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Hennepin Happening
Welcome to the District 5 June newsletter! Scroll down to read more about
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 Richfield Farmers Market
Veterans Memorial Park Shelter | 6335 Porland Ave, Richfield
Saturday, July 21 @7am-noon
Get a bunch of blueberries, a mouthful of momos, and a heap of Hennepin at the Farmers Market with me on July 21. I'll be getting feedback from visitors on Hennepin County's 2040 Comprehensive Plan.
 District 5 has a fresh face in the office as Kali Courtney joins us for an internship this summer. She wrote this piece to introduce herself. Kali, welcome to the team!
Hello, my name is
Kali Courtney. I am a recent graduate from Champlain Park High school class of
2018. My educational journey has been filled with trials and tribulations,
although it has taught me many things. In the fall of 2018 I will continue my educational
journey at Hamline University. There I will pursue Pre-law and Criminal
Justice.
Many would say
that most eighteen year olds are indecisive about their life goals or plans, I
on the other hand know exactly where my passions rest. I chose to pursue Law
and Criminal Justice for many reasons, some being that I have a goal of bringing
humanity back into politics. Growing up as a double minority, the odds were
always against me. I encountered prejudice, racism, and ignorance on a daily
basis. Love Works Academy, a K-8th grade charter school in Golden
Valley, gave me a break from a lot of that. The majority of the school’s
population were students of color; I fit in just perfect. At Love Works, I had support
from all of my teachers. If my grades ever fell below a C, an email would be
sent to my parents, and my teachers would help me improve. Every year I was on
the A/B honor roll, and I felt like I had everything I needed to succeed. Then
things changed.
After my parents
separated, I moved from North Minneapolis to the western suburbs of Hennepin
County, which was a pretty drastic change for me. I began my public school
journey in 5th grade, and the most drastic change for me was the
lack of diversity. As time went on, my confidence started to diminish. I was no
longer an honor roll student every quarter. I often pondered why I didn’t
succeed in that setting. Was it because I just wasn’t smart, or was there more?
Minnesota has the largest achievement gap in the country, and I’m not immune to
the forces that created that gap. One main reason I did not succeed within that
school system was the lack of support for me and my peers of color. At Love Works,
my teachers pushed me to be great and get A’s and B’s, even though that’s
beyond what was required of them. I didn’t have those close relationship to
support me at the new public school. It was as if I got thrown into the pool
and was expected to know how to swim.
Experiences such
as that inspired me to become an activist and policy maker. We need to close
the achievement gap, and it’s not impossible. I’ve understood growing up that
in order to see change you have to take charge. I feel as if politics and
policy has become a desensitized game, so I look forward to bringing the
humanity back to it.
 Summer Fete
Tuesday, July 3 @5-11pm
Normandale Lake Park | 5901 W 84th St, Bloomington
Bloomington's annual Independence Day celebration, Summer Fete, is
scheduled for Tuesday, July 3. Kids
activities, music, and food vendors will entertain you all night long.
Fireworks begin at dusk. For a full schedule and more information, visit the City of Bloomington's website.
 Richfield Red, White, and Blue Days
Monday-Wednesday, July 2-4
Veterans Park and Richfield Ice Arena | 636 E 66th St
Richfield packs three days full of 4th of July fun. Between the Car Show, Family Night, and fireworks, you're sure to have a blast. Join the rest of Richfield at 9:45pm on July 4th for an attempt to set a new record in the Guinness Book of World Records for "Most People Lighting A Glow Stick Simultaneously."
More information here.
 4th of July Hometown Celebration
Wednesday, July 4th @7:30am-11:30pm
Round Lake Park | 16691 Valley View Road, Eden Prairie
Compete in the Pickleball Tournament, go canoeing on the lake, and enjoy the atmosphere of the hometown festival on Round Lake. Firework show begins at 10pm. Visit the City of Eden Prairie website for a full schedule and list of activities.
 "Right now" is always the best time to donate blood. I was at the American Red Cross last Friday in Bloomington (505 W 98th Street, next to Festival Foods), which is open for donations on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
I'm asking everyone to donate and find two more friends to join them.
Schedule your appointment and find the closest blood drive at https://www.redcrossblood.org.
 Absentee voting for the primary begins on June 29! Visit your city's election website to get more information about how and when you can vote this summer and fall.
Since my last newsletter at the beginning of June, here are a few highlights from my work...
 Attended "Bridging the Red/Blue Divide" led by Professor Bill Doherty, a founder of Better
Angels and University of Minnesota professor. The workshop at Augsburg Park Library was designed to teach people from different sides of the political spectrum how to engage with people who see things differently than you do.
 My colleagues and I congratulated our Recognition of Success graduates. More than 100
young adults earned their high school diplomas as teen parents, in
foster care, or on probation.
 Dar Al Farooq Center opened their doors to the greater Bloomington community
and invited us to join them in breaking fast during Ramadan. What a
wonderful opportunity to connect with a thriving place of worship. Keep an eye out for events like this coordinated by the Bloomington Human Rights Commission.
 Hennepin County facilities staff is constantly innovating to meet our goal of reducing
our own energy consumption by 20% over seven years, and we're on track
to meet that goal in 2020. Their work saves dollars for our residents
and is a valuable contribution to the health and sustainability of the
county. We recognized their success at a recent board meeting.
 Oxboro Library will close for renovation Saturday, August 18
at 5 p.m.
A partial demolition and rebuild, the project also includes
significant infrastructure work. New HVAC systems and windows will increase
energy efficiency, the roof will be replaced, and rain garden features will
help utilize storm water runoff. The project is
scheduled to be completed by next summer.
During the closure, patrons are invited to use other
Hennepin County libraries:
-
Penn Lake Library, 8800 Penn Ave S,
Bloomington
- Augsburg Park Library, 7100 Nicollet Ave,
Richfield
- Southdale Library, 7001 York Ave S, Edina
Holds with Oxboro Library designated as the pickup location
will automatically change to Penn Lake Library. To select a different pickup
location, patrons can call 612-543-KNOW (5669) or make the change in person at any Hennepin County library.
Pasos básicos para iniciar un negocio/Basic Steps for Starting a Small Business
Wednesday, July 25, 2018 @6:00pm – 7:30pm
Augsburg Park Library | 7100 Nicollet Ave, Richfield
Representantes de la U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
hablarán de como comenzar un negocio en Minnesota, que es un plan de
negocios y discutirán los programas de préstamos de la SBA – incluyendo
préstamos para exportación a otros países. También te daremos a
conocer otros recursos que te ayudarán a iniciar tu negocio. Habrá
tiempo para preguntas y respuestas. Esta clase será solo en español.
Socio: SBA y LegalCORPS.
Representatives from the U.S. Small
Business Administration (SBA) will go over basics of starting a business
in Minnesota, writing a business plan, and SBA programs and services –
including loans on exporting. We will also highlight resources that can
help you start your business. Time for Q&A. This class will be
presented in Spanish. Partners: SBA, LegalCORPS.
Our Great States
Thursday, July 12, 2018 @1:00pm – 2:00pm
Penn Lake Library | 8800 Penn Ave S, Bloomington
Join MacPhail Teaching Artist Mandi Verstegen for an afternoon of music
celebrating our great states! Tennessee Waltz, Yellow Rose of Texas,
Sweet Home Alabama, California Girls, and many more will be included!
We'll take a road trip through the states, sing favorite tunes, play
instruments, and share our memories of states we have visited or called
home. Participants of all musical backgrounds from absolute beginner to
lifelong musician are welcome! Collaborator: MacPhail Center for Music.
Funded by Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
Spark Youth: Mycology – The Study of Mushrooms
Monday, July 23 @3:00pm – 4:00pm
Penn Lake Library | 8800 Penn Ave S, Bloomington
Entering grades 3-5. Grow your own mushrooms! Mushrooms and fungus can
be food, poison or medicine. Learn how mushrooms and fungus develop and
live, and why we need them. Then cultivate a mycelium (a mushroom
starter) that you can bring home and grow. Materials provided. Sponsor:
Friends of the Hennepin County Library. Collaborator: Spark-Y Youth
Action Labs.
Public Reception
for Exhibit at Hennepin County Government Center
Tuesday, July 17,
4-6 p.m.
To commemorate
our 80th year, we are presenting an exhibit entitled "Eighty Years of
Collecting Hennepin County History" at the Hennepin County Government
Center. This exhibit includes artifacts and archival items from all Hennepin
County districts. The exhibit and reception are in the lower level
gallery. Free.
Keep an eye on other upcoming exhibits on the Hennepin History Museum website.
66th Street in Richfield and Bloomington's Normandale Boulevard are in the midst of major construction projects. Skip the traffic jams and sign up for updates on the projects impacting your commute.
You can also visit the Hennepin County website for updates on road maintenance projects and all other road construction.
Housing crises, energy assistance, child protection, emergency situations; we are here to advocate for you when it comes to navigating local and county services, and we want to help. Please call our office at 612-348-7885 with any questions or for assistance.
Contact
Commissioner Debbie Goettel
Hennepin County District 5
Bloomington | Eden Prairie | Richfield
612-348-7885 | debbie.goettel@hennepin.us
Casey Krolczyk
Principal aide
612-348-7885 | casey.krolczyk@hennepin.us
Michael Ohama
Policy director
612-348-7885 | michael.ohama@hennepin.us
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