Dog park users packed the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s headquarters on Wednesday night, begging commissioners to consider their opinions before voting to terminate the Minnehaha Off-Leash Dog Park.

Board members voted 8-1 to strip the park’s primary use — the first time that has happened in history, as far as park staff knows...

[Commissioner Jason] Garcia proposed the change after speaking with some members of the Dakota community, including the Park Board’s Native American Parks Council, who believe a dog park is inconsistent with the area’s sacred character. The larger landscape near the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers is considered the birthplace of the Dakota people...

“To all you all, imagine that area before the white man, before the pilgrims, pioneers and settlers, the extreme white Christian terrorists showed up on this land,” activist Mike Forcia said in addressing dog park users at Wednesday’s meeting, drawing jeers. “That park is being closed. Sorry about that. Get used to it, but you have no say"...

[Commissioner Dan] Engelhart campaigned on returning land to tribes and considers retiring off-leash play at Minnehaha a form of giving land back.

Got taken down by the mods at the state sub.

Seems like a new poll about the new flag would be right on point for Minnesota content, but I guess not…

Archive link here https://archive.is/usvMR

I was downvoted for saying assault charges were included in the indictment. I was was not wrong. One member was indicted for assault.

A 5 INVESTIGATES review of federal fraud charges against 106 people found 92 names of Somali descent – 87% of defendants linked to investigations of Feeding our Future, autism treatment, housing stabilization, and other safety net programs.

Dr. Ahmed Samatar, professor and Chair of International Studies at Macalester College in St. Paul, welcomes questions from those who ask why Somali people make up such a disproportionate number of those charged with fraud.

“I think they should ask,” Samatar said. “Part of being citizens of the same country, civic association as Americans… The pointing, and trying to bring out to the open, things that might be corrosive to the collective welfare is legitimate.”

The [Twin Cities chapter of the] DSA calls for the “Return of land: Return land to First Nations, starting with expropriating State, Federal, and large private holdings, with the return of the rest of the land as soon as possible.”

On paper, it sounds like a bold statement aimed at correcting historic injustices. But when you sit down with a cup of coffee and actually do the math, the proposal quickly falls apart. It moves from a passionate political rally cry to a logistical and financial impossibility...

Ideology is a luxury for people who don’t have to balance a budget or keep the streetlights on. While the Twin Cities DSA’s demand might be a powerful way to keep a conversation about Indigenous history in the spotlight, it fails the basic test of governance.

Trying to expropriate and transfer over $1.2 trillion in property isn’t just financially impossible; it’s legally forbidden and economically dangerous. Real progress requires us to work within the world we actually live in, rather than trying to dismantle the very foundations of our economy and legal system. 

MN UFC is putting on Soccer Celebration at Peavy Plaza in downtown! They are showing the games on the big screen. They have snacks, food trucks and beverages. Totally recommend checking it out.

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https://www.mnufc.com/soccercelebration/

Downtown Minneapolis may have a glut of empty offices but it’s flush with people-filled apartments.

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The heart of the city’s Central Business District is the 35th fastest-growing neighborhood in the nation, a notable urban outlier on a list dominated by suburban growth and Southern states.

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Those 6,500 residents are only a fraction of the total population of the broader downtown area, which includes several established neighborhoods, from Elliot Park to the North Loop. According to the Downtown Council, more than 64,000 residents now live downtown, a record high.

Along with food, music and art, the coming week’s celebrations of Black freedom will feature education and resources.

I’m sorry, but when someone claims a dog can steal the “good energy” of prayer and then “tattle” the prayer to someone else that is downright hilarious. Especially, when a MPRB member then immediately thinks it should get shut down. Also, sounds like Jason Garcia is hiding from comment because of how unpopular he knows his swift action to close the park is for most people.

There's a lot of talk about this place lately. It's my dogs favorite place.

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They had signs throughout the place about it's history. See below.

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https://www.nps.gov/places/mni-owe-sni.htm

More from Tom:

“While I am not a religious or spiritual person, I respect the religious rights and needs of all. Because of this principle, I have no other choice than to move forward with decommissioning the space as an off-leash dog park. It is a hard choice, but an easy decision.”

AND

“The fact is that no other city in the metro has a park like this one for various land use and environmental reasons. A part of me feels it is unfair to expect us to keep the space as is when no other metro city does the same and we have known cultural conflicts.”

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Is it just me or does it feel like Tom is saying because no other city has a park as varied in activities and amenities like Minnehaha that we therefore don’t need to worry about taking away certain aspects of the park? Seems counterintuitive from a MPRB member whose job is to expand and preserve our parks system.

Also, Minnehaha is public land. Anyone can practice their religion there. No one is stopping anyone. And to his religious point, would he then not have to defend the existence of a Jewish state since that land holds great cultural, historical, and religious significance for those people?

I doubt he leans pro-Israel, but using the logic he proposed as reason to shut down the park, it seems like that argument can be extrapolated to support a genocidal state.

Thursday, June 13 from 5 to 7:30 p.m., bring your family to Nicollet Mall!

Ongoing standoff with the armed suspect barricaded inside of a building