january 2008 uptown neighborhood news

8/7/2019 January 2008 Uptown Neighborhood News

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Commentary ............................................2Crime & Safety ......................................5CARAG Report ......................................... 9Calendar ...................................................... 10

Covering the Neighborhoods of CARAG and ECCO in the Uptown Area January 2008 Volume 4, Number 1

inside

Photo (left) by Kay Nygaard-GrahamWinter Honey

Bart n, Jeffer n,Whittier r Burr u h ? Narrow your Search at the School Information Fair By Colette Davidson

Katey Pelican has visited fourschools in four weeks, but thesearch for a kindergarten forher four-and-a-half year olddaughter is far from over. Sheshoping that a trip to the Minne-apolis School Information Fairon January 12 will help narrowdown her list of options.

Weve visited most of the localschools, says Pelican, whomoved from Virginia to Min-neapolis a month ago to theECCO neighborhood, but itsan opportunity to know every-thing thats out there, to knowwere not missing anything.

Like Pelican, many parents are overwhelmed by thevarious school choices available within the Minneapo-

Be It Resolved Its 2008 and

we wanted to find out whatsome of our local leaders haveplanned for the upcoming year.Lose weight? Learn to ski?Spend more time with the kids?If youre stumped about whatto put on your own list of New

Years resolutions, take a lessonfrom these folks.Have fun doing what you love to do (especially artists) but take care of yourself too. Take a dance class, get some bodywork, go out at night, work hard, play hard!--Uptown-based hip-hop dance crew, The CollectiveDance Company

Bite off what you can chew, but dont be afraid to go back for seconds. Resolutions fail not because people are afraid to tell others, but because they sometimes need to be more realistic with themselves about what they can and cant accomplish.

--Dave Cameron, Head Swim Coach of the three MinneapolisYWCA locations and two-time English Channel swimmer

F win The Bu ine Beat In U t wn

lis Public Schools. With Montessori, Magnet, Openand more, the list of potentialprograms goes on and on. Pelicanalso wants to consider whether

or not a school has a good learn-ing atmosphere, diversity andan appropriate teacher/studentratio. She must enroll her childsomewhere by the end of Febru-ary. Were just trying to makeour decision, she says.

Jackie Turner, Director of Stu-dent Recruitment and Com-munity Relations with theMinneapolis Public Schools,helped organize the SchoolInformation Fair, which will beheld at the Hyatt Regency Hotelat 1300 Nicollet Mall in down-

town Minneapolis from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

GO FOR A WALKAND GET PAID FOR IT

DELIVER PAPERS FOR THE UNN

Paid, part time job. Please call 612.259.1372

or email [email protected]

U t wn A iati n H d H ida Netw r in E ent By Gary FarlandOn Tuesday, December 4, the Uptown Association held a holi-day networking event at Chiang Mai Thai in Calhoun Square.About 55 people from Uptown businesses, along with a num-ber of Uptown residents, enjoyed food, drinks, games, prizesand the opportunity tonetwork. It was part of anongoing effort by directorMaude Lovelle and the Up-

town Association Board toinvolve the UA members inmore activities. Prior to theevent, the UA Board inter-viewed prospective mem-bers of the Board. Otheractivities coming up arethe annual meeting in Jan-uary, and various educa-tional activities concerningsuch things as marketingand business safety. Also,the UA is planning otheractivities such as NursesNight Out, a retail windowdesign contest, and a Tasteof Uptown.

U t wnDe e entU date By Aaron Rubenstein

Theres much news on the Uptown development scene since the Augustupdatepartly due to recent upheavals in the residential real estate

financing markets. The following development projects show a big shiftaway from condominiums and hotels and toward office space. Lulls anddelays continue for Uptown business projects. Is it the mortgage crisis orsome other factor at play?

REmovINg BARRIERs page 8

REsolUTIoNs page 6

BAck To sqUARE oNE? page 11

Walker at Tree Topswelcomed the spiritof the holidays witha gift program thatengaged residentsin volunteering theirtime to wrap donatedgifts. The gifts werethen distributed tosenior neighbors insouthwest Minneapo-lis. (below)

A l l p

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b y

B r u c e

C o c

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Erika Backberg, a resident artist of CARAG, describes her eco-friendly jewelry to Sharon during a December art show atUrban Earth in CARAG. (above)

Esther of Rendezvous Dance Studio (left), andSusan Hagler of UptownNeighborhood News (right)swap business cards anddance moves.

2008Photo by Barclay Horner


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Uptown neighborhood news january 2008

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:

NEWs, TIps & lETTERs To THE [email protected], 711 West Lake St. #303Minneapolis, MN 55408 (612) 259-1372

sENIoR EDIToRBeth Seth

INTERIm AssocIATE EDIToRColette Davidson

ADvERTIsINgSusan [email protected]

mANAgINg BoARD Appointed/Elected Reps: Kay Nygaard-Graham, Chair (CARAG)825-3637Gary Farland, Vice-chair (ECCO)824-6744Anna Matthes, Treasurer (CARAG)Michael Ekholm (ECCO)Jill Bode (CARAG)Ralph Knox, Secretary (ECCO)Volunteer Members: David PetersonMary Ann Knox

cAlENDAR EDIToRWendy Auldrich

coNTRIBUTINg pHoTogRApHERsKay Nygaard-Graham, Barclay Horner,Naomi Oshiro

coNTRIBUTINg WRITERsGary Farland, Jessica Fox-Wilson, MaryAnn Knox, Aaron Rubenstein

gRApHIc DEsIgN & pRoDUcTIoNBruce Cochran

NEWspApER cIRcUlATIoN

CARAG/ECCO Circulation:Bill Boudreau 825-0979

mINNEApolIs cITy coUNcIlTenth WardRalph Remington, [email protected]

cRImE pREvENTIoN spEcIAlIsTTom Thompson, 5th PrecinctSAFE Unit, Sector 2, 3101 Nicollet AveMinneapolis MN 55408Serving the neighborhoods of;CARAG, East Harriet, ECCO, Kingfield,Linden Hills, Lyndale, West Calhoun

5TH pREcINcT commUNITy ATToRNEyLisa Godon 673-2005

Uptown Neighborhood News reserves the right to refusepublication of articles or advertisements as it sees fit.But we will see fit to publish most things, dont worry.Copyright 2007 Uptown Neighborhood News.

commentary

per it-on par in N t the An wer f r U t wn

par A enueShould Parking Zone Be Expanded?

Ex and per it par in By Phillip Qualy

Its always sad when our Uptownneighborhoods seemingly get pit-

ted against one another. When oneneighborhood group feels envi-ous or threatened by what anoth-er neighborhood has, we mustremember to help our neighborsand raise all boats, rather than letunwarranted fear run around ourblocks. Its the right thing to do.

That appears to be the challengein Uptown this winter season.Residents immediately east andsouth of Calhoun Square havebeen enjoying their permit park-ing status for over five years. Now,all of a sudden, other neighborsand neighborhood groups wantto weigh into our front yards andtake away what we enjoy.

This kind of makes one won-der whos parking data is beingspread around, is there a reasonfor uptown commercial parkingto expand soon and who is pullingthe strings at city hall?

Rather than bringing down neigh-bors, all the neighborhoods aroundUptown should join a permit park-

land use. Permit parking has beenthe single most useful instrumentof city government to define andassure our residential livabil-ity with, in legal terms, a brightline.

Prior to permit parking, on Emer-son and Fremont Avenues, weendured our streets full fromearly morning until late at night.Constant litter, employees eatinglunch in their cars, loitering andyes, commuters from the suburbsparking all day were the norm.Late night partiers would wakeour children and we were all privyto their urination and loud con-versations on our boulevards. Andyes, there were many times we didnot get our curbs plowed after avisitor returned after hours.

I do not believe that any neighbor-

hood block in Minneapolis shouldhave to deal with this, particularlywhen it is for the commercial gainof another. But what our neigh-bors to the south and west need tounderstand is that for some rea-sonmost likely our immediateborder to the commercial districtnot a block or more awayourhomes have been negativelyimpacted in the past like no other.

As well, our burough has manynew young families. We havebought and invested in our homesbased on the level of residentialenjoyment we have today. Ourcurrent permit parking hours areintegral to the privacy and livabili-ty of our homes. Coupled with ourresidential neighborhood is theUptown Row development whichhas validated and paid parking. If we are to now be forced to openour residential streets, it may wellnegatively impact the revenues of that venture and thereby increasethe demand for more liquor licens-es and pressure on our respectivehomes.

The recent interest of our neigh-bors that are several blocks away

does serve to return our focus tosome interesting parking policyquestions for the district.

During the Uptown PlanningCharette, wasnt one guiding prin-ciple that new development shouldbuild underground parking?Wasnt one guiding principle thata large central ramp at the activitycenter be built? Was there not theconcept that straight market forcescoupled with permit parking inall Uptown residential quadrantswould be a positive catalyst for dis-trict parking pressures? Wasnt agoal of well coordinated and man-

aged evening and late night park-ing a stated goal for the district?Wasnt a goal of encouraging theuse of mass transit and biking setby the community?

If permit parking should be lim-ited, who stands to gain? It will bethe nonresident commuters, busi-nesses who do not provide employ-ee parking and other commercialinterests who do not respect ourresidential rights. It will be largeconstruction project contractorswho may have not made arrange-ments for their workers to parkduring upcoming construc-

Photo by Bruce Cochran

tion projects. As in the past, theUptown Association will remainclose to the council member withtheir long standing and unspokenpolicies of parking issues? Let itspill into the neighborhoods.

Rather than pitting neighboragainst neighbor, we should allapply for permit parking withbroad hours to assure our neigh-borhoods mutual right to enjoyour homesteads. Lets lift all of our neighbors boats, not sink eachother for the business districts and

nonresidents convenience andcommercial gain.

When residents finally get per-mit parking, I predict that ourCARAG and ECCO neighborswill one day ask the same question

from their front yards that we dowith our neighbors now, Whydidnt we get permit parking along time ago?

Phillip Qualy is a resident of Emer- son Avenue and a former CARAG Board Chairman.

ing plan. At least give it a try in thespring. I encourage neighbors toapply for permit parking for sev-eral reasons.

First, the majority of our residen-tial neighborhoods are zoned R-2B,or residential duplex. We pay taxesand we have the right to enjoy ourcurb space and the privacy of ourresidential homes. This includesour front yards and porches. Thismeans having residential curbspace for children, seniors, guestsand our safety rather than businessdistrict employees, customers andcommuters using our front yardsfor commercial use.

Yes, the streets are part of a pub-lic domain, however our right toenjoy our homes is a fundamen-tal tenet of any home owner. InUptown, we have always strug-gled to find a balance betweencommercial district pressure andresidential livability.

The parameter of commercialzoned land and R-2B is not somefuzzy abstract 1970s anythinggoes concept. Zoning lines areclear, defined and have limits for

By Gary Farland

Council Member Ralph Rem-ington has proposed that a sevenblock area in the northwest cornerof the CARAG neighborhood bepermit-only parking from 9 p.m.until 2 a.m. Monday through Sat-urday. At a neighborhood meetingheld December 3 at Joyce Church,Remington explained that thepresent permit-only parking onEmerson and Fremont betweenLake and 31st Street causes thosestreets to be empty and pushesthe parking south. He added thatalthough he lives in the proposedarea, it wouldnt benefit him sincehe has a garage. He explained thatthe enlarged area, which includesall sides of streets from Lake to33rd Street and from Hennepin

to Emerson, would even thingsout and would be seeing the bigpicture. I think that two wrongsdont make a right and that thecouncil member needs to see a big-ger picture.

The city refers to this permit-onlyparking as critical parking andlists 27 present critical parkingareas (plus the Uptown site whichisnt listed). Each block has to have75 percent of the residents (own-ers, not renters) sign a petitionsupporting it. Then, the city has todetermine that visitor parking iscausing parking and disturbance

problems for the residents. TheCity Council then votes whether toapprove. Once in place, a residentwould have to pay $25 per year fora permit ($35 the first year) and$10 for visitor permits. The presentpermit-only parking is from 9 a.m.until 2 a.m. and several residentsof those streets said they wouldlike to keep it that way. Reming-ton proposed that they become 9p.m. until 2 a.m., but seemed toback off of that idea.

On the following Thursday, theECCO Board unanimously passeda resolution opposing this propos-al, and instead recommended thatthe present permit-only parkingallow daytime public parking. Thereason for the opposition listed inthe resolution was that the parkingpressure would simply be pushedto adjoining streets, includingnorthern ECCO, which alreadyhas such pressure. At the meet-ing, Remington said that ECCOis mostly single-family homeswith garages and thus wouldntbe impacted. But, of course, thenorthern part of ECCO is largelyrental and many residents alreadyhave trouble parking. Also, ECCO

residents dont enjoy the late night

drunks any more than CARAGresidents do. When asked aboutDupont and Colfax on the eastside of the proposed area, Rem-ington said that people wouldnt

walk that far; but, of course, theywould.

The result of having a large areaof CARAG permit-only parkingwill naturally be that all parkingsouth of the Uptown business areawill eventually become permit-only parking from Colfax to LakeCalhoun. Next, the residents northand west of the business districtwill also seek such protection asthey become impacted by visitors,workers and residents who haventbought permits. This will certainlybe hard on the Uptown busi-nesses, their employees and lake

visitors. Remington explained thathe wants permit-only parking toput pressure on the Uptown busi-nesses to provide their own park-ing, but how realistic is that? Soonthe construction on the CalhounSquare parking ramp will shutthat down except for valet park-ing, and its hard to think that theUptown businesses could afford tobuild a big ramp.

Personally, I think that publicstreets are just that. I dont feelthat I own the street in front of my house, and I appreciate liv-ing close to the lake and Uptownso that I can just walk there. InECCO, there is parking pressurebut I think it comes with the terri-tory and things seem to work out.Yes, there are some streets with alot of apartments like Girard, andperhaps on streets with such greatdensity there could be permit-onlyparking. But the present permit-parking isnt used very much byits residents, so it is probably notneeded there. I would hate tosee this whole area become likearound St. Thomas where thereare many blocks of empty streetsnext to the college. That is a waste

of a city resource.In the end, there does need to bea real solution to the parking pres-sure. Perhaps this is an area wherethe city should build a parkingramp like they have in other plac-es. We do want to see our Uptownbusinesses succeed and, I think, wedo want to allow people who needstreet parking to have that oppor-tunity. Remember the welcomesigns put up? Plus, the cost of per-mits is not a welcome addition tothe cost of living.

Gary Farland is a member of the

UNN Board and lives in ECCO.


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january 2008 Uptown neighborhood news .

DEADlINEf u m n t t F ua y u f T U t n N

N FRIDAy,

JANUARy 23RD.

CorrectionThe December issue of the Uptown Neighborhood News misspelled MohnElectric. We regret theerror.

Re e t Redu e in 2008 By Mary Ann Knox

The New Year is a blank slate.Whether promising resolutions or

not, most people take a momentto reflect and look forward. Isntthere something great about clos-ing the door on last year, and turn-ing to the blank slate? Its a chanceto start over every year.

In the quest to live more thought-fully, a lot of people include acommitment to do better by theenvironment, their families andhealth. It is human to plan, hopeand improve.

In this vein, I compile a list of Ten Resolutions for Living MoreThoughtfully in Uptown in 2008.These are presented in no particu-lar order and are not all-inclusiveof what makes a smaller life. Sev-eral of these will be expanded infuture articles.

The theme for the year is reduceand improve make your own lifeand your community life better byreducing stress, impact and worry.Improve by finding new experi-ences and new information.

1. DRIvE lEss,WAlk moREBenefit the environment, yourhealth, your pocketbook and per-haps your family or pet. I liveabout one mile from Uptown. If I drive there and back, the costto me (physically and socially) is$2.20 for the trip. If I refrain oneday a week, I will save $114.40 peryear. By walking, I will burn about200 calories, which equals threepounds in a year. So if I elimi-nate one short trip, I save money,reduce pollution and lose weight.

Calculate commuter cost andimpact: www.commutesolutions.org/calc.htm

Calculate calories and walking dis-tance: www.walking.about.com/ library/cal/uccalc2.htm

2. pRoDUcE lEss gARBAgEGarbage is preventable. In Hen-nepin County, each person gener-ates seven pounds of waste eachday. Try to reduce a pound a week.Dont buy that roll of paper towels use reusable and washable tow-els around the house. Wash plasticbags and reuse them. Shop withthese questions in mind: Do youneed it, is there a reusable option,does it have too much packaging?Repair instead of discard. Com-post organic materials. Buy in bulkwith reusable packaging. Can-cel your junk mail delivery. Firstreduce. If you cannot reduce, thenre-use. Last, recycle if the previousare not an option.

Opt out of credit offers:1.888.5.OPTOUT (1.888.567.8688)

Reduce junk mail: call Direct Mar-keting Association at 212.768.7277or visit www.dmachoice.org/con-sumerassistance.php

3. sloW DoWNDecrease your hectic schedule byone activity a week. This is dif-

ficult, I know, but this goes espe-cially for the kids. Dont schedulethem so much. Dont scheduleyourself so much unless it is total-ly fun. Refuse one commitmentper week and spend quiet timeat home or wherever it most ben-efits you: outdoors, at the gym, ina church, with friends, with yourkids

4. BUy locAllyLast month, I urged you to doyour Christmas shopping in thearea. Keep it up throughout theyear. One study has suggested that

for every dollar spent at a chain, 14cents is spent by that chain in thestates economy. For every dollarspent at a local business, 53 centsgoes back into the local economy.Another cites the example of $100of spending spent at a locallyowned store, it generated $68 of local economic activity, comparedwith $43 for a chain store.

Independent local businesses hirelocal services to support the busi-ness, and can also carry a higherpercentage of locally made goodsthan the chains, creating more jobsfor local producers.

5. coNsIDER yoUR FooDKeep it as local and organic aspossible. The environment winsevery time you buy something thatwas transported a short distanceinstead of across the country or theworld. Your health benefits whenyou eat fresh or organic foods.Local producers benefit from yourdollars and in turn spend them inour economy. Plan to grow some-thing to eat. Well report more ongrowing your own food over thenext few months.

6. lEARN somETHINg NEWImprove your life and learn some-thing useful: Minneapolis Com-munity Education offers classes inmaking your own laundry soap orlearning how to use a computer.Learn how to remodel your houseor plan your retirement. Wintersession begins January 22.

Minneapolis Community Educa-tion: www.commed.mpls.k12.mn.us

7. ENgAgE IN yoURcommUNITyMeet your neighbors. Join or starta block club. Go to a neighbor-hood meeting. Attend a churchservice or lecture. You can experi-ence an enriched local life by mak-ing friends with those around you,and you can positively impact yourcommunity when you know whatgoes on here.

CARAG: www.carag.orgECCO: www.eastcalhoun.orgCCP/SAFE: www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/police/outreach/safe-teams.asp

8. TAkE BAck DEmocRAcyIts an election year: attend precinctcaucuses on February 5. President,

U.S. Senate and House membersare being elected. Educate yourself about the candidates and issues,and then be sure to vote. Keeptrack of what your representativesare doing, and give them feed-back.

9. REDUcE yoUR sTUFFMany of us have too much whileothers have great needs. Besidesnot bringing any more into your

life, reduce your stuff by thought-fully reviewing whether you candonate anything already there.Many people describe a great senseof freedom after purging the boxesin the attic, basement and garage.ARC of MN will pick up at yourcurb, as will many other charitableorganizations.

ARC: www.arcgreatertwincities.org

10. REDUcE yoUR DEBTImprove your credit score (you cancheck it for free). Reduce depen-dence on credit cards. Pay yourbills on time to avoid late fees. Paydown your debt. Save in advance

for what you need, rather than payfor it with credit and interest. Liv-ing smaller means buying less if you dont have the money. Shopthoughtfully, save more.

Free credit report: www.annual-

creditreport.com

Its a huge goal to assume that weall can live happy, stress-free, clut-ter-free, socially and environmen-tally responsible existences, but wecan give it a try, eh? Little stepswill get us there. Good luck to usall. Happy New Year!

Mary Ann Knox lives in CARAG and hopes to de-clutter her life this year.

The UNN is seeking a civic mindedindividual to serve as Associate Editor

This is a part time, paid position.Job description available upon request.

Please call 612.259.1372or send resume to [email protected]

Re in t n 365 By Ralph Remington

As I wrap up 2007, I am astonishedthat half of my term is behind me.I am proud of the work wevedone and the progress made. Hereare my 2007 highlights.

Successfully guided the UptownSmall Area Plan to its finalstages

Funded NRP at the 70percentlevel through 2009

Passage of the Cessation of WarResolution

Opposed property tax increases

in 2008 Hired Amy Duncan as Office

Associate Authored successful changes to

the Aggressive Solicitation ordi-nance

Advocated for animal protec-tion in circuses, resulting inincreased regulation

Attended Railvolution confer-ence to help better facilitate railtransit in Minneapolis

Supported a truncated per-mitting process for local farmstands, which bring freshproduce to underserved neigh-borhoods

Served as a Board Member of Meet Minneapolis, the citysmarketing organization

Worked to restore an unsched-uled cut to MTN funding

Voted to give municipal consentso that the 35W bridge could berebuilt

Appointed Tim Prinsen tothe citys Capital Long RangeImprovement Committee

Sat on an MTN Task Forcecharged with improving com-munication between the cityand MTN

Guided the Lyndale Avenuereconstruction layout to approv-al, including the reinstatement

of two stop lights about whichthe community felt strongly

Sat on the National League of Cities Public Safety Committee

Authored unsuccessful amend-ment to increase police officersin 2008 budget

Produced monthly e-newslet-ters

Secured, through the work of Inspector Kris Arneson, threebeat cops for Uptown

Supported $100,000 of fundingfor homeless outreach workers

Advocated to make the Com-

mittee of the Whole a workingcommittee that reviews andvotes on issues encompassingmore than one committeeswork

Attended the Making CitiesLivable Conference in Portland,Oregon

Supported the anti-McMansion(infill housing) ordinance

Accepted an offer to be anExecutive Committee Memberof the Urban Land Institute

Finished the AlternativesAnalysis Phase of the SouthwestTransitway Policy AdvisoryCommittee

Increased funding to restorativejustice programs in 2008

Voted to increase the number of taxi licenses in the city

Continued to work toward atrans-fat ban and calorie menulabeling

Supported a pilot programincreasing the number of

audible pedestrian signals atproblem intersections

Participated in East HarrietsWalker Task Force, improvingrelations between residents andthe health center

Advocated for the extension of the Citys Expanded Certifica-tion, encouraging city managersto hire women, minorities, andpeople with disabilities

Continued Breakfast withRalph, Happy Hour with Ralphand GiGis appointments

Voted for the passage of theIndustrial Land Use Plan, shap-ing land use in the City

Initiated critical (permit) park-ing in the Uptown area

I am excited to move forwardinto 2008 and, as always, am hon-ored to be the Council Member of Ward 10.

livin small


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Uptown neighborhood news january 2008

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bringing attention to the book.

UNN: I was particularly interested in the poem Reading John Berryman, because youare inspired by a poet with a Minneapolis connection. What other Minneapolis poets orMinneapolis-connected poets inspire you?

KD: My poetry teachers were my first inspiration poets Deborah Keenanand Roseann Lloyd. I always go back to John Engmans poetry and I love

James Wright. There are so many great poets here in Minneapolis andin out-state Minnesota. I could list at least 50 who inspire me!

UNN: When reading your book, two themes recur throughoutthe poems: your relationship with nature (landscape, animals

and weather) and the transitory nature of life. How are thesetwo ideas connected for you in this book?

KD: Getting older, it feels like there are fewer lulls in thechanging seasons. One day the leaves are green, the nextday theyre red and gold, the next day the branches arebare and stark against the winter sky. But being out innature, feeling like Im part of nature, it makes this pass-ing of time feel okay. All the beautiful things, the trees,the birds, the animals, they all have a transient existence,and Im just a part of it all - an organic creature who is

going to have my time on earth, and then at some point,it will be done. It feels like a balance I find (mostly) com-forting: the beauty of living, the fact that its temporary,

the fact that its something all living things on this planetshare.

UNN: Within the book, a small section of eight poems speaksdirectly to 9/11. How do you see the events of 9/11 playing in to

the larger themes in Northern Oracle?

KD: These poems, although theyre about huge national events, are stillrooted in the Midwest landscape. Right after 9/11, I found comfort in such

ordinary things as the common brown sparrows going about their business, regardlessof the violence in the world. And I was finding disparate events that felt connected forinstance, the winter we heard more and more about plans to invade Iraq, and at the sametime, there were reports every night on the news of dangerously thin ice. And I think alsothe idea that nature itself can be violent and dangerous, and that human beings make up

part of that natural world also.

Northern Oracle is a joy to read, because Kirsten Dierking uses accessible language toaddress a common Minnesota experienceour tenuous relationship with nature. Herpoems capture what its like to live as a Minnesotan, without pretense or sentimentality.To learn more about Kirsten Dierking or Northern Oracle, visit her website at www.dierk-ing.mobi or her press website, www.spoutpress.org.

Jessica Fox-Wilson is a poet and writer who lives in the Wedge neighborhood. In between scrib- bling poems and spending time with her husband and cats, she blogs at 9to5poet.blogspot.com.

Photo by Kay Nygaard-Graham

Nature; Urban life In ire U t wn p et By Jessica Fox-Wilson

In Minneapolis, we experience the force of nature while living in a vibrant city. In thewinter, we can watch a near-silent snowfall blanket the city streets, hear the crunch of tires against ice, and feel an icy wind buffeted between buildings. For Minneapolis poetKirsten Dierking, the juxtaposition of urban and natural is one source of inspiration forher new book, Northern Oracle . The other main inspiration is her familys Samiheritage. (The Sami people, formerly known as Laplanders, are found inNorway, Sweden and Finland.) Throughout the book, she uses quotesfrom Sami poet Nils-Aslak Valkeapaa to frame an indigenous peo-ples connection to nature in a modern context.

Published last November by Minneapolis publisher SpoutPress, Northern Oracle is a lovely and spare book that chroni-cles the transitions of life and nature. She moves from a joyand reverence in nature, to fear of its instability, to finallya feeling of peace and connectedness to its rhythms. Herbook is the perfect read for the middle of winter, as Dierk-ing recognizes the fragile beauty of nature while focus-ing on the small wonders we find living in our urban andnatural environments.

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Dierking onher experiences as a local poet and the varied inspirationsfor Northern Oracle.

Uptown Neighborhood News: How does living near Min-neapolis influence you artistically and commercially?

Kirsten Dierking: It takes me about ten minutes to get todowntown Minneapolis. So, in ten minutes I can be at theLoft Literary Center, at any number of readings, I can visit greatbookstores, art galleries, any cultural event, and all this interactionwith other artistic works, as well as other artists, always inspires me towrite.

Commercially, its a wonderful network of artistic support and my Minneapolis pub-lisher, Spout Press, has been part of the local arts scene for many years. On the otherhand, close to my house, I have trails that run through woods and wetlands, and the wholenatural world as inspiration. I think our environment is kind of unique in that way theurban here is never too far away from nature.

UNN: I noticed from your acknowledgments in Northern Oracle that you thanked Inter-media Arts. What role has Intermedia Arts played in your writing career?

KD: Intermedia Arts administers a grant program called the SASE/Jerome Grants.These grants help emerging writers move forward with their careers. I received a grantto hire a publicist to help promote Northern Oracle and this has been a huge help to me in


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january 2008 Uptown neighborhood news 5 .

crime & safety

5TH pREcINcT(s uthwe tminnea i )se t r 2:cps T Th n673.2823

[email protected]

N e ber 2007Crimes by Location

Busline

E C C O

C A R A G

cri e E ent Time of DayEcco

cARAg

East Calhoun Community organization(ECCo)

upComing mEEtings

Thursday, January 3, 2008St. Marys Greek Orthodox Church

35th and Irving Ave. S.

For more information see our website:www.eastcalhoun.org

6:00 PMNRP Steering Committee Meeting

Come and help determine East CalhounNeighborhood Revitalization Program

funding priorities for 2008

7:00 PMECCo B d d

ne b d ee .

c ear sidewa After A sn wfaAfter a snowfall, snow and ice on sidewalks mustbe removed within: 24 hours for homes and duplexes Four daytime hours for apartment and

commercial buildings.

Need t re rt a idewa that i n t h e ed?To report a sidewalk that has not been shoveled,call 311.

Need idewa - h e in he ?For a fee, community groups shovel snowfor senior citizens and people with disabilities.Call 612.673.3004 for a list of these groups.

Need idewa and?Free sidewalk sand for residents.Call 612.673.5720 for more information.


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8 Uptown neighborhood news january 2008

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, Minneapolis612-825-3019 www.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.

Tax Preparation Jack D. Manders

Certifed Public Accountant 1900 Hennepin Avenue South

Minneapolis, MN 55403Call Jack at 612-874-7884

[email protected]

In years past, the fair has broughtin 3,000-5,000 people and, althoughhigh schools will not be presentthis year, Turner expects a greatturnout.

[The fair] is an opportunity forparents to have all the Minneapo-lis Public School departments atone location in order to make an

informed decision, says Turner.According to Turner, parents havean average of 10-15 school choices.The fair is a chance for parentsto narrow that number down totwo or three. All the MinneapolisPublic Schools will be representedat the fair, and most schools willcome with their principals andseveral staff members in tow. Staff can answer questions about cur-riculum, nutrition, transportationand special education, to name afew programs.

Ray Aponte, Principal of Jeffer-

son Elementary School, wants touse the fair to help parents recog-nize not only the good things hap-pening at his school, but at otherschools as well.

I hope that [parents] see that theMinneapolis Public Schools are aviable option, says Aponte, thereare a lot of wonderful options andteachers. The fair is a natural wayfor them to get firsthand experi-ence, to get to know the Minne-apolis Public Schools.

An important component of thefair is to allow parents who maynot otherwise have the means tovisit all the Minneapolis PublicSchools the opportunity to do sounder one roof.

[The Information Fair] removesbarriers, says Turner, insteadof getting in the car and visitingeach school, parents can visit allthe schools in one location. Thefair is centrally located so thatthose without cars can still attend.Headstart will be working withthe Minneapolis Public Schools tohelp bus families to and from thefair.

After meeting with representativesfrom various schools, parents canfill out applications right there atthe fair. Minneapolis School Boardmembers and the superintendentwill be in attendance to answeradditional questions. Local com-munity agencies, such as the Boysand Girls Club, the YMCA andthe Salvation Army, will also mantables to talk about their services.

Whether the decision is based onlocation or programs, parents willfind what they need to make theirschool choices at this years Infor-mation Fair. Because most parentsstart choosing schools for theirchild a year and a half in advance,the fair is an opportunity to geta feel for each school to find theright fit.

The best way to make a deci-sion is to make relationships, saysTurner, its very important that[parents] feel connected to teachersand feel comfortable. [The SchoolInformation Fair] is a good way tosee everything in one spot.

For more information about the school information fair go to www. schoolchoice.mpls.k12.mn.us

UNN

o i -sized Ra in in U t wn

Its Loppet Time in the Twin Cities

Photo by Barclay Horner

By Beth Seth

Its Loppet time again! The unini-tiated may think that the wordLoppet is a new hair cutting

technique or perhaps a fuzzy rela-tive of Elmo. But winter sportsfans know that the Loppet is amuch anticipated weekend of cross country ski races and otherwinter sporting events. This year,the Loppet will be held the week-end of February 2 and 3.

The weekend offers activitiessuitable for a range of abilitiesfrom beginner to advanced. Theflagship event, The City of LakesLoppet Freestyle, attracts thou-sands of skiers, including many of the sports best. The freestyle is a35k route which begins in Theo-

dore Wirth Park and finishesin the streets of Uptown. Otherevents include races for children

and teens and a non-competitive10k route.

One of the weekends mostpopular events is the LuminaryLoppet. In this non-competitiveTour of Light, skiers begin inUptown and ski onto the Chain of Lakes, which will be illuminatedwith candles frozen in ice bulbs(luminaries), before finishing backin Uptown. Festivities along theway include bon fires, coffee andhot cider, ski and snowshoe dem-onstrations and more. Anotherpopular event for participantsand spectators alike is the Skijor-ing Loppet, in which teams onedog and one skier per team racearound Lake Calhoun before fin-ishing in Uptown.

For a complete listing of events and registration information, visitwww.cityoflakesloppet.com or call612.604.5330

REmovINg BARRIERs from 1


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january 2008 Uptown neighborhood news .

Calhoun Area Residents Action GroupCARAG reportLake St.

36th St.

H e

n n

e p

i n A v

e .

L y n

d al e A v

e.

The CARAG Board meets the third Tuesday of each month, 7 p.m.at Bryant Park Community Center,31st and Bryant.All CARAG residents

are welcome and urged to attend.

On the Agenda...- Calhoun Square

Redevelopment Update

- NRP Plan Modification

- Crime & Safety Report

- And More!

CARAG711 West Lake St., #303Minneapolis, MN 55408

(612)[email protected]

www.carag.org

CARAG Monthly NeighborhoodMeeting Minutes. December 20,2007

Board Members Attending: EllenMeyer (Vice-President), BillMorton, Kay Nygaard-Graham(President), Dan Qualy (interim-secretary), Aaron Rubenstein,Howard Verson. Absent: AnnaMatthes (Treasurer), Jamie Ron-nei.

Intr du ti n andAnn un e ent(Kay Nygaard-Graham)

A letter was read from CouncilMember Remington stating thatattending neighborhood monthlymeetings in the Tenth Ward is acommitment he (Remington) canno longer make, but that he willattend neighborhood meetingsquarterly, beginning in March, aswell as annual meetings.

A motion was passed to makeHoward Verson CARAGs repre-sentative to the Midtown Green-way Coalition.

A motion was passed making resi-dent Scott Scheifelbein a memberof the CARAG Board, filling avacant seat.

c n ent A endaand minute(Kay Nygaard-Graham)

The agenda was approved. Therewill be a layover for Novembersminutes to the January meeting.

Trea urer Re rt(Scott Engel for Anna Matthes)

CARAG has $13,364.91 in thebank account and $7,187.20 in assetaccounts. The total balance as of 11/30/07 was $20,552.11. UptownNeighborhood News financialreport was briefly summarizedand approved.

cri e and safetmpD U date(Tom Thompson and Lt. MariePrzynski)

Overall crime in the Fifth Precinctwas cut in half from this time lastyear, down 18 percent, though bur-glaries continue to rise. Please con-tinue keeping your windows anddoors locked, and have a happyand safe holiday season!

c unit En a e entand NRp Future(Matt Perry)

Matt Perry, President of East Har-riet Farmstead NeighborhoodAssociation (EHFNA) and Co-Chair of the Community Engage-

ment Task Force, spoke about the

future of the Neighborhood Revi-talization Program (NRP) in Min-neapolis.

Perry expects that the city willcontinue funding neighborhoodorganizations after 2009, but NRPwill no longer exist as we know ittoday, primarily in that there willbe no governing body. Phase l of NRP will still exist as an entity,because there are still certain activ-ities, home loans for example, thatmust be monitored and funded.Perry said he thinks HennepinCounty and the City of Minneapo-lis will jointly fund future NRPprograms.

Perry described a process that wasinitiated last fall that was intendedto examine options and proposeactions for consideration by the

Committee of the Whole at itsmeeting on December 20, 2007.Perry went on to explain that theCommittee of the Whole wouldweigh in on December 20 with amore complete analysis. The mainpoint is that he was hoping theCommittee of the Whole wouldendorse the following four points:(1) to recommend that fundingcontinue as it does today in orderfor neighborhood organizationsto function like normal, (2) thatthere will be an extensive publiccomment period lasting at least thefirst two months of 2008, (3) thatneighborhood organizations willbe more directly involved in theinput and the process, and (4) thatneighborhood organizations willbe able to plan and execute Phase Iand Phase II plans knowing that atleast 70 percent of the money willbe there to do it beyond 2009, andthat the light switch on NRP willnot simply be switched off at theend of 2009.

Those interested in stay-ing informed with Commu-nity Engagement may look forrebroadcasts on Cable Channel79, or go to www.ci.minneapolis.

mn.us/communications/commu-nityengagement.asp.

NRp U dateThe new NRP Steering Commit-tee is still seeking participants!Currently, those members are KayNygaard Graham, Ellen Meyer,Dan Qualy, James Ronnei, AaronRubenstein and Howard Verson.The next meeting will be in thefirst or second week of January.

CARAG partnered with the ParkBoard using the Bryant SquarePark Master Plan to develop an

improvements list that can beimplemented using NRP fundsand Park Board resources. ThePublic Outdoor PerformanceSpace (POPS) construction ismostly complete and will be dedi-cated in Spring 2008. The POPSwill allow for small music and the-atre performances in the park.

CARAG has been working withPublic Works, LHENA, and theUptown Association to developa vision to improve the Breakin Lake (Lake/Lagoon/Dupontintersection). This includes land-scaping the concrete medians and

adding other improvements tomake a more pedestrian-friendlyarea. Public Works now endorsesa design which includes some newboulevard trees and greenery.

The CARAG membership willbe asked to vote on a proposi-tion brought by Scott Engel inNovember. The proposition is toreallocate $82,668 from variousNRP Full Action Plan strategiesto Strategy 22.1 Implementationto fund future administrative costsfor the CARAG organization.

The Board approved the 2008CARAG Event Calender and is asfollows:

CARAG Chili Fest - Sunday, Feb-ruary 24

Plant Swap - Saturday, April 26

Super Sale, the neighborhoodgarage sale - Saturday, May 17

Hennepin Lake CommunityWine Tasting - Wednesday,June 11

Garden Tour - Saturday, Mondayand Wednesday, June 21, 23and 25

Hennepin Hazardous Waste Dis-posal Day - Saturday, June 28

Bryant Square Park Ice CreamSocial - Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Uptown Art Fair - Friday, Sat-urday and Sunday, August 1, 2and 3

CARAG Annual Meeting - Tues-day, September 16

Architecture & Preservation Tour- Saturday, October 4

Z nin c ittee Re rt(Aaron Rubenstein)

Council Member Ralph Reming-ton has proposed amendments tothe citys Liquor Store Ordinance

(Chapter 362.40). The primaryamendment is to allow for anexception to the 2,000 feet distancerequirement for locations that arezoned C3A (Community ActivityCenter) and one per block face forestablishments that sell wine only.The C3As in Minneapolis includeboth the immediate Uptown andLyn-Lake commercial districts.

Calhoun Square is hoping to sub-mit their renovation plans thisweek to get on the citys FebruaryPlanning Commission hearing.

The Uptown Small Area PlanPublic Hearing has been delayedfrom the December 17 to Monday,January 14 at 4:30pm.

The CARAG Zoning Commit-tee met with owners of El Mesonrestaurant, who plan on opening anew restaurant called Indio. Theprimary topic of discussion washours of operation, both insideand out. Indio has a small four-seat bar, a small performance stageand will be requesting a full liquorlicense, as well as a 1 a.m. closingtime.

A new coffee and gelato shop hasbeen proposed for the currentPanaroma Video site on the cornerof Lake and Bryant. Panaroma isstill there, but has downsized and

will no longer be on the immedi-ate corner of its building. A park-ing variance will most likely beneeded.

A local developer has proposed an8-story residential developmenton the former Acme factory sitealong the Midtown Greenway.Although the proposed buildingwould be 8-stories high, its heightwould only be 84 feet. Lowry HillEast Neighborhood Association(LHENA) recommended againstthe project.

pr ed criti apar in Di tri t(Aaron Rubenstein, Scott Devens)

Council Member Remingtonsplan to incorporate the currentpermit parking zone (Fremontand Emerson between LakeStreet and 31st Street) into hisproposed larger permit parkingzone (Girard, Fremont and Emer-son Avenues between Lake Streetand 33rd Streets) was droppedafter meeting strong oppositionfrom residents living in the cur-rent zone regarding the changein restricted hours, causing somecommunity members to arguethat its unfair for those residentsto not be affected. In response,Scott Devens, who lives in the cur-rent permit parking zone, handedout copies of the Minneapolis city

ordinance which addresses criticalparking areas within Minneapolis,putting emphasis on several clear

cARAg UpDATE page 11


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january 2008 Uptown neighborhood news 11 .

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ECCO Neighborhood612.987.2344 [email protected]

City CouncilpersonRalph Remington612.673.2210 Ralph.Remington @ci.minneapolis.mn.us

Mayor R.T. Rybak612.673.2100 [email protected]

State RepresentativeMargaret [email protected]

State RepresentativeFrank [email protected]

State SenatorD. Scott [email protected]

Governor Tim [email protected]

U.S. CongressmanKeith Ellison612.522.1212 www.ellison.house.gov

U.S. SenatorNorm Coleman651.645.0323 www.coleman.senate.gov

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PresidentGeorge W. [email protected]

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points showing that residents inthe current permit parking zonehave every reasonable right tokeep their current parking zonehours unaffected. Emphasis wasalso put on the ordinance sectionwhich states that 75 percent of ablocks residents in support of per-mit parking for their own block isrequired for residents to apply fortheir own permit parking area.Devens made a brief summary of the ordinance details and took afew questions.

It was discussed whether or notCARAG should take a position onthe 75 percent support issue, and amotion passed to revisit the issueat the January CARAG meeting.

U t wn Bu ineA iati n U date(Bill Morton)

The U.B.A. is having their Annualmeeting on Tuesday, January 15, 8a.m. to 10 a.m. at St. Marys GreekOrthodox Church. HennepinCounty Sherrif Rich Stanek willbe the guest speaker.

YWCA intends to do internalremodeling in six to nine months,making the building more eco-friendly. However, plans to incor-porate a new library site seemunlikely.

Adj urn(Vote)Approved.

U in meetinand E entThe next CARAG NeighborhoodMeeting is Tuesday, January 15,7 p.m. at Bryant Square Park. Wehope to see you there!

UNN

U t wn s a Area p anHearin p t nedThe citys Planning Commissionpublic hearing for the UptownSmall Area Plan draft was post-poned from December 17 to Janu-ary 14. City Planner AmandaArnold delayed the hearing due tothe substance and number of com-ments received during the 45-daypublic comment period. A reviseddraft of the plan will be availableat www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/ planning/uptown-plan.asp. Meet-ing time is 4:30 p.m.

m zai Ba t theDrawin B ard?It appears Mozaic, the large mixed-use development planned for thesite behind the Lagoon Cinema, isheaded back to the drawing boardfor a significant redesignwithoutthe condominiums and the Graves

Hotel. Developers, the AckerbergGroup and CAG Development,have been trying to get Mozaic off the ground for three years. This isthe fourth plan.

In the December 19 Strib article,Stuart Ackerberg, CEO and prin-cipal owner of the AckerbergGroup, said he expects by theend of December (2007) that hellbe able to tell people who madedeposits on Moziac condominiumsif the project will proceed. Imnot optimistic, he said.

Ackerberg told UNN, were

at a preliminary, conceptualstagelooking at how it might getretooled. Instead of condomini-ums, a 10-story building wouldhave offices above ground park-ing. To the east of that, an officeand apartment building of perhapssix stories will replace the 8-storyGraves Hotel. The central plazawould remain as planned and bothbuildings will have ground floorretail space facing the plaza. Thenew preliminary concept retainsthe Lagoon Cinema.

He met with the Lowry HillEast Neighborhood AssociationsZoning and Planning Commit-tee (LHENA Z&P) December19. LHENA coordinator, Caro-line Griepentrog, said committeemembers at the December meet-ing expressed concerns about thedesign of the projects Fremontfrontage. Developers will meetwith the LHENA Z&P Commit-tee again on Wednesday, January9, 6:30 pm, in Jefferson School.

H te U t wn A n H dSeveral factors have converged tocast doubt on the planned HotelUptown. Developer Curt Gun-sbury said the project is prettymuch on hold and he will prob-ably make a final decision in Janu-ary. Gunsbury observed thathotels have to occupy a dynamicspace and thats not Uptown now;theres great potential but its nowlacking daytime activity. When[Hotel Uptown] was conceived,there were many exciting projectsplanned for Uptown; virtuallynone of them have been realized.The six-story Hotel Uptown proj-ect received the last of several cityapprovals in April 2007.

A art ent p anned f rBennett lu ber BIntegrity Management and theTurnstone Group have purchaseagreements for two of the threeformer Bennett Lumber sites onof the Midtown Greenway. Bothsites (one between Emerson andDupont, the other between Dupontand Colfax) are in a preliminary

planning stage for apartmentbuildings. Scott Mann, Presidentof Integrity Management, willmeet with LHENA Z&P on Janu-ary 9. He hopes to submit land useapplications to the city in Februaryor March.

Mann said the buildings will notrequire any height variances andthat he wants to build what theplan calls for. He said the projectwill be constructed in two phas-es, with construction on one sitehopefully beginning next summer. Both sites have been owned byZeller Realty for about one year.

Cuningham Group, a Minneapo-lis architecture/planning/urbandesign/interior design firm, isdesigning the project. Cuninghamhas been the citys planning con-sultant for the Midtown Green-way Land Use and DevelopmentPlan (adopted February 2007) andthe Uptown Small Area Plan.

gREco pr e Ei ht-st r A art ent at 2838Fre nt A enue; offi eBui din at 29th andl nda e A enueGRECO Real Estate Developmentproposes to build a controversialeight-story apartment buildingon the north side of the Green-way at Fremont Avenue. GRECOsubmitted land use applicationsin mid-December. For the proj-ect to proceed, the city will needto approve a rezoning of the landfrom industrial to residential, aswell as a conditional use permitfor increased height. LHENA hasexpressed concern about the heightof the proposed eight-story/84-footbuilding. City planner Becca Far-rar said the citys Planning Com-mission will review the project in aJanuary 28 public hearing.

The 2838 Fremont apartmentproject has 237 units in one U-shaped building divided into threesections. Most of the buildingwould be eight stories, one sectionstepping down to three and fourstories on the north side where itis adjacent to an existing residen-tial area. Features include a publicpromenade along the edge of theGreenway, a center courtyard anda 60-foot wide walkway throughthe northern part of the site that

would go through two-story open-ings in the building. The courtyardand walkway probably would beopen to the public during the day-time, according to Brent Rogers,GRECO V.P. of Development.

U t wn yWcA shrinBui din p anThe Uptown YWCA announcedin December that it has aban-doned preliminary plans to builda new community center on itssite consisting of a new or rebuiltY as well as a new Walker Libraryand Allina Medical Clinic. Karen

Sterk, fitness director for the three

Minneapolis YWCAs, said wewent through a very rigorous, two-year process of investigating whatcould and should be done andcame up with a wonderful solu-tion with Allina and the library.But it wasnt the best solutionfor the Y, we eventually realized,because wed have to close downfor two yearsand we have 800 to1,000 people in the facility daily.

The joint project would have cost$70 million.

p rti and 2626 We tla e su endedTwo unbuilt condominium proj-ects closer to Lake Calhoun weresuspended in early autumn. ThePortico project, a Hornig Compa-nies 30-unit, six-story building,planned for the southwest cornerof Lagoon and Irving Avenues,was pulled off the market due tomarket softness, said Jon Hornigrecently. The market would haveto recover quite a bit before wed

consider reviving it, he added.

East Calhoun resident MichaelLander decided in September tosuspend the Lander Groups 46-unit, four, six and seven story, 2626West Lake Street condominiumproject. I hope to bring it backbut its subject to forces beyondour control, Lander said recently.The project site, at the north endof Lake Calhoun, was occupiedby a two-story office building thatwas demolished in 2007.

c ent n the

Draft minnea ic rehen i e p anOn December 1 the City of Minne-

apolis released a draft of a revisedcomprehensive plan for the entirecity. One can review and commenton it at www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/ planning/comp_plan_update.asp(a copy also is available at WalkerLibrary). The plan covers landuse, housing, transportation, pub-lic services and facilities, environ-ment, open space and parks, urban

design, heritage preservation,and arts and culture. The official45-day public comment periodends February 15. A comprehen-sive plan open house will be heldThursday, January 17, 7-9 p.m. atMartin Luther King Park.

UNN

BAck To sqUARE oNE? from 1

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1 Uptown neighborhood news january 2008

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january 2008 uptown neighborhood news

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