12 Northeaster | November 1, 2017 First Ward Minneapolis: Active race to the finish See page 13 for a list of Northeaster attached to activism. He considers mayoral articles on other political races. candidate Nekima Levy-Pounds a reform- er and a strong voice, and said he would by Gail Olson support her. The incumbent and two challengers will His work in an inner-city school showed face off in November for the First Ward him that the way to help schools and stu- Minneapolis City Council seat. DFL mem- dents is to “stabilize the economy, provide ber Kevin Reich, who took office in 2010, stable housing and workforce training, and is running for his third term against inde- pay people a livable wage.” Problems in pendent candidate John Hayden and DFL the schools, he added “are more a symp- member Jillia Pessenda. Reich and Pes- tom than a disease; it’s what is happening senda unsuccessfully sought endorsement outside the classroom that is the issue. The at the April DFL convention, which ended solution will take hard work and resources.” with a “no endorsement” vote. The First Ward includes the Northeast John Hayden Jillia Pessenda Kevin Reich Pessenda’s platform neighborhoods of Columbia Park, Mar- Pessenda said her issues include afford- shall Terrace, Waite Park, Audubon Park, able housing, police accountability, and the Holland, Logan, Windom Park, Northeast Transportation, the stadium streetcars. “Our property taxes are going environment. Park, Mid City Industrial, and Como. In a discussion that ranged from bike up 31 percent over the next five years,” he “We are facing a housing crisis,” she Hayden grew up in Michigan and holds paths to public transportation, the candi- said. “The choices the city makes are hid- said. “We need sustainable density, stron- a degree in biology from Spring Arbor dates generally viewed the city’s efforts den; when you take a streetcar or build a ger housing rights, and a mixed income University, a liberal arts Christian school. favorably. Hayden, however, said he wants stadium, it takes money away from police, policy. We need more money in the Afford- He worked with a diverse population of more money invested in the city’s safety workforce training, and affordable housing. able Housing Trust Fund.” students on Chicago’s South Side before infrastructure. “Right now there’s a shift We create this dilemma by not spending She believes that police would benefit moving to Minneapolis in 2014. He is the toward bikes. We need safe pedestrian our money correctly.” from “ongoing implicit bias training.” She national training lead for Genesys Works, and bicycle paths. Our streets are poorly Reich said that streetcars are included favors (as does Reich) the current co-re- a company that helps place young people designed for bikes. We need to educate in the Access Minneapolis Plan, which also sponder pilot program, which pairs police in internships at local companies. Hayden people; it’s important that they understand includes bus rapid transit, electrified buses, with mental health professionals. She also serves on the board of No Labels MN, a that their right to drive a car is not greater and light rail. “If we’re going to talk about wants to bring back the Civilian Review group that rejects partisanship. Although than a person’s right to drive a bicycle. We investment in fixed rail, then Central Ave- Authority. “We need to work with the com- he is running as an independent candidate, need to share the roads; the transition [of nue should be in the game. Northeast is munities most impacted by police brutality,” he said he votes for the Democratic party getting more bikes on the road] is confus- the perfect site for it. The question is, does she said. in national elections. Hayden lives in the ing and scary, also it’s frustrating for those that guarantee it’s going to happen? There Pessenda said that residents’ access to Waite Park neighborhood. who do want to ride bikes.” (He added that are a lot of steps; we have to be eligible fresh food is important; the city must look Pessenda, who is from Duluth, moved his cousin had died in a biking accident.) for federal funding and it still needs to be at the low-income communities and com- to Minneapolis in 2000. She graduated Reich expressed enthusiasm for the a partnership. It needs somebody to oper- munities of color that often do not have from the University of Minnesota as a the- strides the city has made in bike paths, ate it. There is a question about its regional such choices. “In my career, I am working ater arts and dance major. A former actor, moving “phase by phase” in Northeast on significance. The Metropolitan Council is toward providing more food access through dancer, and director, she appeared in “The streets such as Arthur, and 18th and 22nd studying it.” urban agriculture.” Believers” at the Ritz Theater in Northeast. avenues. “I’m not for bikes everywhere,” he Hayden and Pessenda said they entered Her strengths, she added, are her back- She has worked for non-profit organizations said. “I support a network. Bike lanes make the ward race because they opposed the ground as a community organizer and her such as Occupy Homes and OutFront Min- sense east of Central Avenue, where there city’s (and Reich’s) vote on the Vikings perspective as an artist. “I also have the nesota, and is a Homegrown Minneapolis is more room and it is residential.” Other ar- stadium. “I’m not against the stadium,” perspective of being a woman, and a mem- Food Council board member. Since 2016, eas, such as Lowry Avenue, which is a na- Hayden said. “I’m against the deal.” Pes- ber of the LGBT community, where repre- she has worked in development and com- tional truck route and also the “worst street senda said, “The stadium vote cost taxpay- sentation matters.” munications at the Institute for Agriculture for pedestrians,” are less safe. “The street ers over $500 million. I think people should and Trade Policy, a non-profit organization itself dictates the context of what the use have had the opportunity to vote on it.” Reich’s platform that promotes sustainable food. Pessenda should be,” he added. Reich responded that the city and State Reich said he has been working to im- lives in the Windom Park neighborhood. Pessenda, who described herself as a Legislature’s work on funding the Target prove Northeast since his neighborhood Reich grew up in Northeast Minneapolis biker, said that the city has a lot of work Center, the Convention Center, and the Vi- association days. “When I was the HNIA and graduated from Edison High School. to do on transit, particularly in Northeast. kings stadium has allowed Minneapolis to project director, we needed to stabilize He has a bachelor of arts degree from St. She drives her car to work because taking create a “whole new development district our housing and deal with commercial Olaf College in philosophy and Asian stud- a bus to the Whittier neighborhood (near downtown, creating millions of dollars of tax abandonment. We did the basics of de- ies. He was the Holland Neighborhood Im- Uptown) takes 45 minutes. “The bus is not revenue. We were able again to continue velopment and increasing vitality on our provement Association’s (HNIA) executive convenient for me.” She said she would like our commitment to neighborhoods, and own terms. We protected the mom and director and project director from the mid- to see the city implement bus rapid transit we were able to make community groups pop businesses, we got crime down, we 1990s until 2010. Reich chairs the city’s and increase transit accessibility. “We need whole.” (The $1.1 billion stadium, which stabilized neighborhoods with the NRP Transportation and Public Works Commit- more east-west transit options. A number opened in 2016, was financed by team own- program, cleaned up pollution, and slowly tee and the Mississippi Watershed Man- of Edison students live in North Minneap- ers, the state, and the city of Minneapolis.) but surely stabilized our arts district. We’ve agement Organization board. A member olis. We need to make sure that kids can turned the corner. Now people say they’re of the Metropolitan Council Transportation get across the river.” She said she is a “big Hayden’s platform worried that Northeast might turn into an- Advisory Board and Edison Community supporter of light rail,” and would like to see Hayden describes himself as a “highly other Uptown, but Uptown has none of and Sports Foundation board, he is also the city fund more lines. “Transit’s great, ideological” independent candidate who is our granularity, our sense of making stuff. a founding member of the East Side Food let’s do it. More young people are choosing a problem-solver. He said, “I’m not chas- We have local little pubs, small stores and Co-op. He lives in the Windom Park neigh- not to have cars.” ing after the money. There is no special restaurants, the artists. borhood. Hayden criticized Reich’s support for interest group backing me. Our campaign “Northeast has been working on stabiliz- is incredibly unique. I am willing to run on ing our workforce housing; we worked on ideals and defy the status quo without go- that for 15 years,” Reich said. “Now, we’re ing overboard.” one of the great American turnaround sto- He believes that there is a “disconnect” ries. We have the lowest crime rate, a na- between the barriers people face and the tionally-known arts district, the breweries policies politicians propose.