Welcome to our weekly newsletter. On Fridays we share things we've published this week and things to do for the weekend.

Here's a roundup of what we published this week

The big story this week is the MFT 59 teacher and ESP strike. Union leaders will give an update on contract negotiations with Minneapolis Public Schools at 10:15 a.m. These updates are typically  streamed on the MFT 59 Facebook page. We will also update our social media with any major developments today.  
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We started off the week publishing a collection of resources for parents and caregivers during the strike.

Taylor Clarke, a first-grade teacher at Lake Harriet Community School, wrote about her experience teaching throughout the pandemic,

MPS parent Mary Lynn Kadrie wrote about how difficult it is for some high school students to get to school using Metro Transit.

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On Wednesday, the Minneapolis boys hockey team played in the Minnesota State High School quarterfinals at the Xcel Center. Minneapolis hadn't played in the tournament since 1994, so this was a big deal.  I live tweeted the game, which sadly ended in a 4-1 loss against Alexandria. Charlie talked with the team captains' parents about what makes this team so special.
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Minnesota State Representative Jamie Long, who represents District 61B, talked with Charlie about the current the legislative session, Long's work fighting climate change, and some of the public safety policies he’s pursuing.
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Anna Koenning wrote up this fun piece about the Whittier secondhand store, b. Resale, which the owner describes  as "a place for the weirdos."
We were enamored with Koenning's work profiling Stevens Square neighbor Denny Jacobsen for Racket. I actually ran into Koenning at Boiler Room, where she met Denny. You'll be reading more from Anna soon.
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Josh Martin is a Minneapolis Charter Commission expert and he wrote an article about what the Charter Commission does and how you, yes you, can apply to be on the commission.

GET IN TOUCH ☎️

Charlie and I love publishing stories written by people in the community, like Mary Lynn and Taylor's pieces linked to above . If you have something on your mind that you'd like to share, please email us at info@southwestvoices.news. We can help you turn your idea into a story. Yes, you. No, you are a fantastic writer. Yes, we can work on it together.
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Want to see us feature something in your neighborhood? Text us at 612-204-2887.  Sign up for our weekly text messages at the bottom of our homepage.
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Here is our Whittier neighborhood tour schedule for Tuesday March 15. You are invited! Swing by any of these locations to say hi and chat.

Noon: Jasmine Deli for lunch
1 p.m.: Walk around the neighborhood (dogs and humans encouraged to attend), ending at Clinton Field Park
1:45 p.m.: Hennepin History Museum
2:30 p.m.: Electric Fetus
3:15 p.m.: Snack at Pimento Jamaican Kitchen
4-5:30 p.m. Pinball at Tilt

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OUT & ABOUT 🛵

Our events calendar is filled with unique events happening around town. You can submit events to be added to our calendar here. If you subscribe to the calendar, the events go straight to your personal calendar. 🤯

Friday
Tonight at Driftwood Char Bar, cumbia band The Chico Chavez Orchestra are playing at 9 p.m. Get ready to dance!

We Are the Willows and Double Grave are playing at Icehouse.

Saturday
The Dollys are playing during brunch at Icehouse. Live music during brunch? Sounds luxurious. The Hennepin History Museum, located in Whittier, is hosting  "Minneapolis Madams: The Lost History of Prostitution on the Riverfront," a virtual event starting at 1 p.m. Make sure to register.

Did you tap trees for sap? Do you want to learn about the process? From 8 a.m.-5 p.m., tappers and curious residents can watch the transformation of tree sap into a concentration of sweet syrup at Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park.

There are two more Winter Markets  left this season. Swing by Saturday to peruse and purchase goods from vendors based in Kingfield, Fulton and Nokomis Farmers Market. The Market is held outdoors at Lake Harriet United Methodist Church from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

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Sunday
Hook & Ladder is hosting a benefit concert for striking teachers and ESPs. The line-up looks rad. Sliding scale donations in cash will be accepted at the door.

Power Rager Sundays is a new hip hop dance night at Icehouse, curated by Mike the Martyr & Sophia Eris (artist of her own right and Lizzo's DJ). Music starts at 10 p.m.