Minneapolis, MN

Roberts Bird Sanctuary visitors in Minneapolis urged to stop disturbing the owls

Published

1 month ago

November 18, 2024

Roberts Bird Sanctuary visitors in Minneapolis urged to stop disturbing the owls

Visitors asked to stop harassing owls at bird sanctuary

Roberts Bird Sanctuary visitors are being asked to stop harassing owls, as it could destroy their natural habitat. FOX 9’s Soyoung Kim has the story.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A local nonprofit organization is speaking out after receiving reports of people harassing owls at a Minneapolis bird sanctuary.

They worry this behavior could potentially disturb and even destroy natural habitat. Owls are a big draw at Thomas Sadler Roberts Bird Sanctuary in Minneapolis.

Two owls with pointy ears could be seen deep in conversation on Sunday evening.

“They’re both great horned owls,” said Stephen Rice, a Friends of Roberts Bird Sanctuary board member.

“I believe it is an established pair because we know they bred in this area for years,” said Constance Pepin, a Friends of Roberts Bird Sanctuary board member. “There’s the hooting and the puffing up the feathers and the bowing.”

Board members of the volunteer group said several of these majestic birds call the sanctuary home.

“There’s two other species of owl that use this sanctuary. That being the barred owl and eastern screech owl,” said Rice.

As you enter the 31-acre undeveloped natural area of Lyndale Park, there are several signs asking visitors to stay on the trail, but the Friends said they received a report Saturday afternoon of some people harassing an owl.

“People were going off trail trying to get a closer view by being near the tree,” said Pepin. “Apparently, we were told that it had been happening for a while.”

The person reporting the incident said they even witnessed someone bringing a ladder to get a closer view.

“It was shock and disappointment,” said Rice. “They are nocturnally active, so they are hunting at night and active at night, but during the day is their time to rest. It would be like somebody coming into your home in the middle of the night and waking you up.”

Board members of the nonprofit organization with the mission of protecting and enhancing the Sanctuary urge everyone to be respectful.

“It’s pretty simple,” said Rice. “Just go out and go to this place or other places out in nature and just observe. I think the proper thing to do is if you see an owl in the daytime, observe quietly from the trail, take pictures, but don’t get close, don’t play recordings.”

The volunteer group said disturbing or destroying their habitat could cause stress on the birds or could even force them to leave the area.

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Minneapolis, MN

North Minneapolis community mourns women killed in crash

Published

6 hours ago

December 22, 2024

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North Minneapolis community mourns women killed in crash – CBS Minnesota

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As family and community members come to grips with the loss of the two women,they’re also remembering the impact they had on those around them.

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Minneapolis, MN

‘They’re in good hands': Balloon release honors north Minneapolis crash victims

Published

13 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

‘They’re in good hands': Balloon release honors north Minneapolis crash victims

Dozens wept and embraced before releasing scores of balloons Saturday over north Minneapolis to remember two community pillars who were killed in a fiery car crash.

The crowd gathered near 26th and Emerson avenues to remember Esther Jean Fulks, 53, and Rose Elaine Reece, 57. They died on Dec. 16 when Teniki Latrice Elise Steward, 38, allegedly drove through a red light and struck their vehicle. A teenager waiting at a nearby bus stop also was injured.

Fulks and Reese “gave their love and their hard work and dedication to the community. And as you can see, there’s people out here for them,” said Fulks’ daughter, D’Nia. “I’m going to miss my mom. That was my world, I was with her day in and day out. I was hoping to come home to my mom, and it didn’t happen.”

“It means a lot,” Fulks’ son, Joseph Loyd, said of the neighbors attending the balloon release. “It shows what they contributed to the community and how much they meant to people. Not just their own families, but they touched countless other families and helped people.”

Emmary Thomas places a candle at a bus stop during a balloon release Saturday for Esther Fulks and Rose Reece at 26th and Emerson avenues in north Minneapolis. Fulks and Reece died in a crash at the intersection on Dec. 16. (Ayrton Breckenridge/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

A memorial of flowers, balloons, candles and pictures on Saturday mark the spot near the site of the crash that killed Esther Fulks and Rose Reece in north Minneapolis. Fulks and Reece died Dec. 16. (Ayrton Breckenridge/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Drakarr Lobley hugs a supporter during Saturday’s balloon release for Esther Fulks and Rose Reece in north Minneapolis. Fulks and Reece died in a crash at the intersection on Dec. 16. Lobley is Reece’s son. (Ayrton Breckenridge/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Family and friends said Fulks and Reece were pillars of the community who treated strangers like family and brought love to those around them. Both had worked as navigators for the Minneapolis Cultural Wellness Center since 1998, helping residents with food, clothing, shelter and other resources.

“They reminded us daily of the transformative power of service, love and cultural connection,” Elder Atum Azzahir, the center’s executive director, said in a statement. “They were not just navigators: They were beacons of hope, guiding people toward brighter futures.”

At the crash scene Saturday, loved ones embraced as they shed tears and shared memories. Anthony Hamilton’s “I Can’t Let Go” played as passing motorists called out condolences and words of support. Caution tape strung from a traffic cone near the intersection fluttered in the wind.

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Minneapolis, MN

Celebrating the winter solstice with a puppet procession in Minneapolis

Published

21 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

Celebrating the winter solstice with a puppet procession in Minneapolis

On Friday night, community members and artists with In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre gathered atop a snow-covered hill in Powderhorn Park in south Minneapolis to celebrate the winter solstice together.

In the center of the crowd, Minneapolis-based musician Sarina Partridge led a series of call-and-responses:

Musician Sarina Partridge leads a call-and-response song during a winter solstice celebration in Powderhorn Park.

Ben Hovland | MPR News

“Welcome in, wild hearts,” she sang. “We will sing our way to wholeness.”

The solstice at 3:21 a.m. Saturday marks the beginning of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere, bringing with it longer days. Saturday will be the shortest day of the year, at 8 hours, 46 minutes and 10 seconds in Minneapolis.

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.

A large heron puppet leads people through a snowy park — A 25-foot tall heron puppet leads hundreds of community members through the snow in Powderhorn Park.
Ben Hovland | MPR News

About 300 people had assembled at Avalon Theatre on Lake Street and walked a few blocks down 15th Avenue to the park. Many procession participants held up paper lanterns, while others carried larger-than-life handmade puppets, recognizable from events like the MayDay Parade and Puppet Lab as well as the theatre’s puppet library, which lets people check out puppets for free.

In the Heart of the Beast’s vibrant puppetry has been a staple of Minneapolis’ Powderhorn and Phillips communities for nearly 50 years, and the organization has called the Avalon Theatre home since 1988. But in November, theatre leadership announced it was starting the process to sell the Avalon and look for a new home for its programming.

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A group of people gather in a snowy park — Hundreds of community members gather in Powderhorn Park for a winter solstice celebration.

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People hold puppets and lanterns outside a theatre — Community members hold handmade puppets and paper lanterns as they walk from In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre on Lake Street to Powderhorn Park.

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People hold lanterns and puppets as they walk down a street — Community members hold handmade puppets and paper lanterns as they walk from In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre on Lake Street to Powderhorn Park.

In the Heart of the Beast’s interim executive director Elina Kotlyar said she hopes to continue to expand on the theatre’s current programming — and make it more accessible.

She said her dream is that the new space “can be reached by as many people as want to come.”

Windchill temperatures hovered in the single digits as the procession wound its way back to the Avalon, but the lanterns cast a warm glow on participants’ faces as they plodded along the quiet neighborhood street.

A child lets out a howl on his father's shoulders — Three-year-old Finn Miller lets out a howl while perched on the shoulders of his father, Josh Miller, during a winter solstice celebration.
Ben Hovland | MPR News

Back inside the theatre, community members shared homemade soup and watched musical performances. For Kotlyar, events like the solstice celebration are integral to bringing the community together.

“Tonight is simply an opportunity to be in the moment with other people,” she said. “And the warm soup is a bonus.”