‘Commentary’ Archives
Parks for the People
from the series Raise Your Voice By PETER MOLENAAR Peter Molenaar Representative Ilhan Omar spoke in solidarity with our park workers. PHOTO: Peter Molenaar For this year’s July 4th, I celebrated our nation’s first revolution by attending a rally at the Minneapolis Labor Center. Over 300 parks workers had gone on strike. “Solidarity Forever” was the theme.Why would a retired foundry worker like me bother to support parks workers? Here is the answer: Park workers create beautiful sanctuaries for people like me and you. Should we not pay them a decent wage? Hey, no more tax breaks for the rich folks, please, and for God’s sake, no more costly wars.Remember the ancient cormorants which visit Powderhorn Park every year… the ducks, geese, and the occasional loon… even the soaring eagle which inspired the fancy dancer at Cedar Field. This is why we love our park workers! Solidarity forever! Peter Molenaar advocates a broad united-front, even as he describes [...]
Deeper Blues
from the series Something I Said... Review by DWIGHT HOBBES Dwight Hobbes A longer version of this Deeper Blues review first appeared in the June issue of Blue Monday Monthly Entertainment Magazine. Andrea Swensson’s Deeper Blues: The Life, Songs and Salvation of Cornbread Harris (University of Minnesota Press) is a must-read. She brings acumen, insight and passion to bear on a beloved Twin Cities icon while Harris, crowding 100, is still around to enjoy it. Calling Cornbread Harris a living legend understates the case. At the dawn of Minnesota Rock & Roll, he co-wrote The Augie Garcia Quintet’s trash-talking hit “Hi Ho Silver”, a humorous take off on TV’s “The Lone Ranger”. And enjoys the distinction of that band upstaging Elvis Presley’s Twin Cities debut. Swensson documents, “Cornbread and Augie wore this incident like a badge of honor. Speaking to the Star Tribune in 1993, Augie recalled that ‘pulled me off stage by my jacket. There [...]
