59B State Rep Write-In Candidate Ken Lawrence And His "Reindeer Games"

Stock photo, blog post by John Hoff

Following my blog post about Ken Lawrence and his less-than-promising write-in campaign for State Rep in 59B, info was forwarded to me about a conversation with Lawrence that is rather insightful into his personality.

The conversation took place on the GLBTNorthsiders Facebook page.

Rather than characterizing the conversation, I will just publish it, word for word, and readers can analyze it themselves...

Goddess Of Glass And New Restaurant Expected To Open On 2200 Block Of Lowry Ave. N.

Photo and blog post by John Hoff

Connie Beckers, known as the "Goddess of Glass," is opening a new shoppe (sic) at 2205 Lowry Ave. N., as announced on her own website, click here. Northsiders are excited to hear of an established artist moving into space on Lowry Ave. N., an area both needing and poised for commercial revitalization.

At the same time, word is a hot new "sit down" restaurant may open in the space next door, note the top two photos in this blog post. The owners of the would-be restaurant (not named here quite yet) were initially interested in the old Wafana's building, but decided to avoid that location due to variance issues which appeared insurmountable. (If only all would-be property owners could be THAT smart)

Some of us in NoMi were teasing Connie Beckers about her decision to go with the word "shoppe" instead of "shop." Where, goes the joke, did Connie find those two spare letters? Well, according to my sources...

The "E" is the missing letter from "Hawthorn (sic) Crossings" strip mall, which apparently went with a simpler spelling to accommodate their customer demographic of sparsely-educated thugs and drug dealers who hang around all day in the parking lot.

As for the extra "P," it is reportedly the "missing P sound" from the last name of the "other well-known Connie" in North Minneapolis, Connie Nompelis, which is pronounced "No-bell-iss."

It's Greek.

I'm very excited to see Connie's new shoppe (sic) open on Lowry Ave. N.

The Goddess of Glass Puts on Finishing Touches

Post and exterior photos by the Hawthorne Hawkman. Interior photos contributed by Duane Atter.

I've always liked the way Dr. L. Otieno's dentist office looks from the exterior. First off, I've got a thing for sun imagery, so driving or walking past this place puts me immediately in a better mood. But then I found out that NoMi's Goddess of Glass, Connie Beckers, was putting in some stained glass windows to make the place even more appealing.

As it turns out, Connie did this...

...for free. The windows were contracted as part of a West Broadway facade improvement program, and at the time she was working for the organization that administered it.

What I've also appreciated about this particular office space is that the sun design serves a dual purpose. It makes it much harder for someone to break into the office, but also beautifies the streetscape. That way, security can look like this:



Instead of what's right around the corner on Penn Ave:



Here are some more interior photos provided by Duane Atter:




Thanks Connie, thanks Duane, and I know where I'm going the next time I need my teeth checked out.

Peace Foundation Ball Photographic After Party...PART TWO!

Photos and blog post by John Hoff

As promised in a previous post, here are the last of my pictures from the Peace Foundation Ball. Like a finely-aged wine, these photos are best  enjoyed in the long, pleasant afterglow of an overwhelming Don Samuels victory in Ward 5.

Sometimes, (due to criticisms from his detractors, who almost crackle with negative energy) Don Samuels is put in the position of having to separate his involvement with the Peace Foundation from his job as a city council member, as though involvement with the Peace Foundation were a bad thing. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Don's involvement with the Peace Foundation has only brought about good things for North Minneapolis, including (according to the Star Tribune) contributing to a substantial decrease in the rate of violent crime.

One would think these are the qualities we would want in a leader and (for that matter) his spouse; to focus on solutions to the pressing city issue of violent crime. What have people like Natalie Johnson Lee (and her husband, Travis Lee) or Al Flowers ever done to reduce violence in North Minneapolis? Food for thought.

Anyway...

At the top...

...a shot of the school gymnasium where the event was held, kind of like where you might hold a high school prom only, well, most of the attendees were allowed to drink.

Below, Lisa and Anderson Mitchell with their two children.


Pictured here, below, Sarita Turner, Executive Director of the West Broadway Business And Area Coalition. (WBC) Turner is holding a flyer for a gala wine-tasting event being planned by WBC.


Here below, once again, is the event's silent auction, with "Goddess of Glass" Connie Beckers posing by some of the pieces she donated for the event.




Lastly, there were photographic art displays at the Peace Ball, including compelling pictures of mothers who had lost their children to homicidal violence. Here is one of the photos, below. These photos were a reminder that no matter how much fun people were having at the party, there was a serious purpose and the party was a serious fundraiser for an important cause.

If you missed this year's Peace Ball, don't miss next year's. In North Minneapolis (NoMi) this is truly the social event of the season.

NoMi's "Goddess Of Glass" Makes Front Page Of STrib During Gay Pride Week...

Photos by John Hoff

Artist Connie Beckers and her partner, Tracy Allen, well-known North Minneapolis residents, were effectively the "faces of Minneapolis gay pride" today in the Star Tribune's coverage of Pride Week.

Beckers is called the "Goddess of Glass" for her amazing work with stained glass windows. She is also involved in the ad hoc NoMi group which is rebranding North Minneapolis.

In the pictures above, Connie is at North United Methodist where photos were taken for a NoMi-themed calendar. Connie is to the right, in green. "Sara" (spelling unknown) is to the left. She is Connie's "personal tattoo artist and glass apprentice."

In the bottom image, Connie shows off her Emerald City "Wizard of Oz" tattoo.

(Do not click "Read More")