Written by editor on 30 January 2018
BY LAURA WATERMAN WITTSTOCK
Opera devotees tuned in to the Opera program one evening every week to hear Bill Parker play and comment on great music as probably no one has since on Minnesota Public Radio. When the traveling portion of the Metropolitan Opera came to Minneapolis, Bill would pull out all the stops to record interviews with visiting performers. He found one baritone who was interested in American Indians and he took him to the American Indian Center for a pow wow.
At the other end of the day, he also hosted the Morning Show with his well-known humor. He also wrote liner notes for records and CDs, and after his book Building A Classical Music Library in 1994 was published, Best Buy put up life-sized cut-out photos of Bill to greet customers. His collection of thousands of tapes and CDs gave him broad access to the classical world.
What is little known is that Bill Parker began volunteering for MIGIZI Communications in late 1978. He came to the Indian community looking for organizations to volunteer for and someone directed him to us. He plowed right in, doing things like carrying sacks of potatoes for a community feast or quietly standing in the back of the room, ready to help.… Read the rest “Bill Parker ”“ Friend to the Indian Community”
Written by editor on 30 January 2018
Statement by Brad Bourn, Mpls. Park and Recreation Board, President, early Jan. 23rd
Annie Young passed away this evening. Annie was the second longest serving Commissioner in the history of the Mpls. Park Board.
I”'ve directed Park Board Flag to be at half-staff until Jan. 31st. Like many, I”'m still processing this loss. I had the honor of serving with Annie for eight years. She was an early champion of so many of the values I base my work on today and had a leadership style that I try to emulate.
Annie has made our city better in countless ways. All of Mpls. owes her a debt of gratitude.
The MPBR will release an official statement soon and will work with Young”'s family to respect their wishes in recognizing the incredible contributions she has made to our parks.
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Written by editor on 30 January 2018
LINDSEY FENNER
On Wednesday, January 17, 2018 a Franklin Library patron died at HCMC, after overdosing in the library restroom. Another patron overdosed the following morning in a Franklin Library restroom. Although this is absolutely heartbreaking, I know as a Hennepin County Library worker it has become far too common for library patrons to overdose in Hennepin County libraries or on library property. As the opioid epidemic has exploded, as we know too well in the Phillips neighborhoods, public restrooms have become regular sites for drug injection.
Unfortunately, Library Administration has failed to adequately provide for the safety of workers and patrons in Hennepin County Public Libraries. This is not to diminish the wonderful work that public library workers do. But public libraries, as some of the few remaining public spaces, often fill in the gaps that insufficient public services create. Libraries frequently act as de facto day centers and, in some cases, de facto injection sites. Library workers (including County Security, and contracted security and custodial workers) have few or no tools to safely deal with this reality.
For example, Hennepin County Libraries have very few SHARPS containers, either for public or staff disposal. AFSCME Local 2822, representing circulation staff in Hennepin County Libraries, has asked for SHARPS containers in public libraries for months, but the reluctantly promised pilot program (in two buildings out of 41), has been slow to materialize.… Read the rest “The Opioid Epidemic in Our Libraries: Hennepin County Needs to Do Better”
LINDSEY FENNER
