Tonic restaurant, etc. promises 'new urban entertainment'

INSIDE THIS ISSUE 

Neighborhood Notices 2 

Forthcoming Zoning Meetings 2 

Letter to the Editor 2 

“Hello,” Board Member Ritzman 2 

Cranky Yankee’s Opinion: 3 

Niziolek’s 10th Ward Update 3 

Arts & Entertainment 4 

Jefferson Mural Design done 4 

Hauser Dance Open House 4 

Jefferson School Calendar 5 

The Wedge Classifieds 6 

Johnson’s The Hens Come Home 6 

To Your Health 7 

Remembering 30 Years Ago 7 

Crime Map 7 

Volume 35 • Number 3 The longest published neighborhood newspaper in Minneapolis March • 2004 

Tonic restaurant, etc. promises ‘new urban entertainment’ 

Photo by Bob Carlson 

In March, Uptown Minneapolis 

becomes the landmark 

for an evolution in new 

urban entertainment. Tonic 

of Uptown is a three-story, 

17,000-square foot elixir for 

the senses – the ultimate concoction 

of eat, drink, mingle 

and play – opening Friday, 

March 5, at 1401 W. Lake St. 

An incredible palette of 

flavors from around the 

world enhances Tonic’s 

New American cuisine. 

Features include an interactive 

menu where guests can 

create their own unique 

entree on Tonic’s heated 

stones or indulge themselves 

with Tonic’s tasting menu, 

seductively called ‘Aphrodisio’. 

A contrast in sophistication 

and comfort, Tonic is a neigh- 

Looking to improve your 

home? Who isn’t! So here is 

the good news for you! The 

Lowry Hill East NRP is offering 

$431,000 for the 4% 

Revolving Loan Program for 

improvements to residential 

properties of the neighborhood 

for 2004. 

This year begins with two 

major changes to the program: 

First, the loan program 

will now be administered on 

a first-come, first-served 

basis, starting April 21. In the 

past the program was run 

based on a lottery drawing, 

borhood hideaway with 

Uptown style. Tonic’s second 

level Ultra Lounge is the 

place for fashionistas to see 

and be seen, while taking in 

the intoxicating sounds of the 

Twin Cities’ top DJ’s. 

Senses are swept to a higher 

level on Tonic’s roof top patio 

– where guests can take in 

the beauty of the Minneapolis 

skyline, from Uptown to 

downtown. 

A renaissance of one of 

Uptown’s most prominent 

locations, Tonic rounds out its 

VIP treatment by offering 

guests over 200 valet parking 

spaces for their convenience. 

Owners Bob Carlson and 

Korey Bannerman invite all 

to experience their exciting 

new Uptown adventure. (See 

Tonic Chef inside, Page 5.) 

4% Residential Loan Program 

is now 1st-come,1st-served 

which required processing 

applications in lottery order. 

Now completed applications 

will be processed as they 

come in to take advantage of 

your enthusiasm and Minnesota’s 

summer weather. 

And second, we are pleased 

to welcome the Center for 

Energy and Environment, or 

CEE as it is commonly 

known, as our new loan 

administrator. CEE currently 

administers NRP Residential 

Loan for 28 neighborhoods 

within Minneapolis. 

Sign of Spring: Melting streams wind their way through the Wedge. 

Photo by Bob Carlson 

1400 West Lake Street, the site of the new Tonic of Uptown, retains much of its earlier exterior. 

Loan amounts range from a 

minimum amount of $2,500 

and a maximum of $15,000. 

Property owners may apply 

for loans within the three 

Loan Pools: Owner-occupied 

Income Limit, Owner-occupied 

properties with no 

income limit and Absenteeowned 

properties with no 

income limit. Property owners 

are eligible for one loan 

per property at any given 

time, so if you have completely 

paid off a previous 

loan through this program 

during refinancing of your 

home, you may qualify for a 

new loan. Information packets 

will include a list of 

improvements eligible for this 

program. 

Look for further information 

in the April Wedge newspaper. 

Information packets will 

be available beginning at the 

April 21 LHENA Annual 

Meeting. For further information, 

or to get on the waiting 

list to receive an 

application, call CEE at (612) 

335-5889. Information packets 

will be mailed on the first 

day of the program. 

Library Board votes 

to fix Walker roof 

By Pat Scott 

On Wednesday night, Feb.18, 

the Minneapolis Public Library 

Board of Trustees affirmed their 

intention to continue to provide 

library services to the Uptown 

(and beyond) Community in the 

present Walker Community 

Library building at the existing 

location on the prominent corner 

of Hennepin and Lagoon 

Avenues, and directed their staff 

to begin the process for making 

necessary repairs including 

replacing the Walker’s parking 

deck. 

The potential funding sources 

for these repairs are Library 

Referendum funds allocated to 

improve the Walker building, 

trust funds from the sale of the 

former Walker building, and 

monies in a “building improvement” 

line item that is part of 

the Library system’s operating 

budget. 

Library staff estimate that the 

immediately needed repairs will 

add up to about $775,000. The 

estimate for the roof/parking 

deck repair is $650,000, and the 

specific scope of the additional 

repair work to be done is still to 

be identified, but will be based 

on an evaluation done of the 

Walker building by RSP archi- 

tects in fall 2003. 

The ongoing question/debate 

about what to do with the 

Walker Library, in view of its 

repair needs and the Library 

system’s limited funds, has been 

researched and under 

Library Board 

Continued on Page 5 

Caucuses to be 

held March 2 

Party caucuses will be held 

in all political precincts 

throughout Minnesota. Tuesday, 

March 2, beginning at 7 

p.m. Following is a current list 

of the four major political parties 

in Minnesota to contact 

with questions about precinct 

locations, etc. 

You may also call your 

County Auditor at 1-877-600- 

VOTE. 

Democratic-Farmer-Labor 

(651) 293-1200 

www.dfl.org 

Green 

(612) 871-4585 

www.mngreens.org 

Independence 

(651) 487-9700 

www.mnip.org 

Republican 

(651) 222-0022 

www.mngop.com

Page 2 The Wedge • Lowry Hill East Neighborhood Association Newspaper March • 2004 

Neighborhood Notices 

March 2004 Meetings and Events 

LHENA Meetings are in Jefferson 

Community School Room 107 

(3) LHENA Neighborhood 

Revitalization Program 

Steering Committee meets the 

first Wednesday of each month 

from 7 to 9 p.m. This month’s 

meeting is Wednesday, March 3. 

(10) LHENA Zoning and Planning 

Committee meets as 

needed on the second Wednesday 

of each month, from 7 to 9 p.m. 

Residents and businesses seeking 

variances and waivers need 

to meet with the committee 

before the LHENA Board hears 

the request. Requests need to be 

submitted to the Z & P committee 

at least a week before scheduled. 

With questions contact the 

LHENA office at 377-5023. 

(17) LHENA Board Meeting: 

The regular meeting of the 

Lowry Hill East Neighborhood 

Association is the third Wednesday 

of each month. The next 

LHENA meeting will be Wednesday, 

March 17, from 6:30 to 8:30 

p.m. Call Board President John 

Dietrich at 871-3576 with any 

questions. 

(25) LHENA Zoning and 

Planning Sub-Committee on 

Rezoning This Z & P subcom- 

LHENA 

Annual Meeting 

Wed., April 21st 

6:30 to 8:30 p.m. 

Jefferson School 

Room 107 

1200 West 26th Street 

(612) 377-5023. 

mittee was formed to study and 

make recommendations to the 

full committee on rezoning 

issues in the Wedge Neighborhood. 

This month, it meets the 

forth Thursday of the month, on 

March 25. 

N. I. P. 

Located at 2431 Hennepin Ave. 

S., Neighborhood Involvement 

Program (N.I.P.) has several programs 

to help persons who are 

seniors, youth, and/or low-income 

uninsured. In addition, N.I.P. has 

weekly support groups, including 

some at little or no cost for rape 

survivors and people living with 

HIV/AIDS. Call 374-3125. 

The Men’s Center for 

Men and Women 

Located at 3249 Hennepin Ave. 

S., The Men’s Center has a variety 

of support groups for men 

and a weekly presentation on 

personal growth or well being, 

open to both men and women. 

For more information, call 822- 

5892, send an e-mail to 

tcmc@freenet.msp.mn.us, or 

check the website at 

www.tcmc.org. 

Hello from Board Member Ritzman 

Hello to all of the neighbors of 

Lowry Hill East (aka the Wedge). 

The editor thought you might like 

to hear a little bit about your 

neighborhood board members. So I 

thought I’d get things started. I 

lived in the Wedge for 17 of the last 

20 years, seven as a renter and ten 

as a homeowner. 

I have recently moved to another 

neighborhood because a single 

family home in the Wedge was out 

of my price range. I still volunteer 

in Lowry Hill East though. I 

Neighborhood 

Zoning Meetings 

to be held 

By Leslie A. J. Foreman 

Two important neighborhood 

meetings about the proposed 

zoning changes will be 

held. On March 25th, at 6:30 

p.m. in the Jefferson School 

cafeteria there will be a meeting 

of all property owners 

directly affected by zoning 

changes. You will receive a 

notice in the mail early in 

March if your property will be 

directly affected by a zoning 

change. In April a Community 

Open House will be held. 

The neighborhood Zoning 

Task Force has been meeting 

with City Planners to examine 

our current zoning. The 

Task Force will be proposing 

zoning changes to preserve 

historic buildings in our 

neighborhood while allowing 

positive growth. 

Call the LHENA office at 

612-377-5023 if you have any 

questions. 

started my volunteer career last 

year around this time. 

Before last year I was an armchair 

activist. If I saw something I 

didn’t like I’d put in a call or email 

to whoever I thought could fix it. I 

had told myself that I didn’t have 

the time to get involved, that my 

life was too busy. 

Oddly enough, when I finally 

decided to jump in to help where I 

could, life took a turn for the better. 

Volunteering is actually good 

for you. It gives you a sense of connectedness. 

Doing things for others 

gives you a better sense of self 

worth and added confidence. 

You also meet others in the community 

who are committed to 

making the world a better place. 

When you have all of that good 

energy in a room, it really can fill 

your heart up. 

So, more than a note about me I 

would like to offer up volunteer 

opportunities to all of you. Take a 

chance-get connected. Local classrooms 

need volunteers. We could 

use some help at the neighborhood 

association with building and 

maintaining our website. 

Become an election judge. (It’s a 

paid position, and you definitely 

get connected). Consider running 

for the neighborhood board. My 

seat will be up for election in April, 

and I wish that there would be a 

host of neighbors to choose from. If 

none of these opportunities appeal 

to you, just give me a call, and we’ll 

come up with something! 

I mean it! Ella Ritzman, 

377-3806. 

Letter to the Editor 

I am troubled to see anonymous 

letters published in The 

Wedge, the Lowry Hill East 

Neighborhood Assn Newspaper. 

I am referring to the 

lengthy letter by An Edgy 

Wedgie in the February issue. 

I believe that the publication 

of anonymous letters to 

the editor is something that 

should be discussed and 

reviewed by the LHENA 

Board of Directors, who I 

assume provide direction to 

this public newspaper. It 

would be appropriate to take 

a lesson from professional 

journalists and editors who 

require names and addresses 

or phone numbers to verify 

the submission. Names can 

be withheld by request under 

certain circumstances such as 

crime victims. 

Anonymous letters can lead 

to problems that divide communities 

not build them. 

Anonymous letters are an 

invitation to slander and 

innuendo and yes fear. How is 

a reader to know, for example, 

that a neighbor or businessowner 

or teacher or even a 

local office-holder is the 

LHENA 


Minneapolis, MN 55405 

Phone: 377-5023 Fax: 377-5467 

E-mail: lhena@thewedge.org 

Lowry Hill East Neighborhood 

Association Board of Directors 

John Dietrich, president, 871-3576 

Michael Trebnick, vice president, 377-7556 

Sonja Hayden, secretary, 377-7556 

Carol Wilson, treasurer, 871-7708 

Dave Bosclair, 377-7506 

Michael Trebnick, zoning chair, 377-7556 

Ella Ritzman, 377-3806 

Brad Schaeppi, 730-1549 

Destin Nygard, 374-3638 

Steve Benson, 374-5456 

Steve Fossum, 879-9420 

Jim Handrigan, 871-4325 

Neighborhood Revitalization Program 

(NRP) Steering Committee 

Sara Bisson-Ellefson, chair, 823-3580 

John Jensen, vice chair, 872-7731 

Michael Nelson, secretary, 374-9744 

Pauline Hoogmoed, treasurer, 874-7767 

Joe Konietzko, 871-5626 

Steve Benson, 374-5456 

Judy Schwartau, 377-4007 

Neighborhood Boundaries: Hennepin 

on the west, Lyndale on the east, 

Lake Street on the south and 

I-94 on the north. 

To advertise in 

The Wedge contact: 

Advertising Representative 

Uptown Media Group, 

612-822-8533 

editor@thewedge.org 

For classified ads, political ads and 

general inquiries contact 

LHENA/The Wedge directly. 

author? We don’t—and that is 

where problems can begin. 

It is precisely because we 

have freedom of speech and 

the press in this country that 

no one should be afraid to 

sign their name to thoughts 

and ideas they wish to 

express. – Margaret Reinhardt, 

Wedge resident 

Editor’s Note: We agree and 

are returning to our ongoing 

editorial policy: We welcome 

letters to the editor, but cannot 

guarantee that they will 

be printed. Preference is given 

to letters from Lowry Hill 

East (Wedge) residents concerning 

neighborhood issues. 

The Wedge does not accept 

any letters that are not exclusive 

to the Wedge newspaper, 

are unsigned, or do not 

include the writer’s address 

and phone number. (This 

information will be kept on 

file to verify the writer’s identity 

and will not be printed.) 

The Wedge reserves the right 

to edit for clarity and length. 

Send letters to: Wedge Letters, 

P.O. Box 80510, Minneapolis, 

MN 55408. 

The Wedge is a monthly publication of the 

Lowry Hill East Neighborhood Association. 

Distribution is free to residents and businesses 

of Lowry Hill East Neighborhood. Mailed subscriptions 

are $20 per year. 

Articles, opinion pieces, photos and drawings 

by neighborhood members are welcome! Call 

377-5023 for assignments, or to discuss your 

ideas. Payment is made for published 

contributions. Contact The Wedge for 

guidelines. The deadline to submit items for 

publication is the 17th of the month prior to 

publication. Display Ad deadline is the 15th of 

the month prior to publication. Send publication 

items, subscription checks or money orders to: 

The Wedge 



Phone: 377-5023 Fax: 377-5467 

E-mail: editor@thewedge.org 

Editor: Jim McPherson 

mcphersonjim@msn.com 

Office Administrator: Caroline Griepentrog 

lhena@thewedge.org 

Advertising Sales Representatives 

Uptown Media Group 

612-822-8533 

The Wedge Committee 

Jim Handrigan, Chair, 

Carol Wilson, Helen Romanishan 

The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect 

the views of LHENA or its board members. The Wedge 

reserves the right to exercise discretion in publishing any 

material submitted and further reserves the right to refuse 

any advertisement. Questions about The Wedge may be 

directed to the editor or to the The Wedge Committee chair. 

© 2003 LHENA, all rights reserved.

March • 2004 The Wedge • Volume 35 – Number 3 Page 3 

OPINION: 

By the Cranky Yankee, 

AKA Jim Handrigan 

It’s March and here comes 

spring! Longer days and 

warmer nights. Soon the first 

crocus will peek out from 

under the slush and mud, and 

the whole sacred cycle will 

begin anew. 

Speaking of sacred cycles and 

mud, it’s an election year. And 

President Bush has promised 

to raise over $200 million for 

his re-election campaign. 

That’s one promise he won’t 

break. Isn’t this a tad excessive? 

Can you and your friends 

raise that much money in a 

run for the Big House, I mean 

the White House? You’re still a 

part of the process, aren’t you? 

Sure you are. You and about 

ten thousand Florida voters. 

Ralph Nader threw his hat in 

the ring, and the same Republicans 

raising $200 million 

probably cheered. 

About Ralph. Most of the 

OSHA and EPA regulations 

that Republicans in Washington 

are dismantling can be 

traced back to Nader and his 

tireless policing of corporate 

excesses. Seat belts, air bags, 

you name it. Of course in 

today’s corporate-dominated, 

media-sponsored society, 

Nader’s just another left-wing 

crazy, a leftover from the ‘sixties 

and ‘seventies, when people 

like George W. Bush were 

piling up their youthful indiscretions. 

Why is Nader considered so 

off the map? Because he 

believes people and democracy 

should come before profit? 

Imagine an America where 

people come before corporate 

profits. Why that’s so funny I 

forgot to laugh. Considering 

the damage the far right is 

doing, why are we so afraid of 

the left? 

Privatize, privatize, privatize. 

The free market can do government’s 

job. How about 

SINGLE 

PARENTS 

Life liberty and the 

pursuit of profit 

health care? Remember all the 

hysteria about health care 

costs if Clinton’s disastrous 

health plan passed? Well, here 

we are ten years later, and the 

free market took care of everything. 

Congress has terrific 

health care coverage. The rest 

of us rank last among the 

industrialized world. Yay, free 

market! Let’s privatize the military! 

In Iraq, Halliburton and it’s 

subsidiary, Brown and Root 

(referred to by soldiers in Viet 

Nam as Burn and Loot) have 

replaced 150,000 American 

troops by cleaning latrines, 

doing KP and serving chow. 

There are three huge problems 

with privatizing the military. If 

the war zone’s too dangerous, 

the civilians won’t go. Why go 

if you don’t have to? (Like 

draft-dodger Cheney.) The second 

is the obvious one. Politically 

connected companies get 

all our tax dollars. Dick 

Cheney made over $44 million 

during his brief tenure as Halliburton’s 

CEO in the ‘90’s. Halliburton 

is now re-building 

Iraq and charging the Pentagon 

over two bucks for every 

gallon of gas. In the Middle 

East! That’s chutzpah! The 

Pentagon investigates Halliburton 

while handing over 

huge additional contracts. 

But the third reason is the 

one that really worries me: 

150,000 troops in Iraq, plus 

150,000 civilians unaccountable 

to Congress and the people, 

is a total force of 300,000. 

It would have been a much 

harder sell to the Congress and 

the American people if Bush 

had to tell us he needed 

300,000 troops in Iraq. So privatizing 

the military essentially 

makes it easier for 

America to go to war. And more 

profitable for politically connected 

companies like Halliburton. 

That’s a real bad idea. 

You think health care’s bad? Do 

we really want to make it easier 

for America to go to war? 

A Presbyterian & 

American Baptist Church 

at 1430 W. 28th St. in the 

Uptown Minneapolis area 

—one block north of the 

Greenway & 

one half-block west of 

Hennepin. 

612-872-8266 

adminsec@ 

gracetrinitychurch.org 

10th Ward Update: 

By 10th Ward City Council 

Member Dan Niziolek 

The strength of any city is 

dependent on the engagement 

of its residents in the 

activities of their city. From 

participation in block efforts 

and neighborhood groups to 

city advisory boards, cities 

are stronger when more residents 

are involved. Having 

worked in the area of crime 

prevention, I would say that 

this is most evident in the 

area of ensuring a safe city. 

To this end, the city recently 

created a full-time position 

dedicated to improving the 

city’s community engagement 

efforts. This position will 

work to improve everything 

from involving residents in 

zoning approval processes 

and street renovation projects 

to housing inspections work, 

crime prevention and much 

more. 

This person will work with 

departments in improving 

their individual community 

engagement efforts as well as 

ensuring that all city engagement 

efforts are coordinated. 

City departments are often 

On the Greenway 

Between Bryant & Colfax 

themidtownlofts.com 

Contact Mike Dean 

612.822.1545 

mike@landergroup.com 

Sales Center Now Open 

at 3503 Hennepin Avenue South 

Minneapolis Creates Position to 

Improve Community Engagement 

not coordinated in their outreach 

and working relations 

with residents, resulting in 

inefficient use of limited city 

resources as well as overworking 

residents volunteering 

in their neighborhood. 

The position is expected to be 

filled by May 1st and will be 

paid for through existing 

resources. 

Walker Library Vote 

At a committee meeting on 

the 18th of February, Library 

Board members voted to 

repair the current building 

and not move forward on further 

evaluating a potential 

mixed-use building on the 

current site. This is despite 

the fact that the work of the 

consultant did not look at 

what other dollars available 

for funding the project, examples 

of how other cities have 

done mixed use libraries, or 

ways to minimize demands 

on library staff resources. 

At the meeting I requested 

the Library board to delay 

the decision for 30 days in 

order to answer questions not 

answered in the work done 

by the consultant. In particu- 

FOSSUM 

TAX & 

APPRAISAL 

Steve Fossum, Tax Consultant 

18 years of tax 

preparation experience. 

Call for an appointment: 

612•879•9420 

lar, I noted that I would work 

with city staff on answering 

the two most significant 

questions 1) what funds are 

available to fully fund the 

project and 2) how can the 

city assist the Library Board 

in structuring this development 

in a way that minimizes 

the demand on library staff. 

The success of Minneapolis 

is dependent on the quality of 

its public institutions as well 

as the vibrancy of its neighborhoods. 

One part of this 

deals with finding the 

resources to once again create 

great public buildings. 

Another part deals with 

encouraging mixed use developments 

on major transportation 

corridors. The 

Walker Library effort could 

achieve both and make the 

Walker Library an even 

greater asset for the Uptown 

community. 

As always, if you have 

thoughts, concerns, or recommendations, 

please call me 

(673-2210), or e-mail me at 

dan.niziolek@ci.minneapolis.mn.us. 

Editor’s Note: You 

are also invited to discuss 

these issues and ideas with 

any LHENA Board 

member. 

Add some PASSION with PURPLE 

What are your 

some RADIANCE with RUBY 

true colors? 

some CALM with CORNFLOWER 

• Paint, plaster and woodwork 

• Creative color consulting 

• Exterior and interior 

• Experienced craftsmen and women 

(612) 827-2361 

GREENWAY UPDATE 

• Get on the Midtown Greenway’s biking 

and walking paths one block north of 

Lake Street at Dean Parkway, Irving, 

Bryant, Nicollet, and Fifth Avenues. 

• In Fall 2004, the trails will continue 

farther east to Hiawatha Avenue, 

passing underneath the old Sears 

buildings at Chicago Avenue. 

sponsored by:


INTERMEDIA ARTS 

2822 Lyndale Ave. S., 871-4444, 

www.IntermediaArts.org 

Dialogue- March 13, 2004; 1 p.m.; 

Free Admission 

Dialogue- March 27, 2004; 2 p.m.; 

Free Admission 

Immigrant Status, developed by 

Intermedia Arts in partnership with 

Minnesota Advocates for Human 

Rights, Family & Children’s Service, 

and St. Paul Jewish Community 

Center, is designed to examine — 

through the arts — policies and 

conditions affecting the lives of 

Minnesota’s immigrant populations. 

SOO VISUAL ARTS CENTER 

2640 Lyndale Ave. S, 871-2263, 

http://www.soovac.com 

Soo Visual Arts Center is committed 

to exhibiting the work of exceptional 

artists and creation of art. 

HIGHPOINT CENTER FOR PRINT- 

MAKING 

2638 Lyndale Ave. S., 871-1326, 

www.highpointprintmaking.org 

Highpoint is a non-profit organization 

dedicated to advancing the art 

of printmaking. Its goals are to provide 

educational programs, community 

access, and collaborative 

publishing opportunities to engage 

the community and increase the 

appreciation and understanding of 

the printmaking arts. 

MARCH: Possibilities of Monoprint 

and Monotype, 

Thursday evening, March 11th 

through April 15th. 

March 12th: Flying Carpet exhibit 

opening, 6:30 to 9 p.m. 

MINNESOTA CENTER FOR PHO- 

TOGRAPHY (MCP) 

711 West Lake Street, 824-5500, 

Fax: 824-551, partskel@bitstream.net 

Tuesday - Sunday: noon to 5 p.m. 

Thursday: noon to 8 p.m., or by 

appointment. 

THE JUNGLE THEATRE 

2951 Lyndale Ave. S., 822-7063, 

www.jungletheater.com 

The Drawer Boy, By Michael Healey 

Plays Wed.-Sun., - Mar. 27 

Hauser to host ‘04 

Spring Open House 

Hauser Dance,1940 Hennepin 

Ave., will host a spring open 

house Saturday, March 20th, 

from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. During 

the event, they will offer free 

sample classes, an informal performance, 

dance videos and a 

Gypsy Card Give-Away 

Hauser offers modern dance 

classes that emphasize the principles 

of motion, the joy of moving 

and individual creativity. 

They teach technique, improvisation 

and children’s creative 

dance. 

New class offerings include 

Dance for Pre-Schoolers (ages 4 

& 5) and Dance for the Ageless 

which emphasizes the pleasure 

of moving as well as simple corrective 

body work, incorporating 

a gentle pilates and yoga based 

warm-up. This class is for people 

in their middle and later years. 

Hauser’s spring session is 

March 22 through May 29. 

4 Arts & Entertainment 6 

For Ticket Information please call 

the Jungle Box Office 

Or request tickets online: 

www.jungletheater.com 

All tickets may be exchanged 

up to 24 hours in advance of a 

performance. 

BRYANT LAKE BOWL 

810 W. Lake St., 825-8949, 

www.bryantlakebowl.com 

This Month, including: 

A Love Supreme 

Sussed! 

Look Ma, No Pants: 

The Five Year Anniversary 

Extravaganza 

Soulless, Bloodsucking Lawyers: A 

Musical! 

Amy Angeline 

A Love Supreme 

Stuart Davis 

Staggering Toward America 

Cinema Lounge 

The Collective 

Collective Unconscious 

Thousand Void Crush 

9’ x 22’: A Dance Lab 

Pam Plagge for President 

Impossible Party 

Conversations at the Blue Table 

BRAVE NEW WORKSHOP 

2605 Hennepin Ave. S., 332-6620, 

www.bravenewworkshop.com 

Das Bootylicious -or-Women of Mass 

Destruction! 

ATTENTION LANDLORDS 

Refinance your Rental Properties 

offset the cost of the soft rental market 

DENISE CHEETAH 

“Rental Property Specialist” 

LANDLORD FOR 21 YEARS 

(952) 960-9631 

Get your Loan Closed with the Speed of a Cheetah! 

PROGRAMS FOR: 

1-4 Unit Buildings 

5+ Unit Buildings up to $25 million 

*PURCHASE RENTALS *REFINANCE RENTALS 

Denise Cheetah 

Sr. Mortgage Broker 

NANCY HAUSER DANCE COMPANY 

Jawaahir Dance Company 

Theatre, 1940 Hennepin Ave., 

871-9077 

IN THE HEART OF THE BEAST 

PUPPET AND MASK THEATRE 

1500 E. Lake St., 721-2533, 

www.hobt.or 

Book Clubs 

UPTOWN BOOK CLUB 

Grace Trinity Community Church, 

1430 W. 28th St., 872-8266 

WALKER BOOK CLUB 

Walker Community Library 

2880 Hennepin Ave. S., 630-6650 

The next meeting of the Walker 

Book Club will be Monday, March 

8, 6:30 p.m. Please note the new 

time due to changed hours at the 

Walker Library. The book to read 

is “Death Comes for the Archbishop” 

by Willa Cather. The 

Walker Book Club meets at Walker 

Library, 2880 Hennepin Av. S., on 

the second Monday evening of 

each month. New members are 

always welcome. Call 612-630- 

6650 for further information. 

‘NON-GREAT BOOKS’ CLUB 

Meets 1st & 3rd Sat, 7 p.m., various 

addresses. Free, ongoing, 

subject matter very open. 

Contact Andrea, 612-338-5688, 

andreamedia@msn.com 

Also, call for details about Denise Cheetah’s 

FREE Monthly Rental Property Owners Workshop 

Jefferson mural design completed 

By Muralists Victor Yepez and 

Elissa Cedarleaf-Dahl 

The Jefferson Community 

School mural design has been 

completed! After receiving 

approval from the LHENA/NRP 

Board of Directors and the 

School staff, the students and 

artists are anticipating a glorious 

depiction of the collaborative 

design on the auditorium wall. 

The wall was primed, surrounding 

fixtures are covered, work 

lights are installed, and we have 

purchased the painting materials. 

At this stage, the mural 

group is learning the process of 

confronting the wall. 

The mural group consists of 20 

“BEST 

FALAFEL” 

– MPLS/ST. PAUL 

MAGAZINE 

BAKERY 

• #1 pita in town 

• baklava 

• spinach pie 

• meat pie • cheese pie 

TAX TIME IS HERE! 

Income tax preparation for the more complex returns 

Uptown CPAs 

Anderson & Martineau, PA 

Certified Public Accountants 

Small Business and Quickbooks Consultants since 1988 

2801 Hennepin Avenue South, Suite 200, Mpls., MN 55408 

Call for consultation 612-825-6839 

SWEETS, BAKERY & DELI 

“BEST 

GYROS” 

– CITY PAGES 

DELI SPECIALTIES 

• falafel 

• tabouli 

• hummus 

• greek salad 

• baba ganouje 

• garlic dip 

• stuffed grape leaves 

• satsiki 

espresso • chai tea Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner • All Day Buffet 

CATERING • PARTY TRAYS • GIFT CERTIFICATES • DELIVERY 

Uptown • Lake & Lyndale (612)824-7887 • Downtown Mpls • TCF Tower Skyway (612) 339-5560 

The Wedge 

~ Since 1974 ~ 

Where indulgence is only natural. 

2105 Lyndale Avenue South 

Mon-Fri 9-10 Sat-Sun 9-9 

students that gather every 

Thursday afternoon. At the start 

of each class, the ground rules 

and procedures are established 

to ensure a safe and fun working 

environment. Then the students 

are divided up into smaller 

groups to partake in rotating 

activities. While one group might 

be completing a questionnaire 

about previously discussed concepts 

and historical facts about 

the life of Thomas Jefferson, a 

second group may be tracing or 

painting directly onto the wall as 

the mural design is being projected. 

Meanwhile, a third group 

will help clean the paint brushes 

and maintain the supplies.


Jefferson School March Calendar 

5 No Classes Staff Development 

9 & 10 MCA reading test Grades 3 & 5 

15 &16 MCA math test Grades 3 & 5 

16 Family Math Night 5:30 – 7 p.m. 

26 to April 2 SPRING BREAK 

TONIC FOR YOUR TASTES – Executive Chef Ryan Aberle serves a 

very tasty Chilled Asparagus salad at Tonic of Uptown. Photo by 

Bob Carlson. 

2 FREE TOPPINGS 

ON ANY ONE PIZZA! 

Featuring 

Delicious Subs 

Authentic East Coast Pizza 

Lunch - Dinner 

NOW OPEN LATE! 

Thursday thru Saturday 

11 a.m. to 11 p.m. 

Sunday thru Wednesday 

11 a.m. to 10 p.m. 

612-377-8555 

24th & Hennepin 

Walker Library to continue 

Library Board 

Continued from Page 1 

consideration for at least the 

past six months. 

At the Feb. 18th meeting, the 

Library staff provided Trustees 

with an updated report that 

reviewed the background leading 

up to this decision, including 

various alternatives that 

the Board has considered for 

this library and this site. The 

conclusion was that “the most 

judicious use of public funds to 

carry out the Minneapolis Public 

Library’s mission of providing 

high quality library 

services to the Uptown community” 

is to stay in the current 

building and get moving 

on the needed repairs. 

Applauding the Library 

Board’s action on Feb. 18 were 

residents from five of the nine 

Tax Preparation 

Jack D. Manders 

Certified Public Accountant 

1900 Hennepin Avenue South 


Call Jack at 612-874-7884 

jackm@sihope.com 

Jane Hansen 

REALTOR 

BUSINESS: 612-874-1916 

CELL: 612-408-0711 

EMAIL: JANE@MPLSLAKES.COM 

Call me for 

a free market 

analysis 

1428 West 28th Street | Minneapolis, MN 55408 

neighborhoods in the Walker 

Community Library’s Service 

Area. Library Board members 

commented that they had 

received many emails and calls 

from Walker patrons and area 

citizens concerned about maintaining 

Library services at the 

current location. They also 

indicated appreciation for the 

supportive statements and resolutions 

from ALL nine neighborhood 

associations in the 

Walker’s service area. 

In my opinion, the February 

18, 2004 Library Board action 

delivered a powerful affirmation 

to the many patrons who 

utilize the Walker Community 

Library, which has the third 

highest circulation of the city’s 

branch libraries. It also gives a 

boost to the Walker’s friendly, 

competent staff members who 

so diligently respond to the 

patrons’ needs and requests. 

And it means that we citizens 

will continue to have this 

vibrant and busy library — an 

essential public/civic institution 

in our community — for 

the foreseeable future. If you 

haven’t visited recently, I urge 

you to do so! 

Pat Scott, current KIAA board 

member and long-time resident, 

is a retired 7th Ward City 

Council Member (1990-97) and 

former member of the Minneapolis 

Board of Education 

(1986-89). Her efforts on behalf 

of the Walker Library are 

voluntary, and she welcomes 

your interest, questions and 

help! Please contact her at 

pscott01@hotmail.com.


The Wedge Classifieds 

HOUSE CLEANING: HUSBAND AND 

WIFE TEAM. Can do odd jobs and maintenance 

work. Honest, smoke and drink-free, 

dependable and fully experienced. Call 

374-1790. 

THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE: Stressed out? 

Need to relax? Have chronic pain or an 

injury, old or recent? Relaxation, Neuromuscular/Deep 

Tissue massage and 

Myofascial Therapies available. Contact 

Healing Traditions at (612) 824-4530, healingtraditions@earthlink.net,www.healingtraditions.com. 

BATH & BODY PRODUCTS: We have bath 

and body products made of natural ingredients 

and will meet all your bath needs 

from exfoliating salts and Visit us at 

www.hbbathsupply.com and browse 

through our wonderful products. 

TENDER LEATHER CARE: (612) 396-8525 

tenderleathercare@yahoo.com Lanolin-based 

protection for footwear, outerwear, bags, 

vehicle leather. Wll travel. Take care of your 

‘skin’ – gitve it TLC. 

KEITH, THE COMPUTER GUY: Troubleshoot, 

Install, Consult, Network, Web 

Design, References available. 

(612) 845-6931. 

WANTED PART-TIME Cleaning, Cooking: 

Clean apartment, move-outs, organizing, 

etc. Big or small jobs. Reasonable 

rates. Call (612) 377-5579, 

Dial-A-Servant. 

ORGANIZE Want help organizing your 

attic, basement or junk room? Cheri 612- 

708-6028. 

PROFESSIONAL PAINTING: Quality painting, 

reasonable, reliable, walls, ceilings, 

water-damage repairs, textured ceilings, 

sheet rock. Neat, clean, 30-years experience. 

John, 612-374-1227. 

UNCOVER YOUR WISDOM. Discover new 

options. Share your vision. Make mindful 

choices. Experience your truth. Psychotherapy 

for adults, couples and groups. 

Mia Bolte, M.A. (612) 701-2027. 

STILL MOVES. Small energizing classes, 

coaching, counsel for moving your body. 

For all seekers of physical, emotional and 

spiritual health. Thirty years’ experience. 

Morgaine@foxinternet.net. 821-8165. 

HANDMADE WEDDING/ 

ENGAGEMENT RINGS. 

Check out the website at www.Jameshuntdesigns.com 

or call for free brochure. Jim 

Hunt, 623-1123. 

CARPENTRY & PAINTING. Interior-exterior. 

20+ yrs exp. Reliable, dependable, 

licensed and insured. Wedge resident. Dave 

Johnson, 770-2235. 

CARPENTRY: Remodeling, updates and 

general repairs.$250 minimum. Renovation 

project featured on Mpls Home Tour. Reasonable 

rates, prompt service. Call Jon 

Bartelt 612-872-0353. Wedge resident. 

LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD HANDYMAN: 

Quality repairs, maintenance, painting, light 

remodel, windows, cleaning/organizing. 

Older home expert. Prompt, reliable, honest. 

Brad, 612-377-0467. 

MASONRY REPAIR: Save money on 

masonry repair, cement steps, blocks, 

bricks, foundation, stucco, tuckpointing, 

interior basements, 23 years’ experience. 

Please call 377-3822. 

MASSAGE THERAPY Specializing in Deep 

Tissue/Relaxation Massage. Take time Treat 

yourself right with an unforgettable massage 

from an experienced professional. Call 

Elena at 612-865-8771. 

DOES YOUR ROOF LEAK? I can remove 

ice and snow from roofs and sidewalks. 

Need Help? Please Call Me: 612-374-1790. 

FOR RENT: 2446 Aldrich So. 2 BR Condo. 

$699. Heat pd. New Carpet. Off street parking. 

A/C. Available now. 952-935-8792. 

WANTED: MEN & WOMEN SEEKING 

HOME BASED BUSINESS. Earn $800- 

$1200 a month, will show you how. Help 

change lives for the better. 612-987-2344”. 

MOVING SALE. Dining Room, Living Room 

and Futon furniture needs to go. All in excellent 

condition. Prices negotiable. Cash only. 

Call Peter at 612-824-4953. 

WHY BUY NEW when you can repair & 

resurface old steps/sidewalks? Mark 

377-4368. 

DOCUMENT YOUR LIFE I’ll make a 

memento you’ll be happy to share. This can 

be done in a keepsake binder or on the 

internet! Combine your photos, stories and 

other memorabilia. Cheri 612-708-6028. 

MURAL AND SPECIAL EFFECTS PAINT- 

ING Re-create a photo from a special trip 

in your home or business. Have an idea on 

colors you’d like but want something a little 

out of the ordinary? Cheri 612-708-6028. 

WHOLE HEALTH SERVICES: Natural 

weight-loss, detoxification and personal 

training. Lose 10-20 pounds per month! Call 

for a FREE consultation: 763-458-3513. 

www.wholehealthonline.com 

ATTORNEY: FAMILY LAW Including 

divorce, paternity, custody and child support; 

trial experience. Sliding fee scale to 

$150 an hour, set fees available. 377-4547, 

Steve Nichols. 

SUPERB HOUSE-CLEANING: From Delicate 

Detail Work, to Neglected 

garages//basements. References, many 

Years’ experience. Your Satisfaction Guaranteed. 

Deep Cleaning a Specialty. Call 

Amina (612) 377-1911 

HERBALIFE INDEPENDENT DISTRIBU- 

TOR: Call for Products, 651- 649-4798 

GREEN ACRES BEEF: Direct from the 

farm to your holiday table. Premium federally-inspected 

beef sold in quarters, halves 

or individually packaged fresh frozen cuts; 

including steaks, roast and hamburger, 1lb. 

bulk or 1/4-lb. patties. Call 612-871-7937 

for a price list. 

ATTENTION-TO-DETAIL HOUSECLEAN- 

ING: Meticulous organizing; one-time, 

weekly, bi-weekly, monthly; 13-years’ experience, 

excellent references, reasonable 

rates. Susan, 952-881-3895. 

HOUSE-CLEANING: Made easy. Quality 

work, 8 years+ experience. Will do partials, 

weekly, bi-weekly, move-outs pre-paid. Call 

for estimate, Brigette, 612-871-4905. 

ART & SOUL, faux finishing and inrterior 

painting. 20 years’ experience, reasonable, 

eco-friendly paints, free color consultation. 

Rebecca and Kathy Eckert, 763-531-2237. 

YOUR LIFE IS BUSY BUT IS IT FULL? 

Unique volunteer opportunity to staff on-site 

coffee shop at neighborhood nursing home. 

Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Training 

provided. Call Jennifer at 612-827-2555, 

ext. 142 for more information. 

How to Advertise 

The first 25 words of classified ads are free to 

members of Lowry Hill East Neighborhood. 

Limit one free classified ad per month. Nonneighborhood 

members’ cost is $5 for the first 

25 words. Additional words cost $.22 each. 

Cost is per month and must be paid with order. 

The Wedge reserves the right to refuse any ad. 

Send ads, noting which months to 

run and payment if required, to: The Wedge, 

1200 W. 26th St., Rm. 107, Minneapolis, MN 

55405. Deadline for submissions is the 15th of 

the month prior to publication. 

Porter's Bar and Grill 

Your neighborhood meeting place 

FREE BURGER 

OR SANDWICH 

with the purchase of another at equal or greater value. 

Not valid with other discounts or coupons. 

11 am to 5 pm • EVERYDAY 

Expires 3/31/04 

CELEBRATE ST. PATTY’S DAY 

MARCH 17 AT O’PORTER’S 

HAPPY HOUR 3:30-7:30PM 

CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE, 

MULLIGAN STEW AND 

CORNED BEEF SANDWICHES. 

SERVED ALL DAY 

IRISH DRINK SPECIALS, IRISH 

MUSIC & PARTY FAVORS 

KARAOKE 9:30PM-12:30AM 

Stop by and You'll Become a Regular too! 

2647 Nicollet Ave. S. • Mpls., Mn 55408 • 612-872-0808 

email: jkporters@yahoo.com • web: www.porters.citysearch.com 

The Hens Come Home to Roost 

By Audrey Johnson, Minneapolis 

Board of Education Director 

We are in the fourth year of 

budget cuts, to the tune of nearly 

$110 million. In a discussion 

with Senator Jane Ranum 

recently, she stated this is about 

the elections of 2000 and 2002. I 

couldn’t agree more. It is about 

the “hens coming home to roost” 

after two state budget cycles 

where sound educational policy 

has not prevailed, — despite the 

campaign rhetoric of a lot of people 

in high places. 

By the time you read this article, 

the Board will have come to a 

decision as to the course of action 

around David Jennings’ proposal 

to move our district toward a 

consolidated system of strong 

schools. The Board listened to 

and read about the concerns 

from thousands of people. People 

love their schools and communities. 

People, families, staff and 

community volunteers work 

hard to make their schools successful 

places. Why do we have 

to change anything? Why do we 

have to make such fast decisions 

without a lot of time for useful 

public input? 

After Carol Johnson left, David 

Jennings stepped into a very difficult 

position: 800 empty classrooms, 

a severe decline in 

enrollment, and budget projections 

of $18-22 million shortfalls. 

We were engaged in sensitive 

negotiations with the teacher’s 

union. We are working with a 

severely reduced administration. 

A recent audit showed the district 

spending more money on 

schools than previous years with 

a mere 4% of costs going to 

administration. Most school districts 

operate on an average of 

about 8%. That means there are 

less people to accomplish more 

administrative tasks to comply 

with increasing numbers of state 

and federal reporting and oversight 

requirements, and the 

demands of a system in decline, 

both in enrollment and 

resources. There is enough left in 

the reserve fund to pay for about 

a day of operation. 

Everyone is working harder. 

The $187 million that WAS cut 

from education last year, stopped 

most of the peripheral support 

services to our neediest kids. Districts 

with high poverty were hit 

the hardest. The district continues 

to subsidize charter schools, 

by state law, through transportation 

costs and excess special 

education costs. The state 

nurtured and fostered charter 

school growth and then forced 

public schools to subsidize the 

competition. 

There have been numerous 

public hearings held for the last 

three years around budget cuts. 

The discussions about specifics 

didn’t get underway until early 

February, and that really isn’t 

enough time to allow for the best 

process. However, several parents 

and community members 

have expressed the sentiment 

that if no one knew this was 

coming, they just hadn’t been 

paying attention to what’s been 

going on for the last three years. 

One thing is for sure, they are all 

paying attention now! 

Although the public hearings 

were crammed with people 

whose schools were facing major 

changes, we have heard from 

many who support the proposed 

changes. By their descriptions of 

budget cuts at sites across the 

city, they are “bleeding out”, cutting 

programs, support and staff 

until all that’s left is a shoestring 

curriculum. We have to take 

action to fix this. For the last 

three years we have cut and 

shifted everything we could. 

Now, as a community, we have to 

face the reality that we are 

spread too thin. 

Bad policy in housing, healthcare, 

transportation, and education 

— coupled with 

ever-expanding expectations on 

schools, shrinking resources relative 

to the needs of children, 

increasing state and federal 

demands, and political grandstanding 

— are indeed the hens 

coming home to roost. This 

brings to mind the classic Dickens 

tale when Scrooge is told if 

these “shadows” remain 

unchanged, there will be a great 

price to pay. Scrooge asks “Are 

there no orphanages? Are there 

no workhouses?” There will be 

prisons, according to the Governor, 

at an average cost of about 

$50,000 per inmate per year. A 

good education is priceless, but 

currently it would certainly average 

less than $10,000 per year 

per student if it were fully 

funded. 

Our Governor is playing the 

political game very well. In his 

State of the State address, he 

endorsed the idea of money for 

new prisons, not money for allday 

kindergarten. Sounds like 

something Scrooge would have 

said before his transformation. It 

is also bad policy. Perhaps we 

can hope for ghosts to visit the 

politicians supporting economically 

stupid policy and resource 

allocations to help them fully 

realize the direction their selfserving 

policies are taking us. 

Those hens are clucking loudly, 

and they look a lot like Tim Pawlenty 

and George Bush! 

All Board members are deeply 

distressed by the conditions 

faced in our schools. There are no 

easy answers to the complex 

problems. Nearly everyone 

thinks of themselves as experts 

in the area, because they all 

went to school. But I would ask 

folks to think about a few questions: 

What does public education 

mean? What do people value 

about public education? What do 

people want from public schools? 

In the coming months, the Board 

knows it must get the community 

thinking about these questions. 

Education must change, 

the expectations and the forces 

bearing down on the educational 

system demand that we face up 

to the reality that business as 

usual can’t continue. What 

schools were when we were kids 

and what the world demands 

now are completely different. We 

are only as strong as our most 

vulnerable student. When we 

diminish the opportunities in life 

for the most vulnerable, we 

diminish ourselves as well. That 

clucking in your attics and yards 

will only get louder if we don’t 

start asking and answering the 

really tough questions. Democracy 

isn’t easy and if people don’t 

engage, it will die. 

Opinions expressed in this 

article are not necessarily those 

of the Minneapolis Board of 

Education, the Superintendent or 

the District.


By Dr. Keith Prussing 

Welcome to March. It was just 

some days ago that we were in 

the depths of winter cold. Then, 

without much warning, the daytime 

temperature rose above 

freezing, and the snow started to 

melt. 

Drip, drip, drip could be heard 

everywhere, and the sure footing 

of the compressed snow became 

By Helen Romanishan 

The Wedge neighborhood has 

changed considerably since we 

bought our house in 1974. At 

that time it was a marginal area. 

The houses were cheap (ours cost 

$19,000), battered and brokenup 

into rental units. The tall, 

once-stately homes were 

unpainted, and the yards were 

bare and lacking grass or flowers. 

The neighborhood was noisy 

and full of loud music and loud 

residents. The weekends were 

one huge never-ending party. The 

police would not venture into the 

area unless they were investigating 

a murder. One neighbor, 

who had complained of loud 

music, was told by an officer, 

“What do you expect, living in 

this neighborhood?”. The city 

council didn’t know we existed 

and didn’t care to find out. 

Drunks and panhandlers 

roamed the streets at the edge of 

the neighborhood. Robberies 

were a fact of life. The parking 

lot behind Hum’s Liquor Store 

was rowdy all night long, with 

fights, loud yelling and screaming, 

and sometimes a gunshot. 

A motorcycle gang lived on our 

block and rode their bikes on the 

sidewalks. The gang sold 

unknown substances in paper 

bags from their house. Callers 

would stash the bags in the car 

trunks and glance around 

furtively before screeching off 

down the street. 

A prostitute lived at 2000 

Aldrich and would hang out the 

window calling to male 

passersby. Her boyfriend blared 

the Minnesota Fight Song on his 

car horn at all times of the day 

and night. Later on, a prostitute 

Mar 1- 6:30 Blake Crouch "Desert Places" 

Mar 2 - 6:30 Harley Jane Kozak "Dating Dead Men" 

Mar 11- 6:30 Laurie King "The Game" 

wet and slushy and icy areas are 

to be carefully navigated. 

It may be that winter is over. It 

is surely true that we are over 

the deep cold that lasts and lasts 

and makes everything challenging, 

even dangerous. The light is 

now as strong as it was in October. 

Each day is longer by a few 

minutes. Most people are no 

longer coming and going in the 

dark from their work or school. 

moved into the house next door. 

Her small children were alone 

most of the time. The boy was 

extremely aggressive and threatened 

all the other children. 

The motorcycle gang eventually 

moved out to be replaced by a 

group of skinheads. In the 

evenings they would set out with 

baseball bats and chains, looking 

for a fight. Judging from the 

condition they were in upon their 

return, there was no shortage of 

altercations. 

Stray dogs and cats were everywhere. 

The few times animal 

control came into the area, they 

would round-up ALL animals, 

whether stray or leashed. When 

one officer ran up to our dog 

Beauty and grabbed her collar, 

she barked and snarled. He said 

she was vicious. If a stranger ran 

up to me and grabbed my neck, 

I would be vicious too! 

In the midst of all this.chaos, 

the infant neighborhood association 

and Wedge newspaper was 

working hard to resolve the 

AUTHOR EVENTS / Signing and talks 

To Your Health 

There are more birds singing in 

the morning, and the warmer 

winds coming from the Pacific 

Ocean carry the taste and feel of 

green things, if only in the imagination. 

It is a time of beginnings, 

a time when the pent-up 

energies resulting from the lower 

activity levels of winter are 

ready to come forth as the flowerings 

of spring. 

Ask yourself, “How might I use 

problems. It took several years 

before the city began to listen. In 

the meantime more homeowners 

moved in and added their voices 

to the residents. LHENA grew 

stronger in its demands. Residents 

formed block clubs. Police 

actually began driving through 

the streets and answering nuisance 

complaints, and city council 

members began listening to 

us. 

The Wedge is quieter now. The 

skinheads and prostitutes have 

disappeared (as far as I know!). 

Lawns are mowed and sidewalks 

shoveled. 

The city council bas realized 

tbe Wedge residents have ideas 

that are vital to the success of 

the city and welcome their input. 

The neighborhood is a sea of 

blooming, colorful flowers in the 

summer. The pool at Mueller 

Park teems with children who 

splash happily while parents 

gossip as they watch. 

The residents of the Wedge 

have not solved all the problems 

Mar 20 - Second annual "Write of Spring" 

25+ Minnesota authors noon-4:00 open house 

Mar 24 -6:30 Ellen Hart "An Intimate Ghost" 

NEW AND USED CRIME FICTION FOR THE READER AND THE COLLECTOR 

this period to enhance my health 

and well-being?” Perhaps a 

cleansing, both internal and in 

your home environment, is 

appropriate. Increase outdoor 

activities to give up some weight 

gained over the winter, and to 

breathe fresher, non-heated air. 

Look for friends and acquaintances 

that you have not seen for 

a while. Plan a garden. 

Meanwhile, keep your feet 

yet. The street plowing is still 

unacceptable, and parking is terrible. 

There are just too many 

cars. Some absentee landlords 

still are not convinced that 

upkeep and control of their properties 

is necessary. 

warm and dry, and wear a scarf 

and hat to deal with quick 

changes in temperature, and to 

block the wind. Smile, and 

laugh, and feel the joy of having 

survived another Minnesota winter. 

Dr. Keith Prussing is a holistic 

chiropractor practicing in the 

north Wedge for many years. He 

can be reached at 612-872-6633. 

Remembering: 30 Years Ago in the Wedge 

Life is wonderful compared to 

30 years ago. Residents, LHENA 

and the neighborhood newspaper 

are all responsible for the 

changes. 

Lowry Hill East Crime Map 

1/24/03 - 2/24/04 

Homicide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0 

Rape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 

Robbery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 

Aggravated Assault . . . . . . . . . . . 3 

Burglary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 

Larceny . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 

Auto Theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 

Arson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0 

For more information contact the 

CCP/Safe Team: 

Jennifer Waisanen, Crime Prevention 

Specialist at (612) 673-2815, 

jennifer.waisanen@ci.minneapolis.mn.us 

or Karl Olson, Safe Officer at 

(612) 673-2816, 

karl.olson@ci.minneapolis.mn.us 

Crime-Prevention 

Block Club 

Want to form a crimeprevention 

block club or 

apartment club? Training 

sessions for 

block/apartment club 

26th Street West 

leaders are held 

monthly, from 6:30 

to 9 p.m. Call the 

5th Precinct at 


673-5585 

for more 

information. 

Remember: 

• Take out 

keys and 

lock car. 

• Lock house 

and garage 

doors. 

• Call 911 if 

you have an 

emergency. 

Girard Avenue South 

Hennepin Avenue South 

Fremont Avenue South 

Midtown Greenway 

Lagoon Avenue 

Emerson Avenue South 

Dupont Avenue South 

Colfax Avenue South 

Lake Street West 

94 

Franklin 

Avenue West 

22nd Street West 



Mueller 

Park 

Bryant Avenue South 

Aldrich Avenue South 



Lyndale Avenue South

Page 8 The Wedge • Lowry Hill East Neighborhood Association Newspaper March • 2004

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