Juneteenth features Rosa Parks re-enactment

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At the June 15 Juneteenth celebration in North Minneapolis, the Juneteenth Players  re-enacted  December 1, 1955 when Mrs. Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white person on the driver’s orders. When he threatened to arrest her, she said, “You may do that,” setting in motion the bus boycott and protests that eventually ended bus segregation in Montgomery, Alabama.At the Juneteenth re-enactment, the acting company videotaped the scene inside the bus, while recording a reader outside, reading from the book Rosa by Nikki Giovanni. Without narration, the crowd outside saw the practice of black people paying to ride, then having to get off the bus to go to the back door to board the “colored” section. Drivers in those days could expand the white section and make those already sitting inthe colored section move farther back or stand. That’s what happened that day when Mrs. Parks said no. After Parks’ arrest, black riders streamed off the vintage bus passing out hand-made flyers saying “Walk on Monday” and “Support Mrs. Parks.” Continue Reading

Work to start on Veterans Memorial at Sheridan Park

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May 23, a ceremonial groundbreaking was held for the Sheridan Veterans Memorial at 1300 Water St. Others speaking in addition to State Representative Diane Loeffler included those pictured above.Steve Bleedorn and Howard Weller, relative newcomers who helped the original Freedom Fighters veterans group, both recalled the monuments that had inspired “Mr. Northeast,” Ed Karbo, “one of the most patriotic and stubborn.” to pursue a local memorial. There is one in Little Falls on the banks of the Mississippi.Weller said they “took that honor flight to Washington, DC to see the World War II memorial. It is awesome. This was Ed’s dream, and that trip supported him.”Jenny Fortman, president of Sheridan Neighborhood Organization for much of the fundraising and organizing time, said she “learned patience and persistence from Ed Karbo. Continue Reading

Groups ask “what will come after ‘peak oil’?”

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Whether it’s challenging each other to see “how low you can go” with the home thermostat in February, or looking at swaths of public turf grass for their potential to hold community vegetable gardens, sustainability and Transition Town groups are popping up all over.Jon Freise, a national trainer on the subject, told a recent gathering that the Transition Towns movement came out of concerns about three things: Climate change—temperature extremes brought on by pollution, “peak oil”—fossil fuels running out, and economic instability.There are many things individuals can do to immediately decrease fossil fuel use and in many cases, save money. There are also macro, policy level things that could be done, but these groups admit those changes will take a lot of elapsed time and perhaps a few more crises. “Transition” refers to transitioning “from oil dependency to local resilience,” says Rob Hopkins, founder of the Transition movement.Sustainability groups, instead of being “apocalyptic,” in the words of one organizer, strive to build a sense of community and hope for an improved quality of life. They do it by both informing individual change and, in some groups, encouraging public officials to pursue broader policy changes or specific infrastructure changes. Freise said Milwaukee Avenue in South Minneapolis is a perfect example. Continue Reading

Ideas for the Hennepin County hub building, questions from neighbors

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Why not tear down and build new, asked some of the participants in small groups looking at the Hennepin County proposal for locating a services hub at 1001 Plymouth Avenue, a former printing facility. (See related story, page 1) “I used to work in a print shop, I know what kind of pollutants must be there,” said one.Joanna Hicks and Kevin Kuppe of Ackerberg Group said that they are doing the environmental testing needed. “The building is in great shape,” Hicks said. Earlier in the May 14 meeting she said the 1980s-built building had been vacant for years and is not desirable for new manufacturing interests. “The height of the clear spans is 14 to 16 feet high where now they are looking for 24 to 35 feet high.”Stuart Ackerberg told NorthNews that they have an agreement to buy the building contingent on the County signing a contract with Ackerberg Group for the hub location and buildout.Hicks talked about the building’s great accessibility through the number 19, 7, and 5 bus lines with the 22 close by. Continue Reading

Four DFL candidates, no endorsement, in Minneapolis’ 5th ward city council race

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The front-running candidate at the Ward 5 DFL Convention May 18 said it May 21 on Facebook; “it was not wasted time!” Ian Alexander came within two votes at one point, narrowly missing the “supermajority” of 60 percent needed for the party’s endorsement. It took five ballots and five hours at North Commons Park before adjourning without endorsing.

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Meet Golden Nest, new assisted living facility in Northeast Minneapolis

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A church site that once served seniors through a hot meal program may again serve seniors, in a different way. When the Northeast United Methodist leaders sold the former Trinity Methodist Church at 2501Taylor St. NE to Faith Tabernacle Ministries of the Church of God in Christ, they sold the newer building addition to Golden Nest for an assisted living and adult day care facility.Eastside Meals on Wheels used to operate out of the church buildings before moving to Catholic Eldercare after the church went up for sale.Hongjoo Lee is executive director of Golden Nest. Her plans call for eight residential rooms housing up to 15 people total, on the top floor of the 1960s-built education wing; that floor would include a living and dining room and chapel. On the lower floor, classrooms, kitchen and lounge would comprise the development achievement center (adult day facility). Continue Reading

University Avenue in Northeast Minneapolis to be resurfaced this summer

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Say goodbye to bumpy rides on University Avenue; it will be resurfaced between Central Avenue and 27th Avenue sometime this summer. Meanwhile, utilities have been working to do anything they need to do below the surface.Bids for the road mill-and-overlay will be let May 17, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) website.“There will be lane closures and a few weekend full closures during construction. More details will be available closer to the start of construction.“As well as providing a smoother ride for motorists and restoring pavement structure, drainage and area infrastructure will also be upgraded, and pedestrian sidewalk ramps at intersections will be improved for better pedestrian accessibility.” Overall cost: $2.5 million.Preparing for this road improvement, many utilities have been taking the opportunity to look at and upgrade their lines, some since early this year. As Becca Virden of CenterPoint Energy put it, often utilities are deliberately all laid in the same trenches, and “if anyone is going in, we all go in, to minimize the disruption” to the motorist. The City of Minneapolis reports they don’t have any sewer or sidewalk work planned.An April 19 update on the website www.centerpointenergy.com/construction states that “Michels Pipeline Construction, a CenterPoint Energy authorized contractor, will be installing a new gas main under the sidewalk on University Ave NE from 20th Avenue NE to Lowry Avenue NE.“There will be No Parking signs posted along University Avenue NE and at the intersections of 22nd Avenue, 23rd Avenue, and 24th Avenue. Continue Reading

Open Streets coming to Northeast Minneapolis July 28

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The last few times Central Avenue closed to traffic, it was for road reconstruction, the Celebrate Northeast parades, or to celebrate redevelopments happening. This time, it’ll be “to help promote environmentally friendly transportation choices, such as walking, bicycling and mass transit,” says a City of Minneapolis news release. “Open Streets events were also created to promote good public health by encouraging active, healthy lifestyles.“The streets of Minneapolis will be active this summer as the city plays host to not one or two, but four Open Streets events starting in June.” During an Open Streets event, a significant length of a busy street is closed to automobile traffic for four to six hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 28 on Central between 27th and 18-1/2 avenues, according to Colin Harris of the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition) to allow families and neighbors to walk, bike, skate, have fun and shop in a safe, car-free environment.Harris said he’s met with people from the Eastside Food Co-op, Northeast Investment Cooperative, Recovery Bike Shop, the Northeast Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce, the Central Avenue bordering neighborhood organizations, arts interests and other businesses. Weekly planning meetings open to the public will start within a couple of weeks.According to the City release, the four Open Streets events this year are on South Lyndale Avenue (June 23), Central Avenue (July 28), Minnehaha Avenue (Aug. 11) and North Lowry Avenue as part of Harvest Fest (Sept. Continue Reading

Measuring Minneapolis’ creative vitality

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“Put ‘visual artist’ on your Schedule C [tax form] so I can count you,” said Gulgun Kayim, the City of Minneapolis’ director of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy. Her presentation, to a group assembled at Chowgirls Parlor April 22, a week after tax deadline, was one of many to be held about the Minneapolis Creative Index.

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The Camden Promise: Three churches, lots of activity keep a Minneapolis building busy

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It’s a dimly-lit space, but it’s been a spot of brightness to hungry families in the greater Camden Community, as well as holding a key to keeping a 120-year-old church alive. The Camden Promise food shelf, and other programs of The Camden Promise, are joint efforts of three congregations worshipping at 4656 Colfax Ave. N.Gethsemane Lutheran Church, which celebrated its 120th anniversary April 14, shares its worship space with the NuWay Baptist Missionary Church and Brooklyn Center Seventh Day Adventist Church. The cheery, circular, newly remodeled worship space is reflected in the colorful glass bowl of the new baptismal font and new altar dedicated at that celebration.John Nelson, with help from his brother Jeff, constructed the table and baptismal font in honor of their father, Chuck. Connie Beckers made the bowl.Down the stairs from the sanctuary, there’s the area where children play while their parents shop at The Camden Promise Food Shelf in the original church’s former gym space—accessed through a maze of hallways and stairs. Continue Reading