Letters June 2023

THANKS FOR MENTIONING IMPACT OF TRAUMA
Thank you for your comprehensive write-up on the Third Precinct. I am an urban planning professor and am not surprised by the attitude of the city. Trauma is poorly understood by urban planners when it intersects with "real estate." The community perceives the building with trauma and building any of the options marginalizes and harms communities.
The land belongs to the Native; they need to be at the table along with the communities. I will use your narrative in my class. I am also writing a chapter on "Trauma-Informed Culturally Sensitive Smart Cities." I am glad I went to Quruxley restaurant where I picked up the Messenger.
I live in San Diego, but I will be coming to Minneapolis frequently. I am writing about trauma in cities. I teach at UC San Diego.

Thank you,
Sheila Mitra-Sarkar
DREAM Intersectionality Scholar
www.getdreami.info

LOVELY DINNER AT INDIA KUTIR
We just had the most delicious dinner at India Kutir at 36th Ave. S. and East Lake Street. A Somali restaurant used to be there so many residents, like me, just discovered this new gem. Nice to have something good happening on Lake Street.

Thank you,
Lynn Balfour

BE A CITIZEN SCIENTIST
After planting a variety of native wildflowers along the public sidewalk near my house, I observed the colorful pollinator insects they attracted. To learn more, I took photos and uploaded them to iNaturalist where artificial intelligence and human experts assisted with identification.
What a diversity of tiny wildlife in my small Minneapolis yard! With iNaturalist's help, I've recorded more than 200 species of bees, wasps, flies, spiders, beetles, moths, butterflies and dragonflies, some quite rare. In a similar yard in St. Paul, an observer has identified over 440 species.
Spread the word! Learn about nature! iNaturalist encourages anyone, age 13 and up, to take photos of the amazing critters around us, upload their observations, and contribute to citizen science.

Bob Payton, artist
Web: www.bobpayton.com
E-Mail: bob@bobpayton.com