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Happening in A Park Near You


Event Date: Sunday, September 29, 2019 - 8:00am to 9:00am
Location: East 36th Street and West River Parkway, Minneapolis

 RSVP to the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden at 612.370.4903.

Enjoy a naturalist-led walk looking for the earliest spring migrants along the Mississippi River flyway in Minneapolis.

Friends of the Mississippi River is proud to support this bird walk organized and led by the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden in the Minneapolis Mississippi Gorge Regional Park.

Participants will meet at the parking lot at East 36th Street and West River Parkway. Many River Gorge Stewards volunteers will recognize this spot. Just off the main trail here is the rare oak savanna they've been restoring for years in partnership with Minneapolis Parks and the National Park Service. Years ago, it was full of buckthorn. Now, it's a thriving oak savanna and prairie known for providing important bird habitat in our local stretch of the flyway.

This event is free and binoculars will be made available. (But if you have your own binoculars or some to share, please do bring them.) It will follow the same route as the October 6 hike.

To register, contact the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden at 612.370.4903. 
 

Brew N Stew celebrates the art community in the City of Minneapolis. Live music from local bands each hour, local beer and food trucks and local artists selling their original works.
https://www.hpdl.org/brew-n-stew
Event is held on 9/28 at Todd Park, 6600 Chicago Ave S from 11am-6pm.



Posters for Parks will stage its fourth annual show on Saturday, September 28, 2019 from 4-9pm. This one night, pop-up gallery features limited edition posters inspired by Minneapolis parks and created by local artists and designers.

50% of all sales will be donated to People for Parks; 50% will go to the artists.

This year’s artists include:

Rachel Allison • Jaime Anderson • Andrew Benson • Ross Bruggink • Lucy Comer • Brant Day • Mike Delsing • Matt Erickson • Christina Fischer • Joshua Gille • Joseph Hrabe • Michael Jacobsen • Nate Johannes • Emma Johnson • Ben Johnson • Monique Kantor • Meher Khan • Allison Koch • Tommy Kronquist • Jesse Lindhorst • Kyle Loaney • Allison Long • Brandon Lord • Erica Mathern • Jane Mueller • Torey Needham • Joe Neumann • Leslie Olson • Lauren Osoba • Cody Petts • Sean Quinn • Lucas Richards • Violeta Rotstein • Karl Schweikart • Beth Sicheneder • Matthew Sullivan • Kyren Tanner • Anh Tran • Khou Vue

The show is a FREE and family-friendly event.
 Location: Foundry Craft Spirits
241 Fremont Ave. N
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55405

SENA Harvest Dance

Join your neighbors for SENA's 2nd Annual "Harvest Dance" Saturday, Oct 5, 6-8 pm at Lake Hiawatha Park (2701 E 44th St). Enjoy two hours of bluegrass music with "No Man's String Band" on the Showmobile stage, lawn games, face painting, hot dogs and chips. Bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on, and enjoy a small-town evening of music and dance as the sun sets behind beautiful Lake Hiawatha! 
 

Big Sit

This is annual event where volunteers hang out at Coldwater Spring from sunrise to sunset and document all the birds they see and hear. It's a great way to enjoy fall migration and learn more about native sparrows, thrushes, hawks and warblers. You can learn tips from other birders, help document what birds are observed in eBird or iNaturalist or help chat with the curious public as they wonder what the heck we are doing. It's a fun all day birding party! Event starts at 7am and ends at 7pm.

It's ok if you're not the best birder out there. If you can point out a bird, you are qualified for the Big Sit.

Things to bring:
Camp Chair
Snacks
Beverages (no alcohol)
Binoculars
Spotting Scope
Camera
Smartphone
Sunscreen
Layers (it could start out chilly and be warm mid day)


Blue Green Algae Possible in Lakes

If you're enjoying another summery weekend at a lake, be aware of possible blue-green algae blooms triggered by recent rains, high water levels and hot weather. Often appearing like spilled paint, this type of "HAB," or harmful algal bloom, can be irritating for people, but much more toxic for dogs. (Note: per our ordinances, dogs are not allowed in MPRB water bodies.)

How to know if you're looking at a HAB? The Minnesota Department of Health advises: 
👉 Don’t swim if you can’t see your feet in knee-high water (and wash off with fresh water).
👉 Don’t let your dog drink water described above.
👉 When in doubt, stay out!

www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/hab/hab.pdf

2020 Budget

The 2020 budget season is ramping up. You may have heard in the news that the park board's levy request is not supported by the mayor and that two of my colleagues are proposing cutting park police funding if the board's request is not honored. I agree with the mayor that the levy increase being requested by the majority of park commissioners is too high. While I support a levy increase for maintaining current service levels, I can not support a further 2+% increase for new youth programming that has not been adequately defined, vetted with the public and for which no alternate funding sources been explored.
 
I am well versed in just how damaging property tax increases are on established neighborhoods where home values are rapidly increasing but large percentages of homeowners are on fixed incomes or less able to weather continued double digit increases in their tax bills each year and thus need to see very compelling arguments to support increases. Property taxes are regressive and more of my colleagues and I need to be directing the superintendent to diversify our funding sources so that the burden of absorbing increased costs does not rest so heavily on the backs of property owners.

I also will not be supporting any cuts to the park police budget in 2020 for a number of reasons, one of the most compelling being the need for the park police to continue to grow the ranks of women and people of color serving residents in this capacity, its estimated that half of the layoffs this proposal calls for would be of people of color. I believe that we can have park safety and increased park programs for youth and am thankful for the work that my colleague Commissioner Vetaw is doing on long term planning in this area. 

Learn more about the Minneapolis Parks budgeting process here: http://www.minneapolisparks.org/budget

Planning Projects

Master Planning for Hiawatha Golf Course Property


The Latest:  The design team is working on a refined design based on the prioritizations provided by the CAC. A formal update on next steps will be sent out to project page subscribers soon.

All CAC meetings are public and anyone interested in the creation a long-term plan for the Hiawatha Golf Course Property is welcome to attend. Snacks, refreshments, and passive children's activities are provided. Please contact Cindy Anderson at 612-230-6472 or canderson@minneapolisparks.org to request language, access or interpretation accommodations. 

If you have questions or comments about the project can be submitted here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/lake-hiawatha

Previous Action

At the July 25, 2018 Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) of Commisioners meeting, commissioners approved a modified Resolution 2018-230 after the Hiawatha Golf Course Property Master Plan CAC requested clarification on the parameters of the new master plan for the property.

After a lengthy public testimony period and board debate, commissioners voted 6-2 to approve the modified version of Resolution 2018-230. The modified resolution directs the CAC to only consider a reduced pumping scenario and bring forward a solution that includes, at a minimum, a flood-resilient and ecologically-driven nine-hole configuration for a golf course on the property.

The modified Resolution 2018-230 also included Board direction to the CAC to reflect in the master plan appropriate methods of recognizing the role of Hiawatha Golf Course and the history of black golfers in the Minneapolis park system.

Please visit the project page for more information and to sign up for notification of upcoming meetings.

Lake Nokomis Shoreline Enhancements

The Latest: No new updates at this time.

A Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage grant is funding restoration of almost 4,800 linear feet of shoreline along north and northeastern shore of Lake Nokomis. This area of shoreline was selected due to increased erosion that has occurred along much of this area.

This project was identified as part of the 2015 Nokomis-Hiawatha Master Plan, which calls for increasing naturalized areas to improve water quality, stabilize shorelines and increase habitat. New native vegetation will extend from the shoreline to within four feet of the walking path.

Initial work involves tree removal along the edge of the shore. Many trees in the area were not planted intentionally and are either invasive species or diseased. MPRB Forestry professionals assisted in the tree removal selection process. Balancing the shoreline canopy through selective tree removal and pruning will allow sunlight to reach new plants so they can develop and help protect the shoreline, as well as promote better growth of the remaining dominant trees.  

Following tree removal, the area will be treated with an herbicide to prepare the seedbed area along the shoreline for the new upland buffer vegetation. Herbicide application will follow safe industry guidelines and follow Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board policy by using non-glyphosate based products.

Shoreline grading is underway. Two City of Minneapolis storm water outfalls are being repaired as part of this work. New native vegetation is expected to be planted by late September, with final restoration complete in the fall.


About this Project:
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. 

This project has received regulatory approval. The United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) and the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) have completed review of the Lake Nokomis Shoreline Enhancements project. SHPO concluded the proposed improvements have no adverse effects to the Grand Rounds Historic District and USACE permitted the project for proposed bank stabilization measures.

Project Design

The proposed design uses three different planting zones along the shoreline. 

The Emergent Wetland Zone starts at the ordinary high-water level (OHWL) and extends into the lake. Once established, new aquatic plants will reduce wave energy to help reduce erosion. A temporary fence will be installed to help plants establish. 

The Shoreline Buffer Zone lies between the OHWL and wetland boundary. It will be planted with a seed mix that's compatible with shoreline environmental elements.

The Upland Buffer Zone starts at the wetland boundary and extends away from the lake until four feet from the paved trail. It will be planted with a seed mix that's compatible with upland environmental elements. The four-foot strip will be mowed grass. Another temporary fence will also protect new planting areas and connect to the emergent wetland fence.

A variety of access points will still remain so park user can still access the lake.

Questions about this project can be sent to the project manager, Jon Duesman

Subscribe to the project page to receive updates.
 

Minnehaha Creek Parkway Regional Trail Master Plan


The Latest: No updates at this time. 

The Minnehaha Parkway Regional Trail Master Plan Community Advisory Committee (CAC) held its eighth meeting on Tuesday, July 9, 2019. Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) staff and the CAC recommended several next steps for the project based on extensive community feedback on the preferred concepts.

Most notably, the project conversation about the parkway road will pause while more traffic data is collected. Here are the five next steps endorsed by the CAC:

  1. Eliminate the proposal to add medians at the parkway intersections with Lyndale Avenue and Nicollet Avenue, which will allow for largely continuous vehicular travel along Minnehaha Creek
  2. Continue to evaluate designs for the Parkway + Portland and Lynnhurst Focus Areas in terms of pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle safety and comfort
  3. Work to implement immediate improvements at the Parkway + Portland Focus Area to the extent possible
  4. Initiate additional traffic data collection and explore piloting solutions at the Parkway + Portland and Lynnhurst Focus Areas
  5. Pause the master plan process to allow time for additional exploration, then reconvene the CAC in September/October
This means there will be no additional CAC meetings scheduled in the immediate future. The MPRB will work with its consulting staff and agency partners to prepare further study this summer. In any case, however, the proposed Nicollet and Lyndale medians are considered off the table. All other project ideas will continue to be discussed.

Discussion of Segments 1, 2 and 3 of the Minnehaha Parkway Regional Trail Master Plan, including several revised concepts based on community and CAC feedback, was on the agenda for CAC Meeting #8 on July 9. Those discussions did not take place. MPRB staff will consider reconvening the CAC during the summer to discuss those areas. (The CAC previously reached consensus for Segment 4). The revised concepts (including those for the parkway road) will be uploaded to the project website soon.
 
The online survey will remain open for the public to provide ongoing feedback on the preferred concepts and new revisions. Please especially let us know what you think of the modifications to Segments 1 and 2 and the Nicollet Hollow Focus Area. If you have already taken the online survey, you may do so again, even from the same computer.
 
Once more detail is known, MPRB staff will communicate with the community about the ongoing project studies this summer, immediate improvements and possible pilot projects.

About this Project:
Master Planning is underway for this regional trail. The trail encompasses parkland along both sides Minnehaha Creek between Minnehaha Regional Park and the western city limit.

Over the winter, the project design team reviewed all feedback received from public meetings, events, and online comments, and created draft concept drawings showing potential improvements along the trail. A published version of the Community Engagement Summary can be found on the project page under "Key Documents."

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) has published initial proposed long-term plans for improving and managing Minnehaha Creek and the parkway, parkland and trails adjacent to it between Minnehaha Regional Park and the western Minneapolis border. These initial park design concepts were created after considering thoughts, ideas and opinions compiled throughout last summer and fall from public events, online surveys that garnered hundreds of comments, and discussions with partner organizations, MPRB staff and stakeholders.

Park Design Concepts

The Minnehaha Parkway Regional Trail Master Plan is sorted into four Segments and eight Focus Areas within the segments. One or two preliminary site concepts have been developed for each Focus Area. Each concept contains ideas relating to:

  • Trail and parkway realignment
  • Stormwater infrastructure and potential creek re-meanders
  • Natural resource management areas
  • Creek access points
  • Recreational amenities
  • Precedent (example) images to demonstrate ideas
Subscribe to the project page to receive updates.
 

Parks for All: Comprehensive Planning

The Latest: Apply to be a community collaborator! The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and the Minneapolis Parks Foundation seek community collaborator services from businesses, institutions, nonprofits, and cultural organizations to envision and execute engagement projects of their own planning, designed to broaden the way community engages with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Comprehensive Plan. The Community Collaborator initiative is a paid opportunity for groups across Minneapolis to convene their own conversations about parks and recreation to inform the next 10-years of priorities for the park and recreation system. Proposals will be competitive, and those that are selected will receive funding to implement their idea. Funding will vary from $500-$3000 according to the project idea and proposed budget. Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis with three rounds of submission and review in December 2019.

About this project:
The current comprehensive plan covered the period of 2007-2020, this plan will provide priorities and policy direction for the park system for the next decade. This press release provides an overview of the value this planning effort provides. There are a number of ways to engage with this project: 

Construction

Minnehaha Creek FEMA Repairs


At their October 25, 2018 meeting, the MCWD Board of Managers awarded a construction contract of $163,844 to Sunram Construction, Inc. of Corcoran, MN to complete flood repairs along Minnehaha Creek at 9 sites in Minneapolis. The repair work continues through summer 2019.This project is happening in conjunction with the MPRB's Minnehaha Parkway Trail master planning process. Please visit the project page for more information. 

Minnehaha Park Area Regional Sewer Improvements Project


The Metropolitan Council shared information with residents and businesses near Minnehaha Park at a public hearing on May 22 about a proposed sewer improvement project. Construction work, scheduled to begin in 2019, would rehabilitate an aging regional sanitary sewer tunnel under Minnehaha Creek, Hiawatha Avenue and the METRO Blue Line LRT along the north side of East Minnehaha Parkway. The information shared at that meeting included these handouts.

Project Page: https://metrocouncil.org/sewerconstruction/minnehaha
 

28th Avenue S Bridge Replacement

Construction began July 15, 2019, and will be completed and open to traffic in late November of 2019.

Construction was initially scheduled to be undertaken in 2017, however, working within the Minnehaha Creek Watershed was required to obtain an Army Corps of Engineers permit. The process of obtaining the permit started in December 2015 and took longer than originally anticipated.

As called for in the Nokomis-Hiawatha Master Plan, this project not only rebuilds the bridge over Minnehaha Creek, but also connects bicycle and pedestrian trails under the 28th Avenue bridge along Minnehaha Creek to allow for a safer crossing of 28th Avenue S.

 

20 Year Neighborhood Park Plan (NPP20)

In 2016, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and the City of Minneapolis approved ordinances to reverse years of underfunding in neighborhood parks. The 20-Year Neighborhood Park Plan (NPP20) is a long-term initiative that will transform the neighborhood park system with the following measures:

  • Protect current levels of MPRB funding.
  • Dedicate an additional $11 million annually, through 2036, in NPP20 funds for increased maintenance, rehabilitation and capital investments in neighborhood parks.
  • Allocate NPP20 funds using a data-driven, criteria-based system to help address racial and economic equity.

Phelps Park Improvements

Although construction on a range of improvements at Phelps Park was originally planned to begin in June, the project is currently on hold.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) had opted to postpone the construction bidding process for this project and several others until late summer. Under this schedule, construction was planned to begin in the fall, with completion of the project next summer. Bids were not favorable to begin work this fall. The project will be rebid this winter with construction beginning in spring of 2020. 

As a result, Phelps Park will remain open for the fall and winter. Watch for future announcements as the project proceeds. 

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) will be replacing the playground and wading pool at Phelps Park in 2018/2019! Thank you to all who have participated in the Community input process by sharing your thoughts and opinions on the future of Phelps Park. The schematic drawings reflect the comments and preferences shared by park users and neighbors including the Boys and Girls Club, neighboring childcare centers, neighborhood residents and community organizers.

Final Schematic Design Concept [PDF]

Questions about this project should be directed to the project manager : Jon Duesman,  jduesman@minneapolisparks.org.

Subscribe to the project page to receive updates. 

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

Hello from the 5th District!

If you're not interested in receiving emails like this one, please scroll to the bottom and click on unsubscribe to remove yourself from the list.


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

In this issue!

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 17 years, six of them as a Corporate Accountant and for the past eight 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: Little Brother by Cory Doctorow. In preparation for the next Nokomis Library Sci-Fi Book Club meeting on October 3rd I picked up a copy of this dystopian surveillance state novel from the library. 


 

Discover Your Next Park Adventure!

Recreation Fee Assistance

Minneapolis residents who cannot afford instructional fees because of economic need may apply for fee assistance through the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Fee Assistance Program.
 
Questions? Contact your local recreation center (Recreation Center List) or the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board information line at 612-230-6400 or info@minneapolisparks.org


Each year, through generous donations from corporate sponsors and local musicians, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board puts on concerts and shows films throughout the summer season. I add all of the events occurring in or very near the 5th district to my Facebook events to make it easier for you to find something fun, and free to do that's close to home. So pack a picnic, pump up the tires on your bike and head to a park near you for some free and fun entertainment this summer!
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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