September 19–October 2, 2019 Vol. 30, No. 19 southwestjournal.com
Lynnhurst teen starts slime festival By Andrew Hazzard
Lucy Keepper feels out the consistency of the gooey mixture she’s stirring into existence and finds it lacking. She pours in a touch more liquid starch and a bit more water to the glue-based batch before adding some orange food coloring and a few drops of essential oils to give it a tangerine look and smell. “I always just eyeball everything,” Keepper said. “I think it’s more fun that way. You can be more creative.”
SEE SLIME / PAGE A19
Y A D G N I V O M eap Minn
Lucy Keepper, 14, makes slime in the dining room of her family’s Lynnhurst home. Photo by Andrew Hazzard
Jepsen Inc. moves a house from 2616 W. 44th St. to 4400 Thomas Ave. S. to make room for a new apartment project in Linden Hills. Photo by Michelle Bruch
ol i s
i ng bu i ld
move
s p hou e e k ts to r wan
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By Michelle Bruch
As a 98-ton Linden Hills house inched down 44th Street on Sept. 6, a crowd gathered on sidewalks and porches to watch, some eyeing a vase of flowers visible through a window. Still fully furnished, with the water heater and furnace riding along on the main floor, the house moved under power lines and over an abnormally tall fire hydrant to rest a block away at 4400 Thomas Ave. S. SEE HOUSE MOVED / PAGE A18
From Wild Rumpus Books to kids at the border Donations go to refugees in New Mexico, Texas and Juárez
Nancy Burke and Julie Sellergren (foreground) are part of a group of Twin Cities residents who have organized a donation drive to send Spanish, Portuguese and bilingual children’s books to refugees on the border. Wild Rumpus managers Kristen Kavic and Katie McGinley stand behind the counter of the bookstore, which has partnered with the residents on the book drive. Photo by Zac Farber
By Zac Farber
Atop the checkout counter at Wild Rumpus Books sits a small collection of Spanish, Portuguese and bilingual children’s books. The most popular is Señorita Mariposa, a rhyming picture book about a monarch butterfly’s 3,000-mile voyage “over mountains capped with snow to the deserts down below.” If a customer at the Linden Hills shop purchases one of these “Books for Border Kids,” Wild Rumpus’ staff will mail it more than 1,100 miles southwest to an old adobe building in Las Cruces, New Mexico, that’s home to a bookstore owned by the novelist Denise Chávez. At Casa Camino Real Bookstore, Chávez and her team of about 10 volunteer book
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stewards unpack donated books and prepare to distribute them to refugees who have fled violence or precarity in countries like El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Brazil and who are now living in hospitality centers or tent cities in New Mexico, Texas and Ciudad Juárez. Many of the refugees, Chávez said, are traumatized by the time they’ve spent in ICE detention centers and tell her stories of the cold, squalid, cramped conditions they’ve endured. She’s met a man who said his Bible was confiscated by ICE and thrown into the trash. Another man, she said, reeked with “the smell of the defiled and the cursed” because he feared SEE BOOKS FOR BORDER KIDS / PAGE A16
House hackers share their tips
Light rail and property values
Selling a home in a seller’s market
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A2 September 19–October 2, 2019 / southwestjournal.com
southwestjournal.com / September 19–October 2, 2019 A3
By Andrew Hazzard / ahazzard@swjournal.com
Prospect Refuge Studio owner and principal designer Victoria Sass moved her firm from Northeast to Southwest this year. The office at 48th & Nicollet lets Prospect Refuge show off their design styles and host events. Submitted images
TANGLETOWN
Prospect Refuge Studio settles into Southwest A Minneapolis interior design firm has relocated to Southwest, where it aims to help residential and commercial clients create spaces that fit their tastes and lifestyles. Prospect Refuge Studio, which opened in 2015, moved from Northeast to the former Mi Mi wedding planner space at 48th & Nicollet earlier this year, and now has more room to host events and show off design concepts. “We’ve just kind of been getting bigger,” owner and principal designer Victoria Sass said. Prospect Refuge works with a wide range of commercial and residential clients but has found a bit of a niche in retrofitting old homes to meet the needs of young families. “There’s a lot of that in this area,” Sass said. When a new client comes to Prospect Refuge, Sass meets the customer in the space for a two-hour consultation to get an idea of their tastes and dreams. Sass said she tries to get to know clients well and honor the architecture
of the building as much as possible. “We’re very heavily influenced by the architecture of the space,” she said. The name Prospect Refuge comes from Sass’ favorite design theory of the same name, which says people prefer environments that offer both ample views and spaces that provide concealment or refuge. Those types of environments, the theory holds, make people feel safe and comfortable. Most of Prospect Refuge’s clients are in Minneapolis, St. Paul and inner-ring suburbs, but they’ve been getting more local clients in Southwest since the move. The move is also convenient for Sass, who lives in East Isles. “We’re really happy to be in Southwest,” business development manager Kate Panke said. Prospect Refuge Studio Where: 4801 Nicollet Ave. S. Info: propsectrefugestudio.com
50TH & FRANCE
Raag shows a different side of Indian cuisine A new restaurant at 50th & France is hoping to change the way Americans think about Indian flavors. Raag opened Sept. 7 in Fulton. It’s a new project from Gopi Kakarla, one he said is unique in the Twin Cities. The restaurant specializes in progressive Indian cuisine, a merger of traditional Indian flavors with a modern fine dining experience. The menu was developed by Ajay Chopra, a celebrity chef who hosts the show Northern Flavours and judges MasterChef India. All the ingredients are organic and each dish is made from scratch in-house, Kakarla said. The menu includes vegetarian, chicken, pork, duck, lobster and beef dishes. “Everything is made in this kitchen,” he said. Kakarla owns another restaurant, India Spice House in Eden Prairie, where he said most of the customers are Indian and many
American guests stick to common dishes like chicken tikka masala. At Raag, he hopes to educate guests on the full range of Indian flavors. “We’re trying to break those stereotypes,” he said. Raag is open for lunch and dinner. The menu features a wide range of appetizers, entrees and desserts in addition to a full menu of mocktails and cocktails. Kakarla was attracted to Southwest because he’d heard it was an area where residents support local restaurants and enjoy fine dining. In the restaurant’s first days, he said, people have told Raag staff they are happy to have something different in the neighborhood.
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A4 September 19–October 2, 2019 / southwestjournal.com
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It’s Greek To Me shutters after 37 years LynLake landmark It’s Greek To Me closed its doors on Sept. 8. Owner Nicholas Karos announced the restaurant would close in a post on its website. Their catering operations are continuing and the restaurant is looking for a new location, according to the post. Karos bought the restaurant in 2016. Alkis, Argyrios and Denise Arambadjis opened It’s Greek To Me in 1982 at the corner of Lake & Lyndale as a 10-table cafe. Over the decades, they expanded the space to include a much larger dining area and installed a patio space in the early 2000s. The Arambadjis family retired in 2016 after selling the restaurant. It’s Greek To Me Where: 626 W. Lake St. Info: itsgreektomemn.com
The large and thematic patio at It’s Greek to Me was added to the restaurant in the early 2000s.
50TH & FRANCE
Wink Gifts to close in Fulton
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After 18 years along France Avenue, Wink Gifts and Boutique plans to close in the coming weeks. Owner Deb Rasmussen said the store could close as soon as the end of September but might stay open through October. The store will be discounting its items until it closes. Rasmussen bought the store (then known as Live, Laugh, Love Gifts) from its original owners four years ago, and while the first year was good, it’s been harder since. She thinks online sales and reduced parking in the area have created challenges for retailers, but she said the final straw has been new tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. She’s heard from several vendors that their prices would be going up 10%–20% due to
tariffs imposed on raw goods used to make products. As a small business, she doesn’t feel she can be competitive if she raises her own prices to match that rate. “It all gets passed down,” Rasmussen said. She feels that traditional retail shops in general have been slowly exiting 50th & France, and salons and restaurants seem to be the types of businesses in more demand. “The area seems to be shifting more to the service industry,” she said. Wink Gifts and Boutique Where: 5019 France Ave. S. Info: livelaughlovegifts.com
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Wink Gifts and Boutique, formerly known as Live, Laugh, Love Gifts, will close its 50th & France location in the coming weeks. Photo by Andrew Hazzard
southwestjournal.com / September 19–October 2, 2019 A5
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Provision Community Restaurant opening at Lake & Harriet The first pay-what-you-can community cafe in Minneapolis will open its doors Sept. 25 in LynLake. Provision Community Restaurant, a nonprofit restaurant that aims to fight food insecurity and increase community connections, is putting the finishing touches on its dining room at Lake & Harriet. It will be Minneapolis’ first community cafe, where patrons pay only what they can for a meal, even if it’s nothing, or contribute by volunteering. Provision plans to offer set meals seven times per week. From Wednesday through Friday it will offer a 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. dinner, and on Saturday it will serve a 10 a.m. brunch. The plan is to serve 30 people each meal, according to founder Anna Wienke. The restaurant will have four tables — all donated — where guests will be served family style. Nearly all Provision’s food will be donated. Most of the waiters and kitchen staff will be volunteers. Expecting to receive lots of starches, fruits and vegetables, the cafe is leaning toward a vegetable-heavy menu. Through the fall, the staff is preserving gallons of stocks and sauces to last them through the winter. Two kitchen workers are staff employees, including Kenny Beck. Beck got involved with Provision when Wienke gave him a lift while his car was in the shop. He started as the nonprofit’s treasurer but has since left the board to prepare for the task of cooking for 60 people a night with a constantly changing and unpredictable batch of ingredients. Beck has always loved cooking and sharing food with people, though most of his restaurant experience is in the front of the house. Volunteer cooks will assist him with prep work and in meal assembly.
Provision Community Restaurant will open its doors at 2940 Harriet Ave. S. on Sept. 25. The restaurant shares the building with SK Coffee and multiple vendors who use its commercial kitchen. Photos by Andrew Hazzard
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“The whole point is bringing people together and having some good food along the way,” Beck said. Each month, Provision will host a fundraising dinner to help raise money and spread the word about their efforts. They will host a fall fundraiser on Oct. 12. Wienke is hoping to attract pop-up chef events on Saturday and Sunday nights. Provision Community Restaurant Where: 2940 Harriet Ave. S. Info: provisioncommunity.org
Provision Community Restaurant will be the first pay-whatyou-can eatery in Minneapolis. They aim to bring together residents of all backgrounds and reduce food insecurity in the area.
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A6 September 19–October 2, 2019 / southwestjournal.com
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A proposed apartment building near 48th & Grand would include 23 studios, one-bedrooms and two-bedrooms with rents averaging about $1,800 per month. Submitted image
A single-family home and a duplex near Fuller Park in Tangletown could be razed to make way for a four-story, 23-unit marketrate apartment building with 10 garage parking spaces and 12 bike racks in the lobby. The developer is asking the city for a reduction from the 23-space parking minimum. The proposal has drawn fierce ire from some nearby residents worried that the building is too tall for the neighborhood and that insufficient parking will lead to increased traffic. “You’re talking about this building like it’s on the Greenway,” one resident told developer Joshua Segal after he introduced the proposal to the Tangletown Neighborhood Association on Sept. 16. “This is not a convenient area to get places on your bike.” The site of the proposed building, located a half block north of the 48th & Grand commercial intersection, is currently zoned for high-density, multi-family development up to four stories in height — though the immediate neighborhood has no three- or four-story buildings. The Minneapolis 2040 plan, yet to be approved by the Metropolitan Council, would downzone the site to an Interior 2 designation that caps most development at 2.5 stories. Segal said the fact that the project will come before the Planning Commission on Oct. 7, four days before the City Council is scheduled to vote on the 2040 plan, could be a stroke of good fortune, though the timing was unintentional. “We had found this project and started it even before we knew about the 2040 plan,” he said. The project, dubbed Fullertown Flats, would be the first apartment building built by Segal, who lives near 54th & Washburn and co-founded the fitness studio Urban Cycle at 50th & Penn almost 10 years ago. He said his previous development experience is in teardowns and rebuilds. Segal’s company, ReImagine Southwest, would also manage Fullertown Flats. The apartment building would consist of a mix of 14 studios (between 460 and 510 square feet), six one-bedrooms (580–730 square feet) and three two-bedrooms (1,040 square feet). Segal said rents in the building
would average about $1,800 per month, including utilities and parking, with studio units ranging from $1,200–$1,400. Segal said residents’ strongly voiced feedback at the Sept. 16 neighborhood meeting had given him a lot to think about. “It was kind of rough in there,” he said. “We want to do the project, but we want the neighborhood to be behind it, too. I don’t like walking around in blinders and not saying hello to the neighbors.” Council Member Jeremy Schroeder (Ward 11) said he’s keeping his eye on the development as it makes its way to the Planning Commission. “I think it’s critical that the developer hear the concerns of the neighborhood,” he said. Segal said he initially planned to build a five-story building that would have included an additional floor of parking and a car elevator, but he said he changed the building’s designs in part because the city urged him to include less parking. Segal acquired the single-family house at 4740 Grand Ave. in August 2018 and is set to close on the duplex immediately to the north. Segal said monthly rents for the house and for both duplex units are about $1,800. Designs call for a facade of stucco, aluminum and white brick. Plans include a first-floor lobby with a fireplace and a fourth-floor community room and co-working space for tenants. Robyn Miller and Nancy Grabow both own units in the triplex just south of the proposed apartment. They said they worried that the building would block light from reaching their yard and windows and increase traffic on their street and in a driveway they would share with apartment residents. “It took me 20 years to find the perfect home; I was the Goldilocks of house hunting,” Grabow said. “Now I’m going to have people looking [in my window]. It’s going to cast a shadow and make my living room a dungeon.” In addition to the parking reduction, Segal is asking for a variance to reduce the setback on the property’s north side from 11 feet to 9 feet. The Tangletown Neighborhood Association is recommending that the city deny both the parking reduction and the setback variance.
southwestjournal.com / September 19–October 2, 2019 A7
District welcomes e-cigarette ban
Team Larry Trusted for Twenty Years
School district health staff say ban on flavored e-cigarettes could help curb ‘epidemic’ of teen use By Nate Gotlieb / ngotlieb@swjournal.com
Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) health staff praised the Trump administration’s plans, announced Sept. 11, to ban flavored e-cigarettes but said they wish more would be done to reduce teen vaping. Officials said they’re hopeful the planned ban, to be implemented in the coming weeks, could help discourage teens from vaping. They also said it can’t be the only approach to reducing the “epidemic” of youth e-cigarette use, noting potential actions such as banning the vaping devices outright. “I’m grateful that they’re eliminating the flavored option, but I wish they’d do more,” said Leslie Stunkard, the district’s licensed alcohol and drug Leslie Stunkard counselor. E-cigarettes, battery-operated devices that are used to inhale aerosols typically containing flavorings and chemicals like nicotine, are the most commonly used form of tobacco among U.S. youth, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Preliminary data from this year shows that more than 1 in 4 U.S. high school students reported vaping in the previous 30 days, according to federal health officials. That’s up from about 1 in 5 in 2018 and way up from 2011. That year, fewer than 1 in 50 students reported vaping, though nearly 16% of teens reported smoking cigarettes. Over two-thirds of high school e-cigarette users use flavored products. Public health officials in recent years have called the increasing use of e-cigarettes a public health crisis. Concerns about their use increased this summer because of a lung illness associated with vaping that has sickened over 400 people and caused seven deaths, including one in Minnesota. Many patients in those cases reported using black-market vaping products containing THC, the psychoactive compound that gives marijuana users a high, though no single product or substance has been conclusively linked to the disease. Scientists say using e-cigarettes is less harmful than inhaling smoke from ciga-
rettes, but they stress that they still contain nicotine, which can harm adolescent brain development and increase the risk of addiction to other drugs. They also say it’s difficult to know what other chemicals e-cigarettes contain and that some of those may be harmful. In Minnesota, nearly 1 in 5 high school students reported using or trying e-cigarettes in the past 30 days in 2017, up 49% from 2014. Stunkard, who tracks smoking-related discipline in MPS, said there has been a 40% increase in usage over the past year. Stunkard said the district tries not to suspend kids who are caught using e-cigarettes. She said the district will typically have a parent come and pick the student up so that he or she will miss the remainder of the day. The district gave training on e-cigarettes in August to its middle and high school health teachers, according to Sarah Loch, who facilitates the K–12 health and physical education programming. She said health teachers begin addressing the topic of e-cigarettes as early as sixth grade. Loch said there’s often a false perception among teenagers that e-cigarettes are safe if they can’t taste them or if they taste good. She said the hardest part about educating families is helping them understand what to look for with regard to the devices, because some look like everyday items, such as USB flash drives. Stunkard said some teens have been told vaping is safe and noted that e-cigarette usage has caught on among teens in part because of competitions held by vaping companies. She also noted how the companies have offered college scholarships and that it’s possible to vape vitamin B. “All these things are saying to the kids, ‘This is something that’s healthy for you,’” she said. “It’s subtle, but when you point it out to the kids, they’re like, ‘It’s so obvious.’” Stunkard said she thinks the City of Minneapolis’ 2018 ordinance that raised the age for legally buying tobacco to 21 will help curb teen vaping. She said she teaches teens that tobacco companies dominate the e-cigarette market. She and Amber Spaniol, the district’s director of nursing services, said they think parents should start talking to their kids about e-cigarettes as early as possible.
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Burglaries reported in Lynnhurst, Kenny By Andrew Hazzard / ahazzard@swjournal.com
A streak of garage burglaries hit portions of the Lynnhurst and Kenny neighborhoods in Southwest, according to the Minneapolis Police Department. There were 10 reported burglaries in the area on Aug. 29. Police believe all the burglaries occurred during daytime hours. Forced entry was used at seven of the 10 garages, two were unlocked and, in one case, police believe the burglars used a garage door
opener in an unlocked vehicle to gain access. The burglars stole bikes and other household items. All reported burglaries took place between Bryant and Humboldt avenues from 53rd Street to 56th Street. Police do not have a suspect at this time. The department encourages residents to keep their homes and garages locked. Sylvestre SWJ 091919 6.indd 1
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A8 September 19–October 2, 2019 / southwestjournal.com
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By Jim Walsh
Called to collect Free Bikes 4 Kids
I
t was in 19th century Victorian America that Susan B. Anthony famously proclaimed, “I think bicycling has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world.” A woman on a bicycle, she said, is “the picture of free and untrammeled womanhood.” More than 100 years later, Suzanne Gilbert knows the value of a good bike, and she wants to share. “The bike is my freedom,” said Gilbert, a graphic designer and the founder of four businesses, including her Fulton neighborhood-based landscaping company My Garden Goddess. “That happened when I was a child. I think everyone feels the freedom of getting away on your bike when you’re a kid, but for me it was escaping my dad, who was a dictator. I had too much of his personality, so we fought a lot, so once I got on my bike I was away from him. “Growing up in Oshkosh, [Wisconsin,] I biked by Lake Winnebago and to and from my job because I didn’t have money for a car. I worked at a bakery in the morning and a restaurant at night. But it wasn’t until I literally stepped away from my dad as a grown adult in Minnesota that I learned he was giving me his best gifts. Which was: ‘So you’re passionate. Go ahead and use that. If you want it, you’ve got to go and make it happen.’ “Because my first major rift with him was [when] I was the first person in my family to want to go to college. My dad said, ‘Well, how are you going to do that?’ I just assumed he’d help me financially, and I asked and he said, ‘No,’ and I didn’t really care for that. It was a huge rift, so I had to go out and get a scholarship, and I did, and I gained a lot of confidence, and my design work got multiple prizes, and it’s been that way ever since. “But the bike piece is such a freedom for me. I drop everything as soon as I get on that bike and feel the wind through the helmet, and I totally love giving that to a kid. Because it’s not only their freedom; it’s the beginning of staying healthy and going places and moving and I totally dig everything about it. It started [in] an interesting way with my dad, and now it’s come full circle.” Gilbert graduated with a degree in graphic design, and when her father died of lymphoma, she took on a new mission as a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Minnesota. Twenty years later, she’s raised over $100,000 for the organization and continues to be inspired to do more — specifically, for Free Bikes 4 Kids, the 10-year-old charity that collects and gives away thousands of bikes each year. “Oct. 5 is my 61st birthday,” said Gilbert, a devout Christian who attends City Church in the Kenny neighborhood. “At 3 o’clock in the morning about three months ago when I was exhausted, sleeping three hours a day for my job with My Garden Goddess, I get the message from God above — he always hits you when you’re most vulnerable because that’s when he can make his point — and he showed me a postcard that was in a stuffed bag from a bike ride that I’d done that Saturday, which was benefitting Free Bikes 4 Kids.
Free Bikes 4 Kids collector Suzanne Gilbert: “I’ve been called to do every single thing I’ve done.” Photo by Jim Walsh
“The postcard said Oct. 5 was the big rally day when all the bikes come in from across Minnesota. I’m like, ‘Oh, my birthday! You want me to collect 61 bikes?’ And I’m only sleeping three hours a day, because my business quadrupled this year, which is really wonderful, but I said, ‘OK, I can do that.’ Not knowing how they’re going to come in or where I was going to store them. I always leave the details up to him and everything falls into place.” Gilbert got the word out via friends, business acquaintances and social media. She got the trailer to pick up bikes, a storage backyard in Richfield, a team put together and she encourages everyone reading this to donate to Free Bikes 4 Kids at fb4k.org or to email her at suzanne@mygardengoddess.com “I am the example for everyone else,” she said. “You have to get your hands dirty. You are seen by everyone else, and people are watching. So go forth and be the example of what can be done. I’ve been called to do every single thing I’ve done. I don’t really feel like I’m chosen; if I’m introduced to an opportunity, I’ll pray
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about it and then I’m shown what to do. And no matter how busy I think I am, I don’t hesitate to move forward. “I don’t think I could do it all unless I was an endurance athlete. I’m a triathlete; so one of my businesses was coaching Iron Men. So my whole life is a marathon, but there’s so much to do and so much ground to move, and I’m a make-it-happen kind of gal. Whatever you need, whatever the request is, I will make it happen. Because I’m exceedingly passionate; I think I was just born with all that passion.” Her passion is infectious and, as a result, kids all across Minnesota will get a gift for Gilbert’s birthday. “It’s going to be just a perfect day on my birthday,” she said. “I’ve got the trailer, I’ve got the team. It’s the first step in bringing the joy that I have when I ride — to share the bike love. We’ll be collecting more bikes including on the day of Oct. 5, and then they get wrapped and gifted at Christmas. It’s a beautiful thing.” Jim Walsh lives and grew up in South Minneapolis. He can be reached at jimwalsh086@gmail.com
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southwestjournal.com / September 19–October 2, 2019 A9
Math, reading proficiency rates are low and steady Nearly half of students in Southwest aren’t meeting standard By Nate Gotlieb / ngotlieb@swjournal.com
Nearly half of students in Southwest Minneapolis’ publicly funded schools are not mastering grade-level standards in reading and math, according to the latest round of statewide standardized test results. About 55.9% of Southwest Minneapolis students were proficient in reading in 2019 and 54.4% were proficient in math, according to results released Aug. 30. That’s about the same percentage as in 2018 and slightly below the 2019 statewide proficiency rates of 55.5% for math and 55.9% percent for reading. Minnesota requires publicly funded schools to give standardized accountability tests, called the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments, in reading and math each year. Students are required to take them in grades 3–8 and again in high school, unless their parents opt them out. They’re also required to take a standardized science test three times over their academic careers. There is also an alternative assessment, the Minnesota Test of Academic Skills, for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Both the MCAs and the MTA measure whether students are grasping concepts the state says they should understand, given their grade level.
SEE MCA RESULTS / PAGE A19
SOUTHWEST MINNEAPOLIS PROFICIENCY RATES, 2018–19 SCHOOL YEAR A look at the overall reading and math proficiency rates at 20 Southwest Minneapolis schools. 100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Anthony Middle School
Anwatin Armatage Barton Open Bryn Mawr Middle Com Elementary Elementary Elementary & Spanish D I
Burroughs Elementary
Hennepin Hiawatha Jefferson Elementary College Prep Elementary School – Kingfield
Justice Page Middle School
Kenny Elementary
Kenwood Elementary
Lake Harriet Lake Harriet Lyndale Lower Upper School Elementary Elementary
Southwest Stonebridge Washburn Whitter Senior High World School Senior High International
Windom School
Reading
61.3%
34.7%
80.8%
56.3%
16.9%
75.3%
42.3%
34.4%
21.9%
64.4%
66.2%
68.3%
88.2%
79.5%
47.9%
46.3%
24.4%
60.9%
33.2%
56.7%
Math
57.4%
37.6%
83.2%
51.1%
14.3%
83.0%
56.7%
28.2%
13.9%
63.6%
77.1%
56.1%
90.9%
82.1%
46.6%
42.3%
16.2%
48.7%
22.1%
57.9%
Note: Southwest Minneapolis’ two alternative high schools, Loring-Nicollet High and MERC, are not included on this chart because each had fewer than 10 students take the math and reading tests.
A10 September 19–October 2, 2019 / southwestjournal.com
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Bridging the divide over Interstate 35W By Ksenia Gorinshteyn
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The vertical line Interstate 35W draws through South Minneapolis is all too familiar to most commuting metropolitan residents. For those who have only known a city split by the freeway, it can be hard to imagine the area in any other way. But the route of the highway is the legacy of an urban planning process in the 1950s and 1960s that displaced a community consisting of hundreds of racially diverse families and continues to contribute to Minneapolis’ severe social and economic racial divisions. “When I would talk to my mother about the freeway, she talked about how people were so upset, about taking the homeless out, and then construction,” said Shawn Lewis, who grew up behind Minneapolis Central High School and remembers hearing the noise from freeway construction when he was a boy. “She said, ‘They got this big hole in our community, and they haven’t done anything.’” When Lewis was in the fourth grade, he saw two photos in his science classroom that would stick in his mind for the rest of his life. He described two aerial photos on a wall that showed the homes in South Minneapolis before I-35W was created and then what was left after the freeway was constructed. “You could clearly see the length between Downtown Minneapolis and Highway 62 — how many homes were taken,” Lewis said.
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“And then you see the roads and the ramps and you’re just like, ‘Oh, my God.’ I’ll never forget that.” Two events in early September sought to keep conversations alive about the highway’s history and impact. On Sept. 7, Denise Pike, a public historian with the University of Minnesota, co-led a walking tour of the I-35W corridor attended by about 30 people. She told how the Minnesota Department of Transportation declared there was “no unified community” in the corridor and how there was only a single, poorly advertised community meeting before construction of the interstate began in 1965. Four days later, around 100 community members attended the second-annual “Building Bridges & Breaking Bread” sitdown dinner celebration. The free meal — intended to take place on the 38th Street bridge over I-35W but moved to the Sabathani Community Center because of rain — was intended as a gesture of kinship between neighborhoods severed by the highway’s concrete expanse, an attempt to reconcile with the physical divide by sharing food and music. “When the [38th Street] bridge reopened, it just felt like a good opportunity to celebrate because it’s a very tangible thing that connects the two communities,” City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins (Ward 8) said. “But in a more intangible [way], how do we connect the people back together? So we came up with this concept of dinner on the bridge.” At the dinner, residents shared stories of life before and after construction of the freeway. “When I was a kid, the freeway hadn’t come through yet,” said Suluki Fardan, 69, who lived about three blocks east of the future I-35W corridor in the Field neighborhood. “At the time, Nicollet [Park] had this big, beautiful skating rink. And at about 16 or 17 years old we would drag race down there because there was a bunch of dirt.” Community events like “Breaking Bread & Building Bridges” are a step toward remedying the disparities that have arisen due to I-35W, Jenkins said. While the process may not be easy, many in South Minneapolis certainly think it’s worth it. “We’re bringing community together, and trying to support economic development and housing, in the name of racial healing,” Jenkins said.
southwestjournal.com / September 19–October 2, 2019 A11
Conservation district to get further study West Calhoun proposal has stoked debate over density By Nate Gotlieb / ngotlieb@swjournal.com
A request to grant a small, century-old West Calhoun neighborhood a never-before-used type of historic protection has cleared its first hurdle, though a majority of members of the Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) have indicated doubts about the proposal. The HPC has initiated a process that could result in a 3-plus-acre West Calhoun neighborhood becoming a conservation district. Designation of the neighborhood, which is immediately west of Bde Maka Ska, would include the creation of “design guidelines” that would regulate future development. Those guidelines could include restrictions on building height in a neighborhood slated for developments of 2–10 stories under the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Preservation commissioners on Sept. 17 voted 5–3 to start a process studying whether the neighborhood merits the conservation district designation and creating guidelines for the district. But some commissioners who voted to start the process expressed skepticism over whether the neighborhood ultimately deserves the designation. While some commissioners said they think the proposal is a good chance to test the 5-year-old conservation district ordinance, others said they worry conservation districts will be used as a tool to limit the housing density prescribed by the 2040 plan. “I think it’s really important for us to not set a precedent that conservation districts can be used to prevent development in areas that could bring more equitable housing to our city,” commissioner Jesse Kling said. Conservation districts are supposed to be areas with noteworthy characteristics that aren’t significant enough to merit a full historic designation. The process of creating a district can only be initiated by the property owners in an area. After a period of study, city staff will work with neighbors to develop design guidelines. To become official, the guidelines will need to be approved by the State Historic Preservation Office, the Planning Commission, the HPC, the City Council and two-thirds of the district’s property owners. The 25-house West Calhoun neighbor-
hood was the first to submit a complete conservation district application when it did so this summer. Park Board commissioner Meg Forney, who lives in the neighborhood, submitted the application. Forney and her neighbors argued that their neighborhood is noteworthy because of its modest, street-oriented houses that encompass a variety of 20th-century architectural styles. They said they’re pursuing the designation in part because they’re against the 10-story building heights that the 2040 plan will allow in the neighborhood. Some pro-density advocates have spoken against the proposal, arguing that building height limits have already had sufficient public discussion. They have also said passage would stifle development near a future light-rail station, which is problematic because increased transit usage will help the city meet its climate goals. The Park Board has also opposed the designation, because it says higher-density development in the neighborhood could help eliminate historic disparities in park access. Preservation commissioners said they support conservation districts as a tool, but they varied in their enthusiasm for the West Calhoun proposal. Commissioner Ian Stade, who voted against the proposal, said he thinks the HPC needs to be careful when setting precedents for conservation districts. Commissioner Kimberly Sandbulte, who also voted against it, asked how the homes in the neighborhood are unique compared with others in nearby areas. Commissioner Madelyn Sundberg, who supported initiating the process, said she feels like the proposal aligns with the goals of the new comprehensive plan, which calls in part for preserving small single-family homes. Commissioner Barbara Howard, who also voted in support, said she doesn’t necessarily think the neighborhood merits designation but could see how others may think it does. “Is there enough here … to move forward with a conservation district? I would have to say there is,” HPC chair Ginny Lackovic said. “Whether or not we follow through with that in the long run, that I don’t know.”
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A12 September 19–October 2, 2019 / southwestjournal.com
Celebrating a European tour, 50 years later Washburn Choralers commemorate 1969 trip across Northern Europe
By Nate Gotlieb / ngotlieb@swjournal.com
Cheryl Preisler recalled singing the piece “Alleluia” in a Norwegian church with great acoustics — a performance that left half of her Washburn High School choirmates in tears. Jeff Schmitz remembered breaking into “The Star Spangled Banner” at a Finnish youth hostel after hearing the radio broadcast of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Greg Taylor recalled having his first beer — and being told on by one of his classmates. Preisler, Schmitz and Taylor were among the several dozen members of the “Washburn Choralers” choir who gathered Sept. 12 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of a 24-day tour of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark. In attendance was their director, Bill Lydell, now 88, and his wife, Margaret. Choir members recalled the surrealness of being close to the Russian border during the height of the Cold War and of celebrating the American moon landing in the middle of the night. The trip came at a time when student choirs did not tour as often as they do today, choir member Lynn Martin said. She and others said they were proud to represent the U.S. and were impressed Lydell had supervised nearly 90 students with just a handful of chaperones. “It was [50] years ago, and it’s like yesterday, [both] the problems and the good things,” Lydell said. “The good things outweighed the bad things by a ton.”
Joe Hinz, Nancy Connors and Jeff Schmitz (left to right) video chat with a classmate during a Sept. 12 reunion of the “Washburn Choralers” choir. Photo by Nate Gotlieb
‘We all grew up’ According to Lydell, the trip originated from a performance his choir had given in Evanston, Illinois. He said a member of the Finnish Arts Council had asked him to bring the choir to the annual Savonlinna Opera Festival, held in a 15th-century Finnish castle.
Washburn’s was the first American student choir ever invited to the festival, according to a March 1969 article in The Minneapolis Star. Lydell said the choir received free transportation across northern Europe, courtesy of the Finnish government. He said his favorite part of the trip was the moments
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southwestjournal.com / September 19–October 2, 2019 A13
New director: Hennepin History Museum has ‘room for growth’ By Zac Farber / zfarber@swjournal.com
John Crippen assumed leadership of the Hennepin History Museum in early September after a three-decade career at the Minnesota Historical Society. Crippen has big plans for the museum, which is housed in a 100-year-old mansion half a block north of the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The Whittier museum currently receives about 5,000 visitors per year and offers rotating exhibits, community programming, a triannual magazine and an archive library. “We’ve got a lot of room for growth,” he said. Crippen hopes to partner with other small museums like the Somali Museum of Minnesota on Lake Street and the African American Heritage Museum in North Minneapolis. He wants the museum to resume adding new objects to its collection. He’s considering expanding the museum’s building into the lot currently occupied by St. Stephen’s Whittier Community Garden. And he’s discussing the possibility of introducing free admission as he seeks to increase attendance. Crippen earned a master’s degree in museum studies from SUNY Oneonta and has served as director of the Mill City Museum and director of Minnesota’s 31 state historic sites. Hennepin History Museum’s previous director, Cedar Imboden Phillips, left in late 2018 and is now a foreign service officer at the U.S. Department of State. Crippen shared his plans for the museum in an interview with the Southwest Journal. It has been condensed and edited for clarity.
ROOFING
The two big headlines in the last couple years are both in Hennepin County, at Fort Snelling and at Bde Maka Ska. I’ve had people ask me, “When does that stop?” My answer is it stops when we feel like we’ve done the right thing and we’ve got the right place names for our moment in time. I’m excited about our upcoming exhibit this fall on women’s suffrage, which is approaching its 100th anniversary. It includes the story of Lavinia Coppock Gilfillan, whose portrait is in our stairwell, who was against the suffrage movement. Let’s tell her story and see if we can understand that.
John Crippen is mulling changes to the Hennepin History Museum’s building footprint, fee structure and programming. Photo by Zac Farber
What programs have resonated with the community and what are you excited about for the future? The Owning Up exhibit, where we talked about racial covenants of neighborhoods in Minneapolis, was our best-attended exhibit in the last couple years. So I want to build more things like that. We currently have a project researching stories of the building of I-35W as it plowed through South Minneapolis, and I want to expand that to 35W in the suburbs and its impact across Hennepin County. I’m itching to do an exhibit on place names.
What would you like to collect to encapsulate the present moment? I’d like to collect stuff from new residents of the county. I think immigration in the early 21st century is a huge story of the county. It’s another big wave of how the demographics are changing, and we want to document that. Plus things like popular culture — the Minneapolis music scene or you name it. We need to do some brainstorming and talking with the community to ask: What is going to tell the story for future generations? The Hennepin History Museum is housed in the Christian Family Mansion. In 2017, the museum received a $75,000 grant to create a Historic Structure Report for the building. What’s the history of the mansion, what were the report’s findings and what repairs does the building need?
This house was built in 1919, Carolyn [McKnight Christian] left in ‘57 and soon after it came over to us. We’ve had it and inhabited it longer than the original family. We should own that and say, “This is a museum and let’s make it so.” The good news is most of the repairs needed are moderate priority. There’s a lot of deferred maintenance with the masonry, with the windows. Structurally, the building is sound, but almost everything around it needs a little TLC. There isn’t an elevator, so that’s going to cap our growth until we can install one.
You oversaw the Minnesota Historical Society’s living history programming, in which performers act out scenes from the state’s past. What are the strengths and weaknesses of this type of programming, and do you want to bring it to the Hennepin History Museum? The strength is that it’s really evocative to see people in costume and a setting. But on the other hand, it’s impossible to recreate the past precisely and, frankly, that style of interpretation doesn’t suit everybody. It’s an acquired taste for some, and it’s limiting. It’s not always the best way to deal with complicated and sometimes contentious history. Would we do it here? I could definitely see us from time to time doing presentations, vignettes, characters who give a presentation and then a little Q & A. If you get the right character and the right message, it can really resonate with some folks.
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A14 September 19–October 2, 2019 / southwestjournal.com
Green Digest
By Mira Klein
Safety through oasis on the Midtown Greenway Donovan Harmel, manager of Vera’s Garden, leaves a legacy of beautification and community placemaking
A bench in Vera’s Garden offers an oasis to enjoy early fall colors. Photo by Mira Klein
Donovan Harmel is ready to pass on responsibility for managing Vera’s Garden, which he has cared for since 2001. Submitted photo
for example, the relationship between urban greening and reduced aggression. The City of Minneapolis and HCRRA, two entities that share operation and maintenance responsibilities over different portions of the Greenway, agree that gardens, landscaping and other beautifying infrastructure can have big impacts on user experience of the Greenway and can help connect the trail to the surrounding neighborhoods. In 2015, Hennepin County Community Works and the Minneapolis Department of Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) jointly published a report on East Lake Street/Midtown Greenway placemaking and urban design. This report features proposals for public art installations and landscape designs along the Greenway, all with access, connectivity and user experience in mind. Over the last several months, Greenwayaffiliated organizations including HCRRA , the Midtown Greenway Coalition and the office of Minneapolis City Council Member Alondra Cano (Ward 9) have all noticed an uptick in the perception of safety risk, particularly with respect to homeless encampments and drug activity. New fencing has gone up in response, both under the Bloomington Avenue Bridge on the Greenway and under the I-94 overpass along the Blue Line Trail in Cedar-Riverside. All the while, the trail has been quiet with respect to city and county involvement in placemaking and intentional design, as recommended in the above report.
Vera’s Garden is on the lookout for a new garden manager. If you are interested in learning more or volunteering with the garden, please email Donovan Harmel at donhmpls@gmail.com. Check out the next Green Digest for a deeper dive into community safety and infrastructure along the Midtown Greenway.
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But when it comes to creative placemaking, official bodies aren’t necessary to lead the effort. Vera’s Garden is a perfect example of this creative spontaneity. And sometimes, this spontaneity is more defiant. “If people want to go someplace, they’ll go there, whether there’s fencing or not,” Harmel said. The same is true for an informal cattle trail down to the Greenway trench from 29th Street. The trail was constructed for hillside maintenance purposes, explained Curt Gunsbury, owner of Solhem Companies, which operates the nearby Lyndy Apartments. “It’s not designed to become public access to the Greenway, although we assumed it would become one,” he said. According to Harmel, not only is fencing a waste of money, but it could pose a danger in and of itself. Recently the HCRRA opened up a gate in the fence that separates the Greenway from a HCRAA-owned access road to the south. The fence gap, located across from Vera’s Garden between Garfield and Harriet avenues, provides a new entry point for visitors coming down to the trail from the street above. “People were climbing over [the fence] before,” Harmel said. “It was more of a danger for someone to get hurt.” Gunsbury understands that the Greenway fencing is important for HCRRA to maintain access to the property they operate. “But as you can imagine, it’s hard to limit access to a trench that runs through a densely populated area,” he said. Luckily for Greenway users, Harmel has put in 18 years of dedicated work to create an accessible space of respite and safety, a small example of community placemaking come to life.
by SW Journal Readers
contributions, he suspects that Vera’s Garden has had reverberations down the rest of the Greenway. “I think it has helped get other beautification projects going,” he said. Chris Durant, a longtime friend, is less modest when he reflects on the impact of Harmel’s commitment to Vera’s. “It started from just an idea to an amazing oasis that has really pushed other people to get involved in doing stuff along the Greenway,” Durant said. “I see [Harmel] as inspirational.” Vera’s Garden is more than just a project of beauty. It’s a piece of infrastructure that impacts how people access and interact with communal space. Public safety has always been part of the discussion when it comes to the Greenway, prompting concerns over who is using the trail and how. Even when Vera’s Garden was first putting together a proposal for the lot, Harmel remembers opposition to evergreen trees out of fear that people could hide behind them. But Harmel did his research. He actually called a lead gardener with the Central Park Conservancy to ask about safety disparities between evergreen and deciduous trees and found no evidence that a safety disparity exists. Harmel also built relationships with academic greenspace researchers, including Dr. Frances Kuo, founder of the Human-Environment Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Kuo has been a longtime leader in studying the connection between increased greenspace access and safer communities. Her research has demonstrated,
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fter 18 years of pouring love and spilling sweat along the Midtown Greenway, Donovan Harmel is ready to step away from his role as manager of the much-beloved Vera’s Garden. Named in honor of the former Vera’s Cafe on the corner of 29th & Lyndale (a building now occupied by Lago Tacos), Vera’s Garden was the brainchild of some local gardeners with a few extra plants and a desire to find them a community home. The result is an impressive project of neighborhood beautification, one that attracts visitors to rest among the flowers and invites Greenway travelers to slow down during their morning commutes. Vera’s Garden broke ground less than a year after the first section of the Greenway opened to foot traffic in 2001. Harmel and his fellow gardeners worked with the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA) to draw up plans for the space and put together a lease agreement (Vera’s Garden leases the plot for $1 per year). Over time, Vera’s Garden became known in the gardening community in Minneapolis and beyond. In 2015 the Southwest Journal declared it an “oasis on the Midtown Greenway.” In 2016 it was a featured stop on an annual garden bloggers tour bringing together writers from across North America. As the Midtown Greenway Coalition noted in a recent newsletter, Vera’s Garden “is considered by many to be the most beautiful garden in the entire Greenway.” While Harmel spoke modestly about his
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southwestjournal.com / September 19–October 2, 2019 A15
By Andrew Hazzard / ahazzard@swjournal.com
Park Board pushes for higher tax levy The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) is asking the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) to allocate a larger tax levy increase than Mayor Jacob Frey has recommended with a goal of increasing funding for youth programs. Park Board commissioners voted Sept. 4 to seek a 8.06% property tax levy increase for 2020, bringing its total levy to about $71 million, which would include $1.3 million in new funding for youth jobs programs, recreation activities and four technology “ideation labs” in recreation centers to expose kids to modern tech and skills. The Park Board is also requesting $266,000 in new funding to decrease its carbon footprint. Frey’s recommended budget calls for a 5.73% increase for the MPRB levy, which officials say will allow the park system to maintain current service levels. The mayor vetoed the Park Board’s maximum levy request on Sept. 10, but ultimately the Board of Estimate and Taxation gets to set the city’s maximum tax levy. Several MPRB leaders and commissioners directly appealed to the BET to consider their request at a Sept. 11 meeting. The BET, whose five-member board includes Frey and Park Board President Brad Bourn, will set a maximum tax levy for the entire city on Sept. 25. The MPRB receives about 7% of city property
tax dollars. The tax levy funds about 75% of the Park Board budget. “We are looking for increased investment and sustained support for our youth long term,” Parks Superintendent Al Bangoura said. Bangoura wants to prioritize six areas of youth programming: ideation spaces; youth enrichment through communityfocused employment; nature programming; cycling; community gardening; and intergenerational centers for excellence. The idea is to make MPRB recreation centers into one-stop shops for youth learning, nature experience, activities and employment. “We have an opportunity within our rec centers to look at something really different,” Bangoura said. Youth services through the MPRB have increased in recent years but still lag behind levels in the early 2000s, according to MPRB deputy superintendent Jennifer Ringold. In 2001, the MPRB had 66 full-time staff in its recreation centers, she said. Today, there are 46 full-time rec center staff members. In Southwest, Pershing Park averaged 48 hours a week in rec center service hours in 2001. Today, the park’s rec center is open about 37 hours per week, according to Ringold. Youthline, the MPRB’s mentorship
program, had 18 full-time employees for most of the 2000s. In 2019, there are 12 full-time Youthline staff members. Commissioner Londel French (At Large) told the BET he recalls working in rec centers in the 2000s that were open until 11 p.m. each night, allowing more youth to have a safe place to play and relax. I think the kids in this city need more,” French said. “I’m asking this board to do more.” Park Board Vice President AK Hassan also urged the BET to adopt the higher levy for youth programs. “There is more work that needs to be done,” Hassan said before reading a statement from Rep. Ilhan Omar supporting the MPRB levy increase for youth funding. Not all parks commissioners are in favor of the increased levy, with some at the Sept. 4 meeting encouraging their colleagues to accept the mayor’s proposal. “We’re going to be raising taxes for people who are probably having problems with paying taxes already,” Commissioner LaTrisha Vetaw (At Large) said, adding that the Park Board should look to hire a full-time grant writer to solicit funds for youth programming. If approved, the Park Board tax levy increase request would raise property taxes about $24 annually for a $266,000 home, the median value in the city.
Final meeting scheduled for Southwest Parks Plan The effort to plan out the next 20 years for Southwest’s 43 neighborhood parks is nearing the finish line. The Southwest Service Area Master Plan’s community advisory committee (CAC) will hold its final meeting from 5:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 7, at Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, at 4055 Nicollet Ave. S. There are still a number of large parks the CAC has not reached consensus on, including Kenwood Park and The Parade. The group also needs to agree on a balance between diamond sport spaces and field sport spaces that will be divided between Armatage, Kenny, Pershing and Linden Hills parks. The Oct. 7 meeting will begin with a 15-minute deliberation on Mueller Park, which will primarily be to decide whether to have full or half-court basketball in the Wedge’s neighborhood park. The CAC has met 16 times to debate and create recommendations for the future uses of the parks in Southwest. The meetings are open to the public. Residents can also view and comment on the plans at minneapolisparks.org/sw. The CAC will submit its final recommendations to MPRB staff, who will write a draft plan to be released for public comment. Parks commissioners will then review the plan and potentially make changes before voting for approval.
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A16 September 19–October 2, 2019 / southwestjournal.com FROM BOOKS FOR BORDER KIDS / PAGE A1
that if he showed his gangrenous leg to authorities, he would be separated from his family. “ICE and Border Patrol strip them of everything — even if it’s a rosary,” she said. “A woman wept in my arms because her son’s birth blanket had been taken, which the grandmother had sent along with her and her son. Everything stripped away — clothing, shoelaces — everything taken away.” Since the summer of 2018, Chávez said, she’s distributed approximately 20,000 books to adults, children and families through her “Libros Para el Viaje” — Books for the Journey — project, conducted with help from Peace Lutheran Church, the Border Servant Corps and the American Booksellers Association. “I am here to represent those who have died in detention, in the heat, those who have drowned, been shot, beaten, raped,” Chávez said during a July protest held outside an ICE detention center in El Paso. “I am here to represent all who want to do something, don’t know what to do, don’t know where to begin. You are not alone. Look around you. We are family.” Donations have poured in from across the country. A group of high school students from New Jersey rounded up 136 books; the poet Margaret Randall gave 110 boxes; a whole pallet
ICE and Border Patrol strip them of everything — even if it’s a rosary. A woman wept in my arms because her son’s birth blanket had been taken, which the grandmother had sent along with her and her son. — Denise Chávez
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of books arrived from Girón Books in Chicago. The Books for Border Kids drive in the Twin Cities runs through the end of October, and nearly 400 picture and board books for children ages 2–8 have already been purchased. The drive was organized by a group of concerned local residents, including Joan Poritsky and Nancy Burke of Lynnhurst, in partnership with Wild Rumpus and the Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul. “We want to put books into kids’ hands and this is a community of kids who may not have access in the same way other kids do,” said Kristen Kavic, a manager at Wild Rumpus. “Our customer base has been very happy we’ve been doing this.” Chávez made the case for the importance of giving books to refugees who lack more basic needs. “We’re living in a horrific time, and what can a book do to help? A lot,” she said. “A book is knowledge, a book is hope. It is an awakening that allows us to understand that we are all one people. … Children hug me. I give them a book and a child will ask very politely, ‘Señora, es posible llevar dos libros?’ ‘Can I take two books? Can I take three books?’ I’ve never limited the amount of books.” She does, however, impose restrictions on the type of books she’ll give to refugees. She refuses to hand out books involving violence, narcos or the murders of women in Juárez. She doesn’t want to share books “that reflect a darkness” and tries not to distribute books like The Hunger Games trilogy. (When she receives books she feels are inappropriate, she donates them to other humanitarian or educational organizations.) “Why would I give someone Grisham translated when you can get Isabel Allende, Sandra Cisneros, Rudolfo Anaya, Luís Urrea — all sorts of authentic and real Latino writers?” she asked. “Maya Angelou in Spanish — that’s a treasure. We’re educating people about literature, art and culture.” When she recruits her volunteer book stewards, Chávez asks them a simple question: “Are you willing to sing, to read a story, to laugh, to cry?”
Denise Chávez reads to refugee kids living in a New Mexico hospitality center from her 1993 children’s book, La Mujer Que Sabía El Idioma de Los Animales (The Woman Who Knew the Language of the Animals). Photo courtesy of Daniel Zolinsky
“We appreciate those who come out of the shadows to participate fully with our families, whether it is blowing bubbles, sitting down to have pancakes and coffee, or talking in a circle about your life and dreams,” she has written in a list of “rules of engagement” for book stewards. President Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy has led Chávez to make more book distributions along the border, near the international bridge in El Paso and at hospitality centers in Ciudad Juárez. “Every day the situation changes,” she said. “We might hear this afternoon that they’ve dumped people at the bus depot. And then we’re there and we take books.” She said the one place she hasn’t been able to distribute is inside ICE detention centers. “Nobody can get in there,” she said. “Our government doesn’t want people to see what is actually going on. The cruelty, the overcrowding, the lack of sanitation and food. So you’re never going to get a book in there.”
HOW TO HELP To donate new children’s books through the Books for Border Kids program, you can visit Wild Rumpus or Red Balloon or go to booksforborderkids.org. You can also mail new or gently used books of all genres directly to the Libros Para el Viaje project: Casa Camino Real 314 S. Tornillo St. Las Cruces, NM 88001 Monetary donations to nonprofits serving refugees are accepted at annunciationhouse.org and borderservantcorps.org.
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A18 September 19–October 2, 2019 / southwestjournal.com FROM HOUSE MOVED / PAGE A1
The move cleared the way for construction of a 36-unit apartment building at 2614– 2620 W. 44th St., where another house once owned by writer Brenda Ueland had previously been demolished after city officials ruled the house had lost its historic value. “It’s one of the tighter moves I’ve been involved with,” said John Jepsen, owner of Jepsen Inc. His team dug around the house and jackhammered holes to insert supportive steel beams, which the developer referred to as Lincoln Logs. They then lifted the house off its foundation and slid in power dollies for the slow ride down the street. “I was able to essentially drive the house using a remote control,” Jepsen said. Jepsen, who lives in the Kenny neighborhood, started his career as a carpentry subcontractor, and his work evolved into ever more complicated structural shoring, lifting and leveling projects. His company removed columns from the Mall of America to give the Apple Store an open sales floor. At a sloping corner of 43rd & Upton, next to Zumbro Cafe, Jepsen shored up the brick structure so workers could straighten out the floors. In the future Commutator Foundry development in the North Loop, Jepsen will move a historic brick building to allow underground parking construction, and then return the structure to the site. “It’s endless, the possibilities,” Jepsen said. The Linden Hills house at 2616 W. 44th St., purchased for $963,500 in 2016, had been extensively renovated, once advertising three gas fireplaces, a marble-tiled master bath, a subzero custom fridge and a Vulcan range. The developer didn’t want to tear it down. Neighbors suggested moving the house to 4400 Thomas, a lot where the house reportedly had deferred maintenance and had been passed through probate to an out-of-town resident. The developer bought the Thomas Avenue site on Aug. 19 for $546,809. Developer Andrew Commers declined to share the total cost to move the house. But he said there’s a reason you don’t see it often. “Hopefully someone buys it for enough to make it at least a wash,” he said. “We’ll see.”
Rethinking what’s possible House moves are not common in South Minneapolis, due to mature tree canopy, utility wires, light rail lines and few vacant lots, Jepsen said. “Unfortunately we’re seeing more and more of these houses go to landfills,” he said. In Minnesota, more than 80% of the state’s 1.6 million tons of construction and demolition waste was landfilled in 2013, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. And the demolition of a typical 2,000-square-foot home generates about 127 tons of construction and demolition waste, according to a 2015 city report prepared for Council Member Linea Palmisano (Ward 13). “Some of the most efficient structures out there are the ones that are already existing,” Jepsen said.
A Linden Hills house moves on power dollies to a site a block away at 4400 Thomas Ave. S. “It’s one of the tighter moves I’ve been involved with,” Jepsen Inc. owner John Jepsen says. Photo by Michelle Bruch
For houses with failing foundations, Jepsen said, it’s possible to lift the house, pour a new foundation and set the house back down. He did that about three weeks ago near 47th & Upton. Other local projects have addressed rotting and sinking interior columns, structural shoring for renovations, and house lifting to elevate basement ceilings. Lifting an average South Minneapolis home for a new foundation typically costs $12,000–$18,000, Jepsen said, and costs run higher based on weight and complexity of the job. (Additional costs related to mechanical systems are often the largest expenses, he said.) Moving an entire house to a new location, meanwhile, varies widely based on the weight and distance to travel, he said. The MPCA reports that the average cost to move a structure is $12–$16 per square foot. Nationwide, the average cost to move a house is roughly $15,000–$50,000, estimates Tammie DeVooght Blaney, executive director of the International Association of Structural Movers. Thousands of houses were moved during expansion of the interstate system in the 1950s and 60s, she said, and it was easier because there was less congestion and more open space. Today, everything is more disposable, she said. “It used be, you build something, it was built to last,” she said. Groups like Habitat for Humanity have found affordable housing by moving homes, she said. When the Green Bay Packers expanded a Lambeau Field parking lot in 2012, they moved and sold two houses, with proceeds going to Habitat for Humanity. But for a developer it’s typically cheaper
and easier to pay for demolition than a move — every day a developer waits is a day they’re paying down a loan for the project, DeVooght Blaney said. “I’ve been on a lot of house moves where the developer will have their machine sitting right next to the house, and it’s like, ‘If this isn’t gone tomorrow, it’s demolished,’” she said. Commers said they were fortunate the timing worked out in the Linden Hills case — but they couldn’t have waited another 30 days, he said. He said they spent more than four months navigating logistics and permits related to the excavation, foundation, stormwater, demolition, utility connections, power lines, house location and position on the new lot. “The checklist adds up pretty quickly,” he said.
Rethinking waste Climate change, manifested in flooding and hurricanes, is driving the biggest changes in the structural moving industry, DeVooght Blaney said. Three million U.S. homes lie in a floodplain, she said. Although the process to secure funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency can take years, FEMA can help relocate homes to higher ground or help elevate homes above a floodplain, installing resilient foundations that can handle water intrusion. “That will be the biggest amount of work in our industry in the next 50 years,” she said. DeVooght Blaney said the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is one of the few environmental agencies in the country seeing a connection between the environment and structural moving, and sharing information on its website.
‘Connect my soul to the notes’
FROM WASHBURN CHORALERS / PAGE A12
The choir departed the U.S. on July 4, 1969, and spent three days in Norway and two in Stockholm before heading to the opera festival in Savonlinna. They spent 10 days in the town, during which time Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the moon, and another eight in other areas of Europe, before returning to the U.S. on July 28. Schmitz, who also had just graduated Washburn, said he’d never been on an airplane before the trip. He and classmate Joe Hinz recalled playing volleyball with Finns and how Finns were confused by an American football. Martin said her dad gave her the choice between going on the trip or getting braces. She said the group ran out of water at one point in Finland, and she recalled the Finns once serving them cornflakes for dinner.
There was a time when construction and demolition waste was perceived to be lower risk, and there were fewer restrictions at landfills, according to the MPCA. But the agency is now finalizing a report that shows contaminants from construction materials like concrete are showing up in groundwater near unlined landfills. (Much of Minneapolis’ construction and demolition waste goes to lined landfills in Rosemount and Shakopee, according to the MPCA.) The MPCA is launching two advisory groups to help improve the construction and demolition system. The typical 2,000-square-foot home can hold up to 6,000 board-feet of reusable lumber, according to the city. Other recycled materials can include electrical and plumbing fixtures, pipes, wiring, concrete, doors, windows, brick and stone. Large Minneapolis developments are required to consider deconstruction and recycling as part of demolition. The Longfellow-based nonprofit Better Futures Minnesota (recently visited by presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren) offers job training in the deconstruction business, aiming to recycle or reuse at least 75% of each house. Council Member Phillipe Cunningham (Ward 4) tweeted in August that he is working with Better Futures on a deconstruction ordinance as a sustainability and economic development strategy, particularly for the North Side. “We know we can reuse and recycle this material,” said Courtney Ahlers-Nelson, supervisor of the MPCA Land Permits Unit. “We should just rethink why are we putting it all into a landfill in the first place.”
Former Washburn choir director Bill Lydell said his favorite part of the 1969 European tour was when the Apollo 11 mission landed on the moon. Photo by Nate Gotlieb
At the Sept. 12 reunion, choir members thanked Bill and Margaret Lydell, noting how a handful of them have made careers out of music since high school. Taylor said Lydell, who was his homeroom teacher, always made him and his choirmates feel like professionals. “He’d make us control our breath, our diaphragm,” Taylor said. “He’d actually do it himself and make you understand what he was talking about.” Ginger Commodore, now a professional vocalist who tours internationally with her jazz quintet, said she “owes where I am today” to Lydell. “I learned [in his classes] how to connect my soul to the notes on the piece of paper,” she said. “That’s invaluable.”
southwestjournal.com / September 19–October 2, 2019 A19
Lucy Keepper mixes a fresh batch of slime and tests its texture and stretchiness in her family’s Lynnhurst dining room. Photos by Andrew Hazzard
FROM SLIME / PAGE A1
Keepper, 14, has turned her family’s Lynnhurst dining room into a chemical lab. Boxes of borax and gallons of glue line the edges of a table covered with mixing bowls, packets of artificial snow, colorful clays and bundles of beads and glitter. She’s been busy organizing the Slimesota Minnesota Slime Festival, an industry convention of sorts that will take place Sept. 21 at the Lake Harriet Preschool at 49th & Chowen. The budding entrepreneur has recruited 16 slime makers from five states to descend upon Southwest Minneapolis to trade, sell and exchange techniques and strategies for creating one of the toy industry’s biggest crazes. It’s an avocation dominated by small-scale producers, many of whom are not yet legal adults. Originally sold in small mock garbage cans by Mattel in the 1970s, slime has ridden many trend waves and iterations over the years, from Silly Putty to Nickelodeon’s Gak. The most recent form of the stretchy, sticky, textured substance emerged around 2016, when kids started making their own slime from scratch and sharing their recipes on social media.
FROM MCA RESULTS / PAGE A9
Students aren’t required to pass the tests or even to demonstrate a certain level of proficiency to graduate high school, but the state does use the results to determine which schools need support. The results do not account for students’ abilities when they started a given grade, though the state does also track student growth. The Southwest Minneapolis results cover the 22 publicly funded schools in the Southwest Journal’s coverage area, which includes the Bryn Mawr neighborhood and the area bounded by Highway 62, France Avenue and interstates 35W and 394. Three schools in the area are charters, and 19 are part of Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS). The results do not include students who open enroll or attend private schools either in or out of Southwest Minneapolis. About 58.2% of students at the 19 MPS Schools were proficient in reading, and 57% were proficient in math. The three Southwest Minneapolis charters, Hiawatha College Prep-Kingfield, Hennepin Elementary School and Stonebridge World School, had collective proficiency rates of 33.1% in reading and 29.8% in math. Eric Moore, who heads MPS’ research department, said a school’s proficiency rate may not always indicate the growth that its students are showing. For example, he said, students at Jefferson Community School in
Keepper first encountered slime on Instagram three years ago. It looked cool and easy to make, so she grabbed some supplies and prepared a batch. “The first time I actually played with slime was when I made it,” Keepper said. She was hooked. After making several batches, she started selling slime with her sister, Zoey, and a friend. Eventually, the enthusiasm wore off a bit and Keepper returned to her normal pursuits like soccer. But an on-the-pitch concussion last year has kept Keepper off the field and returned her focus to slime. In January, she launched an Etsy page to sell her slimes and an Instagram account, @curious.slimery, to promote her products, share videos and interact with other slimers. Today, her Instagram has more than 2,200 followers. If she can hit 10,000 followers, she’ll consider herself a “Slime VIP.” Each slime Keepper makes starts with a base of Elmer’s Glue (homemade slimes have become so popular the glue company now
sells slime-making kits). From there she’ll add liquid starch as an activator, water and other materials. The slime varieties are endless: cloud slimes, clay slimes, fishbowl slimes, fluffy slimes, icy slimes and more. All are made by adding small amounts of substances like clay or shaving cream that tweak the texture and density of the slime mix. Her most popular mix is a purple cloud slime infused with essential oils called Lavender Lush. Cloud slimes are made by adding artificial snow to a slime mix, which gives the substance a light, fluffy texture. Bigger toy companies do make slime, she said, but they’re less organic. Keepper tries to be more environmentally friendly by selling her slimes in biodegradable containers and using natural essential oils instead of processed chemicals to add scents. Locally, Keepper sells her slimes to neighbors in Lynnhurst. Slime is popular among kids 8–11, she said, so now that she’s in high school, it’s not a big item of interest among
SLIMESOTA MINNESOTA SLIME FESTIVAL When: 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21 Where: 4901 Chowen Ave. S.
Lowry Hill East, which had a math proficiency rate of 13.9% in 2019, have collectively shown two straight years of growth on the math test. In a statement, Hiawatha Academies said students at its Kingfield school, which hosts grades 6–8, are showing academic growth that’s outpacing the state. Stonebridge World School, located in East Harriet, said in a statement that its rates do not reflect students’ academic improvement, noting that over 60% have met or exceeded personal growth goals on another summative assessment. Hennepin Elementary School, located in Whittier, did not respond to a request for comment. About 91% of eligible Southwest Minneapolis students took the reading tests and 90% took the math tests, participation rates that were below the state average. Southwest High School had the highest non-participation rates, with just 34.2% of students taking the reading test and 18.7% taking the math test. Its participation rate for math was up roughly 17 percentage points from 2018. Moore said MPS saw about 1,000 fewer opt-outs in 2019 than in previous years. First-year Southwest High School principal Valerie Littles-Butler did not respond to questions about her school’s opt-out rates.
Cost: $8–$18 Info: slimesota.wixsite.com/slime
her peers. But for younger neighbors, slime remains very cool, and she’s been enlisting those neighbors to spread the word to their friends and classmates about Slimesota. For her 14th birthday, Keepper asked her parents, Amy and Dave, for a trip to Kansas City, Missouri, to attend the Midwest Slime Festival, where she met other slime makers, traded product and got inspired to bring a similar experience home. Slimesota has general admission ($8 online, $12 at the door) and VIP tickets, each of which allow the ticket holder’s parents to enter, too. The VIP ticket gets buyers five raffle tickets and a free slime from Keepper. The event will feature a slime raffle, a competition judged by sellers and a trading station, among other attractions. Fifteen percent of all profits from the event will go toward Secondhand Hounds, a pet rescue center in Minnetonka where the Keeppers found their family dog, Cooper. For the past three weeks, Keepper has been signing up vendors, marketing and organizing the Slimesota Festival. She’s set up ticket sales via Eventbrite and has a Square account and system to process credit card payments. “She’s doing everything,” her father, Dave Keepper, said. “We just drive her.”
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ER 50th & France Office SWJ 091919 FP.indd 1
9/16/19 3:08 PM
Southwest Journal September 19–October 2, 2019
Drew Hoefler (left) co-founded Side by Side Realty with his twin brother Scott (right) and recently purchased a Northeast Minneapolis duplex to “house hack.” Drew is renovating and living in one unit and renting out the other unit. Photo by Michelle Bruch
House hackers explain how it’s done By Michelle Bruch
“I
f you’re going to buy a first-time house at all, it should be a duplex,” said Drew Hoefler, co-founder of Side by Side Realty with his twin brother, Scott. Drew took his dad’s suggestion to buy a Northeast duplex near Mayslack’s in 2013, despite heavy college debt and hesitancy about becoming a landlord. They rented out the upper unit and found themselves essentially living for free, he said. “You’ve got to live somewhere. So why not live somewhere that makes money?” Drew said. The strategy worked well enough that Scott also bought a duplex the following year. They later convinced their girlfriends to buy buildings, too. “House hacking” — renting out space while living on the property — is not a new idea. But as housing costs rise and the city works to add housing options, some local investors think more people should give it a try. “It’s beautiful, because someone else is paying most of the mortgage,” Scott said.
SEE HOUSE HACKERS / PAGE B3
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REAL ESTATE GUIDE FROM HOUSE HACKERS / PAGE B1
Financing a house hack Out of roughly 24,000 rental properties, Minneapolis currently holds 2,803 owner-occupied duplexes and triplexes with rental licenses, according to city data, a roughly 4% increase from 2018 and a 13% increase from 2017. “I think it’s more popular today because of the rising housing costs just across the board,” said Jordan Moorhead, a real estate agent who often assists first-time house hackers. “Owning a house is getting more expensive. Renting is certainly getting a lot more expensive in the Twin Cities. So more people are looking for ways to reduce their costs on that end.” “The millennial generation is becoming very aware of this type of financing,” said Kim Burke, a Minneapolis mortgage planner with LeaderOne Financial Corporation. “It allows you to make a minimum down payment; it allows you to live with very low expenses. And a lot of the time young people are paying off student loans, so this allows them to contribute more each month toward student loans.” Buyers who live in one unit can secure better financing terms with down payments of about 3.5%–5%, she said. Otherwise, buying a duplex without living in it would typically require 25% down. And 75% of future rental income can help an individual qualify for a loan, she said. Moorhead said most of his house hacking clients aim to keep their expenses, after rent is deducted, below $500 per month. “Most people’s goal is to get as close as possible on covering the mortgage and any other
Bruce Brunner teaches people to “house hack” — live in one unit and rent out the other — and calls it a new affordable housing trend. Photo by Michelle Bruch
expenses they have,” Moorhead said. Moorhead said he sold a duplex near Lake Harriet last year to a woman who had lived in it 40 years ago. “I know people of any income level that are utilizing this strategy,” he said. Several investors said they used the strategy to start a portfolio. After living in one duplex for a year, they bought a new one to move into, although financing options change over time. Realtor and “duplex chick” Kari Lundin cautions that investors should work with people who understand their long-term goals, so they
don’t move out in a year with negative cash flow. “Just make sure the numbers work,” she said. “Interest rates are so low and rents have gotten so high, numbers are working now that wouldn’t have worked four years ago.”
Living in a house hack Scot Pekarek, a real estate agent who has lived in a Lyndale neighborhood duplex and rented out the adjoining unit, said there are pros and cons to living next door to a tenant. There are unexpected knocks at the door. And it takes a tough spine to ask a neighbor
to pay rent when they’re struggling, he said. But on the plus side, he has a better handle on the condition of his property. “I know if they’re partying,” he said. “I know if they snuck in a dog.” For those renting a house hack, there is a good chance rent is relatively low, Lundin said. “Oftentimes it’s easy to become friends with our tenants,” she said. “I think they’re paying less rent because [owners] don’t want to hurt their feelings or make them leave.” SEE HOUSE HACKERS / PAGE B4
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It's beautiful, because someone else is paying most of the mortgage. — Scott Hoefler
Scott (left) and Drew Hoefler started careers in real estate through “house hacking,” which involves living in a home and renting out part of the property. “It’s just a cool way to build community in a place that you love that becomes an investment for the long term,” Scott says. Photo by Michelle Bruch
FROM HOUSE HACKERS / PAGE B3
Drew and Scott Hoefler said they’ve built lasting friendships with some of their renters. They can let out the dog for renters working late. They can feel comfortable leaving town for a week, knowing there are still eyes on the house and someone cutting the lawn. “It does give you more flexibility,” Scott said. “A lot of people buying new duplexes are the millennial generation and we do thrive in community. It’s just a cool way to build community in a place
that you love that becomes an investment for the long term.”
Future of the house hack Bruce Brunner hosts meetups to coach people on house hacking, teaching the strategy to young people and North Minneapolis residents. He thinks it’s one of the answers to the affordable housing crisis. “Maybe they can’t afford to buy a single-family home, but they can sure afford to buy a duplex,” he said.
After City Council adoption of the Minneapolis 2040 plan, which would allow triplexes citywide, Brunner expects to see more people custom-build duplexes and triplexes for themselves to live in and house hack. Brunner also expects to add accessory dwelling units (ADUs, or “granny flats”) to his own duplexes when the 2040 plan starts allowing them at non-owner-occupied properties. Today, 40 ADUs in Minneapolis have active rental licenses, with nearly half of them in Southwest Minneapolis, according to city data.
One home previously marketed “bonus space” above a garage on West Lake Harriet Parkway. Another, on Dupont Avenue, holds a third floor once marketed as a dance hall, a kids’ “rumpus room” or an apartment. “There’s this preconception that people should want a single-family home,” Brunner said. “That’s not the way things are anymore. … There has to be a different model, because single-family homes cost too much.”
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B6 September 19–October 2, 2019 / southwestjournal.com
REAL What light rail will mean ESTATE for property values GUIDE By Sheila Regan
T
he construction of a light-rail transit network in the Twin Cities has brought billions of dollars of commercial and residential development to the neighborhoods around stations on the Blue and Green lines. According to estimates published by the Metropolitan Council, the population within a half-mile of the proposed stations is expected to grow by 56% by the year 2035. When the dust settles on the Southwest Light-Rail Transit project in 2023, some homeowners in the Kenilworth corridor will struggle to adjust to the change, but experts say they’re unlikely to suffer financial losses. Generally, research done on the Twin Cities’ past LRT projects, as well as studies on LRT projects in other states, suggests that light rail increases property values. “Where the existing Green and Blue lines have been built — in every situation, home prices have gone up,” said Heather Worthington, the director of long-range planning for Minneapolis’ Community Planning and Economic Development department. “The implementation of light rail or other high-frequency transit typically translates to higher property values in those areas.” A Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors (MAAR) study published in 2016 found that median home prices near the Blue Line were higher — by about $26,000 — than in other areas of Minneapolis. The
Darrell Grewe lives near the planned 21st Street light-rail station. “We’ve been here 50 years, and it’s time to get out,” he says. Photo by Sheila Regan
study also found that “LRT neighborhoods tend to have greater price stability marked by less dramatic swings.” Lucy Galbraith, the director of transitoriented development for Metro Transit, said data shows that home values along the
Blue Line increased when the Green Line opened. Development along the corridor of the planned Green Line extension — which will reach from Target Field to Eden Prairie — is already happening in anticipation of the benefits to come, she said. Blue Line
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southwestjournal.com / September 19–October 2, 2019 B7
out. Having 12 people with phone lines wasn’t very useful, but eventually, it was taken for granted that you have one.” There are currently 4,000 units of housing planned along the Green Line extension. Along the original stretch of the Green Line (excluding Downtown Minneapolis), there are a total of 6,948 units of housing either already constructed or in the works.
Expensive real estate One of the stops along the Green Line extension lies on 21st Street as it intersects with the Kenilworth trail. That stop will be located in the Kenwood neighborhood, an area where the average home price in 2019 is $1.1 million, according to MAAR data. “This area of the city has some of the most, if not the most, expensive real estate,” Worthington said. She said multi-unit developments are atypical in Kenwood “because the price of the real estate is so high that it’s often too expensive for most builders to acquire a single-family home, tear it down and build a higher-density lot.” Minneapolis’s 2040 plan, yet to be approved by the Met Council, calls for the neighborhood around the 21st Street station to be designated as small-scale residential housing. Under the current plan, up to three units (i.e., triplexes) will be permitted and building heights are slotted to be 1–2.5 stories. (The initial version of the 2040 plan would have allowed building heights of up to 4 stories near the station.) How will an area already packed with high-priced, single-family homes be affected by light rail? Worthington said the likelihood of light rail causing Kenwood home prices to drop is extremely unlikely. “That would be stunning,” she said. “I would also note that, from a zoning standpoint, this area has been highly protected over time, and that in and of itself has assisted in the retention of their high value
The future site of the 21st Street light-rail station. The Green Line extension is scheduled to open in 2023. Photo by Sheila Regan
more than anything, and it is yet again protected in the comp plan.”
A rural oasis The 21st Street station is located at the entrance of a woodsy trail that leads to Cedar Lake East Beach — known colloquially as Hidden Beach. Hidden Beach was once known as a popular skinny-dipping spot. While it’s possible that such activities continue to take place, if you visit the beach on an average summer day, you’ll see a scene that’s not unlike other popular beaches in Minneapolis — a mix of families and adults enjoying the water. The beach and the surrounding neighborhood evoke a sense of an idyllic rural oasis tucked away inside a city. Between Cedar on one side and Lake of the Isles on the other, Kenwood has remained a neigh-
borhood isolated from urban noise and traffic, while maintaining close proximity to city amenities. “This is more of a rural feeling in the middle of the city,” said Diane Rand, a Kenwood neighbor who lives a couple of blocks from the future 21st Street station. Recently, with two REI walking sticks in hand, Rand finished up her hike along the Kenilworth Trail, stopping at the path closure at 21st Street. “I think this will be my last walk down here,” Rand said. She has trepidation about the noise that will come with the station and about the loss of trees. “My biggest concern is that they took this beautiful forest in the middle of the city — with our lakes, which is why people move here — and destroyed it,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking.” A retired real estate agent, Rand doesn’t
think her home’s value will be affected, but she believes her neighbors’ homes, which directly overlook the station, will. “I think the other people that are backing right up to it — it’s definitely going to affect their value,” she said. Increased noise that comes from living near a light-rail station is one of the “nuisance factors” that comes up in research around light-rail transit and real estate. A 2018 paper focused on Seattle found that the non-transportation externalities of light rail, such as “noise and higher auto congestion near stations” could outweigh the benefits for neighborhoods already well served by bus routes. (Planners’ primary goal for the Green Line extension is not to serve the neighborhoods between the lakes but to connect Downtown Minneapolis to the western suburbs.) At a community engagement meeting in July, Sean Thorud, who lives near the future Bryn Mawr light-rail station, was one of about 100 neighbors from Minneapolis areas along the new line that met to see plans for the stations and hear from Metro Transit representatives. Thorud, who is a realtor, said he is hopeful the new line would increase his home’s value, but he has nonfinancial misgivings. “How will it change some of the trails and walkways to get to it?” he asked. He said he believes North Minneapolis is a “crime area” and expressed concerns about “what kind of element” light rail would bring through his Bryn Mawr neighborhood. Brad Colehour, meanwhile, who lives on the North Shore of Cedar Lake, said his biggest concern is the potential damage construction will bring to his home. “I’m expecting cracks in the walls and pictures falling,” he said. “I’m hundreds of feet away.” Still, Colehour thinks over the long term, his home value will go up. “It’s that period of construction that bothers me,” he said. “When it’s all said and done, it will be a good thing, I hope.”
B8 September 19–October 2, 2019 / southwestjournal.com
REAL ESTATE GUIDE
A home for sale in Fulton. The available supply of homes on the market in the Twin Cities is still low compared with demand. Photo by Andrew Hazzard
Selling a home in a seller’s market By Joey Peters
E
ven in a seller’s market, putting a home up for sale isn’t always so easy. Scott Mueller learned this when he put his former three-bedroom, 1,700-square-foot home on the market in the summer of 2018. “We were expecting that we would have multiple offers within a matter of days,” Mueller, a member of the Kingfield Neighborhood Association, said. “So we were in full panic mode when it took two and a half weeks.” Although he showed his home at least 14 times, Mueller ended up receiving only one offer. He wasn’t necessarily disappointed with the final price — it sold for $356,000 — but by how long it took to sell. “We knew that there were houses of similar size on the market for a lot more money,” he said. In Minneapolis, the inventory of homes on the market is enough for about 2.2 months of sales, according to David Arbit, director of research at the Minneapolis Association of Realtors. In a balanced market this would look more like five or six months. It’s part of a larger trend of strong demand and short supply of houses in the Twin Cities that’s caused home prices to inflate for roughly the last five years. But Arbit said that trend is “just, just starting to change.” “It’s still a seller’s market,” Arbit said. “But it’s becoming a less robust seller’s market.”
A ‘very expensive market’ The median sales price for homes sold in Minneapolis for the 12 months between July 2018 and July 2019 hit $275,000, according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors. That same measure for the nine neighborhoods that MAAR defines as Southwest — Linden Hills, East Harriet, Kingfield, Fulton, Lynnhurst, Tangletown, Armatage,
Kenny and Windom — hit a whopping $400,000. For nine more neighborhoods near Uptown and Bde Maka Ska, the median hit nearly $350,000. Only Whittier, where homes for that period sold around a median of $204,000, fell below the city’s median. Independent realtor Bob Albrecht, who has worked in the Southwest market since the 1980s, doesn’t see this as a surprise. Southwest Minneapolis’ many parks, proximity to the Chain of Lakes and well-maintained housing stock have always made it one of the more desirable areas in the metro, he said. What has surprised Albrecht is how the level of demand and price for homes in the area has kept rising steadily since 2016. “As we faced 2017, I went into the year thinking that the demand cannot possibility continue to be this strong, the prices cannot possibly continue to rise as they have been, and yet it was just a wild ride of a year,” he said. “I had that same attitude going into ’18 and going into ’19, and the trend just seems to have continued.” Like many realtors, Albrecht said he expected a strong market “correction” to slow down the growing demand, but today he isn’t so sure. “Now I’m just wondering if this trajectory is going to continue for who knows how long, and we just may become a very expensive market, for first-time buyers especially,” he said. The “correction” may just be weaker than it was in the past. Eleven of the 20 neighborhoods in the Southwest Journal’s coverage area saw slight declines in overall home sales from July 2018 through July 2019 compared with the 12 previous months. The biggest declines during this time came in East Calhoun, where sales fell 13%, and East Isles, where they fell 14%. But available supply is still low compared
Sellers must prepare
You can’t just put a house on the market without preparing and expect buyers to descend on it like the locusts. — Bob Albrecht, realtor
with demand, which so far explains why the changes have only been modest, Arbit said. Many factors are causing the city’s short supply of homes for sale. Though some economists are warning of a coming recession, jobs have been added in the U.S. every month for nearly nine years and unemployment remains around 3%. All of this would make it seem like a prime time for Southwest Minneapolis homeowners to put their homes on the market, force a bidding war and sell their homes for a large price. When bidding wars happen, they often favor buyers with disposable income. That’s because banks don’t often give out inflated mortgage loans. If a home in Kingfield is appraised at $275,000, for example, but it sells for $300,000 after a bidding war between buyers, the bank won’t likely cover the extra $25,000 in the mortgage loan. But if the buyer happens to have $25,000 to spend right away on a down payment, the problem goes away. “You’ve got to make up that difference or nobody will lend you the money,” Arbit said. “If you have cash, nobody cares. Because the bank doesn’t want to overinvest, otherwise they’re immediately underwater.”
Albrecht emphasized that selling a house doesn’t always end in a bidding war and a big payday. A low supply of real estate also impacts sellers. They must find a new place to live and are often scared they won’t be able to in the current market, Albrecht said. So wouldbe sellers, who in previous years would be upgrading to their second homes, are hanging onto their existing homes. Younger first-time buyers are also better educated about the housing market than before, Albrecht added. Many are looking for a house with specific amenities — no fewer than two bathrooms, for example — and not much maintenance. Sellers should also know that the first potential buyers to view their property have likely already been looking at homes for a while, Albrecht said. In other words, they may be approaching a home showing with a critical eye. Homeowners inevitably develop biases against homes they’ve lived in for a while, Albrecht said. So before putting a house up for sale, sellers must “take their blinders off ” and do the necessary upgrades to get their homes ready for today’s market. “You can’t just put a house on the market without preparing and expect buyers to descend on it like the locusts,” he said. In the nine years he owned his Kingfield house, Mueller replaced the boiler and water heater, which he said were “ancient” when he moved in. When he put the house up for sale, he knew the roof was older but not necessarily ready for replacement yet. In all, he said the home was move-in ready. But one of the chief factors in why it took a long time to sell, he guessed, was that the home only had one bathroom. The other was the nonstop construction on nearby Interstate 35W. “Ours was just an uncommon experience,” Mueller said.
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B12 September 19–October 2, 2019 / southwestjournal.com
Southwest Journal Poetry Project
Fall Poetry OUR FAVORITE SEASON BEGINS with all the hope and promise of back-to-school and then slips (so to speak) into winter. This collection begins sort of the same way — with a splash — and includes tales of houses, food, golf, morning routines, dogs … and trolls. You’ll find some new voices and some familiar ones. Enjoy! Doug Wilhide is the poet laureate of Linden Hills and poetry editor of the Southwest Journal.
On the other hand, he could have said, “Well, Jim, I felt like the Medicis. I flourished over protracted times but faded eventually. Yet I presided over a gilded age, amassed art that’s still on display … All in all, my old friend Jim, I feel pretty good today.”
Alice in Lake Superior Betsy Johnson
The blackening sky rolls in, churning the seas. A storm threatens, opportunities open. The silhouette of a girl, poised at the edge, dives recklessly into the cresting curl. Surfacing with a quick shout of joy released, she gains her balance, straightens tall to scout out the next wave promising to match her excitement. She hurls her narrow body, arms wide to receive the smack, downward drift, then toss of the next. Now floating on her back, a turtle upended, happy just to be there, where time and thoughts are suspended.
Sounds Around the House Stuart D. Klipper
Incidental domestic sounds, some pleasant, some less so: The splat of a spent tea bag tossed over to the stainless surface of the sink. The last gasp of the water’s slosh of the flushed toilet when it is gulped up as it goes down.
Paint Chips Caroline Bassett
The kicked-in whir of the upstairs a/c as its thermostat sees fit to fire it up. The clunk, not quite clank, in the winter, of the bedroom radiator at, plus or minus, four in the AM.
Based on Benjamin Moore paint chips from Settergren’s hardware store
Upstairs, when I’m at work, and it rains hard, the tumult on the roof a few feet overhead.
I’d paint my bathroom “Snugglepuss” maybe, just to be contrary.
The one split step of the wooden stairs, which creaks when trod on going down or up.
I want the bedroom to be “Old Pickup Blue.” That would be great. It would carry me away in a rickety way, to places I’d like to go.
My brass ship’s clock, when wound up, dinging out the watch hours, reminding me of my times at sea.
Painting “Love Song” beside “Careless Whispers” makes me a bit nervous. Whose song? And who is carelessly whispering about it? Even if I am “Drop Dead Gorgeous,” maybe there’s a threat there, and I will drop dead.
But apart from these, and that low thrumming of the alternate tempos of time, all else here is essentially silent.
The intermittent metallic rattle of overlooked pocket change orbiting in the drier drum amongst the clothes and the linen.
Or he could have said nothing in too many words: “I hung tough,” just to name three. “The others were great; they got all the breaks; I missed opportunities. I thank the good lord, and the fans (and TV) for drumming up money for me, and when all my cliches are cashed in and cleaned, the runner’s-up pot is still pretty sweet.” He could have said almost anything, but he stuck with: “I don’t know.” It’s only a game, man, after all: both winner and loser go home.
How to Mac and Cheese Rusty Debris
On the box of Mac and Cheese, Ignore “Best if Used By” date Peruse cooking instructions Discard empty box into recycling bin Boil macaroni longer than the box recipe recommends Drain macaroni noodles. Retrieve Mac and Cheese box from recycling bin to determine amounts of milk and butter needed for the cheese sauce mixture Mix the 21 mysterious, brightly colored powdered ingredients into the melted butter and milk along with the overcooked macaroni. Plate up a sufficient portion of steaming Mac and Cheese. Eat. Have a second helping because sufficient portion was insufficient Ponder, what will you request for your last meal if you’re on Death Row?
How about some “Fresh Butter” in “King Arthur’s Court”? Or better, a “Glimmer” of “Crushed Berries” in the “Mauve Bauhaus”?
One Mac and Cheese sauce mix pouch, thank you Dip your longest finger into the opened cheese sauce mix packet From the comfort of the electric chair slowly lick the bright orange cheese powder off your finger Repeat, rinse and repeat
I’m afraid I don’t feel like “Silken Pine” or “Soft Fern.” I’m more into the “Barren Plain…” But I hear the “Angel’s Trumpet.”
What Was Going Through Your Mind? David Banks
The vanquished golfer said it best when he simply said: “I don’t know.” I don’t know how I lost that three-stroke lead; I don’t know why I always choke. I don’t know what I did to deserve to lose to this ham-handed bloke — and I surely don’t know how it felt to be booed trudging up to that final hole.
Those for-profit prison officials will go bonkers. Justice will be served.
southwestjournal.com / September 19–October 2, 2019 B13
Reading the Paper
Intimacy
Doug Wilhide
Can I share a moment of intimacy with you? Could we be naked together without expectation, guilt or shame? I’d like to feel valued and cherished, something other than a trick or recollection of a cheap adult movie. If we could just be naked together, and look into each other’s eyes and gently caress maybe, just maybe, we could heal one another. We could send the grief and pain of broken dreams out — into the universe — to be transformed into love. If we could share a moment of intimacy, we could feel enough.
At a certain age you start scanning the obituaries — warily at first, casually, after breakfast, then with growing interest. People as old as I am now are dying with increasing frequency — an alarming tendency expected to continue.
A Natural Melissa S. Anderson
I take my book and breakfast to a table outside the cafe. The air is cool, the leaves brilliant, and I am content. A couple takes the table next to mine. He says: tax implications, mortgage, upscale, notarized will, IRA, brokerage fees, safe deposit box, retirement income, health-care-reimbursement account, early-withdrawal penalty, financial security, social security, investment yield, supplementary employment, expense profile and some other words. She murmurs from time to time, and he keeps on talking. Frankly, I don’t think he can help himself. I focus on my book, as best I can, but a truck rumbling by catches my attention with its big, blue sign: Natural Gas.
Some have lived long lives — died at 90-something, or 80, or late 70s, sometimes “peacefully” sometimes “after courageous struggles.”
Chuck Kausalik-Boe
These people were young when I was young, lived their hours and days and weekends, were bashful, beguiling and bold, and now they have gone beyond getting old. The old question: who would want to live to be 100? has its old answer: someone who is 99. A joke, maybe, though I find it less funny than it used to be. I take the sports page with my coffee, browse the news, study the comics, check the weather — cold or warm, dry or wet… and happily note: I haven’t appeared in the obits. Yet.
Monologue by a Scandinavian Troll John O’Connor
To live is to battle with trolls. — Ibsen We are left-wing socialists, of course — We like stones, not bread. And we compete to get ahead Only in the study of Old Norse. We can, indeed, be killed by the sun, But that’s no problem here. We can live safely in Stockholm, Or in Duluth, for most of the year.
County Fair Fare Annette Gagliardi
She picked the berries, grapes and all the fruit that summer offered.
She Curls Around Your Hurting Head Kathleen Kimball-Baker
For ever-vigilant Shale, a Hedlund husky, who cured a post-concussion headache when all the medicines failed
She cooked and canned those fruits of summer — all the apples coffered. Then followed line by line the rules the Fair folks said were needed. She wiped the jars to squeaky clean and labeled as instructed,
Just when your colors, music, and words skulk away, life places a bright lake and a puppy by you.
then drove the miles to get her work into the judges’ hands.
Lying on the warm rocks together, she curls around your head, and soon you join the slow rise and fall of her breathing.
The wait was long and arduous but she was strong and straight.
You can feel her dark eyes, tender and sleepy, watching you. And there, tucked up to the puppy’s fleece and the warmth of her plump, pink belly
’Til finally the day was here to learn her contest fate.
the clanging in your skull begins to quiet, then, mercifully, goes silent. This is the moment that life lets you know that you can walk through the coming dullness and sharpness, and maybe (because you now realize anything is possible) more puppies will arrive when you need them— and when you don’t.
She paid the State Fair entry fee then walked with feelings anxious.
We used to be stupid in the head, But now we have Intel inside. Our silicon high IQ, it is said, Is a source of quiet pride — But bragging is not Scandinavian. We’re trolls, but we ain’t misbehavian.
Willy and I Scott Mitchell
Hobble, hobble out of morning bed, So stiff from seven decades toll. My whatever aches and sparks my wince lines. The sun rises on my morning walk with Willy Who shares my longevity as we Twist turn, jog, bend and scoop Moving, moving, keep moving We subtract ten years and back home Willy barks at the door And devours his every day breakfast Passionately, without regret and With no mind to consequence.
And there behind the window on the jelly entries shelf sat her contest entry sporting a new blue ribbon hat.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY
B14 September 19–October 2, 2019 / southwestjournal.com
Community Calendar. By Ed Dykhuizen
INTERGENERATIONAL DANCE HALL The Linden Hills-based organization Kairos Alive! is celebrating its 20-year anniversary by bringing a familyfriendly event for all ages and abilities to the historic space above Wild Rumpus, a dance hall in the 1940s and 1950s and now a private home.
When: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20 Where: 3rd floor above Wild Rumpus, 2720 W. 43rd St. Cost: Free Info: kairosalive.org/events
THE KING’S FAIR This year’s theme is “Celebrating Seward’s History,” and there will be music from local bands, offerings from local artists and crafters, activities for kids and food.
When: Noon–5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21 Where: Matthews Park, 2318 29th Ave. S. Cost: Free Info: minneapolisparks.org
IF YOUR WALLS COULD TALK HOUSE HISTORY WORKSHOP House detective Kathy Kullberg will introduce you to tools and procedures for discovering the history of your house, including city directories, census records and building permits. This is a single class that meets twice, with time in between to research.
When: Noon–2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21 and Sept. 28 Where: Hennepin History Museum, 2303 3rd Ave. S. Cost: $40; $30 for museum members Info: hennepinhistory.org
OPEN STREETS NICOLLET At each Open Streets Minneapolis event, local businesses, artists, community groups and institutions come out into the street to play.
When: 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22 Where: Nicollet Avenue from West Lake Street to 46th Street West Cost: Free Info: openstreetsmpls.org
CIDNA FALL FESTIVAL The event will feature firefighters and a fire truck, face painting, a moon walk, refreshments and more.
When: 1 p.m.–4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22 Where: Park Siding Park, 3113 W. 28th St. Cost: Free Info: minneapolisparks.org
Featuring legendary rapper MC Lyte, DJs Coco & Breezy and local band Ringing Bell, the Walker’s annual benefit offers gourmet food, craft cocktails, a premier art auction, live music and dancing.
When: 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21 Where: Walker Art Center Cost: From $125 per person Info: walkerart.org
Organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, this exhibit presents nearly 100 works concerning the Vietnam War and the concurrent rise of feminism and the Black Arts Movement.
When: Sept. 29–Jan. 5 Where: Minneapolis Institute of Art Cost: $20/$16 for museum members Info: new.artsmia.org
JONATHAN WILSON
THE WASHBURN GAMES
Singer, songwriter, record producer and guitarist Jonathan Wilson’s grandiose 2013 rock album “Fanfare” features contributions from Graham Nash, David Crosby, Jackson Browne, Josh Tillman (aka Father John Misty) and more.
Play rugby, soccer, lacrosse, cricket, karate, football, yoga and more at this noncompetitive sports sampler for children ages 4–12 and benefit Washburn Center for Children, a Twin Cities nonprofit providing children’s mental health care.
When: 9 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25 Where: Icehouse, 2528 Nicollet Ave. S. Cost: $20 Info: icehousempls.com/events
AVANT GARDEN 2019
ARTISTS RESPOND: AMERICAN ART AND THE VIETNAM WAR, 1965–1975
JAMIE LOFTUS & SARAH SHERMAN: LIVE FROM THE GUTTER Spit Take Comedy Series brings a double feature of absurd and grotesque standup comedy from two of Vulture’s 2018 Comics to Watch.
When: 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28 Where: Bryant-Lake Bowl & Theater, 810 W. Lake St. Cost: $18/$15 in advance Info: bryantlakebowl.com
When: 1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29 Where: Bryn Mawr Meadows Park, 601 Morgan Ave. S. Cost: $15/$10 in advance Info: washburngames.org
SCREENAGERS This documentary, for families of children ages 10 and older, offers an opportunity to hear about the benefits and challenges of living in this digital age, and to discuss how to manage our devices so we can live whole, healthy lives.
When: 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 30 Where: Mount Olivet Church, 5025 Knox Ave. S. Cost: Free Info: bit.ly/MtOlivetScreenagers
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southwestjournal.com / September 19–October 2, 2019 B15
ARTIST TALK: JONATHAN HERRERA SOTO
Get Out Guide.
Jonathan Herrera Soto will talk about his haunting exhibition at the Minneapolis Institute of Art’s MAEP gallery, called “In Between / Underneath (Entremedio / Por Debajo).” The powerful work highlights murdered and missing Mexican journalists, with their images etched on the floor.
By Sheila Regan
BEING SOMALI PANEL DISCUSSION
When: 7 p.m.–8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19 Where: Minneapolis Institute of Art, 2400 3rd Ave. S. Cost: Free Info: artsmia.org
The Hennepin History Museum and Humans of Minneapolis team up for an event that takes stock of the challenges for Somali Americans living in the Twin Cities. Stephanie Glaros, the photographer behind Humans of Minneapolis, moderates a conversation with activist Saciido Shaie, founder of the interfaith Ummah project; medical professional Ecram Abde and community organizer Suud Olat. They’ll discuss ways to bridge cultural divides and foster understanding between Somalis and non-Somalis in the community.
CITIZENSHIP SERIES: FILLING THE VOID
When: 5 p.m.–7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19 Where: Hennepin History Museum, 2303 3rd Ave. S. Cost: Free, reservation requested at tinyurl.com/hhm-somali Info: hennepinhistory.org
KINNGAIT STUDIOS
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES What does it mean to be global citizens? How can people in Minneapolis reach across divisions of race, geography, citizenship status and culture? Here are four events that help answer these questions.
One of the best art exhibits of last year occurred when the Highpoint Center for Printmaking hosted Inuit artists from Kinngait Studios, a printmaking studio at the West Baffin Co-operative in Nunavut, Canada. The imaginative, often surrealistic prints were clever and captivating, and Minneapolis is so lucky to have them back. Do not miss them this time around.
When: On view Sept. 30–Nov. 4 Where: Highpoint Center for Printmaking, 912 W. Lake St. Cost: Free Info: highpointprintmaking.org
CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Only president who was also chief justice 5 Storage structure for 30-Across 9 Hindu social division 14 Go back, on a PC 15 Arizona tribe 16 A, in Greece 17 Match audio and video 18 Frat Pack actor Wilson 19 Fish stories 20 Diane Keaton’s role in “The Godfather” films 23 Embitterment 24 Raid targets 25 Gave speeches 27 Desert plant 30 Lawn cutters 32 Southwestern crocks 33 “Maude” star 36 Boston Celtics’ org. 37 Harness racing vehicle 38 Nest egg letters 39 Fitzgerald’s “Great” title character
62 Final or midterm
12 Over yonder
40 Pentagon VIP
63 Private, as thoughts
13 Let up
41 Editor or tailor, e.g.
64 Stew cookers
21 Heavy burden
42 Perceived
65 Former spouses
22 “You gotta be kidding!”
43 Lacking variety, musically
26 Humanities major
45 Pituitary and thyroid
DOWN 1 Elephant tooth 2 Author Seton
27 “Nor” or “or,” in a dict.
3 Gp. responding to Big Apple blazes
28 “Sin City” actress Jessica
48 Sheltered, at sea
4 Bach’s “__ and Fugue in D Minor”
29 Trapshooter’s target
49 Halloween headgear
5 15-minute films, say
50 “Maleficent” actress
6 Coyote cries
56 On __: going wild
7 Blunt sword
58 Miniature image to click on
8 “The Flintstones” pet
59 Symphonic wind
10 Pie-mode link
42 Until now 44 Jai alai ball 45 Soft-hearted 46 Japanese religion
60 Bond portrayer Roger 61 Fitted with footwear
9 Wedding hire 11 Workday with a longer-than-typical break
Crossword Puzzle SWJ 091919 4.indd 1
30 Word before toast or after peach
46 Hindu guru 47 Discover, as a solution 48 In progress, as Sherlock’s “game” 51 Speech problem
31 Like wines aged in certain barrels
52 Repeat
33 Head-and-shoulders sculpture
54 Sniffer
34 Eurasian border river 35 Red in the middle, as steak 37 Seat at the bar
53 Curly-horned goat 55 Acquires 57 “How __ you doing?” Crossword answers on page B16
9/17/19 10:45 AM
The Walker Art Center continues its series around immigration and citizenship, prompted by Carey Young’s interactive installation, “Declared Void II,” in the Walker’s “I Am You, You Are Too” exhibition. Artist Syed Hosain, writer and performer Rebecca Nichloson and interdisciplinary artist Safa Sarvestani are the latest artists chosen to use art to “fill the void” as they address issues of immigration, citizenship and nationalism. The show is followed by a discussion led by Michele Garnett McKenzie, from the Advocates for Human Rights, and Deepinder Mayell, from the James H. Binger Center for New Americans at the University of Minnesota Law School.
When: 6:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19 Where: Walker Art Center, 725 Vineland Pl. Cost: Free Info: walkerart.org
B16 September 19–October 2, 2019 / southwestjournal.com
Mill City Cooks
Recipes and food news from the Mill City Farmers Market
The big cheese of micro-creameries Cosmic Wheel delivers small batches with big flavors
M
ost of us live within a few miles of several microbreweries and can list dozens of our favorite craft beers. But can you name your favorite micro-creamery? Located in Clear Lake, Wisconsin, Cosmic Wheel Creamery is keeping the tradition of farmstead small-batch cheese making alive — a craft that shares not only the science of fermentation with brewing but also the art of combining local ingredients for one-of-a-kind taste. Farmers market shoppers and CSA enthusiasts might recognize Cosmic Wheel Creamery as the cheese-making entity of Turnip Rock Farm. Farm owners Rama Hoffpauir and Josh Bryceson cultivate 25 acres of certified-organic vegetables on their 80-acre farm about an hour east of Minneapolis, where they also raise pigs, chicken and cattle. In addition to being one of a shrinking few on-farm cheesemakers, Hoff pauir sets her work apart by focusing on raw-milk aged cheeses, meaning the milk is not pasteurized unlike most dairy products available in the United States. Rather than pasteurizing (cooking) the milk before cheesemaking, Rama ages her raw-milk cheeses for at least 60 days to protect us cheese lovers from any potentially harmful pathogens. Raw milk and raw-milk cheeses contain many healthful “good bacteria” and add “terroir” or regional flavor from the area where they were made. The milk used by Cosmic Wheel Creamery comes from their small herd of 100% grassfed Jersey breed cows, bringing truly unique flavors to the cheeses. You can actually taste the difference between the “Moonshadow” alpine-style cheese made when the cows are eating hay in early spring and the “Moonglow” alpine-style cheese made when the cows are eating fresh pasture in the summer. On top of flavor and quality, sustainability is also at the core of Cosmic Wheel’s mission. “We are trying to create a whole farm ecosystem in which fertility for our pastures and vegetables is provided by composted
GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES
Recipe courtesy of the Mill City Farmers Market • Makes 4 sandwiches
Rama Hoffpauir, one of the owners of Turnip Rock Farm, stands in Cosmic Wheel Creamery's cheese-aging room. Submitted photos
manure and bedding from our cows,” Hoffpauir said. “We feed whey from the cheesemaking to our pigs, and we practice multispecies rotational grazing. We are working to improve the land and surrounding environment, grow healthy food and care for the well-being of our animals.” Hoff pauir makes Manchego-style, Englishstyle, Gruyere-style and creamy natural rindaged cheeses as well as a seasonal selection of fresh cheeses. Her cheeses are excellent on their own for desserts or cheese boards or for a decadent fall grilled cheese sandwich like the recipe at right. You can find Cosmic Wheel Creamery at the Mill City Farmers Market (704 S. 2nd St.) every other Saturday, including Sept. 21, Oct. 5 and Oct. 19, and at the indoor winter markets starting in November. Learn more at millcityfarmersmarket.org — Jenny Heck
Method Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Coat beet slices with olive oil and salt and roast in the oven until tender, about 20 minutes. Set aside. Lightly dress greens with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt. Set aside.
Cosmic Wheel focuses on raw-milk aged cheeses.
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southwestjournal.com / September 19–October 2, 2019 B17
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5/18/15 10:05 AM
B18 September 19–October 2, 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
Climbing & Bucket Pruning /Removals
Expert High Risk & Crane Removals Pest & Disease Management
www.earlsfloorsanding.com
N TREEInc.
612.290.1533
10-time Angie’s List Super Service Award Winner
FREE SNOW customers (new contract only) REMOVAL
SAME-DAY SERVICE 952-545-8055
www.premierlawnandsnow.com
Questions about Emerald Ash Borer? We can help!
George & Lynn Welles
FREE ESTIMATES!
Hammer Guy SWJ 2013 1cx1 filler.indd4/9/13 1 10:09 Premier AMLawn & Snow SWJ 092216 1cx1.indd 9/20/16 10:44 1 AM
TREE TRIMMING • REMOVAL STUMP GRINDING
612-789-9255 northeasttree.net
Certified Arborists (#MN-0354A & #MN-4089A)
Matthew Molinaro Minneapolis resident • Owner / operator Certified Arborist with 21 years experience licensed and insured
Southwest Resident for Over 40 Years
Earls Floor Sanding SWJ 012518 2cx2.indd 2
1/18/18 Northeast 8:45 AM Tree SWJ 011019 2x2.indd 1
• Installation • Restoration • Repairs • Buff & Coat
612-239-2508
1/7/19 12:08 PM
www.molinarotree.com
Molinaro Tree SWJ 2cx1.5.indd 1
FREE ESTIMATES FOR: Tree Trimming · Tree Removal Stump Grinding · Storm Damage
“Our quality will floor you.”
PG 3 ONLY
as seen on
HGTV’s Curb Appeal
FULLY BONDED & INSURED 26 yrs. Fully Insured
MAINTENANCE
Harlan Hardwood SWJ NR3 2cx2.indd 1
4/23/14 Matt's 2:57 PM Tree Service SWJ 091712 2cx2.indd 1
CONSULTATION • DESIGN • PROJECT MANAGEMENT
8/31/12 10:15 AM
Residential & Commercial
612.562.8746 • triolandscaping.com
Trio Landscaping SWJ 050219 2cx2.indd 1
FREE ESTIMATES
Snow Plowing & Shoveling Cleanup / Dethatching Aeration / Seeding
612-750-5724
MN- 4551 A
7/12/18 1:35 PM
612.706.8210
www.harlanfloors.com • 612-251-4290
Byron Electric
of Snow Removal
Trained & Courteous Staff
ortheast
Sanding • Refinishing • Repair Install • Recoat • FREE Estimates
1 MONTH
Our Contractors have local references
4/23/19 10:00 AM
Lawn Mowing Fertilizer & Weed Control Gutter Cleaning
Window Washing
Byron Electric SWJ 011019 2cx1.indd 1
11/28/18 9:54 AM
European Craftsmanship right here in Minnesota.
612-345-9301
peterdoranlawn.com
Custom Artisan
Peter Doran SWJ 032119 2cx2.indd 3
Specializing in bookcases, kitchens, vanities, radiator covers and other custom wood works
Hardscapes
& Landscapes
612-607-9248 elegancecustomcabinetry.com
FREE PATIO DESIGN
3:40 PM
Design, Install & Maintain: Patios • Driveways Sidewalks • Steps • Plantings Mulch • Perennial Beds
ADS 612.825.9205
Elegance Custom Cabinetry SWJ 020917 2/7/17 1cx1.5.indd 4:21 PM1
Krafft, Tom SWJ 020719 1cx2.indd 11/25/19 12:49 PM
• Painting • Plaster repair • Ceramic tile • Light remodeling
MISCELLANEOUS
Houle Insulation Inc.
2:02 PM
CALL TODAY FOR A FREE ESTIMATE ON ATTIC INSULATION • BYPASS SEALING SIDEWALL INSULATION
PAINTING
Siwek Class 2cx2.5_a.indd 1
8/30/18 3:27 PM
Local services. Local references. Local expertise.
Wallpaper removal & hanging • Plaster & sheetrock repair • All facets of interior painting • Stripping & “trim” restoration • Skimcoating •
763-767-8412
Serving the Twin Cities since 1977 Classifieds
4/24/19 3:06 PM
PAINTING & DECORATING
www.houleinsulation.com
Houle Insulation SWJ 010107 2cx2.indd 1
REAL UNFINISHED NATURAL WOOD PRODUCTS AT AFFORDABLE PRICES!
612-781-3333 • 2536 Marshall Street NE, Minneapolis
Our specialty is your existing home!® 10/3/14
That Handy Guy Greg SWJ 100914 2cx1.5.indd 1
612-225-8753 | dreamandrealitylandscapemn.com
Dream & Reality Landscape SWJ 050219 2cx2.indd 1
612 . 267. 3 2 8 5
5/17/16 2:37 PM
612-310-8023
Local people. Local references.
Dave Novak
35+ yrs. experience Lic • Bond • Ins
Tell them you saw their ad here! SWJ 091919 Classifieds.indd 2 contractors SWJ 2016 2cx1.5 filler.indd 1
3/8/19 Ask about our
9/17/19 2:00 PM 7/18/16 2:56 PM
Novak Painting SWJ 020818 1cx3.indd 12/22/17 1 10:03 Tool Icons AM - Fall SWJ 2013 1cx3 filler.indd 3/29/13 1 8:14 AM
southwestjournal.com / September 19–October 2, 2019 B19
PAINTING
PLUMBING, HVAC
TO PLACE YOUR AD CALL 612.825.9205
EXTERIOR • INTERIOR
ADVERTISE WITH US
612-804-3078
Licensed Bonded Insured Over 29 Years experience
612.360.2019
Pro Master Plumbing SWJ 040419 1cx1.indd 4/1/19 11:10 1 AM
FIVESTARPAINTING.com
Local Business 1cx1.indd 12
FiveStarPainting SWJ 012419 1cx1.5.indd 4/5/19 1 3:43 PM Local Business 1cx1.5.indd 10
Family Owned for Over 60 Years
8/24/17 3:41 PM
LINDEN HILLS PAINTING Int/Ext • Paint Enamel • Stain • Cabinets Plaster repairs • Paper • Homes Condos • Decks • Fences
FREE ESTIMATES Licensed, Insured, Interior/Exterior Serving the Twin Cities for 20+ years!
greg@chileen.com
612-850-0325
612-227-1844
www.IndyPainting.net
612-781-INDY
Sales@southwestjournal.com | 612-825-9205
REMODELING
(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.
CallHero.com • (612) 424-9349
46.50 OFF
$
Your NEXT plumbing service
YOUR AD CALL 612.825.9205 5/15/18 11:58 AM
Kitchen and Bathroom Specialists MN Builder’s License BC583780 | EPA License #NAT-86951-2
J3 Renovations and Design SWJ 090519 2cx1.5.indd 1
6/1/18 1:05 PM
Your Sign of Satisfaction
8/26/19 5:29 PM
EK Johnson Construction you dream it
we build it
Living and Working in Southwest Minneapolis
952-512-0110
Call Ethan Johnson, Owner
www.roelofsremodeling.com
612-669-3486
ekjohnsonconstruction.com
Lic: BC637388 7/28/15 EK 3:01 Johnson PM Construction SWJ 060216 2cx2.indd 1
Specializing in Reproduction Kitchens & Baths
No project is too small for good design inspiredspacesmn.com 612.360.4180
Inspired Spaces SWJ 022714 2cx2.indd 1
Faucet that drips
TO PLACE SWJ 051718 2cx4.indd 1 8/8/19 Hero 4:29 Heating PM
612-655-4961 hansonremodeling.com Lic #BC633225
Design/Construction
Toilets that are always running
Call today and SAVE
Create • Collaborate Communicate
Roelofs Remodeling SWJ 073015 2cx2.indd 2
Leaky sinks, faucets, showers, toilets & pipe repair Fix low water pressure
• Wallpaper Stripping/Wall Repair • Wood Stripping, Refinishing & Cabinets • Plaster, Sheetrock, Texture Repair & Skim Coating • Ceiling Texturing & Texture Removal
8/17/16 Painting 2:51 PMby Jerry Wind SWJ 082219 2cx1.5.indd 1
Hanson Building SWJ 061418 2cx2.indd 1
Cross off all your plumbing checklist items
Garbage disposal repairs & installation
Sinks that drain slow
5/13/16 11:37 AM
Place your Ad HERE!
Install a new kitchen or bathroom faucet
Hot water heaters
grecopainting.com info@grecopainting.com
• Interior/Exterior Painting Indy Painting DTJ 040419 1cx2.indd 13/27/19 Greco 2:15 PM Painting SWJ 040518 1cx2.indd4/4/18 1 11:37 AM
Our Readers are YOUR Clients
8/24/17 3:13 PM
Accredited BBB member, A+ rating
TM
Our Readers - Your Ad Here SWJ 2016 2cx 1 filler.indd 4
Call Jim!
promasterplumbing.com
Interior & Exterior Painting • Insurance Claims Wood Finishing • Exterior Wood Restoration Water Damage Repair • Patching • Enameling
Chileen Painting SWJ 051916 2cx4.indd 1
LOCAL BUSINESSES
ADVERTISE WITH US
Free Estimates
Insured | References
Lic. #61664PM
LOCAL BUSINESSES
612.821.1100 or 651.690.3442 www.houseliftinc.com License #BC378021
5/31/16 4:49 PM
House Lift SWJ 041612 2cx3.indd 1
Remodeling since 1960
Bathroom Remodeling homecareincremodeling.com 952.884.4187
2/17/14 HomeCare 3:02 PM Inc Remodeling SWJ 071218 2cx2.indd 1
4/5/12 3:00 PM REAL UNFINISHED NATURAL WOOD PRODUCTS AT AFFORDABLE PRICES!
612-781-3333 • 2536 Marshall Street NE, Minneapolis 7/3/18 Siwek 1:36 PM Class 2cx1.5_a.indd 1
8/30/18 3:29 PM
2nd Stories • Additions • Kitchens • Basements Baths • Attic Rooms • Windows
Remodel • Design • Build
612-924-9315
www.fusionhomeimprovement.com
STMRENOVATION.COM
MN License #BC451256 SWJ 091919 Classifieds.indd 3 Seans Renovations SWJ 072519 2cx3.indd 1
9/17/19 2:10 PM 7/10/19 11:43 AM
Fusion Home Improvement SWJ 021314 2cx3.indd 1
1/31/14 10:44 AM
Quality
CONSTRUCTION, CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
& Trust.
BEFORE
AFTER
CUSTOM CABINETRY · ADDITIONS & DORMERS KITCHENS & BATHROOMS · WHOLE HOUSE RENOVATION PORCHES & SUN-ROOMS · FINISHED BASEMENTS
612.821.1100 or 651.690.3442 www.houseliftinc.com House Lift Remodeler | 4330 Nicollet Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55409 | License # BC 378021 House Lift Remodeler SWJ 091919 FP.indd 1
9/16/19 2:43 PM