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Thank You, “Jill?”
These lovely gladiolas were recently left on our front porch, along with an equally lovely note thanking me for my work on the Hill and Lake Press. It was signed by “Jill.”
Naturally, I wrote a thank-you to my friend and copy editor Jill Field, who appreciated the gesture — only they weren’t from her! And the Rolodex of my brain could call up no other Jills.
So, Jill, whoever you are, thank you. My inability to figure out your identity is no reflection of my gratitude for your kind words and glorious glads.
P.S. Many people donate their time, talent and treasure to make this paper happen. I share these flowers with them.
Susan Lenfestey
Lowry Hill
Closing Matriarch, Carrying the Vision Forward
I write today with both gratitude and heartbreak. After only two short months, we have made the difficult decision to close Matriarch, our plant-based restaurant at Lake and Irving.
Many of you know the challenges we’ve faced with our landlord. From the start, we struggled to secure a signed lease, obtain support for our liquor license and address basic building issues like a leaking roof. Without cooperation on these essentials, it became impossible to continue. It pains me to say that, after investing so much love and energy, we had no choice but to close our doors.
This is not the letter I ever wanted to write. I opened Matriarch with the help of my dear friend and co-owner, Crystal Brown, and former Fig + Farro staff who believed, as I did, in creating a space where community, compassion and good food could flourish. We dreamed of building a home for plant-based dining in Uptown. For a brief moment, thanks to you — our guests, supporters and neighbors — we did.
I want to thank every person who walked through our doors, who celebrated with us, and who shared in the belief that food can be a force for joy and change. While this chapter has closed too soon, it is not the end of the story. We are already working on new collaborations, plant-based pop-ups and ways to bring our vision back to life in spaces where it can thrive.
Uptown has always been a place of resilience and reinvention. I’m holding on to that spirit, and I hope you will too. Thank you for your support, your encouragement, and your love. You can follow our next adventures at www.bookofjane.co
Michelle Courtright
East Bde Maka Ska
No Appetite for a Hot Dog on the Park Board
Jason Garcia (they/them) is running for the Minneapolis Park Board in District 4, carrying the Minneapolis DFL endorsement from a convention that was so poorly run and riddled with irregularities that the state DFL intervened and punished the Minneapolis DFL — putting it on probation, suspending its budget and stripping its delegates of voting rights in statewide party business.
It took me a moment to place Garcia, but then it hit me: this is the same person who not long ago was parading around on the Wedge Live podcast as “Hot Dog Larry Jacobs.”
At the time, I’ll admit I laughed. Watching a grown, bearded adult squeeze into a hot dog suit to deliver political commentary was absurd enough to be entertaining. But now that the same person wants my vote, the punchline doesn’t land the same.
It’s a lot less funny when the costume comes off and the candidate expects to be taken seriously as a public servant — especially when his commentary is caustic and divisive, with a “defund the police” poster hanging on the wall behind him.
Wedge Live is in the business of ridiculing people. If Garcia’s plan was to build a brand by mocking politics and politicians, fine — wear the bun, slap on the mustard and call it performance art. But when that performance shifts into a campaign for elected office, the joke feels like it’s on the rest of us.
From what I gather, Garcia, an anti-car activist, was especially upset about the Park Board’s decision to keep the Uptown Mall open for emergency access and parking instead of turning it into a narrow sloped lawn with little utility. I thought the board got that one right. Elizabeth Shaffer represented District 4 well and will serve Ward 7 on the City Council even better. Replacing her with someone who treats politics like a condiment-covered ideological sideshow would be a downgrade.
It wasn’t long ago that this ideology meant allowing encampments in parks and refusing to let state troopers use Park Board restrooms. What’s next — removing cars from parkways and defunding the Park Police?
For me, it’s simple: I won’t be voting for the hot dog. I’ll be voting for Jeanette Colby.
Mark Sloo
East Isles
DFL Mailer Misleads Voters
I was surprised to receive in my mailbox a campaign mailer for Omar Fateh and other Minneapolis candidates falsely claiming the endorsement of the Minneapolis DFL. This is deeply troubling.
The Minneapolis DFL, already under state supervision for its wrongful endorsement of Fateh for mayor, should have known better. The organization distributed literature on behalf of Fateh and others, highlighting his endorsement for mayor — even though that endorsement had been stripped before the materials were delivered to tens of thousands of homes across the city.
This was a serious breach of trust. The Minneapolis DFL should be ashamed and must issue a public retraction. Candidate Fateh’s campaign, too, owes Minneapolis voters a formal apology for allowing this misleading material to circulate.
A candidate who benefits from a misbegotten endorsement and then permits the distribution of a mailer that blatantly misrepresents the facts raises serious concerns about character and integrity. A vote for Omar Fateh is, plainly, a vote for corruption.
Lee Munich
Former Minneapolis City Council Member Ward 7
Katie Cashman’s Budget Vote Dimmed Ward 7’s Lights
Remember how long we waited for the city to fix streetlights damaged by copper wire theft? Most of the damage was along the parkways — especially around the Chain of Lakes, right here in Ward 7.
In his budget, Mayor Jacob Frey designated $1 million to
replace the copper wiring with aluminum. Then, astonishingly, Ward 7 Council Member Katie Cashman voted for a budget amendment diverting half of
that money to purchase new pedestrian-level streetlights in Council Member Robin Wonsley’s Ward 2.
Unfortunately, the amendment passed with support from the council’s Democratic Socialists of America majority, with whom Cashman votes about 85 percent of the time:
“Amending the 2025 Mayor’s Recommended Budget in the General Fund (00100) to appropriate $500,000 one-time within the Public Works Department, Street Lighting (6850100) for increased pedestrian-level lighting in the Dinkytown and Marcy-Holmes neighborhoods pending eligibility as a Pedestrian Street Lighting Corridor.”
The amendment forced the city, during a time of painful belt-tightening, to raid its contingency funds to restore money desperately needed for streetlight repair citywide — especially in Ward 7.
How unfortunate that we were first victimized by thieves and then let down by our own council member. That’s why it was mind-bending to see Cashman on KSTP a few days ago, celebrating the repairs as if she had supported them all along.
This time, let’s elect a council member we can trust — Elizabeth Shaffer.
Mary Pattock
Cedar-Isles-Dean
Back in the Light Thanks to Katie Cashman
Streetlight repair in Minneapolis has been a long-standing challenge. Due in large part to the theft of copper electrical wiring, neighborhoods across the city have been left in the dark in recent years. This is a serious safety concern for residents and visitors who want to enjoy our streets and parkways after dark.
In 2024, the city’s Public Works team repaired 10 miles of street lighting. An impressive number, but not enough to keep pace with copper thefts and the resulting outages.
Enter Council Member Katie Cashman, who worked with the mayor’s office and Public Works to secure funding for 20 miles of repairs in 2025. Crews are now installing low-resale-value aluminum wiring and tamper-resistant screws around Lake of the Isles, with Cedar Lake and Bde Maka Ska next on the list.
This is a major win for Ward 7, which is why I was disappointed when Cashman’s electoral opponent suggested that funding pedestrian lighting repairs in Dinkytown and Marcy-Holmes somehow came at the expense of work around the lakes. Don’t those neighborhoods also deserve safe, well-lit streets?
This accomplishment required the leadership of Cashman, her council colleagues, the mayor, and Public Works to make both the budget and logistics work. With so many competing priorities in the city budget, Cashman stuck with this issue. Now that repairs are underway, she continues to receive weekly progress updates from Public Works, which she shares in her biweekly Ward 7 newsletters.
This is a real issue being resolved in large part thanks to the dedicated work of Council Member Katie Cashman — a problem-solver and leader who follows up and follows through for our community.
John Maternoski
Loring Park
A Vote for Cathy Abene Is a Vote for Clean Water and Strong Parks
Count me among the many people in Park District 6 — and throughout our park system — who are huge fans of Cathy Abene, our current Park Board president and District 6 commissioner. Cathy has worked tirelessly for our environment and for a strong and effective Park Board. She has protected and cleaned our waters, used Park Board resources responsibly, and managed staff and assets with fairness and steadiness.
As president, Cathy has shown that she can intelligently and respectfully handle complex challenges and build consensus, even in difficult times. She has prioritized clean water initiatives, supported shoreline restoration and tree canopy expansion, and strengthened partnerships with neighborhoods and community organizations.
She has also been a steady hand on the budget, ensuring resources are spent wisely and transparently to fulfill the Park Board’s mission.
Cathy’s professional expertise as a civil engineer, her commitment to environmental stewardship, and her proven ability to lead with integrity make her an outstanding public servant. She has earned our trust, and she has earned another term.
Please join me in supporting Cathy Abene for another four years as District 6 commissioner.
Constance Pepin
Linden Hills
Elizabeth Shaffer Listens Before Leading
We are supporting Elizabeth Shaffer for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 7 because she listens first and studies issues carefully before drawing conclusions.
Too often in today’s political climate, the mentality is to claim all the answers up front. But we live in a representative democracy, and in our experience, good governance comes from weighing many different sides before making decisions.
Elizabeth has shown she understands this, and she has proven her ability to do it well through her thoughtful work on the Minneapolis Park Board.
That is why she will have our vote.
Chuck Malkerson & Carolyn Hall
Loring Park
Katie Cashman Delivers on Public Safety
When George Floyd was killed more than four years ago, the elected leaders of Minneapolis pledged to fix the Police Department and the city’s public safety system at large.
In the years since, many of those leaders have quietly retreated from those promises, even as the system continues to fail people. People like Amir Locke, unjustly killed by police in Ward 7 in 2022.
Or Davis Moturi, who made call after call to 911 pleading for protection from a neighbor who later shot him while he trimmed a tree in his front yard last year.
Not to mention the many victims of property crime who never get a call back, or unhoused neighbors left to brave the elements because there are not enough affordable homes or shelter beds.
Leaders who have remained committed to reforming our public safety infrastructure have been true beacons. Ward 7’s City Council member, Katie Cashman, has been one of them.
Cashman understands that public safety requires more than simply voting to increase the police budget each year. She has led efforts to expand the city’s tools to prevent, respond to and solve crime, including violence prevention specialists, mental health crisis responders and civilian investigators.
She has also worked to address the conditions that contribute to unsafe neighborhoods by voting for more shelter beds, more affordable housing, faster and lasting streetlight repairs, and protections for vulnerable renters and workers.
This fall, I encourage you to cast your first-choice vote for Katie Cashman, an elected representative who still believes in walking the walk.
Douglas Pearson
Downtown West
Colby Offers the Skills and Vision Our Parks Need
I am supporting Jeanette Colby for Minneapolis Park Board District 4 because she has proven herself over several decades as a diligent, thoughtful and effective community leader. Colby has devoted countless hours as a volunteer, diving into the details, studying the facts and making reasoned arguments that consistently support our community’s goals.
She is an adult in the best sense of the word — steady, reliable and equipped with excellent executive skills. I have no doubt she will provide outstanding constituent service, much like Commissioner Elizabeth Shaffer has done so admirably. Colby understands that listening, problem-solving and clear communication are at the heart of public service.
Beyond that, Colby is the right candidate for many reasons. She brings deep experience in community service, a collaborative style that builds bridges and a genuine respect for our parks and neighborhoods. She knows how to balance big-picture vision with the practical work of governance, ensuring that decisions reflect both values and facts.
District 4 deserves a commissioner who combines dedication with competence, and Jeanette Colby is that person. I will proudly cast my vote for her.
Aileen Johnson
North Loop
Honoring the Life and Legacy of Fran Davis
We write to honor the memory of our neighbor and dear friend Fran Davis, who recently passed away and leaves behind a remarkable legacy in our community.
Fran was more than a successful real estate professional — she was a connector, a nurturer and a champion for those around her. To work with Fran was not simply to buy or sell a home; it was to be welcomed into the community, embraced with her characteristic warmth and generosity.
Her smile and positive attitude were ever-present, and her counsel was freely offered to anyone in need. She gave tirelessly of herself, serving on many boards, including the Guthrie Theater, Children’sTheatre, MinnPost, Women Winning, and the Lowry Hill Neighborhood Association. Her contributions went far beyond financial support — she offered her energy, her strategic insights, and her extensive circle of friends, rallying them to join her in supporting causes she held dear. They showed up not just because they loved the cause, but because they loved Fran.
Fran was also deeply engaged in politics, lending her time and talents to candidates at every level of government. And when it came to community, her legendary New Year’s Day gatherings were among the most coveted invitations in town.
Though she stood just five feet tall, Fran’s presence loomed larger than life. She will be profoundly missed by all who knew her, and by countless others whose lives were touched by her service, even if they never met her in person.
Her legacy lives on not only in the organizations she strengthened and the people she touched but also through her beloved sister, Barb, who will continue carrying forward the spirit of these two extraordinary sisters in action.
Minneapolis has lost one of its brightest lights. Fran Davis’s spark will continue to shine through the community she loved so deeply.
Lily, John, Dawn, and Mike Erlandson
East Isles
Happy 100th Birthday, Barbara!
Longtime East Isles resident Barbara Dow recently celebrated her 100th birthday. She lived in her historic home on Lake Place for 64 years, until her mid-90s. She grew up near Minnehaha Creek and 50th Street, graduating from Washburn High School and the University of Minnesota.
Dow taught elementary students in Minneapolis Public Schools for many years, beginning in 1963. At Waite Park Elementary, she led Minnesota’s first high-potential class, and the curriculum she created became the foundation for gifted and talented programs throughout the state. While still an undergraduate, she also taught an art history class at the University of Minnesota. Later, she taught for 28 years at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and worked at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum’s information desk for 22 years, retiring at age 85.
She has many stories from teaching gifted children. One favorite: when a book dealer donated volumes to her classroom, a 9-year-old volunteer asked, “Mrs. Dow, do you want these cataloged as Dewey Decimal or Library of Congress?”
A master gardener when there were only 30 in Hennepin County, Dow also served as an officer of the Minnesota Herb Society. She sewed her own clothes and cooked and baked everything from scratch. With her children, she camped, skied, canoed and enjoyed countless outdoor adventures.
She was an active athlete in her youth, ice skating and cross-country skiing and playing volleyball, tennis and badminton. As an adult, she favored long walks around the lakes and was a longtime daily swimmer at the Uptown YWCA.
Today, Dow continues to enjoy classical music, follow current events and read stacks of books from the Hennepin County Library.
Sandra Nelson
East Isles
A Quieter Cedar Lake Parkway Brings Newfound Peace
With the closure of Cedar Lake Parkway at Burnham Road, I recommend everyone take a stroll along the parkway. Earlier this summer, before the closure, crossing the street felt unsafe because of the high volume of vehicles, some speeding upward of 35 to 40 mph.
Now the atmosphere is transformed. The street is quieter, more tranquil, and feels safer. With less through-traffic, the experience is much more parklike. (Local vehicle access remains, so anyone who needs or wants to drive can still do so.)
At Point Beach, I hear the whistling wind through the trees instead of accelerating engines. I notice the high-pitched trill of a cedar waxwing instead of the thrum of motors. The difference in the park experience is remarkable.
I wasn’t living in Minneapolis during the COVID parkway closures, but my neighbor said this current state reminds him of that time. I admit I’m jealous of those who got to enjoy the parkways closed to cars. Today, Cedar Lake Parkway feels like a relaxing escape, not a loud, stressful roadway.
Benjamin Lester
Bryn Mawr
America’s Longest Dinner Table to Transform Nicollet Mall
Dinner du Nord, a new large-scale dining event, will take place Thursday, Sept. 11, on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis. The event will feature 2,000 diners, 40 restaurants and food trucks, and 280 tables, creating what organizers say will be America’s longest dinner table.
The event has two goals: to strengthen Nicollet Mall’s role as Minnesota’s premier destination for entertainment and to support Minneapolis restaurants and food trucks, many of which are still recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Dinner du Nord is everything that makes Minneapolis great — creative, welcoming and rooted in community,” Mayor Jacob Frey said. “We’re setting the longest dinner table in America right here on Nicollet Mall, not just to showcase our incredible restaurants and food trucks, but to bring people together in the heart of our city. This is about supporting our hospitality workers, celebrating our diverse food scene and proving once again that downtown Minneapolis is where bold ideas come to life.”
The concept was inspired by Savor the Summit in Park City, Utah, which features long tables set up along Main Street. Dinner du Nord departs from that model with menus and pricing designed to welcome diners at all budget levels. Restaurants will offer meals ranging from taco platters at $18 to fine dining experiences at $230, with taxes and gratuities included.
Organizers say the event builds on Minneapolis’ tradition of community gatherings such as National Night Out. Proceeds will benefit Help the House Foundation, which supports workers in the restaurant industry.
To participate, visit www.dinnerdunord.com, review the menus of the 40 participating restaurants and food trucks, purchase a ticket from the restaurant of your choice by Sept. 6, and arrive on Sept. 11 ready to dine.
Sponsors include the City of Minneapolis, the Minneapolis Foundation, Hospitality Minnesota, Meet Minneapolis Downtown Council, Southern Glazer’s, Intermix Beverage, the Star Tribune, Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, the Minneapolis Film Society, and herd impact.
Scott Mayer
Loring Park
