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Happening in A Park Near You

 
Hiawatha Heartwarmer

Join your friends and neighbors at the Lake Hiawatha Heart Warmer. Free Sleigh Rides, Free Hot Dogs, Free Hot Cider, Free Coffee and Cookies. Prize drawings throughout the event, Kids DJ, Ice Skating, Bonfire with marshmallows for toasting, Face Painting, Arts & Crafts. This fun winter event is a great excuse to get out of the house on a winter weekend and see your friends and neighbors.

Volunteer of the Year Awards

Every year the Minneapolis Park and Recreation board honors volunteers that have gone above and beyond to make the parks even more awesome for the rest of us through the volunteer of the year awards. Do you have a coach that brought out the best in you or your child? A neighbor that champions the organizing of the neighborhood festival? That you spot going that extra mile when they're out for a paddle to make sure any piece of litter they pass makes it into the boat for proper disposal? Here's your chance to celebrate their volunteerism.
Nomination Form



New Planning Efforts On the Horizon

 Two new park master planning projects begin this year in the 5th District:

Mississippi Gorge Regional Park Master Plan
Parkland flanking both the east and west banks of the Mississippi River between Bridge No. 9 and north edge of Minnehaha Regional Park.

Minnehaha Parkway Regional Trail Master Plan
Parkland along both sides Minnehaha Creek between Minnehaha Regional Park and the western city limit.

Apply by March 7 to advise on these projects 

These three separate master plan projects will set visions and priorities for future park and trail improvements. The planning for each of these projects will be guided by separate Community Advisory Committees (CACs), which are appointed by various neighborhood organizations and elected officials. 

While each master plan project will have its own CAC, only one application must be filled out to apply for any of the projects. Follow the link below to view the application and apply:

CAC Application

Winter at Hiawatha

Neighborhood access gates are open. Gate locations have been added to the trail map.

The Hiawatha Golf Club building is open as a warming house on weekends from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Trails are groomed with a walking trail and a XC ski trail groomed for skate skiing and classic tracks. XC Ski passes can be purchased here: https://www.minneapolisparks.org/activities__events/winter_activities/cross-country_skiing/

Lessons and Ski Equipment Rentals will be available, see website for details.

Dogs must be leashed, as this is not an off leash dog park, and should be kept off the XC ski trail to prevent damage to the groomed trail.

Planning Projects

There are a number of planning projects beginning in 2018 including the Phelps Park Improvements and Minnehaha Creek Corridor Master Plan.  When those project pages are launched, links will be included in this section of my newsletter.
 

Community Engagement Policy

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) is updating its Community Engagement Policy and we’d like to hear from you!

The policy guides MPRB’s community engagement processes and practices, and your input will help shape an updated policy.

More Information and Next Steps:

For more information, please read the current MPRB Community Engagement Policy: https://www.minneapolisparks.org/_asset/20rp8c/community_engagement_policy.pdf

There will be other ways to share your thoughts, ideas and experiences as this project progresses, including open houses, focus groups and a traveling exhibit. More information will be shared when details are finalized.

About this project:

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) Community Engagement Policy outlines how community stakeholders participate in planning all MPRB park facility construction and redevelopment projects. This project will evaluate the current policy and redraft it based on public feedback.



Nokomis-Hiawatha Master Planning for Hiawatha Golf Course Property

This planning project will guide capital improvements, management and operations within the golf course property.

In June of 2014, more than 11 inches of rain fell on Hiawatha Golf Course and caused $1.5 million in damage. Much of the damage has been restored, but elevated the necessity for a future flood resiliency plan. During the flood resiliency planning effort, the MPRB discovered it was pumping a volume of groundwater significantly greater than the amount allowed through a groundwater appropriations permit issued by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. This discovery put the planning effort on hold and triggered an intensive groundwater and stormwater study for the area, completed in 2017.

The Hiawatha Golf Course Master Plan will align water management strategies with potential future uses of the golf course property, including a strong consideration of current uses, including traditional golf in some form.

The CAC will work with MPRB staff and consultants over the next 12- 18 months to make recommendations to MPRB Commissioners. They are also available online at http://www.minneapolisparks.org/currentprojects (select Hiawatha Golf Course Master Plan from the project list).

CAC members will be appointed by neighborhood organizations, elected and appointed officials, and other entities.

In addition to serving on the CAC, there will be many other ways to get involved in the project:

· Sign up to receive email updates by subscribing at www.minneapolisparks.org/subscribe. If you are already a subscriber, add “Hiawatha Golf Course Master Plan” to your subscription preferences. Email updates are the best way to stay informed about meeting dates and other engagement opportunities.

· Attend CAC meetings; each meeting will offer a brief public comment period at the end of the meeting.

· Attend other public meetings pertaining to the project. Though they have not yet been scheduled, MPRB expects numerous community meetings throughout 2018. Sign up for email updates to stay informed.

See updated FAQ's for additional details pertaining to this project. CAC meetings are anticipated to begin in February.

Please visit the project page for information regarding the ground/surface/stormwater investigation, including technical reports, all meeting presentations, and to sign up for notification of upcoming meetings.

Lake Nokomis Shoreline Enhancements

Shoreline enhancements will improve habitat for both aquatic and upland animal species. It will stabilize erosion, seek to remove invasive plants, and create a functional continuum of shoreline zones. Plantings will accommodate fluctuations in water level, allowing for resilience to changing water level conditions in the lake. Improvements will be constructed primarily along the north shoreline of the lake.

Boards from the first public meeting on November 30th are on display at the Nokomis Community Center and will be added to the project page along with the presentation, subscribing to project updates will ensure you are notified of opportunity to comment on the materials shared during the public meeting. As part of the Carp Management being done in Nokomis to help assist in the long term success of shoreline improvements, carp harvesting is planned for Nokomis once the lake freezes over and the ice can support the commercial fishermen and their equipment. 

The first public meeting was held Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017 at Nokomis Community Center. At that meeting, interested community members reviewed current site conditions and gave feedback on potential changes along Lake Nokomis’s northern and eastern shoreline. Additional feedback is being collected via online survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/NokomisShoreline

The next public meeting for the project is scheduled Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018, 7-9 pm at Pearl Recreation Center. This meeting will provide a recap on site analysis and potential stabilization measures and discuss options and opportunities for how shoreline improvements may eventually look.

Subscribe to the project page to receive updates.

 

The MPRB is conducting a system-wide needs assessment for our recreation centers and their programs called RecQuest.  As you've no doubt noticed, many of our recreation centers are in need of updating. This project is helping the MPRB discover the gaps between our current facilities and offerings as well as the recreation and programming needs of the community to ensure that investments are made responsibly. It also helps ensure that both rec centers and their programming keep pace with the changing demographics and recreation trends of Minneapolis residents. This assessment project gives you a chance to tell us what features and activities you want to see in your recreation centers.

Two important pieces to the project's success will be inclusive community engagement and a racial equity impact assessment, or looking at how racial and ethnic groups may be affected by any proposed decisions. The MPRB Community Outreach department is helping lead both of these essential efforts.

There is no preset agenda or outcome for this assessment, all recommendations will be determined only after the completion of a multi-faceted facilities assessment and in-depth community engagement process. This project will set the stage for the next 25-30 years of investment in recreation centers, most of which are 40-50 years old.

Keep abreast of this effort via RecQuest project page.


 

Ecological System Plan

Planning is underway for the Ecological System Plan for the Minneapolis Park system. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) are preparing this plan together. This plan will set a vision for making parks and public lands more friendly to the environment.

Specifically, the ecological system plan will:

  • Compile, create, and illustrate city-wide ecological data
  • Craft a vision for natural resources and public lands within the watershed and city
  • Outline guiding principles for management
  • Challenge the community to rethink the city around them – from the local neighborhood park to the Grand Rounds to backyards – in terms of ecological function, benefit, and health.
Draft Goals and Strategies have been developed to frame how MPRB can address environmental impacts and concerns in Minneapolis parks.  Your input is welcome!  Read through the Goals and Strategies and then complete a survey to share your response.
 

 
Subscribe to the project page to be notified of upcoming meetings.  Please take this survey to help the MPRB understand how you connect to nature in the city.

Construction

 

Bossen Field Park

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is excited to announce that the extensive renovation of Bossen Field Park is nearing completion. This project has impacted almost the entire park at some point over the last year and the MPRB appreciates park users’ patience while spaces are reshaped to fit the wide-ranging needs of the community according to the Bossen Field Park Master Plan.

The new playground, basketball court and open play field are all open. The two softball fields in the southern half of the park are open and the four softball fields in the northern half of the park will remain closed until 2018 to give the new turf sufficient time to establish strong roots.

The project page provides an opportunity to sign up for updates and to be notified of news related to the project.


NPP20 (20 Year Neighborhood Park Plan)
Earlier this year, a new round of rehabilitation projects began at 33 neighborhood parks throughout the city. The focus is on the repair or replacement of aging, obsolete and non-functioning assets, ranging from exterior lighting and sidewalks to roofs and heating systems at park facilities.

For details on the scope of the projects and a list of the parks where work will take place, read the full news release on the MPRB website.

Commissioner Musich represents the fifth park district in the South East corner of Minneapolis.

Hello from the 5th District!

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Commissioner Musich sends out newsletters about what's happening in the fifth park district periodically.  Previous newsletters can be found here.


Goals

Communicate with residents about what's happening in the district. Suggest your neighbors subscribe to this newsletter! Subscription page: http://eepurl.com/QZ_-9

Broaden access to youth sports and environmental education.

Utilize a systemic approach to capital improvements and planning processes to ensure that investments being made build on system wide goals and are done equitably.


Background 

Commissioner Musich has a BA in English Literature from the University of Minnesota, and has worked in the banking industry for the past 15 years, six of them as a Corporate Accountant and for the past six years in various capacities on an IT team.  Along with several other neighborhood residents, she started the Friends of Lake Nokomis, a non-profit stewardship and advocacy group that partners with local government agencies and other non-profits to protect, preserve and improve Lake Nokomis and its surrounding park.  She has also served the community as a University of Minnesota Master Gardener with Hennepin County.   


Special Interests 

The commissioner, along with her husband and son have converted the lawns of their urban lot just south of Lake Nokomis into a small farm with honeybees in a second story apiary, plum trees, a cider apple tree, lingonberry and blueberry bushes, grape vines, a vegetable plot and herb gardens.  To bring more pollinators to their gardens, established perennial beds have been slowly converted to house native plants, and turf has been over seeded with yarrow, marjoram, tickweed, ground plum, creeping thyme, calico aster and clover and a green roof prairie was incorporated into the rebuilding of their garage. Learn about Bee Lawns and Green Roofs

Avid cyclists, skiers, canoists, sailors and swimmers you can often find them cruising the trails, swimming or boating throughout the system. The commissioner's son participates in the MPRB's and MPS youth sports leagues bringing the family to park courses and athletic fields throughout the city for games. While recuperating from outdoor adventures, the commissioner can be found immersed in a book.

Current reading selection, Elizabeth Moon's Into the Fire, the latest fantastic book in her Vatta's Peace series with one of the most lovely dedications I've read in awhile. . ."For all "the helpers" Mr. Rogers spoke of, who in times of crisis show up to help those who need it--from those who commit heroic lifesaving acts to those whose words spoken at the right moment, whose hug, or hand on the shoulder, save spirits."

Discover Your Next Park Adventure!

Family Nature Club

Parks on Social Media

Lake Hiawatha Park
Minnehaha Park
Morris Park
Keewaydin Park
Hiawatha Golf Course
Elmer the Elm Tree

Help Minneapolis Parks Flourish

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