FARIBAULT, MINN. – Jon Frasz could always be counted on to wave his cowbell at anti-gun-violence rallies at the State Capitol in St. Paul.

Frasz didn’t have children of his own, but he felt strongly about preventing gun violence in schools, friends said. After a gunman shot and killed 20 6- and 7-year-olds and six adults inside Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in 2012, Frasz made buttons commemorating the Sandy Hook victims. He could always be counted on to passionately argue in favor of gun-control laws to whomever would listen; he was the kind of person who could make friends with folks even if they didn’t agree with his politics, they said.

And he’s remembered for his catchphrase that gun laws are pro-life.

“You never ran into Jon if you were one of the people that shared his views without getting into a really thoughtful conversation,” said Mary Lewis Grow.

Grow is among several of Frasz’s friends and fellow activists who miss the 76-year-old Northfield man, who died earlier this year from a sudden illness. To honor him, they used his slogan to put on an election billboard in Faribault near Interstate 35, as close to his hometown as they could get.

The billboard campaign was part of a statewide DFL election push in rural areas, but the money collected for the Faribault sign came from Frasz’s fellow advocates who miss his compassion and zeal. And now that the election is over, activists are finding new ways to honor Frasz.

Frasz was born in Saskatchewan but his family moved to Minnesota when he was 2 years old. He moved around the country throughout his life before settling back home as a truck driver for a number of years. But he found his passion later in life through political advocacy.

He would often volunteer to go to St. Paul whenever gun-safety groups like Moms Demand Action held rallies, cowbell in tow. He’d stand at booths and spread literature. He’d even go to Carleton College to reprint the Sandy Hook victim buttons and pass them out, all at his own expense.

A historic beachfront pavilion in Detroit Lakes will be razed and replaced after voters approved a sales tax to fund a $17.3 million project.

About 2,800 voters or 56% said “yes” to the ballot question on whether the city should impose a 0.5% sale tax for 12 years, or until the city raises enough taxes to pay off bonds financing construction of a new pavilion, park and beachfront improvements. It came down to a margin of 618 votes, according to unofficial results from the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office.

“It was a narrow vote, but there’s a lot of nostalgia with the old pavilion,” said Detroit Lakes Mayor Matt Brenk.

“I remember when I was a kid we used to have the big dances there and everybody would turn out. I mean, it’s a place where a lot of people maybe attended a wedding or met their spouse. So there’s a lot of nostalgia and I think that was where some of the ‘no’ votes came into play.”

Some residents who opposed the project said it’s a waste of tax dollars. But many remarked that they were happy to see improvements made to the pavilion near Detroit Lakes City Park, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

The existing pavilion, not on the historic register, was built in 1915 and replaced a shelter built in 1897, which is the year the park was created. The pavilion is “a focal point of activity over the decades as it has played host to many dances, concerts, weddings, reunions, and other large gatherings,” the city said.

Despite significant renovations in 2006 to replace the dance floor and build an addition for bathrooms and a kitchen, the foundation, walls and roof are still original from 1915. Age and deterioration have taken a toll.

A structural assessment in 2012 found several architectural deficiencies, namely floor damage, beam misalignment and roof leaks due to poor soil conditions that result in significant seasonal movement. The walls, windows and other building components have experienced significant rot from water leaks. In 2019, a wood beam above the south porch succumbed to years of water damage, the city said.

AMSTERDAM — Supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv clashed with apparent pro-Palestinian protesters before and after a Europa League soccer match between their team and Ajax outside the Dutch team’s home stadium in Amsterdam on Thursday night, media and officials said.

The clashes reportedly erupted despite a ban on a pro-Palestinian demonstration imposed by Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema, who had feared that clashes would break out between protesters and supporters of the Israeli soccer club.

Details of the incidents remained unclear, but Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called his Dutch counterpart about them.

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, also condemned the violence in a post on the social media platform X.

There were no immediate reports of arrests or injuries from the clashes outside the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam, the city’s main arena and Ajax’s home stadium. Ajax won the Europa League match 5-0 after leading 3-0 at halftime.