Southwest Journal, Aug. 8–21 by The Southwest Journal

Mass-produced metal dream home

Carnivorous plant found in Wirth Lake

A family’s cozy shack in the woods

PAGE B8

PAGE B1

PAGE A13

August 8–21, 2019 Vol. 30, No. 16 southwestjournal.com

Seeking a safer Lyndale County, city eyeing improvements at dangerous intersections By Andrew Hazzard

Wet weather challenges vendors at local farmers markets

Hennepin County Board Chair Marion Greene keeps a list of streets she receives the most comments about from constituents. “In Southwest Minneapolis, I hear the most about Lyndale,” she said. Lyndale Avenue South, or County Road 22, is among the most dangerous streets in Minneapolis to walk, bike or drive, according to crash studies released by the city in recent years. The city considers Lyndale Avenue from Franklin Avenue to Lake Street to be a crash concentration corridor for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. SEE LYNDALE SAFETY / PAGE A18

By Michelle Bruch

Tomatoes and sweet corn didn’t come easy to farmers markets this year. A cold, wet spring meant many farmers had trouble getting into the ground. “It’s just hard work,” said Dawn 2 Dusk farmer Moses Momanyi, who sells at the Kingfield and Fulton farmers markets and watched

two hoop houses collapse in February due to heavy snow. Organic farming depends heavily on weeding, he said, and he’s watched weeds flourish after heavy rain and kill crops. Every delay matters when there are limited weekends to sell, said Jan Reuland

“We just have to keep trying, and hope for better next year. It’s nature. What can you do?” says Pheng Yang, pictured at his farm in Montgomery, Minnesota. Yang and other farmers market vendors coped with flooded fields this year. Photo by Michelle Bruch

SEE HARD YEAR / PAGE A19

A billboard for a personal injury law firm is posted at the northwest corner of Lake & Lyndale. The intersection was found to be the most dangerous in Minneapolis for pedestrians in a city study. Photo by Andrew Hazzard

Finding a home of its own Nonprofit employing homeless youth seeks permanent location By Andrew Hazzard

On a rainy Sunday morning, Koliesha Banks stood behind a booth at the Linden Hills farmers market, brewing and serving fresh coffee. Banks works for Wildflyer Coffee, a Minneapolis nonprofit organization that seeks to provide job and life skills training to youth experiencing homelessness in the Twin Cities. Right now, she works weekend shifts at farmers markets, but she’d like to work more and earn enough to get a place of her own to get out of an unstable housing situation that has her bouncing from place to place.

“I’ve been begging them for more hours,” she said. Currently, Wildflyer can’t offer consistent hours to their workers. The employees work the Fulton and Linden Hills farmers markets from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends and occasionally pick up extra shifts at catered events. “Our youth want to be working,” said Wildflyer co-founder and executive director Carley Kammerer. “They just don’t have the opportunity right now.” In June, Wildflyer Coffee began fundraising to acquire a brick-and-mortar location some-

where in South Minneapolis that could create that opportunity. They aim to raise $165,000, with a goal of raising half that sum by the end of the summer. A permanent home would allow the nonprofit to employ triple the number of workers and give those workers enough hours to earn a real living wage, Kammerer said. Wildflyer currently employs three youth ages 16–24. Since the nonprofit launched in 2017, 11 young people have worked there. “Our bottom line is our youth,” Kammerer said. SEE WILDFLYER / PAGE A15

Moss Envy is leaving West Calhoun

A new Montessori school in Fulton

Southwest teen has passion for journalism

PAGE A3

PAGE A10

PAGE A14

A2 August 8â&#x20AC;&#x201C;21, 2019 / southwestjournal.com

Install of 6 Windows* 24 Months No Interest, No Payment Financing. Low monthly payment plans also available!** Your Marvin Authorized Installing Retailer

FOR A FREE IN-HOME ESTIMATE

CALL 952-277-1600 windowinfo@schererbros.com

Visit our Showroom in Hopkins

www.schererwindowconsultants.com

southwestjournal.com / August 8–21, 2019 A3

By Andrew Hazzard / ahazzard@swjournal.com

On the move

WEST CALHOUN

Moss Envy moving out of Southwest After nearly a decade in West Calhoun, Moss Envy is moving across town. The sustainable home goods, lifestyle and bedroom retailer had its final day in business at 3056 Excelsior Blvd. on July 25. The shop, co-owned by couple Tina and Ryan North, is moving to 1900 Johnson St. in Northeast. The move comes as their lease is ending in West Calhoun. Ryan North said the shifting nature of their business makes being a walk-in style, neighborhood retail store less practical. “Over the past couple years, our sales have trended to the bedroom category,” he said. In Northeast they will concentrate on their organic mattress and other bedding products. The “insanely high” rent at the space also made them look into moving, Ryan North said. While they will miss local customers in the neighborhood, the Norths hope people will come find them in Northeast. Moss Envy, which began as Twin Cities Green at 24th & Hennepin, moved to West Calhoun in 2010. The small strip of shops near the Calhoun Commons retail center has seen three of its four shops shutter in the past year with the closures of Vitamin Shoppe and TC2 Salon, leaving only the Indulge & Bloom flower and gift shop.

For sale

Moss Envy has moved out of its Excelsior Boulevard storefront after nearly a decade. The eco-friendly home and bedding store is moving to Northeast. Photo by Andrew Hazzard

LYNLAKE

The Alt Bike and Board shop up for sale After nearly 45 years in the bike, snowboard and skateboard business in Southwest, The Alt owner Jay Erickson is ready to fully retire. The longtime small business owner has put his building at 3013 Lyndale Ave. S. up for sale but is hopeful The Alt will be able to continue in some capacity with some of his current staff running the operation. “I don’t want to see it go away,” he said. The current LynLake building The Alt has called home for the past 13 years will be sold, however. Erickson said he’s been semi-retired for the past few years, with his staff handling most day-to-day operations. He said he’s been approached by larger development firms, but ideally would like to sell to a local merchant. “I’d rather have an independent business person in there,” he said. The Alt launched in 1974 when Erickson left a bike retail store to launch his own shop at 24th & Hennepin, where rent at the time

was $100 per month. The Alt was one of the first snowboard and skateboard shops in the country, Erickson said. Over the years, the shop built a stable of loyal customers and a reputation as a fast and reliable repair location, one that could get riders going quickly. After 32 years, the store moved to LynLake in 2006. “We’re a community service shop,” he said. These days, online retail has eaten up other parts of the business, such as direct sales of bikes and boards, he said. Many people will order their rides online and bring it in to be assembled. There is no clear timetable for the building sale, Erickson said, but he anticipates it will take place by the end of August. Where any future iteration of The Alt might go is also unclear, but with a stable customer base in South Minneapolis, he hopes it won’t be far away. “I still believe there is a future for The Alt,” he said.

Chears Audiology SWJ 072519 6.indd 1

7/22/19 1:31 PM

3409 Irving Avenue S, Minneapolis $489,000 | 2 Bedrooms | 1 Bath Architect Geoffrey Warner was featured in Garage Reinvented by converting a quaint Victorian home into this stylish, innovative design. This was realized by literally bridging the original Ice House of Bde Maka Ska to a newer addition by a mahogany bridge. Natural light pours into the living room from upper level skylights.

Judy Shields

952.221.1723 JShields@cbburnet.com

After 45 years in Southwest and 13 years on Lyndale Avenue, Jay Erickson is selling the home of The Alt Bike and Board Shop but hopes the business will continue in a new home when he retires. Photo by Andrew Hazzard Shields Judy SWJ 080819 6.indd 1

7/30/19 4:15 PM

A4 August 8–21, 2019 / southwestjournal.com

Clear Aligner Orthodontics Simple cases

Get the smile

as low as

you’ve always wanted!

Dr. Nelson is an Invisalign Preferred Provider.

BEFORE

$400

Complex cases $3800

• Free consultations • Free whitening included • Offering ClearCorrect, Exceed, and Invisalign All cases are a flat fee and include retainers, impressions, and all office visits.

AFTER

BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT AT NICOLLETDENTAL.COM OR CALL 612-866-8550

CASEY NELSON, DDS

6101 Nicollet Ave S, Minneapolis nicolletdental.com • 612-866-8550 Nicollet Dental SWJ NR2 6.indd 1

Aldi will open its new location at 26th & Lyndale on Aug. 22. Photo by Andrew Hazzard

12/7/18 10:02 AM

WHITTIER

Aldi opening Aug. 22 at 26th & Lyndale A new grocery option will open this month along Lyndale Avenue. Aldi, a Germany-based grocer with a growing presence in the Twin Cities, will open its 26th & Lyndale location on Aug. 22, according to Matt Lilla, an Aldi vice president based in Faribault. The 20,000-square-foot grocery store is located below the new Rex 26 apartment building. It will be the first commercial grocer in the area. The nearest grocery store is The Wedge Co-op. Aldi has been rapidly expanding its footprint in Minnesota. The Lyndale location will be its fifth

in Minneapolis and first in Southwest. Aldi said its stores offer high quality food at low prices. “Today’s shoppers are pressed for time and money,” Lilla said in a statement to the Southwest Journal. “We pioneered a model that gives people more of both. Our shopping experience is designed to make life easier for people and to offer high-quality food at affordable prices.” The Aug. 22 grand opening will feature prizes such as free reusable bags, a drawing for the $100 “Golden Ticket” and drawings to win free produce for a year on Aug. 22, 23, 24 and 25.

UPTOWN

Local candlemaker turns hobby into business

Seed Cafe_Modo Yoga SWJ 071119 6.indd 1

7/1/19 10:34 AM

18 HOLES FULLY REMODELED SUMMER’S SHORT — GET OUTSIDE!

Mini Golf Bike rental

PIzzA

SurreY rental

ice cream

MINI GOLF IN RICHFIELD (612) 861-9348 | 6335 Portland Ave S. Richfield, MN Wheel Fun Rentals MaltTMelt SWJ 080819 6.indd 1

7/30/19 4:10 PM

A couple of winters ago, Emma Remer found herself short on cash as the holiday season approached, so she got creative. That year, her friends and family received homemade candles, and they gave Remer some insightful feedback: These are pretty good. Remer, who lives in Uptown, took that advice to heart and launched her own brand, Burn Boss. Now she sells the candles on consignment to Carousel and Folk in Standish and Polka Dot in St. Paul. In July, she started selling her wares at the Linden Hills Farmers Market. Burn Boss specializes in soy and coconut wax candles. Those materials have a lower melting point than kerosene and burn cleaner, she said. Both have distinct fragrances as well. But what makes Burn Boss unique is the containers, all of which are reused vessels Remer tracks down at flea markets and antique shops all over the metro. “That’s my favorite part of it,” she said. She hand-pours all the candles in her Uptown kitchen. She makes a batch of wax over the stove, which is usually good for 2–5 candles, depending on the container size. It takes about an hour for the wax to set, depending on the temperature in her non-air-conditioned apartment. Somehow, her cat has managed to not get hurt. “My roommates are very forgiving,” Remer said. In December 2018, Remer went all-in on Burn Boss and left her job in the tech industry to pursue candlemaking full time. She’s trying to find more consignment work and get into more local markets. She said she doesn’t regret leaving her desk job. “I really love working with my hands,” Remer said.

Uptown resident Emma Remer finds secondhand containers for all of her handpoured candles. She recently began selling her wares at the Linden Hills Farmers Market. Photos by Andrew Hazzard

Remer scours antique shops and farmers markets to find unique vessels for her candles.

southwestjournal.com / August 8–21, 2019 A5

Development passes appeal, loses a ﬂoor By Andrew Hazzard / ahazzard@swjournal.com

A pending Whittier apartment building that was narrowly approved by planning commissioners last month is a floor shorter after passing through an appeal process. A Whittier resident, Thomas Tulien, appealed a recent Planning Commission decision to approve a six-story, 146-unit apartment building at 26th & Blaisdell on the grounds that the project was not in line with present or future zoning ordinances, that it had failed to receive the consent of neighboring properties and that the Planning Commission lacked authority to approve a conditional use permit allowing height above 56 feet, among other concerns. “What is currently being proposed is simply not appropriate to the particular site,” Tulien, who has lived in Whittier for 30 years, told the City Council’s Planning and Zoning Committee on Aug. 1. Current zoning in the area allows for fourstory buildings, while the yet-to-be oﬃcially implemented 2040 Comprehensive Plan calls for a maximum of three stories on the site. The building will now be five stories with 124 units, according to plans submitted to the city. The project will have 83 parking stalls and 90 bicycle parking spaces. The project, being developed by Yellow Tree with the Goldstein Law Firm and Gold Group Realty and being designed by DJR Architecture, will include oﬃce space for the

Whittier Alliance at below market rate and a shared bike lounge space that will be open to the public on certain days. The Whittier Alliance would manage the space and a renter rebate program at the building, which would give renters a discount if they volunteer with an area nonprofit. Council Member Lisa Goodman (Ward 7) said she was concerned about the close connection the neighborhood association had to the development. “It feels uncomfortable with me, almost like a bribe,” she said. Stephanie Brown, chair of the Whittier Alliance housing issues committee, said they were also concerned about conflicts of interest but noted the neighborhood organization manages the renter rebate program and volunteers would work with other nonprofits. “We have gone to great lengths to ensure there are benefits to the community,” Brown said. Council President Lisa Bender (Ward 10), who represents the project area, moved to deny the appeal. She said the City Council shouldn’t be involved in arrangements between nonprofits and private companies and that the building could add to affordable housing stock in the neighborhood. “It is very reflective of what I hear from my constituents,” Bender said. The appeal was denied on a 4-2 vote.

A new apartment building coming to 26th & Blaisdell is now slated to stand five stories and contain 124 units after an appeal from an area resident. Submitted image

50TH AND FRANCE | 5005 EWING AVE S, MINNEAPOLIS UPTOWN | 2935 GIRARD AVE S, MINNEAPOLIS EAGAN, APPLE VALLEY, AND UNIVERSITY OF MN

Agra Culture Kitchen - SotaRol SWJ 071119 6.indd 1

7/8/19 2:30 PM

In-Home Euthanasia • 100% Private Cremation Transportation • Large Urn and Memorial Showroom

New name coming for East Calhoun Residents of East Calhoun have voted to change the name of their Uptown neighborhood, making it the second Southwest community to change its name amid a movement of residents and institutions disassociating themselves with the legacy of John C. Calhoun. In May, the East Calhoun Community Organization (ECCO) invited residents to cast ballots in a yes-no vote: Should the neighborhood change its name or not? Just over 63% of residents voted yes, according to ECCO name review committee chair Ralph Knox. There were 424 ballots cast, or about 17% of the neighborhood, he said. In the wake of Lake Calhoun being redubbed Bde Maka Ska, its original Dakota name meaning Lake White Earth, several entities have changed their titles, too, including the Calhoun Area Residents Action Group (CARAG), which adopted the name South Uptown last year. Updated signage bearing the new name will be installed in the area in the coming weeks, the

neighborhood association announced July 31. John C. Calhoun was a South Carolina politician who advocated for the institution of slavery and had a role in orchestrating the Indian Removal Act. The Minnesota Supreme Court is currently reviewing whether the Department of Natural Resources had proper authority to rename the lake without legislative approval. Now, the neighborhood is soliciting potential names from residents until Sept. 2. The name review committee will then narrow down submitted names to 10 finalists, which will be put up for a vote. Those ballots will be tallied using a rankedchoice voting style, Knox said. If none of the finalists gets more than 50% of the vote, a final runoff election will be held with the top two. “We want to be very calculated about this,” Knox said. — Andrew Hazzard

Pet Cremation

SERVICES OF MN

Q: What’s the difference in my vet cremating?

A: A huge difference. Most vets will freeze and bag pets at their clinic for up to a week and cremate animals in the same crematory. We look at pets like family members, never cremating more than one pet at a time, never needing to freeze a pet. We treat pets like people.

Cremation $195 • In-Home Euthanasia $290 Have your pet euthanized in the privacy and comfort of your home, followed by the most personal and ethical cremation, on par with how you would treat a family member.

Monday–Friday 9am–4:30pm | Saturday & Sunday 10am–2pm ON CALL FOR EMERGENCIES

PetCremationMN.com | 952.925.1234 | info@petcremationmn.com Pet Cremation Services of MN SWJ 080819 6.indd 1

8/7/19 12:16 PM

A6 August 8–21, 2019 / southwestjournal.com

Windom motel expansion approved By Nate Gotlieb / ngotlieb@swjournal.com

Brazil Law Group SWJ NR2 6.indd 1

12/6/18 12:28 PM

The Planning Commission has approved a plan to renovate and expand a 36-room Windom motel. North Bay Companies intends to restore the Aqua City Motel, located at 5719 Lyndale Ave., to its original mid-1960s style and construct a second story atop the one-story portion of the building. The Minneapolis-based company also plans to restore the motel’s outdoor pool, refurbish the street sign, eliminate a curb cut and add a small coffee and ice cream shop and an outdoor seating area. The revamped motel will have 52 rooms. It will also have 31 parking spots and four bikeparking spaces, according to a city report. DJR, an architecture firm working with North Bay on the project, has written that the goal is to provide a lodging option for “all types” of budget-conscious travelers but especially families. On Aug. 5, the Planning Commission approved three applications for the project, in addition to North Bay’s plans for the site.

They included two setbacks and another variance to allow the expansion of a “nonconforming use,” since the city zoning code has not permitted motels since 1999. Mian Hospitality Group currently owns the site, according to city property records. The city assessor’s oﬃce valued the .7-acre property at nearly $1.1 million earlier this year. The Windom Community Council and representatives of people who live near the site offered their support for the project in an Aug. 5 letter to Ward 11 City Council Member Jeremy Schroeder. It was contingent on North Bay meeting four conditions, including a requirement for 24-hour on-site management. Windom residents, especially those who live near the motel, have insisted that the project should prioritize their safety. The Aqua City Motel is one of two motels in the immediate vicinity of 57th & Lyndale. The Metro Inn Motel is a block north at 5637 Lyndale Ave.

Minneapolisbased North Bay Companies plans on renovating and expanding the Aqua City Motel, located on the 5700 block of Lyndale Avenue, to include 52 rooms. Images courtesy of DJR Architecture

Call to schedule. 952.926.7696

Pop in to say hello. 624 W 54th Street Minneapolis, 55419

Martha Baker, DDS Martha Baker DDS SWJ 061319 6.indd 1

mydiamondlakedental.com 6/3/19 10:24 AM

2232 Hennepin Ave S, Minneapolis | 612.377.6108 | adtdental.com

Countering hate with love

Catherine Mandle and her daughter Amelia, 11, write a message in chalk on the sidewalk outside of Lake Harriet Community School’s upper campus on Aug. 2. The Mandles were among the dozens of students and parents who wrote messages the day after anti-Semitic graffiti was discovered on the grade 4–8 school. “We like to counter hate with love,” Mandle said. Photo by Nate Gotlieb

southwestjournal.com / August 8–21, 2019 A7

What happens when a street’s name changes?

Visit the Team

Larry Music Stage at

Calhoun parkways could be first Minneapolis streets renamed in a decade By Andrew Hazzard / ahazzard@swjournal.com

In the next month, more than 300 addresses in Southwest Minneapolis could change. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board was scheduled to hold a public hearing on changing the names of four streets it controls surrounding Bde Maka Ska on Aug. 7, shortly after this publication went to press. After the public hearing, the name changes could be approved by a six-commissioner majority as soon as the Aug. 21 Park Board meeting, per an ordinance passed in April. The changes would come to four roadways controlled by the MPRB: Calhoun Boulevard West, Calhoun Drive, East Lake Calhoun Parkway and West Lake Calhoun Parkway. In each instance, Bde Maka Ska would replace Lake Calhoun or Calhoun. There are about 325 addresses on those streets, according to city databases and the MPRB. In May, the Park Board sent out letters to 4,200 addresses within three blocks of the streets, notifying them of the potential change and the public hearing, according to director of strategic planning Adam Arvidson. The exact cost of the potential roadway name change is unclear. The MPRB has not run a full cost analysis of the change, according to Arvidson. The signage around the parkways would be changed, much like it was at beaches when the Park Board added dual signage reading Lake Calhoun/Bde Maka Ska in 2015 and new signs only bearing Bde Maka Ska in 2017, but Park Board oﬃcials did not have a cost estimate for those changes. Maps, too, would be updated, potentially incurring additional costs. Minneapolis Public Works maintains the green street signs for the Park Board, according to city spokesperson Sarah McKenzie, and would replace those signs should the name change be approved. The MPRB received 741 responses during an open comment period on the proposed name changes this summer, according to Arvidson. Of those, 57% were supportive of the name change, 35% were opposed and 8% had no clear stance but offered general comments or advice. Those opposed were split into four categories, with the plurality citing financial reasons, Arvidson said. In comments submitted to the Park Board, some parkway residents cited the expense and hassle of the address change as their main reason for opposition. “I support the name change of the lake,

The MPRB received 741 responses in an open comment period on the proposed parkway name changes, with 57% in support and 35% opposed. although I believe it should be Lake Maka Ska,” wrote one parkway resident. “That said, I am opposed to the name change of East Calhoun Parkway because my entire online, banking and legal identification existence is tied to this address. This will be a massive hassle that will cause extra work, risk and expense to accommodate the name change.”

Selling Homes to Pups and their People For Over 20 Years

612-845-5273 | DianeandLarry.com | larry@larrylavercombe.com Lavercombe Larry SWJ 080819 6.indd 2

8/2/19 11:08 AM

Name change protocols When a street name is changed, the city sends an oﬃcial notification to residents and property owners. If people bring a copy of that notification to any local license bureau within 30 days, they can get a new license or identification for no fee, according to Megan Leonard, a public information oﬃcer with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. State law requires people update their license when their address changes. For the United States Postal Service, a change in street names is a fairly simple procedure, according Kristy Anderson, a regional spokesperson. Once the city notifies the agency of a street name change, the USPS’s Address Management Systems department enters the new address and ties it to the old address in their database. Mail addressed to the old street name is automatically sent to the address for 18 months, Anderson said. Customers do not need to submit any forms to the USPS and incur no financial charges for a change. She said she was unaware of any costs associated with changes but said they require some work from USPS staff to update the addresses. Minneapolis last saw a street renaming in January 2010, when a portion of 3rd Avenue North near Target Field was redubbed “Twins Way,” according to McKenzie. The Minnesota Vikings unsuccessfully lobbied the city to rename a portion of Chicago Avenue near U.S. Bank Stadium in 2016.

ou Thank Y

Park Board staff add dual signage near Bde Maka Ska in this 2015 file photo. There are about 325 Southwest Minneapolis addresses on roadways that could soon see their names change. Sylvestre SWJ 080819 6.indd 1

8/5/19 9:34 AM

A8 August 8–21, 2019 / southwestjournal.com

PUBLISHER Janis Hall jhall@swjournal.com

CO-PUBLISHER & SALES MANAGER Terry Gahan tgahan@swjournal.com

GENERAL MANAGER Zoe Gahan zgahan@swjournal.com

EDITOR Zac Farber 612-436-4391 zfarber@swjournal.com

STAFF WRITERS Nate Gotlieb ngotlieb@swjournal.com

Andrew Hazzard ahazzard@swjournal.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Michelle Bruch Ed Dykhuizen Mira Klein Sheila Regan Michelle Singer Carla Waldemar Sarah Woutat EDITORIAL INTERNS Christopher Shea Alex Smith CREATIVE DIRECTOR Valerie Moe vmoe@swjournal.com

CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER Dani Cunningham OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Amy Rash 612-436-5081 arash@swjournal.com

AD COORDINATOR Hannah Dittberner 612-436-4389

By Jim Walsh

A sane lane in insane times

he best meme going around these long hot summer construction days is the one reminding all Minneapolitans who eschew biking or walking for driving that we’re part of the traffic, not above it all. Or, as Jane Jacobs wrote in her groundbreaking 1961 critique of urban planning policy, The Death and Life of Great American Cities: “Traffic congestion is caused by vehicles, not by people in themselves.” Point being that if you don’t like sitting in traffic, it’s up to you to change your vehicle, mind or route, and for the last two years as traffic has ratcheted up to hyper videogame levels in the Twin Cities, I’ve been heartened by a single sane lane development — an oasis amid the hot tar and tempers. West 46th Street has historically been a busy thoroughfare leading to freeway ramp entrances to north- and southbound I-35W, but with construction and closed entrance and exit ramps being part of the new normal, 46th Street has regularly become a long line of bumper-to-bumper traffic to and from South Minneapolis. Rush hour is a parking lot, most other times of day a crawl. But something wonderful has happened amid the honking horns and frayed nerves: Inevitably, and with surprisingly regular frequency, drivers have taken to stopping at 1st Avenue to allow other drivers to make left hand turns and to let other cars merge onto 46th Street. There’s no stop sign or traffic cop telling them to do as much — it’s just happening, and at this point it’s become a reliable trend at all hours of the day and night. Every time I bear witness to it, it makes me smile. Sure enough, this is one for the thanks-Ineeded-it bin. By now you’ve probably gathered that in these dark times of divisions and being told how different we are from one another, I’m always on the lookout for things that restore my faith in humanity. This one passes the test: It’s nothing short of a village-made roundabout, one of those simple things that goes uncommented upon, but in actuality is everything. A we’re-all-in-it-together philosophy informs all good spirituality; it’s a mindset that favors

hdittberner@swjournal.com

DISTRIBUTION Marlo Johnson 612-436-4388 distribution@swjournal.com

ADVERTISING sales@swjournal.com

612-436-4360 PRINTING APG NEXT ISSUE DATE: AUGUST 22 News and ad deadline: Aug. 14 32,000 copies of the Southwest Journal are distributed free of charge to homes and businesses in Southwest Minneapolis.

The most vibrant cities are the ones in which literally millions of drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists share the roads, merge, meld, wave each other along and, yes, make sane lanes like the one that has cropped up organically on 46th Street.

A profoundly civilized intersection: 46th & 1st in Kingfield is but one of a number of spots in the city where the kindness of strangers informs the traffic rules. Photo by Jim Walsh

harmony over haste, collaboration over competition. As electrical engineer William Beaty wrote on his personal website, “A single solitary driver, if they stop ‘competing’ and instead adopt some unusual driving habits, can actually wipe away some of the frustrating traffic patterns. That ‘nice’ noncompetitive driver can actually erase traffic waves.” This miracle on 46th Street is usually accompanied by a wave and a nod from a complete stranger, and in that moment, social-politicalracial-gender-urban-versus-rural divisions melt away, all the ants in the ant farm get along for a few seconds, and we all go on our merry way. The news of the day and all the dread it can bring gives way to simplicity, thoughtfulness and a momentary calm during the storm. I’ve lost count of how many times it has happened, and of course it’s not the only intersection in the city where drivers are taking it upon themselves to be polite. The polar opposite of this natural phenomenon, of course, can be witnessed most every minute of every day, in which oblivious pedestrians and stuck-in-theirown-world drivers, scooter riders and bicyclists refuse to recognize, much less go with, the flow. Namaste to them, and it’s up to the rest of us to pick up their slack, but more importantly,

these dolts are missing out on the big feeling that comes from executing a small kindness between strangers. Unlike so much of life, it’s spontaneous, generous and extremely civilized. The question is, how do we tap that moment and make it part of the fabric of our bursting-at-the-seams urban jungle? Minneapolis-St. Paul is hardly the quaint little river town it once was. “Minneapolis is growing faster than it has since 1950,” Mayor Jacob Frey told a housing-themed news conference last year, and the Twin Cities added 75,000 people between them in the last eight years, far outpacing the rest of the region’s population growth. We now live in a big city, with a fast-growing population and the creeping condos and growing pains that go with it. But anyone who has traveled knows that the most vibrant cities are the ones in which literally millions of drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists share the roads, merge, meld, wave each other along and, yes, make sane lanes like the one that has cropped up organically on 46th Street, and wherever else the people have the power. Jim Walsh lives and grew up in South Minneapolis. He can be reached at jimwalsh086@gmail.com

A superb location where Kenwood Pkwy joins Lake of the Isles. Gracious public rooms and comfortable living spaces with classic Prairie architecture, box beam ceilings, wainscot walls, wood-burning fireplace, terrazzo floors. Second floor with four bedrooms includes a master suite with full bath. Great casual entertaining in the lower level family room and backyard with perennial gardens with stone patio and pergola. 4BR/4BA $1,275,000

612.925.8408 | 612.554.0994

PRINTED WITH SOY INK ON RECYCLED PAPER Davis, Fran & Barb SWJ 080819 Masthead.indd 1

7/29/19 11:51 AM

southwestjournal.com / August 8–21, 2019 A9

Voices

Book sales and their friends We are writing in response to a story titled “Library aims to spread donations more equitably” on page A7 of the July 11–24 issue. Members of the Friends of Linden Hills Library, like other Hennepin County Library Friends groups, treasure our libraries and are honored to support them. We believe everyone should have access to these safe, welcoming community spaces where all can explore, imagine, learn and be informed, enriched and inspired. It has been and continues to be our mission to help the library and its programs thrive in our neighborhoods and in all the county neighborhoods. We support plans to make available the Friends-type funding discussed in the article to all of the libraries in the system and would be happy to be involved in the process. The Friends of the Linden Hills Library raises funds primarily through book sales, with books generously donated by all of our neighborhoods as well as some excess books from the library itself. The funds we raise are for Linden Hills Library and for Hennepin County Library system-wide initiatives. Every year we contribute funds to these system-wide initiatives, which include collections (books, movies, music, etc.), programming and, most recently, funding for libraries that do not have fundraising groups. We strongly support

NEIGHBORHOOD SKETCHBOOK

these initiatives; this year we contributed $3,000 toward them. While book sales are our main source of funds, they also accomplish a few other things we value: a) allowing books to be purchased inexpensively, thereby promoting literacy; b) helping people dispose of books they no longer want; and c) keeping older books out of landfills. During our sales, we see families, teachers and all buying books as well as children sitting right down and reading a book, sometimes with a sibling. We see new and old friends who meet at the book sales year after year. This community building and outreach is also a benefit of the book sale. Some programs we have recently supported financially at Linden Hills Library include the Mapping Prejudice exhibit and program, the puppet performance by the “Open Eye Theater,” tables and window shades in the meeting room and craft supplies. We try to accommodate all the requests we receive from our librarians. We are very grateful for the support our used book sales have received from residents and businesses in Southwest Minneapolis over the years. We are planning to continue these book sale traditions in the years ahead. Peggy Krefting, Carol Shaw and Joe Wolf Friends of the Linden Hills Library

A10 August 8–21, 2019 / southwestjournal.com

OPENING SEPTEMBER 3RD 2309 Lyndale Ave S

SCHEDULING NOW online or call 612.424.6850

GREENWAY

Sharon Estrada, of Victoria, Minnesota, will open a 20-seat bilingual Montessori preschool and kindergarten this fall in Fulton. Photos by Nate Gotlieb

DENTAL

GRAND OPENING SPECIAL First 50 new patients get a FREE Quip electric toothbrush Dr. Sam LaChance

Attached parking lot • Evening appointments available! @greenwaydentalmpls | greenwaydentalmpls.com Greenway Dental SWJ 080819 6.indd 1

7/18/19 11:39 AM

Premium Western Red Cedar on SALE! 7/8” thick rough one face 1x 2 x 6' $1.99

• 1x3 x 6'

1x 6 x 6' $3.99

• 1x 8 x 6' $5.99

$2.69 • 1x 4 x 6' $2.99 • 1x10 x 6' $7.99

2536 Marshall Street NE, Minneapolis Monday–Friday: 8 am –6pm Saturday: 8 am –4pm 612-781-3333 • SiwekLumber.com Siwek Lumber SWJ 080819 6.indd 1

7/30/19 4:38 PM

Find Your spot for summer

fun

Bike Rentals

Como Lake: 651-487-8046 Minnehaha Falls: 612-729-2660 Lake Nokomis: 612-729-1127

WheelFunRentalsMN.com Wheel Fun Rentals SWJ 2019 NR2 6.indd 1

Montessori school opening in Fulton By Nate Gotlieb / ngotlieb@swjournal.com

A Victoria, Minnesota, woman is opening a 20-seat bilingual Montessori preschool and kindergarten this fall in Fulton. Girasol Montessori School will serve kids between 33 months and 6 years old in Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, located on France Avenue. Students of all ages will attend the one-room school and they will learn and play together in uninterrupted blocks of time. Founder and lead teacher Sharon Estrada, a native of Costa Rica, said she plans on speaking mostly Spanish, though she’ll teach some of the necessary academic skills, such as letters and numbers, in English. One of her assistants will only speak to the students in Spanish, she said. Estrada said starting a Montessori school has been a dream of hers since she graduated from a Montessori teacher-training program in 2011. She said she became interested in the educational approach almost 11 years ago when she toured a Montessori program while looking for a preschool for her firstborn daughter. “There was a sense of community,” she said. “When you walk into any authentic Montessori environment, that’s what you’ll find.” Montessori education centers around the teachings of Maria Montessori, an Italian doctor who thought the goal of early education should be to “activate” a child’s own desire to learn. Chil-

dren at Montessori schools work in mixed-age classrooms and have choices of different activities. The teachers, or “guides,” give students uninterrupted blocks of time in which to work. They use their observations of a child’s abilities and tendencies to guide their interaction with the student. “It’s a method based on respect for the child and this mentality that if you can impact these little ones’ lives, you can impact our society,” Estrada said. Estrada said she will encourage Girasol students to learn writing before reading, which is typical in Montessori schools. The students will also do “practical-life” exercises, such as table-, dish- and window-washing, which Estrada said will help prepare them for more advanced activities. There will also be activities that activate different senses. The school will offer three different schedules for parents — a half-day, a full-day and an extended-day option. All three programs will run five days a week, which Estrada said will allow children to create and establish a routine and a sense of community. She is working to create an outdoor play area on the church’s east lawn. Spots are still available for this first year, Estrada said. Visit girasolmontessorimn.com to learn more.

Water Rentals

Como Lake: 651-487-8046 Lake Nokomis: 612-729-1127 Lake Harriet: 612-922-9226 Lake Calhoun: 612-823-5765

6/11/19 12:53 PM

Estrada will use sandpaper letters to teach children the phonetic sounds that help them learn to write and read.

southwestjournal.com / August 8–21, 2019 A11

Don’t call it a gas station 36 Lyn oﬀers local products, friendly staﬀ and an endless stream of memes By Alex Smith

36 Lyn isn’t your typical gas station. While “BP” may be branded across their gas pumps, they prefer if you don’t call them that. Staff say the business on the northeast corner of 36th & Lyndale is a refuel station trying to give their community local, organic products and the cheapest gas in town. “We put it at the lowest price legally possible,” social media manager McCrae Olson said. “It’s usually the cheapest gas station anywhere. Gas stations will try and nickel and dime people, but my boss doesn’t care. He’s just trying to give back to the community.” Since 2005, when the McQuirter family took over the 36 Lyn Refuel Station, it has transformed from a generic, somewhat rundown BP station to a clean place to grab a fresh-brewed Peace coffee or a lunch wrap from Afro Deli. “[36 Lyn] is about being a place for people to come and commune,” co-owner Lonnie McQuirter said. “To not only give them energy drinks and chips but to give them a good start to their day and positive reinforcement.” Over the past 14 years, McQuirter has helped make the store a go-to place for those in the neighborhood. Pam Christian is a longtime Lyndale resident and said she visits the store anywhere between three and five times a week. She knows many of the cashiers by name, as well as their backstories. “I know way more information [about 36 Lyn] than any place I shop,” she said with a laugh. Christian said that 36 Lyn gives the neighborhood a corner store presence that attracts all kinds of people from the surrounding community. “They made a whole big difference in this neighborhood,” Christian said. “It just exhibits that they are a good business with a big heart.” Tammy Boots, who lives in Central, found 36 Lyn more than eight years ago and has been a supportive customer ever since. The store stocks its shelves with a selection of locally brewed kombucha.

Store manager Brooke Babb and co-owner Lonnie McQuirter stand in front of the coffee bar at 36 Lyn. Photos by Alex Smith

“It’s a great place to support a black-owned business while getting fantastic service and goods,” she said. Although 36 Lyn does offer chips, soft drinks, candy and other classic road trip goodies, many of the items for sale come from locally owned businesses. In the freezer, they have frozen Mucci’s pizza. The cooler is lined with beverages from local favorites like Five Watt Coffee, Northstar Kombucha and Lake State Kombucha. On the shelves, they sell kale chips, Equal Exchange organic teas and Freak Flag Foods’ sauces, among other organic and local offerings. “We have stuff you’d never find at a regular gas station,” Olson said. “We want to provide some decent food that’s not just Top Ramen.” Local food offerings aren’t the only way 36 Lyn sets itself apart from other stores. Olson curates a fine collection of memes for the store’s Instagram account (@36_lyn), which has more than 8,000 followers. Occasionally, a post will bear tangential relation to 36 Lyn’s business model — e.g., a screenshot of a news story about a 4-year-old who drove an SUV to a gas station to buy candy — but the account is just as likely to share a photo of the gorilla Harambe, a joke about Willie Nelson or a short video of a $100 bill folded as if Benjamin Franklin were smiling. “I see the social media as a way of giving back,” Olson said. “You know, it doesn’t cost anyone anything to follow us and laugh.”

GREEN CREMATION:

It’s the Natural Choice Why choose traditional cremation when you can GO GREEN? Green Cremation is the gentler, eco-friendly alternative to flame-based cremation. During this natural, water-based process, the body is reduced to ashes, which are then returned to the family. No flames, less energy, reduced carbon emissions. It’s the greener, cleaner choice.

We honor pre-plans and memberships from societies. For more info or to plan ahead, call 612-724-3621.

READY TO GO GREEN?

Visit www.GreenCremation.com today!

3131 Minnehaha Avenue S. Minneapolis, MN 55406

612.724.3621 • BradshawFuneral.com

*On Settergren’s Referral List*

ROOFING • SIDING • GUTTERS

612-869-1177 Roofing • Siding Soffit • Fascia Gutters • Insulation

McCrae Olson, 36 Lyn’s social media manager, says the refuel station’s gas sells for “the lowest price legally possible.”

2015 & 2016 Topside SWJ 032219 6.indd 1

A Rating BBB A Rating Angie’s List Licensed • Bonded • Insured MN License #5276

Serving the Twin Cities since 1980 3/11/19 3:13 PM

W36th St

A12 August 8–21, 2019 / southwestjournal.com

City to study Harriet-area historic district W 38th St

W 50th St

W 42nd St

W 43nd St

Lake Harriet Pkw

W 44th St

Har

riet

W 45th St

Lak e

W 46th St

Colfax Ave S

Dupont Ave S

Emerson Ave S

W 47th St Fremont Ave S

HPC members and city staffers disagreed with the homeowners on the severity of the existing issues. Senior City Planner Lindsey Silas said there are “reasonable alternatives to demolition, and HPC chair Ginny Lackovic, an architect and historic preservation specialist, said most of the issues presented were “issues of general maintenance.” Multiple nearby residents spoke against the potential demolition and in favor of the study. One said tearing down a house means “tearing down the integrity of the entire neighborhood,” while another said the neighborhood has a “historical feel.” Architect Mohamed Lawal, who lives next to Lake Harriet, spoke against the study, calling the potential historic designation “elitist.” He asked why other areas aren’t being considered as potential historic districts and said the requirements would limit how people can renovate their homes. Preserve Minneapolis board member Richard Kronick, who reviewed the staff report, said he agreed with the HPC decision. He said he didn’t think the new house, as proposed, would have fit the existing neighborhood context. The historic-designation study will take up to a year, according to Freude, who said historic districts often are smaller than study areas. Homes in any historic district will still be subject to Minneapolis 2040 and its zoning designations, he said.

Girard Ave S

France Ave S

Minneapolis is studying whether a 15-squareMinneapolis has 18 historic districts, block area immediately east of Lake Harriet including four in Southwest Minneapolis, and merits designation as a historic district. has identified 51 areas as potential historic The Heritage Preservation Commission districts, according to John Freude, a Palmi(HPC) directed city planners on July 30 to sano policy aide. Potential Southwest districts 42nd St include the areas surrounding Minnehaha conduct the study as part of a motion W denying a Lynnhurst couple’s request to raze a 111-yearParkway, Lake of the Isles and a significant old house in the area. Their motion gave the portion of Tangletown, among others. area temporary status as a historic district. The Lake Harriet area was identified as a A permanent historic designation would potential district in 2005. It’s bordered by mean the area’s 218 homeowners would need 42nd Street to the north, 48th Street to the HPC approval before adding onto or demolsouth, Dupont Avenue to the east and Lake ishing their houses or making any significant Harriet to the west. exterior changes. A 2005 report from Mead & Hunt, a It would not stop them from making changes, Bloomington consulting firm, said members Ward 13 City Council Member Linea Palmiof nine prominent families, including Maude St wrote in a letter to area homeowners, but h t sano Armatage, developed a small part of the area 4 W4 it would require that alterations be “compatible in 1893. Subsequent development attracted with surrounding properties.” The designation wealthy Minneapolis citizens, including does not generally cover interior changes. bankers and city officials. Historic districts are areas with a concentraCity staffers reported in July that the area tion of buildings unified by past events or archiappears to retain “good integrity” as a collectecturally significant design, according to the tion of late 19th- and early 20th-century homes. W State Historic Preservation Office. Minnesota Th47th ey saidStthe Lynnhurst couple’s home, located law gives local heritage preservation commiton the 4600 block of Emerson Avenue, contribtees the authority to establish them. utes to the potential district’s integrity. The law doesn’t require homeowners in At the HPC meeting, the Lynnhurst couple historic districts to fix up their properties, said the existing house hasn’t been properly according to the Historic Preservation Office. maintained, isn’t structurally sound and has a Some cities have ordinances to prevent failing foundation. They said the cost of renohomeowners from deliberately letting a vating and reengineering would “far exceed” the building deteriorate. cost of new construction.

Humboldt Ave S

By Nate Gotlieb / ngotlieb@swjournal.com

Xerxes Ave S

Tract in Lynnhurst, East Harriet could get historic protection Zenith Ave S

W 48th St

$395,000

NON-MLS

NEW NEW

1648 Colorado Ave S St. Louis Park

PENDING NEW

Logan Ave S

$299,000

Penn Ave S

Xerxes Ave S

France Ave S

W 50th St

$199,900 DUPLEX

6216 Ashcroft Lane Edina

PENDING

847 Watson Ave St. Paul

$2,695,000 Custom built by Tom Mihm; 5 br, 6 ba, 6k+ sq. ft., 1.24 acre lot

ACTIVE

W 54th St

7432 Shannon Drive Edina

$349,900

PENDING

$359,900

1746 Scheffer Highland Park

PENDING

W 58th St

1770 Hartford Highalnd Park

SOLD

2808 Aldrich Ave S #7 Minneapolis

660 Hidden Creek Trail France Ave S

Mendota Heights

CHARLIE & JOE BRAMAN

612.643.5533 Lake BramanBrothers.com Pamela

$450,000

SOLD

$307,000

5537 Morgan Ave S

Minneapolis

SOLD

$350,000

3141 36th Ave S

Minneapolis

SOLD

2208 Ford Road Minnetonka

Penn Ave S

Custom built by Tom Mihm; 4 br, 4 ba, 5,700 sq. ft., 1.25 acre lot

SOLD

$308,900

W 58th St

Xerxes Ave S

$1,366,800

The Braman Brothers are members of Coldwell Banker Burnet’s elite Distinctive Homes group as well as the International Diamond Society and the International Sterling Society. Over the past 262years, they have sold over 120 homes. 35W

Braman Brothers Real Estate SWJ 080819 H2.indd 1

7/29/19 11:26 AM

W 36th St

southwestjournal.com / August 8–21, 2019 A13

By Andrew Hazzard / ahazzard@swjournal.com

A tough summer on the Chain of Lakes The normally crowded beaches around Bde Maka Ska have missed their typical buzz this summer. When E. coli was discovered in the lake on July 2, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board closed the Thomas and 32nd Street beaches. On July 15, E. coli levels exceeding state guidelines were recorded at North Beach, which was closed for 15 days. The Thomas and 32nd Street beaches remained closed as of press time. So, what’s causing the elevated E. coli levels? “It’s hard to say exactly,” said Rachael Crabb, water resources supervisor for the MPRB. Two likely candidates are high rain levels and birds, she said. The Twin Cities are experiencing an extremely wet summer with major rain storms hitting with increasing frequency, a trend experts expect to continue as the climate warms. Increased rainfall leads to higher lake levels — Bde Maka Ska, Cedar Lake and Lake of the Isles all have been about 1.5 feet above average this summer — which in turn leads to more shoreline erosion. Wet sand can also contribute to higher E. coli levels, Crabb said. Bird feces is a common culprit. If waterfowl nest close to beach areas, their droppings can end up in the lakes and contaminate the area, she said. Although temporarily high E. coli levels are not uncommon, having sustained high levels on Bde Maka Ska is. “This is unusual,” Crabb said. No illnesses due to E. coli were reported in people visiting the lake, but some permanent residents of the Chain of Lakes have had tough summers. A late-July heat wave, combined with

Carnivorous plant found in Wirth Lake

Beachgoers returned to Bde Maka Ska after high E. coli levels closed the lake’s beaches for most of July. Photo by Andrew Hazzard

bacteria discovered in local crappie populations, led to a summer fish kill in lakes across the city. Fish kill is not an uncommon phenomenon in Minnesota lakes and often happens in the early spring as ice melts and on hot days in the summer. Fish kill is the result of oxygen loss, Crabb said. On extremely hot days, water holds less oxygen and some (usually smaller) fish struggle to survive. Summer fish kills have previously hit Minneapolis lakes, most recently in 2011 and 2004, Crabb said. But this year the fish kill occurred in several water bodies at once, including the entire Chain of Lakes, causing putrid smells around lakeside trails across Southwest as Park Board staff worked to get the carcasses out of the water. “It was kind of unusual to have so many fish kills in so many lakes,” Crabb said. Most of the victims were crappies around four inches in length. The Minnesota Department of

Park Board staffers made a new discovery in Wirth Lake last month. In July, researchers found an undercover carnivorous plant, Utricularia, more commonly known as bladderwort. It’s the first aquatic carnivorous species to be found in Minneapolis, said Rachael Crabb, water resources supervisor for the Park Board. The plant has small sacs that can capture insect larvae and even mosquitos, she said. The plant, which is native across North America, appears to be well established in Wirth Lake. “This was a surprise,” she said.

Natural Resources collected samples of the dead fish and found strains of diseases in the crappie population, Crabb said. Two different bacteria were discovered in the crappies. While it’s been a tough summer, Minneapolis lakes are fairly healthy. The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District gave Bde Maka Ska and Lake Harriet “A” ratings in 2017, while Cedar Lake and Lake of the Isles received “C” grades. “We’ve put a lot of investment into the Chain of Lakes and it shows,” Crabb said.

NOTED: Weekday paddlers using the Kenilworth Channel between Lake of the Isles and Cedar Lake may encounter temporary delays of up to 20 minutes in the next three weeks due to Southwest Light Rail Transit construction. A full closure of the channel is expected to take place later this summer.

Photo courtesy of Ann Journey/ Wetland Health Evaluation Program

TOP SHELF REAL ESTATE NEW LISTING!

A few short blocks to Lake Nokomis! Ted Bergstrom

The Minnesota Real Estate Team RE/MAX Advantage Plus www.TedBergstrom.com Ted Bergstrom • Realtor | 612-723-5444 | Ted@TedBergstrom.com Bergstrom Ted SWJ 080819 H12.indd 1

7/29/19 4:09 PM

CARING FOR YOUR PETS SINCE 1973 OLDER CATS ARE PRONE TO HYPERTHYROID DISEASE This occurs when a benign overgrowth or tumor starts in the thyroid gland, which is found in the neck.

Fortunately, hyperthyroidism is easy to diagnose and treatable. If your cat is showing symptoms of hyperthyroidism, the veterinarians at Westgate Pet Clinic are available to help. To make an appointment, call 612-925-1121.

kinda small. kinda southern. all comfort food.

THANKS TO ALL OF OUR CLIENTS FOR VOTING US BEST VETERINARY CLINIC IN EDINA!

FREE NAIL TRIM FOR OR NEW CLIENTS Family-friendly place for Mac n’ cheese, Sandwiches, Desserts, and more

735 E 48th Street, Mpls 612-584-1593 www. RAMacSammys .com

RA MacSammys Elbow Room SWJ 061319 NR1&2 9.indd 1

6/6/19 1:00 PM

SCHEDULE A TOUR OR APPOINTMENT TODAY!

4345 FRANCE AVE. S. MINNEAPOLIS MONDAY–THURSDAY 7AM–7PM FRIDAY 7AM–6PM | SATURDAY 8AM–5PM 612.925.1121 // WESTGATEPETCLINICMN.COM Westgate Pet Clinic SWJ 080819 9.indd 1

8/6/19 1:54 PM

A14 August 8–21, 2019 / southwestjournal.com

Southwest junior has a passion for journalism By Zac Farber / zfarber@swjournal.com

Sophia Schach, a rising junior at Southwest High School, had the chance this summer to chat on camera with Sunisa Lee — a world-class, 16-year-old St. Paul gymnast — and then to edit the interview into a two-minute-long TV news-style video, complete with professionally shot b-roll. “Suni would be the first Hmong American Olympic gymnast and knows many are following her journey,” Schach said in a voiceover for the video. She questioned Lee about her motivation to compete and asked, “What moment did you feel like, ‘Wow, I’m actually doing this?’” Afterward, Schach promised to give Lee one of the silk-lined, bedazzled hoodies she sews for her friends. The interview was part of the weeklong TV Broadcast Camp that Schach attended this July through the ThreeSixty Journalism program at the University of St. Thomas. Her participation in the camp was a continuation of a longstanding interest in the journalistic process. “I really like telling stories, learning and then writing about what you learn,” said Schach, who believes that journalism and activism “need to be hand in hand.” “The writers and communicators and everyone who’s involved in the news are the voice of the people who aren’t always represented.” Last summer, Schach was encouraged to apply for ThreeSixty’s News Reporter Academy by KARE 11 reporter Lindsey Seavert, who lives next door to Schach in Fulton. “She’s a great listener with a natural kindness about her,” Seavert said. “She has a quiet confidence and ambition. She kind of reminds me of myself at that age.” ThreeSixty Associate Director Bao Vang said Schach, who is half Vietnamese, was one of the academy’s standout stars.

WATCH You can see Sophia Schach’s video story about Sunisa Lee on our website at tinyurl.com/sophia-schach.

The writers and communicators and everyone who’s involved in the news are the voice of the people who aren’t always represented. — Sophia Schach, Southwest High School junior

Southwest High School student Sophia Schach practices reading the news during a session of the TV Broadcast Camp put on by the ThreeSixty Journalism program at the University of St. Thomas. Photo by Zac Farber

“She was so well-articulated and had expressed her interest as a person of color to tell stories,” Vang said. “I remember how smart she sounded. I know and can identify students who have the chops.” In the academy, Schach learned about virtual reality, photography and the nuts and bolts of news reporting. She also wrote a 650-word story about an effort by members of the Lower Sioux Indian Community to reclaim and reintroduce sacred tobacco into their lives. That story was published in the Pioneer Press. “I remember the date: Sept. 1, 2018,” Schach said. “It was really exciting. There was something about the material of the paper where it was like, ‘Wow, that’s my words on that paper.’” During the 2018–19 school year, Schach attended a number of full-day ThreeSixty

SUMMER TRAVEL PLANS? Have a

knowing that your pet is being cared for in a safe and private home.

COM

BOOK NOW

Ensure your pet gets

cuddles, not cages while you’re away!

Pets Are Inn Caring for pets since 1982 Pets Are Inn SWJ 061319 6.indd 3

Imagine coming home to this timeless beauty. 4901 1st Ave S | 5 bed | 3 bath | Tangletown | $659,900

worry-free vacation

952.837.1877

Learning Lab sessions on writing essentials, broadcasting basics and detecting fake news. “It’s easier to tell if it’s fake news on paper because a lot of stuff that’s printed has to go through checking,” Schach said. “Online, anyone can post something to make it seem like something else.” When she returns to school this September, Schach plans to revive the print version of the Southwest Anchor, her school’s student newspaper. There hasn’t been a journalism class at Southwest High School for about nine years and there hasn’t been funding for a print paper for about seven, said Wendy Brown, who advised the paper’s staff until around 2012. Last year, a weekly TV announcement was the only student-produced news programming. “The cost of the publishing isn’t exorbitant, but administrators ask, ‘If we can do it online,

why do we need a hard copy?’” said Robert Rees, a Southwest English teacher who has informally advised students interested in starting a paper. “I think anybody who’s worked as a journalist knows that a hard copy is invaluable. A newspaper contributes to the identity of a school if it’s well done.” A school spokeswoman said she did not know whether a print paper would be funded this fall, but Schach said she is hoping to start a double-sided, tabloid-size newssheet. She thinks students would stay after school for 45 minutes once per week to work on the paper. “I try not to say an hour because it’s high schoolers, and they don’t want to be at school for more time than they have to be,” she said. Her dream is of a paper that covers sports and events and interviews teachers and “students of different ethnic backgrounds.” She’d like to land an interview with Southwest’s new principal, Valerie Littles-Butler, and to write about the Gender Sexuality Alliance’s fight for functional gender-neutral bathrooms. “There are three gender-neutral bathrooms,” she said, “but they’re often locked because people misuse them — people smoke weed in the bathrooms.” Schach said she wants to put out a paper her school can take pride in. “I want there to be a day people know it’s coming out and we have it by the doors and hand it out to classrooms — like a newspaper you’d see on the street,” she said.

Pet Boarding With Loving Host Families

• www.petsareinn.com 6/7/19 4:56 PM

612.817.2805

team @ mattengengroup.com

mattengengroup.com

real estate redefined. Engen Matt SWJ 080819 6.indd 1

8/1/19 11:42 AM

southwestjournal.com / August 8–21, 2019 A15 FROM WILDFLYER / PAGE A1

Scope of the issue On any given night, some 600 youth are without safe shelter in Hennepin County, according to the Wilder Report, which tracks homelessness across the state. “Youth homelessness, like most homelessness, is very fluid,” said David Hewitt, who directs Hennepin County’s Oﬃce to End Homelessness. In 2016, the county worked with Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago to conduct a single-night count of youth homelessness. The count found 911 people age 13–25 who were homeless or lacked stable housing. Measuring youth homelessness can be challenging, according to Dr. Heather Huseby, executive director of YouthLink in Minneapolis.

“The youth population is kind of hidden — they’re not the population that’s going to be out on the corner,” she said. In Hennepin County, youth of color and LGBTQ youth are much more likely to experience homelessness. The 2016 count found that 59% of homeless youth were black in a county that’s just 13% African American; 27% of the homeless youth counted identified as LGBTQ. Casey Schleisman, an analyst who focuses on youth in the county’s Office to End Homelessness, believes more strategies are needed to house those from marginalized, overrepresented communities. YouthLink is one of three drop-in centers for youth experiencing homelessness or housing instability in Hennepin County.

Those centers offer assistance in finding employment, housing, health services and more. “Homelessness in the youth population has somewhat stabilized, but it was the fastest growing population of homelessness up to this year,” Huseby said. Each day, YouthLink serves between 120–150 young people in Minneapolis; some come in for a meal, many get assistance from the on-site health and law clinics and others are involved in job training and educational services employment from the 30-plus nonprofits that offer services there. The issue, Huseby and Hewitt said, is exacerbated by a housing crisis in the Twin Cities. About 94% of people staying in shelters in the county earn about 30% of the area median income, or around $20,000 annually. Currently in the county there are 14,000 units reserved for people at that income level, but about 74,000 people who earn that amount, Hewitt said.

Role of employment

Koliesha Banks serves a customer at the Wildflyer Coffee stand at the Linden Hills Farmers Market. Wildflyer is raising funds to find a permanent location so they can employ more unstably housed youth and provide them with regular hours. Photo by Andrew Hazzard

Finding employment for homeless youth is seen by experts as a critical step to getting them to be safely housed, self-sufficient adults, but it can also be a challenge. “Part of it is their instability,” Huseby said. People with unstable housing often don’t know where they will be sleeping on any given night and rarely have reliable transportation to get to a job, she said. They also often lack job experience and might not have learned job skills many people take for granted, such as how to interact with co-workers and show up on time. The biggest challenge is often finding employers who are willing to be understanding of hurdles for employees facing homelessness, like inconsistent transportation and high stress levels. “For a lot of our young people, it’s not about getting the job, it’s getting the right job,” Schleisman said.

952-848-2542 Se Habla Español

YOUR HOME

SOLD GUARANTEED

We’re working hard to instill all the skills you need to be successful in work and life. — Carley Kammerer, Wildﬂyer Coﬀee

The Wildflyer program lasts nine months and focuses on developing work and life skills through hands-on employment and classroom learning. First, new workers get up to speed on the basics of the coffee industry and work in general — appropriate appearance, talking to managers and co-workers, time management, etc. Then youth are enrolled in a personal and professional development course with weekly life skills training sessions on six topics: relationships and communication; daily living; self-care; housing and money management; work and study; career and education planning; and future planning. “We’re working hard to instill all the skills you need to be successful in work and life,” Kammerer said. When Wildflyer launched as Gutter Punk Coffee in 2017 at the Whittier Farmer’s Market they were roasting beans in co-founder Ben Griswold’s kitchen. They’ve learned a lot while forming an oﬃcial nonprofit organization. For Griswold, learning from the program participants who are working through challenging circumstances is just as important as teaching them. “It’s encouraged me to keep going when things got tough here,” he said. Now with a well-staffed board and a new subscription coffee service, they feel ready to open their own space. “That’s always been the dream,” Griswold said.

The Twin City’s Premiere Independent

VOLVO SALES & REPAIR SHOP

OR WE’LL BUY IT * *All parties must agree on price & closing date.

CHAIN OF LAKES

BBQ FESTIVAL

Swedish Motors

AUGUST 16, 17, 18 • EAST CALHOUN PARKWAY, BDE MAKA SKA FREE TO ALL • 11 AM - 8 PM Lola on the Lake SWJ 080819 4.indd 1

TEAM STOCKWELL

Do It Right … Or Not At All.

612.803.5661 952-848-2542 www.swedishmotorsmn.com Se Habla Español

8/7/19 10:35 AM

YOUR HOME SOLD GUARANTEED

Jason Stockwell ReMax SWJ 051619 V18.indd 5/9/19 12:22 Swedish 2 PMMotors SWJ 053019 9.indd 2

5/14/19 5:29 PM

A16 August 8–21, 2019 / southwestjournal.com

Green Digest

By Mira Klein

Jamie Long wants us to keep the pressure on

hen it comes to environmental policy, the recent legislative session was a disappointment to many environmental advocates. This disappointment was front and center for state Rep. Jamie Long (DFL-61B), who has rooted both his public reputation and legislative priorities in clean energy and fighting climate change. After an extended session that finished with frantic budget negotiations, environmental bills that once looked promising were almost universally dead. This included the Long-sponsored 100% clean energy bill, a measure that Gov. Tim Walz similarly took up in his own budget proposal. In a recent interview, Long reflected on what it takes to get environmental legislation through a politically divided state government, the role of public mobilization and why this session was less of a loss than it may appear. For Long, the pathway to the Legislature was a green one. “I came to politics through energy and environmental organizing,” he said. Even before focusing on environmental law in law school, he spent time working with national advocacy groups like the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council. Now, after wrapping up his first session as a state legislator, it is clear that Long is committed to sustaining his environmental convictions while in office. Long was elected to represent District 61B in November 2018 after several years of working for now-Attorney General Keith Ellison. In a letter penned for his campaign website in 2017, Long wrote extensively about his legislative climate proposals, including promoting clean energy, electric vehicle usage and carbon pricing. In his first session, Long stayed true to these campaign priorities. He was chief author of 10 pieces of environmentally focused legislation. These bills included mandating the State Board of Investment examine the potential impact of divesting the state pension fund from fossil fuels, expanding access to community solar by prohibiting credit score requirements and, perhaps most notably, setting Minnesota on a path to 100% renewable energy by the year 2050.

“The prediction is that Minnesota is basically going to be Kansas by the end of the century in terms of climate,” state Rep. Jamie Long says. Submitted photo

With such ambitious goals on the table, vocal public support for these environmental policies injected an uplifting dose of additional pressure. “The level of public engagement was at an all-time high,” Long observed. Between youth testifiers, weekly climate strikers and impressively sized rallies, Long speculated that his fellow legislators heard more about climate issues this spring than ever before. “We had the wind at our backs,” Long said. And this wind carried a legislative agenda that was more robust and ambitious than Long himself even anticipated. And yet, even with this gust of public pres-

Green Dry Cleaning & Wet Cleaning Environmentally Friendly Family Owned & Operated Since 1950 • No Odor • Non Toxic • No Allergies • Gentle on All Fabrics • All Work Done on Premises

sure, environmental policy largely failed to pass. According to Long’s political analysis, however, these failures were an expected function of how legislative change happens: in waves. “You’re not going to make steady progress every year,” he said. Rather, by coordinating legislative mobilization, public support and electoral pressure, legislators can strategically build up towards big changes over time. These changes may seem sudden when they happen, but they are only made possible through a lot of intentional groundwork, Long explained. He sees what happened this past session as successfully

indicative of this groundwork. Despite the coalitional efforts that came together to lay this groundwork, environmental advocates inevitably walk this ground in different and sometimes conflicting ways. While Long pushed hard to incentivize clean energy transitions in the private sector, for example, local organizations like Community Power put forward policy proposals to generate clean energy through public and cooperatively owned structures such as Community Choice Aggregation. Long defended his incentive-based approach, stating that “in terms of moving our utilities, realistically we’re going to work largely within the context that we have.” This doesn’t mean that Long doesn’t find value in bold and idealistic approaches. “It’s always important to anchor in what’s needed and then go from there,” he said. And as Long emphasized, environmental action carries particular significance for the state of Minnesota. Measured by temperature rise, Minneapolis has seen the biggest impact of any major city. “A lot of this is because of our winters,” which are getting progressively warmer and shorter, Long explained. Climate impacts can be felt locally from the spread of Lyme disease-carrying ticks to the historic flooding of Minnehaha Creek this spring. “I’ve been fortunate that I haven’t had a direct climate harm yet,” Long said. And Long is quick to note that these impacts carry not only public health and safety implications, but detrimentally affect the winter lifestyles that many Minnesotans hold dear. “The winter traditions come from the fact that winters here are reliably cold,” he said. “The prediction is that Minnesota is basically going to be Kansas by the end of the century in terms of climate.” Already eyeing the next session, Long hopes his constituents can keep the pressure on — for the sake of everything from protecting Minnesota’s coniferous forests to the future of hockey to simply not turning into Kansas. “Next year is an election, so public pressure can sink in in a different way,” he said.

For 40 years Haven Housing has helped break the cycle of homelessness and despair for women and children. You can join us in our life changing work.

Colonial Cleaners, Inc. GARMENT CARE PROFESSIONAL

612.823.8095 3701 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis www.colonialcleanersmn.com Colonial Cleaners SWJ 020917 H18.indd 1

2/3/17 2:39 PM

Former residents of Haven Housing

1934 H E N N E PI N AVE . S M P L S, M N 55 4 0 3

SAN DW ICH ES DE LICAT ESSE N

Learn more at

www.havenhousing.org Lowry Hill Meats SWJ 071119 H18.indd 2

7/9/19 11:10 HavenAM Housing SWJ filler 9.indd 1

7/9/19 Park 4:04 Tavern PM SWJ 061319 9.indd 1

5/28/19 1:51 PM

southwestjournal.com / August 8–21, 2019 A17

Taxes, driver’s licenses were Aisha Gomez’s priorities The representative for District 52B reflects on her first session in office By Nate Gotlieb / ngotlieb@swjournal.com

First-term state Rep. Aisha Gomez (DFL62B) said taxes and driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants were two issues that took a lot of her time during the 2019 legislative session, which ended May 20. In 2020, the Central neighborhood resident hopes to see progress on recreational marijuana legalization and investments in housing infrastructure, among other issues. Gomez, who represents eight Minneapolis neighborhoods, including Tangletown, Kingfield and Lyndale, was a member of four House committees, including the tax committee, and the chief author of 43 bills. She reflected on her first session and discussed plans for the 2020 session during an interview with the Southwest Journal. It has been condensed and edited for clarity.

What were the big things you learned this session? If you want your bills to get heard, to make progress, you have to hustle them and be persistent. It’s not the Speaker of the House’s top priority to get capital money for the Minneapolis American Indian Center, so I have to constantly remind her what an important asset that is in our community.

What were some of your priorities? I feel like driver’s licenses for all and my work on taxes were the two things that rose to the top. On the driver’s license issue, this is not a sweeping, radical policy. This is literally about safety and making sure drivers take a test and have insurance and that hardworking members of our community can go to the grocery store and get their kids to school. I’m trying to be a diligent student of taxes and figure out ways to inject more equity and fairness into our tax code. People talk about the Minnesota Miracle [a 1971 legislative package that raised taxes to pay for K–12 education]. That was because we decided we were going to make investments in our communities and fulfill our constitutional obligation to educate every child in the state. If we expect to continue to have the best-educated workforce and the healthiest people, we need to put our money where our mouth is and make investments.

housing. So much great work happened in the housing committee on tenant’s rights, and a lot of that was blocked. We need ways to ensure perpetual affordability. I’m interested in models such as tenant co-ops and in building less housing where the primary motivation is about extracting profit.

What did you think of how the Legislature addressed affordable housing? I don’t feel we made a ton of progress on preserving naturally occurring affordable

Do you think any bills like driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants have a chance of passing in 2020? The reality is that we’re facing just serious

How can you do that at the Legislature? We need to make significant investments in co-ops and land trusts for sure. There’s also just this unacceptable racial homeownership gap that we must address. The land trust, in that it kind of keeps individual properties perpetually affordable, is an appealing option. Unless we have a supplemental budget and there’s a change in the state budget forecast, my understanding is there’s not going to be a bunch of direct investment in housing for next year. But I certainly will be pushing for as big a pot of housing-infrastructure bonding as possible.

First-term state Rep. Aisha Gomez (DFL62B) said she doesn’t expect the Legislature to take action on any hot-button issues, such as gun control or immigration, in 2020. Submitted photo

Senate obstructionists. I don’t know, in an election year, what that’s going to look like, but my understanding from people who are smarter than me is we’re probably not going to get anything done on guns, immigration or, probably, abortion. I’m working a bunch on the legalization of recreational cannabis. That’s something that the House wants to take action on this year. I’ve heard loud and clear from our communities that they want a bill that deals with the criminal-justice elements, that automatically expunges records and that invests in communities of color.

ST PAUL: 651-641-0420 • NEW HOPE: 763-533-3838 • BURNSVILLE: 952-894-8500 • GOS – GREATER MN: 800-864-3816 Twin City Garage Door SWJ 080819 H2.indd 1

8/7/19 12:32 PM

A18 August 8–21, 2019 / southwestjournal.com FROM LYNDALE SAFETY / PAGE A1

The intersection of Lake & Lyndale led the city in pedestrians being struck by drivers from 2007–16, with 24 crashes. Lake & Lyndale tied for second in cyclist-motorist crashes with 15 and came in 13th for vehicle-on-vehicle crashes with 123. Also hazardous, the intersection of 26th & Lyndale was ranked 10th for most pedestrians struck by motorists, with 15 collisions counted during the decade under study. “The numbers bear out that they need some attention from a safety point of view,” Greene said. No major reconstruction work is currently scheduled for Lyndale Avenue. That leaves many safety activists calling for low-cost, non-labor-intensive changes that can improve the way the street functions. “There’s immediate things they can do today that would make a significant difference,” said Ashwat Narayanan, executive director of Our Streets Minneapolis, a nonprofit that advocates for improved safety. Techniques such as raising and adding brighter painting to pedestrian crossings and adding more protected bike infrastructure could also help, Narayanan said. Abigail Johnson, a Lowry Hill East resident who chairs of the Minneapolis Pedestrian Advisory Committee and co-founded the Feet First movement that encourages walking, said small changes like adding bollards at intersections and painting larger median strips could slow vehicles and make a huge difference in how the street feels. Some of those changes could be on the horizon. Hennepin County has studied future improvements at 26th & Lake, according to Jordan Kocak, the county’s bike and pedestrian coordinator. He said the county is exploring “possible short- and long-term solutions” on Lyndale, but it’s still early in the process. This fall, the city aims to release a draft of its Vision Zero plan, which will lay out strategies to achieve the goal of eliminating pedestrian deaths in Minneapolis by 2027. One change that advocates say can be made without breaking the bank is repainting Lyndale to convert it from four lanes to three lanes, with a shared left turn lane and one lane of vehicle traﬃc in each direction. These changes, often called road diets, are increasingly common for county roads, and engineers say the changes make significant safety improvements. According to Hennepin County Public Works, three-lane roads usually see a 33%–50%

The intersection of 26th & Lyndale was ranked as the 10th most dangerous in Minneapolis for pedestrians. There were 15 collisions between pedestrians and motorists from 2007–16, according to a crash study released by the city. Photo by Andrew Hazzard

reduction in crashes compared with four-lane roads. This is because cars drive at slower speeds in narrower lanes, because turning vehicles only have to cut in front of one lane of traffic and because larger shoulders allow more space for bikes, delivery vehicles and bus stops. Traffic delays at such intersections are largely unchanged by these four- to threelane conversions for roads that average about 20,000 vehicles per day or fewer, according to a Federal Highway Administration study. For roads with more than 20,000 vehicles per day, there is an increased likelihood that traffic will worsen and drivers will choose different routes. Lyndale Avenue generally picks up more traffic the closer it gets to the Interstate 94 exchange, according to Hennepin County average daily traffic counts. The last average daily traffic count recorded 14,300 cars per day at 31st & Lyndale and 17,200 cars per day at 27th & Lyndale in 2015. Average daily vehicle traffic rose to 24,000 at 22nd & Lyndale, according to data last recorded in 2011. A FHWA case study in Pasadena, Cali-

fornia, found a four- to three-lane “road diet” decreased collisions by 65% on a 1.1-mile stretch of road that averaged 23,000 vehicles per day. Traﬃc volumes on the street decreased by between 3,000 and 4,500 vehicles per day after the conversion. The conversion of Lyndale Avenue south of 31st Street to a three-lane road with more pedestrian islands has been successful, Greene said. But whether such a change is on the horizon for the rest of the street is unclear. Each year, the county undertakes several road projects, Greene said, and while she advocates for more work in her district, even small fixes can be hard to schedule into ongoing plans. “There is a kind of a tension between being able to do some of those things and putting resources elsewhere to do different projects,” she said. A small number of streets, mostly larger county roads like Lyndale, account for the majority of crashes in Minneapolis. About 36% of vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian crashes occur on just 2% of streets in the city. Those

Maids International SWJ 061319 6.indd 1

streets carry 10% of all traﬃc in the city. County roads in the city serve as arterial streets that move large volumes of people through neighborhoods at higher speeds; but they also function as commercial stretches where many residents walk to work, play and shop. There isn’t a clear formula for how to balance those needs, Greene said, adding that safety improvements are needed. “As Minneapolis gets denser, the needs are different,” she said. Narayanan said roads serving as major thoroughfares can hinder local access. His organization hears from many people, especially those with disabilities, who live near Lyndale but won’t patronize a business that’s located across the avenue. “They don’t feel they can easily and comfortably cross the street,” Narayanan said. One way to make Lyndale Avenue immediately safer for pedestrians, Johnson said, is simply to walk. The idea is if drivers see more pedestrians, they’re more likely to slow down. “I understand that road is not fun to walk on, but keep walking on it,” Johnson said.

6/4/19 4:16 PM

southwestjournal.com / August 8–21, 2019 A19 FROM HARD YEAR / PAGE A1

of Jan’s Artisan Garden, who grows thousands of flowers on a small St. Louis Park plot to sell at the Kingfield market. “This is the worst year ever,” said Kingfield vendor Pheng Yang, walking through his field in Montgomery, Minn. “Usually I get to play hide-and-seek in the tomatoes. … We just have to keep trying, and hope for better next year. It’s nature. What can you do?” Southern Minnesota’s 2019 growing season has experienced almost twice as much rain as in a normal year, according to Natalie Hoidal, who monitors weather maps as a University of Minnesota Extension Educator in Fruit and Vegetable Production Systems. Farmers are reporting a range of problems related to wet weather, Hoidal said. A plant sitting in a flooded field can essentially drown, because it struggles to take up oxygen and nutrients. A tractor can’t enter a wet field, and even walking on the field can compact wet soil. By getting into fields late, there is more competition with weeds already coming up. Most diseases do well in humid conditions, and recent years haven’t seen the typical July drying-out period. At the Linden Hills Farmers Market, wet and cold weather cost Racing Heart Farm about a month’s delay, although overall they said the season is going well. “We had just seeded carrots and then there was a huge two-and-a-half-inch downpour,” said farmer Les Macare. “The goats are the worst,” said Mary Falk, proprietor of LoveTree Farmstead Cheese. Her grass-fed goats don’t want to

graze when it’s hot, and they don’t want to graze when it’s rainy, she said. She hopes there will be enough hay for the winter, as it’s taken longer to get equipment out into fields to harvest. Farming since 1986, she’s noticed stronger storms in recent years. “Everything is more intense when it happens,” she said. Ed Usset, grain market economist at the University of Minnesota, said that on his “60-miles-an-hour crop tour” of the state, the crop is highly variable and as late as it’s ever been. He can find the “best-looking corn you’ve ever seen” near washed-out, unplanted fields 15 miles away. Wet weather is a local impact of climate change, according to University of Minnesota researchers. Climate scientists in Minnesota expect more heavy downpours, warmer winters and more severe weather events. If winters are warm enough, some of the eggs of pests will not die. (The Kingfield market’s Sunshine Harvest Farm lost 60 chickens this year when gnats flew up their nostrils and suffocated them.) But Minnesota is in better shape than some neighboring states, according to U of M Assistant Professor Jessica Gutknecht. She spoke about climate impacts on agriculture at the Minnesota House of Representatives’ Energy and Climate Finance and Policy Division in January. Minnesota soil tends to hold water well, she said. That’s why erosion is a major concern — if we start losing our soil, we lose our buffer to the impacts of climate change, she said. “This decline in our rural communities, this urban-rural divide that we keep feeling,

Kingfield Farmers Market vendor Pheng Yang, of the Pheng and Blia Yang farm. Yang says this season has been his “worst year ever.” Photos by Michelle Bruch

Cold soil temperatures delayed the growing season at Carmen Marshall’s farm, Peter’s Pumpkins & Carmen’s Corn. Early in the season, the farm struggled to supply enough produce for all of its markets, which include the Nokomis and Kingfield farmers markets.

I fear is only going to get worse under climate change,” she said. Gutknecht said farmers will face hard questions in the future: Can I absorb this loss? Should I buy an irrigation system I need once every three years? Can I keep my farm?

New strategies For now, local farmers are finding ways to adapt. Seeing climate predictions for more heavy rain, Racing Heart Farm in Colfax, Wisconsin, stopped tilling altogether last year, aiming to improve the health of the soil and prevent runoff. Instead, the farmers used landscape fabric and relied on worms to essentially till the soil for them. Fulton farmers from Yang’s Fresh Produce, based in Roberts, Wisconsin, dug a deep canal to drain rainfall and snowmelt, although the field still floods during heavy storms. Taya Schulte said Growing Lots Urban Farm is staying adaptable by working small plots in the Seward neighborhood, not needing heavy equipment to farm. “We’re not hit as hard as some of the other farmers that are larger-scale,” Schulte said at the Linden Hills market. Several farmers said they’re using mobile greenhouses or high tunnels to extend the growing season and protect plants from severe weather. High tunnels, also called hoop houses, are semicylindrical structures covered in plastic or fabric that look similar to greenhouses and may feature drip irrigation. “It makes a huge difference,” said Peter Marshall of Peter’s Pumpkins & Carmen’s Corn at the Kingfield market. Peter and Carmen Marshall started planting seeds

Mobile greenhouses provide flexibility for John Lencowski at Broody Bird Farm, a Linden Hills Farmers Market vendor based in Red Wing.

100+ YEA RS Since 1914 Free Service Call for Plumbing Bonded & Insured License# 058002PM, 3272MB

• Repair & Replace Water Heaters • Water Pipe Replacement • Gas Fitting to Any Appliance • Faucets

Heating and Cooling

• Steam & Hot Water Boiler Service & Installation • Forced Air Furnace and Air Conditioning Service & Installation

• Garbage Disposals • Toilets • Water Filtration • Sump pumps

Buy o ne, g et

FR (sma EE

...and so much more! 3/22/19 11:10 AM

one

ll con e)

• Radiant Floor Heating • Heating Certification • Humidifier Service & Installation • Electronic Air Filter

612-721-4080 | soderlin.com | 3612 Cedar Ave. S., Mpls 55407 Soderlin SWJ 040419 H12.indd 1

Growing Lots Urban Farm, a Linden Hills Farmers Market vendor, gardens on former parking lots in the Seward neighborhood. The small-scale farm wasn’t as hard hit as larger farms, says farmer Taya Schulte.

PREMIUM HOMEMADE ICE CREAM

We can handle your needs! Plumbing

in February and moved them inside high tunnels in March, allowing them to bring tomatoes to market early. High tunnels are more common in northern Minnesota, where farmers are accustomed to unpredictable weather, Hoidal said. They’ve become more popular statewide in the past five to 10 years, said Kathy Zeman, executive director of the Minnesota Farmers’ Market Association. They cost at least $5,000–$15,000, and financial assistance is available from the Natural Resource Conservation Service. High tunnels often cover a farmer’s most valuable crops, Hoidal said, but a farmer can’t cover 15 acres in high tunnels. Farmer Pheng Yang said he’s skeptical of the investment. “I don’t think it’s worth it,” he said. Hoidal said farmers are also adapting to climate change by planting cover crops with roots that help with drainage, adding row covers to extend the season and planting more perennials like asparagus. The outdoor gear retailer Patagonia created the first beer made with Kernza, a perennial grain, and the U of M is currently studying Kernza and nitrate levels. Perennials can improve soil and water conditions, Gutknecht said. Other options include orchards and hazelnuts. “If we choose to act, I think there is actually a lot of great work we can do,” Gutknecht said. Although it was hard to get plants in the ground this spring, florist Jan Reuland said she hopes to recover the second half of the season. Farmers have a unique version of optimism, she said. “You have to hope that it goes well or you would never do any of this,” she said.

Uptown Minneapolis 3146 Hennepin Ave South

LaLaHomemadeIceCream.com • 612.824.5252 LaLa Ice Cream SWJ 071119 H12.indd 2

6/27/19 2:02 PM

OA Design Build SWJ 071119 FP.indd 1

7/8/19 11:12 AM

Southwest Journal August 8–21, 2019

Home�in�the Woods Eight siblings, a one-room shack and 87 years of memories Page B3

612.888.8207

MCQBROS.COM

SUMMER COMFORT INSTALLS FOR OLD HOMES MADE EASY! DUCTLESS MINI-SPLITS SYSTEM INSTALL

HIGH VELOCITY SYSTEM INSTALL

FITS ANY HOME AND HIGH EFFICIENT

DISCREET, POWERFUL, AND FITS ANY HOME

EARLY BIRDS SAVE BIG!

$750 SAVINGS

* *

*If installed installed before 31,2019 2019 *If beforeAugust May 31,

$750 SAVINGS 31,2019 2019 *If installed installedbefore beforeAugust May 31,

$500 SAVINGS

$250 SAVINGS

* *

*If beforeSeptember June 30, 2019 *If installed installed before 30, 2019

* *

installed beforeJuly October 31, 2019 *If *If installed before 31, 2019

* *

installed before June 30, *If*If installed before September 30,2019 2019

* *

installedbefore before July October 31, 2019 *If*Ifinstalled 31, 2019

FREE SECOND OPINION . ESTIMATE MATCH . 612.888.8207 McQuillan Bros SWJ 080819 FP.indd 1

7/31/19 12:22 PM

southwestjournal.com / August 8–21, 2019 B3

FROM HOME IN THE WOODS / PAGE B1 By Zac Farber

The Lowry Hill East children’s book author Eliza Wheeler says her illustration process “happens almost entirely through sketches.” Before painting the above page in her new book Home in the Woods, Wheeler sketched her great-grandmother Clara dozens of times in different poses and from different angles.

Wheeler stands in her light-filled studio inside the ivy-covered walk-up apartment she shares with her husband, Adam. Pinned to the wall behind her are the storyboards, character sketches, page mock-ups and inspirational photographs she referenced as she finished illustrating her book Home in the Woods. Photo by Zac Farber

or more than a quarter century, Lowry Hill East resident Eliza Wheeler has been thinking and writing about her grandmother Marvel’s life as a young girl during the Great Depression. “Her father died and there were eight children in the family,” Wheeler wrote in a fourth-grade school assignment. “They lived in a tar paper shack in the woods. There was no electricity or running water. They picked lots of berries in the summer.” Wheeler spent her own youth roaming the tangled forests and vast fields outside Solon Springs, Wisconsin, just 10 miles from where the shack once stood. And over the decades, Marvel’s vivid stories of life in that isolated one-room cottage have continued to animate her granddaughter’s fertile imagination. This October, Wheeler is celebrating the publication of Home in the Woods, the second picture book she’s both written and illustrated. Set between 1932 and 1937, the story is narrated in the present tense by 6-year-old Marvel. Marvel tells how she, her seven siblings and her widowed mother, Clara, survive the Depression largely on their own initiative — hunting for rabbit and squirrel, fishing for trout, pulling carrots and canning about 40 quarts of blueberries per year. “Drawing the trees and the landscape in this book, I felt like I was drawing my childhood as well,” Wheeler said. “I know what it is like to live in this place and discover what each season has in terms of challenges and also in terms of joys.” Wheeler’s first book, Miss Maple’s Seeds — about a tiny kindly lady who lives in a tree, rides a bluebird and reads flower tales to seeds by firefly light — debuted on the New York Times bestseller list when it was published in 2013 and has since sold over 1 million copies. That book’s success allowed Wheeler to quit her job as a graphic designer and launched her career as a children’s book illustrator. While she’s now illustrated 20 books in all, she is less sure of her talent for writing. She was able to write Miss Maple’s Seeds in under a week, but with Home in the Woods, she said, “it was the complete opposite experience.” It took her seven years and 25 drafts to get right. “The thing that makes picture book writing look easy is it’s few words,” she said. “But that’s actually what’s hard about it: You have to take a story and distill it down into something that is simple but sort of deep, something that has a rhythm to it.” She completed the mock-up for Home in the Woods in 2017 during a monthlong retreat at Maurice Sendak’s farm in upstate New York; her studio was equipped with the desk on which Sendak wrote Where the Wild Things Are. “I just laid on it,” she said. “Let me just soak up the vibes of this table.”

I’m making picture books for my 5-year-old self. I get to go back into my childhood brain and try to reignite the imagination I had then, but now I have the skill to physically envision the worlds I would have wanted to be in. — Eliza Wheeler

Painting highly detailed watercolor scenes using a vibrant palette, Wheeler said that all of her work is “fueled by seasons” and that she strives to cultivate a strong sense of place. She remembers her reaction when her grandma Marvel read her Winnie-the-Pooh as a young girl: “I wanted to live in that tree and use the little shelf and the honeypots.” Her goal for her books is to create environments as fully immersive as those she lost herself in as a child. “I’m making picture books for my 5-yearold self,” she said. “I get to go back into my childhood brain and try to reignite the imagination I had then, but now I have the skill to physically envision the worlds I would have wanted to be in.”

A rigorous process Wheeler is allergic to shortcuts and half-measures. Each page you see in one of her picture books is the cumulation of a long process involving mood boards, freeplay, collaging, character sketches, thumbnail storyboards and full-size pencil drawings. She is relentless about research. For John Ronald’s Dragons, a picture book she illustrated about the life of J.R.R. Tolkien, she traveled to England on her own dime, studying the facade of the Eagle and Child pub in Oxford, where Tolkien dined with C.S. Lewis and Charles Williams. In Birmingham, Wheeler noticed that the two towers believed to have inspired the second volume of The Lord of the Rings were visible from outside the rowhouse where a pre-teen Tolkien moved after his mother’s death. She incorporated the ominously slim towers into her illustration of the scene. For Home in the Woods, Wheeler read Depression-era books on log cabins, on immigrant architecture and on the history of Douglas County, Wisconsin. She spent a SEE HOME IN THE WOODS / PAGE B5

LAKE HARRIET BANDSHELL SCHEDULE

2019

AUG 8–27 Thur, Aug 8

Fri, Aug 9

Sat, Aug 10

10:00 am The Teapot Tempest

7:30 pm La Danse Fatale

Original Americana & tasty covers

Sun, Aug 11

Acoustic folk vocals guitar flutes

Thur, Aug 15

Fri, Aug 16

Sat, Aug 17

7:30 pm The Suburbs

7:30 pm Star Tribune Presents: Justin Courtney Pierre

5:30 pm Concrete Surgery

Variety: marches, rags, classical

7:30 pm Dead Kings of Norway

Sun, Aug 18

Mon, Aug 19

Tues, Aug 20

7:30 pm Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra

7:30 pm Tim Casey

keyboard-fronted punk alternative

R&B funk raggae contemporary rock

2:00 pm The Fairlanes

7:30 pm Jillian Rae

Indie rock, alternative, punk

7:30 pm Windjammers

Cool jazz with a pop twist

Energetic & melodic surf-punk

Alternative punk rock funk new wave

Tues, Aug 13

2:00 pm The Chris Holtmeier Trio

7:30 pm Michael Monroe

7:30 pm Star Tribune Presents: Last Import

Fantastic storytelling through dance

Mon, Aug 12

A cappella doo-wop vocal quartet

Singer, fiddler, songwriter

5:30 pm Brooklyn Big Band

Contemporary mandolin music

Sun, Aug 25

Mon, Aug 26

Tues, Aug 27

7:30 pm Luke Hendrickson

7:30 pm Prairie Fire Lady Choir

Original power pop rock ‘n roll

18-piece swing dance band

Thur, Aug 22

Fri, Aug 23

Sat, Aug 24

10:00 am Louis and Dan and the Invisible Band

Catchy, intelligent, family-friendly music

7:30 pm Tre Aaron

Midwest country rhythm and blues

2:00 pm No Man’s String Band

7:30 pm Lynn O’Brien

21st century bluegrass

Acoustic, soulful, empowered, genre-bending, original

7:30 pm Star Tribune Presents: The Blind Shake

No shows scheduled on Wednesdays

Check out some of the fantastic local businesses in the area

Family Law

612–750–4843

See next issue for more calendar dates!

Calling all local businesses, makers, artists & nonprofits!

Lake Harriet Law Office

612-879-8000 LynLakeChiropractic.com

SELF-SERVE BEER WALL

SUNDAY, AUGUST 11 • 4:00–7:00pm

Battery & Crystal Replacement Wide Selection of Bands Sale of Vintage & Refurbished Watches Full-service Mechanical Repair now offering Build-a-Watch Classes

6/21/19 9:48 AM

815 East 56th Street, Minneapolis

612-822-8282

caliberworkswatchrepair.com

612.354.7045 4555 Grand Ave S, Mpls

TapSocietyMN.com

Want to see your business listed here?

Lake Harriet Law Office and Mediation 4/12/19 Services 5:29 SPEC PM SWJ 041219 1cx2.indd 1 Lyn Lake Chiropractic SWJ 051619 1cx2.indd 4/19/19 10:33 1 AM

$10 OFF SALES OR SERVICE OVER $50

VOTED BEST BIKE SHOP

WITH THIS AD.

4001 Bryant Ave S., MPLS 55409

by SW Journal Readers

Independent. Local. Welcoming.

Call today for discounted advertising rates in this limited-time special section!

Experience YogaFlow1, YogaFlow 2, Restore, Barre, Burn and HIIT

Our schedules and class descriptions and other information can be found on our website

4507 France Ave S

Locally Owned — Community Focused

7/11/19 SWJ 4:39 Harriet PM Bandshell Advertiser 2cx2.indd 2

www.yogafitstudios.com

5/13/19 6:00 PM

She came in through the bathroom window…

YogaFit Linden Hills

Memberships start at $69 per month

612.824.9300 farmsteadbikeshop.com

Team Larry

4737 chicago ave south, suite 2 612-886-3606 • 14HILL.COM

Bring in this ad to get two free weeks of classes!

Contact Kathie at 612-436-4386 or ksmith@swjournal.com

Expert Sales and Professional Service

Farmstead Bike Shop SWJ 072519 2cx2.indd 1

committed to offering A UNIQUE SELECTION of quality goods JEWELRY • GIFTS • TOYS CANDLES • HOME ACCENTS BOOKS • STATIONERY

Armatage Neighborhood Association SWJ 062719 2cx1.indd 1

LAKEHARRIETLAW.COM

60-member a capella group

Dynamic R&B, blues and jazz

An extraterrestrial backyard surf party

GOT PAIN?

Minnesota born country folk Americana

5:30 pm JazzFly

we can help you find a new front door.

—Lennon/McCartney

612-845-5273 | DianeAndLarry.com | larry@larrylavercombe.com SWJ 080819 HarrietBandshell_Calendar.indd 1

8/6/19 11:01 AM

southwestjournal.com / August 8–21, 2019 B5 FROM HOME IN THE WOODS / PAGE B3

week hiking in the Brule River State Forest, sketching and photographing the local flora and fauna. As a result, her book is richly populated with descriptions and depictions of northern Wisconsin’s birch, poplar, pine, sugar maple, wood violet, dwarf iris, pitcher plant and pink lady’s slipper. During the storyboarding process, she thinks deeply about how to balance illustrations with text: “You don’t want the illustrations to directly repeat what the words are saying because it’s just redundant. Coming up with the illustration that matches the words is all about tapping into other senses: What is the light like? What is the weather like? How do I make the surroundings come alive?” She also obsesses about pacing: “There’s a very important rhythm between what’s being read on the page and where the pageturn happens. What scenes might be able to work with each other and what scenes need their own big moment?” Her painstaking process means her output is smaller than illustrators with backgrounds in animation. To finish Home in the Woods, she cleared her calendar for a whole year, spending a month working on a single twopage spread. “I knew the artwork would be lush in a way that needed a lot of time,” she said. “I felt a big sense of responsibility to get the spirit of the whole thing while also making this a universal story that other people will relate to.”

‘A pretty picture’ “This is my family,” reads the text on the first page of Home in the Woods. Wheeler’s great-grandmother Clara and her eight children pose on the page, their expressions fixed as if gazing into a camera, their pans, kettle and kerosene lamp at their feet and the misty green forest receding

The four surviving Banks siblings depicted in Home in the Woods met on May 5 to read a printer’s proof of the book. Above: Rich, 97, and Marvel, 93. Below: Lowell, 91, and Eva, 87. Submitted photos

behind them. All are apple-cheeked and almond-eyed, and Clara’s face is framed by a stylishly swept Roaring Twenties haircut that Wheeler cribbed from an old family photo. Nearly nine decades later, four of the eight Banks siblings are still alive. Eva, a 3-month-old baby in Wheeler’s watercolor, is now 87. Lowell is 91; Marvel, 93; and Rich, 97. On May 5, all four siblings met at Rich and Lowell’s retirement home in Superior, Wisconsin, and flipped through a printer’s proof of Home in the Woods. “It’s dedicated to the Banks family, my grandma Marvel, her brothers and sisters and their mum,” Marvel read to her brother Rich, who is now in the later stages of Alzheimer’s but can still recall the brand of the stove his mother used to bake loaves of bread in the shack. “Ain’t that a pretty picture,” Rich said, looking at his great-niece’s family portrait. A few minutes later, Marvel looked up from a page where the children feast on wild turkey stew and asked her younger brother a teasing question: “How come you ate so much, Lowell?” Across the table, Eva gave her two cents on Wheeler’s portrayal of the feast: “She changed the animals from rabbits and deer to turkeys to make it not so violent because it’s a kids’ book.” When the four Banks siblings finished reading the story, Lowell shared his thoughts. “The whole thing is an honor to us,” he said. “We’re enjoying our history again. It gets us all together thinking about old times.” While researching the book, Wheeler took a trip into the forest to see the site where, long before she was born, her family had passed the seasons. “It’s really thick woods, and there are huge trees growing up where the shack once stood,” she said. “The only trace that’s still there is a deep depression in the ground where the root cellar was.”

B6 August 8–21, 2019 / southwestjournal.com

Quality CONSTRUCTION, CUSTOMER SATISFACTION & Trust. · CUSTOM CABINETRY · ADDITIONS & DORMERS · KITCHENS & BATHROOMS

Moments in Minneapolis

By Karen Cooper

A family of grocers

· WHOLE HOUSE RENOVATION · PORCHES & SUN-ROOMS · FINISHED BASEMENTS ·

612.821.1100 or 651.690.3442 houseliftinc.com 4330 Nicollet Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55409 | License # BC 378021 House Lift Remodeler SWJ 030917 6.indd 1

3/3/17 11:35 AM

A postcard for the Yerxa grocery store, where the most expensive item advertised was a 30-cent jar of olives. Image courtesy of Karen Cooper

he Yerxa family of New Brunswick arrived in Minnesota in the 1800s. Their name is a version of the Dutch “Jurcksen.” Over the generations, Southwest Minneapolis has been home to many members of the prosperous family. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Yerxa brothers were grocers. Thomas E. Yerxa had a grocery in Pembina, while his brother Woodford had a store in Fargo, where he was elected mayor. By the 1880s, they and brother Fred Yerxa had a store in St. Paul and another at 5th & Nicollet in Minneapolis. Yerxa grocery stores were a wonder of their age. At a time before self-service groceries, this was a paradise of beautifully organized counters and wonderful bargains. The most expensive thing they advertised was a large jar of olives for 30 cents. They roasted and ground their own brand of coffee called “Hoffman House.” They butchered their own meat and made their own sausage. As industrial food was becoming prevalent, the Yerxas promoted Minnesota fish and local eggs and produce. They also ran a wholesale operation that reached at least as far as Montana. Their family’s success is apparent in their addresses. Thomas E. Yerxa lived on Summit Avenue in St. Paul until he moved to run a Yerxa Bros. outpost in Los Angeles. His son Thomas F. Yerxa lived on Lake of

the Isles. His second son, Herbert R. Yerxa, lived at 1917 Irving Ave. S. in a substantial house among wealthy neighbors. Herbert and Minnie and their three children lived on Irving between 1908 and 1917. Before that, they’d lived in southern California and Arizona while Herbert considered building a railroad in Mexico. They returned to Minneapolis to run the grocery. In San Bernardino County they invested in land, citrus and other schemes, from oil-holding companies to egg production. Tremendous success eluded them, however. Around 1899, Thomas E. Yerxa persuaded another investor to buy into a bankrupt creamery in Washington state. The place lost a fortune in its first year, so Thomas sold out. The other investor held on, creating the Carnation canned milk brand that eventually sold for billions to Nestle. Before 1920, two of the three founding Yerxa brothers had died, and Herbert Yerxa moved to California to look after his family’s business interests. Their Minneapolis store became a “public market” and then the building was sold and the place quietly faded away. If your house is among the Hennepin History Museum photo collection, you can ask Karen Cooper for a house history by emailing her at yf@urbancreek.com. Look for your Southwest Minneapolis house at tinyurl.com/hhm-houses.

Check our website for your neighborhood Market!

stpaulfarmersmarket.com St. Paul Farmers Market SWJ 071218 6.indd 1

7/10/18 1:14 PM

Herbert R. Yerxa lived at 1917 Irving Ave. S. Photo courtesy of Hennepin History Museum

southwestjournal.com / August 8–21, 2019 B7

GIULIA The Emery Hotel 215 S. 4th St. 612-340-0303 dinegiulia.com

New gal in town Do

we need yet another Italian restaurant anchoring a Downtown hotel? By my count, this is the third. (Am I missing anyone?) And by customers’ count, apparently, yes: The room was buzzing. And having Steven Brown (Tilia, St. Genevieve) as consulting chef with Josh Hedquist riding the nightly range doesn’t hurt. Sooo, benvenuto Giulia, the pleasantly minimalist, airy dining room in the former Hotel Minneapolis, recently rebranded, and attractively gentrified, as The Emery. Grab a stool at the tile-clad kitchen counter, a seat at a communal table (good luck with that concept, Minneapolis) or a private two-top, then cast your eyes upon the (too short) tightly edited menu while you sip, perhaps, an Italian old fashioned

FREE

Community Gathering Spaces BRYN MAWR 400 Cedar Lake Road S

36TH & BRYANT 3554 Bryant Ave S

born of local rye, or maybe the Boulevardier (bourbon, this time) from the bar’s Negroni list. Plenty of wines by the glass, too, including a welcome sextet of bubblies. Four plates of antipasti for sharing ($14–$22) lead the dinner choices, including the star of the starters, fresh-fresh mozzarella, balled and pulled, like taff y, right before your eyes (our century’s replacement of the tableside Caesar?). Given a final dressing of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, it’s delightfully, almost virginally, sweet, fresh and springy — a far cry from those little rounds in the supermarket case. Choose any, or all, of four accompaniments, including lush segments of super-fresh tomatoes; an olive tapenade as a sharp, salty contrast; prosciutto-like leaves of ham; and perky peppers. (Oh, you want some bread with that? Sure you do. For an

Hero Plumbing, Heating and Cooling is committed to participating in the lives of our community residents, and offers the spaces to be used for meetings, workshops, and more, free of charge. LOWRY 514 Lowry Ave NE

NICOLLET AVE 5450 Nicollet Ave S NOW OPEN!

Visit CommunityGatheringSpaces.com to reserve a space today HERO Heating SWJ 111518 6.indd 1

11/2/18 3:38 PM

extra charge, there’s a decent, straight-arrow focaccia to do the trick.) Or try the black kale salad. Or the beef tongue/caviar combo, which I’ve never seen on a menu in Italy (but perhaps Mr. Brown has) and may not head the bestseller list here in the land of cautious Nordics. But the platesize pizzas (three choices, $14–$18) will, I’m sure. Their lusty crusts maintain the optimum balance between chewy and tender and are able to support their toppings. Two pasta selections follow: $15 for Cacao & Pepe, which may be a misprint, I’m hoping? Rather than “cacao,” or cocoa, might they mean “cacio,” or cheese? Never mind. We were more than happy (barring the price tag) with the agnolotti, $24 — bouncy pasta pockets spilling with a rich and juicy venison sugo liberally scented with sage and parm.

By Carla Waldemar

Next, entrees — three of them: a pork chop ($26), branzino ($36) and veal Milanese ($42). Sticker shock, anyone? We split the branzino — the whole fish presented, saltimbocca (“jump in the mouth”) style, bundling prosciutto and sage into the wrap of fish, which was a bit over-cooked. It’s nicely presented with astringent (and welcome) sauteed artichokes, a verdant salsa verde and a splash of lemony aglio. Nice dish to share. Couldn’t resist an order of polenta ($7) on the side. It’s straightforward (thus not cheesy), fine-textured and comforting. Two desserts are featured — a panna cotta ($10) and our choice, the black cocoa budino ($8) — a chocolate pudding far superior to mom’s, I hate to say. This elite version highlights caramel, coffee crumbs and hazelnuts — a fine finale to a pleasant evening.

B8 August 8–21, 2019 / southwestjournal.com

Unsung Architecture

By Michelle Singer

Luster on: the Lustron dream house Southwest is home to 18 of the mass-produced 1940s houses

magine 3,000 pieces of steel, a 207-page construction manual and a small crew arriving by truck to build you a new home that will be completed before the next issue of the Southwest Journal arrives at your doorstep. While building an entire house in less than two weeks may sound like a dream even with today’s pre-fab construction tech-

nology, this was a reality 70 years ago. In 1948, the Lustron home was introduced as an alternative to the typical wood construction tract housing popping up in suburbs throughout the U.S. (the likes of which can still be seen in Richfield and parts of South Minneapolis). Carl Strandlund, the Lustron inventor, believed houses could be mass-

5021 Nicollet Ave.

Photo courtesy of Locus Architecture

NEW STUDENT SPECIAL

• 60+ YOGA CLASSES PER WEEK • NATIONALLY RENOWNED TEACHERS • UNPARALLELED YOGA TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM • 2 DECADES OF EXPERIENCE • CLASSES FOR ALL LEVELS AND BODIES • DROP-IN CLASSES, WORKSHOPS, AND TRAININGS

for your first class +FREE GIFT promo code: 50offFIRST

THEYOGACENTERRETREAT.COM • 952.582.1271 4212 PARK GLEN ROAD, SAINT LOUIS PARK, MN

LICENSE # 1095

Your Sign of Satisfaction

952-512-0110

roelofsremodeling.com

Three generations of exceptional remodeling

and renovating of homes around the Lakes area and Southwest Minneapolis.

Roelofs Remodeling SWJ NR3 6.indd 1

12/27/18 11:47 AM

produced like automobiles (in an “Erector Set” sort of way) and used an arsenal of retired manufacturing equipment from World War II to crank them out from a factory in Ohio. Lustron’s “kit of parts” was very affordable, costing only $9,000 dollars (roughly $100,000 today) plus site preparation. The relatively tiny home packed two to three bedrooms, a living

Photo courtesy of Locus Architecture

room, a dinette, a kitchen, a bathroom and a laundry —all within about 1,000 square feet. Marketed to nuclear families seeking the American Dream, Lustron’s name reflected the “everlasting” luster the porcelain-enameled steel homes were supposed to retain. Unfortunately for Strandlund, the company wasn’t as durable as the product — only 2,500 homes

southwestjournal.com / August 8–21, 2019 B9

Carl Strandlund, the Lustron inventor, believed houses could be mass-produced like automobiles and used an arsenal of retired manufacturing equipment from World War II to crank them out from a factory in Ohio.

were produced before the factory shut down after only about 20 months of operation. Eighteen Lustrons survive throughout Southwest Minneapolis, but perhaps most recognizable are the consecutive ones on Nicollet Avenue just south of 50th Street. There we find a row of midcentury marvels, one of which, a surf-blue house at 5009 Nicollet, is pending sale through Coldwell Banker. I toured that house as part of the

Minnesota chapter of Docomomo US MN, an organization dedicated to the conservation of modernist architecture. Walking past the signature zigzag column/ downspout at the entry is like passing through a portal back in time. Nearly every element of the original kit was still intact — nowadays Lustrons are treated more like collector cars or art rather than simply homes. The impression is that of an absolutely novel relic:

5027 Nicollet Ave.

every surface of the home is enameled steel — not just the siding or the roof, but even the floors, walls, cupboards and ceilings! No nails are used for artwork; paintings are hung with strong magnets or custom hooks. Contrary to expectations of entering a cold metal locker, the interior felt cozy and welcoming thanks to a calm pastel palette and thoughtful details like fluted wall and ceiling patterns. Even though every building component came from a factory, built-in adjustable shelves enabled homeowners to bring a personal touch. Space-saving tricks were implemented in creative ways: The walls are about half as thick as typical wood framing, pocket doors slide in the thin walls rather than swinging into rooms, and storage was incorporated into the design to reduce the need for additional furniture. The novelty of the home isn’t for everyone. The steel assemblage is difficult to retrofit, not to mention most midcentury enthusiasts would

find it sacrilege to alter them at all (even with a different paint color). Insulation is sparse and the original heating system was a radiator in the ceiling, which is not ideal for Minnesota winters. The charm of all-metal cabinets and sliding doors might wear off as the squeak of rollers persists. Strandlund’s experiment in solving the postwar housing crisis didn’t last long, but the artifacts luster on and shed light on our current housing questions. As Minneapolis again faces intimidating housing shortages, prefabricated units (such as the weeHouse by Alchemy Architects), tiny homes and 3D-printing technology are offering solutions. Time will tell if they revolutionize the building industry or someday become a collectors’ item. Share your memories of Lustrons with us by emailing info@LocusArchitecture.com. Michelle Singer is an undergraduate studying architecture at Pratt Institute and a summer intern at Locus Architecture at 45th & Nicollet.

The interior of this Lustron home at 5009 Nicollet Ave. feels cozy and welcoming. Photos courtesy of Coldwell Banker Burnet

The one-stop-shop for ALL your landscaping needs | Contractors & Homeowners haagcompanies6025@gmail.com

Sod, Topsoil & Mulches Decorative Rock Landscaping Tools Firewood & Accessories Garden Chemicals Mowers & Trimmers

KliersNursery.com P: (612) 866-8771 5901 Nicollet Ave S, Minneapolis

MagnusonSod.com P: (612) 869-6992 5901 Nicollet Ave S, Minneapolis

Fresh Cut Sod Daily Black Dirt Mulches Decorative Rock PICK UP OR SAME DAY DELIVERY LARGE OR SMALL ORDERS

Keystone Retaining Wall Systems Landscaping & Concrete Tools Natural Stone Stihl Power Equipment London Stone & Borgert Pavers

LandscapeConcreteCenter.com P: (612) 866-0430 313 West 61st St, Minneapolis

Large selection of concrete & Gilson Mixers masonry tools and concrete Diamond Blades stamps–sales & rental available. Jackson Wheel Barrows Bartell Power Equipment SchaferEquipmentCompany.com Masonry Tools & Equipment P: (612) 861-2268 Husqvarna Concrete Saws 6025 Pillsbury Ave, Minneapolis

Haag Companies SWJ 051619 H12.indd 1

5/9/19 11:28 AM

FABULOUS LYNNHURST DUPLEX! A perfect opportunity to owner occupy or rent both units outright. Priced at $650K. Call for details.

Tom Lickteig LickteigHomes.com | Call today 612-227-6227 Lickteig Tom SWJ 080819 6.indd 1

8/2/19 11:39 AM

B10 August 8–21, 2019 / southwestjournal.com

Community Calendar. By Ed Dykhuizen

MUSIC IN THE CHAPEL: ABY WOLF

MEDIEVAL BELARUSIAN MUSIC

Named “Best Female Vocalist” and “Artist of the Year” by City Pages, eclectic indie vocalist and songwriter Aby Wolf is the recipient of numerous industry awards.

Stary Olsa’s lineup includes bagpipes, flutes, shaums, lute, rebec, tromba marina and percussion (including wooden shoes), with front man Aleys Chumakov belting out vocals in Belarusian.

When: 3 p.m.–4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11 Where: Lakewood Cemetery, 3600 Hennepin Ave. Cost: $10 in advance, $15 at the door Info: lakewoodcemetery.org

When: 7:30 p.m.–9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14 Where: The Museum of Russian Art, 3537 Zenith Ave. S. Cost: $18 general admission, $15 TMORA member, $10 student Info: tmora.org

DOWNTOWN LONGFELLOW WALKING TOUR This tour will cover the area around 27th & Lake and its transition from a crossroads of an American Indian route to the bustling “Downtown Longfellow” that we know it as today.

When: 6 p.m.–8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8 Where: Northwest corner of Minnehaha & Lake Cost: $12, online registration required Info: preserveminneapolis.org/summer-walking-tours

THE BIG CORN FEED Enjoy hot, fresh-roasted corn on the cob, live familyfriendly entertainment, face painting, concessions, large inflatables and more.

When: 6 p.m.–8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8 Where: Linden Hills Park, 3100 W. 43rd St. Cost: Free Info: minneapolisparks.org

ROSENAU & SANBOURN After a successful improv set at the Eaux Claires festival, Chris Rosenau and Nick Sanbourn collaborated to produce the ambient album Blackbird, which balances electronic sounds with an acoustic guitar.

When: 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11 Where: Icehouse, 2528 Nicollet Ave. S.

Cost: $12 in advance, $15 at the door Info: icehousempls.com

GARDEN SPROUTS Bring the whole family to enjoy time working and playing in the garden followed by a family-friendly cooking project.

When: 6 p.m.–7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 12 Where: Common Roots Cafe, 2558 Lyndale Ave. S. Cost: Free Info: commonrootscafe.com

BAKKENALIA: ON TAP Learn about a multitude of ways beer and breweries are influencing science and helping us become more ecologically sound. Sample local craft beer, listen to music from Joseph Berg and Ar.birn and try food from Eat Street Social.

When: 5:30 p.m.–9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15 Where: The Bakken Museum, 3537 Zenith Ave. S. Cost: $20 Info: thebakken.org

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL SHORT FILM TOUR This 96-minute theatrical program of seven short films was selected from this year’s festival, widely considered

the premier showcase for short films and the launchpad for many now-prominent independent filmmakers for more than 30 years.

When: 7 p.m.–8:30 p.m. Friday–Sunday, Aug. 16–Aug. 18 Where: Bryant-Lake Bowl & Theater, 810 W. Lake St. Cost: $8 Info: bryantlakebowl.com

OUR BELOVED COMMUNITY FESTIVAL Free face painting, crafts, rides and games will fill the park. Ice cream and food will be available for a small fee.

When: 7 p.m.–8:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 Where: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, 4055 Nicollet Ave. Cost: Free Info: minneapolisparks.org

FAMILY FUN NIGHT: THE SCIENCE OF ME Meet leading scientists and engineers in fields related to the human body.

When: 6:30 p.m.–9 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20 Where: The Bakken Museum, 3537 Zenith Ave. S. Cost: $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, free for children under 18 Info: thebakken.org

THE MANY FACES OF CY DECOSSE: A RETROSPECTIVE EXHIBITION The highly successful advertising, publishing and photography career of Cyrille “Cy” DeCosse has evolved over more than six decades, demonstrating a keen talent for recognizing significant technological and cultural shifts at the intersection of art, design and media.

When: On view through Sunday, Sept. 22 Where: Minneapolis College of Art and Design, 2501 Stevens Ave. Cost: Free Info: mcad.edu

southwestjournal.com / August 8–21, 2019 B11

HIDDEN FIGURES

Get Out Guide.

Get inspired by the story of black female mathematicians Katherine Goble Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson working at NASA during the Space Race. Fighting against sexism and racism, the women prove instrumental and ultimately indispensable to important space missions.

By Sheila Regan

When: 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10 Where: Bde Maka Ska, near 3033 Excelsior Blvd.

Cost: Free Info: minneapolisparks.org

DROP DEAD GORGEOUS This classic B movie, filmed in Minnesota, is dead funny as it follows teen beauty pageant contestants doing whatever it takes for the crown.

When: 9:20 p.m. Monday, Aug. 12 Cost: Free Where: Loring Park, 1382 Willow St. Info: minneapolisparks.org

SOUND FOR SILENTS 2019: FILM + MUSIC ON THE WALKER HILLSIDE

Sound for Silents: Film + Music on the Walker Hillside, 2018. Photo by Galen Fletcher

Find your spot on the Walker Art Center’s big hill for an evening filled with music and short films. Twin Cities-based funk, soul and hip-hop collective Astralblak plays a newly commissioned score to accompany five experimental silent films. Among them are three films by African American interdisciplinary artist Sondra Perry, whose incisive interactive work was recently seen at the Walker’s “Body Electric” exhibition. Also part of the lineup is Amir George’s psychedelic 2015 film “Shades of Shadow” and a 1948 film by avant-garde filmmaker Maya Deren called “Meditation on Violence,” featuring a Chinese boxer in a ritualistic dance. DJs Sanni Brown and Sean McPherson of 89.3 The Current start out the evening, with food trucks on hand.

When: 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15 Cost: Free (DJs and food trucks start at 7 p.m.) Info: walkerart.org Where: Walker Art Center, 725 Vineland Pl.

SUMMER MOVIES

LOVING VINCENT

As we move into the last days of summer, you might feel a little desperate to spend as much time outdoors as possible. This glorious weather only comes once a year, and there’s an urgency to enjoy every last second of it. This is why outdoor movie screenings are so appealing. You get to spend time outdoors while watching some artsy or cult classic film.

A gorgeous animation by Dorota Kobiela in the style of Vincent van Gogh helps tell this autobiographical story of the famed painter’s life. Each frame of the film is hand painted with oils on canvas.

When: 9:35 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19 Where: Nicollet Island Pavillion, 40 Power St.

Cost: Free Info: minneapolisparks.org

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Family Business since 1907

ACROSS 1 Meat shaped for a burger

Fall SALE

6 Consider 10 Place to unwind 13 Sound before “Bless you” 14 Food brand for Fido 15 Visa competitor, briefly

18 __ slaw

Schatzlein's Saddle SWJ 080819 H12.indd 1

19 Nickname for Elvis Presley 22 One rotation of Earth on its axis 23 Up until now 24 “I’ll pay any price!” 28 Nod off 31 Not hers

36 Marriott rival 37 Nickname for Ella Fitzgerald 40 Scarlett’s plantation 41 Acme 42 “Nevermore!” bird 43 Boy in “Star Wars” prequel films 44 Currier and __: printmakers

62 Marvel Comics mutants

TV sleuth

63 Post-op therapy

10 Often sarcastic “Nice one!”

64 2,000 pounds

11 __-mell: disorderly

65 Ain’t right?

12 Ice skater’s jump

66 Brutalizes

15 Property measure 20 White part of beef

DOWN

21 “Science Guy” Bill

1 Place to spread a picnic blanket

24 1990s commerce pact acronym

2 Smoothie berry

25 Thai or Laotian

45 Seth of “SNL”

3 Slender

26 He’s not single

46 Ring or stud site

4 Half a barbecuer’s pair

27 Film lioness

48 He wrote “The 42-Across”

5 Up-and-down weight loss effort

28 Fellas

49 Nickname for James Brown

6 Grocery section with milk

30 Place to observe animals

7 Red Muppet

32 __ circle: group of close advisers

58 Funny Bombeck 59 A4 automaker

CLEARANCE: Western Straw Hats & Men’s short sleeve shirts 20% off! (select styles)

www.SSaddle.com

17 “Deal me a hand”

35 Jupiter’s wife

Levi’s® Denim Jeans start at $3999 –$4999 Ariat Western Men’s & Ladies’ Boot Sale Tony Lama Men’s Boot Sale

413 West Lake St. Mpls., MN | 612.825.2459 | Park FREE in our lot by the alley side of the store!

16 Like a wet day

34 “We’re having __!”: retail come-on

Boots • Jeans • Hats • Apparel • Belts • Gifts • Horse Supplies

60 Scarlett’s last name

8 “Lawrence of Arabia,” e.g.

61 Close by

9 2000s OCD-afflicted

Crossword Puzzle SWJ 080819 4.indd 1

29 Banded gemstone

33 Omens 35 Joke

36 “__, can you see ... ” 38 Loo 39 Having an irregular design 44 “Roth” investment 45 Bovine sound 47 Not at all close by 48 Make a hard copy of 49 Fellow 50 Black-and-white treat 51 Uber alternative 52 Runs smoothly 53 Blissful Genesis place 54 New York stadium dismantled in 2009 55 Honolulu’s island 56 Eurasia’s __ Mountains 57 Chocolate dogs Crossword answers on page B12

8/6/19 10:06 AM

Mon.-Fri. 9:30am-6pm • Thu 9:30am-8pm • Sat. 9:30am-5pm 7/18/19 10:15 AM

B12 August 8–21, 2019 / southwestjournal.com

By Sarah Woutat

The life of a solo farmer

ou can hear Kristin Thompson’s infectious laugh from across the market. The woman behind Tuttie Fruittie’s Edible Organic Gardens is a new vegetable producer selling at the Fulton and Nokomis farmers markets this year. Born in Montana, she lived in rural Texas before moving to Minnesota when she was 12, and she has always had a love of being outside with her hands in the dirt. Thompson’s experience comes from an internship at the Women’s Environmental Institute in North Branch and time spent running a business creating edible gardens for people in the Twin Cities. She has a long history of community gardening and a general love of the land and growing food. She is now leasing land from Big River Farms, an arm of The Food Group, a Minnesota nonprofit that provides access to land, infrastructure and education to historically underserved farmers. This has allowed Thompson to start her farm business with minimal capital investment and gives her an opportunity to build her business and knowledge with less risk. When she’s not farming, you can see Thompson’s smiling face four days a week as she works behind the deli counter or coffee bar at the Richfield Lakewinds Co-op. After her morning shift, she heads home for lunch and a quick nap, and

Kristin Thompson from Tuttie Fruittie’s Farm. Photo by Sarah Woutat

then drives to the farm in Marine on St. Croix to tend her land and harvest for markets until dark. Next season, when she jumps from a quarter acre to 2 acres, she said she’s not sure how she’ll manage off-farm work with her agricultural

responsibilities as a solo farmer. Scaling up farming can have a steep learning curve. “When I covered my broccoli and kale with row cover to protect them from flea beetles, but didn’t cover the cauliflower, I interplanted dill

with the cauliflower because dill can be a pest deterrent,” Thompson said. “The flea beetles were all over the cauliflower and can do a lot of damage to it. But once the dill started coming up, the flea beetles disappeared!” She was gratified to see that these same companion planting practices can be effective on a larger scale, explaining that “companion planting is a symbiotic relationship between plant families.” “One plant helps the other grow or attracts beneficial insects or deters harmful insects or provides shade for yet another,” she said. “It gives one plant a trellis to climb and allows for more plants to be planted in the space provided. Plants need different vitamins and minerals from the soil so it’s good for soil health to not plant all the same thing. … I have multiple beds on the farm that have several different crops in one bed to produce maximum yields in the space I have.” Thompson said that starting a farm business has pushed her out of her comfort zone. “I say I’m out doing this on my own, and for the most part that’s true,” she said. “However, there are so many people on my sidelines cheering me on and it motivates me to keep going.” Stop by Fulton and Nokomis Farmers Markets to chat with Thompson and learn more about her and her farm!

Fulton Farmers Market

Nokomis Farmers Market

Kingfield Farmers Market

When: 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Saturdays Where: 4901 Chowen Ave. S.

When: 4 p.m.–8 p.m. Wednesdays Where: 5167 Chicago Ave. S.

When: 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Sundays Where: 4310 Nicollet Ave. S.

National Embryo Donation Center Over 1,000,000 frozen human embryos are stored in the US. Embryo Adoption gives frozen embryos a chance at life. Through Embryo Adoption you can: experience pregnancy & childbirth • spend less than IVF & other adoption types • fulfill the dream to start or grow your family

Your trusted auto service provider since 1949. Exceptional service and 100% customer satisfaction is our focus.

YEARS

Frozen 6 years. A single embryo transfer.

1-866-585-8549 embryodonation.org/adoption/

25% OFF

National Embryo Donation Center SWJ 032119 HBC.indd 2

Engine Diagnostics Cooling Systems

Tires Brake Repair Tune Up

Parents Automotive SWJ 100418 H18.indd 1

FIRST VISIT *

Steering / Suspension And much more!

3610 LYNDALE AVE S, MPLS • 612-827-3838 PARENTSAUTOCARE.COM

3/15/19 10:29 AM

*New clieNts oNly. some restrictioNs apply. 612-259-7331 pixiesalonminneapolis.com 314 W 42nd St, Minneapolis MN 55409

Visit hobt.org or call 612.721.2535 for more information

Fall into the right hands with Nou Hands In the AM Heart of the Beast SWJ 2016 H18 filler.indd 10/30/17 11:25 Bodyworks Massage Therapy

9/27/18 Pixie 1:09 Salon PM SWJ 110217 HBC.indd 1 and

Swedish • Combination Deep Tissue • Stretching Thai Yoga massage Uptown Wellness Center 2920 Bryant Ave S Suite 107

Call Hannah at 952.994.1560

CROSSWORD ANSWERS

Nou Hands and Bodyworks SWJ 012518 H18.indd 1

1/15/18 1:13 PM

Crossword on page B11

Crossword Answers SWJ 080819 V12.indd 1

8/6/19 10:06 AM

7/1/16 10:57 AM

southwestjournal.com / August 8–21, 2019 B13

Classifieds LINE CLASSIFIEDS

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SPRING FORWARD HOME ORGANIZING

PAINTER JIM, SINCE 1982

GARDENING

Small painting jobs wanted. Jim 612-202-5514.

Would you like to have more beauty in your yard? We will restore or expand your existing gardens. Experienced gardeners. www.beautifulgardens.biz. Call Linda 612-598-3949.

PAINTING, LAWN & SNOW

Free consultation; references. 612-377-9467.

TINY SANDMAN’S Painting, Lawn & Snow Services for reliable and quality work. Interior Finishing. Free estimates. Michael 612-729-2018. tinysandman.com

HOME SERVICES MIKE MOHS CONSTRUCTION CO. All types roofing/gutters. Siding, windows/ skylights. Honesty and integrity for 50 years! Family owned, operated. Licensed, bonded, insured. #BC005456. Scott, 612-701-2209.

Steps, sidewalks, patios, driveways, etc. Licensed, bonded, insured. Call Tom Seemon 612-721-2530.

New contract customers only. PREMIER LAWN & SNOW INC. Now signing winter contracts. Get same-day snow removal all

A.PIETIG

CONCRETE & BRICK PAVING INC.

EXPERIENCED BRICKLAYER

ADVERTISE WITH US

Concrete, Brick Pavers, Stone, Masonry, Foundations & More Commercial & Residential 952.835.0393

Beckman and Sons Painting and Remodeling. Free estimates. Call Fred at 954-461-7711

TO PLACE AN AD CALL 612.825.9205 TODAY!

TO PLACE YOUR AD CALL 612.825.9205

ROTTEN WOOD?

EVER.

PAINTING AND REMODELING

Concrete and step repair. Masonry, Landscape, Driveway, Retainage, Steps, Tuckpoint, Replace, Additions, Aprons, Bobcat and Dumptruck. 35 years experience. Gary, 651-423-6666.

EXTERIORS YOUR LAST ROOF.

Beautiful yard and garden at a more competitive rate. Weeding, trimming, planting, pruning. Minneapolis based. Experienced! 763-232-7745.

CONCRETE REPAIR & REPLACE

No job too small. Call Andrew 612-363-0115.

SNOW REMOVAL - FREE MONTH

LOCAL BUSINESSES

AFFORDABLE GARDENING

winter long. Over 25 years of quality service. Shrub and tree trimming. Premier Lawn and Snow, Inc. 952-545-8055. www.premierlawnandsnow.com

Brick and Stone. Residential and Commercial. References. 612-309-1054.

CHIMNEY, CONCRETE, BRICK AND STONE REPAIR

CONCRETE WORK

CONCRETE, ASPHALT

TO PLACE YOUR AD CALL 612.825.9205

Mike Mohs Construction

Honesty & Integrity for Over 50 Years • Since 1963 Call Owner Scott Mohs

ROOFING – All Types GUTTERS

HYDE AND HARMSEN

apietigconcrete.com quarve.com • (763) 785-1472

ADSSWJ 612.825.9205 A. Pietig Concrete 040419 1cx1.5.indd 2/19/19 111:21 AM

Mn Bc 006016

Window sills, casings & trim replaced, storm windows

8/24/17 2:47 PM

“Repair Masters”

DECKS & PORCHES

Andy 651-698-3156

Quarve Contracting SWJ 020917 1cx2.indd 2/6/172 2:32 PM

Local Business&1cx2.indd Custom Brick Stone1

FLAT ROOFING

– Rubber or Tin

WINDOWS & SKYLIGHTS

SINCE 1983

harmsenoberg.com

www.twincitiesmasonry.com

612.702.9210

Friendly Professional Service

Lifetime No Crack Guarantee

GENERAL CONTRACTOR

4/1/19 5:28 PM

GENERAL CONTRACTOR Exteriors by Design Interior & Exterior

OUR EXPERIENCED MINNESOTA LUMBER EXPERTS CAN HELP YOU FIND THE RIGHT PRODUCT FOR YOUR PROJECT – NO MATTER HOW BIG OR SMALL IT IS.

• Free Estimates • References Call Jesse 651-206-2454 ExteriorsByDesignLLC.com

#BC738852

Exteriors by Design Exteriors by Design

Call Jesse 651-206-2454

MN # 5276

Exteriors By Design SWJ 030719 2cx1.5.indd 1

612-781-3333 2536 Marshall Street NE, Minneapolis

8/30/18 McClellan 3:38 PM Extriors SWJ 072519prices 1cx2.indd 7/11/19 1 2:07 PM Top quality at competitive

Minneapolis, MN

651-690-3956

Roofing • Siding • Gutters • Insulation Licensed • Bonded • Insured

Licensed Bonded Insured • Lic. RR 155317

Your Local Contractor For Over 40 Years! 7/21/17

Pates Roofing SWJ 072717 2cx1.indd 1

612-861-HAGE HageConcrete.com

1:11 PM

HIGH QUALITY CONCRETE SOLUTIONS Driveways, Walks, Patios, Slabs, Foundations & more!

e Lifetim ty n a r r Wa

A RATING

Phone: 612-869-1177

INSULATE AND SAVE!

1/9/19 10:02 AM

Topside Inc SWJ 032119 2cx3.indd 1

3/11/19 2:24 PM

Foley exteriors

Roofing · Siding · Windows Insulation

STUCCO

CALL US TODAY!

612-343-3301 · www.midwestplus.com

CBConcreteAndMasonry.com

YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD COMPANY Rob.olson@topsideinc.net Topsideinc.net

CB Concrete and Masonry LLC

651-583-4713 Adin_bly@yahoo.com

2/28/19 2:37 PM

Serving the community for over 30 years Siwek Class 1cx2.5_a.indd 1

CONCRETE WORKS

Adin Bailey

#BC738852

*On Settergren’s Referral List*

FOR 39 YEARS

FREE ESTIMATES Committed to customer service

Hage Concrete SWJ 032119 2cx3.indd 1

4/27/16 3:26 PM

Interior & Exterior

• Free Estimates • References

Owner Operated • Bonded & Insured

Twin Cities Masonry SWJ 040617 2cx1.5.indd 1

612-701-2209 • mikemohsconstruction.com

Mike Mohs Construction SWJ 050516 2cx2.indd 1

Chimneys • Steps • Walkways Pavers • Fireplaces • Retaining Walls

CB Concrete and Masonry SWJ 062719 2cx2.indd 2

MN License BC005456

Locally Owned • MN LIC# BC010277 • A+ Rating from BBB

Free Estimates • 612-331-6510 • www.FoleyExteriors.com

TO PLACE AN AD CALL 612.825.9205 4/8/13

Foley Exteriors SWJ 041513 2cx1.5.indd 2

4:36 PM

KEEP SOUTHWEST BEAUTIFUL. 6/24/19 Midwest 9:42 AMExteriors SWJ 052115 2cx3.indd 1

5/18/15 10:05 AM

reuse or recycle the bag that came with your paper.

FIND A RECYCLING DROP-OFF SITE AT plasticfilmrecycling.org Recycling SWJ 080819 fillerClassifieds.indd SWJ 2018 Banner.indd 1 1

7/10/18 11:41 8/6/19 1:39 AM PM

B14 August 8–21, 2019 / southwestjournal.com

We know homes! Bungalows, Colonial, Craftsman, Mid-Century, Ramblers, Modern and more. 612-781-3333 • 2536 Marshall Street NE, Minneapolis Monday–Friday 8am–6pm, Saturday 8am–4pm Siwek Lumber SWJ 110118 6cx2.indd 1

FLOORING

10/22/18 12:47 PM

LANDSCAPING

TO PLACE YOUR AD CALL 612.825.9205

1 MONTH

of Snow Removal

FREE SNOW customers (new contract only) REMOVAL

Sanding • Refinishing • Repair Install • Recoat • FREE Estimates www.earlsfloorsanding.com

612.290.1533

SAME-DAY SERVICE 952-545-8055

www.premierlawnandsnow.com Local services. Local references. Local expertise.

Premier Lawn & Snow SWJ 092216 1cx1.indd 9/20/16 10:44 1 AM

10-time Angie’s List Super Service Award Winner

Southwest Resident for Over 40 Years

Earls Floor Sanding SWJ 012518 2cx2.indd 2

Treya Design SWJ 053019 3cx2.indd 1 1/18/18 8:45 AM Climbing & Bucket Tool Icons - Spring SWJ 2013 1cx1 filler_#2.indd 3/29/13 10:30 1 AM

TREE TRIMMING • REMOVAL STUMP GRINDING

Pest & Disease Management

N TREEInc.

Minneapolis resident • Owner / operator Certified Arborist with 21 years experience licensed and insured

612-239-2508

Questions about Emerald Ash Borer? We can help!

George & Lynn Welles

www.harlanfloors.com • 612-251-4290

Matthew Molinaro

Trained & Courteous Staff

ortheast

“Our quality will floor you.”

MAINTENANCE

Pruning /Removals

Expert High Risk & Crane Removals

• Installation • Restoration • Repairs • Buff & Coat

Harlan Hardwood SWJ NR3 2cx2.indd 1

5/24/19 5:49 PM

FREE ESTIMATES!

www.molinarotree.com

612-789-9255 Molinaro Tree SWJ 2cx1.5.indd northeasttree.net

Certified Arborists (#MN-0354A & #MN-4089A)

Custom Artisan 1

Hardscapes

4/23/14 2:57 PM Northeast Tree SWJ 011019 2x2.indd 1

1/7/19 12:08 PM

MN- 4551 A

7/12/18 Ask about our

FREE Landscapes PATIO DESIGN

1:35 PM

Design, Install & Maintain: Patios • Driveways Sidewalks • Steps • Plantings Mulch • Perennial Beds

as seen on

HGTV’s Curb Appeal

• Painting • Plaster repair • Ceramic tile • Light remodeling • All around repairs

CONSULTATION • DESIGN • PROJECT MANAGEMENT

612.562.8746 • triolandscaping.com Trio Landscaping SWJ 050219 2cx2.indd 1

Dream & Reality Landscape SWJ 050219 2cx2.indd 1

4/23/19 10:00 AM

Krafft, Tom SWJ 020719 1cx2.indd 11/25/19 12:49 PM

The best local coverage

Hyperlocal SWJ 2010 1cx1.5 NR3.indd8/6/13 1 11:00 AM

4/24/19 3:06 PM

FREE ESTIMATES FOR: Tree Trimming · Tree Removal Stump Grinding · Storm Damage

612.706.8210

612.267.3285

FULLY BONDED & INSURED

PLACE AN1cx3.indd AD That Handy Guy Greg SWJ 102314 10/3/14 612.825.9205

Byron Electric

612-225-8753 | dreamandrealitylandscapemn.com

12:03 PM

PG 3 ONLY

Residential & Commercial

MISCELLANEOUS

Matt's Tree Service SWJ 091712 2cx2.indd 1

8/31/12 10:15 AM

26 yrs. Fully Insured

FREE ESTIMATES

612-750-5724

Our specialty is your existing home!® 11/28/18

Byron Electric SWJ 011019 2cx1.indd 1

Houle Insulation Inc.

9:54 AM

Lawn Mowing Fertilizer & Weed Control Gutter Cleaning

Window Washing

CALL TODAY FOR A FREE ESTIMATE ON ATTIC INSULATION • BYPASS SEALING SIDEWALL INSULATION

www.houleinsulation.com

Snow Plowing & Shoveling Cleanup / Dethatching Aeration / Seeding

612-345-9301

peterdoranlawn.com

Peter Doran SWJ 032119 2cx2.indd 3

Maids.com Certain trademarks used under license from The Procter & Gamble Company or its affiliates.

3/8/19 3:40 PM

763-767-8412

Serving the Twin Cities since 1977 Houle Insulation SWJ 010107 2cx2.indd Classifieds 1

Local people. Local references. Tell them you saw their ad here!

5/17/16 2:37 PM

REAL UNFINISHED NATURAL WOOD PRODUCTS AT AFFORDABLE PRICES!

612-781-3333 • 2536 Marshall Street NE, Minneapolis

SWJ 080819 Classifieds.indd 2 contractors SWJ 2016 2cx1.5 filler.indd 1

TO PLACE AN AD CALL 612.825.9205 8/6/19 11:41 AM

7/18/16 Siwek 2:56 PM Class 2cx2.5_a.indd 1

8/30/18 3:27 PM

southwestjournal.com / August 8–21, 2019 B15

PAINTING

TO PLACE YOUR AD CALL 612.825.9205

ADVERTISE WITH US

Free Estimates

PAINTING & DECORATING

Wallpaper removal & hanging • Plaster & sheetrock repair • All facets of interior painting • Stripping & “trim” restoration • Skimcoating

Accredited BBB member, A+ rating

LOCAL BUSINESSES

LINDEN HILLS PAINTING

•

FREE ESTIMATES Licensed, Insured, Interior/Exterior Serving the Twin Cities for 20+ years!

612-227-1844

www.IndyPainting.net

grecopainting.com info@grecopainting.com

612-781-INDY

612-310-8023

Insured | References

EXTERIOR • INTERIOR

Family Owned for Over 60 Years

Indy Painting DTJ 040419 1cx2.indd 13/27/19 2:15 PM

Dave Novak

35+ yrs. experience Lic • Bond • Ins

PLACE AN AD 612.825.9205

Novak Painting SWJ 020818 1cx3.indd 12/22/17 1 10:03 AM

612.360.2019

612-804-3078

REMODELING

8/24/17 2:51 PM

(612) 827-6140 or (651) 699-6140 PAINTINGBYJERRYWIND.COM

Experienced craftsmen (no subcontractors) working steady from start to finish. Neat and courteous; references and 2 year warranty. Liability Ins. and Workers Comp. for Your Protection.

AD CALL 612.825.9205 8/17/18

promasterplumbing.com

612-703-7663 www.WoodandStoneDesigns.com

1 10:09 AM Pro Master Plumbing SWJ 040419 1cx1.indd 4/1/19 11:10 1Hammer AMGuy SWJ 2013 1cx1 filler.indd4/9/13

Create • Collaborate Communicate

Garbage disposal repairs & installation Leaky sinks, faucets, showers, toilets & pipe repair

Wood and Stone Design SWJ 072519 2cx1.indd 1

Cross off all your plumbing checklist items Hanson Building SWJ 061418 2cx2.indd

Fix low water pressure Toilets that are always running

Lic: BC637388 6/1/18 1:05 PM

Design/Construction

Sinks that drain slow

Faucet that drips

952-512-0110

EK Johnson Construction

Roelofs Remodeling SWJ 073015 2cx2.indd 2

inspiredspacesmn.com 612.360.4180

CallHero.com • (612) 424-9349

46.50 OFF

REMODELING

Hero Heating SWJ 051718 2cx4.indd 1

Your Sign of Satisfaction www.roelofsremodeling.com

Specializing in Reproduction Kitchens & Baths

No project is too small for good design

7/11/19 3:57 PM

612-655-4961 hansonremodeling.com Lic #BC633225

Hot water heaters

Call today and SAVE

3:04 PM

900 West 50th St. Minneapolis

Call Jim!

Install a new kitchen or bathroom faucet

11:37 AM

• Interior/Exterior Painting • Wallpaper Stripping/Papering • Wood Stripping, Refinishing & Cabinets • Plaster, Sheetrock, Texture Repair & Skim Coating • Ceiling Texturing & Texture Removal

5/13/16 11:37 AMby Jerry Wind SWJ 082318 TO PLACE Painting 2cx1.5.inddYOUR 2

Chileen Painting SWJ 051916 2cx4.indd 1

Our Contractors have local references

Local Business 1cx2.indd 10

612-850-0325

PLUMBING, HVAC Lic. #61664PM

TO PLACE AN AD CALL 612.825.92051 Greco Painting SWJ 040518 1cx2.indd4/4/18

greg@chileen.com

FIVESTARPAINTING.com FiveStarPainting SWJ 012419 1cx1.5.indd 4/5/19 1 3:43 PM

Licensed Bonded Insured Over 29 Years experience

Int/Ext • Paint Enamel • Stain • Cabinets Plaster repairs • Paper • Homes Condos • Decks • Fences

Interior & Exterior Painting • Insurance Claims Wood Finishing • Exterior Wood Restoration Water Damage Repair • Patching • Enameling

you dream it Your NEXT Inspired Spaces SWJ 022714 2cx2.indd plumbing service

2/17/14 3:02 PM

7/28/15 3:01 PM

we build it

Living and Working in Southwest Minneapolis Call Ethan Johnson, Owner

612-669-3486

5/15/18 11:58 AM

ekjohnsonconstruction.com

EK Johnson Construction SWJ 060216 2cx2.indd 1

5/31/16 4:49 PM

2nd Stories • Additions • Kitchens • Basements Baths • Attic Rooms • Windows Remodeling since 1960

Remodel • Design • Build

Bathroom Remodeling

612-924-9315

www.fusionhomeimprovement.com MN License #BC451256

Fusion Home Improvement SWJ 021314 2cx3.indd 1

homecareincremodeling.com 952.884.4187

HomeCare 1/31/14 10:44 AM Inc Remodeling SWJ 071218 2cx2.indd 1

7/3/18 1:36 PM

612.821.1100 or 651.690.3442 www.houseliftinc.com License #BC378021

STMRENOVATION.COM

SWJ 080819 Classifieds.indd 3 House Lift SWJ 041612 2cx3.indd 1

8/6/19 3:12 PM 4/5/12 Seans 3:00 PM Renovations SWJ 072519 2cx3.indd 1

7/10/19 11:43 AM

– FOR 12 MONTHS –

CALIBRATE FOR EFFICIENCY

We adjust your system with precision to minimize your utility bills & your impact on the environment

MECHANICAL INSPECTION

Our 21 point inspection identifies concerns before they become problems

SYSTEM EVALUATION REPORT

Upon completion you will be emailed a detailed, full color report, educating you on the condition of your equipment

MONEY BACK GUARANTEE

If your system stops working for any reason after our tune-up services, we’ll credit the cost of the tune-up towards a repair

IT’S FREE!

CLOG FREE GUARANTEE We will restore flow to any main drain or it’s free!

4 HOUR SERVICE - OR IT’S FREE!

CLEAN HOUSE GUARANTEE - OR IT’S FREE!

INCLUDES VIDEO INSPECTION - PREVENTS FUTURE ISSUES

FRIENDLY TECHS

- BACKGROUND CHECKED FOR YOUR SAFETY

Hero Plumbing Heating & Cooling SWJ 062719 FP.indd 1

6/25/19 4:30 PM