INSIDE
THE NEWS SOURCE FOR DOWNTOWN & NORTHEAST MINNEAPOLIS RESIDENTS DECEMBER 28–JANUARY 10, 2018
PAGE 16
GET OUT GUIDE: OUT THERE AT THE WALKER
THE THE CIRCUS CIRCUS IS IN IN IS TOWN TOWN
PAGE 13
LOCAL FLAVOR: BEST OF 2017 PAGE 18
Thanks to a growing aerial arts community, locals are picking up skills typically reserved for the circus
BEST PICKS: CACTUS BLOSSOMS
BIZ BUZZ
3
CIVIC BEAT
6
Submitted photo By Eric Best / ebest@journalmpls.com Meg Elias-Emery looks on as a young student climbs three times her height up a silk rope to perform a star drop. She wraps herself in the fabric before extending out each limb, quickly twirling down and hanging in mid-air. Elias-Emery has taught countless kids and adults the same maneuver, and many others, as the founder of Xelias Aerial Arts School, a nonprofit that serves more than 300 students in Northeast Minneapolis. As the circus arts family grows, more and more people of all ages are taking up flips, jumps and twirls of aerial arts and acrobatics. And, unlike Elias-Emery, SEE CIRCUS ARTS / PAGE 12
DEVELOPMENT TRACKER
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GREEN DIGEST
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PARKS UPDATE
15
MILL CITY COOKS
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Damond’s father ‘deeply concerned’ about BCA investigation John Ruszczyk’s comments follow county attorney’s criticism of the agency By Dylan Thomas / dthomas@journalmpls.com The father of Justine Damond said Dec. 21 he is “deeply concerned” about the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s investigation into her death this summer. John Ruszczyk spoke publicly at home in Australia one week after the release of a video showing Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman criticizing BCA investigators. Confronted by activists who wanted to know why he hadn’t yet charged the Minneapolis police officer who shot and killed Damond in July, the Freeman said BCA investigators “haven’t done their job” and that he was still lacking critical evidence. Freeman later apologized for remarks he described as “ill-advised,” but the attorney representing Damond’s family, Bob Bennett, noted that Freeman did not walk back his complaints about the thoroughness of the investigation.
“At least he was forthright about the failures of the BCA to do an adequate investigation in the first place, which doesn’t surprise me,” Bennett said. “I’ve looked at a lot of BCA investigations and found them, at least in officer-involved shootings, to be inadequate and really starting at the wrong point.” Bennett said there was a “double-standard” applied to shootings involving officers, and that in those cases the BCA conducted something that was less an investigation “than a verification of the shooting.” He said the statements given by officers in those cases are “taken at face value” by the BCA and not challenged. “I believe that the facts are going to show the very serious criticisms and complaints made by our county attorney about the BCA are going to be found to be true,” Bennett said.
Waiting for evidence Damond, also known as Justine Ruszczyk, was a 40-year-old Australian native who lived in the Fulton neighborhood. She called police July 15 to report a possible
A photo of Damond at an August memorial. File photo
assault and was shot by one of the responding officers in the alley behind her home at 51st & Washburn. Responding to the call were officers Mohamed Noor and Matthew Harrity. According to investigators, Noor apparently fired his weapon through the squad car window after being surprised by a loud sound. Neither officer’s body camera was active during the incident. Both Noor and Harrity were placed on administrative leave following the shooting, as is standard practice in the department. “I’ve got to have the evidence, and I don’t have it yet,” Freeman told a group of activists who confronted him at a Dec. 13 holiday party for public employees. A recording of the exchange was posted on the Facebook SEE DAMOND / PAGE 7
2 journalmpls.com / December 28–January 10, 2018
Voices
Moments in Minneapolis By Cedar Imboden Phillips
AT THE MOVIES
T
he Arion Theater, located at 23rd & Central, was a favorite spot for several generations of Northeast residents. The theater opened in 1911 and was one of the earliest neighborhood theaters in the city. In 1923, now legendary architects Jack Liebenberg and Seeman Kaplan launched their careers in theater design with a remodel of the Arion. This photo was taken ten years later. Patrons for “College Humor” or other movies of 1933 paid 25 cents for a ticket. The Arion survived the Depression and World War II, but met its demise in 1957. Like so many other local theaters, the Arion was a victim of changing consumer habits, including the popularity of drive-ins and the rise of television. Photograph from the collection of the Hennepin History Museum. Learn more about the museum and its offerings at hennepinhistory.org or 870-1329.
Cedar Imboden Phillips serves as executive director for the Hennepin History Museum. Learn more about the museum and its offerings at hennepinhistory.org or 870-1329.
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News By Eric Best ebest@journalmpls.com @ericthebest
TWIN CITIES
COMING SOON
Askov Finlayson at Target
The Dayton brothers’ love for the North is coming to a Target store near you. Askov Finlayson, the North Loop boutique founded by Eric and Andrew Dayton, is partnering with the department store to offer more than 50 products celebrating Minnesota, the region and its weather. Eric Dayton, whose great, great grandfather founded the company that would later become Target, said the products — from a version of the boutique’s popular North hat to a snowtube — are rooted in pride for the state. “Guests will be able to find that sense of pride in the quality and functionality of the product — up here, your clothing has a job to do, especially in winter. But you also don’t have to trade function for style, and hopefully this collection delivers both,” he said in a statement. The collection, which will be available at 38 Minnesota stores, features home goods as well as apparel and accessories for men, women, kids, toddlers and babies. They range in price from $5 to $40, though most will be under $30. Rick Gomez, Target’s chief marketing office, said with thousands of people coming to the Twin Cities for the Super Bowl early next year, the collection will give the state’s guests an opportunity to embrace the season. “Our partnership with Askov Finlayson shines a spotlight on the spirit of the North during a time when all eyes will be on Minnesota, and we hope guests will love shopping this special limited-timeonly collection as they enjoy the festivities surrounding the big game,” he said. Dayton is also one of the founders of the Great Northern, a festival that combines several of the Twin Cities winter traditions like the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships, Loppet Ski Festival and Winter Carnival. The 10-day festival consists of several events throughout the Twin Cities between Friday, Jan. 26 and Sunday, Feb. 4, the day of Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Askov Finlayson for Target collection will launch Jan. 14 with a public event at Theodore Wirth Park.
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Parc will be one of the first tenants to move into a historic reuse project in the North Loop. Thao Nguyen, owner of the women’s boutique, said she will consolidate her Nicollet Island-East Bank and Edina locations into one shop in the Campbell-Logan Bindery building. Falcon Ridge Partners purchased the fourstory building at 212 N. 2nd St. earlier this year and is rehabilitating it for new tenants. The building was the longtime home of a bookbindery whose owners sold the 1885 warehouse and recently moved the business to Fridley. Parc will occupy a former jewelry store space. Nguyen said the Northeast shop will close and move next summer. The building will reopen following the renovation between the second and third quarters next year, said Amanda Hawn, a partner with Falcon Ridge. The new space puts Parc near other popular shopping destinations in the neighborhood like Pacifier, MartinPartick3 and D.NOLO. Another historic reuse project on the corner, this time with the Hillman and Porter Electric Warehouse buildings, will further add to retail on the corner of 2nd & 3rd.
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Askov Finlayson’s collection at Target will feature more than 50 items with the shop’s North-inspired designs. Submitted photos
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Nguyen opened the shop in 2008 and expanded with another location in Edina at 50th & France in 2014. Parc carries clothing, shoes, jewelry and accessories from independent designers. Joining the boutique will be Mulberrys Cleaners, which has signed a lease for a corner of the building’s ground floor, Hawn said. The on-demand laundry startup operates a Southwest Minneapolis location in addition to cleaners in St. Paul, Edina, Eagan and several in throughout California. Parc’s move follows several vacancies on the same block along Hennepin Avenue. Bone Adventure has closed its three locations on East Hennepin Avenue, 50th & France and 48th & Chicago. Owners did not respond to a request for comment. Butcher Block, a locally owned Italian restaurant and bar, closed in September after eight years in business. A space formerly home to a Sprint store between Parc and Masu Sushi & Robata was used by mayor-elect Jacob Frey as a campaign office.
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4 journalmpls.com / December 28–January 10, 2018
News
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Twin Cities-based artist Chuck U has painted his first outdoor mural on the side of downtown’s Bulldog bar and restaurant. Photo by Eric Best
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HENNEPIN AVENUE
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
The Bulldog Downtown
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Fans of the Bulldog have two more bulldogs to love — not bars, but two larger-than-life pooches painted on the site of the downtown bar and restaurant. Owners of the building near 11th & Hennepin commissioned local artist Chuck U to paint a mural on the side of the building. It joins a block already well known for another piece of public art: The Butcher & the Boar’s mural by artist Adam Turman. Owner Brianna Norstrom said the new mural is a “worthy companion.” “I like that the block has two very strong pieces of public art as bookends,” she said in an email. “I really enjoy seeing that. It just softens our city and it makes me ... happy.” The piece depicts two blue-eyed bulldogs with multi-colored and multi-textured fur with a pattern of skyscrapers as a backdrop.
Norstrom said her and her partner Deen Braathen appreciate public art. Braathen owns Opening Night Gallery, a gallery and framing studio in Lyn-Lake. Norstrom said they see the piece as a nod toward the theater district. “The other goal, for me, was to provide an opportunity for a local artist to leave their signature on Downtown,” she said. “We gave Chuck a blank canvas and he gave us the honor of being his first permanent outdoor mural. We’re very proud.” Chuck U is known locally for his frequent collaboration with Northeast’s Indeed Brewing Co., which has commissioned the artist to design several cans. He’s also done work for the Minnesota State Lottery, designing “Bearded Bucks” scratch-off cards that involve scratching off a beard to find craft beer and bird icons.
HENNEPIN & 5TH
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
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AirVuz
A downtown Minneapolis startup aims to be home to the world’s drone videos. Two years after being founded, AirVuz (pronounced air views), is now home to roughly 50,000 videos from drone photographers across the globe. President and CEO Mike Israel, a drone pilot himself, started the company to give both amateur and professional drone photographers a platform to share their work, enjoy others’ videos and engage with an emerging drone community. “I just felt like that this was the kind of thing that deserved its own platform. There isn’t really anything quite like it out there,” he said at the company’s office in the Lumber Exchange building. AirVuz, the most popular media platform specializing in drones, features user-generated content produced using the pilotless remote-controlled aircrafts with cameras for taking photos and videos. The industry has quickly grown in recent years, Israel said, with prices and performance making the devices approachable to non-commercial users who want to make videos of their cars or next vacation. “You have something that is sort of incredible in a way that lets you take this incredible visual media and it costs less than a cell phone,” he said. “It’s been a big positive for us. You have this class of people that wants to start doing this as a business and our platform, even as it is now, becomes a good way for them to get
essentially free extra exposure of what they’re doing.” So far, AirVuz’s staff is able to keep up with moderating content coming in from users. AirVuz then pulls the highest quality content and features it prominently on its website or shares it with its 1.2 million Facebook followers. Israel said most of the content comes from users outside the country in places like the Philippines. Not only is the content globally diverse, it comes from different parts of the drone community, from drone racers and trick pilots to professional photographers and travel vloggers. “The creativity of this community is sort of astounding. I think probably 1 percent of the good ideas have been acted upon,” he said. Users aren’t the only ones to create content. AirVuz produces several of its own regular web series, including a monthly hosted show with themed drone videos and another featuring interviews with some of the site’s most well-known personalities. The company occasionally produces its own videos and was the first group to get permission to fly over the Minnesota State Fair. The platform is preparing to become monetized, following the models of big sites like YouTube with ads appearing on videos. Israel said they’re considering offering premium user services and offering branded or sponsored content, such as a section of SEE AIRVUZ / PAGE 5
journalmpls.com / December 28–January 10, 2018 5
News
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NICOLLET MALL
Andrew Zimmern to develop Dayton’s Project food hall COMING SOON
The team behind the redevelopment of Nicollet Mall’s Macy’s building has landed its first tenant: a 40,000-square-foot food hall and market developed by Andrew Zimmern. Zimmern, the James Beard Award-winning TV personality of Travel Channel’s “Bizarre Foods,” will team up with Robert Montwaid, the co-founder of New York’s Gansevoort Market, to create an experimental market and food hall on the first and basement levels of 700 Nicollet Mall. The downtown landmark, the former home of Dayton’s department store, is being renovated into an office, retail and restaurant complex under the name the Dayton’s Project. “This project is a great example of what I think will bring a fresh perspective and authentic cultural influences to a beloved local landmark building,” Zimmern said in a statement. “There is so much energy around this project and this building, that it’s a thrill to continue the Dayton’s legacy, by contributing innovative ideas around food.” The Dayton’s Food Hall & Market will feature traditional food vendors, concierge food services for commercial tenants, a food business incubator and curated entertainment. Zimmern is co-owner of Passport Hospitality and the co-founder of Andrew Zimmern’s Canteen, which operates concessions stands at U.S. Bank Stadium, Target
Field and Kansas City’s Kauffman Field. Montwaid co-created the 8,000-square-foot Gansevoort Market food hall in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District. Keith Ulstad, senior vice president of development for United Properties, which is part of the development team, said Zimmern and Montwaid bring a vision for the market as a “center for the community with terrific local cuisine and great spaces to dine and hang out.” “Together, they will ensure that we have just the right mix of top-notch food vendors participating in this exciting new offering,” he said. Zimmern said downtown has had a need for a “clubhouse” like the market, which is projected to open in mid-2019. “This is about creating a world class global food hub in the single best address in the 5-state area,” he said. “Minnesotans and our out of town guests will be able to make this a regular stop every day if they choose to, with an ever-changing and diverse menu of offerings.” The building’s new owner, 601w Cos., is investing roughly $190 million to breathe new life into the approximately 1.2 millionsquare-foot complex at 7th & Nicollet. The leasing team includes Mid-America Real Estate and the Telos Group.
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Spreading Hope to Families of Micro-Preemie Babies, One Potato at a Time.
The former Dayton’s building on Nicollet Mall will be home to restaurants and a food hall on its lower levels as part of a adaptive reuse project, dubbed the Dayton’s Project. Images courtesy Gensler Minneapolis
thepotatoheadproject.org FROM AIRVUZ / PAGE 4 the site devoted to high-quality footage of cars or a travel section with partnerships with destinations or resorts. Israel said the advantage of posting a video to AirVuz over larger sites is that they can get a bigger audience with the site’s niche. The company reaches out to popular videographers on Instagram and other social media to get them to post on AirVuz, he added. “You can post amazing content on
YouTube and nobody will ever see it,” he said. “Unless you have a big subscription base… it tends to just sit there.” As far as being a digital media company in the Midwest, Israel said the Twin Cities has been a good place to find employees. Going forward, Israel said they would be looking to boost their audience, push an app and further their content curation. “There is just a lot of room for growth,” he said.
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6 journalmpls.com / December 28–January 10, 2018
Government
Volume 48, Issue 26 Publisher Janis Hall jhall@journalmpls.com Co-Publisher & Sales Manager Terry Gahan 612-436-4360 tgahan@journalmpls.com Editor Dylan Thomas 612-436-4391 dthomas@journalmpls.com @DThomasJournals Assistant Editor Eric Best ebest@journalmpls.com @ericthebest Staff Writers Michelle Bruch mbruch@journalmpls.com @MichelleBruch Nate Gotlieb ngotlieb@journalmpls.com @NateGotlieb Contributing Writers Jenny Heck Carla Waldemar Client Services Delaney Patterson 612-436-5070 dpatterson@journalmpls.com Creative Director Valerie Moe 612-436-5075 vmoe@journalmpls.com Senior Graphic Designer Micah Edel medel@mnpubs.com Graphic Designer Kaitlin Ungs kungs@mnpubs.com Contributing Designers Sarah Karnas Dana Croatt Design Intern Victoria Hein Distribution Marlo Johnson 612-436-4388 distribution@journalmpls.com Advertising 612-436-4360 sales@journalmpls.com Printing ECM Publishers, Inc.
Next issue: January 11 Advertising deadline: January 3 35,000 copies of The Journal are distributed free of charge to homes and businesses in Downtown and Northeast Minneapolis.
CIVIC BEAT
By Dylan Thomas dthomas@journalmpls.com @dthomasjournals
Police shoot a man in custody inside City Hall The officers who shot a man under interrogation Dec. 18 at City Hall included a 20-year veteran of the Minneapolis Police Department and an officer at the department for one year. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) identified officers involved in the incident as Sgt. Gene Suker, a 20-year member of the department; Officer Jerome Carey, with the department one year; and Officer David Martinson, an eight-year member. Just before the shooting, investigators were interviewing Minneapolis resident Marcus Fischer, 18, about his alleged role in a Dec. 13 shooting. Fischer admitted to assisting in the robbery of a handgun in Northeast Minneapolis but denied shooting the victim, according to a criminal complaint. According to the BCA, investigators stepped outside the room to fetch a bottle of water for Fischer and then Fischer pulled out a large folding knife concealed in his waistband and started severely injuring himself. An investigator returned to the room and shouted for help. “For several minutes, several officers then attempted to convince Fischer to drop his knife and stop hurting himself,” the BCA reported. “When Fischer ignored their commands, Officer Martinson deployed his Taser but it was ineffective. Mr. Fischer continued to ignore officer commands and walked toward the officers with the knife, at which time Sergeant Suker and Officer Carey fired their handguns, striking Mr. Fischer.” The officers were not injured. Fischer remained hospitalized and under police guard, according to a criminal complaint. The BCA is investigating the shooting and will turn its findings over to a county attorney for review. The Hennepin County
Attorney’s Office has requested that the Washington County Attorney review the case, citing a conflict of interest. Officers involved in the incident are on standard administrative leave. Fischer faces charges in the alleged handgun robbery and shooting, include firstdegree assault, first-degree aggravated robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm. The third charge is due to a 2015 robbery offense as a juvenile that prohibits him from owning a gun or ammunition. According to the complaint in that case: Witnesses called 911 from a gas station Dec. 13 to seek help for a man with a gunshot wound to the chest. The witnesses said they arranged to sell a handgun to Fischer near the 1400 block of 5th Street Northeast. Fischer allegedly took the handgun, said something to the effect of “It’s mine now” and shot the victim in the chest with another gun. Officers obtained cell phone data that linked Fischer to the transaction and found the stolen handgun in his Minneapolis bedroom, as well as ammunition similar to the kind that injured the victim. The victim survived but remains hospitalized. The projectile grazed his heart. Fischer told investigators he helped facilitate the meeting and took part in the robbery but said someone else shot the victim, according to the complaint. Lt. Bob Kroll, president of the Minneapolis Police Officers Federation, said the “gruesome” scene at City Hall was clearly depicted in video and audio of the incident. He said officers used de-escalation tactics until the situation became life-threatening for Fischer, who cut his neck. “Instead of taking a life, they ended up saving his life,” said Kroll, who commended
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City Hall. File photo
Franken to resign Jan. 2 Even as some supporters urged him to reconsider, Sen. Al Franken announced Dec. 20 he would resign from office two weeks later on Jan. 2. Lt. Gov. Tina Smith, who Gov. Mark Dayton chose to serve the rest of Franken’s term, will be sworn into office Jan. 3, according to a Franken spokesperson. Smith has said she plans to run for the seat in a November special election.
After multiple women came forward with allegations of unwanted sexual contact by Franken, Minnesota’s junior senator said on Dec. 7 he would resign “in the coming weeks.” Franken had previously said he was open to an investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee, but changed course after more than two dozen of his Democratic colleagues called on him to step down. Smith’s role as lieutenant governor will be
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the officers. “He did not want to go to jail, and he wanted to die.” Some community members were critical of the officer’s actions, including activist Nekima Levy-Pounds. “It defies logic that police would think that shooting a man multiple times would be a good way to stop him from killing himself,” she said in a Facebook post. “It is clear that better training, tools, and techniques are necessary in these cases.” — Michelle Bruch
PARKING THAT HITS THE SPOT
taken by state Sen. Michelle Fischbach (R– Paynesville). As outlined in the state constitution, the president of the Minnesota Senate — Fischbach — fills a vacancy in the lieutenant governor’s office. Fischbach’s plan to serve in both offices simultaneously has been challenged by state DFLers. Should Dayton, a DFLer, be unable to complete his final year in office, Republican Fischbach would take his place.
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journalmpls.com / December 28–January 10, 2018 7
‘We will wait patiently’
FROM DAMOND / PAGE 1 page of Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar, a group formed after Jamar Clark was shot and killed in a November 2015 encounter with Minneapolis police. “If it isn’t my fault, who didn’t do their job? The investigators,” Freeman continued. “They don’t work for me. They haven’t done their job.” After the video was released, Freeman said was “wrong to discuss both the agency’s work and what discussions we are having internally at the county attorney’s office.” He said he apologized personally to Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner Mona Dohman.
BCA responds Asked to respond, the BCA provided the following statement: “The BCA investigates the majority of officer involved shooting incidents in Minnesota because of our thorough and professional approach to ensuring the integrity of an investigation. “BCA agents and scientists do extensive work to gather all the facts and evidence in order to conduct comprehensive investigations that are then presented to county attorneys for review of possible charges. “The BCA has consulted with the Hennepin County Attorney’s office from the beginning of this investigation and will continue to work with that office as needed to provide any additional information that they deem appropriate as they review the case.” Gov. Mark Dayton defended the agency in a statement provided to the media. “The BCA is asked to investigate some of the toughest, most complex cases involving officer-involved shootings,” Dayton said. “I have the utmost confidence in their professionalism, integrity, and thoroughness. Impugning the quality of their investigations
Freeman. File photo is destructive, and detrimental in our efforts to seek and obtain justice.” In the video — which was first reported on by Minnesota Public Radio— Freeman notes that Noor has refused an interview. “But he won’t answer my questions, and he doesn’t have to, OK? We all have Fifth Amendment rights, and I respect that,” he said. “So, I can’t talk to her because she’s gone, and the other cop just gave us s---. OK? So, guess what, I’ve got to figure out angles of the shot, gun residues, reckless use of force experts.” The conversation becomes garbled as Freeman and the activists talk over each other, but the county attorney later adds: “If you look at this, here’s a nice lady who hears something bad outside. She calls the cops, they don’t come, she calls again. They drive by in her alley. They don’t stop to talk with her, and she comes out in her jammies and she’s killed by a cop. “It sounds easy, doesn’t it? But it’s not just can I prove that the cop shot her. I could’ve done that the first day.”
John Ruszczyk said he spoke with the BCA shortly after his daughter’s death and was assured “they would give the county attorney all the necessary information to make a reasoned decision on whether or not to charge Justine’s shooter with a crime.” “They looked me in the eye and said they were committed to getting to the truth of the event,” he continued. “Now I hear that the Hennepin County attorney, to whom the BCA handed its investigative results, says that the investigation has not been done to the prosecutor’s satisfaction or even to the expected levels of accuracy and thoroughness.” Ruszczyk said family members are now concerned that the BCA investigation “was not done properly and with the greatest integrity or sense of completeness.”
“We are apprehensive that perhaps the BCA has not fulfilled its promise,” he said. Freeman said he planned to make a statement about the status of the investigation in the final week of December, after this edition went to press. He had previously said he would make a decision on whether or not to charge Noor by the end of the year. Bennett said the family “wants the right things done” and is not concerned about meeting a deadline. Ruszczyk said he wanted the county attorney’s office to conduct a “rigorous investigation” and fill in any gaps in the BCA’s work. “We will wait patiently while this occurs, but insist that this investigation be done and done right,” he said.
Supporters plan a rally for Damond when Freeman announces his decision on whether or not to charge the officer who shot and killed her. File photo
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8 journalmpls.com / December 28–January 10, 2018
News
SUPER BOWL COUNTDOWN
By Nate Gotlieb ngotlieb@journalmpls.com @NateGotlieb
Zip line to cross Mississippi River The Mississippi River has been the lifeblood of Minneapolis since the city’s inception, said Maureen Bausch, CEO of the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee. The committee will give visitors a chance to experience the landmark by zip line during Super Bowl festivities. From Jan. 26 to Feb. 4, the 100-foot-high, nearly 800-foot-long “Bold North Zip Line” will run across the river parallel to the Hennepin Avenue Bridge. The ride will start on the lot adjacent to the Nicollet Island Inn and run toward downtown. “It’s such an unbelievable river, and we are lucky enough to be able to, with the cooperation of all of our partners, zip over it,” Bausch said. Tickets for the ride cost $30, plus taxes and fees. The committee sold more than 4,000 online tickets for it in just 72 hours. People can purchase tickets in person on Nicollet Mall during the 10-day Super Bowl festival. Polaris will transport zip line riders to and from the mall to the zip line launch tower on Nicollet Island. Bausch said the committee really wanted Super Bowl guests to experience the river. The zip line presents a way to experience it even when frozen, she said. Canada-based Ziptrek Ecotours will operate
Polar Plunge coming to Super Bowl Live
Visitors to Minneapolis will be able to ride across the Mississippi River via zip line during the 10-day Super Bowl Festival. Rendering courtesy Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee
the zip line with four parallel lines at a time. Riders will travel at speeds of 20–30 mph, according to a Host Committee news release. Backpack brand XOOX is sponsoring the zip line. Former Minnesota Vikings safety Robert Griffith founded the brand and is launching it in mid-December. Mayor-elect Jacob Frey said the Mississippi River is emblematic of everything that is Minneapolis and Minnesota and everything it is to be American. He said he remembers being excited about walking across the river to
DAYS REMAINING UNTIL KICKOFF
work after first moving to Minneapolis. “But there’s one thing that I think could be a little bit more American than walking to work crossing the Mississippi River, and that’s taking a zip line across the Mississippi River,” he said. The zip line is just one of the attractions being offered as part of the Super Bowl Live festivities. Other events include free concerts on Nicollet Mall. Visit mnsuperbowl.com to learn more.
Special Olympics Minnesota will host a Polar Plunge on Jan. 30 as part of Super Bowl Live. The nonprofit will hold the plunge at the “Verizon Up Stage at Ice Mountain” at 8th & Nicollet. The NFL and Special Olympics Minnesota will host a flag football game before the plunge. “We are thrilled to partner with the Super Bowl Host Committee and offer a Polar Plunge experience right in the middle of the excitement,” Dave Dorn, president and CEO of Special Olympics Minnesota, said in a news release. “Instead of trekking to one of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes, participants are invited to plunge into an icy pond that we will create on the streets of downtown Minneapolis exclusively for this event.” Sports figures, media members, celebrities and corporate teams will take the plunge, according to the release. A full schedule of events hasn’t been published yet. Only 200 spaces will be available for the general public. Candidates must register online at plungemn.org by Jan. 5 and raise at least $150 to reserve a slot. Incentives are available based on fundraising totals.
Birkebeiner Bridge coming downtown The Host Committee is planning to install a famous cross-country ski bridge on Nicollet Mall for Super Bowl Live. The nearly 200-foot-long American Birkebeiner International Bridge will run over 9th Street. The Host Committee said the bridge would be transported downtown from Hayward, Wisconsin, on an estimated 12 semitrailers. “Creating unforgettable winter experiences as part of life in the bold north is who we are at the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation,”
Executive Director Ben Popp said in a news release. “We’re excited to celebrate and share our love of winter activity with visitors at Super Bowl Live.” The foundation uses the bridge in American Birkebeiner cross-country ski race, held each February in Hayward. The race is the largest in North America, with a 35-mile trail and thousands of participants. NBC plans on setting up its national broadcast alongside the bridge, according to the Host Committee.
The American Birkebeiner International Bridge will run over Ninth Street on Nicollet Mall during Super Bowl Live. Photo courtesy Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee.
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10 journalmpls.com / December 28–January 10, 2018
News
DEVELOPMENT TRACKER
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“Fritz was very supportive of us during our recent search for a new home and for the sale of our condo. We asked for a great deal of hard data on the sale of comparable homes in our desired neighborhood and he really delivered. Fritz is incredibly kind and unwaveringly ethical. We recommend him without any reservation.”
Loring Park
333 HENNEPIN AVE. E. MORTENSON CONSTRUCTION
333 Hennepin A crater in the Nicollet Island-East Bank neighborhood is on its way to becoming a 26-story apartment tower. Mortenson celebrated a formal Dec. 15 groundbreaking for the tower, which replaces a former U.S. Bank building at 4th & Hennepin. Once completed toward the end of 2019, the unnamed tower will feature 282 apartments, 5,000 square feet of retail space and 282 parking spaces. Amenities in the 290-foot tower will include a fitness studio, an outdoor amenity deck with a pool and a clubroom. The project joins Lennar’s NordHaus, a 19-story apartment complex built across the street.
501 4TH AVE. S. CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS
City offices
FOR SALE
$700,000 Stunning 2 bed, 2 bath corner at Village Lofts with private rooftop cabana. 2 indoor garage stalls. Building offers common roof deck, fitness center, on-site management, indoor guest parking. Ideal NE riverfront location. MLS# 4891494
612.770.7230
Brady and Alex walked us through all our options and helped us comfortably reach a decision. Ultimately, we were able to sell our house for more than we anticipated, and faster than we anticipated, which is obviously a huge win. But beyond the financial gains, Brady, Alex, and the entire Kroll team were so enjoyable to work with. They clearly did their research and provided us advice as to the best way to show the house and maximize value. We couldn’t recommend them enough. - Ellie B. ER Downtown Mpls Office DTJ 122817 V2_left.indd 1
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The City of Minneapolis is making progress on a new office building for its employees, approving several agreements with contractors. The City Council voted Dec. 8 to approve a contract with Technology Management Corp. for IT and audio visual consulting services and a demolish contract with Carleton Cos. The city is also looking for artists to design a signature artwork and other pieces for the building. A preliminary plan for the project calls for a building of nine to 10 stories that would consolidate several municipal offices. The project team consists of Mortenson Construction (construction manager), MSR (design) and Perkins + Will (pre-design, programming). The city plans to complete design work by late summer of 2018 and begin demolition that season. Construction on the new building would then begin in the fall and be completed by the summer of 2020. City workers are expected to begin working out of the building by that fall.
Downtown West
North Loop
Marcy-Holmes
PORTLAND & 9TH WILKINSON CORP.
Elliot Park Hotel Crews hoisted the last beam atop a new eight-story hotel in Elliot Park as part of a topping-off ceremony in December. The project, developed by Wilkinson Corp. and constructed by Kraus-Anderson, will bring a 168-room hotel to the corner of 9th & Portland. The hotel, dubbed the Elliot Park Hotel, will join the Marriott Autograph Collection. Coury Hospitality will operate the hotel, along with its restaurant, a farm-to-table Italian restaurant named Tavola. The project is part of a full-block development that has already seen the opening of Kraus-Anderson’s new office building. The Elliot Park Hotel is on schedule to open next September.
117 1ST ST. N. COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
Foundry building The Heritage Preservation Commission voted to approve a certificate of appropriateness to rehabilitate the Foundry Home Goods and Roe Wolfe buildings in the North Loop. A development group represented by John Gross of Commercial Real Estate is proposing to rehabilitate the two-story brick building last home to Roe Wolfe, though Foundry Home Goods has temporarily moved there, and the Foundry’s three-story brick building, also known as the American House Hotel or Commutator Foundry Co. Building. The group is planning a new six-story residential complex surrounding the buildings, which would then be used for retail and office space.
D E
journalmpls.com / December 28–January 10, 2018 11
Sponsored by:
By Eric Best ebest@journalmpls.com @ericthebest
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9th Minneapolis campus on Sunday, Jan. 14. The St S church Ehas been at work constructing a new two-story wing designed by James Dayton Design. The additional 40,000 square feet features 300 underground parking spaces, new entrances and flexible spaces to meet the church’s changing needs. St. David’s Center will have a new campus and early intervention clinic called the Harman Center for Child & Family Wellbeing in the building. The Westminster Counseling Center will have an office on the second floor.
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115 N. 1ST ST. KMP INVESTMENTS
115 1st KMP Investments is proposing to renovate a three-story brick building that’s currently home to Jetset, a gay bar in the North Loop. The group is planning to rehabilitate the existing building and add a one-story brick garage to the alley. A rooftop patio on top of the building that would be accessible on the second floor would also be added. The proposed use for the building would be a commercial space on the first floor and residential units on floors two and three, according to a city memo submitted to the Heritage Preservation Commission. Residents could use the basement as a lounge space. A spokesman said the project would not affect Jetset.
LYNN MORGAN 612.703.1088 Realtor
SUSAN LINDSTROM 612.347.8077 Realtor
JULEY SPEED 612.986.3478 Realtor
MATT MORGAN 612.321.6655 Realtor
FRITZ KROLL 612.347.8088 Realtor
CHRISTOPHER FRIEND 612.827.5847 Realtor
MEGAN LAMKE 612.322.2156 Realtor
RANDY CERNOHOUS 612.382.3196 Realtor
BRIAN HELMS 612.913.6400 Realtor
JESSICA MICELI 612.347.8033 Realtor
KARIE CURNOW 612.347.8022 Realtor
SHAWN THORUD 612.347.8079 Realtor
DOLLY LANGER 612.280.8898 Realtor
BRADY KROLL 612.770.7230 Realtor
SARAH FISCHER JOHNSON 612.940.9645 Manager
323 WASHINGTON AVE. N. AMAZON
Amazon signage
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930 HENNEPIN AVE. ROMAN GADASKIN
National Camera Exchange Roman Gadaskin said he closed on the sale of the former National Camera Exchange building, also known as the 930 Hennepin building, in downtown Minneapolis earlier this month. The developer is proposing to build commercial space on the ground floor and two market-rate, two-bedroom apartments on the top floor. The ground floor would offer roughly 1,550-square-foot commercial space for an office tenant, but he said it could draw a bar or retail tenant. The 1919 building and a neighboring bar are surrounded by the Orpheum Theatre.
Amazon plans to have signage on the outside of the T3, a timber office building in the North Loop where the tech giant is opening a tech development center. The company, through its contractor, Minneapolis-based Sign Minds, is proposing to install two wall signs on top of the building’s east and south walls. The signs would be 52 square feet in size and feature the company’s logo, according to plans submitted to the Heritage Preservation Commission. Commissioners voted to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the signage.
50 4TH AVE. N. GOODMAN REAL ESTATE
Riverwalk Townhomes Goodman Real Estate has purchased the North Loop’s Riverwalk Townhomes from James Stanton’s estate. The Seattle-based real estate investment company, which specializes in multifamily and commercial properties, paid $19.2 million for 96 apartments and 10,000 square feet of officecondo space. The sale of Riverwalk drew 19 offers, including six from out of state, according to Cushman & Wakefield, which represented Stanton’s estate in the sale. It closed on Dec. 15.
500 S. 6TH ST. SWERVO DEVELOPMENT
The Armory Music has returned to the Armory as the concert and event venue opened to its first audience since being renovated over the past year. The 1935 building in Elliot Park hosted an electronic dance music show with a lineup featuring Kill the Noise, Tritonal and Seven Lions. The venue is now capable of hosting 8,400 people for concerts. The show served as a soft open ahead of high-profile Super Bowl shows featuring the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Imagine Dragons. Next on the Armory’s schedule is a New Year’s Eve concert with DJ duo Above & Beyond.
MORE Nicollet ONLINE Island East Bank
For a comprehensive overview of downtown development, go to journalmpls.com/resources/ Loring Park development-tracker
11 Great River Landing Downtown East 12and West
365 Nicollet
13 YouthLink youth housing North Loop
14 The Dayton’s Project
The “right” market is today’s market.
15Marcy-Holmes Weather-Rite renovation 16 Opus Star Tribune lot apts
1200 S. MARQUETTE AVE. WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Park 17ElliotSchafer Richardson offices
Westminster Presbyterian
19 Ironclad
Westminster Presbyterian Church will open a new expansion on its historic downtown
18 200 Central condo tower 20 The Legacy
226 Washington Ave N, Minneapolis DowntownNeighbor.com • 612.347.8000 ER Downtown Mpls Office DTJ 122817 V2_right.indd 1
12/20/17 1:27 PM
12 journalmpls.com / December 28–January 10, 2018 FROM CIRCUS ARTS / PAGE 1 most didn’t grow up in a family of circus performers. “I have people who sit in an office all day and people who are Pilates or dance instructors. Everyone is here differently,” she said. Elias-Emery founded Xelias more than a decade ago, borrowing the name of the school from an old circus performance troupe of hers, which combined her last name with the heroine of “Xena: Warrior Princess.” Back then, the professional aerial arts performer was clad in a fur getup and performing around the world. Now she splits her time teaching kids as young as 4 at Xelias and working with young adults at the University of Minnesota to perform on trapeze, ropes, silks and hoops, also known as lyra. Many of her students are kids looking for outlets beyond the traditional team sports. There are also adults who saw a Cirque du Soleil show and got the itch to try it out for themselves. Circus arts have become a hobby, even a part-time or full-time job, for many. They learn their skills at the many studios scattered throughout downtown and Northeast Minneapolis. “When I started circus, you had to be born into a circus family or have some sort of connection. … But there’s so much going on right now,” she said. “It is a very theatrical outlet for people.”
Gaining popularity Cheryl Birch saw Cirque du Soleil when she was 12 and had to try it out. It started with contortion and a workshop at Circus Juventas, a youth performance school in St. Paul, and, since then, she’s learned circus arts and new practices like aerial yoga that combine fitness and performance art. Birch is now an instructor at Northeast’s Dollhouse Pole Dance Studio and Rabbit Hole Studios, a performance art space run by
Aerial arts classes are gaining popularity locally. Submitted photos
the Minneapolis Performing Arts Cooperative. She’s developed her own personal brand while making a living between teaching, personal training and performing at private events, nightclubs and shows. “A nightclub is really cool to begin with, [but] if you’ve got people breathing fire or flying around in the air, that’s even cooler,” she said. “It makes something more highend. It’s like ‘Ooh, we’re in Vegas.” If would-be circus performers don’t get attracted to aerial arts while seeing a show, there are several studios in Northeast Minneapolis that draw them in through a good workout. At the Aviary, Christine Longe’s aerial fitness gyms in Marcy-Holmes and Minnetonka, patrons use silk hammocks attached to the ceiling to build strength. Longe, a student at Xelias almost a decade ago, said their fitness program attracts people who are looking to try something beyond what’s available in the typical fitness studio. They primarily focus on the workout, but the Aviary has workshops to introduce people to silks and a rare program focused on bungee, a form of acrobatics that has been
gaining in popularity in the past two years. While on the fringe of the local aerial arts community, Longe said the Aviary’s patrons have gone on to practice at other studios. “I’ve actually seen some of my own students at Xelias, so I know it’s happening,” she said. “It’s always fun to see people catch the itch.”
mances. Having their own vaudeville stage gives students a chance to put the performance in performance art. “Who wants to learn to fly on a trapeze and not show everybody?” she said. “There’s something unbelievably fun about running away to the circus.” In recent years, she said the local circus community has opened to a new tier of performer: the amateur. A large number of her students are people who don’t take up high-flying skills or acrobatic maneuvers until well into adulthood. From a fitness or dance class, “it’s a surprisingly short hop, skip and jump to go to circus,” Fatale said. “Some people take it one time and they feel great about themselves and some people stay with it. We have students who are in their seventh year with us,” she said. Though there’s a concentration of studios and places to perform in downtown and Northeast Minneapolis, Birch said there isn’t competition among them. Birch said she describes her relationship with other performers as a sisterhood, though the women-dominated industry is open to all genders, because each student, instructor or performer takes a risk in flipping, tumbling and putting themselves into the art.
From fitness to circus Even hobbyist aerial performers have venues to perform in Northeast Minneapolis. Jac Fatale is the owner of both ExperTease Fitness and Minnsky Theatre, which combined create a school and a stage for locals to learn circus and vaudeville skills and immediately perform them for an audience in as little as eight weeks. Her Near North-based, 18-plus school, which she plans to move next March to the Thorp Building on Central Avenue Northeast, teaches roughly 250–300 students in things like belly dancing, trapeze, lyra and burlesque. Northeast was a natural choice for her to open the two businesses, she said, because of the high ceilings necessary for circus perfor-
A performer on ropes.
NEIGHBORHOOD SKETCHBOOK
BY
journalmpls.com / December 28–January 10, 2018 13
LOCAL
FLAVOR
Diners’ delight Best new restaurants of 2017
By Carla Waldemar
W
e welcome Dreamers here in Minneapolis, the kids of immigrants who deeply enrich our city. We’re also the lucky winners from dreamers of another sort: the folks toiling in restaurants who yearn to open a café of their own or to improve upon their mission of providing hospitality to all who crave a tasty dinner in the hands of caring servers in an inviting site. Their dreams are our gain, fellow diners, especially during the volatile past year, which spawned a host of fine new restaurants. (They were joined by a few wannabes that thought more of pleasing themselves than pleasing guests. But I digress…) Here’s my list of the year’s top new restaurants serving the Journals’ neighborhoods, leading off with the one, back in June, I predicted would be the top choice of the year. And it is. It’s the Grand Café, revived this spring with new chef/owners, new menu, new décor — all of which combine to keep foodies purring. This round, the kitchen flourishes in the well-trained hands of Jamie Malone, who has cheffed in many fancy kitchens around town. Fancy this one’s not, but oh so satisfying — from its pale pink walls (and matching water glasses) to the Dish of the Year, as far as I’m concerned. I’m talking about the foie gras mousse, of course. And the dessert of prunes — prunes, for heaven’s sake! — is equally divine.
Next, continuing in no particular order, let’s start with the newly reinvented Corner Table. There’s a new chef de cuisine designing and preparing its innovative but homey menus, which have taken on a three-course, prix fixe format in the talented hands of Karyn Tomlinson. I loved the duck confit and the sweet corn “risotto,” with its shout-out to Minnesota. Same for the duck breast, served with (what?) rye porridge. Need I mention that every meal starts with complimentary hot popovers? No, I didn’t think so.
Chef Remy Pettus escaped Corporate to work for himself (and the bank, I presume) and created Bardo in that softly swank Northeast dining room that once was Rachel’s. Just what Northeast needed: a niche of understated sophistication (plus charming outdoor patio) featuring a list of inviting entrees that include the diner-friendly option of ordering in halfportions. Thus, I didn’t have to dither between the Skuna Bay salmon with celeriac puree and the duck breast with confit leg. I could just say yes to beef partnered with eggplant puree, burnt orange and chimichurri, following excellent gnocchi or agnoletti. See what I mean?
Here’s another re-do. Sort of. Call it an add-on. Also call it a lot of fun. That’s the new Café Alma, the youngest kid in Chef Alex Roberts’ brood — the spunkier new sib of mannerly Restaurant Alma adjoining it. Here you can drop in anytime — breakfast, lunch, dinner —a nd order simply a drink, a bowl of soup or a pastry rather than the full set menu next door. Yet the kitchen’s just as addicted to doing well with the local sourcing of foods we love to eat. Small plates rule, like the lovely winter salad and spirit-warming tomato soup. The place opened in late 2016, but we’ll count it among 2017’s winners, because that’s when I got there. And because winner it is.
CORNER TABLE
NOLO’S KITCHEN & BAR
4537 Nicollet Ave. S. 823-0011 cornertablerestaurant.com
515 Washington Ave. N. 860-6033 noloskitchen.com
GRAND CAFE 3804 Grand Ave. 822-8200 grandcafemn.com
Restaurants are opening in the North Loop as fast as you can say “converted warehouse.” Best of this year’s crop is Nolo’s Kitchen & Bar, occupying — OK, not a warehouse — a former hardware building, stylishly reclaimed in gleaming, sparkly white from tiled entry to lofty ceiling. It’s the Cheers of the millennial achievers in the hood who gather round its huge, circular bar. The sweet thing is, the glitz and glamour rest upon a menu of items you actually crave to eat and don’t need a glossary to order. Walleye fingers, for instance. A luscious avocado spread. Porchetta. Fries to die for (as your cardiologist will caution). And — get this — for dessert: milk and cookies. And doughnut holes. Just bring your blankie and settle in.
All dressed up and nowhere to go? Not to worry. The 510 Lounge — the once-venerable grande dame of fine dining — has undergone a soft makeover, retaining the lovely bones of its cocktail lounge and inviting a new generation of imbibers (and nibblers) to settle in. Chef/patron Don Samuels has designed a limited edition of classy eats, starting with sublime oysters. Platters of cheese and charcuterie are as well curated as a gallery at the nearby Walker Art Center. Proceed to a strip loin or salmon, honoring a recipe from the “good old days.” And cocktails, of course, of the Fred & Ginger stripe.
BARDO
THE 510 LOUNGE
222 E. Hennepin Ave. 886-9404 bardompls.com
510 Groveland Ave. 315-5841 510mpls.com
CAFE ALMA
MARTINA
528 University Ave. SE 379-4909 almampls.com
4312 Upton Ave. S. 922-9913 martinarestaurant.com
Easy come, easy go. Then easy come again. When Linden Hills’ Upton 43 left us waiting at the altar, sha-zam! Chef/patron David del Prado raced in with a ring and bouquet. Well, not really, but something far better — fresh, fresh seafood, done in the manner of his native Argentina, and lots of it. That’s the welcome focus of Martina: Think scallops, calamari, tiger shrimp, Spanish mackerel. Even a combo of octopus and bone marrow, to give you talking points around the water cooler. The room is pretty cool, too — all winterwhite fringed by palm-like plants and an expanded bar. For extra credit, order the charred Brussels sprouts salad; it’s maybe the best dish on the menu.
The good news for 2018 is that already a crop of new cafes have newly opened or are on the drawing board. We won’t go hungry.
14 journalmpls.com / December 28–January 10, 2018
News
GREEN DIGEST
By Nate Gotlieb ngotlieb@journalmpls.com @NateGotlieb
Solar ‘co-op’ discussed in Lowry Hill East A group of Lowry Hill East property owners is looking to leverage its purchasing power to install solar panels at a discounted rate. The group is working with the nonprofit Solar United Neighbors to find a firm that will install panels on their homes and businesses. The goal is to drive down costs by purchasing equipment in bulk and using one installer, Lowry Hill East Neighborhood Association Board Member Karlee Weinmann said. “There’s a lot of pent-up demand, based on what we’ve seen in our neighborhood,” Weinmann said. “What we’ve been trying to do so far is just really capture that interest and turn that interest into reality.” Solar United Neighbors, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit, helps people in eight states and D.C. organize solar “co-ops.” The co-ops are typically groups of between 50 and 100 neighbors who are interested in installing solar panels. The Lowry Hill East group would be the first Solar United Neighbors co-op in Minnesota. Solar United Neighbors issues requests for proposals on behalf of co-ops once they hit 30 members. The members choose a single installer for all of their projects. Co-op members in other states have seen savings of between 20 and 45 percent, said Virginia Rutter, Solar United Neighbors’ Minnesota program director. She said she’s unsure what the savings would be in Minnesota. Solar United Neighbors does not support one installer over another, Rutter said. The organization provides education on solar to co-op members and does legwork such as calling installers’ references. It also helps set up home visits for members to determine if their properties are suitable for solar panels. The organization does not charge co-op members for its services, and there is no cost to join a co-op.
There’s a lot of pent-up demand, based on what we’ve seen in our neighborhood. What we’ve been trying to do so far is just really capture that interest and turn that interest into reality. — Karlee Weinmann, Lowry Hill East Neighborhood Association board member
Installers pay Solar United Neighbors a fee based on each signed contract. The organization generates funding through those fees as well as partnerships with local governments, Rutter said. The bulk of its revenue comes through grants. Solar panels typically produce electricity for 25 years, according to the organization. System owners typically pay off their initial investments in 10 to 12 years, Rutter said. The system owners use the electricity as they generate it, Rutter said. If they need more than they generate, they’ll tap the local power grid. If use less than they generate, the excess electricity goes onto the grid. Utility companies then credit system owners for that extra electricity. Weinmann said in early December that the new co-op isn’t limited to Lowry Hill East
Solar panels line a rooftop in the Lowry Hill East neighborhood. A group of neighbors there are looking to install panels on their homes this year. Submitted photo residents. About 20 people attended an informational meeting on Nov. 30, she said. Rutter said her organization is hoping to issue the RFP for the Lowry Hill East group early in 2018. Her organization would give installers two weeks to respond.
Visit solarunitedneighbors.org/minnesota/ go-solar-in-minnesota/go-solar-in-a-minnesota-group/uptown-solar-co-op/ to learn more about the co-op.
Food-donation guidelines published Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis have developed food-donation guidelines for licensed food facilities. The one-page flyer notes that as much as 40 percent of food produced for people to eat in the U.S. is wasted. Grocery stores, restaurants and institutions are responsible for about 40 percent of this waste, according to the flyer.
Sylvestre Construction DTJ 020917 H12.indd 1
Organizations that donate food to a nonprofit in good faith for distribution to needy individuals are not subject to civil or criminal liability that arises from the condition of the food, the flyer says. It also notes that the federal tax code allows for a deduction for donated food. The city and county recommend interested
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businesses and organizations get started by identifying foods they can donate. Licensed food establishments can donate food that has not been served, they note. They then recommend calling a hungerrelief organization to let them know about the food. The recipient organization must have a food license.
Minneapolis health inspectors will hand out the guidelines when they visit businesses, according to the county. The guidelines have also been distributed more widely through the Minnesota Department of Health’s networks. Visit bit.ly/2BcJ8QH to view the guidelines.
journalmpls.com / December 28–January 10, 2018 15
News By Eric Best ebest@journalmpls.com @ericthebest
Commissioners approve 4.1 percent budget increase
Park police to begin rolling out body cameras
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board voted Dec. 6 to approve a 4.1 percent increase to its certified tax levy for its 2018 budget. The budget relies on a Park and Recreation Levy of $60.45 million, a 4.2 percent increase over this year’s $58 million levy, and a Tree Preservation and Reforestation Levy of $1.75 million, a 1.2 percent increase over this year’s levy of $1.73 million. The latter is a special levy to restore the city’s tree canopy due to Emerald Ash Borer infestation and storms. The budget continues major investments into the city’s neighborhood parks that started in this year’s budget, which reflected the board’s largest property tax increase in at least a decade. Last year, the Park Board launched the 20 Year Neighborhood Park Plan, a funding agreement with the City Council to direct an additional $11 million annually to Minneapolis parks. City and park leaders crafted the plan to close annual funding gaps in maintaining the city’s nearly 160 neighborhood parks, which have faced growing disrepair in recent decades. Over the past year, outgoing Superintendent Jayne Miller and staff created an equity matrix via ordinance that will direct funds raised from the plan to racially concentrated areas of poverty and other areas that have not seen as much investment.
Officers with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board are wrapping up training in preparation for the rollout of nearly three-dozen body cameras. Park Police Chief Jason Ohotto said about 32 sworn park police officers will begin wearing body cameras in January. The program follows the Minneapolis Police Department’s rollout of bodyworn cameras, which officers have used in each of the city’s precincts for the past year. “We’re able to observe and learn from them [and the] mistakes and lessons that they’ve already tackled along the way,” he said. “It’s much easier to look and lean on to Minneapolis after they’ve already had this implemented for more than a year.” The Park Board is authorized to have up to 35 cameras, which are meant to increase transparency and accountability among police departments. The park system’s 33 sworn officers — Ohotto included, although he said he doesn’t do much patrol work — are currently training with police staff and the board’s contractor, Axon. The camera manufacturer is the same vendor used by MPD. Ohotto said they have two vacancies they’re looking to fill. Once those are filed, the new officers will begin training with the body cameras.
In 2018, the Park Board will have a general operating fund of $80.7 million, along with $20.9 million in capital project funding, $11.2 million for its enterprise operating fund — its funding for golf, restaurants and other business-like operations — and $3.1 million in special revenue funding. There are several changes in the 2018 budget to hire new staff, including an archivist, two software and database support positions, four part-time police officers, a street outreach coordinator and a part-time office support worker for the board’s planning department. There is also money allocated to training the six newly elected commissioners coming to the board in January. This will be the last budget put together by Miller, who recently announced she is leaving the Park Board in February for a job in Pennsylvania. Miller has led the city’s park system as superintendent since being appointed seven years ago. Despite dramatic tax increases to bring in more maintenance dollars, the Park Board faces financial challenges with a municipal minimum wage ordinance that takes effect in 2018 and a cut in state funding for the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund that will cost the board $1 million per year beginning in 2019.
Earlier this fall commissioners approved a five-year contract with Axon (formerly known as Taser) for the camera hardware, data storage, data management software and maintenance. The $181,000 agreement costs the board roughly $30,000 each year, in addition to the upfront price of the hardware and contingency costs. Park police will store data collected by the cameras independently from MPD, but Ohotto said they would occasionally share data with their partner agency. The Park Board relies on MPD for secondary investigative work on the most serious and complex crimes that happen in its parks. Unlike the Minneapolis officers, Ohotto said, park police won’t have a pilot before fully implementing the program, which is why the Park Board waited until now to use body cameras. Like any new innovation, Ohotto said, rolling out the devices will involve lessons and mistakes. “I think anytime you have a new program there will be some of those things that happen,” he said.
Voices
Mill City Cooks / By Jenny Heck
DRESSING UP YOUR OATS Steel cut oat breakfast bowls are one of the most popular trends for foodies and Instagramers right now, and it’s clear why. Flavorful combinations of seasonal ingredients are also packed with nutrients from the colorful topping down to the base: oats. Steel cut oats (often called Irish or Scottish oats) differ from rolled oats and instant oatmeal in terms of nutrition, cooking time and texture. The differences are due to how much the whole oat berry (called a groat) is processed. Steel cut oats are similar to rice in texture and some say in appearance too. They are made when oat berries are chopped into pieces and retain the most
fiber and other whole grain nutrients. Next, rolled oats are made when an oat berries are steamed and then pressed into flat discs. They have more surface area than their Irish cousins, so they cook faster than steel cut oats. Lastly, we have instant oats, the most processed of the three. Instant oats are precooked and then pressed even thinner than rolled oats. Since they are so much thinner, the oats can’t retain their texture, and the resulting oatmeal is often mushy. Mill City Farmers Market vendor Therese Moore hit the scene last winter with her sweet and savory steel cut oat business, 3 Bear Oats. After being inspired by savory steel cut
Squash and oatmeal ‘porridge’ Recipe by market chef Nettie Colón Give your breakfast an extra boost of flavor and nutrients by adding a sweet squash puree to your oats. Makes 2 Servings.
Ingredients 1 teaspoon coconut oil or butter 1⁄2 cup steel cut oats 2 cups water 1⁄3 cup of squash puree (use any squash that you would like, but be wary of the drier squashes) 1–2 tablespoons coconut milk (or any nondairy or dairy milk you prefer)
1⁄2 tablespoon grated ginger 1 tablespoon chia seeds A pinch of sea salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1⁄2 tablespoon shredded coconut 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup (can use less to make it less sweet) A pinch of cardamom
Therese Moore of 3 Bear Oats at the Mill City Farmers Market. Submitted photo
oatmeal restaurant on a trip to New York City, Therese decided she needed to bring the trend home to the cereal capital of the country. Based on the classic story of Goldilocks, 3 Bear Oat’s breakfast bowls come in three sizes, baby, mama and papa, and are available to eat at the market or to take home. They feature traditional flavors like apple and cinnamon, unique combinations like ginger and curry and, my personal favorite, the “Petite Canadien” with bacon, cheddar cheese and maple
syrup. Therese sources all her toppings from fellow vendors at the Mill City Farmers Markets or from local food co-ops. You can find 3 Bear Oats at the Mill City Farmers Market’s upcoming indoor winter markets on Jan. 13 and Jan. 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The indoor winter market host about 40 local farmers, food makers and artists inside the Mill City Museum, 704 S. 2nd St., on select Saturdays November through April. Learn more at millcityfarmersmarket.org.
Directions In a small pot, heat coconut oil or butter over medium heat. Add oats and toast until fragrant, around 5 minutes. Add water and cook until done. Stir in squash puree, coconut milk, ginger, chia seeds and salt. Add the cinnamon, coconut flakes, honey or maple syrup and cardamom. Check for seasoning and adjust to your desired flavor. Turn off the heat and portion into bowls. Top with toppings of your liking and enjoy. Suggested toppings Pick and choose from these or anything else you have in the pantry! Nettie’s favorite combination is apples or pears, bacon and pumpkin seeds. Sliced apples or pears / pomegranate seeds / chopped almonds / Pumpkin Seeds
16 journalmpls.com / December 28–January 10, 2018
GET
OUT
GUIDE By Jahna Peloquin
Out There 2018 For four weekends every January, the Walker Art Center’s annual Out There festival showcases some of the best experimental theater and performance happening around the world. This year’s 30th-anniversary edition kicks off with Teatro el Público’s “Antigonón, un contingente épico,” an internationally acclaimed new work by provocative Havanian director Carlos Diaz and inventive young playwright Rogelio Orizondo that confronts the tyrannical themes of “Antigone” and Cuba’s tumultuous history with sharp humor, absurd costumes and exuberant physicality (Jan. 4–6). Additional performances at the Walker include “Mercurial George,” the debut solo work by Montreal-based choreographer and performance artist Dana Michel that
explores the concept of identity with minimalist movement as she digs through random heaps of debris onstage (Jan. 11–13); “The Fever” by New York–based theater company 600 Highwaymen, which examines personal and collective responsibility (Jan 18–20); and “Real Magic,” an absurdist, unconventional performance work by UK theater company Forced Entertainment that’s one part cabaret act, one part game show (Jan. 25–26). The festival concludes with Forced Entertainment’s “Quizoola!” at the Soap Factory, a six-hour interactive performance (Jan. 27 from 4–10 p.m.) When: Jan. 4–27 Where: Walker Art Center, 725 Vineland Place/The Soap Factory, 514 2nd St. SE Cost: $25 ($20 members) per show Info: walkerart.org
‘Kristie Bretzke: Coal Room’
‘Rhinoceros’
Minneapolis conceptual realist painter and sculptor, Kristie Bretzke, has been an artist-in-residence at the Kunstlerhaus in Salzburg, Austria; the Centre d’Art-Marnay Art Centre in Marnay sur Seine, France; and Palazzo Rinaldi in Noepoli, Italy. But it was the light found in the humble basement coal room at an artist retreat on the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland that inspired “Coal Room.” The quietly introspective series of figurative portraits demonstrates Bretzke’s expertise in using light in her pensive works to evoke emotion and mood. While straightforward and classical in the tradition of the great masters, Bretzke’s slightly voyeuristic perspective and contemporary subjects lend the works in “Coal Room” a strikingly modern feel.
On a typical morning in a small American town, a rhinoceros charges down the street — to the alarm of no one except for Berenger. As he watches his fellow townspeople spontaneously transform into a herd of raging rhinos, he experiences a transformation of his own, from an apathetic alcoholic to the savior of humanity. “Rhinoceros,” Eugène Ionesco’s classic absurdist parable of social conformity and human nature, was written in 1959 in reaction to the totalitarian ideologies of the mid-20th century, with rhinoceroses serving as an allegory for the rise of fascism and herd mentality. Against the backdrop of increasingly fractured politics and “fake news,” the provocative, funny play is as relevant (and frightening) as ever. This staging by Theatre in the Round takes advantage of the century-old playhouse’s central arena stage in which the audience surrounds the actors on all sides, further immersing the viewer into the action.
When: Jan. 8–Feb. 16; public reception Feb. 1, 6 p.m.–7:30 p.m. Where: Traffic Zone Gallery at Traffic Zone Center for Visual Art, 250 3rd Ave. N. Cost: Free Info: trafficzoneart.com
When: Jan. 5–28 Where: Theatre in the Round, 245 Cedar Ave. S.
Cost: $22 (discounts available) Info: theatreintheround.org
‘Spit Shade’
When: Jan. 4–20; opening reception: Jan. 4, 7 p.m.–11 p.m.; closing reception: Jan. 20, 5 p.m.–8 p.m. Where: Gamut Gallery, 717 10th St. S. Cost: Free; $5 for opening reception Info: gamutgallerympls.com
Land O’Lakes Kennel Club All-Breed Dog Show Art by Nate Vincent Szklarski
While many people view tattoos merely as a form of rebellion or self-expression, tattooing is an art form with a more than 1,000-year history. In the past decade, the art form is starting to become embraced by the fine art world. Prestigious art institutions such as the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris have taken note, presenting exhibitions that explore tattooing as an artistic medium. The art form is being celebrated on a local level with “Spit Shade,” an exhibition of original artwork created by Minneapolis tattoo artists Lindsee Boyer and Nate Vincent Szklarski presented by Gamut Gallery. The show broadens the scope of tattoo art, featuring works that experiment and innovate with the art form and explore other media and inspirations while retaining the spirit of tattoo art. The opening night reception doubles as the official opening for the Minneapolis Tattoo Arts Convention, Jan. 5–7 at Hyatt Regency Minneapolis.
More than 2,000 purebred canines and their handlers compete for American Kennel Club (AKC) awards every year at Land O’Lakes Kennel Club annual dog show. Top dogs from as many as 192 breeds will be judged in a series of obedience and rally competitions throughout the three-day event. Dog lovers should be sure to take advantage of the opportunity to pet their favorite pooches at a “meet the breeds” event (Jan. 6 and 7, 10:30 a.m.–2 p.m.). The show also includes behind-the-scenes tours, a showcase of search-and-rescue dogs, demonstrations from police dogs and assist dogs, a Midwest top junior handler competition and more than 70 vendors selling canine apparel, treats, toys and dog-inspired artwork. When: Jan. 5–7, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. daily Where: Saint Paul RiverCentre, 175 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul Cost: $9 ($7 seniors & veterans, $5 kids 5–12)
journalmpls.com / December 28–January 10, 2018 17
NYE Highlights Just about every venue in town hosts festivities for New Year’s Eve. Here are some of the most unique ways to ring in the New Year in Minneapolis, from interactive theater to a bash at a quirky, country club-inspired eatery.
New Year’s Noire: Get a sultry start to the New Year with this show produced by Minneapolis burlesque darling Elektra Cute. It features burlesque performances by international burlesque icon Perle Noire along with her troupe, the House of Noire, and NYC–based performers, Poison Ivory and Pearls Daily, plus a different lineup of local favorites each night and host, Nadine DuBois. When: Dec. 28–31 at 8 p.m. nightly (7 p.m. doors) ‘Happy Crazy New Year 7’: For seven years running, Dangerous Productions’ year-end farce — one part performance, one part party — has been storming Twin Cities theaters with its madcap blend of physical comedy, over-the-top characters, dancing, dogs and audience interaction. When: Dec. 29–31 at 9:30 p.m. nightly Where: Phoenix Theater, 2605 Hennepin Ave. Cost: $18 ($13 students/kids) Info: phoenixtheatermpls.org
Where: The Lab Theater, 700 N. 1st St. Down the Rabbit Hole NYE at Hewing Hotel: The Northwoods-inspired boutique hotel built inside an 1897-era warehouse is hosting an “Alice in Wonderland”-themed party featuring acrobats, contortionists, live performances by neo-soul singer Sarah White and a Mad Hatter tea party. A ticket includes complimentary wine, beer, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. When: Dec. 31, 9 p.m.–2 a.m. Where: Hewing Hotel, 300 Washington Ave. N. Cost: $100 Info: eventbrite.com
Cost: $20–$60.
Info: thelabtheater.org
Betty Danger’s New Year’s Eve Gold Party: Toast to the new year at this glam, discothemed party hosted by quirky country club-inspired eatery, Betty Danger’s, home to a festively lit 60-foot vintage Ferris wheel. A ticket includes sets from DJ Shiek, three specialty cocktails, complimentary champagne toast and Ferris wheel rides. When: Dec. 31, 9 p.m.–1 a.m. Where: Betty Danger’s Country Club, 2501 Marshall St. NE Cost: $45 Info: eventbrite.com
Psycho Suzi’s New Year’s Eve: Celebrate the New Year at Minneapolis’ favorite tiki bar. A Polynesian Passport includes four cocktails — including Suzi’s famous tiki drinks — tunes from DJ Strangelove and DJ Brownie, an unlimited photo booth, a champagne toast and kitsch galore. When: Dec. 31, 8 p.m.–2 a.m. Where: Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge, 1900 Marshall St. NE Cost: $45 Info: eventbrite.com
CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Ear part 5 Hamper load 9 Blow in a dojo 13 Former Twitter CEO Williams 14 Actress Sommer of “A Shot in the Dark” 15 Pickle juice 16 NAACP co-founder 18 One who lassoes dogies, say 19 Martini order 20 Sgt. or cpl. 21 Military zone division 22 Pioneer suffragist on some dollar coins 26 Hindu community 28 Open the faucets onstage, so to speak 29 “Who’s Afraid of Virginia __?” 30 Rocky peak 31 Celebratory cry two days after hump day 35 Cry at the World Cup
58 Talks like Daffy 59 Apiculturist ... and, playfully, what 16-, 22-, 36- or 49-Across is
9 Make bootees, perhaps 10 Aware of 11 Situation before a two-run homer
38 Lawn intruder 39 Develop slowly 42 Bit, as of news 45 Cantina condiment
36 “Stuart Little” author
62 __ Park, Colorado
40 Prefix with cycle
12 Actor Luke or Matthew
47 “God __ America”
63 Ultimatum close 64 Marathon segment
15 Quarterback Favre
65 Top of the line
17 Hazardous
49 Hollywood VIP
66 Bound with rope
21 Bull’s sound
67 “This could get __”
23 Clickable address
41 Red ink 43 Singer Peggy or comic-book writer Stan 44 Winner’s gesture 46 Warrior on the court, for short
DOWN 1 Bawdy
48 Given temporarily
2 (See other side)
49 “The Greatest Show on Earth” producer/ director
3 Bootees 4 Close or complete
24 Start of a party invitation phrase 25 Mine, to Marcel 26 GI gone missing 27 Piano recital piece, e.g.
53 Bolts and ties the knot?
5 Selfie video device
32 Recipe tester, facetiously
6 Crazy as __
33 “Picnic” playwright
54 Ltr. holder
7 Enjoy the slopes
34 Discovery
55 Cleo’s killer
8 Guys
37 Says too much
Crossword Puzzle DTJ 122817 4.indd 1
$7–9 Starters
48 Like chain rings 50 Beethoven dedicatee 51 Expenses
JOIN US AF TER WORK SUNDAY– FRIDAY 4PM–6:30PM
52 1980s attorney general Edwin 56 Wall Street bear’s suggestion 57 Mice, to owls 59 One placed in Vegas 60 Yale alum 61 Grounded Aussie bird Crossword answers on page 18
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18 journalmpls.com / December 28–January 10, 2018
BEST
PICKS
MUSIC / FOOD / DRINKS / ART OUTDOORS / ENTERTAINMENT SOCIAL / SHOPPING WHAT TO DO DOWNTOWN AFTER WORK BY ERIC BEST
MUSIC
1
Movie music
Few local bands have had the year the Cactus Blossoms had in 2017. The band, brothers Jack Torrey and Page Burkum, peaked — pun intended — with an appearance in David Lynch’s continuation of his ultimate cult TV show “Twin Peaks,” which got another season on Showtime. It was a fitting use of the folk duo’s inherently strange, atmospheric “Mississippi,” a hypnotic tune about the sun, a shore and a beguiling angel. It makes me think: What exactly makes a song cinematic, and why do the Cactus Blossoms seem to fit so well with the screen? In a short time, the band has garnered the attention of Hollywood with other features in “Nashville” and “The Ranch.” At first listen, their latest record, last year’s “You’re Dreaming,” seems like it could’ve been written by two American crooners decades ago. But there’s a bewitching nature to their songwriting that heightens your imagination when you listen. Each song falls in and out of harmony with a minimal backdrop of music, and it leaves space for you to project your own imagination. Take the cinematic imagery of the record’s title song: “I’m painting my jealousy / My hands are shaking / My
Brothers Page Burkum and Jack Torrey are the Cactus Blossoms. Submitted photo
brush is slipping / And the red paint’s dripping to the floor.” The dreamlike tune is swimming in metaphors. I couldn’t help but notice that the band’s poetic lyrics spill into the world of the silver screen. In “Clown Collector,” a tongue-in-cheek love romp bursting with one-off jokes, they sing: “You’re an actor / She’s a director,” “She’s a movie / You’re the projector.” If you saw the band perform in an ominous bar scene in “Twin Peaks,” perhaps you’ll want to check them out when they start a month-long residency at St. Paul’s Turf Club with performances on every Monday in January. Each 21-plus show will feature special guests.
ENTERTAINMENT
2
Get inked
I don’t have a single tattoo, but that hasn’t stopped me from checking out the Minneapolis Tattoo Arts Convention, a regular showcase of everything tattoo-related — and much more — at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Now two decades old, the convention, which runs Jan. 5 through Jan. 7 this year, gives you a rare look into tattoo arts, a creative community with its own art styles,
TV shows and celebrities. Expect room after room full of booths, which double as miniature tattoo parlors. Thinking of getting inked? Hundreds of artists will showcase their work so you can peruse their work and find someone who fits your own personal style. For those interested in body mods, the convention will also showcase piercers — even extreme modifications (you’ll see for yourself). Tickets are $20, though children under 12 are free, and are available at the show.
NO BUTTS ABOUT IT
FOOD
3
Say ‘hi’ twice
Northeast has its own concept from the founders of Hola Arepa, and it’s worth going to thaw out with the spicy, citrusy flavors of Southeast Asian cuisine. Many Northeasters may already know the spot — you know the one off 22nd & University. In what was the Double Deuce is now Hai Hai, which means “two two” in Vietnamese. Inside, expect a tropical paradise of authentic plates — ever had water fern cakes? — and bold flavors. The restaurant offers a happy hour menu from 3 p.m.–6 p.m. and 10 p.m.–midnight that will get you $1 off appetizers and cocktails. You can’t go wrong with the fried wontons ($7), filled with a mix chicken liver pâté and cream cheese and served with passionfruit sauce. They’re a more savory and spicy take on those greasy appetizers you eat before Chinese takeout. The crispy rice salad ($8) with crunchy red curry rice is another good option. It’s topped with even
CROSSWORD ANSWERS
more crunchy bits of cucumber, fried shallots and ginger and can even be made vegetarian, gluten free or both upon request. It may sound counterintuitive while those spices clear your sinuses, but I can confirm that Hai Hai’s slushies are great any season. The floral berry flavors of the Lychee Keen ($9), a gin-based slushie with orange crema from Northeast’s Tattersall Distilling, are paired with St-Germain and lemon. Mine had a whole lychee berry at the bottom. There’s even a spicy slushie. The Hai of the Storm ($9) couldn’t have been more of a surprise. Along with Angostura rum, the orange-brown drink combines cinnamon grenadine, passionfruit and lime with Thai chili-infused rum floating on top. It seriously hits each taste bud. If you’re looking for dessert after your meal, look no further than Crepe & Spoon across the street. The tiny vegan ice cream and crepe shop serves several cocktail-inspired ice creams without any risk of a hangover.
Neighbor to Neighbor Companions STATE WIDE
Do you or someone you love need companionship with reliable transportation? How about an opportunity for meaningful friendship, increased independence and a link to the community? Call to receive a Neighbor to Neighbor companion today! Service will be provided by a local, trained volunteer (background checked).
2018 VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY State Wide Companions
THIS IS LITTER. Please Properly Dispose Of Your Litter. (Butts are not bio-degradable). Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District Minneapolis DID Ambassador Hotline: 612.332.1111 www.MinneapolisDID.com
Mpls DID DTJ 2011 Filler V12.indd 1
Crossword on page 17
4/29/11 Crossword 4:27 PM Answers DTJ 122817 V12.indd 1
• Make a new friend & go on outings together! • Help relieve loneliness for an older adult • Earn stipend money, mileage reimbursement & other benefits For more information on receiving this service or becoming a companion contact Kate Lecher, 651-310-9447 or kate.lecher@lssmn.org.
12/22/17 11:48 Neighbor AM to Neighbor SWJ 122817 V12.indd 1
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journalmpls.com / December 28–January 10, 2018 19
News
Transit union ratifies contract The Metropolitan Council and the union representing employees of its transit service reached agreement on a new three-year contract Dec. 18, averting the possibility of a Super Bowl strike. The roughly 2,500 members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1005 voted 82–18 to ratify the contract, which Met Council officials had described as their “last, best and final” offer after months of mediation. Local 1005 represents Metro Transit bus and light rail operators, technicians and office staff. The contract includes a 2.5 percent wage increase in each of the three years. Met Council also agreed to test new driver safety barriers in buses. Union members voted overwhelmingly in November to reject a previous offer from Met
Council and at the same time authorized a strike that was set to begin around the start of Super Bowl LII festivities in Minneapolis. The union’s last contract expired at the end of July. The new contract will be retroactive to Aug. 1. “They voted down our last proposal in November, and we really took that seriously,” said Met Council Communications Director Kate Brickman. “We brought that back to our side and we said we really need to be responsive to what they’re saying.” Brickman said the agreement makes Local 1005 the only Met Council bargaining unit with a three-year contract. Other contracts are all for two-year periods, Brickman said. Bus driver safety was a key issue for the
MARKETPLACE
union, and drivers who had experienced assaults were pushing the union to add new safety barriers. The pilot project would begin with the installation of the barriers on 21 buses, according to a summary of the contract offer provided by Met Council. Brickman said the plan was to use a clear plastic barrier product already available on the market. The plan calls for the formation of a committee to evaluate the pilot. It would include bus operators, technicians, transit police and Metro Transit managers. The new contract also includes an increase to transit vehicle technicians’ annual tool allowance. Local 1005 President Mark Lawson had previously explained that both the union and
Metro Transit agreed it was time to bring the technicians’ required tool list up to date — mainly to keep pace with changing technology — but the union asked for an increase in the allowance to offset a jump in outof-pocket expenses for techs. Met Council’s contract offer included a $1,500 one-time payment for one particular class of technicians facing the highest costs. The contract also included a change in the minimum amount of sick leave full-time union employees can take. They are currently required to take sick leave in at least fourhour increments, but the new contract would allow full-time union employees to take sick leave in two-hour increments.
— Dylan Thomas
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$7.00– $8.00 ABC Ramps Northeast▼ Tree DTJ 040716 2cx1.indd 1 (1st & 2nd Ave N)
4/4/16 10:03 ByronAM Electric SWJ 052713 1cx1.indd 5/20/13 1 1:13 PM Marketplace DTJ 2012 Filler 1cx1.indd 6/11/13 1 3:47 PM
$7.00 Hawthorne Trans Center (31 N 9th St)
612-343-7275
REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS ▼
City of Mpls Parking DTJ 082417 2cx2.indd 1
8/21/17 9:48 AM
Create • Collaborate Communication
CONDO FINANCING
DRGMpls.com (612) 777-8005
Steve Mohabir: 612.347.8045
REALTORS
URBAN REALTORS Joe Grunnet............................(612) 244-6613 Colton Maher..........................(612) 500-2007 Aleksa Montpetit.....................(651) 210-4213 Richard Newman....................(612) 749-6503 Erick Patterson.......................(612) 220-7673 Kent Pitlick.............................(651) 472-1101 Mike Seebinger.......................(612) 807-4958 Marissa Skaja.........................(612) 387-1499 Dylan Bode.............................(612) 600-4853 LEASING AGENTS Andrew Blaeser.......................(218) 269-4058 Brooks Borrell.........................(612) 414-8207 Patrick Carson........................(612) 325-0482 Dylan Garrison........................(612) 865-3226 Trent Gehrking........................(612) 568-8239 Katie Malinsky..........................(612) 250-9628 Ana Murillo.............................(651) 235-4230 RENTALS MANAGEMENT Rick Gendreau........................(612) 424-6041 CONDO FINANCING JJ Ellingson............................(763) 300-6876
Randy Cernohous: 612.382.3196 Karie Curnow: 612.347.8022 Christopher Friend: 612.827.5847 Brian Helms: 612.913.6400 Brady Kroll: 612.347.8050 Fritz Kroll: 612.347.8088 Megan Lamke: 612.322.2156 Dolly Langer: 612.280.8898 Susan Lindstrom: 612.347.8077 Jessica Miceli: 612.347.8033 Lynn Morgan: 612.703.1088 Matt Morgan: 612.321.6655 Juley Speed: 612.986.3478 Shawn Thorud: 612.347.8079
612-655-4961 hansonbuildingandremodeling.com Lic #BC633225
PAINTING ▼
Hanson Building DTJ 113017 2cx2.indd 1
11/28/17 10:09 AM
PA INTING
Professional Quality Work Exterior Painting Interior Painting Wood Finishing Exterior Wood Restoration
CAREERS IN REAL ESTATE Sarah Fischer Johnson, Mgr: 612.940.9645
Licensed & Insured Grunnet Joe DTJ 101917 1cx2.5.indd 10/13/17 1 10:00 AM 226 Washington Ave N, Minneapolis
ADS: 612.825.9205
greg@chileenpainting.com | chileenpainting.com
DowntownNeighbor.com • 612.347.8000
612-850-0325
TO PLACE AN AD IN THE JOURNAL CALL 612.825.9205 TODAY
ER DT Mpls Office DTJ 060117 1cx3.indd 5/17/17 1 3:28 PM
LINE CLASSIFIEDS FORM
|
$1.05 per word
Chileen Painting DTJ 020917 2cx2.indd 2
2/3/17 1:01 PM
SUBMIT YOUR AD | email: ads@mnpubs.com | phone: 612.436.5070 | fax: 612.436.4396 | mail: 1115 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403 Header (up to 6 words) 1
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Credit Card Number Name
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POLICIES: — must be prepaid
— email is one word
— minimum of 10 words
— phone number is one word
NUMBER OF TIMES AD WILL RUN (Check one) Address
4 times (minimum)
7 times
13 times (5% discount)
26 times (10% discount)
CATEGORIES (Check one) Animals Announcements Automotive Sales Business Services Entertainment For Sale Health Home Services Legal Notices DTJ 122817 Classifieds 10.25x11.5.indd 1
Child Care Commercial Real Estate Commercial Rentals Leisure Merchandise Personal Services Real Estate
Education Elder Care Services Employment Rentals Tax Services Web Servies Weddings 12/21/17 1:17 PM
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