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The City of Minneapolis is reconstructing 4th St. between 2nd Ave N and 4th Ave S in downtown Minneapolis. The reconstruction will include wider sidewalks, improved crossings, a new bi-directional off-street bike path on the north side of the street, lighting, trees and planting beds. Construction is underway and is expected to be complete in 2022. Phase 1 includes construction from Hennepin Ave to 4th Ave S and Phase 2 includes construction from 2nd Ave N to Hennepin Ave. Phase 1 occurred during 2021 and Phase 2 will begin in 2022.
Latest Project News
Phase 1 work, between Hennepin Ave and 4th Ave S, is substantially complete and 4th Street is now open to through traffic. The Washington Ave detour is no longer in effect.
Remaining work this year includes completion of the traffic signal and lighting installations, anticipated to occur in December 2021.
Xcel Energy will continue work between 2nd Ave N and Hennepin Ave through the winter which may result in periodic lane closures.
Phase 2 construction, between 2nd Ave N and Hennepin Ave, will begin in spring of 2022. Construction crews plan to begin work as soon as possible depending on the weather and plan to be complete by mid-summer.
There will be no further project newsletters or stakeholder meetings in 2021. Newsletters and stakeholder meetings will begin again in 2022, prior to the start of construction. Stay tuned!
The project hotline and email address will remain active through the duration of the project.
As human beings, we are highly susceptible to a kind of apathy known in psychological circles as the bystander effect. Essentially, the theory states that we are less likely to act and lend support in a crisis if there are others present. We assume that someone else will act. The unfortunate result is that all too often, no one acts and what started as an emergency transforms into a tragedy.
Minneapolis is experiencing an omnidirectional crisis. The city is more violent and dangerous than I can remember in my lifetime. Our brothers and sisters of color fear for their lives and those of their loved ones, and for good reason. It seems every day we read about another shooting, another murder. We fear for our safety when we walk our streets, and the data proves those fears well founded. Violent crime is skyrocketing. People are dying, and in city hall, our council member in the Third Ward seems by all reasonable measures to be waiting for someone else to step in and act. Worse yet, he’s supporting referendums that will provide him with political cover but strip authority and funding from critical public safety positions and departments. As a result of his refusal to provide support, we now have all of these problems and a third less police officers to resolve them.
I don’t begrudge our current city council member in the third ward, but I do respectfully ask that if he isn’t willing to act, to make the hard choices that aren’t always politically expedient or Twitter-friendly, please step aside for someone who will. This emergency is turning into a tragedy and time is of the essence.
In Michael Rainville, we have a lifetime DFL candidate that’s up to the task. Earlier this week, the Star Tribune editorial board came out in full support of Michael in his bid for Third Ward city council seat. “He knows what the ward needs and has an impressive background of civic service … Through 35 years as an official with the Minneapolis Convention and Visitors Association, Rainville made a career of touting downtown Minneapolis. He also provided volunteer leadership on an impressive array of civic projects throughout the city. Rainville gets our endorsement nod.”
Michael is a lifelong resident of our city. When you meet him it’s obvious, he’s unmistakably Minneapolis in all of the right ways, from his Nordeast accent to his De La Salle roots. He studied at Notre Dame but you’d never know it because he’d rather be listening than talking. He is every bit as kind-hearted and thoughtful as he is determined and tenacious about helping those in greatest need. Michael is genuine and selfless in his concern for people and that’s rare. Whether he’s working to build a center for victims of sexual violence of picking up litter on Central Avenue, Michael has proven through a lifetime of public service that he’s the candidate for this job!
This assumption that someone else will step in and act in a time of crisis is understandable. It’s human nature. Most of us are hard-wired to run away from a fire. But, some of us are hard-wired to run towards it. It doesn’t make one person better than the other. But those who lead us must be the latter.
This fall, I’ll be voting for Michael Rainville because our city needs him.
This is about City Ballot Questions 1 and 2 that we will vote on between now and early November. City Ballot Question 1 is intended to establish the Mayor as the Chief Executive Officer and the 13 City Council Members as a Legislative type branch. This is how most major cities operate. This is how the State and Federal Government operate. If we really want to reduce gridlock and get things done, vote “Yes” on City Ballot Question 1. Nothing is ever smooth in politics, but this change is better than what we have now.
City Ballot Question 2 is intended to defund and disband the Minneapolis Police Department in favor of a Department of Public Safety involving a Public Health approach. The specifics of this approach are not known and are to be determined by the next 13 City Council members plus the Mayor, all of whom may be different people after November. Whatever this new Public Safety/Public Health collection of departments becomes, it will operate under the direction of 14 currently unknown people. This is a formula for chaos. Vote “No” on City Ballot Question 2.
Based on recent polls discussed in the Star Tribune, and information provided in a recent Urban League Program (10/1/2021), 70% to 75% of Minneapolis residents plan to vote “No” on Question 2. But those promoting Question 2 are bright, articulate, and active. They apparently have raised in excess of $30 million (in mostly outside money) to promote their goals. We can expect a deluge of propaganda about Question 2 over the next several weeks. I have no special insight, or behind the scenes information, into what is right or wrong about Question 2. But I can read and I am aware of current circumstances in our special City. I know, like we all do, that the horrific and public murder of George Floyd is why Question 2 is on the ballot. The resulting anger and frustration is understandable. But Question 2 is not the best way to correct the wrongs.
I have had an office in downtown Minneapolis since 1979. This is in Ward 3 with CM Steve Fletcher on the City Council. My wife and I started together downtown and then moved to the suburbs. After becoming empty nesters we moved back downtown into the Loring Park Neighborhood. We chose this area because of its history and beautiful diversity. We also believed that we could make a positive contribution to this community. We have been in Loring Park for three years, but for the past year and a half it seems that we bit off more than we can chew. The challenges are far greater than we anticipated. Loring Park is in Ward 7 with CM Lisa Goodman on the City Council.
Crime across Minneapolis has gone through the roof in the past year and a half. The staggering reduction in Police Officers is directly related to increased crime. The thugs know full well that ordinary people can be abused, beaten, and intimidated—murdered with total disregard. Property rights do not exist. There is little chance of getting caught, and an even smaller chance of suffering consequences. Question 2 is not at all designed to reduce crime. During a recent Urban League Program (10/1/2021), Sondra Samuels pointed out that over 80% of the recent homicides involve Black on Black. Over 30 Black babies have been shot, and many have died. Most of this is happening in our Black communities, but other communities are not immune. A recent Star Tribune article (9/8/2021) states that gunfire in the Loring Park Neighborhood has increased 400%. Some special stores and small businesses have been burglarized six times since January. Samuels passionately states that focusing on disbanding and defunding the police is one dimensional. We need to improve the Police Department and we need to improve and provide better services. Samuels described it as a BOTH/AND approach. She urges a “No” vote on Question 2.
The actual words used in Question 2 are available for all of us to read. The words are curious, grandiose, and just plain unclear. In Question 2 the Police Department is replaced with a “Department of Public Safety that employs a comprehensive public health approach to the delivery of functions by the Department of Public Safety, with those specific functions to be determined by the Mayor and City Council.” What in heaven’s name is a “comprehensive public health approach”? I personally like Obamacare, but is this part of a new national health plan? It sounds wonderful (grandiose), but what does it mean? And what is meant by “delivery of functions”? How does a department of people actually deliver a function. Curious! Unclear!!. The Question 2 verbiage refers to “specific functions”, but does not say one word about what the specifics are. This, I would say, is deceptive. There is an article from July 2021 where Kandace Montgomery and Misty Noor (two important people behind Question 2) talk about the Departments that will replace the Minneapolis Police Department. They say that they have been “Freedom-Dreaming” for more than a year about what these Departments might be. No specifics. No plan. They say that they want “to expand mental health crisis assistance, to generate resources for healers, elders, clergy and community leaders”, but give no specifics. What is the plan behind Question 2? What is the budget for the plan? How can we have a community discussion about these things, let alone vote on Question 2, without this clarifying information.
Other language in Question 2 is apparently confusing even to those who support it. This particular language says that the new Department of Public Safety “could include licensed peace officers (police officers), if necessary, to fulfill its responsibilities for public safety”. The “if necessary” language is the most troublesome and confusing. CM Steve Fletcher from Ward 3 and Mayoral candidate Sheila Nuzhad say out loud that a yes vote on Question 2 will allow them to abolish the police. At the recent Urban League Program, D.A. Bullock of Reclaim the Block said that the “if necessary” language does not allow the abolishment of the police. In a recent Star Tribune article (9/26/2021), Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison acknowledges the concerns about the “if necessary” language. But Ellison says that police clearly are necessary and that “we still need armed officers to respond appropriately to dangerous situations.” These inconsistencies between proponents of Question 2 establish the confusing nature of the language. Voters will be confused. To avoid the confusion the “if necessary” language should be removed. None of the proponents of Question 2 agree to remove the “if necessary” language. At least nine City Council Members stood in a Minneapolis Park several months ago and promised to work to abolish the Minneapolis police. Question 2 is a recipe for chaos.
Question 2 on the Minneapolis City Ballot, and the “Abolish and Defund” the police rhetoric used around the country, pander to both the very far right and the very far left. Each side uses this to stir up their base. Residents of Minneapolis, we need to be smarter and work to improve our situation. Going to extremes is almost never the correct approach. Vote “No” on City Ballot Question 2.
Spending the summer in our Minneapolis parks, listening to residents, and working together has continued to inspire my decision to run for park commissioner this November.
After my community event in Bassett’s Creek Park, I received a phone call from Carter Casmaer, a Bryn Mawr resident. Carter is an ER doctor who often volunteers his time picking up trash in the neighborhood and parks. Recently Carter became very concerned about solid waste accumulating at long abandoned encampment sites as well as several areas of illegal dumping in Wirth Park which were posing an environmental liability for Bassett’s Creek. He had been working on the removal since fall of 2020 (hauling refuse out himself) and was disappointed in the lack of response from his park commissioner. MPRB staff had been out one time to review the site in the early spring but no action was ever taken.
Carter encouraged me to visit the location. It was alarming (see picture) to see needles and garbage among other trash seeping into the soil for almost a year and endangering the creek. Additionally, we all know letting trash sit encourages more dumping. As I continued to explore the area east of the creek and west of the tracks (that run under Glenwood Ave bridge and towards Utepils Brewing), I also noticed an occupied camper along the tracks and an active encampment on the creek.
On July 27th, MPRB Street Reach team met six community members onsite to assess the situation and together we started to pick up some trash. It was determined MPRB needed to survey the exact property lines between their land and Canadian Pacific Rail to assess how much of the trash we could legally remove. Street Reach staff also engaged with the two men in the tent and camper to connect them with appropriate shelter services. Soon after, MPRB surveyed the site and removed three trash piles, including an illegal dumping area containing tires, refrigerators and multiple propane tanks. This action left only one large trash site on the CP Rail property.
I reached out to Nikol Daniels, Manager of US Real Estate for CP Rail, to arrange a chance to visit the site on August 20th and meet with Carter and several other community members. CP Rail then took a GPS location of the refuse and as a next step set up a meeting with Superintendent Bangora, Park Police Chief Ohotto and other MPRB staff to discuss and finalize removal.
Small, committed communities of people can work together and drive positive change. I have had the privilege to meet many of them this summer, people like Anna Peterson and Ryan Atwell’s buckthorn team in Bassett’s Creek Park, Robert Skafte and company at Stevens Square Overlook Garden, the Seven Pools team in Lowry Hill, David Crary and team for opening river views along the parkway due to invasive removal, Steve Kotvis and team on west Cedar Lake and Will Stensrud, Angie Erdrich, Keith Prussing and team on east Cedar Lake, Claudia Callaghan and Soo Line Garden team working to protect their acre of paradise, Elliot and Nancy Gross from East Isles cleaning graffiti around Lake of the Isles and of course Carter, to name a few.
Elizabeth Shaffer is a candidate for the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board 4th District. Visit her website at https://www.elizabethforparks.org/
Editors Note: This letter was sent by Joe Tamburino to Mayor Frey & Council Member Fletcher last Wednesday. Joe Tamburino is a Downtown resident and serves on the board of the Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association.
Mayor Frey and CM Fletcher:
Today at approximately 10:45 a.m. on 9th Street between Nicollet and Marquette, I was walking on the sidewalk talking on my phone via air pods and I was hit from behind in the back of the head, left shoulder and something cut my arm near my left wrist - it was some young punk.
I confronted him, called 911, and went after him so that he wouldn't get away and I caught the attention of an MPD squad going SB on Marquette. The officer arrested the perpetrator right on the street with the help of two other officers who responded very quickly to the scene. Also, two people on the street witnessed the assault and gave statements to the police corroborating what happened.
This is unacceptable and outrageous - you can't even walk on the sidewalk in downtown without running into criminal problems. Thankfully, the police were right there. I wish to thank the police officers for their excellent response time to my situation - job well done. The perpetrator is now in jail. That he will be released and back on the downtown streets within hours is another issue, but also another problem. But this nonsense of defunding or dismantling the MPD must stop. We need police on the street! A social worker or "violence interrupter" would not have helped me today.
Mr. Mayor - you need to come out more forcefully in support of more police, more patrols, and veto any future ballot questions concerning defunding or dismantling MPD that may occur in the future.
CM Fletcher - I truly don't know what to say to you because you're wrong on every single public safety issue and I believe you have contributed to this atmosphere of chaos and crime in our city with your rhetoric and inaction.
Thank you,
Joe Tamburino
***FOLLOW-UP***
Update: the guy who assaulted me on Wednesday, 9/15, was Ararso Mumad (29 y.o. convicted felon who got out of prison in 2019). He was released from jail on Friday, 9/17, with charges pending regarding my assault. But, as predicted, he was picked up again yesterday, Saturday, 9/18, around 900 Washington Ave. South at approximately 10:00 p.m., for using a baseball bat in trying to rob people on the street; he's robbing people right near you folks at the Bridgewater and Zenith condos.
CM Fletcher - a social worker or violence interrupter responding to Ararso and his baseball bat would have been completely useless and they would have wound up getting hit with the bat. Once again the police properly responded and removed a violent person from the street.
Elaine Evans of the University of Minnesota Bee Lab joins Brianna Rose to discuss why bees are struggling, why we should care and what we can do to help them.
Martha Archer, Executive Director of the Mill City Farmers Market, joins Brianna Rose to discuss the upcoming Harvest Social benefit, the main source of funding for the market.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, who represents Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, discusses her appointment to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, empowering young women of color to take on civic leadership roles, a typical day in D.C., and where she likes to eat when she spends time in Minnesota.
Sarah Edwards of Fashion Week MN sits down with Brianna Rose to discuss Fashion Week 2021, inside tips on hot designers and fashion in the time of COVID-19.
By Rick Margl, Board Member – Great River Coalition
It appears that spring is here! Of course there might still be a relapse or two (remember 2018?), but time is finally on our side. Walking the woods trails, one sees the first sprouts and buds peeking out - trillium, marsh marigold, hepatica and pussy willow among the rest. The sky and the branches above us are ornamented with newcomers’ colors, flights and song. Look close, the first brave pollinators can be seen scouting the new season, searching for food and nesting opportunities. Ah, spring!
And yet. In this traditionally hopeful season a nagging dirge of disturbing tidings won’t let us rest easy. Amidst the troubles plaguing our world the balm that we seek from the natural world is seemingly more at risk with each passing day. A recent study of ground-nesting bees in Ontario found that individual bees exposed to crops treated with the commonly used neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid dug 85 percent fewer nests and produced 89 percent fewer offspring. Other studies have shown that neonics negatively impact songbird migration and whitetail deer reproduction.
Minnesota’s state bee, the rusty-patched bumblebee, has disappeared from over 90 percent of its historical range. The western Monarch population is down by over 95 percent. Across our state the MN Department of Agriculture’s groundwater monitoring program regularly finds evidence of pesticide contamination.
But enough gloom and enough doom. What can we do about it?
Enhance bee habitat by having some areas of bare, undisturbed soil in your yard for ground-nesting bees. Leave dead hollow-stemmed plants in your garden over the winter and into early summer to provide cover for stem-nesting bees. Houses for cavity nesting bees can be made or purchased.
Another great way to support healthy and sustainable pollinator populations is to better manage the use of pesticides. Always check bee toxicity before use and avoid application near food or nesting sites.
As part of an effort to curtail the use of pollinator-toxic pesticides, Minnesota State Representative Samantha Vang recently submitted a bill (HF718) that would allow cities to ban a group of pesticides that the MN Department of Agriculture has labeled as lethal to pollinators. Fifty Minnesota cities have passed resolutions pledging to prohibit application of these pesticides. More information on challenges facing pollinators and on the proposed legislation can be found in a recent Star Tribune article.
At the federal level, two bills have recently been submitted that would provide critical protections for pollinators. The Monarch and Pollinator Highway Act of 2021 would fund grants supporting the planting of pollinator-friendly native grasses and wildflowers along roadside rights-of-way. The Monarch Act of 2021 will fund efforts to restore and manage critical foraging and nesting habitat for devastated western U.S. monarch populations. More information can be found on the Xerces Society website.
As citizens, it’s our right and our responsibility to advocate and take action to protect the environment on which we and future generations are indisputably dependent. Please, take the time to research the issues and then contact your state and federal representatives to voice your support for these bills.
Another great way to help pollinators is to join the Great River Coalition for the 6th annual Earth Day Virtual 5K Bee Run/Walk/Bike on April 17th through 24th. This annual event is being held virtually this year in order to ensure the safety of our participants, volunteers and vendors. It’s still a fun way to stay healthy and contribute to efforts to support pollinators and protect the environment of the Mississippi watershed.
So don those bee costumes, grab your kids, your friends and the family dog. Get outside and enjoy the spring weather and the beautiful scenery of Twin Cities parklands. We’re looking forward to seeing your pictures posted on the GRC’s Facebook and Instagram sites. Registered participants will receive sweet swag and a chance to win super prizes! Check out the GRC website for more information: https://www.greatrivercoalition.com/2021-virtual-bee-runwalk.
The Great River Coalition is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that advocates for preserving, protecting and promoting the historic, commercial and environmental significance of the Mississippi River, the City of Minneapolis and its relationship to the people and their communities.
St. Kate’s campus to support pollinators in 5K Bee Run
By Emily Cox
As St. Kate’s gears up to host the 2021 St. Paul 5K Bee Run in partnership with the Great River Coalition, plans have been adjusted accordingly to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions. Still, in support of pollinators and the Great River Coalition’s mission to create Pollinator Pathways, the run has marched onward in the face of the restrictions. Taking place from April 17 through the 24, it will be entirely virtual, allowing participants to go at their own pace alongside family and friends.
“Running a race is often a very social event,” explained St. Kate’s Track and Field Coach, Shannon Houlihan, who has been helping plan the run, “While there are some people that love to race and want to run for the competitive aspect, a lot of people want to run to have fun with friends or family.”
Though participants are unable to gather together, it does mean that anyone can register for the race and show their support, regardless of where they are currently living.
“It allows alumnae or students who are living at home this semester to participate,” Houlihan pointed out, a silver lining amidst the disappointment of being unable to compete in person.
The virtual run also opens up the unique opportunity for participants to decide how they want to compete, by running, walking, biking, or any combination thereof. They can take it slow or shoot for a new personal record, but the important aspect for Houlihan and the rest of the team behind the Bee Run is having fun.
“It will really be focused on getting outdoors,” Houlihan stressed, “and getting active with your own family or your roommates. I personally believe it's very important to still be active despite the restrictions we have in place for COVID, so this is a great event to allow people to get outdoors and moving in a very safe environment.”
Additionally, the architects behind the run wanted to find other fun ways to involve the community, despite the inability to gather together in person. One such idea manifested in creating multiple patterns for quirky and bright Bee Costumes participants can make at home to show their support for pollinators and get into the spirit of the run.
St. Kate’s Apparel, Merchandising & Design department put together the patterns, students using their creativity to make unique designs that celebrate the natural wonder of bees.
“We always look to engage our students,” said department chair and associate professor, Anupama Pasricha, “and provide them opportunities that will facilitate their professional and civic engagement.”
A look at the Bee Costume patterns
“Sustainability is a strong focus area in our department and fashion curriculum,” Pasricha continued, acknowledging how the fun Bee Costumes support pollinators and the environment in more ways than one. “We believe that all design thinking and work should use a sustainability paradigm. That makes sense for people, planet, and profit.”
“We highly encourage costumes!” Houlihan said. “Seeing a bee out for a run will bring a smile to anyone’s face, and will help bring some awareness to the need to protect our pollinators to help make a better future for all of us. “
If you are interested in participating in the Bee Run and showing your support for local pollinators, see the flier below to learn how to register. For more information on the Great River Coalition and their partnership with St. Kate’s, click here.
Diane Hofstede, President of the Great River Coalition, tells us about this year's 5K Bee Run - Earth Day Fun Run/Walk & River Cleanup – it can be done virtually or outside - to support our wonderful riverfront and pollinators. We have a lot to look forward to in the run and the community cleanup. Dress up and share your photos!
Supenn and Cyndy Harrison, the mother and daughter leadership team of downtown Thai restaurant Sawatdee, sit down with Brianna Rose to talk about Thai New Year and what's new at Sawatdee.
Two virtual events are being held in partnership with Hennepin History Museum, Plymouth Congregational Church, Alliance Housing, and Align Minneapolis and sponsored by the Minneapolis Foundation and Pohlad Family Foundation:
Cost: Pay as you can – Advance registration required for:
Looking Back to Move Forward: The Housing Crisis
Thursday, April 15, 7-8:30 pm
Local historians and housing experts discuss historical roots of today’s Twin Cities housing crisis. Moderated by Chandra Smith Baker of the Minneapolis Foundation.
The Color of Law
Wednesday, April 21, 7-8:30 pm
Richard Rothstein will discuss his award-winning book The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America, followed by a question/answer session for participants.
Mutual Aid Community History Workshop
Saturday, April 24, 1-2:30 pm
How can history help us build racial futures? Join History for the Future in a workshop to explore local histories of radical community care through personal memory, storytelling, and digital mapping.
Check out what’s new and noteworthy this month in Special Collections. And don’t forget, our department may be closed to in-person visitors, but we are still here to assist with your remote research needs. Contact info below. If you’re having trouble viewing this email, see the attached PDF.
Learn about the historical resources at the library and across the county that will help you piece together a history of your Minneapolis house, neighborhood or property. We will explain and demonstrate resources, emphasizing online resources that will allow you to jump-start your research from home—including permit records, maps, city directories, photos, newspapers, and more.
NEW! House Plan CollectionNearly 30 house plan books published by Minneapolis architects from the early 1900s to 1950s. Stock plan books may include architectural drawings and floor plans, sample interiors, tips for building a home, and ads for carpentry services, building materials, and supplies.
NEW! Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board CollectionMaps, plans, and architectural drawings related primarily to Minneapolis parks from the early 1900s to 1960s. Most were produced by the MPRB.
Web Archives on Archive-It Search and explore local websites as they existed in the past. COVID-19 in Hennepin County Collection captures the pandemic response through websites of schools, restaurants, places of worship, non-profit organizations, and more. Check back often for more new content. https://archive-it.org/home/hclib
Featured Finding Aid – People for Parks Eleven boxes of newsletters, minutes, project files, correspondence, and more documenting the work of this non-profit group that has supported the Minneapolis parks since 1977.
New and Noteworthy Donations Building on our substantial neighborhood archives, last month we received the archives of the Nokomis East Neighborhood Association. The meeting minutes, event files, photographs, and other records from the neighborhood organization represent Minneapolis' Keewaydin, Minnehaha, Morris Park and Wenonah neighborhoods. Search for more neighborhood archives in our online finding aids: https://archives.hclib.org/
From the Blog
Tour Minneapolis in 1948 The Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce created this “Greetings from Minneapolis” booklet to encourage out-of-town visitors to tour the manufacturing plants, museums, and other attractions of our fair city. The booklet contains descriptions and contact information for over 45 local institutions ready to open their doors to tourists. The Doors Open of its day.
Don’t forget, even though the Special Collections department is closed to in-person visits, we can still help you with your research needs remotely. Need a scan of a book chapter from the Minneapolis History Collection? Looking for newspaper articles on a topic? Need a city directory look-up? Want access to an archival collection? We are here to help.
The Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, falls on February 12, 2021 this year. Chang Wang, local attorney, professor and author, explains the traditions of the holiday, how many populations celebrate it worldwide and right here in Minnesota. Gong Xi Fa Cai!
*This transcipt from the interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
Brianna Ojard: I'm here today with Chang Wang. Chang arrived in Minneapolis in 2003 and he was the only Chinese student in his class at the University of Minnesota's Law School. He graduated in 2006 and has been practicing law and living in the Twin Cities ever since. He's the author of “New Tales of the Twin Cities: The History, Law and Culture of Minnesota, which is also the first Chinese language book about Minnesota. He serves as a board member to the U of M’s China Center and he's an adjunct professor at the law school. He also sits on several state boards, including the Council of Asian-Pacific Minnesotans.
Good to have you here today Wang.
Wang: Thank you, glad to be here.
Brianna: So I wanted to talk about the Chinese New Year that begins on February 12 and it's the year of the ox. What might we expect from this year according to Chinese culture?
Wang: That's a terrific question. On the Lunar calendar, which rotates in 60 years cycles based on to 12 animals, you’ve probably heard of the zodiac. And the five fundamental elements which are gold or metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. So according to these astrology the 2021 is the year of the gold ox or the metal ox starting on Thursday February the 12th. In the year of the rat, which we are completing for 2020, the driving force was yang. Yang means fast, active, and ever changing, but for the coming year, upcoming year, the year of the ox, the driving force is yin which is soft, past, passive, and moderate.
Wang: In the year of the ox we can expect some level of normalcy in life, also hope, so reason and decency will return to politics and America will be a land of possibilities, as President Biden said, again.
Brianna: I like the sound of some normalcy, that sounds very nice.
Wang: Like here. So next year, the coming year, the year of gold ox should be a terrific year.
Brianna: Wonderful. So, are there any other cultures that celebrate the Lunar New Year.
Wang: Yes, the Spring festival, or the Lunar calendar New Year, is celebrated in regions and countries that historically have been heavily influenced by traditional Chinese culture, or with a significant ethnic Chinese populations; including mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, North Korea Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, as well as Chinese communities all over the world. The Spring festival is a statutory holiday in some of those regions and countries, it is most important holiday in Chinese culture.
Brianna: Okay, and Minnesota I know has a pretty large Chinese community do you do you have any numbers on how large it actually is.
Wang: Yes, we, the Chinese, I mean, so the Community is a third largest in Asian Pacific communities across the state with the last census number was 38,238 Chinese Minnesotans.
Those are citizens and green card holders, legal permanent residence. The Chinese, first the Chinese immigrants came to the state of Minnesota in the 1870s and remained very small in size until after World War Two. After World War Two more and more people with Chinese heritage came to the state of Minnesota and stayed here. The University of Minnesota is one of the largest Chinese students and scholars community in the North America. They are about 3000 students and the scholars of Chinese heritage are studying and working at the University at this moment.
Brianna: That's a large number of students studying there.
Wang: That's true.
Brianna: I have one more question for you. We're obviously still dealing with Covid, still dealing with social distancing and all the other rules to try and help stop the spread. How can we celebrate the Chinese New Year's in light of all those facts?
Wang: Again, that's a great question and I have to give you honest answer. This year celebration will be much different from the previous years.
In the previous years during Chinese New Year holiday season Chinese families stay together and eat a very large meal. Basically that is for the new year's Eve, but to the holiday season started like a week ago, and a goes until the first a half of January on the Lunar calendar.
So for the new year's Eve, the families stick together, we will make dumplings together. Dumplings, or jiaozi in Chinese, are the most essential course of the Chinese traditional Chinese New Year's Eve feast. Usually the all the family members sit around the dining table and then wrap dumplings together in the afternoon of New Year's Eve that basically starts this Wednesday afternoon.
But for the past 20 years I rarely had the opportunity to make dumplings with my family. With my parents or my extended family in China. But before the Covid China Center would organize events. The Chinese communities would gather and host parties at a local Chinese restaurants, and Chinese shoppers would raid the Asian grocery stores. On the true Chinese New Year most Chinese families would follow the protocol and to make dumplings at home with family and friends and neighbors. This year, however, we expect a very quiet spring festival. No parties,no in person events, but a lot of Zoom and WeChat greetings, and my wife and I will definitely make a lot of dumplings for ourselves and our three Chinese Minnesotan dogs who unconditionally love dumplings and all types of Chinese food.
Brianna: I love that your dogs love the dumplings too. Well here's hoping that next year's Chinese New Year we’ll be able to get back together and celebrate again and you'll be able to do something a little more traditional than Zoom meetings and dumplings with your dogs. Thank you so much for being here with me today.
Wang: Thank you so much. As we Chinese say, Gong Xi Fa Cai – wish you a very prosperous and Happy New Year. Thank you so much.
Simon Parrish, owner of the Northeast Tea House gives us his take on creating an urban oasis dedicated to the joy of tea service. Our Small Business Spotlight highlights how his shop is one of few producing fresh matcha and the gongfu service is guaranteed to produce a sense of calm into your day.
Illuminate The Lock: Madweyaashkaa: Waves Can Be Heard will be on display February 18-20, 6-8:30 PM. In this segment of Milling Around, Brianna Rose interviews artist Moira Villiard. Moira (pronounced "Mee-Ree") grew up on the Fond du Lac Reservation in Cloquet, MN and is a Fond du Lac direct descendent of mixed settler and Indigenous heritage. She works in painting, surrealism, community-engaged and public art and recently in animation. Moira explains that the art installation honors all our relatives, human and nature based and the sacred resilience of Native women. The event is free but tickets are required.
When is it safe to venture onto the ice? We talked to Lisa Dugan, Boat and Water Safety Outreach Coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources about this topic. In our discussion, Lisa discusses early winter safety tips, snowmobile and ATV advice and equipment you’ll want to have with you on the ice. Remember – ice is never 100% safe. Thank you Lisa for giving us this timely information!
Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 1:45PM
