Five die in North Minneapolis fire

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UPDATED 2/15/2014: Five children died in an early morning house fire in North Minneapolis on February 14. Reports in the Star Tribune said the children were siblings, who lived on the second floor of the building with their widowed father, Troy Lewis, who is hospitalized and in serious condition. Scroll down for Storify links to local news accounts. According to a February 15 email from MadDads, Shiloh Temple is accepting clothing donations for the family of seven living on the bottom floor of the house, who “lost everything they have. Their home, clothese, pictures, and memories. They would like to say they feel so blessed just to be here and give a personal ‘Thank You’ to: The American Red Cross, Loring Elementary, Columbia Heights High School, Pierre Bottineau French Immersion School and the Minneapolis MADDADS.””For details, call Shiloh Temple (612) 302-1463 or MADDADS (612) 822-0802.”The MADDADS email also said that donations for the Barret family (downstairs) are being accepted at BMO Harris Bank – 612-238-8700, and for the Lewis family (upstairs) at Lewis Children Family Memorial Fund at www.gofundme.com. Continue Reading

ST. PAUL NOTES | Survey identifies concerns, solutions for Snelling and Selby traffic

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Pedestrian safety was identified as the biggest issue for the intersection by 84 of 215 respondents to an online survey conducted by the Union Park District Council from January 10-22. Another 60 ranking it their second or third choice. Traffic back-ups during rush hour ran a close second.Among the suggested steps to improve pedestrian safety, adjusting traffic signals to give pedestrians a head start was the most popular, followed by ticketing cars that run red lights or don’t yield to pedestrians and retaining or installing bumpouts at corners and/or installing medians.The most popular choices for reducing traffic congestion were providing left turn signals for traffic going from Selby to Snelling and diverting Ayd Mill Road traffic to different routes.More than half of the respondents also entered comments on the survey. Concerns over Ayd Mill Road topped the list, with suggestions to close it, connect it to Marshall, or connect it to I-94. Among the more than 25 commenters with something to say about Ayd Mill Road, the largest number wanted to connect it to I-94, though there was nothing like a consensus. Continue Reading

ST. PAUL NOTES | Putting the East Side of St. Paul on the map

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Tim Herman and the East Side Area Business Association (ESABA) put the east side of St. Paul on the map. Literally — on a hand-painted, water-color map that shows East Side businesses, streets, institutions and politicians.ESABA raised $20,000 by selling spots on the map. Each business that paid to be represented got signed and numbered copies of the map, with the number of copies varying according to the amount paid.”What’s interesting about the map,” said ESABA Executive Director Tim Herman, “is that it was water color painted by a Dayton’s Bluff artist — Liz Harrell. The original is five feet wide, and the copies for sale are 24 by 36 inches.Next up: ESABA plans to partner with non-profits to sell a poster edition as a fundraiser benefiting both the non-profit and ESABA. 
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ST. PAUL NOTES | Trash talking in St. Paul

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From bottle deposits to curbside composting, trash is a hot topic in St. Paul.Minnesota legislators are talking about requiring a ten cent deposit on bottles and cans to encourage recycling. The Star Tribune reports that, according to an MPCA study,”A proposed 10-cent fee for bottles, cans and other beverage containers would boost Minnesota’s recycling volume by some 1.9 billion containers per year but could also saddle consumers or beverage firms with $29 million in new costs as beverage prices rise.”According to the Strib article, proponents say that a 10-cent bottle and can deposit would raise $469 in revenue and create more than a thousand jobs, while opponents say it would be a hardship for retailers, raise the price of beverages, and take bottles and cans out of the recycling stream.Recycling is the crux of the issue: The Minnesota Idea Open site says that Minnesotans throw away an average of 142,000 tons of beverage containers each year.Meanwhile, in the city of St. Paul, there are changes ahead for recycling. A call for comments last March drew lots of input at Open St. Continue Reading

ST. PAUL NOTES | Out of the comfort zone — Dorothy Day Center

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“We must talk about poverty, because people insulated by their own comfort lose sight of it,” Dorothy Day said. We must also talk about homelessness, because it’s still here — right here in St. Paul (and also, of course, in Minneapolis and the rest of the state.)In St. Paul, the Dorothy Day Center says it served 81 percent of the homeless men in Ramsey County in 2012. But that’s not enough. Continue Reading

Indoor winter fun in the Twin Cities

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Considering the unreasonably cold weather we’ve already experienced this winter season, we’d be remiss if we didn’t list some indoor activities to consider. Below is a sampling of indoor happenings:Mill City Famers’ Market, January 11: Jump start your healthy eating resolution at Mill City’s first farmers’ market of the New Year!Winter Flower Show at Como Park Conservatory, January 11 –  March 16: The vibrant colors of purple, red, pink, and yellow flowers are sure to help fight those winter doldrums. This video provides a preview.The Twin Cities Model Railroad Museum, November 30 – February 22: All aboard Night Trains! Enjoy the warm glow of model trains that chug along the make-believe city of Matlin at night.Annual U.S. Bank Skyway Open Golf Tournament, February 21 –  February 23:  19 one-of-a-kind miniature golf holes in Downtown Minneapolis skyways for a worthy cause — the tournament benefits the Boys and Girls Club of the Twin Cities. St Anthony Main: On Tuesdays most movies at the St Anthony Main Theater are $5; the location near the river is quaint and charming and so are the area eateries.Other notable places: Science Museum and MN History Center, Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium at Mall of America, Mill City Museum, Minneapolis Institute of Arts.And for outdoor fun, on those days when the thermometer creeps up above miserable — Winter in the Twin Cities: Outdoor fun. Coverage of issues and events that affect Central Corridor neighborhoods and communities is funded in part by a grant from Central Corridor Funders Collaborative. Continue Reading

Focus on Teaching

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Common Core, state standards, Focused Instruction, Aligned Learning — a plethora of initiatives and directions come from local, state, and national sources in what is either an effort to help teach Continue Reading

Shelter from the cold — how you can help now

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UPDATED 1/4//2014 – scroll down for added info • With temperatures below zero most of this week, and on schedule to dive even lower next week, what happens to homeless families and individuals? Usually, shelters shoo people out in the morning, allowing them to return in the evening. But with highs of 25 below zero, that’s not practical. In cold weather, says Stephen Horsfield, “We now have confirmation that St Stephen’s Human Services will also be keeping their shelters open, along with us at Simpson Housing Services, our friends at Our Saviour’s Housing and The Salvation Army Harbor Light Center, Minneapolis keeps open as a warming center on cold days like these.”That’s tough to do, because shelters are stretched to the max even on normal days. Speaking at a recent memorial for the 147 Minnesotans who died while homeless in 2013, Horsfield said: “We’ve seen our shelters overcrowded or over capacity for the last three years.”Homelessness remains a huge problem in Minnesota, with the number of homeless people in the state estimated at 14,000 on any given night. Continue Reading

Cedar-Riverside fire — what happened, interviews, how you can help

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UPDATED 1/4/2014 | The New Year’s Day Cedar-Riverside fire took at least one life, left more than a dozen people injured and homeless, and destroyed a grocery store that was a community gathering place. What are people thinking and talking about on the day after? Lolla Mohammed Nur’s column this week asks if the national media coverage of the Cedar apartment fire is connected to increased scrutiny of Somali Americans. Fartun Ahmed, who lives in Hopkins but considers herself a Cedar-Riverside community member: “I think people are just really sad. They don’t know what to do and how to help. Everybody wants to help and do something but they just don’t know what to do. Continue Reading