Letters to the Editor October 2020

Justice for Midway? Dear Editor: Good news: Noticed Dey Appliance, Regina Vacuum Repair, Taco Bell, Apollo Lock, Holiday gas, Black Sea, Target and Cub restored, Goodwill, YMCA (partially), Lloyd’s satellite opened, Discount Tire, and Caesar’s Pizza have opened. Yea! Probably missed some. We try to patronize these local businesses whenever possible – been to most since invasion. We now take dog walks during the day and have started to put our American flag out without fear - even half staff for Justice Ginsburg. Lots of people are out walking their dogs in the neighborhood making it feel safer. We also took the bold step of ordering a political sign for our yard hoping we don’t get fire bombed. Monitor had nice coverage of damage and recovery – nice to see that. One shining light in the neighborhood! Bad news: Lots of gunshots are still heard and that is not normal and simply not acceptable. Lots of homeless live in Hamline Park – one guy urinating openly while families use the park. Homeless need help and this is not appropriate – the trash piles are huge. Restrooms? Even semi-truck companies store their trucks along Thomas blocking view of the park from the police and families, and interfering with Jehovah Church activities from parking to children crossing the street. Arson house on 14xx LaFond looks terrible. Closed Speedway on Snelling by Hamline University is still an eyesore. Midway Shopping Center is still an eyesore mess as are others destroyed in the invasion. I feel bad for the hundreds of people who lost their livelihood and jobs. Seeing businesses opened and still boarded means either they are still afraid or don’t have the money to replace the glass smashed out. Neither are good. No one seems to care about the Midway – sharing our pain or our steps to recovery. No civic leaders talk about us. Mayor has 17 new appointees making 6 digit salaries- –maybe some of that money could help us and cut these new hires? Saw that in the Monitor. How many of these violent people have been caught and prosecuted? The last three years have been horrific here and not the usual safe Hamline Midway we have grown to love. Noted all the violence on light rail and at station stops. Is there a plan to deal with homeless and violence issues? Is there anyone in government advocating for our neighborhood? Anyone giving updates? When will we feel safe again? Anyone condemning the violence? Or should we just layoff more police officers? What happened to the Ambassadors or homeless solutions? Is there a plan to help police get to know teens now that they are not allowed in public schools? We need more good news from our leaders. Jerry Ratliff Hamline-Midway   We are voting for Judge Pat Diamond Dear Editor: I am supporting the re-election of Judge Pat Diamond to the Ramsey County District Court. Pat has been an excellent judge for eight years. He is wise and fair and is always looking for innovative ways to make the court system fair for all people. It has been his lifetime work, even before being appointed to the bench. He helped create specialty courts for veterans, the mentally ill and people suffering from drug and alcohol problems that were often manifested in drunk driving arrests. Those courts focus on returning defendants to a productive life, rather than sitting in a jail cell. The number of children held in custody before their cases are heard in court dropped 45 percent while Pat served as lead judge for the court’s Juvenile and Family Division. By pulling together county officials and Native American tribes, he was able to create court time specifically to focus on the needs of native children under the Indian Child Welfare Act. Judge Diamond treats all defendants with courtesy and respect while maintaining order in the court room. He is a lifelong St. Paul resident who grew up on the East Side. I urge you to re-elect this compassionate and innovative judge on Nov. 3. Chuck Laszewski Falcon Heights Dear Editor: I support Judge Pat Diamond seeking re-election to Ramsey County District Court. Several years ago, I was called for jury duty in Judge Pat Diamond’s courtroom for a serious case that would be challenging for jurors. Simply stated, equal justice under the law requires hard work by jurors and a competent judge like Judge Pat Diamond. While I did not know the jury selection process, I expected that fairness, truth, and justice could be upheld by a skillful administration of justice. In this case, jury selection required questioning Ramsey County citizens – from all backgrounds – about their strongly-held beliefs, and if selected as a “jury of one peers” whether we could listen fairly to both sides so justice could prevail. Although not selected as a juror, I felt strongly that the selected jurors would work hard to ensure that justice be served because Judge Pat Diamond administered the jury selection process fairly. Again, as a potential juror, I initially thought that justice could be upheld. Under the skillful administration of justice, I left the Judge Pat Diamond’s courtroom knowing that justice would be served. I urge you to vote to re-elect Judge Diamond on your absentee ballot or on Election Day. Joe Collins North End   Dear Editor:

I write to support the reelection of my brother, Judge Patrick Diamond, to the 2nd Judicial District of Ramsey County.  Pat and I grew up on St. Paul’s East Side. Our parents raised us to work hard and treat others with respect and dignity.  Pat graduate magna cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School.  I watched him argue a case before the United States Supreme Court.

I am most proud of Pat’s impact on those marginalized by our society.   He was instrumental in developing a Domestic Abuse Service Center that serves as a national model. Pat helped establish the first Veterans Treatment Court in Minnesota. He led a state-wide collaboration with the Innocence Project of Minnesota. During a recent debate Pat said, “Our communities cannot be safe until all citizens are treated fairly.”  We need Pat’s experience, wisdom, and compassion on the bench. Flip your ballot and vote for Judge Diamond.

  Healthcare industry has been resilient Dear Editor: COVID-19 has created challenges for all of us—but especially the elderly population and those dealing with preexisting conditions. Threatening their health more so than the broader population, the COVID pandemic has forced these individuals to halt most aspects of their lives. However, one critical component of their lives that is not able to be put on pause is medical care. As a personal care attendant for an assisted living facility, it is my responsibility to help our residents with their daily routines, and administering necessary medications is a key part of my job. Fortunately, throughout the pandemic, I have noticed little to no disruptions in our ability to receive the medications our patients need—despite the unconventional demands and shortages our healthcare industry faced. Led by healthcare distributors, the supply chain in which the industry relies on for timely and reliable medication and treatment deliveries sprang into action immediately, keeping patient care top of mind throughout the crisis. And it is something that we should not take for granted. Without the proper medications and treatments, our most vulnerable patients would have suffered even more from this virus. But, they did not, and that is because our distributors and healthcare industry is resilient. Now, as we all await a vaccine, I know this same industry will continue to protect our patient community with the safest, fastest delivery of the treatment. Sincerely, Morgan Cardosi Como