Tonic restaurant, etc. promises 'new urban entertainment'

March • 2004 The Wedge • Volume 35 – Number 3 Page 7
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
27th Street West
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
24th Street West
25th Street West
Mueller
Park
Bryant Avenue South
Aldrich Avenue South
28th Street West
29th Street West
Lyndale Avenue South