Northeast Neighborhood News.

Windom Park Citizens in Action

Windom Park Citizens in Action (WPCiA) will meet Tuesday, January 17, 7 p.m. at the Pillsbury School park addition, 2251 Hayes Street NE (enter on the north side of the building)

The full agenda includes the following items:

1. Representatives of local Minneapolis public schools will offer updates and take questions and comments.  Confirmed guests include School Board vice chair Laura Cavender and Northeast Middle School Principal Padmini Udupa or her assistant principal.
2. Presentation of a written draft of the Neighborhood Action Plan.  The Windom Park Neighborhood will present a draft plan for allocating $563,000 in Neighborhood Revitalization Program funds.  Based on neighborhood input, funds are proposed for safety, parks, transportation and housing initiatives.  Final input will be taken in February with the final report up for a vote in March.
3. Additional items for discussion will be a review of top priorities for future work with the Minneapolis Police Department, committee updates and other news  Free child care.  For additional information contact WPCiA, 612 788 2192 or info@windompark.org.

Mississippi Watershed Management Organization

The Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (NWMO) will open soon open their new headquarters at 2522 Marshall Street Northeast in the Marshall Terrace neighborhood.  (612 465 8780) The staff is already on site; the public will be welcomed in late January or early February.  A grand opening is planned for Spring 2012.

The mission of MWMO is 1) to foster stewardship on the Mississippi as it runs through Minneapolis., and 2) to foster stewardship of the land that drains to the river; that land includes all of Northeast and Southeast Minneapolis as well as portions of the cities of Lauderdale, St. Anthony and St. Paul.

The work of the MWMO ranges from educational programs for students, residents and businesses to regular monitoring for water quality and emergency response to immediate threats to water resources in the watershed.

Located on the banks of the Mississippi, the new headquarters will serve as a demonstration of MWMO’s principles of best management practices for supporting water resources and treating storm water.

Some of the features of the headquarters will include rain gardens, bio-swales and porous pavers.  A ramp will allow visitors access to the river itself.  A cistern will collect up to 4000 gallons of rain water for reuse during dry spells. The first floor of the headquarters will feature interactive exhibits, classrooms and other educational resources for students and the general public.

More information about the headquarters opening, options for public access and photos as soon as that information is available, probably late January or early February.  Meantime, check the MWMO website for the latest on the move, funds available for community-initiated water quality projects, and more.  MWMO is actively seeking volunteers to serve on the Citizen Advisory group.  For questions or current update contact Zhenya (Zee) Stone, zstone@mwmo.org.

Northeast Happenings

“Talk and Taste” – It’s all about urban gardens

“Talk and Taste” is the whimsical title for a Sunday afternoon talk about urban gardens and soil contaminants.  It’s Sunday, December 4, 3:00 p.m. at Children’s Library, Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall.

The talk will be followed at 3:45 by a food tasting featuring restaurants that provide local ingredients for urban diners.  At 4:15 the Student Organic Farm at the University of Minnesota will discuss their work and the intent of the Organic Farm.Time: 3:00pm – 5:00 p.m.

“Talk and Taste” is presented in collaboration with the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Gastro Non Grata.

Holiday Rides and More at St. Anthony Shopping Center

Do you need some old – and new – fashioned winter and holiday spirit in your life?  Explore the Holiday Festivities in the Village, the shopping center in St. Anthony Village to be precise.  The center is at 2945 Pentagon Drive, where Kenzie Terrace meets Highway 88 and St. Anthony Boulevard.

The Holiday Festivities are Friday, December 9 (6-9) and Saturday, December 10 (9-4)

Highlight of Friday evening is the chance for a Carriage Ride between the shopping center and Autumn Woods.  Santa will be on hand along with a light display of the ride route.  Local merchants will feature their services and wares.  Stop for a free sample of chai at TeaSource or a taste of products from local vendors at Annona Gourmet.

Bring a donation for the food shelf, ride, sample, and learn about  the shops and friendly merchants of St. Anthony Shopping Center.   Free and open to all!

Snowshoeing on the Riverfront

The longer snow enthusiasts wait, the more eager they are to slap on those skis, skates or, in this case snowshoes, to enjoy the Winter as only a Minnesotan can.  On Sunday, December 11, 1:30-3:00 p.m.   The Mississippi Riverfront Partnership and the Lind-Bohanon Neighborhood Association will lead the pack with the next in their “Great River Outing” series – “Snowshoeing North Miss.”

The Outing is at North Mississippi Regional Park, Carl Kroening Interpretive Center, 4900 Mississippi Court.

If weather permits, it’s snowshoeing – if not it’s a walk in North Mississippi Regional Park, exploring natural wonders and the history of the park.

 

 

Northeasters Cool Off at Gatherings toTalk Business, Bike Trails and the Riverfront

In the next couple of weeks two priority items appear in close proximity on the public agenda in Northeast Minneapolis.  In addition, the Board of Directors of Windom Park Citizens in Action will hold an important meeting in the neighborhood.

So, dig under the heaps of swimwear and the accoutrement of Summer – the end (of summer) is in sight, time to get down to BUSINESS!  Ease in with some cool topics discussed in cool environs that will make you forget the heat!

The Windom Park Citizens in Action (WPCIA) Board of Directors will meet Tuesday,July 26, 7:00 p.m. at the association’s office, 2314 Lowry Avenue Northeast.  The meeting is open to all; Board members invite community members to get the season off to a good start by participating in this and the following gatherings:

RiverFIRST is the sole topic on the agenda on Thursday, July 28, 7 p.m. at the Bottineau Park building, 2000 2^nd Street NE.  The gathering is actually a community meeting in which attendees will participate in a visioning process for the upper riverfront in Northeast/North Minneapolis.  The session is sponsored by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.  Because the residents of the City of Lakes does share the Mississippi with the Saintly City those who are concerned might want to peruse a recent report from an 18-month planning study for the Great River Park.  This is St. Paul’s initiative to increase accessibility to St. Paul’s seventeen miles of Mississippi riverfront property.  The complete plan is available on the web (www.greatriverpark.org.)

Come early for a slot on the bike rack for the East Side Bike Summit.  It’s Monday, August 1, 6-7 p.m. at the Ritz Theater, 345 1113^th Avenue NE (just East of University)  City and County staff assigned to develop bike trains on the East will be on hand to report ad to listen.  The agenda includes these developments/plans:

ü     18^th Avenue NE, Phase 2-Monroe Street NE to the Quarry Shopping Center – should there be a tunnel under the railroad tracks?

ü     Central Avenue – 37^th Avenue NE to the Mississippi – Update

ü     East Hennepin and 1^st Avenue NE bike lane study – Update

ü     5^th Avenue NE to Broadway, Broadway to Lowry – Idea of using empty railroad tracks from Scherer Brothers lumber site as future North/South bike trail

ü     Marshall/Main Street bike lane – Update

ü     1^st Avenue NE to Broadway, Broadway to Lowry, idea of using empty railroad tracks from Scherer Bros. umber site as future north/south bike trail.

Questions? Contact Michael Rainville 612 378 0431

Minneapolis Pops Brightens Nicollet Island Mornings with Music and Motion

Though the usual summertime home of the Minneapolis Pops Orchestra is the Lake Harriet Bandshell  the versatile musicians are changing the venue and the schedule in the weeks to come — much to the delight of folks for whom South Minneapolis is a Destination.  They’re also changing their repertoire, again to the benefit of new listeners in riverfront setting.

On Tuesday morning, July 19,10:30 a.m.  the Orchestra moves to the Nicollet Island Pavilion for “Saturday Night (actually it really is Tuesday) at the Movies.’  The program includes music from films and music suggested by films.  The sparkling program  includes a host of musical delights – consider John Williams’ “Harry Potter Suite” from The Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) or John Philip Sousa’s “Liberty Bell March” from Monty Python’s Flying Circus (1969), or the most recent, William Walton’s “Crown Imperial” from The King’s Speech (1910).

On Thursday morning, July 28, the Pops Orchestra returns to the Nicollet Island Pavilion for a focus on music that makes listeners want to move – dances by Dvorak, Brahms, Lecuona and Josef Strauss plus concertmaster Michal Sobieski’s flying fiddle and “Ascot Dances” with “Minnesota’s premiere accordionist Mark Stillman (an unlikely name for a musician who is clearly in motion!)

The Minneapolis Pops Orchestra features forty-five professional musicians who, during the non-summer (I can’t use the “w” word) play with the Minnesota Opera, the Minnesota Orchestra, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and other Twin Cities groups.  Music Director Jere Lantz, now in this twenty-fifth season with the MPO, is host for the summer concerts and “well known for his ability to communicate the ‘story behind the music.’

Concerts are free and open.