Franklin Avenue Bridge Construction Update from Hennepin County

Franklin Avenue Bridge construction update

October 2015

If you travel across the bridge, you may not be seeing all the             activity that is occurring below the deck. Let's take a closer look                     of some of  this activity that's happening out of the sight of the                typical commuter, cyclist and pedestrian.

Construction actvitiy below deck

One of the main construction activities during the past year has                   been to restore deteriorated areas of the Franklin Avenue Bridge.      Fortunately, the weather has been good lately and allowed crews to            keep moving forward. Last week, crews were busy with restoration work on all five spans         and two of the piers. One of the areas of focus has been the southern half of Span 2.         Crews, tied-off for safety, work high above to remove segments of         concrete in  need of repair. Cofferdams, or dry work areas created in the river, are allowing                 crews to remove and replace concrete on the segments of piers                  below water level.  Crews have to lower the concrete within the         cofferdam. As long as the weather holds up, crews will continue to take               advantage of it. The focus of next year's activity will be on deck             removal and replacement. We will share more information about                  this work in future updates.

Workzone safety

Thank you for slowing down and paying attention in work zones.             Staying alert and dedicating your full attention to driving keeps you              and our crews safe.     Website: www.hennepin.us/franklinbridge

Week 25 at the Mill City Farmers Market

This little girl looks like a seasoned shopper - with her money in hand, she chooses a perfect bunch of radishes.  Don't forget - next Saturday isn't just Halloween, it's the last Market of the 2015 outdoor season.

Below, MCFM Executive Director Martha Archer shares the news that after seven years at the helm, Chef Heather Hartman is retiring from the Mill City Cooks demo kitchen.  Heather will be devoting her full attention to her personal chef service, Farm to Fork.

Gorgeous and delicate geode necklace created by April Barnhart of Aprilierre.

The Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition, a volunteer driven and member supported organization, was the October 24 Community Booth. They're the people who brought us Bike Week and the Open Streets Minneapolis events.

My hat from Barn Swallow Garden continues to be a favorite. So soft and warm!

These pastries from Solomon's Bakery are individual works of art.

Hard to resist an artisan confection from St. Croix Chocolate Company.

Now, THAT's an apple!

The Eddies!

Pam from Prairie Hollow Farm holds out a gigantic Brussels sprout.

Guest chef Beth Dooley served the crowd Maple Squash Soup with Parsnip Walnut Spread on an artisan bread.

Cute and yummy BOO!mallos from Susan at Very Prairie.

Below, a shopper signs up for The Beet, the weekly MCFM e-newsletter.  If you don't already subscribe, you can sign up online. Go to the MCFM website, and you'll see a pop-up in the lower right corner where you can enter your email address.

The goat!

Starting in November, the Mill City Farmers Market moves indoors for their monthly Winter Markets - 10:00am to 1:00pm every second Saturday, November 14 thru April 9 inside the Mill City Museum.  Plus there are 3 bonus dates as noted on the below schedule:

Learn About the Music Programs Offered at MacPhail Thru "Faces of MacPhail"

MacPhail Center for Music recently launched a Faces of MacPhail campaign to highlight students in every program area.

This year’s Early Childhood Music featured student is Rexford, who with his parents are part of the growing number of downtown families. In the below video, Rexford's mom talks about how MacPhail's Early Childhood Music program is a fun part of their Saturday routine, and important to her sons development.

To learn more, see the Rocking with Rexford Student Story on MacPhail's website, and visit the Early Childhood Music page for class information.  The Musical Families II session is currently open for enrollment.

   

Public Comment Opportunities for Proposed 2016 MPRB Budget

Via an October 21 Minneapolis Park and Rec Board e-newsletter:

Superintendent Presents Proposed 2016 MPRB Budget

Public comment opportunities scheduled Nov. 4 and 18, Dec. 2 and 9

The Superintendent’s Recommended 2016 Budget for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) focuses on sound fiscal management, addresses increased park use and demands for programs and services, is responsive to changing demographics and needs of the community, and maintains the park system within available resources.
 
In 2016, of every dollar Minneapolis residents pay for property taxes, eight cents will go to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.
 
The Superintendent’s Recommended 2016 Budget totals $70,973,005 for the general operating fund, $1,743,242 for the special revenue fund dedicated to trees, $8,274,976 for the enterprise operating fund and $21,767,600 for capital project funding.
 
Prior to her recommended 2016 budget presentation to the Board, Miller presented a report on “Closing the Gap: Investing in Neighborhood Parks” that stressed the need to address the growing funding shortfall for neighborhood park capital and maintenance.
 
For full details about Proposed 2016 Budget public comment opportunities, 2016 budget initiatives, and the Closing the Gap report, read the full news release on our website.
 

________________________________________
Budget Presentation
The proposed budget and related documents are available for viewing at www.minneapolisparks.org/budget or by calling 612-230-6400 between 8 am–4:30 pm.
 
Closing the Gap Presentation
The Closing the Gap: Investing in Neighborhood Parks report and related documents to Commissioners are available at www.minneapolisparks.org/closingthegap.

See New Electronic Check-in Before 2016 Elections

Via an October 21 Hennepin County e-newsletter:

Get a sneak preview of new electronic balloting check-in before 2016 elections

Election officials from Hennepin County and the City of Minnetonka will test electronic poll (e-poll) books on Thursday, October 22, from 9 to 10:30 a.m., in the Minnehaha Room in the lower level of Minnetonka City Hall, 14600 Minnetonka Boulevard.

In 2014, the state legislature authorized the use of e-poll books. Starting in 2016, secured tablets or laptop computers will replace the current paper voter check-in process. The technology will help speed up lines at the polls, help election judges through registration, provide cities data on polling place activity and more.

Next year, Hennepin County will train cities and provide training materials for election judges. Cities will store the devices, prepare them for Election Day and train election judges to use them properly.

Look for more news on the Hennepin County website at www.hennepin.us/news.

Week 24 at the Mill City Farmers Market

We all woke up to temperature shock Saturday morning, making The Abbey a very popular vendor at the October 17 Market!

Power of Producemembers received sprouting pots compliments of Chipotle. New to the MCFM in 2015, this program has over 700 young members.  That's 700+ little kids that get to taste new fruits and veggies each week and receive tokens to buy their own produce.  Very cool!

Something you don't see every day at the Market...

The distinctive work of Julia Timm, Fresh Mud Pottery.

These Peanut Butter Chocolate Prairieos from Very Prairie are to die for. Sometimes you just have to say "calories be damned" and enjoy a little something wonderful.

Lavender centerpieces from French Nugget - great for any room or the office.

Love the coats on these two little darlings. :) 

Chef Heather Hartman cooking up a batch of soup using celery root, also referred to as celeriac.

Leslie at Bliss Gourmet Foods now offers market bags fearturing waterproof liners and gusseted bottoms.

Paying homage to Don Featherstone, inventor of the plastic Pink Flamingo, who passed away earlier this year.

The goat!

I-35W Bridge to be Red and Yellow on October 24 to Honor 'End Polio Now'

Via an October 9 Press Release from Rotary District 5950:

I-35W Bridge and France Avenue Light Up to End Polio Now on October 24

Minneapolis—The I-35W Bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis and France Avenue in Edina will be lit in shades of red and yellow on October 24 to honor Rotary International’s fight to end polio called End Polio Now.

Rotary International and the Rotary Clubs of District 5950 in the Minneapolis area and central Minnesota have been engaged in a 30-year campaign to eradicate polio worldwide. When Rotary launched its eradication effort in 1985, more than 350,000 children in 125 countries were stricken with polio every year. Since then, polio cases have dropped by 99% to 359 cases in 2014.  As of the end of September, 44 cases of wild poliovirus had been reported in 2015 in two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Africa recently marked one year without wild polio.

Polio will be only the second disease after smallpox to be eradicated. The world is on the threshold of ending polio forever due to the efforts of Rotary and its partners, the World Health Organization, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and UNICEF.

The Minneapolis City Council has declared October 24 as World Polio Day in Minneapolis. The I-35W Bridge will be lit in the End Polio Now branding colors of red and yellow that day to bring attention and awareness to the final push for polio eradication. Lights in the Southdale area of France Avenue in Edina will also be lit in red and yellow on October 24.

For more information, contact Rotary District 5950 End Polio Now Chair Tim Mulcrone at 952-239-1594 or timmulcrone@aol.com.

The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul presents EXTRAORDINARY TALES

If you're one of the many who embrace the spooky season, EXTRAORDINARY TALES opens October 23 at Film Society’s St. Anthony Main Theatre.

Five of Edgar Allan Poe’s best-known stories are brought to vivid life in this visually stunning, heart-pounding animated anthology featuring Sir Christopher Lee, Bela Lugosi, Julian Sands, Roger Corman and Guillermo del Toro. Murderous madmen, sinister villains and cloaked ghouls stalk the darkened corridors of Poe’s imagination, as his haunting tales are given a terrifying new twist by some of the most beloved figures in horror film history.

Some Downtown Streets Closing Saturday for Paving and Zombie Pub Crawl

Two separate events on Saturday, October 17, are prompting some streets to close in downtown Minneapolis.

LaSalle Avenue paving – Crews reconstructed the street this season and are now ready to put down the final layer of asphalt. From Eighth to 12th streets, LaSalle will close to traffic starting at 6 a.m. Crews will work from north to south, opening sections of the street after they’re paved and the asphalt has cooled enough for driving. The intersections of 10th and 11th streets will also be paved and closed to traffic. The intersections at Eighth and Ninth streets will remain open to traffic, and the 12th Street intersection will close at noon for paving. LaSalle and all affected cross streets should be open to traffic by evening, and access to businesses on cross streets will be maintained throughout construction.

And of course...BRAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINS!

Zombie Pub Crawl –  Although the block party runs from 4 p.m. to midnight Saturday in the Warehouse District, the following streets will be closed from 8 a.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday to allow organizers time to prepare for and clean up after the event.
• First Avenue North from Sixth Street North to Third Street North (full closure, no vehicles allowed).
• First Avenue North from Sixth Street North to Seventh Street North (local access will be maintained).
• Sixth Street North from Hennepin Avenue to Second Avenue North.
• Fifth Street North from Hennepin Avenue to Second Avenue North.
• Fourth Street North from Hennepin Avenue to Second Avenue North.

In addition, all sidewalks along these streets will be closed from building face to building face in the event area. Access will be limited to people who pay the entry fee. Anyone who lives or works within the closure will be allowed access with proper identification.
Although a section of Fifth Street North will close to traffic the Metro Green and Blue line trains will continue to operate on this street during the event.

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A number of construction projects are affecting traffic in Downtown this season. To help drivers know about all of the current and upcoming work, the City has mapped these projects.

Two Downtown Streets to Close Today for Lynx Victory Parade

Via an October 16 e-newsletter from the City of Minneapolis:

To celebrate the team’s third WNBA championship, the Minnesota Lynx is hosting a parade and celebration today, Friday, Oct. 16. Sections of Hennepin Avenue and Seventh Street will close for approximately 90 minutes for the victory parade. 

The parade begins at 11:30 a.m. at 12th Street and Hennepin Avenue. It will head north on Hennepin then take a left on Seventh Street before finishing at Target Center.

Hennepin Avenue, from Seventh Street to 13th Street, will close to traffic from 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Seventh Street will close from Hennepin Avenue to First Avenue during this same time. Cross streets will remain open during the parade.

Following the parade, a championship celebration will be held inside Target Center beginning at 12:15 p.m. Both the parade and the Target Center celebration are free and open to the public. For more information visit the Minnesota Lynx website.

Parkway Closures for October 17

The following parkways will be temporarily closed from 8:00am-Noon October 17 for The Big Gay Race:

Main Street - From Hennepin Ave to 6th Ave SE
West River Parkway - From Plymouth Ave to S 4th Street
Plymouth Bridge and Stone Arch Bridge

Event Details

Please note that the duration of the closures is subject to change based on the event's start and finish times.

A complete list of current and upcoming parkway closures is available online.

Job Fair Will Connect Job-Seekers and Employers with Positions to Fill

Via a October 12 e-newsletter from Hennepin County:

The Hennepin County Work and Economic Resource Center will sponsor a career fair on Monday, October 19, from 9am to 2pm, at the ‭Hennepin County Library -- ‭Minneapolis Central, ‭300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis

This is part of a series of events to pair employers looking for workers with employees looking for job opportunities. ‭All participating businesses are actively ‭recruiting for multiple openings, from ‭entry-level to management.

The event is free and open to the public.

People looking for employment can connect with recruiters from these companies:

• Accessible Space
• Advantage Sales & Marketing
• Atlas Staffing
• Best Buy
• Building Resources Corporation
• Coborn’s Delivers
• Comcast
• ConAgra Foods
• CSM Corporation
• CVS (New Hope & Plymouth)
• Delta Global Services
• Doherty Staffing
• Dominos
• DoubleTree by Hilton ‭Minneapolis - Park ‭Place
• Family Dollar
• FedEx Ground
• Hennepin County HR
• HMS Host
• Home Depot
• Hy-Vee
• Knutson Construction
• Labor Ready
• Macy’s
• Minco
• Options Residential ‭Inc. ‭and Options Family & ‭Behavior Services, Inc.
• PICA Headstart
• Pizza Hut
• Satin Touch
• Sheraton Minneapolis ‭West
• St. Louis Park ‭Transportation
• Super America
• Target (West Metro)
• ‭The Hilton Minneapolis
• ‭The Marquette Hotel
• ‭Walgreens

This location is served by several bus routes. ‭To find the best one, visit ‭www.metrotransit.org or call 612-373-3333.

Look for more news on the Hennepin County website at www.hennepin.us/news.

Week 23 at the Mill City Farmers Market

Tim Page and Cherry Flowers of Page & Flowers had a "Mini-Hooper" on display at the October 10 Market.  In addition to selling produce, Infused Vinegars and other items, Tim and Cherry educate and empower people to grow food to eat and sell.

As part of Apple Harvest Day at the Market, there were book signings with Joan Donatelle, author of Astonishing Apples, and Sue Doeden, author of Homemade with Honey.

Frank Jackman and Mike Stalebaum of Local Crate introduced shoppers to their company, which features fresh, local ingredients and chef-designed recipes delivered weekly to your home or office.  Look for a separate post on Local Crate later this week on our Farmers Market blog.

Every time I think I've seen the prettiest pumpkin, an even prettier one presents itself.

The goat!

Why? What did they do?

Celebrate the Future of HCMC on Thursday, November 12

Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) invites you to join them in celebrating the opening of a new helistop for helicopter ambulance service, and groundbreaking for their new Ambulatory Outpatient Specialty Center (AOSC).  The event takes place November 12 - look for the big tent across the street from the 730 S. 8th Street entrance.

Activities start with a program at 1:00pm and continue with a reception and tours until 4:00pm The new helistop will make the region’s best trauma center even better by reducing transport time to HCMC for critically injured patients. The new clinic and surgery specialty center will make HCMC's primary and specialty care clinics and same day surgery center the most convenient and contemporary in the Twin Cities. 

According to Jane Lieberman, HCMC Community Events Manager, one of the special events (weather permitting) will be the inaugural landing on the new helistop. A LifeLinkIII helicopter is scheduled to arrive with this little patient: http://www.startribune.com/alexandria-girl-recovers-after-traumatic-facial-injury/322898741/.

Whole Foods Market to Donate 5% of October 20 Sales to University of Minnesota Press

Via an October 7 Press Release from University of Minnesota Press:

On Tuesday, October 20, 2015, Whole Foods Market will donate 5% of its daily sales from six Twin Cities locations to the University of Minnesota Press.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (October 7, 2015) — The University of Minnesota Press has been selected as a beneficiary of Whole Foods Market’s 5% Community Support Day this quarter. On Tuesday, October 20, 2015, all six Twin Cities-area Whole Foods stores will donate 5% of their sales to the University of Minnesota Press in support of its forthcoming publication, Fresh from the Garden: An Organic Guide to Growing Vegetables, Berries, and Herbs in Cold Climates by John Whitman. Publication is planned in fall of 2016.

"The University of Minnesota Press’ Fresh From the Garden aligns with our commitment to sustainable, organic farming and environmental stewardship," says Rachelle Petersen, Whole Foods Market Marketing. "This organic guide to growing vegetables, berries and herbs in cold climates will surely pique the interests of those seeking knowledge on successfully growing organics right here in Minnesota."

"In his new book, John shares knowledge rooted in years of experience growing organic food in Minnesota," says University of Minnesota Press outreach and development manager Caitlin Newman. "The Press is honored to work with an organization that values his experience and is invested in passing it on to our community. Support from Whole Foods Market and its shoppers will help the Press enhance the design and production of Fresh from the Garden while also keeping its price affordable for readers."

University of Minnesota Press staff will be at Twin Cities-area stores from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. to share information about the book and about the Press’s publishing activities.

The University of Minnesota Press is a self-supporting unit of the University of Minnesota. Ninety-five percent of its operating funds come from sales and from the generosity of those who share our passion for connecting readers to the Upper Midwest and to groundbreaking writing and scholarship. More information about our donation program can be found at http://z.umn.edu/givetoump.

About the University of Minnesota Press: Founded in 1925, the University of Minnesota Press is widely considered one of the most innovative U.S. university presses. Minnesota publishes a diverse list of books on the cultural and natural heritage of the state and the upper Midwest region, and is also known as the publisher of groundbreaking social and cultural thought, critical theory, race and ethnic studies, urbanism, feminist criticism, and digital media studies. The Test Division of the Press publishes highly regarded personality assessment instruments, including the MMPI-2-RF.

For more information, visit www.upress.umn.edu.

Twin Cities-area Whole Foods Market stores are located at:

Maple Grove: 12201 Elm Creek Boulevard North, Maple Grove, MN 55369
Hennepin: 222 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55401
Edina: 7401 France Avenue South, Edina, MN 55435
St. Paul: 30 South Fairview Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105
Minnetonka: 1001 Plymouth Road, Minnetonka, MN 55305
Lake Calhoun: 3060 Excelsior Boulevard, Minneapolis, MN 55416

New Green Disposal Guide from Hennepin County Available Online

New Green Disposal Guide tells you the best way to get rid of your stuff

Fall clean up can be frustrating unless you know how to get rid of your unwanted stuff. Hennepin County has done the heavy lifting with the new online resource, Green Disposal Guide.

Yard waste, mattresses, paint or fluorescent light bulbs—some stuff just needs to go. The Green Disposal Guide offers a range of disposal options—from recycling to donation to disposal—while also giving tips on shopping smarter, living greener and creating less waste.

With a click on a computer or smart phone, Hennepin County residents can easily learn more from the Green Disposal Guide.

"Closing the Gap: Insider Insights for Park Funding" Looks at Neighborhood Park Funding

Via an October 6 Minneapolis Park and Rec Board e-newsletter:

   (L to R) Panel moderator Linda Mack, New York City Parks and Recreation Deputy Director Liam Kavanagh, Portland Parks and Recreation Assistant Director Warren Jimenez, Former Indianapolis Parks and Recreation Director Joe Wynns and Seattle Parks Foundation Executive Director Thatcher Bailey

How did other cities address neighborhood park funding shortfalls?

Park advocates from across the country share their experiences

Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) staff hosted more than 30 public meetings throughout Minneapolis this summer to discuss how insufficient funding has impacted its highly-used, aging network of neighborhood parks.

While MPRB processes feedback received from the community, four distinguished park and recreation advocates from large urban park agencies across the country were invited to Minneapolis on September 29 to share how their cities tackled similar funding challenges.
 
“Closing the Gap: Insider Insights for Park Funding” featured representatives from Indianapolis, New York City, Portland and Seattle participating in a 90-minute panel discussion on creative park funding strategies, followed by a question and answer session with the audience. Each city’s park agency deals with its own unique challenges, complicated by vastly different methods of governance, but common themes still emerged.

For a full recap of the fascinating discussion please see the full news release.

Electronic Upcycle Fest, a FREE Electronic Recycling Event, at Target Field Station October 9

The Twins Community Fund is teaming up with America Upcycles to host a free electronic recycling event on Friday, October 9, at Target Field Station. Help keep electronics out of landfills, and reduce carbon emissions all while helping to support youth baseball and softball.

Date: Friday, October 9
Time: 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Location: Target Field Station

Stop by Target Field Station and drop off your electronics into designated containers to begin the upcycling process. This sustainable solution to the buildup of old electronics helps to decrease the negative global impact that throwing out devices has on our environment. Upcycling gets rid of electronic clutter without adding to landfills. It also re-purposes your gently used electronics for the secondary market.
•100% Tax Deductible
•Free (for qualified devices)
•Data Destruction is guaranteed
•Proceeds support the Twins Community Fund

Details, including list of items accepted: http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/min/community/events/electronic-upcycle-fest/

Our West Bank Human Landmark Has Left Us

Submitted by Susan Schaefer, Riverview Tower Resident

Photo credit: ©2015 Susan Schaefer

The Last Cigarette

Saturday 10/3/15 10PM

I felt privileged to have had a slice of time with the man in the top hat and tails who has been a West Bank fixture for years, and my neighbor. Today, returning from a photo shot at Mill City Farmer’s Market I felt an uncanny pull as I walked by his infamous encampment directly next to my building, Riverview Tower, tucked under the 10th Avenue Bridge. Had I done as my entire being was directing me, I might have become the last person to see the man so many Twin Citians know as Chester alive. But I didn’t follow my instincts. And tonight, after an evening out with friends at Seven Corners, I returned home to find law enforcement quietly conducting their business exactly at Chester’s outlier campsite home. I knew without even asking that this man whom I photographed was no longer among us.

I am sure the formal details will emerge, but it seems he died of natural causes.

According to our building’s evening attendant, his female companion of years, Marcia, asked to call the police, explaining that she had found Chester “cold and motionless”.

Most old timers in our building had a great fondness for this enigmatic outsider who rode a bicycle throughout the West Bank and Dinkytown, most often soliciting change from passersby. But the afternoon I snapped my portrait on a Dinkytown corner, Chester had just given his last cigarette to another homeless young man. That’s the only Chester I knew. I hope there’s a peg in heaven for his top hat.

Drs Susan Schaefer, APR, is a communications consultant, executive coach, corporate trainer, university professor, writer, published poet, and former newspaper editor and publisher.

- - -

Editors Note - 

Here is a Star Trib article about Chester (a.k.a Bruce, a.k.a. Charlie) from May, 2014 - Chester's West Bank Hideaway is Changing.

In case you're not familiar with Chester's home camp, it's located under the 10th Avenue Bridge on the Midtown Greenway bike route by the Bluff Street Park.  Dave took these pictures this morning, October 4:

 

A couple of videos from one of our Facebook followers: