Letters to the Editor
September 2001

Airport position
    I am writing to comment on your August 2001 article about airport issues (“He said, she said: Candidates and activists discuss airport positions,” which also appears in this issue).
    Unfortunately, the article failed to mention that its author was a public supporter of one of my opponents. Disclosure of that conflict of interest would only be fair.
    In addition, three of the four commentators you asked to evaluate the candidates are avowed supporters of my opponents.
    The 1996 resolution I supported called for the land-banking for a new airport. Because the airport is near capacity, I continue to believe we need to plan for a new airport.
    As mayor, I would personally represent Minneapolis residents as a member of the Metropolitan Airports Commission. I would send a strong message to the MAC and Northwest Airlines that changes will be necessary to protect the residents in South Minneapolis.

Lisa McDonald
City council member,
Mayoral candidate

Missed candidate coverage
        One of the candidates your paper unfortunately omitted from your coverage of the 6th Ward Minneapolis City Council race is Tamir Nolley. He is endorsed by both the Grassroots and Independence parties. Unlike other candidates in the race, he did not attempt to seek the the DFL’s endorsement. The DFL is the party that has been in charge of this city while our community’s supply of affordable housing has dwindled to ever more miniscule levels and racial profiling and police brutality continued unabated.

Robert Halfhill
Minneapolis

Dutch Elm disease
    Your article about the folks trying to bring back a disease resistant Dutch Elm is not good news for gardeners. This invader from Northern Europe is the curse of the western world. If you’ve ever tried to pull an elm seedling out by the roots you’ll know what I mean. An elm is a nice shade tree but so are most trees.
    I dream of a day when our boulevards and our yards are edible landscapes and not just decorative. In fact this is one of the many tactics we must adapt if we want to have any chance of slowing global warming. We could get a big portion of our foods from our boulevards and yards and less from South America or California. There is not a good reason why our boulevards cannot be lined with Toka plums or pear trees. Maybe even a few of the White oaks with their eminently edible acorns. Or maybe more of the sugar bearing sugar maples. Even mulberries that are so necessary for our dwindling songbird population would be better than the invasive and pesty Dutch Elm.

Don Johnson
Minneapolis