist

First of a two-part story

ince the high school football season began, I’ve only been to one game.

A couple of weeks ago I was in Min neapolis to watch the host North Polars defeat the St. Paul Johnson Governors 48-6 in the season opener for both teams.

The Polars took care of business be hind quarterback Keishaude Gilmer com pleting 11 of 12 passes for 129 yards and one touchdown, running back William Smith’s scores on runs of 3 and 32 yards, and a 15-yard blocked punt returned for another score by Tommie Gilkey Jr

Not only was it the season opener for veteran coach Charles Adams and firstyear head coach Richard Magembe, the game offered much more than tackles, touchdowns, receptions, blocked punts and other on-the-field highlights.

During the game I spotted Dr. Corey Yeager on the sidelines in his familiar spot as a volunteer assistant coach for North. I already knew that his son, Azrie Yeager, was a senior offensive/defensive lineman for the Polars, which led me to ask about another member of his family.

I asked how his son Zach Yeager was doing as a redshirt freshman quarterback at North Carolina A&T University.

“He’s doing fine,” the proud father said with a smile. “He won the starting job as a redshirt freshman.”

Based on his prep career it’s not a surprise that Zach Yeager is progress ing so quickly. During his three years

as the signal caller for North, the 6’2” 200 pounder, put up outstanding numbers.

As a sophomore in 2018, he passed for 1,175 yards and 15 touchdowns, 2,179 yards with 27 touchdowns in 2019, and 1,945 yards along with 21 touchdowns in 2020.

Today, as Zach Yeager tries to get NC A&T back on track after an 0-3 start, younger brother Azrie Yeager plans to contribute to another state playoff run for the 3-0 Polars.

Meanwhile Dr. Yeager, who also serves as team psychotherapist for the NBA’s Detroit Pistons, will continue to marvel at both of his sons’ accomplish ments while continuing to contribute to the Northside community.

ix years ago, no Major League Baseball team had more than one Black pitcher on its staff. Six sea sons later, there are less than 10 Black hurlers in the ma jors, and the Minnesota Twins’ Chris Archer is among that paltry number as the club’s only Black pitcher this season.

The 33-year-old veteran— Archer’s birthday is Sept. 26—is finishing up his first season with Minnesota, his 10th season overall. The Twins is his third MLB club (Tampa Bay, 201218, 2021; Pittsburgh, 2018-19).

He told the MSR that if not for his junior varsity baseball

made the team, and he said, ‘You’re starting the first game for the JV season.”

coach back in high school, Ar cher might not have ever tak en the mound at all. “When I was in ninth grade, the JV coach for the baseball team was Black,” he recalled. “I was the only Black kid out there.”

The coach watched the youngster throw and quickly invited him to pitch: “We’re gonna put you on the mountain and see how you do,” Archer said his coach told him. “I threw,

“If I didn’t have a Black coach,” continued Archer, “he probably wouldn’t have taken that extra look and thought deeper.” In other words, base ball is a sport that too often sees some positions—the socalled “thinking man’s posi tions”—as virtually off limits for Blacks, with few excep tions. Pitcher is one of them.

“I think if a Black kid is playing baseball,” said Archer, “his ath leticism is usually through the roof. Rather than have him on the mound, they’re gonna put him at a more versatile position where he can impact the game.”

Blacks sadly are pigeonholed simply because they may be more athletic or better suited

Paula Gentil and Ron Johnson

Photos by Charles Hallman

Mack Turner and Matasha Turner

“Diversity is so important because it promotes creativity, unique perspectives, and new opportunities.”

(l-r) Marty Eggleston, Faith Singletary, and Steve Delnickas, HOF Museum director

Photos by Charles Hallman

“It’s like a celebration of all of us who have worked so hard for the game.”

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Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald welcomes reader responses to mcdeezy05@gmail.com.

Dr. Corey Yeager

Photo courtesy letsengage.com

Zach Yeager

Photo courtesy North Carolina A&T

Minneapolis North defensive lineman

Tommie Gilkey scores on a blocked punt during the Polars’ 48-6 victory over St.

Paul Johnson

Photo by Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald

Members of two Springfield girls high school basketball vis ited the HOF induction ceremony.

“This is what I’ve done, and I like doing it.”

Chris Archer

Photo by Charles Hallman