Wuollet takes over Urban Bean PAGE A4 • Wakame team plans new restaurant PAGE A5 • Couple to build condos PAGE A6 • Apts, commercial space pitched in LynLake PAGE A9
December 26, 2019– January 8, 2020 Vol. 30, No. 26 southwestjournal.com
Demagnetizing Southwest schools District leaders consider reshuffling busing zones and magnet schools Kat Purcell’s recent performance included movement centered on the nettle and milkweed fibers used to decorate the set. Photo by Jenny Zander/ Pangea World Theater
By Nate Gotlieb
School district leaders are looking for community input on a sweeping plan that could reshuffle elementary and middle school busing zones and cluster magnet schools in the city’s geographic center. Fourth-year Superintendent Ed Graff and his team had not formally proposed any structural changes as of mid-December. But they had presented a model, created with the goals of increasing racial and socioeconomic integration and reducing trans-
portation costs, which would make major changes to almost every public elementary and middle school in the city. Under the model, Southwest Minneapolis’ four magnet schools — Clara Barton Open in East Harriet, Armatage Montessori, Anwatin Spanish Dual Immersion in Bryn Mawr and Windom Spanish Dual Immersion — would become traditional community schools. Jefferson Community SEE MAGNET SCHOOLS / PAGE A12
A ‘cutting-edge, radical’ theater Pangea World Theater celebrates a quarter century By Ksenia Gorinshteyn
Southwest Minneapolis’ four magnet schools — Clara Barton Open in East Harriet, Armatage Montessori, Windom Spanish Dual Immersion and Anwatin Spanish Dual Immersion in Bryn Mawr — would become traditional community schools under a new model being considered by district leaders. Photos by Nate Gotlieb
Pangea World Theater opened its doors a quarter century ago in a plain office building at Lake & Lyndale. Since then, its mission has been clear: intertwining theater and social justice by uplifting the voices of diverse communities and artists and engaging the community around them. The theater now has six programs that strive to involve surrounding communities.
Writers and directors of diverse identities — people of color, women, immigrants and indigenous and LGBTQ artists — are encouraged to bring their vision onto the stage. Students are invited to attend matinee performances after which they can discuss what they watched with the actors. A “Lake Street Arts” program focuses SEE PANGEA / PAGE A13
A bigger stake for small business Whittier storefront could be kept affordable by new program
Plans for the city’s first commercial land trust are underway, guided by program director Domonique Jones and advisory board secretary Coco. Photo by Michelle Bruch
By Michelle Bruch
A Whittier storefront between Little Tijuana and Yess Yoga has been empty for years, but it may become home to a new experiment. The City of Minneapolis purchased the tax-forfeited building in early 2019 with a pilot project in mind. The pilot aims to keep a storefront forever affordable by holding the property in what’s known as a land trust. In recent years, land trusts have been used to provide affordable housing at hundreds of sites across the city, including two nearby condo units at 26th & Nicollet. Now the City of Lakes Community Land
Bryn Mawr artist Marjorie Fedyszyn PAGE B1
Trust is asking for exclusive purchase rights at 19 E. 26th St. to create the city’s first commercial land trust. “What we’re trying to do is really stop gentrification and displacement,” said Domonique Jones, the land trust’s program director. With a focus on North Minneapolis, Jones said, the City of Lakes land trust is strategizing to acquire land and keep it affordable for businesses long term, particularly for businesses run by people of color. The Minneapolis 2040 Plan for growth SEE LAND TRUST / PAGE A16
Driving a Zamboni PAGE B7
Winter poetry section
Inside the Purcell-Cutts House
PAGE B8
PAGE B13
A2 December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 / southwestjournal.com
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southwestjournal.com / December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 A3
By Andrew Hazzard / ahazzard@swjournal.com
Lucia Yess (center) leads a class at her Whittier studio, Yess Yoga. In the spring, she plans to break ground on a new building in the neighborhood that will become the studio’s permanent home. Photo by Colette Forsyth
WHITTIER
Yess Yoga building a permanent home When Lucia Yess opened her Whittier yoga studio six years ago, she set out to create a secure, inclusive space for exercise and wellness in the neighborhood. Now she’s setting down permanent roots. Yess Yoga is building a new studio, right across the street from its current home at 26th & 1st, where the business will expand its space and offerings. Two years ago, Yess Yoga expanded from its original location by renting the building next door. With the extra space, Lucia Yess realized her clients needed a single larger location to meet their demands and that owning her own building would be more practical than renting forever. She knew she wanted to be teaching yoga in Minneapolis, and she and her husband decided to go all in on finding a permanent home. “It’s more than just a building for us; it’s where I intend to do my life’s work,” she said. Where that building would be was still in question, but she had grown attached to Whittier. One day she walked out of her studio and noticed a “for sale” sign on the
parking lot across the street and a light bulb went off : This could be her site. “I didn’t even see it until we were ready,” she said. Staying in the neighborhood was a no-brainer for Yess Yoga, and she kept it a Whittier affair by hiring the architect next door, Andy Campbell Design Company, to plan the building. The two-story building will have two studios and treatment rooms for acupuncture, reiki and massage. There will also be more space for participants to gather and mingle outside the studios, she said, which was a priority for the search. Both clients and neighbors have been receptive to the new building, which Yess hopes to see constructed next year. The Minneapolis Planning Commission approved the building in October. “This is our offering and our investment to our community,” Yess said. Yess Yoga Where: 23 E. 26th St. Info: yessyogastudio.com
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A4 December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 / southwestjournal.com
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A Twin Cities bakery chain has taken over the former Urban Bean space in LynLake to launch its first coffee shop. Wuollet Uptown opened in early December at Lake & Bryant, according to manager Bella Jatzo. The coffee-centered concept is the first for Wuollet Bakery, a longstanding local chain with a Southwest Minneapolis location at 50th & Chowen. The 75-year-old family business was purchased this fall by Eric Shogren, a Minnesota native who operates a large number of bakeries in Russia and purchased A Baker’s Wife in South Minneapolis in 2016, Jatzo said. He wanted to bring new aspects to the business and is starting with a coffee shop in LynLake. “This just happened to be the perfect time and place to try something,” Jatzo said. Urban Bean closed suddenly in October after a City Pages article was published detailing claims of harassment toward employees and customers by owner Greg Martin. It didn’t take long for Wuollet to take over the
space. The company has reworked the interior and added a wide array of exotic plants. Since a soft opening on Dec. 7, customers have come trickling in at a steady rate, Jatzo said. Most are locals accustomed to having a space to grab a coffee and do some work at the corner. “They love that there’s another shop here,” she said. Wuollet Uptown is serving Intelligentsia Coffee. The cafe makes its own chai and syrups in-house. The drink menu includes coffee shop classics as well as items like The Golden Oat, a twist on a turmeric latte made with fresh ginger. There is also, of course, a wide offering of baked goods. Wuollet Uptown brings in classic pastries and cakes from the Wuollet Bakery in Fulton and donuts from A Baker’s Wife. It also serves sandwiches and other lunch options. Wuollet Uptown Where: 822 W. Lake St. Info: wuollet.com
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A longtime jeweler is retiring and closing his design studio in the Calhoun Beach Club. Stephen Vincent Design will close in February, the store announced, as its owner and head designer continues to receive cancer treatments. Vincent moved his studio to the Calhoun Beach Club three years ago after decades in Downtown. He has been creating custom jewelry for more than 44 years. After being diagnosed with stage 4 head and neck cancer nine years ago, Vincent continued his work through several treatments, the store said in a letter to customers. Since the store moved to Southwest three years ago, he has undergone three brain surgeries and has lost most of the vision in one eye. “2019 is sooner than we anticipated for a
closing, but Steve wanted to be proactive about his retirement and close the shop on his timeline and terms. We need to focus on his health and our future,” Catherine Lehman, Vincent’s wife and business partner, said. The store will have a sale on its pieces through February. “We are so happy and proud to have been able to serve the Twin Cities with beautiful and highquality handmade jewelry for over 44 years,” the store wrote to customers. “We are also grateful to the loyalty of our thousands of customers over the years, many who have become close friends.” Stephen Vincent Design Where: 2900 Thomas Ave. S., 3rd floor Info: svstudio.com
Stephen Vincent Design is closing its studio and boutique in the Calhoun Beach Club. Photo by Brandon Werth
southwestjournal.com / December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 A5
LYNLAKE
Wakame team plans new Lyndale restaurant The owner of Wakame Asian Bistro is planning a new Japanese barbeque restaurant in LynLake. George Xu, who opened Wakame in West Calhoun in 2009, recently purchased the long-vacant building at 3025 Lyndale Ave. S. and will be working on renovating the space this winter and spring. In May, he plans to open the first Minnesota location of Gyu-Kaku, a Japanese barbeque chain where meat, seafood and vegetables are grilled at the table by customers. The Gyu-Kaku chain is popular in Chicago, Xu said, and many of his Wakame customers
have told him they are fans of the restaurant. “I think it’s going to be great,” Xu said. He was attracted to LynLake because of the area’s increased development and thriving restaurant scene. “It seems like there’s a lot going on over there,” he said. Finding a building with a parking lot was also a priority, he said. Xu plans to keep his focus on Wakame, while his wife and two longtime managers will lead the Gyu-Kuku effort.
A long-vacant building at 31st & Lyndale will become the home of Minnesota’s first restaurant in the GyuKuku Japanese barbeque chain. The project is being led by the owners of Wakame Asian Bistro in West Calhoun. Photo by Andrew Hazzard
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A Minneapolis zoning board denied a certificate that would have allowed Burger King to reopen its restaurant at 34th & Nicollet with a drive-through. The building has been vacant since April 2018. Photo by Andrew Hazzard
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A6 December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 / southwestjournal.com
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A Lowry Hill couple is planning to demolish their existing home and turn it into a five-unit condo building. Mohsen and Julie Sadeghi own a 110-yearold home at 35 Groveland Terrace, across the street from the Walker Art Center. They have owned the property since 1975 and have lived there since the 1980s. In an Oct. 30 letter to the Heritage Preservation Commission, they said the house is no longer able to “meet our needs” or “the needs of the future generations of single-family homeowners.” “No amount of interior renovation will solve the problems that plague the home as situated on the site, especially in the winter,” they wrote. The new condo building would have underground parking and an elevator, according to the Sadeghis, who intend to live in it. Each unit would have three bedrooms. Mohsen Sadeghi said they plan to start construction this summer. Their existing 2.5-story house was constructed for $22,000 in 1909 by the architectural firm of Long, Lamoreaux & Long, which also designed the Theodore Wirth House. It was operated as a rental property before the Sadeghis purchased it. The city’s Department of Community Planning and Economic Development recommended allowing approval of the demolition. Senior city planner Sheila Vemmer wrote in a staff report that the house has seen “extensive” alterations and renovations, such as the replace-
ment of its original windows and the addition of a solarium at the front of the building, which have undermined its historical significance. “The building additions and exterior elevation alterations have compromised the feeling of an early twentieth-century house on Lowry Hill,” Vemmer wrote. The house is not locally designated as historic and is not listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Lowry Hill Neighborhood Association voted not to oppose the plans for the site at its November meeting. Board member Thomas Regnier, who lives near the property, wrote to the Heritage Planning Commission that he regretted his vote. In a report to the commission, he wrote that the property merits historic protection because the house is in almost “remarkable pristine original exterior condition.” HPC members disagreed, saying that the many alterations to the building over the years have diminished what historical significance it may have had and voting 6-1 to approve the application to demolish the house. The Saghedis have yet to submit plans for the condo building to the city. The site is currently zoned R2, a low-density two-family district. Under the Minneapolis 2040 Plan, the site would be zoned Interior 2, allowing multifamily buildings with more than three units on larger lots.
District, teachers union continue negotiations By Nate Gotlieb / ngotlieb@swjournal.com
School district leaders and the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers continue negotiating a contract for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years. Negotiators have discussed everything from class sizes and teacher pay to preparation time and hiring practices. They have not yet reached any agreements. The Minneapolis Federation of Teachers is the district’s largest union, representing its licensed teachers, nurses, social workers and speech pathologists. State law requires that
teachers unions’ collective bargaining agreements be for two years. As part of negotiations, the union has asked the district to lower class sizes, provide more unconstrained teacher prep time before the school year, increase benefit contributions and provide licensed school nurses in every building. It has also asked for a 5% across-the-board pay increase for each school year. District leaders say the union’s asks would cost over $134 million, which is well above SEE TEACHER CONTRACT / PAGE A7
southwestjournal.com / December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 A7
Group can continue to explore parkway changes
Let’s Build Community this year
By Andrew Hazzard / ahazzard@swjournal.com
Minneapolis park commissioners have rejected a measure that would have limited the ability of a community planning process to discourage through traffic on Minnehaha Parkway. The measure had been advanced by Park Board President Brad Bourn, who represents the area around Minnehaha Creek in Southwest. It would have altered the mandate of the group tasked with master planning the Minnehaha Creek area — requiring the community advisory committee (CAC) to “maintain the continuity of parkway for motorists.” The Minnehaha Parkway Regional Trail Master Plan, a 20-year plan to shape the parkland around the creek, has been held up by staunch opposition from some residents to designs that would discourage through traffic on the parkway by installing roadway barriers at certain intersections and eliminating two short stretches of the parkway in Southwest. Bourn said he believed the discussion around the parkway was distracting from the good work the CAC is doing and that he didn’t want the parkway to become a “private driveway” for its residents. But most commissioners opposed interfering with the work of the CAC, which only has the power to recommend designs that are ultimately decided on by commissioners. Only Bourn and Commissioner Londel French supported the measure. “I believe strongly in our CAC process to
engage our community power,” said Commissioner Steffanie Musich, who represents the areas around the creek in South Minneapolis. She said the board should not politically interfere in that process to appease certain residents. Adam Arvidson, the project manager for the Minnehaha Master Plan, said his team is continuing to modify the plan and will release new concept designs in January. Members of Preserve the Parkway, a group opposing plans to alter the road, said they’ve been told those new designs will not include any barriers to continuous traffic on the parkway or the removal of a small one-way stretch of the parkway that runs under the Nicollet Avenue bridge. Some members of the public urged commissioners to support plans limiting traffic, arguing it would decrease noise and air pollution while creating a sanctuary for park users, pedestrians and cyclists. Current design concepts would discourage through traffic on the parkway by installing roadway barriers at Humboldt and Portland avenues and by removing the two stretches of parkway in Southwest. Opposition to those ideas led to a pause in the master planning process this summer while a traffic study was conducted. That study, presented to the public in November, led park planners to believe they need to alter plans near Portland Avenue, but made them confident design changes in Southwest were feasible.
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FROM TEACHER CONTRACT / PAGE A6
its $24 million spending authority for the two-year deal. The two sides have also discussed proposals that aim to increase the number of teachers of color in the district. Currently, approximately 17% of the district’s teachers are non-white, compared with over 65% of its students. Researchers have found that students benefit from having a teacher of the same race or ethnicity. One study found that black students who have just one black teacher in elementary school are more likely to graduate from high school. The district says its current hiring practices, as agreed upon in its contract with the teachers union, make it harder for it to hire external teachers of color. That’s because, the district says, the contract mandates a long internal hiring process that gives its largely white workforce the first chance to apply for open positions. School leaders have also reported that they are not able to “shield” newer teachers of color during budget cuts, because of seniority rules. The teachers union has countered with a proposal to provide teachers of color with layoff protections. The district rejected this
proposal, saying that taking employment action based on race is likely “contrary to law.” The contract negotiations come more than a year after the district and the teachers union agreed to a labor agreement for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years. That contract, for which the two sides entered mediation, included 0.5% pay increases for each of those school years. Teachers are paid based on their years of experience and their levels of educational attainment. A first-year teacher with a bachelor’s degree, for example, makes $43,605 in the district, while a 10th-year teacher with a master’s degree makes $69,126. The average teacher salary in MPS in 2018-19 was $70,659, according to Minnesota Department of Education data. That’s the 13th highest average of any public school district in the state, though it’s slightly below nearby districts such as Edina and St. Paul.
LEARN MORE The district has a summary of negotiations through Nov. 21 online at tinyurl.com/mftnegotiations.
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A8 December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 / southwestjournal.com
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By Jim Walsh
Fairy tale of New York NEW YORK — “I still believe in the magic of Christmas,” enthused Scarlett Johansson during her opening “Saturday Night Live” monologue on the storied NBC Studios stage at Rockefeller Center Dec. 14. Twenty-four hours later I found myself standing in front of the mythic Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and skating rink with my date, Mary Beth, and thousands of other tourists, with Johansson’s words and a loop of the greatest New YorkChristmas song ever, the Pogues’ “Fairytale of New York,” ringing in my head. But magic? Seriously? For me, the magic of Christmas had been temporarily in mothballs, with Ebenezer Trump, the impeachment hearings, world religion wars and an unrelenting December darkness combining to push me inward, embrace winter and hygge solitude, and hanker for some new faith in humanity. What a difference a few days in the city that never sleeps makes: We knew we weren’t in Minneapolis anymore upon arrival, when we found a couple of passed-out Santas from the previous night’s SantaCon on the train leading into the city from the airport, and something about that sweet silly sight lifted my spirits and reminded me why people call this the best time of the year. Straight away, Minnesota seemed to be following us, starting with the guy on the subway whom I chatted up because he was reading one of my favorite Minnesota-born books, Charles Baxter’s “The Feast of Love.” Then, walking through the West Village, we exchanged “Skol!”s with a woman in a Vikings jersey, who led us to Bar None, the unofficial Vikings headquarters in New York, which proved to be a madhouse of purple and gold expats and newbie NYC sufferers. “I’m from New Orleans originally. My mom told me years ago that life is hard and full of heartbreak so you should follow the Vikings,” she said, as the big-tease Vikings finished off the Chargers on the big screens above. Never mind the Vikings; we wanted a New York Christmas and so we headed to Washington Square Park for the lighting of the giant Christmas tree. The white light and white heat was dazzling, but the truth is, like all the rando Santas, Christmas trees are all over New York — on top of skyscrapers, apartment buildings, cranes; carried by pedestrians; strolled down the street in shopping carts; and sold on almost every corner. Hell if every single sighting didn’t make me grin like the post-epiphany Grinch. Then it was on to Pete’s Tavern, the oldest bar in New York, which did not disappoint. Legend has it that “The Gift of the Magi” was written at the bar by O. Henry, in 1905, and in tribute the pub is decked out in Christmas regalia year-round. After an egg nog and hot toddy, a perusal of the O. Henry collection that sits by the tip jar and a few spirited singalongs with our fellow revelers, we lingered by the sign hanging over the entryway proclaiming, “Oldest Original Bar in New York City Opened 1864,” and considered all the Minneapolis bars, clubs, and buildings that have been torn down. Humbug! Next up was Cafe Wha?, the entrance to which greeted us with a poster from a 1990 Prince gig (inside, a cover band rocked hard and did perfect purple readings of “Kiss” and “Purple Rain”), and
Just one of the rando Santas in New York City this time of year. Photo by Jim Walsh
a New York Times clipping from 1961 that lionizes the place where Bob Dylan famously got his start: “Just got here from the West,” the gangly 19-year-old told Manny Roth, owner of the Greenwich Village nightclub Cafe Wha? “Name’s Bob Dylan, I’d like to do a few songs? Can I?” Sure, Mr. Roth said, on “hootenanny” nights, as he called them, anybody could sing a song or two and this was a hootenanny night, a bitterly cold one. Jan. 24, 1961. And so Mr. Dylan took out his guitar and sang a handful of Woody Guthrie songs. The crowd “flipped” in excitement, Mr. Dylan later said.
Around midnight, just around the corner from a woman selling measly branches under a sign reading “Charlie Brown Christmas trees for sale,” a Santa stood in front of Joe’s Pizza begging for change from the customers, one of whom was dressed in a full-body Pokemon Pikachu costume. I watched the Pikachu as he munched his slice on his way down the street and disappeared into the subway, somehow perfectly, weirdly, also embodying the spirit of Christmas in New York. So wonderful to be in a city that walks, a city designed for walkers, and thus the rest is a tinsel-y blur: the sugary smells and tastes of the Union Square Christmas village. The huge wreath hanging over Grand Central Station. The drag queen calling Christmas bingo at the Stonewall Inn. The oohs and aahs from the crowd as the side of Saks on 5th Avenue lit up in all its HD Xmas glory. The iconic Christmas tree lit up on top of Radio City Music
Hall. The best bookstore in the world, The Strand, bustling with holiday shoppers, breathtaking books and a “New York writers” section that came with this Tom Wolfe quote, which spoke to me as I pored through the stacks: “One belongs to New York instantly, one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years.” But it will be Rockefeller Center I’ll remember most. Not even necessarily for the tree or skating rink, but for the countless faces of joy I witnessed, taking in the lights, taking selfies and snapshots, all to commemorate this singular joyful moment. So much happiness, so apart from these dire times. I could’ve people-watched all day, but then it was a short walk to stand under the New Year’s Eve ball in Times Square, and when Bing Crosby’s faraway voice boomed out over the throng, “Silver bells, silver bells, it’s Christmas time in the city,” there was seriously only one word for it. Magic. Jim Walsh lives and grew up in South Minneapolis. He can be reached at jimwalsh086@gmail.com.
CORRECTION The Southwest Journal’s charitable giving guide, which began on page B1 of the Dec. 12 issue, transposed part of the name of the Peace House Community.
southwestjournal.com / December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 A9
Apartments, commercial space proposed at Lake & Harriet By Andrew Hazzard / ahazzard@swjournal.com
A proposed six-story apartment building would bring 95 living units and two commercial spaces to LynLake. Submitted image
A mixed-use building with 95 apartment units and two commercial spaces could rise from a Lake & Harriet parking lot. Plans are still tentative for the six-story building, which would go on the site of a usedcar sales lot on the south side of Lake Street, next to the Schatzlein Saddle Shop. The project is being pitched by North Bay Companies and designed by DJR Architecture. There are two commercial spaces proposed in the project, a large 1,633-square-foot space and a smaller 889-square-foot space, according to documents submitted to the city. Most dwellings would be studio units with a
few one-bedroom apartments on each floor. The design includes 58 parking spaces spread between underground and gradelevel garages. Parking would be accessed from Harriet Avenue. The project was presented to a Planning Commission study session on Dec. 12. Currently the building site, 429 W. Lake St., is zoned for medium-density multifamily housing along Harriet Avenue and as a neighborhood commercial district along Lake Street; both designations cap most development at four stories. The Minneapolis 2040 Plan will alter
the site’s zoning to a mix of Corridor 6 and Interior 3 designations — which allow buildings up to six stories and up to three stories, respectively. The developer is seeking a split-zoning overlay district and a conditional use permit to increase the height to six stories. The building would be six stories along Lake Street and set back to four stories along Harriet Avenue, creating spaces for a roof deck on the south side of the building at the fourth-floor level, where developers are planning a gathering space and a community garden.
Early plans released for big E-shaped apartment By Zac Farber / zfarber@swjournal.com
A developer’s tentative plans for a sprawling South Uptown apartment complex would place an E-shaped building along Hennepin Avenue south of 35th Street. The Lander Group’s early pitch for the site, brought before a Planning Commission study group on Dec. 12, calls for 74 luxury rental units and 92 underground parking spaces marketed toward local residents downsizing from single-family homes — “people of means who drive cars,” in the words of project architect Bob Loken. The brick-and-stucco building would be composed of a variety of one- and twobedrooms — many with balconies, terraces or access to a landscaped courtyard — beneath two large penthouse suites. The basement parking garage would be accessible via the rear alley and include a car elevator. The site is currently occupied by two single-family homes, a handful of apartment units and a mix of commercial uses. A short segment of the apartment would stretch into the back parking lot of the turn-of-the century brick commercial building at 3501 Hennepin, but that segment could be removed from plans if the co-owner of the building doesn’t sign off on the project. SEE 35TH & HENNEPIN / PAGE A13
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A10 December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 / southwestjournal.com
What’s changing at the Bakken By Zac Farber / zfarber@swjournal.com
F E AT U R E D L I S T I N G S
Work is set to begin Jan. 6 on the first phase of a $7.25 million project to renovate the Bakken Museum in West Calhoun. The science museum’s new 30-foot-tall, lake-facing entrance will be constructed with bird-safe glass approved by the Audubon Chapter of Minneapolis, and it will hold a yet-to-be-chosen piece of “iconic art,” said Bakken spokesperson Laura Whittet. A 3,200-square-foot landscaped courtyard along West 36th Street will be paved with crushed stone and outfitted with a low wall for sitting. The project’s $4.5 million first phase, approved this December by the Planning Commission and the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, will reshape the lower
level of the 44-year-old museum, bringing new interactive exhibits, a snack bar, modernized classroom space and improved accessibility. The renovation’s planned $2.75 million second phase, scheduled for 2021, would expand the building’s footprint
SEE IT IN 3D Use these links to explore renderings of the renovated science museum in three dimensions. Exterior: tinyurl.com/BakkenWetland Lobby: tinyurl.com/BakkenLobby Phase two: tinyurl.com/BakkenPhase2
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SOLD CHARLIE & JOE BRAMAN
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Braman Brothers Real Estate SWJ 122619 H2.indd 1
ACTIVE NEW
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Minneapolis
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$350,000
4652 Nine Oaks Circle Bloomington
$427,000
3330 Irving Ave N
TOP: The Bakken’s new 30-foot-tall entrance hall will be constructed with bird-safe glass. ABOVE: A new elevated walkway over the wetland in front of the Bakken is designed to reorient the building’s entrance toward the lake. Submitted images
$249,900
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SEE BAKKEN / PAGE A11
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toward 36th Street, adding education and event space. Medtronic co-founder Earl Bakken established the museum in 1975 to house his collection of historical books and artifacts relating to science and technology. Today the Bakken has about 17,000 visitors per year and the museum’s staff engages with 45,000 students annually across Minnesota. When the Bakken expanded in the late 1990s, workers artificially enlarged the wetland located in the museum’s front yard off of Bde Maka Ska. During the first-phase construction period, expected to last about six months, a biofiltration basin will be installed between the Bakken’s parking lot
SOLD
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$450,000
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The Braman Brothers are members of Coldwell Banker Burnet’s elite Distinctive Homes group as well as the International Diamond Society and the International Sterling Society. Over the past 2 years, they have sold over 120 homes. 12/16/19 12:57 PM
southwestjournal.com / December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 A11
Southwest park commissioner Brad Bourn is stepping down from his role as president of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. File photo
Brad Bourn won’t seek Park Board presidency By Andrew Hazzard / ahazzard@swjournal.com
After two years at the helm of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, President Brad Bourn will not seek a leadership position in 2020. Bourn, who represents most of Southwest Minneapolis in District 6, announced he would not be running for board president when officers are selected in January at the Dec. 18 Park Board meeting. “Being the president is the most fun job I’ve ever had,” he said. First elected in 2010, Bourn said he never saw himself leading the board, but he ascended to the presidency in 2017 after a wave election brought in six new board members. With those members now having two years of experience under their belts, Bourn said his institutional memory is not as needed in the president’s role. “It’s time for them to lead,” he said. Now, he said, he wants to go back to focusing on issues in Southwest Minneapolis and dedicating more time to his work and personal life. He said he first considered not running for leadership after his father died in the spring. Bourn also serves as the executive director of the Lyndale Neighborhood Association. “I’m looking forward to going back to advocating for my district,” he said.
Bourn’s leadership was a time of transition for the Park Board. At times, the board had bitter conflict under his presidency. He was occasionally criticized by fellow commissioners for changing agenda items late and prompting battles over items like appointments to the Park Police Advisory Council. He said he was most proud of guiding the transition from former superintendent Jayne Miller to current leader Al Bangoura, which included bringing in longtime MPRB leader Mary Merrill as an interim superintendent in 2018. He said his highlights were honoring Merrill by making her the namesake of the MPRB’s headquarters and supporting Bangoura’s appointment as superintendent. “He’ll impact the Park Board for the next generation,” Bourn said. Other major initiatives he’s led include the changing of Lake Calhoun’s name to Bde Maka Ska and the negotiations with Graco Inc. for a new park project on the Northeast riverfront. This budget season he pushed for more youth programming funding. “Time and again, you’ve shown you’re willing to make stands on issues around justice,” Commissioner Jono Cowgill said to him. The Park Board will elect a new president at its Jan. 2 meeting. Bourn’s term on the board goes through 2021.
EARN EXTRA MONEY
Newspaper carriers needed to deliver Southwest Journal to homes in Southwest Minneapolis every other week
FROM BAKKEN / PAGE A10
and the wetland. “[This] should help reduce pollution and improve water quality in the wetland on the property as well as in nearby bodies of water,” senior city planner Andrew Frenz wrote in a staff report. The Planning Commission approved two variances for the project on its Dec. 9 consent agenda: one allowing the remodeling of the museum in an area zoned for residential use and the other allowing development within 50 feet of the shoreland overlay district. Frenz wrote that the project shouldn’t “result in significantly increased intensity of the museum use on the site.” More details about new programming at the Bakken will be released at a groundbreaking ceremony on Jan. 13. New exhibits
Must be 18+ with vehicle and auto insurance. OK to have others help deliver. The museum’s ground floor classroom spaces will be modernized. Submitted image
— now being designed by the Bakken and the Roto Group, an Ohio-based design firm — will touch on Minnesota’s history “as a leader in biomedical engineering, human enhancement and medical technologies.”
Average route: • 500–600 papers • 4–5 hours • Earn $50–60
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12/9/19 10:42 PM
A12 December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 / southwestjournal.com FROM MAGNET SCHOOLS / PAGE A1
School in Lowry Hill East, which currently has K-8 students, would become a magnet school for grades 6-8 focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM). Nearly every Southwest Minneapolis elementary and middle school would have its busing zone redrawn. District leadership did not include high schools in the model, since high school students use Metro Transit for transportation. At the Dec. 12 School Board meeting, Graff stressed that the model is not the district’s final proposal and that leaders will incorporate feedback from a series of listening sessions planned for January and February. But he and his leadership team said they strongly favor some of the core tenets of the model, such as clustering magnet schools and educating students in grades 6-8 in a middle school. “This study gives us a possible concept about how we might move forward with this work,” Graff said. The model is the latest step in a project the district is calling the “Comprehensive District Design.” The aim of the project, which also includes changes to the academic program, is to improve outcomes and increase opportunities, particularly for students of color, to decrease racial segregation and to ensure the district’s long-term financial stability. “We’re at a point where we really owe it to everybody here to continue to think strategically,” Graff said. Minneapolis Public Schools has more than 33,000 K-12 students at over 65 schools around the city. Approximately two-thirds of its students are non-white, and, as of fall 2018, over 55% qualified for free or reduced-price lunch. Achievement gaps between the district’s white students and students of color are stark. On the statewide reading test, for example, 77% of white students received a passing score, compared with 26% of Hispanic students, 18% of African American students and 17% of American Indian students. Wide disparities also exist in graduation rates, ACT scores and disciplinary actions. District leaders say the system is designed to disadvantage students of color. They note that the most academically proficient schools, where there are often more white and middle- or high-income students, have more experienced teachers than schools with high concentrations of students of color and low-income students. Students at those schools also have more access to rigorous and advanced academic coursework. “We fundamentally believe that continuing to do nothing, tinkering around the edges, and maintaining the status quo is unacceptable,” the district’s website reads. The “Comprehensive District Design” project also comes as the district continues grappling with budget gaps, driven by increased costs and declines in enrollment, particularly in the northern half of Minneapolis. In addition, the district is facing a potential settlement in a lawsuit alleging that past MPS decisions have perpetuated segregation and are leading to children of color getting a separate and unequal education. The parties in that lawsuit, Cruz-Guzman v. State of Minnesota, are currently in mediation, according to Daniel
A new model being considered by school district leaders would turn Jefferson Community School, which currently has K-8 students, into a magnet school for grades 6-8 focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM). Photo by Nate Gotlieb
Shulman, an attorney for the plaintiffs. Myron Orfield, a University of Minnesota law school professor who specializes in civil rights, wrote in an amicus brief on the case that school segregation in Minneapolis is getting worse. For example, most Southwest Minneapolis elementary schools were fairly balanced between white students and students of color in the mid-1990s, Orfield wrote. By 2014-15, most Southwest Minneapolis elementary schools were majority white.
Magnet school changes MPS originally set forth a series of structural changes this past spring, including changes to school pathways and programs. District leadership scrapped those plans in September and began to create a revised plan that focused more on addressing systemic inequities. In October, the School Board passed a resolution providing Graff with guidance for developing the project. The resolution calls on the superintendent to, among other things, provide equitable access to “rigorous” academic opportunities throughout the city and to do his best to reduce racial and economic segregation. In November, district leaders set about drawing new busing zones for elementary and middle schools in a way designed to increase integration, modeling the changes with the assumption that all elementary and middle school students would attend their “community” school. They then tried to place magnet schools in a way that would further increase integration. Magnet schools, which specialize in particular themes and curricula, are designed to draw students from other parts of the district to increase racial and economic integration, according to MPS. They may access federal integration dollars and offer transportation to students in an extended attendance area. Community schools, by comparison, have a traditional academic program and typically draw students from the areas immediately around them. With the model under study, the district would have 10 magnet schools, instead of the
CURRENT VS. MODELED MAGNET SITES Current (2019-20) magnets
Modeled magnets
Zones Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 School Types lementary E magnet iddle school M magnet Non-magnet
Maps courtesy of Minneapolis Public Schools
13 it currently has. There would no longer be “open” magnet schools, and there would be fewer Montessori and Spanish dual-immersion schools, though the district would create new magnets focused on STEAM. There would also no longer be International Baccalaureate (IB) elementary and middle schools, though district leadership has said schools could potentially continue offering IB programs. Eric Moore, the district’s research director, said community schools could also apply to have “specialty” programs like Montessori, though the district would be careful to ensure that they don’t compete with magnet schools with the same offerings. The model does not propose any programmatic changes to high schools. All of the magnets would be located within the middle third of the city — generally between Lake Street to the south and Broadway Street to the north — a setup the district says could make them more accessible to all students. Each Southwest Minneapolis elementary and middle school, except for Burroughs in Lynnhurst, would see changes to its busing zone, which is generally defined as the area in which the district will provide transportation to and from school under the model. The model would change the pathway middle school for students at Kenwood, Whittier, Windom, Lake Harriet and Barton schools — all of which would serve only students in grades K-5. It’s unclear whether the district would allow students who live outside a busing zone to attend a community school in another busing zone, which is currently allowed, though those families must provide their own transportation. School districts are allowed to determine their own intra-district transfer policies, according to the Department of Education. Under the model, the district could cut the number of racially isolated schools to 10 from 20, according to an analysis by its research department. Racially isolated schools have a proportion of students of color that’s more than 20 percentage points higher than the district rate of 66%. The plan could also lead to millions in savings on transportation by reducing the length of bus routes and therefore allowing buses to complete more routes each morning. Moore said it has the potential to increase access to after-school programming and potentially lower class sizes in Southwest Minneapolis. Those savings could allow the district to provide transportation to more students. Currently, elementary students are not generally eligible for transportation if they live within half a mile of a school. The half-mile radiuses around those schools are referred to as “walk zones.” One common reason families leave MPS, Moore said, is because they want shorter walk zones or door-to-door transportation.
Skepticism from parents The model received a cool reception from some parents at the district’s Spanish dual-immersion schools. They questioned the wisdom of potentially moving a well-established immersion
program out of Windom, and they expressed skepticism about the district having enough immersion seats with just two immersion schools. Other parents advocated against moving all students in grades 6-8 to middle schools and said they’re troubled by the potential loss of diversity in their schools. At a meeting of Armatage’s “Welcoming Equity” committee, parents asked School Board members Josh Pauly, Kimberly Caprini and Kim Ellison how the district would ensure their new schools have the same quality as Armatage. Some Somali parents said they don’t want to lose the ability to attend Armatage. Other parents at the School Board meeting encouraged the board to maintain its focus on integration and students of color. “Please don’t get moved by the loud voices, and remember those people who do not always have the power, influence and time to speak for what they need,” parent Heather Anderson said. At the Dec. 12 meeting, board members generally appeared in favor of centralizing the magnet schools, though opinions were mixed on eliminating K-8 schools. Board member Bob Walser, who represents the part of Southwest Minneapolis around Lake of the Isles and near Downtown, said he’d like to see a model that has all K-8 schools or a stronger emphasis on dual immersion. He also said he doesn’t see student, parent or teacher voices included in the model under study. “Those things have me very, very deeply concerned,” he said. School Board member Jenny Arneson (Northeast/University) said she’s less worried about grade-level configurations for middle school students than talking about a “developmentally appropriate middle school experience.” She said the idea of centralizing the magnet schools means South Minneapolis children may need to travel to North and Northeast Minneapolis for programs. “For decades, we have had no problem telling North and Northeast [Minneapolis] children that it’s reasonable to travel to South Minneapolis for programs,” she said. “If we are really committed to equity, then we need to hold ourselves to the same standards in every neighborhood.”
Next steps Much is still to be determined about the plan, including decisions about procedures for entrance into magnet schools and whether students outside of a community school’s busing zone can attend that school. District leaders are also working on plans to reconfigure special education and install new pieces of its academic program, such as a new math curriculum. District leaders plan on presenting a final plan to the School Board in March before an April vote. No school pathways or boundary changes or closures/relocations would occur before the 2021-22 school year. A series of listening and information sessions about the models are slated between Jan. 15 and Feb. 19. More information about the Comprehensive District Design, the information sessions and the timeline are available at mpls.k12.mn.us/cdd.
southwestjournal.com / December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 A13 FROM PANGEA / PAGE A1
on East African, Latinx and indigenous communities through “engagement and meditations on themes of home” and has included poetry, visual art, performances and the creation of a community mural. Dipankar Mukherjee, the co-founder and artistic director of Pangea, emphasized its importance as a theatrical institution with racially diverse leadership. Mukherjee has been a theater administrator for about three decades, and he’s seen how the dynamics inside a theater’s leadership team can affect the work it produces. “[At previous Twin Cities theaters,] all of my colleagues were white. The choice of literature was all white,” he said. “I didn’t [want to] just sit and complain about what regional theaters are not doing or what they should do.” When he decided to begin Pangea, he was intentional about what the theater was called. He chose Pangea as a metaphor for togetherness — it’s the name of the unified landmass that existed before the continents drifted apart. “We really consciously took that as a name because we wanted to see what genuine collaboration with the public looks like,” Mukherjee said. “It’s not like a ‘We Are the World’-type of togetherness, but a progressive, cutting-edge, radical coming together. Because we are not all the same. Yes, we can still work together where diversity is celebrated as a difference and not as a similarity.” On Dec. 7 and 8, Pangea produced “Castles,” written and performed by Kat Purcell, a nonbinary artist whose main practice is experimental art. The performance was the result of Purcell’s residency at Pangea World Theater, in which artists are given the space, time and resources to produce their own shows. The staff at Pangea works closely with the artists to help them achieve their vision through musical direction, set design, lighting, costumes and more. Purcell’s “Castles” included movement centered on the nettle and milkweed fibers they had used to decorate the set, as well as intro-
In Pangea’s theatrical residencies, artists are given the space, time and resources to produce their own shows. Photos by Jenny Zander/Pangea World Theater
spective dialogue on how being human intersects with connectedness. This show was one of the many ways that Pangea World Theater hopes to shake the idea of traditional art making. Instead of reading Shakespeare during their auditions, actors are asked to tell a story about their families. Ticket prices are kept low, and many of Pangea’s shows include a pay-whatyou-can day. Rehearsals begin with two minutes of silence for mindfulness. Pangea’s next show, “Sueño,” scheduled to run in March, is an adaptation from playwright José Rivera. It follows the story of Prince Segismundo, who will take over the Spanish crown once he is released from prison. Meena Natarajan, the executive/ literary director of Pangea World Theater, said she believes the 17th century play,
which tells the story of a conflict between three villains, is resonant in today’s turbulent political climate. “We really love the energy of it,” she said. In celebration of its 25th year, Pangea’s theme for its 2019-20 season is “Re-Cognizing Our Pluriverse.” The idea of a “pluriverse” signals Pangea’s intention to create shows and programming where the artists and the audiences are interconnected rather than two distinct groups. “We are all practicing artists, and that’s why we created Pangea,” Mukherjee said. “We’ve got genuine core belief that the future lies in collaborative politics, where you and I can collaborate, and I can participate in solidarity with you, even when you’re talking about your politics. We will stand in solidarity.”
It’s not like a ‘We Are the World’-type of togetherness, but a progressive, cuttingedge, radical coming together. Because we are not all the same. Yes, we can still work together where diversity is celebrated as a difference and not as a similarity. — Dipankar Mukherjee, co-founder and artistic director of Pangea
FROM 35TH & HENNEPIN / PAGE A9
The Lander Group will be asking for zoning changes in 2020 to allow a five-story residential building at 3501-3525 Hennepin Ave., but the apartment’s stepped design, coupled with a heavy elevation drop toward the back side of the property, means the structure’s height would vary depending on the angle from which it’s viewed. From Hennepin Avenue, the building’s three bar-shaped segments appear three stories tall, topped by a recessed fourth story. But from the rear, where the building’s main body overlooks a row of single-family homes along Girard Avenue, it appears to be five stories high, plus a set-back sixth story. The goal of the recessed top story, Loken said, is to minimize the building’s impact both visually and in terms of the shadows cast. The proposed site of the apartment encompasses six city lots that are currently zoned for either medium-density residential (R4) or smallscale commercial uses (C1), with apartments capped at four stories and commercial buildings at 2.5 stories. Under the Minneapolis 2040 Plan, expected to go into effect in 2020, all six lots would be rezoned to Corridor 4 — a mixed-use designation allowing buildings of four stories or higher along high-frequency transit routes. The Lander Group’s current plans would require all six lots to be rezoned to an R5 multifamily zoning that caps most development at four stories. The group is seeking variances to build higher than four stories and to reduce the rear and interior side yard setbacks. During the informal study session, planning commissioners praised the early design’s courtyards and staggered “mass distribution” but pressed the architect to come up with ideas for reducing the building’s climate impacts, such as adding solar panels or preserving mature trees. Planning commission president Sam Rockwell
A developer’s early pitch for a sprawling E-shaped apartment building in South Uptown calls for 74 luxury rental units marketed toward people downsizing from singlefamily homes. Submitted images
encouraged the developer to include commitments to reducing climate impacts in the building design to improve its chances of being approved at more than four stories. The Lander Group does not expect to submit a formal land use application until summer 2020. The apartment’s project team is scheduled to present its latest plans to a South Uptown neighborhood committee on Jan. 15. — Andrew Hazzard contributed reporting to this story.
An elevation drop toward Girard Avenue means the building will appear to be five stories tall, topped by a recessed sixth story, from the rear.
A14 December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 / southwestjournal.com
Green Digest
By Mira Klein
Nature-based therapy is an antidote to climate fatalism The physiological benefits of forest immersion may also be a survival tactic
I
n early December, Minneapolis joined the ranks of approximately two dozen U.S. cities by declaring a climate emergency. This declaration highlights the alarming fact that the impacts of climate change are not just future threats: The climate apocalypse is already here. While rallying the public to the urgency of the climate crisis, the increasingly ubiquitous use of apocalyptic rhetoric is taking an undeniable mental toll. There is a well-documented rise in negative mental health responses related to the already-unfolding realities of climate catastrophe, particularly among young people. In 2017, the American Psychological Association published an extensive report on the relationship between climate change and mental health, identifying deteriorating psychological responses including “conflict avoidance, fatalism, fear, helplessness and resignation.” How can we address the devastating implications of climate chaos when doing so may undermine our ability to take care of ourselves? “The climate crisis puts you in the fetal position … and we don’t know how to react because out primal brain is adrenaline driven,” said Dr. Jean Larson, a University of Minnesota faculty member and specialist in nature-based therapeutics at the Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing. The constant inundation of climate fears adds up, compounding like a series of repetitive neurological paper cuts, she explained. In addition to her teaching and research in nature-based therapies, Larson is a longtime horticultural therapist at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. “The way we can most effectively address these issues of large overwhelming complexity is not through the analytical,” Larson said. “It has to come through personal illumination.” By encouraging her students to find places of nature connection, Larson believes they can expand their capacities to respond to the overwhelming apocalyptic doom of climate rhetoric. Nature connection can emerge through a wide range of nature-based therapies, a term she
First-time forest bathers walk to the location where they’ll experience a facilitated session of shinrin-yoku at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska. Photo courtesy of Jill Leenay
coined in academia but is quick to credit to a long lineage in non-Western medicine. “Naturebased therapy,” Larson explained, is an umbrella concept that spans from public health approaches to more targeted medical interventions. Some of Larson’s work falls on the more targeted end of the spectrum. For example, she is working in partnership with the university’s Integrated Medicine Program to research the use of virtual reality glasses featuring images of nature as an alternative to opioid prescriptions for nausea, pain and anxiety. This work is building off an existing body of literature that has demonstrated the efficacy of this VR approach for people who have suffered traumatic burns. David Motzenbecker, a Southwest Minneapolis forest therapy guide, operates from the public health end of the nature-based therapy spectrum. Motzenbecker, principal and founder of Motz Studios, has two decades of experience as a landscape architect and collaborates with
Larson for her therapeutic landscape design class. He began his forest therapy practice about two-and-a-half years ago, inspired by the Japanese art of shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing.” As a forest therapy guide, Motzenbecker operates with the clear-eyed conviction that deep, intentional exposure to nature is a question of human survival. “[Humans] are a species that evolved 99% of our time on this planet outside, in nature,” he said. “We need these kinds of [natural] spaces so that we can continue to exist.” But humans — particularly in the Western world — have done a pretty good job of creating barriers between themselves and nature, both physically and psychosocially. As Motzenbecker argues, this barrier is antithetical to the evolutionary lessons that humans have embedded in our DNA. Because nature is so much a part of the human experience — physically, emotionally and evolutionarily — Motzenbecker suggests that this separation from nature also serves to sever people from their own states of being. “I believe it’s having a detrimental effect on our psyches, on our health,” he said. Motzenbecker’s clients range from corporate wellness programs to university students. Each forest bathing session lasts two to three hours, often taking place in nature centers just outside city limits. During this immersive time, Motzenbecker offers participants “the permission to slow down” while conducting a series of exercises centered on a confrontation with silence and stillness. “Because of the way society is structured, we are in a constant state of fight or flight,” Motzenbecker said. At a physiological level, this means that our bodies are constantly bathing our system in cortisol, with no rest at a more relaxed state. Forest bathing helps bring people out of this heightened state, in addition to offering a wide range of health benefits from alleviating pain to boosting the immune system. For Motzenbecker’s corporate clients, a threehour forest bathing session likely won’t change
this mode of hyper-stimulated operation. In fact, company-sponsored forest bathing sessions are often motivated by a desire to increase worker productivity. But Motzenbecker is confident that even limited exposure to forest bathing, and the reorientation toward nature that comes with it, can be deeply impactful. “I can give [my clients] the tools to slow down and appreciate the world around them more,” he said. According to Larson, rebuilding this love for nature has to counter a culture of learned fear about natural spaces. As Motzenbecker observes, “People don’t know about how to walk in the woods anymore. They’re scared.” Larson uses the terms “biophilia” and “biophobia” to explain this relationship. Biophilia, Larson said, is our innate love of nature, whereas biophobia is a collective understanding of fear in nature. “We are in this conflict all the time between biophilia and biophobia when it comes to nature,” she said. This conflict puts us in a state of “constant dissonance within ourselves.” For Larson, addressing climate catastrophe must come back to relearning and re-strengthening our biophilic muscles. “Climate change is triggering our biophobia and the antidote is biophilia,” she said. As the work of nature-based therapies suggests, to be more in touch with nature is perhaps a path to better accept and address the current reality of climate apocalypse itself. If the world as we know it is over, we will need new ways of being to survive, including a fundamentally different relationship with the natural world. What could the expansion of nature-based therapies look like in the future? Motzenbecker hopes it will come through changes to our health care system that recognize nature-based therapies as credible medical interventions, a position that some countries have already taken. Larson’s work at the intersection of medicine and public gardens is one early example of what that credibility could look like. “Like integrative medicine,” she said, “it has to start from the grass roots.”
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southwestjournal.com / December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 A15
By Andrew Hazzard / ahazzard@swjournal.com
Park Board superintendent aims for ‘holistic’ thinking Al Bangoura looks back at his first year leading Minneapolis’ park system
After 19 years working his way up the recreation services department of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, Al Bangoura left Minnesota to become the recreation superintendent for the parks system in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2015. After four years out east, Bangoura returned to Minneapolis in January to lead the Park Board. As his first year as superintendent came to a close, Bangoura sat down with the Southwest Journal to discuss his push for youth programming, the future of the Bde Maka Ska pavilion, working with the Board of Commissioners, living at the Theodore Wirth House and more. The following interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Why was youth programming such a big push for you in this first year? This board was clear about what their mandate was: It was about youth. When they did the search, they were looking for somebody who not only had this understanding and feel for this organization, but somebody who really had a strong recreation and youth-focused background, too. There’s the visual piece of the world where you see the beautiful trees and canopies; you see the trails and lakes. You can see the park system from these views, but what tends to be forgotten is these rec centers that exist and the services we provide in those areas that touch the lives of youth every day. When they leave school, or even in the summer, where do they go? They come to our rec centers. They come and they look for places to engage with and be a part of. We have a unique opportunity in our facilities to reach the lives of these kids — to give them access and opportunity, to give them places to grow and learn. How do you balance the wants and needs of those who experience parks as a pleasant place to run or walk through and those receiving services at rec centers? At the end of the budget cycle there was this debate over forestry needs versus youth programming that echoed that theme.
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Superintendent Al Bangoura returned in 2019 to lead the organization where he had worked for 19 years. He has pushed to expand youth programming in the parks. Submitted photo
It’s not either/or, it’s and/both. They both are incredibly important and significant to the work that we do and both deserve attention and time. When someone’s running around the lake, they’re experiencing this incredible environment and it just becomes normal. But it’s the same thing when you have a facility in a particular neighborhood and you have youth who walk down there and families that depend on that space. They’re not separate from each other; they’re just experiences that you have. We think holistically about this incredible park system and what it provides to people. The more the youth are exposed to our parks, they become advocates for the system and that’s important. When we talk to youth about the environment and our tree canopy, that’s important. We need to provide quality, exceptional services in our facilities that meet kids today, so they come to us and see parks and recreation not just as a ball and a gym but how they get access to improve their lives.
When you were starting your role, there was a lot of talk about park commissioners not getting along. Do you see part of your job as trying to help them get along and work better together? Yes, because a board that has sort of a collective direction — and everyone has their different agenda — makes for an organization that can work through things more efficiently. It’s not going to be perfect and it never is because we have nine elected officials. They represent the people. My job is to make sure we’re listening because that is the voice of the people. I meet with every individual board member monthly. My effort is to make sure I’m not only hearing what’s coming from the dais but I’m sitting and listening to what’s important to them. We might have our strategic goals, but those goals are set by the board. My responsibility is to the operational direction of this organization.
The fire at Bde Maka Ska was an unexpected hardship this year. What do you envision for that space going forward? With the insurance piece, we’re working with about $1 million. We’re also looking at other funding to consider what the next evolution of that space will be. With the funding piece that we have, that location where the pavilion was is where the next building will be. We’re limited by the value of what we have, and we have to build it in the next two years, or we lose the depreciation recapture value. So, there’s an urgency to do it. We have 8 million visitors a year at the Chain of Lakes. We need to restore simple services like restrooms and drinking fountains. Then we sort of look at what the replacement of the building looks like there. What we also hear is now, when you go by there and see that beautiful view unobstructed, it’s pretty nice. So, we’re considering different designs. It might not be the same pavilion idea. What does it look like? How do we maintain the views? You’re now a Southwest resident at the Theodore Wirth Home near 38th & Bryant. What’s it been like to live in that historic home? I’m really enjoying it. I love being in the park and walking to the Peace Garden and the local shops and restaurants and seeing people sledding on the hill. When I look at the house, I’m always grateful and blessed and in awe of this responsibility that I have. It reminds me every day when I come home or when I leave that place of the responsibility to the people that I serve. My son and wife love it. Also, knowing that we’re the first family of color living in this home is incredible. It reflects the city we are today, the diversity of this city and this population. It’s an incredible thing and it’s a beautiful house. An extended version of this interview can be read at tinyurl.com/BangouraQ-A.
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A16 December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 / southwestjournal.com FROM LAND TRUST / PAGE A1
recommends commercial land trusts as a method for long-term affordability and better outcomes for people of color. Today, the city reports that people of color own fewer than 22% of Minneapolis businesses, and when compared with the city’s population, black- and Latino-owned businesses are underrepresented. Having an entrepreneur in a family increases family wealth by 600% for a black family and 400% for a Latino family, according to the city. Land Trust staff ’s first step is to find business owners who want help moving or buying a space, and the group plans to take advantage of bargain land prices. One early bargain could be 19 E. 26th St. A previous tenant in the building was Los Gallos, a metro area business that accepts payroll checks to provide money transfers, bill payments and other services. It serves clients without state IDs who believe they’ve been overcharged at other cash-checking facilities, a business representative told the City of Minneapolis in 2004. At that time, Los Gallos said it was the largest money transmitter in the state operated by the Hispanic community. The city purchased the tax-forfeited land from Hennepin County last January for about $180,000. Above the storefront, a three-bedroom apartment stood on the second floor, according to the land trust. The city found evidence of illegal occupancy in the basement in 2002. The city investigated a similar complaint in 2007, but found no evidence of occupancy during an inspection. At a recent community meeting in Whittier, people voiced both skepticism and support for the commercial land trust concept. “I’m not comfortable with our neighborhood being a guinea pig for the commercial land trust experiment,” one attendee said, adding that he’d like to see more neighbor-
hood control of the site. Another disagreed, saying the neighborhood typically can’t control any building. “I feel like this is a closer model of having some sort of intentional ownership of the space,” Matt Barthelemy said. Steve Wagner said he’s owned the Little Tijuana building for 27 years, and he’s seen property taxes increase from $5,000 to nearly $14,000. He asked how a space can remain affordable in that environment. “It’s been tough as hell for the last three years,” he said. “I’m waiting for a developer, to be honest with you, because I’m getting old. I’ve been at it over half my life, and I’m getting tired. … Sooner or later a developer’s going to flatten that corner. It’s a teardown. Look all around us, from here to Uptown. I don’t even recognize it anymore.” Another meeting attendee said that if Whittier does host the first commercial land trust, neighbors could help create a new model for collaboration. “The more involved we are, the more we’re creating what’s possible in other places,” said Scott Melamed. The City of Lakes land trust’s main focus is affordable housing, and staff members said they’re on pace to become the largest urban community land trust in the nation next year. The land trust bridges financing gaps for new homebuyers by owning the land underneath a home, while a homeowner owns the building. If the homeowner later moves out, they keep their equity and 25% of any increase in value. The land trust retains the land and uses the remaining portion of a value increase to aid the next owner’s purchase. Jeff Washburne, executive director of the City of Lakes Community Land Trust, said that while they’ve mastered the residential side, they don’t have the commercial side figured out yet. The trust is working with an advisory
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The City of Lakes Community Land Trust has asked the city for exclusive rights to purchase 19 E. 26th St. Photo by Michelle Bruch
board and a consultant to determine exactly how the program would operate. One idea is a lease-to-purchase option for business space, with the trust keeping title to the land. Other options include a co-op with shared equity, or a standard below-market lease. “What I do know is that the city is changing quickly,” Washburne said. “Who gets to live in the city, who gets to work in the city, who gets to own a business in the city is increasingly not being decided by folks in this room. It’s being decided by outside forces.” A handful of places in the country have attempted to use land trusts for commercial space, and their operations vary widely, according to a 2017 report by the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs. One group in Anchorage has acquired key properties with a vision for an arts and cultural district. One in Berkeley rents to businesses and nonprofits at below-market rents. One
on Lopez Island, in Washington state, has a resource room to demonstrate energy conservation strategies. In the Rondo neighborhood in St. Paul, where highway development displaced hundreds of businesses, a land trust aims to help businesses survive with minimal debt on Selby Avenue as part of a $13.2 million development project. With plans to share profits, the trust rents to businesses like Golden Thyme Coffee & Cafe and the Neal family shoeshine business. In Black Ink, a nonprofit publishing house, is moving in now, highlighting that just 4% of all books published in the United States are about people of African heritage. “There really needs to be more funding for small commercial development,” said Greg Finzell, executive director of the Rondo Community Land Trust. “You really have to piece funding from wherever you can find it. … When you’re working with people that are not necessarily bankable, there just isn’t much money out there for them.” The City of Lakes commercial land trust currently has funding from the Jay & Rose Phillips Family Foundation (co-chaired by Rep. Dean Phillips). The trust also hopes to secure $50,000 in city funding set aside in 2017 for a commercial land trust pilot. A launch event is Jan. 16 at the Robert J. Jones Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center. City staff said they are committed to working with the land trust, but they want more information on the finances and details before sending a recommendation to the City Council. City staff would also want a tenant to move in quickly after a sale. The land trust hopes to acquire two commercial sites in 2020: the Whittier site and one in North Minneapolis. They would become the first projects of their kind in the state. “If we’re able to own the land, we would be the first true commercial land trust in Minnesota,” Domonique Jones said.
Dear readers, advertisers and community members, As we wrap up another year of publishing, we reflect on what an honor it is to serve the community of Southwest Minneapolis by producing high-quality, reliable, local news coverage on issues that matter. Your ongoing support makes our work possible. Thank you, The staff of the Southwest Journal
12/20/19 12:04 PM
Southwest Journal December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020
The meditative ritual of art making Bryn Mawr resident Marjorie Fedyszyn embraces contradictions By Susan Schaefer
L
ight and rain equally permeate the studio arts spaces of St. Catherine University’s Women’s Art Institute (WAI) Summer Studio Intensive. Every year, a dozen accomplished and aspiring artists work in the spaces, enclosed by soaring concrete walls supporting expansive skylights. Earning every letter of its “intensive” label, this legendary program pushes participants to exceed their limitations, occasionally causing mini meltdowns along the way. During the program’s 2016 session, Bryn Mawr resident Marjorie Fedyszyn could be found flying from studio to studio, a supportive art angel, generously providing an attuned ear and guidance for anyone in need. This is Fedyszyn’s hallmark. “Marjorie is one of those rare individuals who uplifts all who cross paths with her in a classroom, in her studio, at her exhibitions, and out and about in the community,” says her colleague Karl Reichert, executive director of Minneapolis’ Textile Center. Fedyszyn’s energy fuels such outreach activities as the center’s annual craft show and the after-school classes offered through the Youth Fiber Art Guild. “She is one of the most charismatic champions of fiber art in the Twin Cities,” Reichert adds. Top: Marjorie Fedyszyn in her Casket Arts Building studio posing with “Sorrow (Sad Bags).” Photo by Susan Schaefer Above: “Object of My Desire,” from the Irreproachable Exhibit, 2018, Hopkins Center for the Arts. Submitted photo
SEE FEDYSZYN / PAGE B4
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southwestjournal.com / December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 B3
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B4 December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 / southwestjournal.com FROM FEDYSZYN / PAGE B1
Fedyszyn emits a palpable, full-spectrum aura. A large part of her accessibility and authenticity stems from how she balances the lighter and darker hues of her life. Her diverse, multi-layered, mixed-media body of work expresses this duality, these seeming contradictions. During the WAI program, her own creative process shifted. She had started journaling about events from her past, examining closely their meaning and impact. “The Women’s Art Institute helped me to prioritize my art practice and recognize the dualities which show up in my work: protective layers or gaping vents; restraint and release; what is inside and what is outside; things lost and things found,” she explains. “These contradictions are an expression of the protection from my past and of the openness and vulnerability I try to convey now, being honest and open with myself as well as the viewer.” This peeling back of layers undeniably propelled Fedyszyn to new choices of media, and to new heights of art making and expression.
Chaotic roots/creative output Fedyszyn grew up in Dunkirk, a western New York steel town hit hard by the recession of the 1970s. “Creative expression was neither nurtured nor valued there,” she recounts. She knew from an early age she didn’t fit in. As a child, she found peace and solace along the shores of Lake Erie, spending hours constructing worlds and structures from the
ON VIEW Marjorie Fedyszyn’s work is on display through Jan. 25 in a group show at the New Rules space at 2015 Lowry Ave. N.
detritus washed upon the shore — shells, bits of brick, driftwood, rope and sea glass. “I built great temporary structures knowing they were impermanent, creating worlds and safe places where I would climb inside to hear the roar of the waves bringing new bits of treasure to me,” she says. More than the downtrodden town confronted the young girl. Creative escape is often the realm of children who experience emotional alienation. Such was Fedyszyn’s lot. Her first-generation parents had suffered greatly as children of the Depression. Fedyszyn’s lake excursions were also retreats from the volatility that marked her homelife. “Both of my parents suffered from lifelong depression,” she confides. “Because of the times in which they lived, and the stigma surrounding mental illness and therapy, their depression went untreated. There was a lot of anger. My relationship with both parents was strained and complicated for most of my adult life.”
From New York to Bryn Mawr Thirty years ago, Fedyszyn, along with her husband, John, settled into a 1920s Bryn Mawr bungalow, choosing the peace and greenery of Minneapolis over the hubbub of Manhattan, where they had met and worked. Raising two (now adult) children, they cherish the city’s lakes, its bike paths and the beauty of Theodore Wirth Park and the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden. For a time after her father died in 2000 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease, her mother, Anna, remained in New York in an assisted living facility. But as her mother declined cognitively and physically, the family moved her to a facility close to Fedyszyn in Minneapolis. It proved to be a propitious move — profound and revelatory. Finally, her mother was treated for her depression and anxiety, resulting in long-overdue conversations and connections between the two.
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Fedyszyn, seated far right at the Jerome Fellowship Exhibition panel discussion, under her expansive hanging “Home#46: Order/Chaos” sculpture, made of overbeaten abaca paper, slate, pex tubing and Nymo thread. Photo by Susan Schaefer
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southwestjournal.com / December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 B5
Marjorie Fedyszyn moved to Bryn Mawr 30 years ago, choosing the peace and greenery of Minneapolis over the hubbub of Manhattan. Photo by Susan Schaefer
“For the first time, I saw who my mother could have been and the life we could have shared,” Fedyszyn says. They were ultimately able to discuss painful issues and to heal some wounds. “I could see her for the frightened and injured person she was,” Fedyszyn confides, “which made it easy to simply love her.” Anna died in January 2019 at the age of 94. Fedyszyn misses her deeply. “The energy I devoted to her came at a price and my work flagged,” she explains. “I had lost my direction and drive.” Fedyszyn had focused her energy trying to create a happy and comfortable life for her mother’s final years. “But in the studio, I was just going through the motions,” she says. In retrospect, Fedyszyn realizes how important this time was for her as a human being and as an artist. “Sharing such
special time with my mother has added to the historic narrative of my family.” And these accounts emerge powerfully in her new work. Discussing the emotional impact of living with family who suffer untreated depression — a once-taboo topic — is now more than ever out in the open. And Fedyszyn has mined, molded and shaped the mental illness that impacted her life and her work, sharing it through the alchemy of her art.
Powerfully portraying pain In Fedyszyn’s 2017-18 sculpture “Sorrow (Sad Bags),” the shapes, textures and materials, with their weighted droop and unambiguous image of hanging, viscerally evoke the work’s title. A different type of distress permeated Fedyszyn’s 2017 Art-A-Whirl exhibit, in
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which the bondage of tightly stretched and bound pieces recounted yet another painful episode in Fedyszyn’s life — a molestation by a teacher when she was a child. One particular sculpture in that exhibit, “Object of My Desire,” depicts what appears to be a contorted torso folded in upon itself in a gesture of protection. Rooted in the sexual abuse she suffered as a teen, “the theme centers on what humans have influence over and what is out of our control.” The molestations affected every aspect of Fedyszyn’s life. Through counseling, she now considers herself a survivor. “This body of work has helped me find my true voice as an artist and further heal,” she states. Fedyszyn harnesses and shapes the various traumas she’s suffered into her powerful sculptural narratives. “Every one of us has a story to tell,” she concludes. “I process my emotional history through the art I create, hoping to connect with others on some level. Art making is a meditative ritual, allowing me to explore the inner and external tensions around power and one’s desire for control. These themes are informed by my past while keeping me present in my work.”
The peace of reconciliation Recently, her newfound awareness has morphed into a more intuitive approach to creating art. “The caliber of Fedyszyn’s artistic work has progressed significantly in recent years,” Reichert says. And the art world is noticing. In 2018 Fedyszyn won a highly coveted Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant, which allowed her to complete the body of work for the Hopkins exhibit. The grant also led her to YouthLink, a nonprofit in Minneapolis serving young people ages 16-24. Twice a month, at drop-in sessions, she taught homeless youth fiber arts techniques as a means of centering — wisely devising projects that could be accomplished within an hour.
I process my emotional history through the art I create, hoping to connect with others on some level. — Marjorie Fedyszyn
Working with this at-risk population, she witnessed the healing force of creating something with one’s own hands. “The stresses of homelessness are great,” she notes, “yet for a few minutes these individuals were able to be in that moment, and I was fortunate enough to be there with them.” Listening to stories of their childhood and hearing about the things they would make with their grandmothers or other family members and the dreams they had about what they could do with their own children was a rewarding experience for Fedyszyn — yet another step in the path of reconciling her own past. This is entirely apparent in her brand new body of work, featured earlier this year in the prestigious Jerome Fellowship Exhibit at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. This latest body of work reflects the healing she has done over these last years. Experimenting in a new medium, overbeaten abaca paper, her shapes are now open, stretched, freed from bondage, white and gleaming, harkening back to the shells and bits she collected along Lake Erie’s shores as a child, reverberating with a newfound peacefulness and hope. Susan Schaefer is an independent writer and communications consultant who founded the Creative Class public affairs committee as chair of the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Program. She can be reached at insights@lifeintrans.com.
B6 December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 / southwestjournal.com
SOUTHWEST VIGNETTE
Send your sketch of Southwest Minneapolis to sketches@swjournal.com
Aerial view of Lake of the Isles. Submitted by Kaia Arthur, gouache on paper
See more of Arthur’s work: tinyurl.com/painter-maker
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southwestjournal.com / December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 B7
Dateline Minneapolis
By Steve Brandt
What it takes to drive a Zamboni
W
hat red-blooded hockey fan or figure skating aficionado hasn’t watched a Zamboni lumber around Parade Ice Garden and fantasized about piloting the ice resurfacer? The good news for those folks is that Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has frequent openings for Zamboni drivers. But it’s not as easy as you may think. Imagine navigating the mammoth icing vehicle within inches of the boards, with your left hand on the steering wheel and your right shifting among eight controls as you fine-tune the machine’s operations. Oh yeah, you can’t see the front of the machine from your driving perch on the rear. You need to keep your head swiveling to keep track of other workers who may be on the ice to tend to the goals. And you may be doing your job in front of hundreds of critics, so be careful not to slip up and shatter one of the glass panes above the boards. “You try it the first time, it’s a little scary,” said park-keeper Eric Weum, who began resurfacing ice at age 16. Nevertheless, Emily Wolfe, who manages the Park Board’s two ice arenas, is eager to hear from anyone interested in a job that basically involves going around in circles. Applicants need to be at least 16 years old, hold a driver’s license and be able to pass a background check. The Park Board has a staff of three full-time arena park-keepers, plus another half-dozen or so who drive the Zamboni part time. Weum, who has 22 years of experience
It typically takes a Zamboni driver 15 passes down the ice to resurface the rink at Parade Ice Garden. Photo courtesy of Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
resurfacing ice, said it’s a skill most people can pick up in two or three weeks of training. They develop the muscle memory to grab the right control while keeping their eyes on the ice, learn to apply the right amount of water and gain the confidence to edge closer to the boards. Some people who drive the Park Board’s Zambonis always wanted to do so. Others just like to be around hockey and see the games. Weum can resurface a rink in eight minutes, although the Park Board allots 15 minutes for the job between rentals. That margin allows the ice to set sufficiently before skaters return.
CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Hired help 6 Swiss currency 11 Show with a Miami spin-off 14 With 31-Across, Spanish artist with a Blue Period 15 “Chicago” showgirl 16 “2001” computer 17 *American independence symbol with a storied crack 19 Civil War prez 20 Fencing sword 21 “__ Haw” 22 About, on a memo 24 Some MIT grads 25 *1990 Gibson/Hawn film 29 Xterra automaker 31 See 14-Across 32 Type 33 Four qts. 34 Guy 35 *Pure chance, in poker and lotteries 40 Gym exercise unit 41 Peace symbol 42 Sticky stuff 43 One kicked out 46 Maker of candy “Pieces” 50 *Group of narrow bodies of water in upstate New York 53 European mount 54 Waggable dog part 55 Deux halved 56 Shpeak thish way 57 Cookie container 58 Female box office star, and what the starts of the answers to starred clues can have
62 All-hrs. cash source
9 Nothing
38 Bucks’ mates
63 Break up with a partner
10 Pertaining to the abdominal cavity
39 Canapé topper
64 Mountain song
11 Compelling charm
65 “I’ll do it!”
12 Handheld reciprocating cutting tool
66 Plant anchors 67 Like Oscar Madison’s room
13 Land in la mer 18 Consider
40 Football official 44 Cinematic FX 45 Bank employee 47 Beet and bean 48 Manages to evade
23 “Straight Outta Compton” rappers
49 In an acrobatic fashion
1 Organ near the stomach
25 Pitcher’s wrong move
51 Accountant’s investigation
2 Taiwan’s capital
27 Color named for an African river
DOWN
3 Monastic sister’s superior
26 Colorful fish
28 Ages and ages
52 Furrows, as one’s brows 56 Gin flavoring 57 Leno on TV
4 Run away from
30 [Not my mistake]
5 Jump-joy link
33 Onetime telecom giant
59 Rock producer Brian
6 Line cook’s cooker
35 Rise in the air, as in a magic act
61 Workout facility
7 Dressed like a boxer entering the ring 8 Firefighter’s tool
Crossword Puzzle SWJ 122619 4.indd 1
36 Indignant 37 Have a hunch
60 Excitement Crossword answers on page B12
12/18/19 11:05 AM
The Zamboni brand is the pioneer in arena resurfacing and still sets the standard. Basic models start at about $125,000. The Park Board owns three, the newest still in its first year of operation. All three are electrically powered rather than the traditional propane propulsion. The machine performs three basic icerepairing functions. It scrapes the ice, it removes shavings created by skate blades and by the scraping process, and it applies a skim of warmed water that fills in remaining divots and creates a fresh surface for the inch and a half of arena ice.
The machine applies both cold water to give the rink a cleansing spritz and warm water heated to 140 degrees to improve the bond between the newly forming ice and the base ice. There are controls for both water flows, controls for the twin augers that carry ice shavings to the belly of the machine, a control managing pressure in the conditioner unit through which water and shavings pass, and a control to empty the shavings dump-truck-style. But setting the blade depth and applying the optimal amount of water are the most integral decisions. The machine’s 70-inch-long blade typically shaves about one-sixteenth inch from the surface, more for more adept skaters whose blades may slice deeper. The blade is switched out weekly and sent to be sharpened. There’s an inventory of at least a dozen blades between Parade and the Park Board’s less heavily used Northeast arena on Central Avenue. Weum is a font of Zamboni knowledge. It typically takes a driver 15 passes down the ice to resurface the rink. The machine crawls along at 12 miles per hour. Some drivers stand but most sit. They rarely need to brake because a machine laden with tanks of water and a pile of shaved ice slows quickly when the driver eases off the accelerator pedal. A fully charged Zamboni can handle up to 20 resurfacings. And it takes close to a year to take delivery on a new Zamboni because the company builds only to orders rather than stockpiling an inventory of machines. If you’re interested, Wolfe said, the Park Board is looking for Zamboni jockeys yearround: “We’re always hiring.”
B8 December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 / southwestjournal.com
Southwest Journal Poetry Project
Winter poetry “HAVE YOU MADE YOUR BURIAL PLANS?” asks one of our poets. Winter sometimes feels like that around here. We received a lot of serious poems anticipating our hibernation season. Some lighter ones, too. You’ll find poems about friends and dogs, fear and porch repair, strangers, icebergs and — briefly — family. Best wishes for the holidays! Doug Wilhide is the poet laureate of Linden Hills and poetry editor of the Southwest Journal.
Politics and Food John O’Connor
No one will see as he takes you by the hand, examines your startled eyes flickering with hope and exhaustion.
so imperatively retrieved from the shadows so completely timelessly immanent.
You’ve been alone enough, winter sun chafing your face, snow-light burnishing your hair. Let the guest surprise you with silence and wonder.
I know someone who lives fiercely because that is the only vessel to make hate impotent.
Living Without Her
The Beauty of a Friend
Someone with a megaphone is hollering in the plaza With what seems to be real feeling. I’m a political featherweight — lighter than a ballerina — But I’m also a foodie, And I choose my parties on that basis. It’s the food and not the policy Which commands my assent: A Tea Party if it has Darjeeling, Zionism if there’s rugallah, Franco for some Spanish flan goodies, Garibaldi for a pizza, Zola for a (hopefully chocolate) croissant, Scottish separatists if I never have to try haggis, Anyone anytime for some decent coffee.
First Snow Shannon King
First snow falls with deceptive simplicity, touches bright leaves lightly, sprinkles old grasses, gardens, shrubs, with whiteness, whispers softly, “I’m back … are you ready? Have you made your burial plans?”
Lisa Calame Berg
A poet I respect once said any poem with dusk in it was okay by him. I have to say I agree. I have never seen a dusk that disappointed, even those smothered in mist or clouds or misunderstandings. At dusk, we are all equal, halfway between the sword of the afternoon and night’s forgiveness. We do not know ourselves as well as we think by half, probably more. At dusk, it doesn’t seem to matter until someone walks to the wall and places a single finger — there. One year later, we still can’t quite breathe. Yet.
Racism Redux Gary Melom
I know someone
The Stranger Carol Rucks
When, on a quiet morning as snow flutters down and cars rest on pools of ice some tall someone steps up to the door, be sure to let him in. Offer up a cup of tea to the black wind picking seeds from wilted cornflowers.
who no longer feels confident walking down the street
who no longer feels secure riding on a bus
who no longer feels neighborly sitting quietly in his own home
who no longer believes completely in the possibilities of his own person
who no longer assumes the store clerk is just being helpful
Who once overcame dread but could not stop living with it Who does not know where the hate lurks or who it was — truly — wove it so deeply —
I know someone who overcame but did not forget.
I know someone who weeps while marching.
Carolyn Light Bell
Real beauty radiates straight from the heart. It lingers briefly in the eyes. It’s oft expressed in words, but not always. It might be found in a small gesture — like pulling someone else’s sled up a hill or giving her your last cookie. It spreads across the face the way dawn traverses earth, filling the souls of those who daily wait for this perfect, loving embrace.
Waking Laurie Lykken
From where I lie, I can see the waning moon through a leafless tree, a Cheshire smile shining down on me until, in the orange light of dawn, the smile fades and is gone. On the ground now fully lit, the fallen leaves do more than sit. A St. Vitus Dance with the wind they do mingling their shapes and colors too. Then the mist that’s filled the air turns into snow and pins them where they gather against fence and shrub. There the shrouded leaves will be until spring comes to set them free. But what has this to do with me? Out of my bed I must soon climb to face a world less than sublime until at some future time I too fall not to rise. I will then rejoin the earth to wait in silence for rebirth. Bird, bug, tree? Possibly all three. But that will not be up to me.
southwestjournal.com / December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 B9
Wing Nuts Rusty Debris
Icebergs Doug Wilhide
We are like icebergs most of our lives, revealing just the parts that float above water, using codes and passwords and acronyms, abbreviating ourselves, we submit only the outlines of our stories. We think in wild, weird, ice-carved ridges blown around by waves and surface winds as we feel, hope, remember and dream in deeper currents.
I want to better understand how to use multimeters, how I can employ various “workarounds” and what’s so convenient about convenience fees and how about a world with no need for keys, except for the people’s key of “G?” I don’t know how to precisely lower Venetian window blinds with minds of their own. I don’t know the real reason for so-called daylight saving time either. Sun poisoning, love handles, tornadoes, vegetarian meatballs, Northern lights — a hoo — all mysteries to me.
No One Ever Listens Craig Planting
While walking to a lake with a disputed name I met a friend. A caterpillar with orange and black stripes was inching toward the noon traffic. It had more hair than my boss, and I called out: No! Turn around! Stay in the bike lane where no one ever rides!
On the other hand, I fully — fully — understand back scratches, chocolate donuts and wing nuts.
Our joys, our sorrows — our happy and sad — sound like terns or gulls or rock and roll, while our deeper, fuller sympathies extend like whale call symphonies: I want to know your sweetest harmonies I want you in my band I want to sing your finest qualities I wanna hold your hand.
Named By Animals Kathleen Kimball-Baker
Fur Christine Alfano
Porch Work Dave Griffin
On the first day of porch work I removed soft floor boards And discovered that this wasn’t my last day of porch work. On the second day, I removed rotting framing And found a gold wedding band, a terrific find for the tenant who lost the ring. On the third day I replaced the rotten framing Found quite a bit more rotten framing And an ancient pot of lead. On the fourth day, as I lay with my tools and worklight in an otherwise dark chamber under the porch, I reflected on the passage of time: Once there had been a more open porch skirting That had let in the wind and the leaves. Now there are the dried carcasses of animals, old bottles, broken toys, lawn ornaments — Where are the people who left these? On the fifth day I closed up the porch with new old style floor boards That fit together tongue and groove, tight as a puzzle. Of course I’d left something behind. I’ll figure it out when I can’t find it in my tool bag. Years from now a New World person will find it And wonder what became of me.
Here is the coat that my mother bought for me when I was in fourth grade. A winter parka: fur. Did you hear me? It was FUR! Great pools of butterscotch, smooth on a field of white. The zipper so heavy and thick, its teeth jumped to join one another on their way up to my perfect chin. I imagined the fur was from a giraffe — tall, exotic, precious. And the coat, densely lined, so warm, it brushed the top of my thighs, and its hood was trimmed with more fur, framing my young face, softly, as though with love. And I tell you I walked like a queen when I wore the coat my mother gave me. An empress of the snow, gift-wrapped in fur I was, my spine, stiff, regal. Why — the snowdrifts parted upon my approach. Know too that I had Taystee Bread bags pulled over the fourth-grade feet inside my boots, which were worn and leaking. My hair, beneath that hood, hosted a nest of wasps, I swear, long brown strands, so knotted from lack of combing, they bunched in a ball at the back of my neck. Under the coat, I wore a dark wool uniform, spotted with dried milk, spilled from the rising spoon of my morning cereal. Unclean, it carried sometimes a sour smell.
Not Mutton or Muffin, not Misty or Missy. These are not the names animals would give us if we stood on opposite sides of the gate. As for me, my bug-eyed rescue hound, who believes she alone hears threats ahead, would call me: She Who Shuts Down Baying. My bossy Aussie mix, all business and no fun, would likely name me: She Who Is Too Lenient My blue-eyed mama’s boy who came to me as a wee puppy would surely dub me: Traitor Woman Who Brings New Dogs And my silly yodeling husky, always preceded by clicking sounds, would pronounce me: She Who Lets Nails Grow Too Long And they’d each be right.
My Whole Family Are Palindromes Chuck Boe
There is Mom, Dad, Hannah, Anna and Bob. I’m Christopher. I’ve never fit in.
But my mother gave me a coat once. And it was fur.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY
B10 December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 / southwestjournal.com
PARTY IN THE REC ROOM
Community Calendar.
Lorna Landvik’s popular solo improv show is filled with characters created on the spot. Lorna is known nationally as the author of 12 novels, including “Patty Jane’s House of Curl” and her latest, “Chronicles of a Radical Hag (with Recipes).”
By Ed Dykhuizen
When: 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Jan. 3–25 Where: Bryant-Lake Bowl & Theater, 810 W. Lake St. Cost: $18 in advance, $20 day of show Info: bryantlakebowl. com/cabaret-theater
NOOKY JONES 6TH ANNUAL SOULFUL SOIREE
WINTER BREAK SLEDDING AND HOT COCOA
FREE FIRST SATURDAY: STORY TIME
Nooky Jones’ sound has been described by NPR’s Heavy Rotation as “equal parts Stevie Wonder, D’Angelo and Prince.” Sarah White and DJ Shannon Blowtorch open.
Kids aged 6-11 will take a short trip over to Lyndale Farmstead for an afternoon of sledding and then return to the park for cocoa and popcorn. Dress warm and bring a sled if you have one.
Listen to stories or create your own. Free First Saturdays feature free gallery admission on the first Saturday of every month, plus performances, games, art making and kids’ films.
When: 1-3 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 2 Where: Bryant Square Recreation Center, 3101 Bryant Ave. S. Cost: Resident $5, non-resident $7.50 Info: tinyurl.com/sledding-cocoa
When: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4 Where: Walker Art Center, 725 Vineland Place Cost: Free Info: walkerart.org
SPACE ENGINEERS
MUSIC AT THE MUSEUM: STARS OF THE MN ORCHESTRA
When: 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 28 Where: Icehouse, 2528 Nicollet Ave. Cost: $17 advance, $20 at the door Info: icehousempls.com
A CHRISTMAS CAROL: UNSCRIPTED The audience is in control of the Dickens classic, supplying suggestions and lines of dialogue throughout the performance.
When: 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 28 Where: HUGE Improv Theater, 3037 Lyndale Ave. S. Cost: $10 Info: hugetheater.com
THE BIG BABY NEW YEAR’S SHOW Comedy Suitcase brings an early-bird sketch comedy show for the whole family.
When: 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31 Where: Bryant-Lake Bowl & Theater, 810 W. Lake St. Cost: $14, $12 in advance or with a Fringe button, $8 kids 12 and under Info: bryantlakebowl.com/cabaret-theater
IT’S THAT TIME OF THE MONTH Sketch groups have 12 hours to come up with a sketch, six hours to rehearse and two hours to set up before the performance. Hang around after the show and ring in the New Year.
When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31 Where: Phoenix Theater, 2605 Hennepin Ave. Cost: $15 Info: phoenixtheatermpls.org
4TH ANNUAL TOWNES VAN ZANDT DAY Townes-loving musicians will play his songs. Bring a picnic dinner or food to share, plus your own nonalcoholic beverage.
When: 4:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1 Where: The Warming House, 4001 Bryant Ave. S. Cost: Suggested donation is $5-$50 Info: thewarminghouse.net
Grade-school kids will create a scale model of a spaceship to transport people to the Andromeda Galaxy, 2.5 million light-years from Earth, using recycled materials, which will be provided.
When: 2-4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3 Where: Linden Hills Library, 2900 W. 43rd St. Cost: Free Info: hclib.bibliocommons.com/events
A lineup of Minnesota Orchestra Musicians will be joined by Denis Evstuhin, TMORA’s curator of classical music.
When: 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4 Where: The Museum of Russian Art, 5500 Stevens Ave. Cost: $30 TMORA member, $35 general admission, $15 student Info: tmora.org
TINY FUNNY WOMEN FEST SHOWCASE 2019 Three ensembles will showcase skills learned from Jill Bernard (pictured), Lauren Anderson and visiting improviser Trish Berrong.
When: 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 5 Where: HUGE Improv Theater, 3037 Lyndale Ave. S. Cost: Pay what you want Info: hugetheater.com
southwestjournal.com / December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 B11
Get Out Guide. By Sheila Regan
YOGA + CERVEZA = CALMA Get started on your self-care resolutions a little early with yoga and booze at La Doña. Your $10 ticket includes one beer, a little Spanish and a bit of yoga. Bring a mat for some low-key stretching and fun, led by Annie Hayes, certified by the Mayo Clinic of Rochester and the Yoga Center of Minneapolis.
When: 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31 Where: La Doña Cervecería, 241 Fremont Ave. N. Cost: $10 Info: tinyurl.com/yoga-cerveza
New Year’s festivities
RING IN THE NEW YEAR IN THE SAUNA Rejuvenate yourself in the new year with a sauna. The 612 Sauna Society is set up at the Trailhead at Theodore Wirth Park, which provides a lovely indoor/outdoor experience. Get nice and hot in the sauna, and then let yourself steam off amid the beauty of the snow and nature before hopping into your next session.
When: Tuesday-Wednesday, Dec. 31-Jan. 1 Where: The Trailhead, 1221 Theodore Wirth Parkway Cost: $25 Info: 612saunasociety.com
2020 NYE BASH: PRESENTED BY SHANNON BLOWTORCH & DJ FUNDO Shannon Blowtorch and DJ Fundo are putting together a party you won’t want to miss. Get ready to groove as a host of local DJs set the floor on fire. There will be cool visuals, special guests and a fun atmosphere.
When: 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31 Where: James Ballentine Uptown VFW, 2916 Lyndale Ave. S. Cost: $20 Info: tinyurl.com/blowtorch-fundo
LIZZ WINSTEAD IN SNARKNADO X Lizz Winstead returns to the Cedar Cultural Center for her annual year in review. The homegrown comedian cooks up a different show each year, looking back at politics, current events and more with plenty of snark.
When: 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 28; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31 Where: The Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Ave. S. Cost: $50 advance, $60 day of show, $70 VIP Info: thecedar.org
A NEW YEAR CELEBRATION: AULD LANG SYNE! (WITH THE MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA) Get your bagpipes fix as conductor Osmo Vänskä leads the Minnesota Orchestra in a night of thrilling music. Kevin Kling joins as narrator.
When: 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31; 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1 Where: Minnesota Orchestra, 1111 Nicollet Ave. Cost: $29-$77 Info: minnesotaorchestra.org
B12 December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 / southwestjournal.com
By Dr. Teresa Hershey
What is it like to be a veterinarian?
I
did a double pet euthanasia recently. Two small poodles who grew up together and in old age were both very sick. I had done this only a couple of times before. The problem with this situation is the logistics. Who do you euthanize first? Do I ask the owner? That seems like a lot of weight to put on their shoulders, and I thought it would be best to decide for them. “I will euthanize Naomi and then I will euthanize Bear,” I said. It was agreed that would be the order. Once it was done, I laid the two dogs sideby-side on the table and covered them with a blanket to the chin. For some reason, it is not twice as sad to see two little bodies instead of one, but exponentially so. My next patient after that appointment was a new puppy. Time to switch from being Doctor Death to Doctor Smiles. I do it all of the time, so I am used to it. My job is to be what the client in front of me needs right now. I suppose that is the definition of being a professional: the ability to perform your job with skill even under duress. I recall one time when I was not successful in making that transition between a euthanasia and a puppy appointment. While examining the puppy, I started to cry and explained to the owner that I had just euthanized a pug friend and was feeling sad. I didn’t see that client again at my clinic. Who would come back to see a doctor who was crying? I wouldn’t! When a client gives you money for a service, they want — and deserve — to have your undivided attention. Many people dream of being a veterinarian. But soon enough, most realize it is not for them — not only because of the rigors of school and the time and cost involved, but also because you have to be able to compartmentalize your day and deal with heavy things. You have to like animals and be able to still think clearly when they are suffering. If you get too caught up in your feelings, you can become paralyzed and not perform your job well. Of course the other extreme is also possible: where you look past the patient and only see the disease. This happened with one of my veterinary teachers.
In this 1998 photo, Teresa Hershey works her first job in veterinary medicine as mixed animal practitioner in southeast Minnesota. Submitted photo
One day when I was in veterinary school, one of my professors decided to move his bovine necropsy (autopsy) lab outside on a nice spring day. He sliced into the cow, setting her organs on the grass. He explained the pathology occurring in his subject while his boot-and-overall-clad veterinary students looked on with interest. Meanwhile, the English and history majors walking by were horrified and promptly reported him to school administrators. I can imagine the shock of my professor when he found out that public dissection is not appropriate for the masses. Being a good veterinarian means that you can find that sweet spot between being caring and being analytical. Both are skills to be developed over time. I am glad to be a “seasoned” veterinarian now. The growing pains of a young doctor are huge. Not only are you trying to figure out who you are as a person in this profession and how best to present yourself and your informa-
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tion, but also there is so much knowledge to accumulate about pathology, disease and what is normal. I have been in practice for 20 years now and have diagnosed all manner of cancers, orthopedic issues, skin problems and metabolic disorders. Every once in a while, though, I will see something I have never seen before. Several years ago, a dog came into my clinic that the owner reported was just “off.” We have a term for this in veterinary medicine. It is called “ADR” — Ain’t Doin’ Right. (This is a real abbreviation veterinarians use when we haven’t been able to pinpoint the disease.) My ADR patient had very nondescript and subtle symptoms: moderate lethargy and a slight loss of appetite. All of his tests came back normal. When I saw the dog back three days later, he looked like a totally different animal. His face was twisted into a smile as if someone were standing behind him pulling his skin backwards. The diagnosis could now
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CROSSWORD ANSWERS
1/15/18 National 1:13 PMEmbryo Donation Center SWJ 032119 HBC.indd 2
3/15/19 10:29 AM
Crossword on page B7
Crossword Answers SWJ 122619 V12.indd 1
12/18/19 11:02 AM
be made. This expression, called a “sardonic grin,” is classic for the disease tetanus and occurs because all of the muscles of the face tense up. Tetanus is fortunately extremely rare, but its effects are horrible to see and, for this dog, it was fatal. Besides treating the animals that come through my door, I also have to treat the people. When I was in middle school and I told my mother that I wanted to be a veterinarian, she told me that was a good career choice for me because I wasn’t good with people. (Note: My mother is a wonderful woman whom I love very, very much). My middle school self must not have been very pleasant to be around. But my mother was wrong that veterinarians don’t need to be good with people. Veterinarians have two customers: the patient and the person who brings the patient to your door. Only a small portion of my job is occupied with real doctoring, like analyzing lab samples and sewing up lacerations. The majority of my job is being a human with feelings while trying to solve a problem with another human with feelings. That part is harder. Of course, this would not be a proper article about the experience of being a veterinarian if I didn’t talk about the best part of my job: the animals I get to meet. I have a 30-pound Maine coon with a head the size of a small melon who visits me at the clinic. He is such an amazing creature that it is just an honor to be in the same room as him. My smallest patient is a 3.5-pound Maltese who hides her head in the crook of her mom’s arm when I come into the room. Poor thing, everyone is a looming giant to her! My biggest patient is a 150-pound mastiff. His jowls hang low and, after examining him, I need to sponge myself off because of the amount of saliva he deposits on me. When the day is done, my calls are made and my notes are complete, I sit back and think, “I get to come back again and do this all over tomorrow!” and I feel I am very lucky to do so. Dr. Teresa Hershey is a veterinarian at Westgate Pet Clinic in Linden Hills. Email pet questions to drhershey@westgatepetclinicmn.com.
southwestjournal.com / December 26, 2019–January 8, 2020 B13
Unsung Architecture
By Adam Jonas
Life in a Prairie School architectural gem
“T
he neighbors must have thought this was an asylum for trolls,” quipped Mia’s Jennifer Komar Olivarez as we neared the end of our tour of the Purcell-Cutts House near Lake of the Isles. Architect William Gray Purcell’s masterpiece, now part of the Minneapolis Institute of Art’s collection, had its window openings temporarily filled with a mish-mash of glass scraps to hold off winter’s cold so the Purcell family could move in by Christmas of 1913. At the time, the neighbors might have thought that such an absurd palette of colors and patterns was actually the final window product — the construction process leading up to that point had already revealed characteristics of a home that most had likely never seen and certainly didn’t conform to their own homes. The “troll glass,” however, was only temporary and eventually was replaced with the refined art glass visitors see today. Purcell, with his partner, George Grant Elmslie, designed the dwelling as a showpiece for their firm that challenged status quo Victorian-era design and embodied tenets of Prairie School-style architecture. The asymmetrically composed (nearly) flat-roofed abode is set back from the street significantly more than its neighbors. The siting creates a beautiful front yard progression to the front door but also allows a maximum amount of daylight to reach the interior. A gracious entryway invites the outdoors in, then redirects attention to an expansive vaulted ceiling and open living zones — free of walls, but bifurcated into two levels with a prow at the center. Down a half flight of stairs, the living area melds to the outside. The recently restored art glass windows look onto a sunken reflecting
The PurcellCutts House is set back from the street, creating a beautiful front yard and also affording a maximum amount of daylight to reach the home’s interior. Photo courtesy of Minneapolis Institute of Art
pool where summer evening dinners often occurred. Further liberating the function of dining from the dining room, the Purcell family regularly ate breakfast in the living area — going so far as to bring the toaster out of the kitchen and plug it in near the hearth. The living area also hosted piano concerts as well as the family’s Christmas tree (which threatened to burn the home down one year — a fairly common hazard in those days as electric lights
SEE THE WINTER LIGHTS Experience a progressive Christmas of 1915 at Mia’s Prairie School house with tours offered by docents in period finery. When: Dec. 28, 29; Jan. 4, 5 Where: 2328 Lake Place, via Mia shuttle
Cost: $5 for adults, $4 for students, free for children under 12 Info: tinyurl.com/purcell-cutts-house
were just coming to market). A built-in desk inconspicuously tucks away behind the prow’s base and has a window — set just at the right height when a person is seated at the desk — that offers a unique perspective to the outdoors. Up the other half flight, the dining zone overlooks the living area and carries into a west-facing screen porch. Charming built-ins, intricate woodwork and custom furniture adorn the area. Clerestory windows carry across the south wall of both levels — unifying the two and bringing a variety of light throughout the day to both spaces. Passing by the kitchen — not all of the spaces were as liberated — a switchback stair ascends past servants’ quarters and a guest room to what appears to be two bedroom doors: one to the children’s room and the other to the parents’. Inside, however, it’s wonderfully clear that the two can combine
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into a single room by sliding open a partition screen. Whimsy carries into the details of the children’s beds, which are based on Pullman train cars — complete with tuck-under drawers and pull-out desks. It is impossible to truly appreciate the depth of design and progressive insight the home offers Southwest without experiencing it in person. While the Purcell-Cutts House is wonderful to visit anytime of year, it’s particularly special during the holiday season as it’s adorned in period decor. As you absorb the details, see if you can spot the single remaining “troll window” from the first holiday season celebrated in the home over 100 years ago. Adam Jonas is an architect at Locus Architecture at 45th & Nicollet in Kingfield. Visit locusarchitecture.com to learn more.
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