Our goal is to offer readers diverse perspectives on newsworthy events or issues of broad public concern to the Hill & Lake community.
Proposed Changes to the Mall Park
The park board has proposed making a number of changes to The Mall Park, which runs between Hennepin Avenue to the land between the lakes. The plan includes elimination of the north Mall street going west between Irving Avenue and Bde Maka Ska Parkway and replacing it with lawn.
I am concerned that the costs associated with eliminating this street exceed the benefits.
First, lost is an historic Mall design that Theodore Wirth designed himself in 1914 and included the removal of seven buildings to construct.
Second, 25 critically needed parking places will be lost to the nearby apartment houses which will drive parkers into the already crowded nearby neighborhoods.
Third, drivers going north from Lake Street will have to go through the East Isles neighborhood instead of going directly to the parkway, adding to congestion. And fourth, the street will no longer be used by the Art Fair to service vendors.
The benefits seem to be only the addition of a strip of lawn and a vague improvement of water drainage to the lakes. I think the park board should adopt the medical motto of “do no harm.”
Gary Farland | East Bde Maka Ska
After reading Andrea Corbin’s article, I was inspired to write supporting the Vibrant Lyndale organization and their petition.
Unfortunately, our city officials have not learned to listen and act honestly after its multi-million-dollar rebuilding of Bryant Avenue South with less parking for businesses and residents and two rarely used bike lanes.
Meanwhile businesses will be threatened along Hennepin Avenue and eventually along Lyndale Avenue all in the name of bicycles and scooters as the solution to fighting climate change and establishing Minneapolis’ reputation as the “Bicycle Capital of the U.S.A.”
From my viewpoint, the pendulum has swung too much in favor of the bicycle!
Richard Charlson | East Bde Maka Ska
Huge congratulations to candidate Katie Cashman on her win as Minneapolis City Council member representing Ward 7.
In Carol Becker’s article in the November issue, “Balkanization of the Left,” Cashman was alone in her condemnation of independent expenditure spending in our local elections, elucidating the problem of dark money seeking to influence local elections and exposing the misleading inaccuracy of these independent expenditure PACs having the ability to call anyone an “endorsed candidate.”
Writer Becker seems to have missed the point entirely and engaged in the inaccuracy.
Most importantly Council Member-elect Cashman has a plan to "change campaign finance law to build transparency around independent expenditure spending, and to create public financing methods to keep big money and dark money groups from influencing local elections.”
Scott Graham speaking out of both sides of his mouth and in self-stated alignment with these illegal endorsements is part of the problem, and the voters have rightly rejected it.
Now I urge the Hill & Lake Press to check itself on the fear it can induce and quit calling a plan to deal with dark money and create workable solutions to campaign finance spending law a “balkanization” because that fear appears to serve to blind us to both the problem and its solutions.
Mary Longfellow | Lowry Hill
Audubon Winter Bird Count Returns December 17!
On Sunday, Dec. 17, the Cedar Lake Park Association will participate in the Audubon Society’s 2023 Winter Bird Count, along with the Urban Bird Collective, the Loppet Foundation, and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.
For the second year, these organizations are working together to coordinate this count on behalf of this community and its amazing and diverse collection of birds!
This year’s count has been scheduled from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Afterwards, there will be an optional potluck and sightings sharing session from 1-2 p.m. at the Trailhead, 1221 Theodore Wirth Parkway.
To learn more about the Winter Bird Count and its history, you can visit: www.audubon.org. Please contact Mark Schmidt at boxert@comcast.net for more local information and to sign up to participate with the CLPA.
Mark Schmidt | Cedar-Isles-Dean
