Category: Minneapolis, Minnesota Local News

For nearly a decade, Anthony Ray Hinton has had the same conversations with folks he’s met since his release in 2015 after serving nearly 30 years on death row for a murder he did not commit.

In his book, “The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row,” Hinton discussed his journey toward forgiveness. His decision to offer that grace toward those who were responsible for his incarceration is always difficult for those he encounters to digest.

“In nine years, nobody ever walked up to me and said, ‘I would’ve done the same thing you did,’” Hinton told me. “Everybody walks up and says, ‘I couldn’t do that.’”

On Thursday, Hinton and I will discuss his book at 6:30 p.m. at Minneapolis Central Library’s Pohlad Hall as part of the Mary Ann Key Book Club, named after my great-great-great grandmother. The in-person event is full but you can still join the waitlist queue or register for the Zoom livestream.

On May 16, we’ll follow that conversation with a panel discussion on mass incarceration moderated by Minister Ja’Nae Bates, the co-director at ISAIAH, and feature three people who’ve been impacted by the justice system. Moseka Nhya is a staff member at All Square, “a nonprofit social enterprise that channels wealth and power to those impacted by mass incarceration.” Kevin Reese is the executive director of Until We Are All Free, a human rights organization for formerly incarcerated individuals. And Marvin Haynes was recently exonerated after serving nearly 20 years for a murder at a Minneapolis flower shop in 2004.

Like Hayes, Hinton endured decades of agony despite proclaiming his innocence. Hinton presented evidence on his behalf — including ballistics reports that proved his mother’s gun could not have been the murder weapon — but those within the Alabama justice system refused to acknowledge the truth. Then, Bryan Stevenson, an attorney and author of “Just Mercy,” got involved and he helped Hinton gain his freedom almost a decade ago.

Hinton and I talked about his experience and his book last week ahead of Thursday’s discussion:

Q: What did you hope to achieve when you decided to write this book?

A: My goal was to get America to really think about the judicial system. I wanted people to realize that I had been convicted of one of the most heinous crimes you can be convicted of. And I didn’t want people to lose sight of the fact that I went and spent 30 years in prison. But I wanted to show people that I wasn’t bitter. I wasn’t brought up that way. And I think I would hope that I did my mom justice in portraying the type of mother that God blessed me with. And I wanted people to read this book and look back and say, ‘Hey, if this man can spend 30 years in a 5-by-7[-foot cell] and come out with no bitterness and there is no hatred, no nothing … then surely I can do better as well.

Q: How did you get to that place where you forgave those who hurt you?

A: All l could do for my first three years was not talk to anybody. All I could do is think in my mind, if only I could escape. I wanted to escape and I wanted to kill those men that got together and did this to me. I didn’t want to escape to be on the run. I didn’t want to escape to kill them with a gun. I wanted to choke their life out and I wanted them to look up at me. And before they left this world, I wanted my face to be the only face that they saw. I realized in the fourth year, what I thought was keeping me alive — that hatred — was actually killing me, because I’m a man who loved to laugh. I’m a man who loved to see other people laugh. So when I realized that this feeling I had, and this hatred that I had for those men was killing me, I said, ‘That’s not who I am.’ They have taken my life in the world of freedom, but I can’t give them my joy. And somehow I’ve got to get my joy back. And the only way I knew that I could get my joy back is that I had to forgive them.

Q: How did you handle that moment when you realized you would not get a fair shake once you were charged?

A: I knew there’s a price to pay in America for being born Black and a male. And then there is a heavy price to pay if you don’t have money. I tell people every day, the system treats you better if you’re rich and guilty opposed to if you’re Black and innocent. I didn’t have the money to hire a decent defense. And therefore that same system knew that it could convict me. And that same system is, it wants you to believe that the system is broken. The system is not broken. The system is working exactly the way it was designed to work.

A long recovery is ahead for a 20-year-old man who was severely burned in a fiery crash in Minneapolis that claimed his friend’s life and left the driver charged with a felony.

Jon Seas of Minneapolis has been at HCMC since March 31, when the single-vehicle wreck on Hiawatha Avenue killed passenger Cole Jacob Thompson, 20, of Blaine.

Mackenzie Rose Lene, 19, of Minneapolis was charged in Hennepin County District Court with hit-and-run criminal vehicular homicide and criminal vehicular operation. She was jailed on April 10, released on bond three days later and is due in court May 30.

Court records show that Lene was cited for speeding four times from April 2022 to July 2023, exceeding the limit by anywhere from 21 to 29 mph. She also was charged about 10 months ago and convicted in Hennepin County of a misdemeanor for drinking and driving while under age 21 in Maple Grove.

“As the result of a tragic and horrific accident, my son Jon has a long and challenging journey in front of him,” Seas’ father, Jim Seas, said in a statement sent to news media Monday. He has burns over 30% of his body, Jim Seas said.

Speaking of his son, who weighed roughly 265 pounds while lettering in football for Columbia Heights High School, Jim Seas said: “While he’s always been our ‘gentle giant,’ I’m certain his strength, courage, character and fortitude will guide us through this journey.”

Jon Seas graduated in 2022 from Paladin Career and Technical High School in Coon Rapids. His family said he was working at an auto parts store at the time of the accident and had plans to study auto mechanics at a trade school.

Jim Seas has been posting updates on an online fund-raising campaign, which is collecting money to help the family with expenses related to his son’s recovery.

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

A Discussion with Jay Goede, returning as of Frog

A Year with Frog and Toad returns to Children’s Theatre Company, April 23 – June 16. We spoke to Jay Goede, our Frog, a role which he originated in CTC’s 2003 world premiere and the subsequent Broadway production. He describes the joy in collaborating with fellow actor Reed Sigmund and in delighting audiences with the characters’ friendship played out against the changing seasons of the year. Get your tickets here because this one is a delight and a favorite for all ages.

Q:  What draws you to the character of Frog who you portray in A Year With Frog and Toad? Are there aspects of the character that resonate with you personally?

Jay GoedeA:  I think Frog is very much a person who likes to have a balance between social, personal, and spiritual worlds. There’s a beautiful song in the show called “Alone” where – in distress – Toad pedals out to a little island, where Frog is sitting alone in nature, and Toad is convinced that poor Frog must be angry or sad or some negative emotion because he’s isolated himself alone on this island. And, quite the contrary, Frog tells Toad that he’s happy to be alone because it makes him feel at one with nature, enjoy his surroundings, and remembering how wonderful it has been to be who he is in nature. He “loves being a frog in the warm sunny summer,” his beautiful phrase from the song. That really resonates with me. You need to be alone to be in touch with your spiritual and physical surroundings. The joy of taking in nature and all be magic that goes on within it.

Q:  How has your perspective or approach to the character of Frog evolved since your previous involvement with the show in 2003?

A:  Well, it is very much informed by who I am today as Jay, versus who I was in 2003 as Jay. I guess what I mean by that is: I stepped away for many years from the business of “show.” The acting business. I found much serenity and peace in that decision. I began painting again, as I was trained as an artist originally many years ago. Most importantly, I have found a spiritual center that was much needed, and not quite in place in 2003. But I have missed the art of acting. I have not missed all the shenanigans that are “show business.” But I do enjoy acting when I get the chance. “Frog” in 2024 will probably be my last time on stage for quite a while. It has been a lovely chance to get to know Frog again, and to work with the incredible talent of Reed Sigmund, who is – without question – one of our country’s finest and most brilliant actors. This has been the greatest gift for me this time playing Frog. I feel extremely fortunate to be sharing the stage with such a fine talent, just as I felt the first time acting with Mark Linn-Baker who originated the role of Toad. Both are genius talents that don’t come around very often. So if that makes any sense, those are the big differences this time around. I also don’t jump as high as Frog used to do in 2003! Sigh.

Q:  The show explores themes of friendship and the changing seasons. How do you think the themes resonate with audiences?

A:  For me, as a child growing up, the most magical part of each year was the change of seasons. I loved the change of seasons, and most of all I loved fall and spring. Winter was a wonderful challenge because we got to go outside and sled down the hill, as Frog and Toad do, but spring is the most magical time of year for me. I think everyone sits in the audience and brings their own personal relationship with all the seasons to the show. Fall, for me as a young person and of course still as an adult, is when my two favorite holidays take place: Halloween and my birthday, which is November 2nd. So I guess I have romantic and nostalgic feelings associated with every season. As we age, we bring more of our history to living through those seasons each year, but without a doubt I think we all have our favorite seasons. It is fun to see the audience, especially the children, respond to each new scene, and enjoy watching Frog and Toad experience all the wonderful seasons onstage.

Regarding friendships: in the changing seasons, I have beautiful memories of sledding with my friends, and going Halloween trick-or-treating with my friends. I think about Christmas gift exchanges with my friends. Every one of us has special memories that we cherish from our childhoods, and even in adulthood our friends mean so much to us, especially during the holidays. We love and look forward to sharing our time, our gifts, and our memories with them. The friendships that last over many years, like Frog’s and Toad’s, are the ones that anchor us in our reality, in our happiness, in our struggles and in our victories. The friendships that last through the years are the ones we hold most dear in our hearts. And, certainly, the seasons give us indicators of how many years we’ve known our special friends.

Reed Sigmund (Toad), rehearses with Jay. 

Q:  Are there any particular scenes or songs in the production that hold special significance for you?

A:  Yes, as I mentioned, I will always feel fortunate to sing “Alone” every day that the show runs. This beautiful song, in the middle of this gorgeous show, talks about one’s need to be not isolated but with oneself in nature. It is one of the most beautiful ideas in the show. Frog explains to Toad that he doesn’t mind being alone, and he actually needs it sometimes. It is a beautiful spot in the show, where you see the depth of the friendship between the two characters. Toad has made this beautiful lunch of sandwiches and iced tea for Frog, to comfort him and cheer him up. The lunch gets ruined in Toad’s efforts to get out to the island. Just as he falls off his log, Frog reassures him that it is enough to just be with him and sit in the wonders of nature. In essence, Frog is letting Toad know that just his friendship and his presence are enough. Even without the iced tea and sandwiches. It is such a beautiful part of the show for me. 

Q:  How do you prepare for the emotional aspects of your character, and how do you find a balance between the comedic and more serious moments in the show?

A:  I guess the key to good comedy is that the character doesn’t know the situation is funny. I don’t look differently at comedy than I do at more serious moments. If you think about the truth of the situation, that takes care of it. In other words, I think comedy and seriousness can layer on top of each other, the more we get to know the characters, their behaviors, and the situations in which they find themselves. Behavior comes out of truth, and the more truthful we can make the situations, the more truthful the behavior is. And the audience discovers joy and sadness while watching the character experience all these moments.

Q:  As someone returning to a familiar role, how do you keep the performance fresh and exciting for yourself, as well as for the audience?

A:  At my age, I just try to keep it simple, and the rest takes care of itself as far as the joy of performing. I take the advice of that great actor Spencer Tracy who said, “Just learn your lines and don’t bump into the furniture.”

Q:  Lastly, you mention that you might not be on the stage again for a while. What’s on the horizon for you after Frog and Toad wraps up in June? 

A:  After this wraps up, Frog/Jay is going on vacation to an island far away, all alone by himself, to sit and be one with the spiritual self and the joy of nature.

Q:  How may we follow you?

A:  I’m very elusive and like to stay that way. You might find me on Facebook and Instagram, but you might not.”Maybe yes and maybe no!” as Frog says.

Submitted by Ric Rosow

The tug boats are doing yeoman work on the Stone Arch Bridge repair project. Above, a tug boat is pushing and guiding a new barge, the third, into place. Note the eagle perched atop a tree branch in the bottom center of the second image watching over the project. Below, a tug boat returns from one of the barges.

Sammy McDowell, whose vaunted North Minneapolis coffee and sandwich shop has been a neighborhood fixture for more than a decade, died suddenly during a church service Sunday, according to published reports.

Calls and emails to Sammy’s Avenue Eatery went unanswered Monday morning. A small bouquet hung from the restaurant’s door and a sign notified customers that the business was closed for the day and would open again Tuesday.

McDowell reportedly collapsed during a church service on Sunday. Friends and family hosted a vigil that evening, WCCO reported.

Social media remembrances characterized McDowell as a pillar of the community. McDowell’s restaurant became a mutual aid hub during the uprising that followed the murder of George Floyd — a gathering place for neighbors to collect groceries, clothing and other essentials.

Bishop Richard D. Howell, pastor of Shiloh Temple International Ministries, wrote on Facebook that McDowell’s “legacy was spreading cheer and goodwill and making the good better.”

“At his renown eatery, he hired ‘second chances’ especially young black men who needed these opportunities to reach new heights to success,” Howell wrote. “The very idea in helping and serving others was his thing!”

McDowell opened Sammy’s Avenue Eatery in 2012 after two decades in the service industry. He also operated a food truck and opened a second location of the restaurant in 2022.

Long a booster of the northside community, McDowell was a decorated restaurateur who advocated for growth in the historically Black neighborhood.

If you build it, they will come. If one local woodworker builds a bench, they will … sit?

Frustrated by what he sees as a lack of places to sit and rest in downtown Minneapolis, part-time woodworker and city resident Tom Saunders has taken taking a seat into his own hands.

Saunders, 41, used to work downtown, which he recalled as feeling more welcoming before the pandemic. Now, finding a spot to sit that isn’t a restaurant patio for paying customers or the small metal seats within Metro Transit bus shelters is next to impossible, he said.

“I do a lot of woodworking in my spare time, and ended up making more stuff than I ended up needing,” Saunders said. “So I thought it’d be a good chance to practice making benches and share them with the city.”

Saunders’ creations can be found near several downtown intersections in the same area: 8th Street at both Nicollet and Hennepin avenues, as well as at 9th and Nicollet. They are made of salvaged Douglas fir, silver maple and Minneapolis ash. Each takes about five to six hours to build, he said, and each has a distinct theme, adorned with phrases such as “Bless the great wind for carrying you today” or “Everyone deserves a place to rest.” Also on the benches: QR codes that direct visitors to send a note to Mayor Jacob Frey or their City Council member, advocating for more seating options downtown.

“It’s not a very appealing place at the moment,” Saunders said. “There was more life, more people on the streets. It was more welcoming to people, and right now it’s not.”

It’s not the first time people have decried the lack of seating or welcoming architecture in downtown Minneapolis. When seating was removed from plans for the Hennepin Avenue reconstruction, groups including the Minneapolis Pedestrian Advisory Committee expressed concern that the lack of places to sit down often contributes to the marginalization of people with nowhere else to go.

While there are parts of downtown with more seating choices, Saunders said he’s felt a particular lack along Hennepin and Nicollet, traditionally two of downtown’s busiest pedestrian arteries. For people just out strolling, waiting for a bus or visiting Minneapolis for the first time, there are few places for respite. Saunders said he’s seen many travelers sitting atop their luggage when no bench is in sight.

Saunders said he scouted the location on downtown walks, his dog in tow.

Downtown Improvement District chief of staff Ben Shardlow said his team noticed the benches popping up over the winter. They stuck out in particular because most movable benches or chairs are taken in seasonally, he said. Though items do occasionally show up downtown, DID is not in charge of encroachment permits, he said.

Typically, DID’s movable seating is put out in May. Warming winters could affect that timeline in the future, he said.

The organization supports public seating options, Shardlow said.

“Our approach to public seating including on Nicollet was working pretty darn well in 2019, and then the pandemic kind of complicated everything,” Shardlow said. “It has been more of a challenge to successfully deploy movable seating in the center of the downtown core than it was before.”

The neon green and blue-emblazoned crew of DID helpers who casually patrol downtown’s streets are often looked to for help mediating disputes around public seating — whether it’s someone monopolizing a seat for too long, or potentially even more antisocial or illegal behavior.

Still, DID sees the social environment improving, Shardlow said. And Saunders’ impromptu benches will soon have competition — blue Adirondack and yellow metal chairs that have come and gone in recent years will return to Nicollet Mall this summer.

Saunders enlisted his partner for brainstorming help for each bench’s theme, he said. He’s been heartened by help from a loose affiliation of friends and acquaintances he’s unofficially officially dubbed the Minneapolis Public Seating Authority.

But the benches have proven to be somewhat more mobile than expected. Saunders uses an Apple AirTag to track their location as they seem to sometimes shift locations. One bench is currently inside a building on Hennepin. Another has somehow made it as far as a community garden on the city’s North Side, he said.

The Pedestrian Advisory Committee, which advises the mayor and City Council on policies or programs that improve safety, mobility, accessibility and comfort for pedestrians, applauded Saunders’ effort. Seating is insufficient across the city and is far from meeting climate action goals that seek to increase the numbers of pedestrians traveling by sidewalk or bike lanes, said Peter Vader, the committee chair.

“We see seating as a crucial component to meeting these mode-shift goals because we want people to feel comfortable walking,” Vader said. “And that also includes being comfortable not walking, comfortable that they can take a walking trip and have a place to stop to rest, relax … to just be.”

A Minneapolis spokesperson said Friday that the city has no comment on Saunders’ project.

So, is Saunders working on another bench? There are always new designs to try, he said, and plenty of spots in need of a place to sit.

“People are gonna sit, you know?” Saunders said. “We can’t be standing all of our lives.”