I-35W Bridge Update: April 28, 2008
I-35W Bridge over the Mississippi
April 28, 2008
I-35W Project Observes Workers Memorial Day
The I-35W Project Team will cease work for a short period of time at 2 p.m. today in honor of Workers Memorial Day. Flatiron-Manson Joint Venture is joining Mn/DOT, as well as many other businesses and labor organizations, in this commemoration that takes place on April 28 each year to remember workers who have lost their lives while on the job. Safety First Anyone who visits the site will see signs or stickers on hard hats with this, “Safety First” reminder. With seven months of work underway, Flatiron-Manson Joint Venture is proud to report that it has no lost-time injuries and only nine minor reportable incidents in almost 300,000 work hours. Industry average is about nine reportable incidents per 200,000 hours.
Hauling Gets Underway
I-35W Bridge Update: April 22, 2008
I-35W Bridge over the Mississippi
April 22, 2008
Barges Arrive and Pre-Cast Segments More than Half Complete
The two barges that will support the ringer crane used to place main span segments arrived at Bohemian Flats on Saturday, April 12. The barges have been moved up river and are now anchored near Pier 3 in preparation for the main span assembly.
As of last week, crews had poured 61 of the 120 segments needed for the main span and expect to pour another 12 segments this week. Later this week, workers will begin hauling the pre-cast segments from the casting yard to Bohemian Flats. From that location, they will be loaded onto the barges by Bohemian Blue to be transported up river to the bridge site and lifted into place by Big Ben. This work will begin the first week in May.
Construction Update
Stadium Construction Update, April 2008
FIRST BRICK INSTALLED ON THE TCF BANK STADIUM
The first brick was laid on the TCF Bank Stadium by 100 year old Hilding Mortenson, a bricklayer on the original Memorial Stadium project and the Uncle of Mort Mortenson, Jr., chairman of Mortenson Construction. Hilding was a sophomore in high school when he worked on Memorial Stadium in 1924 along with his brothers and father.
Masonry work will continue until October/November 2008 and will involve 150 workers. The masonry will include 740,000 units of full and thin brick and 525,000 units of concrete block.
I-35W Bridge Update: April 11, 2008
I-35W Bridge over the Mississippi
April 11, 2008
Pre-cast segments for main span nearly half done
Forty-seven of the 120 segments needed for the main span are now done, and with 16 additional segments scheduled to be poured next week, more than half of the pre-cast segments needed to form the main span of the bridge will soon be done.
Starting in May, pre-cast segments will be attached to the approach spans, with the help of a barge-mounted ringer crane.
Assembly of the ringer crane will begin next week. After being held up by ice on the Mississippi in southern Minnesota, the two barges that have been making their way upriver from Houma, La., since March 21 are expected to arrive in Minneapolis on Sunday, April 13. The crane’s boom and mast should be in place by the end of April so that the crane can begin work in early May.
In the meantime, crews must finish pouring the approach spans on both sides of the river. The bottom layer of the roadway on the south side will be poured by the end of next week. The top layer–the deck–will be poured in two stages, ending around May 1. On the north side, the first phase of the superstructure will be poured the week of April 21, with the final deck pour anticipated by the end of May.
Construction Update Work scheduled for the week of April 14 includes:
Membership Meeting, Low Interest Loans
Remember, the next General Membership meeting is in June. It will be our annual elections meeting with several by-laws amendments to vote on.
Also be watching for details on the new Marcy-Holmes Low Interest Revolving Loan Program for property improvements. As soon as details and applications are available, we will let you know.
Blooms Day 2008
Blooms Day 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
9 am-12:30 pm Logan Park Community Center
690 13th Avenue Northeast, Minneapolis
Come celebrate the beginning of the new garden season! You can get all your gardening questions answered by Master Gardeners and experts from several plant societies.
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak will present awards to the top Minneapolis gardens among more than 1,500 gardens evaluated last summer.
Keynote Speaker will be garden expert, Bobby Jensen, of “Grow With KARE”.  There will also be:
Blooms Day 2008
Blooms Day 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
9 am-12:30 pm Logan Park Community Center
690 13th Avenue Northeast, Minneapolis
Come celebrate the beginning of the new garden season! You can get all your gardening questions answered by Master Gardeners and experts from several plant societies.
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak will present awards to the top Minneapolis gardens among more than 1,500 gardens evaluated last summer.
Keynote Speaker will be garden expert, Bobby Jensen, of “Grow With KARE”.  There will also be:
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Fundraiser & Silent Auction For Police Substation
Annual fundraiser and silent auction to support police substation at University Ave/ Old St Anthony area is being held:
Wednesday May 14, 2008
5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Rachel’s
222 East Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55414
Fundraiser & Silent Auction For Police Substation
Annual fundraiser and silent auction to support police substation at University Ave/ Old St Anthony area is being held:
Wednesday May 14, 2008
5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Rachel’s
222 East Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55414
Appetizers will be provided courtesy of Rachel’s and Wine & Beer will be provided courtesy of Surdyk’s.
Funds raised go directly to support the substation on University Avenue as well as to pay for “Beat Copsâ€, “Cops on Bikes†and additional Police Patrols of our neighborhood.
Please email Lynne Surdyk at lsurdyk@surdyks.com or call Lynne at 612) 379-3232 to purchase your tickets. Checks may be made payable to OSAA.
North Memorial Northeast Physicians Arriving Soon
North Memorial Northeast Physicians is moving, late summer or early fall, into the ground floor of the Cobalt Condominiums at 45 University Ave. SE.
The clinic will primarily offer family practice care, and they are exploring the addition of an urgent care facility with evening and weekend hours. The clinic will take up most of the space between PrairieStone Pharmacy and Cost Cutters. For more information, the clinic’s website is
www.northmemorial.com/Nmclinics/northeast.cfm.
Earth Day Cleanup: April 19, 2008
Earth Day cleanup benefits environment, keeps Minneapolis beautiful
Hundreds of volunteers are expected to remove thousands of pounds of garbage at the 14th Annual Earth Day Watershed Cleanup on Saturday, April 19. The event will be held from 9:30 a.m.-noon.
Our neighborhood site is Father Hennepin Bluffs Park, 6th Ave SE &Â Main St.
Midway Contemporary Art
Two new shows opened in early April at
Midway Contemporary Art
527 SECOND AVENUE SOUTHEAST.
Regular gallery hours:
Tuesday through Saturday, 11am – 5pm
Regular library hours:
Tuesday through Saturday, 11am – 5pm
Midway’s library, galleries and events are free and open to the public.
Warmer Weather, Increased Theft
Message from Second Precinct:
As the warmer weather comes, remember that frequency of theft increases.
Last year in the neighborhoods south of Broadway, the incidents of theft increased by 66% in March 2008, when compared to February 2008.
One of the larges problems is bicycle theft. Therefore, we remind you:
·       Be sure to lock your bicycle to a stationary object. The best locking devices are a hardened steel u-shaped lock or a case hardened chain at least 3/8†thick.
·       Keep your bicycle in a locked garage, your apartment, your storage area, or other secure space.
·       Record the serial number of your bike. If your bicycle is stolen, you will have a better chance of recovering your bicycle if it is licensed.
We also remind you not to leave items unattended, it can take only a few seconds for a purse, GIS system a computer, a wallet, or an IPOD to be taken from an unattended table, the inside of a vehicle, or any place.
For citywide crime stats: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/police/crime-statistics/codefor/
Fresh, Local, Sustainable Food
Interested in fresh, local, sustainable food delivered right to our neighborhood?
This summer Anna Dvorak and Chris Kopka, residents of Marcy Holmes, will host a drop-site for Burning River Farm CSA (Community Sustained Agriculture).
Location: 229 7th Street SE (in the Manner Homes townhouses)
What: Fresh, sustainable produce delivered weekly
How long: Roughly 19 weeks starting in early to mid June
If you would like to learn more, feel free to call us at 612-331-4761 or to email Anna at avdminneapolis@yahoo.com.
You can also learn more by visiting:www.burningriverfarm.com
Note: Burning River Farm also has a drop-site at the East Side Food Coop (2551 Central) and sells fresh veggies most Saturdays at the Mill City Farmers Market(across the Stone Arch Bridge by the new Guthrie).
Win $15,000 in energy improvements
Is your home in need of energy efficiency upgrades?
Win $15,000 in energy improvements!
The Center for Energy and Environment, a Minneapolis based nonprofit, is seeking a Minnesota home to use for a demonstration project. The Minnesota Home Energy Makeover will award one homeowner up to $15,000 in energy efficiency improvements.
The project will demonstrate how making energy improvements to your home can save you money and help the environment. The improvements will also be showcased on the Minnesota Energy Challenge website www.mnenergychallenge.org.
Deadline: Win $15,000 in energy improvements
Is your home in need of energy efficiency upgrades?
Win $15,000 in energy improvements!
The Center for Energy and Environment, a Minneapolis based nonprofit, is seeking a Minnesota home to use for a demonstration project. The Minnesota Home Energy Makeover will award one homeowner up to $15,000 in energy efficiency improvements.
The project will demonstrate how making energy improvements to your home can save you money and help the environment. The improvements will also be showcased on the Minnesota Energy Challenge website www.mnenergychallenge.org.
Following the May 15, 2008 application deadline ten finalists will be selected through an application screening process aimed at identifying those homes that use the most energy and that can benefit the most from the installation of energy efficiency measures.
Each of the ten finalists will receive a complete energy analysis from the Center for Energy and Environment, an estimated $600 value. Based on the results of the energy analyses of the finalists, one Grand Prize winner will be selected to receive up to $15,000 worth of energy efficiency measures.
In addition, a random drawing will be held to select 25 winners who will receive a variety of prizes including: certificates toward energy star appliances, programmable thermostats, compact fluorescent light bulbs, appliance energy meters and more!
To apply, simply go online at www.mnenergychallenge.org and tell us about your home and why it should be selected for the Makeover Contest. For more information or to request a paper application, contact the Center for Energy and Environment at (612) 335-5852.
SE Library: SUNplug’d on Saturdays
SE Library News:
Every Saturday in April, the 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th, Southeast Library will be having a musical group play immediately after our Storytimes at 11:00 a.m.
The name of the group is SUNplug’d. They are a “musical group using acoustic instruments, African rhythms and melodies.â€
SE Library: SUNplug’d on Saturdays
SE Library News:
Every Saturday in April, the 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th, Southeast Library will be having a musical group play immediately after our Storytimes at 11:00 a.m.
The name of the group is SUNplug’d. They are a “musical group using acoustic instruments, African rhythms and melodies.â€
Possibilities Fair for seniors who are losing their vision
Possibilities Fair for seniors who are losing their vision
A fair to provide a hands-on opportunity to learn methods for life improvement for seniors experiencing vision loss.
Monday May 5, 2008, 9:30 to 2:30 at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel at 1330 Industrial Blvd. in Minneapolis.
Sponsored by National Federation of the Blind of MN (NFBM) Blindness: Learning in a New Dimension, Inc. (BLIND), and MN State Services for the Blind (SSB).
To find out more call 612-872-9363 or visit website www.nfbmn.org.
Possibilities Fair for seniors who are losing their vision
Possibilities Fair for seniors who are losing their vision
A fair to provide a hands-on opportunity to learn methods for life improvement for seniors experiencing vision loss.
Monday May 5, 2008, 9:30 to 2:30 at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel at 1330 Industrial Blvd. in Minneapolis.
Sponsored by National Federation of the Blind of MN (NFBM) Blindness: Learning in a New Dimension, Inc. (BLIND), and MN State Services for the Blind (SSB).
To find out more call 612-872-9363 or visit website www.nfbmn.org.
Study for caregivers of people with dementia
From Southeast Seniors:
The Balance Study for caregivers of people with dementia
Health Partners is recruiting people who are providing care to family members with dementia. The study will be examining different methods of stress management. Some participation funds may be available.
Contact study coordinator Dana McGree at 952-967-5031 or Dana.A.McGree@HealthPartners.com
<mailto:Dana.A.McGree@HealthPartners.com> .
Gardener’s Potluck & Plant Swap
The Marcy-Holmes Annual Gardener’s Potluck & Plant Swap will be on Monday June 9th at Fraser residence, 821 7th St SE, 6 pm.
Bring a dish to share and any extra plants to trade, give away…take home what you like! Beverages, utensils provided, indoors if raining.
Experts and novices invited – there will be advice, questions, plans for summer.
Gardener’s Potluck & Plant Swap
Plant Swap will be on Monday June 9th at Fraser residence, 821 7th St SE, 6 pm. Bring a dish to share and any extra plants to trade, give away…take home what you like! Beverages, utensils provided, indoors if raining.Experts and novices invited – there will be advice, questions, plans for summer.
Community Garden Clean Up: May 8
Community Garden Clean Up Date is Thursday May 8th at 4 pm. Bring tools, rain or shine. Meet at the garden
8th St SE & 10th Ave SE. Volunteers needed.
Community Garden Clean Up: May 8
Community Garden Clean Up Date is Thursday May 8th at 4 pm. Bring tools, rain or shine. Meet at the garden
8th St SE & 10th Ave SE. Volunteers needed.
Reduce Your Car Dependency
Thinking of going car-free? No? Maybe? Thinking of becoming a one car family? Thinking of biking more?
There are two organizations geared to help you with those goals. Both are local, both are non-profits.
Sibley Bike, www.bikeped.org, has a repair shop open to the public along with free maintenence classes.
You can drop in to their shop, use their stands and tools to fix your bike. They also offer cheap re-furbished bikes for sale. Volunteer run, they will say thank you if you are willing to help them out a bit in exchange for their help with your biking needs.
HOURCAR can help you get groceries or travel farther than comfortable on a bike when you need a car only a few times a week. Instead of paying for a car parked in the driveway most of the time, join with low membership fees and rent by the hour, gas and insurance included! A hybrid Prius is parked and waiting for you just behind Kramarczuks. In addition, HOURCAR provides 15 other fuel-efficient cars throughout the Twin Cities and plans to add more!
Find out more: www.HOURCAR.org
Trees Available
Make Minneapolis (and your yard) a greener place by ordering a tree!
1,000 trees are available for just $25 each through the City Trees program.
The City of Minneapolis is making 1,000 trees available to city residents for planting this spring.
Minneapolis funds the City Trees program, which is in its third year, to provide a low-cost way for folks to help build the city’s urban tree forest.
Research has proven that trees are a valuable investment and improve urban quality of life. Healthy trees increase property values, help improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gases by absorbing carbon dioxide, save energy, keep the city cooler, provide homes for wildlife and help manage storm water.
To make the City Trees program a reality, Minneapolis partners with Tree Trust, a local nonprofit that works to improve the community environment.
Ordering a tree:
The trees cost $25 each, and are approximately 6-to-10 feet tall with a 1 inch trunk. Residents can order one tree per household, and the 1,000 trees will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Residents can choose from five tree varieties, including Bicolor Oak, Fall Fiesta Sugar Maple, Pagoda Dogwood, Japanese Tree Lilac or Welchi Juniper.
Orders can be placed online between March 11 and April 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 at 1501 Aldrich Avenue N. Volunteers will be available to help load your new tree and complimentary bag of mulch in to your vehicle.
Information will be available online and at the tree pick-up site that will explain how to plant a tree the right way, how to care for it, and the benefits it will provide.
For more information on how to order a tree, contact Tree Trust by visiting www.treetrust.org or by calling (651) 644-5800. You can also contact Tree Trust to receive hard copies of the applications if you would like to be able to distribute them to your group. It is anticipated that the 1,000 trees will again go quickly so please encourage people to call as soon as possible.
Minneapolis & Saint Paul Home Tour
The Minneapolis & Saint Paul Home Tour, in its 21st year and the 6th year coordinated by NRP, will be held
Saturday, April 26, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, April 27, 1-5 p.m. In this celebration of city living, people open their homes to share creative ideas for remodeling and expanding homes. The homes are being finalized … in early April, the 2008 lineup will be on the website, www.MSPHomeTour.com.
If you would like to receive the printed Home Tour Guide by mail in early April, send an email with your address to link@nrp.org before mid-March.
To volunteer as a greeter at a home tour home, contact Margo Ashmore at 612-673-5103 or link@nrp.org.
For more information, visit http://www.msphometour.com/
Secure Your Home While Away on Vacation
Protect your home against spring break-ins
Secure your home while you’re away on vacation
With Spring Break just around the corner, many people are busy planning their vacations and preparing to leave Minneapolis for sunnier places. Minneapolis Police want to remind vacationers that it’s important to take time to prepare their homes for vacation too. An empty home is a tempting target for a burglar, so use these tips as a checklist to help protect your home against break-ins and theft while you’re away.
Marcy Arts Gala
Marcy Arts Gala
Sat April 12, 2008
6 – 11 pm at the Soap Factory.
Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 at the door. Proceeds from the art auctions fund arts integration at Marcy Open School.
Many local restaurants and retailers donated to the event, which is made possible by volunteers. It’s a great party with food, entertainment and beverages included in the price. To order tickets go to: marcy.mpls.k12.mn.us
Then click on the MAP GALA link. Your tickets will be at the door on April 12.