Q&A with Andrew Johnson, Minneapolis Ward 12 city council candidate

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With the DFL caucuses coming up quickly, we wanted to find out more about the people running for City Council in our local wards. All candidates seeking DFL endorsement were invited to participate in our Q&A. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions for the candidates!Today, we’re hearing from Andrew Johnson from Ward 12. He’s running against incumbent Sandra Colvin Roy. Find more information about wards and the DFL caucus at the end of this article.QuestionsFor people who aren’t familiar with you, will you please introduce yourself in two-to-three sentences?In one-to-two sentences, why do you believe you are the best candidate for the job?What are the top two issues you see in your ward, and how do you plan to address them?What are the top two issues facing Minneapolis, and what do you think the solution is?Should the Hennepin County incinerator (HERC) be allowed to burn additional garbage? Continue Reading

Q&A with Minneapolis fashion designer Brianna Westlund

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Brianna Westlund is a young fashion designer from Longfellow who is having her first independent show, Vintage Vixen, this Saturday at T’s Place on East Lake Street. In February, she was one of four designers to be included in MN Fashion’s Emerging Designer’s Showcase during Fashion Week. Her designs have been described as “feminine and classic…not only wearable, but meticulously constructed” by l’etoile, a Minnesota arts magazine.We wanted to learn more about Westlund, her designs, and plans for growing her design business SIX25designs.MB: When did you first become interested in pursuing fashion design?BW: I have approached the world from a design perspective since I was a very young child and, as my family often reminds me, the signs were there from very early on that I would follow this path. It wasn’t until my sophomore year of high-school that I realized that I could pursue design as a career choice however. Once I became aware of it that was kind of it for me, I knew from then on that I would work towards this and here I am incredibly sleep deprived but elated to know that I have the skills and determination to move forwards with this venture. Continue Reading

Open Streets coming to Minnehaha Avenue

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Open Streets is coming to Minnehaha Avenue on Sunday, August 11th. If you haven’t heard of Open Streets, it’s one day when the street is closed down to cars, and people are invited to bike, walk, and skate down the road.Activities will be planned up and down the street, from Lake Street to Godfrey Parkway. Last year, the Lowry Avenue Open Streets event had several live music stages, a bouncy house and scavenger hunt for kids, a bike rodeo, workout classes, and a car show, among other happenings.Businesses have the opportunity get creative and develop activities, sales, and other events for the Open Streets event on Minnehaha.This is the third year Minneapolis will have Open Streets events, but thanks to a $50,000 grant, it is the first year that each quadrant of the city will have their own event.For more information on how to get involved, check out Open Streets Minneapolis. Continue Reading

CSA Fair and Sustainability Fair

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CSA FairSaturday was the CSA Fair at the Seward Co-op. There were nearly 30 farms selling shares. When we arrived at 1 p.m., farmers were reporting a great turn-out. The tent was still busy when we showed up, but we heard that earlier it was wall-to-wall with people wanting to learn about the farms and buy shares. If you’d like more information about CSAs, check out Seward Co-op’s list of FAQs.Farms at the fair are located in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Continue Reading

DFL Caucuses and conventions: How they work

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With the DFL caucuses happening on Tuesday and the conventions coming up in the next month or two, we wanted to find out why, exactly, they were so important and what happens at them.Why Does It Matter?This year, the caucuses and conventions will determine who gets the DFL endorsement for City Council, Mayor, the Park Board, and the Board of Estimate and Taxation. While the candidates who don’t receive endorsement can still run for office, the candidate who receives the DFL endorsement is at a distinct advantage. During the last city council election in 2009, every candidate endorsed by the DFL party won the election – which, incidentally is every current council member except for Cam Gordon from Ward 2, who is a Green Party candidate.How Does Endorsement Work?So how do candidates get endorsed by the Minneapolis DFL? There are two hurdles. First, they need to gain support at the precinct caucuses, and second, win the vote for endorsement at the ward or city convention. More election coverageby Mary Turck, TC Daily PlanetSt. Continue Reading

New playgrounds at Minnehaha Park coming soon

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After a lengthy planning process, the new playgrounds slated for the North Plateau and Wabun areas at Minnehaha Park have received approval by the Park Board, which is one of the last steps before construction will begin this summer.Park planners focused on developing playgrounds that represented the unique histories of both locations. Read more about the area’s history and the plans for the two playgrounds in a previous article.North PlateauLarger version of North Plateau plan details.At the North Plateau site, all of the existing play structures from the WPA era will remain. Andrea Webber, project manager at the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, said that the new playground features will be classic stand-alone structures, such as slides, see saws, spring rockers, and a merry-go-round. To blend the new with the old, the new equipment won’t have the bright colors typically seen at a modern playground. The North Plateau area was the location of the Longfellow Gardens (the Zoo), and the play area will have a few concrete animal climbers as well as signage telling the story about the site’s history.WabunLarger version of Wabun plan details.The new Wabun playground is a universal access playground, which means that all children and caregivers, including those with disabilities will be able to take part in the fun. Continue Reading

Nice Ride bikes: Ready to roll

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It really is spring! We just got word that by the end of the day today all of the Nice Ride bikes will be out and ready to go for a spin.There are a few stations in our community where you can rent a bike:Franklin & 28th Ave25th Street & 33rd AveEast Lake Street & 36th AveMidtown YWCA22nd Ave S & Franklin Ave (upcoming)You can find all of the stations and how many bikes are currently available by checking out the Nice Ride map or Spotcycle.New Stations Look for new bike stations at Minnehaha Falls Park, Lake Street, and Hiawatha Ave this May.How it WorksNice Ride is best for short trips. For instance, if your ride is shorter than 30 minutes there aren’t trip fees. We think it would be a great way to use a bike to get from point A to B, and then not have to worry about a bike when you get to where you’re going.To participate, you’ll need to subscribe to the Nice Ride service ($65 per year) and then there are trip fees depending on how long you need the bike.Do you use Nice Ride? What do you think? Continue Reading

Q&A with Minneapolis Ward 9 DFL City Council candidates

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With the DFL caucuses coming up quickly, we wanted to find out more about the people running for City Council in our local wards. All candidates seeking DFL endorsement were invited to participate in our Q&A. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions for the candidates!First up, Ward 9. Candidates vying for DFL endorsement in Ward 9 are Jettie Ann Hill, Tim Springer, Charles Ryan Curtis, and Alondra Cano. Find more information about wards and the DFL caucus at the end of this article.Questions1. Continue Reading

30 Days of Biking kicks off at Minnehaha Falls

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30 Days of Biking is a movement that started in Minneapolis and uses the connective power of social media to make a sometimes solo venture – riding a bike – not such an individual event.“It makes you realize that there’s this entire community of people who are supporting you,” Stephenson told Minnesota Public Radio. “For people who aren’t used to biking every day, it’s a bunch of people – invisible people — essentially around the world who are saying ‘you can do it. We support you. We’re there with you.’”How to participate? Pledge to ride your bike – any distance – every day during the month of April. Continue Reading