Our new boulevard trees have arrived!

MHNA reminds you that your new boulevard tree needs water, especially in the first two years. Please be sure to water your newly planted tree regularly.

Thank you for doing your part to keep our urban forest and neighborhood looking nice.  Your tree was purchased with funds from the TCF Stadium Good Neighbor Fund with the assistance of the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association and the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Forestry Department. If you have questions, please contact MHNA at 612-623-7633 or at office@marcy-holmes.org.

MHNA will NOT be doing a Neighborhood Clean Sweeps this May after all. We were unable to find a coordinator and the date was looming so we have cancelled our participation.

Minneapolis residents with city trash pick-up can always put out extra items on recycling week, limit of 2 large items per recycling week. Place next to the garbage cart on the recycling day and post a sign or write on the item “For Solid Waste”. Item will be picked up on next business day after recycling day. Vouchers for free drop off at the Transfer Station can also be obtained. For more information see the city’s website: www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us

MHNA’s Land Use Committee is changing their meeting days.

Beginning in May 2009, they will meet the second Tuesday of the month at 5:30 pm, University Lutheran Church of Hope.

May meeting will be May 12, 2009.

It’s a great time for home improvement projects. MHNA’s low interest fix-up loans could come in handy.

Loans are at 5% interest, minimum $7500 and maximum $20,000 with flexible terms up to ten years, for owner occupied and rental properties under five units. Contact 335 -5884 or visit www.mncee.org

April 18th, 2009 — SE Como neighborhood’s Green Village Day, Rain or Shine, 11:30 am – 2 pm at Van Cleve Park. Featuring a bicycle auction, a Freecycle goods exchange, information on solar ovens, wind power, rain barrels, a resource fair, music, food and fun. Check it out at:

http://www.comogreenvillage.org/

April 18th, 2009 — SE Como neighborhood’s Green Village Day, Rain or Shine, 11:30 am – 2 pm at Van Cleve Park. Featuring a bicycle auction, a Freecycle goods exchange, information on solar ovens, wind power, rain barrels, a resource fair, music, food and fun. Check it out at:

http://www.comogreenvillage.org/

THIRD WARD CARE MEETING
Hosted by Council Member Diane Hofstede

THE NEW NEIGHBORHOOD STABLIZATION PROGRAM AND YOU!

Presentation by Cherie Shoquist, Foreclosure Project Coordinator - City of Minneapolis.

Eastside Neighborhood Services –
1700 2nd Street NE

July 15, 2009
August 19, 2009
September 16, 2009
October 21, 2009
November 18, 2009
December 16, 2009

*C.A.R.E. = Community And Resource Exchange. Monthly committee meetings to deal with problem properties, mortgage foreclosures and safety issues to promote timely and innovative solutions.

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

April 16 – 30, 2009

Various venues, including:

St. Anthony Main Cinema
Club Jager
Red Stag Supper Club

http://www.mspfilmfest.org/MMIX/

http://www.readthebridge.info/7741

GRANT FUNDING AVAILABLE for non-environmental organizations and schools to conduct community-based waste reduction, toxicity reduction, and recycling projects!

Community POWER (Partners on Waste Education and Reduction) is a project of the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board that supports innovative, community-based approaches to waste reduction. For seven years, Community POWER has educated and actively engaged over a half million residents of the six-county metro area in waste reduction by partnering with *non-environmental* organizations and schools. $228,000 is available, supporting projects up to $12,000 each.

Letters of Interest for this funding are due by March 16, 2009. Letter of Interest Guidelines, grant manager contact information, and descriptions of past grantee projects are available at:
http://www.rethinkrecycling.com/grants

The University District Alliance recently completed and proudly submitted a progress report to the legislature, highlighting some of the achievements of the Alliance in the first year of activity. I hope you have had an opportunity to read the report and share it with other members of your organization and the community.

The Alliance’s work is being accomplished through the extraordinary efforts of hundreds of volunteers–members of the Steering Committee, five work groups, participants in planning workshops, friends and partner organizations. Their work has resulted in:
A Home Ownership Preservation Program that has preserved at least 22 homes for long-term owner-occupancy.
A Home Buyer Incentive Program that will attract at least 15 new homebuyers to the University District.
A website featuring the benefits of living in the University District–www.livenearyourwork.net.
A start on commercial district streetscape improvements in the Cedar Riverside business district.
Twenty student-neighborhood liaisons working in Marcy Holmes and SE Como, connecting students and their neighbors.
Inspection of 500 rental properties, with 2,000 housing violations resolved.
New ordinances to strengthen regulation of rental properties.
A zoning, planning, and regulatory review to look at the unique regulatory needs of our part of the city.
The beginning of the development of a vision and plan for the University District, including ideas for transformational developments in each part of the District.
New channels of cooperation among the Alliance member organizations.

There is more good work to do in the coming year, including continuing and improving the work already begun on Alliance projects, launching the next stage of planning for the District, improving our communications, and building a strong organizational base for the future.

Any comments about the first year’s work of the Alliance are also welcome.

The University District Alliance Progress Report 2007 - 2009 is on the web at www.community.umn.edu/alliance.

Annual Earth Day River Clean Up

Sat April 18th, 9:30 – noon
Father Hennepin Bluffs Park
6th Ave SE & Main St.

Look for the Marcy-Holmes banner. We’ll have coffee, bagels, water, bags and gloves, and maps of the area.

Our site is from 35W to Nicollet Island, East Bank of the Mississippi River. We keep a log of unusual finds, and we bring all the bags for pick up to the corner of 6th & Main.

Last year we had a good turnout from students, as well as longtime residents. Together we can make a difference along our beautiful riverfront.

No need to rsvp, just show up.

Marcy Open School families welcome- a great teaching tool for the next generation of park stewards!

The University YMCA is hosting its Spring Clean-Up Fundraiser:

April 4th and 18th, 2009

Hire a team of 4 college student volunteers from the University YMCA to clean your gutters, rake, wash windows, and much more!

4 hours of work for $150! Support the U-Y’s mission of creating ethical leaders. For more info email student.board@ymcampls.org or call 612-676-7700.

The University YMCA is hosting its Spring Clean-Up Fundraiser:

April 4th and 18th, 2009

Hire a team of 4 college student volunteers from the University YMCA to clean your gutters, rake, wash windows, and much more!

4 hours of work for $150! Support the U-Y’s mission of creating ethical leaders. For more info email student.board@ymcampls.org or call 612-676-7700.

Hello All,

The Marcy-Holmes Safety and Livability committee will not be meeting this Monday night (May 4, 2009).  We hope to see you next month.

Thanks,
Eric L. Nauman

Observational Drawing session at Marcy Open School
415 4th Ave SE, in the Art Room

May 14th, 2009 — 6:30-8pm

Lynda Monick-Isenberg from the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul is leading the classes. The classes are free and available to families or individuals. All are welcome. Ms. Monick-Isenberg is doing an all school residency program on observational drawing this year with Marcy students. You may have read about this popular activity in the Bridge.

From the Second Precinct:

During the week of March 24-30, 2009 in the 2nd Precinct, there have been 15 vehicle break-ins. Items taken include tools, a GPS unit, an iPod, cigarettes, laptop, bag, radio, DVD, baseball caps, stereo, cell phone, amplifier, and a speaker box. Most thefts were in the Sheridan, Holland, and Bottineau neighborhoods.

However, there have been thefts throughout the 2nd Precinct: north to Waite Park; south to Prospect Park; east to New Brighton Blvd., and west to 2nd St. NE. We hope that you will help us get the word out to your neighbors to take steps to reduce the opportunity of theft from auto in the community. This is a crime which we frequently see increase in the spring and we have developed a flyer for you to distribute to your neighbors. By following these simple steps, you and your neighbors can help the Minneapolis Police Department and secure your possessions:

· Lock your car doors and close your windows.
· Never leave items visible in your car. Even small items like CD’s, sunglasses, and change can be tempting to a thief.
· If you so leave valuables in your car, place them in the trunk before you reach your destination. This way, a thief does not see you place them in the trunk and leave the vehicle unattended.
· Park in a garage or a well-lit area.
· Use portable mounts for add-on stereo equipment or GPS’s. when you leave the car, remove the equipment, mounts, and any other signs of the items. This includes the suction ring — indicating that a GPS may be hidden inside the vehicle.
· Organize your block. The strongest deterrent against crime is neighbors who know each other and call 911 when there is suspicious activity on theeir block. For more information, call your crime prevention specialist.
· Call 911 if you see illegal or suspicious activity, such as a person walking down the street and looking in vehicles.

Help a student with a research project  

My name is Tammy Lindberg and I am a graduate student in the Heritage Preservation program at the University of Minnesota. Currently I am volunteering with Preserve Minneapolis, a non-profit group that is dedicated to improving the quality of life in Minneapolis by recognizing, preserving, and revitalizing the architectural and related cultural
resources of the city of Minneapolis.

Currently I am working on an education piece for the Preserve Minneapolis website; the article will be designed to educate citizens about the values and benefits of living in a historic district. Since Marcy Holmes contains a historic district, I was hoping you and your neighborhood would participate. Could I trouble you to ask a few of your residents to write or email me testimonies (that could be published on our website) briefly explaining what they like about living in a historic district and the benefits that they perceive? I don’t want to trouble you, but neighborhood input and citizen views are key to the education piece (i.e. people want to know what other people think).

If you would help me out with this, that would be great. Please feel free to call me with any questions.

My cell is 612-251-8167.

Email: lind0737@umn.edu

Bike Sharing Lots of good news to report:

University and Surrounding Community Public Bike Kiosk Workshop
Thursday April 30, 3:30 pm-5:00 pm;
300 Transportation and Safety Building,
511 Washington Avenue SE Optional

pre-meeting bike ride to scout potential locations–meet at Dunn Bros. Coffee at 720 Washington Ave SE at 1:30.

Bring your own bike.

On March 3, 2009, Bike/Walk Twin Cities selected the Twin Cities Bike Share Project for federal funding.

This key decision puts us on track to launch a 1,000-bike system in Spring 2010.  A huge thanks to Transit for Livable Communities for supporting innovation!

Alta Planning, bicycle and pedestrian planning specialists, will develop the system map and recommend locations for approximately 75 public bicycle kiosks.  Please join us for a workshop hosted by Alta Planning to gather community input on potential kiosk locations.

SEMCOL  (South East Minneapolis Council on Learning) is a cooperative council made up of representatives from

Prospect Park, Como, and Marcy-Holmes who are concerned about supporting various kinds of learning in our neighborhood.  Each neighborhood has delegated 5 citizens to represent them.   The Council meets monthly on the third Saturday of the month at Van Cleve Park from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 and coordinates many aspects of education and learning in our community.

Currently there is need for a Marcy School parent living in the neighborhood who will serve on the Council.   Please contact Melissa Bean at MHNA if you are interested.

Minneapolis Teen Job Fair
The third annual Minneapolis Teen Job Fair will take place on April 25, 2009 from 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the
Hennepin County Library - Central, located at 300 Nicollet Mall.

Teens, 14 and up, will have an opportunity to meet employers, get information about jobs, volunteering and internships and attend workshops.