‘Neighborhood News’ Archives
Phillips West News
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Ebenezer Land
By DWIGHT HOBBES “Affordable housing...is a misnomer of sorts: affordability implies the ability to pay for something given your budgetâ€, think tank Cato Institute noted in a 2016 blog. Anyone of modest means looking for someplace to live who has run into what’s being marketed as “affordable†can tell you just what a misnomer that is. It begs the cynical retort, affordable to whom? On top of which, rents and income have gone in opposite directions for some time and the contagion certainly didn’t help, putting people out of work left and right. Ebenezer Park Apartments (photo courtesy of Ebenezer) Enter Ebenezer Park Apts., which doesn’t solve that problem for everyone, but does give the elderly and disabled, including deaf tenants, a sorely needed break. Starting with the wallet, but, importantly, not ending there. Paramount, it goes without saying, is the difference between dispiritedly perusing ads for places priced out of your range and being asked one-third of your income – whatever that happens to be. Plus, there’s no application fee. It defies reason as how companies and organizations, whose selling card is affordability, charge at least $35, non-refundable, with a straight face just to fill out an application. Claiming it’s to cover the background check is just so much bilge water. Ebenezer can find out whether you got booked for loitering and doesn’t pocket a dime in the process. We’re not talking public housing, which generally, how little you pay, is no bargain. Shelterforce.org documents, "Public housing , to a cycle of government neglect and under-funding which, in turn, led to poor construction design, inadequate maintenance, racial segregation, stigmatization, and further concentration of the very poor." In parts of Minneapolis, it also fosters veritable drug and prostitution franchises. Conversely, Ebenezer is a comparative oasis. Maintenance, something no [...]
Edible Boulevards
By MICHELLE SHAW Join us for our Edible Boulevards cooking classes! Our class will help you utilize the harvest from your own garden to create simple, delicious summer and autumn recipes. We were delighted to have Appetite for Change teach our first two classes, and we’re excited to welcome Kelly Shay, founder of Harmonious World, to lead our September and October classes. You’ll learn about the nutritional value of the produce in each recipe, and when the class is over, you will have made that evening’s meal for yourself and your family. Invite your partner, a friend, or your kids to the Zoom class, and cook the meal together! Here’s what we have in store for you: Thursday, September 30 with Kelly Shay: Vegetable Basil Stir-fry w/ Quinoa and a Side Salad -- 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.Thursday, October 28 with Kelly Shay: Cozy Autumn Lentil Stew -- 5:00 p.m. 6:30 p.m. Register in advance: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMscOCprz8vGtdw0iHhiRISE1BfEDky87Sv Edible Boulevards is an initiative focused on making fresh produce accessible in every Minneapolis neighborhood, starting with Green Zone neighborhoods, which have suffered environmental injustice and food apartheid policies for decades. Our garden sites get tested for lead, because children in Green Zone neighborhoods typically experience higher blood lead levels. We teach participants self-sustainability in gardening, so that they can share their skills with neighbors, friends and family, and grow their own food together. We are partnered with the East Phillips Improvement Coalition (EPIC) and have funding to build several gardens for residents of East Phillips. Please contact minneapolisedibleboulevards@gmail.com if you’d like an application. If you’re interested, and don’t live in East Phillips, we still welcome you to attend our free cooking classes. The first five people from South Minneapolis who pre-register will get a $10 Seward [...]
Ventura Village News
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Random alley News
Complied by Lindsey Fenner Hazardous Waste Collection Event August 13 and 14 at South High Hennepin County will be accepting household hazardous waste Friday August 13 and Saturday August 14, 9AM-4PM at South High, 3131 19th Avenue South (enter off 21st Ave. S) Accepted from Households: Aerosols; Batteries (tape both terminals); CFLS and fluorescent lamps and HID lamps (limit 25); drain and oven cleaners; gas cylinders -- specialty gases less than 59 pounds (subject to evaluation); liquid cosmetics; mercury thermometers, paint, stain, varnish, solvents (limit three 5-gallon pails); pesticides; petroleum additives; pool chemicals; propane gas cylinders less than 50 lbs (subject to evaluation) Automotive: Antifreeze; auto paints; vehicle lead-acid batteries; gas, fluids (except oil), fuels Check the County website for the full list of guidelines: hennepin.us/collectionevents or call 612-348-3777 Be prepared to show your driver’s license or other proof of county residence. Stewart Park Under Construction This Summer: Stewart Park at 2700 12th Avenue South will remain open while improvements are underway. Renovations include a new 6,000 foot multi-use field, pedestrian paths, and safety fencing along 26th Street. Stewart Rec Center is open for summer activities and programming. Phillips Area Traffic Safety Improvements: As part of its “Vision Zero†project to prevent severe injury and death from traffic crashes, the City of Minneapolis is beginning a project to improve traffic safety along 24th St., 26th St., 28th St., and Chicago Ave in Phillips. According to the City, ten years of traffic crash data showed many crashes in Phillips. The City Staff Contact for this project is Mike Samuelson, Mike.Samuelson@minneapolismn.gov. Look for Kindertransport Exhibit on View at American Swedish Institute July 22- October 31: Through artifacts, audio testimonies and moving personal stories, the new exhibit explores the [...]