Hennepin County is preparing to undertake a massive environmental study of three light rail routing options from Eden Prairie into Downtown, and neighborhood groups in Loring Park and the North Loop were recently briefed on the plans.

One potential route would run a train straight down Nicollet Mall and two others would wind the tracks around the 7th Street side of the ballpark.

This fall, government officials will host a series of public meetings that ask residents for potential impacts that should be included in the 18-month study, such as noise levels, air quality, parkland and traffic.

Trails that might be affected by the plans include the Kenilworth trail, the Cedar Lake Park trail and the Midtown Greenway. County officials say there is plenty of space for
Full Article

With the Twin Cities-hosted Republican National Convention around the corner, Southwest has joined the rest of the metro in preparing for an unprecedented stampede of guests  

In about two months, 45,000 people will converge on the Twin Cities to take part in an event the area hasn’t seen for more than a century.

The 2008 Republican National Convention (RNC), though based in St. Paul, will bring politicians, protesters, media and the national spotlight to the entire metro. Many Southwest residents, business owners and other stakeholders expect their community to be well attended during the Sept. 1–4 event and are preparing to roll out the welcome mats, make a little money and do a little showing off.

They’re also preparing for the hassles and headaches that accompany a major political event: congested streets, crowds of protesters and normal city life turned on its head, at least for a few days.  

Read more stories about: Republican National Convention

Minneapolis St. Paul 2008 Host Committee President Cyndi Lesher shares insights on convention preparation

On a floor intentionally missing from the directory of a downtown St. Paul office building, about 15 staff members and a few interns that make up the Minneapolis St. Paul 2008 Host Committee are getting ready for the most company the Twin Cities has ever had. 

A crowd of no fewer than 45,000 delegates, alternates, media and other guests will engulf the area Sept. 1–4 for the Republican National Convention (RNC). The host committee is working overtime to make sure the whole deal goes down in the best way it possibly can.

 Leading the effort is Cyndi Lesher, a fireball of energy who fittingly worked supplying power throughout Minnesota and two other states before she was selected for the Host Committee. She’s been on leave for a year and a half from her job as CEO of Xcel Energy’s Northern States Power Company and the four days she’s been preparing for are almost here. 

Read more stories about: Republican National Convention

A new initiative proposed by the city and county attorney’s offices calls for tracking Downtown’s top 100 chronic offenders 

Read more stories about: Twins Ballpark

A passerby checks out the metal sculptures that were on display on Nicollet Mall in front of the IDS Center as part of the Minneapolis Aquatennial.

The eighth annual American Iron Art of Recyling metal scupture contest was all made from scrap metal collected for recycling and made available to local artists by Minneapolis-based metals recycler, Amercian Iron.

F July 25, 9 p.m.
Triple Rock Social Club, 629 Cedar Ave. S.
333-7399, www.triplerocksocialclub.com
$10 ($12 at the door)

Aaron Espinoza serves not only as leader of California's Earlimart, but also as captain of "The Ship" — the Los Angeles studio where, in addition to his own band, he's recorded The Breeders, Folk Implosion, Grandaddy, and Elliot Smith. After Earlimart's 2007 album "Mentor Tormentor," Captain Espinoza faced something of a mutiny — only bassist and keyboardist Ariana Murray remained loyal to the Earlimart cause.

The other members were splitting their time between the band and solo projects, causing a tumultuous
Full Article

Douglas joins Minnesota Planetarium Society’s board of directors

Former WCCO weatherman Paul Douglas — one of the Twin Cities most recognizable media personalities and a highly successful entrepreneur — has recently been named to the Minnesota Planetarium Society’s board of directors.
Douglas joins the board just as the Planetarium Society has ramped up a fundraising campaign to build a new planetarium atop the Central Library on Nicollet Mall.

Jocephus Lomax

Date:  July 14
Time: 3:15 p.m.
Location: In an alley off of Nicollet Mall

“I am doing fine. I am disabled but doing OK. I have bone problems and now have an artificial hip and leg — [I am] physically disabled — not mentally,” Lomax said. “I have been a musician since I was a child. It’s my toy (trumpet) even when I played in high school 50-some years ago. After I got disabled, I picked it back up and here I am playing again for the rest of my days. … I play gospel music and folk songs here and I sometimes jazz it up a little
Full Article

Trish Brock writes poetry from her apartment in Stevens Square. She serves as a Minneapolis Arts Commissioner, and she is currently working on an illustrated book of poetry.

A look at where Minneapolis lands on national lists that compare cities in all types of categories

When media outlets swarm the cities in September, they will have plenty of prepackaged story ideas they can use to describe Minneapolis.

The city has collected a sizable number of national titles in recent years, some intuitive and some surprising: we’ve been named the second drunkest city, for example, as well as the smartest city. We were designated the “top tech city” in 2005, and the same year another survey called us the ninth most “unwired” city. We’re ranked in the top five for low stress, and the best place to get a good night sleep.

Council adopts resolution supporting green economy

The City Council has jumped on the green jobs bandwagon with the approval of a resolution June 11.

Members formally resolved to keep green jobs in mind in all future decisions to “capture the benefits of the emerging green economy.”

The resolution is another step in the advancement of Mayor R.T Rybak and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman’s “Making it Green” initiative — a plan to bolster environmentally friendly manufacturing in the region.

Preliminary design for Central Corridor approved
With recent approvals, the Central Corridor Light Rail moved a step closer to becoming reality.

Hennepin County Commissioners approved a preliminary design July 8, and were followed in short suit by Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority, Metropolitan Council, City of Minneapolis and University of Minnesota Board of Regents. All the local entities approved an agreement known as a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), on the Washington Avenue alignment for the Central Corridor LRT July 14, according to a Hennepin County news release.

The approved route for the for Central Corridor — very similar to a streetcar design in place more than 100 years ago — will link downtown Minneapolis and downt
Full Article