The Bridge -

Seward resident takes top prize in international art contest

jeremy — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:05:37 -0500

by Jeremy Stratton

Sister Kenny exnibit closes May 18; HCMC portraits through June 27

Gary “Juara” Clements has been making art since the second grade. His drawing board and supplies are always with him, he said. He has taught the subject in a Minneapolis school and “carried art into every job I’ve ever had,” said Clements, a longtime South Minneapolis resident who has lived in Seward for more than two years. He has exhibited in local galleries, and he has applied in the past for — but never had work accepted into — the Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute’s Annual International Art Show for Artists with Disabilities.

In 2008 — the 45th year of the art show’s existence — Clements was not only accepted, he won. His piece, along with nearly 200 of the 350 pieces accepted into the show, will be on display through May 18 on the second floor of the Sister Kenny Building of Abbott Northwestern Hospital, 800 E. 28th St. About a quarter of the works are sold each year, and 75 percent of the proceeds go directly to the artist, according to the Sister Kenny website.

The “best of show” honor comes with a $500 prize and a well-earned sense of accomplishment for Clements. In talking to him, one realizes that it his distinction as a lifelong artist — and not his particular disabilities, which include depression and bipolar disorder — that stands in the forefront.

Clements works out of his studio apartment — “No pun!” he said of his home and workspace, which gets “quite cozy sometimes,” he said, “with supplies and whatnot” — and he also works with Spectrum Artworks, the visual arts program of Spectrum Community Mental Health, a nonprofit organization in South Minneapolis that provides studio space, services and community to artists with mental illness. The organization puts the art, not the illness, first, said Amy Rice, director of Spectrum’s visual arts program.

Rice said she is “really, really proud” of Clements, but she’s not surprised he won. “The piece he did is absolutely beautiful,” said Rice. Spectrum has helped its members submit work to the Sister Kenny show for about eight years, she said.
His winning piece, Sunday go to Meetin’, is a memorial to a favorite uncle who “passed of age four years ago,” Clements said. “He was the family member who … was really missed when he wasn’t around, but when he came around, he stirred up so much energy that it was sometimes hard to handle him. But he was loved by all; he was a favorite, particularly of kids. He was very cynical and whatnot, but I really found his character to be special,” Clements said.

Clements described his art and process. He manipulates, through reprint and coloring, old photographs of family members from the past and earlier generations, he explained, then transfers the images onto fabric, incorporating them into quilting.

Clements makes art not only to memorialize others, but for himself, as well. It’s grounding, he said, and it helps him deal with his condition. “I use art as a kind of control, if you will. It helps me reduce my anxiety, and it also kind of keeps me from dropping to an unsafe level of depression.”

Ultimately, Clements described art as an extension of himself. “My father tried to teach me art for the time that he was in my life,” he said. “From that point on, it has been like an appendage to me.”

Clements spoke highly of the exhibit and the other artists in the show. “If you have never been to one of Sister Kenny’s exhibits, you’re really missing something,” he said. “For me, these other artists that competed and applied, I tell you, [their work is] equally as great as mine. I’m really honored to be there, period, with the same people,” he said.

Living Beyond Poster Project:The Portrait Show
May 2–June 27
Inspire Galleries
Hennepin County Medical Center
Red Building, Level 2 (Skyway)
730 S. Eighth St.

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, and Spectrum Community Mental Health and Inspire Arts @ Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) are marking it with this exhibit of portraits, in a variety of mediums, by contemporary artists living with a mental illness. The works depict 20 famous and historic figures that are living or have lived with a mental illness.

Three of the portraits will be made into posters, sold and distributed to schools, hospitals, businesses, and other public venues “in order to raise awareness that mental illness is a treatable disease, that people living with a mental illness are capable of great achievements and success,” states a press release from Spectrum. “It is our hope that … knowing that these great historic figures lived with a mental illness will decrease the stigma associated with mental illness.”

The gallery is free and open to the public, 8 a.m.–6 p.m. daily. An opening reception will take place Friday, May 2, 4–6 p.m.

Police issue crime alert following second university-area rape in two weeks

jeremy — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:28:32 -0500

by Jeremy Stratton

Free personal safety workshop May 17

The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) has issued a crime alert for the Como neighborhood and the University of Minnesota following the sexual assault of 20-year-old woman in the early morning of May 4. The woman was confronted by a stranger inside her house and was then sexually assaulted. She fled out a second-story window and broke her ankle.

By May 8, police were still searching for the suspect, who was described as a white male, 5 feet 9 inches tall with a medium build, dark brown or black hair, scruffy facial features and a “slight paunch” at his waist.

It was the second sexual assault on or near the U of M’s East Bank campus in two weeks; on April 20, two black males, between 20 and 24 years of age, pulled a U of M student into a third floor bathroom of Pioneer Hall and sexually assaulted her.

The alert comes with safety recommendations from the MPD, which include keeping doors and windows locked; leaving outdoor lights on; putting only a first initial and last name on mailboxes; not leaving tools and ladders out for burglars to use; watching out for neighbors; and calling 911 about suspicious activity.

Finally, the MPD recommends attending a personal safety workshop like the one offered by the MPD and Minneapolis Community Education at Audubon Park, 29th Avenue Northeast and Northeast Buchanan Street, on May 17, 2–4 p.m. The workshop is free. Instructor is Mary Brandl, a black belt and self-defense expert, will address self-defense techniques and how to reduce your chance of becoming a victim. RSVP to 2nd Precinct Crime Prevention Specialist Carol Oosterhuis at 612-673-2797.

Prospect Park/East River Road Improvement Association, 4/28 meeting

jeremy — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:03:08 -0500

by Bill Hoffmann

CORRECTION FROM PRINT CALENDAR: May meeting moved to May 19

CORRECTION: The May meeting of the Prospect Park/East River Road Improvement Association (PPERRIA) has been rescheduled for Monday, May 19 due to the Memorial Day holiday. The date listed in the May print issue of The Bridge is incorrect.

Prospect Park/East River Road Improvement Association (PPERRIA)

April 28, 2008, Annual Meeting and board elections.

By Bill Hoffmann

ANNUAL MEETING HELD IN HONOR OF RALPH RAPSON
More than 60 people attended PPERRIA’s annual meeting, which honored Ralph Rapson, long-time Prospect Park resident and acclaimed architect, who died March 29 at the age of 93.

President Dick Poppele noted Rapson’s influence on architecture in the city and the nation. Rapson’s designs included the original Guthrie Theater building. Board member Florence Littman said a memorial for Rapson included a Dixieland Band at his house, at his prior request. The band marched up Tower Hill. “We’re going to miss him terribly. He was really a treasure,” Littman said.

RAPSON NAME CONSIDERED FOR TOWER HILL PARK
The board and members voted to ask the executive committee to pursue a proposal to rename Tower Hill Park after Ralph and Mary Rapson. The current park name is unofficial.

Also, board member Betts Zerby said a fund was proposed to establish a memorial for Rapson.

PPERRIA DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, COMMITTEE CHAIRS ELECTED
The slate of nominees for the 2008-2010 PPERRIA board of directors was unanimously elected, as were 2008-2009 officers and committee chairs. A number of board members will continue.

Directors elected were: Wanda Alexander, Phil Anderson, Richard Brownlee, Sigrid and David Coates, John DeWitt, Kate Donahue, Robert Estes and Matthew Jones, Susan and Jeff Gottlieb, Dick Hendrickson, Gail Hughes, Kimberly Kensinger, Christina Larson, Florence and Walter Littman, Dorothy Marden, Karen Murdock, David and Ann Preus, Joe Ring and Susan Thrash, Joan Schneider, Cheryl Vollhaber and Andy Mickel, and Paul and Betts Zerby. Couples have one vote.

Two alternative board members were named: Steve Ficker and Peter Lasha. Tamara Johnson will fill a vacant 2008 position.

Following the election, officers and committee chairs were elected. PPERRIA officers elected for 2008-2009 were: President: Dick Poppele, Immediate Past President: Joe Ring, Secretary: Betts Zerby, Treasurer: Lois Willand, Vice President/Finance: Tony Garmers, Vice President/Newsletter Editor: John Holmquist, Vice President/Membership: Julie Wallace, Vice President/Transportation: John DeWitt, Vice President/Website/Database: Andy Mickel/Cheryl Vollhaber, Vice President/Zoning: Florence Littman, and Vice President/Zoning Co-Chair: Phil Anderson.

Committee chairs elected for 2008-2009 were: Education: Susan Larson-Fleming, Executive Committee: Dick Poppele, Housing: Roger Kiemele, Livability: Joe Ring, Membership: Julie Wallace, Personnel: Susan Larson-Fleming, Transportation: John DeWitt, Zoning and Land Use: Florence Littman, and Zoning and Land Use Co-Chair: Phil Anderson. The president will appoint chair of the Nominating Committee.

The board also approved a motion that the president, treasurer, and vice president of finance are authorized to deposit funds into PPERRIA’s checking and savings accounts, and to sign checks.

SMALLER PPERRIA BUDGET ADOPTED
The 2008-2009 PPERRIA budget for $9,000 was adopted by a unanimous vote. Lois Willand, treasurer, said the budget is slightly reduced from the previous year. Otherwise, there were no significant changes.

PARKWAY TRAILS TO BE CLOSED DURING RECONSTRUCTION
Board member Paul Zerby called attention to flyers announcing reconstruction of part of the East River Parkway Trail. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board flyer explains that some trails are seriously deteriorated. Also, older trails will be brought up to current park system standards.

Construction is expected to begin in midsummer and be completed by early fall. It will involve paving, wall repairs, signage, and landscaping. It includes 1.5 miles of pedestrian trail from the city limits north to East River Flats, and .75 miles of bike trail between Franklin Avenue and East River Flats.

For information, contact Park Commissioner Walter Dziedzic, 612-781-4080, or Project Manager Nick Eoloff, 612-230-6465 and neoloff@minnapolisparks.org, and see www.minneapolisparks.org.

UNIVERSITY PARTNERS DISTRICT ALLIANCE PROGRESS REPORT
President Dick Poppele reported on the progress in establishing the University Partners District Alliance. In May 2006, the Legislature approved a funding bill for a campus football stadium. At the same time, the Legislature mandated a study to assess the impact of the university on surrounding neighborhoods. In January 2007, the study was published, and entitled: Moving Forward Together: U of M Minneapolis Area Neighborhood Impact Report. (See the report at www.pperr.org/.)

The report highlighted concerns about deteriorated housing conditions, as well as a significant number of conversions of owner-occupied housing to rental in the Marcy-Holmes and Southeast Como neighborhoods. The report recommended taking action, and the formation of the alliance organization. It is composed of five neighborhoods, which includes the campus, business organizations, the city, and the university.

The Legislature appropriated $750,000 to establish the alliance and conduct a demonstration project. The Legislature asked the alliance to report back January 2008. The alliance is expected to seek further funding. The goals of the alliance focus on promoting the neighborhoods, improvements in housing conditions and home ownership, and encouraging employees to live near where they work in the district. Goals also include livability improvement, promoting education, transit, and design standards.

Ward 2 Council Member Cam Gordon, a member of the 17-member alliance steering committee, outlined plans for a demonstration project for a homebuyer incentive program.

Asked how they like the new alliance district, University Relations Director Jan Morlock said, “It’s making progress,” but drew laughter when she quipped, “I’d say we’re still dating.” Gordon responded, “Gee, I thought we were on our honeymoon.” Poppele commented about the district, “I’m optimistic.”

Ken Mowll, chair of the Pratt Parent Teachers Organization, said Pratt School would have a “huge budget cut next year.” Mowll said the university could help the Pratt and Marcy schools attract families to move into the neighborhoods. Poppele said the alliance has an education interest.

A resident asked if the university was an enthusiastic participant in the alliance. Morlock commented that there is a growing understanding by the top leaders at the university that the health of the communities around the campus is essential to the health of the university itself. Morlock noted that the university is also in the process of updating the campus master plan.

Asked for the university’s definition of a healthy neighborhood, Morlock said the alliance is working on the definition now. But, the definition, she said, would include a place where people want to work, operate home based business, where there are schools, and a place people want to visit.

Board member Paul Zerby, and former council member, said he applauds the alliance project. “But, you have to look at livability questions.” While he starts with “the premise that students are a great asset,” some student conduct, especially in Marcy-Holmes and Southeast Como, is disruptive to the neighborhood.

“This is a Town and Gown problem all over the place, like St. Thomas University in St. Paul,” he said. Council member Gordon noted that the U of M’s code of student conduct now includes behavior off campus.

For alliance information, see www.community.umn.edu/alliance.

TOM KILTON, SUSAN LARSON FLEMING SERVICE RECOGNIZED
Applause greeted recognition of board members and past presidents Tom Kilton and Susan Larson Fleming for their service. They each were presented with a large potted geranium. They are leaving the board, but Dick Poppele said he hoped they would remain active in the organization.

PRATT SCHOOL FUNDRAISER SET AT ICE CREAM SOCIAL
Claudia Fuentes, mother of a child enrolled at Pratt Community School, announced the annual Pratt Silent Auction to raise funds for student enrichment programs.

The auction will be held at the neighborhood ice cream social on Friday, May 30. Auction items are expected to include business gift certificates, artwork, services, and the opportunity to reserve the Prospect Park Tower for a party. Deadline for donations is May 20. Contact Fuentes for information, and to make donations, at cefuentes@hotmail.com.

SUSHI RESTAURANT TO OPEN IN STADIUM VILLAGE
The Azuki Sushi, a Japanese cuisine restaurant, is due to open soon in Stadium Village.

PPERRIA MEETING TO BE ONE WEEK EARLY
The May PPERRIA member meeting will be held Monday, May 19, one week early to avoid a conflict with the Memorial Day holiday.

APPLAUSE FOR BUSINESS, STUDENT MEMBERS
Board member Paul Zerby, who chaired the bylaws committee, thanked those who worked on changes proposed for the bylaws. Several changes were adopted at the February meeting. There was a round of applause for the newly eligible members.

Zerby said it was great to see new business and student members at the meeting. Bylaws changes in eligibility expanded membership to include business representatives and student residents.

NEXT MEETING: May 19, 2008, one week early to avoid conflict with Memorial Day holiday.

MEETINGS:
4th Monday of the month, 7 p.m., unless otherwise announced. Refreshments, conversation 6:30-7 p.m. Prospect Park United Methodist Church, 22 Orlin Ave. SE

CONTACT: 612-331-2970
66 SE Malcolm Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55414
pperria@tcfreenet.org
www.pperr.org

City website offers tips for green remodeling

jeremy — Tue, 06 May 2008 13:47:18 -0500

by Liz Riggs and Jeremy Stratton

The Center for Energy and Environment (CEE), through the Minnesota Energy Challenge, is giving away 10 free home energy audits and, for one lucky winner, an energy “makeover” worth up to $15,000. The deadline to enter is May 15. Register online, or a paper application is available by calling 612-335-5852.

Paul Morin, senior building analyst for CEE, said the makeover specifics would depend on the house, but common energy-saving fixes include “insulation and air sealing for sure,” and possibly a new furnace and water heater, upgraded lighting with high-efficiency bulbs, and even new appliances such as a refrigerator or dishwasher.

Besides the 10 audits and the eventual makeover winner, 25 other entrants will receive prizes like programmable thermostats, compact fluorescent light bulbs and appliance energy meters.

In an effort to increase environmental awareness and provide alternative options for home remodeling, the City of Minneapolis recently launched an online checklist with an eco-friendly building and remodeling guide.

In addition to reducing your environmental footprint, green remodeling and building practices can, over time, result in substantial utility savings. The following tips come courtesy of the city’s green building options website. (The numbering corresponds to the graphic on the website.)

1) Solar Power — Solar water heaters, passive solar and photovoltaics (which make electricity from solar power) are all options to consider. It’s recommended that homeowners consult with an engineer when designing a system, as structural reinforcements are sometimes necessary.

2) Metal roof or light colored 40-year shingles — Metal roofs are both long-lasting and recyclable. 40-year shingles create less waste because of their longer lifespan. Light-colored or reflective shingles absorb less heat and can lower air conditioning bills. In Minnesota, snow-covered roofs in winter mean shingle color won’t typically affect heat gain during colder months.

3) Insulation — An energy audit with blower door testing, performed by your utility company, can identify air leakage. Insulation that is made of recycled materials and/or is formaldehyde-free is ideal.

4) Exterior walls — When re-siding existing exterior walls using oriented strand board (OSB), use low or zero-formaldehyde material. For new construction, try structural insulated panels (SIPs).

5–7) Low-flow showerhead and faucet aerator, dual-flush flush toilets — Installing water-efficient fixtures is an easy way to lower utility bills. Efficiency standards are as follows: 1.5 gallons per minute (GPM) faucet aerators, 2.0 GPM for showerheads, 1.6 GPM per flush toilets. For toilets, a dual flush mechanism — with separate flushes for liquid and solid waste — is an added way to conserve water.

8) Tiles — Re-use salvaged tiles or American-made ceramic tiles with 50 percent or more recycled content are best.

9) High-efficiency windows — Insulation, durability and infiltration prevention are key when considering new windows. Have a third-party document the “U” value and infiltration rating — in both cases, lower ratings are better.

10) Paint — Paints and finishing products such as varnishes and sealants should contain little to no volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

11) Carpet — Look for carpet and area rugs that use natural materials. (The Carpet and Rug Institute offers “Green Label” requirements.) Both carpet and carpet adhesives should have low emissions.

12) Fireplace/fireplace insert — A fireplace insert can transform an older fireplace into an efficient heating system by circulating indoor air past the fire and back into the room. When dormant, close the damper on a fireplace to help prevent heat loss.

13 and 15) Lighting — Incandescent light bulbs can be replaced with more efficient fluorescent or LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs. Similarly, any built-in lighting fixtures shold be able to accommodate LED or fluorescent bulbs.

14) Wood flooring — The use of salvaged materials, rapidly renewable plant materials (i.e. bamboo or cork), re-milled lumber or sustainably harvested and certified wood are all examples of “green” flooring.

16) Kitchen appliances — Select appliances with Energy Star certification. An Energy Star designation demonstrates a product has been tested by a third party and ensures energy efficiency.

17) Drinking water — Adding a sink filter for drinking water (or simply using tap water) eliminates the need for purchasing bottled water.

18) Counters/cabinets — Recycled cabinets can be found at the Minneapolis Re-Use Center or the Habitat for Humanity store. Use countertops made from recycled materials and/or cabinet fronts made from re-milled or reclaimed wood.

19) Home recycling center — A home recycling center is a simple way to ease the burden on local landfills. Recycling information is available at the City of Minneapolis’s Solid Waste and Recycling Division website.

20) Linoleum flooring — Choose an eco-friendly version of linoleum: ‘natural linoleum.’ Created from natural substances like tree rosin, wood and cork flour, limestone dust, and linseed oil, natural linoleum isn’t made from vinyl — nor does it contain asbestos.

21) Heating/cooling, laundry and water heater — The cost of replacing an old heating system with a high-efficiency version (with 90 percent or higher annual fuel utilization efficiency) can often be recovered in three years through energy savings. Installing an integrated system that can also heat hot water will provide added savings. Ground source heat pumps, solar energy heating and cooling systems, and heat-recovery ventilators are other green heating options to consider. Central air conditioning systems should also be high efficiency.
In addition to kitchen appliances, Energy Star ratings are also issued for laundry equipment. Also, keep in mind that top-loading washing machines often use more water than front-loading washers.

22 & 23) Rain barrel or rain garden — Rain barrels placed under a roof or gutter help prevent contaminated runoff from entering storm sewers and travelling into lakes and rivers by trapping water runoff that could contain urban pollutants. The trapped water can later be used to water your yard or garden. Rain gardens are set up at a low-point in a yard to collect rainwater and, like rain barrels, also keep runoff out of storm drains.

Cedar-Riverside mourns death of Somali teen

jeremy — Fri, 02 May 2008 10:33:53 -0500

by Jeremy Stratton

Tragedy sparks call for action on crime, youth issues

Editor’s note: This is the first of two articles investigating the tragic death of Abdullahi Abdi and the larger issues surrounding it. In June, The Bridge will take a closer look at the lives and culture of young people in the neighborhood — by talking to the youths themselves.

Somali elders, youth and other members of the Cedar-Riverside community braved the unseasonable weather and snow on Saturday, April 26, to gather beneath the towers of Riverside Plaza, half a block from the scene of the April 11 killing of Abdullahi Ayil Abdi.

Youth from the neighborhood held signs with pleas for a safer neighborhood — “Books, not guns;” “Peace, not shattered lives” — while elders and youth leaders called, through a loudspeaker, for a unified community response to the tragic death.

In the midst of the mid-afternoon rally, the mother of the victim collapsed with grief and was finally helped away by family members. Soon after, the rally became a procession, as the assembled marched through the neighborhood en route to the Brian Coyle Center, where the rally continued.

“We share this community,” Abdullahi Farah, youth coordinator at Abubakar Sadiq Mosque in Cedar-Riverside, told the crowd. “What affects our children affects us.”
It was one of at least three rallies on that day alone, as the Cedar-Riverside and greater Somali communities mourned Abdi’s death.

The 18-year-old was shot while sitting in a car in the alley behind Freewheel Bike, near the intersection of Cedar Avenue and Sixth Street South. It was 9:15 p.m. on a Friday night in the busy heart of Cedar-Riverside. Despite rumors that some in the community — especially youth — know who killed Abdi, no one had been charged with the crime as this paper went to press — more than two weeks after his murder. (A 23-year-old Minneapolis man was arrested and questioned on April 24, but he was not charged, said Lt. Amelia Huffman, head of the MPD’s Homicide unit.)

The tragic incident has galvanized the Somali and Cedar-Riverside communities around the problem of gangs, crime and youth violence that the slain Abdi reportedly was not a part of but fell prey to. It’s an issue that the community, police and city have been addressing in recent years in a number of ways, but that some say needs more work and action.

‘A good boy’

By all accounts, Abdullahi Abdi was a good kid. Abdi — who many knew as “Shorty” according to some who were close to him — was a high school senior who attended Volunteers of America High School at 924 19th Ave. S., just across I-94 from scene of his murder. The youngest of 14 children, he had moved to Fridley from Cedar-Riverside, where family members had run West Bank Grocery after arriving from Somalia in 1997. His sisters still live in Riverside Plaza.

Abdi kept Minneapolis ties, as well. His brother, Mohamed Hirsi, said he had transferred to Volunteers of America just this year in order to earn credits in time to graduate high school this spring as an 18-year-old. In addition to school, Abdi worked at a Burger King in Fridley. Following his school transfer, his older brothers had offered him another part-time job at the market they run on Bloomington Avenue and 26th Street. Abdi accepted and soon excelled, said Hirsi. “He was excellent, good, smart,” he said of his younger brother. “He got everything. Everybody told me, ‘This young boy is sweet and smart.’”

Abdi was well-known at the Brian Coyle Center. Former Coyle Center Director Rhonda Eastlund called him “one of her favorite kids,” and Youth Coordinator Abdirahman Mukhtar agreed. “He was a great kid, he didn’t like violence at all,” said Mukhtar. Abdi took part in the center’s teen program, playing sports in the gymnasium. “He was here every day,” Mukhtar said.

Indeed, Abdi had been at Coyle Center just before he was killed. Teens had relinquished the gym around 8:30 for a meeting. Abdi planned to attend a party later — a “family party” for his sister’s birthday, said Mukhtar, adding: ‘Unfortunately, he didn’t make it.”

According to media reports, a friend stopped to pick Abdi up in a car in the alley near Sixth and Cedar, where Abdi was shot and killed, just blocks from Coyle Center. Though the killing has the mark of a gang hit, those who knew Abdi insist he was not part of a gang. Rumors and second-hand guesses at a motive include mistaken identity, that the incident stems from a confrontation in the preceding weeks, or that he was “paying for someone else’s crime.” At this point, it’s unclear why a “good boy” was murdered.

“‘Why?’ is the question all my family is asking,” said Hirsi, standing behind the counter of his South Minneapolis store. “We know he wasn’t a member of a gang, a bad boy. We know his days are ended; we ask ourselves, why? Why did somebody do this? What did he do to them? Every minute, I’m asking myself, ‘What’s going on?’”

‘Only our community can inform’

On the Wednesday after Abdi’s murder, Hirsi and his family asked these questions of the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) at an evening meeting at Augsburg College. Intend as a briefing between the family, police and representatives from Coyle and the Somali community, the meeting drew an impromptu crowd of at least 50 Somalis, young and old, who asked the same questions and demanded action from the police and city.
“The community wants to talk about the death of this young man, and what is going on with the gangs in Cedar-Riverside,” said Omar Jamal, executive director of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center, who helped organize the meeting. Jamal acknowledged that larger issues rose out of Abdi’s murder. “They don’t want to go again to the cemetery and bury another young man,” he said as the meeting thinned out.

The relationship between police and the Somali community was a large topic of conversation, Jamal said. “[It] has been called into question,” he said, asking rhetorically if the police “were part of the solution, or part of the problem?”

“Obviously there are some upset and nervous folks here,” said First Precinct Commander Janee Harteau after the meeting. Then, and later in a phone interview, she stressed the importance of the MPD talking with Somalis. “We need the Somali community to tell us the best way to communicate with them,” she said.

Harteau said that police “continue to change our methodologies based on what we hear from the Somali community.” The answer she gets most often, at monthly meetings with elders, is that word of mouth works best. “I don’t see that working until an event occurs,” she said, “so I’m trying to be proactive in getting people to the table before a tragedy occurs.”

Hirsi also stressed the importance of community involvement in catching his brother’s killer. “Only our community can inform,” he said. “They can tell us if they see [the killers]. If they have family, they know who they are. The good thing, to catch the killers, is to work together.”

It is especially important to bridge the gap between the police and Somali youth, said Mukhtar, not only in terms of the Abdi investigation, but in the larger picture. He said that youth at the Augsburg meeting had questions for the police but were largely eclipsed by elders. Mukhtar said said the Coyle Center Youth Council, which he oversees, plans to meet with police in May.

The need, he said, is “to talk about issues and how they can communicate. What are the misconceptions and stereotypes? Youth have misconceptions about police and will say, ‘I don’t want to talk to them.’ Even if they have an important piece of evidence, they don’t want to come forward, because they don’t believe the police are with them, or they don’t trust them,” Mukhtar said. “That’s what we need to bridge.”

Need into action

Some effort has been made to bridge the gap. Mukhtar noted that Lt. Kathy Wade, the First Precinct sector lieutenant for the Cedar Riverside area, contacted him a few months ago — before the killing — about a meeting with area youth for that reason.

Steps have been taken by the police, the city and the local community to address the larger issues of public safety and gangs, crime and violence within the Somali community, among both youth and adults.

Last year, the city published a Somali Youth Report that investigated and outlined youth behaviors, and recommended strategies to prevent negative activity, including gang activity. The report focused on sociological and psychological factors in the lives of immigrants and new Americans and recommended addressing root causes rather than symptoms. The report included one key aspect: conversations with kids themselves about what was going on in their lives and community.

Recommendations included long-term strategies like involvement and communication between youth and their parents, teachers, elders and other community members. More immediate recommendations included the need for organized activities for youth and a drop-in center to provide services. The city has recently released a larger youth violence report with similar recommendations, Mukhtar noted.

“The report was one step, a beginning,” said Mukhtar, but he said he hasn’t really seen any action from it. “I don’t like [the city] writing that report and doing nothing. What we need is some particular action,” he said, citing the need for a structured teen program, a place to hold it and people to staff it.

Ward Two Council Member Cam Gordon seconded the need for more resources and activities for kids. “We also need more police,” he said.

An increase in gang activity

More recently, the MPD’s Intelligence Sharing and Analysis Center presented some alarming statistics that show a dramatic increase citywide in gang activity and crimes committed by Somalis — not specifically youth, it should be noted. It stated a clear purpose: to bring together city leaders, police and the community to find solutions to the increase in gang activity.

The report showed “crimes perpetrated by Somali suspects” rising in categories of assaults, felony assaults, robberies and threats from 2006 to 2007 — particularly in the most numerous offenses, robbery and assaults. Both numbered under 20 in 2006, but assaults jumped to nearly 80 in 2007, according to an MPD graph, and assaults skyrocketed to around 170.

The report also named four major known Somali gangs — and more than a dozen “undocumented” gangs and included a map showing where crimes were committed from February 2007–February 2008, with which gang the perpetrator was affiliated, and the perpetrator’s home address. The map shows a concentration of incidents in South Minneapolis, including Cedar-Riverside, and overlapping home addresses. It would appear to dispute, at least in small part, claims that crimes and gang activity in Cedar-Riverside are perpetrated by outsiders. (For the sake of perspective, the Somali Youth Report, from 2006–2007, stated that there were 52 known Somali gang members in Minneapolis — accounting for just 1 percent of the total number in Minneapolis.)

While youth may dress like and even aspire to be “gangsters,” most of the actual gang members are older — 20–25 years of age — and many come from outside the neighborhood to target Somali businesses and break into cars, said Mukthar.

Outside observers — and the media, he said — “don’t see what’s going on in real life. They just assume, when they see a group of ten kids hanging around, that they’re a gang, that they’re bad.”

Perceptions and stereotypes aside, some in the community, especially business owners, have complained of very real crime that the Friday-night execution-style killing violently underscores. Business owners in the immediate area of the killing planned to meet with police to address the safety of their corner of Cedar and 6th Street on May 1. Whether prophetic or ironic, the West Bank Community Coalition (WBCC) Safety Committee had identified the area as one that needed additional lighting and more police patrols. The WBCC reinforced the need at their April meeting, urging the city to provide those resources.

In terms of more police, at least, the city may have already done that. Harteau said her First Precinct will get 12 new officers from the recent class of 32 new cops — the second increase in a year. The first round, last year, included Mohamed Abdullahi, a Somali officer who patrols the First Precinct. In addition to regular 24-hour patrols, four beat cops patrol the area.

In truth, the Cedar-Riverside community and the police come together often, meeting at regular monthly WBCC safety meetings and quarterly meetings a fact that Mukhtar appreciated, especially in terms of reaching kids.

“It’s a matter of how you communicate,” he said. “It’s different than when you talk to adults.”

Two weeks after the murder of his brother, Hirsi said he, too, has faith in the police, even though the killers had not been found. “Up until now, I haven’t seen a problem with the cops,” he said. He acknowledged that his family would have liked more answers to their questions. “They didn’t give us what we want, but I understand that,” he said. “They say they’re going after [the killers] and will bring [them] to justice. It might take time, but they will be arrested.”

The Quarterly West Bank Safety Meeting will take place Wednesday, May 14, 7 p.m., in the Minneapolis Room of the Christensen Center at Augsburg College.

Seward Neighborhood Group, 4/23 meeting

jeremy — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:44:45 -0500

Topics: Community organizers contracted; Franklin Avenue planning; 2006 financial audit

SNG Treasurer Diann Anders said she hopes to be able to e-mail the April financial statements out before the May meeting.

A motion was brought before the board to amend the bylaws to state that all purchases made by the organization in excess of $1,000 must be recorded in a fixed asset log. The motion passed unanimously.

Board approval was sought for two contracts with community organizers. Board President Sheldon Mains said Bernie Waibel will be working on two assignments: the graffiti prevention project and the Franklin Avenue Planning project. The board approved paying Waibel a combined $8,750 for both tasks. Erik Riese has volunteered to reorganize the Seward Community Arts Network (SCAN) committee and raise money for the Seward Arts Festival. Mains said per Riese’s contract, he will not get paid until he raises money. Specifically, Riese will be paid $400 for the first $2,000 he raises, and $50 (or 5 percent) for every additional $1,000 after that. Also in Riese’s contract, a clause that states Riese will be considered for the Seward Arts Festival coordinator position, should enough interest and money be raised that the fair actually takes place this year.

Southeast Publications Presentation:

Southeast Publications board member Katie Fournier said the board is looking for representation from the Seward neighborhood. She asked those present to consider joining. Fournier also asked for people’s input and ideas on how the neighborhood might better be covered, and if they might have ideas for new advertising opportunities.

Anders said because of SNG’s recent financial crisis a lot of the board’s efforts are currently focused on communicating with the neighborhood, so she shouldn’t be offended if no one has time at the moment to serve on the Southeast Publication board. The Bridge helps with some coverage of the neighborhood, Anders said, but right now the neighborhood group needs to do even more to keep neighbors informed.

Fournier asked SNG to consider linking the organization’s website to The Bridge website. (The Bridge website currently links to SNG’s webpage.)

News from City Hall:

Ward 2 Council Member Cam Gordon said the $50,000 Franklin Avenue Planning grant originally awarded jointly to SNG and Seward Redesign has been reduced so that three more proposals “could get something besides $0.” Mains expressed disappointment, saying, “$50,000 would have been better.”

On a separate subject, the Midtown Eco Energy facility failed to meet the terms of their purchase agreement with the city, Gordon said. “So basically the plan is in serious jeopardy,” he told those present. Although the city has given the project 60 days of “leeway,” Gordon said he still doesn’t think those behind the project will be able to get what they need to proceed with the purchase agreement. The whole thing is “a lot closer to being over… which is what we eventually want to hear,” he said.

Gordon also mentioned that former Second Ward intern Annie Welch is again returning to work for his office this summer.

Committee Reports:

Environment committee: Board member Hal Johnson said SNG was asked to sponsor the Philips Community Environmental Justice Forum and Feast (also sponsored by state representative Karen Clark.) Sponsorship would only require promotion (no financial commitment) and would not use any staff time. A motion to become a sponsor was brought before the board and passed.

Johnson brought a motion before the board (passed earlier by the environment committee) stating that the SNG environment committee wanted to become an affiliate of Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERT). Anders moved to table the issue until next month’s meeting so that more information could be gathered before a decision was made. Also, she said if there was a partnership formed with CERT, SNG would need to become the affiliate, not an SNG committee.

Crime and safety: Last month’s meeting was cut short to accommodate a community meeting about a level three sex offender moving into the neighborhood. According to a representative from the Minneapolis Police Department, the individual will be living in the neighborhood until the end of June, crime and safety chair Ross Gabrick said.

The guest speaker from the April crime and safety meeting agreed to reschedule and appear at next month’s meeting (May 11.) The subject of the May meeting will be child protection.

Development committee: The development committee did not meet.

Archive/ History committee: Committee chair Dick Westby said the archive/ history committee met, but did not have a report.

Franklin Avenue Planning:

Over 100 people participated in the Franklin Avenue Planning Walks, one-third of them Seward Towers residents. Mains, who attended the walks, said it wasn’t hard to get people talking. “I had trouble writing down all the comments they had,” he said, about there being so many remarks and suggestions.

Mains said recommendations varied from big ideas — like repaving Franklin Avenue — to much smaller ones — like getting certain business owners to refinish the wood outside their buildings.

The playground by Seward Towers West was brought up several times for having a poor access point. Mains said residents suggested a crosswalk be installed at a specific park entrance to prevent kids from darting into the street. Mains said he recalled there being a crosswalk at that spot at one time. Others said they thought one had been there, too. Council member Gordon confirmed there had been a crosswalk, but that it had been removed because it crossed four curved lanes of traffic, making it too dangerous for pedestrians. SNG board member Charlie Hoffman suggested closing the gap in the fence to prevent kids from crossing at that point, if a crosswalk could not be re-installed safely.

Garage sale:

Sign-up sheets were available for the May 16 and 17 sale. Anders said participant sign-up is “going swimmingly.”

Peace Garden:

To date, SNG has received $2,070 in donations for the Seward Youth Peace Garden, Anders said. Additionally, $2,100 has already been pledged by area businesses, individual donors and the Seward Civic and Commerce Association. Anders and Mains commended the effort thus far, but said it would be helpful to raise even more for the project.

Gabrick added that $1,600 from the graffiti prevention grant can be applied to next year’s Peace Garden program.

May Board Meeting at Matthews:

SNG will host a special board meeting next month celebrating six months of keeping “our collective heads above water” after discovering the organization’s financial crisis, Mains said.

Mains suggested holding future meetings at Matthews Park. Matthews might be easier for community members to find than the Advantage Center, Mains said. Several people said they liked the consistency of Seward Towers East and the fact that the space was air conditioned. Hoffman said the issue could be discussed after the May meeting.

Tracking volunteer hours:

Mains called on board members to begin tracking the amount of time they contribute to SNG each month. Board members will need to report their time contributions quarterly; executive committee members will have to report their time contributions monthly, he said.

2006 Financial Audit:

Mike Wilson, the CPA who conducted SNG’s 2006 audit, said “not a lot has changed” since he first reviewed the draft audit with the board in February. Wilson said one lesson that can be taken from SNG’s recent financial crisis is that it’s risky having any one person in-charge of all phases of a transaction.

The idea of having someone with a background in accounting on the finance committee is an excellent idea, Wilson said. “I would not underestimate the value of having someone like Robin [Westcott, CPA] with you right now,” he said. Looking back, Wilson said it’s important to “ask how things were done and how they got past the board,” so that similar mistakes are not repeated in the future.

The idea of training board members about reading and interpreting financial statements was mentioned. NRP director Bob Miller said when NRP started it offered numerous board member training sessions for boards and neighborhood organization directors. Over time, Miller said participation dropped significantly, which is why the trainings aren’t offered very frequently.

Wilson said one of SNG’s biggest problems is its use of — and reliance on — unrestricted funds. “It’s a hole that you need to work through,” he said, adding that expenditures should be broken down more thoroughly. Better accounting through the use of time sheets, for example, would help to more accurately calculate administrative costs versus program costs, he said.

Wilson acknowledged that while there were some cases where it appeared two different sets of financial records existed, the format of SNG’s financial statements was also to blame for the board’s unawarness of the financial situation. If the statements had been presented in a better format, the board might have seen certain problems a lot earlier, he said.

Miller pointed out that SNG did have a treasurer during the peak of the crisis, who should have been a link between the board and the executive director. “That is part of your responsibility,” he said to the board, about making sure that the treasurer they select is an effective go-between.

After the final version of the 2006 audit was approved by a vote of the board, Miller said the organization should consider acknowledging several individuals who worked tirelessly to keep SNG afloat after the financial crisis. Miller acknowledged board member and former interim treasurer Kevin Brown and former board president Jean Johnstad. “Without her, you wouldn’t be in business today,” Miller said, apeaking specifically about Johnstad. Mains, Hoffman and Gabrick proposed honoring the two at the May board meeting.

The next SNG board meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 28, 7–9 p.m. at Matthews Park Community Center, 24th St. E and 28th Ave. S. Food will be served. (NOTE: This is a change from the regular venue.)

Contact:
Seward Neighborhood Group
2323 Franklin Ave. E
Minneapolis, MN 55406
Phone: 612-338-6205
www.sng.org

The Gardener's Bedside Reader

jeremy — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:50:31 -0500

by Roxanne Bergeron

Garden anthology reminds us that spring is not a myth

As patches of ground resurface from the snowy winter, and Minnesotans begin to poke around their gardens and whisper to slumbering bulbs and buds to arise, The Gardener’s Bedside Reader is a reminder that spring is not just a promise or a wish.

Whether you are an avid gardener, an essay devotee, or a lover of all things vintage, the book provides a welcome tonic for the soul at the end of any long day. This newest anthology from Voyageur Press — edited by greater-Longfellow resident Kari Cornell — brings together photographs of exquisite gardens; vintage ads for seeds, flowers and slug remedies; and quotes and essays about gardening from all angles.

Cornell has worked as an editor for Voyageur Press for seven years. The company has published anthologies on such subjects as quilting, knitting and tractors. An avid gardener, she pitched the idea for a gardening anthology and finally got the OK for her project.

Cornell networked with other gardeners around the country for articles and photographs, and even found vintage ads on e-Bay.

“There are so many beautiful old catalogs and seed packets to illustrate this,” said Cornell. “There’s so much great garden writing out there. It was kind of fun to follow the threads I was handed by different contributors.”

Works by local writers — including Laura Billings, Domenica DiPiazza, Sigrid Arnott, Kathie Bailey and Karen Melvin — are included alongside national writers and essayists such as Michael Pollan and Jamaica Kincaid, who contributed a piece called “The Garden I Have in My Mind.”

As the snow melted away in March, Cornell began poking around in her garden to see if anything is coming up. She noticed the greening of creeping phlox and kept an eager eye on the ground where bulbs are brewing. Her garden plans for this season are to find a home for climbers on her garden gates, she said, and strategically placed annuals so that colorful floral surprises will abound throughout the season.

Gardeners Gone Wild

jeremy — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:47:43 -0500

by Scott Russell

South Minneapolis gardeners champion native plants; plant sale ends May 1

Wild Ones’ spring plant sale and fundraiser offers eight prepackaged flats, with eight–10 different species selected for sunny areas, shady areas or for attracting butterflies. The flats cost $40–$76. Orders are due May 1. Call Marty Rice at 952-927-6531 for an order form. The Wild Ones local chapter’s website is www.for-wild.org/ chapters/twincities chapters/twincities.

Cooper resident Mary Schommer keeps black-eyed Susans, butterfly weed and asters in her refrigerator.

OK, they are just seeds, and they are in small bags mixed with wet sand. Schommer calls the process “stratifying,” a way to preserve the native seeds by simulating winter conditions. In a month, she will plant them in flats, water them and, sometime in June, she will pop the sprouts in her backyard.

“I won’t plant them outside until they get a chance to grow,” she said. “Squirrels do a number on them.”

Schommer is secretary of the Twin Cities chapter of Wild Ones. It’s a national organization that “promotes environmentally sound landscaping practices to preserve biodiversity through the preservation, restoration and establishment of native plant communities,” according to the local chapter’s Vice President, Julia Vanatta, who lives on the border of the Cooper and Howe neighborhoods.

It’s the plants, more than the members, of course, that are wild; Schommer herself is more the petite and pleasant, middle-aged Minneapolis gardener type. When she and her husband Robert returned home from living abroad in 2005, she started ripping out the backyard buckthorn, honeysuckle and creeping hair bells with an eye towards an overhaul. A friend belonged to Wild Ones and encouraged her to attend.

Wild Ones meets the third Tuesday of most months at 6:30 p.m. at the Nokomis Community Center, 2401 E. Minnehaha Parkway. Upcoming meetings will feature guest speakers talking about native-plant shade gardens (April 15) and creating prairie gardens (May 20). The meetings are free and open to the public. Membership costs $30; the local chapter currently has about 100 members.

Schommer said she has benefited from the lectures, as well as a fall seed exchange and the inspiration she has gotten from others who enjoy growing native plants. This year, she is installing a small backyard pond to attract birds; Wild Ones friends have given her design ideas.

Getting back to her roots

Vanatta grew up in Northern Minnesota and remembers playing in the woods and swamp area behind her house. A few years ago, she got native plants from her mother and started incorporating them into her Longfellow landscape. “Bringing back some of my childhood into my own yard was a lot of fun,” she said.

Vanatta said one membership benefit is “Show Me/Help Me Day.” A gardening mentor will come to a new member’s home and offer startup advice. The mentors help identify native plants worth keeping, cultivated plants worth giving away, invasive plants to eliminate and the DWATs — “Don’t-Worry-About-Them” species that go away on their own once native plants get established.

Having native plants has a number of benefits, including a deep root structure that makes them more drought resistant, she said.

Vanatta doesn’t know the plants’ scientific names, but she said Wild Ones members are pretty relaxed about such things. “People don’t have landscapes that are 100 percent native,” she said. “Eventually, they fall in love with [native plants] and get rid of the cultivars. It is kind of a process.”

How to get started

For people interested in getting started, Vanatta suggests attending a meeting, checking the website and noticing things as they come up. “I just observe this time of year,” she said.

Once the weather warms, Schommer said her “to do” list will grow to include removing last fall’s mulch, restarting the compost pile, doing some preemptive weeding and finishing her pond. “If you haven’t got a plant list, you should be looking around and getting ideas of what plants you want to put in,” she said.

The Wild Ones has a Top 10 list for easy-growing, garden-friendly native plants. For shady areas, try serviceberry (a shrub), maidenhair fern, wild ginger, cardinal flower and Jo-Pye-weed. For sunny areas, try black chokecherry (shrub); prairie dropseed, butterfly weed, prairie smoke and purple coneflower.

Schommer said it takes a couple of years to establish native plants. In 2006, she started with some bluestem grass, sneezeweed, Maximillian sunflowers and a few other native plants from a “plant rescue,” (i.e., dug up from a vacant lot slated for redevelopment). Last year, she added more plants through a native plant grant program through the Longfellow Community Council and Seward Neighborhood Group.

“The old saying in planting is that the first year they sleep, the second year they creep and the third year they leap,” Schommer said. “The first year I didn’t have much. I am hoping this year to see loads of stuff out there.”

Longfellow Community Council annual meeting

jeremy — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:05:54 -0500

by Sarah Phemister

New board members and bylaws for LCC

The Longfellow Community Council held its annual meeting at Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis. Senator Patricia Torres Ray, Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin, and Noah Schuchman, aide to Ward 9 Council Member Gary Schiff, attended.

LCC BOARD ELECTIONS: Assembled residents elected representatives to the board for each of the four neighborhoods in Greater Longfellow. Current board members Scott Cramer, Stacy Behm, Judy Corrao, Don Hammen, and Jay Kelly will represent Longfellow, Howe, Hiawatha, and Cooper respectively. Jay Hambidge, Ella Rausch, and, Susan Tertell joined the board to represent Longfellow, Howe, and Cooper. Neighborhood representatives serve 2-year staggered terms.

Residents elected current board member Ed Leaf as the at-large board representative for a three-year term. However, he agreed to cede this seat to John Jensen who was also interested in serving on the board. Because Leaf owns a business in Longfellow, he took the business representative seat on the board. Residents elected Lisa Boyd as a community representative to the board.

The board changed its by-laws to reduce the number of members from 21 to 15. This election filled every open seat on the board.

HOWE REUSE TASKFORCE: LCC had given the taskforce the directive to examine the viability of reusing Howe School for artist space, education or senior housing. Taskforce member Beverly Conerton told the audience that they have had interest from Artspace, an organization that finds housing and studio space for artists. The taskforce has a meeting on April 29 with Metro Plains, a company that develops housing for seniors. Conerton said that charter schools have also expressed interest in the Howe School building.

The taskforce will forward their progress to the School Board and ask for more time to explore these options.

COMMUNITY BENEFITS AGREEMENT: Taskforce members Beverly Conerton and Ralph Wyman told the assembled residents that the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA), which took two years to finalize, has been signed. A CBA is a private contract between a developer and a community group that outlines the benefits that the community will get from the development. In this case, the CBA will govern the residential and retail complex being developed at the old Purina Mills site.

“I don’t think there are many other neighborhoods that would have put in what this neighborhood did. Or come to the table with open minds, willing to put aside egos and get this done,” said Dale Joel, the developer of the Purina Mills site.

NRP FIGHT AND MINNEHAHA CREEK BONDING BILL: Senator Torres Ray thanked the board for its hard work on behalf of the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) and pledged to continue to fight for the program.

The Senator told the audience that she was able to secure $2.9 million to rebuild the retaining walls along Minnehaha Creek.

NEXT: Board meeting, May 15, 2008
MEETINGS: 3rd Thursday monthly, 6:30 p.m., check www.longfellow.org or call 612-722-4529 for meeting location
CONTACT: 722-4529, www.longfellow.org
BORDERS: Mississippi River to Hiawatha Ave., Minnehaha Park to 27th St. railroad tracks

West Bank Community Coalition, 4/16 meeting

jeremy — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:53:46 -0500

by Anna Pratt

Topics: Peace march 4/26; Safety improvements; NRP agreement; Met Council traffic study

PRESIDENT’S REPORT
WBCC Board president Laura Silver said no nominations have been made for the two vacant seats on the board. Both seats are open to renters in the neighborhood. The Board is also seeking to fill spots on the District Council Collaborative (DCC) and DCC Northern Alignment Committee dealing with plans for light-rail transit.

NRP
The Cedar Riverside (CR) Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) Steering Committee will be in charge of administering the neighborhood’s NRP funds (not the WBCC). A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two entities makes the transfer of power official. Board members approved the scope of service for an NRP strategy regarding the revitalization of the West Bank’s business district through the combination of the Cedar-Riverside Business Association and a Great Streets grant.

SAFETY
WBCC members approved a motion urging the city to provide additional lighting as a safety precaution near South Sixth Street and Cedar Avenue (a dimly lit bus stop where there was a recent homicide). More police officers patrolling the area are also needed, some community members said. People will have the chance to learn more about the circumstances of the homicide and more generally, the area’s gang activity, during the Quarterly West Bank Safety Meeting on May 14, 7 p.m. at Augsburg College.

PEACE MARCH AND NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUP
In a showing of communitywide concern for a recent homicide on the West Bank, a “peace march” and neighborhood cleanup is scheduled for April 26, 10 a.m. to noon. Neighborhood youth helped organize the march that will start out at the old Dania Hall site on Cedar Avenue, between Fourth and Fifth Streets. The procession will end at Currie Park, 420 15th Ave. S. Marchers will pick up garbage along the way. Once in the park, youth will put on a play about “peace and neighborhood beautification.” The event coincides with National & Global Youth Service Day that annually engages millions of children in service-learning projects.

UNIVERSITY DISTRICT PARTNERSHIP ALLIANCE
University of Minnesota spokesperson Jan Morlock and Prospect Park resident Dick Poppele talked about the University District Partnership Alliance. The partnership includes neighborhoods, business associations, student government organizations, the city and the U of M; it aims to “address the vitality of the campus-area neighborhoods,” according to a handout. In 2007, the state legislature provided funding for the initiative. The alliance steering committee is currently planning a “demonstration project” to preserve and increase home ownership in the area.

METROPOLITAN COUNCIL TRAFFIC STUDY
The Metropolitan Council did a traffic study as part of an ongoing process to find out how the area surrounding the U of M will be impacted by light-rail transit if it runs at-grade down Washington Avenue (near Cedar Avenue, cutting through the campus’ east and west banks, with no other traffic on Washington). Met Council engineer Dan Soler presented maps of the area that illustrated traffic counts at 40 different intersections. Existing data from a bunch of different studies was used to generate the maps for how things might appear in 2030, in terms of housing, population and other factors (based on typical growth), according to Soler. Cedar and Riverside Avenues received a grade “F” for the level of service they will likely provide. The same thing goes for various other streets on the West Bank. Those are examples of intersections that will need to be mitigated as part of a light-rail project, he said.

NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, May 21, 6 p.m.
MEETINGS: Third Wednesday of the month
Brian Coyle Community Center, 420 15th Ave. S.
CONTACT: 338-5282, ext. 224
www.westbankcc.org
e-mail: cedarriversidenrp@hotmail.com or nrp@westbankcc.org.
BORDERS: The neighborhood is bounded by I-35W on the northwest, I-94 on the south and the Mississippi River on the northeast.

Minneapolis & Saint Paul Home Tour, April 26–27

jeremy — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:30:38 -0500

by Liz Riggs

Four Bridge-area homeowners among dozens to show off recent improvements

Bridgeland homes on the 2008 Minneapolis-St. Paul Home Tour:

Prospect Park
Walter Jacobs and Valerie Minor
60 Arthur Ave. SE

Seward
Kimber Feibiger, Joan of Art Gallery
3020 E. Franklin Ave.

Cooper
Dana and Barbara Tickner
3204 43rd Ave. S.

Greater Longfellow (Howe)
Leif and Karen Nestingen
3641 47th Ave. S.

Leif and Karen Nestingen are hospitable folks, occasionally having friends over for dinner or to stop by. But come the end of the month, the two are taking entertaining to a whole new level as they prepare to host anywhere from 500 to 700 guests — most of whom they won’t even know.

The Nestingens represent just one pair of 50 homeowners in the Twin Cities area participating in the 2008 Minneapolis & Saint Paul Home Tour April 26–27.

The couple knows a thing or two about houses; Leif has a contracting business, RRR Construction, and Karen is a Realtor. They moved into their Longfellow home just over a year ago and have been remodeling their new space ever since.

Karen said she and her husband always preferred older houses and took on the task of renovating a 1920s-era abode after their last child left home.

“It’s like we built an old house,” she said, explaining that the remodel, a GreenStar pilot project, was carefully designed to be environmentally sound while still preserving many of the older characteristics of the home.

The eco-friendly remodel included recycling an old garage (it was literally sawed off its foundation and hauled away to be used again), materials from The ReUse Center, remnant granite countertops, a deck built from material containing recycled elements, recycled carpeting and energy-efficient insulation. While the work might be viewed as a little eccentric by some, admitted Leif, from a contractor’s perspective, it’s the future of home building and remodeling.

Leif believes green building will be the norm in the next couple of years.

Home is where the art is

The Nestingens aren’t the only ones in Bridgeland with a home on the tour. Kimber Fiebiger, artist and owner of Joan of Art Gallery, 3020 E. Franklin Ave., is one of four artists featuring their homes this year.

Easy to spot along East Franklin Avenue due to its colorful façade and series of quirky Humpty Dumpty sculptures (Fiebiger’s trademark), the building once housed an inventor’s workshop and was later office space, according to Feibiger.

After buying the space in 2001, Fiebiger said what was formerly an attic in the old building was framed into a living space.

“I’ve been working on it hard the last three years,” she said, pointing out elaborate black and white bathroom tile work that took her close to three months to complete (a work of art in and of itself) along with wood floors. Even the majority of Fiebiger’s furniture is the product of her own doing, and her dining room table and even the dishes are her own designs.

Fiebiger said this is the first time she’s participated in such a tour, although her art has been featured in living spaces on several other tours in the past.

“For me, I never feel like I’m ready,” she said, about why she’s never shown her home on tour. “I’m always working on something else.” For now, that includes plans for an outdoor deck and a sculpture studio, so she doesn’t have to do her sculpture work from the kitchen table.

Despite the profound changes she’s made to the space, Fiebiger said it hasn’t left a substantial impact on her pocketbook.

“I really haven’t invested a lot financially,” she said, calling the process of building and designing her home a “labor of love.”

Tour inspires home improvement — and next year’s hosts

It’s this reasonably priced approach to home remodeling that distinguishes the Minneapolis & Saint Paul Home Tour from other home tours in the area, according to tour coordinator Margo Ashmore.

Ashmore, who has been organizing the tour (now in its 20th year) since 2005, said that, besides providing tour-goers with interesting ideas for their own homes and a chance to speak to some of the builders and homeowners responsible for the designs, the tour features what’s great about city living and why people are excited to stay in their homes.
She said the tour can be contagious; past tour-goers often go on to feature their own homes a year or even several years later.

Walt Jacobs and Valerie Minor attended last year’s tour and are now featuring their Prospect Park home, specifically highlighting the transformation of an unfinished attic into a master bedroom and bath in 2006.

“It was great,” Jacobs said about the 2007 tour, adding that it was something he and his wife had been meaning to attend for several years. They enjoyed it so much, Jacobs said, that they wanted to “return the favor” by participating in 2008.

Even the homeowners benefit from the showing. Karen said it will give her a sense of satisfaction to display her house after a year of hard work, adding that having a tour to prepare for gave her added incentive to get things done.

The kitchen in her last house, she said, didn’t have a backsplash because she was too indecisive about what she wanted. “It is helping, to have that deadline,” Karen said, adamant that come April 26, there will be a backsplash.

Prospect Park resident and architect Bob Roscoe will lead walking tours of the western paer of the neighborhood on both Saturday and Sunday. The hour-long walking tours will begin at 1 p.m. at 60 Arthur Ave SE and end in the same place.

For more information about the Home Tour, visit
www.msphometour.com.

Longfellow Community Council, 4/17 meeting

jeremy — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:19:43 -0500

by Sarah Phemister

Topics include: River gorge stewards project; extending NRP funding; emergency loan program

RIVER GORGE COMMITTEE STEWARDS PROJECT: The board approved $8,315 from Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) funds to implement the River Gorge Committee’s Gorge Stewards project in Longfellow. LCC’s money will allow the River Gorge Committee to leverage almost $19,000 from other organizations.
The River Gorge Committee will oversee the volunteer, education and preservation programs in the Longfellow neighborhood. According to River Gorge Committee member Lyndon Torstenson, 500 people volunteered to help preserve the Mississippi River Gorge last year. “This has served as a model for other communities. Down around Hastings, they’re doing something similar,” said Torstenson.

THE FUTURE OF NRP IN COMMITTEE: Senator Patricia Torres Ray and Representative Karen Clark introduced a bill to the Minnesota House and Senate, which, in part, supports the continuation of the tax increment funding (TIF) districts in Minneapolis as a means of paying for the NRP. Because of its financial component, the bill will likely be attached to the omnibus tax bill. However, Ward 12 Council Member Sandra Colvin Roy told the board that she doubts there will be a tax bill.

LCC board member DeWayne Townsend expressed hope the fact that the Mall of America and St. Paul are asking the legislature to extend their TIF districts would help the NRP cause. “It would look bad if they extended the Mall and St. Paul, but not Minneapolis,” said Townsend. “That would be lovely if that were true, but they don’t care about looking bad, in my experience,” said Colvin Roy, who told the board that Senator Larry Pogemiller had told her that the TIF issue is dead in the senate. According to Colvin Roy, the senate tax chair is strongly opposed to extending the TIF districts.
If they don’t extend the TIF districts, there is a possibility of funding NRP using the growth in the fiscal disparities pool. Colvin Roy told the board she thinks the house would mostly likely champion NRP. “My advice to you is not to mess with the fiscal disparities pool debate. Just keep stressing the importance of the program,” Colvin Roy told the board.

Having attended a recent meeting with City Council members, board member Marcea Mariani expressed frustration with what she perceived as a lack of unified support for NRP from City Council. “It seems to me that if it could die on the vine, that would be preferable [to the City],” said Mariani. Colvin Roy assured the board that the city’s message to the legislature on NRP is, “We really want this to happen.”

COLVIN ROY TO PROPOSE IDLING ORDINANCE: The council member will propose an ordinance restricting vehicle idling to under three minutes. Colvin Roy got the idea after noting that one of Minneapolis’ environmental goals is to reduce the moderately unhealthy air quality days to fewer than 35 per year. In 2007, Minneapolis reported 178 days with moderately unhealthy air. Colvin Roy told the board idling a car creates two times the wear and tear that driving does and releases more pollutants.
The ordinance will have exceptions for police and fire department vehicles. It will also allow some idling in below zero and above 90-degree weather. Colvin Roy is also looking at removing some “no turn on red” signs throughout the city to reduce idling time at corners. When asked what she thought about drive-through restaurants, Colvin Roy admitted that would be a difficult battle.

EMERGENCY DEFERRED LOAN PROGRAM: The board approved an additional $25,000 to restock its emergency deferred loan program. The program provides funds to homeowners who couldn’t otherwise qualify for a loan should something catastrophic occur, like a hole in a roof or a broken boiler.

BY-LAW CHANGES: The board voted to approve proposed changes to its by-laws. LCC membership will be able to vote on the changes at the April 21 annual meeting at Minnehaha Academy. The by-laws and proposed changes are on the LCC website at www.longfellow.org

NEXT: Board meeting, May 15, 2008
MEETINGS: 3rd Thursday monthly, 6:30 p.m., check website or call 612-722-4529 for meeting location
CONTACT: 722-4529, www.longfellow.org
BORDERS: Mississippi River to Hiawatha Ave., Minnehaha Park to 27th St. railroad tracks

Earth Day watershed cleanups — Saturday, April 19

jeremy — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:59:41 -0500

Pitch in and help clean up the riverfront

Earth Day Watershed Cleanup
Sat., April 19, 9:30 a.m.–noon
Various locations.

This annual event, the weekend before the actual Earth Day on April 22, educates Minneapolis residents about water quality issues and gives them an opportunity to pitch in and make a difference. Last year, over 2,000 residents removed more than 17,000 pounds of garbage at 25 cleanup sites around Minneapolis — one of the best cleanup events in the nation, as ranked by the Earth Day Network. Gloves, trash bags, refreshments and directions are provided. Volunteers are asked to check in at a check-in table before starting work. Call 612-230-6484 or visit www.minneapolisearthday.com for more information.

Seward: Check in at 24th Street and West River Parkway.
Minneapolis River Gorge: East 36th Street and West River Parkway. Parkway Pizza is providing free pizza at this site, where an oak savannah is actively being restored.
East River Parkway: Franklin Avenue and East River Parkway.
Father Hennepin Bluffs Park: 100 Sixth Ave. SE
Mill Ruins Park: 500 West River Parkway N., Mill Ruins parking lots.

Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association 4/15 meeting

jeremy — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:39:17 -0500

by Sarah Phemister

Topics: Central Corridor; T-Mobile tower; Waves of Grain building development

T MOBILE TOWER: Council member Diane Hofstede reported that T Mobile hasn’t taken down the cell tower on top of the Andrews House on Fifth Street Southeast because of lingering winter weather. She has asked T Mobile for a timeline for completing the project.

WAVES OF GRAIN BUILDING: The board approved the proposed Waves of Grain rental housing development at 1599 SE 8th St. with the caveat that the developer participate in MHNA’s 15th Avenue planning. Specifically the board would like the developer to ask the City to improve the condition of 8th Street and 15th Avenue.

CENTRAL CORRIDOR RESOLUTION: The board passed a resolution calling on the governor and the Legislature to secure at least $70 million for the Central Corridor and to prevail upon the Metropolitan Council (Met Council) to “carefully consider the disastrous consequences of re-routing 25,000 vehicles and 1,500 buses into the neighborhoods surrounding the University of Minnesota.”

The board has always strongly supported using the #9 bridge (also called the northern alignment) over the Mississippi River rather than closing Washington Avenue to vehicular traffic.

MET COUNCIL ON THE CENTRAL CORRIDOR: Dan Soler, a traffic engineer on loan to the Met Council from Ramsey County, presented the Met Council’s work on the proposed Light Rail Transit (LRT) corridor. Since the Washington Avenue tunnel under the University of Minnesota (the University) was deemed too expensive, traffic engineers have focused on running LRT at-grade down University and Washington Avenues. The option that the Met Council has been giving the most attention involves closing Washington Ave. through the University to all traffic except LRT, pedestrians and possibly some buses.
Board member Bob Distad questioned how cars would get to parking ramps at the University, hospitals and the Radisson Hotel if they couldn’t use Washington Avenue. “If you have to make all these changes and improvements to the side streets, at some point doesn’t it get more expensive than the tunnel?” asked Distad.

Board member Steve Swanson asked whether or not an elevated train had been considered. According to Jessica Hill, Met Council’s Community Outreach Coordinator who also attended the board meeting, residents and businesses along University Avenue didn’t want an elevated train dividing their community. Soler said that, to his knowledge, using an elevated train on Washington Ave. just through the University was never discussed.

NEXT: Board meeting, May 20, 2008
MEETINGS: 3rd Tuesday monthly, 6 p.m. at University Lutheran Church of Hope, 601 13th Avenue SE
CONTACT: 623-7633, www.marcy-holmes.org
BORDERS: Central Ave. to 15th Ave. SE, 9th St. SE to Main St. SE

Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival opens Thursday, April 17

jeremy — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:24:26 -0500

by Chris Steller

Public Enemy's Chuck D. at Oak Street Cinema on Friday, April18

Every year, people in the Bridge coverage area have lots of good reasons to attend the Minneapolis-St. Paul Independent Film Festival (MSPIFF).

Most showings are nearby. They’re reasonably priced. The festival features the best or most interesting films from around the world, handpicked by local impresario Al Milgrom.

This year, there’s another reason to attend MSPIFF, which runs April 17–May 3 — it could be your last chance to catch a movie at the Oak Street Cinema, 309 SE Oak St.

Long the main venue for the annual film festival, the Oak Street will play a diminished role this year, festival organizers have announced. Instead, most of the 100 expected films from 40 or more countries will screen at Southeast Minneapolis’ other remaining movie theater, St. Anthony Main, 115 SE Main St., and the festival’s opening and closing nights will take place at the Kerasotes Block E Theater Downtown.

Festival organizers declined to comment on the fate of the Oak Street, which, it is rumored, could be sold and demolished to make way for a housing and retail complex. In March, Minnesota Film Arts (MFA) board member Dr. Stephen Zuckerman told the Star Tribune that his organization is “in serious negotiations” with a group of developers and investors who own property around the theater.

Organizers said the theater could still be the site of the festival’s “best of show” event, at which the top films are screened and voted on for awards.

The festival’s schedule is available online at www.mspfilmfest.org.

Opening night features The Visitor, made in the United States by director Tom McCarthy, who will be in attendance at the Kerasotes Block E Theater Downtown for the film’s screening on April 17, 7 p.m. The festival will close with another American film, Encounters at the End of the World, a documentary about Antartica by Werner Herzog.

Between these bookends are 85 films from around the world, as well as shorts, children’s programs and other American offerings, including _Public Enemy: Welcome to the Terrordome for which Public Enemy frontman Chuck D. will be present. An afterparty follows at Nick and Eddie’s near Loring Park.

One standout is Family Motel, a Canadian film starring Somali actors, with some dialogue in English. Other nations represented at the festival will include China, Russia and the Czech Republic, as well as countries of Africa. Local filmmakers will have slots at the fest, which will also include four midnight screenings.

Festival-goers will have a chance to see two of the films nominated for the Academy Award for best foreign film this year: Katyn, from Poland, about the 1940 massacre of more than 20,000 Polish soldiers by Soviet secret police, in which director Adrezej Wajdad’s own father was killed; and Beaufort, from Israel, about Israeli soldiers, at a castle built by 12th-century Crusaders, preparing to withdraw from Lebanon in 2000.

Hardy as an oak

MFA, the festival’s parent organization, promises its programming will continue after this month’s festival, but the future of the Oak Street Cinema itself seems less certain. The theater building at 309 SE Oak St. has been a centerpiece in recent years’ squabbles over MFA’s finances and future. Amid reports of real estate deals that would see the building demolished, Milgrom wrote in a statement to MFA’s email list that “nothing is written in stone in this current real estate market.” However, he wrote, “the Oak will eventually be sold. How else can we continue our mission given our current deficit?”

Milgrom was honored last month with a Sally Ordway Irvine Award from the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, in recognition of his commitment to the film organization he founded in 1962, the University Film Society, and the film festival, MSPIFF, which he founded in 1983. Milgrom and three other statewide Sally Award winners received $2,500 each.

The Oak Street Cinema has also been a survivor. Built in 1916 as the Oak Theater, the theater got an Art Moderne-style re-do by Jacob J. (Jack) Liebenberg and Seeman Kaplan to become the Campus Theater. (Liebenberg and Kaplan were architectural masters of Midwestern movie palaces whose handiwork is still accessible at the Varsity and Riverview theaters, among many others.)

Five decades later, the Campus was one of only a half dozen single-screen theaters remaining in the Twin Cities when it closed in 1990 — only to reopen in 1995 as the Oak Street Cinema. That organization merged in 2002 with the University Film Society to form Minnesota Film Arts.

SECIA to kick off “Green Village” initiative April 17

jeremy — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:02:52 -0500

by Bill Hoffmann

Event in conjunction with Beautiful U Day

The Southeast Como Improvement Association (SECIA) will kick off its “Green Village” idea to move toward an ecologically sustainable neighborhood on Thursday, April 17, 3–5 p.m., outside the Van Cleve Park building, 901 15th Ave. SE.

The kick-off is in conjunction with the annual Beautiful U Day at the University of Minnesota and precedes Earth Day, April 22.

The Green Village kick-off will include distribution of solar-powered motion-detector lights, at cost, to Como residents, and the start of a bicycle-trailer rental program. A build-it-yourself bike trailer workshop will be held that evening.

There will be information promoting the Xcel Windsource power program, through which residents can purchase wind power. SECIA’s goal is to sign up 25 percent of the 2,376 households in Southeast Como.

Representatives from student and local environmental organizations will distribute information on topics such as climate change and mass transit. Food available will include organic apples, and the event will offer games and activities.

The Green Village idea is “A dream, a vision,” said Justin Eibenholzl, SECIA environmental coordinator. “It’s a novel concept, which takes a holistic view on how to incorporate green or ecological ideas into a community as a whole, including business, industry, and residents.”

For information about the event, visit www.secomo.org, or phone 612-676-1731.

Level 3 sex offender moves to Seward

jeremy — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:45:01 -0500

by Jeremy Stratton

Monday, April 14 meeting will provide details

The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) will hold a community meeting on Monday, April 14, 7–8:30 p.m. at Matthews Park Community Center, 2318 28th Ave. S., to inform the public of a Level 3 sex offender that has moved into the neighborhood.

Rondell James Soward, 32, has notified the MPD that he has taken up residence on the 2400 block of 26th Avenue South. Soward is described as an African American male, 6 foot 1 inch tall, 160 pounds, with a medium build, brown eyes and a light brown complexion.

Soward was convicted in 1996 of having sexual contact with a 17-year-old girl while he was in the process of burglarizing her apartment, according to a release from the MPD.

The April 14 meeting is intended to provide information about the offender, the notification process and the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) website, which gives more information about sex offenders, registration and notification.

While Level 3 sex offenders are considered the most likely to re-offend, the MPD release states that the notification “is not intended to increase fear. It is our belief that an informed public is a safer public.” It notes, as well, that an offender may choose to live wherever he chooses.

Soward is not currently wanted by the police, nor is he under supervision, which expired in 2002. He is required to register with the state as a sex offender until 2012, and to notify authorities if he moves.