‘Miscellany’ Archives
Youth Gather and Grow Solutions in Phillips
By Ruby Levine In July 2010, the unemployment rate for people ages 16-24 reached 19.1% nationally - it”'s worse in low-income and minority communities. In response, young people here in the Twin Cities are working with the broader community to create solutions. The Summer of Solutions (SoS) is a two-month summer program building capacity for projects that address social and environmental injustice in Phillips and the Twin Cities as a whole. Last summer, 25 full- and part-time SoS participants gathered in Phillips to work on energy efficiency, bike access, green manufacturing, and urban farming. The initial influx of capacity provided by SoS has led to sustained work throughout the year in the Phillips community and all around the Twin Cities and the program is gearing up for another jolt of energy this summer. (more…)
Public comments NEEDED on the Certificate of Need Xcel Energy Public Hearings Wed. March 16
Plaza Verde, 1516 E. Lake St., 3rd floor ballroom Afternoon session 2 p.m. ”“ Evening session 6 p.m. This is the time to bring up ideas on alternative energy sources MN Office of Energy Security (OES) will conduct a public information meeting Wed., March 16, on the Certificate of Need application submitted by Northern States Power Company (Xcel Energy)... for the proposed 115kV high voltage transmission lines in the Midtown area of south Minneapolis. The purpose of the meeting is to provide information to the public about the project and to identify issues and alternatives to study in an ER that will be prepared by OES Energy Facility Permitting (EEP) staff. During the meetings, OES EEP staff will give a presentation about the state's high voltage transmission line permitting process, certificate of need process, the proposed project, and how the public can participate. ... Members of the public will have an opportunity to ask questions, present comments, and propose [...]
Concrete Beet Farmers Puts Down Roots in Midtown Phillips
By Dusty Hinz What do you get when you mix a global environmental crisis, an industrial food system that threatens our food security, a city with an increasing number of vacant properties, and six conscious young people with an entrepreneurial and community spirit? The answer is a micro urban farm that seeks to help re-localize our community food system, beautify our neighborhood, and combat climate change. Concrete Beet Farmers is a new urban farming venture being started in a vacant lot in the Midtown Phillips neighborhood that attempts to be part of this solution. The team of six entrepreneurs consists of four current Macalester students, a recent Augsburg graduate, and a recent University of Minnesota graduate now living in the neighborhood. This farming venture will not be held captive to the sole pursuit of profit; rather, it will strive for ecological resilience, long-term financial sustainability, and community food access and education. This small-scale, tangible [...]
