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Readers and writers: Three new books from Minnesota authors to check out this week

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Here’s a new collection from a respected poet, the end of a trilogy and a family-centered mystery, all from Minnesota writers launching their books this week.“When I Was Young and Old”: by Freya Manfred (Nodin Press, $17)Minnesotan Freya Manfred will celebrate publication of her 10th poetry collection, “When I was Young and Old,” June 15, 2023, at University of Minnesota’s Elmer L. Andersen Library. (Courtesy of the author)I ask my heart why it trembles, but there’s no reply.An invisible wall divides me from myself,and the flow of love that answers love has slowed.I need to trust my heart, but I quake with fearwhen I remember the pain that love can cause. —  From the poem I Ask My Heart in “When I Was Young and Old”Freya Manfred’s 10th book of poetry is perfectly named, as she looks to the past with memories of her grandmother; her parents, Maryanna and Fred Manfred; and her brother, as well as to the present, where s...

Mustaches are back, baby! What yours says about you

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

About six months ago, Micah Fitzerman-Blue, a screenwriter in Los Angeles, was shaving his beard when he reached the region between his nose and his upper lip and thought, “What if I just stopped?”“I was self-conscious, at first, because I hadn’t ever worn just a mustache,” he said. But after confirming that his wife didn’t hate it, and realizing how commonplace they had become in his Echo Park neighborhood, he embraced the look. “I turned 40 this year, and I have two young kids, and it makes me feel more like a dad, but a fun dad,” he said.He is scarcely alone. The mustache, capable of evoking everything from rugged masculinity to whimsical irony to earnest fatherly cheer, is enjoying one of its periodic renaissances.“I’ll be on the subway sometime, and I’ll look around and five other people in a 10-foot radius will have mustaches,” said Jimmy Brewer, 27, an actor in New York, who grew out his mustache while on vacation seven months ago. He then landed a part in the ensemble of the...

Letters: Remember what was on the roads when many Summit mansions were built

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Blame, blame, blameYour columnist suggests we blame the “unelected bureaucrats” for the bike path he doesn’t like.No, wait. It is the elected City Council that overwhelmingly voted in favor of the bike path he doesn’t like.No, wait. It is the “hothouse,” profligate, elected Democrats in the legislature who are to blame. Or blame Gov. Walz ,who was re-elected last fall with almost 8 percentage points more votes than his Republican challenger.As one who regularly bicycles on Summit Avenue, I don’t care if the bike path is placed above the street, as many newer paths are, or if it is in the street. But it is worthwhile, if one really cares about “history,” to recall that a good deal of the “magnificent architecture” on Summit was built when carriages and bicycles, not cars, traveled the street.On the other hand if one just wants to rant, don’t forget Mayor Carter. He must be to blame too.Greg Weyandt, Falcon Heights Not a ‘gateway drug’I have to respond to the ill-info...

Sofi Hersher Andorsky: Faith-based communities have a role to play in strengthening democracy

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

There is an old joke about making decisions in the Jewish community: three people, 10 opinions. And that is how it is inside houses of worship, schools, and faith institutions across America, as they routinely meld the diverse opinions as they do the work of negotiating, compromising, forging consensus, and fostering a sense of purpose. The same is true of other faith-based spaces; connected by a shared identity and a commitment to a shared future, diverse people make meaning, celebrate, plan, and make decisions together. The outcomes don’t always satisfy everyone, but a commitment to the overall vision — and to each other — keeps the community together.Indeed, at a time when democratic norms and institutions in the United States are under attack, and amidst a rise in extremism that has fueled violence against minority faith communities nationwide, the faith-based community has often shown how regular community engagement can sustain civic connections, connections ...

Minnesota wolves eating fish wasn’t a fluke, researchers say

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

KABETOGAMA LAKE, Minn. — When researchers at the Voyageurs Wolf Project first captured video of wolves catching and eating fish out of a small stream back in 2017, they thought it was probably a unique occurrence.Now, upon further research, the biologists have found that many wolves across their northern Minnesota range likely target and catch fish in the spring — a good source of protein at just the right time of year when other food is not abundant.In a study published in the May issue of the journal Royal Society Open, the wolf project scientists found wolves returning to their favorite fishing holes to catch fish for five straight years, and one more year after the report was finished.“After observing males and females, yearlings and adults, lone wolves and pack members fish, we think that wolves hunt spawning fish across similar boreal ecosystems, and they likely have been doing it for quite a while. We don’t think it is a new behavior,” said Dani Freund, lead author of the rep...

St. Paul-based organization channels $50 million toward generational wealth building in Black communities. How will it work?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

The Bush Foundation is sending $50 million into a wealth-building program run by Nexus Community Partners directed at American descendants of chattel slavery residing in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.The St. Paul-based organization announced last week that the grant will be used to fund at least 800 applicants with $50,000 during the next eight years.The Bush Foundation is funding this project with money from social impact bonds they issued in 2020.“Essentially, that means we took on debt to put more money into the region during unprecedented times. We didn’t want to reduce our regular grant-making to create these funds,” said communications director Kari Ruth.Nexus President Repa Mekha (Courtesy of Nexus Community Partners).All residents age 14 and up who can prove they’re descendants of the Atlantic slave trade are eligible for grants — there is no income cap or minimum and both individuals and group applicants will be considered. Applications op...

Ask Amy: Grandparents excluded from Sunday dinners

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Dear Amy: My daughter, who moved to the East Coast for college 15 years ago, recently had a baby.My husband and I, recently retired, came out from the West Coast for the baby’s birth and were convinced to move.We upended everything, moved 12 minutes away from our daughter and now watch our grandson four days a week, which is great.My daughter’s in-laws live about an hour away and now that the baby is older they have resumed their routine of Sunday dinners, with my daughter, son-in-law and grandson. These dinners, which used to be at the in-laws’ house, are now held at my daughter’s house.We are rarely invited to join, even on Mother’s Day.We were invited on Christmas and Easter, but we bought all the food and did all the cooking.How can I handle that they are purposely (and hurtfully, on Mother’s Day) excluding us?— Feeling ShunnedDear Shunned: You see your grandchild four times a week. Granted, you are providing childcare and not dropping in for ...

Horoscopes June 11, 2023: Peter Dinklage, love and respect yourself and others

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Claire Holt, 35; Shia LaBeouf, 37; Peter Dinklage, 54; Hugh Laurie, 64.Happy Birthday: You’ll need patience this year when dealing with people who don’t share your beliefs. Be a good listener, and you’ll gain insight into how to deal with situations that require diplomacy. Your ability to understand and commiserate with people from all walks of life will help you bridge a gap that can make the difference between success and failure. Love and respect yourself and others. Your numbers are 5, 12, 20, 22, 34, 39, 45.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Participate in activities that motivate you to expand your circle of friends. A reunion will allow you to reconnect with someone from your past. Don’t hesitate to make the first move. Your confidence and maturity will pay off. Romance is favored. 3 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Align yourself with like-minded people, and you will accomplish your goals, make new friends and have fun. Check your ...

Word Game: June 11, 2023

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — WITHERED (WITHERED: WITH-erd: Became dry and sapless; lost vitality, force or freshness.)Average mark 45 wordsTime limit 60 minutesCan you find 64 or more words in WITHERED?TODAY’S WORD — WITHERED weed weir weird were whee where whet whir whit white whiter wide wider width wire wired with wither wried writ write writhe thee their there thew third three threw tide tier tiered tire tired tree tried tweed heder heed heir herd here hewed hide hire edit eider either ether ewer reed retie ride rite deer deet deter dewier diet dieter dire dirt dither drewTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “b...

The Next Big Emissions Fight Is an Old One: Why Some Conservatives Oppose Clean Air

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Steve Milloy, a longtime lobbyist for polluting industries from tobacco to coal to oil and gas, is back in the news thanks to the wildfire smoke that recently blanketed the U.S. East Coast. Milloy appeared on Fox News to tell people that there are “no negative health impacts” from breathing in wildfire smoke. It’s the latest salvo in a war he’s been waging against air pollution regulation since the 1980s.For industry operatives like Milloy, air pollution, especially the regulation of particulate matter, has long been a greater concern than climate policy. Regulations on PM2.5 —fine inhalable particles generally smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter — would require many of the same reductions in the combustion of fossil fuels that climate policy would, but without any of the politicization that has obstructed climate action for decades. It’s never been easy for politicians to publicly fight against clean air and water, and it’s doubly hard when the country’s largest city is wrappe...