The SECIA Office will be closed from December 24^th through January 3^rd, with staff returning on Monday, January 4^th. We hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season, and we’ll see you in 2010!

NRP Admin Funding Secured for 2010

On December 17th, there was a special joint meeting of the Minneapolis Community Development Committee and the Ways and Means/Budget Committee to decide the fate of funding for Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) administration.  This meeting was made necessary by the actions of the Minneapolis City Council Community Development Committee to pull the NRP admin funding off the consent agenda of the full City Council earlier in the month (the first time this had happened in the existence of NRP). Fortunately, the Council Members involved in these committees committed to support NRP through 2010.

In the worst-case scenario, if the administration funding of NRP was cut at the end of the year, NRP would have closed its doors at the end of the 2009.  This would have meant that SECIA no longer would have had the necessary support from NRP staff, and the status of our current contracts with the City might not have been honored (this would include the contracts that support the SECIA office, staff and programs).  It would have meant the new Neighborhood and Community Relations Department (NCR) at the City would have had to immediately take over all aspects of managing those contracts with the neighborhoods, even though the Department is still hiring their staff and they are not up and running as a full Department.

There are numerous issues being worked out downtown to transition from the NRP program to the new NCR Department. SECIA will do its best to keep the community informed and to advocate for what makes sense for the Como community. Contacting your City Council Members, and the Mayor, is an excellent way to communicate your opinions on the transition from NRP to the NCR Department.

cam.gordon@ci.minneapolis.mn.us 2nd Ward Council Member (612) 673-2202

paul.ostrow@ci.minneapolis.mn.us 1st Ward Council Member (612) 673-2201 (our new 1^st Ward Council Member will be Kevin Reich in 2010)

rt@ci.minneapolis.mn.us Mayor RT Rybak (612) 673-2100

Feed The Dream Food Drive

The “Feed the Dream” food drive is underway at 19 Minneapolis recreation centers to benefit the Greater Lake Country Food Bank, Inc. (GLCFB) of Minneapolis. Collection is through Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010.  

The drive is sponsored by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s (MPRB) Diversity Council and Youthline in conjunction with the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.

Non-perishable food items will be collected at the following sites:

Armatage – 2500 57th St. W, 612-370-4912
Creekview – 5001 Humboldt Ave. N, 612-370-4965
Farview – 621 29th Ave. N, 612-370-4922
Harrison – 503 Irving Ave. N, 612-370-4951
Keewaydin – 3030 53rd St. E, 612-370-4956
Kenwood – 2101 Franklin Ave. W, 612-370-4941
Logan – 690 13th Ave. NE, 612-370-4927
Longfellow – 3435 36th Ave. S, 612-370-4957
Lyndale Farmstead – 3900 Bryant Ave. S, 612-370-4948
Lynnhurst – 1345 Minnehaha Pkwy. W, 612-370-4914
Matthews – 2318 29th Ave. S, 612-370-4950
ML King – 4055 Nicollet Ave. S, 612-370-4908
North Commons – 1801 James Ave. N, 612-370-4921
Pearl – 414 E. Diamond Lake Rd., 612-370-4906
Powderhorn – 3400 15th Ave S, 612-370-4960
Sibley – 1900 40th St. E, 612-370-4954
Van Cleve – 901 15th Ave. SE, 612-370-4926
Waite – 1810 34th Ave. NE, 612-370-4959
Whittier – 425 26th St. W, 612-370-4966

Fare for All

Fare For All is a program to help stretch your food dollar. Each month you can order from a variety of five packages of food, pay for it and pick it up the following month. Packages contain a variety of healthy, fresh, quality food items, including fruits, vegetables, frozen meats and staple items. It is open to all - there are no income-based requirements. Pick up your food and order the next month’s food every third Saturday from 9:00-10:00 AM at Southeast Christian Church. For more information or to order food, call Fare For All at 763/450-3880 or visit their website at www.fareforall.org.

'Hungry Planet' Now Through May at the Bell Museum
The Bell Museum of Natural History is hosting "Hungry Planet: What the World Eats" from now until May 9. The exhibit features nearly life-sized photographs that show kitchens and markets around the world in an exploration of the food eaten by people in various cultures. In addition, every Thursday evening during the exhibit's run, the Bell is hosting panel discussions, speakers and tastings of locally produced foods. Food themed films—HomeGrown, The Real Dirt on Farmer John, Julie and Julia, The Gleaners and I, etc.—are also being featured from now until May. For details, check the Bell's website.

Abandoned Vehicle Work Group

The City of Minneapolis needs volunteers interested in participating in a process study group regarding abandoned vehicles parked on the city street in Minneapolis.

To sign up, please contact Matt Dekker, matthew.dekker@ci.minneapolis.mn.us, or John Murphy, 612-673-5974, john.murphy2@ci.minneapolis.mn.us. The City of Minneapolis will be hosting this meeting at Van Cleve Park Community Center on Monday January 25^th, 7pm-8pm. Light refreshments will be served.

MPLS Public School Community Meeting

The Minneapolis Public Schools invites you to attend a community meeting to learn more about proposed MPS “New Schools.”

“New Schools” are intended to encourage innovative teaching and learning methods to improve student learning and narrow achievement gaps. They are designed to complement existing school models and provide an environment in which students are able to achieve at a faster rate. The creation of high performing “new schools” is one important strategy outlined in the MPS strategic plan to ensure that every MPS student is academically proficient in reading, math, and college ready, and to close the racial and economic achievement gaps.

Proposals for “New Schools” applying for approval from the Minneapolis Board of Education will be presented at a community meeting on Thursday, January 14, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Urban Research and Outreach/Engagement Center (UROC), 2001 Plymouth Ave. N., Minneapolis.  School leaders will also address questions from the public.

Recommendations will be presented to the Board of Education on January 19. The board is expected to make approval decisions on January 26.

A light dinner and child-care will be available. Please call (612) 668-0230 to reserve a space.

WHAT: Community meeting to learn more about proposed MPS “New Schools”

WHEN: Thursday, January 14, 6:30 to 8:00 pm

WHERE: Urban Research and Outreach/Engagement Center (UROC)

2001 Plymouth Ave. N.

If you have additional questions, please contact John Bacal, Executive Director of the Office of New Schools, at Jon.Bacal@mpls.k12.mn.us.

Van Cleve Park Programming

Fundamental Basketball - Children will develop fundamental basketball skills in a positive, encouraging atmosphere. The program will focus on skills development, team concepts, and sportsmanship. Practices start in mid-December at the team’s home park. Practice Wednesday night 6 to 7pm. Games will be held at Bottineau Park on Friday nights at 6:15 & 7:15pm from January 8-February 12. Ages 7 to 9 years old $ 20.00 – register at Van Cleve.

Skating Season - December 19th-February 15, 2010 weather permitting - Warming Room hours: Monday-Friday 3-9pm, Saturday 10am to 8pm Sunday: noon-5pm

Senior Group - Senior get-together on Thursday mornings at Van Cleve Park. Cards, conversation, meals, and activities. Call Pat Olson, Senior Coordinator for info. and schedule. 612-370-4926 Every Thursday morning, 9:30 to 11:00am.

Southeast Soccer Club

The Southeast Soccer Club of Minneapolis will offer several age-appropriate workshops this winter. Starting on January 19/20, at Marcy Open School, located at 4th St& 4th Avenue Southeast.

Grass Roots Soccer ... for ages 6 – 8 Coordination Training for Beginners ... for ages 9 - 10

Coordination to Improve Skills ... for ages 11-14

For information, go to www.southeastsoccerclub.org. Click on SESC Special Programs. Follow directions. The web site will be updated before the end of December.

2010 Minneapolis & Saint Paul Home Tour Wants Your Home!

The 2010 Minneapolis & Saint Paul Home Tour is looking for homeowners and home improvement professionals who would like to put their homes on the Tour. Nomination/applications are due Thursday, January 21, 2010, and early submissions are encouraged. The Tour, in its 23rd year, will be held Saturday and Sunday, April 24 and 25, 2010.

Past participating homeowners have said they “liked the incentive” to get their home improvement projects done in time for the tour, though it is not necessary to have remodeled the whole house. “It was nice to get all the compliments from strangers to reinforce what I’d heard from friends and family,” said one homeowner.

“Contractors often help staff the homes, and homeowners ask their families and friends to contribute a few hours,” said Margo Ashmore, Tour coordinator. “A good support network hosting the home makes it fun. Talk it up at fall and winter gatherings. Community leaders also should start now, identifying individuals or clusters of well-kept and remodeled homes to ask to participate.”

Contractors and other vendors may nominate homes they have worked on, and are encouraged to call for more information. Green, energy efficient, and historically sensitive remodels and expansions get special notice. Minneapolis Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) manages the tour as a celebration of city living that encourages homeowners to improve existing homes. Many organizations and businesses sponsor the tour.

For more information, call Tour Coordinator Margo Ashmore at 612-673-5103 or email her at link@nrp.org. The application can be downloaded from www.MSPHomeTour.com under “nominate.”

Holiday Light Recycling

The SECIA staff noticed that the options for recycling broken incandescent light strings were inconvenient to SE Minneapolis residents. To remedy this, the SECIA office signed on to be a drop-off location for broken holiday lights. Light recycling fits right into the Como Green Village waste reduction efforts.

The light recycling is sponsored by the Recycling Association of Minnesota (RAM) and it’s appropriate that there is a drop off in SE Como because the lights are disassembled right in the neighborhood! PPL Industry's job training facility on 15th Ave SE eventually receives the broken light strings and employees there take apart the strings. Each element of the light string is directed to its own recycling process, for example the bulbs are recycled into tiles, asphalt and fiberglass, and the metal in the cords is captured in another process.

To recycle your unusable light strings, just bring them to SECIA's office from now until January 10th. It is recommended that you call ahead to make sure a staff person will be there. Some evening hours are available.

Since early December, 15,000 pounds of light strings have been diverted from landfill or the garbage burner through this program.

U of M Student Neighborhood Liaison Updates

Como Cookbook

The SE Como Community Cookbook has been completed, thanks to the work of Como residents and the U of M Liaisons. Contributors will receive a free cookbook, so if you contributed a recipe to the book, please contact the liaisons. The cookbooks are selling for $15, and the liaisons are donating all profits from the cookbook to SECIA. This is one way the University would like to support the SE Como neighborhood, by encouraging community stories to be shared through this Cookbook as well as financially supporting SECIA.

So please help support the neighborhood by purchasing a SE Como Community Cookbook for the holidays. They make great gifts and are perfect for your own home! The recipes are varied, from appetizers to desserts, and they have all been submitted by SE Como residents. Cookbooks can be purchased at SECIA, or you order them through SECIA and the Liaisons can drop them off at your house. The liaisons also want to encourage students to help support their community and they will be offering a Student discount of $7 for the cookbook. Contact liaison Elora, at 651-353-8672 or email turne311@umn.edu for more info.

Winter Community Event Planning

The Liaisons won a grant from the University of Minnesota to host winter and holiday events! So we are looking to partner with residents to hold community events. We are open to create ideas-from hosting a knitting party, ornament decorating, potluck dinner to Snow Sculpting. Share your ideas with us so we can use the grant funds to partner with the community and foster neighborhood relations! Contact your Block Liaison or email Jasmine at blan0255@umn.edu.

Fire Prevention and Safety

Come and learn about fire and safety prevention from Cassidy Anderson with the Minneapolis Fire Department and the Liaisons. Event will be help with free food and refreshments at Van Cleve Thursday, January 28th with the time yet to be decided. Look for our Liaison flyers and emails that will share more information about our event. Contact Adam Arling at arlin009@umn.edu or call at 612-396-6091.

Food Shelf in Need

Glendale Food Shelf Needs Donations this winter! The need is up, donations are down. Female hygiene items are especially needed as well as laundry detergent and dishwashing liquid. Glendale Food Shelf is at 92 St. Mary’s Ave, SE. Phone number is 612-342-1954. Hours for donations are 9-3 Monday-Friday and 2-6. Donations can be left at Prospect Park United Methodist Church.