Join author Sandra Rector on March 27th at Southeast Library and learn interesting tips on how to develop good ideas, find your own special niche, approach editors, write a good query letter, market your work and get that first publication.

7 PM
Thursday, March 27, 2008

Southeast Public Library
1222 4th Street SE
Minneapolis MN

Join author Sandra Rector on March 27th at Southeast Library and learn interesting tips on how to develop good ideas, find your own special niche, approach editors, write a good query letter, market your work and get that first publication.

7 PM
Thursday, March 27, 2008

Southeast Public Library
1222 4th Street SE
Minneapolis MN

I-35W Bridge over the Mississippi: March 14, 2008

Fifty Percent of the Concrete is Poured

The last of the concrete for the columns — the top section of Pier 4 southbound — was poured yesterday, so all 12 of the columns at Piers 2, 3 and 4 have now reached their full height of 70 feet. Crews also finished pouring the last of the concrete at Abutment 5 this week. With that pour, the project has placed about 25,000 yards of the 48,700 cubic yards required for the new bridge. From the time concrete was poured into the first of the forms on Jan. 31, construction of those 12 columns and two abutments took just more than six weeks. To accomplish this, the project had to have enough forms on hand to use in several locations simultaneously. Ordinarily, one set of forms would be reused several times, stretching the work out over a much longer period of time. Great care has been taken to protect the concrete from the cold weather, but as temperatures warm up this spring, the insulation around the columns will be removed. Construction Update Work on the segments for the main span over the Mississippi is also progressing well. Crews will continue to build casting beds and pre-cast segment forms in the casting yard. These segments will be used to form the main span of the bridge. Currently, 14 of the 120 necessary segments have been cast. This photo shows a close-up of the white post-tensioning ducts embedded in the pre-cast segments. High-strength steel tendons will run through these ducts, across the top and bottom of each of the segments, and a hydraulic jack will be used to pull on the tendons and compress the concrete segments tightly together. Other work scheduled for the upcoming week:

* The “falsework” (temporary support structures) on the south side of the project will continue to be built out to the columns at Pier 2. Carpenters and iron workers continue work on the approach span forms which includes placing rebar in these forms. Flatiron officials anticipate pouring concrete for the first section of the south spans later this month.

* Crews continue building forms for the retaining walls between Abutment 5 and the Second Street bridge.

* The walls for the Second Street bridge are under construction.

Potential Noise Impacts Crews have been using this concrete crusher, set up on I-35W just north of Fourth Street SE, to break up big chunks of the old roadway so that they can be recycled and used for the base of the new roadway. A loud, steady hum and back-up alarms are noticeable while the crusher is in use. Out of consideration for people living and working in the area, the crushing will only take place between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The crushing should be complete — or nearly so — by the end of the week.
The sound of hammering steel will also be noticeable as work continues on the “falsework” that will support the forms for the spans of the bridge on both sides of the river. Potential Light Impacts Crews are working night shifts seven days a week on both sides of the river as well as in the casting yard. Lights may be noticeable between 5:30 p.m. and 4 a.m. Potential Traffic Impacts Street Closures Needed at 14th Avenue South and First Street South - Beginning in late March and continuing through early June, 14th Avenue South and First Street South (near the Seven Corners Apartments and Riverview Tower Condos) will be closed to allow utility relocation and widening of I-35W northbound. Access to the Seven Corners parking ramp will be maintained during this time period. On-street parking on Second Street South and 14th Avenue will be restricted to allow two-way traffic along Second Street South from 19th Avenue to the closure. 10th Avenue Bike Lane Closed - Due to the increasingly large crowds showing up at recent Sidewalk Superintendent Talks–more than 100 people have attended on two of the last three Saturdays — the bike lane on the west side of the 10th Avenue Bridge will be closed until further notice from 11 a.m. until noon on Saturdays. This is to ensure the safety of everyone using the bridge. The City of Minneapolis approved of posting signs at each end of the bridge last week that indicate the restriction. Bikes and pedestrians are urged to use the lane on the east side of the bridge between 11 a.m. and noon.

Truck Traffic - Trucks will be departing from the construction site regularly during daylight hours, going east on Second Street SE, north on 11th Avenue SE, and then east on University Avenue. Trucks will also be periodically hauling material into the site by traveling west on Washington Avenue, north on 11th Avenue South, east on Second Street South and north on 13th Avenue. Planning Your Route to Downtown Minneapolis - The Minnesota Twins home opener is scheduled for Monday, March 31, and to ease traffic congestion, the Twins would like to strongly urge fans to utilize public transportation when possible. If you are planning to drive to the game, or anywhere else downtown, you can use the links below to plan your route:

City of Minneapolis Route Planner www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/traffic/routeplannerintro.asp

Minnesota Department of Transportation http://projects.dot.state.mn.us/35wbridge/traffic.html

Help Spread the Word

Do you know someone who you think would appreciate the up-to-date news, first-look pictures and detailed information you get each week? Click on the “Forward email” link at the bottom of this message and your friend will get a copy of this week’s update from you with an invitation to sign up.

Getting a Closer Look: Upcoming Television Coverage of Bridge Project - For an up-to-the minute report on project construction, tune into the following interviews:

* Monday, March 17 - 6:10 a.m. on KSTP-TV, Channel 5
* Tuesday, March 18 - 5:50 a.m. on KARE 11

Try the touch-screen kiosks at Mill City Museum and the airport -

Touch-screen kiosks that provide a variety of information about the bridge, including a photo gallery, a timetable and animations showing what the finished bridge will look like from a helicopter, a boat and a car are available in the Mill City Museum lobby and at Concourse C at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Visit the website - The website offers up-to-date information, presentations, graphics, photos, animations as well as interesting features on workers on the project. Access the webcams - One provides a panoramic view of the entire construction site, looking east from a rooftop on the north side of the Mississippi River. The other camera is mounted on a light pole on the 10th Avenue Bridge and will provide periodic close-ups on construction activities. To see the webcam views, visit the project website at www.mndot.gov.

Attend a Sidewalk Superintendent Talk - These weekly events provide an opportunity to accompany project representatives on a walk across the 10th Avenue Bridge, where you can see the construction workers in action and ask questions about the project. If you’d like to participate, meet in the parking lot in front of Grandma’s restaurant at 19th and Washington Avenues by 11 a.m. on any Saturday.

Take a self-guided tour - Signs describing the design/build process are mounted along the 10th Avenue Bridge.

Call the hotline - If you have any questions about the project, please call the hotline at 612-236-6901 between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily. Messages left after 8 p.m. will be returned first thing the next morning.

Request a presentation - Representatives of Mn/DOT and Flatiron-Manson are willing and eager to provide project updates to neighborhood associations, business associations and other groups. To arrange a presentation, please call the hotline, 612-236-6901.

Other than viewing what’s happening from the 10th Avenue Bridge, the public is asked to stay away from the bridge construction area for safety reasons.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) and the Flatiron-Manson construction team intend to build a high quality and safe bridge while minimizing disruptions to the surrounding neighborhoods.

We will continue to distribute updates weekly and welcome your comments on how to improve the communication process between the project team and the community.

For more information on the I-35W project visit www.mndot.gov
or call the I-35W Bridge Hotline at 612-236-6901

FIRST CONCRETE DECK POURED ON STADIUM SITE

The Stadium structure has been taking shape this past month and large portions of the steel structure are now in place. As the steel continues to be erected, crews are also beginning to lay the floors for the concourses. For each concourse, a metal deck is laid down and on top of that concrete is poured. The first concrete was poured last week on what will be the main concourse of the Stadium. Also this week, fireproofing will begin to be applied to the steel structure. When fireproofing is applied, the dark steel structure will turn gray.

Read the rest of this entry »

Message from our Safety & Livability chair, Eric Nauman:

I am writing on this cold March morning to encourage you to be alert.  Last weekend there were three robberies in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood. The S&L committee has communicated with the police department and they are investigating all three incidents.

We don’t want to alarm, but we do want you to be alert.  In the past few years the S&L committee has observed an uptick in crime in the spring.

Further, graffiti appears to be growing in recent weeks and we’ve noticed this to be a leading indicator of crime trends in the neighborhood.  While the snow is still on the ground, it’s important to use these important incidents as reminders to be careful as the weather warms and to keep your eyes open.

Please report what you see. Please call 311 with neighborhood concerns and 911 with all emergencies.

Another chance to weigh in on the Central Corridor Light Rail plans:

The Federal Transit Administration and the Met Council have just published an official notice of their intent to prepare a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) for the Central Corridor project.

According to Minnesota State law, the public must be given an opportunity to comment on the scope of the SDEIS and the FTA and Met Council must respond. A June 2008 publication of the SDEIS is anticipated.

The Met Council prefers to receive comments by March 17, but will accept comments through March 26.

Read the rest of this entry »

Another chance to weigh in on the Central Corridor Light Rail plans:

The Federal Transit Administration and the Met Council have just published an official notice of their intent to prepare a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) for the Central Corridor project.

According to Minnesota State law, the public must be given an opportunity to comment on the scope of the SDEIS and the FTA and Met Council must respond. A June 2008 publication of the SDEIS is anticipated.

The Met Council prefers to receive comments by March 17, but will accept comments through March 26.

Read the rest of this entry »

The MHNA Office is looking for part time office help, particularly from someone with technology expertise (computers, websites, software) to help us update some systems.

3 days week, mornings preferred, 12.00 per hour to start.

Submit letter of interest and resume to: office@marcy-holmes.org

Ideas are being taken for the federally funded Bike/Walk Twin Cities initiative.

Administered locally by Transit for Livable Communities, the Bike/Walk Twin Cities initiative (known nationally as the Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Project) aims to increase walking and bicycling in the Minneapolis area.

The initiative is testing whether increased investments in bicycling and walking reduce driving, and the board of Transit for Livable Communities is distributing $21.5 million in federal funds for this project.

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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.

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

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

Neighborhood gardeners are invited to sign up now to care for the MHNA Community Garden, 8th St SE & 10th Ave SE, for a week during the growing season.

Just call or  email the MHNA office, 623-7633 or office@marcy-holmes.org.

We have a garden blog on our website if people have garden questions or comments www.marcy-holmes.org. If you aren’t on our garden committee mailing list, contact us. In the spring we’ll be doing some garden clean-ups, plantings and a potluck/plant swap.

Novices and experts are all welcome.

Inexpensive trees are available for Minneapolis Property Owners

A thousand trees are being made available to Minneapolis property owners for planting in their yards this spring. The City Trees program, which is funded by the City of Minneapolis, provides a low-cost way for folks to help build the city’s urban tree forest.

The trees cost $25 each and are approximately six feet tall with a one-inch trunk.

Read the rest of this entry »

Inexpensive trees are available for Minneapolis Property Owners

A thousand trees are being made available to Minneapolis property owners for planting in their yards this spring. The City Trees program, which is funded by the City of Minneapolis, provides a low-cost way for folks to help build the city’s urban tree forest.

The trees cost $25 each and are approximately six feet tall with a one-inch trunk.

Minneapolis property owners can order one tree per address in Minneapolis, and all trees will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis. There are five varieties to choose from: bicolor oak, Fall Fiesta sugar maple, pagoda dogwood, Japanese tree lilac or Welchi juniper.

Orders can be placed online starting on March 11 by visiting Tree Trust at www.treetrust.org or by picking up an order form from your neighborhood group or local library.

Tree pick-up dates are May 10 and 11 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and May 12 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the former Franklin Middle School East parking lot, 1501 Aldrich Ave. N., Minneapolis.

Volunteers will be on hand to help load your new tree and complimentary bag of woodchip mulch in to your vehicle.

Inexpensive trees are available for Minneapolis Property Owners

A thousand trees are being made available to Minneapolis property owners for planting in their yards this spring. The City Trees program, which is funded by the City of Minneapolis, provides a low-cost way for folks to help build the city’s urban tree forest.

The trees cost $25 each and are approximately six feet tall with a one-inch trunk.

Minneapolis property owners can order one tree per address in Minneapolis, and all trees will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis. There are five varieties to choose from: bicolor oak, Fall Fiesta sugar maple, pagoda dogwood, Japanese tree lilac or Welchi juniper.

Orders can be placed online starting on March 11 by visiting Tree Trust at www.treetrust.org or by picking up an order form from your neighborhood group or local library.

Tree pick-up dates are May 10 and 11 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and May 12 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the former Franklin Middle School East parking lot, 1501 Aldrich Ave. N., Minneapolis.

Volunteers will be on hand to help load your new tree and complimentary bag of woodchip mulch in to your vehicle.

Inexpensive trees are available for Minneapolis Property Owners

A thousand trees are being made available to Minneapolis property owners for planting in their yards this spring. The City Trees program, which is funded by the City of Minneapolis, provides a low-cost way for folks to help build the city’s urban tree forest.

The trees cost $25 each and are approximately six feet tall with a one-inch trunk.

Minneapolis property owners can order one tree per address in Minneapolis, and all trees will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis. There are five varieties to choose from: bicolor oak, Fall Fiesta sugar maple, pagoda dogwood, Japanese tree lilac or Welchi juniper.

Orders can be placed online starting on March 11 by visiting Tree Trust at www.treetrust.org or by picking up an order form from your neighborhood group or local library.

Tree pick-up dates are May 10 and 11 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and May 12 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the former Franklin Middle School East parking lot, 1501 Aldrich Ave. N., Minneapolis.

Volunteers will be on hand to help load your new tree and complimentary bag of woodchip mulch in to your vehicle.

The Fourth Annual
Community Garden Spring Resource Fair

Saturday March 29th
9:00am – 2:30pm
First Christian Church, 2201 First Avenue South, Minneapolis
Free Entry and Free Parking

Will Allen from Growing Power (www.growingpower.org) in Milwaukee is kicking off the Spring Resource Fair, highlighting his organization’s innovative work on bridging cultures through gardening.  Activities for the kids, workshops, and engaging educational displays during the day. Raffle prizes, music and food top off the fun!

Details and directions at www.gardenworksMN.org or call GardenWorks a 612-278-7123.

Free parking and free entry.  Come see what community gardening resources are available for you!