December 2006 - Hill and Lake Press

‘W he re the biggie s le ave off...’
H i l l & La k e Pr e s s
Published for the East Isles, Lowry Hill, Kenwood Isles, & CIDNA Neighborhoods
VOLUME 30 NUMBER 12
DECEMBER 16 2006
Merry Christmas 2006 Happy Holidays
DOWNTOWN KENWOOD
By Jane Johnson
Changes are happening in the Hood. Sadly
Kenwood Cyclery closed its doors, but now we have
two storefronts in its place. Right on the corner is the
Bockley Gallery owned and operated by Todd Bockley,
who represents a number of contemporary artists:
notably Glen Hanson, Barbara Kreft, Steven
Woodward, Stuart Nielsen, Philip Larson, Andrea
Carlson, Jim Denomie, Julie Buffalohead, Norval
Morrisseau, Star Wallowing Bull, Frank Big Bear,
George Morrison, and Arlonzia Pettway. As you walk by
the gallery you are struck by the bright colors and variety of shapes in all of the pieces displayed on the walls.
There is such a freshness and energy coming from these
paintings and textiles. The gallery is very spare which
leaves the space entirely open so that one can fully
appreciate the works that are hanging. A different artist
is featured about every six weeks, so there is frequent
constant turnover.
Bockley has been in this business most of his working life and has established a reputation for having and
eye for the best contemporary Midwestern artists, most
of whom are Ojibwe. who have exhibited in museums
around the country.
Bockley just loves his corner! He can walk to work
and there is always some activity going on outside his
huge windows. I noticed that there is a very faded old
sign for Ex-Lax on the outside. I guess that once we had
a drugstore on that spot! It’s a cool old sign, I am glad
no one thought it a good idea to remove it!
Stop by, or go online at www.bockleygallery.com
And when you are there, drop in to meet Elizabeth
Grubb at E Photography right next door. Not only is
Grubb an amazing photographer who will present you
with an extremely high quality book of photos of your
family occasion, but she carries some great jewelry by
Downtown Kenwood continued
page 14
Inside
Downtown Kenwood
Both photos by Dorothy Childes
Calendar
Library Report
School Board Audrey Johnson
Rep. Margaret Kelliher
Kenwood School
The Neighborhoods
Classified Advertising
Editorial
Letters
Sand Upon the Waters
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
P11,12,13
Page 13
Page 14
Page 14,15
Page 16
Beware of Neighborhood Crimes
By Jane Johnson
A neighbor in Lowry Hill just reported to me that a
white guy who appears to have a serious drug problem
is breaking into houses in the neighborhood. He comes
at night (10ish) and tries to break down the doors with
a sledge hammer of all things! He broke into a house
near 22nd & James and he tried to break into a bunch
of houses along the Lake of the Isles. He takes laptops,
IPODs, jewelry, cell phones, etc. Apparently a resident
on Lake of the Isles has formed a neighborhood watch
group.
Also, it has brought to my attention that there have
been a number of burglaries of garages in Lowry Hill;
bikes have been stolen, and contents of cars have been
taken. We are all well advised to keep the side doors into
our garages locked, lock up our bikes and keep our car
doors locked even when in the garage
World renowned Birchbark Books
2
HILL AND LAKE PRESS
DECEMBER 16, 2006
Calendar
PROPERTY TAX MEETING
Council Member Remington of Ward 10 will be
holding a public meeting on Property Tax Issues
on:January 10, 2007, 6:30-8 pm, at the Walker Health
Center, 3737 Bryant Ave S , Minneapolis.
A representative from both the city’s finance and
assessor’s office will be present to speak and answer
questions.
December 2006 Minneapolis Park
and Recreation Board
A Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s (MPRB)
December Board Meetings will be held at 5 p.m. Dec.
20, 2006, at MPRB administrative offices, 2117 West
River Road, Minneapolis.
Agendas and information related to Park Board
business
are
typically
posted
at
www.minneapolisparks.org no later than two business
days prior to each meeting.
All Board Meetings are broadcast live from 5-9 p.m.
on Channels 14 and 79 on the Minneapolis Time
Warner network. Meetings are rebroadcast Sundays at 6
p.m. and 8 p.m., Wednesdays at 2 p.m. and 9 p.m.,
Thursdays at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Sundays at noon.
Web casts for the recent two months are available for
viewing at www.minneapolisparks.org.
Spring Home Tour
Information and orientation
Application forms and background material for the
2007 Minneapolis & Saint Paul Home Tour are available
for homeowners interested in putting their homes on
the Tour. The Tour, in its 20th year, is scheduled for
Saturday and Sunday, April 28 and 29, 2007, one weekend earlier than in recent years. Nomination/applications are due January 25, 2007.
“During the holidays, homeowners will be seeing
their families and friends – a great time to ask them to
save a few hours on that last weekend in April to help
host the home,” said Margo Ashmore, Tour coordinator.
Homeowners are also encouraged to attend an
information session Tuesday, January 9. This gettogether offers a chance to meet other prospective
Home Tour participants, ask questions about how the
tour works, and review nomination forms and other
background materials about the Tour. The January 9
session will be held from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the Hosmer
Library, 347 E. 36th St. (just east of 35W from the 36th
St. exit).
Minneapolis Neighborhood Revitalization Program
(NRP) manages the tour as a celebration of city living
that encourages homeowners to improve, remodel and
expand existing housing stock. Many organizations and
businesses sponsor the tour. Contractors are encouraged to call for more information on nominating homes
they have worked on.
For more information, call Tour Coordinator
Margo Ashmore at 612-673-5103 or email
[email protected]. A downloadable application form
(which can be filled out on computer and emailed) and
background materials area available through a related
news article on the home page of www.nrp.org.
MINNEAPOLIS AUDUBON SOCIETY
2006-2007 PROGRAMS
Interesting topics are scheduled for the monthly
meetings of the Minneapolis Audubon Society. Lake
area residents and birders find the time and place very
convenient. The 2006-2007 programs are held on the
second Friday of each month at 1:00 p.m and are open
to the public. Programs are at the Bryant Park Square
Community Building located at 31st Street and Bryant
Avenue South, Minneapolis. Coffee served afterward.
January 12 Newfoundland Ted Galambos
February 9 Wilderness withiin a Wetland Scott Sharkey
Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church
Welcomes You this Advent Season!
Christmas Eve Morning Service
Sunday, December 24th @ 10:30 a.m.
%
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
Sunday, December 24th @ 7:30 p.m.
%
Holiday Mission at St. Anne’s Place Shelter
Hands-on Volunteer at Santa Night Dec. 20th
or Sponsor a Family for December
%
Worship Each Sunday @ 10:30 a.m.
ursery available during Education Hour & Service
ducation Hour @ 9:30 a.m. Sunday Mornings
Adult, Teen, School-Age & Pre-School Classes
Re-Starting in January
No Registration/Drop-in Participation Welcome
%
Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church
420 South Cedar Lake Road
612-377-5222 or www.brynmawrchurch.org
All Are Welcome Here!
MPRB Holiday Program
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
(MPRB) celebrates the holiday season with programs
and events at many of the neighborhood parks. From
making gingerbread houses to a holiday lights tour, the
Minneapolis Park System offers events for all ages.
Kenwood Park (2101 W. Franklin Ave.) – New
Year’s Eve Party, Thursday, Dec. 28, 12:30-3:30 p.m.
The free event features music by KidsDance DJs,
contests, activities, prizes and light refreshments.
Registration deadline is Dec. 14; call 612-370-4941.
Minneapolis Parks Ice Rink Venues
Family Fun on the Ice
Take advantage of the Minnesota winter with a few
spins on the ice rinks of the Minneapolis Park System.
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB)
maintains two indoor rinks and 30 outdoor ice rinks for
ice skating, hockey and broomball.
Parade Ice Garden – 600 Kenwood Parkway (behind
the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden)
Open July through mid-March, The Parade features
two 200 x 85 ft. rinks and one 96 x 56 ft. rink for skating, broomball and hockey. One rink has indoor turf
mid-March through June for soccer and lacrosse. Open
public skating is available 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. MondayFriday throughout the year. Call 612-370-4846 for more
information about skating, equipment and ice rental,
soccer, lacrosse or renting advertising space on the rink
boards.
The Parade, in association with Parade Figure
Skating Club, offers a complete training program for
beginning and advanced skaters. For details about classes and schedules visit www.paradefsc.org.
Minneapolis Parks Winter Special
Events
Winter fun on the ice and snow is showcased
through Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
(MPRB) events that draw hundreds and even thousands
of people. From spectacular New Year’s Eve fireworks
to whimsical kites flying over Lake Harriet during the
Winter Kite Festival, Minneapolis residents and visitors
from around the world celebrate Minnesota’s Winter
Wonderland. Highlights of this winter’s special events
include:
New Year’s Eve Fireworks
The Downtown Riverfront District and MPRB New
Year’s Eve Fireworks Show lights up the winter sky
beginning at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 31, downtown
along the Mississippi River. Spectacular viewing of the
fireworks reaches from 35W to Broadway, at parks
including Father Hennepin Bluff Park, Boom Island
Park, Historic Main Street Park, St. Anthony Main, the
Stone Arch Bridge and West River Parkway.
Lake Harriet Winter Kite Festival
Kites of all colors, sizes, shapes and themes will fly
over Lake Harriet from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13.
Events near the Lake Harriet Bandshell (4135 W. Lake
Harriet Pkwy.) include kite flying and demonstrations;
children’s ice fishing expo and medallion hunt; ice skating and a marshmallow roast. The event, which is free,
is hosted by Lyndale Farmstead and Linden Hills Parks,
and co-sponsored and Linden Hills Parks, and co-
sponsored www.minneapolisparks.org or the Winter
Kite Festival Hotline, 612-370-4948. In case of
extreme weather or poor ice conditions, the event
will be re-scheduled for Jan. 20.
City of Lakes Loppet
The 35km Urban Cross Country Ski Race spans two
days, Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 3-4, featuring the beautiful trails and lakes of the Twin Cities. Thousands of
skiers, including many of the sport’s best, ski through
woods, over parkways and across lakes. Skiers of all
ages and abilities will be challenged and thrilled by this
beautiful urban course. Spectators are also welcome.
The complete schedule, maps, registration and more are
available at www.cityoflakesloppet.com.
DECEMBER 16, 2006
HILL AND LAKE PRESS
The Library Report
3
DOG PARK UPDATE
THE LIBRARY REPORT DECEMBER 2006
By Gary Thaden, City Council Appointee to Minneapolis Library Board, Lowry Hill East resident,
[email protected], www.mplib.org
Summer Reading Program a Success
Once again, the Summer Reading Program exceeded
expectations. Over 16,000 children, aged birth through
twelve years, registered for the children's program,
Catch the Beat at Your Library. This is 25% increase
from last year and the highest registration number since
1980. Of those who registered, 12,388, or 77%, completed the reading requirement of ten books. Between
June 5 and September 2, over 146,000 books were read
by (or read to) Minneapolis kids.
The Teen Summer Program, Make up Your Mind,
for teens aged 12-18 years, served 976 teens with
numerous components. "Create Your Own Booklist"
on the library's Web for Teens website encouraged 164
individuals to recommend 1120 entries. Participants
were automatically entered into a drawing for twenty
$15 Dunn Bros gift certificates, fifteen $20 Best Buy gift
certificates, and two iPods. Teens that attended a teen
special event or program were also eligible for these
drawings.
Minneapolis Public Library’s Team Read, a volunteer
program for teens, gives invaluable support for the children's Summer Reading Program. This year 99 teens
signed up to be Team Read members at 11 library locations, with a total of 1,640 hours volunteered.
Give a Book to the Entire City
Did a parent, friend, teacher, or librarian ever give
you a book that changed your life? A book that made
you think differently or aspire to greater things? Now
you have a chance to return the favor.For just $25, you
can give a book to the Minneapolis Public Library for
the whole city to enjoy. In recognition of your gift, we
will include a customized bookplate in your book with
your name or that of a friend or relative you wish to
honor. You’ll also receive a 1-year membership in The
Friends of the Library, which includes an unlimited
10% discount.The Friends of MPL are organizing
library supporters to keep our collections strong. In
2006, two out of every five books purchased by MPL
were purchased with private contributions. In our current fiscal year, we hope to raise $1 million for new
books so that when public funding allows our libraries
to be open, they have exciting new collections.For $50,
you can buy a second book for someone who can’t
afford one. For $100, you can buy a book for each member of a family of four. For $300, you can buy a book
for each month of the year. For $600, you can buy a
book for every student in your child’s or grandchild’s
classroom. For $1,000, you can buy enough books to
keep most avid readers engaged for a year.To learn
more, call the Friends of MPL’s development team at
(612)
630-6175
or
donate
online,
http://www.friendsofmpl.org/Campaign_home.html .
-Gary Thaden, City Council Appointee to
Minneapolis Library Board, Lowry Hill East resident,
[email protected]
The Park Board segregated the dog park on Lake of
Isles into two distinct areas: one for small dogs (25 lbs
& under) and one for large dogs.
Previously, there was only one area for all size dogs
and large dogs sometimes intimidated small dog owners from using the park.
NOLA
HOME
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Completely remodeled 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom Parkwood Knolls home adjacent to
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Take a Virtual Tour at www.WilleGroup.com
Leslie Walker, Michael Wille, and Leanna Privette
4
HILL AND LAKE PRESS
DECEMBER 16, 2006
Goodnight and Good Luck
By Audrey D. Johnson, Director, Minneapolis Board of Education
So much has changed in seven years. The job of
education our youth is the biggest and best investment
we can make as a nation. Time isn’t going to stop, not
for an instant. But what we do with our time and
resources makes all the difference in the world. The last
election was clearly a mandate for change. The big
national issues were corruption and the war in Iraq.
Education is ranked as a top item in our state, and it
should be, over 40% of the state budget goes to K-16
education. This has to remain on the front burner; so
many changes are needed if we are to do right by our
youth, all our youth.
A few years back I wrote an article entitled “A
Garden of Children” I wrote of the need to transform
the educational system from a business model to one
that would allow the educational and learning needs of
children to be accepted as the number one priority in
education. Our educational system mimics a business
model, like a factory spewing out widgets. Trouble is
kids aren’t widgets. There must be accountability, and
schools must be able to show that kids are learning and
moving forward. The recent release of school data
shows that schools are slipping behind the federal and
state levels of acceptability. There’s lots of discussion
about what tests show and how often they should be
administered. But the real story ought to be about how
the system is adapting to meet the learning needs of the
children. Despite society’s forward progression in communications, science, and information availability, the
system largely remains unchanged for the last 100+
years. Too many kids just don’t learn the old fashioned
way anymore. Until that understanding is reached, we
are just rearranging the chairs on deck as the good ship
Public Education slips away under the weight of
unfunded mandates and changing demographics.
I must also comment on the good stuff that I have
witnessed in the last seven years. We have such impressive students. Each year at graduation I marvel at the
maturity and poise of so many of our graduates. In
June of 07, my youngest child will graduate. I have
watched how she and her classmates have grown and
matured. My child has gotten a world class education in
the Minneapolis Public Schools. It took a lot of hard
work from the great teachers and staff as well as the
parents and my student. The opportunities available to
most MPS students today are unprecedented.
Every month for seven years I have sat at school
board meetings and enjoyed the wonderful recognitions
we have of student accomplishments, of teacher excellence, of fabulous, devoted volunteers, of extraordinary
efforts by many to raise our children up and prepare
them for the future. That and presiding over graduations, enjoying performances at schools, Orchestra Hall,
History Day events, chess tournaments, sports events,
mock trials, and acknowledging the many fine works
and accomplishments of students from all over the city
have been the greatest part of the job. This is the stuff
that should always be celebrated. Unfortunately it is not
always the part of Minneapolis Public Schools that gets
big time media coverage, and that doesn’t help the
efforts to promote a better educational system.
When I was elected, I took it upon myself to write
articles for community newspapers that would help demystify what the Board of Education does, and what
the overarching issues affecting education were as I saw
them. The Board of Education has a few major responsibilities: it hires and evaluates a Superintendent, sets
goals and outcomes for the district and monitors the
Superintendent’ performance based on the achievement
of those outcomes, approves the budget based on the
intended outcomes of the district, and it acts as the go
between for the community and the district. Part of that
responsibility is boosting the community’s understanding of the education system and the issues affecting it.
I have written, ad nauseum, about the federal and
state governments’ role and what needs to change with
the hope that those who read what I have written come
away with a better understanding of what’s going on. I
have had many folks thank me for this, and I feel I must
thank them and all my readers for taking the time to
read and reflect on this important part of our society.
The next few years are going to be difficult ones for the
new board, many tough issues are ahead; a
Superintendent search, cutting $15+ million dollars,
declining enrollment, new contracts with several bargaining units, a renewed referendum initiative and possible school closings. This is a thankless task, no matter
what one decides, there are always those who are angry
and hurt and let the school board members know it.
And that’s the “news” that gets the most coverage.
Rarely in the media do we hear from those who are
happy with the great things happening in our schools or
have expressed support for the work of the School
Board. But they are out there and I thank them for their
support and understanding. I would offer this advice:
have an open mind and jump to no conclusions based
on one article or one piece of reported news. Although
most reporters try to get the whole story, there is always
another side to the story. Few issues are black and white;
there are a lot of gray areas.
A new Board will come in full of great intentions
and enthusiasm for change. After a steep learning curve
the reality of the entrenched system will be felt. It will
take a whole new approach from the Feds on down to
the local community to make the changes that are really
needed. One of those is in the area of education
finance. In his first months on the job Governor
Pawlenty put in place a blue ribbon task force on education finance. That group worked hard and looked at
many facets of the system. They had some good recommendations. Pawlenty didn’t like the report. It was
shelved. Now there is a group who has continued to
work on that report and with the new legislature and its
leadership, Margaret Anderson Kelliher and Larry
Pogemiller, we can only hope that things will be done
differently and that changes that are needed can start to
happen before it’s too late. Keep your eye on the prize,
a world class education for every child. It can happen!
Thank you for the opportunity to serve.
A Book for Holiday Giving
“Minneapolis Park System, 1883 - 1944” 2006
Limited Edition ~ A great book for holiday giving
Theodore Wirth designed and developed the unique,
one-of-a-kind Minneapolis Park System. Because of
his genius, Minneapolis parks have been recognized
among the best in the Nation since 1928.
When Wirth retired in 1935, he authored the only
book ever written on Minneapolis Park History.
“Minneapolis Park System, 1883 - 1944” was self published by Wirth in 1948, just shortly before his death.
The book has been classified in the rare book category
since then. The Minneapolis Parks Legacy Society
has reprinted “Minneapolis Park System, 1883 - 1944”
by Theodore Wirth as a Limited Edition. A fine replication of the original 1948 green linen hard cover version, the new unedited book is well indexed and extensively illustrated with historic images including folding
maps and “tipped-in” pictures. All copies are numbered
and boast several colored pages, historic maps and plans
and historic documents. The new preface is authored
and signed by Theodore J. Wirth, FASLA, third generation park planner and grandson of Theodore Wirth.
Signed and numbered copies of “Minneapolis
Park System, 1883 - 1944” 2006 Limited Edition are
available only through the Minneapolis Parks Legacy
Society and make beautiful holiday gifts. The 350 page
books are $100 per copy. You can request your order
form
by
email
at
[email protected] or call 612
925 4194
Elizabeth Boyer and Ted Wirth review her copy of the new 2006 Limited Edition of "Minneapolis Park System,
1883-1944" by Theodore Wirth. Elizabeth, 91 years old, is a Charter Member the Minneapolis Parks Legacy
Society. Ted Wirth is a 3rd generation park planner and the grandson of Theodore Wirth.
DECEMBER 16, 2006
HILL AND LAKE PRESS
5
Minnesota House of
Representatives District 60A (651) 2960171 (651) 296-5524 267 State Office Building, St. Paul,
MN 55155 [email protected]
NEW DFL MAJORITY ELECTS
KELLIHER AS SPEAKER OF
THE HOUSE
The new 85-seat DFL Majority in the Minnesota
House of Representatives officially elected State
Representative Margaret Anderson Kelliher as SpeakerDesignate of the House during an organizational caucus following the November election. Kelliher won reelection this year to her fifth term representing House
District 60A, which includes the Bryn Mawr, Kenwood,
Loring Park, Lowry Hill and Wedge neighborhoods.
Kelliher, who assumed the role of House DFL
Leader in June after serving six years as Assistant DFL
House Leader, becomes the second woman to serve as
Speaker of the House in Minnesota history. Former
Speaker Dee Long, who served as speaker from 1991 to
1993, represented the same Minneapolis district as
Kelliher.
"I am honored and more than a bit humbled to be
elected as Speaker of the House," Kelliher said. "I am
also very excited about the opportunities this presents
for our state." Kelliher emphasized what she sees as a
desire across the state to refocus on the issues and values that made Minnesota a success. "Minnesotans
spoke loudly on Election Day about their desire for
positive change at the State Capitol. They want us to
focus on the issues that matter most to the health and
prosperity of our state – great schools, affordable
health care, transportation and transit and a clean environment – and to put the interests of the state ahead of
partisanship or special interests. I promise to do that."
Kelliher pledged to build a more productive atmosphere in the House. "If we're going to address the
challenges facing us–things like rising property taxes,
school funding or access to affordable health care–we
need to work together on solutions. I hope to create an
atmosphere in the House where everyone's input is
respected and encouraged," Kelliher said.
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Minnesota House Speaker-Elect and District 60A Representative Margaret Anderson Kelliher presents new DFL
state representatives following the November election. The House DFL gained 19 seats retake the majority,
electing Anderson Kelliher Speaker of the House.
Kelliher is in a unique position to listen and talk to
residents in all parts of the state. She grew up on a
dairy farm in southern Minnesota, just outside of
Mankato, and she is a graduate of Gustavus Aldophus
College in St. Peter. In the early 1990s, she served as
an aide to former House Speaker Bob Vanasek. She
continued her dedication to service to her community
as an organizer in the Bryn Mawr Neighborhood. She
focused on long-range planning and transportation
and worked to improve housing in the area.
She was first elected to the Minnesota House in
1998. In 2003, she was named as one of 22 individuals from Minnesota and the Dakotas to be a Bush
Foundation Leadership Fellow. She was also named as
a 2004 Toll Fellow, a prestigious fellowship that is
awarded by the Council of State Governments to just
40 leaders nationwide.
Kelliher and her husband, David, have two children. The family enjoys long bike rides around the
Minneapolis lakes. Kelliher also enjoys fishing with
her kids.
NOLA
HOME
6
HILL AND LAKE PRESS
December 16, 2006
Kenwood School Arts Residencies
By Sue Payne
This fall, Kenwood students took part in a Roots Dancing Residency that involved all the 1st graders and their "Reading Buddies" in 3rd, 4th & 5th grades. The Residency
was put on by Bob Walser and Julie Young whose twin sons are Kenwood students. Bob and Julie have traveled all over the United States and Europe teaching about American
folk music and dance. At Kenwood, each class learned a particular dance and how it developed out of its local culture and community. The residency culminated in a Barn
Dance for the students and their families. Roots Dancing is just one of many Arts Residencies funded by Kenwood's PTA. For more information about Kenwood, call Sue
Payne,Community Liaison, at 668-2778. To learn more about Roots Dancing, go to www.bobandjulie.net. Photos are by Courtney Kushing Kiernat.
Kenwood School
Students
Arts
Residency
DECEMBER 16, 2006
Minneapolis sets national record for
National Night Out participation
Minneapolis block clubs and neighborhood groups
held a record number of National Night Out events in
2006, despite persistent rain the night of the event.
About 835 events were held on National Night Out,
Aug. 1. Some neighborhoods rescheduled their events
because of the weather, and at least 934 separate events
were held during a three-day period, which is an all-time
national record for National Night Out events. More
than 34,000 people attended block events Aug. 1 alone,
and over a three-day period, more than 39,000 people
took part. That means more than 10 percent of the
City’s population attended a block event.
National Night Out activities help build and maintain Minneapolis’ extensive network of neighborhood
watch block clubs by giving people an opportunity to
get together with neighbors, build relationships, meet
new people, discuss issues and plan for the future.
The Community Crime Prevention/SAFE
(CCP/SAFE) unit of the Minneapolis Police
Department coordinates Minneapolis National Night
Out. John Baumann, CCP/SAFE Central Operations
Manager, said “National Night Out has much more
than a single-night impact in Minneapolis. Neighbors
who know each other care more about each other and
do a better job of watching out and reporting crime and
suspicious behavior to police.”
National Night Out is more than a chance for neighbors to get to know each other. Baumann said
“National Night Out is also a great example of leadership building in Minneapolis. Each of our more than
900 events was individually designed at the grassroots
level by one or more volunteer leaders.”
Target Corporation, the Minnesota Twins, the Star
Tribune, The Park at MOA, and Qwest
Communications were all major supporters of
Minneapolis’ National Night Out. More than 50 small
businesses also contributed to the effort. The Mayor’s
office and City Council, the entire Police Department,
the Fire Department, Public Works, and other City
departments also played a role.
For more information on Minneapolis’ neighborhood watch or block clubs, you can call 612-673-3447
or visit: www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/safe.
HILL AND LAKE PRESS
7
Springboard for the Arts and Neighborhood Involvement Program
Announce Partnership
Springboard for the Arts and Neighborhood
Involvement Program are thrilled to announce their
new program, Artists’ Access to Healthcare. This partnership between the two Twin Cities based nonprofits
will help provide free or low-cost healthcare to individual artists in the metropolitan area. Beginning
November 11, individual artists may apply to
Springboard for a voucher to be used at the N.I.P.
Community Clinic, located in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis.
“Many of the artists we serve are both low-income
and self-employed, so healthcare is a major concern for
them.” says Laura Zabel, Springboard’s Executive
Director, “We are so excited to be partnering with N.I.P.
to provide artists with a new option for affordable
healthcare. Helping artists connect to options for
healthcare, especially preventative care, is one of
Springboard’s long-term goals. This program is a perfect start to that goal, and we hope that the partnership
will be able to grow to provide even more healthcare
related services specifically for artists.”
“We’ve all seen the signs - a nation deserves great
art. At the N.I.P. Community Clinic, we also believe that
a great city should provide affordable health care for its
artists. For years our Clinic has provided medical care
for working artists (full-and part workers) who do not
have health insurance, so we are very excited about this
partnership with Spring Board for the Arts. We hope
that Artist Access to Healthcare (AAH) will encourage
more artists to access care and raise awareness about all
the employed and hardworking, yet uninsured people in
the Twin Cities. We want to thank Laura Zable for her
unique vision, for including N.I.P. in this project and for
making access to healthcare for uninsured artists a reality.” Leslie Rohde, N.I.P., Interim Executive Director
More information and applications to the program
can be found on Springboard’s website at www.springboardforthearts.org, or by calling 651-292-4381.
N.I.P. strengthens individuals and the community by
National Night Out in 2007 is scheduled for
Aug. 7.
providing health care, education, and social services to
our underserved neighbors.
Springboard for the Arts’ mission is to cultivate a
vibrant arts community by connecting artists to the
skills, contacts, information and services they need to
make a living and a life.
The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
will once again be participating in the U.S. Marine Corps
Toys for Tots program. Since 1948, the Marine Corps
has collected and distributed toys during the holiday
season for children who might otherwise go without.
Local coordinators work closely with social welfare
agencies, churches and other community groups to distribute toys to children in need. The Minnesota DFL
Headquarters will be an official drop-off site for this
wonderful program. If you would like to donate new,
unwrapped toys, please drop them off at our St. Paul
office, 255 E. Plato Blvd Monday through Friday, 10
a.m. until 4 p.m. between Monday, December 4 and
Wednesday, December 20.
•Modern Objects • Rare Finds
• Design & Travel Books • Artifacts
• Vintage• Antique Baskets
• Ta b l e t o p • J e w e l e r y • F o l i o s
•Luxury Organic Silk Bedding
• Collector Baskets • Furniture
•Gorgeous Throws•Modern Objects
NOLA
HOME
404 Penn Ave S. Bryn Mawr Minneapolis
612-374-4066 (Next to Bloomsbury Market)
10- 6 p.m. Daily Thursday until 8 p.m.
Sunday 12-5 p.m. Closed Monday
8
HILL AND LAKE PRESS
December 16, 2006
Ask Diane about Stripping Wallpaper
Question: We are renovating an old house built in
1903. We have skimmed the walls in the second floor
bedrooms, primed them, and painted them. (Skimming
is the professional term for repairing plaster walls that
have nicks, nail holes or uneven areas. The painter sands
the damaged area and then fills in with a plaster patching compound.) We are now working on the front bedroom that faces northeast that has been wallpapered for
35 years with one coat of wallpaper that must have been
applied with glue it is so difficult to remove. The wallpaper is covering plaster walls that have not been
sheetrocked. What is the best product that you carry
that will remove old wallpaper?
Answer: Some people, like our son, swear by using
good old-fashioned elbow grease. He stripped three
bedrooms, a living room, and dining room by soaking
the walls with warm soapy water, and then scraping off
the wallpaper with a very good scraper.
We recommend Dif Wallpaper Stripper liquid
Concentrate made by Zinsser. It is the best selling product on the market. It comes in different sizes such as a
pint size with 6 oz or a gallon size. A pint makes enough
By Diane Woelm
to strip a 12' by 24’ room. Its unique enzyme action dissolves old paste, cuts removal time in half, and comes
off in fast easy sections once the wall is scored with a
tool, also made by Zinsser. Before you apply the stripper you must score the walls using a rounded action
from top to bottom. One customer returned to Savitt's
for more Dif with a gleam on her face. She said, "With
the scoring tool and Dif I have removed wallpaper from
three bedrooms.”
Another customer came in to buy more Diff
because she ran out, and said that in order to finish one
wall she replaced the Diff with her dishwasher detergent which was a granulated product. She scored the
walls and then proceeded to soak them with her dishwasher detergent and said it worked very well. She was
able to finish one bedroom, and then returned to
Savitt's for more Diff. The key to removing wallpaper is
in the scoring, soaking, and scraping. Before using Dif
protect your carpeting, furniture and bare wood floors
with a plastic or canvas covering. Score the walls first
with Paper Tiger Wallcovering Scoring Tool. Add contents of one pint of Dif to two gallons of hot tap water
Re m o d e l i n g S av v y
by Fred V. Peters
Home Is Where the Hearth Is...
It’s that time of the year again. Good times, family
gatherings, sheltered from the darkness and the elements outside, centered around the cozy glow of the
fireplace. There is something in our collective psyche
about the warmth and cheer of a fire on the hearth. But
it doesn’t have to be winter to enjoy a fireplace. Hearths
are being incorporated into all sorts of spaces that can
be enjoyed year ‘round. For example, a recently
designed porch, screened on three sides with a gas fireplace against the house wall. With in-floor radiant heat,
it will greatly extend the season for porch sitting. While
family rooms are still the most popular rooms for fireplaces, here are some other spaces we are seeing them:
Owners’ Suites
Luxury Bathrooms
Kitchens
Outdoor Living Spaces
Three Season Rooms
Home Offices
It doesn’t have to be a traditional masonry fireplace
to create the ambience you desire. There are many
options, wood or pellet burning, gas and even electric
units. They can be pre-fabricated and built-in, a free
standing parlor stove set in a beautiful tile or masonry
surround or a super efficient masonry stove. The possibilities are only limited by the imagination and your
budget.
Another option we often suggest is to give an uninteresting or dated fireplace a facelift. A new surround
and/or mantel, along with adding or changing adjacent
paneling and woodwork details can transform a room.
Proper placing of a fireplace in an existing or new
space is crucial. A poorly placed hearth will look and
feel awkward and rarely be used. Important considerations are how and when a fireplace will be used, appropriate seating area, traffic flow etc.
Quite often the hearth is the focal point of the
room, if not the home.
So enjoy your hearth this holiday season. And if
you don’t have one in your home at present, I hope it’s
a pleasure you will enjoy in the future.
Happy hearth times to you and yours!
Nojmd`n=jpi_ajmGda`
Lp\gdot<m^cdq\gH`hjdmn
Ÿ =`\podapgKmdiodib!=di_dib
Ÿ Kcjoj?dbdodu\odji!M`nojm\odji
Ÿ ?Q?Ngd_`ncjrn
rrr)kcjoj]jjfkm`nn)^jh
Hdii`\kjgdn'HI
o`g51,-(32/(+-//
(120) degrees. Test for best results. Application: Use a
medium nap paint roller or a clean garden-type sprayer.
Do not use a light mist sprayer. Thoroughly wet all surfaces, top to bottom, wait 15 minutes for the paste to
dissolve. Rewet a small section and begin removing
from top to bottom using a paper scraper removal tool
or spackling knife. When finished rinse off residual
paste/Dif with a sponge and clean warm water and
allow to dry before redecorating.
Source: Zinsser Co., Inc. Burt & Arnold Savitt,
Customer's experience stripping wallpaper. Zinsser
Products are carried by Savitt Bros Paint, and most
hardware stores, Menards, and Home Depot. If you
have a question about home improvement, send it to
ASK DIANE, Savitt Bros Paint, 1515 Nicollet Avenue
South, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55403 or call 612-8711515 and ask for Pat Callahan, Customer Service or
Burt and Arnie.
Thank you, and Merry Christmas and Happy
Hanukah with best wishes for a bright, happy and
healthy New Year.
New programs at Kenwood Rec
Center
By Maggie Mercil, Kenwood Park Director
Little Red Tree House
"The staff are great!" "I love the flexibility of the
program; I choose the days that work around my schedule." "My kids just love coming here! They are learning
things that will prepare them for school in a fun, recreational setting." "There is no application fee!" These are
just a few of the benefits of joining the Kenwood preschool. Prepare your toddler for school through intellectual and social interactions with others. Children will
learn basics of writing, drawing and develop socially
through creative play. A small, nutritious snack will be
provided. Children should bring a lunch each day.
Children must be toilet trained. No class on Jan 15, Feb
19. Minimum registrations need to be received by the
deadline to run the program. Full payment is required
regardless of your child's start date.
Monday–Friday, 9:30am–12:30pm, Ages 3-5, Cost
varies, January 22 – March 26
Beginner’s Photography
No more point and click pictures! In this class, kids
will get to learn everything from how a camera works to
the rule of thirds. Each class will cover a different topic
including portraits, shadows, close-ups, nature, movement, points-of-view, and more. The supply fee covers
all film (we'll use color and black and white) and developing fees. Kids will even get to print their own pictures
from negatives. We'll have a guest photographer visit
and learn to matte and frame our own pictures for an
open house at the Lake of the Isles Deli! All participants MUST have a 35mm camera which will be kept at
the park. Talk to Angel for any questions, comments or
material donations. Never take a bad photo again!
Wednesdays January 17 – February 21 4:00 –
5:30pm
Cost $50
Ages 9-13
Limited to eight, first come first served.
Ice “Fishing” Social
It's time to find out who is really telling the biggest
fish stories in the neighborhood! Get out the long
underwear, hats, and hand-warmers and come on down
to the Isles for the first ever Kenwood Ice Fishing
Competition. Poles, bait, coffee, and bakery items will
be provided. This is a family fun event; bring your kids,
sleds and skates! Whoever catches the biggest fish goes
home with a "Walleye" of a Trophy! Cost: $5.00 per
family.
Saturday, January 13 10:00am – 12:00pm
Cost $5/per family
All ages
Kenwood Park (612) 370-4941
www.minneapolisparks.org
DECEMBER 16, 2006
HILL AND LAKE PRESS
9
MINNEAPOLIS PARK & RECREATION BOARD 2006 ADULT VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION PROGRAM
Ken wood P ark Nomin ee Jan et Hallaway
Overscheduled kids. Fragmented neighborhoods.
Video game-induced behaviors. These are the headlines that make parents worry about raising kids in the
early twenty-first century. And it’s not just on the east
and west coasts; we in the wholesome Twin Cities
worry about those things, too.
Luckily for us, we have an antidote in the form of
volunteer, neighbor, parent and friend Janet Hallaway.
Janet is a person who moves us from being worried parents into involved, proactive players. She focuses our
energies on a historic neighborhood that deserves to be
vital, connected, active and supportive of all its community members. And most often, her forum for
bringing us together is the Minneapolis Park and
Recreation System (and Kenwood Park, in particular.)
For these reasons we nominate Janet Hallaway for
recognition at the 2006 Volunteer Banquet on
November 13.
The Board asked for specific information about a
nominee’s service and involvement with the park. Janet
has served as the head of Palio, a multi-neighborhood
park fundraiser, for the last four years. The most recent
Palio Festival was held on October 1, 2006. She also
serves on the Lowry Hill Board. In that role, Janet was
an instigator, tireless researcher and cross-neighborhood advocate for the new playground equipment
installed in September. Janet’s Board Member involvement also highlights safety considerations in the park,
supports fund-raising efforts for the Kenwood tennis
courts and, in one particular case, generated interest and
participation in a local high school’s venture to clean up
the lake behind Parade Ice Arena. Janet also closely follows all local elections that might impact park programs; in that regard, she does her homework and challenges her neighbors to do the same.
It bears mention that Janet and her family take part
in the terrific programs offered by the Kenwood Park &
Rec Center. She and her family are not occasional visitors; they are regulars on the playground, in the summer
programs and, most recently, as involved members in
the neighboring Kenwood School community. (Her
children, Henry and Claire, are Kindergartners at
Kenwood School.)
But it is indeed the Palio Festival that best embodies
the energy and focus Janet lends to her volunteer
efforts. Nearly twenty-five years running, the Palio
Festival is a longstanding, cross-neighborhood favorite.
Its proceeds benefit Kenwood Park & Rec Center programs. Four years ago, however, Palio was in danger of
being cancelled due to lack of volunteer support. After
many years of service, its former corps of volunteer
players needed to find ‘the next generation’ of people to
drive the event. They were having little luck. But the
tides turned. In the words of John Bartsch who was
affiliated with Palio planning at the time: “Janet was a
volunteer all the way. She came into the Rec Center one
day and was looking for the park director. She told me
that she wanted to plan and organize Palio. And that
was it. We mapped out a basic plan and started to
recruit a committee; the rest is history.”
Each Palio event in the years since has been ‘bigger
and better’. But, most important, at Janet’s insistence, it
has remained true to its core values: to bring the community together in a way that celebrates both the park
and the longstanding connections within our neighborhoods. (She’s also happy to have seen increasing revenues from the event, meaning more and better contributions to the Park and Rec Center!) To make Palio
happen, Janet partners effectively with the Rec Center
staff; she recruits and motivates volunteers over the
summer months, when most folks are content to ‘wait
until fall’ to get involved; she spends time with each of
the neighborhood boards (Kenwood, Lowry Hill,
CIDNA, East Isles, East Lowry Hill) to insure all stakeholders feel welcome and can get involved; and, she
generates ideas to get different age groups involved in
the event.
Above all, Janet – and her family, too – ‘walks the
talk’. No one rolls up their sleeves more willingly than
the Hallaway family. Watching her five-year old son,
Henry, make a dozen trips back and forth carrying beverages from the car to the food booth at this year’s
event (albeit one or two water bottles at a time J), we
were reminded that Janet’s biggest contribution is perhaps readying our kids to indeed serve as the real ‘next’
There’s Something About
Mary…
She appreciates
your business this
past year and
wishes you a
peaceful and
healthy 2007.
Mary Thorpe-Mease
612-915-2586
Coldwell Banker Burnet
&OLHQWLQVSLUHGFXVWRPOHYHUVHQWLFH\RXLQWRWKHQHZ
OLEUDU\RIDQKLVWRULFKRPHRQ/DNH&DOKRXQ
generation. One that will grow up understanding that
volunteering for the park system is the right thing, to
support clean, safe and well-attended Minneapolis
parks.
And at the end of all the Palio activity, when the
staff and volunteers are bone tired, Janet makes sure
one last thing happens. People get thanked. Every
person and every business who helped support the
event gets a personal thank you. It is a small but timeconsuming and considerate thing to do. Especially
when Janet and her husband, Phil, deserve as many
thanks as anyone.
As evidence of the latter, it has been enjoyable to
watch friends, neighbors and park staff (both past and
present) wholeheartedly support Janet’s nomination
for this recognition. She and her family deserve thanks
for cheerfully and energetically supporting the
Minneapolis Park System without expecting much in
return. They simply believe that neighborhoods
Hallaway to page 10
GLOBAL
G I F T S
•French Linens •African Objects
•Indian Jewelery •Chinese Silks
•European Design Books • Thai Artifacts
•Venezuelean Collectors Baskets
NOLA
HOME
404 Penn Ave S. Bryn Mawr Minneapolis
612-374-4066 (Next to Bloomsbury Market)
10- 6 p.m. Daily Thursday until 8 p.m.
Sunday 12-5 p.m. Closed Monday
10
HILL AND LAKE PRESS
December 16, 2006
Hidden Beach Community Meeting
By Kathy Williams, Kenwood Resident
More than 50 concerned residents came to the
Kenwood Recreation Center for the November 29th
community meeting regarding Hidden Beach that was
organized by Tracy Nordstrom, District 4 Minneapolis
Park & Recreation Board (MPRB) Commissioner. Also
attending were: John Gurban, the Superintendent of
the Minneapolis Park System; Lt. Brad Johnson, the
Minneapolis Park Police Chief; and Doug Kress, Lisa
Goodman’s Assistant. The meeting was ably facilitated
by Kenwood resident, Marian Moore.
After brief introductions and statements, attendees
divided into small groups to answer two questions
regarding Hidden Beach -- “What do you value?” and
“What are your concerns?” Valued aspects included:
the natural beauty, unsupervised beach, freedom, nature
walks, and great for runners and dogs. The list of concerns was longer and included: garbage, off-leash dogs,
drinking of alcohol, use of drugs, prostitution, safety,
parking, noise, speeding, and crime overflowing into the
neighborhood.
Next, Chief Brad Johnson presented relevant crime
statistics. He stated that Hidden Beach takes up an
enormous amount of police time and is a huge drain on
resources. After buckthorn underbrush was cleared
from the park, there were 36 arrests at Hidden Beach
the following year (2004). That grew to 199 arrests in
2005 and 228 so far this year. By comparison, all other
city beaches combined have had 13 arrests so far in
2006. The top 5 crimes committed at Hidden Beach
are: 1) being at the beach after the 10 p.m. closing time,
2) alcohol consumption in the park, 3) narcotics, 4) possession of drug paraphernalia, and 5) dogs off-leash. In
response to a question, Chief Johnson gave 2 main reasons for the escalating crime: 1) a culture connected to
this “informal” beach that has built up over 30 years,
and 2) the internet “advertisements” /word of mouth
touting Hidden Beach.
Attendees then resumed their small groups to brainstorm solutions to the concerns listed above. More
than 30 possible solutions were shared with the total
group, but were not discussed in detail.
Commissioner Nordstrom will meet with MPRB
staff and discuss the situation and possible solutions.
She stated her intent to call another community meeting in late January to present Park Board responses/recommendations.
Facilitator Marian Moore at meeting on Hidden Beach
Photo by Dorothy Childers
Hallaway from page 9
should be neighborhoods, and that kids and parents
should have a reasonable shot at navigating a sometimes
complex and overwhelming world.
Thanks for your consideration.
Nominee Family Information:
Janet and Phil Hallaway
1909 James Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Ph. 612-377-3530
Their children, Claire and Henry Hallaway, are students at Kenwood School
Phil and Janet Hallaway
TEEN VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION
Mitchell Clendenen Kenwood Park Recreation
Center Director/ MPRB Representative: Maggie
Mercil Phone Number: 370-4941.
Mitch started as a volunteer even while in the Rec
Plus program. Younger children look up to him and he
is helpful to staff from preparing snack to cleaning
rooms. When he’s not volunteering at Kenwood, Mitch
is keeping physically active by roller-blading or playing
hockey, baseball and lacrosse. He said he likes to volunteer because it is fun. Mitch is in 7th grade at Lake
Harriet Community School this fall. When he is older,
he hopes to be a video game designer or a carpenter. He
adds humor to every day life at Kenwood, and jumped
at the chance to help as a junior staff at the annual ice
cream social
Mitchell Clendenen
Henry and Claire Hallaway
Photos and text provided by Maggie Mercil and Angel Dwyer, Kenwood Recreation Center
DECEMBER 16, 2006
HILL AND LAKE PRESS
11
The Neighborhoods
East Isles Resident Association (EIRA) Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Renee Gust EIRA Secretary
Board Members Present: Kate Lynch, president;
Ross D’Emanuele, vice-president, Harvey Ettinger,
treasurer; Renee Gust, secretary; Jerome Ryan, Nancy
Johnston, Liz Whitback, Joe Sinnot, Pam Hockenberg,
Julia Edelman, Gabe Keller, Terry McGann. Others
present: Linda Schutz, Ed Nowicki, Anthony Waldera,
Jan Prescott, Christina Melloh, Rhonda Kuell, Mary
Martin. Special Guests: Kim Malrick, Minneapolis City
Council, Kathy Doty, Hennepin County’s Transit
Consultant; and Stephanie Eiler, Parsons Brinkerhoff;
Colin Hamilton, Executive Director for Friends of the
Minneapolis Public Library
Welcome and Announcements:
Kate Lynch updated the group on the dirt delivery
next to the Greenway. The County officials responsible
for the property declined the dirt because it would be
untested for pollutants.
Board members will be offered workshops on board
roles and responsibilities provided free by NRP staff.
City Council Update
Ralph’s Reader Newsletter:
Kim Malrick, Aid to Council Member Ralph
Remington, announced the new Ward 10 newsletter call
Ralph’s Reader. Contact Kim if you would like to get
on the e-mail list.
Press Conference: A press conference was conducted recently regarding the threat made to CM Remington
by a board member of the Police Federation.
Remington was in the process of strengthening the
authority of the Citizen’s Review Authority (CRA).
More information will be in the media regarding this
issue.
Meet Ralph:
Join Ralph at Gigi’s Café (36th and Bryant) on
Mondays from 1:30 to 4 p.m. for open office hours. Call
the City office to reserve your 15-minute time slot, or
just stop by. Also, the third Monday of the month from
8 to 9 a.m. is “Breakfast with Ralph at the Egg and I
(26th and Lyndale).
Light Rail Presentation
Guests Kathy and Stephanie presented information
on the proposed Southwest Transit way, a high frequency transit line connecting Eden Prairie, Minnetonka,
Hopkins, St. Louis Park and downtown Minneapolis. A
map of the three alternate routes were displayed and
discussed with the group. The Southwest Technical
Advisory Committee will be evaluating and getting feedback on each alternate route. Feedback included concern of the effects of LRT next to the Greenway bike
path. The next step includes an in-depth environmental
study by the Hennepin County Regional Railroad
Authority, which is expected to last two to three years.
Kate asked the group to become involved in an East
Isles transit committee or task force.
Library Resolution
The board motioned for and unanimously approved
the EIRA recommendation of the following resolution:
“Given that a citywide, accessible, and quality library
system is essential to the current and future health of
our community; given that the system has already suf-
fered drastic cuts in schedule and staffing, which will be
deepened with the Mayor’s budget; given that 90% of
the funding for the Minneapolis Public Library System
is controlled by the City Council and the Mayor; and
given existing and proposed funding cannot adequately
support a quality library system; the East Isles
EIRA to page 12
12
HILL AND LAKE PRESS
December 16, 2006
The Neighborhoods
EIRA from page 11
Neighborhood Association requests that both the
Mayor and the City Council consider library funding a
priority and make a commitment to modify the proposed budget to ensure the current and future quality of
the library system.” Colin Hamilton was present to
answer questions during the library discussion.
Committee Reports
Uptown Small Area Plan Steering Committee:
Renee Gust and Gabe Keller, EIRA representative
to the Uptown Small Area Steering Committee, presented an update on the visioning sessions conducted
earlier in November. Themes from the sessions can be
viewed
on
the
Web
site:
www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/planning/uptown-plan.asp
Also, the committee chose the planning company, the
Cunningham Group, to assist in creating the plan for
Uptown.
NRP:
Board member and NRP committee chair Jerome
Ryan presented the group with information on the current, Phase 1 NRP action plan and activities. The board
motioned for and unanimously approved the following:
“We will place a notice of meeting ad in the neighborhood paper to give residents of East Isles 30 days
advance notice for a public meeting to be held to discuss a change to our Phase 1 NRP action plan. The
place and time of the meeting will be after February 15,
2007 at Grace Church.” After neighborhood approval,
the board will be asked to approve the changes. These
changes will require City Council approval. The board
asked that the NRP committee meet frequently to
develop a plan for Phase 1 NRP funds.
Social:
The ice skating/winter social will be held on Sunday,
Jan 21, 2007. We will have time and alternate plans if
there is no ice with information later, so save the date!
Zoning:
The retail store owners of Northface Outfitters proposed a two-story building on the site of the UPS and
Tibetan restaurant on Lake and Hennepin Avenue.
Builders have been working with the ECCO neighborhood regarding zoning issues. Nancy Johnston, zoning
committee chair, will be facilitating a meeting on “teardown laws and policies” on Tuesday December 12.
Crime and Safety:
Liz Whitbeck, crime and safety committee chair,
announced the neighborhoods new crime prevention
specialist, Sarah Mahmud. She will contact Sarah to
ensure we are sent the crime trends and activities in our
neighborhood, and will ask Sarah to attend EIRA meetings as needed.
Next meeting:
Tuesday, January 16, 2007, 7 to 9 p.m.
Grace Trinity Church
1430 West 28th Street
(between Hennepin and Humboldt).
Dear EIRA members, Residents and Guests,
Thanks to all that attended the East Isles Residents'
Association meeting on November 21, 2006.
In lieu of a December EIRA board meeting, members are planning a winter holiday potluck supper
When:
Friday, December 15 from 6 to 9 p.m.
Where:
Julia Edelman's house at 2610 Irving
Avenue South
Who:
All EIRA members and guests are welcome. Come one, come all. Bring the kids and a friend!
Please RSVP to 612-377-1371
Renee Gust
Kenwood Isles Area Association (KIAA) Minutes
December 4, 2006
By Kathy Williams, Secretary
Pat Scott called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m.
Board Members present: Michael Bono, Ellen Doll, B. J.
Lillihei, Ron Lotz, Michael Olafson, Ed Pluimer, Pat
Scott, Kathy Williams, and Roy Williams. Others present: Lisa Goodman (our City Council member),
Maggie Mercil (Supervisor of Kenwood Recreation
Center), Eric Gustafson (guest speaker), and 20
Kenwood neighbors.
City Council Update – Lisa Goodman
Lisa distributed a quarterly update from the City of
Minneapolis Department of Health and Family
Support.
Although “Lunch with Lisa” meetings are not usually scheduled for November or December, Lisa is holding a “Later with Lisa” social gathering on December
18th at Willie’s Wine Bar & Coffee Shop (1100 Harmon
Place) from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. She said several former
7th Ward City Council members have been invited and
will attend.
Lisa answered questions regarding light rail (LRT)
through the Southwest Corridor and the funding of the
Minneapolis Library System.
Treasurer’s Report – Roy Williams
According to Roy, our cash balance decreased by
about $200 in November mainly due to the cost of
printing our fall newsletter, partially offset by membership dues and interest income.
Neighborhood Welcome Kit – Kathy Williams
Kathy distributed copies of the proposed Welcome
Kit for the Board’s review. She requested that Board
members send her their comments by December 22nd
so that it can be distributed to new neighbors beginning
in 2007.
Kathy also requested input on: 1) the appearance of
the label on the folder, 2) the style of folder, and 3)
whether the content of the Welcome Kit should be in
color or black & white.
Kathy will e-mail the proposed content of the
Welcome Kit to the Board members not in attendance.
Minnesota Energy Challenge -- Eric Gustafson, staff
for the Corcoran Neighborhood group
Eric invited everyone in attendance to check out the
Minnesota Energy Challenge as an opportunity to learn
how to reduce their household’s energy use and, thereby, reduce Minnesota’s carbon dioxide emissions.
Eric encouraged attendees to log on to
www.mnenergychallenge.org and take the challenge.
He also said that individual households can assign their
“points” (energy savings) to various groups, such as the
Kenwood neighborhood, in order to compare energy
use reductions in various parts of the city.
LRT Kenilworth Corridor Update and Mitigation
Resolution Request–Jeanette Colby, Kenwood resident
Jeanette gave a brief update regarding the proposed
LRT routes through the Southwest Corridor. The
Southwest Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) will meet
on December 13 to recommend the routes that should
continue to be studied. Based on what Jeanette has
heard and read, she believes the recommendation will
be to continue evaluating 3 possible routes, two of
which run along the Kenilworth Corridor.
Jeanette encouraged others to attend this meeting
and voice their concerns.
After a lot of discussion regarding the possible
impact on the Kenwood neighborhood, the Board
agreed to establish a KIAA Transportation Committee.
Jeanette volunteered to lead the committee.
Other – All
Ron Lotz briefly reviewed the November 29 Hidden
Beach Community Meeting. About 50 people attended
and suggested numerous potential solutions to concerns regarding activities at Hidden Beach. Tracy
Nordstrom, our District 4 MPRB Commissioner, will
convene another meeting in late January to present the
MPRB staff responses and recommendations.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:55 p.m.
REMINDER: The next meeting of the KIAA
Board of Directors is Monday, January 8, 2007 from
7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Kenwood Recreation Center.
All Kenwood residents are welcome to attend.
Cedar Isles Dean Neighborhood Association (CIDNA)
By Steven Gove
Chad Larsen reported on behalf of the Land Use
and Development Committee. Sales at the Lander project at 2626 West Lake have been slow, reflecting the
downturn in the overall real-estate market. The
Committee is not aware of any firm date for beginning
construction. In the meantime, the Land Use and
Development Committee should meet to go over
CIDNA’s pending development agreement with
Lander Group. There is a need to ensure that the agreement is specific enough in its requirements to be used
to judge whether the developer is in compliance. This
may require legal consultation. Lander Group has indicated that they would consider helping with a portion
of the legal expenses.
There is a need to set up a Neighborhood
Revitalization Program committee meeting. Chad will
consult with Ed Bell, who has agreed to chair the committee, to choose a date.
There is a public hearing scheduled in the
Minneapolis City Council chambers on 12/18/2006 at
4:30 pm to review the Midtown Greenway Land Use
and Development plan. Details can be found at the
City of Minneapolis Planning Department web-site. .
Lisa Goodman announced that CIDNA Board
member Art Higinbotham had been appointed to the
Civil Rights Commission.
Lisa Goodman has organized an event called “Later
with Lisa” at 5:30 pm on 12/18/2006 at Willie’s Wine
Bar at the corner of Harmon and 11th. Former coun-
cil members will attend. Validated parking is available at
the adjoining parking ramp.
Robert Lilligren, representing the county’s ongoing
study of light rail in the Southwest Transit Corridor,
will meet with the Kenwood neighborhood association
in the near future. Some people in that neighborhood
strongly oppose one proposed routing of the corridor
through Kenilworth to downtown. The Environmental
Impact Study will also consider routing through the
Midtown Greenway and via Nicollet to downtown.
Lisa Goodman noted that it will be a struggle to
make the Cedar Lake bike trail through downtown and
the proposed baseball stadium compatible. The creation
of the trail through this area is written into the legislation authorizing construction of the stadium.
Lisa also reported that neighbors in Kenwood had
met to discuss continuing problems at Hidden Beach.
Some incidence of drug dealing, theft, and violence has
been linked to inappropriate use of the beach.
DECEMBER 16, 2006
HILL AND LAKE PRESS
13
The Neighborhoods
Lowry Hill Residents Inc
Minutes December 5, 2006 By Sara Peterman, Secretary
Attendees: John Bernstein; Fran Davis; Steve
Gudeman; Janet Hallaway; Ed Newman; Sara
Peterman; Rob Reul; and Craig Wilson; Excused
Absences: Barry Lazarus; Wendy Dwyer-Bagley; Dean
Phillips; Amy Walsh Kern; David Graham; Unexcused
Absence: Michelle Borowicz. Guests: Council Member
Lisa Goodman; Park Board Commissioner Tracy
Nordstrom; Park Board Commissioner Bob Fine; Park
Board Superintendent Jon Gurban.
The meeting was called to order at 7:07 p.m. by Vice
President, John Bernstein, noting a quorum was present.
Councilmember Lisa Goodman: Lisa informed
LHRI members that in December she will be hosting
“Later with Lisa”; a cocktail hour held at Willie’s Wine
Bar from 5:30pm to 7:30pm on December 18th. Lisa
reported that the turn signal of concern to Lowry Hill
residents has been turned off at the northbound intersection of Franklin and Hennepin. This has helped the
backups on the southbound off ramp from W I94. Lisa
also asked for feedback, on behalf of Doug Kress,
from Lowry Hill Board Members regarding parking
restrictions on Douglas and Emerson. She asked if the
restrictions should be removed or expanded and the
general feedback from those who live in the immediate
area is that they should remain the same and that there
is no need to expand those restrictions onto additional
streets.
Park Board Presentation: Jon Gurban presented
the concept and initial designs for development at the
Parade Stadium site, which was followed by questions
and comments from Board Members.
Treasurer’s Report: Craig Wilson reported that the
financial situation of the Board is sound and has not
changed since last month.
Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted:
LHRI shall deposit the funds from the existing CD
which matures on December 18th, 2006 to the existing
account held at Mainstreet Bank.
Communications Committee: Janet Hallaway
reported that the Annual Skating Party will be hosted
this year in a combined effort by Lowry Hill, East Isles,
and Kenwood on Sunday, January 21st from 2pm to
4pm.
NRP Committee: John Bernstein updated the
Board Members on the current status of the funding
for the tennis courts in Kenwood Park.
Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted:
LHRI shall move twenty thousand dollars of Phase I
NRP funds from the Neighborhood Zoning strategy to
the Kenwood Park/School Improvements strategy.
Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted:
LHRI shall contribute one dollar, on a matching basis,
for every dollar contributed over and above existing
contributions up to forty thousand dollars to the pro-
ject to improve the tennis courts in Kenwood Park.
Neighborhood Historic Context Study: John
Bernstein reported that the final product should be
available for review within the next few months.
New Business: No new Business was presented.
Old Business: In the interest of time, Rob Reul
reported that he would present an update on Spring
Lake at the January meeting.
Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted:
LHRI shall move the January meeting to the home of
Fran Davis due to the Rec Center closure on that date.
Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to
adjourn at 9:15 pm.
Sen. Dibble selected to chair
Senate’s Transit Subdivision
State Senator Scott Dibble (DFL-Minneapolis) has
been named by his colleagues to chair the Transit
Finance Subdivision of the Minnesota Senate, a newly
formed committee that will address growing transit
concerns in the metropolitan area and throughout
Minnesota.
Sen. Dibble represents District 60 in the Senate,
which includes southwest and downtown Minneapolis.
He was elected to the Senate in 2002, after serving two
years in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Next Meeting: Tuesday, January 2, 2006, at 7:00
p.m. at the home of Fran Davis
C l a s s i f i e d A d ve r t i s i n g
DECEMBER 2006
CARPENTRY, EXPERIENCED. Windows and
doors replaced. Finish work. Sheet rock, taping, plaster
repair, texture and paint. Tile showers, floors, walls,
Local references, free estimates. Tom 612-824-1554.
Monica e. mohn
United States Ballroom Dance Champion
Dance Instruction | latin | social | salsa | swing |
| group | wedding | private |
phone 612/874-0747 email [email protected]
A BARGAIN! 2 YR. SEASONED RED OAK &
BIRCH FIREWOOD split fine/clean/guaranteed
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rack. Free Delivery. Prompt service. $135.00 or
2/$260.00. Bundled kindling available. Now also
serving commercial & restaurants.
www.JNFirewood.com 1-800-630-2960.
Rates: $5.00 for two lines, $3.00 for each additional
line. Send ad and check to Hill & Lake Press, c/o
Jean Deatrick, 1821 Dupont Ave S, Minneapolis,
MN 55403, payable to Hill & Lake Press. There are
approximately 48 characters (letter, punctuation,
space, number) per line.
Coldwell Banker Burnet
612.250.9349
[email protected]
14
hom
HILL AND LAKE PRESS EDITORIAL & LETTERS
H i l l & La k e Pr e s s
Jean Deatrick: 612-377-7353
Managing Editor
1821 Dupont Avenue South,
Minneapolis, MN55403;
Hill & Lake Press is a non profit newspaper and funded and
supported by its advertisers and
neighborhood associations: East
[email protected] Isles Residents Association
(EIRA), Kenwood Isles Area
Jane Johnson B u s i n e s s M a n a g e r : Association (KIAA), Cedar Isles
[email protected]
Dean
Neighborhood
Association (CIDNA), and
Dorothy Childers P h o t o g r a p h e r : Lowry Hill Residents Inc.
Hill & Lake Press
[email protected]
2101 West Franklin,
(LHRI). Views expressed are
Minneapolis, MN 55405
not necessarily those of Hill &
Heidi Deatrick
612-374-3099
Lake Press.
Editorial Assistant & Store
www.hillandlakepress.com
Deliveries
Volume 30 Number 12
Hill and Lake Press welcomes
[email protected]
December 16, 2006
and encourages financial contriNext issue:
butions. Please send them to
Lloyd Smith
January 20, 2007
Hill & Lake Press c/o Jane
Residential Deliveries :
Reservation deadline
Johnson, Business Manager,
[email protected]
January 8, 2007.
2120 Fremont Avenue South,
Minneapolis, MN 55405.
Webmaster
Alexa JohnsonW
Since March 1976, The Hill &
All advertising queries should be
Lake Press has served the com- www.hillandlakepress.com
directed to Jean Deatrick. Hill
munity as a non-profit newspa& Lake Press welcomes stories,
per, and is staffed by volunteers.
poetry, articles, photos, and
ideas. Please email to Jean
Hill & Lake Press reserves the right to edit for
Deatrick at
content and/or length any letter or contribution.
[email protected]
DECEMBER 18, 2006
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor:
In response to Polly Mann’s (of Woman Against
Military Madness) article on “The public’s right to
know”, there were a number of important points Polly
made that I respectfully disagree with.
First, Polly states that it’s “Israel’s sole responsibility” for the “fearsome and senseless killing” in the
Palestine area. I don’t agree. In at least 9 of 10 instances,
it is Hamas or Hezbollah (not Israel), which instigates a
new round of violence by purposefully targeting and
killing innocent Israeli citizens. Then these Hamas or
Hezbollah attackers (without uniforms) hide back within their civilian population and homes to try to escape
retribution from Israel.
When Israel does accidentally kill innocent civilians
in response, Israel expresses regret and instigates formal inquiries to try to prevent it from happening again
(which Polly states aren’t good enough). Yet when innocent Israeli’s are killed, isn’t it often followed by rifle
shots into the air and celebrations in the Palestinian
streets? I would strongly suggest that it is the
Palestinians that bear most of the responsibility for the
senseless killings in the Palestinian area. They need to
stop attacking Israel. Then Israel will have no reason to
respond.
Finally, contrary to what Polly states, I would suggest that the $3 billion dollars that the United States
gives to Israel every year isn’t for “death and destruction”. Rather, I would strongly suggest it’s to support
the only Democracy in the Middle East, which would
otherwise be wiped off the face of the earth if it
weren’t for the support of the United States.
Sincerely, Doug Daggett. CIDNA
Hill & Lake Press Delivery
Hill & Lake Press is delivered door to door in the area east of France Avenue, south of Dunwoody Boulevard,
north of Lake Street, and west of Hennepin Avenue. If you do not receive your paper, please call 612-377-7353
or send an email to [email protected]. The following area businesses stock Hill & Lake Press for your
convenience. Please tell them that you appreciate their help in promoting our community newspaper. Please
patronize our advertisers and tell them where you saw their advertisement.
Burch Pharmacy
Calhoun Beach Club
Calhoun Vision
Dunn Brothers
Einstein’s Bagels
Isles Bun & Coffee
Isles Market & Deli
Kenwood Rec Center
The Woman’s Club
Quality Coaches
Framestyles
Green Mill
Walker Library
Walker Art Center
Sebastian Joe’s
Tuthill’s
Hennepin Lake Liquor
Lowry Hill Liquor
Where We are Now
By Jean Deatrick, Managing Editor
Amid the frenzy of shopping for Christmas gifts, I
have tried to put together Hill & Lake Press in a tolerable fashion. The lure of decorating the house for
Christmas along with phone calls inviting me to lunch
or dinner tempt me to give it all up and forget about the
paper for just this one month. As I sit at the computer
I wonder how long I can exist on red wine and frosted
Christmas cookies? So many questions. So little time.
For instance, will our cats Fletcher and Socks who live
in Los Angeles survive during my husband’s two-week
trip to Minneapolis with only occasional and reluctant
visits from my son with food and water and to check
that the radio is turned to their favorite station? Steve
says no, they will not survive. I know better and know
for certain that they hate being in a kennel and they really hate riding on an airplane. When we return their displeasure will be exhibited with loud cat noises.
I think this is the best time of the year with all the
decorations in the neighborhood and in the stores, with
opportunities to be with family and friends. Yet when I
considered Hill & Lake Press, I knew I had to get the
paper out when I thought about our advertisers.
We are fortunate to have the support of a dedicated
network of advertisers along with the four neighborhood organizations. Many of them have been with us
for years: Ed Bell and Jeff Thies; Jimmy Fogel, Steve
Havig, Mary Thorpe Mease, and Michael Wille. Kevinn
Tam and Grace Hayden are newer, but just as reliable.
Bill Hood had been a long time supporter. Realtors all
of them. Please consider them if you want to sell your
home. Many others have advertised often and for years.
And the others: Stephen Dean and Framestyles in
the Kenwod Downtown and Garlock and Quality
Coaches have been with us since before my time with
the paper. TigerOx Painting has advertised every month
for a couple of years and I tried them. Fabulous work.
My diningroom looks beautiful...professionals who are
great fun to be around also. Others we love are Savitt,,
MediaXPress, and the wonderful Lakes Milfoil project.
Also newer and we hope long time advertisers are
Mohn,
Bryn
Mawr
Presbyterian
Church,
CheleenPainting, Ulland Architecture, Vujovich, and
James Waterhouse Hair Services., and recently Nola
Home in Bryn Mawr with her series of creative ads.
Too many to list properly. We thank them all for
their support and we thank those advertisers who are
with us occasionally. We are grateful. And then there are
the readers and the contributors. I have this world of
friendships with people I have never met, yet we email
regularly or talk on the phone. Fortunately nearly all the
communication is positive and encouraging. A real
community exists in our beautiful Lake of the Isles area.
And last, I thank Jane Johnson, Business Manager,
who takes care of me, both when I am here and when
I am in California. Her sense of humor, friendship,
writing style sustain me. Dorothy Childers always provides support for the paper both by her presence and
wonderful photos. She requires only five minutes notice
before getting into her car and going to a photo shoot.
Our printers at American Color are incredibly helpful and patient. Were it not for them, we wouldn’t be
here. Their reps have helped me solve many problems
usually at the last minute while they are waiting for their
files. And I thank the writers and the columnists. Happy
Holiday season.
Downtown Kenwood from page one
Melanie Nelson who works a great deal with freshwater
pearls, and they are at a terrific price. No doubt I will be
in there before Christmas to top up my daughters’
stockings. Something else that will strike you as you
walk by are the unique wreaths hanging in the window.
They are made out of bicycle wheels by Roger Sisson,
who incidentally, you will run into at Paper Gami, a fabulous new artsy paper shop next door to Sudz in East
Isles. I couldn’t let one of these deliciously funky
wreaths pass me by, so had to plonk down the old credit card in order to further enhance my Christmas Décor!
Further down the road in Kenwood is the newly
enhanced Isles Deli & Market recently acquired by the
owners of Isles Bun and Coffee. Consequently we can
now buy those divine buns and puppy dog tails for
which they are so famous. Jeff and Catherine Veigel
have already made changes, installing new flooring,
adding more tables and chairs, and a doorway through
to Birchbark Books. They view the Deli as a great local
gathering place, and have plans to expand the kitchen so
that they can offer more items for breakfast, lunch, and
dinner. Already they have an array of sandwiches and
soups, and of course delicious lattes etc. AND they are
tuned into ‘wi-fi’.
The doorway through to Birchbark books means
you can drink coffee and browse books without freezing. As well as a carefully selected variety of books,
Birchbark carries just gorgeous Native American jewelry. And doesn’t everyone know about the children’s play
area and the large selection of children’s books?
We are so lucky to have this world renowned bookstore right on our corner. An English person I know
arrived off the plane a couple of months ago, clutching
a Louise Erdrich novel. She knew that Birchbark existed ‘somewhere in Minnesota’. We were able to lead her
right to it! It was the highlight of her entire trip, which
incidentally included a trek down the Grand Canyon.
So that is what is new in Kenwood. As for the old
established Kenwood, fortunately we still have Stephen
Kenwood continued to page 15
DECEMBER 16, 2006
HILL AND LAKE PRESS OPINION & LETTERS
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor,
Thank you!
All of us at the Woman’s Club thank you for the
contribution you made to our program series. It is gratifying to hear that a volunteer neighborhood paper that
was started 30 years ago is still going strong.
We appreciate the time and effort that went into the
presentation. It was such fun to see those photographs
from years ago, which constantly brought back memories for our members. The neighborhood around Lake
of the Isles is most fortunate to have someone with
your dedication volunteering to keep the presses rolling
for a neighborhood paper, which is almost a thing of
the past.
The Woman’s Club and the Capital Campaign certainly appreciate the donation of your honorarium.
Gloria Sewell, Programs Chair
The Woman’s Club of Minneapolis
To the Editor:
This past week, as we celebrated Thanksgiving, I
reflected on the many wonderful things that have come
my way this year. I felt the need to write and say how
thankful I am that you have given me the opportunity
to serve you in Congress.
This election proved that we are stronger when we
build bridges between communities rather than trying
to divide and conquer, and that people who believe
everyone counts, and that peace should be the guiding
principle of our nation, make up the majority of the 5th
Congressional District. These are things of which we
should be very proud.
I’ve recently spent time in our nation's capital, meeting my new colleagues, exploring the halls of Congress
and getting oriented for my next two years in
Washington. My time there reinforced what a distinct
honor it will be to serve – and what an important
responsibility.
In the past few weeks, my office has been flooded
with letters, calls and emails. Please continue to send
them my way. During this time of transition, I can still
be reached at 612-522-4416, [email protected] or
PO Box 11818, Minneapolis, MN 55411. As of January
3, you will be able to reach me at the Office of
Congressman Keith Ellison, 1130 Longworth House
Office Building, Washington, DC 20515.
I look forward to working with you for an America
where everybody counts, where everybody matters, and
where peace is our guiding principle. We’ll get there
together.
Sincerely,
Rep.-Elect Keith Ellison
U.S. Fifth Congressional District
Kenwood from page 14
Dean down in the basement to let our clothes out or
take them in, depending on the amount of gorging that
has been going on. Don’t forget Kenwood Pet Clinic.
And then good old Framestyles is there to make your
artwork look stylish and gorgeous. Stop in and say ‘Hi’
to Trudy and Mike and look at their array of jewelry and
other last minute gift items you are bound to need.
I love the intimacy of that Kenwood corner, right
across from the Kenwood School. I hope the neighborhood gets out there to support the businesses so we can
enjoy them for many years to come. The friendliness
and scale is such a relief from those frightful malls!
ACKERBERG GROUP’S RESPONSE TO MANY OF THE CONCERNS
ABOUT THE PROJECT ON WEST LAKE STREET.
Provided by Kim Malrick City Council Aide to Council Member Ralph Remington - Ward 10 350
South 5th Street, Room 307, Minneapolis, MN 55415 Phone (612) 673-3314 Fax (612) 673 3940:
We greatly value our relationship with our neighbors
and the City and thus are very sensitive to their issues.
In response to the concerns expressed in the "Letter to
the Editor" in the Nov 18, 2006 Hill & Lake Press we
have conducted additional site inspections, met on and
off site with the contractor’s management and construction team, and devoted much time to creative
problem solving. The resolution of these issues is very
important to us so we have already adopted an action
plan, which will hopefully address these concerns.
Below is a summary of the concerns expressed in the
Letter to the Editor and The Ackerberg Group’s
Response:
(1)Noise before 7:00 AM. We have issued a directive
that there be no construction noise or excessive noise
before 7:00 AM. This exceeds the City requirements
that there only be no construction before 7:00 AM.
Builders will be subjected to a $2,500 fine if they are
noisy before 7:00AM. Please see the attached letter sent
to all builders on this issue.
(2)Parking on Ackerberg Alley It was never our
intention to have workers park in the alley, however,
because of the neighborhood outcry during the review
process, our Building Permit prohibits workers from
parking on the street.
As Ackerberg Alley is private property, as far we
know there is no parking prohibition. However, because
of criticism of this practice, we are more carefully mon-
itoring and regulating the alley parking. If any parker is
found to be driving across any neighboring driveway or
property, or in any way affecting any neighbor’s property, they will be immediately banned from alley parking.
If we find that people are regularly doing this, we may
eliminate parking entirely from the alley.
(3)Requiring Workers to Bus to the Site Regarding
the issue of, “can the contractor be required to arrange
for workers to park off-site and be bussed to the site?”
I believe the answer is no. However, we have voluntarily entered into the following situation:
We now have about 50 workers on site. A maximum
of 13 park in the alley, 37 carpool or take public transportation. This means that 74% of our workers do not
drive to the site.
Regarding the environmental impact of salting the
alley, the alley is never salted, it is sanded, and has been
so for years. Construction will not affect this.
(4) Debris/Soil on Sidewalk – “Can the contractors
complete an end-of- the day inspections/followthrough on the littering thing routinely?”
Since we have received this complaint, we have hired
a workman to perform a street inspection/street cleaning at the end of each work day.
Comments on Ackerberg Response and Continuing Concerns
By Ruth Jones
an immediate neighbor of the development project:
The Ackerberg representative who talked of "valuing the relationship with the neighbors and the city"
was correct that the neighborhood insisted that construction workers not park on neighborhood streets.
But when the Ackerberg group then pushed their
construction parking onto his private driveway -- concentrating it there -- instead of distributing it along
neighborhood streets -- as if there were no other choices -- it was to the great detriment of the several dozen
people whose bedrooms are with feet of the driveway,
hardly a way of "respecting the relationship" with the
most affected neighbors, the immediate neighbors!
As to the organization's only allowing for parking of
13 vehicles on the driveway, this is hardly a sacrifice -as that's about all that will fit onto the private driveway...unless they're encroaching on the apron at the
foot of the driveway – ie, the part of the driveway
between the sidewalk and the street – a practice that the
city has put to a stop.
The tenaciousness of immediate neighbors in
insisting upon respectful behavior along the alley -- not
Ackerberg's respect for the immediate neighbors -- has
led to some improvements along the alley. We appreciate that finally after months of complaining the developer is now (1)making efforts to keep quiet before 7:00
a.m., (2)prohibiting littering and (3)cleaning up construction soil/gravel run-off on a daily basis.
We cannot speak to the past, but want to be very
clear that we oppose future salting of this steep often
impassable in winter driveway in order to keep it open.
We’d like assurance that it would be closed in winter
when dangerous instead of kept open with massive
amounts of salt.
The developer's parking of construction stuff outside rear facing apartment units, continues to be an irritant, but the "props" change from day to day and week
to week. At various times it's been the porta-potty, a
noisy cement mixer, and now a massive ground warming machine. The point is we don't want any of this
type of "stuff" right outside back windows!
However, the real "biggie" with us continues to be:
No Saturday Construction!!!
From my reading of the codes, it appears that it's
up to the city's administrator to decide whether to
approve or deny such permits for Saturday or afterhours work, based on emergency need.
Section 389.70 (g) states: "no after hours work permit may be issued to a site within five hundred (500)
feet of the property line of a hospital, clinic, licensed
health care facility or other similar business except
under authority of 389.70 (d), the "emergency situation" clause.
Why then should such permits be granted in the
case of the Ackerberg development when three multiunit buildings with dozens of residents are as close as
13 feet from the construction site, with not even the
width of a city street to buffer them from construction
noise?
We can understand the necessity for date-specific
permits for utilities work on Lake Street on Saturday
because of weekday traffic flow along this busy transportation artery. But no such rationale exists for permitting for utility work on Saturday along the property
lines of the three buildings abutting the project as this
is extremely noisy work, complete with the vibration of
the jackhammer’s operation.
Kudos to the Hill and Lake Press for its help in publicizing community concerns with respect to ongoing
development projects as we anticipate with mixed feelings the proliferation of development projects in our
community.
16
HILL AND LAKE PRESS
December 16, 2006
sand upon the waters
By Tom H. Cook
swamp. I like hearing how my friends are doing, but the
photo collage sequence of Madonna morphing into
Mick Jagger is what you buy a computer for. My friends
are pretty good about finding the photos of a long line
of traffic brought to a stand-still by three turtles trudging across the highway, but they are not finding the edgier stuff.
David Brooks wrote a particularly humorous Shouts
and Murmurs piece in The New Yorker recently about
E-name dropping and status. Brooks clued me into
noticing the other recipients who receive the same correspondence. Since most people do not use blind copy,
you can see who else is receiving it. I tend to get lumped
with grandparents and obscure relatives. Still, the next
time I write to others I may borrow his idea and subtly
pad
my
list
of
other
recipients
like
[email protected] and [email protected].
Perhaps if my few remaining friends see they are in the
company
of
[email protected],
[email protected] [email protected], and
[email protected] they will send me better
stuff.
Op!frvbmt/
Tom H. Cook is planning to go on assignment
for The Hill and Lake Press to New Zealand to see
if the toilets do flush counterclockwise.
When was the last time you had a chance to sit back with neighbors, indulge in a variety of wines, and savor a
spread of gourmet cheeses? For everyone who made it to our November wine club, thanks for coming out. For
those of you who missed it, take heart in this: the next meeting is Monday, Dec. 18th at 7pm. With a different host
and a different wine theme each month, the club is free and open to all residents of Minneapolis’s East Isles neighborhood (participants are asked to bring wine, however). We are generously supported by the East Isles Residents
Association, Kowalski’s Markets, and Lowry Hill Liquor Store. Contact Austin Damiani at 612-874-0499 or by
email at [email protected] for more info or to be added to the club’s email list.
http://eastisleswine.wordpress.com
Pof!beesftt/!!
Pof!pqqpsuvojuz/!
Brought to you by 2626 West Lake, LLC.
I may need more friends. I get enough holiday cards
and can usually find someone to talk to, but I feel that I
am somehow missing out. I made a few friends growing
up, then some more in college, and then many special
people when I lived and worked in the Minneapolis
community. The problem is I met most of my dear
friends before the Internet explosion. They are a fine,
loyal, and irreverent lot and certainly better than I
deserve, but I do not think my circle is providing me
with a full range of the spectrum of e-mail attachments.
I am receiving some of the very clever anti-Bush
cartoons from my politically active friends, and I do get
many of the signage photos like “Bridge Out Slow to
60” from my sardonic peers. Still I see the stuff being
passed via You Tube by admittedly younger, hipper
acquaintances and my friends are just light-years behind.
Granted I do not even know how to copy an attachment
to send to twenty people, but when I was making lifelong friends, who knew the ability to cull interesting
snippets from cyberspace would be so important?
Every day I get countless Rogaine and Viagra ads
(which JoAnne claims she has nothing to do with)
dumped in my in box. Between that and the insipid
quasi-personal notes from someone named Martinique
or Gladys that say “Let’s get back in touch” it is rare to
receive an attachment picturing a bulldozer sinking in a
xxx/3737XFTUMBLF/dpn
The Jan event is the 29th from 7-9pm.
CLASSIC
C KENWOOD
D
R E D U C E D $5 0,0 0 0 N O W O N L Y
$749,000
Stately Kenwood Home with many nice
features including first floor sun room,
master sitting room, sunny, private deck,
paneled amusement room, expandable
kitchen. 5 Bdrms, 4 baths.
Lush landscaping, double garage
Now only $749,000!
Call to See it today
612 386 4270
Coldwell Banker Burnet
DAVID BUEIDE