It's our not-quite monthly appointment with Dr. Melody Hoffmann, PhD. Melody starts us off with the farmers market report. We talk about the massive fire that destroyed a 25-unit, 100 year old apartment building at 24th and Lyndale in the Wedge -- and whether city hall failed to properly intervene to stop a public safety threat that neighbors had been predicting for months. We talk about a failed effort to put $200,000 in the city's 2023 budget for a municipal sidewalk snow clearing pilot. John makes the case that the dream of a dense pedestrianized, climate-friendly city, where people drive less, falls apart if it's not safe for people to use the sidewalks all year long. John expresses skepticism about the crime-fighting impacts of MPD's Operation Endeavor, the results of which are being celebrated on the TV news. During the underwhelming gift guide portion of the episode, we find out if Melody's use of the phrase "neighbor-friend" is actually a euphemism for something a bit more intimate.

You can find Melody on Twitter at @MelodySWV and https://southwestvoices.news

Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive