Twin Cities Daily Planet (https://www.tcdailyplanet.net/tag/seward/page/3/)
Over the past few weeks the Northern Clay Center (NCC) has been buzzing with activity as staff and members set-up an impressive exhibition comprising over 1100 works of pottery.
Name: Mary Stiff
Occupation: Administrative support for local law-firm (including go to jewelry repair person)
Beginning In 2011, Riverside Avenue — one of the main arteries serving the Cedar-Riverside, Seward, and University communities — will be getting a dramatic overhaul, as a $12 million construction project gets underway to completely redesign the road, lanes, and sidewalks.
For many living in urban environments, it may be difficult to imagine living in an densely-populated housing complex where the concept of community is highly-valued. Continue Reading
Seward’s first chance to check out aspects of the new draft vision for Franklin Avenue will come on Sept. 27, when Seward Redesign will put some ideas to the street test with temporary chalk treatments on the pavement, more permanent landscaping and a doorframe at an intersection, where the sidewalk meets the street, intended to “create a human scale on sidewalk,” said Wergin. Frankly 27th open houseSaturday, Sept. 27, 2–5 p.m.East Franklin Avenue between 26th and 27th avenues
The demonstration projects coincide with Redesign’s open house for its “Frankly 27th” building, which will showcase Redesign and the other five business located in the newly renovated building. Highlights will include the grand opening of ArtiCulture, with a a clothesline art sale, family art activities, music and more; free spinal exams and neck and back consultations from Dr. Gary Miller, chiropractor, and Prime Meridian Acupuncture; an “Astrosatchel” trunk show at Fast and Furless; a prototype bike fix it station, information about a grassroots gardening project; new sidewalk benches; food and refreshments and balloons for the kids. Continue Reading
Partners for the redesign of the nearly mile and a quarter of Franklin Avenue that serves as the central business corridor through the Seward neighborhood released a “Draft Community Vision” document last week that details what its title page calls “an interim look at a community process for making Franklin Avenue a Great Street.”
“We’re sort of inventing the project as we go along,” said Sheldon Mains, Seward Neighborhood Group (SNG) board chair. “Our direction has come out of something I like to call ‘group sourcing,’” Mains said. Distributed throughout the neighborhood, redevelopment partners SNG, Seward Redesign and Seward Civic and Commerce Association, say the draft document is an effort to engage Seward residents and businesses in its design process at a grassroots level. Almost half of the draft’s 18 pages are blank space reserved for reader comments and their commitments to volunteering for four different project areas—improving street crossings, implementing informative street graphics, envisioning street landscaping/green space and enhancing traffic options for local bicyclists. “This project isn’t about a big street resurfacing like the one on Lake Street,” Mains said. Continue Reading
While the Seward neighborhood residents and businesses are known to sometimes wear their politics on their sleeves, some will be putting the message on their lawns and in their windows during this convention and campaign season. Seward will act as a “gallery” neighborhood for the “My Yard, Our Message” campaign, sponsored by the Walker Art Center and mnartists.org. This summer, artists submitted designs for the politically themed yard signs, 50 of which were chosen as finalists. Three of these winning designs — including the top two vote-getters — were created by Seward resident Teri Kwant. On Saturday, Aug. Continue Reading
Staff laid off as NRP penalty and financial problems surface
After apparently pulling itself out of debt in 2003 after the mismanagement of Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) funds, the Seward Neighborhood Group (SNG) once again finds itself in the red. Since July 2003, when recently resigned Executive Director Lori Stone took the helm, SNG has raised roughly a half million dollars in foundation grants, employed full- and part-time staff and managed a number of community programs.
The success has proven unsustainable, however. By mid-September — less than a month after Stone left the organization — the group’s checking account was overdrawn by $1,000, said current Board Treasurer Kevin Brown, and there was no money to meet payroll. On Sept. 14, the SNG Board of Directors was forced to lay off all its paid staff, as more and more evidence of financial trouble began to surface. Continue Reading
Seward area roaster fined by city
Many people love the scent of coffee in the morning — some can’t start their day without it. For some Seward neighbors, however, the odor — in this case, of coffee beans roasting at MorningStar, 2309 Snelling Ave. S. — has been a nuisance for more than a year. In our August issue, The Bridge reported that MorningStar was to have installed, by July 16, an afterburner that would mitigate the odor, in accordance with an agreement with the city. More than a month and a half later, as this issue went to press, the afterburner had still not been installed, according to MorningStar’s owner, Jose Vido. Continue Reading