This is a great opportunity to make a destination site in the Midtown Phillips Neighborhood. A site that takes a tragedy and turns it into spectacular win. We hope you will agree. The city, county and neighborhood association are going to move the CEPRO through the normal process. That could result in anything, or nothing. For that reason, we are looking for people to help move this idea through the process, attend meetings, make the “Fitness for CEPRO” voices heard. Continue Reading
On August 7, councilmember Cano met with over 50 family members living at 2909 Bloomington Ave. S., to hear about safety concerns and work with residents to get problems fixed.This is a Community Voices submission and is moderated but not edited. The opinions expressed by Community Voices contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the TC Daily Planet.Also participating in the meeting was Minneapolis police officer Abubakar Muridi, along with several other MPD officers and staff, and board members from the East Phillips Improvement Coalition.2909 Bloomington soccer players tell councilmember Cano they would like a soccer goal, basketball hoop in backyardBefore the meeting, councilmember Cano was given a tour of the backyard by soccer players living at 2909 Bloomington. They talked about problems with cars speeding down the alley, and said they would like a fence put up to separate alley car traffic from the youth playing in the back yard. They also hoped for more green grass, a basketball hoop and a soccer goal, a bigger playground, and speed bumps.2909 Bloomington families hope to replace this backyard dirt and rocks with green grass and a fenceThe soccer players then escorted councilmember Cano into the front lobby of 2909 Bloomington, where over 50 residents young and old talked with the councilmember about problems plaguing the building and surrounding neighborhood.Minneapolis police officer Muridi and councilmember Cano talk safety with 2909 Bloomington familiesMost of the complaints focused on safety and security. Continue Reading
Updated: 6/21/2014 – 9:59 pmThis weekend offers a spirited mix of events to help mark the official start of summer (Saturday, June 21). The lineup is less congested than last weekend’s, but every bit as rich and lively. This weekend’s weather forecast appears to be a bit brighter as well. See what’s on tap for the weekend below:Back to the 50s Car Show, June 20 – 22 Take a drive down memory lane at the 41st Annual Back to the 50s Weekend, sponsored by Minnesota Street Rod Association. Enjoy over 11,000 hot rods, live entertainment, a T6 flyover, food and fun for the entire family. Continue Reading
On June 12, 50 family members living at 2909 Bloomington Ave S. met with Minneapolis police officer Mukhtar Abdulkadir to find solutions to crime and safety problems that have been plaguing their neighborhood and their building.The people living at 2909 Bloomington Ave. S. are predominantly Somali, and many residents speak limited English. In the past the language barrier has often meant that some residents have not contacted the police to report crime problems, and when they do they often feel the police do not understand them and are slow to respond adequately.Meeting with officer Abdulkadir was the first time many of the residents have talked in their native language about their crime and safety problems with a police officer. They explained in detail to officer Abdulkadir what was happening in their neighborhood and in their building. Their biggest complaints were about intruders who on a daily basis get into their building and:*Sleep in the front lobby and stairwells overnight*Sneak into the underground garage and break into cars*Sell drugs in the building*Urinate in the hallway*Kick in windows in the middle of the night*Smoke in the stairways*Sneak downstairs*Knock on people’s doors in the middle of the nightResidents also said that prostitutes regularly walk the sidewalk outside their building, and even get into the building and ply their trade downstairs and in the stairways.Families also talked about concerns they had for the safety of their children. Scores of children live at 2909 Bloomington, and every day dozens play in the open space out back. Their play often spills out into the alley. Parents said that many drivers speed through the alleys at 30 mph+, and suggested that their children would be safer with a fence separating the play area from the alley traffic. After hearing the lengthy and passionate descriptions of the intrusions and problems, Abdulkadir offered some advice. He said that the problem with the intruders was so huge and endemic, he thought that security inside the building was necessary to get them out. He also said that working security cameras were a must.Abdulkadir also said he was ready to continue working with them to successfully deal with their crime problems.Officer Abdulkadir encourages soccer players, thanks soccer coachOfficer Abdulkadir also told the families about how he became a Minneapolis police officer, and encouraged the youth to consider a career in law enforcement. He praised youth involvement in the East Phillips soccer team, and thanked the soccer coach for his efforts.While frustrated by the crime problems in their neighborhood and building, the families felt heartened after their meeting with Abdulkadir, and appreciated having a police officer they knew who could speak their own language. They looked forward to working with officer Abdulkadir and the Minneapolis police department to solve their problems and help make the Phillips neighborhood safer for everyone.The families also hope to meet with councilmember Alondra Cano Continue Reading
To learn more about the possible impact of the proposed North Minneapolis Bikeway, On May 16, North Minneapolis Hmong families packed a van and went on a tour of Minneapolis bikeways.All the participants live on one of the proposed routes for the North Minneapolis Bikeway.The Hmong families toured four Minneapolis bikeways: Milwaukee Ave., Midtown Greenway, Bryant Ave. S., and 37th Ave. N.During their tour, the families saw all three major types of bikeways as described by the city of Minneapolis:Bike boulevard. Bicycle symbols and traffic calming features, parking and street remain. Seen by Hmong families at Bryant Ave. Continue Reading
I’m not one to cry. Truth is, I rarely cry, but during a visit to Dick’s Resort in the Mall of America I was literally reduced to tears! The bartender was abusive, abrasive, and mean as HELL. I wasn’t sure why he was in a bad mood, but later found out that it is their “niche” to be mean as spitfire. Were they really trained to treat people like this, to the point of harassment? Continue Reading
The Big E, confessing to Minnesita Progressive Project (MPP) readers and contributers, recently wrote that his heart no longer pines to hose down right wing sparkle ponies like Michele Bachmann or even review books by the likes of a Keith Ellison. The Big E (known to his Minneapolis neighbors as Eric Pusey), is the founding scold of the MPP lefty sentry post and appears on the current edition of Democratic Visions as he retires from political blogging. After a moment of posing as a weary blogosphere elder (as if blogging was old enough to earn elders), the smart, liberal confederate, prompted by an actual DFL elder, Tim O’Brien, shines with bemused and bewildered takes on the current state of the Minnesota Republican Party and its clownish, hopeful State and Congressional candidates. Mr. Pusey, who has splashed gleefully in the rushing stream of blogs, Tweets, Facebook twerking and probably Skype, does quite well in the “legacy” medium of television where I operate. Fox Nine News knew that and for a while put him on from time-to-time. But the Fox 9 News producers didn’t have the cojones to make him a regular pundit. Too bad. Mr. Pusey has good chemistry. This ten-minute Eric and Tim segment is yours to consider. Its “tagged” (the TV producer’s sense of the word) with an homage to the late, great, populist troubadour Pete Seeger and Twin Cities activism thanks to the air guitar wonders -The Junk Yard Democrats, a peoples’ anthem, and creative editing. Enjoy! Enjoy! Democratic Visions February Segments Ex-blogger Eric Pusey and Tim O’Brien on senate and gubernatorial hopefuls.Jon Spayde as a clinically depressed motivational speaker with advice for Republican hopefuls.I report on the DFL 48 Precinct Caucuses and present an award winning short film making change. Democratic Visions is handcrafted by Eden Prairie, Edina and Minnetonka volunteer Democrats at the Bloomington Community Access Television studio by arrangement with the Southwest Suburban Cable Commission. Democratic Visions Cable ScheduleMinneapolis – MTN Channel 16 – Sundays at 8:30 p.m.; Mondays 3:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. Hopkins, Minnetonka, Edina, Richfield and Eden Prairie – Comcast Channel 15 – Sundays at 9 p.m., Mondays at 10:00 p.m. and Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. Bloomington – BCAT Cable Channel 16 – Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m.; Fridays at 9:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. The entire Feburary program and 183 archived Dem Vis segments can be seen on the Democratic Visions Channel on YouTube. Democratic Visions has become the liveliest political issues show in Minnesota. I know. I produce the darned thing. Continue Reading
Haiyen and Neeson Vang met when they were just fifteen years old, while growing up in Minneapolis off of Lake Street during the 90s. The neighborhood was run down and crime was commonplace. Haiyen and Neeson experienced the effects of that environment. “We were the children from a neighborhood that was a bit forgotten,” Neeson said. Haiyen adds, “As teenagers we both skipped school…we gave our parents a hard time and didn’t do what we should have done.”However, rather than simply accepting the barriers they faced from growing up in a ‘forgotten neighborhood,’ they began to imagine possibilities for making a better life for themselves and for their community. Haiyen and Neeson remember, “We used to sit and dream together. We used to take the bus or drive around looking at big houses and dream about building a business where not only were we making money so that we could pay our bills and raise a family, but we’re also giving back.” They also recall some of the challenges of growing up with very little money, “we never shopped regular price; everything was from the clearance rack!” However, items from the clearance rack at many stores are those that are going out of fashion. They mapped out a unique concept: a store with all new, trendy items where nothing was over $10.When they came up with the idea, Haiyen and Neeson had left high school before graduation and were working in retail. Haiyen worked at a small business selling women’s clothing and Neeson worked in loss prevention for a major retailer. They didn’t know where to start. Then they heard about an upcoming small business training class near their home, in North Minneapolis. In the spring of 2004, they applied to an early version of NDC’s Plan it! An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Success class being offered in partnership with Northside Economic Opportunities Network (NEON). From that class, they built the foundation to start and grow The Clearance Rack.Later in the fall of 2004, Haiyen and Neeson Vang received a loan from NDC and opened their first store in the neighborhood they knew best, the Phillips Neighborhood, off of Lake Street. Since then they have opened four additional stores throughout the Twin Cities metro area. Today, they provide jobs for more than 20 employees and are able to offer full-time employees benefits like paid time off and training. Neeson says, “It’s a blessing for kids who grew up every day having nothing. We beat the odds!”They continue to dream and are now discussing the possibility of expanding The Clearance Rack beyond Minnesota into other states. Haiyen and Neeson discuss the possibility of expanding to a warmer state with laughs, stating it would be good, “just so there’ll be a good reason to visit during the cold months here.”“We came to NDC with bad credit, no education…and they believed in our idea and they believed in us—most importantly they believed in us,” Haiyen concludes. Continue Reading
For the past few weeks, Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church has been engaging their members, local residents, ‘shelter’ residents, and ‘transitional housing’ community by creating an outdoor community oven. This wood-fired brick oven will be available for community bake days (under supervision) for many people whom have never experienced the opportunity to create their own breads and/or pizzas. This religious community has put their faith and belief into action by welcoming others and have truly been “Inclusive”. There is a plan for a local pizza bake day for National Night Out on August 6th. Please come and join them as they celebrate another wonderful event and outreach. Continue Reading
