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Park Board: We want 100 percent independence
UPDATED July 2, 2009, 4:29pm
By Cristof Traudes
The Park Board wants voters in November to decide whether they should become their own governmental unit, entirely separate from the city.
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation wants complete independence.
For what’s believed to be the first time in their 126-year-history, the board’s commissioners are seeking an amendment to the city’s charter that would end their reliance on the Board of Estimate and Taxation. They’re expected to begin collecting signatures for a petition over the Fourth of July weekend.
Although they are commonly referred to as an independent board, the Park Board’s finances are actually not entirely under their control. Their money technically flows through the city, and their annual property tax lev
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Park Board: We want 100 percent independence
UPDATED July 2, 2009, 4:29pm
By Cristof Traudes
The Park Board wants voters in November to decide whether they should become their own governmental unit, entirely separate from the city.The Minneapolis Park and Recreation wants complete independence. For what’s believed to be the first time in their 126-year-history, the board’s commissioners are seeking an amendment to the city’s charter that would end their reliance on the Board of Estimate and Taxation. They’re expected to begin collecting signatures for a petition over the Fourth of July weekend. Although they are commonly referred to as an independent board, the Park Board’s finances are actually not entirely under their control. Their money technically flows through the city, and their annual property tax lev
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City offices closed, parking meters enforced on July 3
UPDATED July 2, 2009, 9:24am
By Cristof Traudes
Saturday is the Fourth of July, and in observance, city offices will be closed July 3. Also unavailable on Friday will be Minneapolis 311 and Downtown’s Solid Waste and Recycling customer service office. Trash pick-up will occur. Meanwhile, city parking meters will be enforced all day July 3. City offices will reopen at regular hours July 6.
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Washburn launches fundraising campaign
By Dylan Thomas
TANGLETOWN — The Washburn High School Foundation launched a new website and a major fundraising campaign to support academic, art and athletic programs at the school.
The foundation aims to raise $400,000 by the end of the 2009–2010 school year. The majority of those funds will support academic programs, including the staff training required to implement the International Baccalaureate curriculum, the foundation reported on its website.
If the fundraising goal is met, about $50,000 will go to support arts and athletics programs. Other priorities are capital improvements at the school, including a renovation of the Washburn auditorium, and expansion of the foundation’s endowment.
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School Board approves two-week suspension of Burroughs principal
By Dylan Thomas
Cadotte to challenge suspension, attorney saysLYNNHURST — The Burroughs Community School principal whose school year ended in headline-grabbing controversy planned to challenge a 10-day suspension approved in June by the Minneapolis School Board, his attorney said. The recommendation to suspend Principal Tim Cadotte cited “conduct unbecoming a principal, insubordination, and inefficiency in the performance of duties as principal.” The suspension apparently did not directly stem from a confrontation between Cadotte and School Board Member Chris Stewart at Burroughs in April. Cadotte was placed on administrative leave for two weeks following the incident, which was described in second-hand accounts as a heated verbal exchange.
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Parks update // Lake Harriet committee
By Cristof Traudes
Lake Harriet committee will meet in August, SeptemberA citizens’ advisory committee tasked with making recommendations on the future of the Lake Harriet concession will extend its meetings past July and into September. The group originally was scheduled to get together just four times, with July 13 as its last date. But a majority of members said that to do their job right, they couldn’t rush the process. They are now expected to meet once in August and once in September. Much of the committee’s time so far has been spent preparing surveys to gather input from a wide variety of stakeholders. Churches, churchgoers, trolley operators, nearby business associations and City Council members are all targeted, as well as lake
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Green digest // Stimulus funds
By Dylan Thomas
Stimulus funds go to energy efficiencyA plan to direct $3.9 million in federal economic stimulus funds to local green improvement projects was approved by the Minneapolis City Council and Mayor R.T. Rybak in June. Funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will support energy efficiency and conservation efforts in homes, small businesses and local government facilities, the city reported. The federal funds come through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant [EECBG] Program, a part of the Recovery Act that aims to both create jobs and promote conservation. Twenty percent of the grant, or $780,000, will be used to create a revolving loan fund for small businesses seeking ways to reduce fossil fuel emissions or lower
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Check it out // Cinema and Civics
By Dylan Thomas and Sarah McKenzie
Cinema and Civics season underwaySTEVENS SQUARE — Sure, summer just started, but you have to act fast to take advantage of warm-weather opportunities. Case in point: outdoor movies. If you haven’t yet, make this the week you grab a blanket, pack up some snacks and bike over to Stevens Square Park for Cinema and Civics. (Seriously, don’t drive. The parking there is awful.) OK, so Loring Park Summer Music and Movies has a pretty good lineup this summer — a Paul Newman retrospective paired with really great bands like Gospel Gossip and Roma di Luna. But Cinema and Civics ups the ante for free outdoors entertainment. First, there’s the environment: a sloping, tree-covered hillside in Stevens Square
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Neighborhood notebook
By Dylan Thomas, Jake Weyer and Carly Reynolds
THE WEDGE
Marking historic homes in The Wedge
Lowry Hill East Neighborhood Association (LHENA) was moving forward in June with a plan to recognize notable older homes in The Wedge.
The LHENA Board of Directors approved a change to its Neighborhood Revitalization Plan phase II proposal so NRP dollars could be used for the purchase of plaques. The plaques will mark residential structures that are at least 100 years old or of particular architectural interest.
The Wedge NRP Steering Committee will consider the plan modification at its July 1 meeting that begins at 7 p.m. in the Neighborhood Improvement Program building at 2431 Hennepin Ave. S.
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CARAG
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Crime reports
By Tara Bannow and Jake Weyer
Editor’s note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, murder, etc.) will feature the + symbol. Note, this compilation of crime reports provides highlights of area criminal activity. It’s not intended to be a comprehensive overview of Southwest crime. ARMATAGE+ June 12, 11:15 p.m., 58th Street West and Washburn Avenue SouthFour men approximately 16–18 years old assaulted and robbed a man walking home from work. The man’s backpack was taken. He refused medical attention.
+ June 14, 4:10 a.m., West 57th Street and Russell Avenue SouthA man was walking to a bus stop when he noticed a white, four-door vehicle following him slowly. The vehicle
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Biz buzz // Broders' takes it outside
By Journal staff
Broders’ Pasta Bar opens outdoor antipasto barBroders’ Pasta Bar has taken the outdoor dining experience to another level. It has unveiled a new outdoor antipasto bar. Chefs prepare small dishes at a grill tucked behind a countertop where patrons can observe the culinary action. The menu is broken into three sections — cichetti (small snacks), piadini freddi and piadini caldi (plates that require a knife and fork). Michael Rostance, executive chef at the pasta bar, 5000 Penn Ave. S., said the menu focuses on fresh, healthy bites — quick dishes to prepare that are ideal for summer dining. “I’ve always dreamed of working outside,” he said while overseeing a couple of chefs wor
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Neighborhood fights delay of Nicollet rebuild
By Jake Weyer
1 Comment
City moves Nicollet reconstruction from 2013 to 2014; community members say street needs attention soonerTom Kilton hears the racket of traffic on Nicollet Avenue every day from his office on the 3400 block of the street. Cars and trucks bang into potholes, clank over cracks and rumble along asphalt patches scattered throughout the weathered roadway. “I’m not looking forward to the construction, but the sooner the better,” said Kilton, a State Farm insurance agent. “I don’t know that there’s a worse street in the city.” The Public Works department says there are — lots of them. Enough to push the Nicollet rebuild from 2013, where it was scheduled for the past couple years, to 2014.
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Lake Calhoun: Plans to plan again?
By Cristof Traudes
2 Comments
Park Board commissioners recently created a citizens’ advisory committee to investigate Lake Harriet’s future. Now, some are asking for the same at Calhoun. When change is proposed at Lake Calhoun, people complain. Case in point: When Theodore Wirth, today regarded as the brains behind much of Minneapolis’ park system, last century wanted to dredge the lake to create beaches, citizens put up a fight. The dredging happened anyway. A more recent example: When a Park and Recreation Board watchdog group learned late last year that a $350,000 overhaul of the lake’s south shore parking lot was coming down the pipeline despite little to no community input, a small clamor ensued. E-mails were sent. Phone calls were made. Letters were mailed.
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Coming to a driveway near you
By Dylan Thomas
Open Eye Figure Theatre’s Driveway Tour swings through SouthwestBRYN MAWR — The pink and orange streamers dangling from the bushes off of Chestnut Avenue were just one sign Open Eye Figure Theatre had arrived in Bryn Mawr. Another was the group of about 10 picnickers in Bassett Creek Park on an overcast but warm Monday evening. A man and his young daughter sat on a blanket nearby, the only others waiting in front of the puppet theater’s small, portable stage a half-hour before show time. One of the picnickers wondered aloud if there would be much of a crowd for that evening’s performance. There was no reason to worry: By the time the title puppet in “Little Grandpa’s Big City Adventure”
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A new era for community engagement
By Jake Weyer
A new group of 16 elected and appointed community members responsible for managing city-citizen relations and neighborhood funding met for the first time this month to start tackling some daunting issues. Among the initial charges: To find a way to engage citizens of all races, genders and ethnicities throughout the city and to figure out how to distribute dwindling Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) dollars to cash-strapped neighborhoods. The group, dubbed the Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commission (NCEC), will also recommend someone for the job of overseeing its new managing department — Neighborhood and Community Relations (NCR). “That’s all pretty challenging,” said East Harriet neighborhood leader
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November election guaranteed to use runoff-voting method
By Cristof Traudes
 After the Supreme Court ruled that ranked-choice voting is constitutional, the City Council decided it’s time to move aheadInstant-runoff voting, single-transferable vote, ranked-choice voting — whatever it’s called, Minneapolis’ new election system is a go. The City Council on June 12 voted 10-2, with one member absent, that the city will be ready on Nov. 3 to implement the voting method, which allows people to rank their first, second and third choices in each municipal race. “This is a great day for Minneapolis voters,” said Elizabeth Glidden (8th Ward), elections committee chairwoman. Council Member R
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Civic beat // City to lose $30 million in unallotment
By Cristof Traudes
Minneapolis is expected to lose almost $30 million in local-government aid (LGA) over the next two years as part of Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s state budget-balancing unallotments. According to estimates from the Department of Revenue, the cuts would be back-loaded: $8.54 million would go this year, followed by $21.34 million in 2010. LGA pays for basic services such as snow plowing and police and fire departments. When Pawlenty unallotted about $18 million in LGA from Minneapolis last December, Mayor R.T. Rybak rebalanced the city’s budget by proposing such cuts as $2.2 million from the Public Works Department, including a $250,000 reduction to snow and ice removal. Because of federal stimulus money, Rybak said he was able to prevent any police officer layoffs, a
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City Council actions // Interim elections director
By Cristof Traudes
June 12 meeting Hennepin County veteran to steer transition to new election system
The council unanimously approved hiring a long-time Hennepin County manager and director to lead the city’s transition to ranked-choice voting in the fall election.
Through December, Patrick O’Connor will fill the shoes of departed Elections Director Cynthia Reichert, who on June 5 left her post for a similar position at Anoka County. Reichert had steered the city’s preparations for RCV, and O’Connor said he’s ready to step in where she left off.
O’Connor cited voter education and clean ballot counting as his top priorities. His job, he said, will be to run a successful election under the new system
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A view from Midtown // Rights, responsibilities, safety and civility
By Dan Breva
1 Comment
A quick introduction: I’m currently working at Freewheel Midtown Bike Center and have been there since its opening in May of 2008. I grew up in South Minneapolis and biked everywhere until I got a driver’s license. Prior to working at Midtown, I worked in the outdoor recreation profession for more than 30 years. I worked in metropolitan areas as well as in outstate Minnesota. This work involved managing large outdoor recreational facilities, developing statewide policies and rules that affected outdoor recreation, and operational management of state parks and state trails. During that time many recreational opportunities and facilities were surrounded by population growth and the “islands of natural environment” are now integrated into the larger landscape
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Meet the market // Signs of the seasons
By David Nicholson
There are inevitably more ideas, even good ones, bandied about by volunteers than there are resources to make them manifest. One of our board members had this idea about signs. It was an idea that came out of the endless conversations over ways to get the word out about the market. We already have our postcard campaigns. Though we struggle with it, we have a website. You can find out the latest and greatest (and substantially unelaborated) news about us on Twitter. The market will soon be on Facebook. We have made tall signs, short signs, lawn signs. But the conversation continues. This new sign idea had to do with a kind of roadside poetry. It was inspired by the ad campaign launched here in Minneapolis in the 1920s for Burma Shave. I was not yet around even when Burma
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Don’t put a bookmark in reading for summer
By Mike Opat
There’s no better time of year than summertime for any kid, including my three. Another school year has passed by, and responsibilities are limited to summer sports, household chores, perhaps a summer job. Kids and teens get a chance to shake the title of “student” and enjoy themselves for what seems like the fastest few months of the year. But even after the school year ends, keeping kids and teens engaged in books throughout the summer is crucial to their future. Research clearly shows that young people who don’t read over the summer can lose several months of reading skills, starting their next school year at a disadvantage. Over several summers, there can be dramatic damage done to reading skills by the time a student reaches high school,
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Rose Mullen Hanna was here
By Jim Walsh
Just got home from the Music Box, where I was putting up words on the lit-up marquee for a show I’m doing there. It was the hottest night of the year so far, good and muggy, my Fran King “Prodigal Sunshine” T-shirt sticking to my ribs like honest hard work; the chlorine fresh in my nose and hair from swimming/pounding on the neighbor kids earlier in the day. Yes. Yes. Yes. Heat. Summer, finally. So I was feeling good as I climbed the ladder, up and down and up and down again for a couple hours until all the letters had been spaced out properly and spelled correctly. I had plenty of help: two brothers who are putting on a talent showcase called “MINNEAPOLLO 2009” (the marquee for which we also put up tonight); a Somali businessman, and a few
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Summer Poetry Project
By Southwest poets
Summer is a special season in Minnesota — from the early days of May to the final days of the State Fair we put aside thoughts of winter and revel in the soft deception of a compatible climate. Area poets are playing with summer’s subtleties in all kinds of ways. There is more story telling and there are strong currents below the surface. I got a lot of poems about sex, job loss, complicated relationships, travel (near and far, real and imagined), fantasies and tragedies. Must have something to do with the times. The selection this time is particularly diverse, with poets representing at least eight different Southwest neighborhoods. Our oldest poet is in his 80s. Our youngest (and this may be a record) just turned 4. Our next poetry issue is
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Everyday gardener // Gardening Q & A
By Meleah Maynard
Newfangled burlap, mint gone wild and the woes of powdery mildewI usually wait until July or so to do a Q & A column, but I’ve received a lot of questions on the same topics so far this year, so I’m going to go ahead and try to answer some of them now. If I get a bunch more, I’ll just do another one of these round-up columns later this summer. I’ll start with a good question that comes up all the time. Q: What do the three numbers on fertilizer packages mean?A: Those numbers refer to nitrogen (N), potassium (K) and phosphorous (P), respectively. Like us, plants need nutrients to be healthy and strong. Nitrogen helps plants build chlorophyll, which helps them use sunlight to
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Art beat // A Victorian revolutionary
By Dylan Thomas
The MIA showcases William Holman HuntWHITTIER — The parlor scene painted by William Holman Hunt in “The Awakening Conscience” is a visual catalogue of the gaudy furnishings of Victorian England. An upright piano covered in glossy veneer is pushed up against a large mirror in a gold-leaf frame. The faded crimson dye of an Oriental rug is matched with wallpaper printed in gold and forest green. The room, recreated by Hunt in vivid, meticulous detail, is an elaborate stage for the morality play at the center of the painting. A dandyish Victorian gentleman reclines in a chair while his mistress seems to contemplate escape from her gilded cage. Hunt’s heavy-handed moralizing has aged about as well as the
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Flavor // Northern exporsure
By Carla Waldemar
Remember way back (your daddy will) when the local icons of Italian dining were Café di Napoli and Mama D’s? One sauce fit all, and it came thick and red. Next we came to learn the magic words “Northern Italian,” taking us beyond the kitchens of Napoli to the world of pesto on our pasta. (See? We don’t even say “noodles” anymore.) These days, diners on the culinary frontier are venturing beyond those strands of green-laced fettuccini and going all micro-Northern on us, ordering — what’s this? — rice. Well, risotto, the staple of any trattoria worth its wooden spoon from Milan to Venice. So when Chef Gabriele Lo Pinto (who hails from Genoa and cooked at Edina’s Arezzo) opened his own little trattoria
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Connect // Digging in at Vera’s Garden
By Sarah McKenzie
WHITTIER — If you stroll or bike past Vera’s Garden on the Midtown Greenway, you’d think an army of folks work to maintain it. It’s overflowing with ornamental trees, shrubs and a beautiful array of flowers. Just two volunteers, Donovan Harmel and Tom Evers, however, are largely responsible for upkeep of this community garden on the edge of the Murals of LynLake condos on Lyndale. The garden was reduced in size by about half when construction on the condos started two years ago. Harmel and Evers had to move hundreds of plants. “It was heartbreaking,” said Evers, who mentioned they almost gave up on the garden at one point. “It’s finally nice now. It’s not the garden it used to be, but it is
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