april 2007 uptown neighborhood news

8/7/2019 April 2007 Uptown Neighborhood News

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By Colette Davidson

This article is the third in a

three-part series on the NoChild Left Behind act and the

Minneapolis Public Schools.

I just think the thing is acrime, says Dr. William Smith,Principal of Southwest HighSchool, when asked his opinionof President Bushs No ChildLeft Behind Act. Its the worstpiece of educational legislaturein the history of mankind.

Smith, who frankly refers tohimself as critical, is notafraid to state his disdain for

No Child Left Behind. Joking-ly referring to it as, No ChildLeft Untested, Smith findsmyriad reasons why the lawshould be thrown out altogeth-er. As the Principal of South-west High School over thepast four years, and a formerAnthony Middle School Assis-tant Principal, Smith thinksthe government needs to takea hard look at how it is dealingwith education in the UnitedStates.

The No Child Left Behind

act was first introduced byPresident Bush in 2002 to holdschools accountable for the edu-cation students receive. Thelaw features strict testing forelementary through high schoolstudents in reading, math andscience. Although the testsare altered slightly for EnglishLanguage Learners (ELL) andSpecial Education students,tests are administered to allstudents equally, regardless oftheir past educational experi-ences. While many say that thelaw was Bushs only presidential

success, there are others who arefrustrated by the laws singularfocus on tests, the unfair waythe tests are reported nationallyand the unfunded mandates forspecial programs.

Southwest High School, locatedat 3414 West 47th Street, standsin a fairly affluent part of SouthMinneapolis. A majority of thestudents attending the schoolcome from the surroundingarea. While many of the prob-lems facing American schoolsdont always apply to Southwest,

Smith is constantly aware of thepitfalls of NCLB as they affectschools around the city and

around the nation.

Smith is worried that, underthe law, the U.S. Department ofEducation has lost touch withwhat is beneficial to all students.He wants the nation to investappropriately in its childrenand deal with the source of theproblem instead of using band-aid remedies. In searching for asolution to Americas educationdebate, Smith hopes that poli-ticians and educators will askthemselves, What is the com-mon good?

The language of the No ChildLeft Behind act is just thebeginning of its many problems,says Smith. We have tried tolegitimize sorting, he says.Although the new wording inthe law is, pretty, he says thatthe politically correct termi-nology the U.S. Departmentof Education has developed tolabel student groupsAfricanAmerican, Asian, English Lan-

guage Learners, Special Educa-tion students, etc.only ends uppolarizing people.

Besides categorizing students,the law also seems to aid thosewho are already on the righteducational track, while leav-ing behind those who came upshort from the beginning. Wetest them a million times andthen say, those that pass, lineup over here and those whodont pass, line up over there,says Smith. Unlike in elemen-tary school, when the possibili-

ties are endless, high school is adifferent ballgame. The stigmabegins early. Grades mean morewhen youre fifteen than whenyoure ten.

Thus, with the focus on tests,high school students get drilledstarting in ninth grade aboutgraduating and what it will taketo do so. If youre on the othersideif you cant pass the test,thats one more hurdle, says

Smith. Kids ask themselves,how much frustration do I real-ly want to take?

Getting over the testing humpis just one obstacle for those indanger of failing the nationwidetests or dropping out. First,says Smith, there is the issue ofbeing an adolescent. The teen-age years are tough. Being fif-teen? Youve got to deal withthat. For ELL students, there

By Aaron Rubenstein

Calhoun Square, the languish-ing retail anchor of Uptown, isfor saleless than three yearsafter Principal Real EstateInvestors paid top dollar for themall and adjacent propertieswith a big expansion in mind.Principals real estate broker,CB Richard Ellis, is asking forpurchase proposals by April 12;there is no formal asking pricefor the 6.29 acre site.

Principal and minority owner,Solomon Real Estate Group,paid $28.1 million in June 2004for the Calhoun Square malland parking ramp. Since then,they have paid approximately$15 million to acquire sevenadjacent parcels (along Henne-pin Avenue to 31st Street andalong Lake Street to FremontAvenue) for the redevelopmentand expansion of the mall.

The potential sale was reportedrecently in six publications

including the Star Tribuneand three business/real estatejournals. The first to print wasFinance and Commerce (F&C)on February 8. F&C said thatUptowns biggest landlord, TheAckerberg Group, made a bidfor Calhoun Square in 2004 andwill again. It quotes CEO StuartAckerberg as saying, Its goingto be hard to make the numberswork for what they paid for theproperty. Ackerberg was outof the country the latter part ofMarch and unavailable for com-ment. Representatives of Princi-

pal, Solomon and CB Richard

Ellis have declined to speakwith the press with one minorexception, a quote in the Feb-ruary 2007 Uptown Neighbor-hood News.

Calhoun Square currently has175,000 square feet of retailspace and a 482-space park-ing ramp. Under a $75 millionredevelopment plan approvedby the Minneapolis City Coun-cil in January 2006, the mallwould have 250,000 square feetof retail space, 83 condominiumunits, a 724-car ramp and 215underground parking spaces.

The Star Tribune reported inJanuary that the redevelop-ment plan was on hold due tothe stalled condo market. JoePierce, the Regional Directorfor Asset Management for Prin-cipal Real Estate Investors, wasquoted in the February 2007Uptown Neighborhood News,however, as saying that con-struction of the expansion proj-ect would start this spring. It

had been expected that the firstphase would be the addition oftwo levels to the parking ramp.

If Principal decides to sell Cal-houn Square, a new owner orowners might proceed with theapproved expansion plan, alterthem somewhat, start over witha new redevelopment plan, orrefill, renovate and repositionthe existing mall.

Aaron Rubenstein lives inCARAG and serves as chair of

the CARAG Zoning Committee.

Phoo f by Naom Oshro

Covering the Neighborhoods ofCARAG and ECCO in the Uptown Area April 2007 Volume 3, Number 4

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UPtOwN NeiGHBORHOOd NewS APRil 2007

By Aaron Rubenstein

The planning process for theUptown Small Area Plan isproceeding quickly. The Cityof Minneapolis sponsored twolarge meetings in February andMarch for Uptown commu-nity members to provide inputinto the plan. The communityworkshops, conducted in theformer Borders Bookshop spacein Calhoun Square, were thesecond and third major publicmeetings as part of the mainplanning process. The first wasa pair of Visioning Sessions heldin November 2006 to gather

peoples visions for the futureof Uptown. There will be twomore community meetings,in May and during the sum-mer, before the draft plan forUptown is expected to be com-pleted in September.

The City of Minneapolis hashired the Cunningham Groupto be the projects planning con-sultant. Cunningham will draftthe plan with supervision fromCity of Minneapolis planners.

The primary purposes of the

Thursday evening, February8, community meeting were toprovide information about the

existing conditions and issues

in the Uptown study area andto get public input on the issuesfacing Uptown and its physi-cal strengths and weaknesses.Nearly 100 community mem-bers attendedan impressiveturnout.

The meeting began with arousing endorsement fromMayor R.T. Rybak thatshows he understands theunderlying situation. This is aneighborhood that is incrediblydynamic, said Rybak. Weneed to create a vision for the

By Michelle Saari

I hate negativity! What a funnystatement, and yet to somedegree it is true. Throughoutmy life and more recently, myprofessional life, I have beenaccused of being too optimistic,too hopeful and slightly nave.Could someone please definewhat it means to be too opti-mistic? Is there such a thing?I challenge this accusationbecause I am still grounded inreality and very aware whenthings do not look good. Afterall, in both my personal and pro-fessional roles, life has touchedmy circumstances with difficul-ties that many people never see,let alone all at the same time, yetI choose to remain hopeful. Is itme or is it them?

Driving through the anti-warrally on Hennepin AvenueMarch 18 on my way to workdowntown, I was struck by thecontradictory attitudes even

within the assembly. Do wemarch in protest as a peaceful

and informed member, or arewe using it as just another venuefor negativity, anger and aplace to refuel our bad attitudesand cynicism? Do like-mindedpessimists flock together or isit more balanced? In my infa-mous optimism, I like to thinkthat properly channeled pas-sion can be a healthy and posi-tive experience affecting thosearound you.

Optimism has nothing to dowith age or experience andeverything to do with choice.Being hopeful is a skill, an exer-cise in free will and an invita-tion to get creative if there aretimes when optimism is harderto find. In a world that makesmoney feeding on and glorify-ing Hollywoods fallen (noteBrittany and Lindsey), badfashion, and the whos who ofbroken relationships, we mustrise above the masses. Difficult?Yes. Impossible? No.

So how do we rediscover opti-mism in a world that seemsto counter the philosophy?How do we clear our pessimis-tic vision and replace it withsomething as pure as hope andencouragement?

Although I would never be soarrogant as to offer a solution toworld peace or claim that I donot struggle at times with a badattitude, I will offer my insight.Some of us are starved for any-thing positive, and maybe even

blind to the condition of ourattitudes. We put on negativity

like a tattoo, painful to apply,painful to take off, and a boldand even artistic statement ofsomething unique to us. Arewe being rebellious or tryingto make a statement with ourpessimismor has it becometrendy?

An organization, neighborhood,or even relationship is only asgood as the people that are init. I challenge people to lookinward and figure out whatthey believe in, rediscover whatthey are passionate about andwhere their gifts and talents lie.It is in this timeless, almost exis-tential search inward that webecome better outward. If wehonestly and genuinely knowwho we are as people, we canonce again awaken the innerfire and passion for somethingbetter. Accepting lifes invitationto live fulfilled and rich liveswill eventually lead to hope,and maybe even rub off some ofthe grime of bitterness coveringthose we love.

Be hopeful and optimistic andyou will change your life, yourrelationships and maybe eventhe world around you. It allstarts in the quiet of your ownmind and within your ownheart. Oops, there I go beingtoo optimistic again.

Michelle Saari lives in the Cal-houn neighborhood and is a thirdyear PhD student in Psychology.

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NewS, tipS & LetterS to tHe editor

[email protected], 711 West Lake St. #303

Minneapolis, MN 55408(612) 259-1372

SeNior editor

Scott Schiefelbein

aSSoCiate editor

Colette Davidson

advertiSiNgSusan Hagler

(612) [email protected]

MaNagiNg Board

Appone/Eece Reps:Kay Nygaard-Graham, Chair (CARAG)825-3637

Gary Farland, Vice-chair (ECCO)824-6744

Anna Matthes, Treasurer (CARAG)Carrie Menard (ECCO)Jill Bode (CARAG)

Ralph Knox, Secretary (ECCO)Vouneer Memers:

David PetersonMary Ann Knox

CaLeNdar editor

Wendy Auldrich

CoNtriBUtiNg pHotograpHerS

Jeffrey Faram, Bob Friedman, Barclay Horner,

Kay Nygaard-Graham, Naomi Oshiro

CoNtriBUtiNg writerS

Rita Franchett, Jessica Fox, Sue Lundquist,

Aaron Rubenstein, Michelle Saari,

Jacqueline Varriano

grapHiC deSigN & prodUCtioN

Kelly Newcomer 824-1092

NewSpaper CirCULatioNCARAG/ECCO Circulation:

Bill Boudreau 825-0979

MiNNeapoLiS City CoUNCiL

Tenth Ward

Ralph Remington, [email protected]

CriMe preveNtioN SpeCiaLiSt

Tom Thompson, 5th Precinct

SAFE Unit, Sector 2, 3101 Nicollet AveMinneapolis MN 55408

Serving the neighborhoods of;CARAG, East Harriet, ECCO, Kingfield,Linden Hills, Lyndale, West Calhoun

5tH preCiNCt CoMMUNity attorNey

Lisa Godon 673-2005

Uptown Neighborhood News reserves the right to refuse

publication of articles or advertisements as it sees fit.

But we will see fit to publish most things, dont worry.

Copyright 2006 Uptown Neighborhood News.

Uptown neighborhood news

Uptown Neighborhood News is a monthly publication of Calhoun Area Residents ActionGroup (CARAG) in cooperation with the East Calhoun Community Organization (ECCO).UNN covers the news of and is delivered free to households within the area bounded by Lyn-dale Ave. S. and Lake Calhoun, between Lake Street and 36th St. W. Extra copies are distrib-uted to businesses in the Uptown area, along Lake Street, and Lyndale and Hennepin Aves.Circulation is 5,100, with a pass-along readership of 10,000. Publication and distribution isnear the first weekend of every month. Subscriptions are available for $30 per year, prepaid.Send check to: UNN, 711 W. Lake St., Suite 303, Minneapolis, MN 55408.

Contributors are area residents who volunteer their time to bring the news of the area to resi-dents. Articles, letters to the editor and story ideas are welcomed and encouraged. The editorreserves the right to edit for length, clarity, relevance to the area, or other reasons. Editorialand advertising guidelines are available. Please contact the editor:

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SMAll AREA PlANcontinued on page 13

Phoo by Kay Nygaar-Graham

Maor Rack sowe a grasp o essues.

Its time to transform our world viewfrom one based on domination to one

based on cooperation.

GENEROSITY SUNDAYApril 15, 1pm 6pm

Plymouth Congregational Church1900 Nicollet Avenue (at Franklin)

www.nspmn.org

It was great as a resident ofuptown to walk down to the peace

demonstration and march lastmonth. I saw a lot of neighbors

there. But what keeps people fromspeaking out & supporting peace?

Fear of being dominated as soon asour country stops dominating.

Generosity Weekend: The Global Marshall PlanFrom www.spiritualprogressives.org

Under the Global Marshall Plan the US would takethe lead (by example) but also involve the other G-8 countriesto dedicate 5% of the GDP of each

country each year for the next twenty years to eliminate global and domestic poverty, homeless-ness, hunger, inadequate education, inadequate health care and to repair the global environment.


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APRil 2007 UPtOwN NeiGHBORHOOd NewS

is the probability that a studentsparents dont speak English athome and cant help with home-work. A low-income student

may be worrying more about atoothache that he cant take careof because of his familys lackof affordable healthcare thanabout passing his Algebra test.Kids who come into high schoolwith a sixth grade reading levelwill have to work doubly or tri-ply hard to reach the desiredlevel. All of these factors set upstudents to fail, says Smith, cre-ating a gotcha syndrome forat-risk students.

Asking students to move upto the next level is great, says

Smith, but is that what weredoing? Those who pass the testgo to the Promised Land? Eventhough Southwest High Schoolboasts a seventy percent rate ofstudents with a mastery of theskills necessary for their grade,they have 113 ELL studentsand over 600 students on free orreduced price lunch, which canoften affect a students schoolreadiness.

Like many other Minneapolisschool administrators, Smithagrees that teachers should be

held accountable for studentimprovement. His problemsare with the tests themselves.How could they be improved?Do away with them, he says.Were spending a ton of moneyon the testing process and notenough on the solution.

So, what is the solution? Smithsays educators and administra-tors need to be talking aboutKindergarten, whether it isall-day or not, appropriate classsizes and which skills are neces-sary at each grade level. If there

are going to be tests, says Smith,the way they are reported needsto be improved. We have notfound a way to talk about ourtest results in a way that makessense, he says. Kids who startlower must work harder topass the tests and when theydo, havent they accomplishedmore? NCLB tests dont mea-sure how much an individualstudent improves year to yearand instead measures themagainst their peers, who mayor may not have started at thesame level.

An eternal problem in nation-al education, and a reasonwhy schools lack support andresources, is funding. Thefinancial situation is terrible,says Smith. Because Southwestdoes not have a high percentageof low-income students, theydont receive any money fromTitle I, a component of NCLBthat allots a certain amount ofmoney to schools with large per-centages of poor students. Thus,their special programs to curbthe dropout rate, help strug-

gling children and improve sup-port to ELL students becomea financial drain on the school.Unfortunately, according toSmith, Whether we like it ornot, most of the solutions comeback to money.

As NCLB comes up for renewalthis year, politicians and inter-est groups have been looking forways to improve the law. One

suggestion by President Bushthat ultimately got scrappedwas to provide low-income orunder-served students with pri-vate school vouchers, allowingthem to attend private schoolsfor free or reduced costs. Smithclaims that, the average childon a voucher doesnt make sig-nificant gains and disagreeswith putting public money intoprivate control. I have a prob-lem with private money decid-ing who gets an education andwho doesnt.

Despite the many challenges ofbeing an administrator of a highschool under the constraints ofNCLB, Smith is proud of hisand his students achievements.We have a great time here,he says. There are really neatthings happening. In the com-ing months of the NCLB reau-thorization process, however,Smith hopes that the govern-ment will think of the big pic-

ture when considering how thelaw could be improved.

As a country and as a state,we need to take a look atwhat we really value, Smithsays. Nationally, I thinkwere questioning what is theAmerican experience. Lik-ening educating our nationschildren to taking care ofMinnesotas Boundary Waters,

Smith makes the analogy that,while he doesnt like to camp,he would still spend money toprotect the Boundary Waters.People need to ask themselves,what am I willing to do to pro-tect, deal with and build to helpothers? Again, its that conceptof the common good.

Smith believes that educationshouldnt be about race, eco-nomic level or language ability,but should be open and equal toall. If you can afford it, you areentitled to so many things, he

says, becoming passionate for amoment. Thats the extreme,but if were not careful, if werenot willing to invest in our chil-dren, then thats where wereheaded.

Colette Davidson is a LowryHill East resident and the

Associate Editor of UptownNeighborhood News.

Were spending a ton of money on the testing...not enough on the solution.


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letters Mss fm Cun Cmmssn gl dfmnLyndale Avenue: A Vsn Delayed, N Deerred

leers o e Eor Poc:

Write to us, provided you write fewer

than 250 words! Your letter may be

edited and we don't know if it will be

published, but we will certainly try to do

so. We need to know your name, address,

phone number and neighborhood.

Opnons Poc:

Please submit your opinion pieces to the

editor. We encourage thoughtful essays

about anything thats going on in the

neighborhoods. On occasion, we will

solicit contrasting views on one subject

and run multiple opinions. We reserve

the right to edit for space or clarity, taste

and legal concerns.

business tidbits sma ns you mgh us

ANGRy ON thE #5

I am a resident of PowderhornPark in South Minneapolis andI take the #5 Bus Downtown towork everyday. Why on GodsBeautiful Green Earth, (to putit nicely) do I have to listen tolocal homeboy rappers almostdaily! For the entire 20 minuteride, they rap songs with lovelywords like F*** Hoe, B****,P****, Im gonna take my 38and blow ya brains out, go tothe penitentiary with my fellaN****s so I can get out and killsome more! I have heard themso much I could probably rapwith them! They use wonder-ful sexual lyrics about womanas well! Some of the bus driv-ers say something to them, but

the majority of them are afraidto. I have some decency, classand Im a woman! Why shouldI have to listen to words thatdegrade my whole species!?!I also dont want to hear rac-ist words! I have been part ofa group in my neighborhoodworking on issues with the #5bus, but nothing has changed!Youre in Minneapolis boysand youre out in publicyourenot in Hollywood with JayZor Snoop Dogg! I really wish Icould kill they flow, Yo!

Teri Libera, Minneapolis

UPtOWN NEEdS COOlMAGAziNES!

I miss the magazine variety thatBorders used to have. EstesUptown News recently wentout of business but they neveroffered anything interesting.They were less a news shopand more like a small-town air-port news kiosk. Their maga-zine selection was more tepidthan the offerings at Lunds!

Come on Uptown businesses!Offer an uptown-quality mag-azine selection in your stores.We want music, art, design,technology, international andcutting-edge selections.

Kelly Newcomer, CARAG

dear lnae AvenueNegor:

A decade ago, residents

of the neighborhoodsalong Lyndale Avenuecame together to devel-op a plan for the futureof this corridor. Theoriginal 1997 report,Lyndale Avenue: AVision, has been the

guiding document as the city, county andneighborhoods have worked together overthe past few years to flesh out design detailsaround such elements as lighting, landscap-ing and streetscape improvements. Many ofyou have been involved in this process andI thank you for your participation.

We have all been eager to see this roadreconstruction project finally get underway,so it is with deep regret that I must informyou that it is going to take yet another yearbefore we can begin the construction. We

had been proceeding with the understand-ing that bids would be let in early this year,with construction set to begin in May.County staff recently informed me that

several delays make it impossible to beginas planned. I want to stress that the Lyn-dale Avenue reconstruction project is not injeopardy. Steps are being taken to resolveremaining issues, and our commitment toimplementing the neighborhood vision forthe future of this corridor remains firm.

The outstanding issues that remain relateto agreements with the City of Minne-apolis around traffic signal locations andengineering of the 50th and Lyndale inter-section. City staff are taking the lead onthese issues. Once they have completedtheir evaluation, the city and county willsponsor a meeting for area residents to

explain the final details of the LyndaleAvenue plan. Also included will be areview of the adjusted design for the 3100block. Once the city has finished their eval-uation and weve received public input, the

revised Lyndale Avenue corridor layoutwill go to the City Council for ratification.Following Council ratification, city staffwill begin the special assessment process to

inform property owners along Lyndale oftheir assessment costs. These steps must allbe completed before the county can acceptconstruction bids.

Again, I regret this delay. Having comethis far, we want to ensure we get it right.I ask for your continued patience as wework through the remaining steps to bringthe Lyndale Avenue project to fruition. Asalways, feel free to contact me with yourquestions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Gail DorfmanHennepin County Commissioner612.348.7883

By Aaron Rubenstein

ga bul

It looks as though the building at 3000Hennepin Avenue, formerly occupied bythe Gap, will have a new retail tenant. JeffHerman of Urban Anthology, the leasingagent for the property, said they have atenant and hope to finalize the lease soon.He said he could not reveal the businesssidentity or type of business, but he did say,its a new concept store for this retailer andunique to Minnesota and this company.He added that construction of the storewill start in summer or fall and that hethinks the business will be a great additionto Uptown. A source familiar with theproject said that the company behind thenew concept is a national retailer, possiblyin womens clothing, and that there isa signed letter of intent to occupy thebuilding.

Mzac

Xcel Energy started work in mid-March tomove utility lines off the site of the plannedMozaic mixed-use development behind theLagoon Cinema, according to AckerbergGroup President Mary Armstrong. Shesaid that they will probably start construc-tion in early or late summer. Stuart Acker-berg had said in January that he hoped tostart construction this spring.

Aym F

Anytime Fitness, a gym/workout facilityopen 24 hours daily, plans to open in thestrip mall at 1010 West Lake Street, east ofArbys. Anytime Fitness, a quickly growingfranchise based in Hastings, MN, featuresstate of the art equipment. East Calhounresident Tim Prinsen, one of the prop-erty owners, said that the facility would bestaffed limited hours, monitored by videosurveillance, and always locked and accessedby keycard. A lease has not yet been signed.There are currently 37 Anytime Fitnesslocations in the metro area, including threein Minneapolisone of them at 5309 Lyn-dale Avenue South.

blu sky Camy

The Blue Sky Creamery ice cream jointat 1513 West Lake Street (formerly Ein-

steins Bagels) added food to its menu inmid-March in order to increase year-roundbusiness. Blue Sky now offers soups, salads,and a variety of hot and cold sandwichesincluding grilled chicken and half-poundhamburgers (fresh Angus certified beefnever frozen). Kids might like the deep-fried mac and cheese on the childrensmenu. Blue Sky is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.daily. It will institute summer hours with a10 p.m. closing later this spring.

Vsa

Atmosfere mens clothing store in CalhounSquare became VState on March 1. VStatesells mens and womens clothing. OwnerDan Vargas had managed the Uptown anddowntown Atmosfere stores for the pastyear and bought out his partner to takecontrol of the Calhoun Square location.Vargas described the clothing at VStateas trendy, fashion forward, affordable andunique. Regarding Calhoun Square, hesaid, we do okay with this locationslowweekdays, great weekend traffic. VStateis having a grand opening event Saturday,April 7, from 6 to 10 p.m. featuring musicby local music great, Tim Mahoney.

F t

Fitness Together opened an Uptown out-

post March 15 in Uptown Row at 1221West Lake Street, #104. Fitness Togetheroffers private, one on one, and personal fit-ness training, tailored to individual clientsand focusing on weight training, cardio-vascular and flexibility work. The Uptownlocation is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. andoffers three fully-equipped private work-out stations, plus showers and lockers. Ses-sions typically are 45 to 90 minutes withan average cost of $70/session. For moreinformation, call 822.3448 or go to www.ftuptown.com.

Mqu & La

The Lander Group development firmmoved its offices in mid-January from

3505 Hennepin to 1302 2nd Street NE,Minneapolis, in order to provide expansionroom for Mosquito Inc., which has beenlocated in the Hennepin buildings lowerlevel since 2000. Mosquito is a full-servicepromotional products company that helpsbuild brands with innovative merchandiseand apparel. Its 17 full-time employeesprovide idea generation, creative productdevelopment and manufacturing, sourc-ing, project management, retail consulting,and online store development for manywell-known and Fortune 500 companiessuch as General Mills, Polaris and Princi-pal Financial (owner of Calhoun Square).The promotional products Mosquito devel-ops are used for incentive and loyalty pro-grams, giveaways, consumer promotions,trade shows, corporate gifts, companystores and retail sale. CFOO (chief finan-cial and operating officer) Michael Pinksaid they love being located in Uptown andmany of the employees live in the neigh-borhood. For more information, go towww.mosquito-inc.com.

pva AaThe Minneapolis Heritage PreservationCommission and the American Institute ofArchitects Minneapolis are seeking nomi-nations for the 2007 Minneapolis Heritage

Preservation Awards. The awards recog-nize projects, individuals and organizationsthat celebrate and enhance the heritage andhistoric character of Minneapolis. Nomi-nations are due by April 20. For furtherinformation, go to www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/hpc, or call 311. Award categoriesare historic restoration or rehabilitation,adaptive reuse, new addition to historicbuilding, NRP project, community educa-tion and projects underway. An additionalaward will be given to an individual whohas displayed leadership, courage and ded-ication to preservation.

Ga dormanhennepn CounCommssoner


5/16


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Construction bids went out onMarch 20 and it is anticipatedthat by April 16 the construc-tion company will have beenselected and constructionshould begin in late April 2007and will continue through thesummer and fall on Lake Streetbetween Dupont and HarrietAvenues South and on LyndaleAvenue South between West29th and West 31st Streets.The remaining portion alongLake Street between Harrietand Blaisdell Avenues Southmay begin in the fall of 2007,with completion expected in2008. This will depend on anyunforeseen delays or problems.

There is a possibility that ifit gets too late in the season,

the reconstruction betweenGrand and Blaisdellwill be delayed untilspring 2008.

bu duStarting inA p r i l2007 ,bu se swill berouted fromLake Streetone block south to31st Street betweenEmerson Avenue Southand Nicollet Avenue Southduring the 2007 constructionseason. Metro Transit servicewill also be detoured from Lyn-dale Avenue South to BryantAvenue South and from West31st Street to West 26th Street.

Vcl acc

One lane of traffic ineach direction will

remain open at alltimes, though

left turns fromLake Street

o n t ol o c a lstreets

may berestricted or

prohibited occa-sionally.

pakParking will be prohibited

in active construction zones.On-street parking should berestored for the entire corridorby the end of November 2007

and remain available throughthe winter. Special accommo-dations for off-street parkinghave been made at several busi-ness locations.

pa accFront-door access to LakeStreet businesses will be pro-vided during business hours.Sidewalk reconstruction maynot occur at the same time thestreet is reconstructed becauseof obstructions known to existin and under the sidewalks.

publc Sf Us - Ffh pcnc

lake Sree Reconsrucon inormaon

eCCo & Carag Cm Sscs fm h 5h pcnc

crime & safety

Cm numbs n u n cm m fmThe Uptown Neighborhood News has new and improved crime map information from the Fifth Precinct. Only the crimesthat happen within the boundaries of CARAG and ECCO neighborhoods are now reported. Previously, the crime maps talliedcrimes within a one to two block radius of our neighborhoods. The results are dramatically lower crime numbers. In CARAG,there are only nine crimes for February (in the previous month there were 46) and only three crimes appear in ECCO (in theprevious month there were 11).

LYNDALE

LAKE STREET

31st STREET

32nd STREET

33rd STREET

34th STREET

CONARIS WAY

35th STREET

36th STREET

HENNEPIN

HOLMES

HUMBOLDT

IRVING

JAMES

KNOX

ALDRICH

BRYANT

COLFAX

DUPONT

EMERSON

FREMONT

GIRARD

CALHOUNPKWYE.

February 1-28, 2007

Crimes ECCO CARAG

Homicide 0 0

Rape 0 1

Robbery 0 0

Agg Assault 0 1

Burglary 2 3

Larceny 0 1

Auto Theft 1 3

Arson 0 0

TOTAL: 3 9

Sro Paro

Tax PreparationJack D. Manders

Certifed Public Accountant1900 Hennepin Avenue South

Minneapolis, MN 55403

Call Jack at [email protected]

LYNDALE

Our faith is over 2000 years old,our thinking isn't.

No matter who you are, or where you are on your journey youre welcome here.

810 West 31st Street, Minneapolis612-825-3019www.lyndaleucc.org

Never place a period whereGod has placed a comma.

Sunday Christian Education for all ages 9:15 a.m.Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m.

apriL 2007

SCHedULe

Get involved! Come for a neigh-borhood walk with us! Monday, april 9, 7:45 p.M.

Meet @ Urban Bean(33rd & Bryant)* CARAG Crime & Safety

Committee meets at 6:30pm

Tuesday, april 17, 9 p.M.

Meet @ Bryant Square Park* CARAG NeighborhoodMeeting at 7 p.m.

2007 CARAG

StRoLL PAtRoL

KiCK off EVENt

Thursday, april 26, 6:30 p.M.

Meet @ Bryant Square Park

CArAg sll pal La a

l f:- Distributing SP vests to par-

ticipants and returning themto Bryant Square Park

- Making sure new SP partici-pants sign the Stroll PatrolGuidelines document

CARAG Stroll Patrol Vests areStored at Bryant Square ParkRec Center

bran Square Park hours:Monday-Friday: 1 p.m.-9 p.m.Saturday: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.Sunday: Closed


6/16


mind & body

By Jacqueline Varriano

If you knew for sure thatconsciousness doesnt end,would you live your life diffe-rently? This question was posedto me by a sprite of a womanwhen I fell down the rabbithole and into the MinneapolisContinuum Center. Located inan unassuming building, thelower level of the US Bank minimall on Hennepin (sandwichedbetween a tobacco shop and aLaundromat, to be exact), theContinuum Center is a mem-ber-based non-profit organiza-tion organized to explore the

nature of consciousness, humancapacity and the interconnected-ness of life.

So what does this all mean?I had no idea and venturingon the Continuum Centerswebsite only confused memore. Join us in an explorationof the emerging dimensionsof human mind and humancapacity, it beckoned. In myoveractive imagination I halfexpected to walk in and witnessa bizarre ritual a la PeggySue Got Married. On the

contrary, I was greeted by JaneBarrash, executive director ofthe center, a woman who voicesher convictions and beliefs insuch an incredibly articulateand convincing way, I left 45minutes later, glassy-eyed. Oh, Idefinitely drank the continuumkool-aid. Sure, the Center is amish-mash of couches, orientalrugs, books, videos, weaveshand-crafted by BrazilianRainforest Indians, paintings

and photographs (of whichBarrash assures me, almost

all items are for sale), but nowitch doctor lives here andthe ideas they speak about alsocome with a cast of convincingsupporters. Over the past 25years, the Continuum Centerhas brought in world-renownedphysicists, physicians, brainscientists, creativity experts,Nobel Peace Prize winners andcultural leaders as speakers.They have held partnershipswith the Dayton HudsonCorporation, the MinnesotaState Department of Educationand the Hubert Humphrey

Institute of Public Affairs andhave just been approved to opena Charter School, on tap forFall 2008.

In the beginning, the Conti-nuum Center existed as theContinuum Exhibit, created byCatherine Dees and Kay Crois-sant and originally on displayat the California Museum ofScience in 1978. In 1979, Min-nesota philanthropist HughHarrison bought the rights tothe exhibit along with MichaelLaBrosse, John Stout and Mar-

cie Wallace and transportedit to the Minnesota Chamberof Commerce building whereit remained for a few monthsbefore traveling throughout thecity, including a stay on the 51stfloor of the IDS Center.

I graduated in 1979, saw theexhibit and knew I wantedto be involved, remembersBarrash. I was first involvedas a volunteer, then as avery part-time employee,now 27 years later and I

am the executive director.The Continuum Exhibit

explored ideas of immortality,thinking of consciousness asan energy that doesnt justdisappear after death of thephysical body. Barrash gives aresearched example from oneof the Centers past speakersexplaining that hypotheticallyspeaking, if one was to commitsuicide, Whatever it was theywere trying to escape wouldstill be waiting for them onthe other side, wherever orwhatever that side is. Shecautions that thoughts ofconsciousness and compassion

are centered on the learned andthere is no easy way out.

Continuing along the timeline,in 1980 the Continuum Centerentered into a partnership withthe Dayton-Hudson Corpora-tion to create a series of publiclectures, furthering discussionsabout consciousness and theimmortality principle. In 1982,the Whole Mind Learning pro-ject was born and the Centerembarked on new partnerships,this time with the MinnesotaState Department of Education.

The Whole Mind Learningproject is a two year project trai-ning 300 public school teachersin the science and practicalapplications of biofeedback, self-regulation and self-relaxationstrategies. Barrash and othersat the center have been workingin schools such as HarrisonSecondary helping kids that areseemingly out of control find aquiet, safe refuge within.

A goal of Barrashs and theCenter is to help initiate andcomplete a paradigm shift inthe way people think. Enteryet another Center program,Discovery of Self. (Are youstill with me?) Drawing fromfields like quantum physics,chemistry, medicine, and fromcultures including West Afri-can, Native American, Asianand East Indian, the curricu-lum is a unique interdiscipli-nary, cross-cultural synthesis.Essentially, Discovery of Self isa training program that Centerteachers have administered to avariety of audiences, from stu-dents to corporate executives.Thinking back, this is the partof the interview where I dont

believe Barrash even pausedfor breath, explaining that the

current paradigm we operateunder is the Scientific Method,created by Descartes descri-bing that the only things weexperience that can be proventrue are things that are eitherpublicly observed, repeatedlytested or physically measured.This theory completely dis-counts dreams, the inner lifeof people, emotion, intuition,imagination and Descartes gotthe idea for his theory througha dream, she laughs. In thenew paradigm proposed by thecenter (also which will be thefocus of the approved CharterSchool) includes consciousnessand the mind. The mind iscentral, the brain is everythingand consciousness is primary,she explains and finishes with atriumphant, Consciousness iseverything.

Is my perception and the mea-ning I assign to it more impor-tant than the actual meaning?she asks. You see, the worldisnt as it appears, we reactbefore we think about it and we

arent always right. There areno victims in this world; youare just allowing yourself to be

a victim subconsciously. I nodmy head in amazement, but do

I even know what I am noddingabout? I can tell the Center isbeginning to suck me in andsteer the interview back to gene-ral questions.

Funding for the Center isprovided through membership,training, gifts, ticket sales fromevents and through foundationgrants. The Center is takingits teachings of Whole MindLearning, Consciousness,Compassion and the Discoveryof Self to a new level with theirnext event, Quantum Leap, afundraising night of celebrationfeaturing Barrash reviving herchildhood success as a figureskater as she straps on theskates one more time (after ayear of training and coincidingwith her 50th birthday) to raiseawareness about the Center.Join them at the Parade IceGarden on April 21.

Intrigued? Confused? Join me.Some closing words of advicefrom the clearly passionate Bar-rash? Rent What the Bleep

do we know, read Continuum, the Immortality Principle byKay Croissant and CatherineDees, and fall a little bit fur-ther down the rabbit hole.For more information aboutthe Center, contact Barrash atwww.continuumcenter.net or at612.374.4948.

Jacqueline Varriano is an ECCOresident driving her roommates

crazy with thoughts of continuingconsciousness.

Divine LiturgySunday 9:30 amFr. Paul Paris

(612) 825-9595www.stmarysgoc.org

Greek Orthodox Church

ST. MARY'S

3450 Irving Ave. South (overlooking Lake Calhoun)

A fora ino e Specuaons on Connung Conscousness

imag an capon prov by th C onnuum Cnr

ts gure smoes e concep o a connuum. te spra s a smo onn, grow an expanson. te ranges en e spra sow e oreran aance o e unverse.


7/16


By Aaron RubensteinThe Minneapolis PlanningCommission voted March 5 toapprove plans for the HotelUptown, proposed for 3017-27Holmes Avenuebut it didnot give the developer all thathe requested. The commissionapproved a conditional usepermit (CUP) to allow a six-story building as well as sevenvariances and a site plan forthe project. The developer,Curt Gunsbury, has appealedone of the variance approvalsbecause the commission gavehim a smaller variance than hehad requested. A City Councilcommittee will consider theappeal at an April 5 public

hearing; the full council isexpected to vote on the matterFriday, April 13. The subjectsite is occupied currently by aone-story building, Nob HillDecorative Hardware, and itsparking lot.

The variance approval thatGunsbury has appealed is forfloor area ratio (F.A.R.)which limits the total squarefootage of a building based onits lot size (plus zoning andother factors). A maximumF.A.R. of 3.24 is permitted

for the hotel project withouta variance, which essentiallymeans that the maximumfloor area or square footage ofthe building is 3.24 times thelot area. Gunsbury applied forand is seeking a variance topermit a F.A.R. of 3.85. ThePlanning Commission approveda compromise F.A.R. of 3.51.We cant proceed without therequested F.A.R.the projectsnot economically viable withoutit, Gunsbury said.

The F.A.R. requested by

Gunsbury would result in a 114room, 62,200 square foot hotelbuilding. The F.A.R. approvedby the Planning Commissionwould allow 56,672 squarefeet and would probably resultin 12 to 16 fewer hotel rooms,according to Gunsbury.

The City Councils Zoning andPlanning Committee will reviewand make a recommendation onGunsburys appeal at an April5 public hearing (9:30 a.m.,City Hall, room 317). CouncilMember Ralph Remington,

who represents the area, is amember of the committee.

The board of the East CalhounCommunity Organization(ECCO) reviewed revisedplans for the hotel at itsFebruary 1 meeting as aninformational item. It did nottake a position on the projectszoning applications (variances,CUP, etc.) and apparently didnot discuss the variances.

The Planning Commissionapprovals, aside from the F.A.R.variance described above, are:

Conditional use permit toincrease height from 4 storiesor 56 feet (whichever is less) to6 stories and 63.5 feet.

Two variances to allow a frontsetback of 0 feet (without vari-ance, 6.5 feet front setback isrequired for north 40 feet ofproperty and 11.5 feet frontsetback is required for south40 feet of propertydue tothe front setbacks of residen-tial structures to the northand south of the site).

Variance of the rear yard set-back (from the alley) from 15feet to 13.5 feet.

Variance to allow a drivewayin the required side yard onthe propertys north sidetoallow a driveway from theunderground parking to thestreet.

Variance of the off-street park-ing requirement from 38 to 35spaces (two other spaces dontcount toward the requirementbecause they exceed the per-mitted maximum percentageof compact spaces).

Variance of the loadingrequirement from two loadingdocks to one loading space.

Site plan (landscaping, etc.).

The citys planning staffrecommended that the PlanningCommission require the hotelstop two stories to be set backfrom the lower storiestoprovide visual relief from theblocky appearance and reduceimpacts on adjacent properties.Planning Commissioners didnot impose that restriction,but they did reportedly expressconcerns about the buildingsmass and bulk, and thereforeapproved only the compromise

F.A.R. variance.

Gunsbury met a number oftimes in 2006 with communityresidents to discuss the hotelproject early on in the designprocess. At an August 3 ECCOmeeting, attended by morethan 110 community residents,Gunsbury and his architectspresented two concepts: one fora 100 room, six story, 65 foot tallbuilding with more undergroundparking (64 self-park/95 valetspaces), the other for a 60 room,four story, 59 foot tall building

with less underground parking(20 self-park/25 valet spaces).Gunsbury asked for a show ofhands to indicate which of thetwo options the communitymembers present preferred.Forty-five people preferred thesix-story building with moreparking, 19 people preferredthe four-story building with lessparking and approximately 45people did not participate.

Following that show of hands,Council Member RalphRemington asked for a similar

show of hands by East Calhounresidents only. Approximately75 percent preferred thetaller building, according toGunsburys count.

Gunsbury had noted, followingthe August 3 meeting, thatnumerous people told him at theconclusion of the meeting thatthey preferred the taller buildingbecause it would provideadditional off-street parking. Hesaid that the four-story optionwould provide parking for hotelguests only and would meet

the citys parking requirementfor hotels. The six-story optionwould provide considerablymore parking that would beavailable to the general public,he said.

In the final design approvedby the Planning Commission,however, the additional publicparking was eliminated.Gunsbury said it happened dueto several significant issues:safety for guests, possibledamage to nearby buildings(with the additional excavation

that would be required) and theprohibitive expense of $90,000per parking space.

The upshot? A majority ofcommunity residents seemed toprefer a six-story hotel, ratherthan the four stories permittedby the sites zoning as-of-right,because the additional publicparking would help to alleviateUptowns parking impact on thesurrounding neighborhoods.But what has been officiallyproposed and approved is a six-story building with no public

parkingand hotel parkingthat more or less meets the citysrequirement.

Developer Gunsbury still hopesto break ground for the HotelUptown this spring. Room ratesare now anticipated to be $130to $250. The first floor of thehotel will have a small meetingarea, an exercise room andhospitality areaintended foruse by hotel guests only. Thebuildings design calls for theexterior materials to be brick atthe first story, topped by a stone

trim band and metal (flat-lock

zinc panels) on the upper stories,plus solar panels on the roof.Gunsbury said the zinc exteriorcladding is very durable, is useda lot in Europe and will have awarm, gray color. In this region,zinc can be seen as a primaryexterior material on the 2004Rochester Art Center by thearchitectural firm HammelGreen and Abrahamson.

Aaron Rubenstein lives inCARAG and serves as Chair of

the Zoning Committee.

now hiring:

Layut Atst/ds

Asscat et

emal sum t

[email protected]

KELLY NEWCOMER

Graphic Designer,Illustrator

www.kellynewcomer.com

612.804.7302

Kelly Newcomer

Graphic Designer, Illustrator,

CARAG Resident

www.kellynewcomer.com

612.804.7302

hoe Upown faces One More hure

imag prov by U+B Archcur an dsgn

A rs-ee vew o e propose hoe Upown.


8/16


Food has arrivedat Blue Sky Creamery

High quality soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches,

served on fresh, baked in house breads and buns!!

As always serving

The Smoothest Ice Cream on The Planet!

1515 W. Lake St. Uptown. Mpls. 612-824-0071 We love call in orders!!

Free parking available behind building Hours: 11am-10pm Mon Sun

Treat a friend to Lunch!

One free entre w/ purchase of one.

Not valid with other offers and discounts. Free entremust be of equal or lesser value. Expires 6/30/07.Uptown Blue Sky Creamery 612-824-0071 (UNN)

By Sue Lundquist

To those looking for long,beautiful hair this spring,Malobe Salon on Lake Street isthe place to go. Thats all wedostart and maintain locks,

hair extensions and infusions,according to owner and hairstylist Bessie Flemons, thatswhat makes us unique.

This uniqueness attracts clientsfrom as close as Uptown andNorth Minneapolis, to as faraway as St. Cloud, Eau Claire,Rochester and even NorthDakota. The salons name isalso unique. It is a combina-tion of Flemons mother andtwo sisters names: Mable, Lolaand Beverly. Malobes custom-ers have roots from Africa and

Latin America to Europe, andjust about every other segmentof the changing population ofMinneapolis.

Flemons and stylist CarlaAim work with only naturalhair, meaning no chemicals orrelaxers. The majority of theclients are men, so spring andsummer will be a busy timeof year, according to Flemons.The caps come off and peoplewant their hair to look good,she says.

Flemons is originally fromPrescott, Arkansas but movedto Minnesota in 1979. She

trained at the Aveda Instituteand graduated in 1989 withtwo dreams: To be a hair styl-ist and to own her own salon.When the opportunity camealong to buy a salon on 24thand Dupont, Flemons jumpedat the opportunity.

This first salon was calledCrescendo. The word meansstarting low and raising high,and thats what I felt like Iwas doing, Flemons explains.She then moved the salon to anew location at 813 West Lake

Street and gave it the new nameMalobe. She liked the area butthe space didnt work for long

because of her growing clientele.We were just bulging at theseams, Flemons remembers,On Fridays, people couldntget in and there was nowhereto sit. She moved to her cur-rent location in November 2006.The second Malobe offers morespace for both waiting and ser-vice. Along with styling hair,patrons can also buy a varietyof chokers, earrings and caps,many of them handmade.

The space may have changed,but the uniqueness of Malobe

remains. New clients first comein for a free consultation withone of the stylists. We will

look at the individuals hair anddetermine what were workingwith, Flemons says. A plan isthen laid out depending on thelength and thickness of the hair.The salon requires a fifty-per-cent down payment for the firstappointment because it can bea large service. Most clients canbe accommodated, but on occa-sion the hair is too straight orneeds to be grown out.

For those that dont have thepatience to grow their hairout, hair infusions may be the

answer. In California, the ser-vice can go for $1800-$4,000,says Flemons. To help out cli-

ents that dont have that kind ofmoney, Malobe will soon beginoffering classes on starting andmaintaining locks. These days,one can see hair infusions onmany celebrities like ParisHilton and Gwenyth Paltrow.According to Flemons, Its thelatest trend.

To learn more, call 612.823.8626or visit www.malobe.com.

Sue Lundquist lives in theCARAG neighborhood.

Wan long har? Vs Maoe. Mch Clls F pc

Phoo by Jffry Farnam

besse femons o Maoe Saon eps peope wo rea wang or ong ocks.

Phoo by Naom Oshro

On Marc 18, severa ousan peope parcpae n a peace marc aonghennepn Avenue rom Upown o lorng Park. te even was orga-ne o mark e our annversar o e egnnng o e war n iraq.


9/16


By Jessica Fox

Faster, Faster, KILL, KILL,KILL! The packed crowdin the legendary Roy WilkinsAuditorium cheered in unison,waving pink pom-poms andinflated orange #1 fingers in theair. The athletes thrived on thecrowds passion. Lady Killher,Scarmen Hellectra, Lizzy theAxe and Jawbreaker competedon the flat track by skatingpast each other and knockingover any girl foolish enough tocome in their paths. This is theMinnesota RollerGirlsthe fastgrowing sport thats becoming aphenomenon.

At the March 16 bout, AClockwork Derby, the Atomic

Bombshells battled the Rockitsfor dominance, while earlierthe Dagger Dolls engaged ina fierce bout with the GardaBelts. Each bout consisted oftwo twenty-minute periods,when a rotating group of skat-ers scored points by passingeach other on a flat track.

In roller derby play, there are tenpeople on the track at any time,with five from each team. Thefun begins when both teamssend a jammer to line up behindthe pack of two pivots and six

blockers. After the pack gets ahead start, each jammer skatesas fast as she can, pushing herway through the pack of com-petitors and teammates. Thefirst jammer to make it throughthe pack is crowned lead jam-mer and can choose to end thejam at any time. If there is nolead jammer, play must continuefor two grueling minutes. Jam-mers score points by passingopponents.

For more information on gameplay and a simulation of a jam,

visit http://www.mnRollerGirls.com/about/rules.php.

Roller derby sounds simple, butthis description doesnt takeinto account the strategy anddetermination that skaters mustpossess to survive a bout. Typi-cal offensive strategies duringa game include the aforemen-tioned elbowing (technically apenalty), slipping through thepack and sidestepping otherskaters, and gaining assists froma teammate through the useof an arm or leg whip. On the

defense, skaters use their bod-ies to block jammers from pro-gressing through the pack, edgethem off the track or push themdown.

Part of the excitement of attend-ing a RollerGirls derby is see-ing the skaters creativity andfierceness. Impassioned skaters,after being knocked down bycompetitors, start fights on thetrack, in the middle of the jam.At A Clockwork Derby, Dag-ger Doll Candi Pain spent timein the penalty box during the

first period for brawling with aGarda Belt.

Fierce competitive fighting andmad skating are not the onlythings you can expect at a Min-nesota RollerGirls event. Rollerderby is part sport, part theater.Each team has its own personal-ity. The Garda Belts are scrappyIrish cops, who wear green workshirts and checkered miniskirts.At the top of the bout, theyentered the ring with a pack ofbagpipe players, and their teammascot, Tom the Leprechaun.The Rockits are roller derbyastronauts, clad in red and sil-ver mini-dresses, flanked bytheir Mascot, the Rocketman.The Dagger Dolls riff on sugarand spice and everything nice,

by wearing hot pink tank topsand black mini-skirts whileviciously slamming their oppo-nents. This seasons undefeatedAtomic Bombshells wear nucle-ar orange hazmat suits and acidyellow tights. Their fan clubfilled a section in the balcony,visible from the floor by theirbright orange T-shirts.

Skaters are not the only ones whowear costumes. The announc-ers, Scotty Cruz and John Mad-dening, were dressed as a 1920snewsy and a schizophrenic

sports announcer, respectively.Then theres crowd favorite,custodian Wet Spot. His job isto maintain the track and cleanany spills that may endanger theskaters. He fulfills his role withflare, wearing flashing wheelson his skates and a belt bucklethat advertises his name inLCD lights. When he enteredthe auditorium, fans, includingthe five year old boy sitting nextto me, screamed his name atfull volume.

Minnesota RollerGirls is a fam-

ily friendly event. The crowd isa diverse cross section of TwinCities culture. Along withyoung families with children, Ispoke with a couple in their fif-ties, three generations of women(including a one year old wear-ing a RollerGirls T-shirt), punkcollege students and profession-als. They all congregate here towitness the spectacle.

Uptown resident, Betsy, wasa first timer at A ClockworkDerby. She decided to attendwith girlfriends to celebrate

a birthday. The experienceis bodacious. Its like nothingyouve ever seen before. LisaMarie and Leif, regular attend-ees for the past year and a half,described the reason why theyattend, Chicks and violence onwheels. As veteran attendees,they welcome the rise in popu-larity, but urge newcomers tobuy tickets early.

The Minnesota RollerGirls havedeep Uptown roots, includingnine players on their rosters wholive in the neighborhood. Resi-

dent Rumblebee, Co-Captainof the Garda Belts, was initiallyattracted to the sport because

of its punk rock atmosphere,but realizes that it is evolving.Eventually, I feel that the sportwill plateau. But that prob-ably wont happen for anotherfew years. Within the next fewseasons there will be higherexpectations. The new recruitsare getting more and more ath-letic. Soon the league will be fullof seasoned jocks. The skatingitself will be the spectacle, rath-er than the quirky names, cuteoutfits and frequent fights.

Rookie Mary Tyler Roar of the

Dagger Dolls also calls Uptownhome. She initially becameinvolved as a fan. I loved howsmooth and fast they were andI loved how the crowd got intoit, too. It was such an amazingfeeling to be a part of this crowd

that wasso into their team. Theenergy level of the crowd andthe bouts as a skater is amazingnow. As a skater, she learned

to integrate the sport into herlife during her first season. Shemade some adjustments to herschedule, often sacrificing sleepand hobbies for practice, andhanging flyers for bouts. Forher, the sacrifice is an invest-

ment for the future of thesport. Hopefully our fan baseand attendance will continueto grow. I am very excited for

the new season of girls. To be asecond season girl with experi-ence under my belt will be an

elbn n innunJus anh rllgls Bu

ROllERGiRlScontinued on page 15


Rocks, MesugEnoug (l), hon-eew feon (M) an Cooce Coup(R), sowng eam un.

Phoos by Barcay Hornr

top: te Gara bes Pvo an bockers (green) ae e dagger dos Jam-mer (pnk). boom: Gam Sam (l), Veve hammer (M) an be bruser(R) o e Aomc bomses srung programs.


10/16

10 UPtOwN NeiGHBORHOOd NewS APRil 2007

By Rita Franchett

ONE: one person, one action,one Earth! is the theme cho-sen by our environmental group,EcoMinds, to direct membersand guests attention to our indi-

vidual choices. Setting the spiritof the day, guest speaker Jack

Nelson-Pallmeyer, prominentactivist in promoting peace anda sustainable world, will speak atFirst Universalis Church at 340 0Dupont Avenue South at the 9a.m. service and again at a forumat 10 a.m. on April 22. Mindful

of World Law Day on May 1,hell focus our attention on the

vital connections between con-serving/sharing world resourcesand peace among nations. Mr.Pallmeyer is a professor of Peaceand Justice Studies at St. Thom-as University.

The social hall at First Univer-salist will be filled with exhibitsand information about energyuse and conservation. Past yearsEarth Day themes have beenWind Energy, Global Warm-ing, and a children focusedproject, Listen to the Animals.Ongoing sales of energy-effi-cient CFL light bulbs and BlueSky coupon books, as well aspromotion of enrollment in theMinnesota Energy Challenge,will keep members cognizantof the role each plays in deci-sions made throughout the year.

There will be special activitiesinvolving children. Their futureearth-home is our concern. Wewelcome interested visitors toboth the service and the activi-ties afterward.

People who attend First Uni-versalist have been growinggreener for years, startinglong ago when the church wasat 50th and Girard. Ray Warnerrecruited members to clean uplitter from nearby MinnehahaCreek. Once the congregationmoved to a new church home

at 3400 Dupont, renovationsincluded earth-friendly pur-chases: new windows, furnace,air conditioning, insulation, andof course, lots of CFLs and spe-cial light switches.

These practices are in the spiritof our denominations SeventhPrinciple: Respect for the inter-dependent web of all existenceof which we are a part. A fewyears ago the UUA, UnitarianUniversalist Association, choseGlobal Warming as the nationalStudy Action Issue. EcoMindsgroups in 5 of the 12 area UUchurches quickly grew fromthis call to action as well as fromthe past years activities throughMUUSJA, Minnesota UUsSocial Justice Alliance. Issuesand subgroups on Globalization,

World Bank, Global FriendlyFamily, Susta inability, Peace andEcoSpirituality attracted many.

Long time member Tom Atchi-son links First Universalistwith metro area churches andpeace organizations at the Min-nesota Alliance of Peacemak-ers. Church elder Lynn Elling,founder of World Citizen Inc.,helped establish our churchas the first Peace Site in Min-nesota. His ongoing work inestablishing Peace Sites at metroarea schools and churches cul-

minates each year when hun-dreds of school children whohave studied the work of aNobel Peace Prize winner cometogether in March at AugsburgCollege. They present a musi-cal/spoken word tribute to thatPeace leader.

Members of EcoMinds will bevolunteering at the Environ-mental Booth at the State Fair,attending actions at the capitalwhich promote wise environ-mental legislation and joiningwith other groups in the metroarea, all of whom are workingto achieve progress in creating abetter world for our earth fam-ily, wherever we are. We wel-come your participation. Forfurther information call BobFriedman at 612.722.4705.

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ECCO meets the first Thursday of each month, 7 p.m. atSt. Marys Greek Orthodox Church, 34th & Irving. AllECCO residents are welcome and urged to attend.

ea Calu Cmmuy oaza rThe March ECCO meeting was canceled due toweather. The next meeting is 7 p.m., Thursday,April 5, at St. Marys Greek Orthodox Church.

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ECCO NRP

By Scott Schiefelbein

Shiny and loud, loud and shiny.These are the words that comeflashing and spinning to mindwhen I recall my ventures intoRestaurant Miami located at 913

West Lake Street. The establish-ment is the brainchild of RobertSerr and from what I gather,this is just the effect he desires.

The relatively small, yet wideopen space is brightly lit in aneon sort of way, and featuresvideo games and glowing tele-phones on the table (for callingother tables Its better thanspeed dating, quips Serr). ACaribbean-themed mural rightout of Scarface graces a wall inthe lounge area. The cocktailsare colorful and are all named

after quotes from the samemovie. Music from the 1980sblasts from the sound system andmovies of the same vintage playon multiple television screens.

When asked, Why Miami?Serr shoots right back with,Why not? He says that helikes the vibe of Miami thenelaborates, Everyone [restau-rants and clubs] wants to beLondon or New York or evenL.A. All of these styles aretoo dark for Serr. He wants animage of sun and fun, some-

thing a little happier.

Serr was born in Leeds, Eng-land. He moved to the TwinCities at the age of 17 because hehad relatives here. In additionto other employment, he hasworked in the restaurant busi-ness, most recently as managerof La Bodega on the corner ofLake and Lyndale. However,Restaurant Miami is his firstforay into ownership. He chosehis location because he hoped tobring life to the stretch of LakeStreet between Calhoun Squareand Lyndale. Its really hop-ping over there and over there[Lyn-Lake and Lake & Hen-nepin], he says. He goes on toobserve that there was a blackhole in the middle.

Co-owner Greg Zilberg saysthat Serr is in charge. He[Serr] told me, Give me all yourmoney and piss off, recalls Zil-berg. Serr laughs and both insistthat I use the quote in my story.Despite his stance that he is asilent partner, Zilberg spends a

great deal of time at the busi-ness and although not the public

face of Restaurant Miami, he isvery involved in the enterprise.

The menu is evolving. A halibut

special has become so popularthat it is now a regular item.Serr believes people are tiredof chicken dishes, so he and hisstaff have run specials such aslamb chops and roast duck. Thekitchen is run by a man knownsimply as Chef Q (Quentin is hisreal name). Q has had stints inrestaurants like The Lexingtonand French Meadow. For appe-tizers, he recommends the crabpuffs or the calamari. His pickamong the entres would be thepork tenderloin.

Many of the dishes feature avariety of tropical fruits andsalsas. The offerings stronglyreflect the influence of SouthFlorida and the Caribbean. Thegrilled prawns are dusted witha seasoning mixture importeddirectly from Barbados by therestaurants spice purveyor andare definitely worth a try. Onmy first visit, my dining com-panion was very impressed withthe quality and preparation ofthe Miami Mignon (a slicedfilet mignon drizzled with ared wine reduction). The foodis a bit expensive (entrees rangefrom $14-$20), but there arebargains to be found. The plan-tain chips are thinly sliced, justcrispy enough to crunch andserved with a tasty yogurt andlime dipping sauce. Listed as aside for only $3, get them beforethey migrate to the appetizermenu and double in price.

Originally, Serr wanted to namehis business After Bar, an ideathat would have kept the baropen until 2 a.m. and the res-

taurant open until 4 a.m. Thisproposal was not popular with

some area residents, especiallythe CARAG neighborhoodassociation. Serr does not havefond memories of the situa-tion and the process that ledto renaming the nightspot andagreeing to closing times of 11

p.m. Sunday through Thursdayand midnight on Fridays andSaturdays. He has harsh wordsfor all who opposed his project.However, he says, It is what itis. He hopes to silence the skep-tics by running a successful andfun place that is not a troublespot as some had feared. Res-taurant Miamis application forlater closing hours will come upfor review later this year. Imgoing to get it, too, asserts Serrconfidently.

When questioned whether or

when the novelty of the restau-rants theme would wear thin,Serr contends that he wantsRestaurant Miami to be whatthe people make of it. He is set-ting a mood and hopes custom-ers run with it. Lisa Rose wassitting at the bar as I spoke withSerr. She tells me she came inon opening night (February14, 2007) and loved it. She hassince become a regular.

Everyone Ive seen at RestaurantMiami has looked like they werehaving a good time. Whether

or not they have their tonguesdeeply lodged in their cheeks, itseems they just wanna have fun.

Scott Schiefelbein lives inCARAG and eats anywhere and

everywhere.

rsun pulss h Mm H

Phoo by Sco Schfbn

Resauran Mam owner, Roer Serr,sows o server, har hoae, ans new ng.

ECCO report

By ScottSchiefelbein

H a v i n ggrown upnear LakeOntario inR oc h e s t e r ,New York,

Elaine Beyer says that she got

used to living near lakes. Thatsjust one of the reasons she hascalled the area near the shores ofLake Calhoun her home for thelast 16 years. She came to Min-nesota to study ScandinavianLanguages & Literature andcontinued her education at St.Thomas University, where shereceived a Master of BusinessAdministration. She now worksin human resources for Henne-pin County. And, as of last fall,Beyer was elected to the ECCOboard and currently serves astreasurer of the neighborhoodassociation.

Beyer decided to run for a posi-tion on the board because shewanted to contribute more tothe neighborhood. Workingwith the organization, she has

become more informed aboutmany issues and to her surprise,the experience has been muchmore fun than she expected.According to ECCO Secre-tary, Carrie Menard, Beyer hasbeen a real go-getter, takinglittle time in becoming heavilyinvolved in the business of theorganization and assuming the

role of treasurer right from thestart.

When asked about her visionfor Uptown, Beyer explains thatshe would like to see the areamaintain a balance betweenbeing a comfortable residentialneighborhood and being a pop-ular and exciting destinationfor entertainment and dining.She often encourages friendsand acquaintances to visit theUptowns many restaurants andother attractions. She asserts thatshes proud of both. She findsherself dismayed that CalhounSquare seems to have becomeno longer viable. It seems soempty, she says. She hopes that

Phoo by ScoSchfbn

eCCo ba Mm pfl: ela by

ElAiNE bEyERcontinued on page 15


12/16

1 UPtOwN NeiGHBORHOOd NewS APRil 2007

Mon NegorooMeeng MnuesMARCh 20, 2007Subject to Approval at the April2007 CARAG Meeting.

board Memers Attending: RickBojko (Vice President), StephenEisenmenger (Secretary), Ellan

Meyer, Bill Morton, Dan Qualy,Aaron Rubenstein, Howard Ver-son (President), and Anna Mat-thes. Absent: Jill Bode.

Wecome: The CARAG Boardis made up of volunteers whoalso volunteer time on otherneighborhood committees andorganizations. Scott Engel, theCARAG community coor-dinator, can be reached at612.823.2520. CARAG is ademocratic organization; mem-bership and voting privilegesare open to residents, propertyowners and business owners inthe neighborhood.

inroucons & Announce-mens: Howard Verson.

Approve Consen Agena:Howard Verson.- Treasurers Report: (Jill Bode)

UNN February Net Loss was$703.81. Total Equity standsat $3,699.37. CARAG Assetsand Bank Accounts stand at$20,208.91. Approved. Approve& Sign Minutes, Howard Ver-son (Vote).- February meeting minutes.Amended to include AaronRubensteins Zoning and LandUse Report. Approved.

Crme & Sae MPd Upae:Tom Thompson / MariePrzynski. Fifth Precinct Report:72% of garages and homes thatwere burglarized last week werenot locked. 80% of cars stolenlast week were running withthe doors unlocked. Crime andSafety Committee is lookingfor volunteers for Court Watch,Scott Engel is working on a jobdescription. All five robberysuspects from last month wereapprehended. Motion madeto reply to an email from RickNelson, owner of Champions,stating that our notes from lastmonth represent the commentsfrom Marie Przynski.

CARAG Oce lease: ScottEngel (Vote). Lease runs from

April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2008at $362.25/month. Approved.The Finance Committee willbe exploring new office space tomatch CARAG needs as NRPfunding for CARAG Staff con-

tinues to decline in 2007 and2008.NRP Updates: Cindy Christian.- Revised 4+ Loan ProgramLottery Procedures (Vote).Approved.- Public Outdoor PerformanceSPACE (POPS), Design Repre-sentatives (Vote). Recommend-ed: Diana Boegemann and BobGroethe; David Omer (Alter-nate) Approved.- NRP Phase I Evaluation Sur-vey Results, Jen Walsh (Update).

25 Annua Commun Wnetasng bene: The Tastingis on for Wednesday, June 13,2007 from 6-9 p.m. in Campi-ellos parking lot, and CARAGwill be providing volunteers.CARAG received about $4500last year. CARAG receives100% of the ticket sales we sell.This is the biggest fundraiserfor CARAG operations. Weneed volunteers to sell ticketsand volunteer at the event (vol-unteers have to purchase theirown ticket for the event). Tick-ets are $25 in advance and $30at the door.

Council Memer RemingtonsReport: (Discussion). MonthlyEmail Newsletter signup isavailable. April 16, Breakfastwith Ralph at Egg & I from 8-9a.m. with School Superintendent

Bill Green. Gigis appointmentsfrom 2-4 p.m. on Mondays areavailable. Call Ralphs officeto set up an appointment at673.2210. Happy Hour withRalph is the last Friday at Lean-ing Tower of Pizza, 5:30 to 6:30.Circus Animal Ban has beenproposed by Ralph along withCam Gordon (Ward 2). CalhounSquare is up for sale, no detailshave been provided and its up inthe air as to what will happen.A Planned Use Development(PUD) change is to be proposedin the future. The PUD relatesto 2-acres of continuous parcelsof land. Revisiting this requires aCouncil action and this has beenbrought to the Councils atten-tion by City staff. Too often, toomany variances are required.The parcel size might be low-ered or other changes mighthappen to bring better qualityprojects to the city.

CARAG b-laws Revew: RickBojko (Update). The CARAGConstitution & Bylaws RevisionWorking Group has worked onthe second round of changesthis month was related to com-mittees and creating an annual

review of a new Committee Pol-icy. The next meeting for thisworking group will be Tuesday,April 10, 2007 at Bryant SquarePark, 7-8:30 p.m. Contact RickBojko for questions at rjb5@

cornell.edu. The current consti-tution and bylaws are posted atwww.carag.org.

zoning Committee Report:Aaron Rubenstein (Update).Uptown Small Area Plan com-munity meeting Saturday, March24, 9-11 a.m. at Calhoun Square.Planning Commission approvedplans for Hotel Uptown March5 with a number of variances.City Council extended UptownHeight Moratorium for sixmonths and approved Mid-town Greenway Plan. Update

on Amazing Thailand liquorlicense application.

busness Assocaons Repor:Bill Morton (Update). Bill wasunable to attend the UptownBusiness Association becausethe subject matter was person-nel related. Lyn-Lake BusinessAssociation had Jim Grubefrom Hennepin County talkabout Lake Street re-construc-tion project (Dupont to Blais-dell). Its possible the project canbe completed in 2007, but its

Cahoun Ara Rsns Acon GroupCARAG report

CARAG

711 West Lake St., Suite #303


(612)-823-2520

www.carag.org

email: [email protected]

.

Gather your friends & rally your neighbors!

Clean out the garage, attic & closets!

Its time to prepare for the...

SALE LOCATION: Front Back Inside

Bryant Square Park (Circle)

REFRESHMENTS: Yes No (Circle)DESCRIBE YOUR SALE ITEMS:

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NAME:_____________________________

ADDRESS:__________________________PHONE:____________________________

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FREERain Garden Workshop

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Create a rain garden to prevent rain water from running into thestorm sewers and eventually into the Chain of Lakes. The CARAGLivability Committee has partnered with Master Gardeners ofHennepin County to teach CARAG neighbors how to design andplant their own garden. Participants will learn which plants to useand where to place their garden. Join us for this FREE workshop!

TheCARAGBoard meetsthe thirdTuesday ofeach month,

7 p.m. atBryant ParkCommunity

Center, 31st and Bryant. AllCARAG residents are welcomeand urged to attend.

Lake St.

36th St.

HennepinAve.

LyndaleAve.

CARAG MiNUtEScontinued on page 15


13/16

APRil 2007 UPtOwN NeiGHBORHOOd NewS 1

neighborhood we want ratherthan have the neighborhoodimposed on us. That futureand vision need to come out ofthis neighborhood. Uptown is aunique place in the U. S. Theresnowhere that puts it together likeUptownwith single-familyhomes adjacent to a vibrantcommercial district, movietheaters and lakes. Its a dynamicbut fragile fabric. I would like tosee the energy move eastwardalong Lake Street. Minneapolisand the [metro] area are goingto grow and I want Minneapolisto be at the center of it.How do we do that withoutoverwhelming Uptown?

The Cunningham Groupplanning consultants stressedat the February 8 and March24 community meetings thatchange, growth and develop-ment are going to happen andthe planning process is aboutshaping and guiding themto meet community needsand desires. Consultant MikeLamb reviewed place-makingprinciples: a mix of uses, prom-inent public realm, variety ofbuilding types, clearly formedcenter, connectivity, multi-modal streets, mix of hous-

ing choices and prices, andregional patterns of growth,ecology and sustainability.Consultant Andrew Dresdnerdescribed what a small areaplan achieves: predictability,coordinated public and privateinvestments, increased stake-holder confidence, neighbor-hood stability, improved publicrealm, high quality develop-ment and implementationpartnerships.

Dresdner also gave an over-view of the consultants obser-

vations and findings regardingUptowns urban form and con-ditions. One thing he noted isthat retail sales have been trend-ing down since 2003.

Several people made commentsat the February and Marchcommunity meetings echoingthose a woman made at theFebruary meeting. Im shockedtheyre talking about develop-ment around transitwhentransit isnt there. There needsto be transit first, she said.Mayor Rybak responded by say-

ing he and Council MemberRemington support the South-west Corridor light rail align-ment through Uptown.

In response to a man whoworks in Calhoun Square whoexpressed concern about the mixof businesses in the mall and theemphasis on bars and restau-rants, Rybak said Why come toCalhoun Square if you find it allin a suburban strip mall and/orif everyones stumbling arounddrunk? Thats the message Ivegiven to Calhoun Square. Its

about fabric and uniqueness.

The last part of the February 8meeting involved breaking intosmall groups for several plan-ning exercises. Following somesticker dot exercises, participantswrote on index cards their idealqualities for Uptown. The cat-egories and top responses were:Ideal qualities of a new gather-ing space: open space, green,landscaped, accessible, open,comfortable, seating/benches,public art, public, variety ofcommercial/community usesand usable in all seasons. Quali-ties of ideal streets: pedestrianfriendly, sidewalks, lighting,trees, landscaping, green build-ings, relate to the street and on-street parking. Ideal qualities ofnew development: mixed-use

and dense, but appropriatelyscaled, modern and traditional,incorporates green space, servesthe needs of Uptownuse-ful stores and daily activities,diverse, unique, weird, goodfrontage (relationship to street)and hidden parking.

The city and the planning con-sultants held a number of focusgroup meetings in the formerBorders space, in the days pre-ceding the February and Marchcommunity meetings, to solicitinput from specific groups of

stakeholders and experts. Therewere 11 focus groups on Febru-ary 7 and 8, with 63 participants,and seven focus groups March21 and 22 with 28 participants.The focus groups involved smallbusiness owners and operators,developers, restaurant and baroperators, office owners andemployees, residents in variouslife stages, transportation, pub-lic arts and parks and recreationspecialists, social service provid-ers, faith-based leaders, own-ers of multi-family buildings,public safety professionals and

board members of the Uptownand South Hennepin businessassociations.

The planning consultants report-ed at the February and Marchcommunity meetings that simi-lar concerns and ideas emergedfrom the range of focus groups: The business mix is out of

balanceneed more day-time uses such as office andretail services that serve thecommunity.

Parking is a problemneedto better utilize existing sup-

ply and create a long-termparking strategy.

Calhoun Square is criticalhas a huge impact on theoverall health and vitality ofthe area.

People love Uptown. Public infrastructure is

poorweak open space net-work, poor access to gre-enway, no urban gatheringspace, sidewalks and otherstreetscape elements in poorcondition.

The focus group summa-

ry states, The needs for asmall area plan are not only

about controlling and guidinggrowth, but rather to fix struc-tural flaws in Uptown that areresulting in development anddisinvestment inconsistent withthe needs of the community.It also notes that the lack of atenanting and positioning planfor the business and retail mixis critical.

At the Saturday morning,March 24 community meeting,the planning consultants pre-sented drafts of the plans visionstatement, goals and objectives

and sought feedback. Approxi-mately 85 community residentsand stakeholders attended.

The consultants first reviewedthe proposed vision state-menta compilation and syn-thesis of visions presented bycommunity members at theNovember visioning sessions:Uptown is a welcoming neigh-borhood, with a diversity ofpeople and places. Uptown isa green community; its build-ings, streets, lakes and parksform a garden district that con-

tributes to a sustainable region.Uptown looks and feels likeno other place; it offers its ownurban character with a dense,mixed-use core surroundedby quiet, tree-lined neighbor-hoods. Uptown is a vibrantcenter of activity where peoplegather throughout the day andinto the evening. In Uptown, acar is optional; walking, cyclingand transit use are the preferredtransportation choices of manyresidents and visitors.

Planning consultant AndrewDresdner then gave demo-graphic and market snapshotsof Uptown. The demographicsnapshot: Uptown populationis aging, median incomeis lower than in city andmetro area, condo conversionshave altered the populationand decreased the amount ofaffordable housing. The mar-ket snapshot: retail vacancyis low but turnover is high,very little office space, Uptownresidents spend a lot of moneyelsewhere and Uptown

receives a lot of outside dollars.

Dresdner also briefly men-tioned the idea of converting

one-way residential streets inthe area to two-way.

Consultant Mike Lamb thenreviewed the five proposed goalsand related objectives:1. Enhance public open spaces.

Objectives: Improve con-nections between Mid-town Greenway, lakes andUptown. Establish a cen-tral public gathering place.Establish a variety of smallerpublic spaces.

2. Reinforce the surroundingneighborhoods. Objectives:

Strengthen neighborhoodedges. Reinforce neigh-borhood uses. Establish ahigh quality transition areabetween neighborhoods and

surrounding uses.3. Improve streets for pedes-

trians, bicycles and transit.Objectives: Reconnect thestreet and sidewalk network(grid) where feasible. Widen,green or otherwise activatesidewalks. Prioritize transit.

Mayr Rybak: We need creae a vsn r he neghbrhd we wan...

SMAll AREA PlANcontinued from page 2


Anrew dresner o e CunngamGroup ee quesons.


Cunnngam Group presener Mke lam compare noes w Seerng Com-mee memers Aaron Ruensen an lara Norkus-Crampon.

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