David Fields, community development coordinator for Elliot Park Neighborhood Inc., stands outside the neighborhood's Band Box Diner. NRP funds were used to help give the diner a facelift.
By Michelle Bruch, Mary O'Regan, Dylan Thomas, Jake Weyer and Kari VanDerVeen
Neighborhoods brace for more cuts to the Neighborhood Revitalization Program
Like struggling neighborhoods across Minneapolis, Whittier battled urban blight through the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP).
"Particularly to a neighborhood like Whittier that was pretty desolate, pretty delinquent, NRP really gave it back its dignity," said Marian Biehn, executive director of the Whittier Alliance, a neighborhood organization.
Since the early '90s, when the first NRP dollars flowed into neighborhoods, the program has funded home-improvement grant programs, extra police patrols, even million-dollar community centers — all planned by neighbors, for their neighborhoods.
Then, in September, it looked as if the NRP tap was running dry, two years before the program's scheduled end date in 2009.
October 22, 2007
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Kingfield neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood, Armatage neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Schools
By Southwest Journal Staff
Injured at school? Minneapolis district says it doesn't have to pay
Claiming immunity from negligence suits, the Minneapolis schools are saving money -- but alleged victims cry foul
By Scott Russell
For the past two years, the Minneapolis School District has eschewed insurance coverage against liability for negligent acts -- leaning heavily on the belief that a decades-old state law gives it immunity from paying damages.
At least two pending suits -- one from a woman claiming she was hit by a school bus, another from two kids hurt in gym class -- challenge that interpretation. If the district loses, it could cost thousands of dollars in unanticipated damages during a school funding crisis.
September 4, 2003
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Kingfield neighborhood, Armatage neighborhood, Lynnhurst neighborhood
Southwest neighborhoods leaders in Minnesota Energy Challenge
By Mary O'Regan
Since October 2006, almost every neighborhood in Southwest has signed up to take the Minnesota Energy Challenge. Of all the neighborhoods in the state to participate, Linden Hills is in first place with 701,846 pounds of carbon dioxide and $57,506 saved since Nov. 13. Bryn Mawr isn't far behind in fourth place, with Kingfield, Lynnhurst and Fulton also on the top 10 list.
The conservation initiative, developed by local nonprofit the Center for Energy and Environment, encourages individuals and organizations to pledge to conserve energy at mnenergychallenge.org.
November 19, 2007
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Kingfield neighborhood, Bryn Mawr neighborhood, Lynnhurst neighborhood
Neighborhood News
1 Comment
By Southwest Journal Reporters
Kenny treasures named
At its April meeting, the Kenny Neighborhood Association (KNA) awarded 25 individuals (and one dog) with its fifth annual "Kenny Treasures Award." The award recognizes people, groups and businesses that make Kenny a better place to live.
Board member Colleen Sauber said 25-year resident Jon Wasserburger received the honor because of his diligence in distributing Kenny neighborhood welcome packets to new neighbors. Wasserburger has also enriched the neighborhood by coaching baseball, basketball and soccer at Kenny Park.
In addition, she said Wasserburger often helps neighbors by fixing leaky faucets and toilets, moving furniture and appliances, and helping to snowplow.
April 15, 2004
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Kingfield neighborhood, Kenny neighborhood, Cedar-Isles-Dean neighborhood, Bryn Mawr neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Photo by Jake Weyer
Café Agri at 3400 Bryant Ave. S., in the former My-T-Fine Bakery & Cafe space.
By Kyle Pendergast & Jake Weyer
50TH & XERXES
After seven years in business, The Baby Collection will close its doors this month.
The store, located at 5006 Xerxes Ave S., sold specialty baby gifts that could be personalized on site.
Although business has been up and down in the past few years, owner Kathy McLeod said she was closing up shop for personal reasons.
“It was the right decision. There’s a time for everything and I have other things in mind,” McLeod said. “I may be doing an online business with my daughter with the best things out of here.”
Currently everything in the store, except special orders, is 30 percent off, McLeod said. Tables are at 50 percent off and 75 percent off, she added.
May 19, 2008
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Kingfield neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Lynnhurst neighborhood
Art condition
By Hayley Tsukayama
Kingfield's 'Beautiful Girls'
Kingfield should be extra proud of two of its younger residents this month.
Ten year-old Nora Epp submitted an essay about her sister L/ne, 9, to Duluth-based "New Moon" magazine for the May/June issue entitled "25 Beautiful Girls." Twenty-five essays from the United States and Canada were picked from over 150 submitted to the magazine. L/ne is one of three Minnesota girls to make the cut.
The Epp sisters are close in more ways than age. Forget sibling rivalry, Nora extols her sister's virtues. "My little sister L/ne," wrote Nora, "believes that true beauty is when a person is kind and follows her dreams. She does both of these things."
June 10, 2004
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Kingfield neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood
Broad-daylight crimes in Kingfield, ECCO, CARAG and Lyndale
By Scott Russell
The city has issued robbery and burglary alerts for neighborhoods between Lake Calhoun and I-35W.
A robber has assaulted people during the day in the East Calhoun (ECCO), Kingfield and CARAG neighborhoods, police said. In several cases, the suspect targeted people walking alone. In two cases, suspects targeted elderly women walking by themselves or with other elderly women.
The police gave no suspect descriptions.
Police also report a string of burglaries in the Kingfield and Lyndale neighborhoods, in an area between Lake and 40th streets and between Stevens and Garfield avenues.
Since Aug. 28, the area has had 16 daylight burglaries, with the perpetrator entering both homes and garages by cutting screens and windows, police said.
September 9, 2002
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Kingfield neighborhood, East Calhoun neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood
What's next for NRP?
By Kari VanDerVeen
City Council gears up to discuss future of Neighborhood Revitalization Program
With the clock winding down on the 20-year lifespan of the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP), members of the Minneapolis City Council have acknowledged that they need to begin an in-depth discussion about the future of the program and its impact on the city's pocketbook.
Yet with less than 20 months to go before NRP reaches the end date specified in the legislation that created the program, the City Council is still working out a definitive timeline for discussions.
April 23, 2007
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Kingfield neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood
Dry cleaning goes green
By Jayne Solinger
"Wet" dry cleaning may be an oxymoron, but environmentally friendly technologies get whites whiter and don't cost customers more, two Southwest businesspeople say
The business of dry cleaning has a dirty reputation.
Waste from the cleaning process has created EPA Superfund cleanup sites, and the material used in the dry-cleaning process has been linked to various health problems.
And then there's the smell.
"I had a customer in this week who had just come from a competitor down the street. He said, 'I went in there, I had to walk right out,'" said Soo Chang, co-owner of Colonial Cleaners in the Kingfield neighborhood.
June 3, 2002
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Kingfield neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood
Crime reports
UPDATED February 25, 2008, 9:30am
By Christopher Greising
Editor’s note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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.
CARAG
Feb. 7, 12:45–3:15 p.m., 3000 block of Lyndale Ave.
Police arrested a 36-year-old man on burglary and damage to property charges. The suspect allegedly broke into the apartment of a deceased 41-year-old man and lived there for sometime. The deceased victim’s brother discovered the suspect living there and called police. The suspect explained he had been having issues with his spouse and needed a place to stay in the meantime.
February 25, 2008
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Tangletown neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Fulton neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood, East Calhoun neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Neighborhood notebook
By Staff
ARMATAGE
MASSAGE ROOM: The Armatage Neighborhood Association (ANA) sent a letter to William O'Neill, the owner of the building that houses The Massage Room, 5410 Penn Ave., a parlor that has been under suspicion of prostitution. In the letter, president Noah Schuchman asked for the business to be evicted. "Residents of the Armatage neighborhood do not tolerate prostitution and we have great concerns about properties and property owners who do," he wrote.
Around this time, the Massage Room closed and O'Neill wrote back, "We share your concern for keeping the Armatage neighborhood safe, and wholeheartedly agree that what took place at the Massage Room was completely unacceptable."
October 22, 2007
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Tangletown neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood, Lowry Hill Neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Kenwood neighborhood, Fulton neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood, East Calhoun neighborhood, Armatage neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
PRICED OUT: First-time home buyers face real estate sticker shock
By Dan Haugen and Jake Weyer
The hunt for an affordable home in Southwest
Prospective buyers find slim pickings for homes priced under $300,000
LINDEN HILLS - A safe neighborhood, close to parks and trails, and preferably with a little charm to it, too.
When Parrish and Lisa Aharam started looking to buy a house earlier this winter, Linden Hills seemed like the perfect match.
It''s a part of town Lisa would feel comfortable being home alone in when Parrish is away on business. It''s got a friendly, small-town feel but it''s also close to Downtown. And the lake''s trails would be ideal for exercising their border collie.
February 26, 2007
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Kingfield neighborhood, Fulton neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood
Crime reports
By Christopher Greising
Editor’s note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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
+ July 1, 6:45–7 p.m., 5400 block of Penn Ave.
Two juvenile males were leaving a park when a male suspect began following them. One of the victims was talking on his cell phone when the suspect allegedly approached and demanded the phone.
July 14, 2008
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Tangletown neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Kenny neighborhood, Fulton neighborhood, Cedar-Isles-Dean neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Armatage neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Neighborhood notebook
By Sarah Phemister, Dylan Thomas and Jake Weyer
BRYN MAWR
NEW WEBSITE: A new Bryn Mawr Neighborhood Association (BMNA) website was set to go online sometime in April. The new site will retain the old website’s address (www.bmna.org).
ANNUAL MEETING: The BMNA annual meeting is 6:30–8 p.m. May 14 at Bryn Mawr Community School, 252 Upton Ave. S.
EAST HARRIET
ROSEFEST: The East Harriet Farmstead Neighborhood Association (EHFNA) is looking for volunteers for Rosefest, the neighborhood’s signature event planned for July 19 at Lyndale Farmstead Park, 3900 Bryant Ave. S. For more information, visit www.eastharriet.org.
April 21, 2008
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Stevens Square neighborhood, Lowry Hill Neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Kenwood neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood, Bryn Mawr neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Crime and Safety and Police Reports
By Southwest Journal Staff
Whittier crime sweep
Fifth Precinct Crime-Prevention Specialist Shun Tillman says a crime sweep was done between Aug. 22 and Sept. 12 in Whittier's Washburn Fair Oaks Park, 200 E. 24th St., due to complaints of criminal activity.
The sweep was a cooperative effort between many 5th Precinct units, including the SAFE crime-prevention team, the antidrug Community Response Team, beat officers, Hennepin County Probation Officers and the Park Police.
The results: more than 100 suspicious people were screened for outstanding warrants or any probation violations. There were seven narcotics arrests, 12 alcohol violations, nine warrant-related arrests, three disorderly conduct arrests seven loitering arrests and two graffiti arrests.
September 4, 2003
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Tangletown neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Kenwood neighborhood, Fulton neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood, East Calhoun neighborhood, Cedar-Isles-Dean neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Challenge likely for final redistricting plan
By Jayne Solinger
It's the closest thing city government has to musical chairs.
The redistricting plan approved by an appointed commission last week will create some unusual dynamics in Southwest wards. For example, one ward (8th) has no current councilmember living within its new boundaries -- that representative is pushed into the 6th Ward... whose incumbent is bounced into the 9th Ward along with its current councilmember.
And that's not even the controversial part of the redistricting plan. Green Party representatives, including Ward 6 Councilmember Dean Zimmermann (who was re-districted into Ward 9), said the make-up of the Redistricting Commission didn't reflect that of city government.
April 22, 2002
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Lyndale neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Kenwood neighborhood, Cedar-Isles-Dean neighborhood, Bryn Mawr neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Submitted photo
One of the mural concepts for the Walldogs project.
By Jake Weyer
A section of Nicollet Avenue South will be decorated with 10 new murals by the end of the month.
The work will be done from July 24–27 during the long-awaited Walldogs on Nicollet project, put on by the Lyndale Neighborhood Association (LNA) and Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA).
Artists from throughout the U.S. will work with hundreds of local volunteers to create the murals at eight predetermined sites. The project is meant to beautify the area and prevent graffiti in areas that have been plagued with it.
July 14, 2008
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Kingfield neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood
Photo by Robb Long
Heidi Stennes of Tangletown said demand for private housing during the Republican National Convention may have been overstated. Stennes offered a duplex apartment to conventioneers on the Internet, but had no serious offers after several months.
By Dylan Thomas
Few choose private housing for RNC
KINGFIELD — Ryan Foltz was among the dozens of Twin Cities homeowners who hoped to get in on a rental bonanza when the Republican National Convention came to town.
Like many others, Foltz found rumors of a gold rush were a bit exaggerated.
In the spring, he logged onto Craigslist and posted his three-bedroom, two-bathroom house in the Kingfield neighborhood for rent to convention-goers who couldn’t or didn’t want to find a hotel room. Asking price: $1,000 a night.
July 14, 2008
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Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Republican National Convention
Photo by Jake Weyer
A makeshift memorial for Katricia Daniels and her 10-year-old son Robert Shepard was made outside the duplex where they were found killed June 12.
By Jake Weyer
The Kingfield community tries to move forward after the bewildering murder of a mother and her son.
KINGFIELD — Children played and neighbors chatted in their front yards as cars slowed and bicyclists paused near a cluster of deflated balloons, wilted flowers and an orange Teddy Bear outside a duplex draped with police tape.
Laying in the makeshift memorial outside 3639 1st Ave. was a torn and weathered flyer advertising a vigil held several days earlier for Katricia Daniels and her 10-year-old son Robert Shepard, who were found brutally murdered in the house June 12.
June 30, 2008
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Kingfield neighborhood
Transportation roundup
By Steve Pease
Southwest Corridor light-rail station studies funding approved
Members of a Hennepin County Board of Commissioners committee have approved $400,000 to fund a station and further study for light-rail transit in the Southwest metro.
The board, acting as the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA), OK’d the funding June 17 for the proposed Southwest Corridor, a light-rail transit line serving Eden Prairie, Edina, Hopkins, Minneapolis, Minnetonka and St. Louis Park, according to a Hennepin County news release.
June 30, 2008
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Kingfield neighborhood
Photo by Robb Long
Tim Sandlin, manager of Steve’s Tire and Auto, said he has lost roughly 70 percent of fuel sales because of I-35W construction.
By Jonathan Cowgill
Businesses facing tough times due to I-35W construction
When Terre Thomas saw road construction start at the Lyndale Avenue and Lake Street intersection about a year ago, she said she was mortified — concerned for the livelihood of businesses that had construction at their doors.
Today, her own business, Fairy Godmother, is sandwiched between the I-35W and Lyndale Avenue construction projects, and Thomas is planning a crusade to garner support for area businesses in the same situation.
The construction on I-35W has closed both the 46th and 50th street bridges, severely re-routed traffic, and hit some businesses hard in the Kingfield neighborhood and surrounding areas.
Sales at the Bruegger’s Bagels on the corner
June 30, 2008
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Kingfield neighborhood
Photo by Kelsey Kudak
A Peruvian weaver creates traditional textiles for Minneapolis-based business artAndes at the Mill City Farmers Market.
By Adam Epperson, Jonathan Cowgill and Kelsey Kudak
When it’s summer in Minneapolis and the weather is cooperating, everything is better outside — including grocery shopping. The city is home to several farmers’ markets with all kinds of locally grown and organic products. Here’s a sampling of some of the most popular markets in the Downtown area and Southwest.
June 30, 2008
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Kingfield neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood
Community vigil for slain mother and son
UPDATED June 16, 2008, 12:06pm
By Dylan Thomas
KINGFIELD — A vigil for a mother and her 10-year-old son found dead last week in a Kingfield duplex was planned for 6 p.m. tonight.
The vigil begins at the intersection of 36th Street and 1st Avenue South, near the duplex where Katricia L. Daniels, 36, and her son Robert Shepard died in an apparent double homicide last week. Participants will walk to nearby Dr. Martin Luther King Park.
On Friday, two 17-year-old males were arrested in connection with the slayings. Minneapolis Police reported the suspects were acquainted with the victims, but would not release any other information because they are juveniles.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office determined the cause of death for Daniels was “multiple sharp force injuries.&rdqu
June 16, 2008
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Kingfield neighborhood
Two teenagers charged in Kingfield double homicide
UPDATED June 17, 2008, 3:41pm
By Jake Weyer
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office charged two teenagers today for the June 11 killing of a mother and her son in the Kingfield neighborhood.
Brian Lee Flowers, 16, and Stafon Edward Thompson, 17, each face two counts of murder in the first degree for the deaths of Katricia Daniels, 36, and her 10-year-old son, Robert Shepard, at Daniels’ home on the 3600 block of 1st Avenue. The motive is still unknown.
Flowers and Thompson, who were friends with Daniels’ 15-year-old son who lives in Chicago, went to the home around 10 p.m., according to a complaint from Hennepin County District Court. The teenagers then allegedly stabbed Daniels and hit her with a golf club, causing more than 100 separate injuries, the complaint said.
June 16, 2008
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Kingfield neighborhood
Kingfield starts new crime and safety group
By Jake Weyer
KINGFIELD — A couple years of increased violent crime and new drug dealing trends has renewed interest in Kingfield neighborhood safety and prompted the creation of a permanent Crime Prevention and Safety Committee (CPaS).
The Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) board voted in May to create the committee from its temporary CPaS Task Force — a group of community members who meet monthly with Minneapolis Police personnel to discuss crime trends and prevention strategies. The board also voted to start a Block Club Task Force to strengthen neighborhood connections.
June 2, 2008
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Kingfield neighborhood
Two MPD officers on leave after allegedly firing shots in Kingfield
UPDATED May 30, 2008, 12:11pm
By Jake Weyer
Two Minneapolis Police officers are on paid administrative leave after allegedly firing shots May 28 outside a party they attended when off duty in Kingfield.
A neighborhood resident called 911 that night to report a loud party, according to a statement from Police Department spokesman Sgt. William Palmer. When on-duty officers arrived, they found that two off-duty officers had attended the party.
The off-duty officers allegedly fired their weapons when leaving the party, prior to the arrival of on-duty police, the statement said.
The two officers were placed on paid administrative leave and criminal and Internal Affairs investigations are underway. Names have not been released and details of the incident are limited at this time, Palmer said.
“We’re taking this very seriously and working with the community to resolve the issue,” he said.
May 19, 2008
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Kingfield neighborhood
Civic beat
By Steve Pease
Feedback on ‘Framework for the Future’
The “Framework for the Future” is the city’s plan for the Neighborhood Revitalization Project (NRP) after its funding ends. A city staff-neighborhood NRP work group formed to craft the Framework for the Future, outlining post-June 2009 plans.
It outlines, among other things, possible funding for neighborhood projects and staff.
Of the city’s 81 neighborhoods, about half responded.
Of those that did, many provided comments to the Southwest Journal that either questioned or rejected outright ideas outlined in the proposed Framework for the Future. The city’s Community Engagement Coordinator Jennifer Lastoka collected comments over a 45-day peri
May 5, 2008
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Kingfield neighborhood
Submitted photo
A rendering of the proposed affordable apartment complex at 3700 Nicollet Ave.
By Jake Weyer
Developers of a 42-unit affordable apartment complex for young adults planned for 3700 Nicollet Ave. recently finished navigating a five-month community discussion about the development and hope to submit plans to the city in a few weeks.
Nonprofit organization Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation (PCNF) teamed up with youth service provider YouthLink on the project, called Nicollet Square. The development attracted an outpouring of community attention when it was initially proposed in November, prompting the Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) to set up a public process to educate the community and give feedback to the developers.
May 5, 2008
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Kingfield neighborhood
Plymouth Congregational Church hosting 'Night on the Street' benefit
UPDATED April 14, 2008, 3:27pm
By Sarah McKenzie
An estimated 400 youth from congregations across the Twin Cities are expected to participate in the "Night on the Street" benefit at Plymouth Congregational Church on Friday, April 18.
The youth will spend the night in a village of cardboard boxes setup in the church's parking lot at Nicollet & Franklin. The event is designed to raise awareness about youth homelessness. An estimated 1,300 young adults are homeless in the state on any given night, according to a Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation news release.
April 7, 2008
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Kingfield neighborhood
Photo by Robb Long
Anna Edwards (left) waves at the oncoming cars as Sam Longtine speaks to Brittney Farrow while holding Iraq casualty signs on the 40th Street pedestrian bridge above I-35W.
By Mary O'Regan
Southwest sign project spotlights soldiers killed, wounded in Iraq
KINGFIELD — On a freezing March evening, Kingfield resident Camille Gage and 15 volunteers stood on the 40th Street pedestrian bridge overlooking I-35W. In front of their bodies they held large, white signs bearing single numbers, lined up next to one another to form a five-digit figure: 33,304.
The number represents the count of United States soldiers who have been killed or wounded in the Iraq War as of early March, according to the website, icasualties.org.
From 5 to 6 p.m. — the height of rush hour traffic — the group stood with their signs, braving the cold and wind, occasionally waving at cars down below.
March 24, 2008
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Photo by Kyle Pendergast
The traffic lights at 38th and Pleasant.
By Kyle Pendergast
Lydia Miller calls the traffic light at 38th Street & Pleasant Avenue the “meditation light.”
The Kingfield intersection is the nucleus to Incarnation Catholic Church, San Miguel Middle School of Minneapolis, the Center for Performing Arts and Lake Country School — all of which share its four corners.
“It stays on forever for 38th Street traffic,” said Miller, who lives a block from the intersection. “When the light turns for Pleasant Avenue traffic, cars and pedestrians can hardly get across before the light turns back again.”
The poor timing of the lights poses a dangerous risk for the elderly and school children, Miller said.
March 24, 2008
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Robb Long
Inside Andrew Blauvelt and Scott Winter's ultra-modern concrete home in Kingfield.
By Joey Peters
KINGFIELD — Becoming a homeowner is the final frontier to independent living, a type of status for which many working adults strive. But how often do aspiring homeowners decide the exact details of each room, from the foundation up, before move-in day?
Andrew Blauvelt, the design director at the Walker Art Center, and his partner Scott Winter, the director of Walker’s Annual Fund, did just that in deciding to build their ultra-modern urban residence at 38th Street & Lyndale Avenue.
March 10, 2008
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Kingfield neighborhood
Photo by Jake Weyer
Minneapolis firefighters battle the fire at the 3343 Nicollet Ave. S fire that destroyed two businesses and a mural.
By Jake Weyer
LYNDALE — Less than a week after a pair of fires at 34th Street & Nicollet Avenue left numerous low-income residents stranded and destroyed two businesses and a new mural, the neighborhood came together to talk about moving forward.
At the regular Lyndale Neighborhood Association (LNA) meeting Feb. 25, five days after the fires, residents talked about what the corner would look like with a coffee shop, a small grocery store or something else.
“We spent quite a bit of time just having people put their ideas out for what could happen at that corner and what’s the neighborhood need,” said LNA Executive Director Mark Hinds.
March 10, 2008
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Kingfield neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood
Living Art on display in Kingfield
UPDATED March 5, 2008, 2:16pm
By Jake Weyer
Artwork for the Kingfield neighborhood’s third annual art show and silent auction went on display today at Anodyne Coffee House, 4301 Nicollet Ave. S.
The art will be up through March 22, when it is sold at a silent auction that will take place from 7 p.m.-10 p.m. at the Rau + Barber photography studio, 4244 Nicollet Ave. S.
The Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) partnered with the Lyndale Neighborhood Association (LNA) for this year’s show, called Living Art. Artists from Kingfield, Lyndale and throughout the Twin Cities were asked to create something that captured the spirit of Living art, however they decided to interpret it.
February 25, 2008
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Fire destroys businesses in Lyndale
UPDATED February 20, 2008, 12:14pm
By Jake Weyer
A large fire at 3345 Nicollet Avenue South destroyed two businesses and put a freshly painted mural in jeopardy Wednesday.
The building was the home of retailer Jojo Urban Clothing and a bakery that was being remodeled as a pizza parlor. A third space was vacant.
A mural depicting the building’s original use as a grocery store was painted on its south side in September. The Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) and Lyndale Neighborhood Association (LNA) led the mural effort, a precursor to a larger mural event planned for this summer.
February 11, 2008
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Kingfield neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood
Photo by Robb Long
Jeffrey Bores of taraNa, a Kingfield yoga studio.
By Jake Weyer
Wrapping up 90 minutes of body-bending, pulse-pounding yoga with a glass of cabernet might not appeal to everyone.
But for a growing number of students who practice in a snug neighborhood studio named taraNa at 38th Street & Grand Avenue, a yoga session capped with adult beverages and a little conversation has become a monthly ritual.
"I come for the sweat and stay for the wine," said Powderhorn resident Liz Otremba, 41, who frequents the studio owned by Kingfielders Jeffrey Bores and Michael Hawkins.
January 28, 2008
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A call for artists
UPDATED January 29, 2008, 12:21pm
By Mary O'Regan
Kingfield and Lyndale neighborhoods are looking for local artists to participate in “Living Art,” an exhibit and silent auction about the ways in which art changes and grows at Rau + Barber Studio on 4244 Nicollet Ave. S.
The show opens March 22 at 7 p.m. and the deadline for registering art is March 5. Three-dimensional and 2-D creations are welcome and artists are encouraged to interpret “Living Art” as they wish. Visit www.kingfield.org to register.
Participating makers will receive a free ticket to the event, which includes food by local chefs and a cash bar.
January 28, 2008
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Kingfield neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood
Letters to the editor
UPDATED January 24, 2008, 9:05am
By Readers
Quality of life in Fulton
While life in the Fulton neighborhood is generally serene, there is one aspect that disturbs this serenity and it appears to be getting worse. Dogs!
Most dog owners are conscientious, using a leash when walking, picking up messes and generally being good neighbors. The dog owners who concern me are the unconscionable, lazy and irresponsible owners who put their dogs outside, in their yards, and allow them to bark incessantly.
January 28, 2008
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Fulton neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood
Robb Long
(From left) Skaters Harris Sutherland, 10; Sam Abrams, 9; Carl Forsline, 9; Otto Slater, 6; and Hans Forsline, 8; take a break inside the 3rd Lair skatepark in Golden Valley. The youth are pushing for a new skatepark in the Lynnhurst neighborhood.
By Mary O'Regan
LYNNHURST — Never underestimate the determination of a fearless 4th-grader — especially one with a skateboard.
In August, 9- and 10-year-old Lynnhurst skaters Sam Abrams, Harris Sutherland and Carl Forsline decided they were tired of traveling around the city to nosegrind, ollie and flip their boards. Couldn't the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board (MPRB) build a skatepark in Lynnhurst Park?
The city currently has skateboard facilities at Armatage, Bottineau, Brackett, Creekview, Elliot and Morris parks — one in each of the city's commissioner districts. According to Park Board documents, all of the parks have ramps and rails atop bituminous or concrete surfaces, totaling roughly 6,000 square feet. They're also unsupervised, working under a
December 31, 2007
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Kingfield neighborhood, Lynnhurst neighborhood
Dennis Carey (left), 65, and Bruce Taylor, 67, both of Kingfield, speak about crime in the park as Ourji Ali (left), 7, and Trokon Tolbert, 14, play with Carey and Taylor's dogs Abbey, Link and Buggs at Martin Luther King Park this past summer.
By Alison Fiebig
KINGFIELD — Families that live along nine blocks west of Martin Luther King Park — 40th to 43rd, Nicollet, Blaisdell and Wentworth — have experienced a series of violent events throughout the last five months.
On July 29, a gang-related shooting erupted between Nicollet and nearby streets usually crowded with playing children. It resulted in gunshots being fired through the trees of the neighborhood before the victim took shelter at a nearby home.
December 17, 2007
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Burglars hit three occupied homes in Southwest
By Alison Fiebig
Brazen burglars entered three occupied homes last month, confronting and restraining a homeowner at one of them.
The latter incident took place Nov. 3, on the 1300 block of Summit Avenue in Lowry Hill. Three masked suspects entered the residence by removing window screens and crawling through an unsecured kitchen window. They restrained the homeowner and stole multiple guns from his house before driving off in his Mercedes, which was recovered near the home.
On Nov. 9, two more occupied homes were burglarized in the Kingfield neighborhood, one at the 3700 block of Pillsbury Ave. S. and the other at the 1300 block of 1st Ave. S. Both incidents happened while the occupants were sleeping. The intruders left immediately after being confronted by the homeowners.
December 3, 2007
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Kingfield neighborhood, Lowry Hill Neighborhood
Police notify Kingfield residents of sex offender
UPDATED December 6, 2007, 4:11pm
By Alison Fiebig
The Minneapolis Police Department released information to the public this week about a level-three sex offender who has taken up residency in the area of the 4400 block of Grand Ave. S. in Kingfield.
Gerald Joseph Browneagle, 30, has been convicted of several sex related acts beginning in 1995 and assault in 2004. In 2000 and 2002, he failed to meet supervision requirements, which made him a level-three offender. His supervision requirements expired January 2007.
Browneagle is not currently wanted by police, but level-three offenders are the most likely of all risk groups to re-offend. Legally, the police department does not have the power over where a released offender lives unless court ordered restrictions exist.
December 3, 2007
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Southwest residents wary about planned affordable housing project
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By Jake Weyer
KINGFIELD — Residents who would live near a planned affordable apartment complex for homeless youth and young adults brought plenty of concerns to a community discussion about the project Nov. 7 at Martin Luther King Park Recreation Center.
The Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation is working with youth service provider YouthLink on the development, slated to replace a vacant funeral home at 3700 Nicollet Ave. Residents from Kingfield and Lyndale didn't express doubts about the organizations' good intentions, but said they were worried about crime, building design and mass, and other issues.
November 19, 2007
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Kingfield neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood
Crime notes
By Christopher Greising
Editor's note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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.
CARAG
Oct. 22, 7:20 a.m.–5:30 p.m., 3200 block of Bryant Ave.
An unknown suspect burglarized the residence of a 37-year-old man, stealing a sword collection.
Oct. 22, 8 a.m.–5:30 p.m., 3200 block of Bryant Ave.
An unknown suspect burglarized the residence of a 25-year-old woman. The suspect forced his/her way into the residence by unidentified means and removed the victim's laptop computer.
November 19, 2007
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West Calhoun neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Kenwood neighborhood, Fulton neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Charges filed in Loesch murder
UPDATED November 6, 2007, 8:58am
By Jake Weyer
Donald Eugene Jackson, 23, was charged with second-degree murder Monday for the mid-September killing of Kingfield resident Mark Loesch.
Loesch, 41, a father of four, was found beaten to death on the 3700 Block of Elliot Avenue South Sept. 13. He had left for a bike ride after 10 p.m. the night before and never returned.
The seemingly random incident shocked many in Southwest and beyond, spurring a large community safety meeting hosted by elected officials and police and a memorial bike ride. But police said today that they don’t believe Loesch’s murder was random.
November 5, 2007
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Kingfield neighborhood
Curran's country sausage, served over sauerkraut with a side of mashed potatoes.
By Jake Weyer
KINGFIELD — When it comes to food, there's nothing better on a brisk fall day than a warm, home-cooked meal.
A day spent admiring the foliage, picking apples, carving pumpkins or taking part in one of this state's many other autumn activities can build an appetite fast. And if you're too tired come dinnertime to get behind the stove, there's a cozy family-owned place in Kingfield that'll do it for you.
From a turkey meal complete with mashed potatoes, dressing and stuffing to homemade meatloaf, Curran's Family Restaurant at 4201 Nicollet Ave. S. has home cooking covered.
October 22, 2007
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The buzz
By Jake Weyer and Anna Rockne
44TH & NICOLLET
The owners of the former Westrum’s Tavern at 4415 Nicollet Ave. withdrew their application for a liquor license and instead applied for a beer and wine license with conditions, one of which is holding a community meeting after six months of operation.
Business and building co-owner Heidi Fields plans to open a new restaurant and bar called Driftwood Tavern at the site. The concept is controversial in the Kingfield neighborhood because of crime and noise problems Westrum’s created before the city shut it down earlier this year.
October 8, 2007
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Mark Loesch stands with two of his children in a family photo.
By Dylan Thomas
KINGFIELD — Funeral services were held Sept. 18 for the Kingfield man killed during a late-night bicycle ride earlier this month.
The death of Mark Loesch, 41, was ruled a homicide by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office. The cause of death was multiple blunt-force head impacts, the office reported.
A husband and father of four, Loesch left his Wentworth Avenue home on a bicycle sometime after 10 p.m. Sept. 12 and never returned. He was found lying in a yard on the 3700 block of Elliot Avenue South just before 7 a.m. the next day.
Minneapolis police said Loesch was the city's 35th homicide victim this year.
September 24, 2007
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Searching for answers
UPDATED September 25, 2007, 3:04pm
By Jake Weyer
Nearly 300 residents from Kingfield, Powderhorn, Central and other south Minneapolis neighborhoods packed the sanctuary at Park Avenue Methodist church at 34th Street and Park Avenue Monday night to talk safety with city leaders.
City Council Member Elizabeth Glidden (8th Ward) organized the meeting after an outpouring of community concern about the death of Kingfield resident and father of four Mark Loesch, 41.
Loesch left his Wentworth Avenue home on a late-night bike ride Sept. 12 and was found dead from blunt-force head impacts the next morning on the 3700 block of Elliot Ave. S.
September 24, 2007
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Painting the town
By Jake Weyer
Artists from throughout the nation will converge on Nicollet Avenue South next summer to ply their trade on the walls of businesses in Lyndale and Kingfield.
The Walldogs on Nicollet project, organized by the Lyndale Neighborhood Association (LNA) and Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA), will culminate in the painting of six to 10 murals on businesses along Nicollet. The project is meant to beautify the corridor, build community and prevent graffiti.
September 10, 2007
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Kingfield neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood
Bicyclist homicide investigation continues
UPDATED September 18, 2007, 10:02am
By Dylan Thomas
KINGFIELD — Funeral services were held Sept. 18 for the Kingfield man killed during a late-night bicycle ride earlier this month.
The death of Mark Loesch, 41, was ruled a homicide by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office. The cause of death was multiple blunt-force head impacts, the office reported.
A husband and father of four, Loesch left his Wentworth Avenue home on a bicycle sometime after 10 p.m. Sept. 12 and never returned. He was found lying in a yard on the 3700 block of Elliot Avenue South just before 7 a.m. the next day.
Minneapolis police said Loesch was the city’s 35th homicide victim this year.
Homicide Unit Commander Lt. Amelia Huffman said the investigation remained open as of Sept. 17. Huffman said few o
September 10, 2007
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Events planned in response to homicide
UPDATED September 18, 2007, 2:24pm
By Dylan Thomas
KINGFIELD — A memorial walk and community safety forum are planned in response to the apparent murder of a Kingfield man found dead Sept. 13 in South Minneapolis.
Mark Loesch will be remembered with a memorial walk and bicycle ride Wednesday, starting at 6:30 p.m. in Martin Luther King Park, 4055 Nicollet Ave. S.
The husband and father of four left his home on a bicycle ride the night of Sept. 12 and never returned. Loesch’s body was found lying on a lawn on the 3700 block of Elliot Avenue South the next morning.
The memorial walk and ride will attempt to retrace Loesch’s path that night, leaving from the park and crossing Interstate 35W at the 40th Street pedestrian bridge. The walk will continue to the 3700 block of Elliot Avenue
September 10, 2007
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Hundreds walk for Loesch
UPDATED September 20, 2007, 1:33pm
By Dylan Thomas
KINGFIELD — Hundreds gathered Wednesday evening in Martin Luther King Park to retrace the path Mark Loesch took on his final bicycle ride.
Loesch, a husband and father of four, left his Kingfield home Sept. 12 on a late-night bicycle ride into South Minneapolis and never returned. His body, badly beaten, was found the next morning on the lawn of a Powderhorn Park neighborhood home, just over a mile from Loesch’s house.
The procession stretched for blocks as people both on foot and on bicycles made their way to the 3700 block of Elliot Avenue South. There, at the scene of Minneapolis’ 35th homicide this year, many lit candles in Loesch’s memory.
September 10, 2007
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Dennis Carey (center), 65, and Bruce Taylor (right), 67, both of Kingfield, speak about crime in the park as Ourji Ali (far left), 7, and Trokon Tolbert, 14, play with Carey and Taylor's dogs Abbey, Link and Buggs at Martin Luther King Park.
By Jake Weyer
Police, community leaders working to fight crime at Martin Luther King Park
KINGFIELD — Children giddily patted Bruce Taylor and Dennis Carey’s dachshunds on a sunny afternoon in Martin Luther King Park.
Youngsters splashed in the park’s pool, others rode by on bikes. Parents lounged on the benches. It was a much different scene than the one some nearby residents have been buzzing about lately.
August 27, 2007
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Vendors at the Kingfield Farmers’ Market at West 43rd Street and Nicollet Avenue.
By Bridgett Erickson
Terms like localvore and sustainable agriculture may be new to our vocabulary, but the concepts are not only viable, they are based on age-old, basic farming principles. Today, people around the Twin Cities are supporting modern-day farmers through participation in the Eat Local Challenge — an event created by the area co-ops and defined as participants eating at least 80 percent of foods in their diet from sources in Minnesota and the states that border it.
August 13, 2007
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Crime reports
By Lila Bolke
Editor’s note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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. This rundown of police reports is from July 24–30.
Armatage
Between July 25, 9 p.m. and 7 a.m., 5539 Richmond Ct.
A 40-year-old male parked his car in front of his house. His car was left unlocked and was entered while the man slept. The unknown suspect rifled through his belongings, taking a laptop and several other items. The other items were discarded and later found in an alley across the street. These were returned to the man.
August 13, 2007
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Lynnhurst neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill Neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Kenwood neighborhood, Kenny neighborhood, East Calhoun neighborhood, Armatage neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Addie Granse, left, and her sister Elena enjoy a free lunch at the Martin Luther King Park rec center in Kingfield.
By Dylan Thomas
KINGFIELD — For a half-dozen neighborhood children, the wading pool at Martin Luther King Park offered some welcome relief from an early July heat wave.
But several families visiting the park on a hot and humid Tuesday afternoon were there for more than a chance to cool off.
Martin Luther King Park is one of 115 sites in Minneapolis that offers a free summer lunch to children and teenagers under 18 years old.
The meal is meant to fill the summer nutrition gap, when many children no longer have access to school lunch programs. Summer lunch locations are determined based on area poverty rates, but all children and teens are eligible for a meal regardless of income.
July 30, 2007
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A scene inside the old Westrum’s Tavern on Nicollet, which will become a restaurant and bar called Driftwood Tavern.
By Jake Weyer
Lake & Bryant
Phoenix Games, a longtime seller of board games, role-playing games, metal miniatures and models, will close its 901 W. Lake St. store and move its business online at the end of August.
Owner Neil Cauley, who has run the store since it opened 20 years ago, said the industry has been in a slump in recent years and the Lake Street location is getting too expensive. Lake Street construction has created an additional burden, he said.
“The expenses here have gotten too high and the assessment for Lake Street was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Cauley said.
July 30, 2007
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Another Place at The Table
By Tricia Cornell
KINGFIELD — Erin Ungerman grew up in the neighborhood. Her grandparents used to buy their milk and eggs at the Grand Dairy at 46th and Grand.
Her husband, Hector Ruiz, grew up in Morelos, Mexico, and came to the United States at age 13. He began his restaurant career as a dishwasher and advanced to cooking positions at the Rainforest Café, among other places, and then un deux trois and Prima, where he quickly worked his way up to chef.
Now life has come full circle for them both. The opening of their new Latin fusion restaurant, Café Ena, in the old Dairy building, brings them both back to their roots — Ungerman geographically and Ruiz culinarily.
July 30, 2007
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Man shot in Kingfield
UPDATED July 30, 2007, 5:05pm
By Jake Weyer
An 18-year old man was shot in the torso around 8 p.m. July 30 at Martin Luther King Park in Kingfield.
He was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.
The man, whose name has not been released, was carrying a gun and fled to a nearby home on the 4100 block of Blaisdell Ave. with another 18-year-old male who was also shot at but not hit, said Lt. Marie Przynski of the Minneapolis Police Department’s 5th Precinct. A stray bullet damaged a third person’s car, Przynski said.
July 30, 2007
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New tavern to replace Westrum’s
UPDATED July 24, 2007, 8:02am
By Jake Weyer
A group of Kingfield residents plans to turn the defunct Westrum’s Tavern at 4415 Nicollet Ave. into a new restaurant and bar called Driftwood Tavern.
Roughly 40 neighborhood residents showed up at a public hearing about the new establishment’s liquor license application July 18 at Martin Luther King Park. Many were concerned that the new business would revive the loud noise, drug dealing and other problems they say subsided when Westrum’s closed.
July 16, 2007
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Revolutionary pancakes
By Jake Weyer
KINGFIELD - A balmy summer morning on the colorful patio at Victor's 1959 Café is a fitting way to enjoy an authentic Cuban meal - or at least a huge pancake smothered in one of the country's prominent fruits.
Mango pancakes are a customer favorite at the quaint Cuban restaurant at 3756 Grand Ave. S. and one bite of a thick buttermilk cake infused with fresh mangos and doused with pure mango puree is all it takes to find out why.
Syrup? No thank you. Butter? A ball of it is served in the center of the one-cake breakfast, but it's not necessary. Spreading it through the thick puree would probably be a challenge, anyway. All you need is a fork and an appetite to enjoy this meal, and maybe a coordinating glass of mango juice.
July 2, 2007
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Kai Curry, executive director of Sunday’s Energy Biodiesel People, in his office on 27th Avenue S. The company, located in the Seward area, focuses on providing biodiesel fuel to Minnesota.
By Mary O'Regan
Imagine driving your car on a renewable energy source, saving money on fuel and emitting fewer pollutants while supporting local farmers. Sound too good to be true? Sunday's Energy - a local company dedicated to environmental sustainability - is helping residents of Southwest do exactly that.
Biodiesel has been around for more than a century, but with recent gasoline shortages, talk of using the renewable fuel has only increased. Among the possible benefits touted by proponents are reducing the country's dependence on foreign oil, cutting emissions by up to 90 percent and stimulating local economies.
July 2, 2007
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Using grants to go green
UPDATED July 12, 2007, 9:07am
By Kari VanDerVeen
Armed with $1,000 and a plan, a handful of community groups will work to make the city a little greener.
As part of the city’s “Mobilizing Citizens for Grassroots Climate Change” program, 20 community organizations each received $1,000 grants for their plans to encourage residents to reduce energy use. Recipients of the grants were announced during the July 9 meeting of the City Council’s Health, Energy and Environment Committee. They include neighborhood organizations, churches, recreation centers and non-profit organizations. A few projects on the diverse list include:
July 2, 2007
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Kingfield neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Graffiti vandal gets personal with Fairy Godmother
UPDATED July 13, 2007, 11:18am
By Jake Weyer
Cinderella would never have done such a thing.
Terre Thomas’ Kingfield boutique, Fairy Godmother, was tagged with profane graffiti that mentioned her by name earlier this week. The incident took place after Thomas, a self-proclaimed fairy godmother who wears ball gowns to work, wrote a column about her graffiti abatement efforts that was published in the July 2-15 issue of the Southwest Journal.
“I just think it was someone feeling shaky and unstable and the article was a trigger,” Thomas said.
July 2, 2007
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Kingfield neighborhood
Police to host meeting about mobile drug dealing
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By Jake Weyer
An increase in reports from Southwest residents about drug dealing from vehicles has prompted Minneapolis police to organize a community meeting about the problem.
A date hasn't been set, but Crime Prevention Specialist (CPS) Tom Thompson said it should be decided soon. He said information about the meeting would be distributed on CPS e-mail lists and at neighborhood organization meetings.
"We want to respond as quickly as we can to the neighborhoods' concerns," he said.
The concern is that unfamiliar cars are driving into Southwest neighborhoods, often during the day, picking up someone waiting in another vehicle or at a corner, and making drug exchanges in transit.
May 21, 2007
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Kingfield neighborhood
The rise of Southwest's blue thumbs
By Jake Weyer
A primer on building your own rain garden
Backyard puddles and basement flooding used to be the norm when it rained at Kathleen Davies' Linden Hills home.
"Now I don¹t have either," she said. "And I don't have to mow."
These days, wetland plants in Davies' backyard rain garden drink the water that used to gather in pools on her lawn or drain into her basement. The master gardener for the University of Minnesota Extension Service also planted a rain garden in her front yard to prevent water from running into the street and ending up in Lake Calhoun.
May 21, 2007
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Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Fulton neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood
Patrons say goodbye to Westrum's
By Jake Weyer
Music blared and smoke billowed throughout Westrum's Tavern in Kingfield Feb. 28.
Old friends laughed and hugged, sipped drinks and shared memories.
“It's been great to get to know everyone here,” said Westrum's regular Jason Granholm. “The day crowd has been great. It's sad. Now I don't know where I'm going to go.”
At midnight, tavern owner Judy Westrum locked up her 60-year-old family business for the last time. The 4415 Nicollet Ave. S. tavern had been under fire from the city following numerous license violations including serving liquor beyond permitted hours, allowing smoking indoors and failing to meet the city's required food-to-liquor ratio.
March 12, 2007
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Frieze frame
By Anna Pratt
Gallery at Frame Ups features $4 magnets to $1,000 sculptures
KINGFIELD - It's a gallery. It's a frame shop. It's two, two, two businesses focused on art in one. It's The Gallery At Frame Ups in Kingfield.
The frame shop occupies the front portion of the space near the entrance. Samples of frame corners that come in various colors, materials and styles are displayed on the walls, one fitted right after another - including glittery frame pieces alongside more subdued choices.
A colorful passageway leads seamlessly to The Gallery, where an eclectic assortment of artwork dominates.
February 26, 2007
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Playtime for grownups
By Jake weyer
Leonardo's Basement provides adults with opportunities to broaden their skills
Jim Rick spent more than an hour on a Friday night earlier this month making sounds with a Sesame Street toy.
The 53-year-old Independence, Minn. man worked with CARAG resident Morgan L'Argente, 27, to make Cookie Monster say “yum, yum” in a deep, echoing, gargling way that would probably make a child cry. Rick smiled and took a sip of his wine.
“It's fun to get that much out of it,” he said.
Rick and L'Argente were circuit-bending, or manipulating audio devices with wires, amplifiers and other tools to make unusual noises. Circuit-bending was one of several activities offered Feb. 2 at an adults-only party at Leonardo's Basement in Kingfield.
February 26, 2007
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Ashes to flowers
By Jake Weyer
The rebirth of Petersen Flowers
KINGFIELD - Glen Luedtke was determined to open his flower shop six days before Valentine's Day.
Not because it takes about a week to prepare dozens upon dozens of roses for the holiday of love. No, Luedtke had a simpler reason. “I just have to be open Feb. 8,” he said. “That's the day the shop burnt down, and that's the day I want to be open.”
Luedtke owns Petersen Flowers, a Kingfield business he runs with his daughter, Vicki Schmidt. The building was burglarized and set ablaze on Feb. 8 last year, and Luedtke and Schmidt have spent the past year rebuilding.
February 12, 2007
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Two Southwest properties picked for redesign
By Anna Pratt and Jake Weyer
Two blighted sections of Southwest will get design makeovers during the next six months.
Mayor R.T. Rybak's Great City Design Teams, groups of volunteer architects, urban designers, and developers will work with residents and neighborhood groups to create visions and redevelopment plans for the Nicollet Avenue corridor just south of Interstate 94 and the intersection of 40th Street and Lyndale Avenue. The sites are among five throughout the city slated for such redesigns.
Rybak's teams were assembled with the help of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and the Minneapolis Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (MASLA). They are part of his plan to “re-weave” the city into diverse, connected urban villages.
January 15, 2007
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Kingfield neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood
Proposed transit hub will be regional model
By Dan Haugen
Metro Transit gathering feedback for bus station
KINGFIELD - Metro Transit is looking for neighborhood input on a new Southwest transit station where passengers will be able to hop on high-efficiency buses to Downtown or the suburbs.
The Interstate 35W Bus Rapid Transit service is on pace to start carrying commuters by 2011. Plans call for the 46th Street stop to be an important hub on what is the state's busiest transit corridor, officials said.
“We're treating this as the prototype. It sets the model for future stations along the corridor,” said Bob Gibbons, spokesman for Metro Transit.
The agency is assembling a 12-member committee to recommend what kind of service and amenities the station should offer. The group includes
January 15, 2007
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Kingfield neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood
Worshipping cheeses
By Sarah McKenzie
Sampling wine and cheese at the Corner Table
If I had to subsist on two things alone, I would pick wine and cheese.
There's something so simple and satisfying about the combination. While some culinary wizards say it can be daunting finding a perfect match, my taste buds were thoroughly impressed by the selection at the Corner Table in Kingfield.
On a recent evening, I met a friend at the cozy restaurant on Nicollet and sampled a variety of cheeses and sipped on a glass of red wine.
December 4, 2006
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Ideas proposed for future of 40th & Lyndale
By Jake Weyer
More than 60 East Harriet and Kingfield residents and business owners convened at Walker Methodist Health Center last month to discuss the future of the 40th Street & Lyndale Avenue intersection.
The intersection is the site of two controversial SuperAmerica (SA) gas stations that operated simultaneously for years. The station on the Southwest corner of the intersection closed last April and has been sitting vacant since.
The 40th and Lyndale Task Force, a group of Kingfield and East Harriet residents concerned about the node, has been working with SA officials and organized last month's meeting to talk about long-term visions for the area. SA officials attended the meeting, as did city staff and two members of the City Council.
December 4, 2006
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East Harriet neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood
In the Dark
By Jake Weyer
Moratorium thwarts efforts to enhance street lighting
Nancy Dedak doesn't walk to the Uptown Lunds grocery store after dark anymore.
The CARAG resident's husband was robbed at gunpoint in front of her garage last spring. Graduate student Michael Zebuhr was shot and killed nearby a week later. Walking from brightly lit Uptown into her significantly darker neighborhood makes Dedak feel vulnerable.
“We're sitting ducks in this neighborhood,” Dedak said. “We're not doing the smart, proactive things to prevent easy crime.”
November 20, 2006
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Calhoun Area neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood
Bibbidi-bobbidi-boutique
By Jake Weyer
Kingfield business owner Terre Thomas works magic in the Kingfield neighborhood
Terre Thomas wears a ball gown at work. The Kingfield business owner has a sizeable stash of colorful old gowns. She likes used bridesmaid dresses best.
“It''s not a costume,” said Thomas of her unusual daily attire. “It''s what a modern-day fairy godmother looks like.”
Thomas truly believes she is a fairy godmother and few who know her will argue. Providing encouragement and inspiration is the essence of a fairy godmother, Thomas said, and she does that for people each day without the wave of a wand, though she has several handy.
October 23, 2006
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Banzai!
By Anna Pratt
Terre Thomas waves a wand around her Kingfield store, Fairy Godmother
The waitress, who was clad in all black, tiptoes behind me, tying a headband that's adorned with Chinese characters around my forehead Karate Kid-style at Chino Latino in Uptown.
Wearing it makes me feel just a tad ridiculous but also sort of special (like it's my birthday). I just ordered the “Chino Bomber,” otherwise known as a sake bomb.
Chino Latino is an ultra hip bar and restaurant that features a fusion of international cuisine, combining flavors of Mexico, Thailand, Jamaica, Polynesia and Korea.
October 23, 2006
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A garden oasis in Kingfield
By Tony Baisley
An uncommon sight greets passersby at 3644 Garfield Ave. S. A pear tree stands tall in the front yard. The branches sag under the weight of the full-bodied pears spilling into the yard and the sidewalk. There are pears everywhere - on the front steps, under the mailbox, even half-nibbled ones perched on a slate bench - no doubt set aside for later by the well-fed squirrels.
Chris Turpen's house in the Kingfield neighborhood sure is plenty to take in. Split into a duplex, the home was built in 1916 and has recently welcomed another occupant: Elias Dietrich Turpen's 5-month-old son. But besides its inhabitants and the puzzling pear tree, Turpin's home has become a gathering spot for curious onlookers taking in his prized garden.
October 23, 2006
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Lighting up the neighborhood
By Jake Weyer
Kingfield board president proposes starting a program to fund motion lights for neighborhood residents
Whenever Erik Lindseth takes his trash out after dark, his neighbor's motion light snaps on, piercing the darkness in the alley behind his Kingfield home.
“I look over to the house and wonder if someone is over there watching,” Lindseth said.
Lindseth, president of the Kingfield Neighborhood Association, thought criminals might wonder the same thing when hit by a sudden beam of light. At a September neighborhood meeting, he proposed starting a program to provide motion lights for Kingfield residents in the hopes of deterring crime.
October 23, 2006
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Calhoun Area neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood
Arson suspect sentenced for burglary
By Jake Weyer
Career burglar Vaughn Yaints, who is suspected of starting the fire that destroyed Petersen Flowers in Kingfield earlier this year, was sentenced Oct. 9 to more than 13 years in prison for a home burglary.
Yaints, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree burglary for breaking into a South Minneapolis home one day after the February 8 fire at 410 W. 38th St.
Because he has multiple burglary convictions, Yaints qualified as a career criminal, enabling prosecutors to seek the maximum statutory sentence of 20 years for his crime, said Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar in a news release this month. To qualify as a career offender, an individual must have at least five prior convictions.
October 23, 2006
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Funny business
By Michael Metzger
Kingfield couple clucks and clowns through life
Consider the egg. Over time, it has symbolized birth, earth, fertility, the cosmos and resurrection, all while consisting of the makings of a hearty breakfast. It has been elaborately decorated with diamonds and gold, and with crayons, watercolors and wax. It has been the object of eggcrutiating puns and the subject of endlessly nerdy philosophical bickering about whether it or the chicken was first to arrive on the scene.
Consider, too, the clown. Even as the butt of jokes, the clown can be the transmitter of wisdom, though often inadvertently. The clown has been decorated through the ages with big red noses, floppy shoes, face paints and baggy pants (often filled with seltzer).
July 3, 2006
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Battling the taggers
By Jake Weyer
Lyndale neighborhood leaders urge city officials to hit graffiti vandals in the pocketbook
An underused, two-year-old Minnesota statute meant to make graffiti an expensive habit might eventually serve its purpose in Minneapolis.
Lyndale resident Jack Baker and a group of his neighbors drafted and introduced the statute, which enables public and private property owners to sue graffiti vandals for up to three times the damages. Up to $1,000 can be collected from the parents of juvenile offenders.
June 19, 2006
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Kingfield neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood
Lyndale and Kingfield neighborhoods hit by crime wave
By Jake Weyer
Businesses, residents frustrated by vandalism, robberies
Pat Mulroy stocks $500 storefront windows like others stock light bulbs.
He patrols his business, Mulroys Body Shop on Nicollet in the Kingfield neighborhood, like a police officer, and he doesn't hesitate to tell suspicious-looking passerby to get lost.
Thousands of dollars in damage from vandalism and burglaries during the past year have made him this way.
“If I had my radar up any higher, Northwest would be flying into it,” Mulroy said. “I'm frustrated, angry, defensive, suspicious - I'm just livid thinking that something's going to happen.”
May 22, 2006
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Kingfield neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood
Fate of East Harriet SuperAmerica site remains uncertain
By Jake Weyer
Evenings at Ann Lynch's home near 40th and Lyndale have been quieter during the past few weeks.
The East Harriet SuperAmerica (SA) on the Southwest corner of that intersection - next door to her house - closed April 14 after years of simultaneous operation with a Kingfield SA on the southeast corner.
Lynch said she doesn't miss the truck noise, gas fumes, light, and crime she and her family dealt with when the East Harriet store was open, but she's looking beyond that now.
“Of course, it looks ugly,” Lynch said. “It's not how we want it to stay.”
May 22, 2006
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East Harriet neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood
Searching for Answers
By Kari VanDerVeen
Uptown residents look for answers, ways to fight crime after brutal murder
Just days after 25-year-old Michael Zebuhr was fatally shot during a robbery in Uptown, area residents filled a meeting room at Bryant Square Park and quietly listened as police and city officials tried to provide answers and vowed to redouble crime-fighting efforts.
As residents asked questions, it was evident the sheer brutality of the murder of Michael Zebuhr weighed heavily on the minds of many. As police get closer to solving the stunningly brazen attack, community members are looking at ways they can make the area safer.
April 10, 2006
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Lyndale neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood
Solvitur Ambulando: “It is solved by walking”
By Kari VanDerVeen
Kingfield, CARAG follow the lead of other Southwest neighborhoods and form walking groups to combat rising crime
Scott Engel knows several residents who have been victims of the recent rash of robberies and burglaries in his neighborhood.
“That's when it really starts to hit home,” said Engel, community coordinator for the Calhoun Area Residents Action Group (CARAG). “Everybody's talking about it.”
And residents have decided they've had enough. After the number of crimes spiked in recent months in typically quiet Southwest neighborhoods like CARAG and Kingfield, residents are forming block patrol groups that will hit the streets.
February 27, 2006
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Stevens Square neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Prodigal son rises
By Michael Metzger
Kingfield church to stage ‘green' rock opera
“My Green Eyes” will be performed February 24-26 at Judson Memorial Baptist Church, 4101 Harriet Ave. S. Shows are at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; Sunday's performance is at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 at the door. Advance tickets are $10. Students and seniors get in for $8.
February 13, 2006
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A vote on voting
By Kari VanDerVeen
A campaign to change the way Minneapolis residents vote in city elections has earned the endorsement of the East Harriet Farmstead Neighborhood and the Kingfield Neighborhood associations.
The Better Ballot Campaign aims to put a question on the ballot this fall asking voters if they want future city elections to include instant runoff voting. With instant runoff voting, voters rank candidates in order of preference rather than choosing one. When all the ballots are collected, first choices are counted. If no candidate receives a majority, the candidate who received the fewest votes is defeated. Those ballots are then recounted and the candidate listed as second choice receives those votes. The process is repeated until a candidate receives a majority of votes.
January 30, 2006
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East Harriet neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood
Donations from two neighborhood associations save popular Senior Center program
By Kari VanDerVeen
Twice a week, Mary Banyard walks to the Southwest Senior Center, where an exercise class focusing on weightlifting and flexibility training helps her stay limber and keeps her aches at bay.
Like others in the class, Banyard, in her late 80s, likes that the sessions are tailored to seniors. And because she doesn't drive, getting to another exercise program would be difficult.
Thanks to grants from the Kingfield Neighborhood Association and the East Harriet Farmstead Neighborhood Association, she won't have to. Kingfield donated $5,000 and EHFNA $1,573 to keep two exercise classes going at the Southwest Senior Center, located at 3612 Bryant Ave. S.
January 30, 2006
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East Harriet neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood
East Harriet, Kingfield residents work with SuperAmerica
By Kari VanDerVeen
Members of the East Harriet Farmstead Neighborhood Association (EHFNA) and the Kingfield Neighborhood Association met with SuperAmerica (SA) representatives Dec. 13 to continue a discussion about how the company's two gas stations at West 40th Street and Lyndale Avenue South can improve their standing with neighbors.
EHFNA Chair Julia Paulsen called the meeting “very promising.” Residents from the two neighborhoods compiled a list of complaints about the two stores and discussed their concerns with store officials. Paulsen said the relationship between store representatives and the neighbors was at an all-time low before the meeting, but both sides now are willing to work together on the issue.
January 16, 2006
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East Harriet neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood
New Council takes office
By Sarah McKenzie
Southwest has three new reps
Five new faces joined eight incumbents at City Hall as the new Minneapolis City Council was sworn in early January.
The Council also has new leadership with the North Side's Barb Johnson (4th Ward), whose mother, Alice Rainville, served as Council president in the 1980s. Johnson follows Northeast's Paul Ostrow (1st Ward) as president, a post some consider the most powerful in City Hall.
She is optimistic about the new slate.
“I have found these new folks to be delightful and really a cross section of people with lots of individual experiences, which is really always good to bring to the City Council,” Johnson said. “We benefit when people have really broad life experiences.”
January 16, 2006
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Extraordinary people
By Michael Metzger
an update: Jackie Christensen and Evan Balasuriya keep reaching, achieving, pushing
Kingfield author takes her fight with Parkinson's to another level
Jackie Christensen keeps pushing forward and she keeps pushing back. She keeps pushing forward into a future filled with her husband and two sons, and back against the Parkinson's disease that continues to erode her ability to live life as she would like to.
January 2, 2006
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Kingfield condo project moves forward, neighborhood contributes
By Robyn Repya
The Lander Group's 3800 Nicollet Ave. condo project is reportedly free of roadblocks, following nearly a year of haggling with the former building owner over the former Theisen Vending Company building.
The development is planned to feature 41 “eco-friendly” and some “affordable” condos, as well as underground parking, 7,000 square feet of new retail space on the ground level and 3,000 square feet of office space.
The development group has been in negotiation and litigation with the former building owners concerning environmental cleanup of the site and the contract with Clear Channel for the billboard atop the building.
January 2, 2006
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Four men charged, two arrested in 2003 Kingfield murder
By Kari VanDerVeen
Four men have been charged in the 2003 murder of 20-year-old Central neighborhood resident Juwon Ferguson.
Antonio L. Bridges, 30, Derek L. Ethridge, 28, Tony R. Smalls, 35, and Carlos D. Smith, 32, were each charged Dec. 7 with one count of murder in the second degree and drive-by shooting in the June 6, 2003, murder of Ferguson.
Police arrested Smalls Dec. 7 at a residence in Zumbro Falls without incident, and he was booked at the Hennepin County Jail. Smith was also apprehended after police in Hinton, W.V., arrested him on a misdemeanor charge Dec. 8 and learned of the murder warrant for his arrest in Minnesota.
Bridges and Ethridge, the two other men charged, remained at large as of Dec. 12.
December 26, 2005
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Kingfield hopes to start Business Association, first meeting Nov. 21
By Robyn Repya
The Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) is hosting a meeting urging Kingfield business owners to ban together to form a neighborhood Business Association.
The event will be held Monday, Nov. 21, 7-8 p.m. at Corner Table Restaurant, 4257 Nicollet Ave. KFNA publicized the event in a neighborhood e-mail newsletter.
At this meeting, KFNA hopes to help owners outline goals in forming the group, determine leadership and further needed organizing efforts. For questions about the group, contact NRP Coordinator Joanna Hallstrom at 823-5980
November 28, 2005
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Lot at 36th & Nicollet may get new owner
By Anna Pratt
The future of the vacant lot at 3601 Nicollet Ave. remains uncertain, to the consternation of Kingfield and Lyndale neighborhood leaders. The site, which borders the two neighborhoods, was placed on the market three months ago for $795,000.
Current owner Brian Goff of Goff Holdings purchased the site three years ago to develop a single-story, mixed-use building that would feature a drive-thru coffee shop. The city approved Goff's site plan in December 2002, but the project stalled in the city's permit-approval process. In June 2004, Goff said he was talking with the neighborhood about a larger development with more housing.
November 28, 2005
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Kingfield sets Sept. 27 NRP Phase II meeting
By Robyn Repya
The Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) is hosting a Tuesday, Sept. 27 planning meeting focused on its Phase II Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) plan. The 7 p.m. meeting will be held at Martin Luther King Park, 4055 Nicollet Ave.
KFNA's Executive Director Sarah Linnes-Robinson said they would review the Phase I plan at the meeting, make a modification and discuss Phase II plans. The second phase's focus will be housing.
September 19, 2005
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Kingfield gets neighborhood tree-planting grant
By Robyn Repya
The Kingfield Neighborhood Association has received a $10,000 grant from the state Department of Natural Resources to plant dozens of boulevard trees throughout the neighborhood.
Trees will be planted in the spring of 2006, replacing some of the many neighborhood trees lost to Dutch Elm Disease and other causes. A list and map of tree locations and species can be found on the neighborhood's Web site, www.kingfield.org, under the heading "Boulevard Trees."
Residents with a boulevard tree removed this year are urged to call the Park Board to ask for a new tree by Oct. 1. The Park Board forestry number is 370-4900.
September 5, 2005
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Ward 8: crowded field must pay attention to a bit of Southwest
By David Brauer
Ward 8 has just a small slice of Southwest - 60 percent of Kingfield - but those voters will be a major factor on Sept. 13, when the 10-candidate field is winnowed to two for the Nov. 8 general election.
Although Kingfield has just two of the ward's 10 precincts, it accounted for 27.4 percent of the vote in the city's last primary, the 2004 School Board race. That means that while the ward's bulk is east of I-35W, voters on the other side of the concrete moat are also on candidate's minds.
August 22, 2005
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Kingfield neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood
A new theater for Kingfield?
By Robyn Repya
The local group Theatre Limina, known for performances at Bryant-Lake Bowl, 810 W. Lake St., is hoping to find a permanent home in the condo redevelopment planned for 3800 Nicollet Ave., formerly home to the Theisen Vending Company.
For months, the CARAG-based Lander Group and the Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) have been busy making redevelopment plans for the site. The plans so far include 41 new condos, underground parking and a new ground-level retail space.
July 11, 2005
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Kingfield neighborhood
Two new housing co-ops for Stevens Square?
By Anna Pratt
In a move to counter a condo influx, the nonprofit Plymouth Congregational Church Foundation hopes to convert two Stevens Square apartment buildings into limited equity co-operatives. Such a move would allow residents to collectively own the buildings, which the foundation wouldn't identify because the purchase hasn't closed yet.
Right now, some Stevens Square residents are interested informally, foundation spokeswoman Lee Blons said, though no formal process has been set about how the co-op will function and who will live there. An information meeting will be held Tuesday, June 14, 6:30 p.m., at the Clinton apartments 1920 4th Ave. S.
That's also the day the foundation's purchases are scheduled to close.
Blons said the group's goal is to preserve affordable housi
June 13, 2005
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Kingfield neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood
Dueling SAs again topic in Kingfield, East Harriet
By Robyn Repya
For years, SuperAmerica (SA) has sought to close one of its two locations at 40th & Lyndale and expand the other. For years, neighbors in East Harriet and Kingfield have said no.
Now, the company is trying again.
SA hired Caren Dewar, a real estate consultant who lives in Southwest, to work with neighbors on the issue. Dewar said while there are no plans yet, ideally SA would like to close its Kingfield station on 40th & Lyndale's southeast corner to renovate the East Harriet station on the southwest corner.
June 13, 2005
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Kingfield neighborhood
Nicollet Lighting Project hearing set for July 12
By Robyn Repya
The city has set a July 12 public hearing on the Kingfield neighborhood's streetlight project for Nicollet Avenue between 36th and 40th streets. The hearing will be at 9:30 a.m. in City Hall, 350 S. 5th St., room 317.
The project would complete the lighting project started in 2000 that covered 40th to 46th streets.
The Kingfield Neighborhood Association will pay for 78 percent of the lighting cost, up to $224,000 - as they did in the project's first phase. The money comes from group's Neighborhood Revitalization Program funds. Property owners will pay for the remainder of the project through property-tax assessments.
May 16, 2005
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Kingfield Farmers' Market to move after all
By Robyn Repya
The Kingfield Neighborhood Association's Farmers' Market, set to start June 12, will have a new home after all. It won't be the new 39th & Nicollet Mulroy's Body Shop, 39th & Nicollet, as previously planned; instead, it will be at Mulroy's old site at 4325 Nicollet Ave.
The parking-lot market had been on Time-Warner property on the 4200 block of Nicollet. However, the market's popularity required a move.
May 16, 2005
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No Council nod for 8th Ward DFLers
By Scott Russell
The open 8th Ward City Council seat will have a crowded field for the Sept. 13 primary, as the DFL endorsing convention deadlocked after six ballots.
Five candidates battled at the May 2 convention: Elizabeth Glidden, Jeff Hayden, Marie Hauser, Dennis Tifft and Titilayo Bediako.
Afterward, only Bediako decided not to run, saying she endorsed Hayden.
On the final two ballots, Glidden, a Kingfield civil rights attorney, nosed ahead of Hayden, a Minnesota Supportive Housing Consortium coordinator and former aide to Councilmember Gary Schiff (9th Ward). Glidden's 43 percent final-ballot figure was short of the 60 percent needed for endorsement.
May 2, 2005
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Eighth Ward field now has eight candidates
By Scott Russell
The already-crowded 8th Ward City Council race is getting more so.
Reginald Birts, 41, a Wells Fargo mortgage consultant, said he is seeking the Green Party endorsement for the seat, which covers 60 percent of Southwest's Kingfield neighborhood. Don Bellfield, 56, a senior human resource generalist with the Metropolitan Council, said he would likely seek the Republican Party's backing. Terry Yzaguirre, 45, a technical manager with Agristar Global Network, said she is running as a "small i" independent.
The 8th ward race is attracting interest because redistricting made it an open seat, shifting incumbent Robert Lilligren into the 6th Ward.
April 4, 2005
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Kingfield neighborhood
An artsy bridge over I-35W? They're working on it
By Robyn Repya
The King Bridge Partnership, made up of volunteers on either side of I-35W near 40th Street, held two public meetings in March to brainstorm about new pedestrian/bike bridge spanning the highway.
The group hopes a new bridge would better connect Southwest's Kingfield neighborhood and the Bryant neighborhood just east of I-35W. Another goal is to improve access to the 40th Street RiverLake Greenway, a bikeway that will extend from Lake Harriet to the Mississippi River by 2008. (The portion west of I-35W is complete.)
Kingfield resident Mark Hinds led the meetings, and a small crowd discussed what the bridge should look like and how it could improve the community.
April 4, 2005
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KFNA coffee meet-ups begin March 20
By Robyn Repya
Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) will host three Sunday morning neighborhood meet-ups at Anodyne Coffeehouse, 4300 Nicollet Ave. The meetings give residents and business owners a chance to discuss neighborhood issues, events and KFNA functions with activities with Board President David Motzenbecker.
All meetings are 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The dates are March 20, April 3 and April 17.
The meet-ups precede KFNA's April 18 annual meeting, which will be held at 7 p.m. at Martin Luther King Park, 41st Street & Nicollet Avenue. Among other things, the group is looking for six new board members.
March 7, 2005
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Kingfield bus route frustrates resident
By Robyn Repya
Jennifer Sprague approached the Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) at its February meeting for help in getting rid of a new bus route that turns around at the end of the route by her home on the 4400 block of 1st Street.
The route, the 11C from Columbia Heights, cruises down major streets such as 4th Avenue South and East 46th Street before ending at 46th & Nicollet Avenue. To get back to 46th, the bus goes up Nicollet, turns right to 44th, then right onto 1st, a narrow residential street. Sprague said the buses rumble outside her home nearly 50 times a day on weekdays, starting before 6 a.m.
Sprague said she and another neighbor had filed a complaint with Metro Transit, but officials say they will keep the turnaround.
March 7, 2005
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Parent reminder: elementary-school choice cards are due Monday, Feb. 28
By David Brauer
You might forget to send Aunt Mim a Christmas card, or fill out that Best Buy rebate form, but there's a piece of mail you must remember to have a say in where your 4-year-old goes to kindergarten in the fall: the Minneapolis Public School District's School Choice card.
The cards - on which you list your preferred schools - must be postmarked on or before Monday, Feb. 28. All families of incoming kindergarteners can make two choices; parents in the Kingfield and East Harriet neighborhoods can add a third choice because they have no designated community school. Families with a K-8 student who wishes to transfer between Minneapolis Public Schools must also use the cards.
February 21, 2005
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East Harriet neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood
New 8th Ward flooded with candidates
By Scott Russell
At least five DFLers are competing to fill the vacant 8th Ward City Council seat.
In alphabetical order, they are:
- Titlayo "Titi" Bediako, 49, a Central neighborhood resident and the founder and executive director of the WE WIN Institute, which runs a rights-of-passage class and Kwanza appreciation classes to boost students' self-esteem, especially for low-achieving African American students.
- Elizabeth Glidden, 36, Kingfield neighborhood, a civil rights attorney representing plaintiffs, primarily on employment cases.
- Marie Hauser, 57, Central neighborhood, a Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Commissioner and children's mental health nurse.
January 24, 2005
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Whittier, Kingfield and East Harriet parents can make extra school choice
By David Brauer
Most families with kids entering kindergarten can make two selections on their Minneapolis Public School choice cards, but some Southwesterners can make three - even if the cards don't list a third option.
Parents in the Kingfield, East Harriet and Whittier neighborhoods have no designated school to which their child is guaranteed admission. To compensate, the district gives families in these "open areas" a third choice - as long as they pick one magnet and two community schools.
District Student Placement Official Jackie Turner said parents can simply write in a third choice below the line for "Second School Request."
January 24, 2005
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Kingfield neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Kingfield presents ideas on Theisen rehab Jan. 26
By David Brauer
The Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) will host a Wednesday, Jan. 26 forum on the redevelopment of the Theisen Vending property at 38th Street & Nicollet Avenue.
The foreboding dark brick building was lightened in recent years with decorative awnings. Since Theisen moved out late last year, KFNA has worked to see the building become housing. Southwest developers such as Michael Lander have expressed interest in the site.
The 7 p.m. meeting will showcase what the neighborhood association describes as "cutting-edge architectural designs" from a University of Minnesota graduate studio on sustainable architecture.
January 24, 2005
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Kingfield pedestrian lighting project a go
By Robyn Repya
Kingfield Neighborhood Association representatives say they have received enough petition signatures to add new pedestrian lighting on Nicollet Avenue between 36th and 40th streets.
The project will add nine new streetlights and complete the neighborhood's stretch of Nicollet. Streetlights between 40th and 46th streets have already been installed.
As with the first phase of the lighting project, KFNA would pay for 78 percent of the lighting - up to $224,000 total - using neighborhood NRP funds. Property owners would pay the remainder through special assessments, which KFNA estimates on their web site at $10 to $15 per 100 feet of Nicollet and intersection block frontage.
January 10, 2005
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New community-crime-prevention supervisor at 5th Precinct
By Robyn Repya
As of Dec. 26, Sector Lt. Marie Przynski will be the new 5th Precinct officer supervising Community Crime Prevention/SAFE efforts for the West Calhoun, Linden Hills, East Calhoun, CARAG, Lyndale, East Harriet and Kingfield neighborhoods.
Przynski will replace Brad Sporny, who will be transferred to the 3rd Precinct in Southeast Minneapolis. Sector Lieutenants work with civilian crime-prevention specialists.
Przynski has most recently worked as a professional development unit supervisor for officer training but has been an officer for 21 years. She previously worked as a civilian involved in community policing. She has also been a sector lieutenant with Northeast Minneapolis' 2nd Precinct and worked for eight years in the North Side.
December 23, 2004
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Lyndale neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, West Calhoun neighborhood
Redevelopment project planned for 38th & Nicollet
By Robyn Repya
The Lander Group, a Southwest-based development company, has signed a purchase agreement for the building formerly occupied by the Theisen Vending Company at 3800 Nicollet Ave.
Chris Kennelly, a project manager for the Lander Group, said contract negotiations are still ongoing. One holdup is the future of the billboards atop the building, but Kennelly said Lander hopes to close on the Kingfield property in early 2005.
Theisen moved in August to Golden Valley after occupying the 38th & Nicollet corner for almost three decades. The Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) helped facilitate a partnership between the Lander Group and the building's owner. KFNA and Theisen had worked on redevelopment plans that included housing.
December 9, 2004
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Kingfield public housing project delayed
By Robyn Repya
The Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) had planned to break ground on a 23 W. 38th St. redevelopment project in late October, but soil conditions have delayed the project indefinitely.
Project Manager Jerry Welf said the agency had planned to finish construction on the public-housing duplex by December. However, engineers found the soil is unsuitable for a traditional footing due to too much granular fill, necessitating a deeper dig.
Although the dig's cost is uncertain, Welf said the agency didn't budget for it and would approach a special engineering foundation for some help. Welf said MPHA would also approach the Neighborhood Revitalization Program board to see if they can get supplemental funding.
November 11, 2004
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City tells neighborhoods it will be tougher on NRP spending
By Scott Russell
The city of Minneapolis plans to take a stronger hand in shaping the next round of Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) housing plans proposed by individual neighborhoods. In a memo sent to all neighborhood groups Sept. 24, Mayor R.T. Rybak and City Council President Paul Ostrow stated that neighborhoods should match the city's own housing goals.
NRP is a 20-year, $300-plus million program that has empowered neighborhood groups to spend money spun off by new city development. By state law, 52.5 percent of NRP spending must be on housing or "housing-related programs," said NRP Executive Director Bob Miller.
November 11, 2004
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A journalist who's passionate about neighborhoods
By Michael Metzger
He gets paid to cover local issues, but the Star Tribune's Steve Brandt helps make Minneapolis better on his own time
Steve Brandt is an observer and a translator, watching the life of Minneapolis and deciphering it in the pages of the Star Tribune.
For nine years, the reporter watched the city's neighborhoods like a combination Jewish mother, Father confessor and soft-spoken inquisitor, keeping readers up on the who, what, where, why, when and how of Minneapolis in microcosm.
September 30, 2004
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Explore 'The City Itself' with Skewed Visions
By Bob Gilbert
If you're interested in local theater, but sitting still for an hour at a time in a mid-row seat doesn't sound like a fun night out, a new site-specific performance series could be right up your alley -- literally.
Now through Sunday, Oct. 10, theatergoers can be spotted loading into three cars just outside Acadia Coffeehouse on Franklin & Nicollet avenues. From there, they take off on/into an interactive theater performance known as "The Car."
After a 25-minute drama unfolds in the front-seat of each vehicle -- a Geo Prizm, taxi cab and Mercury Grand Marquis -- the nine-member audience (three per backseat) switches to another car/stage to witness/be part of another story in another part of the city.
September 30, 2004
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Art condition
By Rochelle Baltzer
Stimulating art
Long praised for its role in combating morning fatigue, the importance of caffeine and coffee has risen to a higher cultural level -- art.
Dunn Bros Coffee asked Twin Cities artists to submit original artwork representing the atmosphere of their favorite Dunn Bros coffeehouse. After considering 140 submissions, six winners and six merit finalists were selected -- including Linden Hills resident Beth Niestat.
Niestat, a quilt-maker, depicted the "flavor" of the 3348 Hennepin Ave. S. site in unconventional, colorful imagery: a quilt of Lake Calhoun windsurfers riding waves inside a giant coffee mug.
"When I think about the 'local flavor' around the lake, I thought it would have to be the lake itself," said the
September 16, 2004
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Kingfield housing initiative meeting is Sept. 23
By Robyn Repya
The Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) will host a public meeting on a plan to develop more housing along Nicollet Avenue Thursday, Sept. 23, 7 p.m. at Martin Luther King Park, West 41st Street & Nicollet.
KFNA received a grant from the Center for Neighborhoods, a Wedge-based nonprofit, for the Corridor Housing Initiative, intended to add affordable housing on Nicollet. The grant offers technical assistance to find sites, resources and developers.
Project Coordinator Liz Gibson-Gasset said the purpose of the public meeting is for KFNA to keep the neighborhood informed about the project and to ask people what types of development they'd like to see.
September 16, 2004
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Incarnation's Oktoberfest is Oct. 1-3
By Robyn Repya
Incarnation Church, 3801 Pleasant Ave. in the Kingfield neighborhood will host its 40th annual Oktoberfest Friday, Oct. 1 through Sunday, Oct. 3.
The event will feature a rummage sale, bake sale, bingo, raffles, a carnival and silent auction, as well as mass ceremonies Saturday and Sunday night. A turkey dinner will be held Friday night and a pancake breakfast Sunday morning.
Many of the Oktoberfest events are free, but some dinner events have a small admission fee. Volunteers and donations are still needed. A full itinerary of events is now available on the church's Web site at www.incarnation-church.com, or call 822-2102 for more
September 16, 2004
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Business Buzz
By Robyn Repya
28th & Hennepin
K. Simone Salon, currently at 41st Street and Chicago Avenue, will move to the Wedge neighborhood this fall, filling the long-vacant space at 2817 Hennepin Ave. S.
Salon owner Karina Florenz said the space is currently undergoing a renovation, so the opening date has yet to be determined. Florenz said the new space is the same size as her current location, but she hopes the Hennepin Avenue traffic will boost the five-year-old salon's business. Her staff will expand from four stylists to seven.
August 19, 2004
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Kingfield sculptor seeks new home for work
By Sarah McKenzie
Kingfield resident Russell Erickson's whimsical three-piece sculpture, "The Family," stood outside the Food and Drug Administration building at the corner of Hennepin & Washington avenues for
25 years.
The steel-rod pieces, which represent a father, mother and child, blend in with their surroundings, becoming nearly invisible against a busy backdrop or a silhouette against blue sky.
Erickson, 54, is looking to find "The Family" a new, higher-visibility home. He removed the sculptures from the blacktop in front of the FDA building earlier this month at the request of the site's owner, Thomas Dolphin, president and CEO of Blaine-based 21st Century Bank.
August 19, 2004
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New businesses buzzing on Hennepin, Lyndale Grand Avenue
By Robyn Repya
Once-sleepy street experiences retail, restaurant revival
During the past few years, Grand Avenue has seen a dozen new businesses spring up, which has also boosted existing businesses. We're not talking about St. Paul's Grand Avenue; the new hot Grand runs through Southwest's Kingfield and Tangletown neighborhoods.
One formerly slumbering business node -- at 38th & Grand -- is now being called a regional draw by businesses several blocks away. Another once-sleepy intersection, 48th & Grand, has sprouted colorful retail stores within the past year. Other nodes, at 42nd and 46th, are also looking up.
August 19, 2004
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Kingfield neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood
Kingfield's Hobart Church to halt services and change focus
By Robyn Repya
Rev. Larry Nielsen, pastor of Hobart United Methodist Church, 100 W. 46th St., said that the church would hold its last service Oct. 3. The preceding Sunday, Sept. 26, will be the church's 100-year anniversary celebration.
For years, the church has been renting unused space to small businesses and for community center-type activities such as Leonardo's Basement, an inventor's camp for kids.
Nielsen said the church will continue to house these organizations and will expand upon them once church services cease. He said there still would be a ministry office in the building, but no services.
Nielsen, who came out of retirement in June to work at the church, said like many churches, Hobart's congregation has been declining.
July 22, 2004
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Kingfield neighborhood
New zip code lowers auto insurance rates
By Bob Gilbert
When the U.S. Postal service changed the zip codes of several Southwest homes from 55409 to 55419, some residents fumed about the hassle of having to get new stationery and checks.
What they didn't expect was a financial windfall: lower car insurance rates.
David Raymond, who lives on the 4800 block of Fremont Avenue South, saw the cost of insuring his 1999 Dodge Caravan and his 2004 Toyota Corolla cut by 26 percent per year -- a $520 annual savings, even though nothing had changed other than one Postal Service digit.
"It's good for us who have had their zip codes changed to 55419, but it is bad in the sense that it shows how Minneapolis residents pay more than the suburbs for auto insurance," Raymond said.
July 8, 2004
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Lynnhurst neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood
At Curran's, ELVIS is forever
By Michael Metzger
From a Rastafarian Elvis impersonator to a potentially lethal grandma, hardcore fans celebrate their idol each month in Southwest
Rock 'n' roll historians still debate just who made the first rock record and when they did it.
There's no argument at Curran's Family Restaurant on the first Tuesday of every month, however. The crowd gathered in the back room honors one man known by one name: Elvis.
They don't debate whether Jackie Brenston's 1951 "Rocket 88" or Bill Haley's 1955 "Rock Around the Clock" or Elvis's "That's Alright" was the first real rock 'n' roll record.
July 8, 2004
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Kingfield may sue over I-35W project
By Robyn Repya
At its July 13 meeting, the Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) board unanimously voted to seek pro-bono legal council to explore a lawsuit that could stop the I-35W Access Project.
KFNA members said a lawsuit is their last chance to affect the project, which they said would bring traffic, pollution and noise, among other problems, to the neighborhood.
The access plan includes:
- Moving ramps now at 35th and 36th streets to 38th Street (the latter two streets run through Kingfield).
- Reworking the 5th Avenue freeway adding access to northbound I-35W.
- Adding access to Lake Street through the addition of a northbound entrance and a southbound exit via Stevens Avenue.
June 24, 2004
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Kingfield festival is July 31
By Robyn Repya
The Kingfield Neighborhood Association is hosting its free neighborhood festival Saturday, July 31 at Martin Luther King Jr. Park from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The event will feature Sebastian Joe's ice cream and other food, plus craft tables for kids and numerous bands. Kids can also enjoy a moonwalk, and a visit from the Minneapolis Police Department's Mounted Patrol.
The Kingfield resident art show, previously held in conjunction with the neighborhood festival, has been cancelled due to lack of participation.
Volunteers are still needed for the event. Visit www.kingfield.org for more information, or call 823-5980 to volunteer.
June 24, 2004
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Neighborhood of murals
By Bob Gilbert
Kingfield tries to make an artistic name for itself with an aggressive mural-sponsorship program
Terre Thomas has a favorite tree atop a hill along King's Highway on her jogging route past Lyndale Park. In August, that tree will be painted on the stucco wall of her gift shop, Fairy Godmother, at 3801 Grand Ave.
Thomas's mural will be one of five done in the Kingfield neighborhood this summer as part of a $15,000 business facade improvement program sponsored by the Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) and underwritten by Minneapolis Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP).
June 24, 2004
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Some 55409 zip codes to become 55419
By Bob Gilbert
These days, area codes change constantly, but zip codes remain fixed -- unless you live in parts of Kingfield in Tangletown.
On July 1, homes and businesses between 44th and 50th streets and Penn and Portland avenues will switch from 55409 to 55419. The 3,619 addresses have received mail notification, according to postal officials.
Jim Ahlgren, customer relations coordinator for the Minneapolis Post Office, said mail for the area currently goes to the 110 E. 31st St. station before going to the 55419 station at 5500 Nicollet Ave. for local delivery.
Changing the zip code will eliminate one step because that mail will now go directly to the Nicollet station.
June 10, 2004
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Kingfield neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood
Kingfield's replacement mural underway -- and more in the works
By Robyn Repya
Kingfield artist Tammy Ortegon has been hard at work this month with the help of teen artists working on the neighborhood's "Yemaya" replacement mural, painted on the west wall of Peter Pan Dry Cleaners, 322 W. 38th St.
Visiting Cuban muralist Lidia Aguilera S‡nchez painted a mural there last August at the urging of Niki Valens, co-owner of Victor's 1959 Caf/, 3756 Grand Ave. The Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) provided funding.
The mural was named Yemaya, meaning "the goddess of the sea" in the Afro-Cuban culture and is the main female figure in the painting. However, KFNA didn't ask building owner Sally Swadden for permission, and she demanded the mural be replaced with an ad for an area businesses.
June 10, 2004
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3601 Nicollet development again moves forward
By Robyn Repya
Talks have resumed with Brian Goff, owner of the vacant lot at 3601 Nicollet Ave., the Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) and city officials.
The city approved housing/retail redevelopment plans for Goff's site in December 2002, but the project stalled in the city's permit approval process. Now, Goff says he's talking again with the neighborhood about a larger development.
Goff said he's working on plans to build a three- to four-story development with an undetermined number of condominium units, retail spaces and an underground parking facility.
The approved 2002 plan included four residential units and two retail spaces; prospective tenants included an unspecified coffee shop chain and sandwich place.
June 10, 2004
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Kingfield Farmers' Market kicks off June 13
By Robyn Repya
The fourth annual Kingfield Farmers' market will begin Sunday, June 13, in the parking lot of the Time Warner building at West 43rd Street and Nicollet Avenue. The market will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Sunday until Oct. 10. The June 13 kickoff will also feature a plant exchange.
The market includes products from numerous local farms and businesses, including Bryn Mawr Soaps, 286 Washburn Ave. N.; Color Wheel Gallery, 319 W. 46th St.; Life Force Chiropractic, 4100 Grand Ave.; and Bakery on Grand, 3804 Grand Ave.
A Kingfield Neighborhood Association committee agreed in April to spend vendor fees on a yard sign campaign to let people know about the market. Volunteers will also flyer the neighborhood to promote the event.
May 13, 2004
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Body shop owner trying to move within Kingfield neighborhood
By Robyn Repya
Pat Mulroy, owner of Mulroy's Body Shop, ran into city snags trying to combine his business operations at a new 3900/3920 Nicollet Ave. S. location. The location has been home to Super Shuttle.
Mulroy's business is currently split between two other Kingfield neighborhood locations: his 4325 Nicollet Ave. S. body shop and a paint shop around the corner at 8 W. 42nd St. He said often workers have to carry large car parts back and forth, and he wants all operations under the same roof.
He said he also needs more space because of increased business. "We know we're getting congested, and we don't want to make anybody mad," Mulroy said. "We were trying to be proactive."
May 13, 2004
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Southwest sacrifices officers to summer anticrime initiative
By Robyn Repya
Three redeployed to higher-crime precincts; Southwest Councilmembers, neighborhood staffers complain
From a North Minneapolis street corner, Mayor R.T. Rybak and Police Chief William McManus presented a summer crime initiative that will reverberate to Southwest: temporarily reassigning Community Crime-Prevention officers to higher-crime areas.
The SAFE redeployment means Southwest's 5th Precinct will temporarity lose three officers, on top of the 27 it has already lost since 2002.
In their May 11 announcement, Rybak and McManus said redeploying Southwest officers (and three from two other precincts) would help the city focus on youth activities, strategic reduction of violent crime and targeting problem properties.
April 29, 2004
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Lyndale neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Mayor vows graffiti fight, more cash for roads
By Scott Russell
Mayor R.T. Rybak's April 27 State of the City speech hinted at two 2005 budget
initiatives: more money for roads and graffiti removal.
He also touted success in jobs and affordable housing and staked out a mayoral role in upcoming school closing debates.
"Graffiti cleanup is an area where I believe we have a long way to go," the mayor said, speaking in the City Hall rotunda. "As you look at the budget process this year, know that my eyes are very much focused on the fact that there is far too much graffiti in this city, and we have not done a good enough job coordinating our efforts."
April 29, 2004
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New foundation wants affluent to help stop city violence
By Michael Metzger
Northside Councilmember and Southwest activist try to build bridges while dodging political flak
Sometimes it seems as if North Minneapolis is closer to an Iraqi battlefield than it is to Southwest. All too often, bullets fly, bodies fall and mothers cry on the Northside, while families to the south watch the news in the safety of big, comfortable homes.
Councilmember Don Samuels, who represents the North's 3rd Ward, wants to stop the violence in his part of town -- in part by ending Southwest's passive observation of it.
With Armatage resident Michelle Martin, Samuels has created the PEACE Foundation, a group dedicated to stopping street violence by "bringing together people who live in poor and affluent neighborhoods," he said.
April 29, 2004
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Armatage neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood
Art Condition
By
'All You Need Is Stuff'
Uptown's fearless comedy group, the Brave New Workshop (BNW), 2605 Hennepin Ave. S., is embarking on a new show this month. "All You Need Is Stuff -- or -- 'Want' Is a Four-Letter Word" takes the stage with the Brave New Others, BNW's "auxiliary" cast. "Want" focuses on the "passion of greed" and whether all those possessions we crave can really live up to our expectations of them.
April 29, 2004
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Kingfield neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood
Business Buzz
By Southwest Journal Reporters
Ridgewood & Lyndale
Quizno's Sub Restaurant is opening Friday, May 14 in the new Agora Market, 1911 Lyndale Ave. S. It is owners Darby and Michelle Gelo's first restaurant. Denver-based Quizno's claims it is opening a new franchise every three hours.
Hours are 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday. The location also offers catering.
24th & Nicollet
Blue Eyes Caf/ is not the kind of place where you'll see Frank Sinatra; instead, the 2424 Nicollet Ave. caf/ serves Vietnamese drinks and several $5 entrees. The Eat Street restaurant's fare includes rice with roasted pork and roasted chicken.
April 29, 2004
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Kingfield neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Diary of a Community Ed teacher
By Stuart Rosen, Kingfield resident and writer/Teacher
In last year's education supplement in the Southwest Journal, Southwest Community Education Director Tom Nieman encouraged people to teach a Community Ed class about something they know and care about.
After reading this, Stuart Rosen, an instructional designer and writer and Kingfield resident, decided to give it a try. Rosen writes print materials, videos, Web sites, etc., that teach people how to do things. He figured, as he put it, "since I write stuff that teaches people, someday I'd like to try teaching people how to write stuff."
Rosen signed up to teach a course he named "Writing to Train or Explain." Then, he started keeping a diary to track the process before, during and after the classes. He agreed to share
January 22, 2004
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Business buzz
By Southwest Journal Editorial Staff
News bites reguarding area businesses.
Lagoon & Hennepin In mid-January, Zilya Tres will open Zilya's Salon with her husband Vadim Tres at 2919 Hennepin Ave., above the Zeno coffee and dessert bar. The salon entrance is a stairway between Zeno and William's Pub.
Zilya Tres, who is originally from Russia, said the salon would be small and intimate, a much different experience than larger salons.
Zilya Tres said services will focus on hair and spa services such as manicures, pedicures, facials, microderm abrasion treatment and permanent make-up (like tattooing).
John Martin, an investor and spokesperson, said part of creating a relaxed atmosphere would be a grand piano in the salon; Zilya Tres is a concert pianist.
January 8, 2004
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Kingfield neighborhood
A Southwest connection to the Dru Sjodin case
By Robyn Repya
There's a sad Southwest connection to the disappearance of Dru Sjodin, the 22-year-old girl who was last seen at a Grand Forks, N.D. mall on Nov. 22: her father, Allan Sjodin, lives in the Kingfield neighborhood on the 3800 block of Pleasant Ave. S.
Since Dru Sjodin's apparent abduction, Allan Sjodin's neighbors have kept a watch on his home while he's been away searching. His neighbor, Lisa Rudy, even traveled to Grand Forks to help thousands of volunteers in the search for Dru Sjodin when she first went missing.
Rudy also helped at home.
November 27, 2003
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Kingfield neighborhood
Crime and Safety and Police Reports
By Southwest Journal Staff
Police accepting nominations for community award
The Minneapolis Police Department is accepting nominations for the third annual Teresa Ruhland Youth Award, which recognizes an exceptional volunteer for his or her work involving youth and block club activities. The award is named after Teresa Sheehy Ruhland, a longtime SAFE crime-prevention team employee who died in May 2000.
Nominations forms are available online, or the department will accept a one-page essay that details a nominee's work involving youth and block club activities. The deadline for award nominations is Oct. 24.
October 2, 2003
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Whittier neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Kenny neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood
Business buzz
By Southwest Journal Staff
Business related issues going on in and around Southwest Minneapolis
Franklin & Hennepin The Auriga upscale restaurant, located at 1930 Hennepin Ave. S., is restriping its parking lot to qualify for a full liquor license, an upgrade from their current wine and beer license. The city's Planning Commission approved the Lowry Hill restaurant's application Sept. 22.
Co-owner Scott Davis said to comply with full liquor license requirements, his restaurant also had to remove one parking space and turn it into greenscape with landscaping. -- Robyn Repya
24th & Nicollet "Yummy" is the name of a new Chinese restaurant at 2450 Nicollet Ave. Louis Tong opened the Catonese-style restaurant Sept. 26.
September 4, 2003
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East Isles neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood
Kingfield mural move nearly funded
By Robyn Repya
A Kingfield fundraiser held Sept. 21 to save the contentious Cuban mural at West 38th Street and Grand Avenue garnered nearly $3,000 in donations -- just a few hundred dollars short of its $3,350 goal.
The mural was painted in August by Cuban muralist Lidia Aguilera Snchez on the west side of the Peter Pan Dry Cleaners, 322 W. 38th St. Aguilera Snchez was in town visiting her friend Victor Valens, co-owner of Victor's 1959 Caf. 3756 Grand Ave.
The mural was painted on a billboard mounted to the wall of the dry cleaners with the consent of pertinent businesses, but not the building owner, who has since demanded it be moved and replaced with a blank billboard.
September 4, 2003
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New Kingfield private school features really small classes
By Michael Metzger
Ex-Risen Christ site now serves mostly Hispanic kids, four or five per class
While Minneapolis public schools struggle with increases in class sizes due to cost and funding pressures, a new Southwest middle school is bucking the trend. Figures recently released by the city's school system indicate grades 4 through 8 increased from 25 students per class last year to 28 this year. San Miguel Middle School of Minneapolis, a private Catholic school in Kingfield dedicated to serving economically disadvantaged kids, typically has four or five per class -- and 38 in the entire school.
"We have a small, nurturing environment," said Brother Larry Schatz, president of San Miguel, 3800 Pleasant Ave. S. "You can really see a difference.
August 21, 2003
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Business buzz
By Southwest Journal Staff
Business related issues going on in and around Southwest Minneapolis
Uptown The third Twin Cities Pickled Parrot is opening in Uptown in late September in the old Booksmart location at 2919 Hennepin Ave. S., with its entrance on Lagoon Avenue.
General Manager Christian Eckert, said the new restaurant would be similar to those in Apple Valley and Eden Prairie, highlighting their ribs and seafood selection, lobster tacos and 24-karat gold Margarita. He said the dcor will be more upscale and urban than the suburban stores.
Eckert said one of the new restaurant's unique features is the rooftop area with an island bar and dining and cocktail tables. He said he hopes to keep the outdoor patio open into October.
August 21, 2003
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Kingfield church hosts Oktoberfest
By Robyn Repya
Incarnation Church will host an Oktoberfest arts and crafts fair, Friday-Sunday Oct. 3-5, on the 3800 block of Pleasant Avenue South in the Kingfield neighborhood.
The festivities will include carnival games, a raffle and a beer garden, in addition to a garage sale. There will also be music by the Rockin' Hollywoods on Saturday, Oct. 4 from 8 p.m. to midnight.
August 21, 2003
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Kingfielders seek October meeting about church concerns
By Robyn Repya
The Segrado Corazn de Jesus congregation, which is predominantly Hispanic, moved from Whittier to Kingfield's predominantly Anglo Incarnation Church, 3801 Pleasant Ave. S., last summer.
At the time, the mostly Anglo neighborhood's residents were excited to welcome the new Hispanic community. However, some neighbors are now upset about church activity overflowing into the neighborhood, adding noise, parking problems and trash from food vendors and leaflets.
Steve Jevning, who lives down the block from the church on Pleasant Avenue, said he and a block club leader are trying to work with the parish to resolve livability problems and set up a neighborhood meeting to boost solidarity and understanding.
August 21, 2003
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Cuban muralist shakes up, beautifies Kingfield
By Robyn Repya
Cuban muralist Lidia Aguilera Snchez was only in Southwest for two weeks, but she left her mark on the Kingfield neighborhood with a mural sparking neighborhood solidarity and debate.
Nikki and Victor Valens, owners of Victor's 1959 Caf, 3756 Grand Ave., hosted their artist friend on her second visit to the United States, offering her a chance to exhibit her work at their Southwest eatery.
But Aguilera Snchez's interests were quickly directed across the street to the blank black wall outside Peter Pan Dry Cleaners, 322 W. 38th St. -- a potential mural site. So Nikki Valens approached the Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) to see if they had grant money available for business murals -- one of their longstanding community initiatives.
August 7, 2003
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Kingfield holds meeting about affordable housing projects
By Robyn Repya
The Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) will host a public meeting on three -- or perhaps four -- new housing projects Sept. 29, 7 p.m. at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Park center, 41st Street and Nicollet Avenue.
Because KFNA seeks funds for each project from the Neighborhood Revitalization Program Affordable Housing Reserve Fund, it must get community input. City rules require 30-day notice for the meeting.
One project is at 23 W. 38th St. The Minneapolis Public Housing Authority owns the lot and is working with the KFNA to build a public-housing duplex.
Another project is at 3700 Stevens Ave., where Habitat for Humanity and the KFNA want to build an affordably priced home.
July 24, 2003
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When no equity trumps sweat equity
By Michael Metzger
Neighborhood board president David Motzenbecker has tried to make Kingfield housing more affordable -- but might have to leave because his apartment has become too costly
The irony is so strong that it strains the smile on David Motzenbecker's face. As president of the Kingfield Neighborhood Association, he's worked to bring affordable housing to Southwest; as a renter facing a rent increase he can't meet, he's discovering he might not be able to afford to stay in the neighborhood he loves.
"There's just a little bit of irony in the situation," he said as he sat on one of the old couches in Kingfield's cozy Anodyne Caf, 4301 Nicollet Ave.
July 24, 2003
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Zenon dancers establish youth program in Kingfield
By Bob Gilbert
The Zenon Dance Company will take over the dance program at the Center For Performing Arts, a privately owned Kingfield building where 24 artists, including piano teachers, actors, painters, costume designers and writers rent studio space.
While Zenon's main office will remain downtown at the Hennepin Center for the Arts, they will establish a youth program at the 3754 Pleasant Ave. S. location that is easier to get to for parents.
"We were looking for a satellite location because we knew that parents were not going to drag their kids Downtown through rush-hour traffic and parking hassles so they could take a one-hour dance class, " said Ann Willemssen, Zenon's managing director. "It's a perfect fit.
June 26, 2003
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Local bars: well-behaved or lightly penalized?
By Scott Russell
City bars are rarely punished for generating neighborhood problems. The city says its informal process is working, but as 2 a.m. closing time rolls out, some say a closer look is needed.
City action allowing bars to stay open until 2 a.m. has focused attention on how well Minneapolis responds to neighborhood complaints about noise, traffic and unruly patrons.
Some councilmembers receive constituent complaints about bar-related problems. The city first tries resolving problems informally, and has only imposed fines and license suspensions on five occasions since 2000 -- none in Southwest.
June 12, 2003
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Kingfield neighborhood
A 23-year-old moment
By Bob Gilbert
Present Moment offered alternative healing long before New Age was new
Bob Gallagher's vision for Present Moment hasn't changed in 23 years. It's about helping people heal mental, emotional and physical problems with herbs, flower essences, homeopathy remedies, vitamin supplements and reading. He believes such remedies are healthier than the medical drugs mainstream America chooses.
The store is what one would expect to find in San Francisco, Greenwich Village or Sedona, Arizona. But as it happens, it's tucked away in the Kingfield neighborhood at 3546 Grand Ave.
June 12, 2003
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Kingfield distributing free bike racks
By Robyn Repya
The Kingfield Neighborhood Association is distributing bike racks for free to neighborhood
businesses that have public land to put them on.
Sarah Linnes-Robinson, NRP Coordinator, said the KFNA partnered with the city on producing and installing the racks., called "sprouts" because of their sprout-like appearance. The racks were designed by neighborhood businesses.
Contact Linnes-Robinson with any questions or to sign up for a rack at 823-5980.
May 29, 2003
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Drenched in estrogen: A Fun Sister finds retail bliss
By Robyn Repya
As zany as its owner, the Kingfield business has made a name finding items women can't wait to get
The bizarre story of Patsy Skiba's business success as the owner of The Fun Sisters Boutique began eight years ago and developed through an arrest, one sister leaving and two store moves. But Skiba's rosy face and cheerful disposition mask any strife, making her job seem more like a shopping trip with girlfriends. She said the hard times and extra elbow grease has made the Kingfield business' strong sales and media attention that much sweeter.
The zany 4253 Nicollet Ave. S. store is as unique as Skiba's story -- for example, it is open only a few days a month.
May 29, 2003
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Not your father's Baptists
By Robyn Repya
Kingfield's Judson church is a liberal congregation building bridges in and across communities
Tucked discreetly in the Kingfield neighborhood is what one churchgoer called "a little church with big ideas."
Judson Memorial Baptist Church members will quickly tell you they're "not your average American Baptists."
Judson, 4101 Harriet Ave. S., openly accepts gay and lesbian members -- even performing commitment ceremonies -- is involved in the peace movement and fosters an anti-racism team. Pastor Dianne Hooge said that American Baptists could be described as a more liberal form of Baptists, far different from conservative Southern Baptists.
May 15, 2003
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Less SAFE? Fewer crime-prevention teams to cover neighborhoods
By Robyn Repya
In response to proposed state budget cuts, the Minneapolis Police Department sliced its Community Crime Prevention/SAFE teams in 5th Precinct (Southwest) neighborhoods from five to three -- meaning fewer civilian-officer teams covering 20 area neighborhoods.
SAFE teams serve in pairs of sworn officers and civilian crime prevention specialists (CPS) and are the primary contact for Southwest residents to the police department in responding to crime trends, assisting in block club training, providing business and home security checks and workshops and focusing on problem properties.
Citywide, 25 SAFE teams were reduced to 14.
May 15, 2003
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West Calhoun neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood, Lynnhurst neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill Neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Kenwood neighborhood, Kenny neighborhood, Fulton neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, East Calhoun neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Armatage neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Raise my taxes!
By Lynnell Mickelsen
One small lawn sign, one small step
I started seeing the orange lawn signs a few weeks ago: first one in St. Louis Park, then a handful in Linden Hills, Kingfield and Lyndale. And then, holy cow, suddenly two popped up in nearby Edina.
"Happy to Pay for a Better Minnesota," the signs read, in various shades of orange and white. At the bottom is a Web address: www.betterminnesota.org.
In the last six weeks, at least 900 of these signs have gone up in various yards in Minneapolis and points as far-flung as Willmar and Duluth. They have been erected by citizens who believe that neither taxes nor government are dirty words -- that you get what you pay for, and it's time to change the terms of the state budget debate.
May 1, 2003
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Kingfield neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood
Humanizing immigrant nurses
By Caitlin Pine
Filipino nurses have long filled a U.S. nursing shortage -- and Kingfield author Catherine Ceniza Choy busts stereotypes by telling their story
A specialist in Asian American history, Kingfield resident Catherine Ceniza Choy is trained to look beyond stereotypes. Doing so isn't just her profession, it's part of who she is.
Growing up in a New York City apartment building, many of Ceniza Choy's neighbors were Filipino nurses. Those women were her mother's friends and an integral part of the city's Filipino American community.
February 6, 2003
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Hitting the bottle: neighborhood restaurants adding liquor
By Robyn Repya
Southwest neighborhood restaurants such as El Meson, Little Tel-Aviv, Macchu Pichu and Caf Bicko are following the recent business trend in Minneapolis: seeking a liquor license to stay competitive and boost business. A veteran city licensing inspector, Ken Ziegler, said that although he can't provide specific numbers, over the past few months there has been a significant increase in applications for liquor licenses.
What's driving the trend to the bottle?
January 23, 2003
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Kingfield neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood
Driving the I-35W Access Project
By Scott Russell
The $152 million freeway overhaul is moving toward final approvals, and Tom Johnson has shepherded it start to finish
The $152 million I-35W Access Project all started five years ago with an effort to get new ramps at 26th and 28th streets, making easier freeway connections for Abbott Northwestern Hospital, 800 E. 28th St.
"That is all I had in mind back then," said Tom Johnson, who, in 1997, was a consultant with Abbott Northwestern Hospital and Allina Hospitals and Clinics. "That is all we wanted to do. That was our project."
January 9, 2003
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Kingfield neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
One church houses two cultures
By Scott Russell
Sagrado Corazn and Incarnation become one church in a marriage of old and new
People packed into The Church of the Incarnation, standing two-deep along the side aisles and spilling back into the annex while babies cried and a trumpet, violin and guitar group played "Las mananitas" from the balcony.
Father Lawrence Hubbard began mass Dec. 12 with these words: "Esta Iglesia es su iglesia. Esta casa es su casa." (This church is your church. This house is your house.)
People came for the Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe, recounting the story of how the Virgin Mary appeared in Mexico in 1531 to Juan Diego, an Indian peasant, what Hubbard called the most important annual celebration for Mexican Catholics.
November 18, 2002
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King Park Council formed
By Robyn Repya
The Kingfield Neighborhood Association has formed the Martin Luther King Park Community Council with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation staff in order to help create new programs and offer assistance to the current staff.
The next park council meeting will be on Jan. 23 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., where the council will set regular meeting dates and community input session for February.
November 18, 2002
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36th and Nicollet development gets city approval
By Robyn Repya
The zoning changes for a proposed mixed-use development at 3601 Nicollet Ave. S., previously denied by the city's planning department, were approved by the City Council on Dec. 13.
The development will have four residential units and two retail spaces. Tentative tenants include a coffeeshop and sandwich place, though no businesses were named. Architect Mitch Booth, C.M. Architecture, said a change from C1 to C2 zoning was necessary to accommodate the proposed building's height and parking requirements. He said the change also ensures that the development could have drive-thru access.
November 18, 2002
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New plan would change Southwest bus service
By Robyn Repya
One route cut, 11 changed and two new; I-35W transit stations at 35th, 46th and Diamond-Lake planned
Bus service in Southwest would be greatly improved, say Metro Transit planners, if the new plan goes into effect.
Metro Transit's so-called "Sector 5" plan -- which includes parts of Minneapolis, St. Paul, Edina, Bloomington and Richfield -- would:
- Cut one route connecting the University of Minnesota to Southwest from I-35W to 46th Street to Nicollet Ave. then to 50th Street to Edina;
- Change and consolidate 11 current Southwest routes;
- Add two routes improving crosstown traffic and 35W access to Downtown and Southern suburbs;
November 18, 2002
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A co-op without groceries
By Robyn Repya
Planned co-operative housing offers a low-cost way to become a homeowner...but working together is required
A three-story nursing home in Kingfield may become one of Southwest's more progressive housing options if a local group successfully converts it to a co-operative.
The former Good Samaritan Home, 4429 Nicollet Ave. S., is still being renovated by its current owner, but a developer, Neal Esterkin, and a non-profit financing agency, the North Country Co-operative Development Fund, have signed a $2,650,000 purchase agreement for the 29-unit complex.
November 4, 2002
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Three generations of meat
By Robyn Repya
Talk about aged beef: in a corporate era, Kingfield's Finer Meats is a mom-and-pop-and-grandpa-and-grandson business
With the relentless encroachment of large chain stores, "Mom-and-Pop shops" are rare. But on Nov. 15, the Kingfield neighborhood's Finer Meat Company, 3747 Nicollet Ave. S., reached a milestone: 40 years in business and three generations of meat from the Knopik family. In all, the storefront has housed a meat market since 1932.
Customers said it's the old-fashioned meat smoking technique and dedication to personal service that's kept the family business going for so long.
November 4, 2002
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BUSINESS NEWS -Businesses spruce up with neighborhood cash
By Robyn Repya
In Kingfield, more than $300,000 of NRP money helps beautify and improve storefronts
Kingfield neighborhood business owners said making modifications to their exteriors -- whether imperative or purely cosmetic -- can be time-consuming, safety-impairing, revenue-reducing and most of all, expensive.
But several owners found that the Kingfield Neighborhood Association was a useful resource in helping make improvements that would have otherwise been impossible.
Rami Wadi, owner of Best Food Market, 3756 Nicollet Ave. S., said he's wanted to change his store's exterior for years. "It's not as professional as I want it to be," he said.
October 21, 2002
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Kingfield sex-offender notification meeting 'productive'
By Robyn Repya
Approximately 80 Kingfield residents attended a sex-offender notification meeting held by the Minneapolis Police Department Oct. 8. The Level-3 sex offender, Shane Stephen Duncan, recently moved to the 3800 block of Nicollet Avenue.
Sexual Offender Notification Coordinator Jon Hinchliff said the high attendance was surprising -- "somewhat amazing, given the Twins were playing in the playoffs" that night, he said.
Although residents had many questions involving the offender's previous convictions and criminal patterns, Hinchliff said the discussion was productive. "They didn't show up with pitchforks or torches," he said.
October 7, 2002
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Kingfield couple is touched by fire, then support
By Robyn Repya
A big "thank you" for neighbors' help and contributions
In the midst of tragedy, Ann Jensen said her Kingfield neighbors reached out to her family, turning a time of difficulty into a time of gratitude.
Ann and Jon Jensen's home, which they shared with their granddaughter on the 4100 block of Blaisdell Ave., caught fire from an old electrical outlet July 21 while they were out of town.
"The inspector said sometimes that happens, it malfunctions," she said.
Neighbor Chris DeParde said he noticed smoke coming out of the Jensen's chimney at around 9 a.m. Sunday. "It didn't look right," he said.
August 26, 2002
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"What's more important, the bikes or the parking?"
By Robyn Repya
As SW neighborhood leaders try to extend bike lanes into neighborhoods, they're meeting resistance from business owners and residents
Call this case Cars v. Bikes. To promote bike riding, the city and cycling advocates dedicated bike lanes on neighborhood streets. Such lanes provide a safer way to get from residential areas to the main bike thoroughfares like the Midtown Greenway, the Chain of Lakes or Kenilworth Trail.
People generally like bike lanes. However, new bike lanes mean less on-street parking -- so many residents and business owners urge the amenity to go somewhere else.
The East Harriet and CARAG neighborhoods are currently trying to find ways to accommodate bikes and on-street neighborhood parking.
August 26, 2002
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East Harriet neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood
Curran's founder Mike Curran dies; local ties praised
By Robyn Repya
Family restaurant patriarch Michael D. Curran, founder of Kingfield's Curran's Family Restaurant, died July 22 of a heart attack. He was 82.
Dennis Curran, the restaurant's current owner, said his father's death was unexpected. Curran said he will remember his dad as a warm and loyal man to his family.
He said he appreciated the strong customer-based work ethic he acquired working with his father. "He treated everyone the same and made them feel like they were in his home," Curran said. "Through my father, I felt a strong community bond."
July 29, 2002
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For teen Shakespearean actors, love's labor found A mid-summer dream: Kingfield couple directs
By Caitlin Pine
Asked why he produces Shakespearean plays with 12- to 16-year-olds, Bob Davis moves forward in his chair, digs in his feet and speaks with forceful elegance. "With Shakespeare, the language and the emotion are bigger. For kids to learn Shakespeare's words, it's a constant string of revelations. They develop a whole different relationship with language," he said.
Eight years ago, Davis and his wife Mary Alette Davis were working as professional actors and raising three boys in Kingfield. Frustrated by the lack of theatre programs for kids, they started their own -- Brazil! School of the Arts.
July 15, 2002
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Kingfield neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood
Catholic school in Kingfield to close next year
By Robyn Repya
Risen Christ Catholic school's west campus, 3800 Pleasant Ave., will leave the Kingfield neighborhood location by Fall 2003, principal Helen Dahlman said.
The west campus houses third through eighth grades, and all operations will be moved to the east campus, 1120 E. 37th St., in the Powderhorn Park neighborhood. The east campus serves kindergarten through second grade.
Dahlman said it is too difficult to manage the school at two different locations. She said she has already hired a contractor for expansion of the Powderhorn location expansion.
Steve Jevning, Kingfield Neighborhood Association board president, said the neighborhood is waiting to see what is to be done with the school's land, owned by the Incarnation Catholic Church Parish.
June 17, 2002
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Art Condition
By Caitlin Pine
Linden Hills businesses will host another "Linden Hills Live," 7-9 p.m. on Thursday, July 11. The Linden Hills Business Association will build three stages in the 44th-and-Upton district and host nine acts, including jazz quartets, Japanese drumming and folk singers. The July event is the second of three monthly events; the final Linden Hills Live will take place on Aug. 8.
Southwest trio plays the Dakota
Old-timey, KBEM-listenin' jazz enthusiasts will want to check out a teenage jazz trio hailing from Southwest on Sunday, July 21, 6-9 p.m. at the Dakota Bar and Grill, 1021 Bandana Blvd.
June 17, 2002
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Kingfield neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood
How pleasure is made
By Caitlin Pine, Photo by Rich Ryan
The three brothers behind Sebastian Joe's ice cream are upholding a family tradition of delightful desserts
If you go back two generations to Sendrio in northern Italy, you'll find the roots of the Sebastian Joe's ice cream business. There, in a small town, a young boy named Sebastiano Pellizzer sold gelato in the streets to his neighbors. Frozen treats must be in the Pellizzer blood, because two generations later, Sebastiano's three grandsons are still doling out scoops to their Southwest neighbors.
The Pellizzer Brothers -- Michael, Todd and Tim -- ate a lot of ice cream growing up in south Minneapolis. They also grew up listening to tall tales about selling gelato from their storytelling grandfather.
June 17, 2002
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Kingfield neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood
Kingfield hosts first-ever Build-O-Rama
By Jodi R. Brewer
Looking for a fun, family-friendly way to spend Father's Day? Leonardo's Basement, a Kingfield-based organization that helps kids build creative projects with inventors and artists, is staging its first-ever Build-O-Rama, Sunday June 16, noon-4 p.m., at the King Park Center, 41st and Nicollet.
Build-O-Rama is a free, participatory event where the whole family can work with experienced craftspeople to create bicycle contraptions, musical instruments, wearable art and more. Live music, stilt walkers and refreshments will also be provided.
June 3, 2002
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Yard Art
By Beth Wohlberg Photos by Rich Ryan
Forget the Sculpture Garden-- Southwest residents are installing masterpieces on their own lawns
Move over pink flamingoes. In Southwest, the days of simple plastic lawn ornaments may be numbered. Yards are becoming galleries for serious artistic expression.
From Lake of the Isles to Kingfield, property owners have erected metal zebras, intricate wood carvings and abstract sculptures.
The bronze Great Blue Heron, created by Dan Ostermiller in Penny George's yard, gives people walking around the north side of Lake of the Isles a glimpse of the beautiful bird.
June 3, 2002
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Kingfield houses still lack a home
By Anjula Razdan
The fate of the two houses south of Nicollet Ace Hardware, 3805 Nicollet Ave., is still up in the air.
Lyndale Neighborhood Development Corporation (LNDC) recently abandoned plans to help relocate the two houses to the Lyndale neighborhood after soil borings on the elected property revealed heavy contamination.
The City Council unanimously voted March 1 to approve Nicollet Ace owners Julene Lind and Steve Rosch's request to build a parking lot next to their business, two days they stepped forward and offered $20,000 to help relocate the two houses that sit on the site.
But, the relocation effort hit a snag when soil tests revealed dirty fill on the county-owned site.
April 8, 2002
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School notes
By Anjula Razdan
Choice decisions for open-attendance area The results of the kindergarten school-choice guarantee for the Kingfield and East Harriet neighborhoods have recently been returned. Sixty-one percent of Kingfield and East Harriet families with children entering kindergarten got their first-choice school for the 2002-2003 school year, and another 35 percent got their second-choice. Last year, slightly more than 70 percent of the Kingfield-East Harriet families received their first-choice school, and 23 percent received their second choice.
March 25, 2002
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Good Samaritan developer defends variance request in Kingfield
By Anjula Razdan
Developer Swervo, Inc. dropped its request to the city to upzone the former Good Samaritan nursing home, 4429 Nicollet Ave., from a 24-unit to a 38-unit housing development, but it will appear before the Zoning & Planning Committee April 1 seeking a variance which would allow 29 total units.
At a recent meeting held in Kingfield, Swervo, Inc. partner Ned Abdul said that if the company is granted the variance request, he envisions a 29-unit building that is a mix of 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments -- an easier mix to manage and better for the neighborhood, he said, than the 4-bedroom apartments he would most likely build if the variance is not granted.
March 25, 2002
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City Council OKs Nicollet Ace parking lot
By Anjula Razdan
The City Council unanimously voted March 1 to approve a Nicollet Ace Hardware, 3805 Nicollet Ave., request to build a parking lot south of the business, two days after owners Julene Lind and Steve Rosch stepped forward and offered $20,000 to help relocate the two houses that sit on the site.
The Kingfield NRP board voted in February to allocate up to $50,000 in public funds towards the relocation project, and the Lyndale Neighborhood Development Corporation (LNDC), which is undertaking the project, has agreed to contribute $25,000.
March 11, 2002
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Good Samaritan developer drops upzoning request
By Anjula Razdan
Developer Swervo, Inc. has dropped its request to the city to upzone the former Good Samaritan nursing home, 4429 Nicollet Ave, to allow a 38-unit housing development.
Current zoning limits the development to 24 units, a restriction Swervo partner Ned Abdul said would be a big waste of square footage.
Instead of pursuing a rezoning request, Swervo is seeking a 20 percent lot area variance, which would allow it to have 29 units, said Gary Dorek, who works in the Planning Department.
A key Kingfield Neighborhood Association committee strongly opposed the upzoning request because of concern the development would not have affordable housing.
March 11, 2002
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Nicollet Ace parking lot decision set for March 1
By Anjula Razdan
The Minneapolis City Council will decide March 1 whether to grant a request by owners of Nicollet Ace Hardware, 3805 Nicollet Ave. -- to build a parking lot south of the business -- but this decision will likely hinge on the owner's willingness to help relocate the two houses that sit on the site.
In response to neighborhood and council pressure, it now appears that Julene Lind and Steve Rosch will be willing to contribute some money earmarked for demolition of the houses to the project.
"I think that we've reestablished trust," said Kingfield board president David Brauer (who is also editor of Skyway News, which is owned by the Southwest Journal).
February 25, 2002
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School Notes
By Anjula Razdan
Harsh measures expected in response to budget cuts
Superintendent Carol Johnson will announce her proposal to contend with $30 million in budget cuts at the next school board meeting, Feb. 12 at 4 p.m.
After reducing this year's budget by $25 million through a variety of painful measures -- including eliminating over 200 staff positions and voting to close three schools next year -- the district must now cut more than 4 percent from its budget for the 2002-2003 school year.
February 11, 2002
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Business News
By Anjula Razdan
Haute cuisine arrives on the scene with n e thyme caf Walk into n e thyme caf, a new American bistro at the corner of 43rd Street and Nicollet Avenue in Kingfield, and you are immediately struck by the chic, colorful atmosphere - especially if you were a regular of Lufrano's, the homey red-sauce Italian restaurant which occupied the space for about 15 years and closed last year.
The eclectic wine list and menu, which fuses cuisines from a variety of cultures, puts n e thyme caf, which opened last December, in the category of a "white-tablecloth" restaurant--not many of which exist south of the 31st Street corridor and east of Lyndale Avenue in Southwest Minneapolis.
February 11, 2002
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Business News
By Anjula Razdan
Haute cuisine arrives on the scene with n e thyme caf Walk into n e thyme caf, a new American bistro at the corner of 43rd Street and Nicollet Avenue in Kingfield, and you are immediately struck by the chic, colorful atmosphere - especially if you were a regular of Lufrano's, the homey red-sauce Italian restaurant which occupied the space for about 15 years and closed last year.
The eclectic wine list and menu, which fuses cuisines from a variety of cultures, puts n e thyme caf, which opened last December, in the category of a "white-tablecloth" restaurant--not many of which exist south of the 31st Street corridor and east of Lyndale Avenue in Southwest Minneapolis.
January 28, 2002
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Kingfield neighborhood
School Notes
By Anjula Razdan
Harsh measures expected in response to budget cuts
Superintendent Carol Johnson will announce her proposal to contend with $30 million in budget cuts at the next school board meeting, Feb. 12 at 4 p.m.
After reducing this year's budget by $25 million through a variety of painful measures -- including eliminating over 200 staff positions and voting to close three schools next year -- the district must now cut more than 4 percent from its budget for the 2002-2003 school year.
January 28, 2002
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East Harriet neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood
Ramping up tensions
By Anjula Razdan /photo by Rich Ryan
Did public group sign off too quickly on more 35W lanes?
They gave up without a fight.
That's what some community members are saying after a group of Minneapolis neighborhood and business representatives voted to go along with a plan to put more lanes on I-35W.
Opponents of the project worry that a 16-3 vote taken last month by the I-35W Access Project Advisory Committee (PAC) may falsely signal public endorsement of a controversial Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) proposal to add a new lane in each direction for buses and carpools. MnDOT pledges the new lanes will not be built until 2015, but said retrofitting of the highway must begin now.
January 14, 2002
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Lane changes, diaper changes
By Anjula Razdan /Photo by Rich Ryan
Full-time mom finds time to help shape I-35W access project at Lake Street
Jeanne Massey sits on the carpeted floor of her living room in Kingfield, changing diapers for her 5-month-old daughter Lauren. The Christmas tree is up, and lots of toys are stored underneath for Lauren and her older brother Mitchell, 3. It's a warm and informal house, with a shabby chic couch overlooking a coffee table strewn with large, colorful children's books.
Next to "A Sesame Street Treasury of Words, Numbers, and Poems" sits a black laptop computer -- the place where, several times a day, Massey morphs from full-time mom into community activist.
January 14, 2002
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City Hall inauguration serves up rhetoric, then political sausage
By David Brauer
Some SW councilmembers on outside looking in
Inaugural Day 2002 at Minneapolis City Hall's soaring rotunda featured the traditional soaring rhetoric, but attendees also witnessed political sausage being made as the new City Council decided leadership positions. By the end of the Jan. 2 event, one Southwest councilmember had lost the council's number-two slot to another, and two Southwest councilmembers lost committee chairmanships.
City councilmember Lisa Goodman (7th Ward), hoping to become council vice president, lost on a 7-6 vote to Robert
January 14, 2002
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Kingfield neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood
Photo by Robb Long
Molly Hanson (left) and her sister Samantha Loesch outside the future site of Kings Wine Bar, located at 46th & Grand.
By Jake Weyer
Nearly a year after the death of her husband, Samantha Loesch teams up with her sister to start a new business — and direction in life
KINGFIELD — When Mark Loesch was murdered during a late-night bike ride last September, his family’s life was turned upside down.
For his wife of 16 years, Samantha Loesch, a bright, planned-out future quickly turned dark and uncertain.
“I had these hopes and dreams and plans for my life that all involved him,” Loesch said. “And my marriage and that partnership was a big part of my life’s goals and plans, and it took energy and that was my focus. And after his death I felt like I had — I needed something to focus on, some new direction for my life, in order to begin looking forward and not just remain focused on what I had lost and the past.”
Her sister Molly Hanson was also at a turning point: family upheaval after Mark’s death strained her decade-long marriage and she ended up moving back to Minnesota from Seattle and getting divorced.
About five months ago, the sisters decided to start anew with an idea they had talked about for years: opening a local wine bar that focused on their values of community, local business, environment and family, among others.
July 28, 2008
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Kingfield neighborhood
Neighborhood notebook
By Sarah McKenzie, Dylan Thomas and Jake Weyer
CARAG
SUPER SALE: The CARAG Super Sale, the neighborhood’s annual garage sale, is scheduled for May 17 from 8 a.m.–4 p.m. The deadline for registration is May 14. For more information or to register, visit www.carag.org or call 823-2520.
KINGFIELD
BOARD ELECTIONS: New Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) board members were elected at the organization’s annual meeting April 21, including Marie Wolf, Chris DeParde, Jeff Shaw, David Buchanan, David Potosky, Dave Sadoris and Mark Brandow. Arthur Knowles, Niki Stavrou, Mary Hunter and Ben Kristensen are no longer on the board.
May 5, 2008
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Lyndale neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Neighborhood notebook
By Mary O'Regan, Jake Weyer and Dylan Thomas
ARMATAGE
PARK THEFTS: Jerry Peterson, Armatage Park director, noted that there has been an increase in thefts from cars in the parking lot at Armatage Park. Incidences have occurred mostly from 2–4 p.m. when parents are picking their kids up from school.
FESTIVAL: Board members voted to hold the Armatage Summer Festival on July 22.
GARAGE SALE: The board has agreed to hold a garage sale event over Memorial Day weekend with Kenny neighborhood.
February 25, 2008
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Linden Hills neighborhood, Armatage neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, Fulton neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood
The buzz
By Jake Weyer and Mary O'Regan
43RD & NICOLLET
Husband and wife photography team John Barber and Stephanie Rau are moving their 36th Street and Grand Avenue studio to a new space at 4244 Nicollet Ave.
The Kingfield residents' new studio is under construction and scheduled to be complete by mid-December. It replaced the former Never Enough Thyme catering building.
"We just kind of outgrew our space and wanted to stay in the neighborhood,"
Barber said.
Barber and Rau's business is called Rau+Barber and specializes in commercial photography. Their clients include Target and Best Buy.
December 3, 2007
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Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood
Civic Beat
By Kari VanDerVeen
Using grants to go green
Armed with $1,000 and a plan, a handful of community groups will work to make the city a little greener.
As part of the city’s “Mobilizing Citizens for Grassroots Climate Change” program, 20 community organizations each received $1,000 grants for their plans to encourage residents to reduce energy use. Recipients of the grants were announced during the July 9 meeting of the City Council’s Health, Energy and Environment Committee. They include neighborhood organizations, churches, recreation centers and nonprofit organizations. A few projects on the diverse list include:
• The Kingfield neighborhood will use handheld electricity calculators to measure the electrical usage of residential appliances in one month. The data collected will be used to promote energy savings for all residents in the neighborhood
newsletter.
July 30, 2007
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Republican National Convention, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Neighborhood notebook
By Jake Weyer, Mary O'Regan, Dylan Thomas
Editor’s Note:The Southwest Notes section provides a snapshot of neighborhood issues and activities. Reporters and contributing writers include summaries of important actions at neighborhood organization meetings, but this section is not limited to neighborhood group activities — other community events and noteworthy issues are also included. If you have neighborhood news to share, please e-mail us at swjournal@mnpubs.com.
ARMATAGE
GAS STATION REMODELING: The Armatage Neighborhood Association (ANA) has agreed to write a letter stating they do not oppose the remodeling of the BP gas station on 60th Street and Penn Avenue. The station is attempting to turn from a gasoline and repair shop into a full-fledged convenience store. They’re adding more fuel pumps, eliminating the repair shop and revamping the carwash. The store will sell hot dogs, nachos, sandwiches, lottery tickets and other items typical of a convenience store.
July 2, 2007
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Stevens Square neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Fulton neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Armatage neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood
Robberies spike in the 5th Precinct's 2nd sector
By Jake Weyer
Eleven robberies were reported in the 2nd sector of the Minneapolis Police Department's 5th Precinct between Oct. 15 and Oct. 27, most of them in the Lyndale neighborhood.
The 2nd sector includes East Calhoun, CARAG, Lyndale, East Harriet, West Calhoun and Linden Hills. One of the recent reported robberies was on Hennepin Avenue between East Calhoun and CARAG, another was in Kingfield, two were in CARAG and seven were in Lyndale.
Suspect descriptions vary. Some of the reported robberies involved one suspect, others involved as many as four. Some suspects were reportedly armed.
November 6, 2006
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Lyndale neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, East Calhoun neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, West Calhoun neighborhood
Business Buzz
By Reporters
24th & Hennepin
Uptown's National Karate School, 2409 Hennepin Ave. S., closed the end of January, rerouting students to their other Twin Cities locations, primarily the Tangletown location at 4608 Nicollet Ave. S.
School Director Jeff Sidner said the Hennepin Avenue location had been doing poorly for a while. He said students had a tough time finding the studio and a place to park. "We haven't given up on that area, we're just doing without it for now," Sidner said.
The school teaches all different levels of karate and self-defense techniques. For more information, visit www.nationalkarate.com/so-mpls/.
n
March 18, 2004
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Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood
Heather Layton’s van was hit while parked in front of her home on Aldrich Avenue.
By Jake Weyer
Community calls on city, county to curb traffic near Lyndale construction
Heather Layton was eating dinner with her family on a Wednesday in early July when a loud noise startled her out of her seat.
“We heard this bang, smash, boom,” she said. “We all ran out, you know, and thank God there were no kids involved.”
A passing car managed to hit her family’s two vehicles parked in the street, totaling one of them and wrecking two attached bicycles. But Layton said she wasn’t completely shocked by the accident.
August 11, 2008
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Kingfield neighborhood
Crime reports
By Christopher Greising
Editor’s note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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
July 27, 4:30 a.m., address
not available
An unknown suspect burglarized the home of a 34-year-old woman and a 33-year-old man. The victims had very little, unspecified, information on the suspect.
August 11, 2008
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Whittier neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Fulton neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, East Calhoun neighborhood, Armatage neighborhood, Windom neighborhood
What is the I-35W Access Project?
By Scott Russell
A $153 million plan to revamp I-35W access in south Minneapolis is now heading to city, county and state policymakers for review and approval.
Work could begin by late 2004, planners say.
Those who support the project argue it would provide needed access and revitalization for Lake Street, provide safer spacing between freeway ramps and provide other amenities like a new pedestrian bridge at 34th Street. Starting over would risk getting a worse deal, they say.
Critics say the project spends a lot of money for unknown benefits, fails to set serious transit goals and only paves the way for future freeway expansion. They fault a process they say was set up to get a predetermined result.
November 18, 2002
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Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood
Low rent
By Beth Wohlberg and Robyn Repya
Renters are underrepresented on neighborhood boards -- is too little neighborhood time and money spent on 44 percent of the city's population?
Brian Elliott rented a condominium in West Calhoun for almost five years. When he first moved to the neighborhood, he attended a few neighborhood group meetings but then quit going.
"I never expected to be in the neighborhood for very long," he said. "Not because I didn't want to live there, but because I wanted to buy a house."
Elliott just moved into his Kingfield home, and even before he was an official resident, he attended the neighborhood's annual meeting.
November 4, 2002
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Lowry Hill Neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Fulton neighborhood, West Calhoun neighborhood
Crime reports
By Christopher Greising
Editor’s note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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.
CARAG
Between Aug. 17, 11 p.m., and Aug. 18, 8:15 p.m., 3500 block of Fremont Ave.
An unknown suspect(s) allegedly burglarized the residence of a 55-year-old woman. The victim had been home at the time of the burglary. The suspect(s) entered the residence through a ground level window by cutting a screen and removing a fan that had been in the window. Once inside, the suspect(s) removed the victim’s backpack that contained various items before fleeing the scene.
September 10, 2007
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Tangletown neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill Neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, East Calhoun neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Crime reports
By Christopher Greising
Editor’s note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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
Between July 10, 7 p.m., and July 11, 8 a.m., 6000 block of Russell Ave.
A 58-year-old man parked his vehicle in front of his home overnight. When he returned in the morning he found the vehicle missing. He told police that the vehicle had been unlocked and the keys left under a floor mat.
July 28, 2008
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Windom neighborhood, Armatage neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, East Calhoun neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, Kenny neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood, West Calhoun neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Crime reports
By Christopher Greising
Editor’s note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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.
CARAG
Between May 23, 11:30 a.m., and May 24, 11:30 a.m., 3500 block of Colfax Ave.
An unknown suspect burglarized the home of a 44-year-old man. It appeared the suspect broke out the rear window and then unlocked the back door to gain access to the house. Items were missing from the basement and an upstairs bedroom closet. A bottle of wine that had been moved was dusted for fingerprints and two prints were found.
June 16, 2008
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West Calhoun neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill Neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Kenwood neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, East Calhoun neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Crime reports
By Christopher Greising
Editor’s note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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.
May 19, 2008
Full Article
Read more stories about:
Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Crime reports
By Christopher Greising
Editor's note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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
+ Nov. 30, 2:27 p.m., W. 60th St. and Xerxes Ave.
Two unknown suspects assaulted a 20-year-old man and a second person. The two suspects assaulted the victims with an aluminum bat while two other suspects sat in a vehicle watching. All suspects fled the scene in the vehicle. Both victims received medical attention at the scene and were released.
December 31, 2007
Full Article
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Stevens Square neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, Armatage neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Crime reports
By Christopher Greising
Editor’s note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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.
CARAG
+ Oct. 3, 9:15 p.m., W. 31st St. and Bryant Ave.
Four male suspects robbed three victims, a 23-year-old woman and two others, at gunpoint. The three victims were standing at a bus stop when the suspects approached them and held a black, short-barreled revolver to the 23-year-old victim’s head and demanded their money. The victims complied, and the suspects fled the scene on foot.
November 5, 2007
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Tangletown neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood, Lynnhurst neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill Neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Kenwood neighborhood, Fulton neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Police and city team up for graffiti sweep
By Jake Weyer
Police walked the Wedge neighborhood to raise awareness about city's efforts to crack down on taggers
WEDGE - Minneapolis police officers combed six blocks in the heart of the neighborhood March 20, spreading the word to residents about the city's graffiti-abatement efforts and offering free cleanup for the day.
Employees from the city's Solid Waste and Recycling Services scoured the area's fences, trash cans, light posts and buildings for graffiti, scrubbing anything they found and blasting it away with jets of hot water.
“I hope we can get the residents doing this,” said Solid Waste employee Darryl Maxwell, who had just finished spraying off graffiti “tags” on an alley fence in Lowry Hill East.
April 9, 2007
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Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood
Crime report
By Christopher Greising
Editor’s note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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.
CARAG
Between May 14, noon, and May 19, 6:11 a.m., 3000 block of Colfax Ave.
A 31-year-old man had his vehicle stolen from the front of his residence by an unknown suspect. The victim said that the vehicle had been locked and he still has the keys.
+ May 17, 1:40 a.m., W. 31st St. and Hennepin Ave.
An unknown suspect robbed two 28-year-old women at gunpoint.
June 2, 2008
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Stevens Square neighborhood, Lynnhurst neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill Neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Kenwood neighborhood, Fulton neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Photo by Robb Long
Kate Walker sits with her daughter Elenore outside their Kingfield home. The district eventually found room in a Whittier International Elementary School kindergarten class for Elenore.
By Dylan Thomas
Southwest space crunch leads to tough choices
LYNNHURST — When requests for seats in Minneapolis Public Schools’ kindergarten classes jumped 16 percent in this spring, the district heralded the good news.
For a district that has struggled with declining enrollment, it was. But for two groups of families in Southwest, it wasn’t.
With Burroughs and Lake Harriet community schools already bursting at the seams, the spike in kindergarten requests — combined with several other trends — forced some difficult decisions.
May 19, 2008
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Lynnhurst neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Crime reports
By Christopher Greising
Editor’s note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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.
CARAG
+ March 24, 9 p.m., W. 33rd St. and Harriet Ave.
Three suspects robbed and assaulted a 37-year-old man as he was walking home. The three suspects approached the victim and one of the suspects hit the victim in the head with an object. The suspects then fled the scene with several of the victim’s items. The victim needed to be treated and transported by ambulance to the hospital for a large contusion above his left eye sustained during the assault.
April 7, 2008
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Stevens Square neighborhood, Lynnhurst neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Crime reports
By Christopher Griesling
Editor’s note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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.
CARAG
Feb. 26, 5:49 p.m., W. Lake St. and Girard Ave.
Police officers stopped a vehicle for having illegally tinted windows. The officers found that the passengers, two 26-year-old men, had warrants out for their arrest. The passenger allegedly had an unidentified narcotic in his possession. Hennepin County Jail refused to book the suspect due to an unknown medical reason and he needed to be transported to Hennepin County Medical Center.
March 24, 2008
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Whittier neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood, Lynnhurst neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill Neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Kenny neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Windom neighborhood
Crime reports
By Christopher Greising
Editor’s note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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.
East Calhoun
Sept 16, 3:28 a.m., 3300 block of Irving Ave.
A 59-year-old man had his vehicle stolen from in front of his residence. The vehicle had been left unlocked at the time of the theft. A neighbor believes he witnessed the crime but was unable to describe the suspect.
October 8, 2007
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West Calhoun neighborhood, Lynnhurst neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill Neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood, East Calhoun neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Southwest block clubs win Building Blocks awards
By Sarah McKenzie
The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) has awarded three block clubs in the Southwest area with a 2006 Building Blocks award, which recognizes the city's most effective block clubs.
The Whittier neighborhood's Stevens and 1st Avenue Block Club, Kingfield's Van Nest Avenue Block Club and Lynnhurst's 5000 Block of Aldrich Avenue South Block Club will be recognized at a special awards ceremony March 20.
The Stevens 1st Avenue Block Club, led by residents Kevin Gavin and Barbara Betz, has been around for about 30 years. MPD credits the group's collaboration with police and a crime prevention specialist with putting a dent in crime in the area.
March 12, 2007
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Lynnhurst neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Key sound-insulation vote scheduled for July 19
By Michael Metzger
A definitive vote on a proposed noise-insulation program around Minneapolis-St. Paul International airport could occur Monday, July 19.
That's when the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) could decide to implement its Noise Oversight Committee's proposal to offer the full sound-mitigation package to residents living between the 62 and 65 DNL (day-night noise level) on the MAC's noise-contour map. That would include a handful of Tangletown homeowners near I-35W north of Diamond Lake Road.
The full package includes new windows, doors, air-conditioning and insulation. MAC estimates the average cost of the full noise-mitigation package is $45,000 per house.
June 24, 2004
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Lynnhurst neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood
Government
By Scott Russell & Michael Metzger
Various government-related stories
Bottom of the Ballot group explores caucuses
As Minnesota's March 2 caucuses draw closer, some are busily preparing to watch TV, read books and talk on the phone that night instead. The folks at Getting to the Bottom of the Ballot hope to change all that by hosting a nonpartisan discussion of how to get involved in party politics on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at Southwest High School, 3414 W. 47th St., at 7 p.m.
The Republican Party will be represented by John Halvorson, the DFL by David Weinlick, the Green Party by William G. Kingsbury and the Independence Party by Jim Moore.
February 5, 2004
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Lynnhurst neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood
Zig-Zag-Zig-Zag-Hoi-Hoi-Hoi!
By Bob Gilbert
After 18 years, Fuller soccer is still having a ball
In the Fuller Park Soccer Club, the goal is not so much about winning as it is about community. The club, whose season lasts for six weeks in the spring and six in autumn, is not the product of the Minneapolis Park Board but rather the parents of the Kingfield, Tangletown, Lynnhurst and East Harriet neighborhoods. The club plays its games at the former site of Margaret Fuller Elementary School at 48th Street between Harriet and Grand avenues, and at the commons at Washburn High School, 201 W. 49th St.
August 21, 2003
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Lynnhurst neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood
Crime reports
By Michelle Bruch
Editor’s note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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.
Stevens Square
+Aug. 10, 11:58 p.m.,
1915 Clinton Ave. S.
A 28-year-old man was put in a choke hold, punched and then robbed. The victim declined medical attention.
August 25, 2008
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Whittier neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Windom neighborhood
Neighborhood notebook
By Cristof Traudes, Jake Weyer & Dylan Thomas
ARMATAGE
NEW SIGNS: The Armatage Neighborhood Association at their May 20 meeting voted to pay about $1,100 to order 30 new signs to be placed around the neighborhood.
The signs will feature the neighborhood’s new logo and are meant to identify the area. Several board members said they would like to list the neighborhood’s website.
June 2, 2008
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Tangletown neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Fulton neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Robb Long
Lee Blons, executive director of the Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation, speaks about a youth housing project planned for the old Werness Brothers Funeral Chapel site at 3700 Nicollet Ave.
By Jake Weyer
Lee Blons is no stranger to controversy.
As executive director of the Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation (PCNF) — an organization aimed at creating affordable housing in the Twin Cities and beyond — residents concerned about crime, property values, building size and other issues are constantly holding her feet to the fire.
December 31, 2007
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Stevens Square neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood
File photo
Calhoun Square was sold in May.
- JANUARY -
2007 agenda
City leaders discuss their agenda for the upcoming year with the Southwest Journal. Top priorities include overseeing implementation of the new citywide wireless network, moving forward on the city's sustainability initiatives and the plan to end homelessness, improving public safety and working on a comprehensive transportation plan, among other things.
December 31, 2007
Full Article
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Stevens Square neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood
Neighborhood notebook
By Dylan Thomas, Mary O'Regan and Jake Weyer
KENWOOD
HIDDEN BEACH MEETING: Kenwood residents are invited to a meeting to discuss changes to East Cedar Lake Beach on Monday, Nov. 19.
Formerly known as Hidden Beach, the swimming spot was renamed and made an official city beach this summer to deter crime and after-hours partying.The meeting agenda includes a presentation on 2007 crime statistics, a discussion of recent changes to the beach and future plans for the area. Commissioner Tracy Nordstrom of the Minneapolis Park Board and Recreation Board will be on hand to answer questions.The meeting is 7 p.m.–8:30 p.m. at Kenwood Recreation Center, 2101 W. Franklin Ave.
November 19, 2007
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Stevens Square neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Kenwood neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood
Crime reports
By Christopher Greising
Editor's note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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.
CARAG
Sept. 20, 5 a.m.–11:50 p.m.,
3200 block of Bryant Ave.
A 25-year-old man left his apartment in a hurry and forgot to lock the back door. When he returned home, he discovered an unknown suspect had entered his residence and stolen CDs and DVDs. Officers responding to the burglary were unable to locate any evidence left at the scene.
October 22, 2007
Full Article
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Whittier neighborhood, West Calhoun neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, Cedar-Isles-Dean neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Windom neighborhood
Crime reports
By Christopher Greising
Editor's note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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 15, 5 p.m., W. 55th St. and Washburn Ave.
An unidentified suspect allegedly robbed an 18-year-old woman. The victim had been walking down an alley when the suspect approached and demanded she hand over her purse. The victim complied. Officers searched the area for the suspect but could not find the person.
July 2, 2007
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West Calhoun neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill Neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Armatage neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Keeping an eye on the courts
By Jake Weyer
Police work with three Southwest neighborhoods to track criminals, seek tougher prosecutions and hold the courts accountable
When police arrested two individuals after discovering methamphetamine, a large amount of cocaine and multiple firearms last year at a Lyndale neighborhood house, nearby resident Scott Moore felt compelled to get involved.
He regularly walked past the house with his then 2-year-old son. Some of his son's friends lived across the street.
"Nothing happened to me personally," Moore said. "And I wasn't there on the day of the arrest, but it impacts my environment."
May 7, 2007
Full Article
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Stevens Square neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Calhoun Square Redevelopment, West Calhoun neighborhood
Crime reports
By Michelle Bruch
Editor’s note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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.
CARAG
Sept. 6; 8 p.m.–Sept. 7, 5:53 a.m.; 3400 block of Dupont Avenue South
A vehicle stolen overnight from the above location was taken to 2512 Humboldt Ave. S. and torched. The car was locked and the victim had the vehicle’s only set of keys.
Windom
+ Sept. 6, 9–10 p.m., Blaisdell Avenue & Diamond Lake Road
September 22, 2008
Full Article
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Whittier neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill Neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Armatage neighborhood, Windom neighborhood
Neighborhood notebook
By Sarah Phemister, Cristof Traudes, Jake Weyer & Dylan Thomas
FULTON
ELECTIONS: The Fulton Neighborhood Association held its elections on Sept. 10. Originally, five candidates vied for six positions, but to fill the gap, current board president Nick Mark threw his name into the running.
“I have been considering stepping down,” Mark said beforehand.
New to the board are Charles Donly and Earl Savage. Returning are Mark, Bill Kerker, Linda Romine and John Finlayson — a 15-year veteran of the board. Outgoing are Taunya Nelson and Tom Steele.
September 22, 2008
Full Article
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Fulton neighborhood, Kenwood neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Lowry Hill Neighborhood
Submitted image
An illustration of Nicollet Square.
By Brian Voerding
Plans for a Kingfield affordable-housing complex sailed through the city’s final approval process late last month, ending nearly a year of neighborhood tensions and community meetings.
Nicollet Square, at 3700 Nicollet Ave., will house homeless and at-risk young adults in 42 studio apartments and provide them with support and opportunities as they work toward independent living. The ground floor will have a pair of retail spaces, possibly including a coffee shop, where residents can work. Construction is slated to begin in early 2010.
The project is a partnership between the Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation, a nonprofit developer, and YouthLink, which provides housing and other services to homeless youth.
“We’re bringing life and light to a quarter of a block that currently sits vacant,” said Lee Blons, the foundation’s executive director, at a Sept. 22 public hearing. “ … We’re not going to be a part of the problem, but a part of the solution.”
When the Nicollet Square project was announced in November 2007 it immediately sparked tensions. Neighbors worried about crime going up and property values going down.
October 6, 2008
Full Article
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Kingfield neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood
City ups ante fighting problem properties
By Scott Russell
The City Council voted May 14 to increase the amount of money the city may spend to fix vacant, hazardous and nuisance buildings before demolition.
The city used to cap the rehabilitation investment at the cost of demolition (approximately $10,000), according to city reports. The Council increased the cap to 50 percent of the property's after-rehabilitation market value. The city recovers the rehabilitation cost by assessing the property owner.
The Council also voted to fully fund vacant and boarded building demolition if needed. It dropped a requirement that neighborhood groups contribute matching money from the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP).
May 27, 2004
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Stevens Square neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Neighborhood news
By Southwest Journal Staff Reporters
No nude dude in Kingfield, according to art facilitator
Kingfield resident Garth Galbraith started occupying the retail space at 3802 Grand Ave. S., between Bakery on Grand, 3804 Grand Ave. S. and Luckygirl Gourmet Grocery, 3800 Grand Ave. S. in January, filling it with works of art visible through the windows. He said for now he's not opening a business, but that hasn't stopped neighborhood speculation of activities there.
The weekend of Valentine's Day, shop lights were on at night and Galbraith hosted performance art, visible through the windows. Business owners and residents rumored nudity was involved, prompting someone to leave an unsigned note on the window, threatening legal recourse for nudity in the neighborhood.
March 4, 2004
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Stevens Square neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, West Calhoun neighborhood
Bike-riding robbers in SW
By Robyn Repya
Minneapolis Police Sgt. Barry Nelson said there's been a string of bike-riding criminals committing robberies in and around Stevens Square, Whittier, Lowry Hill, Lowry Hill East and Kingfield neighborhoods in Southwest over the past two months.
He said a few suspects were involved in each crime; some were juveniles and some had handguns. Nelson said about 65 to 70 percent of the robberies targeted women with purses.
Nelson said that on July 15, a bike rider shot a victim at the Nicollet Car Wash on the corner of 40th Street and Nicollet Avenue in Kingfield. Nelson said the victim survived and one arrest was made.
June 26, 2003
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Stevens Square neighborhood, Lowry Hill Neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Crime report
By Christopher Greising
Editor’s note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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.
East Isles
April 18, 12:01–8 a.m., 1000 block of W. Franklin Ave.
Unknown suspect(s) burglarized the apartment of a 25-year-old woman and a 20-year-old woman. No forced entry was found, but multiple items were missing from inside the residence. Some of the victims’ property was later recovered by another person and inventoried, along with pictures of the crime scene.
May 5, 2008
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West Calhoun neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill Neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Kenwood neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Neighborhood notebook
By Mary O'Regan, Dylan Thomas and Jake Weyer
ARMATAGE
ANNUAL MEETING: The Armatage Neighborhood Association (ANA) will hold its annual meeting on March 18 at 6:30 p.m., with speakers Congressman Keith Ellison and Council Member Betsy Hodges (13th Ward).
KINGFIELD
LIVING ART: Work from Kingfield’s third annual community art show is on display now at Anodyne Coffee House at 4301 Nicollet Ave. S.
The Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) partnered with the Lyndale Neighborhood Association (LNA) for the event, called Living Art.
March 10, 2008
Full Article
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Tangletown neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Armatage neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Crime reports
By Christopher Greising
Editor's note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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.
CARAG
+ Nov. 2, 10:35 p.m., W. 31st St. and Bryant Ave.
A 48-year-old man attempted to tackle a 22-year-old woman in an effort to steal her purse. A brief struggled ensued until two witnesses intervened and restrained the suspect until police arrived. The suspect was arrested and transported to Hennepin County Jail.
Between Nov. 2, 3 p.m., and Nov. 5, 3 p.m., 3100 block of Fremont Ave.
A 31-year-old man left his vehicle parked on the street in front of his apartment.
December 3, 2007
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Tangletown neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Airport noise mitigation benefits will vary in Southwest
By Mary O'Regan
After years of battling with the airport over excessive noise, many Southwest residents will finally receive mitigation products for their homes. The Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) has agreed to provide roughly $127 million worth of products, such as air conditioning and insulation, to around 9,000 homeowners in Minneapolis, Eagan and Richfield.
The settlement is the result of a 2005 lawsuit against the MAC on behalf of the cities, asking the organization to make good on its promise to install noise mitigation benefits in thousands of homes after the airport expanded in the mid-1990s.
The agreement is based on 2005 and 2007 maps that measure the area's Day-night Level (DNL), a federal metric used to determine airport noise.
November 19, 2007
Full Article
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Kingfield neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood, Windom neighborhood
Crime reports
By Christopher Greising
Editor’s note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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.
Kenwood
July 31, 4–6 p.m., 20 block of Park Lane
A 24-year-old woman was taking care of a vehicle belonging to a 52-year-old woman while the latter was out of town. The car-sitter held a house party while car-sitting and during that time an unknown party guest is suspected to have stolen the car. The 24-year-old woman believed that someone was playing a trick on her and waited several days before reporting the theft.
August 27, 2007
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Tangletown neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill Neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Kenwood neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Police Reports
By Southwest Journal Staff Repoters
CARAG
Feb. 12, 8 p.m., 3000 block of Lyndale Ave. S. A victim left his black 1995 Chevy Blazer running in a parking lot while he ran into a business. He returned to find the car stolen.
Feb. 23. 12:20 a.m., Figlios, 3000 block of Hennepin Ave. S. Officers cited and released a suspect for theft after he left the restaurant, failing to pay his tab for seven shots of Absolut vodka and a pack of cigarettes. When questioned, the suspect said he had no intention or means of paying. A Calhoun Square security guard stopped the suspect and performed a citizen's arrest, holding him until officers responded to the scene. The individual was also issued "No Trespassing" papers for Calhoun Square.
March 4, 2004
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Tangletown neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Neighborhoods get new, old SAFE officers
By Robyn Repya
After a three-month maternity leave, Community Crime Prevention Specialist Jennifer Neale is back to work with a new partner, SAFE Officer Karl Olson. Neale and Olson are the CCP/Safe team for the Kingfield, East Harriet and Tangletown neighborhoods.
Olson, a newcomer to the SAFE unit, is a five-year veteran of the 5th precinct police force, where he worked on the community response and directed patrol detail. He said he's looking forward to the change.
Neale said initially that the main concentration for their team is going to be to focus on goals outlined by the neighborhoods, such as decreasing graffiti, increasing home and business security and working to get block clubs
October 7, 2002
Full Article
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East Harriet neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood
Crime reports
By Andrew Newman
Editor’s note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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.
Kingfield
Sept. 16, 6 a.m.–7 p.m.,
3700 block of Blaisdell Avenue South
A suspect entered a 23-year-old male’s duplex by cutting the screen on a front window. The suspect stole one item and left through the front door, leaving a sweatshirt behind.
+ Sept. 18, 9–9:02 p.m., Wentworth Avenue South
A 17-year-old teenager was robbed at gunpoint while walking a dog. The suspect stole the victim’s cell phone and fled in an unknown direction.
October 6, 2008
Full Article
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Lynnhurst neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Photo by Robb Long
A graffiti tag on the side of American Apparel in Uptown.
By Jake Weyer
Uptown Association and Lyndale Neighborhood Association each receive $10,000 grant
Curb appeal has nothing to do with the color scheme of TNT’s Barbershop at 38th Street and Nicollet Avenue South.
Owner and operator Tarik Propes is blunt about his distaste for the colors, but said they’re good for one thing — covering up graffiti tags.
“If you look at my building, it’s got these real ugly chocolate brown colors for that reason in particular, so that I can just run right over it each time they do it,” he said. “But they do it pretty regularly.”
June 2, 2008
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Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Photo by Robb Long
Bob Miller, who oversees the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP), stands by the Father of Waters sculpture at City Hall.
By Jake Weyer & Dylan Thomas
They make their neighborhoods work today; where will they be tomorrow?
Home improvement projects, block patrols, community gatherings — they’re all things many Minneapolitans have come to expect from neighborhood groups.
Behind every neighborhood activity are myriad unseen tasks, many of them completed by volunteers. But when it comes down to the real nitty-gritty of running a neighborhood organization, in many cases it’s paid employees who make it happen.
They put in what are often long hours to do bookkeeping, arrange audits, organize meetings and motivate volunteers.
April 21, 2008
Full Article
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Stevens Square neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Crime reports
By Christopher Greising
Editor’s note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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.
Kingfield
+ March 26, 10:05 p.m., 3900 block of 1st Ave.
Five or six male suspects robbed a man. The suspects stole various items from the victim before fleeing the scene on foot. A 20-year-old man was arrested in connection to the robbery and booked at Hennepin County Jail.
April 21, 2008
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Tangletown neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Crime reports
By Andrew Newman
Editor’s note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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
+ Oct. 3, 7:32–7:40 p.m.,
6000 block of Penn Ave. S.
A gas station attendant said the suspect entered the store and asked if they had a certain auto part for his car. The attendant went to check and heard the cash register open. He returned and saw the suspect taking money. The suspect said he had a gun and ran out of the store with an unknown amount of money. The attendant was not harmed.
October 20, 2008
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Stevens Square neighborhood, Lynnhurst neighborhood, Lowry Hill Neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, East Calhoun neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Armatage neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Neighborhood notebook
By Steve Pease, Sarah Phemister, Brian Voerding and Dylan Thomas
BRYN MAWR
SCHOOLS REFERENDUM WINS SUPPORT: A motion supporting the 8-year, $60 million Minneapolis Public Schools property tax levy referendum was approved by the Bryn Mawr Neighborhood Association [BMNA] Oct. 13.
The vote by the Executive Board added BMNA to a growing list of neighborhoods that have voted in support of the Strong Schools Strong City campaign.
HARVEST DINNER: BMNA is sponsoring an appetizer competition at the neighborhood’s annual Harvest Dinner Oct. 30.
Neighbors can bring an appetizer to enter in the competition or a salad or dessert to share. Beverages will be provided.
The Harvest Dinner is 6 p.m.–7:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of Bryn Mawr Community School, 252 Upton Ave. S.
October 20, 2008
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Stevens Square neighborhood, Lowry Hill Neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Fulton neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood, East Calhoun neighborhood, Bryn Mawr neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Crime Reports
By Emily Stickler
Editor’s note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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.
Lyndale
Oct. 16, 2 a.m.
3400 block of Nicollet Ave. S.
An unknown suspect entered the victim’s vehicle by breaking out the right rear window, peeled back the steering column and removed the car radio.
November 3, 2008
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Whittier neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood, East Calhoun neighborhood, Windom neighborhood
Hakeem running for state House
UPDATED January 4, 2008, 9:04am
By Brady Gervais
Green Party candidate Farheen Hakeem has announced her bid for the state Legislature.
Hakeem is seeking Rep. Neva Walker’s seat, which covers part of the Whittier, Lyndale and Kingfield neighborhoods.
Walker, who was elected in 2000, has not said specifically why she is not seeking re-election.
Hakeem, a former math teacher and a current youth coordinator, previously sought public office. She ran in 2005 for mayor of Minneapolis and garnered 14 percent of the primary vote before running in 2006 for Hennepin County Commissioner in the fourth district.
December 31, 2007
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Lyndale neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Crime reports
By Christopher Greising
Editor’s note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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.
East Calhoun
Nov. 25, 4:15–9 a.m., 3300 block of Hennepin Ave.
An unknown suspect stole the vehicle of a 30-year-old man. The vehicle had been parked in the driveway of the victim’s home and, in the morning, the car was missing. The victim has not been able to locate the keys to the vehicle and believes they may have been inside the vehicle at the time of the time of the theft.
December 17, 2007
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Whittier neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood, Lynnhurst neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, East Calhoun neighborhood, Windom neighborhood
Crime reports
By Emily Stickler
Editor's note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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
Oct. 28, 2:25 a.m.,
5600 block of Xerxes Avenue South
Two suspects broke into the Holiday station and stole two trays of lottery tickets. The suspects fled before police arrived. There is no description of the suspects.
November 17, 2008
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Whittier neighborhood, West Calhoun neighborhood, Lynnhurst neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, East Calhoun neighborhood, Armatage neighborhood
Neighborhood notebook
By Dylan Thomas, Sarah Phemister & Brian Voerding
BRYN MAWR
NRP ELECTORS: The Bryn Mawr Neighborhood Association (BMNA) selected an elector and elector alternate to the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) Policy Board at the Nov. 12 Board of Directors meeting.
BMNA Co-Treasurer Ron Sterbenz was elector, and the other co-treasurer, Chad Smude, was his alternate. Neighborhood electors selected the NRP Policy Board Nov. 20.
EAST ISLES
LAKE OF THE ISLES: The East Isles Residents Association (EIRA) approved a resolution to join an ad hoc committee with other neighborhoods that would advise on completion of the Lake of the Isles renovation.
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board began the project in 2000, but neighbors have been disappointed with some aspects of the renovation.
A similar resolution was passed by the Kenwood Isles Area Association in November, and will be brought to other lake-area neighborhoods.
December 1, 2008
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Bryn Mawr neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Lowry Hill Neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood
Crime report
By Andrew Newman
Editor's note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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.
December 15, 2008
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Armatage neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood, West Calhoun neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Photo by Robb Long
Steve Jevning, founder of Leonardo's Basement at 4301 Nicollet Ave. S., poses under a giant shark made of wood, fabric tape and other materials. The shark and other large-scale projects decorate the outside of the organization's building.
By Emily Stickler
KINGFIELD — Steve Jevning, the founder of Leonardo's Basement, just celebrated the organization's 10-year anniversary in November.
Over the past decade, Jevning has strived to evolve the local nonprofit organization into a center to explore creativity.
Leonardo's Basement, 4301 Nicollet Ave. S, is an educational organization aimed at creating imaginative learning environments in which to explore art, science and technology.
"The single biggest philosophical emphasis for having this program is that I don't see any reason why we should say 'no' to kids that want to do something, and that has stayed constant the past 10 years," Jevning said.
December 15, 2008
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Kingfield neighborhood
Crime reports
By Andrew Newman
Editor's note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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.
December 29, 2008
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West Calhoun neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Fulton neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Armatage neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Kids map the city
By Anna Pratt
Southwest teens picture their neighborhood's kid-friendly resources - and want more
When kids closed their eyes and envisioned an ideal Minneapolis in say, 10 years, they saw more kids playing together, neighbors barbecuing and people talking outside.
The hopeful picture showed less violence, kid-adult interaction that was more positive and added teen-appropriate programs - right in their own neighborhoods.
Their feedback was part of a six-month-long initiative called the Youth Mapping Project, sponsored by Yo! The Movement with funds from the Youth Coordinating Board (YCB) and the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP).
August 8, 2005
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Kingfield neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Freeway free-for-all on I-35W
By Robyn Repya
The $156 million I-35W Access Project will boost Southwest businesses and restore residential streets -- or ruin businesses and wreak havoc on residential streets. A debate.
The I-35W Access Project -- a plan to reconfigure highway ramps between 26th and 38th streets -- would dramatically affect many Southwest streets near the state's highest-capacity roadway.
A Project Advisory Committee (PAC) of residents, businesspeople and neighborhood representatives agreed on a preferred design -- though not everyone is happy. Some representatives see the plan as wildly expensive, encouraging driving far more than transit, with business benefits that are oversold and neighborhood problems minimized.
November 25, 2004
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Lyndale neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
City studying inadequate I-35W storm water tunnels
By Robyn Repya
Deep in the ground below I-35W are storm water tunnels 100 feet long and 12 feet in diameter. They carry runoff from West 39th Street through downtown to the Mississippi River, a process that takes about one hour.
I-35W drivers and Southwest residents can see that the tunnels are overcapacity, thanks to the geysers that erupt on the highway during fast, heavy rains, with associated flooding in Southwest neighborhoods such as Kingfield, Lyndale, Whittier and Stevens Square.
The situation is unsafe -- and upcoming construction projects on Lake Street, I-35W and the Crosstown Commons are expected to make the situation worse. So, in July, the city and state formed a task force with neighborhood representatives to study possible solutions.
July 22, 2004
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Lyndale neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Neighborhoods get reduced NRP allotments
By Scott Russell
The Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) Policy Board has approved the final neighborhood Phase II allocations -- including a new $537,000 American Indian set-aside program.
The overall pot of money the Board earmarked for neighborhoods is estimated at $47.7 million, according to a memo posted on the NRP Web site.
Southwest neighborhoods will receive the following through 2009:
Armatage, $375,682
Bryn Mawr, $270,080
CARAG, $636,557
Cedar-Isles-Dean, $261,420
East Harriet $218,316
East Isles, $387,253
East Calhoun, $334,613
Fulton, $387,229
Kenny, $266,533
Kenwood, $85,600
Kingfield, $770,934
Linden Hills, $530,161
Lowry Hill, $448,754
Lowry Hill East (Wedge), $747,852
Lyndale, $643
April 15, 2004
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West Calhoun neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood, Lynnhurst neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill Neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Kenwood neighborhood, Kenny neighborhood, Fulton neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood, East Calhoun neighborhood, Cedar-Isles-Dean neighborhood, Calhoun Square Redevelopment, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Bryn Mawr neighborhood, Armatage neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Living by a registered sex offender in Southwest
By Michael Metzger
Three area neighborhoods know -- or don't know -- what it's like
The 3100 block of Pleasant Avenue is one of Southwest's worn edges. The two-story wooden houses need a coat of paint and some time sprucing up the lawns. Some stretches of sidewalk need to have a snow shovel scraped along them, too.
The small, paved driveway behind one house -- a tidy, typically bleak place -- is getting a methodical cleaning on a weekday afternoon. Bill is shoveling the snow slowly, and carefully. He's been out of prison for about six months, on Intense Supervised Release for sex crimes he committed.
A few houses down the block, little kids are playing inside. They're warm and safe with their mothers. The women know that Bill is only a stone's throw away, though they're unaware th
January 8, 2004
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Kingfield neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Southwest sex offenders: What to do and who's who
By Michael Metzger
Shari Burt, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Corrections, understands that not everyone is comfortable with the idea of sharing a city block with a sex offender. Then again, she says people who discover that they live near a Level III offender probably don't need to take extraordinary precautions. She says everyone should be vigilant, regardless of where they live and where Level III offenders do and don't live.
January 8, 2004
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Lyndale neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Police reports
By Robyn Repya
Nicollet Ave. theft alert
Minneapolis police have issued a crime alert for the Kingfield, Tangletown and Windom neighborhoods in mid-May about a string of thefts occurring on Nicollet Avenue South.
The incidents involve a black female asking residents in homes and apartments if she can use their phone, then stealing purses, checkbooks and wallets once inside. The suspect is a black female, between the ages of 20 and 30 years old, between 5'3" to 5'7" tall.
The alert cautions residents to not let solicitors or strangers into their home, evaluate their purses and wallets once a month, report all suspicious behavior and pass this information along to neighbors, while keeping an eye out for them, too.
May 29, 2003
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Tangletown neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill Neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Kenwood neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
City seeking ways to deal with vacant properties
By Michelle Bruch
Neighbors have watched for more than two years while a house at 2738 Bryant Ave. S. was purchased to flip, languished on the market, erupted into flames and was eventually boarded.
The home stands on an otherwise well-kept street with a stroller on one porch and flower baskets on another. One neighbor said he wondered if vagrants broke into the building before it was boarded.
"Seems kind of odd, they fixed it all up and they couldn't sell it, and all of a sudden it burned," said the neighbor, who declined to give a name.
The number of vacant and boarded buildings in the city climbed 77 percent this year over last year. City officials say the trend has mirrored a rising number of foreclosures, and they are looking to spend a multimillion-dollar federal grant on the issue to curb problems that vacant homes create.
December 1, 2008
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Whittier neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill Neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Kenwood neighborhood, East Calhoun neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, Windom neighborhood
Summer closes with rash of robberies, burglaries
By Jake Weyer
Two separate spates of burglaries and a rash of aggravated robberies ended what 5th Precinct Insp. Kris Arneson called an overall “successful summer.”
Total crime at the start of September was down roughly 11 percent compared to last year at the same time, according to statistics from the Minneapolis Police Department. Violent crime, which includes homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, was down about 10 percent.
Burglaries and robberies were both down significantly for the year, while arrests for those crimes were up, Arneson said. Colder weather could further reduce some crimes, most notably burglaries, because the opportunities of open windows and doors are reduced, she said.
September 22, 2008
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Bryn Mawr neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood, Windom neighborhood
Photo by Robb Long
Ongoing construction of a Kingfield green home.
By Brian Voerding
Making green building affordable in Kingfield
The first green-built affordable home in Kingfield is now under construction.
The house, at 4307 Wentworth Ave., had been on the Kingfield Neighborhood Association's radar for several years. Hennepin County seized it a few years ago following foreclosure.
Then the county, with grants in hand to pursue a green-building project, partnered with the City of Lakes Community Land Trust, a South Minneapolis organization that builds affordable housing and has completed several projects in Southwest.
January 12, 2009
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Kingfield neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood
Robberies surge at year's end
By Jake Weyer
Robberies in Southwest increased in late December, but were still down from last year
Police in the 5th Precinct spent the last month of 2008 fighting a wave of robberies scattered throughout more than a half-dozen Southwest
neighborhoods.
Robberies in Southwest were down all year compared to 2007 and 2006, but the weekly norm jumped from fewer than four in November and early December to seven or more by the year's end. Insp. Kris Arneson, commander of the 5th Precinct, said the holidays and the tough economy were likely factors in the increase.
January 12, 2009
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West Calhoun neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood, East Calhoun neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood
file photo
Butter Bakery Cafe, 3544 Grand Ave. S., is one of seven restaurants participating in today's Eating for Art fundraiser.
UPDATED October 2, 2008, 12:00pm
By Andrew Newman
People eating-out in Kingfield and Lyndale today will get the chance to support local businesses and the local arts scene.
Seven area restaurants will participate in the second annual Eating for Art event, donating a portion of their sales to help fund public art projects and neighborhood group initiatives. The Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) and Lyndale Neighborhood Association (LNA) organized the event and will decide how to use the contributions.
Some of the proceeds will help pay for the “Walldogs on Nicollet” mural project done during the summer. Professional sign painters and volunteers who participated in the Walldogs effort painted ten murals in four days on eight different sites along Nicollet Avenue.
September 22, 2008
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Kingfield neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood
Photo by Jake Weyer
Volunteers work alongside professional sign painters to create a Schell’s Beer mural on a wall of the Ungerman Construction building at 4450 Nicollet Ave.
By Jake Weyer & Kelsey Kudak
Click here for an audio slideshow on this story
It took four days, dozens of professional artists, hundreds of volunteers and countless brush strokes, but it’s done.
Nicollet Avenue from 31st Street to 45th Street is reborn. Ten walls once blank or graffiti-laden are now bright with colorful depictions of Minneapolis’ past after one of the largest public art creations in the city’s history.
The Walldogs on Nicollet project, put on from July 24–27 by the Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) and Lyndale Neighborhood Association (LNA), was a mural project organized to prevent graffiti, beautify the area, bring the community together and re-brand south Nicollet “Art Street,” just as Nicollet to the north is known as Eat Street for its restaurants.
August 11, 2008
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Kingfield neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood
Southwest stars
By Terre Thomas
December 17, 2007
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Kingfield neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood
Group works to improve ‘out-of-school time' youth programs
By Kari VanDerVeen
What do young people in Minneapolis do when they're not in school? Do they have access to places during non-school hours that are safe, fun and enriching? And what is the role of the city, schools, libraries and park system in making sure they do?
The Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board (YCB) is attempting to answer those questions by bringing together feedback from young people, youth service providers and city officials as part of its “Out-of-School Time” initiative.
The goal, according to YCB Executive Director Judith Kahn, is to increase the number and, just as important, the quality of opportunities children and youth have when they're not in school.
February 12, 2007
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Kingfield neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Group works to improve ‘out-of-school time' youth programs
By Kari VanDerVeen
What do young people in Minneapolis do when they're not in school? Do they have access to places during non-school hours that are safe, fun and enriching? And what is the role of the city, schools, libraries and park system in making sure they do?
The Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board (YCB) is attempting to answer those questions by bringing together feedback from young people, youth service providers and city officials as part of its “Out-of-School Time” initiative.
The goal, according to YCB Executive Director Judith Kahn, is to increase the number and, just as important, the quality of opportunities children and youth have when they're not in school.
“As we look around the country to see how other cities do business for kids, it's clear that
January 29, 2007
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Kingfield neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Group works to improve ‘out-of-school time' youth programs
By Kari VanDerVeen
What do young people in Minneapolis do when they're not in school? Do they have access to places during non-school hours that are safe, fun and enriching? And what is the role of the city, schools, libraries and park system in making sure they do?
The Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board (YCB) is attempting to answer those questions by bringing together feedback from young people, youth service providers and city officials as part of its “Out-of-School Time” initiative.
The goal, according to YCB Executive Director Judith Kahn, is to increase the number and, just as important, the quality of opportunities children and youth have when they're not in school.
“As we look around the country to see how other cities do business for kids, it's clear that
January 29, 2007
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Kingfield neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
Part-time literacy
By Michael Metzger
In 2004, community libraries such as Linden Hills (pictured) will be closed more than open; despite state cuts, some say poor city planning means the problem will get worse
When things go wrong, a lawyer's first instinct can sometimes be to sue someone. Attorney Kit Hadley -- better known these days as director of the Minneapolis Public Library -- knows that no lawsuit can fix the library system's $2.8 million budget shortfall.
"In law school, they told me that the law abhors doing the useless thing," Hadley said.
June 26, 2003
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Kingfield neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood
5th Precinct gets new civilian crime-stopper
By Robyn Repya
Southwest's 5th Police Precinct welcomes civilian Crime-Prevention Specialist Tom Thompson, formerly of Southeast's 3rd Precinct.
Thompson will cover Sector 2 , which includes the West Calhoun, East Calhoun, CARAG, Lyndale, Linden Hills, East Harriet and Kingfield neighborhoods. He replaces Karen Abrahamson.
As part of the SAFE unit, crime-prevention specialists (CPS) report to sector lieutenants, respond to community concerns, and promote safety and crime prevention. CPSs previously worked as a team with a police officer, until major SAFE unit cuts in 2002-03.
Thompson said he was a police officer for 17 years and a CPS for three years, before being laid off due in the latest SAFE unit cuts. He said he's very excited to be recalled and reported for his first day of
May 2, 2005
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East Calhoun neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, West Calhoun neighborhood
State-city Crosstown deal could boost transit, Access Project
By Robyn Repya
State Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau accepted an appeals panel's recommendations March 17 for the Crosstown Reconstruction Project, which will promote bus rapid transit (BRT) on I-35W through the Crosstown junction. The state's acceptance could also boost the I-35W Access Project ramp plan in Whittier, Lyndale and Kingfield.
The city stopped the $240 million Crosstown plan in September by unanimously withholding municipal consent. Among other concerns, the Council said the plan didn't do enough to promote BRT, a network of light-rail-like bus stations allowing faster I-35W bus trips between downtown Minneapolis and southern suburbs.
An appeals board set up to resolve the dispute adopted many city and Hennepin County recommendations, including:
April 4, 2005
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Kingfield neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood
City's 311 info line has tips for homeowners falling behind on mortgage payments
By Michelle Bruch
With the number of foreclosures in Minneapolis running 79 percent higher than last year, the city's main hotline is stepping in with assistance for people who fear they may fall behind on mortgage payments.
Residents can now call 311 for a referral to agencies who will give them financial counseling, explain the foreclosure process and help them negotiate with their mortgage companies.
“The key for preventing a home from going into foreclosure is early intervention,” said Marc Dronen, an analyst for Minneapolis 311. “If people think they will miss a payment or are missing one payment, it is not too early to call.”
Since mid-November, 311 has received 68 phone calls from residents regarding foreclosure.
December 18, 2006
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Calhoun Area neighborhood, Kenny neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood
Crime reports
By Alex Van Lepp
Editor's note: Alleged crimes against persons (assault, rape, 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.
East Isles
+ Feb. 20, between 4:30 p.m. and 4:35 p.m., 2400 S. Hennepin Ave.
A suspect robbed Sudz Salon employees with a gun, and then robbed a 57-year-old woman from Golden Valley. The suspect fled away on foot.
March 9, 2009
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Windom neighborhood, Stevens Square neighborhood, Lynnhurst neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lowry Hill East (The Wedge) neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Fulton neighborhood, East Calhoun neighborhood, Calhoun Area neighborhood
Photo by Kathleen Stoehr
Property values in Kenwood are up 22 percent.
By Moira Kenny
On average, Twin Cities home values have dropped nearly 10 percent since last year, but some neighborhoods in Southwest have beat the odds.
Kenwood, Linden Hills, Fulton, Lynnhurst, East Calhoun and Whittier all showed an increase in property values the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2008, according to a recent report from Zillow.com, an online real estate service.
The areas have been less impacted by lender-mediated activity, such as short sales and foreclosures, as other areas in the city — particularly neighborhoods in North and South Minneapolis.
"The biggest differentiating factor between areas that have done well and areas that have faltered is due to less or more lender-mediated activity in those regions," Mark Allen, CEO of the Minnesota Association of Realtors, said.
Areas that have seen increases in home values tend to have older residents that haven't leveraged as much as homeowners in other parts of the metro, Allen said. Areas that have decreased in value struggle with lender-mediated activity in the down market. Transactions have fallen, and median prices are down.
March 9, 2009
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Armatage neighborhood, Bryn Mawr neighborhood, Cedar-Isles-Dean neighborhood, East Calhoun neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood, East Isles neighborhood, Fulton neighborhood, Kenny neighborhood, Kenwood neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Lyndale neighborhood, Lynnhurst neighborhood, Tangletown neighborhood, Whittier neighborhood, Windom neighborhood
Neighborhood notebook
By Sarah Phemister, Jake Weyer and Dylan Thomas
East Harriet helping to improve city's Block Club website
EAST HARRIET — The East Harriet Farmstead Neighborhood Association has agreed to spend $2,000 of its budget on renovations for the Minneapolis Block Club website, mplsblockclub.org.
The site is a way for block clubs throughout Minneapolis to communicate with each other and to provide resources for the clubs. The block clubs are aimed at fighting crime, and also community fellowship.
The money for the site's updates is coming from a fund previously set up to deal with graffiti in East Harriet.
March 23, 2009
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Whittier neighborhood, Lowry Hill Neighborhood, Linden Hills neighborhood, Kingfield neighborhood, Kenwood neighborhood, East Harriet neighborhood
Teenager convicted in Kingfield double murder
By Jake Weyer
Stafon Thompson, 17, will likely face life in prison without parole for the murder of a mother and her son last June in Kingfield, according to a spokeswoman for Hennepin County District Court.
A jury today found Thompson guilty in the deaths of Katricia Daniels, 35, and her 10-year-old son Robert Shepard, said court spokeswoman Rondah Kinchlow. Thompson was up against four first-degree murder charges, two of which were tied to aggravated robbery charges, according to the complaint.
Thompson’s trial started March 9 and closing statements were given March 18. The jury was sequestered one night before announcing its decision this afternoon.
Thompson’s friend, 17-year-old Brian Flowers, faces the same charges and will be tried later.
March 23, 2009
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Kingfield neighborhood
