Our goal is to offer readers diverse perspectives on newsworthy events or issues of broad public concern to The Hill & Lake community.
Nature does not compromise.
The city’s attempt to save 120 trees along Hennepin will still lead to cutting down 49 trees during a city declared “climate emergency."
Kumi Naidoo, the South African human rights leader from Greenpeace and Amnesty International, argues that nature seems to never get a serious seat at the table.
Despite a looming climate catastrophe with carbon dioxide and temperature rates climbing to unprecedented highs, the city chose to compromise rather than revisiting its plan to reconstruct Hennepin altogether.
"The problem with political compromise is that nature does not negotiate,” Kumi Naidoo.
Susu Jeffrey | Bryn Mawr
Kudos for a great April Fools prank!
I just finished reading your article "City Leaders Pivot on Hennepin Avenue, Cedar-Isles Plan and SWLRT!" in your April issue and it brought such joy and lightness to one hell of messy processes.
Thank you Mike Erlandson and Susan Lenfestey for the much appreciated laugh.
Nancy Green | East Isles
Tis the season, of noise no more?
Here is a short article from May 1 Climate Nexus. May it become policy in Minneapolis:
"Ear-SOREs No More! Lawn Mowers And Leaf Blowers Are Going Electric: Gas-powered leaf blowers and lawn mowers may become ancient history as several cities and states across the U.S. are beginning to enact bans of the fossil-fueled powered devices to combat both noise and climate pollution.
A commercial gas leaf blower can produce the emissions equivalent of driving from Denver to Los Angeles, according to USA Today.
California has taken the lead in banning the engines used in the lawn care industry, which are known as "small off road engines," or SOREs. Other cities and states, including New York, Maryland, and Massachusetts, are considering similar measures."
James P. Lenfestey | Lowry Hill.
Stunned Ward 10 Delegate
I attended the Ward 10 Convention as a delegate and witnessed the chaos and fighting that ensued.
Warsame campaign delegates disrupted the endorsement process by shouting down Chughtai and then swarming the stage. The violence prompted the leaders to stop the convention.
To my shock, Chughtai wrote a statement on her website describing what occurred that included the following statement:
“Because we’ve shown the wealthiest folks in this city, and the politicians they’ve bought, that the people of this city have the power to make real change and build the community we deserve. That’s why they’re afraid of us. That’s why they stormed at us.”
Whatever else might be accurate in her account, this statement is false. She is welcome to her strong commitment to challenging the wealthy and powerful members of our community.
But to blame those people for what happened at the convention is unacceptable.
Tamara Kaiser | East Bde Maka Ska
Wow!
What an amazing issue. I even highlighted the concluding sentence in the first paragraph of the lead by Erlandson and Lenfestey.
I read every piece and marvel at the journalistic excellence of our local paper.
We appreciate you, Hill & Lake Press.
Bonnie Nelson | Uptown
