A big ‘thank you!’ to Farm Aid performers

I was surprised by the varying, and at times very negative, critiques (in the Sept. 21 Pioneer Press) of the performers who generously donated their time to perform at Farm Aid 40. My family and I were at this event and we had a very different vantage point.

We chose this concert because it was such a special event and a great cause. Not only did we get to hear amazing music from new artists, but also from living legends, like Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and Willie Nelson. The experience for our family was one of community, and bringing together people to support a greater cause, the family farm and the workers who provide food for our tables. I saw audience members (many Minnesotans and folks from outside the state), of all ages and backgrounds, singing, dancing, smiling and nodding their heads in unison to the tunes. While the artists brought different energy levels to the stage, this wasn’t a bad thing. Quite the contrary. It was the beauty of Farm Aid. Artists and the community coming together to celebrate and raise funds for an important cause.

Every artist should be given a great big Minnesota Nice “Thank You!” for donating their time and talents to Farm Aid 40! It was something special!

Nina Frost, North St. Paul

 

Don’t trivialize these terms

I work out regularly at the local YMCA and often see those individuals with “special needs” exercising. In 1933 Adolf Hitler passed a law authorizing the forced sterilization of hundreds of thousands of people deemed “hereditary ill.” In 1939 he initiated the Aktion T4 euthanasia program, a systematic campaign of mass murder targeting those German citizens he deemed disabled or mentally ill.

Today we live in a free and open society, one in which EVERYONE can participate. However, in today’s political climate, the terms “facism” and “naziism” are loosely bandied about.  We should never forget the true — and horrific — meaning and origin of these terms so that they are not trivialized and never again become reality.

Richard M. Ryan, Woodbury

Oh, good

I want to give a shout out and a big thank you to the Ramsey and Hennepin County Attorneys. Every year I dread spending the hundreds of dollars to purchase vehicle tabs.  Now, the proclamation that those laws will no longer be enforced, that is a big money saver for our family.

If they would also be so kind as to publish a list of all the other laws and ordinances that are not enforced, I would like to see what else I can circumvent that will make my life equal to everyone else.

Michael Miller, St. Paul

 

All that strategy

I’m sure that other readers, like me, were heartened to read, in the same issue announcing Ramsey County’s proposed property tax increase of 9.75% in 2026 and 7.5% in 2027, that the county has named Michael Soto as director of Policy and Administrative Strategy (“Soto to lead policy and strategy division,” Sept. 24). There we learned that “Soto will oversee county strategic planning and support strategic alignment in policy development and performance management.”

According to Maria Sarabia, Ramsey County chief of staff, “Michael brings a unique combination of strategic insight, technical expertise and collaborative leadership. His experience driving people-centered data strategies and building strong teams will enhance our ability to shape policies that reflect community needs.”

This appointment will help address an area that I’ve long found lacking — namely, strategy. Michael Soto sounds like just the guy we need for strategic planning and strategic alignment and strategic insight and data strategies. I think other county residents will agree that when it comes to spending our money, you can’t have too much strategy.

David Healy, St. Paul

A good and decent person

Growing up, watching television from our home in south central Minnesota always centered around the news of the day. I was so interested as I went to college in the mid-1960s that my double major was political science and speech/communications.

In my junior year, I landed a job as a dispatcher, listening to multiple police and fire radios while working out of a basement newsroom at WCCO-TV; I even met Walter Cronkite once.

For four years, I was a writer on my weekly college newspaper.

Upon graduation, I began to work for Republican political organizations within state government and the private sector and, by age 28, I was elected chair of the Republican party (the youngest in the country) with an outreach program to appeal to political independents.

Soon, I began submitting thought pieces to various editorial pages, mostly to dailies in Minnesota, and appearing on various radio and TV news programs.

Along the way, I struck up a friendship with a fellow my age who liked to ask questions about what was really going on in our mostly DFL state government. I was happy to oblige.

Stan Turner, who grew up in St. Louis Park and graduated in journalism from the University of Minnesota ,had begun his own career at the same time in various radio news assignments before beginning as a reporter/anchor at Hubbard Broadcasting KSTP-TV in St. Paul for over three decades. His work eventually included teaching at the University of St. Thomas, working at Minnrsota Public Radio and serving as president of the Minnesota Press Club. He was elected to the prestigious Pavlak Broadcasting Hall of Fame 16 years ago.

Particularly in the mid 1970-80s, Turner would contact me for face-to-face dialogue at early morning breakfasts, after news conferences or otherwise. Rarely on the phone, he liked to look a person in the face and ask the tough questions. He could also learn things “off the record” without compromising anyone.

The two of us met for early morning breakfasts for a number of years. For the last two decades or so we pretty much went our own ways.

When I learned that Stan had been battling cancer since 2022 and that he passed away at age 81 on Sept. 21, I paused and reflected on a good and decent person who lived his busy life with genuine decency and honor.  Like so many others, I will miss him.

Chuck Slocum, retired owner of The Williston Group, a management consulting firm

Related Articles

Ten years after MPR canceled ‘Wits,’ John Moe’s live variety show lives on

St. Paul Regional Water Services opens $250M new McCarrons treatment plant

St. Paul: I-94, I-35E closures this weekend, also John Ireland Blvd. bridge work in October

Judge finds Current DJ’s stalker violated restraining order but not guilty due to mental illness

Divided St. Paul council votes 4-3 against 28.5% rent hikes on Ashland Ave.

By LARRY NEUMEISTER

NEW YORK (AP) — Retired financier Howard Rubin was arrested Friday on sex trafficking charges for allegedly trafficking dozens of women, including former Playboy models, to be sexually and physically assaulted during encounters in his Central Park penthouse in a soundproofed room described in court papers as “The Dungeon.”

Related Articles

Gunman who blamed NFL for hiding brain injury dangers had CTE, medical examiner confirms

Hurricane Humberto and a tropical disturbance to impact the Caribbean and possibly the Southeast US

Federal agents fire chemicals as protesters try to block car at immigration site outside Chicago

Listeria found in Walmart meatball meals may be linked to deadly fettuccine outbreak

Assata Shakur, a fugitive Black militant sought by the US since 1979, dies in Cuba

Authorities announced the arrest of Rubin and his former personal assistant, Jennifer Powers, on charges in an indictment unsealed in Brooklyn federal court.

Rubin was arrested Friday at his rental home in Fairfield, Connecticut, while Powers was arrested at her home in Southlake, Texas, authorities said. Rubin was expected to be arraigned later on Friday.

Messages for comment were sent to multiple lawyers for both of them.

During a three-decade career, Rubin worked at various financial firms, including Merrill Lynch, Bear Stearns and Soros Fund Management.

Prosecutors said Rubin and Powers abused the women between 2009 and 2019 after recruiting them to fly to New York to engage in sex acts with Rubin in exchange for money.

They said Rubin and Powers targeted women who were desperate, including women who had previously been sexually abused, along with women who were financially desperate or who suffered from addiction. Once they were in New York, the women were encouraged to use drugs or alcohol to prepare for their sexual encounters, and they sometimes engaged in conduct beyond the scope of their consent, prosecutors said.

During the encounters, women suffered significant pain, including bruises and psychological trauma, and sometimes required medical treatment, according to court papers.

Rubin and Powers spent more than $1 million of Rubin’s money to recruit the women to participate in commercial sex acts involving bondage, discipline, dominance, submission and sadomasochism, according to a letter submitted to a federal judge in which prosecutors sought detention for Rubin and a significant bail package for Powers.

Prior to 2011, the commercial acts usually occurred at luxury hotels in Manhattan, but from 2011 to 2017, the encounters usually occurred in a two-bedroom penthouse near Central Park, the letter said.

The penthouse contained “The Dungeon,” a soundproofed room painted red that had a lock on the door and was outfitted with bondage and discipline instruments, prosecutors said.

They said Powers maintained the dungeon, cleaned it between uses and restocked the equipment, while also recruiting women, arranging their flights and managing fallout from complaints about the sessions with Rubin.

Rubin and Powers required the women to sign nondisclosure agreements and pledge that they were not under the influence of drugs or alcohol when they signed the agreements, prosecutors said.

According to court papers, Rubin has funded virtually all aspects of Powers and her family’s lifestyle since 2012, including rent on their Manhattan apartment; her children’s private school tuition; and the down payment and mortgage on their Texas-based home after the Powers’ moved to Texas in 2020.

Prosecutors said Rubin and Powers were sued for civil sex trafficking in November 2017, but a jury found at trial that they were not liable. The case has been appealed.

If convicted, Rubin and Powers each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life.

Ryan Sever was a 210-pound freshman linebacker in 2022. And early in fall camp, despite a wealth of talent at the position, St. Thomas head coach Glenn Caruso recognized the Benilde-St. Margaret’s alum as someone the Tommies needed to get on the field.

Playing a backup role on defense and starring on special teams — with three blocked kicks — Sever was a major contributor on the season, which saw the Tommies win in the Pioneer Football League title while going undefeated.

Three years later, Sever is a 230-pound stalwart on the Tommies’ defense, aiming to end his collegiate career with a bang. A second league title would come with the added payoff of qualifying for the FCS postseason in the school’s first season of eligibility.

All of which has Sever and his teammates razor-focused for Saturday’s league opener in San Diego against the Toreros. Buoyed by a 2-1 non-conference schedule that included a competitive loss at nationally-ranked Idaho, the Tommies know a win on Saturday against the team picked to win the league in the preseason coaches’ poll could be the start of something memorable.

“It’s been in the back of our minds the whole offseason,” Sever said. “A lot of the games we lost last season are still stuck in our minds, as well. So this offseason (there was) a lot of motivation, a lot of juice. The opportunity we have is huge; it’s something this university has never done.”

Offered Caruso: “I think what our players have shared and we’ve shared collectively as our goals for the season that this game is as big as it gets.”

Sever, who’s second on the team in total tackles (19), is one of the Tommies’ emotional leaders. To that end, he plans to address the team before taking the field on Saturday — not that he expects his teammates to need much help to get ready to play.

“I feel we’re a very mature team,” Sever said. “There’s a lot of leadership in that locker room. I think everyone understands (what’s at stake). We’ve been relaying the same messages for a long time now.”

Whether on the field or on the sideline, Caruso is confident in Sever’s ability to do the right thing.

“His energy and his passion are totally infectious,” Caruso said. “When you can be like that and be a highly productive player, that’s pretty special. He’s one of the more passionate players I’ve ever coached in my life, and there’s been a lot of them over 30 years.”

For Sever, it’s simply been a case of doing what comes naturally.

“I’ve been an emotional player — in anything I do — my whole life,” he said. “When I reflect on the sacrifices others have made to help me and the sacrifices I have made, I think it would just be a total waste to not bring the best I can every single day.

“Just so blessed and thankful for coach Caruso and the staff believing in me. And my teammates, as well. They’re the ones that get me out of bed in the morning, because I want to do this for them and for those people who believed in me.”

The Toreros (2-2) also played a challenging non-conference schedule. They opened with a loss to Cal Poly, beat No. 24 Southern Utah, lost to No. 4 Montana State and won last weekend at Princeton.

“The talent level is elite,” Caruso said. “They’re fast, they’re long, they’re athletic — what you would expect from a team that bases its recruiting in California. I think where they’ve grown in the last couple of years is their attention to detail on the defensive side of the ball.

“Coach (Brandon) Moore has done a great job of dispersing the talent appropriately.”

Adding another new wrinkle, the Toreros have put an emphasis on running the ball this season.

“Trying to slow that down is certainly going to be part of it,” Caruso said of the keys to the game. “And when we’ve been at our best against San Diego, we’ve been able to get first downs and moved the chains to win the field-position battle.”

That effort will be bolstered by the return of starting running back Gabe Abel and fullback Cam Miller, who will make their season debuts after sitting out due to injuries.

There’s good news on defense as well; both of the Tommies’ starting cornerbacks, Den Juette and Branden Smith, will be back in the lineup.

Coming off a bye week, the Tommies appear poised to give the Toreros their best shot. While the first three games brought plenty of success, Caruso noted there’s something else he would like to see.

“We’ve been very mentally tough and stalwart throughout each of the games,” he said. “But it sure would be nice to start out more productive in the first quarter. If given the choice of only one of those things I’d take the mental toughness and the growth.”

Related Articles

St. Thomas football: Tommies show growth with success against high-end foes

St. Thomas football: Tommies QB Andy Peters heads into anticipated homecoming vs. ranked Idaho

College football: St. Thomas opens by beating Lindenwood

Andy Peters tries to take hold of St. Thomas starting quarterback job

“The Vision Plan is not perfect, but it is clear and concise. It is a 15-year, three-phase framework that sets enforceable commitments around housing, climate resilience, transportation, and social services, while strengthening maritime and industrial uses.”

City and state officials announcing plans to redevelop Red Hook’s Brooklyn Marine Terminal last year. (Caroline Rubinstein-Willis/Mayoral Photography Office)

On Monday, Sept. 22, I was one of 17 members of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal Task Force who voted in favor of approving the Vision Plan, achieving a two-thirds majority as required by the rules. I was proud to cast this vote and wrote this to explain how and why, on behalf of Brooklyn Community Board 6, I came to vote yes. 

From the moment I was appointed to the Task Force, I have taken and continue to take that responsibility seriously. I worked off of CB6’s District Needs Assessment to ensure our priorities were not only raised but also incorporated. A big reason they were incorporated is that Rebecca Kobert and Arif Sunmonu’s contributions were invaluable throughout the process. Rebecca, CB6’s Land Use Coordinator, brought deep policy expertise and attended nearly every Task Force meeting with me. Arif, a lifelong resident of the Columbia Waterfront District, served on the Task Force’s Housing Advisory Group and ensured a most local perspective informed the housing discussions. Without their work, my own contributions would not have been as thorough.

The Vision Plan is not perfect, but it is clear and concise. It is a 15-year, three-phase framework that sets enforceable commitments around housing, climate resilience, transportation, and social services, while strengthening maritime and industrial uses (pages 10-15).

Housing costs are the most pressing crisis facing New York City. The plan delivers up to 6,000 new homes, with 2,650 units permanently available at deep affordability levels, including 250 units reserved for NYCHA residents from the surrounding neighborhoods. It also includes $75 million for affordable housing in Community District 6 and $200 million for repairs at Red Hook Houses (Vision Plan, pages 18-22).

These commitments will result in the construction of more than 3,600 affordable units, representing approximately 60 percent of the total housing. Just as important, housing will be built concurrently by multiple developers, with family-sized units required across both affordable and market-rate apartments. These are hard-won protections designed to avoid the mistakes of Atlantic Yards.

Climate resilience is built into the plan. The marginal pier will be raised to account for anticipated sea-level rise, and stormwater and drainage infrastructure will be implemented to reduce flooding (Vision Plan, pages 27-30). These measures will protect neighborhoods like Red Hook, which have faced decades of environmental neglect, and ensure that the waterfront is sustainable and ready for the future.

Transportation investments include pedestrian-first design, expanded ferry service, electric shuttles to connect residents to subways and ferries, and nearly a mile of improved greenway linking Red Hook, the Columbia Waterfront, and Brooklyn Bridge Park. The B71 bus is explicitly referenced, with a new commitment from the MTA. State Sen. Andrew Gounardes secured a comprehensive study on how to improve circulation and street safety from the water to Clinton Street (Vision Plan, pages 33-37). These are tangible steps toward reconnecting Red Hook to the rest of the city.

Social services and workforce commitments include a workforce training center, a Project Labor Agreement, targeted NYCHA hiring, more than 225,000 square feet of industrial space at discounted rents, half of it managed by nonprofits, a new public school, expanded community facilities, and over 28 acres of new open space (Vision Plan, pages 40-45). These are investments in people, not just property.

Equally important is governance and accountability. Community Board 6 will be the first community board in New York City with a binding seat on a development corporation. That matters. It is not just a seat at the table that can be pulled away, but a guaranteed role in shaping and monitoring the plan over the next 15 years (Vision Plan, pages 47-49).

The plan also allocates funding for legal support, enabling CB6 and other stakeholders to enforce commitments, particularly those related to affordable housing. This is a clear break from Atlantic Yards, where promises evaporated and accountability failed. Here, enforcement mechanisms are built in. 

I understand skepticism and opposition. It pushed us to make the plan stronger, and it will continue to drive accountability as implementation unfolds. The Gowanus rezoning and congestion pricing also faced loud opposition, but today they are broadly seen as necessary steps to address housing and sustainability. Most criticism of the BMT Vision Plan does not cite the plan itself, the pages of which demonstrate enforceable commitments that align with the priorities of CB6 and the broad coalition of area leaders, advocates such as Transportation Alternatives, unions, and civic groups.

After decades of neglect, the Brooklyn Marine Terminal finally has a path forward. This plan is for our district, the communities we serve, the borough of Brooklyn, and the City of New York. That is why I voted yes.

P.S. Over the last year, CB6 has compiled, and continues to compile, BMT info at: bit.ly/bmtcb6.

Mike Racioppo is the district manager of Brooklyn Community Board 6 and a commissioner on the Charter Revision Commission.

The post Opinion: How And Why I Voted Yes on the Brooklyn Marine Terminal Plan appeared first on City Limits.