Covering life, work, and play in the Historic Mill District and Downtown Minneapolis Riverfront neighborhoods. Have an opinion, local news or events to share? Contact us.
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Via a late night June 19 notification from the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board:
West River Parkway is currently closed between Franklin Ave. and 13th Ave S. due to a mudslide caused by recent heavy rains.
While talking with a staff member earlier this week, I was surprised to learn there are still a few spots available for this year's 4-day 'Books, Baking and Beyond Day Camp' at Mill City Museum, scheduled for June 30 - July 3 (9:00am to 3:30pm daily).
If Dave and I had kids, nieces, nephews or grandkids in the 9-11 age bracket, we would for sure enroll them in this camp. Here's a description of the program:
Discover Minneapolis' past and present in a fun-filled week at Mill City Museum and Minnesota Center for Book Arts. Campers ages 9-11 will spend each morning at Mill City Museum exploring a different museum theme through a variety of activities. Campers will create a photographic history of the area, bake bread, tour St. Anthony Falls lock and dam, create recipes in the Baking Lab, hike the Minneapolis riverfront and participate in several hands-on projects. After lunch, campers will walk to Minnesota Center for Book Arts for related book projects. These include making a journal to record memories throughout the week, operating the printing press to produce illustrations for a recipe book, making paper and constructing other book projects.
The fee is $250 ($225 for MNHS members), and reservations are required - call 612-341-7556 or register online.
Via a June 18 Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board e-newsletter:
Seeing green? Here's what it means.
Approximately 30,000 ash trees lining Minneapolis boulevards and nearly ten thousand ash trees located in park properties are destined for infestation by Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). To lessen the effects of a sudden large-scale, city-wide canopy loss, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) foresters will begin marking non-symptomatic public ash trees on Monday, June 23 as part of an eight-year effort to mark, remove and replace public ash trees on boulevards and in parks throughout the city.
The pre-emptive removal is part of the MPRB’s ash canopy replacement plan, which reduces the impact of tree losses by removing a small percentage of ash trees at a time and replacing them with a diverse range of tree species along each city block and within each park.
Forestry crews anticipate replacing 5,000 ash trees each year for eight years, with removal of ash trees during 2014-2021 and planting of replacement trees during 2015-2022. MPRB Director of Forestry Ralph Sievert said foresters will decide which non-symptomatic ash trees to replace on a neighborhood / block-by-block basis.
“Our goal is to replace approximately two to four ash trees on each block per season,” said Sievert. “Foresters will choose trees for replacement throughout an entire block so that properties are affected as evenly as possible.”
Maps of boulevard ash trees by neighborhood are available on the MPRB’s website www.minneapolisparks.org/eab. Maps of Minnesota EAB infestations are available from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture website.
Green Means EAB
Non-symptomatic ash trees identified for removal will be marked with a green painted “X,” and the MPRB will begin removing those ash trees and stumps throughout 2014. Replacement trees will be planted in spring and fall of 2015.
Ash trees infested with EAB will be marked with a green painted ring and removed as soon as possible. Infested trees are counted as part of the 5,000 trees to be replaced each year. Note: Any other tree species slated for removal are marked with orange paint.
Unless a tree possess a public hazard, trees remain marked for a minimum of five days before being removed.
Forestry crews will also continue the MRPB's EAB awareness program by wrapping Minneapolis public ash trees with an informational green ribbon. The ribbon alerts residents that, “EAB Kills Ash” trees. Trees are being wrapped with the informational green ribbons to raise awareness about the impact EAB is having on the urban forest. The ribbon does not denote the tree is currently slated for removal. It is only trees marked with green paint that will be replaced as part of the ash canopy replacement plan each year.
Minneapolis residents with a boulevard ash tree adjacent to their property may request to have it replaced by contacting the MPRB. There is no direct charge to replace boulevard ash trees.
While the MPRB is not using chemical treatments on ash trees, residents may treat non-symptomatic boulevard ash trees with insecticide at their own expense. All ash treatments must be applied by a licensed and permitted tree care company. For a list of companies that have been issued a treatment permit visit www.minneapolisparks.org/eab.
The ash canopy replacement plan is funded through an annual $1.2 million levy that was first passed in 2013. This levy needs to be passed annually to fund the eight year plan.
For more information on the MPRB's ash canopy replacement plan, visit www.minneapolisparks.org/eab. You can also reach the MPRB Forestry Department via email forestry@minneapolisparks.org or phone 612-313-7710.
| CONTACT: |
Dawn Sommers |
| Robin Smothers Communications and Marketing Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board 612-230-6410 rsmothers@minneapolisparks.org |
They're calling it their Mill District neighbor appreciation event. We in turn very much appreciate all the work Cynthia and her team have done to help build this neighborhood. In addition to bringing home buyers here, Cynthia is also a supporter Mill City Farmers Market, MacPhail Center for Music, Mill City Commons, Guthrie Theater, Friends of the Mississippi, Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership, and Preservation Alliance of MN. Whew!
Thanks, Cynthia Froid Group! :)
David Tinjum
Photos from the event:
Photo: City of Minneapolis
Via June 16 e-newsletter from Friends of the Mississippi River:
Article by Irene Jones
The Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRDDA) has officially passed into law, with President Obama signing it on June 10, 2014. WRRDA is a hefty bit of legislation with one little provision that will make a big difference for the Mississippi River: “Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall close the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam.” FMR has been advocating for the lock closure provision in WRRDA in order to prevent the spread of invasive carp for more than two years, with our allies in the Stop Carp Coalition. Thanks to the bill’s chief sponsors Senator Amy Klobuchar, Representative Keith Ellison and their colleagues for accomplishing this very important victory for Minnesota.
“Now that this landmark legislation is officially signed into law, our coalition can put more focus on the bigger and more difficult problem of stopping the carp downstream,” says Whitney Clark, FMR’s executive director.
Lock closure also will create new opportunities for the city of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board (MPRB). The Above the Falls Master Plan, which is currently undergoing an update, calls for continuous parks and trails on both sides of the river north of Plymouth Avenue, and lock closure could speed up development of parks, especially on the west side of the river. The city-owned Upper Harbor Terminal is already scheduled to close this year, and be subsequently redeveloped as park and new urban development.
“This is great news for our parks,” said MPRB President Liz Wielinski, “because now we can move forward confidently with implementing our upper river plan. Stopping the invasive carp will bolster our plans to include more access for small boats, canoes and kayaks above the falls.”
For more insights, Chris Steller provides an in-depth piece in MinnPost about lock closure and what changes might be afoot in Minneapolis.
6:30pm - 9:00pm
The parade route in on Central between 27th Ave NE and 18th Ave NE. Map and detours.
The 85th Celebrate Northeast Parade is sponsored and facilitated by the Northeast Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce. A committee of 16 volunteers meets monthly, from January through parade day, planning and organizing all the details involved with the celebration. With their intense commitment and efforts, and the additional help of nearly 150 volunteers, this Northeast tradition continues year after year.
Over 100 parade entrants, representing neighboring communities, local businesses, Northeast Royalty, elected officials, marching bands, non-profits and schools from across the state will participate. The sidewalks along the Avenue are packed three people deep watching the parade and representing generations of family and community members.
Currently in her fourth year studying architecture at The Cooper Union in New York City, Arta Perezic and her classmate, Nick Pacula, received a grant called the Menschel Fellowship to study industrialization along the Mississippi River. This annual Fellowship culminates with a January exhibition in New York City.
They recently set off on a five week bicycle journey from Minneapolis to New Orleans to study specific sites along the river.
Could there have been a more appropriate starting point for their journey than the Mill City Museum? Here they were given a private tour and provided with local riverfront history by the Museum's Director, Laura Salveson, and Public Programs Coordinator, David Stevens.
Below, the bikes are loaded with everything they were taking on their travels. A Lewis and Clark expedition for the modern world! :)
We'll keep in touch with Arta and Nick, and hopefully get to share their presentation from the January 2015 exhibition.
Strawberries arrived at the June 14 Market, which for me took the edge off the rain. It was Pollinator Day, with special guests University of MN Bee Lab and the Beez Kneez. Allina Health was also at the Market, and sponsored the Meet Your Vegetables Tasting Booth.
The intricate beauty of plants...
Treated myself to a little something special from Art Andes:
Loon Organics is selling T-Shirts to help raise money for a new hoophouse:
From Prairie Hollow Farm, Deer Tongue Lettuce:
And the weaver is back!
The goat from Nerstrand with its nasturtium.
FYI - Next Saturday (June 21) is the first day of summer - fingers crossed the sun will shine!
Everything was fine last Sunday morning (June 8). We were crossing the Stone Arch Bridge on our way to check out the eagles nest perched in a cottonwood tree where Main Street NE terminates just prior to the 35W Bridge. I remember stopping to point out all the greenery growing atop the old 10th Avenue bridge piling, which hasn't noticeably changed in condition for at least the past few years. And then Thursday night (June 12) when we were out for a walk Dave noticed it fell apart:
Dave took the below pictures in April, 2012:
The Minnesota Historical Society is an excellent resource for locating pictures of Minneapolis in the 1800's. Here are a few pictures of the 10th Avenue Bridge when it was in use (note Spirit Island in the background):
Steve Brandt of the Star Trib posted an interesting article on the history of the bridge, Peer at this Minneapolis bridge pier while you still can, on June 12.
Planning Your Night
With 125 projects and 505 minutes, there is a lot to see and experience at Northern Spark.
If you're the type of person who likes to show up and see where the night takes you - simply pick up a festival guidebook at one of the Info Hubs when you arrive at the festival. The guidebook describes each project and has a list of timed events, as well as information on where to find the amenities you need, such as bathrooms, first aid, and food.
Or, if you're the type of person who prefers to go with a game plan to maximize all 505 minutes before the Sunday morning pancake feed, check out the My Night feature. My Night lets you assemble a list of projects that you want to see, including times and locations. Each event and project listing has a My Night button: click it to add to your list. When you’re done, print it, share it, or transfer it to the festival’s mobile app.
Weather Info
Northern Spark happens rain or (moon)shine. Organizers are working to ensure that every project can be presented, although some project locations may be adjusted to work with the weather.
Volunteers will be ready with the latest information, and you can find weather and other last minute updates on Twitter @Northern_Spark and on the Facebook page.
If it does rain, be sure to wear your rain gear and bring your sense of adventure. Many festival projects already take place in sheltered locations, and after all, what else brings Minnesotans together like a little bit of weather?
Visitors to Mill City Museum have a new choice for walking tours this summer. Discover the dramatic story of the Minneapolis riverfront on the new Disasters of the Riverfront Tour which is offered twice during the summer on July 26 and August 23 daily at 1:00pm.
Tour guests will discover the dramatic story of disasters on the Minneapolis riverfront. The area around St. Anthony Falls has been transformed many times during the rise and fall of the greatest milling district the world has ever seen. These changes led to some of the biggest and most tragic disasters in Minnesota history. On this tour, a Mill City Museum guide will tell the stories of fires, floods, explosions, collapses and other calamities; explore the consequences for the people involved; and highlight what these tales reveal about Minneapolis history. Among the stories highlighted will be the Eastman Tunnel Collapse in 1869, the Great Conflagration of 1893, bridge collapses in 1859 and 2007, numerous fires and massive landscape changes.
The tour includes 1.5 miles of moderately paced walking on uneven surfaces. Please call ahead to make arrangements for guests with limited mobility. The tour will begin and end at Mill City Museum, where participants can visit the museum’s gallery, included in the price of the tour. Cost of this tour is $14 for adults, $12 seniors and college students, $10 children ages 6-17 and MNHS members. This price includes museum admission. Reservations are recommended, call 612-341-7555 or register online. Tours are held rain or shine.
People Serving People has been chosen as a finalist for the All-Star Fans Choose grant, supported by Major League Baseball, the Minnesota Twins, the Twins Community Fund, and the Pohlad Family Foundation. The winning non-profit will be announced during MLB All-Star Week in July, and receive a $500,000 grant to be used on a capital project.
94 non-profit groups from Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and western Wisconsin applied to be considered for this first-of-its-kind grant. A panel of judges, consisting of representatives from MLB and the Twins determined the final seven non-profit projects based on the following criteria: impact on community, scope, timeline, environmental improvement, sustainable design, and quality of application.
People Serving People's proposal is to use the grant to renovate and upgrade thier kitchen, which they use to serve over 250,000 meals a year to children and their parents experiencing homeless.
Here's how you can vote to award the $500,000 grant to People Serving People:
Contact Daniel Gumnit, CEO & Executive Director of People Serving People if you would like to learn more about the services they provide. 612-332-4500.
Photos from any time of year may be submitted up until midnight Monday, September 1, 2014 at http://www.natcam.com/. Photographs will be judged on impact, image quality, composition and storytelling.
The Picture a Park Photo Contest is designed to highlight the year-round beauty, events and fun throughout Minneapolis' parks. Winners can receive a National Camera gift card, photo enlargement, parking permit, park pass or 2015 calendar featuring winning photos.
Categories include:
· Beauty in the Parks. Capture the everyday beauty within the Minneapolis Park System, including wildlife, historic sites and breathtaking views.
· Fun in the Parks. Document a fun park activity, such as a concert, movie, bike ride or picnic.
· Sports in the Parks. Photograph a team or a group of friends playing sports in Minneapolis Parks.
· Photos by Youth. Photographers ages 17 and younger can submit photos of their favorite Minneapolis Parks in any of the three subject areas: beauty, fun or sports.
Click here to view the 2013 winners.
The contest is sponsored by:
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The first Market of June was a wet one - but thankfully the Mill City Museum opened its doors early so vendors could move inside. Rain or shine, the farmers and other vendors have an abundance of produce and products available. So remember - just because the weather isn't perfect on a Saturday morning, please don't let that stop you from visiting the Market. I made quite a haul today and can't wait to start slicing, dicing, cooking and baking! :)
Dry inside the Mill City Museum:
Ceramic sporks!
Mark your calendars Mondays from 11:00am-1:00pm for Food Truck Mondays in the Mill District! The Chef Shack Food Truck will be parked at 709 2nd Street South, across from the Mill City Museum. A sure cure for "a case of the Mondays". :)
Dosha Kitchen Feeds Your Spirit at Northern Spark
A collaboration between Minneapolis artists Jess Hirsch and Ginny Sims, Dosha Kitchen is a mobile camper that helps the public discover Ayurvedic Dosha throughout the night of Northern Spark.
“When we heard that the theme for Northern Spark was Projecting the City we decided to think about internal projections and projections of self. Ayurveda is a method of dividing up the internal self into three dispositions, or Doshas. Everyone is a blend of them,” explains Hirsch.
Doshas stem from Ayurvedic medicine, the oldest healing system in the world, originating in India five thousand years ago. Doshas are the triad of characteristics that dominate an individual: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Dosha Kitchen will reveal the viewer’s disposition through food, drink, and objecthood at their Northern Spark site on West River Parkway. To read more about this project, check out the interview with Hirsch and Sims on the Northern Spark blog.
Aerial Dance and Projection Draw Us beyond the LOOP
What can five collaborators from widely-varied disciplines and a shared poetic vision accomplish? Bill Cottman, Kenna Cottman, Lewis Hill, Kevin Obsatz, and Junauda Petrus invite us to consider this question and more from many angles with beyond the LOOP, a Northern Spark project that combines aerial acrobatics, media manipulation, dance, and social media to explore our dreams of wanting more for our cities.
Located under the Hennepin Avenue Bridge, beyond the LOOP repeats hourly in new combinations of performance improvisation and audio and video projection. During the performance, audience members are encouraged to take photographs and videos while moving around, seeking various vantage points.
Nine stations along the METRO Green Line will host opening ceremonies and celebration events throughout the day. The official ribbon cutting ceremony will take place outside the St. Paul Union Depot, immediately in front of the Union Depot Station platform. You're invited to attend the METRO Green Line grand opening on Saturday, June 14th!
All Metro Transit services will be free of charge June 14th and June 15th.
Saturday, June 14th – Union Depot Schedule of Events
9:00AM
Ribbon cutting ceremony at the Union Depot north lawn, immediately in front of Union Depot Station LRT platform.
10:00AM
Service on METRO Green Line begins! Note: Trains will be stationed at all nine celebration events on the morning of June 14th. Trains will begin service simultaneously at 10am.
Entertainment on MPR's The Current Stage:
11:00AM Southwire
12:30PM Koo Koo Kanga Roo
2:00PM Southside Desire
3:30PM The 4onthefloor
5:00PM Doomtree
For more information on bands, performances, vendors and food planned at all nine celebration stations, please visit www.metrotransit.org/greenline or http://www.metrotransit.org/opening-day
Station-specific information can be found at the following links:
On social media? Use hashtag #metrogreenline
Regular service schedules for the METRO Green Line are available here.
Very large crowds are expected on opening day and trains are unlikely to run on a normal service schedule. Frequent supplemental opening day bus service will operate parallel to the Green Line between LRT stations to provide additional travel options between events.
The METRO Green line was constructed with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the State of Minnesota, the Counties Transit Improvement Board, Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority, Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority, the City of St. Paul and the Metropolitan Council.
METRO Green Line opening day celebrations are funded by a partnership between the Metropolitan Council and the Central Corridor Funders Collaborative, with generous help from the following sponsors:
AFSCME Council 5
AECOM
Augsburg
Braun Intertec
CenterPoint Energy
Central Corridor Funders Collaborative
East Metro Strong
Ford Foundation
F.R. Bigelow Foundation
Hamline University
Health Partners | Regions Hospital
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Kimley-Horn & Associates
LTK Engineering Services
Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS
Minneapolis Building and Trades Council
Minneapolis Foundation
Minnesota Twins Baseball Club
Minnesota Vikings
MnDOT
PCL Construction
Siemens Infrastructure & Cities Rail Systems Division
Saint Paul Area Association of REALTORS
Saint Paul Building and Construction Trades Council
Saint Paul Foundation
University of St. Thomas
Xcel Energy
Via a June 3 e-newsletter from Hennepin County:
Hennepin County Summer on the Plaza is back! Grab your lunch, soak up some sunshine and enjoy musicians, dancers, educators and more at the Hennepin County Government Center, North Plaza, 300 South Sixth Street, Minneapolis.
This week’s events include:
In the event of bad weather, performances move inside to the skyway level of the Hennepin County Government Center. For more information about Hennepin County Summer on the Plaza, or to see a full performance schedule, visit www.hennepin.us/summerontheplaza.
Also on the plaza, the Tower Bell Foundation (TBF) at Minneapolis City Hall plays the historic tower bells eachFriday. The foundation is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization. The bells, the oldest of which was installed in 1896, have a total weight of nearly 30,000 pounds and can be heard over a large area of downtown Minneapolis.
Look for more news on the Hennepin County website at www.hennepin.us/news.
A good reason to check out their beautiful patio tucked away from traffic. :)
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