Professional Documents
Culture Documents
2
Crime & Safety ...................................... 4
CARAG News .............................................. 8
Film Reviews & Schedule ................ 9
ECCO News ............................................... 10
Events Calendar .....................................12
May 2013 Volume 9, Number 5
inside
< Guitar Champion Mark Kroos
Kroos plays two guitar necks at Springhouse
Ministry Center on May 12. (Photo by Daren
Cornell) (See more events on page 12)
Your Community-Supported News Source Covering the Uptown AreA and the Neighborhoods of CARAG and ECCO
Win a Movie
for 2!
(see details on page 12)
Are You Schooled?
UNN is looking for a Uptown-based, passionate, tech-
savvy editor. This monthly stipend position would
include 10-20 hrs/month and attendance at the
monthly UNN board meeting. Must have a fexible
schedule to accommodate a monthly print schedule.
Editor
Position
AvAilAblE
send resume and samples of your work
to Uptownnews@yahoo.com
Its hard to miss the construc-
tion zone at the corner of Hen-
nepin and Lagoon, but even with
winter weather challenges, the
Wine Tasting Is Back On
Neighborhood Benefit scheduled for October 30
By the ECCO Bike Fest Volunteer Team
East Calhouns first bicycle festival will roll into Uptown on May 11.
Pedal Power, a project of the neighborhoods green team, will show-
case everything from a childrens bicycle swap to free tune-ups from
local bike shops. Neighborhood teens will share first-person accounts
of how helmets may have saved their lives, and safety experts will be
on hand to help kids adjust their own helmets.
Representatives from the Midtown Greenway, Nice Ride, and the
Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition will share information about their
organizations. Kids can participate in a bike rodeo and everyone will
be eligible to win door prizes.
The event starts at 1:00pm at St. Marys Greek Orthodox Church.
Meet at the south entrance (beside the flag pole) and south parking
lot. To participate in the kids bike swap, bring a used-but-still-func-
tional bike, and ride a new-to-you bike home. The festival is free, but
dont forget to bring your wallet: The Tin Fish will be debuting its
new ice cream truck.
Walker Progress
Walker Library Update from County Commissioner Gail Dorfman
construction of the new Hen-
nepin County Walker Library
is on schedule. The demolition
of the old Walker is complete.
The foundation walls are nearly
finished. The elevator shaft has
been built, and over the next few
months, residents and visitors
to Uptown will begin to see the
new library building take shape
as the structural steel compo-
nents are placed for the columns,
floor and ceiling systems. And
yes, we saved the big library let-
ters, which will be incorporated
within the new site. If you want
to see the Vincent James Associ-
ates architectural design plans,
get construction updates, or
learn more about this project and
the community process, go to:
http://www.hclib.org/pub/info/
buildingprojects/. This time next
year, look for an announcement
of the Walker Library opening
celebration.
By Bruce Cochran
Lead organizer Pat Fleetham,
Calhoun Square and Henne-
pin Lake Liquor have set a date
for the return of the Hennepin
Lake Community Wine Tasting
to support Uptown neighbor-
hoods. That date is October 30
and this years restaurant sponsor
is Uptown Cafeteria.
This will be the 30th occurrence
for the fundraiser, which took
last year off due to the Calhoun
Square construction. Since its
inception the combined total of
funds raised for the neighbor-
hoods to date is $313,000 - funds
that are unrestricted by the event
donation. The nine benefiting
neighborhood organizations
are: Calhoun Area (CARAG),
Cedar-Isles-Dean (CIDNA),
(Photo by Bruce Cochran)
Crews guide an i-beam as it is lowered into place with an overhead crane. (Photo by Bruce Cochran)
(Photo by Bruce Cochran)
East Calhoun (ECCO), East Isles
(EIRA), Kenwood Isles (KIA),
Lowry Hill East (LHENA),
Lowry Hill (LHNA), Lyndale
(LNA) and Whittier (WA).
Lyn-Lake Fest Cancelled
Event may become part of Open Streets
By Bruce
Cochran
After the reinvigo-
rated Lyn-Lake
Fest came back for
2011 and 2012, the
event is cancelled
for 2013. Lead
organizer, John
Meegan, describes
his decision to can-
cel the event this
year.
This great event
requires a full-time
volunteer organiz-
er to work over the
course of 3 months
to be able to work
financially. As I am that volunteer, and need to also run a business
and attend to my family, I cant make that commitment this year.
Meegan added that there is still some chance that the event may be
incorporated into Open Streets, an open street festival on Lyndale
Avenue in June.
(Photo by Bethany Heemeyer)
Pedal Power
. www.scribd.com/UptownNews
Citizen
ACtion
CARAG Neighborhood
612.823.2520
carag@carag.org
East Isles Neighborhood
612.821.0131
nrp@eastisles.org
ECCO Neighborhood
612.821.0131
nrp@eastcalhoun.org
Lowry Hill E. Neighborhood
612.377.5023
lhena@thewedge.org
Minneapolis Information
311
Mpls. Park & Rec. Board
Brad Bourn
612.230.6443 ext. 6
bbourn@minneapolisparks.org
Anita Tabb
612.230.6400 ext. 4
atabb@minneapolisparks.org
Mpls. Public Schools
612.668.0000
answers@mpls.k12.mn.us
City Councilperson (10)
Meg Tuthill
612.673.2210
meg.tuthill@ci.minneapolis.mn.us.
Mayor R.T. Rybak
612.673.2100
rt@minneapolis.org
State Senator (60)
D. Scott Dibble
651.296.4191
sen.scott.dibble@senate.mn
State Representative (61A)
Frank Hornstein
651.296.9281
rep.frank.hornstein@house.mn
State Representative (61B)
Paul Thissen
651.296.5375
rep.paul.thissen@house.mn
Governor Mark Dayton
651.201.3400
mark.dayton@state.mn.us
U.S. Congressman (5th)
Keith Ellison
612.522.1212
www.ellison.house.gov
U.S. Senator
Al Franken
202.224.5641
info@franken.senate.gov
U.S. Senator
Amy Klobuchar
202.224.3244
www.klobuchar.senate.gov
President
Barack Obama
202.456.1111
comments@whitehouse.gov
Work with the local, woman-owned company
dedicated to building sustainable communities.
green
NARs sustainable property designation
BC. 20628624
www.morphmpls.com
612.782.2000
real estate | design-build
Sick of rental white walls?
(Maybe its time to buy.)
Common LaW
By Sarah Sponheim
Sarah will be taking a leave from writing the Common LAW column
in order to free up time for her various environmental projects.
NOTE: This editorial from Educa-
tion Commissioner Brenda Cassel-
lius was originally featured in the
Rochester Post Bulletin on Friday,
March 29.
Much has been written about
the long-term benefits of high
quality early education and all
day kindergarten, especially for
poor children. Research abounds
to support investments in young
learners as a critical way to close
achievement gaps and improve
student outcomes. Governor
Daytons budget contains signifi-
cant new investments for both
early childhood education and all
day kindergarten, and every sign
indicates that substantial invest-
ments for early learning will be
coming out of the legislature as
well.
Minnesota is home to some of
the most compelling research on
Investments In early education
Will Place kids On Path
To success
By Brenda Cassellius, Education Commissioner
UNN Editorial
the high return of investment for
early learning up to sixteen dol-
lars for every one dollar invested
according to former Federal
Reserve Chair Art Rolnick. And
theres more: Child-development
researchers at the University of
North Carolina recently pub-
lished a study that found low-
income students who attended
preschool had higher math and
reading scores in third grade
than their low-income peers who
did not. City University of New
York conducted a study show-
ing that one in six students who
cant read at grade level by third
grade will not finish high school
by age 19 nearly four times
the rate of their more proficient
peers. A study begun in 1962 in
Michigan tracked two groups of
low-income students - those who
attended preschool and those
who did not - and found that at
age 40, participants who attend-
ed preschool had attained higher
levels of education, earned higher
wages, were more likely to own a
home and were less likely to have
been incarcerated than those who
did not attend preschool.
Yet, despite the evidence, pockets
of opposition continue to ques-
tion the wisdom of early child-
hood education. To which I say
this: if you want a real life success
story that illustrates the potential
for high quality early education
to change a life, look at me. I
was a Head Start baby.
I can personally attest to the
value of early learning, not only
the early benefits to a poor girl
growing up in the projects of
south Minneapolis, but the long-
term effects on my life. I could
easily have ended up in a cycle
of poverty and dependence, but I
didnt. Why? For many reasons,
including hard work and a little
bit of luck, but also because of
the early opportunities I received
and the parenting support given
to my mother, who had my sister
at 16 and me at 20.
Head Start allowed me to devel-
op school readiness skills and a
love of learning that have lasted
a lifetime. I remember the fun of
outlining my 4-year old body on
a big sheet of paper and labeling
my parts, of watching a celery
stalk turn red in a glass full of
tinted water, of reading my first
book, Harold and the Purple
Crayon, and imagining my own
dreams for adventure as I drew
them with a purple crayon. My
best memory, though, is when
my teacher would round us up
in a circle at the end of the day
to touch the tip of her magic
wand to the top of our heads,
and if we were good and had
done all of our work, the magic
star on the end would light up.
Why do these experiences matter
now, nearly four decades later?
Because they taught me perhaps
preschools biggest contribution
to a students future success; the
so-called soft skills, which help
children learn how to pay atten-
tion and stay on task. My earliest
teachers shaped me by instilling
not only a love of learning, but
also the principles of hard work,
goodness and perseverance.
These qualities cannot be mea-
sured by a test, but they matter
a great deal in a competitive and
diverse global economy and are
necessary for success in life.
Ive been lucky. Lucky to be
born in the right decade and
that my mother had access to
resources and support. Lucky
to have had great teachers who
pushed me to be my best. Lucky
that wise Minnesotans who came
before me realized that a good
education for every child was
the surest way to strengthen our
states competitive edge, leading
a generations War on Poverty
and crafting a Minnesota Miracle
along the way.
But should it come down to
luck? The Governor and I
believe not. We believe all chil-
dren deserve access to the same
great start I had. Investing now,
this year, in our youngest learn-
ers - with more scholarships for
high quality early education pro-
gramming and increased access
to all-day kindergarten gives
us the best chance to fully lever-
age the potential that lies within
every child.
We may never be able to fully
measure the profound impact
early learning has on life success.
Or maybe we can. Maybe were
just waiting for a future educa-
tion commissioner a little girl
or boy learning and dreaming in
a sun-filled classroom today - to
show us just how its done.
Brenda Cassellius
Minnesota Commissioner
of Education
The tragedies of foreclosures
for the family involved are no
mystery. Yet, the burden of fore-
closure also rests squarely, and
silently, on the shoulders of local
and state taxpayers. Minnesota
municipalities expend nearly
$20,000 per vacant property each
year for maintenance costs, and
houses within an eighth of a mile
of a foreclosed home loose almost
$2,000 in equity simply because
of proximity. To discontinue the
trend of Minnesota having three
times as many foreclosed homes
in post-crisis 2012 compared to
2005, or 20,000 foreclosures per
year for the sixth year in a row,
I support enacting the Home-
owners Bill of Rights, currently
in the legislature. The bill enacts
common sense laws to give basic
rights to families who face fore-
closure.
Critics may object, stating that
the crisis has passed and regula-
tion stunts development, but the
facts stand that regulating banks
foreclosure will safeguard the
states economic recovery. For
example, a Californian bill is
credited with lowering foreclo-
sure levels by 39.5 percent from
December 2012 to January 2013,
when the bill took effect. If such
a bill had been made law in Min-
nesota in 2008, at the peak of
the crisis, approximately 140,000
more Minnesota families would
be in homes, and an estimated
94,000 Minnesota school children
would have remained in stable
living situations.
The Homeowners Bill of Rights
is needed to protect families and
the larger community. This bill
guarantees that people going
through the foreclosure process
have a single point of contact
within their banking institution
when they are seeking loan mod-
ification or facing foreclosure. It
Citizens turned out for the April 16 DFL Precinct Caucuses at Jefferson
Elementary. The Tenth Ward Convention is April 27, when candidates hope
to win the DFL endorsement. (Photo by StuartWainstock.com)
Tenth Ward Caucuses
homeowners Bill Of rights
By Lyndel Owens
OWeNs page 6
. www.scribd.com/UptownNews
10th Ward News
From Council Member Meg Tuthill
Contact Meg at 612.673.2210, meg.tuthill@ci.minneapolis.mn.us,
Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9 am to 5 pm. Visit us at www.
ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/ward10
Congrats to 2012 Top
garden award Winners!
I would like to congratulate John
Meegan of Top Shelf, the resi-
dents on the 3600 block of Gar-
field Avenue South and Chris
Turpen for their recent awards
from Metro Blooms 2012 Top
Gardens. John Meegan won the
Best Business Garden award for
his gardens at 3040 Lyndale Ave-
nue South. The Best Neighbor-
hood Collaboration went to the
3600 block of Garfield Avenue
South and the Nate Siegel Award
went to Chris Turpen, a property
owner on the 3600 block of Gar-
field Avenue South. Thanks for
making our ward a more beau-
tiful place to live, work and play
in! To see pictures of the award
winning gardens, visit www.
metroblooms.org/bloomsday-
photos.php?year=2012.
Plant Trees on arbor Day in
east Isles
Celebrate the 13th annual Mid-
town Community Works Arbor
Day on the Midtown Greenway
by volunteering to plant trees
and shrubs between Hennepin
and Humboldt on the north side
of the Greenway. The event will
kick-off at 9:00am on Saturday,
May 4 (rain or shine) at Hum-
boldt Avenue and the Green-
way, with planting beginning at
9:30am.
Tree Trust staff, Master Garden-
ers and Tree Care Advisors will
provide education on tree and
shrub planting as well as plant
maintenance that will ensure
strong growth. Snacks, coffee,
water and shovels will be pro-
vided. Dont forget your gloves!
Please ride your bike if you can!
Bike racks will be available on
site. For more information or to
volunteer, please contact Jackie
Blair at 612-879-0106.
Funds available for Water
Friendly Landscaping
Planning to create a rain garden?
Apply for a grant from the Min-
nehaha Creek Watershed Dis-
trict Cost Share program. Grants
are being offered to those who
want to help protect clean water
by installing raingardens, pervi-
ous concrete driveways, rainwa-
ter capture and reuse systems,
or other stormwater best man-
agement practices. Grants are
available to any public or private
property located within the Min-
nehaha Creek Watershed Dis-
trict including residential homes,
apartments, businesses, schools,
or cities. To find out if you are
in the Minnehaha Creek Water-
shed District, enter your address
on their website. The deadline
for most residential projects is
May 31. Learn more at www.
minnehahacreek. org/grants/
raingardens-and-other-storm-
water-bmps.
Mini-grants available for
Neighborhood Community
gardens
Gardening Matters will is offer-
ing 10 community garden
mini-grants of up to $500 for
community food production gar-
dens in East Isles, Lowry Hill
East and Whittier neighbor-
hoods as well as several other
neighborhoods in South Minne-
apolis. Two organizations, along
with Gardening Matters, came
together to help fund these mini-
grants:
The Green Patch Program at
The Wedge Natural Foods
Co-op. Thank you to the
members and shoppers at the
Wedge Co-op, who Choose to
Reuse and pass the benefits on
to their community!
Donors who participated in
Powderhorn Empty Bowls
fall fundraising and commu-
nity-building event to raise
Celebrate the 13th annual Midtown Community Works Arbor Day (May 4) on
the Midtown Greenway by volunteering to plant trees and shrubs between Hen-
nepin and Humboldt on the north side of the Greenway.
box it was over-flowing. There
was between 600-800 items in the
in-box (and in-boxes keep grow-
ing every day, so you can imag-
ine how many hundreds were
unread). Folders were a mess;
some of them completely empty
and a lot had less than 4 emails
filed in them. Ive re-vitalized a
lot of filing systems in my years
and this one was one of the most
challenging. I know there are
people that can function (thrive,
even) in that kind of unorganized
chaos I cant. Im so happy that
I wont turn over a huge mess to
the future editor. And heres your
sales pitch: Editor of the Uptown
Neighborhood News is a great
position with extremely support-
ive neighborhood involvement
and I would encourage all those
interested to apply.
sLaCheTka from 2
funds to end hunger in Pow-
derhorn Park community.
In order to be eligible for funds,
community gardens must have
either submitted a community
garden survey to Gardening Mat-
ters or be a Local Food Resource
Hub member. Havent done
either of those options? You can
find more information on how to
join by visiting www.gardening-
matters.org/hubs. Eligible gar-
dens are welcome to apply and
must submit their application by
May 15 to Gardening Matters.
Grantees will be notified by June
1 and checks will be sent by mail
within two weeks to the mailing
address provided in the appli-
cation. You can get mini-grant
information and the application
at www.gardeningmatters.org/
wedge-peb-minigrants.
Meet with Meg
The next Meet with Meg will be
held on Monday, May 13 from
Noon-1:00pm at the 5th Precinct
Community Room (3101 Nicol-
let Avenue South). It will be a
chance for you to ask me ques-
tions, and voice any concerns
you may have. Bring your sack
lunch! Cookies and lemonade
are provided! Meet with Meg is
held the second Tuesday of every
month.
6
. www.scribd.com/UptownNews
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1350 Lagoon Avenue, Suite 900, Minneapolis, MN 55408
612.735.6834 | Mike@MikeWeiland.com
Uptown Real Estate
R E p o R t
How do I care for my hardwood foors?
Mike Weiland & Elke Stephan are co-own-
ers of The Weiland Group of Keller Williams
Realty here in Uptown. Together they have
over 18 years of experience helping people
with their real estate needs. Use our con-
tact information below if youd like to send
us your questions or if youd like to explore
working with us.
(paid advertisement)
Many CARAG/ECCO neighborhood homes
have wonderful hardwood fooring. Since
hardwood fooring is rich and complex, it
requires professional care. We have seen
the best and worst hardwood conditions
and oftentimes are questioned about the
best ways to solve certain fooring is-
sues. We visited with Amy Schaefer Lee of
Schaefer Hardwood Floors on Bryant Ave.
at Lake St. for a professional perspective on
the most common questions we receive.
Mike & Elke: Oil or water based fnish
which is better?
Amy says: Both fnishes are acceptable and
long-lasting. An oil fnish will provide a
richer, darker appearance. Water based fn-
ish is easier on those with breathing-related
health issues during the application and
drying process.
Mike & Elke: How long does it take to refn-
ish hardwood foors?
Amy says: A whole-house refnish takes
about two weeks. For less than whole-
house projects, a rule of thumb is three
days per 300 square feet of fooring.
Mike & Elke: How diffcult is it to remove
stains from hardwood foors?
Amy says: Most stains will sand out quite
well. Some of the more diffcult pet
stains and odors cannot be removed
so spot replacement of the wood is the
best approach.
Mike & Elke: What is the best way to pre-
vent scratching of hardwood foors?
Amy says: Sweep and clean the foor on a
regular basis, replace the pads under furni-
ture legs twice a year and if you have ani-
mals with claws, resign yourself to scratch-
es on your hardwood fooring!
Thanks Amy! We appreciate her time and
expertise. If you have additional hardwood
fooring questions you can reach Amy di-
rectly at shardwoodfoors@comcast.net or
612-825-5250. For house remodeling or
maintenance questions please contact Mike
& Elke at mike@mikeweiland.com .
By Stephen Eisenmenger
A watershed is an area of land
that catches rain, snow and any
other form of water and drains
into a lake, stream, wetland or
groundwater. Watersheds come
in all different shapes and sizes.
Smaller watersheds drain into
larger watersheds, much like
creeks drain into rivers. Some
watersheds cross county, state
and even international borders.
The rain water that falls on
your house, lawn or driveway
runs into a nearby lake, river
or stream. This water, like all
the surface water in Hennepin
County, will flow into the Mis-
sissippi River and eventually
into the Gulf of Mexico. Actions
taken to protect or pollute water
will impact the quality of lakes,
rivers or wetlands downstream.
Minneapolis has 4 watersheds:
Bassett Creek, Shingle Creek,
Minnehaha and the Mississippi.
CARAG has two watersheds,
about 2/3 of CARAG drains
into Lake Calhoun as part of the
Minnehaha Watershed with the
other 1/3 drains into the Missis-
sippi Watershed. Every single
item that fits through a street
drain goes into the watershed
cigarette butts included!
In a highly developed area, such
as Uptowns CARAG neigh-
borhood, humans have strongly
impacted the natural water cycle
through building and paving
over natural areas which cre-
ate impervious surfaces. Storm
water management systems
were built to channel rainwater
from city landscapes into near-
by waters (Figure 1). In highly
urbanized systems, water quality
is often directly associated with
water quantity. When it rains in
CARAG water is caught by gut-
ters, hits paved surfaces or falls
on lawns where it picks up excess
fertilizers, toxins from chemicals
in the streets, excess nutrients
from pet waste, cigarette butts
and lawn waste and is rushed
to storm sewers. Within a very
short amount of time, this runoff
enters Lake Calhoun or the Mis-
sissippi River.
Achieving widespread educa-
tion about water and natural
resources is at the core of a suc-
cessful watershed management
plan. Greater knowledge and
awareness leads to adjustments
in personal, corporate and insti-
tutional behaviors and expecta-
tions and ultimately, changes
policy and standard ways of
doing business. Better land use
decisions are a key to protecting
the natural resources, character
and long-term economic health
of our communities.
At a personal level, its what
goes into your streets drain
that counts. Your neighbors
in CARAG are embarking on
a drain stencil project to label
each drain in the neighbor-
hood. Check www.CARAG.
org for details as the stenciling
project continues throughout
this spring and summer. Other
opportunities abound, like the
Minnehaha Watershed clean-
up day happening on June 30
Figure 1. A storm water system in a typical urban neighborhood. (Diagram provided by Melissa Slachetka)
(www. mi nnehahacreek. org/
events/2013-minnehaha-creek-
cleanup).
Today, and every day, you have
an opportunity to enhance your
watershed: pick up a piece of
trash on a public sidewalk or
street. Better to dispose of that
piece of trash the right way rath-
er than swim next to it in Lake
Calhoun.
Stephen Eisenmenger resides in
prestigious West CARAG.
Watershed Protection
By Bruce Cochran
At age 10, Deborah Everson and her girlfriend tried to build their
first treehouse. We couldnt find enough nails, she admits. Eventu-
ally with the help of her brother, who carried the heavy stuff up the
tree, the treehouse got built.
Everson is now owner and lead architect at Domain Architecture
and Design (located at 2748 Hennepin Avenue). Her modest busi-
ness includes new homes, cabins, renovations, additions, custom lofts,
restaurants, offices, multi-family dwellings, LEED AP certified and
LEED Platinum and Gold projects. The firm offers full service, sus-
tainability, well designed projects, is licensed in five states, and is cur-
rently working with a new client in New Zealand.
Cross Pollinating at
Domain architecture
DOMaIN page 11
The current window display at Domain showcases furniture from Roam.
(Photo by Bruce Cochran)
. www.scribd.com/UptownNews
short redhead reel reviews
Rating Legend: (4=Dont miss, 3=Good, 2=Worth a look,
1=Forget it) www.shortredheadreelreviews.com
The angels share
(Nr) (3.5)
When a disillusioned, frustrated,
Scottish ex-con (Paul Brannigan)
finds that he cannot provide for
his girlfriend (Siobhan Reilly)
and newborn son in Glasgow
and that her dad (Lorne Mac-
Fadyen) wants him out of his
daughters life in this delightfully
quirky, bittersweet, entertain-
ing, enjoyable, 101-minute, 2012
Ken Loach comedy, he and three
friends (Gary Maitland, Jasmin
Riggins, and William Ruane)
he met while performing com-
munity service under the eye of
a kindhearted, whiskey-loving
supervisor (John Henshaw) con-
coct a harebrained, risky scheme
to make life-changing cash by
siphoning-off a few bottles of
malt whiskey valued at more
than 1 million at a Highland
distillery during an auction and
selling it to a diehard collector
(Roger Allam).
at any Price (r) (3)
Opens May 10[Sexual content,
including a strong graphic image,
language] A heartbreaking,
somber, down-to-earth, 105 min-
ute film in which an ambitious
Iowa farmer (Dennis Quaid),
who is cheating on his head-
strong, suspecting wife (Kim
Dickens) with a younger blonde
(Heather Graham) and has an
equally ambitious rival (Clancy
Brown), tries to connect with
his racecar-driving, estranged
son (Zac Efron) when his eldest
son leaves the corn business for
Argentina while trying to save
Uptown
May Film
schedule
Listed in order of release date
and subject to change. Please see
www.landmarktheatres.com for
final titles, dates and times.
LagOON CINeMa
1320 Lagoon Ave. 612.823.3020
5/3 Bert Stern:
Original Mad Man
The Reluctant
Fundamentalist
5/10 At Any Price
The Great Gatsby
Something In the Air
5/17 Midnights Children
Sightseers
5/24 The Painting
5/31 Deceptive Practice:
The Mysteries & Mentors
of Ricky Jay
What Maisie Knew
UPTOWN TheaTre
2906 Henn. Ave. 612.392.0402
5/3 Kon-Tiki
5/10 In the House*
5/17 The Iceman
5/24 Frances Ha*
*(Movie will either open
at Uptown or Lagoon)
kenwoods Budget Finalized
All Day Kindergarten Continues
By Nicole Valentine
Kenwood Elementary School Principal Cheryl Martin says it has
been a trying budget season but, in the end, a significant portion of
the cuts proposed for the school has been restored. After two waves of
added funding to offset proposed cuts, Principal Martin was able to
submit her final budget to the School District on time March 29.
In its original proposal, the District would have reduced funds for
the K-5 school by $212,000. This would have meant cutting the band
program, office administrative staff, education assistants in the class-
rooms, the social worker, and even the buildings photocopier. Con-
cerns over building safety and operations caused the schools PTA
and Site Council to send a joint letter to the School Board requesting
additional funding. Also, the PTA hosted District Four School Board
member Josh Reimnitz at an evening meeting March 21 to discuss
the impact of the proposed cuts. PTA Co-President and Lowry Hill
East resident Ann Do said, Josh [Reimnitz] coming to our meeting
was greatly appreciated and we think it was a productive discussion
of the negative impact the cuts, as they were proposed, would have
had on the school. Additionally, many parents sent letters and emails
to School Board members expressing their concerns.
In the end, almost $114,000 dollars were restored for next years bud-
get. While it could have been a lot better, Principal Martin said,
we have all of our needs covered at this time. Some examples of
how the cuts will be felt next year include using a combination part-
time office assistant and part-time secretary to staff the office during
the school day and the loss of two of the buildings four education
assistants.
But there is good news for full-day Kindergarten at Kenwood next
year. For the 10th year in a row, the effort to fund three full-day K
classes through parent and community donations has been a suc-
cess. The annual parent-driven initiative to buy up two half-day
K classes successfully raised the $88,000 needed. The District pro-
vides Kenwood with funding for only one full-day K classroom each
year. Kenwood resident and full-day K campaign co-chair Stephanie
Bell said, We are so grateful for the family and community support
for this initiative year after year. Providing all children at Kenwood
School with a full day of Kindergarten curriculum is a priority for us.
Context is Everything
A late April wet snow graces the arrow fountain sculpture in Mozaic Art
Park on the south side of the Midtown Greenway at Girard Ave. (Photo by
Jeffery Alspaugh)
The UpTowN
Neighborhood News
Is NOW avaILaBLe aT These
seLeCT LOCaTIONs
Bremer Bank
Brueggers Bagels
Bryant square Park
Cheapo records
Chiang Mai Thai
Common roots Cafe
Dunn Bros
(hennepin & 34th)
Dunn Bros
(Lake & Bryant)
Falafel king
Famous Daves BBQ
gigis Caf
health resource Center
hennepin-Lake
Liquors
Isles Bun & Coffee
Its greek to Me
Joyce Food shelf
Joyce United
Methodist Church
kowalskis Market
Magers & Quinn
Lagoon Theatre
Parents automotive
Pizza Luce
rainbow Foods
sebastian Joes
Ice Cream Cafe
southwest senior Center
subway
spyhouse Coffee shop
Uptown Diner
Tea garden
Treetops at Calhoun
vail Place
Walker Place
The Wedge Co-op
yWCa (Uptown)
his business when a disgruntled
farmer (Dan Waller) turns him
in for illegally cleaning geneti-
cally modified seed.
gimme the Loot (r) (2.5)
[Language, drug use, misde-
meanors, attempted felonies]
A low-key, wacky, small-budget,
81-minute film about two tena-
cious, teenage, African-Ameri-
can graffiti artists (Ty Hickson
and Tashiana Washington) who
spend two summer days run-
ning around the Bronx trying
to scrounge up $500 to pull off
a grand graffiti artwork scheme
against rival gang members who
covered up one of their graffiti
works.
The Iceman (r) (3.5)
Opens May 17[Strong violence,
pervasive language, sexual con-
tent] A gritty, dark, intense,
violent, factually based, cameo-
dotted (James Franco, Chris
Evans, David Schwimmer, She-
phen Dorff, and Robert Davi),
93-minute film that follows the
deadly career of cold-blooded,
steely-eyed, hotheaded, Polish
contract killer Richard Kuklinski
(Michael Shannon) in New Jer-
sey, who kept his secret life from
his clueless wife (Winona Ryder)
and two daughters (McKaley
Miller and Megan Sherrill), as he
murdered more than 100 people
after he began working as a hit-
man for a gangster (Ray Liotta)
in April 1964 until his ultimate
arrest in 1986.
Love Is all you Need (r) (3)
[Brief sexuality, nudity, language]
[Partially subtitled] When a
down-on-her-luck Danish beau-
tician (Trine Dyrholm) strug-
gling with recovering from
breast cancer returns home to
find her callous, thoughtless hus-
band (Kim Bodnia) having sex
with a ditsy coworker (Chris-
tiane Schaumburg-Mller) in
this heartwarming, down-to-
earth, romantic chick flick, she
heads alone to a coastal villa in
scenic Italy for the wedding of
her daughter (Molly Blixt Ege-
lind) to her beau of three months
(Sebastian Jessen) and unexpect-
edly finds a connection with a
handsome, anger-filled, wealthy
tier restaurants, cash bar, a raffle,
silent auction and live entertain-
ment. Proceeds from the Soiree
support the outreach activities
and advocacy by the Whittier
Alliance on behalf of the busi-
nesses and residents of the Whit-
tier neighborhood. This event
is open to the public and all are
invited to attend. For more infor-
mation contact Marian Biehn,
Whittier Alliance, 10 E 25th St.
Minneapolis, MN 55404, 612-
871-7756 or marian@whittieral-
liance.org.
Paint the Town!
Lake Street Council, in partner-
ship with Valspar Corporation,
will make free paint available for
commercial projects on the Lake
Street Corridor from now until
October 18 (or up to 100 gallons).
Approximately 8 to 10 projects
will be awarded paint products
based on visual impact, public
benefit, intended use, and ben-
efit to those in need. Projects that
may qualify for a grant include
murals or other visual impact
projects. Projects that do not
qualify include churches, routine
city maintenance, non-perma-
nent structures, or schools (with
the exception of mural projects).
To apply, download application
form (http://lakestreetcoun-
cil.org/assets/uploads/Forms/
Val s par_Free_Pai nt _Bus i -
ness_Form.pdf) and email it to
jwisdom@lakestreetcouncil.org
or drop it off at the Lake Street
Council office in the U.S. Bank
building at 919 East Lake Street.
For more information or ques-
tions, contact Joyce Wisdom at
jwisdom@lakestreetcouncil.org
or 612-822-0232.
Off-Leash Dog Park Update
The Off-Leash Dog Park at Lyn-
dale Farmstead Park will close
temporarily on Wednesday, May
1 for finishing touches. The park
opened on a temporary basis this
January for a preview during
the winter months to accommo-
date pet owners who were look-
ing for a nearby area for their
dogs to run. This opportunity
gave everyone who is eagerly
awaiting the new off-leash space
to get a sneak preview of what
the new park will have to offer.
There is still a significant amount
of work to be done this spring, so
as soon as the snow melts and
the ground thaws, the final con-
struction work and landscaping
will begin. A grand opening is
planned for summer 2013 when
the full park will be completed.
Remember that all rules for off-
leash recreation will apply when
the park reopens and an Off-
Leash Permit is required for all
dogs. Permits can be obtained
by calling customer service 612-
230-6400 or online at www.min-
neapolisparks.org/dogparks. To
learn more about the Lyndale
Farmstead Off-Leash Recreation
Area project in the Sixth Park
District, visit the MPRBs Dog
Park project page at www.min-
neapolisparks.org.
If you have questions about the
dog park, please contact Jennifer
Ringold, Manager of Commu-
nity Engagement and Citywide
Planning Minneapolis Park and
Recreation Board, at 612-230-
6464 or jringold@minneap-
olisparks.org.
NOTaBLes from 8
revIeWs page 11
10
11 . www.scribd.com/UptownNews
Commercial classifed ad sales are $15.00 for up to 20 words. All ads must
be prepAID. Send ad copy to Susan Hagler (susanhagler13@gmail.com or
612.825.7780) by the 15th of the month. payment can be mailed to Uptown
neighborhood news at 3612 Bryant Ave. S., Minneapolis, Mn 55409.
classifieds
For plans and depictions about
this project: www.minneapolis-
mn.gov/bicycles/projects/36th_
St_West
Neighborhood Priority Plan
Neighborhood Priority Plan
background information: The
ECCO Board budgeted $8,990.14
of its CPP funds to be reserved
for a Neighborhood Priority
Plan (NPP). A committee was
formed in June 2012 to explore
ideas for NPP. Ideas were solic-
ited from residents via Uptown
Neighborhood News (UNN)
and monthly e-newsletter and
at ECCO Board meetings. Ideas
were evaluated and three ideas
were offered for a neighborhood-
wide vote (via postcard mailed to
all residents, online survey, or in
person at October Annual Meet-
ing). Result: 36th Street Bikeway
was voted as the preferred NPP
project.
The ECCO Board approved
a motion (vote: 8-1) to allocate
$8,990.14 of budgeted NPP
funds to the 36th Street Bike-
way project with a request that
Public Works reports back to
the ECCO Board on resolution
of issues and concerns before the
design is finalized.
Neighborhood Watch signs
The ECCO Board has been dis-
cussing the possible removal of
Neighborhood Watch sign on the
neighborhood boundaries. The
Uptown Neighborhood News
(April 2013) printed an article
written by Glen Christianson
with background information
about the signs and asking for
community input on the pos-
sible removal of the signs. Infor-
mation was also included in the
April e-newsletter. Six residents
provided feedback (3 votes to
remove, 1 vote to remove but at
no expense to the neighborhood
and 2 votes to keep the signs in
place). Chelsea Adams, Crime
Prevention Specialist, provided
a study that concluded that the
signs can produce unintended
consequences such as increased
fear of crime and decreased per-
ceptions of neighborhood safe-
ty.
The board approved a motion
to remove the signs using
NRP funds not to exceed $540
(vote was 6 yea, 2 oppose and 1
abstain).
Presidents report
Nice Ride station will be
installed at Dunn Bros on 34th
Street and Hennepin Avenue.
Thank you to Dunn Bros
owner Sanjeev Azad for agree-
ing to host the station.
New owners recently pur-
chased the vacant property at
3401 Irving Avenue.
Earth Day Clean Up is April
20, 9:30am Noon. Meet at
the Gateway Park on East Cal-
houn Parkway at Lake Street.
Volunteers needed.
Meeting adjourned at 9:03pm.
Next meeting is Thursday, May
2, 7:00pm at St. Marys Greek
Orthodox Church.
eCCO from 10
Owner Sina War relaxes in her new Uptown Vapor Shoppe, now open
at 2817 Hennepin Ave. The store specializes in the relatively new smokeless
e-cigarette. Until the FDA makes a decision on the product, which emits only
nicotine vapornot tobacco smoke, the City of Minneapolis has not banned
them indoors. (Photo by Bruce Cochran)
No Smoking?
embrace the work of high per-
forming charter schools that
are getting results for students,
particularly black and brown
students. Standout charter pro-
grams like Hiawatha Leader-
ship Academies and Mastery
School play a vital role in our
work. Their performance is our
potential.
We are proud to work closely
with successful charter schools,
whether we are learning from
their classroom models, col-
laborating on next-generation
programs or providing facilities
for student learning. Recently,
our Board of Education voted to
sell our closed Northrop School
building to Hiawatha Leader-
ship Academies, in line with our
commitment to work with and
learn from schools that are gen-
erating strong results for stu-
dents of color.
Our aim is to reinvent the school
district, adding what it takes to
accelerate student achievement
and discarding functions that do
not. A big part of my role will
be to ensure our central office
provides the support our schools
need. Finally, I know that I can-
not succeed without listening
carefully to the needs of schools,
students and their parents.
We have to do things right to
get the results we care about.
But we cannot wait for things
to be perfect to act. The world
will not wait, and the urgency
for our students occurs now, not
later.
1986 through 2013 by Wendy
Schadewald. The preceding films were
widower (Pierce Brosnan).
reviewed by Wendy Schadewald, who
has been a Twin Cities film critic since
1986. To see more of her film reviews
see www.shortredheadreelreviews.com
JOhNsON from 2 revIeWs from 9
Domain has been in operation since 2000, but like many of todays
businesses, its challenged by the current state of the economy. So this
year, Everson decided to go beyond the obligatory like us of social
media.
Since she has a prized store-front right on one of the busiest streets
in Uptown, Eversons offered up her window-space. This trade lets
other local businesses use her window space to showcase their own
specialties and draws new attention to Doman. Everson calls it cross
pollinating. Her Uptown partners so far are Design Within Reach,
Exit Realty, Kinhdo, PC Doodle and Roat Osha. The current win-
dow display showcases eye candy furniture from Roam, including a
modern chair and green dog statue. The kids dont really see the
chairbut just love that dog, says Everson.
The outreach idea originated in 2002, as Claire Thometz, a teacher
from Grace Neighborhood Nursery School (located just behind the
building) approached Everson about an education exercise in archi-
tecture. The preschoolers visit Everson at Domain for a short discus-
sion and drawing exercise in designing your own dream home. The
day before the field trip Thometz explains that she takes the kids on
a walking tour of the neighborhood to familiarize them with their
environment. Dont ever underestimate the ideas of a four-year-
old, explains Thometz. This is their chance to interact with and
visualize their environment. It opens a window to the next level of
thinking.
That idea is now an annual tradition. Its in the 11th year, and the
short field trip to Domain helps Everson not only market her busi-
ness, but give back to the community.
Bruce Cochran is Art Director and in charge of Production for the Uptown
Neighborhood News and lives in CARAG.
Grace Preschooler, Charlie (left) ponders the question What does your
dream home look like? posed by Everson (right). (Photo by Bruce Cochran)
DOMaIN from 7
1