Neighborhood Spotlight.
Get Out Guide.
KINGFIELD PAGE B1
PAGE B12
April 5–18, 2018 Vol. 29, No. 7 southwestjournal.com
s r o t a i Med tackle d e c a p fasts n o i t c evi By Michelle Bruch / mbruch@southwestjournal.com
Christopher Mendez delayed paying rent on his Lyndale neighborhood apartment, just to see what would happen. Rent was due on the first of the month. He came home from work on the sixth to find a notice on his door: If he didn’t pay in 24 hours, an eviction would be filed. “My heart stopped when I saw that notice,” said Mendez, who quickly paid up. “… Every time I come
in the building I am very aware of the notices on doors around the sixth and seventh.” Mendez works with Community Mediation and Restorative Services on a pilot project aiming to mediate potential evictions before they are filed in court. The Hennepin County pilot, which involves the local
Designing for growth Minneapolis’ next comprehensive plan aims to add housing while tackling disparities and climate change By Dylan Thomas / dthomas@southwestjournal.com
A draft of Minneapolis 2040, an update to the city’s comprehensive plan that continues to focus density along transportation corridors and opens all neighborhoods to fourplex construction, was released March 22 in the form of an interactive website. Like past comprehensive plans, the document is meant to shape the future growth of Minneapolis, touching on land use, economic development and the natural environment. But this comprehensive plan — a draft that could change as the public offers feedback over the coming months — differs from those that came before, said Heather Worthington, the city’s director of long-range planning, because its guidelines are focused on two key city priorities: achieving racial equity and responding to climate change. “It’s not just about infrastructure,” added
Public Works Director Robin Hutcheson, who said the draft comprehensive plan places land-use and development planning “in a supporting role” to 14 goals identified last year by the City Council, such as increasing civic participation, improving the health and safety of Minneapolis residents and attracting new residents and jobs. To address the creeping unaffordability of Minneapolis housing, the plan encourages new multifamily housing development in all parts of the city, including those currently zoned for single-family housing. It proposes eliminating minimum parking requirements, a significant factor in the cost of new development. It also includes clearer, more specific guidance for new development, including a built form map that illustrates, parcel-by-parcel, the SEE MINNEAPOLIS 2040 / PAGE A14
Pro bono counsel Larry McDonough, Kristen Nelson and Laurie Swansen (l to r) meet with low-income tenants and landlords prior to Housing Court eviction hearings March 28. Photo by Michelle Bruch
SEE EVICTIONS / PAGE A18
Washburn community rallies against budget cuts School’s budget reduced 13 percent for 2018–19 By Nate Gotlieb / ngotlieb@southwestjournal.com
Members of the Washburn High School community are rallying to increase the school’s funding for 2018–2019, after Minneapolis Public Schools reduced the school’s budget by 13 percent as part of districtwide budget cuts. Washburn parents and students are advocating to restore more than $1 million that the school has used to fund support staff positions and a seven period school day. They note that the school eliminated the equivalent of more than two dozen positions, including one-third of its support-staff positions,
in response to the budget cuts. “The proposed cuts to Washburn don’t just compromise our classrooms, they put our kids at enormous risk,” Diana Benjaafar, a Washburn parent and site council co-chair, said in a press release. “The physical, mental, and emotional well-being of our kids is being threatened.” The community action comes nearly a month after the Minneapolis district released its plan for addressing a projected $33 million deficit in its general SEE SCHOOL FUNDING / PAGE A12
A2 April 5–18, 2018 / southwestjournal.com
Moments in Minneapolis
By Cedar Imboden Phillips
Rowboats on parade
E
njoying life on the chain of lakes has been an integral part of our city’s life for generations. Here, members of the Y.W.C.A. Rowing Club participated in a midsummer boat parade on Lake Harriet in 1906. The club was formed in 1894 with only 16 members, but by 1906 the club boasted 110 members! They met every Wednesday evening during the summer to enjoy boating on the lake. Both beginning and experienced rowers were welcomed into the club; instruction was provided by Platt Walker, the city’s 8th Ward alderman. The rowing season featured several of these formal evening boat parades. According to news coverage of the time, the parade captured here was “a feature greatly enjoyed by the patrons of the roof garden [at the Pavilion] during the band concert intermission.” Cedar Imboden Phillips serves as the executive director for the Hennepin History Museum. Learn more about the museum and its offerings at hennepinhistory.org or 870-1329.
Image from the collection of the Hennepin History Museum
southwestjournal.com / April 5–18, 2018 A3
By Michelle Bruch / mbruch@southwestjournal.com
Miguel and Rojin Urrutia aim to open El Jefe Cocina & Bar on May 1. Photo by Michelle Bruch
53RD & LYNDALE
El Jefe Cocina & Bar When it comes to opening restaurants, Miguel Urrutia knows what he’s doing. He helped launch three Houlihan’s locations, Pittsburgh Blue in Maple Grove and more than 15 Rainforest Cafes, including the Mall of America location in 1994. Every time he opened a restaurant, he could expect three weeks of nonstop 17-hour days. “When I touched the bed, I was already asleep,” he said. “… Now I’m opening this one for me.” El Jefe Cocina & Bar opens in May at 5309 Lyndale Ave. S. in the former Saguaro space. It’s an extension of the El Jefe food truck, which sells homemade salsas and tortilla chips and churns out 150 chorizo breakfast burritos in four hours. “I feel like this is the perfect location,” said Urrutia, who earned the Minnesota Restaurant Association’s Faces of Diversity Award in 2017. “I’ve been cleaning this place for the entire month, and I see people walking around all the time.” Urrutia worked his final day at Pittsburgh Blue this week, pointedly turning in his key when the restaurants was nearly empty, save for a few tearful prep cooks. “It was really hard to leave my job and leave everyone behind,” he said. When he started at Pittsburgh Blue in 2007, the restaurant asked him to hire 60 people. “I said I didn’t need 60 people. I ended up hiring 28 people. They told me I was crazy, but it worked out,” he said. Of his original 28-member crew, 20 remained for a decade. Urrutia explained that he hates losing people, so he tries to keep the job fun. He doesn’t want staff waking up dreading what might go wrong at work that day. “I like making everyone feel like family,” he said. The new restaurant is a true family affair, involving his wife Rojin and sister-in-law Tara Alves. Some of the recipes are his mother’s. At age 83, his mother continues to have a forceful personality, he said. When he asked to learn her mole recipe, she initially refused, saying: “Why? I can do it.” During the lesson, she threw in fistfuls of ingre-
ER 50th & France Office SWJ 011118 6.indd 1
dients without guidance on precise amounts, and accused Urrutia of not knowing how to work a blender. She’s the restaurant’s namesake. “I call my mom ‘Jefe,’ which means boss,” he said. Urrutia also learned from his father, who owned a small restaurant at a highway truck stop in Mexico. Urrutia worked there washing dishes as a 12-year-old boy. “Every time I asked for money, he said he was feeding me food,” he said. Urrutia made salsas for family reunions, and relatives encouraged him to sell it by the jar. His original mild recipe incorporates tomato, onion, cilantro and lime juice, with no hot peppers and lots of spices. Other salsas include a hot habanero and a fruit salsa popular at home (his first two gallons disappeared from the family fridge in two days). Off-season, some customers order four pints at a time. “People just pour them on the plates,” he said. “They like them.” Salsa sales brought Urrutia to the Prior Lake Farmers Market in 2013. He went on to buy a food trailer in 2015, followed by a food truck in 2017. A popular food truck staple is the chicken tinga taco, slow cooked in chipotle-tomato sauce. That isn’t Urrutia’s favorite, however, as he lost his stomach for the bird after taking care of 600 roosters when he first came to the states. His personal favorite is the ceviche, featuring tilapia cured in lime juice and mixed with tomatoes, onion, cilantro, pickled jalapenos and topped with avocado. The food truck will continue to appear at the Prior Lake market, private events and local breweries, including Wild Mind Artisan Ales on Saturday, April 7. The Lyndale Avenue restaurant will serve lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. “I want this place to be somewhere that people feel welcome and comfortable and not want to leave,” Urrutia said. For more information, visit eljefecuisine.com.
The developer ACKERBERG topped off the eight-story MoZaic East office building in March at 2900 Fremont Ave. S. The long-awaited project is slated to open in late 2018, becoming home to tenants including the co-working studio WeWork and the fitness studio Alchemy365. The building is seeking LEED certification for environmental design and WiredScore certification for its technology infrastructure. Submitted photo
KIM E. FISHMAN
1/4/18 9:39 AM
Licensed Audiologist 20+ Years Experience
952.767.0672
cused o F y it n u m m A Co actice r P y g lo io d u Private A
Hear the sounds of spring as you roll along
Tired of saying, “what?” Do conversations sound muffled The new WIDEX BEYOND™ is the world’s best sounding made-for-iPhone hearing aid. *This hearing aid may not be appropriate for all hearing loss types and may not be recommended.
Schedule an appointment and walk out with a demo for a week. No obligation to buy!
www.chearsaudiology.com 5808 W. 36th St, St Louis Park, MN 55416 Chears Audiology DTJ 040518 6.indd 1
3/29/18 4:06 PM
Patient Experience is Our Passion New Patients Welcome We Look Forward To Meeting You! Dr. Kordie Reinhold Dr. Peter Hinke Dr. Chas Salmen Dr. Jane Puntillo 4289 Sheridan Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55410
(612) 922-6164 | lindenhillsdentistry.com Linden Hills Dentistry SWJ 030818 6.indd 1
3/5/18 10:56 AM
A4 April 5–18, 2018 / southwestjournal.com
Reverse Gum Recession
48TH & CHICAGO
Rock Paper Scissors Goods
BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT AT NICOLLETDENTAL.COM OR CALL 612-866-8550
Pinhole Surgical Technique® for Gum Recession
• No scalpels or sutures needed • No tissue taken from the roof of your mouth • Dr. Nelson is 1 of currently 8 dentists certified to perform this procedure in MN • Call for a Free Consultation
BEFORE
AFTER
CASEY NELSON, DDS 6101 Nicollet Ave S, Minneapolis www.nicolletdental.com Nicollet Dental SWJ NR1 6.indd 1
5/5/17 10:58 AM
Tes de Luna and Jason Hughes ran side-by-side stores in Seattle. She ran a boutique and gallery; he ran a record shop. They opened second locations — again, next to each other — at the Melrose Market in Seattle. Now their businesses are closer than ever. They share a storefront at 4806 Chicago Ave., selling everything from vinyl records to vegan handbags. The proximity started as a lucky coincidence for the couple in 2004. De Luna was launching a clothing line, working at craft fairs and wishing for a storefront. A for-lease sign went up next to Hughes’ Sonic Boom Records store, and he immediately called her. “It all worked out, and it was really cute, because I got to be next door,” de Luna said. Now that the owners have sold their Seattle shops and relocated to Minneapolis, their combined business is a mix of children’s books, Nirvana records, rotating fine artwork, funky handcrafted jewelry, paper goods and ceramics. The shop showcases handmade Stitch & Swash bags that de Luna previously sold in Seattle. The bag caught the eye of a film crew working on the movie “Twilight,” who bought it for the character Bella. “The prop stylist came into the store, and said, ‘This looks like a bag that a girl that likes a vampire would wear,’” she said. De Luna also works as a freelance designer. She offers “Toddler Tuesday” events with crafts
Tes de Luna and Jason Hughes created Rock Paper Scissors Goods by combining their business backgrounds in vinyl, gifts and art. Photo by Michelle Bruch
inspired by children’s books, and she’s planning summer art classes for elementary students. “I love picture books for kids,” she said. “The kids’ art supplies are selling like crazy.” Adults can attend Wednesday evening classes to work on projects like macramé or terrariums. An upcoming embroidery workshop features floral patterns by artist Jess Phoenix. The record side of the shop carries new releases, harder-to-find albums and classics, with options to sell or trade used records. “We’re trying to keep the best of the best here,” Hughes said.
The Pourhouse Uptown is now open, featuring weekend brunch and live entertainment. Photo by Michelle Bruch
LAGOON & GIRARD
The Pourhouse Uptown At the new Pourhouse bar in Uptown, aerial artists will perform suspended on silks. Local bands like Some Sh-tty Cover Band will take the stage, and DJs Dudley D and Matty Matt will oversee the dance floor. “It’s a Vegas sort of vibe,” said social media and marketing coordinator Whitney Storvick. “It’s a bit more entertainment-focused.” The Prohibition-inspired bar will take advantage of Coup d’Etat’s walkup window, offering late-night “carnival-style” food. By day, The Pourhouse takes on the atmosphere of a sports bar, with at least 50 screens showing games. Sunday brunch offers an allyou-can-eat menu, including endless bloodies and beer. A vinyl swap night sponsored by Electric
Fetus will take place every Monday. There is space for trading under giant chandeliers in the back room, and DJs will accept records to spin from home collections. On “Boozeday Tuesday,” anyone with a birthday that week can drink for free when they bring at least four friends. Uptown is the third location for The Pourhouse. The second location in Dinkytown opened in December. The Pourhouse currently operates 3 p.m.– 2 a.m., with additional hours for brunch starting at 11 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday. The Pourhouse happy hour is 3 p.m.–6 p.m. with half-priced apps and two-for-one cocktails; a late-night happy hour serves pizzas 10 p.m.–midnight.
NOTED: MN Lake Street Apartments LLC has finalized a purchase of land on the Sons of Norway block, which is slated to hold new residences, commercial space and public green
space. The purchase price totaled $16.8 million for properties at 1455 W. Lake St., 3001–3025 Humboldt Ave. S. and 3016 Holmes Ave. S.
ONLY P1
southwestjournal.com / April 5–18, 2018 A5
The owner of property at 3017, 3021 and 3025 E. Calhoun Parkway is proposing three floors of senior housing in a new building. Photo by Michelle Bruch
BREAKFAST DAILY
EAST CALHOUN PARKWAY
Lakefront senior housing Citing a “eureka moment,” the owner of three homes on the eastern edge of Bde Maka Ska wants to develop senior housing in a proposal that aims to alleviate neighborhood concerns about height and parking. Under the current concept, about 17 independent- and assisted-living units would stand in a building of three floors (35 feet) at 3017, 3021 and 3025 E. Calhoun Pkwy. The building would cater to seniors who don’t want to drive and provide about three to five parking spaces. Average unit sizes would be 600–700 square feet, most with lake views. “I don’t need five stories. I can do all of this on three levels,” said Basir Tareen, referencing a shelved proposal for a five-story, 18-unit condo building. He said the new idea checks lots of boxes to address local concerns: no renters, no parties and fewer car trips. Such facilities typically prepare meals on site and keep a nurse on staff, he said. He said the new building would not provide intensive memory care or nursing home care, however. “The beauty of it is the lake and community is your amenity,” he said. Tareen said he commissioned a market analysis that found Minneapolis has a shortage
of senior housing, with huge demand for it. “It’s an interesting idea,” said resident Lee Todd, speaking with Tareen at a March 19 East Calhoun Community Organization meeting. “There is nothing in Uptown,” said another attendee, referring to senior housing. “… I think you’re totally on to something.” Resident Lara Norkus-Crampton said she hoped the developer would partner to help improve pedestrian safety, ensuring that seniors could make it across the street safely. Resident Gary Farland said he appreciates the reduced height. The developer put a five-story concept on hold a year ago following resistance from the city Planning Commission. The site is located inside the Shoreland Overlay District, which requires a conditional use permit to build above 2.5 stories near the water. Tareen said he’s no longer interested in building condominiums, saying they would need to be priced at about $2 million apiece to build. He plans to retain ownership of the building, hiring Reuter Walton Construction and a senior housing management group. He expects to return to an ECCO meeting in the coming months with design drawings.
MIDTOWN GREENWAY & PLEASANT AVENUE
Rana Village The city Planning Commission approved a redesigned Rana Village development last month for the south side of the Midtown Greenway between Pleasant and Grand avenues. A previous Sabri Properties proposal received a green light from the city in 2016, and the developer recently returned to the Planning Commission to request an additional sixth floor. Rather than build smaller apartments and common spaces for senior housing as initially proposed, the new 113-unit proposal (down from the 121 units previously approved) calls for standard floors and adds larger three- and four-bedroom units for multi-generational housing. The new design also eliminates a
basement parking garage, taking the project from 95 parking spaces down to 59 in the new design. Former plans suggested a skyway to Karmel Plaza, which city officials discouraged. At a March meeting, Planning Commissioners discussed the lighting and landscaping for a new pedestrian promenade along the Midtown Greenway. “I think this project really turned out well,” Commissioner Ryan Kronzer said. “As we all know, this area is quite dark right now. With the addition of the promenade and the buildingmounted lighting, this will drastically change these few blocks here.” A redesign of Rana Village at 2900 Pleasant Ave. S. eliminates a basement parking garage and adds a partial sixth floor. Rendering by DJR Architecture
NOTED: Float Foundation has closed at 43rd & Bryant, and it’s building a new facility under
the name Sanctuary Float Spa at 14525 MN-7 in Minnetonka.
3808 West 50th Street 952.456.8979 coalitionrestaurant.com Coalition Restaurant SWJ 030818 6.indd 1
2/21/18 11:57 AM
A6 April 5–18, 2018 / southwestjournal.com
Move or Improve? “Does my improvement project make sense for my house?”
“What could I buy instead of doing my project?”
“Are my remodel choices smart resale choices?”
“Does my location support the added investment?”
Finding the right answers are unique to your situation, property and location. I can help. Rod Helm has been representing clients for over 26 years and has $200+ million in sales experience. He is also a developer of new homes and brings to the client experience a unique blend of sales, engineering and construction / remodel expertise. 2015 Minnesota Realtor ® of the Year 2014 President, MN Association of Realtors ®
612- 915- 884 6 rhelm@cbburnet.com
Rod Helm R E A L T Y
G R O U P
Helm Rod SWJ 121417 6.indd 9
WHAT IS THE LIVING URN?
With The Living Urn®, Life Continues... The patent pending Living Urn is America’s first and leading Bio Urn & Planting System designed to grow a beautiful, enduring memory tree, plant, or flowers with cremated remains! Honor a loved one when they pass on and celebrate and commemorate all they’ve given us — the joy, the companionship, the love — and keep their memory present in our lives! Give back and grow a living memory with The Living Urn.
12/7/17 1:09 PM
Burial plot: Includes perpetual maintenance Immediate Burial: Includes funeral director services, shroud and trundle or carrier, celebration of life with a celebrant, burial plot, opening and closing of grave and a grave marker Full Service “Gold” Burial Service: Includes funeral director services celebration of life with a celebrant, funeral service (at cemetery, your church or chapel), luncheon or cordials, casket, burial plot, opening and closing of grave and a grave marker Please be advised that Prairie Oaks Memorial currently operates as a cemetery only. Until such time as have completed facilities to provide the other services, we will be using a third-party vendor (mortuary).
Immediate Cremation $1,595
- Includes all Transportation - Cremation - Urn - Scattering Tubes
- Scattering in our Floral Gardens $1,595.00 (prepaid) - Marker on Memorial Pathway - Celebration of Life
$4,995.00 (prepaid) 8225 Argenta Trail, Inver Grove Heights, MN 55077 651.300.9549 · www.GreenGravesUSA.com
Prairie Oaks DTJ 040518 6.indd 1
$ ,995.00 (prepaid)
3/23/18 2:59 PM
By Dylan Thomas / dthomas@southwestjournal.com
Public hearing set on higher age for tobacco sales A proposed ordinance that would raise the minimum age for tobacco sales in Minneapolis to 21 is set for a public hearing in May. Edina was the first Minnesota city to raise the age for tobacco sales with an ordinance that took effect last year. Since then, St. Louis Park, Bloomington, Plymouth and North Mankato have all raised the legal age to purchase tobacco products to 21 from 18. In March, the City Council’s Public Health, Environment, Civil Rights and Engagement Committee voted to set a May 14 public hearing on the ordinance co-authored by City Council members Andrew Johnson (Ward 12) and Jeremiah Ellison (Ward 5). If passed, their ordinance would take effect Aug. 1. “We want Minneapolis to join the growing list of Minnesota cities taking this common sense approach to the serious public health issue of tobacco use,” Johnson wrote in a Facebook post. “When we speak to smokers trying to quit, they tell us how they wish they never started in the first place. With 95 (percent) of smokers starting before the age of 21, our focus should be on preventing youth from picking up their first cigarette,” he continued, citing statistics compiled by ClearWay Minnesota, an antismoking nonprofit established in 1998 with funds from the state’s $6.1 billion settlement with tobacco companies.
CITY REIMBURSED $7.5 MILLION FOR SUPER BOWL COSTS The Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee will reimburse the City of Minneapolis nearly $7.5 million for expenses related to the Feb. 4 game and the celebration leading up to it. The total costs were more than 50 percent higher than estimated in an agreement between the city and host committee, according to a report presented March 29 to the City Council Enterprise Committee. That agreement anticipated about $4.9 million in costs to the city. “And frankly, we knew that number was going to go up,” city CFO Mark Ruff told committee members. Ruff said the agreement didn’t include a contingency fund and instead allowed for the committee to file change orders as issues emerged in the months and days leading up to the game. Most of the expenses covered in change orders were related to parking, lane-use fees and additional police overtime hours. Ruff said the agreement worked well for both parties. “I think it’s a very good model to be looking at whether it’s for small events or large events going forward,” he said. Steve Fletcher, the Ward 3 City Council member who sits on the Enterprise Committee, asked how the city accounted for the staff time
Lakes Running Co SWJ 040518 6.indd 1
3/23/18 10:31 AM
The City Council last year approved new restrictions on the sale of menthol tobacco products, which anti-smoking advocates say are marketed to young people and the AfricanAmerican community. An ordinance that takes effect Aug. 1 limits the sale of menthol products to liquor stores and tobacco shops that admit only adults. The ordinance prompted concern from some small business owners who said the restrictions would cut into sales. In an interview, Johnson acknowledged his proposed ordinance could raise those same concerns again. Johnson said 18- to 20-year-old customers account for only about 2–4 percent of tobacco sales in most stores. The loss in sales would be a “tiny, tiny number” for most of them, he argued. “We’ve got to compare that to the costs of these young people starting smoking,” he said. “… We’re all paying for that in our health insurance premiums.” Johnson said Minneapolis becoming the sixth city to increase the minimum age for tobacco sales would add to the momentum building behind a new statewide age limit. He noted that Rep. Dario Anselmo (R–Edina) introduced legislation this year to do just that. “It’s not about hurting people who smoke, it’s about preventing people from smoking in the first place,” Johnson said.
spent working on the Super Bowl instead of their regular duties. Ruff said a roughly $2.5 million, Super Bowl-related “bump” in revenues from the city’s sales and entertainment taxes was expected to more than cover those costs, although the city has not yet received final sales tax numbers from the state. A few of the statistics presented to the Enterprise Committee captured the outsize impact of Super Bowl 52: • More than 1 million people attended the 10-day Super Bowl Live celebration on Nicollet Mall, including an estimated 235,000 people on Saturday, Feb. 3, the day before the game. • 210,000 additional rides were taken on Metro Transit’s Green and Blue light rail lines and the North Star Commuter Rail line during Super Bowl week. • The 61,000 passengers traveling through Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Monday, Feb. 5, the day after the game, set a record. • Covering Super Bowl 52 were about 5,800 credentialed members of the media from 25 different countries.
southwestjournal.com / April 5–18, 2018 A7
Citizens group appeals ruling in SWLRT lawsuit The citizens group that lost a lawsuit alleging the Metropolitan Council violated environmental laws during Southwest Light Rail Transit planning is appealing the decision to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Lakes and Parks Alliance of Minneapolis announced the decision March 29, about a month after U.S. District Court Judge John Tunheim found in favor of Met Council in a lawsuit originally filed in 2014. In his decision, Tunheim wrote that the regional planning agency walked a legal “tightrope” but did not break the law when it sought local approvals for the project even as a federal environmental review was ongoing. Although he described it as a “close case,” the judge ultimately rejected the alliance’s argument that Met Council impermissibly settled on one route for the light rail project before completing an environmental review of alternatives. Tunheim’s ruling hinged on his view that those local approvals, known as municipal consent, were, as Tunheim wrote, “nonbinding.” He also described the memoranda of agreement negotiated by Met Council with the cities of Minneapolis and St. Louis Park as “promises that can be broken.” “All told, these facts show that the Council did not engage in premeditation. Rather, the Council focused, albeit rather intently, on its preferred alternative, the South Tunnel Plan, which it is permitted to do,” Tunheim wrote. Alliance spokesperson Mary Pattock said it was “very disturbing” to read Tunheim’s ruling and realize the Met Council could simply back out of its agreements. “Who’s going to want to do business with
Building Community Locally Owned — Community Focused Linden-Hills.com
Larry LaVercombe
612-925-0000 | TeamLarry.net | larry@larrylavercombe.com Lavercombe Larry SWJ 032218 6.indd 1
the Met Council anymore?” she asked. Pattock said the alliance was made up of a “core group” of about 20–30 people but has hundreds of supporters. She said they would likely “go back to the community with our hands out again” to cover the costs of the appeal. “It’s like an illness that won’t go away,” she said. “And to commit to continue to work on it was not a decision that was taken lightly by the board.” In a statement released by the agency, Met Council Chair Alene Tchourumoff said the alliance “had every opportunity to air neighbors’ concerns” during the nearly four-year court case. “We are confident that the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals will affirm Chief Judge Tunheim’s decision,” Tchourumoff said.
less bikes can be tracked-down with an app and left in any approved parking area. Reich said his ordinance sets licensing requirements for bike-share operators meant to manage some of the issues that come with a dockless system, including bikes left in clusters near popular destinations, where they can clog the public right of way and block access to local businesses. He said it would be up to the dockless system’s operator to track the location of its bikes and prevent clustering. The ordinance would also make clear that most bicycle racks are reserved for nonbike-share bicycles and set out a process for identifying and impounding illegally parked dockless bike-share bikes.
3/12/18 11:51 AM
WORRIED ABOUT SOMEONE’S ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE?
Members of the Lakes and Parks Alliance of Minneapolis announcing their lawsuit in 2014. File photo
Regulations on bike sharing set for public hearing An ordinance that anticipates the next evolution of Minneapolis’ bike-share program — so-called “dockless” bike sharing — is set for an April 17 public hearing. City Council Member Kevin Reich (Ward 1), the author of the proposed ordinance, said it was intended to “tee up a framework for a whole new generation of shared bike facilities” and ensure the city could manage the service “on its own terms.” Nice Ride Minnesota operates a fleet of more than 1,800 lime green bikes that can be rented from any of 200-plus stations located in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Last year, it announced plans to add a new dockless bike-share program. Instead of being rented and returned to a station, the dock-
Team Larry —
THERE IS HOPE. WE CAN HELP. The Retreat opens the doors to recovery. • Men’s Residential Program • Relapse Program • Women’s Residential Program • Renewal Program • Evening Program • Family Program • Older Adult Program • Sober Residences • Retreats & Workshops theretreat.org • 952.476.0566 1221 Wayzata Blvd East • Wayzata, MN 55391 Retreat DTJ 040518 6.indd 1
3/23/18 11:40 AM
A8 April 5–18, 2018 / southwestjournal.com
PUBLISHER Janis Hall jhall@southwestjournal.com
CO-PUBLISHER & SALES MANAGER Terry Gahan tgahan@southwestjournal.com
GENERAL MANAGER Zoe Gahan zgahan@southwestjournal.com
EDITOR Dylan Thomas 612-436-4391 dthomas@southwestjournal.com
ASSISTANT EDITOR Eric Best ebest@southwestjournal.com
STAFF WRITERS Michelle Bruch mbruch@southwestjournal.com
Nate Gotlieb ngotlieb@southwestjournal.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ethan Fawley, Jenny Heck Brian Lambert, Jahna Peloquin Carla Waldemar CREATIVE DIRECTOR Valerie Moe vmoe@southwestjournal.com
CLIENT SERVICES Delaney Patterson 612-436-5070 dpatterson@southwestjournal.com
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Micah Edel medel@southwestjournal.com
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kaitlin Ungs kungs@southwestjournal.com
DISTRIBUTION Marlo Johnson 612-436-4388 distribution@southwestjournal.com
ADVERTISING sales@southwestjournal.com 612-436-4360 PRINTING ECM, Inc.
NEXT ISSUE DATE: APRIL 19 News deadline: April 11 Ad deadline: April 11 37,000 copies of the Southwest Journal are distributed free of charge to homes and businesses in Southwest Minneapolis.
Southwest Journal 1115 Hennepin Ave, Mpls, MN 55403 phone: 612-825-9205 © 2018 Minnesota Premier Publications, Inc Subscriptions are $39 per year
PRINTED WITH SOY INK ON RECYCLED PAPER
By Jim Walsh
Her Purple Playground’s majesty
“M
aybe we should take a photo outside in the snow,” said Heidi Vader, sitting in the family room of her Diamond Lake neighborhood home the afternoon of April 2, in reference to Prince’s 1986 “Under The Cherry Moon” ballad-turned-now-annual-weepymemorial-slash-punch line, “Sometimes It Snows In April.” “But I’m conflicted about the month of April, because (Paisley Park) chose to have the celebration on the anniversary of his death, which … I wouldn’t have chosen that.” April is a meaningful month for Prince fans, many of who will travel to Minnesota to pay homage to the late, great genius that was Prince Rogers Nelson, who died two years ago this month. On the docket is Prince Day at UROC (April 14, 10:00 a.m.–3 p.m., Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center); the Prince from Minneapolis academic conference/ symposium (April 16–18, University of Minnesota); Celebration 2018 (April 19–22, Paisley Park); Prince: Live On The Big Screen (April 21, Target Center); A Purple Celebration (April 16, 8 p.m.–11 p.m., Guthrie Theater); and Vader herself is hosting events tied to her just-launched youth music nonprofit, Purple Playground, including a free dance party at Lee’s Liquor Lounge (April 17, 9 p.m.–1 a.m.) and Gangster Glam Skate Party (April 19, noon–2 p.m., Roller Garden in St. Louis Park). In the last years of Prince’s life, few fans followed the little purple love god closer than Vader, who logged a lot of dance hours at Paisley Park and who discovered Prince’s music in 1979 as a sophomore at the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield. “I like to dance a lot, and it was very danceable,” said Vader, as her husband Peter worked in the next room, just off a small guest room where she houses a small shrine of funky mementos and memorabilia. “Also, at the time, there was that naughtiness of being Catholic school girls listening to ‘Dirty Mind’ in the back of the bus on my boom box. People at our reunions remind me that I was always blasting Springsteen and Prince on my boom box in the back of the bus. I played other stuff, too, but those two I’ve been with since then. I saw Bruce before I saw Prince. “I saw Prince from 2009 until the end. I was only (at Paisley Park) once in the late ’90s. I wasn’t there in the early ’90s because I was having babies and I wasn’t connected. But throughout my life, I kept getting every album, and Peter would buy me all the new albums. When I said I didn’t want ‘Rainbow Children,’ I thought it was horrible, he bought it for me anyway. He got me ‘The Black Album,’ he got me ‘Crystal Ball,’ he went to the ‘Lovesexy’ show with me (on Sept. 15, 1988 at Met Center) before we were married. “The first time I saw Prince was in Milwaukee for the (1982) triple threat tour (the ‘1999’ album tour with Vanity 6, the Time, and Prince & the Revolution) and then again
Purple Playground founder Heidi Vader in her family’s Diamond Lake neighborhood home. Photo by Jim Walsh
at the Met. When I saw him live, I was hooked for life. And then going to those First Avenue shows, and being close enough where I could see the gold necklace across his hip…” Vader was heartbroken the day Prince died — April 21, 2016. “I was out there (at Paisley Park) that day,” she said. “I was just like, ‘This can’t be over. He’s never going to be over.’ I went out there early, thinking I was going to debunk this whole (rumor that Prince was dead) and it was raining and The Current was playing ‘Purple Rain’ and I knew it was true and I just started crying. I was there when all the news trucks showed up, and one minute after it was confirmed, a TV reporter asked me, ‘How are you and other Prince fans going to celebrate his life now?’” Two years later, Purple Playground is her answer. (She filed for non-profit business status with the State of Minnesota on Prince’s birthday last year.) At the moment, Vader and her sister Bridget are taking care of their father, who is suffering from end-stage Lewy body dementia, and running the family business he launched, Child Development Review. Between her server shifts at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in downtown Minneapolis, she’s lending her huge purple heart to Purple Playground and the launch of its first project, Prince Academy (Aug. 6–10 at High School for Recording Arts in St. Paul), and Vader implores any and all Prince fans to kick in for The Kid’s kids here: paypal.me/PurplePlayground. “After he died, there was a hole in the universe, really,” said Vader, who is also rallying the Purple Playground troops to take in the Minnesota Twins’ Prince night together June
NOW IS THE TIME... TO BUY, RATES ARE LOW... TO SELL, PRICES ARE HIGH... Call Dave today to discuss the current market value of your home. He will bring his team of handymen, painters, flooring professionals and stagers to get you top dollar…
DAVE ANDERSON
EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS SINCE 1985! Anderson, Dave SWJ 040518 masthead banner.indd 1
8 at Target Field. “All over the world, all these friends, it felt like nobody was going to see each other again. And also all the giving he did was being talked about, but nobody was giving anymore. Any town he was in, going back to the ‘Purple Rain’ days, he would help children and do benefit concerts, and he was really into helping #YesWeCode, the coding initiative to teach inner city kids how to do computer coding with (CNN’s) Van Jones. “He loved kids, and he was always giving. So I thought a way to keep giving would be to bring people together in a sense of community again and raise money for kids’ music education to help everybody heal. We’ve got a small board of friends, and we’re just getting going.” On April 21, 2017, Vader and a bunch of friends and fellow Prince fans got together on that sad anniversary to mourn and dance until dawn. “It was healing,” she said, and, thanks to Purple Playground and the continuation of Prince’s philanthropic legacy, this year the healing — and dancing — should prove even more cathartic. “We want Prince’s legacy to go on, and we don’t want him to be forgotten. He’s a fascinating person, and he’s a huge, important historical musician now that should be studied,” she said. “I wasn’t willing to let him go, and I’m still not, and I don’t think I ever will — because he’s still with us. All the music we have is incredible, and there are lessons of love that he taught us that don’t have to be lost.” Jim Walsh lives and grew up in South Minneapolis. He can be reached at jimwalsh086@gmail.com
JUST SOLD! 4837 ZENITH AVENUE SOUTH
For a no-cost, no obligation market analysis of your home, call Dave today…
952-924-8724 direct | 612-750-2209 cell
www.realtorDA.com 3/23/18 9:12 AM
southwestjournal.com / April 5–18, 2018 A9
Voices
What’s that green glow?
Don’t stop now
The streetlights on Linden Hills Boulevard are so out of place that our Saturday, March 17 evening guests thought that the strange green glow from their ugly orbs was intentional. They complimented our city officials for doing something fun on St. Patrick’s Day! If only that were true.
In 2013, my husband, our two children and I moved to southeast Minneapolis from Chennai, India. We came here with little knowledge of the city, and we were scared. My husband works for a tech company and I raise the children. The oldest is in second grade. Life here is not always easy for us. It can be tough as new immigrants. When I first learned of Leili Fatehi, a candidate for state House, I was intrigued to learn more about her. I visited her website and learned about how she too is an immigrant. She experienced struggles similar to those my husband, my children and I are experiencing. She also seemed like a qualified woman who cares. Leili Fatehi is someone that I want representing my family and myself in the legislature. In 2016, my husband and I voted for the first time. It was a joyous occasion, but the joy faded as the results came in. When so many powerful politicians speak against immigration, I would like to vote for a politician that speaks in defense of immigrants. I would like to vote for someone that knows the struggles of an immigrant because they too are an immigrant. That is why I join with my neighbors in saying that Leili Fatehi should run in a primary for House District 63B. Rayitha Narna Northrop
Bob Elfstrand Linden Hills
Preserve ranked-choice voting The year before my mother died, she told me something new to me: that my Slovenian grandmother, who lived most of her life in Virginia, Minnesota, volunteered often in elections. My mom also said that she thought my grandma would be proud of me and my friends for spending time volunteering to promote civic engagement and ranked-choice voting. That’s one reason why, after my mom died, I donated my inheritance to support efforts to improve our elections through the use of ranked-choice voting. Senate File 3325, a proposal to prohibit ranked-choice voting, is an intrusive and regressive bill that would undo a lot of good work and thwart self-determination in local elections. This bill treads on the rights and freedoms of voters in communities who use it or are considering using it. This bill violates local control as upheld in the Minnesota constitution. It must not pass, and Governor Dayton should not sign it. Betty Tisel Kingfield
DFL endorses area candidates for state House At DFL district conventions in March, endorsements were awarded in two of three Southwest-area state House races. Aisha Gomez won the endorsement in District 62B on March 10. A senior policy aide to Ward 9 City Council Member Alondra Cano, Gomez is seeking the seat currently held by Rep. Susan Allen, who announced in December that she would not seek re-election. District 62B includes the Lyndale, Kingfield, Central, Bryant and Regina neighborhoods, most of Powderhorn Park and Field and a portion of Tangletown. Delegates in District 61B convened March 24 and gave their endorsement to Jamie Long, the deputy chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison and manager of Ellison’s Minnesota office. Long is running for the seat held by Rep. Paul Thissen, who announced in January that he would not seek re-election. Thissen joined the governor’s race last summer but has since dropped out. District 61B includes the East Calhoun, CARAG, East Harriet, Lynnhurst, Kenny, Armatage, Windom and Page neighborhoods, as well
Gomez
Long
as portions of Tangletown, Fulton, Diamond Lake and Field. The District 62A convention ended before an endorsement could be awarded in that race. At least seven candidates were running for that district’s seat at the legislature, which opened up after veteran state Rep. Karen Clark announced in December she would not run for a 20th term in office this fall. District 62A includes the neighborhoods of Stevens Square, Whittier, Ventura Village, Phillips West, Midtown Phillips and East Phillips, as well as small portions of Powderhorn Park and Seward. The official filing period for legislative candidates runs May 22–June 5. — Dylan Thomas
ROOFING • SIDING • GUTTERS
612-869-1177
On Settergren’s Referral List
Protecting your home starts at the top.
YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD COMPANY
LOCALLY OWNED Our quality workmanship is reflected in our 38 years of experience in the construction industry
Serving the Twin Cities Since 1980
Roofing • Siding Soffit • Fascia Gutters • Insulation
ROOFING • SIDING • GUTTERS 612-869-1177
topsideinc.net
Rob.Olson@topsideinc.net
2015 & 2016 Topside SWJ 040518 FP.indd 1
NAT-105569-2
A Rating BBB A Rating Angie’s List MN License #5276 Licensed • Bonded • Insured 4/2/18 11:47 AM
southwestjournal.com / April 5–18, 2018 A11
Streetscape
By Ethan Fawley
Will it be easier to walk and bike next winter?
S
now and ice are melting away, but for many the challenges of getting around in the winter on icy sidewalks, snow-filled crossings and disappearing bike lanes remain a source of lingering concern and frustration. “Lack of ice and snow clearance is so limiting for me and people like me who are blind or have other physical limitations,” said Scott Engel, a pedestrian advocate and executive coordinator of the CARAG neighborhood. “I don’t know how someone in a wheelchair gets through on many streets. You feel almost trapped in your home.” That sentiment is echoed by Mary McGovern, president of the Minneapolis Highrise Representative Council. “Many residents don’t go out much in the wintertime because they are afraid of slipping and falling on ice or snow,” McGovern said. “For many elders that is especially concerning because a fall can mean a broken hip and an extended hospital stay. This leads to people being isolated in their apartments for the winter, which is concerning from many perspectives.” Concerns about icy or snow-covered sidewalks are the top reason people call the city’s 311 service in most winter months. Last December (the last month data are available), there were more than 1,700 reports of problem sidewalks. Hundreds of other problem spots go unreported. “Winter sidewalk snow clearance has always been among the top priorities of the Pedestrian Advisory Committee,” noted the committee’s chair, Julia Tabbut. The committee adopted a six-page memo on winter maintenance in 2014 in which they asked
for a number of improvements, and it was a focus of conversation at the committee’s annual report to the City Council last month.
Hope for change There is active work on ways to make winter maintenance better. “The City of Minneapolis is wrapping up a Winter Maintenance Study which will provide information and context related to current winter maintenance processes in Minneapolis as well as other winter climate cities,” said Jenifer Hager, director of Transportation Planning and Programming for the city. “The study will also identify next steps and actionable work tasks as the conversations regarding improvements to winter maintenance in Minneapolis continue.” The long-awaited study leaves many advocates hopeful that improvements may be coming soon. “I hope they come up with a plan that greatly increases the city’s role in clearing snow,” offered Engel. McGovern said, “We’d love to see the city take up plowing the sidewalks more because now it is so hit and miss from property to property.” The Pedestrian Advisory Committee’s Tabbut added: “We would love to see more pilots that explore creative solutions, possibly even including municipal clearance of priority corridors, and hope that the winter maintenance study will dream big and lead to changes that will finally allow the same consideration for those on foot as has long been assumed for those who choose to drive.”
Bike lanes also getting attention The Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association recently raised the alarm on lack of snow clearance in bike lanes after a person was hit while biking on University Avenue Southeast. Tweeting a photo of a snow-filled University Avenue bike lane, they added the comment: “This is the ‘bike lane’ where the bicyclist was struck by a minivan tonight. We need this fully plowed, and then, improved.” They later posted pictures of Hennepin County plows clearing the bike lane a few days later. “From what we’ve seen firsthand as recently as this past weekend, this isn’t a problem limited to the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood,” Marcy-Holmes Executive Director Chris Lautenschlager noted. “We’ve seen these terrible bike lane conditions from 8th Street Southeast to East 38th Street.” While many bicycle supporters applaud the city’s clearance of trails and protected bike lanes, which have been generally rideable for most of the winter, unprotected bike lanes often become unusable after a snow or ice builds up against the curb. That forces people biking into traffic lanes, and fear of the extra interaction with cars and ice keeps many from venturing out on their bikes — even if they are willing to bundle up for the cold. Bicycle boulevards, like Bryant Avenue in the Wedge, also are typically challenging. They are plowed a day or two after most snowstorms, and ruts can form that make them un-rideable. Bicycle Advisory Committee Chair Nick Mason said winter maintenance was “a major
An un-shoveled sidewalk. Submitted photo
priority for the committee.” “Our city works to implement our excellent complete streets policy to build and maintain facilities that support all users,” Mason said. “We need our bicycle network to work in all four seasons, as many who ride in Minneapolis need or choose to bicycle all year round.” The city’s winter maintenance study will also include ways to improve bikeway maintenance. Some previous ideas have included creating a priority winter biking network, so that a core set of routes is maintained more consistently. I’ve been told that staff hope to present the final Winter Maintenance Study in early May. That would provide time for significant potential improvements for next winter. That would be very welcome for Engel. “Winter sidewalk maintenance needs to be bumped up the priority list,” he said.
24 HO UR E
UT OUR
ASK ABO
CARE HOME CLUB
MERG SERVICE ENCY AVAILAB LE
1883-2018
PLUMBING • HEATING & A/C
CALL TODAY! 651-440-4354 •MCQBROS.COM Summer comfort for old homes made easy!
Ductless and High Velocity Cooling customized SOLUTIONS for your home.
$2000
$1500
$1000
Whole Home Comfort Cooling System Install
Whole Home Comfort Cooling System Install
Whole Home Comfort Cooling System Install
SAVINGS If installed before April 30, 2018 Cannot be combined with other offers. Terms and conditions apply.
SAVINGS If installed before May 31, 2018 Cannot be combined with other offers. Terms and conditions apply.
SAVINGS If installed before June 30, 2018 Cannot be combined with other offers. Terms and conditions apply.
•Free Second Opinion •Estimate Match
McQuillan Brothers SWJ 032218 H2.indd 1
3/16/18 4:26 PM
A12 April 5–18, 2018 / southwestjournal.com
Arthur Murray SWJ 040518 6.indd 1
4/4/18 12:18 PM
MPS Superintendent Ed Graff (left) and CFO Ibrahima Diop led a discussion on the district’s reserve funds during a recent School Board committee meeting. Photo by Nate Gotlieb FROM SCHOOL FUNDING / PAGE A1
operating fund for 2018–2019. The district cut funding for both schools and departments and also implemented hiring restrictions for this year, bell-time changes and cellphone reductions, among other changes. Its goal was to limit cuts to all school budgets combined to between 2.5 and 3 percent, though cuts varied from building to building. Superintendent Ed Graff said at the School Board Finance Committee meeting on March 22 that the district wants to ensure the deficit does not continue to carry forward. He also said the district wants to refocus its resources on its neediest schools while addressing learning environments in all schools. “Trying to do what’s best for all students sometimes means that individuals are not going to get what they want,” Graff said. “It means that sometimes one or two school communities are more acutely impacted.” He added that hearing from the public about concerns has allowed district leaders to reflect on their recommendations and the process they used to create them. “The challenge is that you’re always learning from these situations, but it does not change where we are financially,” he said. Members of the Washburn community packed the Finance Committee meeting along with students from Patrick Henry High School, which is also seeing a sizable budget cut. Several Washburn community members also spoke against the cuts in public comments to the School Board on March 13. “No set of decisions that results in one school suffering a 13 percent cut, $1.6 million in one year, should be acceptable to this board or to the district even if each cut on its own can be defended, which these cannot,” Washburn site council member and parent David Genrich said.
Trying to do what’s best for all students sometimes means that individuals are not going to get what they want. It means that sometimes one or two school communities are more acutely impacted. — Superintendent Ed Graff
Time adjustment, Title I changes According to the district, Washburn lost some of its funding because of a projected decline in enrollment. But the school lost a majority of its funding, more than $1 million, because of the district’s decision to cut one source of funding for middle and high schools and reallocate another of Washburn’s funding sources. Washburn lost about $787,000 in timeadjustment funding, which MPS distributes to all district middle and high schools to help cover the costs of a seven period schedule. The district eliminated this funding to all middle and high schools for next year as part of its budget cuts, reducing expenses by $6.4 million. Washburn also lost about $410,000 in federal Title I funding, which the district has provided to schools where at least 35 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-priced lunch. The district increased the threshold for Title I funding to 40 percent for next year, while Washburn’s projected free or reduced-priced lunch population remained around 37.5 percent. In the press release, Washburn parent and site council co-chair Jeanne Massey said the elimination of the school’s Title I funding came without warning or engagement. She noted that Washburn was the only school to lose the funding. Massey added that Washburn still will have over 600 students who qualify for free and reduced-price lunch next year, adding that the school cut multiple support staff positions because of the shift. In an interview, Benjaafar said Washburn will have just 2.5 counselor positions for 1,635 students next year, adding the school cut behavioral dean and social work and security staff positions, among others, in response to the budget cuts. Benjaafar said staff members in those positions have relationships with students, noting as an example one staff member who works with Latino and East African families. She said that the work done in many of the support staff positions cannot be transferred to somebody else, meaning it won’t get done. “At this time, we’re losing staff that directly impact (students’) physical safety and their social and emotional wellbeing,” she said. In an email, media relations coordinator Dirk Tedmon said the district has heard the concerns of the Washburn community and is looking at options to see what can be done to lessen the impact of budget cuts. SEE SCHOOL FUNDING / PAGE A13
southwestjournal.com / April 5–18, 2018 A13 FROM SCHOOL FUNDING / PAGE A12
“Where we haven’t met our goals of transparency and limiting impacts to students as much as possible, we will explore ways to correct that,” he said. Tedmon said the district reallocated Title I funding as part of its effort to direct its limited resources to schools with higher concentrations of poverty. Research shows that once a school population is composed of 50 percent or more of families in poverty, there is an impact on schoolwide achievement, Tedmon said. He added that the district recognizes the reallocation isn’t an easy change, especially when all students would benefit from the resources. “However, we recognize the needs are different in a school population where the median family income is $15,000 versus one where it is $30,000 — even though both are well below the federal standard for poverty,” he wrote. Tedmon said there are no discussions of restoring time-adjustment funding at this time, adding that it would be unfair to only restore this funding at one school.
Resolution on time adjustment In addition to speaking out, Washburn parents sent a resolution to School Board members recommending the district restore the $6.4 million in time-adjustment funding and not make any additional cuts to school budgets. Board Member Rebecca Gagnon introduced the resolution at the board meeting on March 13, suggesting the district use its reserves, also known as fund balance, to alleviate some of the cuts. Gagnon recognized that the board has said it’s not interested in dipping further into the fund balance, as recommended by Graff and his team. The district’s fund balance dropped below the level allowed by board policy after the district used some reserves to cover a budget deficit last year. But Gagnon said she thinks the budget cuts could drive families away from MPS and jeopardize its chances of passing a pair of referendums this November. The district would receive $30 million annually from the referendums starting in 2019–2020 if the voters approve them. Board members Kim Ellison, KerryJo Felder and Ira Jourdain said they would also be willing to use reserves to alleviate some of the cuts. Board members Jenny Arneson and Don Samuels spoke against the use of reserves, stressing a need for the district to spend within its means. Arneson, the board treasurer, noted that district leaders have been clear about a need to decrease expenses and added that the district needs to be fiscally responsible. “It feels like we’re reacting here, and I think that that’s just not something I want to stand for,” Arneson said. Arneson added that she’s troubled when
The Minneapolis school district projects Washburn’s student population to be 1,635 next school year. File photo
We have to resist the urge to say, ‘I need mine, I need mine, I need mine.’ ... We have to make an effort to work collaboratively together to solve these problems when it’s the hardest for us to do it. — School Board Chair Nelson Inz
she gets emails from people threatening to work to defeat the referendum because they don’t like the allocations, a sentiment Samuels and board chairman Nelson Inz also voiced. “We have to resist the urge to say, ‘I need mine, I need mine, I need mine,’” Inz said. “… We have to make an effort to work collaboratively together to solve these problems when it’s the hardest for us to do it.” Chief Financial Officer Ibrahima Diop cautioned the School Board against using fund balance, noting his department’s work to rebuild the reserves several years ago. Tapping reserves to balance the budget “means that we’re going back to business as usual,” he said.
Fund balance The School Board did not take action on the Washburn resolution on March 13. On March 22, Diop provided the School Board Finance Committee with more information on fund balance. He said that fund balance should allow a district to cover six weeks of salary payments in the case of a government shutdown but that MPS currently has enough to cover payments for about two weeks. “As the chief financial officer of the district, I cannot take that lightly,” he said. Diop also noted that fund balance factors into the district’s ability to sell bonds to finance capital projects, the debts for which it pays off with property tax revenue. A low fund balance would force the district to pay a premium to sell its bonds, potentially leading it to seek a higher property tax levy. Diop also ran through projections showing that the district would likely go into statutory operating debt by 2020–2021 if it does not reduce its expenses. He added that he’s confident that the proposed 2018–2019 budget is an accurate reflection of the district’s revenue and expenses after Inz asked about previous mid-year shortfalls and budgets that failed to account for expenses. Graff later noted the district’s work on a comprehensive assessment of its programs and services when Board Member Bob Walser asked what the district is doing to increase enrollment. He said the district will be looking at its vision for MPS graduates as part of the assessment, adding that he would encourage the community to think about a strategic plan. Graff and Diop also outlined allocations to the district’s central office, which received $5.2 million less in funding and also had to absorb about $6 million in salary and benefits increases. Arneson closed the meeting by saying that education is underfunded at the state level, noting how the district spends $56 million a year out of its operating fund to cover special education costs. That includes $22 million on students not attending school in the district. “It is really important that we come together as a city, because we should be outraged as a city,” she said of special education underfunding. To correct that, “it will take not just us in this room, not just even people elected from Minneapolis, but it will take people elected from throughout the state,” she said.
Naturally, we can help! We offer:
• Natural weed control • Custom-blended seeding • 100% OMRI-certified organic fertilizer • Aeration
15% OFF
a full-season package for new customers
(up to $100)
lunseth.org Organic Lawns SWJ 030818 6.indd 7
2/26/18 11:15 AM
A14 April 5–18, 2018 / southwestjournal.com FROM MINNEAPOLIS 2040 / PAGE A1
intended height and bulk of structures the city wants to see developed in the future. Vague area descriptions from past comprehensive plans, such as Activity Center and Community Corridor, have been replaced with 13 new built-form districts with titles like Interior 1 and Core 50. “Hopefully, it will more clearly communicate what we want to see from development,” Joe Bernard, a principal city planner, said.
Creating clarity Taking an example from the current comprehensive plan, Bernard said that the definition of Activity Center described what type of use the city intended for the site but did not give specific guidance on the height of buildings. In some of those Activity Center districts, such as the core of Uptown around the Lake & Hennepin intersection, the height of new developments is a regular focus of community debate over new developments. In Minneapolis 2040, even the lowestintensity built-form district, Interior 1, allows for buildings of up to 2.5 stories with up to 4 units. Fourplexes are not currently allowed in many residential neighborhoods, and that aspect of the draft plan — leaked early and reported on by the Star Tribune — has already sparked debate. Multifamily buildings constructed “on a limited number of combined lots” would be allowable in the plan’s proposed Interior 2 districts, which cover residential areas between 38th Street in the south and Lowry Avenue in the north. Buildings up to three stories tall would be allowed in many of the neighborhoods closest to downtown with good transit access, including the Wedge and Whittier, identified as Interior 3 districts on the proposed maps. Minneapolis 2040 makes the case that those changes are necessary, noting that
HANA BISTRO
The draft comprehensive plan calls for taller development in the Uptown core than an existing small area plan. Photo by Dylan Thomas
the city is growing faster today than it has since 1950. Since 2000, the city has lost an estimated 15,000 units considered affordable for those earning 50 percent of the area median income, and the number of households burdened by housing costs is growing. The city’s black, American Indian and Spanish-speaking residents are more likely than white and Asian residents to feel the pinch. The new Corridor 6 district would allow buildings of two to six stories along highfrequency transit routes and near transit stations. Most of Nicollet Avenue south
HAPPY HOUR OFFERED DAILY
Chinese / Sushi / Thai Beer • Wine • Sake
Delivery / Catering
BUY 2 SUSHI ROLLS GET 1 FREE
Dine in • Pick Up
HanaBistroEdina.com 5033 France Ave S, Mpls • 612-315-3992
offer expires 4/30
Hana Bistro SWJ 040518 H12.indd 1
3/26/18 1:59 PM
Classic TaeKwonDo Studios Now Enrolling for Summer Camp
$60/day includes: organic/natural lunch and snack, admission (daily field trips), and taekwondo class. Pay only for days needed. Camp Hours: 7:30–5:45 June through August.
Month Intro
$240 for Unlimited Class Hours, includes Uniform & 4 Introductory Classes. Additional family members 50% off.
Mrs. Carolyn Boston teaching for over 40 years 5159 Bloomington Avenue South | 612-810-2051 | www.classictkdstudios.com Classic TaeKwonDo SWJ 030818 H12.indd 1
Lean on me:
3/20/18 3:59 PM
Dachshund Lover & Owner • Neighbor • Licensed Real Estate Agent
My goal is to ensure my clients a stress-free experience. Buying or selling? I’d love to help. Call me, a neighbor who cares — a real estate professional you can lean on.
When it comes to Real Estate... Lean on a Pro... Schelly Braden sbraden@cbburnet.com Braden Schelly SWJ 051817 H12.indd 1
612.850.6889
SchellyBraden.com 4/12/17 9:34 AM
of downtown, as well as Hennepin and Lyndale avenues between downtown and Uptown, are proposed Corridor 6 districts. In Transit 10 districts, including the Uptown core, building heights of up to 10 stories would be allowed. A separate land-use map shows the proposed guidelines for the types of uses allowed in different parts of the city, including varying intensities of mixed-use development depending on whether the area is intended to serve just the surrounding neighborhood (parcels adjacent to Hennepin Avenue south of Uptown); users of a trans-
portation corridor (much of Nicollet Avenue south of downtown); or regional visitors drawn to a bustling destination (both Uptown and LynLake). “Separating out the (land) use from the built form allows us to be more targeted and specific about the scale of development in these locations, so when a constituent wants to know what is allowed in what was formerly called an Activity Center near their property, they can get a much clearer answer,” Bernard said. SEE MINNEAPOLIS 2040 / PAGE A15
southwestjournal.com / April 5–18, 2018 A15 FROM MINNEAPOLIS 2040 / PAGE A14
Plans in conflict Suggested height guidelines were often addressed in small area plans, a patchwork of local planning documents for commercial nodes and corridors. The authors of Minneapolis 2040 say it was “informed” by the small area plans. But some of those plans will soon be in conflict with the new comprehensive plan. For example, the Uptown Small Area Plan, adopted by the City Council in 2008, recommends heights of primarily three to five stories — but up to 84 feet in some cases — for the Activity Center in the area’s core. In the draft comprehensive plan, that core is one of the new Transit 10 districts, where building heights of up to 10 stories would be allowed and even taller buildings would get consideration if they meet other
comprehensive plan goals. “We would like to address the small area plan issue this time by retaining the things that are in the small area plans that help to guide those areas for development but think about in the future a process that would allow for more involvement on the part of the city directly in those planning processes,” Worthington said.
Coming up State law requires Minneapolis to update its comprehensive plan every 10 years, and the City Council is likely to vote on the adoption of Minneapolis 2040 in November. It must be sent to the Metropolitan Council for review by the end of 2018. Once approved by the Met Council, “then it becomes a regulatory document,” Worthington explained.
“Then we can use this document to inform changes to regulations and policies like the zoning code,” she continued. “That’s the next step. So, in 2019 and ’20, we’ll be working on those regulatory and policy things that will flow from the (comprehensive plan).” For any development proposals that come to the city in between adoption of a new comprehensive plan and the updating of the city zoning code, “we would sit down with them and try to talk through what’s coming so they can hopefully adjust that project to meet the new goals,” Worthington said. She said the zoning code likely would be updated in late 2019. Go to minneapolis2040.com to review the draft comprehensive plan and offer feedback. The deadline for comments is July 22.
Two- to six-story buildings would be allowed in the proposed Corridor 6 district along Nicollet Avenue. Photo by Dylan Thomas
Hourcar plans to go electric The car-sharing service Hourcar plans on offering an expanded, all-electric fleet of vehicles within the next few years, it announced April 2. The St. Paul-based nonprofit is working with Xcel Energy on plans for its new line, which it hopes to introduce by mid-2020. It plans on increasing the number of cars in its fleet and its number of docking stations as part of the changes, said David Zeller, Hourcar’s marketing manager. Hourcar began operating in 2005, allowing program members check out hybrid vehicles. It’s expanded over the past 12-plus years to
include about 60 vehicles and 2,300 members, Zeller said. It stores those vehicles at 52 locations around Minneapolis and St. Paul. Program members pay a monthly fee plus additional fees for each ride. Hourcar requires members to drop off the vehicles at the same location at which they picked them up. The nonprofit plans on expanding the number of cars in its fleet to at least 100 and expanding the number of docking locations as part of the new plan, Zeller said. It is also planning to allow members to pick up and drop off vehicles in different locations, though it hasn’t
worked out the exact logistics. Xcel Energy has pledged to help to fund the planning process, Zeller said. In a news release, Hourcar CEO Paul Schroeder said the transition to an all-electric fleet aligns with the nonprofit’s commitment to providing affordable, accessible and sustainable transportation choices. “The Twin Cities is our home, and we want to help keep it clean and livable by doing our part to reduce emissions and congestion,” he said. Schroeder added in the release that Hourcar aims to create electric vehicle access
in low-income communities while also increasing access to flexible and affordable transportation choices. Xcel Energy-Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota President Chris Clark said in the release that his company is embracing a future that includes more electric vehicles on the road. “Partnering with HOURCAR helps ensure that this future benefits all customers, the environment, and the electric grid we all rely upon,” he said. — Nate Gotlieb
Hang Up On Fraud
Stop Fraud Before It Starts Jen Fox, Director of Consumer Outreach and Community Relations at the Department of Commerce is excited to work with Minnesotans to empower and educate that fraud is preventable. Because we know that 20% of Minnesotans over 65 will be victim of financial swindle, this is a critical time to share the information from ‘Hang Up on Fraud!’ the MN Department of Commerce’s new fraud prevention toolkit. Join the one hour long presentation for interactive moments and interesting facts.
Monday, April 9 Noon – 1 pm
Odds of a child becoming a top fashion designer: 1 in 7,000 Odds of a child being diagnosed with autism: 1 in 110
RSVP Anne Tabat 612.827.8311
Some signs to look for: No big smiles or other joyful expressions by 6 months.
No words by 16 months.
To learn more of the signs of autism, visit autismspeaks.org
Walker Methodist Health Center 3737 Bryant Ave S, Minneapolis Walker Methodist HC SWJ 040518 4.indd 1
No babbling by 12 months.
© 2010 Autism Speaks Inc. “Autism Speaks” and “It’s time to listen” & design are trademarks owned by Autism Speaks Inc. All rights reserved. The person depicted is a model and is used for illustrative purposes only.
3/9/18 3:09 PM
Ad Council - Autism SWJ 2011 NR4 Filler 4.indd 1
4/22/11 4:00 PM
A16 April 5–18, 2018 / southwestjournal.com
News
By Nate Gotlieb / ngotlieb@southwestjournal.com
Thousands march against gun violence Thousands of students and people from around the Twin Cities participated in the March for Our Lives on March 24 in St. Paul, demanding that politicians take action to curb gun violence. The estimated 18,000 marchers chanted slogans such as “Hey hey, ho ho, the NRA has got to go” as they walked through downtown St. Paul, cheered on by supporters. Students on the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School boys’ hockey team, in town for a national tournament, walked at the front of the group, holding signs memorializing their 14 classmates and three staff members who died in the shooting on Feb. 14 at their school. Speakers at a subsequent rally called for measures such as an assault weapons ban, mandatory background checks and protection orders. Multiple speakers criticized the Republican leaders in the Minnesota Legislature for ignoring efforts to change gun laws. “Nothing is happening in the Capitol to reduce gun violence,” said Sen. Matt Little, DFL-Lakeville, who authored bipartisan legislation that would require universal background checks and mandatory reporting of lost or stolen firearms. The rally included a speech from Sami Rahamim, whose father, Reuven, died in the Accent Signage shooting in September 2012 in Bryn Mawr that left six people dead. Rahamim recalled sending a report to his dad about the shooting while riding a bus to Madison, Wisconsin, before realizing he would be personally affected. “As the details trickled in, it became clear that my world was about to change forever,” he said. Rahamim told his father’s story of immigrating to the U.S. from Israel at age 22 and later opening his own company. He said his father was living the American Dream, noting his success in business and pride in his family. He said his family now lives a uniquely American nightmare and added that he felt inspired to take action after the Sandy Hook school shooting in December 2012. “It’s incumbent on all of us to say, ‘Not one more,’ Rahamim said. Roosevelt High School junior Ben Jaeger
Students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, hold signs in honor of their friends who died in the shooting at their school on Feb. 14. Photo by Nate Gotlieb
noted that March 24 was the 20th anniversary of a deadly shooting at a middle school in Jonesboro, Arkansas, that left five people dead and 10 injured. Jaeger, the student representative on the Minneapolis School Board, said that politicians have spoken to the necessity of smarter gun laws but that mass shootings have continued. He noted that gun violence affects people every day in the U.S. and that those stories oftentimes go underreported. Jaeger also said he had to anxiously follow the news when a person who appeared armed was seen entering Patrick Henry High School last month. The school was locked down and police did not find any weapons or other suspicious items in the school. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey joined the students as they began their march at Harriet Island Park. He said he was proud to continue supporting the momentum the students and young people have brought to the issue. The students are the National Rifle Association’s “worst nightmare, and if change is going to happen, it’s young people that are going to bring it,” Frey said. Frey said Minneapolis is doing everything it
FREE
Community Gathering Spaces
can under the law to bring change, though he noted that it is preempted from taking certain legislative action. He said his office has a role to play as a bully pulpit and that the city has a major interest in stopping gun deaths. “There’s no reason that someone should have the ability to reel off 30 shots before reloading through a magazine clip,” he said. “We’re talking about sensible gun reform that would prevent the loss of life through mass shootings, and it’s happening all the time.” Four students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas spoke at a rally. One, a freshman, said she lost four close friends in the shooting. “Not a day goes by where I don’t think of my friends Jamie, Gina, Cara and Alaina and how they were the happiest people I have ever met,” she said. “I not only want but I need something to change,” she added. “Every day, I ask myself, ‘Why them?’ They were freshman students just like I am. It could have been me or my brother, but somehow, I got lucky that day. I’m not going to move on, but we’re all going to move forward, because that’s what they would want.” Marjory Stoneman Douglas freshman Uptown Plumbing, Heating and Cooling is committed to participating in the lives of our community residents, and offers the spaces to be used for meetings, workshops, and more, free of charge.
BRYN MAWR 400 Cedar Lake Road S
LOWRY 514 Lowry Ave NE
5” x 5” paver with logo or three 9 character lines — $95
Visit CommunityGatheringSpaces.com to reserve a space today
5” x 11” paver with logo or four 20 character lines — $145 Benches with no engraving — $1,000 4/2/18 5:16 PM
Visit hobt.org or call 612.721.2535 for more information
In the Heart of the Beast SWJ 2016 H18 filler.indd 1
Give a Gift to the People and Park You Love Adopt a refurbished bench or engrave a brick paver at Lake Harriet and leave an impression that lasts for years to come!
36TH & BRYANT 3554 Bryant Ave S
Uptown Heating SWJ 040518 H18.indd 1
Stephanie Horowitz said she was outside the building where the shooting occurred when the fire alarm went off. “Thanks to coach (Aaron) Feis, who sacrificed his life protecting me and my classmates, and my teacher, I was directed back into my class,” she said. “Twenty other students and I plus our teachers squeezed into a tight closet for two hours.” She said she couldn’t think straight when she finally made it home and that days kept getting harder and harder, instead of easier. “I don’t feel safe in my own home because of what that 19-year-old did, and that is not OK with me,” she said. “No child should go to school and wonder if they’ll make it home alive, and no parent should wonder if it’s their last time hugging and saying, ‘I love you’ to their child.” She said she’s enraged that parents and students have that experience and added, “We should not be arming teachers,” drawing one of the biggest cheers of the rally. Solutions, she said, should include longer and more thorough background checks, raising the legal age to purchase a gun to 21 and not allowing anyone with any mental illness buy a gun.
Benches with 40 character engraving — $1,250
More info: www.peopleforparks.net or call 612-927-2750
7/1/16 10:57 PeopleAM for Parks SWJ 2017 filler 9.indd 1
11/13/17 10:46 AM
southwestjournal.com / April 5–18, 2018 A17
44th & France mixed-use development advances Edina Planning Commission approves plans despite height concerns By Brian Lambert
With a favorable 8–1 vote at its March 14 meeting, Edina’s Planning Commission signaled that a significant transformation of the 44th & France business district appears likely to get under way, possibly as soon as this fall. The vote allows “flexibility” in the language relating to the height of new construction in the area. It likely means developer Ted Carlson’s plan for a four-story, 52-unit mixed-use complex replacing the Edina Cleaners building on the southwest corner of 44th & Sunnyside is on track for him to make a formal application as early as late April. That would put him “within two or three months” of an up or down vote by the city council, said Cary Teague, Edina’s community development director. Carlson aims to break ground this fall. The vote follows months of neighborhood activism and petitioning. A survey last fall of the immediate surrounding neighborhood showed clear opposition to construction as tall as Carlson’s building now seems likely to go. At the March 14 hearing, several residents continued to express their displeasure with the commission’s consensus that in essence an increase in height to four stories from two on that corner was acceptable. Others continued to voice concerns about possible increases in noise, parking problems and traffic flow through the area. The 44th & France business district has been the focus of a more grand and long-term small area plan by the city, which is working with neighborhood residents and hired consultants. That much more elaborate plan, if ever implemented, could open the area to a number of substantial changes, including — as the most expensive proposition — some kind of multi-use parking structure behind The Convention Grill. One idea still floating around would create an underground facility with a large public green space above acting as a kind of neighborhood park. How that would be paid for has yet
Developer Ted Carlson plans a four-story mixed-use development with 52 apartments at 44th & Sunnyside, just across the Minneapolis-Edina border. Submitted image
to be worked out, and in addition the surface parking lot currently in use at the site has a multiple ownership issue to overcome. For his part, Carlson is cautiously optimistic that his apartment complex is on track for approval this spring, which would allow him to demolish the dry cleaners building and deal with pollution problems beginning, he said, “this October.” Asked about his sense of relations with neighbors who have put in a remarkable number of hours campaigning against the size of the project, he said, “We’ve been respectful of the changes suggested by the small area plan work group, and we’ve tweaked the plan accordingly. As it is now, it is significantly smaller than what we were first proposing.” He said, “In total size the project has been reduced by 26 percent and the total number of units reduced by 17 percent.
And regarding the height, we’ve brought the height down to two stories as it transitions west into the neighborhood along Sunnyside (Avenue). We believe this is a good compromise for everyone involved.” While details have yet to be negotiated, Carlson emphasized a widening of the sidewalks along France Avenue going south and Sunnyside Avenue going west, along with landscaping (i.e. trees), benches and a miniplaza of sorts in the triangle that is currently the driveway of the dry cleaners, as well as burying power lines, at least from the corner of 44th & Sunnyside southward past his properties. (Carlson also owns the Gateway Bank building immediately to the south of the cleaners.) Whether the power lines are buried during construction of Carlson’s building or later was something he said still had to be worked out with the city, Xcel and other stakeholders.
Steve Young is the owner of the Arbor Commercial Group, one of whose properties is what is generally known as “the Bruegger’s building” directly across from the Edina Cleaners. Young said he has had no conversations to date with anyone regarding burying power lines in front of his property. His main concern remains adequate parking, and Young continues to push the city to allow parking on the west side of France Avenue southward past what could become Carlson’s project. He added that he has heard very little about the idea for the lot behind Bruegger’s involving covered parking and a grassy mall. For a sense of neighborhood reaction to both the long, intense public process and what appears to be its conclusion, 26-yearold Morningside resident Nancy Bush said, “I guess I’d have to say I’m not surprised.” “After spending a lot of time — and it was a significant amount of time for some people over here — collecting information and opinions of the neighborhood, I feel like we were ignored when it came right down to it. It’s disappointing. “And I say that as someone who agrees that the intersection could use some fixing up. I’m not totally opposed to development. It’s just that in this case I think the neighborhood’s preferences were brushed aside.” She conceded that Carlson himself did a significant amount of community outreach, but that in the end the decision, yet to be finalized, seemed to have followed a predictable, developer-friendly pattern. “It concerns me, of course, that this will set a precedent for what inevitably happens across the street, on the Bruegger’s block. Which is why I’d still like to see Carlson’s design required to mimic the aesthetics, the ornamental brickwork and the roof line of the Bruegger’s building. That might put some controls on what comes next.”
NEIGHBORHOOD SKETCHBOOK
BY
A18 April 5–18, 2018 / southwestjournal.com
Homelessness. Eviction cases, meanwhile, can wrap up within two weeks. “What happens is the eviction process plays out twice as fast,” said M.J. Bauer, executive director of the Conflict Resolution Center. “There are very few types of court cases that advance with the speed that evictions do,” said Larry McDonough, who supervises a probono clinic at Housing Court and has worked in landlord-tenant litigation since 1983. He said the local eviction process is among the fastest in the country. To help address the issue, the NorthPoint pilot offers quick cash assistance, with funds available within days. Those funds only apply prior to an eviction filing, however, and NorthPoint staff urge tenants to reach out the moment they think they won’t make rent. By the end of an afternoon in Housing Court, Taylor had connected with his landlord, who was “very willing” to work with him. He secured emergency assistance funds from Hennepin County to cover the rent, and Taylor was optimistic. He advised other renters to prepare for the worst and not be afraid to communicate when they get into trouble. “This takes a load off,” he said.
Tierra Peterson, a Housing Court project coordinator at the Volunteer Lawyers Network (at left), talks with a woman seeking to expunge an eviction from her record. The woman, who declined to print her name, said she is staying at a shelter, and she needs the eviction off her record to land a new apartment. Photo by Michelle Bruch FROM EVICTIONS / PAGE A1
Conflict Resolution Center at Hennepin & Colfax, comes at a time when the City of Minneapolis is exploring ways to reduce eviction filings. A 2016 city report found that, out of more than 3,000 evictions filed in Minneapolis each year, 93 percent are filed for nonpayment of rent. Those tenants are behind two months and $2,000 on average. Two-thirds of the cases end in displacement. “While this is a complex challenge with no one solution, I am fully convinced that dramatically reducing evictions in Minneapolis is possible,” said Zoe Thiel, a city Innovations Team program manager, speaking in February to the city’s new housing policy committee. As part of the county pilot program, NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center in North Minneapolis offers referrals for mediation, legal help and cash assistance. A state task force is also digging into the issue. And attorneys from Legal Aid and the Volunteer Lawyers Network offer free advice and representation. On a recent Housing Court date, referee Mark Labine urged everyone to go out into the hall and try to work out deals with their landlords. One tenant faced eviction after falling behind by about $470. Labine said all he could do was give her one more week to pay. He suggested she reach out to NorthPoint. “Let’s see what you can do,” he said.
The evicted There is a concentration of evictions in Stevens Square, but North Minneapolis is hit harder by evictions than any other part of the city. The city reports that 45–48 percent of North Minneapolis households received an eviction filing in a three-year period. Thiel noted the figure is based on a census estimate of renter households, and some families may have received multiple filings. “That said, presuming this estimate is in the ballpark, it’s a staggering figure,” Thiel said. Most of the people with eviction filings in Hennepin County are poor minority women, according to a county survey completed last summer. The monthly average rent was $1,006, and the average income was $1,778. Brittany Lewis, a research associate at the University of Minnesota Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, is in the process of interviewing at least 100 people impacted by evictions. So far, she’s heard from women who turned money over to boyfriends, real-
izing too late that money wasn’t going to rent. She spoke with victims of domestic violence. She interviewed one man whose building was condemned; he checked himself into the psych ward rather than return to homelessness. She talked to couch-hoppers living in tense situations where they’re overstaying their welcome. “Most often, the question of choice is an illusion,” she said. “You need a roof, especially if you have children. … We’re in a gentrifying city.” At Housing Court recently, Ross Taylor said he’d been through a lot since leaving a good insurance job in Chicago and moving to Minneapolis to care for his late mother. The move into his current apartment wiped out his savings, which required two months’ rent in addition to a security deposit. He recently broke his ankle, couldn’t work and fell behind, he said. “Right now in our society and our economy, one accident can be your downfall,” Taylor said.
The speed of evictions Tenants trying to pay their way out of an eviction filing typically reimburse more than $300 in legal costs, in addition to overdue rent and late fees. With an eviction on record — even an eviction filing that was later resolved — they face higher damage deposits and fewer apartments open to them, mediators said. Hennepin County provides emergency assistance funds that will cover rent, but it can take up to a month for those funds to come through, and the county sifts through 10,000 or more applications each year, according to Lisa Thornquist, an administrative manager with the county Office to End
Source: City of Minneapolis
While this is a complex challenge with no one solution, I am fully convinced that dramatically reducing evictions in Minneapolis is possible. — Zoe Thiel, city Innovations Team program manager
tenant who lost his restaurant job and couldn’t make rent. “I knew his story, and it was a heartbreaker,” she said. Energized by the fundraiser, the tenant found a new job and worked out a payment plan. That worked for about six months until he faced another setback. He decided to take a backpack and go homeless, with a plan to save enough money to buy a property up north.
The landlord perspective
Last resort
Cecil Smith, chair of the Minnesota Multi Housing Association, said more study was needed to boil the eviction problem down to definable, solvable issues. He said court fees to evict are already high, and he wants to see the details of any city proposal that might have unintended consequences. “For many owners and managers, it’s a point of last resort,” he said. “… You can’t not collect the rent. … Nobody opens a grocery store and says here, come and help yourself.” Ten property owners filed more than 25 percent of the city’s evictions in 2015, according to the city, which listed them by name in a report. Most large management companies have policies to evict based on days past due or a specific dollar amount in arrears, while “mom and pop” filings are more varied, explained Brian Hage of the Landlord Resource Network. Based in the CARAG neighborhood, Hage developed and launched software in January 2017 to streamline eviction filings. He advises landlords to consider flexible payment arrangements with tenants facing eviction. “It is often financially imprudent for landlords to be too strict or look to have the tenant removed without considering the costs of eviction, tenant history, vacancy rates, turnover costs, and other market trends,” he said in an email. Heidi Pliam, a landlord, business consultant and volunteer mediator, said she’s worked with landlords that sank everything they had into their properties and could hardly afford repairs themselves. An eviction can mean several thousand dollars in losses, she said. “In screening (renters) they hope to never have to evict,” she said. “But if they’re not evicting as fast as they can, they won’t survive. … I’ve seen landlords go into foreclosure because they’re too afraid. They feel so badly and don’t want to evict.” Pliam personally launched a GoFundMe campaign for her Northeast Minneapolis
Pliam said true mediation can work, because it can get to the heart of tenants’ challenges and keep evictions off their records. But the process to secure emergency assistance funds and attend housing court can be daunting for people facing major challenges, Pliam said. “People go homeless because they can’t muster the ability to put their paperwork together,” she said. “… The landlord cannot be expected to bridge the gap.” The Minneapolis Public Housing Authority files the highest number of evictions in the city; it also owns more than three times the units of other large “frequent filers” in city data. The MPHA offers more leeway with late payments than is typical, staff said. More than 2,500 public housing residents paid late at least once in 2017, with some late more than four times, according to MPHA. Of those, 271 people were served an eviction filing and 56 were evicted. “Eviction is always a last resort,” said Jeff Horwich, director of policy and external affairs. MPHA staff is recommending changes in state law, meeting with city officials, considering more mediation and internally analyzing data to decide where to focus efforts.
The intervention Mediators are calling landlords across the city, asking them to consider waiting an extra couple of days to try mediation before filing an eviction. Bauer pointed to city statistics that show mediated landlord-tenant agreements are successful 75 percent of the time and less likely to result in eviction. “When you get a landlord and a tenant together and they reach their own solution, they’re much more likely to abide by those solutions,” said Dawn Zugay, volunteer manager at the Conflict Resolution Center. McDonough said he’d like to see new laws that require landlords to give a modest fiveor 10-day warning to tenants, so tenants have time to act before an eviction is ever filed. He would also like to see legal procedures change so that tenants don’t have to deposit rent money in court to allege habitability problems. City staff recommend focusing efforts on high-eviction properties, particularly those with high levels of housing code violations. Staff noted that New York City guarantees legal representation to every tenant facing eviction. Another idea would automatically expunge an eviction record when a case is dismissed. “No city appears to have figured it all out, but there are opportunities to learn about promising practices as evictions and displacement are rising in the national conversation about housing,” Thiel said.
Uptown Heating SWJ 040518 FP.indd 2
4/2/18 4:34 PM
A20April A2 April 6–19, 5–18, 2017 2018 / southwestjournal.com / southwestjournal.com
REMODELING SHOWCASE
ADVERTISEMENT
SECOND-STORY REMODEL PROVIDES OPENNESS AND LIGHT Bluestem design allows owners to remain in neighborhood
J
eff Anderson and Dennis Wu had remodeled their 1950 home in the past, adding a basement bathroom and replacing kitchen cabinets and appliances. When it came to the second floor of their one-and-a-half story house, they had a big decision to make — expand or move. The couple bought the house in 2002 and love their Southwest Minneapolis neighborhood. They selected Bluestem Construction of St. Louis Park to do the expansion job. Then Wu got cold feet about investing more in the house, and they decided to look at buying a different home. Anderson and Wu ultimately realized that moving might give them more space, but that wasn’t the goal. What they really wanted was more light and openness in their existing space, and to add their design aesthetic to it. A year after they first contacted Bluestem, they signed a contract that would transform their second floor.
The bedroom and master bath are the showstoppers. Bluestem designed and built a black walnut half-wall that doubles as a headboard and partially separates the bedroom from the bath. Photos courtesy of Brandon Stengel, Farm Kid Studios
MORE ABOUT
BLUESTEM CONSTRUCTION Address: 6542 West Lake Street, St. Louis Park Phone: 952-926-0164 Website: bluestemconstruction.com Years in business: 18
Theirs was typical of many Twin Cities’ one-and-a-half story houses, with a ceiling that followed the roofline and natural light coming only from small windows at the front and back of the house. The men wanted to continue using
it as their bedroom, but they also wanted to add a full bath, linen closet, storage closet and an office for Anderson, who had been working in the basement. Bluestem lead designer Tamatha Miller guided them through the process that
Consider Us A PerfeCt PArtner to MAke YoUr dreAMs reAlitY
952-361-4949 • knightremodeling.com White Crane Construction SWJ 022317 H12.indd 1
2/17/17 2:05 PM
Woodstone Renovation SWJ 022218 6.indd 1
2/19/18 8:51 AM
Knight Construction SWJ 030818 H12.indd 1
2/20/18 11:08 AM
southwestjournal.com southwestjournal.com/ /April April 5–18, 6–19,2018 2017 A21 A3
REMODELING SHOWCASE added about six feet to one side of the house. It can be difficult for homeowners to imagine how a long, dark space can be redesigned, especially when the ceiling has strong angles, says Miller. For example, Anderson and Wu had decided to add a closet to their bedroom but realized during demolition that it would take up too much space. They then opted to turn a previously unused alcove into a closet, with clothes hung along one side opposite a long dresser they already owned. Bluestem added some built-in shelves for shoes, and the space became one of the best parts of the project, according to Wu. But, the bedroom and master bath are the showstoppers. Anderson and Wu are frequent travelers who appreciate hotel design. With that inspiration, Bluestem designed and built a black walnut half-wall that doubles as a headboard and partially separates the bedroom from the bath. Above the headboard, the wall turns to glass that also functions as part of a glass-enclosed shower. The glass portion of the wall allows natural light from windows in the new exterior wall to flow into the bedroom. “Light was a big factor for us in taking into consideration the designs, and we love how this turned out,” Anderson said. “I love that we were able to do this,” Miller said of the wall/headboard combination. “It feels very European. It feels very worldly. I think that’s what makes it win. If we hadn’t taken that approach, we probably wouldn’t have been able to accomplish all these uses and not have it feel more compact. That’s what gives it the openness.” The couple can now also easily see their yard from the second story. Miller likened it to living in a tree house. “I kind of call this our loo with a view,” Anderson said. “When the garden is in bloom, and the trees, it’s really fantastic.” A wall-mounted vanity separates the shower/toilet area from a soaking tub. A window above the foot of the tub affords the bather natural light and a view of the neighbor-
ADVERTISEMENT
hood trees. Bluestem built a shallow linen closet into the wall behind the other end of the tub, incorporating a passthrough window for access to towels. A storage closet and Anderson’s office take up the rest of the expansion, with the desk in a sunny corner and, typically, a cat lounging on the heating vent below. It’s quite a switch from working in the basement, and well worth it, he said.
“Making sure that we could get all the functions in here and making it feel nice and open and spacious, I think was a huge thing,” Miller added. “The fact that we got a fivepiece bathroom and still have a generous-sized bedroom with a closet and an office and storage, that was a challenge… It was challenging, but it was a lot of fun.”
A storage closet and Anderson’s office take up the rest of the expansion, with the desk in a sunny corner.
About Remodeling Showcase Remodeling Showcase is a paid series of profiles featuring local contractors in Southwest Minneapolis. The profiles are written by Nancy Crotti, a freelance writer.
Quality CONSTRUCTION, CUSTOMER SATISFACTION & Trust. · CUSTOM CABINETRY · ADDITIONS & DORMERS · KITCHENS & BATHROOMS · WHOLE HOUSE RENOVATION · PORCHES & SUN-ROOMS
Our team makes your dream space come to life.
· FINISHED BASEMENTS ·
612.821.1100 or 651.690.3442 houseliftinc.com
(651) 730-1880 | QualityCut.net Quality Cut SWJ 030818 Rotation 6.indd 2
4330 Nicollet Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55409 | License # BC 378021 2/19/18 3:37 PM
House Lift Remodeler SWJ 030917 6.indd 1
3/3/17 11:35 AM
A22 April 5–18, 2018 / southwestjournal.com
By Nate Gotlieb / ngotlieb@southwestjournal.com
Lowry Hill East resident creates organics program Lowry Hill East resident Katlyn Flannery wanted to take action in her community after the 2016 election. It spurred her to attend a neighborhood association meeting and eventually start an organics recycling program in the neighborhood. Flannery, an architectural designer, worked with the Wedge Community Co-op to set up carts for residents who otherwise may not have easy access to organics recycling. The program has grown to serve about 350 people over the past six months, and Flannery has worked with the co-op to set up a second set of bins at the Wedge Table Cafe. “We just want more people to participate in the behavior,” Flannery said. Flannery, who minored in sustainability studies, joined the Lowry Hill East Neighborhood Association Environmental Committee in the months after the election. She said expanding organics access for renters was a good target for
an initial project, adding that she wanted to make it more convenient for herself as well. “It is a simple behavior with a huge impact,” Flannery said of organics recycling. Minneapolis provides organics carts and curbside organics pickup for all one- to four-unit residential buildings in the city. It will provide carts and curbside pickup to buildings with five or more units if they contract with the city for solid waste services. But many residents of those buildings don’t have access to organics recycling, Flannery said. Flannery noted a majority of Lowry Hill East residents are renters, meaning that many don’t have access to organics carts at their buildings. She noted how the city has drop-off sites but that the closest one to Lowry Hill East used to be several miles away. Flannery initially requested a city bin for her building before turning her efforts toward creating a drop-off site in the neighborhood.
Lowry Hill East resident Katlyn Flannery started an organics recycling program in her neighborhood this past year. Photo by Nate Gotlieb
She cold-called and emailed local businesses and eventually connected with the co-op, which agreed to provide space for the carts.
LHENA pays for the program, which is free and open to the public. The Whittier Alliance has agreed to pay for the second site at the Wedge Table Café, which began service on April 1. She said organics recycling is in line with the city’s goal of zero waste, adding that her vision is to get more people doing organics recycling. She said the next step is to get organics recycling into larger apartment buildings, including those near the Midtown Greenway. Flannery added that she’s appreciative of the Wedge Co-op and of Kellie Kish with the city for their help. “It just opens doors for us to do it elsewhere,” she said. Sign-up is required for people interested in participating in the program, as the bins are locked for most of the year. To learn more or sign up for the organics program, visit thewedge.org/organics.
Bill to nullify polystyrene bans draws opposition Fifteen people testified against a bill that would nullify Minneapolis’ and St. Louis Park’s bans on polystyrene containers during a State House of Representatives committee meeting on March 28. Testifiers included leaders of environmental groups, Minneapolis business owners and Ward 12 Minneapolis Council Member Andrew Johnson, among others. They said the polystyrene bans have reduced waste and contamination in the recycling and organics-recycling streams and noted that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency delegates management of solid waste to local governments. “The tools that the local units of government need can’t be taken away,” said David Benke, director of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s Resource Management and Assistance Division. The testimony came about two weeks after
seven Republican legislators introduced the bill, which would prohibit local governments from regulating any auxiliary containers, including plastic bags. Rep. Drew Christensen, one of the authors, said the goal is to help make products more affordable for consumers and help small businesses not have to deal with a “patchwork of regulations” across the state. The Minneapolis City Council passed an ordinance banning most plastics in 1989, but it proved unenforceable, as the city didn’t have a means of collecting many recyclable materials. The council updated the ordinance in 2014 to re-ban polystyrene, one form of which is Styrofoam, and require businesses to use reusable, recyclable or compostable takeout containers. St. Louis Park passed a similar ordinance in 2015. Johnson, who authored the Minneapolis law, testified that the ordinance has been successful
in diverting waste and saves money by reducing contamination in the recycling stream. “If this bill passes, it is a tax on our ratepayers,” he said. Minneapolis restaurateur Erik Forsberg, who owns three restaurants downtown, said polystyrene is an environmental issue and asked the Legislature to implement the ban at a statewide level. Megan Kuhl-Stennes, associate director of policy, advocacy and funding for Eureka Recycling, said cities should have the ability to respond to the needs of their community members. She added that these ordinances come with broad education campaigns that help consumers and businesses understand more about the products they buy. Kuhl-Stennes added that plastic bags are a blight on the community and problematic to all recycling facilities. She said Eureka has
several workers manually pull the bags out of the material it receives but that many still get wrapped around the equipment. The organization spends two hours every day cutting plastic bags out of its equipment, she said. Four people testified in support of the bill, including Bruce Nustad, president of the Minnesota Retailers Association. He said the “patchwork” of regulation provides problems for consumers and businesses, adding that it’s a competitive issue for mid-size and small retailers. “We would content that this type of regulation is a great statewide issue instead of a cityby-city issue,” he said. The House Government Operations and Election Policy Committee voted to move forward the bill on a 9–8 vote. The Senate Local Government Committee has not yet taken action on the companion bill.
Advertise “SATTVA experience was truly holistic, it helped me heal not only body but soul. I felt “lifted” by the healing treatment.”
with us to E X P A N D your business
—Yvette B
Best 2 Hour Massage Membership $129/mo+tax
EXCELLENT MASSAGE AND WELLNESS EXPERIENCES sattvamn.com | 3200 Bryant Ave S | 612.823.5450
Sattva Natural Health and Recovery SWJ 020818 H18.indd 1
2/5/18 expand 1:21 PMpattern3 1cx2.5.indd 1
CARPET CLEANER RENTAL
VACUUM TRADE IN
YOUR LOCAL FLOOR CARE EXPERTS — Family owned since 1973 —
45 * 29
$
OFF
Any New Vacuum Purchase
Of $300 Or More
excludes Miele vacuums AL'S VACUUM • 952.884.2691
$
95*
$5 for hand tool $50 deposit While supplies last
AL'S VACUUM • 952.884.2691
11/15/17 3:47 PM
REPAIR SPECIAL
$
5
Naturally, we can help!
OFF *
We offer: Natural weed control • Aeration Custom-blended seeding 100% OMRI-certified organic fertilizer
Any Vacuum Repair
AL'S VACUUM • 952.884.2691
*One coupon per customer. Offers cannot be combined. Expires 5/5/18
lunseth.org
952-884-2691 alsvacuum.com | 9517 LYNDALE AVE S, BLOOMINGTON Als Vacuum SWJ 040518 H12.indd 1
3/27/18 2:35 PM
Organic Lawns SWJ 030818 H12.indd 6
2/26/18 11:24 AM
southwestjournal.com / April 5–18, 2018 A23
By Eric Best / ebest@southwestjournal.com
Residents get the ball rolling on Linden Hills bocce court A few Linden Hills residents are planning to build a neighborhood bocce ball court in partnership with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. Dale Mulfinger, one of four friends who make up the Linden Hills Bocce Club, hopes to get a sand court built near the Linden Hills Recreation Center. He said a court will add a low-impact activity to the neighborhood where they hope to draw a diverse group of players and eventually get a league going. “We would be happy just attracting more neighbors,” Mulfinger said. “It’s a very easy game to play. You don’t have to be particularly skilled.” The club — Mulfinger and three other longtime neighborhood residents, Rick Polanski, Marc Burgett and Steve Benson — plans to raise the $12,000–$14,000 necessary to build the court, a two-lane sand pit stretching roughly 100 feet. The Park Board has allocated $5,000 of the neighborhood’s park dedication fees to the project, which has received a $1,000 grant through the Linden Hills Neighborhood Council and about $2,000 in private fundraising. Mulfinger said they hope to raise another $2,000 and may receive a commitment from their fiscal agent, People for Parks. Park Board President Brad Bourn, whose District 5 includes the area, said it’s philanthropic and community organizations that can make small-dollar amenities like a bocce court happen. “It’s these smaller amenities that we really can struggle for a way … to say ‘yes’ to,” he said during the board’s March 21 meeting. The project, proposed for a patch of grass south of the park’s tennis courts and west of a children’s play area, will include the two-lane court and several park benches. Mulfinger said eight players will be able to play at the same time with the proposed configuration. Adult players will be able to watch their children playing nearby.
Annie Young Meadow dedicated to late park commissioner
Commissioner Londel French (at-large) said while he may not play the game, he would gladly be a spectator. “I’d love to sit down and chill on a nice day and watch some bocce ball,” he said. Through a preliminary agreement recently approved by the board’s Administration & Finance committee, the club and People for Parks will donate the court to the Park Board. If built, the Linden Hills court would be the third public bocce ball court in the park system, joining one nearby in Pershing Park and another in Beltrami Park in Northeast Minneapolis. The club, which plans to donate two sets of balls for public use, is looking to have a few evenings each week during the spring, summer and fall for exclusive play as spelled out in a shared maintenance and use agreement with the board. The full board is expected to vote on the construction and use agreements in April. Bocce has players, whether playing individually or on teams, taking turns tossing grapefruitsized bocce balls as close to a smaller ball, or jack, as possible. Mulfinger said he picked up the game, which resembles curling, shuffleboard and feather bowling, after living in Italy where the modern form of the sport was developed. Citywide Commissioner Meg Forney said the city has plenty of high-impact sports, but not enough that are friendly to all ages, including seniors. “It’s wonderful. This is such a win-win,” she said. Construction on the court is slated for April and early May. Mulfinger said the club’s plan is to have it ready for a tournament during the Linden Hills Festival on May 20. The group will host an informational meeting at Bremer Bank, located at 4278 Sheridan Ave. S., on April 30 from 4 p.m.–6 p.m. The event is open to the public.
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has formally recognized the life and achievements of Annie Young, who died in January after serving 28 years on the board. Current and former commissioners and family members gathered in Riverside Park as part of a ceremony to dedicate the lower portion of the park to Young, the city’s second-longest serving park commissioner with seven terms in office. It is now called Annie Young Meadow. “Annie just went on ahead and left us because she needed this to happen. We were taking too long to name this park after her. She was totally over it,” joked Commissioner LaTrisha Vetaw, who has credited Young as a mentor. “This would have meant the world to Annie.” The Park Board approved the dedication in February and at one point considered changing the name of the entire park.
A portrait of Annie Young. Photos courtesy of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
Officials from the Park Board, Hennepin County Board of Commissioners and City Council cut the ribbon on new signage in Riverside Park March 17.
CARING FOR YOUR PETS SINCE 1973 THOSE BEAUTIFUL WHITE EASTER LILIES SHOULD STAY OUT OF REACH IF YOU OWN CATS. THE INGESTION OF EVEN A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF THE LILY PLANT OR FLOWER CAN CAUSE ACUTE KIDNEY FAILURE IN CATS. DID YOU KNOW?
WESTGATE PET CLINIC HAS 10 DOCTORS AND OVER 175 YEARS OF COMBINED EXPERIENCE!
Spreading Hope to Families of Micro-Preemie Babies, One Potato at a Time.
thepotatoheadproject.org
FREE NAIL TRIM FOR NEW CLIENTS SCHEDULE A TOUR OR APPOINTMENT TODAY!
4345 FRANCE AVE. S. MINNEAPOLIS MONDAY–THURSDAY 7AM - 7PM FRIDAY 7AM - 6PM | SATURDAY 8AM - 5PM 612.925.1121 // WESTGATEPETCLINICMN.COM Westgate Pet Clinic SWJ 040617 9.indd 1
3/27/17 The 2:14Potato PM Head Project DTJ Filler 9.indd 1
12/27/17 1:16 PM
STUNNING SW MPLS TOWNHOME • $529,900
EDINA COUNTRY CLUB TUDOR • $700,000
Near Lake Harriet. Gorgeous 2-bed, 3-bath with beautiful kitchen, screen porch, 2-car garage.
Charming & updated 3-bedroom; remodeled kitchen, sunroom, 2 fireplaces, 2-car garage.
BILL MINGE • 612.759.7686
JOHN EVERETT • 952.221.5464
BillMinge.com
D SOL
AMAZING ARMATAGE • $360,000
DOUG HERKENHOFF • 612.865.3770 TheHomeProducer.com
Wonderful Dutch Colonial that still has its original charm but has been beautifully updated.
SARA MORAN • 612.720.7560
ALEX BOYLAN • 612.242.9318
SaraMoranTeam.com
ON G SO
SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS CHARMER • $500,000
AlexBoylan.net
IN COM
ON G SO
House retains its original character. Hardwood floors and large fireplace.
A few blocks from Lake Harriet. Beautiful hardwood floors and newer windows. 3-bedrooms.
CHARMING FULTON BUNGALOW • $350,000
COMING TO THE MARKET IN APRIL • $250,000
ERICA BLANCHARD • 612.729.7239
STEVE NAU • 612.247.9105
DAREN JENSEN • 612.720.6284
EricaBlanchardRealtor.com
SteveNau.EdinaRealty.com
PEN
CENTRALLY LOCATED 2+ STORY • $580,000
COME HOME TO BRYN MAWR
Beautifully-remodeled, classic Tudor. Stunning must-see upgrades throughout.
JohnEverett.com
IN COM
Well maintained 4-bed/3-bath available for the first time in 59 years. This one truly delivers.
MORNINGSIDE REMODEL • $875,000
DIN
G
Fabulous Diamond Lake home, 3 beds and 1 bath, sunroom, fireplace, nicely updated.
DarenJensen@EdinaRealty.com
I COM
NG
SOO
N
LOVELY ARMATAGE FAMILY HOME
Location galore. 4-bedroom 2-bath home blocks to Lake Calhoun/Uptown. Updated kitchen.
Updated townhome close to Lake Harriet and just steps to the shops at 44th and France.
HEART OF LINDEN HILLS • $525,000
WINDOM CHARMER • $314,900 Completely remodeled 3-bedroom on quiet street!
Hardwood floors on main, three levels finished, 3 beds, 2 updated baths, on market mid-April.
CHRIS WILLETTE • 612.388.8828
MATT LILL • 612.578.8200
KAYLAH DOUGLAS • 612.400.2593
JIM STARR • 612.247.5898
FULTON NEIGHBORHOOD • $730,000
GORGEOUS MAIN LEVEL CONDO • $650,000 Beautifully updated, newer kitchen, owner’s suite, deck, sun room, large yard.
Amazing floor plan with fabulous spaces. Gorgeous wood and millwork throughout.
Updated with a new kitchen and hardwood floors. Three-season deck overlooks a fenced yard.
BARBY COLLINS • 612.801.0027
SHERI FINE • 612.720.2442
SHERI FINE • 612.720.2442
CARI ANN CARTER • 612.926.9999
ChrisWillette.com
Open floor plan with modern flair, perfect for today’s lifestyle. 3 beds, 4 baths, 2-car.
BarbyCollins.com
MatthewLill.com
SheriFine.EdinaRealty.com
KaylahDouglas.EdinaRealty.com
CHARM AND SPACE • $824,000
SheriFine.EdinaRealty.com
SoldByStarr.com
REMODEL ON A DOUBLE LOT • $550,000
CandCGroupMN.com
For your free copy of The Ultimate Guide to Selling Your Home, visit Sell.EdinaRealty.com/Ultimate-Selling-Guide.
ER 50th & France Office SWJ 040518 FP.indd 1
3/27/18 4:03 PM
Neighborhood Spotlight. Kingfield
Southwest Journal April 5–18, 2018
The making of a Kingfield scoop A PEEK INSIDE SEBASTIAN JOE’S COMMISSARY
By Michelle Bruch / mbruch@southwestjournal.com
W
hat type of ice cream would perfectly represent Arbor Day? Sebastian Joe’s is searching for the answer in partnership with the Kingfield Neighborhood Association, and they’re preparing to scoop a new flavor at an April 27 Arbor Day festival at Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Park. So far they’ve tried maple ice cream sprinkled with chocolate bark — a Kingfield committee decided the flavor was too sweet, then couldn’t stop eating it, leaving them second-guessing their first impressions. Now they’re experimenting with ice cream bases of pistachio or birch, a flavor described as similar to spearmint or sarsaparilla. To represent twigs and bark, they’re layering pretzels over chocolate with almonds, dried cranberries and white chocolate. “Calling something birch bark in this state will be a huge seller,” suggested Sarah Linnes-Robinson, executive director of the Kingfield Neighborhood Association. Top: Sebastian Joe’s Pastry Chef Patrice Swingler makes bark to sample in a new Arbor Day-themed flavor. Fun fact: She doesn’t like chocolate. Above: Chocolate bark created at Sebastian Joe’s for a special Arbor Day ice cream flavor, made with pretzels, almonds, dried cranberries and white chocolate. Photos by Michelle Bruch
SEE SEBASTIAN JOE’S / PAGE B8
B2 April 5–18, 2018 / southwestjournal.com
LANDSCAPE SHOWCASE
ADVERTISEMENT
A LANDSCAPE DESIGNED TO BRING THE OUTSIDE IN Terra Vista brought a sense of calm to the project
M
ichelle and Pete Dankwerth remodeled the interior of their St. Louis Park home with a nod to its midcentury modern roots. They wanted the landscaping around the house to reflect the same aesthetic of bringing the outside in. In 2010, a year after the couple bought the house, they remodeled the kitchen and added a bedroom, bath and mudroom to the main level. The 1948 rambler has windows extending from the front entryway across the living room to take advantage of the facade’s western exposure. The Dankwerths wanted a front patio and seating area to extend their living space outdoors, providing a place for warm-weather entertaining and for their children to play. It was supposed to be a phased project extending out over several years, but disaster struck in fall 2011. A large branch from an oak tree in the front yard fell on the house, punching a hole in the living room roof. The Dankwerths brought in a land-
MORE ABOUT TERRAVISTA LANDSCAPE
Address: Northeast Minneapolis Phone: 612-460-7577 Web: terravistamn.com Years in business: 19
scape contractor who failed to complete the installation, so they brought back Terra Vista Landscaping of Minneapolis, which had done some work for them previously, to complete the job. Their landscape architect, Colin Oglesbay of Dwyer/ Oglesbay in Minneapolis, had introduced them to Terra Vista and its owner, Eric Baldus. Oglesbay designed the landscape to wrap around the house, with Fond du Lac stone forming the front patio floor and walls, and sustainable South American ipe wood for the benches, railings, HVAC system enclosure, rear deck surface and under-deck storage area. “When Eric came to the project, I could let go,” Michelle Dankwerth said. “His guys showed up on time. They cared for our property throughout the whole process.” Oglesbay designed a pergola to provide shade for one corner of the patio and a combination fountain/pond fed by rainwater from the roof. He selected Corten steel for the landscape edging and stair frames, and Minnesota limestone pebbles for pathways around the house. Terra Vista executed Oglesbay’s design, including the installation of Fond du Lac stone that transitions from the patio into the entryway and wraps around the living room’s floor-toceiling stone fireplace. To mimic the aluminum that was popular in mid-20th century design, Terra Vista used steel for the patio railings, finishing it with a commercial grade of paint to resemble aluminum. The company also built the pond adjacent to the entryway, using bead-blasting stainless steel to match the faux aluminum railings. Michelle wanted the plants to be low-maintenance, because their children were young and she didn’t have time to fuss with flowers. Terra Vista installed mostly native plants such as blue oat grass, oak sedge, giant allium and Prairie Dropseed. The company also planted Prairie Gold aspen trees across the front yard, Autumn Brilliance serviceberry trees along one side and Arctic Sun dogwood shrubs, along with more serviceberries, in the rear.
Custom Artisan
About Landscape Showcase Landscape Showcase is a paid series of profiles featuring local contractors in Southwest Minneapolis. The profiles are written by Nancy Crotti, a freelance writer.
Margi MacMurdo 612.206.7089
Design, Install & Maintain: Patios • Driveways Sidewalks • Steps • Plantings Mulch • Perennial Beds
gardeningangel612@gmail.com
Design • Install Maintain
612-225-8753 | dreamandrealitylandscapemn.com
Terra Forma SWJ 040518 9.indd 1
Michelle Dankwerth also wanted a vegetable garden, which Baldus helped her plan, for the side of the house, including the irrigation. Now they’re working on plans for the rest of the largely wooded backyard. “I feel like we ended up with extremely usable spaces,” she said. “Just sitting out there picnicking with the kids, it’s been great. And the beauty is, it’s been as promised. We can manage it ourselves.”
Gardening Angel Garden Design
Hardscapes & Landscapes
Dream & Reality Landscape SWJ 040518 9.indd 1
Dwyer/Oglesbay designed the landscape to wrap around the house, with Fond du Lac stone forming the front patio floor and walls, and sustainable South American ipe wood for the benches and railings. The stylish pergola provides shade for one corner of the patio.
3/26/18 12:02 PM
3/5/18 MN 1:54Nice PM Gardens SWJ 030818 9.indd 1
Residential & Commercial Gardening Angel Garden Design SWJ 030818 H18.indd 1
3/6/18 12:16 3 Bears PMLandscaping SWJ 030818 9.indd 1
1/26/18 12:44 PM
3/2/18 2:56 PM
southwestjournal.com / April 5–18, 2018 B3
Two thumbs up By Carla Waldemar
H
ai Hai means “two two” in Vietnamese, and the title was chosen for this new Northeast restaurant as a salute to the so-named dive bar/strip club that previously occupied its 22nd & University address. I’ll adopt it as my critical assessment: two thumbs up. Probably the only holdouts to this accolade are residents for blocks around, whose curbs will be forever occupied by the vehicles of foodies. Those foodies’ appetites for chef and co-owner Christina Nguyen’s fresh flavor combos from her homeland, Vietnam, are as bold and bright as the café’s vivid, almost tropical design scheme, favoring eye-popping jolts of turquoise green. (If you’ve visited Nguyen’s first culinary endeavor, Hola Arepa, you know what I mean.) The dining room — reminiscent of steamy Saigon with ceiling fans and lampshades wrought of fiber-woven hand fans — the lengthy faux-zinc bar and the patio, filled with those little white plastic stools that serve customers in the alleyways of Saigon, provide generous seating. But don’t get your hopes up: They’re usually all taken, with a waiting line (no reservations) snaking halfway to Uptown (well, almost). Worth the wait. The menu leads off — and you should, too — with snacks ($7–$10). Two or three could compose a light meal, although I defy anyone to halt. We began with Christina’s spring rolls — two huge logs ready for her palate-igniting dipping sauce. The chef ’s twist:
bits of fried-till-crunchy eggroll skin within the un-fried, translucent wrappers, plus-sized to accommodate fresh green herbs along with full-flavored bits of pork sausage and spears of pickled jicama and carrots. Next, a quartet of petite water fern cakes composed of steamed rice patties mounded with mung beans, savory ground pork and pork crispies enhanced with scallion oil and fish sauce. Finally, the fried cream cheese wontons. You’re thinking, “Why? Please, not this tired, accommodate-the-Midwest concoction.” Well, read the fine print. They also incorporate creamy chicken liver pate (shades of Vietnam’s French occupation?), all set to dip into the accompanying pert and fruity chili sauce. Next, the vegetable list ($8–$10), from which we summoned the green papaya salad, that Southeast Asian staple, to which the kitchen has added green beans and tiny tomatoes to balance the threads of tart green papaya amply heaped with the customary fish sauce, lime, peanuts and miniscule dried shrimp. They’re nicely ignited with Thai chilies balanced with lush green herbs. The list continues with yummy sounding East-meetsMidwest dishes like Balinese cauliflower dressed with kale, bean sprouts and coconut cream; braised collards topped with spicy ground pork and chili oil; and Brussels sprouts fried with green chili paste, pork belly and puffed rice. (See what I mean?)
Next up, plates ($9–$16), including Hanoi sticky rice, a dense heap of rice topped with a collage of ground pork, pork floss (shredded threads), coins of densely textured, boldly flavored Chinese sausage, mung beans, fried shallots, pickled veggies and cucumber in fish sauce. Good but not compelling. Next time, the Balinese chicken thigh and crispy skin accompanied by kale, bean sprouts, jasmine rice, coconut cream and a spicy sambal favoring Thai chili and lime leaf. The usual lettuce wraps also join the list. I’ll return for the Vietnamese crepe, to stuff with pork belly and shrimp or shiitake mushrooms. Or the shrimp mousse cooked on sugarcane; there’s plenty of it stacked above the bar. But for now, let’s see the dessert menu ($5.50–$7). Coffee pot de crème, flourless chocolate cake with enhancements, house-made silken tofu in lemongrass-ginger syrup and our choice, Vietnamese che: a tall, frosty glass (which we split to share) layered with Pandan jello, equally slippery lychee, “grass” jello of similar texture, basil seeds, pink tapioca (slippery again), jackfruit, coconut cream and crushed ice. Cool. So are the inventive cocktails, decorated with fronds of herbs and, yes, little paper umbrellas. The friendly staff is well trained in menu nuances and prepared to answer queries and forward recommendations. All in all, two thumbs up (and more if I had them).
HAI HAI 2121 University Ave. NE 223-8640 haihaimpls.com
Hai Hai serves Southeast Asian street food in a remodeled dive bar. Submitted photos
B4 April 5–18, 2018 / southwestjournal.com
Ask Dr. Rachel
By Rachel Allyn
CEDAR AVAILABLE & IN STOCK NOW! CEDAR DECKS, GARDEN BEDS & PERGOLAS M-F 7:30am–5pm, Sat 8am-Noon 3233 East 40th St., Mpls • 612-729-2358 Hiawatha Lumber SWJ 040518 6.indd 5
4/3/18 2:31 PM
Mixing friendship and business I
recently hired a friend for her professional services. I had never worked with her in this way, so I was quite surprised later to see how unprepared she was, how she didn’t follow through on promised items and how the material I did receive from her was pretty mediocre. On top of that, she charged me nearly double the amount I thought we agreed upon, even though I haven’t received all my merchandise from her. It makes me question being friends with her anymore. Should I confront her to get my money back, or should I just let it go?
You should confront her. To confront has two meanings. First, to “meet someone face to face with hostile or argumentative intent,” which can be based in accusation. Alternately, it can mean “to face up to and deal with a problem or difficult situation.” I suggest you do the latter and try to make it straightforward and free from reactivity, explaining the facts as you see them. (Of course, your “facts” may not necessarily be her “facts” because we often have our own revisionist history.) Avoiding reactivity is easier said than done, given we are usually confronting something that is emotional and loaded. In which case our reptilian brain hijacks our rational mind, and the next thing we know we are caught in a dramatic soap opera version of events. Did you have a contract in place before agreeing to do business? If so, you can make the argument that you’re not paying more than the agreed upon price. You probably figured you did not need a contract ahead of time because you trusted her as a friend. The
Bottom line is, just because you’re friends does not mean she has the right to be careless with you.
two of you probably had unclear ideas on what the exact “agreed upon” price would be. Boundaries are important in any relationship, whether it be friendship or business. Although it may feel forced or awkward to confront the topic of money, location and timeline for getting your merchandise, it minimizes the likelihood of complications or misunderstandings like this later. It’s been said that you should be leery of going into business with friends or family. Once money is involved, it can place pressure on the relationship. Business decisions are not always personal, yet it can feel personal when it’s someone you know in a different role in your life. Bottom line is, just because you’re friends does not mean she has the right to be careless with you. And regardless of being friends or not, her lack of professionalism does not do her any favors. It means she lost the opportunity to get future referrals from you. I am a fan of direct communication with others that can ideally lead to resolution versus the sweeping it under the rug approach, which can lead you to harbor resentment. That being said, sometimes it’s better to let things go. There are some issues in a relationship that are not worth confronting. Say your partner occasionally leaves dirty dishes in the sink or a friend is often 10 minutes late meeting you — these are examples of things you can surrender to because they don’t matter much in the grand scheme of things. In your case, however, it’s leaving you to question the friendship altogether. Because you’re upset and feel disrespected you’re looking at this in a black-and-white manner. Depending on the history and depth of the friendship, it’s worth talking to her so you can clear up any misunderstandings and hopefully preserve the friendship. In the very least, this can allow you to get your merchandise or money back and move on. Bye, Felicia! Dr. Rachel Allyn is a licensed psychologist in private practice. Learn more about her unique style of therapy at DrRachelAllyn.com. Send questions to Rachel@DrRachelAllyn.com.
southlyndale.com | 5300 Lyndale Ave s, MPLS | 612.827.5811
B6 April 5–18, 2018 / southwestjournal.com
Neighborhood Spotlight. Kingfield
100 52
35W
94
Kingfield essentials
35W
35W
Walsh Lake
280
100
Powderhorn Lake
52
Lake Calhoun
94
Twin Lake
Mi ss iss ip pi
Sweeney Lake 100
Ri ve
r
55
55
Today, Kingfield is known for its thriving dining scene and as one of the city’s most desirable neighborhoods for families. When W 36TH ST it became part of Minneapolis, it was mostly farmland. That change 35W took place in 1887, when the city shifted its southern border 16 blocks south to 54th Street from 38th Street. The transition from farm to city occurred over the next several decades; most of the neighborhood’s singlefamily homes were built before W 46TH ST 1920, according to a city profile. Kingfield was named for Colonel William S. King, a New York native who moved west and represented Minnesota35W in Congress for one term in the 1870s. A businessman and the owner of a vast swath of Southwest Minneapolis property, King was involved in journalism and agriculture in addition to politics. He founded a Minneapolis newspaper, the State Atlas, and was the King in the title of Northrup, King and Co., a bygone seed company memorialized in the name of Northeast’s Northrup King building, its former headquarters. Kingfield is also home to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park. Called Nicollet Field when the land was purchased in 1916 by the Park Board, it Diamond was renamed in 1968 to honor King, the Lake civil rights leader assassinated earlier 35W that same year. Kingfield hosts an annual rummage sale in the spring and a garden tour in July. Front porches and backyards are
280
35W
52
Wirth Lake
94
100
r ippi Rive siss Mis
394 55
394 394
12
12
394
12
394
35W
94
55 94
52
55
35W
Lake of the Isles
100
94
12
52
94
12
Mi ss is
i pp si
r ve Ri
35W
12
94
r ve Ri pi ip
Cedar Lake
55
iss ss Mi
100
280
52
35W
35W
LYNDALE AVE
Brownie Lake
55
Lake Harriet 100
Powderhorn Lake
Lake Calhoun
35W
55
100
Lake Harriet
NEIGHBORHOOD RUNDOWN Boundaries: Kingfield is bounded by West 36th Street on the north, Interstate 35W on the east, West 46th Street on the south and Lyndale Avenue on the west. Mississippi River
12
Lake Hiawatha
100
55
35W
Demographics: Kingfield’s population was 7,719 in 2016, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data compiled by Minnesota Compass. The median household income was $74,280. 55
Lake Nokomis
100
Lake Harvey
Diamond Lake 35W
62
77
Mother Lake
Taft Lake
Lake Pamela
100
62
35W
62
62
35W
62
62 62
Richfield Lake
55
62
Get involved: The Kingfield Neighborhood Association meets the second Wednesday of each month (except August) at Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreation Center, 4055 Nicollet Ave. S. Go to kingfield.org for more information. 62
55
5
77
35W
100
transformed into stages for local musicians during PorchFest, held annually in June since 2015. And monthly community gatherings are held throughout the summer around an outdoor bread and pizza oven located behind the Center for Performing Arts at 38th & Pleasant. Kingfield also plays host to two annual Open Streets Minneapolis events. Lyndale Avenue closes to vehicles and opens to strollers and rollers each June, and the same happens on Nicollet Avenue in September. The Kingfield Neighborhood Association reports adding more than 60 public art pieces to the neighborhood since 2004. In 2008, the Walldogs on Nicollet project, a collaboration with the Lyndale Neighborhood Association, completed 10 new murals evoking Minneapolis history to Nicollet Avenue between 31st and 45th streets. Kingfield is home to more than a dozen popular restaurants, located mainly on Grand and Nicollet avenues. Chef Jamie Malone took over the 70-yearold Grand Café space at 38th & Grand in 2017 and has turned it into one of the top-rated restaurants in the state.
— Dylan Thomas 77
Taft Lake
62
35W
62
62
35W
a fresh approach to health care
62
Pizza & Pasta
Richfield Lake
S E R V I C E S
35W
naturopathic medicine nutrition postural alignment therapy reiki massage therapy acupuncture ayurveda
Create • Collaborate • Communicate I always leave Wellness Minneapolis blissed-out and floating on clouds. welcoming environment to step into.
Wellness MPLS SWJ 040518 9.indd 1
Daily Happy Hours 4–6 pm & 8–10 pm
These women are magic. Such a fresh,
wellness m pl s .com
77
since 1975
612-655-4961 hansonremodeling.com Lic #BC633225 3/29/18 11:05 Hanson AMRemodeling SWJ 040518 9.indd 1
612-825-6827 jakeenos.com 3555 Chicago Ave. S.
3/22/18 12:50 Jakeeno's PM Pizza & Pasta SWJ 092216 9.indd 2
9/14/16 9:23 AM
Lak
southwestjournal.com / April 5–18, 2018 B7
Neighborhood Spotlight. Kingfield
Dining Out for Life to benefit Aliveness Project By Nate Gotlieb / ngotlieb@southwestjournal.com
More than 130 restaurants across the Twin Cities will donate at least a portion of their profits on April 26 to The Aliveness Project, a Kingfield-based AIDS service organization. The restaurants will participate in annual Dining Out for Life event, a national fundraiser for AIDS service organizations such as The Aliveness Project. The Minneapolis event is one of 60 around the U.S., said Jennifer Dieter, the organization’s development director. “We look at it not just as a way to make money but as a way to raise awareness,” she said. The Aliveness Project was founded in 1985 by people living with HIV/AIDS who were looking for a place to come together and share food, Dieter said. It has grown into an organization that serves over 1,900 people with HIV/AIDS each year, providing them with HIV testing, scratch-cooked meals, groceries, medical nutrition therapy and case management, all for no cost. The organization also provides members with integrative therapies such as acupuncture and massage, health and wellness workshop and activities such as trivia and storytelling workshops. Its goal, Dieter said, is to help its members develop a support system. “It’s a place to be vulnerable,” she said. “It’s a home for some people.” HIV was first reported in the U.S. in the early ‘80s, and by 1985 about 420,000 people were living with the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since 1982, there have been 11,309 cases of HIV/AIDS reported to the Minnesota Department of Health. The number of new HIV diagnosis in Minnesota has remained steady at approximately 300 per year, according to MDH. There were more than 8,550 people living with HIV/AIDS in Minnesota at the end of 2016, and there are about 3,314 people living with HIV/AIDS in Minneapolis.
Poverty, housing struggles Dieter said HIV is not a singular issue for people with the virus, noting that many also struggle with poverty and food and housing insecurity. She also said that there’s still a lot of stigma around the disease, particularly among foreign-born populations. “It’s still an issue, but it doesn’t need to be an issue,” she said. Minnesota is a low-incidence state, Dieter said, adding that health officials are pitching efforts to end the HIV epidemic. MDH, for example, notes that antiretroviral therapy can decrease the amount of virus in the bodies of people living with HIV to undetectable levels and that a pre-exposure pill can be taken to prevent infection.
Diners at the bar and restaurant Lush participate in the annual Dining Out for Life event, which benefits The Aliveness Project, a Kingfieldbased AIDS service organization. Photo by Sherman Ford
The state Health and Human Services departments submitted their 2018 Minnesota HIV Strategy to the Legislature on Feb. 1, outlining goals of preventing new infections and reducing HIV-related health disparities, among others. The Minneapolis City Council last month signed onto the Fast Track Cities Initiative, which includes the goals of having 90 percent of people living HIV/AIDS aware of their status; having 90 percent of those diagnosed on antiretroviral therapy; and having 90 percent of people on medication achieving viral suppression.
IF YOU GO What: Dining Out for Life, an annual fundraiser for The Aliveness Project, an AIDS service organization based in Kingfield. When: Thursday, April 26 Where: Restaurants across the Twin Cities and Minnesota. Visit diningoutforlifemn.org to see the complete list.
“We are excited to see this strong commitment from the city to stopping new HIV infections and to ensuring that people living with HIV have access to life-saving healthcare and a city free from stigma and discrimination,” Matt Toburen, public policy director for the Minnesota AIDS Project, said in a press release.
10 meals a week There are seven AIDS service organizations in Minnesota, Dieter said, most of which are based in the Twin Cities. The Aliveness Project is the only congregant dining facility for people living with HIV/AIDS in Minnesota, she said. The organization serves 10 meals a week and has been introducing more variety into its meals in recent years, Dieter said. She noted new vegetarian and gluten-free options, as well as options for people who don’t eat pork or other specific foods. The organization always has a salad bar and a soup offering. Dieter said the organization typical raises around $250,000 during Dining Out for Life and is hoping to raise $260,000 this year. She
estimated that about 40,000 people dine out on that day and said that about 75 percent know that the Dining Out for Life event is happening. “We show a holistic approach to what the Aliveness Project does,” she said, noting that volunteer ambassadors talk to diners about the organization. Restaurateur Kim Bartmann said she has supported Dining Out for Life since the event’s inception back in the ‘90s. Bartmann said that when the AIDS crisis first started, she worked in a large restaurant that was entirely gay men in the kitchen and on the floor. Bartmann noted that AIDS has become much more than a GLBT issue but said the GLBT community continues to do a lot of fundraising and support in that area. “AIDS hasn’t gone away, and so that’s why I think it’s still very important to support that event and the work that The Aliveness Project does,” she said. Six businesses will be donating 100 percent of their profits from April 26 to the Aliveness Project. Those are: Twin Cities Leather & Latte, The Saloon, LUSH, L’etoile du Nord, The Finnish Bistro and Eagle Bolt Bar. To view the complete list of participating restaurants, visit diningoutforlifemn.org.
TOP SHELF REAL ESTATE Coming Soon!!
Free Range All Natural Beef
Prime Linden Hills Fixer-upper or New Build
A Kingfield Eating Tradition Since 1948
Ted Bergstrom
Minnesota Real Estate Team RE/MAX Advantage Plus www.TedBergstrom.com
OPEN 6AM–11PM DAILY 42nd & Nicollet • 612-822-5327
Curran's Restaurant SWJ 100517 H12.indd 1
9/26/17 11:35 AM
Ted Bergstrom • Realtor | 612-723-5444 | Ted@TedBergstrom.com Bergstrom Ted SWJ 040518 H12.indd 1
3/28/18 12:27 PM
B8 April 5–18, 2018 / southwestjournal.com
Neighborhood Spotlight. Kingfield FROM SEBASTIAN JOE’S / PAGE B1
Sebastian Joe’s has developed flavors for Kingfield on a nearly annual basis, typically distributing the ice cream on National Night Out. The most famous Kingfield creation is Nicollet Avenue Pothole, which launched in 2009 as a “protest ice cream” to highlight the deteriorating condition of Nicollet Avenue. Created by Robinson and her kids along with co-owner Mike Pellizzer and his son, they added toffee “gravel,” fudge “tar,” a dash of sea salt and fudge chunks to resemble manhole covers. They shipped a pint to former Mayor R.T. Rybak to lobby for road repairs. “It became a crazy popular flavor for us,” said Greg Hefferan, Sebastian Joe’s manager of production and wholesale. Other Kingfield flavors included Sweet Deal, designed in collaboration with the 4100 block of Garfield, which earned the honor for its heavy participation in an energy audit program. Crème Fraiche Curry Crunch was sold at Anodyne, with a portion of proceeds going to the MLK Park playground. Open Streets Cycle-delic was a mango ice cream with raspberry puree and chocolate chunks. I Have a Dream Ice Cream, created to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and raise funds for the MLK Park playground, featured vanilla swirled with Dreamsicle-inspired orange sherbet and chocolate chunks. The Kingfield was based on Five Watt Coffee’s drink of the same name, infusing Five Watt espresso, black Hawaiian sea salt and coriander bitters. Inside the commissary at 43rd & Nicollet, staff greet visitors by spraying foam on the floor. Visitors walk over the foam to sanitize the bottoms of their shoes before entering the commissary, which became a kosher certified facility in 2010. On a recent SEE SEBASTIAN JOE’S / PAGE B9
Kingfield Neighborhood Association Executive Director Sarah Linnes-Robinson brainstorms flavor possibilities with Sebastian Joe’s Manager Greg Hefferan. Photo by Michelle Bruch
CRAFT + HANDMADE + GIFT
Jay Anderson 612.819.7555
3800 GRAND AVE S MPLS WWW.SHOPDIGS.COM
Digs SWJ 050516 HBC.indd 1
EST. 1981
Operated by a subsidiary of NRT NRT LLC.
Since 1993 Jay@cbburnet.com
DINE IN
Fall into the right hands with Nou Hands 5/3/16 3:16 PM and Bodyworks Massage Therapy Swedish • Combination Deep Tissue • Stretching Thai Yoga massage Uptown Wellness Center 2920 Bryant Ave S Suite 107
Nou Hands and Bodyworks SWJ 012518 H18.indd 1
Quality Coaches SWJ 060117 6.indd 1
Famous Mandarin and Szechuan Cuisine
| TAKE OUT | CATERING | DELIVERY
SUN–THUR 11am–10pm · FRI–SAT 11am–11pm
Call Hannah at 952.994.1560
GreatWallRestaurant.us | 952-927-4439 4515 FRANCE AVE S MPLS
1/15/18 Anderson, 1:13 PM Jay SWJ 042116 H18.indd 1
5/8/17 4:35 PM
4/18/16 11:45 Great AM Wall Restaurant SWJ 030917 H18.indd 1
3/2/17 3:28 PM
southwestjournal.com / April 5–18, 2018 B9
Neighborhood Spotlight. Kingfield FROM SEBASTIAN JOE’S / PAGE B8 Sebastian Joe’s operates a commissary at 43rd & Nicollet in Kingfield. Photo by Michelle Bruch
weekday, staff made birthday cakes and vegan cookie dough ice cream. Pastry chef Patrice Swingler is constantly developing new adult-focused ice cream flavors. She created a black walnut flavor commonly found in the south, and her favorite recipe is a rosemary dark cherry ice cream. “You have to make sure the texture of it is right,” she said. “Certain things don’t hold up well. … Not everything works.” Some flavors have a love-it-or-hate-it quality. That could be said of a honey mustard pretzel flavor developed with varying levels of Dijon at the request of a Sebastian Joe’s co-owner. Some staff loved it and others refused to taste it. Swingler said she personally dislikes the taste of chocolate. But that’s not a problem at the commissary. “It’s really not that hard to find someone to sample some chocolate,” she said. “You make a lot of friends that way.”
ARBOR DAY CELEBRATION When: Friday, April 27, 4 p.m.–8 p.m. Where: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park, 4055 Nicollet Ave. Details: Arborists and volunteers will plant 150 trees at the park as part of an all-ages festival with live music, food trucks, a craft beer garden, rope-and-saddle tree climbing and a “5k-ish Fun Run.” Sponsors include People for Parks, Brewing a Better Forest and Pat’s Tap. More info: minneapolisparks.org/ activities__events/events/arbor_day/
A typical chocolate chip would freeze hard as a rock in the ice cream, so the commissary uses low-melt chocolate, Hefferan explained. “If you put it in the palm of your hand, it would start to melt,” he said. They tweak flavors as they increase production. Swingler dialed down the amount of cayenne pepper while making large batches of a spicy curry coconut flavor, for example. “There is a fine line that you can’t cross,” Hefferan said. The new round of flavor development comes at a busy time for Sebastian Joe’s,
which typically brainstorms new ideas during the slower winter months. The business is remodeling its Franklin & Hennepin store (the Linden Hills store is set for a remodel next winter), and the Franklin shop will offer free morning coffee throughout a brief closure this week. The business recently rebalanced the sugar and fruit levels in its sorbet flavors. And it’s expanding production of vegan ice creams for wholesale customers, including local restaurants. “We were frustrated with the flavor and creaminess of vegan flavors out there, and we decided to develop our own,” Hefferan said. “We created a rich, creamy product as
close to regular ice cream as possible. People can’t believe it’s not real ice cream.” Sebastian Joe’s new ice cream flavor will appear at the Arbor Day celebration April 27 from 4 p.m.–8 p.m. at Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park. The event features food and beer, live music and kid-friendly activities like tree climbing, bucket rides and a bounce house. Kingfield neighbors will encourage children to plant trees and return to take photos each year on the first day of school. For more information, visit the Kingfield Neighborhood Association event page on Facebook.
Buying and selling real estate isn’t a do-it-yourself endeavor. Whether you’re buying your first home or you’re ready to move up or downsize, let me help you reach your real estate goals. BillSweatt.com • Call or text 612.275.2831 BillSweatt@edinarealty.com Sweatt Bill SWJ 012518 H12.indd 1
1/12/18 1:51 PM
$10 OFF SALES OR SERVICE OVER $50 WITH THIS AD. Independent. Local. Welcoming. Expert Sales and Professional Service 4001 Bryant Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55409 612.824.9300 | farmsteadbikeshop.com Farmstead Bike Shop SWJ 100517 H12.indd 2
10/3/17 10:10 AM
We can handle your needs! Plumbing
100+ YEA RS Since 1914 Heating Checks starting at $129 Bonded & Insured License# 058002PM, 3272MB
• Repair & Replace Water Heaters • Water Pipe Replacement • Gas Fitting to Any Appliance • Faucets
Heating and Cooling
• Steam & Hot Water Boiler Service & Installation • Forced Air Furnace and Air Conditioning Service & Installation
• Garbage Disposals • Toilets • Water Filtration • Sump pumps
• Radiant Floor Heating • Heating Certification • Humidifier Service & Installation • Electronic Air Filter
...and so much more!
612-721-4080 | soderlin.com | 3612 Cedar Ave. S., Mpls 55407 Soderlin SWJ 100517 H12.indd 1
9/28/17 10:26 AM
B10 April 5–18, 2018 / southwestjournal.com
Neighborhood Spotlight. Kingfield
An historic church plans for the future Recently designated a local historic district, the Church of the Incarnation is planning for 2020 and beyond By Dylan Thomas / dthomas@southwestjournal.com
Approaching from the east on 38th Street, the tall, narrow bell tower of the Church of the Incarnation first becomes visible from more than a mile away. It’s a Kingfield landmark. As of March, it’s also part of the neighborhood’s first locally designated historic district. The church was designed by Emmanuel Louis Masqueray, the same architect responsible for two other local Catholic landmarks: the Cathedral of St. Paul and the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. Under construction for several years beginning in 1916, it displays an architectural style that blends Italian Renaissance and Romanesque Revival. The first mass in the church building was held a century ago in 1918, two years before Incarnation was officially dedicated in 1920. The historic designation arrived around the time of the church’s 100th birthday, just as it was beginning to makes plans for 2020 and beyond. “Like so often when it comes to historic preservation, the city’s goals with historic preservation dovetailed nicely with the congregation’s goals,” noted city historian and planner John Smoley, who contributed to the historic designation study.
The covered walkway connecting the church and rectory was constructed in 1932, according to the historic designation study. Photo by Dylan Thomas
SEE CHURCH / PAGE B11
Hang Up On Fraud
Battery & Crystal Replacement Wide Selection of Bands Sale of Vintage & Refurbished Watches Full-service Mechanical Repair 815 East 56th Street, Minneapolis • 612-822-8282 • caliberworkswatchrepair.com Caliber Works Watch Repair SWJ 111617 H12.indd 5
11/6/17 8:43 AM
Tower Games is South Minneapolis' premier event center featuring open game tables and daily public events.
Stop Fraud Before It Starts
• • Find us on 39th and Nicollet • •
3920 Nicollet Ave, Ste 150 • towergamesmn.com • 612-823-4477 Tower Games SWJ 040518 H12.indd 2
4/3/18 4:53 PM
KATE KIRK Realtor
…finding your sanctuary… www.katekirk.edinarealty.com Kirk Kate SWJ 040518 H12.indd 1
Jen Fox, Director of Consumer Outreach and Community Relations at the Department of Commerce is excited to work with Minnesotans to empower and educate that fraud is preventable. Because we know that 20% of Minnesotans over 65 will be victim of financial swindle, this is a critical time to share the information from ‘Hang Up on Fraud!’ the MN Department of Commerce’s new fraud prevention toolkit. Join the one hour long presentation for interactive moments and interesting facts.
Monday, April 9 Noon – 1 pm RSVP Anne Tabat 612.827.8311 Walker Methodist Health Center 3737 Bryant Ave S, Minneapolis
952.457.7268 3/22/18 12:53 PM
Walker Methodist HC SWJ 040518 4.indd 1
3/9/18 3:09 PM
southwestjournal.com / April 5–18, 2018 B11
Neighborhood Spotlight. Kingfield FROM CHURCH / PAGE B10
The district includes three buildings: the church and rectory building on the east side of Pleasant Avenue South and Moynihan Hall across the street. Formerly home to a parish school, Moynihan Hall now hosts Hiawatha College Prep, a grades 5–8 charter school. The Colonial Revival-style rectory, built between 1912 and 1913, came first. Construction on Moynihan Hall ran from 1934 to 1935. The original structure mixed Art Deco and Art Moderne architectural styles, and a large, three-story International Style addition was added in 1963. The Incarnation campus once covered all four corners of the 38th & Pleasant intersection. On the northeast corner, Lake Country School occupies what was once the original Incarnation school building. Mass was held in the school’s gym while the church was still under construction. On the northwest corner was a convent. That building is now the Center for Performing Arts. Incarnation was one of six local places of worship recently recommended for study by the city’s Heritage Preservation Commission. The work was paid for with a $20,000 matching grant from National Park Service the city received in 2017 to identify and
It’s just a beautiful building in our neighborhood. — Madeline Sundberg, Kingfield Neighborhood Association board member
protect religious sites that had made significant secular contributions. “It’s just a beautiful building in our neighborhood,” said Madeline Sundberg, a member of the commission who also serves on the Kingfield Neighborhood Association board. Sundberg said it’s uncommon for a historic district centered on a church to demonstrate the “range of styles” of the Incarnation site. “This is the first designation in Kingfield, so I think it’s special for that reason, too,” she added. The church’s pastor, Father Kevin McDonough, submitted the application for nomination. But he admitted to being somewhat hesitant at first. “My first instinct, which was the instinct that possessed five of the six pastors, was, ‘Gee, I’ve heard historic designation means burden,’” McDonough said. But he said also there were potentially advantageous trade-offs for the church, which is planning renovations and a possible addition in the coming years. Local designation could give it some leeway with the city as those plans come together, McDonough said, adding that it also gets Incarnation “most of the way to a federal (historic) designation,” which would open the door to apply for state Arts and Cultural Heritage grants. And those could be a big help as Incarnation prepares for the future. It recently launched a master planning process for its campus that’s been dubbed Incarnation 2020. “This church building will be a century old in 2020. It has a leaky roof and it has front stairs that are wearing out,” McDonough said. The Incarnation community is thriving. The congregation is seven times larger than
The highest point of the red-brick church building is the bell tower, visible from more than a mile away. Photo by Dylan Thomas
it was just two decades ago, McDonough said, largely due to an influx of Latin American and South American immigrants. They’re buying homes nearby and making plans to stay. “We’re going to be big, we’re going to be young, we’re going to be active,” he said. But the church’s physical structure has seen better days. McDonough said the building requires an investment of $2 million “just to
keep the structure from collapsing.” More information on the Incarnation 2020 Master Plan is expected in May, when the church plans an official announcement. Sundberg said she was glad to know the buildings would be protected, and she was eager to see what develops from the church’s master planning process. “I’m excited to see what happens next with it,” she said.
Keljik’s Oriental Rug Cleaning — Selling & Servicing Oriental Rugs from All Over the World Since 1899 —
Services Offered:
Cleaning (heavy soil, pet odors, overdue cleaning) • Appraisals Dusting • Repairs • Refringing • Serging • Hand Edging Reweaving & Retufting • Color Touch-up • Pads
KELJIKS.COM
612.823.6338
4255 Bryant Avenue South, Minneapolis MCAD SWJ 040518 4.indd 1
3/28/18 9:43 AM
Keljik's SWJ 040518 6.indd 1
Spring Rug Cleaning Special
20% OFF Rug Cleaning
Bring in your rugs with this coupon to receive discount. Expires 5/30/18.
4/3/18 12:49 PM
B12 April 5–18, 2018 / southwestjournal.com
Attainable We
By Mikki Morrissette
Quality
CONSTRUCTION, CUST
All together now
I
n the 2013 book “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants,” botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer describes the collective output of pecan trees. As one of the energy-rich food sources for wildlife, pecan trees are one of many “mast” species that skip a variable number of years before producing seeds. Yet all of the trees seed at the same time, across a wide geographical area, regardless of differing levels of water and sun. Scientists are not clear how pecan trees know when to do synchronous seed production, but believe it evolved as a survival strategy. In a mast year, so many seeds are produced that wildlife cannot eat all of them, enabling the trees to repopulate with new sprouts. On April 11, New York-based Kimmerer will speak with Heid Erdrich in a public event co-hosted by Milkweed Edition. The next night, Milkweed’s visiting author, Louisa Gilder, is speaking on the 10th anniversary of her book, “The Age of Entanglement: When Quantum Physics Was Reborn.” The nerdly aspects of me are all abuzz. In my mind, the quantum entanglement phenomenon and the communication capacities of plants are part of the many mysteries of the universe that remind humans that we don’t KNOW nearly as much as we tend to think we do. In that humbling lesson, I believe, might lie our capacity to eventually recognize how connected, rather than disconnected, we really are — despite ourselves.
‘White dudes with breweries’ Minnesota tends to have a strong cooperative mindset: our entrepreneurs, farmers, grassroots activists. Perhaps there is something in the sentience of a wintry plains existence, alongside a mighty river that runs along the south-to-north expanse of the country. Some here seem to recognize that it is only in flowing as a collective that our rugged individualism can thrive — that our ecosystem is wide and entangled rather than separated parts. A group of investors and Minnesota entrepreneurs from typically marginalized communities — women and people of color — met in downtown Minneapolis in March for a two-day ConnectUp! MN discussion about how to improve the financial seeding system. The conversations were about the cooperative communities forming around impact or integrated investing, aimed at updating a system that currently seems to limit funding to businesses led by white men. As one angel investor put it, a lot of local investment is going to “white dudes with breweries.” Minne Inno was formed last year by American City Business Journals to cover the local “thriving startup scene and innovation economy.” One of its first statistical findings was that only 4 percent of overall venture capital investment went to women-led businesses in the Twin Cities in 2016.
Some here seem to recognize that it is only in flowing as a collective that our rugged individualism can thrive — that our ecosystem is wide and entangled rather than separated parts.
Robin Wall Kimmerer appears in conversation with Heid Erdrich at The Blake School on April 11. Submitted photo
The state of Minnesota did its own housekeeping recently and discovered that of its $2 billion procurement budget in 2015 only $135,000 was going to businesses owned by African-Americans. It has since begun to try to reach a better balance. As the new owner and editor of Minnesota Women’s Press, I have been talking almost exclusively with women entrepreneurs engaged in social change. Without ample funding, it’s hard to make innovations in food justice, health initiatives, affordable housing, safety, cradleto-career education and other points on the Minnesota Compass scorecard. Most women do not inherit large sums of money, and they don’t tend to have the highpaying jobs that enable banks to offer loans. The non-profit world is limited in capacity to feed a vast ecosystem of interconnected parts. At the ConnectUp! event, much of the conversation enabled entrepreneurs and local investors to meet. Not to deliver and listen to pitches, but to discuss deeper ways of creating a new system. What happens when we’re only feeding one pipeline? How can communities thrive with that much limitation placed on the system?
New seeds and shoots A few days later, I talked with an Uptown-based architect who is interested in creating a way for people in marginalized communities to take part in Real Estate Investment Trusts. We profit as a collective. A few days after that, in a North Minneapolis living room, I listened to members of the Community Power group, which has long been involved in building universal access to community solar, as well as inclusive financing options. As they have been explaining to those who will listen, it is limiting to allow only people with high credit scores to qualify for solar energyrelated savings on their energy bills. Inclusive financing would enable any Minnesotan to save money while paying for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects on their monthly utility bills, rather than requiring upfront payment. When we all do better, we all do better. The Ubuntu-like philosophy that seems to prevail in many of the people I am meeting these days gives me strength and hope. We live in a region metaphorically rich with pecan groves, where many whisper to each other. When we all grow together, we thrive. Mikki Morrissette is co-hosting an April 25 Minnesota Women’s Press event with Chowgirls that invites perspectives on how we can individually and collectively enhance the power of women’s local leadership in 2018. Find details here: https://tinyurl.com/MWPevent
House Lift Remodeler | 4330 Nicollet Avenue South, Mi House Lift Remodeler SWJ 040518 10.805x16.indd 1
southwestjournal.com / April 5–18, 2018 B13
TOMER SATISFACTION
& Trust.
Gadget Guy
By Paul Burnstein
Samsung’s new galaxy · CUSTOM CABINETRY · ADDITIONS & DORMERS · KITCHENS & BATHROOMS · WHOLE HOUSE RENOVATION · PORCHES & SUN-ROOMS · FINISHED BASEMENTS ·
V
erizon Wireless sent me a brand new (not yet released at the time of my writing this) Android phone to test out recently, the Samsung Galaxy S9. This is Samsung’s flagship phone for 2018, and it is quite a phone. I have been a fan of Samsung for years, and this phone shows why. Samsung also happens to be the largest mobile manufacturer in the world! The specs are all state of the art with the newest chipset available for Android, the latest version of Android, expandable storage, wireless charging, waterproofing, headphone jack, Dolby Atmos sound with stereo speakers and more. The 12-megapixel camera is great and has a variable aperture system that can seamlessly adjust the camera from f/2.4 to f/1.5 in low-light conditions. Colors are sharp and details are crisp. There are neat features such as selective focus, which allows you to focus on a specific object and slightly blur out the background. When I tested the selective focus on some flowers, the photo came out great; the focus made the picture look like I knew what I was doing with photography. For security, it has a fingerprint reader on the back. But more fun than that is the Intelligent Scan function, which uses facial recognition combined with iris scanning to unlock the phone. The only time I found that the Intelligent Scan didn’t work well was in a very dimly lit room with my glasses on; once I removed my glasses it worked fine. While I think the Intelligent Scan is a very cool feature, it is slower than the iPhone X’s facial recognition and still requires a screen press prior to the Intelligent Scan before unlocking the phone. Price appears to range from $720 to $800 depending on where you pick it up, but there are great trade-in offers from Samsung, Verizon and others as well. That is a great price point for a super-premium phone. While I did not get a chance to check it out, I have read that the larger Galaxy S9+ model has more RAM (6 GB versus 4 GB), better cameras (the S9+ has the highest-
612.821.1100 or 651.690.3442 www.houseliftinc.com
inneapolis, MN 55409 | License # BC 378021
The Samsung Galaxy S9. Submitted photo 3/28/18 12:07 PM
When I tested the selective focus on some flowers, the photo came out great; the focus made the picture look like I knew what I was doing with photography.
rated camera ever, according to testing site DxOMark) and stronger Wi-Fi performance, according to PC Mag. Both the S9 an S9+ have an OLED edgeto-edge “Infinity Display.” The Galaxy S9 has a 5.8-inch screen, while the S9+ has a 6.2-inch screen and dual rear cameras and costs about $120 more than the Galaxy S9. Both have a display with a ratio of 18.5:9. I find the S9 to be a bit small for my liking. If I were to buy this phone, I would opt to pay more for the S9+. I should point out, though, that I like large phones, and the S9 is small enough that it can be used with one hand. The S9+, like the Galaxy S8+ before it, requires the use of two hands to reach across the screen at times. There are some innovative features — like the augmented reality stickers that you can make with your own face or the dual screen option that allows two apps to be open at the same time — but these are not features that I would use. All in all, this is an excellent smartphone, albeit a bit small, with all of the bells and whistles you could hope for. The price is good and build quality is solid. Paul Burnstein is a Tech Handyman. As the founder of Gadget Guy MN, Paul helps personal and business clients optimize their use of technology. He can be found through gadgetguymn.com or via email at paul@gadgetguymn.com.
B14 April 5–18, 2018 / southwestjournal.com
s k c u r t d Foo t rea dy ge With warmer weather on the way, the city’s mobile restaurants prepare for a new season
to roll out Reverie menu items. Submitted photos
By Eric Best / ebest@southwestjournal.com
Tony Fritz spends his winters thinking of new ways to make grilled cheese sandwiches for hungry Twin Cities residents. Fritz and his wife Haley run O’Cheeze, a food truck business specializing in the gooey comfort food, and Dough Dough, a mobile eatery that serves safe-to-eat cookie dough. Now that a spring thaw is on the horizon, the two and the rest of the growing Twin Cities food truck community are returning to their trucks and preparing for a new season of music festivals, weddings and farmers markets. “We’ve been very, very, very dialed down for the winter,” he said. “I get really excited when the food trucks come out.” Winter means a lull for this buzzing industry. The bitter cold months in Minnesota are particularly hard on food trucks and the employees. Some may think it’s hot inside a food truck because of the kitchen and generator. But Fritz said thanks to the air outtake and winds breezing through the open window, it’s a cold, potentially dangerous work environment. The equipment is prone to break under freezing temperatures, a particular problem for Marcus Parkansky, founder of Misfit Coffee Co., a coffee trailer that’s typically parked near Gold Medal Park during the spring and summer. Freezing temperatures mean ice, which can crack a water heater or an espresso machine. Parkansky has moved the shop inside the nearby Izzy’s Ice Cream in the past, but thanks to five straights weeks of Holidazzle and then Super Bowl events, Misfit has stayed busy through the winter. “Most food trucks don’t use much water,
but our business is primarily water,” he said. “Every year I’ve ruined my hot water heater.” The de-wintering process in the spring involves a deep clean of everything, “even the things you touch twice a year,” Fritz, a selfdescribed neat freak, said. He uses a power washer to get a clean slate every single season. Then there’s hiring new employees, developing menus and stocking the truck. The drop off in business affords some food truck vendors time to develop their menu, market their business or simply take time off. Last spring, after a long winter, Tony and Haley Fritz created the Dough Dough truck, which has already spawned a shop in the Mall of America. This winter, O’Cheeze went from the streets and into the skyway, adding its first brick-and-mortar location in the Baker Center Roanoke Building at the end of January. Each new business was preceded by a winter lull. “It all stems from us having to sit down and think of new ideas and put pen to paper,” Fritz said. Parkansky said the winter has brought a bit of downtime so he can focus on growing other parts of the business, such as selling wholesale nitro cold brew coffee to local purveyors. He’s now looking for a brick-and-mortar home for the coffee trailer. One thing Fritz said he’d like to see is Minnesotans embracing winter with a winter food truck festival. The season has few outdoor events for mobile eateries outside the annual Winter Beer Dabbler and Red Bull Crashed Ice. “We would think something would do really well, but somebody would have to take a risk to do it the first time,” he said.
New wheels Several new food trucks are coming out this season, including two for plant eaters. Herbivorous Butcher, a vegan butcher shop based in Northeast Minneapolis, announced earlier this year it will be rolling out a mobile version of its lunch operations. Joining it on Twin Cities streets will be a food truck version of Reverie, a plant-based café that closed last summer in Southwest Minneapolis. Kirstin Wiegmann, who co-owns Reverie with partner and chef Jeffrey Therkelsen, said the trucks will be a win for those with plantbased diets. “It’s an exciting new development for the Twin Cities food community,” she said. The Reverie food truck will actually be an expansion of the restaurant in a way. The mobile eatery will have a full kitchen, while the brickand-mortar space didn’t have the ventilation hood required of a typical restaurant operation. “I know it’s super-weird. We’re pretty pumped about it,” she said. Wiegmann said they may also support the truck and a catering service through a commissary kitchen. She plans to pick up the truck in Portland in early April, drive it back and have it ready for events later this month. A preliminary menu features barbecue mushroom tacos with pickled veggies and spiced peanuts and a Cuban jackfruit sandwich on a Vietnamese French roll. There may also be breakfast options like a Mojo Veggie Hash with sautéed tempeh. Aubry and Kale Walch, the brother-sister duo behind the Herbivorous Butcher, plan to
have their truck out in downtown Minneapolis this June. The shop already creates daily hot meals like meat-free burgers and jerk chicken sandwiches. A spokeswoman said they will announce the truck’s first locations and menu items in April. One of the city’s newest food trucks has been a friend to the growing craft brewing scene. Fused Craft Brewed Eats, which co-owners Mark Smail and chef Jamie Miller and their spouses launched last August, infuses beer from local breweries into its recipes. The food truck serves creatively named pub grub and chili, from the Voodoo Verde, a green chicken chili, to the spicy veggie Red Headed Step Chili. Smail said they plan to roll out a menu of sliders this year. Fused also serves pretzels — with beer cheese and beer mustard, of course — cheese curds with bloody mary ketchup and totchos, or tater tot nachos. “Got to have a hotdish in Minnesota, right?” he said. Fused makes regular stops at Northeast Minneapolis breweries like Dangerous Man Brewing Co., Indeed Brewing Co. and 612Brew. Fans can also find the truck parked outside breweries in Maple Grove and Spring Park. Fused uses a commissary kitchen in the Sheridan neighborhood to support the truck. Smail said in a busy Twin Cities food truck scene Fused rises above others with its charm, which comes through in its eccentric menu items and partnerships with breweries. “We take a lot of pride in the quality of food that we have, but … the biggest thing for us is to have personality,” he said.
southwestjournal.com / April 5–18, 2018 B15
Mill City Cooks
Recipes and food news from the Mill City Farmers Market
Maple season
C
old nights and warm sunny days are when all of us begin to wake up from winter — including maple trees. The trees need freezing night temperatures and daytime thaws for pressure to develop in the tree and make sap “run,” or drip out when tapped. Farmers like Stephen Horner collect this sap and boil it down into syrup. Last week, I had a chance to talk to Stephen, owner of Horner’s Corner, a maple syrup and fruit farm located about 70 miles west of Minneapolis in Boyceville, Wisconsin. Stephen has been “mapling” for over 25 years, and he says the season is just getting underway. “It looks like we are in for a good run for the next week or more. We have great hopes for the season despite the slow start,” explained Stephen. “Historically, March 21 is the average start date for this region. All but one season in the last decade has started well before the equinox.” You can find Horner’s Corner maple syrup, locally grown root vegetables and spring greens at the Mill City Farmers Market’s remaining indoor winter markets on April 14 and April 28. The Winter Market takes place 10 a.m.–1 p.m. inside the Mill City Museum with over 30 local farmers, food makers and artists. Learn more at millcityfarmersmarket.org. — Jenny Heck
MAPLE MUSTARD ROASTED RUTABAGA AND TURNIPS By market chef Beth Jones Turnips and rutabagas are often considered the ugly ducklings of the food world. But given some love and sweetness with a bit of spring maple syrup, some rich roasted onions and the smokiness of bacon, these highly nutritious roots can become the highlight of your meal. Leave out the bacon and you’ve got a gluten-free, vegan dish. Feel free to substitute a variety of roots in this recipe — beets, parsnips or carrots. In the summer and fall, wash and save the green tops of the roots and add them to the pan to wilt for the last minute of roasting.
This is a great dish to serve hot with a roast chicken, as an easy main dish topped with two fried eggs or chilled and served as a salad with local microgreens.
2 grinds of black pepper 2 Tablespoons Horner’s Corner maple syrup 1 Tablespoon grainy mustard 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar 4 slices bacon from Sunshine Harvest Farm, chopped and fried until crisp (optional)
Ingredients 2 small-medium turnips, peeled, medium dice 2 small-medium rutabagas, peeled, medium dice 1 large sweet onion, peeled, medium dice 1–2 Tablespoons sunflower oil 1 teaspoon coarse salt
Method Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Lightly oil a large baking sheet. Toss the turnips, rutabagas and onions with the sunflower oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 20–30 minutes, turning once or twice with a spatula for even browning.
In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, mustard and cider vinegar. Take the sheet pan out of the oven and pour the maple mixture over the vegetables. (Be careful — it may splatter!) If using the green tops of the vegetables, add them to the sheet pan at this time. Stir the vegetables and return to the oven for 1 minute to caramelize. Stir in the bacon and serve hot with roasted chicken or fried eggs. Or, if serving as a salad, chill completely and top with colorful microgreens.
Submitted photo
Open Every Wednesday 8:30am to 4pm & Saturday April 14th 10am to 4pm Always open by appointment
deirdreandcompany.com 4816 Nicollet Ave, MPLS 55419
612.331.2482
Rock Paper Silver SWJ 040518 H12.indd 2
3/26/18 9:41 AM
COMMUNITY OF CARE
Uptown Plumbing, Heating & Cooling has been serving the community for 100+ years. •
HOW WE •
GIVE BACK TO THE WORLD AT LARGE ••••
BECAUSE OF WORLD ENCOUNTER:
WOMEN IN TANZANIA
{
BECOME HEROES IN THEIR TO THEIR IN THEIR OWN MINDS FAMILIES COMMUNITIES ••••
}
TO THESE WOMEN YOU ARE THEIR
HERO
CallUptown.com • (612) 424-9349 • (651) 538-1858 Uptown Heating SWJ 040518 6.indd 1
3/29/18 7:15 PM
B16 April 5–18, 2018 / southwestjournal.com
Rummaging in Hennepin
IF YOU GO What: From Underwear to Outerwear When: Through Sept. 15 Where: Hennepin History Museum, 2303 3rd Ave. S. Info: hennepinhistory.org Exhibits featuring historic garments are perennially popular at the Hennepin History Museum. Submitted photo
GREAT FOOD
GREAT MUSIC
GREAT VIBE
GREAT SPACE
THE MAD RIPPLE “Songs, stories, shenanigans” FRIDAY NIGHT Every Friday from 6:30–9:00
HOOTENANNY
FREE & Freaky
at Studio 2 Cafe
STUDIO2MPLS.COM
818 West 46th, Mpls / info@studio2mpls.com / 612-444-3460 Studio 2 DTJ 121417 H12.indd 1
12/4/17 10:21 AM
A PERFECT HOME FOR THE EMPTY NESTER!
Bright and sunny three bedroom, two bath, 1700+ sf town home condo located just one walking block from Lake of the Isles. Perfect for couple or individual. $225 monthly association dues. Tasteful, top to bottom renovation including new kitchen, appliances, marble bathroom and counter tops, refinished floors; private deck; two car, detached garage. Move-in ready.
$625,000 • FSBO 612.916.5615 Hoch Tom SWJ 040518 H12.indd 1
Candleberry on the Lakes Boutique
3/26/18 2:35 PM
For a Limited Time!
April 11 – 22
M–F 9–8:30 • Sat 9–6 • Sun 9–5
Home Decor • Gifts • Vintage • Food Over 100 Artists Centennial Lakes - Hughes Pavilion 7499 France Avenue South, Edina Between Chuck E. Cheese and Q. Cumbers (lower level) For information call Mary 952.944.7286 CandleBerry Lakes SWJ 032218 H12.indd 1
3/7/18 3:04 PM
southwestjournal.com / April 5–18, 2018 B17
History Museum’s closets A new exhibit highlights historic clothing By Dylan Thomas / dthomas@southwestjournal.com
From a Civil War field surgeon’s coat to an exotic dancer’s red high-heeled shoes, a new Hennepin History Museum exhibit offers a broad sampling of the Whittier-neighborhood institution’s vast collection of historic textiles. “We discovered that people love historic clothing,” said Cedar Imboden Phillips, the museum’s director (and a regular contributor to the Southwest Journal with her Moments in Minneapolis photo column). Phillips said textiles make up a “very significant” portion of the museum’s roughly 25,000-piece collection, and “From Underwear to Outerwear” includes locally made lingerie, an Ojibwe “jingle dress,” a Minneapolis Millers uniform, a coat worn by 19th-century Norwegian violinist Ole Bull, a pair of New Power Generation drummer Kirk Johnson’s custom-designed baby blue Nikes and scores of other historically notable items, all with some connection to Hennepin County. Each has a story, some more interesting than others. There’s a green velvet homecoming dress purchased for a 1971 St. Louis Park High School dance and worn two years later by the original owner’s brother to the annual Gay 90’s Drag Ball. And there’s also the wooden walking cane once carried by Beverly “B.C.” Yancey, a Union Army veteran and Edina farmer who was one of the county’s first African-American residents. In a silent film-era advertisement, young
women shimmy and pirouette in lingerie to demonstrate the unrestrictive undergarments manufactured by Kickernick, once headquartered in the North Loop. When not on display, historic garments, hats and other textiles are stored wherever space can be found in the 44-room, 15,000-square-foot museum located in the Washburn-Fair Oaks Mansion district. Built as a private residence by milling industry innovator George Henry Christian beginning in 1916 — and completed two years after his death in 1918 — the mansion was purchased in 1957 to serve as the museum’s headquarters. Hennepin History Museum turns 80 this year, and to celebrate museum leaders are attempting to get a better handle on just what they have in their collection. Phillips said only about 60 percent of its textile holdings are catalogued, but that percentage is creeping upward thanks to the work of collections manager Heather Hoagland, hired in 2017, and a crew of volunteers. (Photographs and short articles about their findings are regularly posted to the museum’s blog, hennepinhistorymuseumblog.wordpress.com.) Behind the scenes, mystery boxes of unsorted clothing donations are marked with pink labels. Those are replaced with green labels after they’ve been opened and the garments removed and catalogued. Phillips said the museum isn’t currently
Marield Caswell wore these shoes while performing at the Roaring 20s in the 1970s and ’80s. Work as an exotic dancer paid her medical school tuition. Photo by Dylan Thomas
accepting donations. Once the cataloguing project is completed, she said, they’ll focus on filling in the gaps in the collection. The current exhibition should “give
people a taste of the range of things” in the historic clothing collection, she said, and maybe hint at what remains to be discovered, even within the museum’s walls.
CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1 __ Romeo: Italian car 5 Machu Picchu people 10 __ Plaines 13 Copier room quantity 14 Spanish peak 15 With 27-Down, Captain Picard 16 What constant stress does, healthwise 18 Disney woman loosely based on Andersen’s Snow Queen 19 Draw out 20 Flustered state 22 Bathroom fixture 24 Old West folklore cowboy 26 FedEx alternative 28 Arsenal inventory 29 “What was __ was saying?” 30 Japanese rolls 33 Dip __ in: test 37 Things gathered by aficionados ... or what the ends of 16-, 24-, 49- and 59-Across can be? 41 Patella’s place 42 Decorate 43 Video game letters 44 N.Y. Cosmos org. 47 Wee bit 49 Very expensive 54 Indian __ 55 Enthusiastic reply to “Who knows the answer?” 56 More lax 58 Muscat money 59 Taunts on the field 63 Barracks beds 64 Forest fixtures
65 Citrus hybrid 66 Brooklyn __, N.Y. 67 Medicinal plant 68 Techie, often
DOWN 1 Co-star of Jackie on “The Honeymooners” 2 __ & Perrins steak sauce 3 Happy face that’s put on 4 Bedelia of kiddie lit 5 Apple choice 6 “Reward” for poor service 7 20 fins 8 Braves, on sports news crawls 9 Once in a long while 10 Indian city on the Yamuna River
Crossword Puzzle SWJ 040518 4.indd 1
11 Studio support 12 Doghouse “Don’t come any closer!” 15 Water-propelled craft 17 “Truman” actor 21 Belief ending 22 General Motors brand 23 __ Martin: British car 25 Tahrir Square city 27 See 15-Across 31 Follow furtively 32 Mason’s tray 34 Youngster’s time of life 35 Luxury timepiece 36 City on the Ruhr 38 Soup legumes 39 Most Soc. Sec. recipients
40 Secret to the max 45 Give a leg up 46 Lawn care giant 48 Post-winter river thaw 49 Canoe wood 50 Nincompoop 51 Kids on a farm? 52 First name in daytime TV 53 Arcade coin 57 Mount of Greek myth 60 “__ You Lonesome Tonight?” 61 Camera type, for short 62 Put in a secret place Crossword answers on page B19
3/26/18 10:30 AM
Southwest High SWJ 072717 4.indd 1
7/24/17 3:41 PM
B18 April 5–18, 2018 / southwestjournal.com
Get Out Guide. By Jahna Peloquin
‘GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER’ Based on the iconic, thought-provoking 1967 film, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” which starred Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy as affluent Californians whose liberal leanings are put into question when their daughter comes home with Sidney Poitier on her arm, this stage adaptation by playwright Todd Kreidler in 2011 is as relevant today as ever. The play respects the key moments of the film while offering a different reading of the story — while the film is a situation-driven, socially conscious story delivered in a too-neat package, the play is more nuanced and character-driven, focusing on the relationships of the characters and touching on complex issues of race, gender and class in modern-day America. The Guthrie production stars prolific Twin Cities actress Sally Wingert in Hepburn’s role.
When: April 7–May 27 Where: Guthrie Theater, 818 S. 2nd St.
Cost: $29–$77 Info: guthrietheater.org
‘GARDEN OF NAMES’ Born out of a collaboration between Zorongo Flamenco Dance Company’s founder and artistic director, Susana di Palma, and dancer/choreographer Joe Chvala in 1991, “Garden of Names” is a critically acclaimed dance work inspired by Lawrence Thornton’s novel of political torture inspired by real-life events, “Imagining Argentina.” More than 20 years later, the powerful, provocative show is being restaged by di Palma with Chvala and his Flying Foot Forum dance troupe and an all-star cast of internationally renowned flamenco dancers, singers and musicians, including Edwin Aparicio — one of the most sought-after flamenco performers in the U.S. — and dancer/percussionist José Moreno, the son of famous flamenco artists Estresa Morena and Pepe de Málaga. Set in 1970s Argentina, where people disappeared to be tortured and killed during a reign of government terror, the performance shows the strength of the human spirit and the power of the imagination to fight injustice.
When: April 6–15 Where: The Cowles Center, 528 Hennepin Ave. Cost: $30 Info: thecowlescenter.org
Pets Are Inn
Caring for pets since 1982
Pet Boarding With Loving Host Families
‘STRIATIONS’ & ‘AERIALS’ PAISLEY PARK PRINCE In their new dual exhibition at Rosalux Gallery, CELEBRATION 2018 Minneapolis abstract artists Shawn McNulty and David Malcolm Scott explore the relationship between man-made structures and the natural world. McNulty’s “Striations” comprises canvases covered in layers of acrylic and pumice applied with unorthodox methods such as a shoe palette knife, Plexiglass and brooms, rather than a paintbrush. In a move away from his signature geometric abstractions, the artist’s new pieces feature heavily textured, organic forms and complex compositions that bring to mind ancient structures and eroded rock formations. In “Aerials,” Scott uses a variety of mediums, including watercolor, acrylics, pencil and ink, collage and photography, to draw the viewer into a historical narrative made up of rivers, prairies, lunar cycles and human settlements.
When: April 7–29. Opening reception Saturday, April 7, 7 p.m.–10 p.m. On view Saturdays & Sundays noon–4 p.m. or by appointment. Where: Rosalux Gallery, 1400 Van Buren St. NE, #195 Cost: Free Info: rosaluxgallery.com
952.837.1877 PetsAreInn.com
Last April, to mark the anniversary of Prince’s death, his Paisley Park studio-turned-museum in Chanhassen gathered some of his closest collaborators for a weekend of live performances, panel discussions and presentations. While this year’s Celebration is less star-studded than the inaugural 2017 event, it features several Prince-associated acts missing from last year’s lineup, including Sheila E. and fDeluxe (formerly known as the Family). A supergroup of alumni from various Prince bands, including New Power Generation, will also perform. Like last year, passes are sold in alternating timed blocks that move patrons in and out of Paisley Park. They also include access to the Prince Live on the Big Screen at Target Center on April 21, where musicians will accompany unreleased video of the Purple One performing live.
When: April 19–22 Where: Paisley Park, 7801 Audobon Road, Chanhassen Cost: $550–$1,050 for Celebration passes; $39–$199 for Prince Live on the Big Screen Info: officialpaisleypark.com
APPOINTMENTS NOW AVAILABLE IN EDINA BE SEEN IN 1 WEEK OR LESS! We offer colonoscopy & all other GI procedures new technology non-invasive
Pet sitters wanted! Pets Are Inn SWJ holiday rotation H12.indd 1
the Shoppes at
2/19/18 2:20 PM
Bhatti Gi SWJ 020818 H12.indd 1
haagcompanies6025@gmail.com
present...
Spring Shop & Stroll Friday, April 20th Saturday, April 21st Sunday, April 22nd Fri–Sat 10–6 • Sun 12–5
OicFipaFting 2t t0he% t se par
a
2/5/18 10:33 AM
The one-stop-shop for ALL your landscaping needs | Contractors & Homeowners
50th and Xerxes Ave.
Up to
KliersNursery.com P: (612) 866-8771 5901 Nicollet Ave S, Minneapolis
Sod, Topsoil & Mulches Decorative Rock Landscaping Tools Firewood & Accessories Garden Chemicals Mowers & Trimmers Sod Black Dirt Mulches Decorative Rock
Join us for a weekend of strolling, shopping and savoring treats at some of your favorite neighborhood stores!
stores
Loft Antiques SWJ 040518 H12.indd 1
Ahsan Bhatti MD, FACP
6600 France Ave S, Ste 660 952.368.3800 bhattigi.com
Erin Keech, PA
Hunt & Gather • Loft Antiques Nash Frame • Gallery 360 Dunn Brothers Coffee • Vinaigrette
MagnusonSod.com P: (612) 869-6992 5901 Nicollet Ave S, Minneapolis 3/26/18 4:40 PM
PICK UP OR SAME DAY DELIVERY LARGE OR SMALL ORDERS
Haag Companies SWJ 061517 H12.indd 1
Keystone Retaining Wall Systems Landscaping & Concrete Tools Natural Stone Stihl Power Equipment London Stone & Borgert Pavers Bartell Power Equipment Gilson Mixers Masonry Tools & Equipment Husqvarna Concrete Saws Jackson Wheel Barrows Diamond Blades
LandscapeAnd ConcreteCenter.com P: (612) 866-0430 313 West 61st St, Minneapolis
SchaferEquipment.com P: (612) 861-2268 6025 Pillsbury Ave, Minneapolis 5/9/17 4:18 PM
southwestjournal.com / April 5–18, 2018 B19
Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival The 37th-annual Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Fest is the largest film fest in the upper Midwest, drawing up to 50,000 attendees annually. This year’s lineup features 268 films from 75 nations, all screening in the Twin Cities for the first time. This is down from last year’s whopping 350-plus films — an effort to focus on the very best films out there. Here are some highlights:
Ingmar Bergman Tribute MSPIFF presenting organization, MSP Film Society, will present a 16-film Bergman retrospective in May. To offer a taste, it will screen two films by the Swedish filmmaker, “Summer with Monika” (1953) and “Persona” (1966), plus the 2013 biography “Trespassing Bergman” with co-director Hynek Pallas in attendance.
‘Deep Astronomy and the Romantic Sciences’ As front man for San Francisco’s infamous cult combo, the Billy Nayer Show, Cory McAbee became known for his brilliantly kitschy pop songs in the ’90s. He went on to write and direct experimental short films with a similarly irreverent vibe. For MSPIFF, he’ll present and star in a live sci-fi event that features a mix of music, animation and artwork.
‘RBG’ The 2018 documentary about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg makes its Twin Cities premiere for MSPIFF’s opening night, and it’s also one of more than 50 features and 40-plus shorts at this year’s festival by and about women. The film’s co-director, Betsy West, will be in attendance (and Justice Ginsberg has been invited).
When: April 12–28 Where: Various locations in Minneapolis and St. Paul Cost: $14 ($11 members, $8 for youth under 25 and students with ID) Info: mspfilm.org
Quality Is No Accident
SCHEDULE SERENDIPITY
Reliable Service Since 1950
All Insurance Accepted • Lifetime Repair Warranty • FREE Estimates 7am–5pm
2800 Lyndale Ave S. Minneapolis Mon–Fri: 7am–5:30pm, Sat–Sun: Closed 612-872-6671 | www.hagensautobody.com
Hagen's Autobody SWJ 020917 H18.indd 1
28th & Hennepin in Uptown (612) 870-4466 • islesbun.com Isles Bun & Coffee SWJ 040518 V12.indd 1
3/28/18 12:09 PM
CROSSWORD ANSWERS
GET HELP 612.825.0000 GIVE HELP 612.825.3333
TUBMAN.ORG
Tubman helps people of all ages and genders facing relationship violence, sexual exploitation, addiction, mental health challenges, or other forms of trauma. Tubman Center DTJ filler V12.indd 1
9/5/17 10:28 Crossword AM Answers SWJ 040518 V12.indd 1
Crossword on page B17
3/26/18 10:30 AM
2/2/17 10:32 AM
B20 April 5–18, 2018 / southwestjournal.com
Be the Change
By Ryan Stopera
A tough but necessary conversation about policing
A
t a political event last fall someone asked, “Did you read that article about the voter guide that asked the question if candidates could envision a world without police? How crazy can you be?” I told him I had read it because I was on the team that put the voter guide together. It was uncomfortable, but we challenged each other to look deeper at what safety means, what resources go into our communities and what our vision of the world was. We are living in a time when police continue to kill black, brown and indigenous people with impunity over and over again. When municipal budgets pay for excessive militarization of the police while human needs of education, employment and housing face cuts from already depleted resources. That is crazy. The police have killed 264 people across the country in 2018, according to data from Mapping Police Violence. We were recently reminded of the cycle of trauma and injustice when hearing of the murder of Stephon Clark in Sacramento. The 22-year-old black man was shot by police eight times, mostly in his back and after he was already falling down, while he was standing in his grandparents’ backyard holding a cell phone officers believed was a gun. Weeks earlier, Louisiana state authorities announced they would not be charging the police officers that killed Alton Sterling. Within moments of an encounter at a convenience store, police shot Sterling in his chest and three times in his back. Misguided fear and quickly escalated interactions continue to lead to a loss of life for many encountering the police. So it’s not surprising that fear is the first response for many community members when they hear that Minneapolis plans to increase the number of cops in the city. Across Minneapolis, residents are having tough conversations about community safety, resulting in a range of responses. On March 28, members of the Public Safety Committee of the Minneapolis City Council, Police Chief Medaria Arradondo and Mayor Jacob Frey held a public meeting about community safety at the Davis Center on West Broadway in North Minneapolis. Questions were raised about what
safety means to residents and the allocation of resources to address the root issues of crime. In 2017, the City spent $163.2 million, or 11 percent of the entire city budget, on police, while $14.3 million was spent on affordable housing. In a MinnPost interview in December, Frey proposed that Minneapolis’ low police-toresident ratio was a factor in the city improving police relationships with the community. Minneapolis has 20 cops for every 10,000 residents. Frey suggested that having too few cops impacted their ability to de-escalate, and that adding police would help to build relationships. Residents of the Lyndale neighborhood have been discussing community safety and policing over the past few months. Members of the crime and safety committee, the board and the neighborhood have engaged in dialogues, forums and door knocking with messages such as, “Let’s build a safer neighborhood and decide what safety means for us in our neighborhood.” Lyndale Neighborhood Association Executive Director Brad Bourn shared the importance of neighborhoods creating space for these conversations. “Everyone in our neighborhood has the right to feel safe, and feeling safe means different things to different people,” Bourn said. “Sometimes that feeling of safety is connected to people’s interactions with the police, and many of those interactions are positive.” He acknowledged that, as a neighborhood association, they do not have the power to develop a budget or allocate resources for policing, but they can be a space for the community to gather, discuss and advise the city on community safety. So what power do we as individual residents have in creating community safety measures for our city? MPD 150 is an independent, communitybased initiative evaluating the first 150 years of the Minneapolis Police Department. Through historical investigation, interviews and research they have produced a performance review that examines the department’s past, present and future, focusing on demilitarization and a transfer of public resources. Exploring the questions around community safety and policing challenges the idea of police preventing crime and improving safety.
Minneapolis Police at an August 2016 community event in Painter Park. Photo by Ryan Stopera
If so many encounters with police result in violence, who is safer as a result of them? If the majority of the policing activity in our neighborhoods is broken-window or qualityof-life policing, then the crime has already been committed, and police aren’t preventing it. What would our communities look like if more tax dollars went to schools, social workers and employment resources? Sheila Nezad, a Lyndale resident and LNA board member, shared that the broad range of experiences residents have with policing and safety suggest we need to look deeper at the issue. She said one resident in the meeting reported that most of the crime is petty theft from vehicles, like cell phones stolen out of cars, due to a lack of housing and employment opportunities. “That’s why I came to the neighborhood meeting, because I believe safety can mean more things than just police,” Nezad said. “It would be valuable to invest in addressing the root causes of structural inequality and crime instead of increasing police presence that doesn’t always make people feel safe for many reasons.” Neighbors on all sides of the issue spoke up at the meeting and gained perspective on each other’s experience. We are living in tough times, with growing density and changing demographics. Conversations at a neighborhood level shouldn’t always be comfortable, so we can address tough issues and better understand our similarities and differences. Norma Pietz is staff liaison for the crime and safety committee at the Lyndale Neighborhood Association, which was one of the first committees formed there.
“A lot of the people have been on the committee for years. They’ve seen a lot of changes over the years,” Pietz said. “A lot of younger people new to the neighborhood don’t have experience with how we worked closely with the police to clean up the drug use, gang activity and graffiti.” Lyndale has implemented some community safety alternatives, such as the Lyndale Walkers and Bike Patrol, involving volunteer neighbors who are out in the community talking to residents on the streets. The history of partnering with the police in Lyndale has led to some disagreements about whether or not police should attend neighborhood meetings. “I understand that some people have a fear of police if they’ve had bad experiences,” Pietz said. “We meet once a month at the 5th Precinct, and it makes us feel closer to the officers.” “The more we know about the police department and the police in the neighborhood, the better we are as a neighborhood,” she said about some of the different experiences within the neighborhood. Simply adding more police is not the solution to the problems our communities face. We can do better. Increasing funding for resources that address the root of these issues is a first step. Listen to your neighbors, and consider what it’s like to live a day in their shoes. We must continue to have difficult conversations, think critically, dig deeper and develop a vision of the neighborhood we want to live in. I’m grateful that the Lyndale neighborhood creates space for these conversations.
Classifieds LINE CLASSIFIEDS
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SPRING FORWARD HOME ORGANIZING Free consultation; references. 612-377-9467.
CONCRETE WORK
GARDENING
Steps, sidewalks, patios, driveways, etc. Licensed, bonded, insured. Call Tom Seemon 612-721-2530.
BEAUTIFUL GARDENS. Would you like to have more beauty in your yard? We will restore or expand your existing gardens. Experienced gardeners. beautifulgardens.biz. Call Linda 612-598-3949.
REFINISHING
HEALTH MARA TEEFY – TRADITIONAL NATUROPATH
FURNITURE REFINISHING, expert refinishing and repair. 40 years experience, excellent references. Richard, 952-475-3728.
Looking to achieve greater health and well being? Simple lifestyle changes to achieve manageable goals. (612) 578-3190. mteefy@msn.com
EXPERIENCED BRICKLAYER
HOME SERVICES
LAWN SERVICES
PAINTER JIM Small painting jobs wanted. Jim 612-202-5514.
LAWN MOWING – FREE MONTH New contract customers only. Reliable service, quality results. Over 25 years. Shrub and tree trimming. PREMIER LAWN & SNOW INC. 952-545-8055. premierlawnandsnow.com.
Brick and stone. Residential and commercial. References. 612-309-1054.
A Greener Lawn Service provides weekly mowing, spring cleanup, and complete lawn care. Owner operator, 20 years in South Minneapolis. 612-554-4124.
ORGANIC LAWN CARE Hortilawn.com – Weekly mowing. Granular Organic Fertilizer and Weed Control. Core Aeration/Overseeding. Licensed-Insured-Free Estimates. Call now – 612-724-7277.
CONCRETE, ASPHALT
CONCRETE REPAIR Concrete and step repair. Masonry, Landscape, Driveway, Retainage, Steps, Tuckpoint, Replace. Additions. Aprons. Gary, 651-423-6666.
CALL TO PLACE A LINE CLASSIFIED IN THE SOUTHWEST JOURNAL 612.436.5070
612-861-4243 HAGECONCRETE.COM
SWJ 040518 Classifieds.indd 1
4/3/18 4:58 PM Hage Concrete SWJ 090816 2cx3.indd 2
9/6/16 10:41 AM
southwestjournal.com / April 5–18, 2018 B21
CONCRETE, ASPHALT
A.PIETIG
TO PLACE YOUR AD CALL KAREN AT 612.436.5077
Nokomis Concrete When quality counts
Residential Commercial Industrial
CONCRETE & BRICK PAVING INC. Commercial & Residential
952.835.0393
612-861-6009
A. Pietig Concrete SWJ 071615 1cx1.5.indd 7/10/151 8:50 AM
The Original
Our Contractors have local references
Decorative concrete, steps, driveways, patios, sidewalks & more! 612-419-1056 americanconcretemn.com
Call today for a FREE estimate www.nokomisconcrete.com
5/8/15 2:10 PM
CONCRETE
TO PLACE YOUR AD CALL KAREN AT 612.436.5077
7/31/13 1 G8:31 AM Concrete SWJ 040716 2cx1.5.indd 1 American Concrete SWJ 040617 1cx1.5.indd 3/28/17 2Hammer 1:39 PMGuy SWJ 2013 1cx0.9 filler.indd Gardner
4/14/11 12:32 PM
DRIVEWAYS, STEPS, PATIOS
MN# BC215366 • Bonded • Insured • Family Owned & Operated • Free Estimates
4/4/16 11:30 AM
Your Local Contractor For Over 40 Years!
Rotten wood?
612.822.7959
Nokomis Concrete SWJ 050211 2cx2.indd 1
Garage Block Repair • Foundation Repair • Buckling Walls Sidewalks • Steps • Aprons • Wall Resurfacing • Wet Basement Repair
612-824-2769 www.gardnerconcrete.net
EXTERIORS
License L303
Licensed, Bonded, Insured
QUALITY SERVICE Since 1949
Alpine Asphalt DTJ 052115 2cx1.5.indd 1
H & H Blacktop Services SWJ 040113 3/14/13 1cx2.indd3:51 1 PM
BASEMENT WINDOW GUY
Patios • Sidewalks • Steps Driveways • Garage Floors All Your Flatwork Concrete Needs
with this ad!
Parking Lots • Driveways Patching & Repairs
apietigconcrete.com
30 years of experience –
10% discount
Brick Pavers, Masonry, Brick, Stone & Foundations
UrbanConcreteWorks.com | 612-202-1069
Glass Block and Replacement Windows
FREE ESTIMATES 651-208-8210 BasementWindowGuy.com
INSULATE AND SAVE!
Lic. #BC646746
HUNDREDS OF
Window sills, casings & trim replaced, storm windows
e Lifetim ty n a r r Wa
Gary 612-721-3793 651-698-3156 www.harmsenoberg.com
Roofing · Siding · Windows Insulation
LOCAL BUSINESSES Smith Cole SWJ 030818 1cx2.indd 1 3/1/18
Licensed Bonded Insured • Lic. RR 155317
Pates Roofing SWJ 072717 2cx1.indd 1
7/21/17 1:11 PM
Custom Brick & Stone “Repair Masters”
Midwest Exteriors SWJ 052115 2cx3.indd 1
9:04 AM
ADVERTISE WITH US
651-690-3956
612-343-3301 · www.midwestplus.com
EVER.
WWW.SMITHCOLE.COM
Serving the community for over 30 years Top quality at competitive prices FREE ESTIMATES Committed to customer service
CALL US TODAY!
Locally Owned • MN LIC# BC010277 • A+ Rating from BBB 612.709.4980 Harmsen &YOUR Oberg SWJ LAST 052115 1cx2.5.indd 5/18/15 110:17 AM ROOF.
12:12 PM
EXTERIORS
TM & © 2012 MGM.
Basement Window Guy SWJ 030818 1cx1.indd 2/15/18 1:00 1 PM
HAPPY CUSTOMERS
TO PLACE AN AD CALL KAREN4/3/18 AT 612.436.5077
Urban Concrete Works SWJ 040518 2cx2.indd 1
5/18/15 10:05 AM
Chimneys • Steps • Walkways Pavers • Fireplaces • Retaining Walls www.twincitiesmasonry.com Owner Operated • Bonded & Insured
we’re the replacement window company!
SINCE 1983
quarve.com • (763) 785-1472 Mn Bc 006016
Mike Mohs Construction
MN License BC005456 Quarve Contracting SWJ 020917 1cx2.indd 2/6/172 2:32 PM
Honesty & Integrity Local Business 1cx1.5.indd 3
• Since 1963 for Over8/24/17 50 Years 3:39 PM Call Owner Scott Mohs
(952) 746-6661 replacementwindowsmpls.com
Window Outfitters SWJ 052115 2cx2.indd 1
ROOFING – All Types
612.702.9210
Friendly Professional Service
FOR 38 YEARS
Twin Cities Masonry SWJ 040617 2cx1.5.indd 1
*On Settergren’s Referral List*
MN3/27/17 # 5276 3:08 PM
A+ RATING Lic BC441059
5/18/15 10:03 AM
GUTTERS
Minneapolis, MN
FLAT ROOFING
Roofing • Siding • Gutters • Insulation
– Rubber or Tin
Licensed • Bonded • Insured
WINDOWS & SKYLIGHTS DECKS & PORCHES
YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD COMPANY
612-701-2209 • mikemohsconstruction.com TO PLACE AN AD CALL 612.436.5077 4/27/16
Mike Mohs Construction SWJ 050516 2cx2.indd 1
Rob.olson@topsideinc.net Topsideinc.net
Phone: 612-869-1177
3:26 PM
FLOORING
TOSWJ PLACE Topside Inc 012518 YOUR 2cx3.indd AD 1
CALL KAREN AT 612.436.5077 1/23/18
Interior Design Consultants • Stunning Window Treatments Quality Carpet and Flooring
• Installation • Restoration • Repairs • Buff & Coat
Putting “Wow” in homes like yours for over 70 years!
www.earlsfloorsanding.com
612.290.1533
LANDSCAPING
Earls Floor Sanding SWJ 012518 2cx2.indd 2
FREE
(new contract customers only) Call Dennis today!
952-545-8055
“Our quality will floor you.”
www.harlanfloors.com • 612-251-4290
1/18/18 Abbott 8:45 AM Paint SWJ 040716 2cx2.indd 1
Advertise with us to expand your business
www.premierlawnandsnow.com
www.abbottpaint.com
10-time Angie’s List Super Service Award Winner
1 MONTH
of lawn mowing
ortheast N TREEI .
TO PLACE YOUR AD CALL KAREN AT 612.436.5077
Trained & Courteous Staff Climbing & Bucket Pruning/Removals Expert High Risk & Crane Removals Pest & Disease Management Questions about Emerald Ash Borer? We can help.
nc
612-789-9255 northeasttree.net
3/25/16 Harlan 9:14 AM Hardwood SWJ NR3 2cx2.indd 1
George & Lynn Welles
Certified Arborists (#MN-0354A & #MN-4089A)
4/23/14 2:57 PM
Window Shopping made Local Lumberyard of the Twin Cities
M-F 7:30am–5pm, Sat 8am-Noon • 3233 East 40th St., Mpls • 612-729-2358
SWJ 040518 Classifieds.indd 2 Premier Lawn & Snow SWJ 032416 1cx1.indd 3/10/16 12:45 expand 1 PMleaves 1cx1.indd 1
3:39 PM
Southwest Resident for Over 40 Years
There IS a Difference!
Sanding • Refinishing • Repair Install • Recoat • FREE Estimates
A RATING
4/3/18 4:58 PM 11/15/17 Northeast 1:25 PM Tree DTJ 012518 2x1.indd 2
1/22/18 10:49 Hiawatha AM Lumber NEW 2cx1.indd 3
4/18/17 12:22 PM
B22 April 5–18, 2018 / southwestjournal.com
Your Local Retail Dealer of Marvin Windows & Doors in Minneapolis and St. Paul SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL LUMBERYARD
sponsors these pages
M-F 7:30am–5pm, Sat 8am-Noon • 3233 East 40th St., Mpls • 612-729-2358 Hiawatha Lumber SWJ Classifieds Banner SPEC 110717 6cx2.indd 3
11/13/17 10:32 AM
LANDSCAPING
TO PLACE YOUR AD CALL KAREN AT 612.436.5077 24 yrs. Fully Insured
K.C. GROVES TREE EXPERTS
Sirek Landscaping Co.
Landscaping is all around us. Craft yours beautifully.
42-Year Fulton Resident
FREE ESTIMATES
DECKS LANDSCAPES OUTDOOR LIVING SPACES
612-927-6485 kcgrovestreeexperts.com Licensed/Insured · ISA Arborists
Snow Plowing & Shoveling Cleanup / Dethatching Aeration / Seeding
651-344-7770
MNNiceLandscapes.com FOR CALL KC Groves Tree ExpertsADS SWJ 040518 3/22/18 1cx1.5.indd 1:171PM LICENSE # BC736562 612.436.5077
612-345-9301
Lawn Mowing Fertilizer & Weed Control Gutter Cleaning
peterdoranlawn.com
MN Nice Gardens SWJ 022218 1cx2.indd 2/20/18 3 Peter 4:25 PM Doran SWJ 072717 2cx2.indd 1
(612) 729-9454 • Commercial & Residential • ISA Certified Arborist
Walls • Patios • Drainage & Grading Sod Work • Planting • Rescapes • Walkways Edging & Borders • Decorative Rock & Mulch • Concrete Timber & Boulder Work • Design • Fence Installation
7/25/17 3:43 PM
Highest ranking landscaping company on Angie’s List
FREE ESTIMATES FOR: Tree Trimming · Tree Removal Stump Grinding · Storm Damage
• Owner Operated
Licensed and Insured • Free Estimates / 24 hr emergency service
Trimmer Trees SWJ 071309 2cx1.5.indd 1
25+ YEARS SERVING YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
952-381-7157 sireklandscaping.com
612.706.8210
7/2/09 2:58 PM
Insured
CALL KAREN FOR ADS 612.436.5077 3/16/18 11:44 AM
Sirek Landscaping SWJ 032218 2cx3.5.indd 1
FULLY BONDED & INSURED
MAINTENANCE
Matt's Tree Service SWJ 091712 2cx2.indd 1
TO PLACE YOUR AD CALL KAREN AT 612.436.5077
8/31/12 10:15 AM
Byron Electric
Residential & Commercial
• Retaining Walls & Stairways • Landscape Renovation • Paver Paths & Patios • Grading & Drainage • Tree & Shrub Planting Corrections
Free Estimates
European Craftsmanship right here in Minnesota.
612-750-5724
LINDA WESTLING • 612-724-6383
Specializing in bookcases, kitchens, vanities, radiator covers and other custom wood works
Byron Electric SWJ 052713 1cx1.indd 5/20/13 1 1:13 PM
MISCELLANEOUS
Yards of Creativity SWJ 052115 2cx2.indd 1
612-607-9248 elegancecustomcabinetry.com
5/18/15 10:06 AM
•
Our specialty is your existing home!®
Houle Insulation Inc.
•
Troubleshooting
•
Storm damage
•
Emergency service
•
•
Fuse to circuit breaker panel upgrades
763-767-8412
Bath exhaust fan installations & servicing
Serving the Twin Cities since 1977 FOR ADS CALL 612.436.5077
Houle Insulation SWJ 010107 2cx2.indd 1
ADVERTISE WITH US
Harrison Electric SWJ 120414 1cx2.indd 11/24/14 1 8:59 AM Local Business 1cx1.5.indd 8
www.houleinsulation.com
PAINTING
LOCAL BUSINESSES
Elegance Custom Cabinetry SWJ 020917 2/7/17 1cx1.5.indd 4:21 PM1
763-544-3300 Harrison-Electric.com
CALL TODAY FOR A FREE ESTIMATE ON ATTIC INSULATION • BYPASS SEALING SIDEWALL INSULATION
PAINTING
Lights or power out
8/24/17 3:41 PM
• Painting • Plaster repair • Ceramic tile • Light remodeling
612 . 267. 3 2 8 5
5/17/16 2:37 PM
Professional Quality Work Exterior Painting Interior Painting Wood Finishing Exterior Wood Restoration
PAINTING
TOGuy PLACE YOUR CALL1KAREN That Handy Greg SWJ 100914 AD 2cx1.5.indd
AT 612.436.5077 10/3/14
2:02 PM
Exterior, Interior & Decorative Painting Staining Decks • Wallpaper Stripping & Wallpapering • Wood Stripping, Refinishing & Cabinets • Plaster, Sheetrock, Texture Repair & Skim Coating • Ceiling Texturing & Texture Removal • Wood Floor Sanding & Refinishing • •
Licensed & Insured
greg@chileenpainting.com | chileenpainting.com
612-850-0325
Accredited BBB member, A+ rating Chileen Painting SWJ 070215 2cx2.indd 1
6/29/15 1:14 PM
612-825-7316 afreshlookinc.com
EXTERIOR & INTERIOR PAINTING
A Fresh Look SWJ 061616 1cx1.5.indd 6/9/16 1 1:49 PM
LINDEN HILLS PAINTING Int/Ext • Paint • Enamel Stain • Cabinets Plaster repairs • Homes Condos • Decks • Fences
612-227-1844
grecopainting.com info@grecopainting.com
PAINTING & DECORATING
Wallpaper removal & hanging • Plaster & sheetrock repair • All facets of interior painting • Stripping & “trim” restoration • Skimcoating •
(612) 827-6140 or (651) 699-6140 PAINTINGBYJERRYWIND.COM
Experienced craftsmen (no subcontractors) working steady from start to finish. Neat and courteous; references and 2 year warranty. Liability Ins. and Workers Comp. for Your Protection.
Painting by Jerry Wind SWJ 123115 2cx1.5.indd 1
12/30/15 9:54 AM
612-310-8023 612.568.1395 PROTECTPAINTERS.com
Dave Novak
35+ yrs. experience Lic • Bond • Ins
SWJ 040518 Classifieds.indd 3 Novak Painting SWJ 020818 1cx3.indd 12/22/17 1 10:03 AM Indy Painting DTJ 040518 1cx2.indd 13/26/18 Greco 2:39 PM Painting SWJ 040518 1cx2.indd 4/3/18 1 ProTect 5:01 PMPainters SWJ 042315 1cx1.5.indd 4/7/15 1 1:39 PM TigerOx Painting SWJ 070912 2cx1.5.indd 1
4/3/18 5:03 PM 7/2/12 10:37 AM
southwestjournal.com / April 5–18, 2018 B23
PLUMBING, HVAC PRO MASTER Plumbing, Inc.
Full-Service Plumber
REMODELING
TO PLACE YOUR AD CALL KAREN AT 612.436.5077
Imagine the Possibilities
LOCAL BUSINESSES ADVERTISE WITH US
651-337-1738
promasterplumbing.com Call Jim!
Pro Master Plumbing SWJ 071615 1cx1.indd 7/2/15 13:20 PM
Local Business 1cx1.indd Cross off lumbing all your p items checklist
12
8/24/17 3:13 PM
Bluestem Construction SWJ 011118 2cx1.5.indd 1
1/4/18 11:51 AM
Install a new kitchen or bathroom faucet
M-F 7:30am–5pm, Sat 8am-Noon 3233 East 40th St., Mpls • 612-729-2358
Hiawatha Lumber NEW 2cx2.indd 2
2/6/18 4:06 PM
Call today and save
Garbage disposal repairs & installation Leaky sinks, faucets, showers, toilets & pipe repair
$
Hot water heaters Fix low water pressure
46. 50
Together . . . We’ll make it perfect
OFF
Sinks that drain slow
Your Next Plumbing Service
Toilets that are always running Faucet that drips
612-377-0123 MantisDesignBuild.com
EK Johnson Construction
Mantis Design Build SWJ 121417 2cx2.indd 1
(612) 424-9349 CallUptown.com
12/13/17 10:13 AM
you dream it 6/14/16 12:55 PM TO PLACE AN AD IN THE SOUTHWEST JOURNAL CALL 612.436.5077
Uptown Heating SWJ 061616 2cx4.indd 1
we build it
Living and Working in Southwest Minneapolis Call Ethan Johnson, Owner
612-669-3486
REMODELING
ekjohnsonconstruction.com
2nd Stories • Additions • Kitchens • Basements Baths • Attic Rooms • Windows EK Johnson Construction SWJ 060216 2cx2.indd
Our team makes your dream space come to life.
Remodel • Design • Build
Advertise with us to E X P A N D your business
612-924-9315
1
5/31/16 4:49 PM
www.fusionhomeimprovement.com
(612) 221-4489
MN License #BC451256
Your vintage home remodeler HomeRestorationInc.com
Fusion Home Improvement SWJ 021314 2cx3.indd 1 Home Restoration Services SWJ 012915 1/14/15 1cx1.5.indd expand 2:15 PM pattern4 1 1cx1.5.indd 1
1/31/14 10:44 AM
(651) 730-1880 | QualityCut.net
11/15/17 3:06 PM
Quality Cut SWJ 030818 2cx2.indd 1
3/2/18 9:55 AM
Your Sign of Satisfaction
952-512-0110
www.roelofsremodeling.com
612.821.1100 or 651.690.3442 www.houseliftinc.com License #BC378021
Roelofs Remodeling SWJ 073015 2cx2.indd 2
House Lift SWJ 041612 2cx3.indd 1
7/28/15 3:01 PM
4/5/12 3:00 PM
Bringing ideas to life
Lumberyard of the Twin Cities
952.401.3900
Cedar
edgework-designbuild.com License #BC003681
Create • Collaborate Communicate 612-655-4961 hansonremodeling.com Lic #BC633225
Decks / Fences Hanson Building SWJ 030818 2cx2.indd Garden Beds Pergolas
Lic: BC637388 2/28/18 4:08 PM
1
Design/Construction
Specializing in Reproduction Kitchens & Baths
No project is too small for good design Renovation, Additions, New Construction
www.bristolbuilt.com
M-F 7:30am–5pm, Sat 8am–Noon 3233 East 40th St., Mpls • 612-729-2358
inspiredspacesmn.com 612.360.4180
SWJ 040518 Classifieds.indd 4 Bristol Built SWJ 020917 2cx2.indd 1
4/3/18 4:59 PM 2/1/17 Hiawatha 11:19 AM Lumber 2cx4.indd 4
4/18/17 12:57 Inspired PMSpaces SWJ 022714 2cx2.indd 1
2/17/14 3:02 PM