[Mpls] This Week in The Minneapolis Observer

[Craig Cox]

T H E M I N N E A P O L I S O B S E R V E R
A Weekly Digest of All Things Minneapolitan
Vol. 1, No. 20
December 31, 2001

Happy New Year!
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THIS WEEK IN THE OBSERVER:
* R.T. Builds Bridges
* Checks Not Accepted
* Food Co-op Renaissance?
* Hollman's Heritage
* Weekend at the Gallery
Plus: The importance of sausage, DFL Ways and Means, a nice cop, a letter from Chicago, and a tale of two Dons.

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RYBAK GETS HIGH MARKS IN URBAN LEAGUE BRIEFING
Mayor-elect R.T. Rybak met on December 17 with leaders of the city's African American community, who briefed him on the issues they believe are central to creating a healthy city.
The briefing, reports Al McFarlane in Insight News, was attended by 50 community leaders and focused on the so-called "African American Priority Agenda," a plan to correct disparities in health and education, as well as economic and political power in the city. McFarlane and others noted that African Americans in Minneapolis fare worse than blacks in any of America's largest 25 cities, and urged the new mayor to work with black community leaders to build a dialogue that will lead to innovative solutions.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SAUSAGE
"Passing the budget is like making sausage. It isn't very pretty and you don't want to see it happen, but it's absolutely essential."
--Council Member Doré Mead, in the Southwest Journal (www.swjournal.com)

LOCAL EATERIES MAY NO LONGER WELCOME CHECKS
Area restaurants, struggling under an unprecedented volume of bad checks, are gradually phasing out the long-accepted practice of accepting checks, according to Andrew Tellijohn in City Business (twincities.bcentral.com).



FOOD CO-OP PLANNED FOR NORTHEAST
A consumer-owned, natural foods co-op will serve as the retail anchor of a planned senior citizen apartment complex at 19th and Central scheduled to open in 2003, according to a report in the Southeast Angle.

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The Minneapolis Observer is published 48 times/year by Independent Media, L.L.C. ©2001 Independent Media, 4152 Snelling Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55406; www.mplsobserver.com. No part of this publication may be reprinted without the permission of Independent Media. Subscriptions: $12/yr. To unsubscribe, send us an e-mail ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) and we'll get you off the list and refund the unused portion of your subscription.

Editor: Craig Cox
Associate Editor: Sharon Parker
Contributing writers: Mark Engebretson, Tim Herwig, Leo Mezzrow.
Occasional research assistance: Martin and Nora Cox
Online technical assistance: Christopher Pollard
Thanks to: everybody