Ward 6 News ~ August 17, 2012

City of Minneapolis sent this bulletin at 08/17/2012 06:08 PM CDT

Minneapolis Ward 6 Council Member Robert Lilligren

August 17, 2012

On Neighborhoods in the USA

As Vice President of the Minneapolis City Council I, among other duties, chair the council’s Committee of the Whole. Committee of the Whole is the reporting committee for the City of Minneapolis’s Neighborhood and Community Relations Department (NCR). This council cycle we heard an update and took action on the upcoming 2013 Neighborhoods USA conference to be held right here in Minneapolis.

Neighborhoods USA (NUSA) is a national non-profit organization committed to building and strengthening neighborhood organizations. Created in 1975 to share information and experiences toward building stronger communities, NUSA continues to encourage networking and information sharing to facilitate the development of partnerships between neighborhood organizations, government and the private sector.

I have attended NUSA conferences before being elected to city council and as a council member. I have always found them useful for the training, education and networking opportunities they provide. I have been part of teams trying to recruit the annual NUSA conference to Minneapolis three times over a ten year period, both as a private citizen and as a city council member. It seems the third time is the charm. In 2010 NUSA chose Minneapolis to be the 2013 host city.

Back in 2010 to make the pitch for the conference here I traveled to Anchorage, Alaska along with the Director of the Neighborhood Community Relations Dept.(NCR) and a senior executive from Meet Minneapolis our official convention and visitors association. I serve on the executive committee of Meet Minneapolis and we were seeking not only to showcase our city’s neighborhoods, but to fill more events into the 2013 calendar where there was a bit of a hole in our convention schedule.

This May, I traveled to the 2012 conference held in Indianapolis, Indiana to formerly accept the NUSA flag on behalf of the 2013 host city. Minneapolis was represented by an energetic delegation of community and neighborhood activists who were promoting our city and the 2013 conference. Head cheerleader of this delegation was VJ Smith, Minneapolis resident and national President of MADDADS, a former national board member of NUSA and a great booster for Minneapolis. Check out VJ as star of this highly entertaining promotional video produced by the public access Minneapolis Television Network (MTN) for the 2012 NUSA conference.

The 2013 NUSA conference will be a chance to show off and celebrate the incredible work going on in neighborhoods throughout Minneapolis. At the conference in May of 2013, neighborhood and cultural organizations will have the chance to present in workshops in nine different tracks ranging from sustainability, safety, job creation and leadership development. Our Neighborhood and Community Relations Dept. currently has a call out for possible presentations and will soon put out a call for proposals for neighborhood tours. It’s a great chance to show of a project or initiative in your community.

This effort will involve hundreds of volunteers and thousands of volunteer hours. Please stay tuned for ways you can be involved. It will take tremendous partnerships to pull off. The action at this week’s Committee of the Whole meeting is to add the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board as a formal partner, along with the City of Minneapolis and our lead community partner Citizens for a Loring Park Community. Stay tuned to the city’s NUSA conference page for future information on how you can be involved.

I think we are going to blow away the 2013 NUSA conference attendees when they see the accomplishments and work going on in our neighborhoods. I believe that in the City of Minneapolis we have unparalleled engagement by our residents and a commitment to neighborhoods unlike anywhere else. No other city can compare to the accomplishments of programs like the Neighborhood Revitalization Program. Please get involved in the 2013 NUSA conference and show the rest of the world how great our city and our neighborhoods are!

Mondays with Robert

Council Member Lilligren has always believed that it's important for people like you and me to have access to government. Robert remains committed to that value today. For that reason, Council Member Lilligren makes himself available to community member visits on a walk-in and appointment basis.

You can meet with Robert on the first four Mondays of the month at each of the neighborhoods he represents. Call or email Alondra at 673-2206 or alondra.cano@minneapolismn.gov to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins are welcome, however - you will be asked to wait if there is a scheduled appointment.

First Monday of the Month
Whittier Alliance, 10 E. 25th Street
9:30am - 11:30am

Second Monday of the Month
Phillips West, 2400 Park Ave.
Center for Changing Lives
9:30am - 11:30am

Third Monday of the Month
Stevens Square, 1925 Nicollet Ave.
9:30am - 11:30am

Fourth Monday of the Month
Ventura Village, 2323 11th Ave. S.
2nd Floor of Phillips Community Center
9:30am - 11:30am

New Appointee to Senior Citizen's Advisory Committee

Congratulations to Bob Albee for being appointed to serve as the 6th ward representative on the Senior Citizen Advisory Committee. Mr. Albee has focused on efforts relating to diabetes and wellness since his retirement from the American Indian Community Development Corporation, we are confident he will serve the ward well and encourage you to attend the Senior Citizen Advisory Committee meetings to share your ideas, concerns, and suggestions.

MPS Go-To Card Presentation

At the Aug. 16th Transportation and Public Works Committee of the City Council, the Minneapolis Public Schools shared a presentation about the Metro Transit Go-To Card Program and Minneapolis Public School student transportation for fall of 2012. The goal is to have students ride public transportation and lessen the use of the big yellow buses. Please see the transportation and contact your local school board member to share your thoughts on this new proposal.

Community Meetings on Proposed Civilian Review Authority (CRA) Ordinance Changes on Thursday, August 16 and Tuesday, August 21

The Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights will hold two more community meetings to receive community comments on the proposed changes to the Minneapolis Civilian Police Review Authority, which handles police misconduct complaints. A public hearing on the proposed changes to the CRA ordinance is scheduled for September 12. For more details please contact the Civilian Police Review Authority at (612) 673-5500.

Public Meeting on the Re-striping of Park Avenue and Portland Avenue

This fall Hennepin County will be re-striping Park Avenue and Portland Avenue, this project opens up opportunities for the community to share their voice over any proposed changes they would like to see. Though the project doesn't involve any reconstruction, the re-striping can help ease traffic with a reduction in car lanes and improved biking amenities.

Thursday, Aug. 30, 6:30 to 9 p.m.

(with a presentation at 7:15 p.m.)

The Center of Changing Lives

2400 Park Ave. S., Conference Room 104

If you would like to make sure to receive more information about this meeting please email Alondra.Cano@minneapolismn.gov

Commemoration of 1862 US-Dakota War

Today the flag above City Hall is flying at half-staff in commemoration of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. Federal Building across the street from City Hall and other public buildings throughout our city and state are also doing the same.

August 17, 1862 marked a terrible period in Minnesota’s history. 150 years ago on this day the first victims of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 lost their lives. The ensuing attacks and counter-attacks killed hundreds more U.S. soldiers, Dakota braves, conniving traders, and innocent people. Tragically, those deaths started a vicious cycle of hate crimes, which continued long after the war ended.

Governor Mark Dayton has signed a proclamation ordering all flags at state and federal buildings in Minnesota be lowered to half-staff from sunrise until sunset on August 17, 2012 – also calling the day “a day of remembrance and reconciliation in Minnesota.” The Governor’s proclamations state: “the viciousness and violence, which were commonplace 150 years ago in Minnesota, are not accepted or allowed now. Yet hostile feelings do still exist between some Native Americans and their neighbors. Detestable acts are still perpetrated by members of one group against the other. Present grievances, added to past offenses, make it difficult to commemorate the past, yet not continue it. I ask everyone to remember that dark past; to recognize its continuing harm in the present; and to resolve that we will not let it poison the future.”

As part of our City of Minneapolis efforts to bring awareness about this troubled past and foster understanding and healing to our community the One Minneapolis, One Read initiative has chosen “Spirit Car: Journey to a Dakota Past” for this year’s read. Additionally, the Star Tribune is covering this history and contemporary context in their series titled “In the footsteps of Little Crow” which we encourage you to read.

The City Council of Minneapolis offers our deepest condolences to those who lost family members in this horrible struggle. We ask that you especially help lead us to better attitudes and actions toward others.

In order to commemorate the year of healing 150 years after the US-Dakota War of 1862 Minneapolis City leaders are launching the second year of One Minneapolis One Read, a citywide “read” where the entire community is encouraged to read the same book and join in a community conversation. The book is “Spirit Car: Journey to a Dakota Past,” a book of vignettes Wilson created to honor the lives of her Dakota family. One Read week culminates in an evening with Garrison Keillor and author Diane Wilson on Monday, September 24. Tickets are $10; $5 for seniors, students and limited income, are available at www.ticketworks.com or 612-343-3390.

Robert Gets "ZAPed"

Council Member Lilligren is participating in a pilot program of ZAP Twin Cities – an innovative project designed to track, encourage and reward community members for commuting by bicycle.

ZAP Twin Cities is a completely automated biking incentive program that uses radio frequency identification tags and readers to log participants’ biking trips into downtown Minneapolis, downtown St. Paul and the University of Minnesota campus. Bike commuters are rewarded for reaching trip milestones, earning prizes like bike accessories and gift cards.

Downtown commuters can join the program by getting a ZAP tag attached to their bicycle and registering at the ZAP Twin Cities website. Bicycle trips are automatically logged when a rider passes within 30 feet of one of several ZAP readers placed along key bike routes into downtown St. Paul, downtown Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota campus. Cyclists hear an audible beep when they pass a station, and ride data is automatically uploaded to the ZAP Twin Cities website.

In addition to earning rewards, participants can log on to the ZAP website and view their trip data, miles biked, calories burned and CO2 reduced. These bike commuters save on car-related costs like gas and parking, improve their health and get rewarded in the process.

ZAP Twin Cities’ goal is simple: More bike trips more often. The program is a cooperative project of Commuter Connection, St. Paul Smart Trips and the University of Minnesota. Using local bike rack company Dero’s ZAP technology, ZAP Twin Cities encourages and rewards bike commuting to change how people in the Twin Cities choose to get around, helping reduce congestion and improve air quality in the region.

The program was launched at the University of Minnesota in January 2012 and already has more than 1,000 participating faculty, staff and students. In addition to earning prizes for reaching trip milestones, U of M employees receive health and wellness credit.

ZAP Twin Cities is open to commuters who travel to either downtown or the University of Minnesota. Individuals commuting to either downtown can get tagged at several downtown ZAP Events. U of M students and staff can get tagged at the University Bike Center.

Sections of Midtown Greenway Closing for Repairs

The Midtown Greenway will experience a series of closures the next couple weeks for repair work. Beginning Monday, Aug. 13, City crews will be patching cracks and sealing the paved trail surface from Abbot Avenue South to Hiawatha Avenue. The Kenilworth Trail between the Midtown Greenway and Cedar Lake Parkway will also experience closures. This work will help preserve the trail for a decade or longer.

Full closures of the trails are needed to perform joint sealing and sand sealing work that will help preserve the trail surface for at least 10 years. The closures will occur in four phases - running west to east - each lasting 2-3 days. Marked detours will be provided. The work schedule is tentative and may change due to weather conditions or construction delays. The trail will remain open on weekends.

The closures will occur in four stages, each lasting no more than two days. Detour routes will be posted. Phase 1 includes the Midtown Greenway closing from Abbott Avenue South to East Calhoun Parkway. Also, the Kenilworth Trail will be closed from the Midtown Greenway to Cedar Lake Parkway. Phase 2 includes the Midtown Greenway closing from East Calhoun Parkway to Colfax Avenue South. Phase 3 is from Colfax Avenue South to 10th Avenue South and Phase 4 is from 11th Avenue South to Hiawatha Avenue South.

This work will not affect the Sabo Bridge or any sections of the Midtown Greenway east of Hiawatha.

The dates for these stages may change due to weather. Visit our updates on closure dates and detours page for more information.

The Midtown Greenway is a virtually vehicle-free path cutting straight across south Minneapolis, from the Chain of Lakes to the Mississippi River. With only thirteen street intersections (most of which have low vehicle traffic) and one railroad crossing, this 5.7-mile trail gives cyclists and pedestrians a safer way to travel along the Lake Street corridor. On its west end, the Midtown Greenway connects to the Southwest LRT Trail, which provides a direct connection to the suburbs of St. Louis Park, Hopkins, and beyond. On its east end, the trail connects with the trail along West River Parkway. On average, the Midtown Greenway has more than 3,000 trail users a day, including bicyclists and pedestrians.

Bike and Bite 2012: Year of the Cooperative

Bike and Bite is happening tomorrow - Saturday August 18th - and is a food-centered community bike event hosted by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP). After setting their own course between designated stops and tasting some delicious local goods along the way, riders are invited back to IATP’s office in Whittier for more food, music, beverages and a chance to meet other local people interested in supporting a fair, healthy and sustainable food system. This is the year of the Coop and

Minneapolis has lots to celebrate. Bike and Bite will feature area organizations and businesses that exemplify the cooperative model or actively maintain relationships with co-ops, among other highlights of our local food scene. The event goes on rain or shine! Be ready to map your own route, riding on city streets. Kids are welcome with an accompanying adult (and kids 12 and under can ride for free, but must register). Please join the ride and learn about ways you can build community towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future!

Stops list

We are very excited to announce this year's Bike and Bite stops!

1024 E. 38th St., Minneapolis— Sneak peak at the next Kim Bartmann restaurant!

Growing Lots Urban Farm

Mill City Farmers Market

Omega House

Peace Coffee Shop – Wonderland Park with The Hub Bike Co-op and cookies from Cookie Cart!

Seward Co-op Grocery and Deli

Tamales y Bicicletas

The Wedge Natural Foods Co-op

Youth Farm

From the Office of City Council Vice President Robert Lilligren
350 South 5th Street, City Hall, Room 307, Minneapolis, MN 55415
Robert.Lilligren@minneapolismn.gov · Ward 6 website · (612) 673-2206

Friend Robert on Facebook Follow Robert on Twitter

You are subscribed to email updates from Minneapolis Ward 6.
Update Preferences · Unsubscribe · Help

CONNECT WITH THE CITY

You are subscribed to email updates from the City of Minneapolis · Update Preferences · Unsubscribe · Help