Our goal is to offer readers diverse perspectives on newsworthy events or issues of broad public concern to the Hill & Lake community. Our copy limit is 300 words (750 words for a commentary or as space permits), and we reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. We do not publish submissions from anonymous sources; all contributor identities must be verified.
A Giant Pencil Finds a Bigger Stage
“A Short Documentary About A Giant Pencil,” a Minnesota-made film about the Lake of the Isles pencil, will be featured at this year’s Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF), running April 8 to 19.
The 22-minute film tells the story of a 20-foot No. 2 pencil carved from a storm-damaged tree and the annual community ritual of sharpening it each June. What began as a simple act of reuse has grown into a gathering many now see as a symbol of renewal and shared creativity in Minneapolis.
The film has already received national recognition, including Best Short Film at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, and it is an honor to have it included in MSPIFF, one of our region’s most important cultural events.
I hope neighbors, artists and anyone who appreciates the unexpected ways community can come together will consider attending and supporting the festival. For more information, please visit mspfilm.org.
The next public sharpening of the Lake of the Isles pencil will take place Saturday, June 6. All are welcome.
John Higgins
East Isles
The Missing Faces of Minneapolis
In the weeks since Operation Metro Surge came to Minneapolis, its impact has reached far beyond headlines and political debate. While the tragic deaths of two residents have drawn national attention, another loss often goes uncounted: the quiet disappearance of neighbors, coworkers, classmates and friends from daily life.
Across workplaces, restaurants, schools and job sites, familiar faces are not showing up. Not because they have all been detained, but because many are living in fear and choosing to stay out of sight.
These are people who have lived in our neighborhoods for years, paid taxes, raised families and contributed to our shared community. Some have legal status. Others are working toward it. Most are law-abiding in every meaningful sense. Yet fear has pushed many into isolation rather than risk detention.
The economic consequences are significant. City leaders estimate hundreds of millions of dollars in lost wages and revenue as workers stay home and customers stay away. Businesses struggle to operate. Schools face increased absenteeism. Families are forced to choose between earning a living and protecting one another.
At the same time, Minneapolis has responded with care. Volunteers and community groups have stepped forward with food, legal support and mutual aid. These efforts reflect the best of our city, but they also underscore what has been lost.
Neighbors who once shared daily routines now move cautiously, or not at all. The absence is visible in ways both subtle and profound.
As we move forward, we should remember the human impact behind the policy. Recovery will take time. Rebuilding will require more than economic stability. It will require restoring trust and reconnecting the people who make this city whole.
Mike Erlandson
East Isles
Support Rent Relief
I am grateful for your coverage of this extraordinary time in our city. I am writing specifically about the timely column from Molly Mogren Katt, who wrote, “Those of us with means, with privilege, must stay engaged.” Indeed.
We are now facing a problem: the urgent need for rent relief to prevent the eviction of thousands of families in Minneapolis. Financial support can help address this need. And many of us who read this mighty paper have way more money that we need to support our lives.
In recent weeks, I have been inviting support from people with significant discretionary wealth whom I have worked with over many years. They live across the United States and have seen and been inspired by the generosity and courage of everyday Minnesotans.
From one invitation to a group of individual funders, we raised $700,000 from outside Minnesota. These funds are being matched by the Wilson Foundation and distributed by local nonprofits and on-the-ground teams to people who have fallen behind on rent because of Operation Metro Surge.
We are in a moment when, through direct experience, we in Minneapolis have revealed to ourselves a new way to be in community. We have come to understand how interconnected we all are.
This is a perfect time to reaffirm that revelation through giving to rent relief at “Adopt-a-Rent” at “StandWithMinnesota.com.” Donations of $500 to $3,000 are matched directly with someone in need, with payment made through Zelle or Venmo. Another option is to give a tax deductible contribution to the YESOD fund at "yesodfund.org" that provides direct support to those navigating instability and harm, particularly those impacted by ICE.
Please feel free to contact me at marmoore56@gmail.com for more information or if you would like help determining where or how much to give. Thank you.
Marian Moore
Kenwood
Thank You, Hill & Lake Press
I just finished reading the March issue of the Hill & Lake Press and wanted to say how thankful I am that we have such a wonderful community resource. It’s clear how much dedication goes into keeping a strong local newspaper alive.
The issue was terrific from start to finish. I especially appreciated the commentary about the new city flag. The line describing the current version as something that “might hang in the lobby of a community and technical college circa 1956” made me laugh out loud.
Thank you to everyone involved in producing another thoughtful and engaging issue. Local journalism like this makes our community stronger.
Melissa Rappaport Schifman
Cedar-Isles-Dean
Uptown Needs a Council Member Who Shows Up
At a moment when Uptown urgently needed attention, Minneapolis Council Member Aisha Chughtai chose to be in Cuba (Star Tribune, March 27, 2026).
While residents, small business owners and community leaders gathered to confront the ongoing decline of Uptown, rising safety concerns, shuttered storefronts and a neighborhood struggling to regain its footing, their elected representative was absent. Not just unavailable, but out of the country.
That absence would be concerning on its own. But the destination matters.
Cuba is not simply a travel location. It is a living example of a political and economic system that has failed its people for decades. Chronic shortages, suppressed enterprise and a lack of basic freedoms are not abstractions. They are the predictable outcomes of a system that dismisses markets, undermines public safety and centralizes control.
Here in Minneapolis, we are seeing echoes of those same priorities. The policy direction championed by Council Member Chughtai, often aligned with activist groups such as the Democratic Socialists of America, has too often deprioritized public safety, discounted the struggles of small businesses and elevated ideology over results. These approaches have not revitalized Uptown. They have contributed to its stagnation.
It is not unreasonable for constituents to ask: Is this the model? Is this the vision? Because, sans the palm trees, the trajectory is difficult to ignore.
Uptown does not need political experiments rooted in theories that have repeatedly failed elsewhere. It needs leadership grounded in accountability, economic reality and a clear commitment to restoring safety and vibrancy.
Most of all, it needs a council member who shows up.
Dawn Erlandson
East Isles
A New Flame on Franklin
How thrilling to attend the absolutely mobbed March 7 opening of Lowry Hill Gallery in the once-vacant storefront next to Sebastian Joe’s on West Franklin.
The excitement for art reminded Susan and me of the teeming Art Crawl days down First Avenue 40 years ago, before that energy moved to Northeast.
This is Lowry Hill’s million-dollar corner, the entrance to the neighborhood, and gallery owner Andrea Bubula and manager Muriel Lang have created a vibrant jewel box filled with light and astonishing art, a true neighborhood attraction.
Now the vacant Burch Steak across the street looks much more appetizing. Lowry Hill Gallery has provided not just a spark, but a flame. Let’s see if something gets cooking there as well.
Jim Lenfestey
Lowry Hill
A Failure of Decency
I’m appalled by the myopic viewpoint taken by a recent contributor in last month’s Letters to the Editor titled “Shame on Walz,” about our neighbors who are being terrorized by ICE.
To believe the lies of the current administration — that ICE is only going after violent felons who are in the country illegally — requires turning away from the suffering of one’s neighbors.
Refusing to see the parallels between this moment in history and the occupation of Nazi Germany is exactly how history repeats itself. Historical distance allows us to feel righteous about the persecution of a targeted, marginalized group without having to risk standing up for what’s right in the present day.
Sir, where is your decency? Your soul?
I urge more critical thought and, perhaps most importantly, deeper compassion for our neighbors — including children and babies — whose lives are being torn apart simply because of where they were born, the color of their skin or the language they speak.
We all like to think we would be the person who did what’s right. But are you?
Hal Sansone
Lowry Hill
Good Intentions, Bad Eviction Policy
This past week, the Minneapolis City Council passed an ordinance extending the notice period for evictions within the city. The council’s efforts are well-intended but flawed. By way of background, I previously managed affordable housing properties for a nonprofit organization and now manage market-rate properties for myself and others.
The proposed 60-day notice period was not supported by any of the major nonprofit affordable housing providers operating in the Twin Cities. Longer notice periods primarily allow residents to go deeper into debt by the time they reach court. Many will ultimately be evicted for failing to pay a settlement agreement tied to a debt they cannot afford. Others may move out before the eviction hearing but leave behind a large unpaid balance that bars them from securing future housing.
It can already take months to obtain a hearing for an eviction case, on top of the city’s required 30-day notice of intent to evict. As a result, many major landlords now issue 30-day notices immediately for any late payment. I have personally been directed to issue them for as little as $1. You would be surprised how many residents in otherwise good standing I have had to reassure after receiving what appears to be an eviction notice over a single late payment.
A better use of the city and county’s energy would be to provide proactive rent assistance for residents who are struggling. As written, this measure risks creating a trap for well-intentioned residents who fall behind, while also opening loopholes for those who may seek to exploit the system. At the same time, it increases the time and cost burdens placed on housing providers, costs that will ultimately be reflected in higher housing prices across our city.
Thomas Regnier
Lowry Hill
