The Northeaster, the every-home-delivered community newspaper for Northeast Minneapolis, St. Anthony, Columbia Heights and Hilltop. Our Mission: Finding out stuff and putting it in the paper since 1978, and now also online. Click here or publication schedule 2022
The Northeaster started when neighborhood revitalization efforts saw need for a way to notify and unite residents, businesses, and other players as an alternative to the big metro papers and formula suburban papers; one that was delivered to every home without need for subscription.
Pro Media, Inc. has owned and managed the Northeaster since 1981 and expanded it to cover the nearby suburbs in 1983 to meet audience and advertiser demand. MyNortheaster.com was crowd-funded; we are grateful for what the campaign told us about audiences and the future, as well as for the funds. We continue to appreciate our audience as contributions come in to help us weather the pandemic.
Northeast is now an arts and entertainment destination, which creates new sets of dialogs and more sets of eyes on us than ever.
You never know what –or who – you’ll bump into in the Northeaster; it’s where you go to find out what’s going on.
Meet the Northeaster People:
Margo Ashmore, Owner-Publisher and Advertising Representative
Along with ever-changing Northeaster roles, Margo lent her business and organizing savvy to various efforts in the 1990s and early 2000s and is now on the board of Northeast Minneapolis Arts District, which recently merged with Northeast Community Development Corporation. Every winter-spring since 2005 until the pandemic, she coordinated the Minneapolis & Saint Paul Home Tour, which will be back in 2022 as a program of National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) of Minnesota. Margo works with advertisers, writes occasionally (especially check$!), and is back behind the computer with emails and Zoom thanks to the current social distancing.
Vince Brown, Classified Advertising and Client Services
Stop in at the Northeaster offices and Vince, and often his dog Spike, are the most consistent folks you’ll find in there…working with clients on classified ads, paid subscriptions, and delivery matters. Vince produces original ads for businesses advertising, sends out the bills, adjusts photos, assists with layout and all sorts of office management and production. Northeast resident, prior graphics experience at Auto Trader and freelance print projects.
Cynthia Sowden, Editor and Northeast Experience Editor
You can take the girl out of Northeast, but you can’t take Northeast out of the girl. Cynthia Sowden loves her “hometown” –Northeast Minneapolis. She attended Thomas Lowry Elementary School and Northeast Junior High School and graduated from Edison. She holds a B.A. in journalism from the University of Minnesota and worked for many years in corporate communications, advertising and public relations. When she’s not working on the Northeaster, she’s playing her flute in the Northeast Community Band. She lives in the Audubon neighborhood.
Most frequent freelancers:
Carol Jensen – Retired U.S. Army photojournalist, musician, Conductor of St. Anthony Civic Orchestra. Lives in St. Anthony. Photojournalist associated with Northeaster for more than 25 years.
Patti Hoffmann – Retired from BNSF Railway. Reporter/photographer since 2019. Longtime resident of Northeast Minneapolis. Bachelor of Science degree from St. Catherine’s University.
Marla Khan-Schwartz – Reporter. Former music writer at 89.3 The Current, freelance writer. Graduate degree in Counseling Psychotherapy from Adler Graduate School, and a graduate degree in Public Health from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Waite Park resident.
Karen Kraco – Northeaster reporter, former associate editor at Minnesota Medicine and managing editor at Math Teachers Press, freelancer around town, high school science teacher. Northeast resident.
Nik Linde – Reporter/ Photographer with the Northeaster, freelance writer and photographer in Northeast. Grew up in South Minneapolis, Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Augsburg University.
Mike Madison – Got his start as a photojournalist for the Northeaster. His photography business is Bumpopera Media. Musician.
Mark Peterson – Retired Habitat for Humanity manager and avid arts consumer, photographer/reporter for Northeaster since 2014. Lives in Northeast.
Alex Schlee – Reporter and production assistant, grew up Northeast, lives in Marcy-Holmes, Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Bemidji State University.
Reporter emeritus: Gail Olson – Author and writing teacher, reporting for Northeaster more than 25 years, lives in Columbia Heights.
Grateful to: Liz Jensen – Former Reporter/Northeast Experience editor, lives in the Northeast River District, BA in English and Mass Communications, University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
Remembered: Kerry Ashmore, Co-Publisher from 1981 until his death January 27, 2014.
On leave: Alicia Scott – Reporter, former communications specialist for City of Minneapolis and Elk River Area School District, co-editor at Northeaster in the 1990s.