 Pictured: The families of both Clarissa Rogers Walker and Launa Q. Newman and Council VP Andrea Jenkins.
Today, the Minneapolis City Council approved two applications for the commemorative street renaming of both 3rd and 4th Ave S between E. 36th and E. 42nd St. to honor the life and legacy of both Clarissa Rogers Walker and Launa Q. Newman, respectively, for their contributions to the south Minneapolis community.
Clarissa Rogers Walker Way will be the commemorative name of Third Avenue South, between 36th Street East and 42nd Street East. Walker, who passed away in 2011, helped to make Sabathani Community Center a cornerstone community and cultural asset that supported African American youth and families in and around the Bryant Neighborhood of south Minneapolis. She’s also the mother of Neva Walker, the first African American woman elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Launa Q. Newman Way will be the commemorative name of Fourth Avenue South between 36th Street East and 42nd Street East. Newman, who passed away in 2009, was active in her community, served on the board of the Minneapolis Boy’s Club and was a member of the Woman’s Club of Minneapolis. Her husband, Cecil Newman, was the founder of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. After his death in 1976, Launa Q. Newman served as the president and CEO of the paper for 30 years. The Spokesman-Recorder is the oldest black-owned newspaper in Minnesota, having celebrated its 85th year of service in August 2019, and one of the longest-standing, family-owned newspapers in the country.
I am so proud to help highlight these incredible women and their families as we continue the work of bringing resources, vision, and attention to the 38th Street Corridor. Since taking office, I have been laser focused on the revitalization of this community corridor, picking up on the work of the former CM Elizabeth Glidden and many community leaders who came together to think about "The Future of East 38th Street”.
We have centered those conversations in the work we are creating called "38th Street Thive!", a small area plan that will lay the foundation for a next level corridor that will be committed to community healing.
So, to honor two Black women who have poured life into this community is part of a larger strategy, to create a 21st century, resilient, sustainable community. As TPT, Emmy Award winning producer Daniel Pierce Bergin showed in the documentary "The Jim Crow of the North" this area was ground zero for redlining and restrictive covenants, for the destructive force of 35W freeway as well as closures of significant schools that served many local Black luminaries many whom were identified in the aforementioned documentary. This effort is in part to redress that history.
This morning a honorary resolution was given to the families of both Clarissa Rogers Walker and Launa Q. Newman in recognition of both women for their impact on the South Minneapolis community.
 The City of Minneapolis is holding two public open houses to share updates, answer questions, and collect feedback on concepts for the reconstruction of Grand Avenue S between Lake Street and 48th St W. Attendees are welcome to come and go at any time. There will be a brief presentation about 30 minutes into the program. Please visit the project website for latest project news and updates: http://www.minneapolismn.gov/cip/futureprojects/grand-ave-s
- Tuesday, November 12, 2019 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. | Presentation at 6:30 p.m.
Painter Park Recreation Center
620 W 34th St. Minneapolis, MN 55408
- Tuesday, November 19, 2019 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. | Presentation at 3:00 p.m.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park Recreation Center
4055 Nicollet Ave. S Minneapolis, MN 55409
 There are upcoming public hearings for people to share thoughts on Mayor Jacob Frey’s recommended 2020 City budget. Comments can also be submitted online.
Budget public hearings:
- 6:05 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4 City Council Chamber, Room 317, City Hall
- 6:05 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11 City Council Chamber, Room 317, City Hall
Comments submitted online will enter the public record and be shared with the mayor and council members. The City Council is scheduled to vote on adopting the budget Wednesday, Dec. 11.
The mayor’s recommended 2020 budget is $1.6 billion. The City’s revenues come from a variety of sources with property taxes accounting for about 23% of the budget.
Visit the City’s budget website to learn more about the budget and key dates and watch a video about how to participate in the budget process. You can also watch budget hearings on Minneapolis City Council TV. Tune to SD channel 14 or HD channel 799 on Comcast or SD channel 8001 or HD channel 8501 on CenturyLink. You can also watch archived meetings on the City of Minneapolis YouTube channel.
 Metro Transit is beginning work on a Connecting Bus Study for the METRO Orange Line. This study will inform the bus service planning in the I-35W corridor area in south Minneapolis, Richfield, Bloomington, and Edina. Metro Transit's goal is to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of transit service in the area and to provide strong route connections to the Orange Line bus rapid transit service coming to I-35W in late 2021.
Survey
Take the online survey to provide information about your travel needs in the corridor. Metro Transit will use this anonymously collected data to help develop initial service recommendations. This survey is also available in Spanish, and is open through November 30, 2019.
Email Metro Transit
If you would like to receive project updates or pass along your comments, please e-mail Metro Transit at service.development@metrotransit.org. Connecting Bus Study updates will also be provided through the Orange Line e-newsletter.
Information about the study is now available on Metro Transit's website at www.metrotransit.org/metro-orange-line-connecting-bus-service.
 The City of Minneapolis is installing syringe drop boxes in public spaces over the next couple weeks to provide places for anyone to safely dispose of used syringes. The pilot program is intended to result in less syringe litter in public spaces and on the streets of Minneapolis. Syringe litter can become a public health hazard by causing injuries and spreading disease.
Local, woman-owned manufacturer
A local, woman-owned business custom designed and manufactured the syringe drop boxes for the City of Minneapolis with features that aren’t available with boxes currently used in other cities. Features of the Minneapolis boxes include:
- Small holes the size of syringes and other injection supplies.
- A secure box that fits the collection liner better for safe emptying by the authorized vendor.
- A design intended to provide an easily identified and nonthreatening feel for people disposing of syringes and injection supplies.
Installation
The installation of the boxes began Nov. 1 and will be completed by Nov. 18. The City is coordinating installation logistics among internal City departments as well as Hennepin County and other partners in the private sector. The 10 drop box locations will be evaluated for effectiveness and can be relocated if collection data recommends it.
Maintenance
A professional biohazard company, Industrial Hygiene Services Corporation, will safely empty the syringe drop boxes weekly and report to the City with data that will include the number of syringes collected and ways the boxes are being used.
Comparison cities
New York, Boston and San Francisco are currently using syringe drop boxes and have found that the programs decrease the amount of syringe litter by at least half. The City of Minneapolis studied their programs to incorporate best practices and to customize a program that best meets the needs here.
The opioid response in Minneapolis
Beyond the syringe drop box program, which is meant to improve public safety by decreasing syringe litter, the City is also working on recommendations made by Mayor Jacob Frey’s multi-jurisdictional task force on opioids to curb the opioid epidemic. The epidemic has seen overdose calls to the Minneapolis Police Department climb from 286 in 2015 to 954 in 2018 – a 233% increase. Between 2000 and 2017 opioid overdose deaths in the state increased by seven times. One-third of the opioid overdoses in the state are in Hennepin County.
Find more information at www.minneapolismn.gov/opioidresponse.
The City of Minneapolis wants DACA recipients to know where to find help. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Nov. 12 on whether the Trump administration’s termination of the DACA program was lawful with a decision expected to be issued by June 2020.
File renewal applications before Supreme Court decision
DACA recipients should consult with an attorney for advice on filing renewal applications before a decision is issued by the Supreme Court. Partner organizations that work with the City of Minneapolis and are ready to provide information about DACA renewal eligibility include Volunteer Lawyers Network 612-752-6677 and Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota at 651-641-1011. DACA recipients who cannot afford to pay the $495 renewal fee and are citizens of Mexico may contact the Mexican Consulate to find out if they qualify for assistance in paying the filing fee. Find more information at 520-623-7874.
Tell your DACA story
People interested in sharing their DACA stories and learning more about DACA can visit the Home is Here webpage.
In Minnesota more than 5,000 people currently hold DACA and contribute $28.5 million in taxes every year and have an annual spending power of $212.2 million. The Minneapolis, Saint Paul and Bloomington area is home to approximately 4,200 active DACA recipients.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a program that began in 2012 during the administration of President Barack Obama to defer removal of people who entered the United States without authorization as children under the age of 18, who had minimal or no criminal history, and who were pursuing or had received a high school diploma or its equivalent. DACA also grants employment authorization and exists in two-year installments. This program was terminated by the Trump administration in September 2017 although litigation in federal courts resulted in the administration continuing to accept DACA renewal applications through the present.
The City of Minneapolis strongly supports its DACA residents. Minneapolis was one of the first cities in the United States to publicly support the implementation of DACA, promoting the program and encouraging its residents to apply for deferred action. The City has opposed all efforts to rescind the DACA program and is committed to highlighting the importance of people in our DACA community. Find more information here on the City’s support of DACA beneficiaries. More information about DACA and other immigration matters can also be found on the City of Minneapolis Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs webpage.
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