Hello list-members: Went by the Art Institute today to take a look at the Berenice Abbott photography exhibit. The bulk of the work are silver gelatin prints of New York scenes from the 20's. Sweet stuff! There is one photo of a street beneath the El that just blew me away but it's all pretty incredible. And free! On my way downtown I noticed a few things that relate to issues we've discussed on this list. Kiddy-corner from the Institute is my new most favorite surface parking lot on the site where one sat the Fair Oaks Motel/Rodeway Inn. Twenty six cars parked there today, nine last Saturday when I rode by on the bus. Both times, especially on Saturday I saw room in the Tute's other lots and on the 24th Street, Third Avenue, and Stevens. My point in mentioning this is that last summer before I had found this list I attended a Zoning and Planning committee meeting that issued a variance for this lot and allowed destruction of a real live block and mortar building that might have become a temporary shelter for say homeless teenagers. That was my contention anyway. Gail Dorfman worked to make it happen but to my know- ledge nobody at City Hall lifted a finger. I testified the day the committee took it's vote to the consternation of the Chair and then wrote a news story in the short-lived SIREN publication. To no avail! The immorality of tearing down a habitable structure in the midst of a housing crisis did not resonate with the folks from MIA who had paid Mike Monahan and the ubiquitous folks from SRF to design the lot and lobby the city. I wonder who they're backing in the mayoral election; probably not R.T. if he's true to his word about being a reformer. When I talked to a person working for Whittier Alliance who had probably never faced a night outside or on a friend's couch say to me how horrible the place was I knew it was a battle I would lose. Shortly afterward I paid a visit to Jens Chistiansen, the old 6th Ward councilperson from the 70's. He told me how he fought the Art Institute in the old days when they wanted to expand with no good reason. Too bad Jim Niland could not have followed suit especially as he had been on the City-County Task Force on Homelessness and Unaccompanied Youth. Further down 3rd avenue, or should I say "avenue of the arts"(gee I thought that was Nicollet where I saw Mary throwing her hat in the air), I encountered a dump truck/plow working the area around Stevens Square and just east of 3rd between 18th and 19th Streets. Let me tell you there are reasons it takes the city so long to plow and it cost so much money. I know inefficiency when I see it. This guy was just markig time. If anyone from PW wants his truck # they can write me. At 1st Avenue and 15th St. I saw evidence of the police slowdown. This squad was taking up the right hand lane on 15th St headed east with his parking light flashers on with a cell phone up to his ear. Now I suppose he could have been talking to his supervisor over the phone for the five to seven minutes I observed him but I seriously doubt it and should one think this was a CODEFOR strategy I also doubt it. Likewise if anyone from the Downtown Command wants his vehicle number they can let me know off-line. I know this sounds like penny ante stuff but I figure if they're going to be out there watching me I'll watch them. Then again, the police would stonewall and call into question a citizen's veracity at the same time they expect us to believe they are on the up and up. Ay, there's the rub! Tim Connolly Ward 7 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices. http://auctions.yahoo.com/ _______________________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - Minnesota E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
