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Libraries Rock in So Many Ways
Did you know that you can check out more than books at the library? Thanks to a service called MELSA smARTpass, you can score free and discounted tickets to a variety of theater productions, gallery exhibitions, and concerts. They've recently expanded their offerings, with participating venues including First Avenue, Mixed Blood Theatre, Pillsbury House Theater, and the American Swedish Institute, and all you need is a library card. Users can reserve up to two pairs of tickets at a time, and offers are constantly updating. Right now, we’re seeing discounted Nutcracker tickets at the Fitzgerald Theater, tons of free First Ave shows (Emo Nite! ‘90s New Year’s Eve! Best New Bands of 2023!), and free seats for the prestigious Hubbard Street Dance Chicago at The Northrop.
LBGTQ+ Community Reacts to the Alleged Murder of Savannah Williams
Last Wednesday, 38-year-old Savannah Williams, a trans woman, was fatally shot near Lake Street and 4th Avenue in Minneapolis. By Friday, Hennepin County had charged 25-year-old Damarean Kaylon Bible with her second-degree murder; he had told his parents by phone that he felt he “had to do it.” Bible’s bail is currently set at $1 million. If convicted he could face up to 40 years in prison. Now friends, family, and members of the LGBTQ community are mourning the loss of a friend, and major organizations are calling for justice.
“This news is a tragic reminder of how present that violence continues to be—particularly for transgender women of color like Savannah,” writes OutFront Minnesota via a public statement. “Transphobia has reached a crisis point, claiming lives with alarming frequency,” says Rep. Leigh Finke (DFL-St. Paul), who is also trans. “Savannah's death cannot be treated as an isolated incident. It is a consequence of a society that dehumanizes and marginalizes transgender people throughout their lives.” Adds the Aliveness Project: “This targeted assault was a hate crime rooted in transphobia, marking the second instance of a brutal attack on a trans woman of color in close proximity to our community."
No Unit to Move Into? Now Landlords Can't Fine You for That.
That shouldn’t be revolutionary, but it’s a major change coming to Minneapolis if a new ordinance passes. Basically, if a tenant plunks down money to move into a new construction project, landlords will no longer be able to fine them for breaking lease if their unit isn’t ready in time nor will they be able to hold onto your deposit. The City Council passed the ordinance unanimously earlier today, and Mayor Jacob Frey is expected to sign it.
"This is in response to the Identity Dinkytown fiasco, where over 500 students were displaced because a large-scale developer did not have the units ready as promised," Council Member Robin Wonsley said at Thursday's meeting. Last August, students who had planned to live in the brand-new complex were suddenly faced with three choices: break lease, face fees, and find a new place to live; stay in hotel rooms arranged by an agency; or use $150 daily payments to find lodging while in limbo.
The 2023 Eater Awards are Short, Sweet, and Pretty Dang Right
Best of issues are rough, man. As someone who worked on City Pages’ behemoth annual list for nearly 20 years, I can say that these things are a lot of fun, but they also are exhausting to produce, and, I assume, exhausting to read. So I gotta give a shout-out to Eater Twin Cities’s concise, to-the-point roundup, written by Justine Jones. There’s five categories: Best Damn Sandwich, Best New Bar, Restaurant of the Year, Best New Pop-Up, and “The Visionary.” I’m not going to spoil any of the winners here, but I will say I enjoyed a few unexpected choices and, as someone who just had lunch at the Best New Pop-Up winner, I gotta say: Eater made a great call.
