March 15, 2019 - MN Spokesman-Recorder

March 14-20, 2019 Vol. 85 No. 32 www.spokesman-recorder.com

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Townsend boosts local Black filmmaking

By Solomon Gustavo Contributing Writer

Twin Cities multicultural theatre falls on hard times In the Heart of the Beast launches fundraising campaign This, however, is bad news ducing its awards to arts orgafor the organization. The Bush nizations overall, has completely and General Mills Foundations, withdrawn support to HOTB. The paring down is a stopn the Heart of the Beast gap measure as HOTB looks for Puppet and Mask Theatre ways to strengthen funding for (HOBT) has been part and an establishment with a track reparcel of multicultural theatre cord for contributing to the comin the Twin Cities for the past munity. That includes its annu45 years. That could all end this al MayDay Parade celebration, summer. HOBT announced in Zoll reflected: “MayDay has January that 2019 cuts in its opbeen about…weaving together erating budget necessitate staff different cultures.” and programming reductions.

Conducted in South And when an organization has to tighten its belt, the threat of years you should count on go- among the state’s bedrock arts Minneapolis since 1975, the the doors closing altogether ing broke and figuring out what funders, have ended those pro■ See HoTB on page 7 grams. Target Foundation, recomes next.” looms.

By Dwight Hobbes Contributing Writer

I

Using his own filmmaking experience as a lesson in how it’s done, director, actor and comedian Robert Townsend offered encouraging news for Black filmmaking hopefuls during his visit to the Twin Cities last weekend: The barriers are fewer and the prospects better now than when he struggled for a break.

Townsend came to kick off the inaugural “CHOICE Cinema Series: In the Footsteps of Gordon Parks” with stops throughout Minneapolis and

St. Paul honoring Parks’ legacy and talking about the art of Black filmmaking. The new series is set to feature a rotating roster of works by Black filmmakers highlighting the Black experience. Townsend said he came to the Twin Cities to inspire confidence in local filmmakers.

“I’m just a drop in the waterfall,” said Townsend of his efforts to bring the film world’s attention to more Black stories and storytellers.

“Together, more Black creators can pitch in and tip the accumulation of stereotypical ■ See Townsend on page 7

Executive Director Corrie Zoll shared with MSR that as a rule of thumb, “About every five

Robert Townsend

Photo by Chris Juhn

BLACK BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: LEE & LOUISE CONFECTIONS tofu and those types of things. So in my trying to become vegan, making sure that I had cake and other desserts was a big piece.

When I would try some other vegan things from the grocery store, it just wouldn’t always be what I’d want. They would be dry, wouldn’t taste good, or the texture would be off. So I’m working to make goods that are on par with conventional dessert items.

Just a year ago, Gina Allen had no plans on launching her own vegan bakery. In fact, she began baking just so she could have tasty vegan options at home. Then her family and friends started tasting and asking for more and more of her sweet offerings.

Fast forward to a few pop-up shops and special orders, and now she’s running Lee and Louise Confections — her own on-demand bake shop of goods to satisfy your sweet tooth without any dairy or meat byproducts.

The MSR chatted it up with Allen at a local pop-up to find out more about the inspiration behind her business.

MSR: Why vegan?

GA: If I’m going to say that I love animals, then I need to make efforts to not support their suffering. I’m currently not 100 percent vegan. I’ve gone through periods where I was, and I am still aspiring to be that. I think that it’s important to recognize the journey and to also — if I have learned about something — spread that.

For example, a few of the customers today that got cupcakes were, like, “I’ve never had a vegan cupcake,” or they were skeptical, like, “Oh, it’s vegan.” And so for them to try it and see these can taste good, that can open up the other options for veganism, not just vegan desserts. It’s like, “I had that one vegan cupcake one time and it was really good. Let me try this vegan meal and see how it goes.”

MSR: Tell us about your business. What are some of your offerings?

Gina Allen: I make vegan cupcakes and other treats. We have red velvet and cookies and cream cupcakes. And cookie dough, which can be eaten raw, which is fine since there are no eggs, and banana bread with a cinnamon sugar crunch topping.

MSR: What’s your specialty?

GA: My go-to and what I think I’m strongest at is my chocolate cake with the cookies and cream frosting. That is what really made me start to think I’m onto something.

MSR: How did you come up with the name?

GA: The name came from my grandma. Her middle name is Lee, and my partner’s grandma is Louise. Both of our grandmas cooked and used that as a way to spread love and to nurture their families. That’s something that I

MSR: So what inspired you to launch?

GA: I am in the process of becoming vegan, and it has not been an entirely easy process for me. I grew up on a very meat-and-potatoes heavy diet and didn’t know what vegan meant for most of my life. I didn’t know about Gina Allen

Submitted photo

‘CELEBRATING THE SISTAS’ The 11th annual “Celebrating the Sistas” event on March 10, sponsored by the Twin Cities Steppers Association, recognized 13 African American and women of color for their contributions to the Twin Cities community.

The honorees included Ramona Wilson, Monique Linder, Deltreice Gates, Susan Bass-Roberts, Dr. Diane Sharper, Coral Garner, Toni Newborn, Laverne McCartney Knighton, Robin Magee, Anika Ward, Lisa Crawford, Patricia Lamb and Monica Habia.

These women have been driving forces in the areas of politics, business, media, social services and education, as well as community activism.

Photos of attendees by Karl Demer.

See more at MSRNewsOnline.com

■ See BBs on page 7

February 16-22, 2017

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March 14-20, 2019

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Money Matters

The high costs of student loan debt the most expensive, those institutions are disproportionately populated by students from affluent families able to afford the burden of early-career debt.

And the recent trend of “differential pricing,” in which tuition costs are dictated by a student’s field of study, has had an effect on enrollment in highemployment fields, potentially scaring off the students who could benefit the most from an in-demand degree.

Photo courtesy of Getty

T

here’s no way around it: Americans are drowning in student loan debt.

The Federal Reserve reports that nearly 50 million Americans collectively owe $1.5 trillion in student loan debt. That’s $521 billion more than the total U.S. credit card debt.

For the Class of 2018, the average student borrower graduated with a debt of $29,800 in private and federal loans over the course of a bachelor’s degree.

This is in addition to $35,600 in federal Parent PLUS loans approximately 14 percent of parents took out to support their children.

Nearly 70 percent of student borrowers now have a looming bill over their heads each month — and it’s not cheap. The average monthly student bill is $393.

This is debt that’s impossible

to discharge in bankruptcy, difficult to have forgiven and increasingly unlikely to be fully repaid on schedule. And, rising college costs mean that number isn’t likely to drop much in the next few decades.

to make ends meet, instead of the more lucrative positions for which their degrees prepared them.

Short-term solutions include deferring loans by returning to school, or consolidating or

Americans owe more in students loans than credit cards.

Here’s a look at the costs of that debt and what’s being done to lessen the crisis.

The Direct Costs While college costs are rising, family incomes have not.

So those with student debt loans are making different money management choices. They are less likely to buy homes or start families, and more likely to live at home and take jobs just

borrowing from private lenders, which ends up making the problem worse. For students graduating into a tight job market whose credit ratings are impacted by the amounts they owe, loan debt can remain their chief financial concern for decades. Especially when 11.5 are delinquent on their payments.

What’s more, the expanding student loan bubble could rattle the entire American economy in

similar ways to the 2008 housing crisis, if borrowers default on loans in large numbers.

The Hidden Costs The direct costs of student loan debt are obvious, but hidden costs often prevent lowerincome students from pursuing the highest-value degrees.

Because the most selective, prestigious institutions are also

Avoiding high loan debt While there is no limit to the amount of “free money” students can apply for, scholarships and grants only cover 28 percent of college costs today. That means more than two-thirds of the bill is either borrowed or paid out of pocket (for, most it’s the former). If you’re still in school, explore all of your scholarship options — whether based on grades, special interests or even ethnic backgrounds. Every extra dollar counts.

Also, only take out as much as you need. While in school, it’s tempting to take the full loan amount offered to help cover other bills. But that extra $1500 or $2500 every semester adds up to extra debt once you’ve graduated or left school and will cost you more in the long run.

For those concerned that scholarships may affect financial aid, organizations like Scholarship America are mobilizing nationwide efforts to change that. The organization has lent support to efforts to create a network of postsecondary institutions, or Collegiate Partners, that agree to not punish scholarship recipients with reductions in financial aid.

Scholarship American also has a Dreamkeepers Emergency Financial Assistance program that gives students facing unexpected expenses an alternative to loans.

“We work with partners to incorporate mentoring, tutoring and financial literacy education into scholarship awards in an effort to help students persist and graduate rather than drop out with debt or get stuck short of a degree,” said Scholarship American President and CEO Robert C. Ballard.

For those who have already accrued student loan debt, the best course of action is to tackle it head-on. Make a plan and work through it. Ignoring the bill won’t make it go away; in fact, it will just keep growing.

Information provided, in part by, StatePoint.

6 WAYS TO MANAGE STUDENT LOAN DEBT

By Kay Robinson Contributing Writer It’s never too late to get started on tackling student loan debt. It may seem overwhelming, but you’re not alone. Here are six tips to get you started on your repayment journey.

Gather your loans You may have taken out several different loans over the course of your college experience. Make sure to gather all of the information on each of those loans and set a repayment plan. Pay off the ones with highest interest rates first.

Create a budget Make sure your budget includes your student loan debt. Creating a payment plan without considering how it affects your day-to-day spending is a recipe for failure. We should all be working off of some sort of budget by now to get us toward financial freedom. So once you know what your payments are going to be, incorporate them wisely and stick to the plan. This may mean trimming other extracurricular expenses to get ahead.

Make payments during your grace/forbearance periods If you’re fresh out of school, you’ve got a few months reprieve before your bill actually starts kicking in. Use this time to get acclimated with your loan details and start paying some of the principal down or, at least, the interest that’s accruing at this time. If you’re deep in the red and have opted for forbearance or other deferments to give you some breathing room on payments, try to make interest-only payments to avoid what might have been a $20K loan from growing to $40K or higher.

Deduct student loan interest It’s tax time and, while it may not seem like much, you can reduce your taxable income based on student loan interest you paid for the year. It won’t help you buy a house, but at least you’ll get a bit of a break on the added interest payments.

Refinance your student loans This is a great option if you have multiple loans with multiple payments. Consolidate all of your existing student loans into one loan for a lower interest rate and lower monthly payments.

Volunteer Yes, volunteering can actually get you on the right financial track. Various nonprofit organizations like AmeriCorps, VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America), Peace Corps and Teach for America offer some type of student loan forgiveness or reimbursements for volunteer service.

Explore other student loan forgiveness options Find a job that offers student loan repayments or, even better, that is eligible for student loan forgiveness. They are typically nonprofits or local government jobs — such as teaching, law enforcement, and medicine — that offer loan forgiveness after 10 years of consecutive payments.

Just make sure to be aware of all the requirements and loopholes. Of the more than 19,000 borrowers submitted loan public service loan forgiveness applications — only 55 were actually granted.

Kay Robinson welcomes reader responses at krobinson@spokesman-recorder.com.

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March 14-20, 2019

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That dry, itchy scalp might not be dry at all

By Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD Dr. Crutchfield, I seem to be having a problem with dandruff and a dry, itchy scalp, especially this winter. Can you help me?

Y

our concern over a dry, itchy scalp is a very common one. In fact, I see several patients every day with the same complaint.

I tell patients that when it comes to treating dry, itchy scalps, I have good news and I have bad news. The bad news is that there is no cure for the condition, but the good news is that it can be managed and controlled to the point where it seems like it does not exist.

The surprising fact is that the condition that everyone seems to think of as dry, itchy scalp is not dry at all. It is a unique type of eczema (also known as dermatitis) that makes the scalp seem like it is dry because it produces lots of flakes.

The flakes are not a result of the skin being dry; rather, the skin grows too fast as a response to inflammation in the scalp. Sheets of skin pile up because they can’t be shed quickly enough. The inflammation is driven in part by the oil production or sebum in the scalp.

This massive amount of skin flakes tricks us into thinking it is dry skin

when it really is not. It is a very common skin condition called “seborrheic dermatitis.” The condition is so common that it probably affects 25 percent of all people to some degree. It can occur on the scalp, face (especially sides of the nose), eyebrows, ears, chest, belly button, groin, armpits, and even the backside’s “gluteal cleft.”

For now, I will only talk about seborrheic dermatitis when it occurs on the scalp. The familiar, non-medical name of seborrheic dermatitis when it happens on the scalp is dandruff. It is a common skin disease that causes the skin to be red, itchy and flakey.

Seborrheic dermatitis can wax and wane and appear and disappear at any time. Sometimes the condition will resolve without treatment, but more often than not it may require medical treatment.

Seborrheic dermatitis can occur in all people. In babies, it is commonly called “cradle cap.” It can also occur in a baby’s diaper area. It tends to occur most often in infancy and adulthood and in men more than women. It is more common among family members, in people with oily skin, and for some odd reason in people with Parkinson’s disease and HIV. The condition is harmless and not contagious, although it certainly is a nuisance. The constant itching and abundant skin flakes can be extremely problematic and embarrassing.

Interestingly, the exact cause of seborrheic dermatitis is still not completely understood. Perhaps the excess oil in our skin serves as a food source for yeast that commonly live on everyone’s skin. The yeast grow, and for some unknown reason some people have a brisk reaction to the larger population of yeast on the surface of the skin. This response comes in the form of inflammation (redness, flaking and itching).

The yeast component is only a part

of the problem. The other part is purely genetic, and the common areas are prone to inflammation with or without yeast. The diagnosis can be made easily by an examination by a doctor, especially a dermatologist.

As mentioned earlier, there is no cure for seborrheic dermatitis. The goal is management and control of the condition until it is unnoticeable and no longer a nuisance.

For scalp seborrheic dermatitis, I have a two-part treatment plan. First, let me say that I am not a big fan of using a hair shampoo to treat a skin condition. I recommend a medicated oil applied once per week to reduce and maintain scalp inflammation. This part is the maintenance program.

Washing one’s hair weekly is also very important. I recognize that weekly hair washing may be a challenge for some, but it is essential to clean the

scalp skin and wash away the dead skin and flakes that are continually building up.

Secondly, I have a very potent topical treatment to use for five days if the condition should flare up and break through the maintenance program.

Three two-treatment steps work exceptionally well.

If you or a loved one has dry, itchy scalp, talk to your doctor to see if it really is the medical condition called seborrheic dermatitis. If it is, rest assured there are excellent treatment programs to make the embarrassing and troubling situation much better to the point of seeming not to be there at all.

has a private practice in Eagan, MN. He received his M.D. and Master’s Degree in molecular biology and genomics from the Mayo Clinic. He has been selected as one of the top 10 dermatologists in the United States by Black Enterprise magazine. Dr. Crutchfield was recognized by Minnesota Medicine as one of the 100 Most Influential Healthcare Leaders in Minnesota. He is the team dermatologist for the Minnesota Twins, Vikings, Timberwolves, Wild and Lynx. Dr. Crutchfield is also an active member of both the American and National Medical Associations, and president of the Minnesota Association of Black Physicians.

Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD is a board-certified dermatologist and clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He also

March Madness: Spring into action to prevent colorectal cancer

A Healthy You by

Margareth Pierre-Louis, MD, MBa As winter comes to an end, the approaching spring season promises the melting of snowbanks and the return of perennial flowers. Spring will also be an opportunity for most Minnesotans to return outdoors for recreation and exercise. March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and physical activity matters when we talk about this disease.

Both obesity and decreased physical activity are associated with colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer is the thirdmost common cancer in the U.S. It is the second-most common cause of death from cancers that affect both women and men.

The average age for colorectal cancer is 50 to 75 years old in both men and women. Accord-

ing to the National Cancer Institute, adult Black males have the highest rates of colorectal cancer and disease mortality compared to other racial/ethnic subgroups. However, the incidence of colorectal cancer in obese women under the age of 50 is significantly increasing and changing the face of this disease.

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract and cancer are linked through physical health, gut motility (movement of food through the body), and diet. A lifestyle that includes physical activity and a plant-based, balanced diet supports regular digestion, bowel health, and gut motility while preventing obesity.

Obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30, means there is too much body fat. The consequences of too much body fat are abnormal organ function and tissue growth due to increased inflammation and hormones released by the extra fat.

Elevated blood cholesterol and other fat levels, reduced food motility through the intestines, and consumption

of foods that are high in animal fats and low in fiber all affect the GI tract to contribute to cancer. Obesity not only increases cancer risk, but also the risk of developing other health conditions associated with increased mortality, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It is no surprise that obesity is a primary risk factor for heart disease, the most common cause of death in men and women in the US. Beyond awareness of cancer and promoting physical activity and a healthy weight, preventive screening for colorectal cancer is critical to health and wellness. Sixty percent of colorectal cancer deaths could be prevented by following the recommended screening guidelines.

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends colorectal cancer screening for everyone 50 to 75 years old. Screening is done through either colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, or stool test.

Screening tests are variable in benefits, risk, and how often performed.

For example, a colonosco-

py is recommended every 10 years or sooner depending on a family or personal history of cancer or other disease associated with increased cancer risk. Development of clinical signs and symptoms of disease (bowel health changes; passing dark, tarry or bright red blood within stools; constipation or chronic abdominal pain) may also result in an evaluation for colorectal cancer.

This March, spring into action and increase your physical activity to remain healthy and prevent colorectal cancer.

Whether it’s walking around a lake or park or playing basketball (and actively watching March Madness basketball tournaments), resolve to move your body and commit to a physically active lifestyle.

In doing so, you move your

GI tract in the right, diseasefree direction. Couple physical activity with a balanced diet to maintain a healthy body weight.

Secondly, get recommended screenings starting at age 50. If you are 50 to 75 years of age or have a loved one in this age group, ask a primary care provider about screening tests and the best personalized approach. Cancer is best treated with prevention.

If diagnosed with any cancer, including colorectal cancer, the best treatment is early intervention for successful management and cure.

To learn more about colorectal cancer, visit CDC.gov or the Prevent Cancer Foundation at preventcancer.org.

The complete USPSTF screening

recommendations for colorectal cancer can be found at www. uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org.

Margareth Pierre-Louis, MD, MBA, is a board-certified dermatologist and dermatopathologist and medical director of Twin Cities Dermatology Center. Dr. PierreLouis promotes visible wellness and treats skin, hair, and nail disorders affecting patients of all ages, skin types, and backgrounds.

She has cared for thousands of patients in consultation through academic and private practice and via telemedicine. Her expertise lies in the diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory skin conditions, pigmentation disorders, and hair loss. Learn more about Dr. PierreLouis at twincitiesderm.com and contact her at TCD@tcdermmn. com or 612-268-5005.

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March 14-20, 2019

Parenting while poor is no crime

On the whole, government policy continues to adhere to the Social Darwinist conviction that the wealthy are most deserving because they are wealthy, and the only reason poor people are poor is because of some personal flaw.

— Kathryn Joyce [Many Minnesota parents] point to 2016 state data showing that African-American children are more than three times more likely than white children to be reported to child protection and removed from their homes. American Indian children were nearly 18 times more likely to be removed than white children.

— Chris Serres The previous installment of this column explored, in part, what many scholars and activists have long termed “the criminalization of poverty.” And, in spite of the fact that being poor is not a crime, America tends to treat people in poverty as though it were.

Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash ment, and greatest income-to-rent disparities in the city… They’re also inhabited predominantly by people of color.

Although such disparities have long existed, things only seem to

“I went through the system and was humiliated and mistreated.

I see that there is a deliberate effort to destroy these families.”

Last month, The New Republic elevated this discussion with a feature story titled “The Crime of Parenting While Poor.” The article, penned by award-winning journalist Kathryn Joyce, is a deep dive into New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) and the disparate removal of poor children (particularly children of color) from their homes.

Joyce writes, “The ten neighborhoods with the highest number of ACS cases… also represent the lowest incomes, highest unemploy-

be getting worse. Law professor and leading authority on child and family welfare Martin Guggenheim states, “Now you say, ‘ACS is on the grounds,’ and people flee.

That’s one of the saddest parts: This is a helping agency, meant to support poor families, and the parents are terrified of the very agency whose charge is to support them.”

The New Republic piece is eerily parallel to a series of periodic stories that began in The Atlantic a few years back and has continued into 2019. Both publications note as well

that these issues are not endemic to cities such as New York. In Illinois, where the size of the foster care system has increased by nearly 50 percent in the last quarter century, “children are more likely to end up in state custody than anywhere else in the United States.”

Nine-term U.S. Representative Gwen Moore of Wisconsin, who temporarily lost her own child to foster care while in college, recalled her own experience recently, stating, “I went through the system and was humiliated and mistreated. I see that there is a deliberate effort to destroy these families.”

In 2018, Moore introduced House Resolution 6233 before Congress, also known as the Family Poverty is Not Child Neglect Act. And, during the course of the same year, there was a litany of coverage locally and nationally about rampant race and class disparities in Minnesota’s child welfare system, which ultimately resulted in a federal lawsuit against the state.

In all fairness, it cannot be overlooked that there have been high profile cases, both here and across

the nation, where repeated claims of abuse weren’t properly investigated, resulting in the death of a child. After one such case in Minnesota, the number of reports screened by Children and Family Services rose by nearly 11,000 over a two-year period, an increase of approximately 55 percent.

Now, I can’t think of anything more imperative than protecting a child from abuse or neglect. Nor can I imagine too many scenarios more harrowing than the investigation of alleged child maltreatment, for both the family and investigators themselves. No system is perfect, and the health and wellness of children must always take precedence.

And yet, the disproportionate exposure to child and welfare services based on race and class is too obvious to ignore. This is especially true when abuse and neglect know no demographic boundaries.

As with most everything when it comes to race and poverty, bias, whether institutional or individual, is an onerous burden to overcome.

Data suggest that each year, thou-

sands of children are wrongfully removed from their homes and entered into the foster care system.

“Moreover,” as Joyce notes, “children who are placed in chronically overtaxed foster care programs experience long-lasting trauma and, as studies have shown, far higher risk of teen pregnancy, incarceration, unemployment and homelessness compared to children who are left in families with similar problems.”

Without question, this is a complex issue. Still, as we continue in our quest to stamp out poverty and discrimination, we must find a way to make this system better, fairer.

Our children are depending on us.

Clarence Hightower is the executive director of Community Action Partnership of Ramsey & Washington Counties. Dr. Hightower holds a Ph.D. in urban higher education from Jackson State University. He welcomes reader responses to 450 Syndicate Street North, St. Paul, MN 55104.

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March 14-20, 2019

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

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Defunding Inter-American Commission on Human Rights would be terrible for women

By Anjana Samant and Maiya Moncino Guest Commentators

We need to clamp down on both tobacco and vaping access for youth

By Julianne Malveaux Guest Commentator Nearly half a million people die every year from complications from smoking. About a tenth of them never put a cigarette to their lips — they die from exposure to second-hand smoke.

Death from tobacco is, according to the Centers for Disease Control, the leading cause of preventable death. But too many people, enticed by advertising, think that smoking is so “cool” that they embrace it.

And the tobacco industry

ing products in particular to keep them out of the hands of children. Why not just further limit the sale of all tobacco products? The companies that manufacture vaping products, like the market leader Juul, are to be commended for attempting to protect young people from the deleterious effects of their products. But, their recently accelerated activism is only one small step toward ensuring that young people are protected from the harmful effects of smoking, and they cannot do it alone.

We don’t need more children being exposed to addiction. spends more than $9 billion on smoking advertising, or about one million dollars an hour.

For too many, cigarettes are a desperate addiction, encouraged by pernicious advertising. The addiction hits folks of color — Black and Brown folks — hardest.

We are more likely to be exposed to heavy advertising, more likely to become addicted, and more likely to die from complications of smoking addiction. Public policy can help ameliorate this challenge, perhaps, by further restricting who can buy tobacco and when. Because addictions start early, public policy can help by supporting efforts underway to limit the sale of nicotine to those who are under 21.

Instead, unfortunately, some would just prefer to restrict the sale of vap-

Very recently, the head of the Food and Drug Administration, Scott Gottlieb, resigned for “family reasons” (don’t you love it when White men suddenly discover their families when they are in hot water). At the same time, we learned that chains like Walmart, Kroger and Walgreens, as well as gas stations, are breaking the law by selling cigarettes and other nicotine products to young people.

But here’s the deal. It doesn’t make sense to regulate the sale of nicotine products, like vaping, without looking at the sale of nicotine products, like cigarettes. Children (yes, despite their protests, I think of anyone under 21 as a child) shouldn’t be purchasing alcohol or tobacco. Period. They aren’t grown. They are susceptible to addiction. The law should protect

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them and penalize those who make it easy for them to access these products.

But the law does not protect. Instead, legislators selectively go after some products, while protecting others. Though legislators understand the damage that nicotine and tobacco products do to people, especially young people, they fail to outlaw them. Instead, because tobacco is big business, the industry is protected. Furthermore, products that attempt to ameliorate the harmful sides of smoking, like vaping, are subjected to unreasonable scrutiny and even outlawed. To their credit, vaping companies are owning their role in possible addiction and standing for a ban on selling any nicotine products to children.

Part of this is personal for me. I’ve written before about my mom’s smoking addiction, which has led to her developing Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema diseases in her ninth decade.

But it’s more than personal.

It’s also about the ways that public policy can protect young people, even as they make poor choices.

Follow the money, goes the trope. Who benefits from youngsters buying tobacco and nicotine products? Why do legislators protect them? Why would legislators crack down on vaping, but not cigarettes?

Who benefits? If we follow the money, we have to monitor the lobby. Who has power in this game?

We always need to follow the money when we look at the ways that some products are offered to the market and others are restricted. We always need to follow the money when we realize that there are always beneficiaries in a society that has predatory capitalism at its roots. We don’t need more children being exposed to addiction.

We shouldn’t outlaw vaping products without outlawing the sale of tobacco to children. I appreciate some manufacturers for joining many others in standing up against companies like Walmart, Walgreen’s and the others that are making big dollars selling tobacco and nicotine products to children. It needs to stop.

Now. Legislators need to step up and protect our children from this destructive addiction!

Julianne Malveaux is a NNPA Newswire Contributor.

The future is suddenly looking uncertain for two of the most important organizations advocating for human rights in the Western Hemisphere. The U.S. Department of State is considering whether to withdraw funding for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and its sister organization, the InterAmerican Commission of Women (CIM). In December 2018, nine U.S. senators requested termination of funds on grounds that the two bodies “lobby” for abortion in Latin America in violation of U.S. law.

While lacking any factual and legal basis, the senators’ request is consistent with the Trump administration’s policy of weakening and boycotting international human rights bodies and flouting multilateral agreements that hold the U.S. accountable for civil and human rights violations.

While the U.S. Supreme Court concluded that Lenahan had no constitutional right to have the restraining order enforced by the police, the IACHR found in 2011 that the U.S. had violated Lenahan’s equal protection and other rights and failed to take reasonable measures to protect her and her daughters, in violation of the country’s human rights obligations under the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man. Although the U.S. refused to recognize the IACHR decision on technical grounds, that same year the Department of Justice stepped up its investigations into law enforcement responses to domestic violence and sexual assault and subsequently issued a Guidance on Identifying and Preventing Gender Bias in Law Enforcement Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence.

Today, more than 30 local jurisdictions have adopted resolutions recognizing freedom from domestic violence as a human right.

On the heels of the Lenahan petition, the ACLU filed an IACHR petition on behalf of domestic

It would threaten the existence of a forum for people whose voices and claims for justice might not otherwise be heard.

Earlier this month, five former U.S. members of, or nominees to, the IACHR — including 2017 Trump nominee Professor Douglass Cassel — came to the defense of the IACHR and CIM in a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. They explained that the request to defund the organizations was based on a distorted understanding of the IACHR’s function and a flawed reading of the Siljander Amendment, which forbids the use of U.S. foreign assistance in any “lobbying” for or against abortion.

Organizations, including the ACLU, have pointed out how Trump’s policy undermines systems of accountability and multilateralism that the U.S. has helped to create. Now, more than 50 organizations and experts are urging the State Department to maintain its support of and participation in the IACHR. The IACHR is a branch of the Organization of American States (OAS), charged with promoting and protecting human rights throughout the Western Hemisphere by monitoring country conditions, engaging with governments, and hearing human rights complaints against member states. CIM is made up of 34 delegates from each OAS member state, and, founded in 1928, was the first inter-governmental agency established to protect women’s rights.

It’s true that the IACHR has promoted a woman’s right to an abortion, noting that anti-abortion laws “in all circumstances have a negative impact on women’s dignity and their rights to life, to personal integrity, and to health, as well as on their general right to live free from violence and discrimination.”

However, reproductive health work is just a drop in the bucket of the many crucial roles that the IACHR and CIM play. Among the most important, the IACHR has served as a forum in which the U.S. has been called to account for its role in perpetuating violence against women and other human rights violations.

In 2005, Jessica Lenahan (formerly Gonzalez), a domestic violence survivor co-represented by the ACLU, filed a petition with the IACHR against the U.S. based on a local Colorado police department’s failure to enforce a restraining order against her estranged husband who had abducted her three children. He was later shot dead by the police, and the slain bodies of the three girls were subsequently discovered in the back of his pickup truck.

workers who had been abused and held captive by their employers, who were foreign diplomats and others beyond the reach of U.S. courts due to diplomatic immunity. The U.S. government responded to the petition, and the ACLU is preparing a reply, in consultation with survivor advocates and domestic workers’ advocacy groups.

More recently, seven U.S. military service members who were sexually assaulted, harassed, or raped by fellow military personnel and retaliated against by their superiors after reporting the incidents have also filed an IACHR petition against the U.S. Although these women first sought relief in federal court, their case was dismissed on the grounds that the U.S. and the military defendants, like foreign diplomat defendants, are immune from suit.

Their petition relies, in part, on the IACHR’s finding in Lenahan that the United States’ human rights obligations include a duty to act with “due diligence” to protect women against violence and that the failure to do so is a form of discrimination under the American Declaration.

By cutting off funding to the IACHR, the U.S. would threaten the existence of a tribunal of last resort, one that has served as a forum for people whose voices and claims for justice might not otherwise be heard. As the current and former U.S. representatives to the IACHR write in their letter to Pompeo, withdrawing funds from the IACHR “would amount to a gift to thugs and corrupt and authoritarian governments, of both left and right, while alienating U.S. allies who support and depend upon a vibrant Inter-American Human Rights system.”

Nor should the fact that this human rights body can be used to identify failures in the policies and actions of the U.S. government — or any OAS member government — justify eliminating its existence. The U.S. should continue supporting the IACHR and protect its independence as the leading human rights watchdog in the region.

Anjana Samant is senior staff attorney for the Women’s Rights Project and Maiya Moncino is legal administrative assistant for the Women’s Rights Project.

Trying My Best

WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE?

By Frank Erickson Contributing Commentator Migrant women are gang raped in “stash houses” along the U.S.-Mexico border. The smugglers have shackled some women to beds and even trees. One woman said, “they raped us so many times they didn’t see us as human beings any more.”

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has been accused of going to massage parlors in Jupiter, Fl. and having sex with women who are being held against their will and being coerced into prostitution. Because they are victims of human trafficking, Kraft is raping them.

What was going on in Jupiter at the massage parlors is the same as the “stash houses.”

These women who have no rights are being held captive and being sexually assaulted.

Yet, the public has more outrage for a Black NFL player who will not stand up for the national anthem then for a White NFL owner who rapes women being held against their will.

Frank Erickson lives in Minneapolis.

6

March 14-20, 2019

Honoring First Ladies of the church • • • • • • • •

Graphic by Janie McGee

By Wendy Johnson, PhD Contributing Writer

M

arch is Women’s History Month and women across the country are being recognized for the unselfish work and time they give to the community.

This year, in celebration of this exhilarating time, the National Empowerment Group Inc., Blue Cross Blue Shield, Shakopee Chevrolet and Americas Realty Group will host the 11th annual “Women Unite to Win – Women’s Appreciation Luncheon” on March 23 to honor first ladies of area churches.

Honorees will be recognized for their continuous leadership, dedication, compassion, inspiration and empowerment.

Many of these women work behind the scenes without expecting any recognition. They are empathic and compassionate leaders that make themselves available at all times, lend an ear and helping hand when needed, and will give you their last meal, if necessary.

This year’s “First Ladies” honorees are as follows: • Mrs. Rhonda Bell-Herron (Zion Baptist Church – Mpls., MN) • Mrs. Alaere Williams (Parokios Church – Brooklyn Park, MN))

Apostle Jill Jackson, First Lady Emeritus (Moving on Up Ministries – Mpls., MN) Mrs. Joan McAfee, First Lady Emeritus (NuWay Baptist Church – Mpls, MN) Mrs. Wilma Gallmon (Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church – Mpls., MN) Mrs. Tonya Miller, First Lady (Progressive Baptist Church – St. Paul, MN) Mrs. Eunice Miller, First Lady Emeritus (Progressive Baptist Church – St. Paul, MN) Mrs. Rosa Daniels, First Lady (Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church – St. Paul, MN) Presiding Elder Rev. Stacy L. Smith (St. James AME – St. Paul, MN)) Mrs. Hope Patterson, First Lady (New Hope Baptist Church – St. Paul, MN)

Pastor Rozenia Hood-Fuller, MDiv, First Lady of Good News Baptist Church in Mpls., will serve as the honorary chair, and Rev. Dr. Karen McKinney, associate professor of Biblical Theological Studies at Bethel University, will offer empowering words.

J. MOST and Dr. Wendy Johnson will co-host what is sure to be an electrifying day filled with community recognition and empowering entertainment from musical groups such as: Sons of Levi (St. James AME); Step with Soul (Ministering w/ Hand & Feet); Men of Progressive Baptist Church; Men of New Hope Baptist Church; Steppin Saints (Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church); Se Vy Gospel Quartet (Zion Baptist Church); Tamara Peeler (NuWay Baptist Church), and a performance by Alvin Williams Jr. (Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church).

The 11th Annual “Women Unite to Win” luncheon takes place Sat., March 23 at the Hilton MPLS/St. Paul Airport Mall of America. Doors open at 10:30 am and the program starts at 11 am.

For more info, visit www.nationalempowermentgroup or contact J. MOST at 612-237-5118.

She’s Back — legendary Dionne Warwick announces first album in five years Legendary Grammy Award-winning songstress Dionne Warwick is set to release her first new album in five years. Produced by her son Damon Elliot, the album She’s Back will be released May 10 via Elliot’s Kind Music and Entertainment One (eOne) distribution company.

The lead single will be an updated version of the Burt Bacharach/Hal David classic, “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” which Warwick recorded during the 1960s.

In addition to 10 tracks of new songs and remakes of pop/soul gems, She’s Back will be packaged with a bonus disc of Warwick’s 1998 album, Dionne Sings Dionne, which features her greatest hits, remastered for this package.

She’s Back also includes duets with Kenny Lattimore (“What Color Is Love”), Musiq Soulchild (“Am I Dreaming?”) as well as Bone, Thugs & Harmony’s Krayzie Bone (“Déjà Vu”).

Warwick’s latest offering will be her 36th fulllength studio recording, and her first dedicated R&B/soul album in 50 years, since the release

Unique, local content from the African American community's perspective!

of her 1969 Scepter LP, Soulful, which she co-produced in Memphis with the late Chips Moman (who manned the boards for Dionne’s then-label mate, B.J. Thomas).

Warwick is one of several legends to be chosen to receive one of the Grammy Awards’ highest honors this year — the Lifetime Achievement Award. She joins music greats such as George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic, Billy Eckstine, the late Donny Hathaway, Julio Iglesias, as well as Sam & Dave.

The honorees were mentioned in the Grammy Awards live telecast earlier this month. A separate award presentation ceremony and concert celebrating the honorees will be held the day after the release of She’s Back, on May 11, 2019, in Los Angeles.

Additionally, Warwick will begin a highly anticipated concert residency in Las Vegas on April 4, 2019.

Simply fill out the subscription form below and mail with payment to: Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, PO Box 8558, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55408 (All subscriptions must be pre-paid. One year subscription $35, out-of-state $40.)

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Submitted Photo

March 14-20, 2019

“Every five years you should count on going broke and figuring out what comes next.”

HOTB Continued from page 1

event draws more than 60,000 attendees.

Beyond MayDay, HOBT hosts school residencies and extra-curricular and summer programming, afterschool and summer arts programming. Other productions at its Avalon Theater regularly engage audiences in issues of social justice, notably Make Believe Neighborhood, The Story of Crow Boy and Cartoon!

To keep the MayDay event going, HOBT has launched a $50K fundraising campaign to cover part of its annual $200K costs.

“MayDay has grown too big for an organization the size of HOBT to carry on our own,” said Zoll in a recent statement. “This crowdfunding campaign is just one of several things we are do-

ing now and in the coming months to build a wider understanding of what it takes to make sure MayDay continues to be an essential part of the identity of South Minneapolis, and to build a sense that we can successfully share the work of making it happen.”

Given that GOTB will be competing for dollars from dwindling sources, including individual contributors, Zoll hopes the new fundraiser will build momentum around support for the organization.

“After the 2016 elections, we saw a pretty big bump upwards in donations, because people said, I didn’t realize that was going to happen. Let’s show support,” Zoll told the MSR. “That lasted for about a year until the changes were announced to the individual tax code.

“Over 2018, our individual donations fell because people are scared of what’s happening in the world right

TOwnsend

ings at showings of New Jack City, a movie about Black drug dealers.

20th Century Fox reacted by sellContinued from page 1 ing Heartbeats as harmlessly Black as possible, Townsend’s documentary contends — as a not gritcharacters toward a waterfall of ty but balanced Black-man-in-themore nuanced portrayals,” he ’60s-music-business drama. said to a predominantly Black crowd Saturday afternoon at St. Anthony Main Theatre.

It was his last stop on a weekend tour that included a screening of his 1991 The Five Heartbeats, several inspirational school visits, and a meet-up with St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter.

Townsend closed it out with a screening of Making The Five Heartbeats. The documentary chronicles his journey writing, producing, selling, acting and, most prominently, directing the film that has become a permanent fixture in Black pop culture.

It also shows how the movie almost never got off the ground.

his passion and his knack for finding alternative routes to telling his story when obstacles blocked his path.

In the fifth grade, when Townsend was assigned a lesson in Shakespeare, he went to the library and stole Royal Shake-

Photo by Chris Juhn The previews made the movie look like a really expensive karaoke celebration of the Temptations. It looked boring. No one went to the theaters. But the movie had a second life on the secondary, VHS, then DVD markets.

Now it may even be turned into a Broadway musical.

The Five Heartbeats served as a passion project on two fronts: Townsend loved the Temptations, and he wanted to make a movie led by Black men portraying flawed, glorious characters that weren’t negative stereotypes.

A career built on passion Townsend’s career is built on

should change. I naively thought talking about it would be a way to move on. I learned in the past three and half years that was not going to be an effective process.”

Those operating the MayDay infrastructure had grown set in their ways, developing what Zoll described as inertia. “The system has been resistant to change. We look for new ideas. We welcome [them]. But, as soon as the process rolls along, the new ideas get pushed back,” he said.

“Because of the crush of the work, people say, ‘Maybe we can do that next year.’ Or, ‘We tried that once and it didn’t work. We’re just going to have to do it the way we already know how to do it,’” said Zoll.

“What we have come to understand internally here is that classic dynamic of supremacy culture,” he added. “Artists of color start out feeling invited, feeling welcome, that MayDay will be an artistic home for them, and then two or three years later saying, ‘No, thanks.

I don’t need this. This is not a system that’s changing.’

“My work has been to pick apart why that’s happening. And to dismantle it.”

Zoll means to replace the lip service with actual inclusion.

Toward this end, last summer, HOBT engaged consultants including Nadja Rubenova, Sandra Richardson, Susan Raffo, and Marie Michael to facilitate dialogues with MayDay artists about altering the MayDay process.

“We’ve boiled it down to a set of agreements that are promises In the Heart of the Beast Theatre has made to our artists and expectations we are having of our artists community, and building in the assessment [so] we can say after MayDay how well we do in keeping the promises we made.”

Bottom line: In the Heart of the Beast Theatre, to uphold those promises and continue its legacy contribution to South Minneapolis multiculturalism, must find some way to pay the bills.

To donate, visit www.givemn.org/organization/Heart-Of-The-Beast-Theatre-IncorPhotos by Max Haynes porated. The crowdfunding campaign will culminate with the premiere of a short docnow. The economy is very soft, and He acknowledged that his prede- umentary Children of Spring about the people are hedging their bets about where they want to put their money. cessor, founding artistic director San- magic of MayDay. Also, the number of important causes dy Spieler, advised him, “MayDay has a culture where artists of color don’t Dwight Hobbes welcomes reader reto support are bigger than ever.”

If they exceed their MayDay fun- feel welcome. Artists [also] talked to sponses to dhobbes@spokesman-recorder. draising goal, HOBT will use the re- me about this. I said that these things com. All photos by Max Haynes

“Black creators tip the accumulation of stereotypical characters toward a waterfall of more nuanced portrayals.”

The classic that almost wasn’t Fresh off his auteur debut directing and starring in Hollywood Shuffle (1987) about the Black actor’s dilemma of having no work or demeaning work, Townsend was a hot commodity with plenty of Hollywood capital. Yet, he couldn’t get The Five Heartbeats picked up by a studio for nearly five years because executives didn’t think this Black-heavy movie would sell.

The documentary takes the viewer through the highs and lows of each step of the filmmaking process, talking at length about writing with partner Keenan Ivory Wayans, conversing with people who held the green light switch in the late ‘80s about casting, directing and selling the finished movie to the public.

When it did finally make it to theaters, the film didn’t do well at the box office. A few weeks before its release there were shoot-

maining funds to establish a new organizational model that is more “resilient, inclusive and relevant.” This will inevitably include partnerships with the community and other organizations.

“Any future for this organization, assuming there is a future, will involve sharing [the Avalon Theater] more,” said Zoll. “This building needs to be more of an asset to more of the communities that are in this neighborhood.

“There are ways that can be done.

It could be about sharing with two or three other arts companies that want to present their whole season but are having trouble hanging on to their space,” he continued. “Maybe something like a Lake Street version of the Cedar Cultural Center. Curating not just theatre but music and other things.”

In recent times, among long-established theatre companies to shut down are Intermedia Arts, Patrick’s Cabaret and Bedlam Theatre. All of whom, like HOTB, made reflecting Twin Cities multiculturalism a priority.

HOBT’s artists of color have been essential to the work produced at the Avalon. However, the MayDay event has not been in step with the institution’s commitment to varied cultures.

Zoll, in his third year at HOTB, stated there are plans to improve on that.

7

ly responding to her with vaguely recognizable French melodramatic nonsense.

As a young adult, he began acting on stage and in commercials. When he became frustrated with a lack of good opportunities to jumpstart his career, he took a swing on a project about his frustrations.

Hollywood Shuffle was shot in 12 days. It was funded entirely

by Townsend, who said he spent $60,000 cash and put $40,000 on credit cards. Townsend joked about getting locations for free by filming without a permit and avoiding the cops, and how he thinks he still directs fast because he’s always subconsciously avoiding police.

While Black filmmaking has its added obstacles, you never know who is going to help along the way, noted Townsend. “When I think in terms of color and all of that, there’s a lot of people that don’t look like me that have helped me a lot,” said Townsend.

For everyone, there are simply those who are on your team and those who are not, he added. And the members of each side can be surprising. “Sometimes [Blacks] can be hard on ourselves and not open the door,” he admitted.

“There’s a lot of Black folks that ain’t show me no love.”

Townsend said Black filmmakers and actors don’t have as many barriers as when he started. Fielding questions about the post-Black Panther movie business, Townsend said there are now better Black parts and more Black bosses like Ryan Coogler, Ava Duvernay, Barry Jenkins and Jordan Peele.

“It’s getting better.”

speare Company vinyls under his shirt and listened to them so many times he’d memorized the lines.

“I’m a street kid… I take all the Shakespeare records home,” said Townsend, getting up from his director chair to act out his prepubescent panic to get his hands on Shakespeare records. Come class time, his classmates, who couldn’t care less, barely read the lines. Townsend delivered them in an English accent.

Solomon Gustavo welcomes He’d also sometimes pretend his life was in “French subtitles,” reader responses to sgustavo@ like the French movies he had spokesman-recorder.com. become obsessed with, sparking the ire of his single mother by on-

sBs Continued from page 1

identify with and like to do in my daily life and something that I’m trying to do in the business.

MSR: What has been your biggest challenge in launching your business?

GA: Baking in bulk is a very different process than just, you know, a batch of cupcakes! And, having the storage space and the startup costs to make sure I get the things that I needed to make [my set-up] look nice and presentable. Just the time and the energy it takes to bake and all the little costs that kind of add up to get the business going.

MSR: What is your ultimate goal?

GA: We live in North Minneapolis in Jordan, and there’s not a ton of vegan options right around in the community. I didn’t know about veganism. I didn’t know about just a different way, a different style of eating as something real.

So, it is important to me to bring that and help expose the community to things that I know I didn’t know about growing up. That’s one of my goals. Another goal would be to own a storefront one day or a restaurant.

MSR: What advice would you give to someone who is looking to launch this business?

GA: (laughing) I’m still just taking all the advice in myself. But what I would advise is to just go for it, because I would’ve just kept putting it off and saying, “Oh, everything’s not right.” Also, if there are people who are around you that are supportive, that is key. I was very fortunate that a very good friend was here, and my partner and her mom, they all supported me. All those things were key in me getting to this event for the past few days.

Find Lee and Louise Confections at bit.ly/ leeandlouise. MSR readers can enjoy a 15 percent discount on orders through March 31, 2019.

Interview conducted by Stephenetta Harmon.

8

March 14-20, 2019

DID YOU

BULLETIN

W O N K

?

Free sand for sidewalks, streets

B

elieve it or not, spring is just around the corner. But along with the much-welcomed warm-up comes the slush, puddles, and slick sidewalks and streets, as our record-breaking snow accumulation melts in the day and becomes icy when the temp dips at night.

So, it’s important as ever to re-up the sand or ice-melting material to minimize slips. It’s also great to have a bucket of sand on-hand as your travel to avoid having your car stuck on a slick road.

Did you know the City of Minneapolis offers several sites where residents can pick-up a FREE sand-salt mixture for their residential sidewalks and driveways?

Locations are open 24 hours a day. Just bring your own pail and shovel!

SAND-SALT PICK-UP LOCATIONS: 1. 6036 Harriet Ave., S. on West 60th St., between Lyndale and Harriet avenues 2. 1809 Washington St. N.E., at 18th and Jefferson E 27th Street, just east of Longfellow Ave., near the Public Works gate 3. 2710 Pacific St., outside the main Public Works gate between 27th and 28th Ave., N. For more info, go to bit.ly/Mplssand or call 311.

Above photo by Chris Juhn; MSR file photo on left.

Legals A/1

INVITATION TO BID

INVITATION TO BID Project: 410 West Lake St Apartments

Project: Maya Common II

410 West Lake St

1220 Brook Ave SE

Minneapolis, MN 55408

Minneapolis, MN 55414

Sealed proposals will be received by the Public Housing Agency of the City of Saint

Description: Rental Apartment (111) units

Description: New 6-story, 50 Unit Rental Apartment. Five levels of housing over

Paul at 200 East Arch Street, Saint Paul, MN 55130 for FURNISHING JANITORI-

Bidding: On behalf of Developer, Lake Street Apartments LLC, Frana Compa-

one level of on-grade parking. Structure is wood-framed (5-stories) over precast

AL SERVICES AND TRAINING AT THE W. ANDREW BOSS OFFICE BUILDING,

nies is accepting bids for divisions 1-16 including but not limited to Site Work,

plank (one level), with a variety of exterior finish materials.

Contract No. 19-129, until 11:00 a.m., local time on April 11, 2019.

Concrete, Masonry, Metals, Carpentry, Thermal & Moisture Protection, Doors

Bidding: On behalf of the Developer, Van Cleve Court Development., Frana Com-

& Windows, Finishes, Specialties, Furnishings, Special Construction, Elevators,

panies is accepting bids for Divisions 1-33, including some Site Work, Concrete,

A Pre-Proposal Conference will be held in conjunction with a Pre-Proposal Tour on

Fire Protection, Mechanical and Electrical.

Masonry, Metals, Carpentry, Thermal & Moisture Protection, Doors & Windows,

April 2, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. at the W. Andrew Boss office Building, 555 N Wabasha, St.

Bids Due: SEALED BIDS DUE: Thursday, April 4th 2019 at 4:00pm at Frana

Finishes, Specialties, Equipment, Furnishings, Elevators, Fire Protection, Me-

Paul. Immediately following the conference there will be a Pre-Proposal Tour. All

Companies.

chanical and Electrical.

questions arising from this pre-proposal conference will be addressed by addendum,

Bid opening is public: EMAIL, PHONE, OR FAX BIDS NOT ACCEPTED

Bids Due: SEALED BIDS DUE Friday, March 22nd, 2019 @ 2:00 p.m. Please

if necessary.

Project Manager: Landon Schmitz 952-405-7303 lschmitz@frana.com

drop off sealed bids to Frana Companies Inc., 633 2nd Avenue South, Hopkins,

Project Assistant: Allie Killion 952-908-2660 akillion@frana.com

MN 55343 NO EMAILED OR FAX BIDS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

A complete set of bid documents are available by contacting Northstar Imaging at 651-

Special Notes: 1. This project will include Minneapolis Small and Underutilized

Project Manager: Dan Ackmann (952) 873-7497, dackmann@frana.com

686-0477 or www.northstarplanroom.com . Digital downloads are no charge, contact

Business Program (SUBP) Contracting Goals of 8% Minority Business Enter-

Project Architect: Devon Lundy (612) 455-3109, dlundy@urban-works.com

Northstar for hard copy prices.

prise (MBE) and 8%Women Business Enterprise (WBE). Certifications listed on

Special Notes: 1. This project will include Minneapolis Small and Underutilized

MNUCP Website http://mnucp.org. The MnUCP list of certified contractors is in-

Business Program (SUBP) Contracting goals of 8% MBE and 5% WBE, Certifi-

Proposals must be accompanied by an Equal Employment opportunity form. The suc-

cluded in the bid documents dated January 4th, 2019.

cations listed on MNUCP Website http://mnucp.org. HUD Section 3 Program and

cessful proposer will be required to furnish a satisfactory performance bond and sep-

2. The Workforce Goals on this project will be 20% of the total project trade hours

contracting goals of 10% and Resident Goals (30% new hires). Employment Labor

arate payment bond.

to be performed by females and 32% of the total project trade hours to be per-

Goals on site will also be required of 6% Female hours and 32% Minority hours.

formed by minorities.

2. Davis-Bacon Prevailing wage rates and reporting processes will be required.

The PHA reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or to waive any informalities

3. Prevailing wage rates are required, and the bid documents include the prelimi-

This includes weekly certified payroll submissions into the City of Minneapo-

in the bidding process.

nary wage decision. All subcontractors performing labor hours will be required to

lis LCP Tracker Reporting System. In addition, all employees must be paid week-

submit certified payroll reports using LCP tracker Reporting System on bi-week-

ly. Wage determination and Federal Labor Standards Provisions are attached.

ly (every other week) basis.

(MN180182, 09/28/2018 MN182)

4. Site work is expected to commence May 1st, 2019. A (14) month construction

3. HUD Section 8 Project based voucher program is Part of this project require-

schedule is anticipated.

ments for contracts in excess of $100,000.

5. The attached Contractor Profile Form and List of Subcontractor & Suppliers

4. This project is not LEED-Certified, but will be built under MHFA Green Com-

Form is required to be submitted with your bid.

munities Criteria.

6. This project is not LEED certified, but will be built under MHFA Green Com-

5. Construction is expected to commence June 2019. A 12-month construction

munities Criteria.

schedule is anticipated.

7. Procedure for Bid Inquiries and Questions:

6. All Vendors with site work Contracts in excess of $50,000 will be required to

Contract No. 19-129 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

AN EQUAL

STEVE AHNER

OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

PROJECT LEADER (651) 292-6069

Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, March 14, 2019

STATE OF MINNESOTA COUNTY OF HENNEPIN In the Estate of MARY ANN MILLER , Decedent

DISTRICT COURT FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT PROBATE DIVISION Court File No. 27-PA-PR-

NOTICE OF INFORMAL , APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

a. All inquiries must be submitted in writing with reference to specification

have an Apprenticeship Program certified by the State Department of Labor.

section and/or drawing.

7. Minneapolis Civil Rights Pre-Construction Booklet (attached) must be

b. All inquiries must be submitted to Landon Schmitz, Frana Companies,

submitted with all qualified bids.

lschmitz@frana.com.

8. Procedure for Bid Inquiries and Questions:

8. AFL – CIO Financing/ Requirements:

a. All inquiries must be submitted in writing with reference to specification

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

Notice is hereby further given that the informal appointment of Mark Miller, whose address is 6345 ZANE AVENUE NORTH, #104, BROOKLYN PARK, MN 55429 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 the appointment of the 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 30 days from the date of issuance of letters, the power to sell real estate, unless objections thereto are filed with the Court (pursuant to Section 524.3-607) and the Court otherwise orders.

Notice is also given that (subject to Minnesota Statutes section 524.3-801) all creditors having claims against the Estate are required to present the claims to the Personal Representative or to the Court Administrator within four months after

The project is being financed through the AFL CIO investment funds, therefore

section and/or drawing number.

all on-site labor is required to be performed by workers (members) represented by

b. All inquiries must be submitted to Dan Ackmann, Frana Companies,

Please contact Allie Killion, Project Assistant, by email at akillion@frana.com to

Please

the date of this Notice or the claims will be barred Dated: March 8, 2019 Kate Fogarty District Court Administrator

order a Flash Drive with PDF Plans & Specs for no $0.

Lindblom@frana.com to order a CD with the Plans and Specifications.

Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, March 14, 21 & 28, 2019

unions, affiliated with local building and construction trades council.

dackmann@frana.com.

Plan Review Options:

9. Frana Companies will provide three (3) Project Open Houses per the follow-

Frana FTP Site:

ing schedule:

1. https://frana.sharefile.com

Thursday, March 14, 12:00pm to 2:00pm Tuesday, March 19, 10:00am to 12:00pm

2. Email: franabids@frana.com

Wednesday, March 20, 2:00pm to 4:00pm

3. Password: Franabids1!

Plan Review: Frana Companies 633 2nd Ave. S, Hopkins, MN 55343

4. Direct Link to Project: https://frana.sharefile.com/d-s99a8d05e275426fa

Minneapolis Builders Exchange 1123 Glenwood Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55405

Frana Companies:

Metropolitan Econ. Dev. Assoc. 250 2nd Ave., Suite 106, Minneapolis, MN 55401

633 2nd Ave. S, Hopkins, MN 55343

Plans are available to view/download at:https://frana.sharefile.com

Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm

Login – franabids@frana.com Password – franabids1!

EQUAL HOUSING & EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY-

Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, March 14, 21 & 28 , 2019

contact

Lynn

Lindblom,

Project

Assistant,

by

email

Allow 4 days for delivery.

EQUAL HOUSING & EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY-

Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, March 7 & 14 , 2019

at

March 14-20, 2019

9

Employment LEGAL ASSISTANT – LITIGATION (PT) Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid. For details go to www.mylegalaid.org/jobs.

Place your classified ad in the MSR

612-827-4021

Human Services Professionals!

Human services nonprofit working with a diverse population of families living in poverty is hiring for 7 paid positions in case management, employment services, and client and volunteer support. Competitive salary and benefits package. Visit: iocp.org/openpositions.

Software Engineer Software Engineer: Medtronic, Inc., Fridley, MN. Multiple positions available. Req. Bachelor’s in Software Eng., Comp.

Eng., Info. Systems, Comp. Sci. or related field & 2 yrs. exp. w/software eng.; or Master’s in Software Eng., Comp. Eng., Info. Systems, Comp. Sci. or related field & 6 months exp. w/software eng. Must possess at least 6 months exp., training, or any coursework in the following: Agile software dev. & structured waterfall methodologies; Agile tools to incl. CodeBeamer & VersionOne; programming languages to incl. Java, groovy, SQL & web technologies; w/Android SDK, UI design principles & patterns; Object Oriented Design, layered architecture & Design Patterns; source code mgmt. to incl. GIT; continuous integration environments to incl. Jenkins; & testing tools to incl. mockito, espresso, Appium, & UI Automator for test automation. To apply, visit www.medtronic.com/careers, select Req. #190002LE. No agencies or phone calls please. Medtronic is an equal opportunity employer committed to cultural diversity in the workplace. All individuals are encouraged to apply.

Principal Business Systems Analyst – APO / DP Principal Business Systems Analyst – APO / DP for Medtronic, Inc. at its facilities located in Mounds View, MN. Duties: Analyzes a variety of business and technical challenges within Supple Chain Planning-to design, build and improve Demand Planning solutions. Requires a Masters’ degree or foreign equivalent in Information Systems, Computer Science or Business Administration and three (3) years post-bachelor’s progressive experience in all of the following: working with SAP-Advanced Planner & optimizer (APO) Demanding Planning (DP) module as a business analyst or systems consultant; creating System Design and updating configuration of APO DP application; Preparing Functional specifications based on user requirements for enhancements or process design initiatives; configuring integration interfaces between SAP APO DP, ECC and BW and designed APO DP BW objects; working in SAP enterprise system architecture and SAP framework; creating large system implementations involving system design and developments; working with history interface design and defining master data in APO DP. No Travel Required. Apply at www.medtronic.com/ careers, Req. 190002RE. Medtronic is an equal opportunity employer committed to cultural diversity in the workplace.

All individuals are encouraged to apply.

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

TraCey williams-DillarD

CeCil e. NewmaN

Publisher/CEO

Founder-Publisher 1934-1976

wallaCe (JaCk) JaCkmaN Co-Publisher Emeritus

lauNa Q. NewmaN CEO/Publisher 1976-2000

Norma JeaN williams Vice President Emeritus

Senior Editor

Contributing Writers

Sports Writers

Jerry Freeman

Kenneth Brown Dr. Charles E. Crutchfield III Dr. Deirdre Golden Solomon Gustava Charles Hallman Dr. Clarence Hightower Dwight Hobbes Brandon Jones Tony Kiene Nekima Levy-Armstrong Issa A. Mansaray Tammy McIntyre Juliet Mitchell Khymyle Mims Ivan Phifer Nicole Pillow I. Angela Rae James L. Stroud, Jr.

Larry Fitzgerald Charles Hallman Dr. Mitchell P. McDonald

Editor in Chief Stephenetta Harmon

Digital Editor Paige Elliott

Desktop Publisher Laura Poehlman

Editoral Intern Chris Juhn

Distribution Manuel Alvarez

Account Representatives Monisha Washington Cecilia Viel

Opinion Writers Myrle Cooper Ron Edwards Frank Erikson Rev. Irene Monroe Mel Reeves Lucky Rosenbloom

Staff Photographer Chris Juhn

Contributing Photographers Onika Nicole Craven Steve Floyd Travis Lee

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First Avenue: Stories of Minnesota's Mainroom - Call for Volunteers Since 1970, First Avenue and 7th Street Entry have been at the heart of the Minneapolis music scene. The First Avenue Exhibit takes you inside scenes, sounds, and stories of a landmark club that put Minneapolis music on the map.

Calling on energetic volunteers who like music and people. May 4, 2019 - June 2020. 4 hours shifts - weekdays and weekends. Training provided.

Apply at www.mnhs.volunteers/org or call 651-259-3191.

Internship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to work in a cultural organization, build their resume, and network. Many majors accepted. Summer applications open March 4-24th.

Visit our website: www.mnhs.org/internships/college.

Paid and unpaid internships available.

Sr. Software Engineer- CRHR

Sr. Software Engineer- CRHR for Medtronic, Inc. at its facilities located in Mounds View, MN. Duties: Coordinate with software development group in the medical device industry to design and implement software and web-based applications. Requires a Bachelors’ Degree or foreign equivalent in Electronics Engineering, Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related and five (5) years Post-Bachelor’s progressive experience in all of the following: Software Requirements Definition; Software Architecture Definition; Software Design Definition; Software Implementation; Software Verification; Working With IEC 62304; Programming In C#, JAVA, XML, HTML, Javascript; using development tools to include Visual Studio and Team Foundation Studio. Apply at www.medtronic.com/careers, Req.190002UR. Medtronic is an equal opportunity employer committed to cultural diversity in the workplace. All individuals are encouraged to apply.

Sr. Analytics Analyst Sr. Analytics Analyst for Medtronic, Inc. at its facilities located in Fridley, MN. Duties: Works in global channel group allowing Medtronic therapies to get in the hands of those that need them, without the markup of a distributor. Requires a Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Analytics or closely related field and two (2) years Post-Bachelor’s progressive experience in all of the following: data analytics reporting and insights analysis utilizing enterprise data warehousing; design and development of data visualization dashboards for exploratory data analysis of the business using visualization tools including Tableau and Spotfire; creating statistical models to validate hypotheses to include sales driver analysis, financial time series forecasting, and segmentation drivers; statistical modeling tools to include SAS, R and Python; data processing and transformation using tools to include SPSS, SSIS, and SQL; work closely with business partners to identify patterns in data, understand leading indicators, lagging indicators, and present proof of hypotheses; producing visually intuitive and appealing story boards’ using data visualization tools; data visualization techniques and tools to effectively demonstrate patterns, outliers and exceptional conditions in the data. No Travel Required. Apply at www.medtronic.com/careers, Req.190002UQ. Medtronic is an equal opportunity employer committed to cultural diversity in the workplace. All individuals are encouraged to apply.

Fitz

Continued from page 10 with 15 games left. I’d say going 12-3 in the final games would get them into the playoffs. What do you think?

This week, the Timberwolves’ playoff hopes are on the line big time facing the mother of all road trips. Five of their next six games are on the road where the Timberwolves have been awful, just 9-25 away from Target Center, where they are 23-10.

Make no mistake about it: The Timberwolves are one of the most talented teams in the league. Towns is a gifted AllStar, and Andrew Wiggins, like Towns, is a max contract player.

The Timberwolves have committed $140 million and $125 million to these two guys.

Taylor fired Thibodeau after All-Star Jimmy Butler disrupted the team and demanded a trade, refusing to sign a four-year $100 million deal. This team has been drifting along ever since for Interim Coach Ryan Saunders.

Expectations were for this team to challenge for a title in the West. How tough is the Western Conference? Golden State has won three titles in four years. LeBron James, now with Los Angeles, can’t even get the Lakers into the playoffs, and he’s

been in the playoffs nine years in a row, including nine times in the Finals with Cleveland and Miami.

Making the playoffs for the Timberwolves is a tall order considering their inability to win on the road, the inconsistency of the talented Wiggins, and Robert Covington having disappeared with an injury. It’s been a bizarre season of frustration.

Several injuries to Jeff Teague, Tyus Jones and Rose are all like missed free throws, opportunities lost. However, if the Timberwolves miss the playoffs again, that’s 14 times in 15 years in the NBA Lottery, and that is a disgraceful NBA record. It’s certainly not the way you celebrate your 30th NBA season, but that’s part of the strange history of the now-three-logos NBA Timberwolves.

Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:25 am, on WDGYAM 740 Monday and Friday at 9:10 am, and at www.Gamedaygold.com. He also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on Almanac (TPT channel 2). Follow him on Twitter at FitzBeatSr. Larry welcomes reader responses to info@larry-fitzgerald. com or visit Larry-Fitzgerald.com.

University of Minnesota Extension Nutrition Educator, SNAP-Ed Education Hennepin, Ramsey and surrounding counties What will you do?

Nutrition educators teach nutrition classes, encourage physical activity, and change systems to increase access to healthy food. They work with partners in a variety of community settings including schools, non-profits, food shelves, and other social service agencies.

Who’s right for the job? Need to have: • Bachelor’s degree in health, nutrition or a closely related field or a combination of education and related experience to total 4 years.

• 2 or more years of experience in teaching, community education, community engagement, or community health promotion with diverse audiences.

• A willingness to model Extension’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Excellent Benefits Package including medical & dental insurance and paid time off. Starting salary $36,899 based on qualifications.

To learn more and apply, go to the U of MN Employment System https://hr.myu.umn.edu/jobs/ext/329075 Contact Margaret Haggenmiller at mjh@umn.edu or 612-624-4858 Applications will be reviewed March 25, 2019. The position will remain open until filled.

Equal Opportunity Educator and Employer

Legals STATE OF MINNESOTA COUNTY OF HENNEPIN Shelter Construction LLC, Plaintiff, v.

We Local People L.L.C.,and Airizes Miller,

CASE TYPE: CONTRACT COURT FILE NO.: 27-CV-19-2795 JUDGE: THOMAS FRASER

SUMMONS

Defendants THIS SUMMONS IS DIRECTED TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS: 1. YOU ARE BEING SUED. The Plaintiff has started a lawsuit against you. The Plaintiff’s Complaint against you is attached to this summons. Do not throw these papers away. They are official papers that affect your rights. You must respond to this lawsuit even though it may not yet be filed with the Court and there may be no court file number on this summons.

2. YOU MUST REPLY WITHIN 20 DAYS TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS. You must give or mail to the person who signed this summons a written response called an Answer within 20 days of the date on which you received this Summons. You must send a copy of your Answer to the person who signed this summons located at: Virtus Law, PLLC 7040 Lakeland Avenue, Suite 100 Minneapolis, MN 55428 3. YOU MUST RESPOND TO EACH CLAIM. The Answer is your written response to the Plaintiff’s Complaint. In your Answer you must state whether you agree or disagree with each paragraph of the Complaint. If you believe the Plaintiff should not be given everything asked for in the Complaint, you must say so in your Answer.

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

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

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

Dated: February 21, 2019 By:Nathan W. Nelson (#0347401) Steven V. Rose (#0296661) Daniel R. Spicer (#0399414) 7040 Lakeland Avenue, Suite 100 Minneapolis, MN 55428 (612) 888-1000 Fax:(763)447-3591 ATTORNEYS FOR PLAINTIFF

Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, March 7,14 & 21 2019

SOE Continued from page 10 kept alive the Whitecaps’ sellout streak for all its nine games in their inaugural NWHL season.

With the season now nearing its close and graduation on the horizon, Montgomery has her sights on her post-college career. “I have been applying for jobs in Dallas. That’s where I want to move and to live. I want to be out of the cold,” she notes.

“I’d hope eventually to be established as a community relations director. It doesn’t necessarily have to work around sports.”

She is keenly aware that

as a young Black woman she is trying to navigate through a field that desperately needs diversity. “I certainly hope that there is more diversity in the future,” she said. “It’s really important to me.”

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

10

March 14-20, 2019

CAN T-WOLVES DODGE Gopher recruit’s Senior Night not quite what he’d expected NBA DISGRACE? I’ve learned over time to never take anything for granted.

From the very beginning when the Timberwolves became an organization, the days of owners Marv and Harv playing their home games at the old Metrodome, it’s been one bumpy ride after another.

The 2018-2019 season has been like a carnival. This team was once sold down the river to New Orleans. However, the NBA saved us and stopped it and voided the sale. They’ve been fined millions of dollars by the NBA for fraud involving the Joe Smith contract.

The Timberwolves once had

a player threaten bodily harm to a St. Paul beat writer. They have had a player killed in a tragic car accident. And, they have had four head coaches in five years.

Owner Glen Taylor fired third-year coach Tom Thibodeau months ago and owes him $25 mil-

lion.

After beating Oscar-winning Spike Lee’s beloved New York Knicks 103-92 Sunday without All-Star Karl Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Robert Covington, and with Derrick Rose playing just eight minutes, they have won two in a row and six in a row at home and are 32-35 ■ See Fitz on page 9

S

enior Night for a particular sport season’s final home game, whether high school or college, is never void of emotion. Only the player’s and the team’s actual last game of the season is more emotional because of its finalCharles ity. hallman Jarvis Johnson is a Minneapolis native and a 2015 De La Salle High School graduate. He was highly recruited, the first state recruit signed to play basketball for Richard Pitino at the University of Minnesota, and he was expected to make a meaningful contribution to the Gophers.

The 6’-1” guard, however, never wore his number 12 on the court during his four years at the U. Johnson, a member of four straight high school basketball champiJarvis Johnson with Coach Richard Pitino and his parents on Senior Night onships in as many tries, hasn’t scored a Photo courtesy of U of M point since leaving high school.

He was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in eighth grade, plause and went back to his usual court- ic basketball season where Augsburg for a heart condition in which the heart mus- side bench seat to watch the action, the the first time was nationally ranked and cle becomes abnormally thick. According same spot he had held for four seasons. finished second in both the regular sea“I tried to be a role model for the team, son and league playoffs. Coach Ted Rivto the Mayo Clinic, there are fewer than 200,000 U.S. cases of HCM per year; the to be there whether winning or losing,” erso was named MIAC Coach of the Year, condition can last for years or be lifelong, Johnson told me a few days before Senior his first as Auggies coach.

Night. The Gophers play this week in the and it is treatable but cannot be cured.

Auggies junior guard Aiza Wilson was He nonetheless played sports all Big Ten Tournament in Chicago in hopes named the league’s sixth Woman of the through high school, but once on campus, of earning more playing time this month.

Year. The Minneapolis native played in all Johnson admitted it wasn’t easy sitting 27 games, finishing second in team scorthe Gopher doctors would not medically clear him to play despite the fact that other and watching, but he publicly stayed posi- ing and fifth in three-point shooting for tive and upbeat. “I just do my role.” schools have cleared players with HCM. Augsburg. Teammates Tamera McLenore and Arianna Jones both made all-MIAC, and Carlee Kebow made the All-Sportsmanship Team.

K’Lynn Lewis, a freshman from St. Paul, made MIAC Co-Rookie of the Year.

She started 23 of 25 games for St. Olaf and With his degree, Johnson said, “I just was 10th in the league in points. She and Instead of transferring, which was once rumored, Johnson instead remained want to go back to the community and fellow first-year player Chan’el Anderat Minnesota. His basketball scholarship connect with the youth.” He said that he son-Manning (Hamline), also of St. Paul, stayed intact, and he will graduate this hasn’t yet ruled out playing hoops again were among the Honorable Mention Allspring with a youth studies degree. His and going back to school for an advanced MIAC. Anderson-Manning also made the became a non-playing Gopher career that degree. league’s All First-Year Team. he hadn’t planned or imagined.

While his fellow seniors got applaud- The Augsburg surprise Charles Hallman welcomes reader responsThe Minnesota Intercollegiate Athlet- es to challman@spokesman-recorder.com. ed from the Barn crowd for their on-court exploits before the March 5 Senior Night ic Conference (MIAC) post-season awards home finale, Johnson likewise drew ap- were announced last month after a histor-

ANOTHER

VIEW

“I tried to be a role model for the team, to be there whether winning or losing.”

Can Karl Anthony Towns save the Timberwolves?

Photo by Steve Floyd

Bell finishes regularseason career at U of M

Sports odds and ends

Women’s hockey internship has steep learning curve

By Charles Hallman Contributing Writer The National Women Hockey League’s (NWHL’s) first-year Minnesota Whitecaps is the first local pro team in this century to have someone not White working in its marketing and public relations department. In the early 1990s, the University of Minnesota had exactly two Blacks — one male and one female — as assistant sports information directors in their thenseparate sports information departments. Since then there have been none, and to my knowledge, the other teams in town have yet to find their Jackie Robinson of PR.

group interviewed the community relations director for the Twins. I literally fell in love with her daily tasks and what she was working around.

“I did my research on how to get a job like that. Right after that, I applied to the School of Journalism,” Montgomery said.

The Whitecaps joined the WNHL as the Twin Cities’ first women’s pro hockey franchise. “I was looking for internships this [past] summer,” Montgomery stated. “I re-

“I certainly hope that there is more diversity in the future.”

Brianna Montgomery applied for and eventually was hired as an intern in the Whitecaps front office. She expects to graduate this spring from the University of Minnesota in journalism and then actively pursue a behind-thescenes position in sports, an area historically tracked for Whites only.

“I came to college undecided,” Montgomery recalled.

“For a while, I wanted to be a doctor. I thought also [about] dermatology. I thought I wanted to be a teacher.

“I took a sports management class my sophomore year. It was pretty interesting. In that class we had to do an informal internship with someone in sports,” Montgomery continued. “My

searched who the Whitecaps were and their history. I applied. They got back to me and wanted to interview me.”

Working with the club in its

first year — Minnesota is the first local pro team to make the playoffs in its first season — has been exciting, Montgomery said. “This has been a big organizing year. The [NWHL] is fairly new, and it’s cool to be a part of things. It’s been good.

“It’s a learning curve from the start, establishing the first season and continuing to grow,” the Duluth native said, adding that, more importantly, she has been able to apply her classroom experience to real life.

“There is so much room for growth in everything you do.

This is what I was looking for in an internship,” Montgomery added.

Minnesota last week set a league record for the fastest sellout in history, selling all 1,200 available tickets in 25 hours for its first-ever playoff game. The previous record was set a year ago when the Isobel Cup Final in New Jersey was sold out in 48 hours. This ■ See SOE on page 9

PreP Scene Dr. mitChell Palmer mCDonalD

Kenisha Bell, a 5’9” guard who starred at Bloomington Kennedy, recently completed an outstanding regular-season career at the University of Minnesota, scoring 23 points on “Senior Day” and leading the Gophers to an 81-63 win over Kenisha Bell Paris Johnson (St. Louis Park) Michigan State University.

(University of Minnesota) shoots as Josiah Lossow She had 15 in a 66-58 loss to (Minneapolis South) defends.

Indiana in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament. Bell to St. Louis Park. He averaged definitely had one of the most 11.5 points per game during the state’s Ms. Basketball in 2016 distinguished careers in Go- regular season. after leading Hopkins to the Eli Campbell: The 6’1” se- Class AAAA state championphers history.

Here are three prep stand- nior shooting guard was re- ship game and earning Allouts and one former prep cently named Minneapolis Conference, All-Metro and Allstandout that made their marks City Conference Player of the State honors.

Year after averaging 18.9 points recently: Paris Johnson: The 6’4” Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald sophomore forward averwelcomes reader responses to aged 15.6 points per game for mcdeezy05@gmail.com. Photos by St. Louis Park this season. He Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald scored 22 points in an 87-63 Section 6AAAA semifinal victory over Minneapolis South.

Jaylen Blakley: The 5’8” junior point guard scored 27 points in a Section 6AAAA loss

Eli Campbell (Minneapolis North)

Brianna Montgomery

Photo by Charles Hallman

Jaylen Blakley (Minneapolis South)

per game and leading Minneapolis North to the conference championship.

Nia Hollie: The 6’0” guard recently finished her junior regular season at Michigan State University. Hollie was the

Nia Hollie (Michigan State)