Cedar-Riverside artists and local community groups are feeling hopeful for Minneapolis’ art and culture growth as the city approved new grants to fund creatives.

For the first time, the Arts and Cultural Affairs Department announced its recipients for Cultural District Arts Funds. The funds went toward artists and local community organizations to fund current efforts within the community.

In a recent newsletter, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the grant is an investment into the heart, histories and stories of Minneapolis.

“Through this initiative, we’re not just funding art, we’re empowering creativity, amplifying local voices, diversifying neighborhoods, and beautifying our city,” Frey said in the newsletter.

Director of the Arts and Cultural Affairs Department Ben Johnson said the city has not always supported art development and it was usually local philanthropists funding art projects. However, the reliance on art funding philanthropy in Minneapolis has come to an end, Johnson said.

“The arts can be the glue that holds communities together,” Johnson said. “By investing in a broad spectrum of arts grants, (which) helps us develop and have the community develop their own narratives about what’s important to them.”

Johnson said the art districts, such as Cedar-Riverside, were originally created as political districts that were most impacted by the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Johnson said these districts represent some of the most diverse areas in the city.

Johnson said there are three tiers to the art and culture grant program to ensure the funds have the most impact in these art districts. The cultural ambassador tier awards $15,000 to organizations that bring communities together by discussing culture and art within the larger community.

The city gave the cultural ambassador award in Cedar-Riverside to the West Bank Business Association. West Bank Business Association Executive Director KJ Starr said the association helps artists with grant writing, getting studio space and more.

“We have a really pretty good stable of artists that we work with, whatever title assistance, whether it’s taxes or grant writing,” Starr said. “Or finding studio space, all those things are kinds of things we do as sort of business title assistance providers as well.”

Another tier is the pop-up art and culture program which is awarded to those who work to bring new creativity through art into the community, Johnson said. The Leslie Parker Dance Project was one of the groups awarded with this tier’s funds of $5,000.

Leslie Parker, founder of the Leslie Parker Dance Project, said she is grateful for the grant awards because it shows the city is making efforts to better support the arts. Parker said she feels that there is a growing conversation about the value of arts and culture in Minneapolis.

Parker said her aim with the Dance Project is to gather independent artists to collaborate and create art with different methods of dance and influences of culture. Parker said it is necessary to be culturally competent when participating in efforts like this because there has to be a space for everyone and every culture.

“I like that kind of a mix and exchange of different people’s different cultures versus co-opting that culture,” Parker said.

Importance of local art 

Samira Ali, a member of the West Bank Business Association, said supporting art and culture boosts the local economy by drawing people and businesses toward the community.

“When you see and feel a sense of belonging and you can point to work so you kind of contributed to and just the overall look and vibe of the neighborhood,” Ali said. “That will also in turn drive in more opportunities and investment into the neighborhood.”

Parker said it is important to cultivate and support art and culture in urban communities because of the various cultures and histories mixing together.

“I believe that in the heart-to-heart dialogues, there’s a lot of creativity that can happen there,” Parker said. “I believe that that is a rippling effect like a pebble in a pond that ripples out to the masses and so if we can have an impact on one another in a way that we understand how to support each other more holistically.”

Starr said the city promoting or creating these art projects and cultural events can bring a sense of belonging, representation and peace to the residents of these communities.

“Pieces of public art are things that bring people to the neighborhood and kind of cultivate a sense of pride and a sense of peace,” Starr said. 

Starr said she learned how high the demand for the city’s financial support is for art projects while applying for the grant and helping others apply.

Johnson said his goal for the office is to make the city a hotspot for artists and creatives to grow.

“The great thing about starting something brand new is that you get to actually decide how things change tomorrow. So we get to this creatively,” Johnson said. “We didn’t inherit any sort of, ‘Well, this is how we’ve always done it,’ attitudes.”

Some Minneapolis City Council members are pushing to shut down one of the largest trash incinerators in Hennepin County over concerns about air pollution.

The Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) incinerates all trash collected in Minneapolis and surrounding suburban areas in Hennepin County to generate electricity. The HERC produces electricity for nearly 25,000 homes in the county, according to Hennepin County.

There will be a public hearing on Thursday for any comments from the community about the directive. The City Council will vote for the legislative directive on Oct. 17.

The City Council members in favor of the closure legislative directive aim to permanently shut down the HERC’s incinerator by 2027 and close the facility by 2033. Minneapolis City Council President Elliott Payne (Ward 1) said the directive is meant to be the catalyst for the HERC closure and further movement to a zero-waste future.

According to Payne, shutting down the HERC will help add pressure to make the change to a zero-waste future.

Opened in 1989, the HERC ranks 31st in Minnesota’s largest polluters of greenhouse gas emissions, according to 2022 data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The HERC  emits large amounts of gasses which can exacerbate respiratory conditions.

The HERC emitted nearly 170,000 metric tons of gasses such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and biogenic carbon dioxide in 2022, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The legislative directive focuses on the HERC’s disproportionate health impacts on Black and Indigenous residents located in north Minneapolis. Around 230,000 people live within three miles of the HERC and experience an increased likelihood of asthma, cancer, and heart and lung disease, according to the directive.

Payne said shutting down the HERC is important because of its impact on people of color and low-income communities in and around north Minneapolis. Payne said he would like the city to recognize the past harm done to these communities and repair them.

“Institutionally, it’s the people who have the least amount of power who ultimately end up having to pay the highest price to some of these types of practices,” Payne said.

The directive aligns with the City’s 22-step 2040 plan to reduce and properly dispose of waste to lower climate pollution and carbon emissions outlined in their Climate Equity Plan. The directive also highlighted the 2020 Clean Energy Bill removal of the HERC as a renewable energy source.

Council Member Robin Wonsley (Ward 2), a co-author of the directive, said in a statement to the Minnesota Daily that reducing waste and closing the HERC is necessary to meet the city’s commitments around climate equity.

“I’m proud to co-author the HERC Closure Resolution because there is a strong movement of diverse working-class residents across the city who have made it clear that this is an environmental justice priority,” Wonsley said in the statement.

Payne said this directive helps continue the shared accountability and partnership between the city and the county when it comes to solutions to waste management. Payne added that although the city can not force the HERC to close, it demonstrates some city leadership and commitment toward managing sources of waste.

“This has got to be a partnership,” Payne said. “The city has to play its role as well as a generator of that waste.”

While the directive is not legally binding, the directive aligns with Hennepin County’s environmental goals.

Hennepin County passed a resolution in February 2024 with zero-waste recommendations that will help slowly close the HERC. Many recommendations require legislation like requiring producers to expand recycling methods and securing funding for zero-waste initiatives.

Hennepin County spokesperson Carolyn Marinan said in a statement to the Minnesota Daily that the HERC is operated to minimize pollution and ensure that air is emitted under permit-set limits. Marinan said the county is accelerating the HERC’s closure by advancing zero-waste actions.

“We welcome working more closely with the City of Minneapolis and a coalition of additional cities, businesses, residents, and lawmakers prioritizing the needed policy, programmatic and infrastructure changes to realize a zero-waste future,” Marinan said in the statement. 

Hennepin County’s resolutions include the complete closure of the HERC and transition into a zero-waste model to stretch between 2028 to 2040, according to the county’s 2024 legislative priorities. 

Health impacts of the HERC

Peter Raynor, a professor at the School of Public Health, said it is difficult to know the exact health consequences of the HERC on the surrounding community because there are always various air pollutants from many sources. Raynor said vehicle exhaust and other industrial sites also harm the air. 

“Their concerns with the HERC are valid,” Raynor said. “There’s many other sources too that we should be concerned about.”

Raynor said the pollution from the HERC and other sources does not necessarily create negative health effects but exacerbates pre-existing ones. 

“The concentrations we see are unlikely to, by themselves, cause asthma or cause cancer, but it could worsen other conditions, like if people have underlying cardiovascular disease, heart disease or other respiratory problems,” Raynor said. 

Pollution can also impact people differently based on age and ethnicity, Raynor said. 

Raynor said because of the large amount of trash the HERC burns, separating certain waste from being burned in hopes less toxins emitted would likely not noticeably affect air quality. The only dramatic change to lower air pollution would be burning less trash, Raynor said. 

Payne said it’s important to highlight the negative health impacts on north Minneapolis when discussing why the HERC should be permanently closed. 

“It’s just a demonstration of why it’s so important for us to do this,” Payne said. “It’s just a morally correct thing to do.”

A recent Minnesota Department of Health study into telehealth showed widespread benefits for patients and providers, prompting changes to telehealth in Minnesota. 

The Minnesota State Legislature requested this recent telehealth study from the Minnesota Department of Health to research the overall impact of the 2021 Telehealth Act across the state.

Telehealth is a technology service that offers immediate healthcare to patients without going to the doctor’s office. Telehealth is usually offered through video chats like Zoom. 

The study found that telehealth expands access to care easier and faster without increasing healthcare costs. Additionally, the study found that most Minnesotans are satisfied with telehealth care and telehealth only fell short when technical issues occurred. 

Besides the benefits, the Minnesota Department of Health study recommended ensuring telehealth is more equitable in the future, especially for those lacking digital literacy and access to technology.  

The research

The studies looked into the impacts of telehealth on patients and healthcare providers.

Tyler Winkelman, former inaugural president of the Minnesota Electronic Health Record Consortium, said for the telehealth study, the Consortium gathered data from 11 health systems throughout the state to gain a diverse overview of who is using telehealth and why. 

“This is a way to generate findings that are useful for policy while sort of keeping all of the health information private with each of the health systems,” Winkelman said. 

Paul Drawz, a former president of the Minnesota Electronic Health Record Consortium, said they receive data from healthcare centers by sending codes requesting data, ensuring that patients’ privacy is maintained. Drawz added that the data comes back in counts, such as how many people used telehealth in a specific city. 

“We can write one set of code, extend it out to the sites, and they send us back results,” Drawz said. “We never send us information on an individual. We only get results.”

Some of the 11 healthcare systems within the telehealth study include Fairview Health Services and Allina Health. 

Winkelman said the Consortium’s data collection and consolidation started during the COVID-19 pandemic and has gained more funding to increase system efficiency since. Instead of taking up to 12 months to collect information, Winkelman said it now takes around a couple of months for the Consortium’s data gathering. 

“It’s still a lot of people, power and time,” Winkelman said. “But it’s much faster than when we first started because of some of these infrastructure investments by the state health department.”

Stephanie Devitt, founder of consulting company SDK Communications, said SDK has a few different roles in the project like interviewing patients and providers or helping the Minnesota Department of Health organize the report. Devitt said they interviewed 92 patients for about 30 to 40 minutes each about their experiences with telehealth. 

Devitt said SDK aimed to understand how large healthcare systems integrated telehealth post-pandemic versus how community-based providers used telehealth to serve smaller communities impacted by health inequalities. 

“Those types of things are what we were trying to understand from providers,” Devitt said. “When do you encourage telehealth? When do you allow it? When do you not encourage it? On the patient side, we just wanted to understand their preferences and the impacts of telehealth and health equity.”

Devitt said SDK found that telehealth helped some patients overcome transportation barriers, stress with going to the doctor in person and avoiding stigma in some communities about being seen at certain clinics.

“We talked to a Federally Qualified Health Center who serves a population where there’s a lot of stigma around mental health and people they knew needed help were refusing,” Devitt said. “So it became available by telehealth and they didn’t have to be seen walking in the clinic.”

Devitt added SDK found telehealth helped some people find care providers that matched their racial identity, which can help create a more comforting environment. Additionally, Devitt said many people taking care of elderly loved ones appreciate telehealth because it allows them to join appointments virtually. 

Winkelman said it is important to recognize that healthcare systems like Fairview and others do not typically interact with public health departments to improve patient care on such a large scale. 

“This is a good example of healthcare systems and public health collaborating to, ultimately, hopefully lead to better policies for patients,” Winkelman said. 

Devitt said SDK worked with a variety of clients throughout this study to understand how the differences in access to digital devices influence people’s ability to connect with resources, including telehealth. Ensuring people have access to digital healthcare goes deeper than broadband, it means having the financial ability to have digital healthcare access. 

“We’ve learned a lot through our work about how important telehealth is to helping people get access to care that they otherwise wouldn’t get,” Devitt said. 

The impact of telehealth

Associate Director of Mental Health at Boynton Health Cecilia Bloomquist said when she started her career in the psychotherapy field in 2012, telehealth was not widespread until COVID-19. 

“The accessibility is incredible,” Bloomquist said. “Because you can expand so many options there. It’s been quite amazing to see this shift.”

Drawz said he noticed an increase in telehealth use from 2015 to 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the trend. Drawz said it was not until then that many healthcare providers saw telehealth as a valid way to provide quick and widespread care.

Bloomquist said Boynton offers telehealth and in-person care for students. Boynton’s primary care team treats a variety of conditions via telehealth alongside mental health therapy and counseling options, group therapy, affinity groups, and psychiatry services, Bloomquist added. 

“We actually think about this more case by case,” Bloomquist said. “Providers are making recommendations according to what the person is dealing with and what they have available.”

Drawz said the report shows that telehealth care provides the same quality care as an in-person visit for most individuals. Telehealth can be an accessible option for people who can not physically go to the doctor’s office. 

“Some people just can’t get out of their home,” Drawz said. “We do have to pay attention to digital literacy. Not all communities have access to broadband. And so it’s important to keep those things in mind as we advocate for telehealth.”

Bloomquist said she believes telehealth is a highly accessible option for students and providers alike because of its flexibility for busy schedules. 

“People really appreciate the opportunity to work in this hybrid model,” Bloomquist said. “It does help providers.”

Devitt said the question for the state legislature is whether telehealth expansion provisions remain and where changes need to be made post-pandemic. Devitt added it is important to be cognizant of how the different types of healthcare insurance — Medicare, Medicaid or commercial insurance — will be also influenced by the federal government’s decisions on telehealth, not just the state’s. 

“One of the things that’s going to matter a lot is whether or not telehealth is reimbursable in the metro area after the start of the year at the federal level,” Devitt said. “That’s something in addition going on that just will influence how providers make their choices.”

People experiencing sensory overload will soon have a space to help them de-stress in the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport’s planned sensory-friendly spaces. 

The Metropolitan Airports Commission recently announced plans to add sensory-friendly rooms with the help of non-profit Fraser to design the spaces. The rooms will be built as expansion areas to terminals one and two by 2028. 

St. Cloud State University Psychology professor Michele Traub said there is a whole range of sensory processing disorders and conditions that lead to either over-stimulation or under-stimulation, which means people receive sensory input and process it differently. 

Traub said people with autism or other sensory processing difficulties are sometimes more sensitive to stimuli — sounds, lights and textures — and can not easily tune these feelings out. 

“Everything just sounds a little bit louder or looks a little bit brighter,” Traub said. “But also they might struggle with tuning out some of the extraneous stimuli and focusing on what they’re supposed to be doing.”

Traub said having a space where some of those stimuli are filtered out can help some people properly regulate their feelings when an environment is too loud and busy. 

“I know I get overstimulated at the airport,” Traub said. “I think we’ve all experienced a level of anxiety when traveling and it’s unfamiliar. It’s nerve-wracking.”

Occupational therapist at Fraser Gina Brady said future spaces in the airport will be geared toward both adults and children to make the space available for everyone. Brady said it is important that the space is customizable because people have different sensory preferences and needs. 

“The spaces themselves are really intended to be used for all ages,” Brady said. “The design is in line with that philosophy.”

Fraser already partners with the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport’s Navigating MSP Program, which helps people with special needs during travel. The program allows people to do free practice runs of TSA security measures and explore the terminals without others around by signing up online. 

Brady said customizable features in the rooms could include changing the light color and brightness or adjusting how much outside noise is heard within the space. Brady said the idea is to encourage people to use these spaces to feel more comfortable and supported in intense, stressful situations like the airport, Brady added. 

“If traveling is something that is anxiety-inducing for you, now there’s a space that you can go to be able to feel calmer, hit the reset button in order to continue on with your travel,” Brady said. 

Fraser named Central Roofing, an architectural company, as a partner for the project. Central Roofing spokesperson Jessica Tesdall said the two organizations have worked together in previous years to provide sensory-friendly spaces at the Minnesota State Fair. 

“We view ourselves as just a community advocate and supporter of the work Fraser does,” Tesdall said.

Central Roofing has committed around $140,000 to the project over the next five years and will adapt to whatever comes next, according to Tesdall. 

Brady said Fraser is able to do this partnership with the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport because of Central Roofing’s partnership and funding help. Brady added it takes partners like Central Roofing to make these sensory spaces a reality. 

“We’re just really fortunate for them and that their beliefs and their values align with ours,” Brady said. “Then we’re able to keep spreading inclusivity around the state of Minnesota.”

Local businesses along Fourth Street are struggling with construction throughout Dinkytown, bringing increased financial and safety concerns. 

The construction, part of the Dinkytown Pedestrian Improvement Project, aims to repave streets, add protected bike lanes, improve traffic signals, increase access to transit stops and upgrade intersections to adhere to Americans with Disability Act requirements, according to Hennepin County. Similar construction will begin on University Avenue in 2025. 

Until mid-October, Fourth Street will have no on-street parking and only one driving lane between Oak Street and Interstate 35W, according to Hennepin County. Access to local businesses and apartments will be maintained via detours around the work areas. 

Owner of Dinkytown McDonalds Melissa Smith-Kennedy said new roads and better pedestrian walkways will be nice, but the current construction is inconvenient for everyone. 

“Infrastructure is important to keep the roads nice and I think we all benefit from an overall quality of life in Minnesota that we’re used to,” Smith-Kennedy said. “But construction always is a pain in the butt.”

The Book House in Dinkytown manager Matt Hawbaker said he is concerned the road improvements will not be done as expected by mid-October. 

Though the construction is not ideal, Hawbaker said he hopes the changes will improve bike lane safety. He added he expects more demand for legitimate, metered parking spots if Dinkytown bike lanes become protected. 

“I’ve, for a long time, thought someone could get seriously hurt from being forced into traffic by a parked car in the bike lane,” Hawbaker said. “I don’t think that’s happened, luckily. I used to bike full-time for transportation, so I totally get the use of it.”

Hawbaker said he has seen an increase in wrong-way driving and double parking throughout Fourth Street since construction began. Hawbaker added he usually sees confused drivers at this time of year when many are driving in the city for the first time.

Smith-Kennedy said it is concerning to see the lack of safety in Dinkytown before and during construction, especially for drivers trying to navigate blind corners with a constant flow of pedestrians. 

Tony Nicklow, owner of Tony’s Diner, said his restaurant has not suffered much from the construction because of consistent walk-in and game day customers. 

Nicklow said the construction has forced him to shut down a significant portion of outdoor seating while still having to pay the city a $500 license. He said he wishes the city had given business owners a notice about limited sidewalk space. 

“I don’t know why I had to do that when my whole sidewalk is cut up,” Nicklow said. “Who’s going to sit outside now?”

Nicklow said he wishes the city would do a better job supporting business owners during construction as they did during COVID-19 by waiving license fees or giving a notice about construction that could impact storefronts. 

“This is a huge, huge job,” Nicklow said. “This is a long time. This is affecting families and businesses. They could have helped out a little bit or, you know, just for example, a small waive with the outdoor license.”

Construction halting delivery trucks and drive-by shopping

Nicklow said his delivery trucks have had to go back in order to move those shipments to a small van multiple times to navigate the Fourth Street construction more efficiently. 

Business has been slower than usual for Nicklow, except for game day weekends. He added he is thankful most of his customers are walk-ins, but he has not seen his usual drive-in customers for months. 

Like Nicklow, Smith-Kennedy said Dinkytown’s increased congestion has brought on problems receiving food and supply shipments to her business. Smith-Kennedy added she would rather have one-lane traffic than completely closed roads. 

“It’s that Dinkytown being such a condensed area that’s already got some logistical challenges,” Smith-Kennedy said. “Every day it’s something different.”

Hawbaker said The Book House’s sales are down about 15% more than usual at this time of year. Though The Book House does get plenty of walk-in customers, Hawbaker said the lack of store-front parking is discouraging their usual drive-in customers from coming by. 

“We’ve really had to do a lot of extra coordination, helping people get stuff in,” Hawbaker said. “We’ve been able to maintain that to a certain extent, but it’s definitely affected us.”

Smith-Kennedy said she is unsure if construction is deterring people from shopping but knows that, regardless, she is in it for the long run. 

“I’m in a for the long haul, so this one year we have construction,” Smith-Kennedy said. “It stinks, but we’ll be back next year. And we’ll be back next year after that.”

With more than a dozen reports of rabies in bats since Oct. 2023, health experts from the Minnesota Board of Animal Health are advising people to be more cautious around wild animals. 

Rabies is a central nervous system disease caused by a virus usually transmitted from wild animals to domesticated pets and humans. The virus is typically transmitted via the saliva of an infected animal biting another animal or human, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. 

Rabies is rare for humans in the U.S., with less than 10 deaths reported each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, the disease is still present in wildlife, three in four Americans live near rabies carriers such as skunks, bats and foxes. 

Senior Epidemiologist at the Minnesota Department of Health and State Rabies Surveillance Coordinator Carrie Klumb said the number of rabies cases in bats this year is not unusual compared to previous years. Klumb added there is a slight increase in cases in the Hennepin County area but it is nothing to be concerned about. 

“We look at the number of rabid bats just in the City of Minneapolis,” Klumb said. “That’s pretty much right in line with what we see year to year in general of bats in our state.” 

Melinda Wilkins, a University veterinary professor with expertise in infectious diseases in wildlife, said bats and skunks are the main carriers of rabies in Minnesota. She said bat pups grow into their teenage years and find their way into homes and buildings, especially in the fall. 

Of the 13 reported cases in Minnesota over the last year, bats were the most common source. The most recent case came from Minnesota on Sept. 8.

Klumb said between June and mid-September is the busiest time of year for rabies-related calls which averages about 40 calls per day. Klumb said some of those calls are due to more people being outside and around animals, especially bats due to their pups leaving the nest. 

Wilkins said if a bat gets into a home, call the local health department to learn the best way to capture it. Wilkins said it is necessary to keep the bat alive to test if it has rabies and if vaccinations are needed. 

Klumb said if a bat hits someone’s skin, that is a potential exposure. Rabies can enter the body through the eyes, ears and mouth as well as bites and saliva. Klumb said if a domestic animal or livestock bites a human, the Minnesota Department of Health will conduct a 10-day observation period to see if the animal is exhibiting signs of rabies and if tests and vaccinations are in order. 

Wilkins said around 1% of bats carry rabies, but if a bat is acting weird and unafraid of humans it could be rabid. Keeping up with pet vaccinations and avoiding wild animals are the main steps to prevention. 

Signs of rabies differ depending on the animal infected and the kind of rabies strain carried by the wild animal, according to Wilkins. In dogs, common signs of rabies are odd barking, overreactions to touches, and being uncharacteristically aggressive or fearful. 

“Eventually they might have difficulty swallowing, loss of balance, stumbling around,” Wilkins said. “Then they get paralyzed and they might fall down and have seizures. Eventually, it just sort of takes over their brain.”

Wilkins said cats usually have similar symptoms as dogs, however, they tend to better hide their symptoms. Wilkins added that all cases of rabies left untreated are fatal in animals and humans. 

Klumb said when someone contacts the Minnesota Department of Health’s rabies department with concerns about rabies exposure, a risk assessment will follow. She added that the rabies virus has to travel from the muscles to the nerves all the way to the brain for symptoms to show. 

“We don’t ever want people to get symptoms because then it’s too late,” Klumb said. “If you’ve had an exposure, we want you to call us or your healthcare provider right away.”

Immediately washing the infected area with soap and water is recommended by the Minnesota Department of Health, followed by a doctor’s visit and a call to the Minnesota Department of Health. 

Klumb added even if someone had a potential rabies exposure days or weeks ago, they should still call their care provider. Klumb said there is a common misconception that the exposure has to be reported within 24 or 48 hours, which is untrue. 

Wilkins said rabies signs in humans are similar to symptoms in dogs and cats but would be described with different terms such as anxiety, confusion, agitation, delirium and sometimes hallucinations. Wilkins added sometimes a fear of water can occur when infected by rabies. 

“We can describe what’s going on in our brain,” Wilkins said. “So, (with) animals, we just have to try to interpret based on their behavior.”

If a pet is suspected of being exposed to rabies, owners should call the Minnesota Board of Animal Health. If a person believes they have been exposed, they should call the Minnesota Department of Health and they will help figure out what next steps to take. 

“If you’re concerned or if you’ve even potentially had exposure, call the health department,” Wilkins said.

Correction: A previous version of this article said to call the death department if someone is concerned or had exposure to rabies. It is the health department. 

The Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board is hosting discussions with local Indigenous communities about renaming Sibley Field Park. 

The Board began renaming efforts for Sibley Field Park in 2021, five years after middle school students voiced their concerns about the origin of the park’s name, according to a statement from the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board Project Manager Siciid Ali. Since then, survey results and community engagement sessions have shown support for an Indigenous name change. 

Sibley Park is the namesake of General Henry Hastings Sibley, who played a prominent role in the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, which resulted in the displacement of many Dakota people, according to the Dakota County Historical Society.

Former Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton formally apologized in 2012, nearly 150 years after the war, for the harm caused to the Dakota people. Dayton declared Aug. 17 a Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation, according to the University’s Holocaust and Genocide Studies.

Gov. Tim Walz also apologized for the war at the Dakota 38+2 Memorial Ride and Run event in Dec. 2020 alongside Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. 

“While we can’t undo over 150 years of trauma inflicted on Native people at the hands of the state government, we can work to do everything possible to ensure that Native people are seen, heard, and valued today,” Flanagan said in a press release. 

Executive Director of the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council Shannon Geshick said renaming parks and public places to native languages is about more than just a name change.

“In contemporary times, people feel like there’s a push to rename, but I want to put it in the context of people that have been here for thousands of years,” Geshick said. “For us, it’s not a renaming, it is a reclaiming. It’s a reformation rather than a rename.”

The Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board and Native American Parks Council will have a discussion on Oct. 1 with Dakota representatives about renaming the park and updating the Board’s naming policies. 

Minnesota’s history cannot be discussed without highlighting that Minnesota is on the historical territory of the Dakota people, Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board Indigenous Parks Liaison Carrie Day-Aspinwall said in a statement. 

“We can no longer maintain the colonial racism of our forefathers and wish to share knowledge and stewardship with our Indigenous neighbors,” Day-Aspinwall said in the statement. 

Geshick said that for many colonial leaders, the goal was to remove the history and connection Native Americans had with the land. Geshick added reclaiming their history by changing the names of local spaces is a reminder that Native people were and still are here. 

“The goal of the government was to take our life,” Geshick said. “It’s easiest to do so if we’re not here.”

Day-Aspinwall said prior to colonization, Indigenous people named places and things after nature, animals and other characteristics, rather than people. Day-Aspinwall added it is necessary to respect the traditional naming conventions and variations between tribes when using Indigenous words for park names. 

“We should never try to just erase history, or we won’t learn from it,” Day-Aspinwall said in the statement. “We can put it in its proper place, which is not where it can cause pain to those who feel it is offensive.”

Geshick added that though these name changes and reclamations may be difficult to understand, it is important to see how hurtful keeping some of these historical names can be. 

“I don’t think that everything needs to be reclaimed necessarily but when it’s something like Sibley who (did) so much harm against Indigenous people, especially the Dakota people, the exaltation of these genocide promoters is just it’s hurtful,” Geshick said. 

Geshick said she appreciates an increasing desire to understand the complex local Indigenous history.

“There is more than one side to the story and other sides are worthy of being heard too,” Geshick said.

The official state butterfly since 2000, monarch butterflies are facing a major ecological threat, according to experts.

Local, Western populations of monarchs have declined by around 30% compared to last year, according to a study by the Xerces Society. The Eastern populations have declined this past winter by around 59% compared to 2023, according to a different Xerces Society study. 

Whether it is attending the Monarch Festival in Minneapolis on Sept. 7 or learning about the butterfly in second grade, it is hard not to notice their decreased numbers over the years. 

University of Minnesota Entomologist professor Vera Krischik said various factors contribute to monarch butterflies’ decline, such as habitat destruction, pesticide use, insecticides and road salt. Krischik said even when people retrofit landscapes with native plants, habitat fragmentation still occurs and ultimately harms the species. 

“For many, many reasons, the environment is not compatible with an insect’s life history,” Krischik said. 

With humans occupying so much of the landscape with highways and skyscrapers, Krishik said that even acres of land planted with native crops are still not enough for migrating butterflies. 

“You basically have a food desert and no habitat,” Krischik said. “So it’s inevitable that there’s going to be decline.”

Education Manager Katie-Lyn Puffer at Monarch Joint Venture said they work with communities, state agencies, and local and national organizations to raise awareness and advocate for monarchs. They work to plant more butterfly-friendly plants in the state and educate those who want to get involved. 

“We know what they need, but they can’t tell us something’s wrong and they can’t advocate for themselves,” Puffer said. “That’s where we come in.”

MaryLynn Pulscher with the Minneapolis Monarch Festival said in an email statement that the festival celebrates monarchs with hands-on exhibits, art and more to inspire people to take action to help the species. 

“Monarchs are a highly visible, charismatic species that many people can easily identify,” Pulscher said in the statement. “This makes monarchs a ‘gateway’ butterfly – sparking joy, curiosity and encouraging exploration of the greater natural world.”

Pulscher said the Monarch Festival co-produced with Monarch Joint Venture and Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board with aid from the U.S. Forest Service International Program to spread awareness and advocate for monarchs in Minnesota. 

Krischik said when people buy plants meant for butterflies, like milkweeds and some flowering plants, they do not realize humans have genetically altered those plants for human use rather than for monarch butterflies. Much of the necessary chemicals, nectar and pollen for butterflies have been bred out of them, Krischik added. 

“The plants that grow in gardens, the plants that provide us our food, and then (are) manipulated to maximize what we want out of them, not what insects want out of them,” Krischik said. “Now you have a huge reduction in what plants and insects can use.”

Why care for monarchs and what can be done 

Planting swamp milkweed, common milkweed and other flowering plants can be an easy start for many at-home gardeners, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. However, the types of plants monarchs need are usually only found at specialized native plant nurseries. 

Puffer said she believes many people are concerned about monarch butterflies because they truly love the species and usually have a story or memory about the insect. Puffer said when people start to realize they are not seeing monarchs as often, they feel compelled to do something for them. 

“Whether it’s they remember seeing them in their backyard when they were a kid, or they were raising them in their classroom as a second grader,” Puffer said. “Everybody has a monarch story.”

Krischik said people have a natural affinity for the orange and black butterfly because it is a way of knowing if the environment is safe and healthy. She added people have to accept that the monarch crisis is a real issue and that our current habits are not sustainable for them. 

“How much are we willing to modify our lifestyles?” Krischik said.

Puffer said many problems facing monarch butterflies also impact humans, like poor air quality or lack of green spaces. Puffer added although the local environment has other problems, the monarchs’ decline is telling of larger environmental issues. 

“Those of us who are working in pollinator conservation know that monarchs are declining. We see the data,” Puffer said. “If people are noticing that when they’re not in (conservation) every day, what else are we missing?”

Puffer said there is still hope for monarchs. Monarch Joint Venture and other conservationists are working to help monarch butterflies through habitat restoration, research and spreading awareness by offering classes to learn more, Puffer added. 

The work the Monarch Joint Venture does for monarchs also helps other local wildlife, such as birds and other insects, Puffer added. 

“That’s the thing about conservation is that everything is connected,” Puffer said. “Nothing exists in the vacuum. Everything that we’re doing for monarch butterflies helps other organisms.”

Despite the monarch butterfly population decreasing in recent years, Pulscher said she finds motivation in the butterfly conservation effort by educating kids about the insect. 

“Nothing beats seeing that look of wonder when they see a monarch butterfly emerge from a chrysalis,” Pulscher said “It’s a small miracle every time.”

During National Welcoming Week, Minneapolis and state organizations are raising awareness about resources available to new immigrants and refugees. 

Welcoming Week is a national celebration honoring and advocating for new immigrants and refugees to the U.S. Minneapolis celebrates this week from Sept. 13-22 with resource fairs and other events throughout the city. 

Director of the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Michelle Rivero said Welcoming Week is dedicated to creating a sense of belonging for new residents of the Twin Cities. With events like resource fairs and Citizenship and Constitution Day celebrations, Rivero said this time aims to highlight the importance of becoming a U.S. citizen. 

Rivero said this year’s theme for Welcoming Week is “We’re all in,” meaning that it takes people to go beyond themselves to learn about new cultures and people to ensure a safe and accepting environment. 

“We are trying to recognize and celebrate with this national theme that it takes everyone,” Rivero said. “It takes all of us to build a welcoming community, a community where everyone feels a sense of belonging.”

Rivero said some events include information sessions on immigration legal services and how to become a U.S. citizen. Events will continue in St. Paul until Saturday.

Minnesota Department of Human Services spokesperson Rachele King said in a statement that the department’s Resettlement Program works with agencies and institutions all over the community to ensure effective support to newcomers to the state. They help new Minnesotans find jobs, education and communities via the regional Resettlement Network. 

“By welcoming people through this program, our office helps to lay a strong foundation for Minnesota’s future, as today’s young refugees are tomorrow’s workforce, civic leaders and business owners,” King said in the statement.  

Alongside Welcoming Week events, the Minneapolis City Council recently passed a resolution on Sept. 5 reaffirming the city’s commitment to welcoming new populations to Minneapolis. Rivero said that, compared to previous years, Welcoming Week is larger than ever with more organizers and city officials involved. 

“There’s a lot of momentum, including with the mayor’s office, with city council, with elected officials to really express this recommitment to welcoming and recognizing that we all do better when we all do better,” Rivero said. 

Resources for immigrants during Welcoming Week

At last Saturday’s citizenship and immigration resource fair, Welcoming Week partners and organizers offered numerous resources and support for new citizens. Some resources include immigration legal services, resettlement housing help and English classes.

Astrid Liden with Welcome Corps said their national program aims to help resettle immigrants and refugees with families nationwide. 

“A lot of the resettlement process comes down to the community level,” Liden said. “That’s one of the beautiful things is that refugees that are now coming to the United States really have those individuals that are able to be part of that process.”

Clark Roman with Literacy Minnesota said they offer English, General Education Development and citizenship classes for new adults coming to Minnesota. Roman said the goal is to make the difficult task of learning a second language and adapting to a new culture more approachable and comfortable. 

“We focus on not just ‘you need to learn English’ but also respecting your native language and thinking of having a second language as being an asset,” Roman said.

Mary Tran with Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services said they serve 33 counties in Minnesota with various units including immigration legal services. Tran said when helping refugees, asylum seekers and U.S. citizens, they always intend to create a welcoming and respectful environment. 

Tran said her work in domestic violence legal services often comes with a lot of stressful and traumatic histories. 

“A lot of the people that I work with come with such traumatic experiences,” Tran said. “Just working with them and just being very patient and letting them share their story when they’re ready to.” 

Rivero said one of the most important aspects of Welcoming Week is forging strong communities that new immigrants and refugees can depend on and feel safe in. Rivero added creating a welcoming community is not a one-time thing but a lifelong process everyone can take part in. 

“There’s this concept of the welcomed becoming the welcome,” Rivero said. “I think it’s really beautiful.”

Student members can be a dime a dozen for local neighborhood organizations close to campus, but student involvement in these groups can provide a unique and fresh perspective many older residents are looking for. 

Past and present students working in neighborhood organizations say working with these associations allows them to impact their whole community, rather than just University students. 

George Masson, who recently finished graduate school at the University of Minnesota, said his time as a board director for the Southeast Como Improvement Association (SECIA) allowed him to connect with his neighborhood and local environment. Masson said he and his partner, who was also on the board, formed strong relationships with the older residents around them. 

“Getting involved with SECIA allowed me and my partner to feel like we were part of something bigger than ourselves, allowed us to really have a connection to our neighborhood,” Masson said. “Which is something that neither of us had really experienced before.”

Fourth-year University student and former Minnesota Daily employee Kelly Rogers is a current member of the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association (MHNA) and former SECIA vice president. She said her times with SECIA and MHNA have shown her how local governments can function and how she can make an impact on her community. 

“I feel like it was a really great way to experience what it might look like on a city council level or a larger organization,” Rogers said. “You really get to see the changes happen and you get to see the stuff come alive.” 

Many of the local neighborhood associations struggle with student recruitment but would like to see greater student involvement in the future, according to Executive Director Chris Lautenschlager at the MHNA. 

Masson said student recruitment to these organizations tends to be difficult, as most members are older. Masson added these associations are an opportunity for students to get hands-on experience in their communities which schools are not always able to offer. 

“Going to school is one thing of taking classes, but I think going out and actually trying to do things like build a pollinator garden or write a grant or something like this is something different entirely,” Masson said. 

Rogers said she learned about the administrative work of an association during her time as SECIA vice president. Now as an MHNA student member, Rogers said she plays a more participative role as a student-representative. 

Rogers said there is a lot of overlap between neighborhood associations and the Minneapolis City Council that students may not realize. Rogers added that neighborhood associations offer many community initiatives and community-engaged policy-making. 

“Students have an intrinsic stake in these decisions but are maybe less aware of the kind of influence that they can have on the outcome,” Rogers said. 

Masson said he was a part of SECIA’s environmental committee, where he helped create pollinator gardens around the neighborhood. He said his main focus in the association was the impact and importance of taking care of our ecosystem rather than representing all University students. 

Rogers said living across SECIA’s pollinator gardens was a constant reminder of how big someone’s impact can be when a part of these local organizations. Rogers added she felt a sense of belonging as she formed connections with longtime residents of these neighborhoods. 

“Getting to know your neighbors is so awesome,” Rogers said “You really start to build a community that feels a lot more like home.”