Jeremy Stratton is a journalist living in Minneapolis. His experience includes writing, reporting, editing, photography and blogging for a number of print and online publications.
Cedar-Riverside—After sitting vacant for more than a year following the closing of North Country Co-op, the doors were once again open at 1927 S. Fifth St. on March 19, when the African Development Center (ADC) held an open house to celebrate its purchase, earlier that month, of the former co-op site. Guests mingled among tables set with white linen, most stopping to congratulate ADC Executive Director Hussein Samatar, who took time to personally show floor plans for the coming renovation. On the east wall of the main space, two charcoal drawings of President Barack Obama, by Oluwambe Amodu, hung beneath the word “PRODUCE” painted near the ceiling — a remaining sign of the city’s first co-op, which closed in November 2007, after years of financial troubles. That wall, just inside the main entrance, will form part of an art gallery in the new space, which will include ADC’s offices, a conference room, childrens’ space, a coffee shop and deli and more. Continue Reading
While the Feb. 21 meeting to create a process for selecting neighborhoods’ representatives to the city’s new Neighborhood and Community Engagement Committee brought neighborhoods together and closer to the goal, it was ultimately inconclusive, according to attendees and facilitators. The Feb. 21 meeting “generated good discussion,” said Aimee Gourlay of the Mediation Center at Hamline University, who moderated the meeting, adding, “We didn’t have time to get to the level of clarity that the neighborhood representative wanted.”
Bob Miller, executive director of the Neighborhood Revitalization Program, set up the meeting but said NRP is being careful to “low-key our involvement” in choosing the election process and, ultimately, the neighborhoods’ eight representatives. Neighborhood representatives are likely to meet again on April 19 — less than two weeks before the April 28 date the city has proposed to convene the full commission. Continue Reading
It’s one of our truest clichés: love or hate it, the cold reality of the long Minnesota winter makes summer seem like a far-off figment of the imagination. While warmer days are likely months away, however, it’s time for kids and parents to ask that wonderful, school’s-out question: What are you going to do with your summer? Across Bridgeland, the city and into the wilds of wider Minnesota, there are a seemingly infinite number of activities to choose from — many of which are open for enrollment and filling up fast. Below is a sample of area organizations and activities for kids, but a great place to start is the Minnesota Minority Education Partnership’s (MMEP) Academic Enrichment Guide, a database of summer programs available for order in hard copy (call 651-645-7400) or online at www.mmep.org/AEG. Through the online database, you can customize your search by keyword or categories like college and career preparation, math, science, music, art and recreational as well as by the child’s age, grade, gender or GPA; or the desired program dates. Continue Reading
The local Democratic Farm-Labor (DFL) party is doing things a little differently this year when it comes to choosing delegates to its ward and city conventions. On Tuesday, March 3, the DFL party will elect delegates at caucuses in each of the 13 City Council wards in Minneapolis. Two sets of delegates will be chosen; one to endorse City Council candidates at individual ward conventions and another to endorse candidates for the other citywide offices on the ballot: mayor, Park Board and Board of Estimate and Taxation.Where to go for precinct caucusesDetailed information on caucuses, conventions, candidate forums and much more — including a precinct finder — are available on the Minneapolis DFL website, www.mplsdfl.org.Ward 1 all Precincts Northeast Middle School 2955 Hayes Street NEWard 2 Precinct 3 Van Cleve Park Center 901 15th Ave SE — Precinct 5 Prospect Park Methodist Church 22 Orlin Ave — Precinct 6 St. Frances Cabrini Church 1500 Franklin Ave SE — Precinct 8 Riverview Tower Party Room 1920 S 1st St — all other Precincts (1-2, 4, 7, 9-11) Anne Sullivan School 3100 E 28th SWard 3 all Precincts Sheridan Intl School 1201 University Ave NEWard 4 all Precincts Patrick Henry High School 4320 Newton Ave NWard 5 all Precincts North High School 1500 James Ave N enter door #1, Knox Ave side, go to 2nd floor, rooms 500-593Ward 6 Precincts 1-4 Whittier School 2620 Grand Ave S — Precincts 5-6 All Nations Church 1515 E 23rd St — Precincts 7-8 Ebenezer Park Apartments 2700 Park Ave SWard 7 Precincts 1-4 Bryn Mawr School 252 Upton Ave S — Precinct 5, 8-10 Emerson Elementary School 1421 Spruce Pl — Precincts 6 & 11 Churchill Apartments 1st Floor Party Room 111 Marquette Ave — Precinct 7 5th Avenue Lofts Community Center 401 North 2nd StWard 8 Precincts 1-3 Green Central School 3416 4th Ave S — Precinct 5, 10 Field School 4645 4th Ave S — Precinct 6-7 M.L. King Park Recreation Center 4055 Nicollet Ave S — Precinct 4, 8, & 9 Bancroft Elementary School 1315 E. 38th StWard 9 all Precincts Folwell Middle School 3611 20th Ave SWard 10 Precinct 1 Jefferson School – Cafeteria 1200 W 26th St — Precinct 2 VFW Post 246 – Basement Party Room 2916 Lyndales Ave S — Precinct 3 St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church 3450 Irving Ave S — Precinct 4 Joyce United Methodist – 2nd floor gathering room 1219 W 31st St — Precinct 5 Horn Towers Senior Center – Dining Area 3110 Blaisdell Ave S — Precinct 6 Joyce United Methodist – sanctuary 1219 W 31st St — Precinct 7 Painter Park – Multi-Purpose Room 620 W 34th St — Precinct 8 Walker Methodist House – Chapel 3737 Bryant Ave S — Precinct 9 Lyndale Elementary School – Media Center 312 W 34th St — Precinct 10 Grace Trinity Community Church – 2nd Floor Meeting Room 1430 W 28th St — Precinct 11 Lund’s Supermarket – 2nd floor Community Room 1450 W Lake StWard 11 all Precincts Washburn High School 201 West 49th StWard 12 all Precincts (except 12-07) Sanford Middle School 3524 42nd Ave S — Precinct 07 Minnesota Veterans Home Bldg 17 5101 Minnehaha Ave SWard 13 Precinct 1 Lake Harriet School (Lower) – Cafeteria 4030 Chowen Ave S — Precinct 2 Lake Harriet School (Lower) – Gymnasium 4030 Chowen Ave S — Precinct 3 Lake Harriet School (Upper) – Cafeteria 4912 Vincent Ave S — Precinct 4 Burroughs Elementary School – Cafeteria 1601 W 50th St — Precinct 5 Burroughs Elementary School – Auditorium 1601 W 50th St — Precinct 6 Anthony Middle School – Auditorium 5757 Irving Ave S — Precinct 7 Barton Open School – Commons 4237 Colfax Ave S — Precinct 8 Anthony Middle School – Lunchroom 5757 Irving Ave S — Precinct 9 Anthony Middle School – Choir Room 5757 Irving Ave S — Precinct 10 Anthony Middle School – Media Center 5757 Irving Ave S In the past, delegates have been held over from even-year elections, which often feature larger voter turnout, like last year’s presidential race. Continue Reading
The simple question from the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) — do neighborhoods want to meet on Feb. 21 to talk about representation on the city’s new Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commission? (NCEC) — begs a much larger debate about the future of local resident participation in city government. Once seated, the NCEC will be a 16-member advisory board for the newly created Department of Community Engagement, which is set to take the reins of NRP-like programs and funding in 2011 as part of the city’s Framework for the Future. The City Council, mayor and Park Board have or will soon choose their eight representatives. Continue Reading
The Minnesota Literacy Council (MLC) offers tutoring for adult refugees and immigrants who want to learn English and obtain citizenship, and it is always seeking volunteers to help those individuals with the process. Previous teaching experience or knowledge of a foreign language is not necessary, and volunteering just a few hours a week can make a difference, according to MLC, which provides training and support for volunteers. Those interested should contact Allison by email at volunteer@themlc.org or by 651-645-2277, ext. 219. While opportunities are available across the Metro area and in Greater Minnesota, MLC has a local office in the Coliseum Building at 2700 E. Lake St. Continue Reading
During a pair of open houses on January 15 at Plaza Verde on Lake Street, Xcel Energy revealed details about its proposed Hiawatha Project — a plan to build two new substations connected by a pair of 115 kilovolt power lines in the Midtown area of South Minneapolis. Xcel says the new infrastructure is needed to “meet capacity deficiencies” amid increasing demand in the area and to update the area’s existing delivery system, which was designed and installed in the 1940s and 1950s. The project will add 100 megawatts of power. One megawatt can provide power for 750 homes, according to Betty Mirzayi, project manager for Xcel. Just days earlier, on January 12, community members, neighborhood organization leaders and public officials met in the very same room to air their questions and sometimes-common concerns about the project and to try to organize a united effort to work with — or perhaps against — Xcel on the issue. Continue Reading
One doesn’t often hear a gas station described as “beautiful,” but that’s just the word Clay Lambert uses when he talks about his newly remodeled service station, Metro Petro. Then again, how many gas stations have an imported Italian tile exterior? Those who remember the former Citgo station — which Lambert and his wife Mia bought six years ago — will hardly recognize the place; the retail space grew from 175 feet to more than 3,000 feet, and the number of employees has grown from four to 16. The nearly three-year project cost $2.5 million to complete, including the purchase of the land. The Lamberts worked with Iota Architecture’s Judy Grundstrom on the design of the independently branded store. Continue Reading
Last spring’s warm weather brought something less desirable for Laura Muessig: an unpleasant scent that she described as “like lighter fluid for an outside grill.” Continue Reading
In an apparent compromise between developer Clark Gassen and the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association (MHNA), the historic Florence Court apartments could be renovated as part of the project to build a new six-story, 84-unit apartment building at the site, where a BP gas station now stands at the corner of University Avenue on the north end of the 10th Avenue bridge. The city’s Planning Commission approved a handful of applications on Dec. 8., green-lighting the project, pending approval by the City Council. The MHNA wanted the historic restoration of the long, L-shaped row of apartments — built in 1886 and designated historic by the city — included as part of the proposed new construction on the site. Gassen has agreed to commit revenue generated by the new apartments to renovate the 37 apartments in the historic building that parallels 10th Avenue and SE Second Street. Continue Reading
