‘Cover Stories’ Archives
HERC Closer to Closing Down?
By ZERO BURN COALITION Brass Solidarity leading a march from the morning rally to the City Council meeting. SOURCE: Mallory Ferguson On November 7, 2024 Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, joined by City Council Members, Representative Frank Hornstein, and local environmental advocates, signed a resolution urging the permanent closure of the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) trash burner located in downtown Minneapolis by 2027. The resolution to close HERC unanimously passed the Minneapolis City Council a week prior, As part of its ambitious Zero Waste Plan, the City has set a goal to recycle or compost 80% of its waste by 2030. The HERC incinerator, which processes up to 1,000 tons of waste daily, is the largest industrial air polluter in Hennepin County. In recent years, it has faced increasing scrutiny from community and environmental justice groups for its disproportionate impact on nearby low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. Only 22% of what is burned at [...]
Ingebretsen’s Gift Shop Turns 50!
Submitted by INGEBRETSEN’S This year the Ingebrestsen’s Gift Shop celebrates its 50th birthday. Julie Ingebretsen started running a small counter with just a few imported gifts alongside the well known Meat Market and Deli in 1974 and has built the store into one of the most respected Nordic import and gift stores in the country. The combination of the traditional food at the Deli (opened by Charles Ingebretsen - a Swedish immigrant to the Midwest - in 1921!) and imported gifts and home goods for sale makes Ingebretsen’s a source for the local community to find connection with Scandinavian culture. Ingebretsen’s is one of the last stores still standing from the early 20th century era of “snoose boulevard,” a hub of Scandinavian American activity. The street remains a corridor where immigrant businesses can get their start and contribute to a multicultural fabric of Minneapolis. Christmas is the time of year that brings the Scandinavians in the Twin Cities out in [...]
Part 1: Consequences of War on Russian-Speaking Community
By A RUSSIAN SPEAKING COMMUNITY MEMBER War brings destruction, loss of loved ones, and cultural conflicts between people who were once like one family. In the context of the ongoing war, the internal experiences of Russian-speaking immigrants have become more acute. These people are stuck between cultures, facing feelings of guilt, fear, and isolation.I interviewed Russian and Ukrainian immigrants to explore how their lives have changed since the war began. The main focus of the interview is on the consequences of the conflict in an emotional, social and cultural sense, including internal conflict of identity, attitudes toward the dynamics of the society in which we live at the moment, and how people cope with the complexities of war. To protect the identities of the individuals I interviewed, I have chosen not to use their full names, ensuring their privacy while sharing their experiences. K left Ukraine before the war began, L is a Russian immigrant who came to the U.S. after [...]
