Photo: Courtesy of Marne Zafar

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Spring Quarterly 2015

Crafts Arts Dance Music Food Theatre Services Community

SPOKES +
Cycles for Change
Seward Bikes On!

Bee-ing Good

Sweet Inspiration

Planting for Pollinators

The Beauty of Raingardens

Signs of Seward

Where have you been?

Whats Up?

Happenings & Events

Read why Seward
is the place folks
talk about, visit &
want to live in!

Volume 2, Issue 10 2015

Published by
The Seward Neighborhood Group
Minneapolis, MN 55406

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S e w ar d N e

The Seward Profile, a quarterly publication

of the Seward Neighborhood Group (SNG),
strives to keep neighborhood residents,
businesses, property owners and organizations
informed of what's happening in Seward
and assist SNG in building and sustaining
a strong, diverse, and vibrant community.
As a typical Seward endeavor, the Profile
relies on volunteers to plan each issue,
create copy, sell ads, and prepare the
printed edition for mailing. We welcome
your suggestions and would welcome your
time and energy even more.

To get involved, contact us at

profile@sng.org or Seward Profile, 2323
E. Franklin Avenue, Minneapolis, 55406.

Upcoming Issues and Deadlines:

Upcoming Issue and Deadline
Summer Issue 2015
Copy and ad deadline:
May 11, 2015
In homes and businesses:
May 29 - June 2, 2015

If you or someone you know would like a

written translation of the Profile Quarterly,
please contact profile@sng.org or call
612-338-6205.
Editors & Staff Writers, and Volunteers:

Diann A., Bruce J., Kate S.

Design: Marne Z.
e-mail:profile@SNG.org
Printer: Print Craft

For information on everything Seward,

find us at www.sng.org

Its Back!

Garage Sale Days have become a

May tradition in Seward. Some folks are eager to move unused articles
from their closets and cupboards and into someone elses home. Others
are looking for bargains and treasures while others simply want a good
excuse to stroll outside after a long, hard winter. The Seward Garage
Sale Days are coming up! Friday May 15th and Saturday May 16th
will be the official dates. Seward Neighborhood Group has put together a map of the
participating houses and advertises the event. This is a great opportunity for some
spring cleaning and neighborhood fun!
Registration is $18 and gets you on the official map
that is advertised widely. If youre interested in being
a part of the sale, please register here by May 8th:
http://goo.gl/forms/4QiOYo01YP

Save the Date - SEPTEMBER, 19th!

Every late Summer, Seward neighborhood celebrates a much anticipated

festival at Matthews Park known as "King's Fair." This eclectic family-friendly
event features home-grown musical talent and entertainment, tasty food by local
restaurants, pet judging, artwork by our creative community, interesting history
about our neighborhood, and plenty of fun activities organized by our local
businesses and neighbors. For more information, contact Kerry at 612-338-6295,
ext. 119 or kerry@sng.org.

Seward

SPREAD

Fund!

Seward SPREAD JOY Fund: Winner Announcement

At the Seward Neighborhood Group Board meeting in January, the first Seward
Spread Joy Fund award winner was drawn by chance from the nine qualifying
entries for 2014. Sonja Casey will use the support she received from the SSJF
to work as a volunteer Spanish/English interpreter in Quiroga, Bolivia this March.
She will be traveling with a non-profit organization MELA (Medical Educators for
Latin America) and will be working to open a health center with another non-profit
Mano a Mano. Mano a Mano is a non-profit that opens clinics in rural Bolivia to
serve their communities. In addition, her award will allow her to fulfill her dream
of climbing the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru with a few colleagues. The
SSJF awards a grant of up to $1,000 each year to a Seward resident who yearns
to do something that is just beyond their budget. The winner of the 2015 award
will be drawn at the SNG annual meeting next November. Applications will be due
this fall. For additional information, contact SNG at info@sng.org.

GOOD for Biking, GREAT for you!

bike-walk-connect

SPOKES

by Sheldon Mains,
SPOKES founding director

cycles
for
change

On January 1, we had a big change: SPOKES merged with Cycles for Change,
a community bike center headquartered in St. Paul. The two community bike
centers have very similar programs. Also, Cycles for Change provided fantastic
support to SPOKES when it was starting two and a half years ago. We will keep
SPOKES great staff, location, programs, and hours. However, the merger means
that we will no longer be a program of the Seward Neighborhood Group. We will
miss SNG; SNG has been unbelievable in its support of SPOKES in its first two
and a half years. (THANK YOU, SNG!)

SPOKES is actually merging with an old friend. There has been a long history of collaboration between SPOKES and Cycles for Change (as long as that a two and a half year old
program can have):

Most of SPOKES programs and policies were designed using Cycles for Changes
programs as a template.
For its first year, SPOKES contracted with Cycles for Change to provide staff
support for the Learn-to-Ride program and Open Shop.
SPOKES has been a branch of Cycles for Changes Community Partners Bike
Library Program for the last two years.

In addition, SPOKES is joining with a couple old friends: Cycles for Changes current
Executive Director (Jason Tanzman) and current board president (Katya Pilling) were the
two people responsible for the original idea of starting a community bike center in Seward.
Katya also wrote the grant application that funded the start-up of SPOKES.

For Seward Neighborhood Group, this change frees up capacity to start other new and
creative activities. And even though we are no longer a program of SNG, SPOKES will
continue to partner with SNG on activities in the neighborhood.

WINTER 2015 - SPRING 2015 HOURS AT SPOKES

SPOKES + Cycles for Change

Cycles for Change Calendar for SPOKES location

WINTER 2015 Public Hours

Open Shop
- Wednesdays 5 - 9pm
- Saturdays 1 -5 pm
Grease Rag Women & Trans Open Shop
- 2nd & 4th Mondays, 7 - 9pm
The Hub @ SPOKES
- Wednesdays 5 - 9pm
- Saturdays 10am -5 pm
Volunteer Night
- Thursdays 5 - 9pm

** SPRING HOURS START MARCH 29th

Open Shop
- Wednesdays 5 - 9pm
- Saturdays 1 - 5pm
Grease Rag Women & Trans Open Shop
- 2nd & 4th Mondays, 7 - 9pm
The Hub @ SPOKES
- Wednesdays 5 - 9pm
- Saturdays 10am - 5pm
- Sundays Noon - 6pm
Volunteer Shop
- Sundays Noon to 4pm

Classes & Events

Ride to May Day Parade - Sunday May 3rd

Minneapolis Bike Week is May 11th-15th!
Stay tuned for spring Bike Tune Up classes!
Earn a Bike Classes
- Saturdays in March 9am-12pm
- Tuesdays in May 6pm-9pm
Adult and Teen Learn-to-Ride classes start
in April or May (weather dependent) email
To register or for more information email us
at info@spokesconnect.org

SPOKES + Cycles for Change

1915 E 22nd St
Minneapolis, MN 55406
Shop phone: 612-787-7433
info@spokesconnect.org

For Cycles for Change and SPOKES, the benefits include:

SPOKES will be part of a larger organization that has a board and staff who are
all about getting more people biking.
Cycles for Change has some exciting youth programs that will expand to the
SPOKES location.
With locations on both sides of the river, Cycles for Change and SPOKES can
work together to become a regional voice in bike advocacy.
SPOKES has an established record of working with the East African Community.
Cycles for Change has an established record of working with the Latino/Latina
community.
SPOKES Adult Learn-to-Ride program (initially based on curriculum developed
by Cycles for Change) will expand to serve more people who have never learned
to ride a bike.
Volunteers from both organizations will have even more choices of ways and
when to volunteer.
Cycles for Change and SPOKES will be able to share each others experience,
expertise and enthusiasm.

With this merger, both organizations will be able to be even more effective in our work of
building a diverse and empowered community of bicyclists in the Twin Cities.

Get Sustenance. Be Sustained.

by Phil Stoltzfus

Come to the Seward Neighborhood Sustainability Fair! Our 4th annual

fair will be coming up on Saturday, Aprill 11th, 11:00 am - 3:30 pm,
at Faith Mennonite Church, 2720 East 22nd Street, Minneapolis. This
is a casual drop-in event that is designed to provide an opportunity for
education on local environmental issues and projects, and offer practial
skills to enhance household and neighborhood sustainability. Drop by
for free electronics and small applicance recycling, bike tune-ups and
used/broken bike donation, used clothing and used toy exchange,
household more-with-less activities and products, activitites for children,
seed swap, free food, free coffee, info on alternative transportation,
alternative energy, urban gardening, and sustainability organizations.
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

Photos: Courtesy of
Faith Mennonite

Sponsored by Faith Mennonite Church, Seward Neighborhood Group, the

Community of Saint Martin and the Mennonite Worker. For more information
and to reserve a spot if you would like to present at the fair, contact Phil
Stoltzfus, 612-375-9483 or email minstaff@faithmennonite.org.

Seward Montessori Plant Sale

Believe it or not, Spring is coming! One of the best ways to get a jump
on springtime is to start planning your garden now. This year, why
not order your plants from Seward Montessori School? That's right
every year the Seward Montessori PTA hosts a plant sale fundraiser
right here in the neighborhood. Now, its easier than ever for neighborhood residents to participate in this event by visiting the online
shop (sewardplantsale.org)! You will find a varied selection of native
plants, annuals, perennials, strawberries, vegetables, and herbs.
Beautiful hanging baskets, Mother Earth Gardens gift cards, and
t-shirts, are also a part of the mix.

Here is how it works: The plant sale officially kicks off on Friday,
February 27. You can order and pay online (sewardplantsale.org);
or pick up an order form in the school office (2309 28th Ave S).
Just be sure to submit your order (online or in the school office)
before Friday, March 20. Then, just sit back, think spring, and let
Seward Montessori do the rest! Your plants will arrive and be ready
for you to pick them up in the school gym on May 7 and 8 - just in
time for Mothers Day!

Spread the word and share the link! This is a great way to satisfy
your green thumb while supporting a neighborhood school! Seward
Montessori is a public K-8 school. Funds raised support after school
programs, band instruction, sports teams, field trips, books, and
classroom materials.

Discover all
that is Seward at
www.sng.org

Bee Friendly

by Khiara Foss

While some Seward yards have a good

population of bees and native pollinators, other neighbors express concern
about seeing so few bees. Beekeepers
and researchers around the state are
finding reduced numbers of native
pollinators as well as fewer honey bees.
So why are people concerned?

Bees are an integral part of the food

system, and an essential contributing factor to biodiversity. The
common honeybee is responsible for pollinating from 30 to 80% of
our food supply. But bee populations are rapidly declining, and many
people remain unaware as to exactly how great an impact this will have
on daily life. Seventy out of the hundred most prevalent food crops that provide about 90% of the worlds
nutrition are pollinated by honeybees.

The most common theory currently for the decline of bees is that a class of insecticides called neonicotinoids
are damaging pollinators' neurological and immune systems, impairing their ability to navigate and their resistance to diseases and other environmental stresses. Neonicotinoids are systemic poisons; applied to soil, seeds,
or any part of a plant, they integrate into the whole plant. This, in turn, means that they are found in the nectar
and pollen of the flowers that bees feed on.

These pesticides have a cumulative effect, building up in the hive and in the systems of the bees. Generally, the
bees are not killed outright, but their natural patterns are altered to the point where they can no longer maintain
the hive. And, because many different varieties of pesticides are used on plants, bees bring the toxins into the
hive where they are consumed by workers, queen, and larvae. The way that various chemicals interact has been
studied very little, and they could possibly be even more toxic in combination.

Another factor believed to contribute to high bee mortality is the way the U.S. food system is structured.
While many grains are wind pollinated or self-pollinating, most fruits and vegetables require insect pollinators
to reproduce. Most of the food in the US is grown using mono-cropping, a technique by which a single food crop
is grown in massive quantities. The hives of bees are transported from site to site for pollination as the plants
bloom. This leads to a feast and famine cycle for the bees, as well as to nutritional deficiencies, which slowly
weaken the immune systems of the individual bees, as well as the hive overall.

Seward Blood Drive

On Tuesday, March 17th, Garland's Inc.

and Welna II Hardware will sponsor an
American Red Cross blood drive. The
drive will be held at Garlands's, 2501
26th Avenue from 8:30am to 2:30pm.
Parking available in front of building.
To make an appointment to donate,
either call 1-800-733-2767 FREE or
go online towww.redcrossblood.org
and enter the sponsor code:
Garland's (case sensitive).
Appointments are preferred; walk-ins
are welcome. A photo ID is required.

Donors will receive a coupon for a

free pint of paint at Welna II Hardware.
"Give a pint, get a pint."
Culvers coupon will also be given.
Questions?
Call Denise Lucier, 612-276-7228 or
Sue Welna, 612-280-4500.

Donor Health Line:

1-866-236-3276
(FREE Call with any questions you may
have about donating blood).

Beekeepers now commonly lose anywhere from a third, to three fourths of their hives in a single winter. Major
losses such as this are difficult to recover from.

Thankfully, many states and municipalities are making legislative and educational efforts to protect honeybee
populations. Minnesota has taken steps to legalize residential beekeeping, as well as to require that beekeepers be compensated for hive loss due to pesticides, and that sellers of plants provide
certification that any plants labeled bee friendly really are.

A variety of organizations in the Twin Cities are lobbying for the benefit of the bees. One
of these organizations, Beez Kneez, is located in the Seward Neighborhood. Beez Kneez
provides educational workshops at community sites and opens their honey house on
Saturdays. Beez Kneez staff and volunteers demonstrate the process of extracting honey
and sell honey products. The University of Minnesota Bee Lab and their Bee Squad
program is offering advice and education to commercial bee keepers and providing assistance to homeowners
who want to host bee hives in their yards. Many other Minnesota groups are working with Beez Kneez to lobby
for bee-protective legislation, promote reduction of pesticides, and educate neighbors about planting bee friendly
flowers.

The Pesticide Action Network (PAN), a national organization, specifically addresses the flaws within our food
system by examining the root of the problem, our use of pesticides. PAN aims to inform the general public as
to just how prevalent many pesticides are. Neonicotinoids are found just about everywhere, and are incredibly
persistent, remaining in the environment for anywhere from a few months to several years. Neonicotinoids are
also applied as a prophylactic seed treatment, meaning that the seeds and seedlings are sold pre-treated to
consumers, as a theoretical safeguard against potential pests.

One of the most important things an individual can do to help the bees is to provide bee friendly spaces, with
untreated flowers that are highly attractive to bees. Be informed and ask questions when choosing plants from
the nursery. Many resources are available, from phone apps such as Bee Smart to local master gardeners; or,
point your browser to pana.org (the Pesticide Action Network website). Another great site is beyondpesticides.com.

Many thanks to Erin Knapp from the Beez Kneez, and to Lex Horan of Pesticide Action Network, for the valuable
information they contributed to this article.

Whats that Sign?

by Bruce Johanson

by Marianne Badar Ohman, 2015 Housing Fair Manager

The 12th Annual South Minneapolis Housing

Fair will be held April 18, from 10am 3pm,
at the Minneapolis Sports Center at the
Midtown YWCA, 2121 East Lake Street.

In addition to local high-quality building, remodeling

and landscaping contractors, there are booths with
experts on gardening from the University of MN and
Ask an Expert from the city of Minneapolis who will
answer your questions on everything from building
codes, solid waste and graffiti removal.

Photos: Bruc
e Johanson

People are drawn to Seward in part because of the wide

array of independently owned businesses. Their signs
reflect the cultural diversity and add to the visual vibrancy
of the neighborhood. Here's a small sample.
How many of these businesses have you visited?

New this year is a booth from TechDump, where

you can bring your electronic devices for recycling.

How-to sessions are being offered every half hour

on a variety of home improvement topics including;
kitchen remodeling, patios, landscaping, air conditioning for homes with radiators, and many more.

Directories will be available at your local South

Minneapolis Neighborhood Organization offices.
Look for posters and directories at local businesses.

Discover all that is Seward atwww.sng.org

Planting for Pollinators:

How Raingardens Can Help

by Aleli Balagtas

In a world without bees, your next plate of food would have

considerably less variety. By some estimates, one of every three
bites of food we take depends on pollinators like bees. Pollinators
are the small creaturesamong them bees, butterflies and hummingbirds that carry pollen from plant to plant as they forage,
unknowingly performing an important step in the production of
fruits and seeds.

In recent years, we have observed severe declines in various pollinator

populations. Honey bees are a key example. According to the USDA,
beekeepers lost an average of one-third of their colonies every winter
from 2006 to 2011. In the last couple of decades, the monarch butterfly
population has declined 90 percent in North America.

This is worrisome. Consider the following: more than 80 percent of

plants depend on pollinators for survival. In this country alone, bees
and other insect pollinators contribute more than $24 billion a year to
the economy.

Why are pollinators disappearing? A leading cause is lost habitat. Quite

simply, many pollinators no longer have the food and other resources they
need to survive. They are also vulnerable to pesticides, in ways that are
currently being studied.

While this problem exists globally, we can act on a personal level to help
solve the problem. Our gardening practices can create urban habitats
that attract and sustain pollinators. Choosing native plants is a step in
the right direction: pollinators and plants that evolved in the same areas
generally benefit one another. For example, milkweed attracts bees and
butterflies. To reproduce, monarch butterflies actually need milkweed
because it is the only plant their caterpillars eat. Practices on this scale
can establish pollinators in our own backyards.

Which brings us to raingardens, one of our favorite topics. Metro

Blooms teaches people how to plant raingardens as part of our mission
to promote gardening, beautify the community, and help heal the
environment. These shallow depressions, planted with native vegetation,
allow stormwater to be cleaned naturally as it soaks into the ground,
diverting polluted runoff from our waterways.

Creating raingardens that are also habitats for native pollinators is, quite
simply, smart design. The raingardens help clean and preserve natural
bodies of water and function as habitats for bees, butterflies, and other
insects and small animals that pollinate. In turn, the pollinators, just
by doing what they do, help the raingardens thrive so they can work
efficiently to clean our water.

Learn more at one of our eco-friendly raingarden workshops. This year

we will offer lots of information on designing raingardens for pollinators:
metroblooms.org/workshops.php
Aleli Balagtas is a freelance writer interested in gardening ecologically.

SCCA is a nonprofit association with membership

made up of businesses located in Seward, and
has grown to over 90 members.

Join Us and Grow Your Business

http://www.sewardbusiness.org/membership/

Check out Seward's other "virtual" properties at: http://goo.gl/Xa6AR

Join today at: http://bit.ly/sewardforum

Keep up with neighborhood events, meetings, and issues at The Forum.

Conference Facilitator Training, May 1 - 3, 2015

Attend a fun and powerful training that equips you with the skills to
facilitate restorative conferences with youth who have committed minor offense,
such as shoplifting and theft. All conferences are co-facilitated, and we will
team you up with a more experienced facilitator at first. Conferences are
coordinated with YOUR schedule! Facilitator training is offered two times per year.
Contact Michele Braley at 612-338-6205 x108 or michele@sng.org for more information
about the training and a registration form or to inquire about other ways to get involved.

Have an interest in environmental issues? Then, you might want

to consider the SNG Environment Committee. The committee met
in January to define its focus for 2015 and there are numerous
opportunities for you to be involved:
Create Seward-specific resources on transit, energy upgrade and
waste management options to share at neighborhood events
Encourage more folks to receive a reduced-price energy audit
Connect neighbors to grant money for upgrading really old
gravity-fed furnaces
Listen to guest speakers at committee meetings
Understand what a Community Solar Garden project
means for Seward ... and much more!
If any (or all!) of the above interests you, please email or
call the Environment Committee's co-chairs Mike Trdan
(mnmichaelrecycle@gmail.com) and Alexis Troschinetz
(alexis.manda@gmail.com or 763-213-2932) to be added
to the committee's contact list so that you can be notified
of meetings and activities. The next two committee meetings
will be held on Mondays March 9 and May 11 from
7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Matthews Center.

S e w ar d N e

Seward Neighborhood Group

2323 E. Franklin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55406

o
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at the Seward Neighborhood Online Forum!

Seward Longfellow Restorative Justice Partnership:

Lend a Helping Hand. Be Environmentally Involved!

up

Join your Neighbors Online

Discover all
that is Seward at
www.sng.org

Earth Day Clean-Up:

Lets Keep our Planet

Clean and Healthy

April 25th, 9:30 am 12:00 noon

at 24th St. and West River Road. Sponsored by
the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation.