Saturday, February 21, 2009 at 11:00 a.m.
Southeast Library, 1222 4th St Southeast, Minneapolis

Peter Ackerberg, a “Freedom Rider” in Mississippi in 1961, who now lives in Minnesota, will speak about the Freedom Writer experience, in celebration of Black History Month.

In 1961 hundreds of Americans — black and white, male and female — went to Mississippi to challenge segregation, and were arrested for peacefully riding together on buses. They became known as Freedom Riders, and their experiences were recently chronicled in the book Breach of Peace: Portraits of the 1961 Mississippi Freedom Riders by Eric Etheridge. Peter Ackerberg, one of the people profiled in Breach of Peace, was a student at Antioch College in Ohio when joined the Freedom Riders in May 1961. “It was a highlight of my life. I was very proud of it,” Ackerberg told Etheridge.
Mr. Ackerberg, who graduated in journalism from Antioch subsequently got a law degree, went on to work as a reporter for the Minneapolis Star, and worked for the Minnesota state attorney general’s office.

He now works on his own on legal projects. For further information, contact Southeast Librarian Eric Heideman, 612-630-6851, eheideman@hclib.org.

I-35W Bridge over the Mississippi

Feb. 22, 2008 Greetings!

First Piers To Be Unveiled on Saturday

Crews will remove the steel forms from Pier 3 southbound Saturday, providing the first opportunity to see the finished concrete columns inside. After the forms come off, crews will need to wrap the columns with insulation blankets almost immediately to protect the concrete from the cold. The best opportunity to see the fully unwrapped columns will be at approximately 11:45 a.m. Saturday.
At Piers 2 and 4, several columns grew another 20-30 feet high this past week, and crews poured the footing for Abutment 5.

Work scheduled the week of Feb. 25 includes:

Read the rest of this entry »

The MN Landscape Arboretum is presenting a workshop on building raised bed gardens that may be of interest to you.

Neighborhoods are always seeking ways to create community, build friendships, enhance safety, enrich beauty, and learn from each other. Raised bed gardening can develop all of those assets.

When: Saturday, March 15, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Marion Andrus Learning Center at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

Cost: $50 (includes flowerpot lunches and 5 hours of CEU’s for teachers)

Registration: Call 952-443-1422 to reserve your spot!

Registration Deadline: Friday, March 7

<a href=”/docs/raised-bed-workshop-flyer.pdf”>Download Flyer</a> (PDF)

Come join us!

Nancy Nelson
Marion Andrus Learning Center
MN Landscape Arboretum

The MN Landscape Arboretum is presenting a workshop on building raised bed gardens that may be of interest to you.

Neighborhoods are always seeking ways to create community, build friendships, enhance safety, enrich beauty, and learn from each other. Raised bed gardening can develop all of those assets.

Download Flyer (PDF)

When: Saturday, March 15, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Marion Andrus Learning Center at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
Cost: $50 (includes flowerpot lunches and 5 hours of CEU’s for teachers)
Registration: Call 952-443-1422 to reserve your spot!
Registration Deadline: Friday, March 7
Come join us!Nancy Nelson
Marion Andrus Learning Center
MN Landscape Arboretum

I-35W Bridge over the Mississippi

Feb. 15, 2008 Greetings!

Piers rising on both sides of river

Crews are making progress on Piers 2, 3, and 4. Next week, concrete pours will include the top third of Pier 2 northbound, the middle third of Pier 2 southbound, the bottom third of Pier 3 northbound, and the middle third of Pier 4 southbound. By the first week in March, all of the piers are projected to be done.

Construction update

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Read MHNA Student Liaison Sydne Westorff’s letter in the MN Daily:

“Dialogue between University students and homeowners will enhance the goodwill of the community. ”

http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2008/02/12/72165496

It doesn’t seem like it today, but spring is on its way and we have two
bump-out gardens up for adoption. If you would like to care for a 5th St SE
public garden, call the office 623-7633. The gardens up for adoption are at
8th Ave SE and at 6th Ave SE. Water on site is available, as are
instructions, plants, advice and encouragement from neighborhood gardeners.

Compost Bins.  Hennepin County is announcing a great opportunity for county
residents to purchase affordable compost bins for only $35 through the
program described below.  Hennepin County has partnered with Bachman’s,
Lakewinds Natural Foods and The Reuse Center to sell compost bins.

Residents must pre-order by April 1 online at www.hennepin.us/compostbinsale.

The City of Minneapolis is starting a new webpage to allow neighbors to
share creative tips for preventing graffiti.

The webpage ci.minneapolis.mn.us/graffiti/solutions.asp shows examples such as landscaping, murals and types of fencing that deter graffiti. Residents are
encouraged to send in photos of their own efforts, and share helpful tips.

Graffiti often collects on large flat blank surfaces, such as buildings,
garages and flat fences. Landscaping, like ivy or other clinging plants
helps to reduce the likelihood of graffiti on a surface. Some fences are
less likely to be spray painted such as fences with board gaps, alternating
boards or lattices.

Have you visited the SE library since it reopened?

It’s been improved ­ new carpeting and shelves ­ and even more new book titles are on the way thanks to SE Mpls Council on Learning.

Stadium Area Advisory Group updates:

A Good Neighbor Fund request for applications was announced in early
January; applications are due on or before April 1.  Eligible applicants are
the organizations that are represented on the Stadium Area Advisory Group
(including MHNA).  Eligible applicant organizations may partner with others
to plan or implement projects funded through the Good Neighbor Fund.  A
total of $69,000 is available for grants this year.  Further information,
including the request for applications and the application form, is
available at http://www.community.umn.edu/gnf
The Good Neighbor Fund is for projects that mitigate direct stadium
impacts.

A Game Day Operations Committee has been charged by President Bruininks and will begin its work in the coming weeks.  The Committee will be co-chaired by Laurie Scheich, Associate V.P. for University Services, and Joel Maturi, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics.  Two members of the Stadium Area
Advisory Group will serve on the committee:  Gene Girard, of the
Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association, and Skott Johnson, of the Dinkytown
Business Association.  Thank you to those two SAAG members who have agreed
to serve on this important committee.

The University District Partnership Alliance, formed by the University, the City of Minneapolis, and the campus-area neighborhoods in response to the
recommendations in the 2007 neighborhood impact report, has put out a
request for ideas for demonstration projects that will help to address the
priorities expressed in the report.  A Demonstration Projects Work Team,
chaired by 2nd Ward Council Member Cam Gordon, will review ideas and make
recommendations to the Alliance Steering Group.  The Work Team is inviting
your ideas by February 29, 2008.  More information about the Alliance and
the request for ideas is at http://www.community.umn.edu/alliance

Message from the second Precinct Police Station:

As of February 15 the old email alert system through CCPSafe.Org will be
shut down. If you want to keep getting our crime alerts you’ll need to link
to http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/police/crimealert/signup.asp to
resubscribe.

Sign up for training as a block-club leader

Block-club leader training is happening again in Minneapolis ­ February 21,
6:00 to 7:30 p.m., at the 2nd Precinct Station, 1911 Central Ave. N.E.
Sign up now to find out how you can make your neighborhood a safer and
friendlier place to live. Call 612-673-2874.

For monthly crime stats go to:

Read the rest of this entry »

Sign up for training as a block-club leader

Block-club leader training is happening again in Minneapolis ­ February 21,
6:00 to 7:30 p.m., at the 2nd Precinct Station, 1911 Central Ave. N.E.
Sign up now to find out how you can make your neighborhood a safer and
friendlier place to live. Call 612-673-2874.

We’re invited to the State of the Precinct Program at Aveda Institute, Sat
Feb 23 from 10 am ­ to noon. Inspector Skomra give an update on 2nd Precinct
initiatives, plans for burglary suppression and neighborhood policing plans.
Registration, social time and info tables from 9:30 ­ to 10 am.

We’re invited to the State of the Precinct Program at Aveda Institute, Sat
Feb 23 from 10 am ­ noon. Inspector Skomra give an update on 2nd Precinct
initiatives, plans for burglary suppression and neighborhood policing plans.
Registration, social time and info tables from 9:30 ­ to 10 am.

Save the date! Annual Earth Day River Clean-Up is coming Sat April 19. Come
down to the river that morning and join neighbors with bags and gloves
cleaning our stretch of the riverfront.

Volunteers needed for the Marcy Arts Gala.

This year’s event is Sat April 12, 6 ­ to 11 pm at the Soap Factory.

Volunteers are needed to solicit and collect art and food. People are needed on the decorations committee, to bartend, staff the sign-in and check-out tables, and set up and tear down.

This is a great event that brings the school and neighborhood together for a lively night of food, music, entertainment and an art auction. Practically
everything is donated so the money raised goes directly to fund arts integration activities at the school.

What’s arts integration? It’s a way to teach core subjects using the arts and artists in the classroom.

Volunteers should contact Margie Siegel at 612-578-4621 or email msiegel@bitstream.net.

Volunteers needed for the Marcy Arts Gala.

This year’s event is Sat April 12, 6 ­ to 11 pm at the Soap Factory.

Volunteers are needed to solicit and collect art and food. People are needed on the decorations committee, to bartend, staff the sign-in and check-out tables, and set up and tear down.

This is a great event that brings the school and neighborhood together for a lively night of food, music, entertainment and an art auction. Practically everything is donated so the money raised goes directly to fund arts integration activities at the school.

What’s arts integration? It’s a way to teach core subjects using the arts and artists in the classroom.

Volunteers should contact Margie Siegel at 612-578-4621 or email msiegel@bitstream.net.

You may have read about neighborhood businesses that have suffered losses since the 35-W Bridge collapse.

Please try to support our local businesses whenever possible. Thanks.

RUDY MAXA “WALKS OF A LIFETIME” MINNEAPOLIS RIVERFRONT PODCAST

Travel journalist Rudy Maxa has prepared a podcast featuring the historic
Minneapolis riverfront as part of National Geographic’s “Walks of a
Lifetime” series. Check it out at either of these sites:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/podcasts/walks.html

http://podcast.nationalgeographic.com/walks-of-a-lifetime/