I wasn't suggesting that they be exempted from non-profit status, just that
they be exempted from state-mandated meeting/voting regulation. I still think
community-based solutions for community-based groups is better than
one-size-fits-all state regulation whenever possible.
Ann Berget
To access the e-mail message page for Rep.Oberstar, you must use an 8th CD
zip code at the prompt. Try "55802". Click here: Congressman James L. Oberstar
Sorry to have left that out.
Ann Berget
Kingfield 10-10
Megan -
A couple of questions:
1) Why are Saturday's Stonewall recommendations subject to ratification at a
meeting in Northfield since these are local races?
2) How does "Acceptable" status differ from "Endorsed" status in Stonewall
parlance?
3) How many Stonewallers participated in
A very reliable source just told me that Sandra Miller, currently Minneapolis
School Board member, has just decided to enter the 8th Ward race.
Ann Berget
Kingfield 10-10
What a concept! Walker Art Center Demolishes Cultural Icon Guthrie Theatre
Building to Increase Parking and Green Space! Citizens say "Whoops!" Don't
you hate it when that happens - again - and again - and again...
A community that demolishes the very cultural icon that put it on the map
The Alliance for Children Families has a key rekationship with the
Children's Mental Health Collaborative - a group not without their own
problems - and the Alliance recently convened a large gathering of educators,
service providers and other children's advocates on this subject. I can
At the foot of the Rose Garden is a small grove of trees - Northern Snow crab
apples, Park Commissioner Scott Nieman once told me. Tonight they are abloom,
a glorious, fragrant cloud of white, unbelievably beautiful. From the lawn
beneath them, you can watch the sun set beyond Lake Harriet as
More on the Northern Snow Crab Apples:
A friend writes to tell me: the little grove was planted to celebrate the
life of her friend's late wife.
AB
In a message dated 5/11/01 11:55:39 PM Central Daylight Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
In my opinion, one of the reasons Dean Kalmbach and others
won Stonewall DFL's endorsements is because of their deep
understanding and support of gay issues. For example, the gay
community is a broad one
Feeling a bit of a contrarian today...Ya know, if Buck indeed WERE wily
enough to singlehandedly sabotage SSB's endorsement, he would be one heck of
a guy and his diabolical power should be harnessed and used against worthier
causes.
Ann Berget
Kingfield 10-10
Just a little factoid: students who attend school 95% or better are
overwhelmingly likely to progress and succeed by most measures, students who
attend 85% or less are far more likely to fail - regardless of the
educational philosophy of the school. Just curious: whose responsibility do
you
Greetings. Good EX-board members stay on the sidelines, respectfully quiet,
and DON'T second-guess sitting officials, but having said that, I must step
forward for a brief moment and state unequivocally: I know Superintendent
Carol Johnson very well - probably better than any other member of
Question to the drafters of the proposed NRP related charter amendment and
property tax levy:
NRP is currently a joint-powers agreement among the five local taxing
jurisdictions, that is, county, city, schools, parks and libraries. Would
this current proposal change NRP into a creature of the
A few thoughts on this proposal:
If this is a City Charter amendment and the levy floats under the City banner
and flows directly into the City coffers, how would this work? Several times
along the way, the only thing that prevented m-a-j-o-r $$$ grabs by the City
was the joint powers
In a message dated 7/5/01 9:59:29 PM Central Daylight Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
"McDonald urged an outside review of the Minneapolis Community Development
Agency's revenue and spending projections over the next decade.
She said she doesn't accuse the agency of wrongdoing but wants a
In a message dated 7/6/01 4:48:41 PM Central Daylight Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Organizers from the school
board referendum saying that we needed consultants and prior
approval of the Charter Commission
Was someone else associated with schools speaking at the meeting before I
arrived,
Friends, I've been a list member almost from the beginning of this forum. I am disappointed to see it lately decline from a forum marked by thoughtful and substantive discussion into just another place for a few folks to rant and insult one another. It's getting to the point that I'm having a hard
I hesitate to reply lest I set off a firestorm of bad feeling among list members who have been pretty darned civil to one another for the last few weeks.
But I think I can overcome my hesitation. Here goes:
Those who think we can remedy the problem of poor school performance by continuing to
Couple of thoughts about the G -
I am sentimental about the G. When I moved - unwillingly - to the urban tundra in 1965, I felt like I was being exiled. Solzynitzysn's book "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch" was still pretty new and I believed it was a pretty fair description of my exile
Could we have a straw poll of council members-elect and mayor-elect to learn if they will commute the Guthrie's death sentence?
Ann Berget
Kingfield 10-10
Ann sez: grin
Don't believe everything you see or hear about the Property Rights group. For example: Last spring I conversed briefly with one of their members at a candidate event. Imagine my surprise when I later saw my photo on the front of one of their publications identified as "a descendent
Does anyone remember Karlos Kaufmanis' "Star of Bethlehem" lecture? Ya know, as far as I know, it was never taped!
Ann Berget
Kingfield 10-10
Red: Warmer weather ahead
Green: No change forseen
While: Colder weather in sight
Blinking: precipitation forecast.
Ann Berget
Kingfield 10-10
Driving (or walking) along Nicollet Avenue (before it was the Mall) on Thanksgiving night, noses pressed to the car windows, to see Dayton's holiday windows. Before the 8th Floor Holiday Show, Dayton's used to deck the windows for Christmas and unveil them on Thanksgiving night. A treasured
Friends, I weigh in on this one reluctantly, but feel I must share a thought or two gained from experience:
When the "8th Grade Test" results first came in documenting how poorly many Mpls. kids were doeing against these basic reading and math measures, the BOE soon instituted very focused summer
The Chamber opposed the first school referendum vigorously in 1990, thus galvanizing support for the issue. So there.
In 1996 under new leadership (both schools and Chamber) the Chamber supported the question. A smaller business group CITE (Commercial/Industrail Tax Equity, I think) dragged its
At the time I left the BOE, the fastest growing segment of the budget was the cost of
health insurance. I dunno if this is still the case - bet it is - but it is a MAJOR
problem for virtually all employers, especially public ones. And degradation of health
coverage shifts the costs back on to
Here are three nominations:
1) Where's winter?
2) Rybak wins!
3) Herrongate
Ann Berget
Kingfield
Just an FYI:
The population equator of Minneapolis is somewhere around 34th Street - SOUTH.
Hence, it's not surprising or particularly inequitable that there is heavy
representation of southside n'hoods in citywide groups.
Ann Berget
Kingfield
___
At the risk of enrolling in the Slippery Slope School of Anxiety, I am loathe to see the franchising of our parks in any way. When I was a member of CLIC, one of "our" collective civic embarrassments was the distinction of Minneapolis having the only public park with a liquor store on the land.
In a political culture that seldom favors a gentle person, Richard Rose was a rare and wonderful exception.
Ann Berget
Kingfield 10-10
Let's hear a mighty round of applause for Linda Mack and her cheeky critique of the
proposed Graves monstrocity! (I hope monstrocity is not on the short list of words
that will get me banned for inflamatory language.)
I speak from experience: my four children, now grown, loved attending
As I passed the houses this morning at 8:15am, the first one was already half down and
the backhoe was hard at work. By now the house is probably history. So sad.
Ann Berget
Kingfield in the 8th
___
Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion -
Tom Robbins (author) once wrote, A thing is good because it's good. It isn't good
because it's natural. It's really no better to die by getting bit by a rattlesnake
than shot by a gun.
I'm sure some would take issue with that, but I think you get the general idea.
Seems to me that the rude
Jelly fish, when last I checked, were not indigenous to Minneapolis, to say nothing of
asphalt surfaces. Where the devil did these things come from? Or, Steve, are you
putting us on?
Ann Berget
Kingfield - the Riviera of the Eighth
___
Minneapolis Issues
Don't be too quick to jump to conclusions: kids in the primary grades HAVE brought
loaded guns to school here in Minneapolis.
The biggest problem IMHO is that when the kids are suspended and sent home no one is
there. The message they get is that seriously bad behavior results in a holiday.
In a message dated 5/17/02 8:58:30 PM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Judging from the responses of Mr. Wilson and Mr. Mann, and the yawning silence from the rest of the list, it is apparent that others don't share my view that in a recent post Mr. Mann was not so subtlely
In a message dated 5/21/02 3:08:30 PM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
. Does anyone know if the foxes are still living in Roberts bird sanctuary?
Walked through there last evening. No foxes that I could see, but a deer walked up almost within arm's reach.
Ann Berget
Jon Gorder's tongue was firmly in cheek, no doubt, but just in case...surely everyone
realizes that even Hizzoner has to rest and reconnect with his family ever so often.
And we are probably all better served by public servants who value beautiful places
and healthy families (including their
In a message dated 7/21/02 7:06:43 PM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
the next time you are speed-walking around the lakes or rushing back
to the office because you tarried too long at the sidewalk cafe, please
remember, I might not be meandering. I simply may be not be in a
I only have an observation to offer, not a brickbat or a solution.
Although I disagree with Syl Jones at times, I find most of his writing rich and moving. And I am a little (middle aged) white girl from the Deep South. Maybe that's why.
Anyhow, it seems to me that the more authentic issue
Just a word to the wise, gleaned today from experience: Strib columnist Barbara Flanigan quoted me in her Monday column from something I posted to this list some time ago. No biggie, but neither she nor anyone else from the Strib had contacted me about the post prior to its appearance in the paper
Given the rash of coyote-ugly building proposals that have come to light around these parts in recent months, it's scary to imagine what we need to be protected from. Is it the stuff of nightmares? Is it too exquisite to be viewed by meer mortals?
Hey, come on, this coy game is (deleted). Take
In a message dated Thu, 12 Sep 2002 10:20:01 AM Eastern Standard Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
The MPS-Ed Minnesota(and predecessors)-School Boards, Admins fought tooth
and nail throughout the Carlson years to prevent testing, scoring and
publishing the results. The
In a message dated Thu, 12 Sep 2002 10:20:01 AM Eastern Standard Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
The MPS-Ed Minnesota(and predecessors)-School Boards, Admins fought tooth
and nail throughout the Carlson years to prevent testing, scoring and
publishing the results. The
For those of you who may be interested:
The Historic Guthrie Preservation Coalition
invites you to a fundraiser
Wednesday, September 18, 2002
7-9 pm
at the home of Dore and Ron Mead
112 East
How disappointingly predictable: another glass box.
Ann Berget
Kingfield
What is the R-value for the various types of glass that will clad the proposed
building?
What is the R-value for other more conventional cladding materials? A couple of
examples would be great.
How do the costs of routine exterior maintenance compare between the all-glass
exterior and more
Harmon...would that be Harmon of the local glass company? Hm-m-m...
grin
Ann Berget
With all due regard Sheldon, whom I like and respect, IMHO the proposed new lib has all the warmth and coziness of a large ice cube.
Sorry.
Also, the timing of the announcement of major proposed service reductions for 2003 does not bode well for the notion of bustling public space. Big, chilly
Thank you for this policy piece. Unfortunately this says nothing specific about how effectively the proposed design can realize these principles.
When Mr. Pelli presented this proposal to the Implementation Committee, did he provide any written material discussing the operational energy
In a message dated 10/6/02 12:13:43 PM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
From my perspective, this "it's the parents" rationalization is how middle-class
parents in Minneapolis justify the inequality of outcomes in the public schools.
"Things are fine the way they are now because
Hm-m-mmm...Could this mean that my garage-less estate in 10th/8th Ward with NO possibility of a garage would become utterly unsalable in the future? Or, tee-hee-hee, if it's market value went down to $0, then I would never have to pay property taxes again? Or would my property become a de-facto
Just a clarification: My own garageless situation results from the placement of my circa 1897 house on an alley-less 40' lot with less than enough clearance on either side to allow for a driveway, even if I were so barbaric as to destroy a mature 65' blue spruce (which sheds on the Brauer property
In a message dated 10/16/2002 12:02:43 PM Eastern Standard Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Theatre riot
Oh, rats! When Terrell wrote Theatre riot, it didn't occur to me that he was
referring to illbehaved event patrons. I though he meant that we now have so many
theatres that it could be
I don't defend or criticize the Library Board's situation, but I want to point out
that this is a significant issue for other jurisdictions as well. The arbitrary salary
cap, which does not exist in most other states, makes it difficult for Minnesota to
attract candidates from other areas of
I was Voter #518 in 8-7 at 9:00am.
My 18-year old daughter voted for the first time :-) .
8-7 polls in the King Park gym and the layout of the voting process is tortured, with lines of voters and prospective voters crossing paths in the process of picking up their ballots, marking up their
When I first ran for School Board in 1991, four of us candidates (me, Farmer, Kaari and Harp) went in together on lawn signs. It was still the day of the old 2x4 plywood, paste and paper affairs hung on rebar. Our signs were loud red, white and blue things, hung vertically on 8 ft. lengths of
In a message dated 1/13/03 6:07:23 PM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
City leaders and
neighborhood leaders all know the 52 percent must be hit - it's state law.
I'd say even if NRP is mortally wounded, the money must be found to meet the
housing goal.
For information only:
The
In a message dated 1/20/03 12:47:36 PM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Don Samuels:
Martin Sabo is a mainstream DFLer, just like Olin Moore. If you think you can find some "self-made" immigrant who can do Sabo's job better than he has done it, show me. I don't know that much
In a message dated 1/23/03 10:41:31 AM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Here are the key messages our legislators need to hear:
1. They will be held accountable -- We will hold our legislators accountable
for funding the "adequate and efficient" public education guaranteed to
In a message dated 1/23/03 10:41:31 AM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Here are the key messages our legislators need to hear:
1. They will be held accountable -- We will hold our legislators accountable
for funding the "adequate and efficient" public education guaranteed to
If I recall correctly, one of the more noxious aspects of the last round of council elections in 2001 was the unwelcome involvement of non-residents (SSB for sure, but quite a few others as well) in many DFL ward conventions. While it certainly is RT's prerogative to do as he pleases in the W3
FYI: I got my 2003 property tax statement today and this is what 8% looks like: total 2003 taxes up 16% from $1600 in 2002 to $1867 in 2003, a husky increase IMHO.
Yes, I know that part of this increase is the increase in my property valuation - isn't it interesting that the market value of my
List member Barb Lickness probably knows the authoritative answer, but it's my belief that anything not specifically outlawed by NRP statutes is in fact allowed, even shrinks, if that's what the neighborhood residents want. Dunno about meds, though. That could be an ongoing and operating expense,
In a message dated 5/28/03 8:02:18 PM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Ann Berget: hunted by city inspectors. Doug Grow is on the case
"Outlaw" Berget writes: Silly me! All this time I thought the City was concerned about law enforcement when they were really talking about lawn
Here's the deal, friends - and I'm not even a big conspiracy theorist, but they've got me going this time... This is what I have learned about how Inspections operates:
First, they "sweep" the area. We're not talking about complaints here. Nope, no brooms either. This "sweep" means they drive
In a message dated 6/4/03 7:03:58 AM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
a proposed change to the City Ordinance that established the NRP will be discussed.
What "City Ordinance" is that? NRP was not established by a city ordinance, but rather it was enabled by state legislation
Friday there was a shooting (murder?) in the Office Max parking lot at Nicollet Lake about 1pm. The place was cordoned off and covered with police. Several bystanders said a man had just been shot in the head.
Curiously nothing appears in the Strib about it today. Does anyone know more about
A large orange sign announces that the road between the Lake Harriet Rose Garden and the Japanese Garden (Rock Garden) will close July 30. This is the road on the north side of the Rose Garden between the lake and Dupont Avenue. Does anyone know why the road is being closed? For how long?
In a message dated 7/24/03 5:59:29 PM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Jackie Cherryhomes told me once that one Charter rule was that each ward
had to have part of downtown
Well, I don't know if Jackie ever actually said that, but if she did, she must have been talking about
My family's best urban wildlife adventure took place on Labor Day 1996. We were about to set out on our annual holiday picnic when a neighborhood child came banging on the back door, yelling "Ann, come quick! There's a lizard in the street!" I grabbed my kitty-cat oven mitts for protection and
In a message dated 7/28/03 9:32:32 AM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Hopefully the city will decide to do something about earth pounding mega bass coming from autos
before crackin' down on chicken clucking.
AB says: Don't count on it.
Ann Berget
Kingfield
In a message dated 7/29/03 8:38:28 PM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
I'd say, don't let the screen door hit you on the way out, Carol.
As a Tennessean myself, a Memphian in fact, I assure you that the difference between Nashville and Memphis is a lot greater than just 240
My Memphis friend reports that Johnson got the job. Read more at: Click here: GoMemphis
Ann Berget
Kingfield
In May 2002 on the advice of the 5th Pct SAFE team, I contacted Inspections for help in dealing with the problem (party) house next door. SAFE suggested that I ask Inspections to check for overoccupancy. So I did. The inspector assigned was not know for his diligence and I observed him drive by,
State Fair Grand Prize winning sculptor Zoran Mojislov lost an elm on his boulevard about 10 years ago. When it was cut down, he got the city to leave the pieces on his lawn where he debarked them and shaped them into a wonderful sculpture. The work can be seen from the street at 4130 Blaisdell.
Actually, state law requires school boards only to hire (and fire if necessary) superintendents and set the budget. It does not require boards to gather community input. It does not require any "demographic" relationship (similar or dissimilar) between the superintendent and the student body. The
Disclaimer: At this point, this is only a rumor, but the source is pretty credible.
The rumor is that Rev. Gallmon resigned his leadership post in the Minneapolis NAACP over the weekend. Does anyone know whether this is true?
Ann Berget
Kingfield
Call me a hair-splitter if you must but isn't it the case that injunctions are first "sought" and then granted or denied?
Seems to me that this caption is a bit ahead of itself. A filed request for injunction may be granted or not. Let's see whether the court grants it or not.
Ann Berget
MPS Staff:
Below is a letter I have submitted to the Board of Education, today, withdrawing
my name as the next permanent Superintendent of Schools for MPS. As you know, the
board's recent decision to move past my previously planned service as interim
superintendent and to move directly to
Speaking of "community input" in the Jennings matter, I'm curious what process the Staten/Moss group used to gather input and come to a consensus about point of view. Was the process "inclusive", and if so, who participated and in what settings? Were the opportunities for this input communicated
Unfortunately, respondent Mann quoted part of my question, but did not answer any of it. I hope he didn't misunderstand what I am asking. Let me clarify: I am seeking information about what process of community involvement Moss/Staten used to arrive at their position on the Jennings matter prior
In the statement on River Run, Samuels wrote (and sent to the list as a download):
"As an elected official, I am chosen to make decisions on behalf
of my community and the city so that people can go about their
lives..."
Samuels writes about his thoughts and decision-making process in the
A casual look at the gap in major metro school districts suggests no advantage
associated with race of the superintendent, but I don't think formal studies exist on
this very provocative subject. Can anyone cite formal research here?
Ann Berget
Kingfield
REMINDERS:
1. Think a member has
Ted Halstead, NY Times journalist and author of "The Radical Center", will be speaking in St. Paul on October 29th. I think this may be interesting to list members, so here are the details:
The Citizens League and Minnesota Public Radio are pleased to present
"The Radical Center and America's
Hm-m-...what ARE the qualifications for being Governor besides getting elected?
Ann Berget
Kingfield
Regarding black leadership in Minneapolis, let's not let this day pass without taking note of the passing of a fine woman, Charlotte Davis, wife of 61 years to Harry Davis, Minneapolis first black mayoral candidate in the early 70's and later a 21-year school board member. Together, Charlotte and
In a message dated 11/11/2003 6:24:33 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
writes:
I would like the new supperintendent to have a track record
of past proven success in improving student achievement.
AB: A word of caution is in order here. Even if a prospective superintendent has a
In a message dated 11/25/03 6:16:22 PM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
It's registered voters and more
importantly, THOSE THAT ACTUALLY SHOW UP TO VOTE that count.
Mike -
Before you go too far down this path...beware - this is a treacherous direction to pursue, IMHO. Following
If the question is "In which neighborhood do we house dangerous essentially unsupervised sexual predators?", maybe that's the wrong question. Why should any neighborhood be the "right" one for such a danger? And again, distributing those same offenders all across the state really isn't a better
IF - big "if" - it can be proved that a majority of the Park Board met outside of a properly noticed meeting for the purpose of making this decision, it may be an actionable violation of the open meeting law on the part of each of them. Where personnel matters are concerned it's often murky, but
A chilling aspect of The Gurban Affair:
Success usually reinforces behavior. What's to prevent these five commissioners and Gurban from handling future park matters in the same bullying fashion? As Brian Melendez observed, this behavior does not appear to have violated the letter of the law. It
I got my storm water fee billing this week and was surprised to find my
property charged the highest rate since I have a 40'x140' lot with no driveway,
alley or garage. Only my house sits on the lot unless you count my garden shed
(6'x8'). I wanted to know what the criteria is for the
Okay, here's the short version of my report-back on my conversation with
John McLean about the stormwater cleanup fee:
I talked with John McLean, the Sewer Unit/Storm Water point man, this
morning at length. McLean is obviously a smart, knowledgeable and courteous
man.
He speaks
Tonight I received an email from John McLean, the City stormwater point man.
He had seen my earlier post and wrote to address two points that I had made:
1) I had erroneously reported that the size of the statistical sample on
which the average impermeable area measurement was based. The
Chris Johnson asks: What's the average amount of community service donated
by high school students on a per school basis? Is DeLaSalle unusual in this
regard?
I don't know what the average amount of community service donated by
students at other schools is on a per school basis, but I do
Since 40+% of yesterday's delegates chose to support a candidate who openly
stated all along that he was not committed to abiding by the endorsement if
he didn't obtain it for himself, what - if anything - does this say about the
commitment of the delegates themselves to the endorsement?
I need a small used gas or electric mower. If you have one for sale, please
contact me offline. Here's how I came to be mowerless:
ListMeister Brauer can attest that I liked to take care of my yard, the long
grass citation from the city lawn police two years ago notwithstanding.
So in
Thanks for all the words of sympathetic outrage, offers of mowers and/or
mowing assistance. As it turns out, yesterday ended on a pretty upbeat note
with
cut grass, good will and the prospect of a replacement mower soon.
Anyhow before I abandoned my mower quest yesterday, I stopped in at
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