2020 Census Updates from the U.S. Census Bureau

Important information to know from the U.S. Census Bureau:

Census takers are now working across all areas of Minnesota to visit households that have not yet responded to the 2020 Census from now through September 30.  

Door-to-Door Visits Begin Nationwide for 2020 Census  

NOTE:  The Census Bureau will follow up with some households by phone.

How to identify census takers?  

• Census takers wear a valid government ID badge with their photograph, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark, and an expiration date on the badge  
• Census takers will also have official U.S. Census Bureau phones  
• To confirm a census taker’s identity, the public in Minnesota may contact the Chicago Region Census Center:  312-579-1500  

Under Title 13 federal law, census taker work is confidential, to protect the privacy of households responding to the census - so news media are NOT allowed to follow census takers at work.  

Why is it important to respond to the 2020 Census?  

A complete and accurate count of each community ensures that community receives its fair share of representation in Congress and the state legislature and its fair share of billions in federal funds distributed each year to state and local communities for many programs, such as emergency response services, hospitals and clinics, schools, job training, roads, highways and more. Census data is important for decisions by businesses, nonprofits and all levels of government.

Who will census takers be visiting?  

Households that have not yet responded.  

2020 Census response rates are updated daily on this interactive map: 2020Census.gov/response-rates  

The majority of households have already responded. In Minnesota, 72.6% have responded – about 1.9 million households. That means about one in four households will need census taker visits.

Can you still respond in your own to the 2020 Census?  

Yes - Those that respond on their own will not need to be visited to obtain their census response. 

Please share these ways for responding to the 2020 Census – thanks!   

• Online – visit 2020Census.gov   
• Phone – call 844-330-2020 – phone lines are open 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. Central – seven days a week 
• If a census taker visits your home or calls you, please answer their questions. 
• The Census Bureau is also sending emails to low-responding blocks. The email is sent from 2020Census@subscription.census.gov. Please respond.  
• For non-English language support: 2020Census.gov/languages.  

More info on census takers:  2020Census.gov/census-takers  

What can households expect when a census taker visits?  

• In most cases, census workers will make up to six attempts at each housing unit address to count possible residents. This includes leaving notification of the attempted visit on the door. The notification will include reminder information on how to respond online, by paper or by phone. In addition, census workers may try to reach the household by phone to conduct the interview. 
• Census takers will go to great lengths to ensure that no one is missed in the census. After exhausting their efforts to do an in-person interview with a resident of an occupied housing unit, they will seek out proxy sources — a neighbor, a rental agent, a building manager or some other knowledgeable person familiar with the housing unit — to obtain as much basic information about the occupants as they can. 
• Census takers are hired from local communities. All census takers speak English, and many are bilingual. If a census taker does not speak the householder’s language, the household may request a return visit from a census taker who does. Census takers will also have materials on hand to help identify the household’s language. 

Following local public health guidelines  

Census takers have completed training on social distancing and safety protocols, will follow local public health guidelines, and will be required to wear a face mask when conducting follow-up visits. 

On Aug. 6, the Census Bureau and Centers for Disease Control issued a joint statement stating: 

Participation in 2020 Census interviews should present a low risk of transmission of COVID-19. Census takers are trained to rigorously and universally follow these CDC recommendations to mitigate risk of transmission: 

• Wearing of face masks. 
• Maintaining social distance of 6 ft. or more. 
• Practicing hand hygiene. 
• Not entering homes, and conducting interviews outside as much as possible or practical.  

Census Takers Contacting Some Households By Phone  

In order to minimize the need to send census takers to households in person, the Census Bureau is training census takers to follow up with households by phone. Using information provided to the Census Bureau and third-party purchased data, the Census Bureau has a strong contact list for both landlines and cellphones assigned to houses on the Census Bureau’s address list. These phone calls will enable the Census Bureau to have maximum flexibility for conducting field operations, and is one more method that census takers can use to reach nonresponding households. Phone calls will be used on an as-needed basis and when in-person contact attempts have not resulted in an interview. If a voicemail is available, the census taker will leave a message asking the household to call one of the Census Bureau’s call centers. 

About the 2020 Census - The U.S. Constitution mandates a census of the population every 10 years. The goal of the 2020 Census is to count everyone who lives in the United States on April 1, 2020 (Census Day).  

Sunrise on the Mississippi Invitation from Minneapolis Parks Foundation

Sunrise on the Mississippi: Rising to the Occasion in 2020

For five years, 300 Twin Cities community leaders have come together along the riverfront to champion parks that transform human life. This year, the Minneapolis Parks Foundation invites you to rise to a new occasion.

Join them for this ZOOM-in on newly-opening RiverFirst projects – Great Northern Greenway Overlook and Water Works – that are restoring a relationship between people and communities and the Mississippi River.

Thursday, September 10, 2020, 8 am – 9 am

Stories Featuring:

The Sioux Chef - Juxtaposition Arts - Damon Farber Landscape Architects - Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board

Please RSVP by August 31 to cmoir@mplsparksfoundation.org or 612-354-7513 to receive Zoom link and password.

The Largest Flour Mill in the World

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

For 100 years starting in the 1850s, Minneapolis truly earned the nickname “Mill City.” We were a leading producer of lumber and flour, we had the most mills, and we built the largest mills in human history. At the peak of the flour milling industry in the city, we were known as the flour milling capitol of the entire world, and the biggest mill in the world at the time was the Pillsbury A-Mill.

1885 photo of the A-Mill taken from Hennepin Island

The first Pillsbury to come to the area was John Sargent Pillsbury, who would later become Minnesota’s eighth governor. He left New Hampshire for St. Anthony in 1855 and opened a hardware store. After not having the most success in the hardware business, he wrote back home in 1869 and requested that his nephew Charles Alfred Pillsbury join him in St. Anthony. Later that year on June 4th, Charles purchased a run-down mill for $10,000, or over $194,000 after inflation, that was producing 200 barrels of flour a day. Two years later, he bought the Alaska Mill, which he leased the year prior, and the C.A. Pillsbury & Company was born.

Even though the Pillsburys had no flour milling experience, they quickly caught on and made great advancements to the industry. Charles first made improvements to a device called a middlings purifier that cleaned and graded the middlings, the product of flour milling that is not flour, from the cracked wheat. This resulted in a higher food value in the wheat berry that is ground into flour. For the following decade, the Pillsbury Company would continue to improve and grow their brand of “Best” flour.

Image of a Pillsbury ad from the late 1880s

In 1879, Gov. John S. Pillsbury announced his company was going build a new, state-of-the-art flour mill that would be the largest in the world. The Pillsbury's hired local architect Leroy Buffington, who is also known as the father of modern-day skyscrapers. Unfortunately for the Pillsbury’s, Buffington was not a fan of industrial engineers, so when they consulted about the design, he barely gave them the time of day. Buffington wanted his mill to look grand and beautiful and stick out along the riverfront. What Buffington didn’t take into consideration when ignoring the industrial engineers was that the machinery in the building would be constantly running. The machines are powered by the river and you can’t turn off the river, so you can’t turn off the machines. After five or so years of constant grinding, the building literally started shaking itself apart, even with its eight-and-a-half-feet thick foundation walls. Concrete buttresses and thick metal cables were used to synch up the building, and they were in use until the latest renovations in 2013.

The “A” in A-Mill meant that it was the Pillsbury Company’s largest mill, but it also beat out its competitor across the Mississippi River, the Washburn A-Mill, to become the largest flour mill in the world. The mill immediately began producing 4,000 barrels of flour a day, and once the entire building was up-and-running, the mill produced 7,200 barrels of flour a day during a time with 500 barrels was considered a lot. During the next decade and a half, the Pillsbury Company continued to improve their facilities and production, and shortly after 1905, the mill would top out at 17,500 barrels a day!

In 1975, the A-Mill began to be phased out of operation but continued as a mill until 2003. Developer Shafer Richardson purchased the property, and in 2006 they proposed plans to renovate the mill, rebrand to East Bank Mills, and expand the campus into high-end loft-style condominiums. The 2008 financial crisis ended that vision for the development company, and in 2013, local developer Dominium bought the complex, renovated it, and turned it into affordable lofts for artists. The finishing touch on the Dominium renovation was to restore and update the A-Mill’s original 2,400 horse-power water turbine that powered the mill. Once that was complete, the building was producing 75% of its own electricity. The total cost for the project was $175 million.

Present day A-Mill Artist Lofts, with Mill & Main to the right. 

While the vast majority of flour mills have been razed and replaced with housing and park land, we Minneapolitan’s are very fortunate that milling complexes like the Pillsbury A-Mill have stuck around. Once the largest flour mill in the world, the iconic Pillsbury A-Mill continues to make a positive impact in Minneapolis by housing talented artists and providing opportunities for them to showcase their works in the Mill City. 

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About Michael Rainville, Jr.

A 6th generation Minneapolitan, Michael Rainville Jr. received his B.A. in History from the University of St. Thomas, and is currently enrolled in their M.A. in Art History and Certificate in Museum Studies programs. Michael is also a historic interpreter and guide at Historic Fort Snelling at Bdote and a lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 7+ years. Contact: mrainvillejr@comcast.net. Click here for an interactive map of Michael's past articles.

Who’s a Good Neighbor? Here Are Two You Should Know!

Article by Becky Fillinger

Mill City Times is assisting non-profit Be That Neighbor in recognizing the good neighbors among us. We asked for nominations of ‘Good Neighbors’ a few weeks ago and were pleasantly surprised when two neighbors nominated each other!

Pat Jenkinson and Barb Babekuhl live in the sleepy community of Columbia Heights, a first ring suburb of Minneapolis. In this diverse city, their local neighborhood is a cluster of 65 townhomes that borders Sullivan Lake and its walking path. Until recently the townhome community really didn’t open its arms to the rest of the neighborhood. That’s until Pat and Barb got involved.

Pat Jenkinson (right) and Barb Babekuhl (left)

It started small with Pat and another friend Michelle forming a small neighborhood social group, which grew into the neighborhood watch committee, which grew into thinking bigger on how to gather neighbors in a common cause of helping the environment through organic composting. Last year this group of neighbors received awards from the City of Columbia Heights on its outstanding recycling efforts, with Barb receiving the Anoka County Recycling Champion Award.

Fast forward to Spring 2020. COVID-19 didn’t stop the momentum of Pat and Barb - it actually fueled them to recruit additional neighbors to be more involved. Pat and Barb spent their COVID-19 stay at home days beautifying a neighborhood area that had become overrun with volunteer trees and weeds, and created a pollinator area near the walking path. Through their action the townhome community opened itself up to more neighbors, walkers around the lake and visitors to the community. What blossomed was more than flowers - neighbors started talking to each other more, stopping to admire the beauty the ladies were creating, taking pictures and sharing to social media. One neighbor stops every few days and sends her pictures all the way to relatives in China! Neighbors wanted to become involved and began to donate plants, seeds, painted rocks, chalk, mosaics tiles and trinkets.

To help spread the message of the pollinator garden and positivity, Barb and Pat recruited young neighborhood children to help create a border that shared positive messages. The children, along with Pat and Barb, started to do chalk art on the sidewalk every few days to keep the community engaged and encourage positivity during the past few months. The pollinator area became a neighborhood project that has brought a community together. During Pride Days in Columbia Heights, they handed out windmills to people walking around the lake to spread the message of Love your Neighbor.

Barb and Pat spend countless hours beautifying their neighborhood. They engaged all the neighbors to not only participate, but be exemplary neighbors themselves. Pat and Barb in tandem created a better neighborhood. And did I mention they’re humble? Each nominated the other for this recognition!    

Do you know someone who should be recognized as a good neighbor?

Be That Neighbor is seeking nominations from our readers. Please use this online form for your nominations - people, businesses, nonprofits are all eligible. We'll celebrate these exemplary neighbors in October by recognizing 'A Neighbor A Day' - winners will be featured in Mill City Times and social media. We can't wait to hear from you! Please share with your friends.

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About Becky Fillinger

I’ve been a resident of the Mill District only since July 2019, but have visited the Guthrie, the Farmers Market, restaurants and friends in the area for many years prior to making the leap to Minneapolis. I’ve lived in many places (and climates) in the US and can testify that our cultural events, bicycle and hiking trails, parks and green spaces, museums, diverse neighborhoods and wonderful restaurants put Minnesota and Minneapolis high on my best places list. I’m a member of the Mill City Singers and look forward to our choir practices and performances.

One of my main interests is community - a very broad concept. For me it means bringing people together with common interests to form meaningful relationships. I look forward to reporting on businesses and individuals in our neighborhoods. Feel free to drop me an email at becky_fillinger@hotmail.com with your thoughts and ideas for stories. 

Q1 & Q2 2020 Downtown Market Numbers from Cynthia Froid Group

Downtown real estate market update from Cynthia Froid Group:

DMNA Seeking Members for Public Safety Task Force

The Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association invites community members to apply for membership on the DMNA Public Safety Task Force, established at its July 20th board meeting.  The function of the task force is to facilitate active participation by the DMNA board and membership in the ongoing debates about public safety in Minneapolis.  The task force will work to advance the “Guiding Principles for Police Reform and Public Safety” (adopted 7-6-20), within the general framework of the DMNA mission and goals.

The task force is designed as a working group, and membership will require a significant time commitment, probably entailing several hours a week. Every member will be working on one or more task areas. Online meetings will be held biweekly, and frequent email/online communication should be expected. The task force is initially authorized through October 2020, when a report of its work will be presented at the DMNA Annual Meeting.

The working group will develop specific tasks that address the function stated above. Its general objectives are: to encourage downtown residents to respond to public comment opportunities on public safety issues; to advise the DMNA on board responses to community safety issues; to collect & report relevant neighborhood data; to develop & distribute public information materials; and to develop recommendations to the DMNA Board on how the neighborhood association can actively contribute to public safety in our neighborhood.

Membership is open to anyone who lives within the DMNA boundaries, (or who has an employment or business connection to the neighborhoods within these boundaries).  Although we are seeking to assemble a group with a broad range of skills, we specifically welcome applications from persons with a strong background in communications, including social media.

To apply for membership on the task force, please complete the application via the link below by Wednesday, August 12 at 5 p.m.  If you have any questions regarding the application process, please contact DMNA Neighborhood Coordinator Christie Hantge at christie@thedmna.org.

DMNA Public Safety Task Force application  (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/dmnapublicsafetytaskforce)

August 7 Updates from Ward 7 Council Member Lisa Goodman

COVID-19 Situation Update as of August 5, 2020

• There are 7,356 cases in Minneapolis and 204 deaths.

• Thirty-one percent of all Minneapolis cases were diagnosed in July. Overall, 52% of cases were diagnosed in June and July.

• The City shares Minneapolis-specific daily case counts and demographics at www.minneapolismn.gov/coronavirus/dashboard.

• Congregate living facilities in Minneapolis continue to see new cases among residents, but the numbers have decreased significantly, from an average of 49 cases a week in April and May to six cases a week in June and July. Residents of these facilities account for only 7% of confirmed cases, however they account for 71% of COVID-19 deaths.

• Mayor Frey’s Emergency Regulation No. 12 regarding masks is still in effect. The regulation requires people to wear face coverings in all indoor public places.

• Mayor Frey’s Emergency Regulation No. 17 regarding bars and restaurants is in effect. The regulation closed bar areas in restaurants, nightclubs, and indoor spaces of entertainment in Minneapolis as of August 1. Bar areas that can be converted for seated service will be allowed if food and beverage are served tableside while patrons are seated. The goal is to reduce the spread of COVID-19 among young adults, food service workers, and bartenders.

Situational updates: Minnesota

• There are 57,779 cases in Minnesota out of over 1 million tests completed. There have been 1,629 deaths from COVID-19 in Minnesota. There are 18,393 cases and 825 deaths in Hennepin County.

• The Health Department is using a color-coded map with multiple layers to show a seven-day rolling average of new cases in Minnesota. The State is at 11 cases per 100,000 and Minneapolis is at 18 cases per 100,000. These numbers put both Minnesota and Minneapolis in the orange category, which represents accelerated spread of COVID-19.

• Minnesota is currently in Phase III of the Stay Safe MN plan for reopening.

• Governor Walz’s statewide mask mandate remains in effect. People are required to wear masks in all indoor public places where people gather and some outdoor venues where physical distancing is difficult.

Health Incident Command Updates

As the Health Department (MHD) continues to respond to COVID-19, we are applying an equity lens to all our work in conjunction with partners across the City enterprise.

Businesses:

o Multiple City departments assisted with distributing over 450,000 masks to businesses, prioritizing BIPOC-owned businesses and businesses in BIPOC communities. CPED led this effort in partnership with the Mayor’s office, the Health Department and Regulatory Services. Remaining masks (48,000+) will be given to City regulatory staff for further distribution to impacted communities.

o Health inspectors continue to conduct follow up at businesses with COVID-19 positive employees.

Case investigations: MHD is conducting over 50 case investigations and contact follow-ups per day for individuals diagnosed with COVID-19. Currently, we have 26 investigators, including six non-MHD enterprise staff. Of the 7,356 cases in Minneapolis, 85% have been interviewed, 2% have refused, 8% have been lost to follow-up, and 5% are new cases that still need to be interviewed. Forty-two percent of interviews of Minneapolis residents are in a language other than English.

Community testing: The Health Department, in partnership with Hennepin Healthcare and the Minnesota Department of Health, provided community testing on Saturday, August 1, at Incarnation- Sagrado Corazon Church in south Minneapolis (3817 Pleasant Avenue South). Community-based organizations and volunteers staffed the event. Approximately 400 community members were tested, the majority of whom were from the Latinx community. MHD will return to the same location on Saturday, August 15 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to offer additional testing. Staff are proactively exploring options for providing additional testing to priority groups including BIPOC communities and other populations most likely to be impacted by COVID-19.

Food security: MHD and hunger relief partners continue to see strong demand for free food at food shelves and community-led food distribution events. Despite the reopening of some grocery stores, ongoing unemployment and financial challenges are limiting the ability of many individuals and families to purchase food, especially nutritious staples such as fresh fruits and vegetables. MHD continues to co-host a weekly free food distribution event at Powderhorn Park (Fridays, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.) which primarily serves the Latinx community. In addition, MHD staff are regularly connecting with other community-led food distribution sites and food shelves to assess needs and connect them to resources.

Health at encampments:

o The Health Department continues to work closely with the Park Board, Hennepin County, and community-based organizations to respond to the needs of those living at encampments in parks and other locations across the city. MHD staff continue to distribute harm reduction supplies, masks, and hygiene kits.

o The Park Board has issued move notices to those remaining at the Powderhorn West encampment. Unlike in the past, there is not a hard deadline for moving. Park employees, along with outreach partners and MAD Dads, are encouraging campers to move to one of three other parks (BF Nelson , Marshall Terrace, and Beltrami). Law enforcement is not involved in moving these campers.

o The encampment located on City-owned land at 24th Street East and 13th Avenue South is causing pedestrian traffic issues. Staff from MPD and CPED will be visiting the site to see what can be done to mitigate the problem and ensure site safety.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): MHD has continued with community resource distribution efforts. To respond to community requests, we distributed 5,950 reusable cloth masks, 630 N95 masks, and 2,950 one-time use masks in the past week. Staff were able to work with Representative Mohamud Noor to provide masks for many who gathered in parks to pray during Eid.

Schools: Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) will start the year with distance learning. The MPS school year begins on September 8. Health Department staff are sharing local COVID-19 data with MPS to help with data-driven decision-making and are helping develop metrics to guide reopening. MHD staff are also assisting MPS in planning for testing, responding to outbreaks, and general safety operations as the pandemic continues. Staff are approaching partners at Hennepin County, Bloomington, Edina, Richfield and St. Paul health departments and districts to coordinate school pandemic planning.

Vaccinations: MHD staff are leaning in to prepare for future COVID-19 vaccination events with a focus on early engagement with BIPOC communities and other groups most impacted by COVID-19. Minnesota was chosen as one of four states to be part of a vaccination planning pilot. As part of the Health Department’s ongoing work, staff are exploring ways to promote seasonal flu vaccinations.

• The City specific COVID email address is: COVID19@minneapolismn.gov.

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Polling Places Changing Due to Pandemic

To help keep voters and Minneapolis residents safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, 50 of 125 polling places in Minneapolis are moving for the 2020 primary and general election. The changes will help protect people living in residential facilities and provide more space to keep voters a safe distance from elections staff and each other.

Of the 50 polling places being relocated, 16 were in senior homes, high-rises and other residential sites. Another 32 were in areas with limited space that would make it difficult for people to keep at least 6 feet from others inside. Two were moved due to on-site construction.

Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services partnered with Minneapolis Public Schools and the Minneapolis Park & Recreation board to find new locations for voting during the pandemic. In total, 94 buildings will be open for the Aug. 11 primary and Nov. 3 general elections, with 35 in schools and 22 in park buildings. Some buildings will have more than one voting precinct.

Registered voters will receive a postcard in the mail indicating their new polling locations. The Minnesota Secretary of State’s polling place finder can also provide voters their new polling places. These locations will be the same for the Aug. 11 primary and Nov. 3 general elections. All voters choosing to vote in person on Election Day should check the online polling place finder or call 311 to verify their polling place.

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Ward 7 Polling Places

Bryn Mawr North (7-1C): Bryn Mawr Community School (252 Upton Ave South)

Kenwood (7-2D): Kenwood School (2013 Penn Ave South)

Lowry Hill (7-3): Temple Israel (2324 Emerson Ave South – Fremont Ave Entrance)

Cedar/Isles/Dean (7-4D): Kenwood School (2013 Penn Ave South)

Lowry Hill (7-5): St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral (519 Oak Grove Street)

Downtown West (7-6): Westminster Presbyterian Church (1200 Marquette Avenue)

Bryn Mawr South (7-7): Bryn Mawr Community School (252 Upton Ave South)

Loring Park (7-8): Emerson Spanish Immersion School (1421 Spruce Place)

East Isles (7-9): Temple Israel (2324 Emerson Ave South – Fremont Ave Entrance)

Steven Square West (7-10): Plymouth Congregational Church (1900 Nicollet Avenue)

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Voters: Get Your Ballot in Early Without Leaving Your Vehicle with Drive-Through Ballot Drop-Off

Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services will have a drive-through – and walk-through and bike-through – option at 980 E. Hennepin Ave. for voters returning their completed mail ballots. Staying in your vehicle or on your bike not only makes returning ballots faster and more convenient, it also helps you maintain a good physical distance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With less than a week before the Aug. 11 primary, the City recommends ballots not be mailed back because they may not be delivered in time to be counted. Instead, mail ballots may be dropped off at Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services, 980 E. Hennepin Ave., from now until the primary. Minneapolis voters may also drop off mail ballots at the Hennepin County Government Center, 300 S. Sixth St., in the skyway level of the building.

Deadlines

For the State primary, a voter’s ballot will count as long as it is postmarked on or before the day of the primary (Aug. 11) and is received in the mail no later than two days after the primary (Aug. 13). This is a change from previous election law requiring mail ballots to be received by the day of the primary.

Office hours

Hours for Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services are 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8. and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10. Voters delivering their ballots the day of the State primary, Aug. 11, must bring it to the office no later than 3 p.m. Ballots may not be dropped off at polling places Aug. 11.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is encouraging voting early by mail, and Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services supports voting early by mail along with other CDC and Minneapolis Health Department recommendations to make sure every voter in Minneapolis can safely cast their ballots this election year. 

What’s on the ballot?

Minneapolis voters will cast ballots for the following primary races:

• U.S. senator.
• U.S. representative (District 5).
• State senator and State representative (some districts).
• School Board member at large.
• School Board member (some districts).

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City Council Approves Funding Package to Expand Capacity for Three New Homeless Shelters

The City Council has approved a roughly $8 million funding package to expand shelter capacity for three new shelters for people experiencing homelessness in Minneapolis.

The City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County’s response to homelessness during COVID-19 prioritizes moving people from unsheltered homelessness to safer shelter and housing situations. There has been a significant increase in unsheltered homelessness since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The City has received a one-time influx of funding from the federal government, through the CARES Act, to provide help with responding to homelessness during the pandemic. This historically large, one-time Emergency Solutions Grant funding provides an opportunity to strategically respond to COVID-19 across a range of strategies and to reshape the City/County homelessness response system to better serve people experiencing homelessness in the coming months and years.

Learn more about the new shelters.

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City Council Approves Changes to Minneapolis Homes Programs in Effort to Close Racial Gaps in Home Ownership

The City Council approved changes to the City’s Minneapolis Homes programs that reflect a citywide strategy to create sustainable homeownership opportunities and make a meaningful impact to close the homeownership gap between white households and Black, Indigenous, people of color and immigrant (BIPOCI) households in Minneapolis.

Minneapolis Homes focuses on reducing property vacancies, creating new housing units and sustaining homeownership in the city by providing educational, financing and property opportunities to homebuyers, homeowners and developers.

Minneapolis Homes programs are changing significantly in response to market data and community feedback through a long-term affordability housing study led by the City and Grounded Solutions Network. Highlights of changes include:

• Focusing on lower income households: All homebuyer programs are changing to focus on households that make less than $80,000 a year with concentration on households making less than $60,000 or $40,000 a year. All City-owned land suitable for residential development will be reserved for creating affordable housing moving forward.
• Diversifying the types of units funded: One- to 20-unit ownership projects throughout the city are eligible. Projects can be on City-owned land or privately owned land. Acquisition, rehabilitation, down payment assistance and new construction are all eligible activities.
• More options for perpetual affordability: The City is launching its own model for perpetually affordable housing, which will sell homes at an affordable price and provide homeowners with a 2% rate of return annually in most market conditions. City of Lakes Community Land Trust partnerships and new perpetually affordable housing models will also be encouraged through City programs.

Learn more about Minneapolis Homes on the City’s website.

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Important Census Updates: Complete Your Census by Sept. 30, Census Takers Begin Door Knocking

Have you completed the census yet? Completing the census will ensure that our communities receive resources for programs and services that we need. Many programs that our communities rely on, including SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP and Head Start are funded through data that is obtained by the census. The 2020 Census is our chance to shape the future of Minneapolis for the next 10 years.

Census takers have begun following up in Minneapolis with households that haven’t yet completed the 2020 Census. Census staff have been hired locally and are here to help households complete their census forms. The goal of census door knockers is to help get an accurate count. Census staffers can be easily identified by a valid government ID badge that includes their photograph and a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark.

Census field staff follow both CDC and local public health guidelines, are trained in physical distancing protocols and will provide census takers with masks during their visit. Census staff have sworn a lifetime oath of confidentiality. Any information that you provide to them will not be shared with any entity other than the Census Bureau for statistical purposes only and never to identify an individual.

Find more information here on verifying a census taker’s identity, COVID-19 protocols or the strategy to visit households that haven’t responded yet.

Fill out your census

If you haven’t yet completed the 2020 Census application and would like to avoid a census taker coming to your home, you can submit your form online, by phone or through the mail (using the U.S. Census Bureau form that you received in the mail at home). Language assistance is offered in multiple languages online or over the phone and can also be requested at your visit if they come to your home.

Take your census by Sept. 30

The U.S. Census Bureau officially announced that the 2020 Census self-response period will end Sept. 30, 2020. This means that there are less than two months remaining to ensure that our communities are counted and that we get the resources that we need for the next 10 years.

In 2010, Minneapolis had a census completion rate of 72.8%. Currently, Minneapolis has a completion rate of 69.9%. It is important – now more than ever – that our communities are counted.

Let’s get counted, Minneapolis.

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City Council Passes Ordinance Protecting Freelance Workers

The City Council has approved a freelance worker protections ordinance to help prevent the exploitation of freelance workers, including many self-employed entrepreneurs who work as independent contractors. The new ordinance takes effect Jan. 1, 2021.

The City is dedicated to ensuring that everyone gets paid for the work they do regardless of their employment arrangement. Freelance work is a growing segment of the economy, and Minneapolis is home to one of the largest communities of freelance workers in the country.

Many freelance workers face difficulty getting paid on time and have limited recourse. In a response to a City survey of independent contractors, more than 33% reported lost income in the past 12 months due to a hiring party’s failure to pay, underpayment or late payment for work performed.

Highlights of the freelance worker protections ordinance

• Businesses that hire certain freelancers for their work in Minneapolis must confirm their agreement in writing.
• The hiring party may not refuse to pay the freelancer as stated in the contract or demand a freelancer accept less compensation after work has started.

The Labor Standards Enforcement Division of the City’s Civil Rights Department will enforce the ordinance by investigating claims and imposing remedies up to and including damages and penalties as appropriate for the violation. The division also oversees compliance of the City’s sick and safe time, minimum wage and wage theft ordinances.

For more information, email wagetheft@minneapolismn.gov.

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City Seeking Diversity of Applicants for Fall Openings on Boards and Commissions Appointments

Twenty-four City boards and commissions have openings for appointments this fall. The City seeks applicants with a diversity of backgrounds and experiences representing the demographics of Minneapolis to strengthen the work of the City. Translation and interpreting services are available so all residents can participate. The positions are open until filled; application review begins Sept. 30 unless marked otherwise.

City boards and commissions have brought forward recommendations that resulted in renter protections, wage protections and a ban on a hazardous chemical in dry cleaning. Board and commission members in the City of Minneapolis help shape key policy decisions, give community-based input into the City’s administration of services and supply valuable insights.

People can apply through the open position pages linked below and stay up to date on vacancies, position descriptions and timelines by visiting minneapolismn.gov/boards/openings. Applications are open now.

These 24 City boards and commissions have 97 open positions:

• Animal Care and Control Advisory Board.
• Arts Commission, Minneapolis.
• Bicycle Advisory Committee.
• Capital Long-Range Improvements Committee.
• Commission on Civil Rights, Minneapolis.
• Community Environmental Advisory Committee.
• Futuro Latino Empowerment Commission.
• Heritage Preservation Commission.
• Minneapolis Advisory Committee on Aging.
• Minneapolis Advisory Committee on Housing.
• Minneapolis Advisory Committee on People with Disabilities.
• Minneapolis Public Housing Authority.
• Northside Green Zone Council.
• Pedestrian Advisory Committee.
• Police Conduct Oversight Commission.
• Police Conduct Review Panel.
• Public Health Advisory Committee.
• Racial Equity Community Advisory Committee.
• Transgender Equity Council.
• Southside Green Zone Council. (Application review will begin Aug. 9.)
• Workforce Development Board, Minneapolis. (Application review will begin Aug. 15.)
• Workplace Advisory Committee.
• Violence Prevention Steering Committee.
• Zoning Board of Adjustment.

Boards, commissions and advisory committees

The City of Minneapolis has more than 50 volunteer-based boards, commissions and advisory committees that advise the City on issues and help develop policy and administer services. Boards and commissions fall into a handful of categories: appeal boards, development boards, general advisory boards and special service districts (defined areas within the city with special services).

Appointments to boards and commissions are made twice a year: in the spring and fall.

Potential applicants can find more information at 612-673-2216 or OpenAppointments@minneapolismn.gov.

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National Night Out Recommended Date Changes to Sept. 15 for 2020

The Minneapolis recommended National Night Out date for 2020 is Tuesday, Sept. 15. Residents can find out if their block is already signed up by emailing crime.prevention@minneapolismn.gov. Registered block leaders received notices directly about closing their streets to hold their event, but a block without a block leader could still hold a COVID-19 safe event by spreading out across three or four yards to make enough space for physical distancing.

Event safety in a pandemic

A safe event during a pandemic follows guidelines from the Minneapolis Health Department, Minnesota Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• Events are outdoors.
• People keep their masks on when they’re not eating or drinking.
• People keep at least 6 feet from others not in their household.
• Households bring their own food, beverages, utensils, tables and chairs.

National Night Out is an annual nationwide event that encourages residents to get out in the community, holding block parties and getting to know their neighbors to prevent crime. It’s a great way to promote community-police partnerships and enjoy a Minnesota summer evening surrounded by friends and family.

Find out more about National Night Out at www.minneapolismn.gov/nno.

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Save the Date for the 7th Annual Trans Equity Summit: Sept. 13-15

The 2020 Trans Equity Summit will be Sept. 13-15, virtual and outdoor in person, 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. daily. Programming will include breakout sessions, performances, a job and resource fair, and healing justice offerings.

This year's theme is "Claiming Our Power for Change: Caring for Community." It reflects a critical need for trans/GNC folks to embody themselves through community care, bear witness to one another without sacrifice and with joy, condition their collective emotional-spiritual excellence, and prepare to assert their power in the dramatic reshaping of Minneapolis.

The summit is free and open to the public. Watch for updates on the City website.

Reader Opinion: Why the Former Metropolitan Council Should Not Have Approved the Minneapolis 2040 Plan

By Dennis Paulaha, PhD- Great River Coalition

The Metropolitan Council is responsible for managing the impact on the natural environment of all Metropolitan Districts under its jurisdiction.

And because the Minnesota Environmental Rights Act (MERA) prohibits acts or plans that are likely to impair the environment, the Metropolitan Council cannot legally approve a Plan from any District that is likely to impair the environment, because doing so is prohibited under Minnesota State law.

It also means the Metropolitan Council does not have the legal right to approve a plan from one District that is likely to impose spillover or external environmental damages to one or more other municipalities or Districts.

For the record, the Minneapolis City Council has admitted in court that the up-zoning policy in the Minneapolis 2040 Plan (eliminating single-family zoning throughout the city) will definitely impose environmental damage.

Which, according to the Minnesota Environmental Rights Act (MERA), means a Plan that includes the elimination of single-family zoning cannot legally be approved by the Metropolitan Council.

Furthermore, because the increase in the city’s pollution caused by intentionally increasing the city’s population by eliminating single-family zoning cannot be contained within a cylinder placed over the city of Minneapolis, there is no question the up-zoning policy of the Minneapolis 2040 plan will impose environmental damages to other municipalities and Metropolitan Districts

As such, the former Metropolitan Council should have demanded the up-zoning policy be removed from the Minneapolis 2040 Plan before it was approved.

Additionally, it should be noted that the Minneapolis 2040 Plan is based on inaccurate population projection. Instead of using the official population forecast, City Planners made up and used a number large enough to justify an up-zoning policy that lets developers replace single family homes with apartment buildings in order to accommodate their false population forecast.

If the inaccurate population number (which the Planners admitted is a goal, not a forecast) is replaced with an honest forecast, there is no need to replace single family homes with multi-unit apartment buildings in order to accommodate a larger population, because the actual population forecast does not justify doing so.

Another problem is, the writers and promoters of the Minneapolis 2040 Plan claimed all the studies and research conclude that increasing population density reduces a city’s carbon footprint.

That is not true. What the studies say is that a given number of people in a densely populated city will have a smaller carbon footprint than the same number of people spread out in a suburb where people have to drive farther to get where they are going and have less access to public transportation. But the research warns that the city versus suburb comparison does not apply to increasing the population and population density in either a city or a suburb. In other words, what every valid study says is that if population density is increased in either a city or a suburb, carbon dioxide omissions will increase. That is, of course, simple logic that is not even debatable.

Therefore, the Minneapolis 2040 Plan is based not only on inaccuracies regarding its the population forecast, it is also based on inaccuracies about the environmental studies and research regarding the relationship between population density and carbon dioxide emissions.

In other words, Minneapolis Planners misrepresented the relationship between population density and a city’s carbon footprint to claim intentionally increasing the population density of the city will reduce the city’s carbon footprint.

All of which means the former Metropolitan Council did not have a legal right to approve a Minneapolis 2040 Plan that includes eliminating single-family zoning to intentionally increase the population and the population density of the city, given that doing so will not only cause environmental damage to the City of Minneapolis, but will spill over to other Districts and municipalities governed by the Metropolitan Council.

Friends of the Hennepin County Library Announces 24th Season of Pen Pals

Via an August 6 e-announcement from Friends of the Hennepin County Library:

The highly acclaimed and longest-running literary series in the Twin Cities returns for its 24th season this October...and you're invited!

We are thrilled to announce our 2020-21 Pen Pals season, a rich array of virtual and in-person events, offering fresh voices, expert perspectives, and classic storytelling, featuring: Colum McCann, Nikki Giovanni, Yaa Gyasi, Susan Choi, and Erik Larson.

Don't miss your chance to experience today's most acclaimed literary voices in thought-provoking, candid conversation! Last year’s events nearly sold out before individual tickets went on sale – subscribe today!

Attend all five lectures as a subscriber and triple last year's discount - SAVE $75!

Season subscription now only $150 - $200 after discount.

Download, print and mail in the season order form, or call our box office at 612-543-8112, starting Friday, August 7, at 9 a.m.

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2020-21 Pen Pals Season Author Guest - Colum McCann

Colum McCann is the author of the recent bestselling novel Apeirogon, as well as Let the Great World Spin and five others. He has received the National Book Award, a Guggenheim fellowship, and the Pushcart Prize.

Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020 | 7:30 p.m. + on-demand replay through Oct. 25

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2020-21 Pen Pals Season Author Guest - Nikki Giovanni

Nikki Giovanni is a world-renowned poet, activist, and author of several children’s books, essays, and poetry collections, including the upcoming Make Me Rain. Her numerous honors include the Langston Hughes Medal, Rosa L. Parks Woman of Courage Award, and seven NAACP Image Awards.

Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020 | 7:30 p.m. + on-demand replay through Nov. 8

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2020-21 Pen Pals Season Author Guest - Yaa Gyassi

Yaa Gyasi, the author of Homegoing, is a recipient of the National Book Foundation’s “5 Under 35” Award and a National Book Critics Circle Award. Her new novel Transcendent Kingdom releases in September 2020.

Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021 | 7:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 12, 2021 | 11:00 a.m.

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2020-21 Pen Pals Season Author Guest - Susan Choi

Susan Choi is the author of The Foreign Student, A Person of Interest, My Education, the Pulitzer Prize-nominated American Woman, and Trust Exercise, which won the 2019 National Book Award for Fiction.

Thursday, May 6, 2021 | 7:30 p.m.,  Friday, May 7, 2021 | 11:00 a.m.

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2020-21 Pen Pals Season Author Guest - Erik Larson

Erik Larson is the author of five bestsellers, including The Devil in the White City, which was nominated for a National Book Award. His latest, The Splendid and the Vile, chronicles Churchill’s first year as prime minister.

Monday, May 24, 2021 | 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 25, 2021 | 11:00 a.m.

Season Format and COVID-19 Update 

Fall 2020 events are virtual and take place on Zoom. Winter/Spring 2021 events take place in person at Hopkins Center for the Arts with traditionally reserved seating. 

In-person events are subject to change based on recommendations from health agencies. Ticket holders will have access to a virtual backup event in the case of in-person event cancellation. 

Virtual event tickets include access to an on-demand recording for 72 hours following the event.

MSP Film Society's Virtual Cinema Updates

Via an August 5 e-announcement from MSP Film Society:

August has arrived and MSP Film Society has another jam-packed month of exciting programming available in our Virtual Cinema:

Opening this Friday, August 7 - A THOUSAND CUTS, Ramona S. Diaz's thrilling film about the increasingly dangerous war between press and government; along with OUT STEALING HORSES (Ut og stjæle hester), based on the bestselling novel by Norwegian author Per Petterson. JAZZ ON A SUMMER'S DAY, the classic concert film set at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival, will open on Wednesday, August 12.

In anticipation of Fashion Week MN, MSP Film Society is excited to present two fashion-forward docs this month:  MARTIN MARGIELA: IN HIS OWN WORDS, about the mastermind known as the Banksy of the Fashion World, opens on Friday, August 14; followed by HOUSE OF CARDIN on Friday, August 28, which offers a rare peek into the life of legendary fashion designer Pierre Cardin.

"WE THE PEOPLE: REQUIRED WATCHING" continues on Sunday, August 16 with a FREE screening of JIM CROW OF THE NORTH, the Twin Cities PBS original documentary that explores why Minnesota has some of the worst racial disparities in the nation, followed by a conversation with Director Daniel Pierce Bergin, Anthony R. Scott, President of Minnesota's Black Community Project, and Brian Paulson, Senior Program Officer at the Pohlad Family Foundation, on Monday, August 17 at 7pm.

Opening Friday, August 28 is MR. SOUL!, Melissa Haizlip award-winning documentary about her father Ellis Haizlip’s groundbreaking television variety show SOUL!, which ran from 1968-1973 and offered an unfiltered, uncompromising celebration of Black literature, poetry, music, and politics. MR. SOUL! is being presented as part of our "WE THE PEOPLE: REQUIRED WATCHING" series, and will include a FREE Community Conversation on Monday, August 31 at 7pm. Registration will be made available as soon as guests are confirmed.

And on Wednesday, August 19, MSP Film Society presents a special encore screening of the MSPIFF39 Redefined official selection COUP 53, followed by a discussion with Director Taghi Amirani, Editor Walter Murch, and actor Ralph Fiennes on Thursday, August 20.

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OPENING Friday, August 7 - A THOUSAND CUTS 

On June 15, 2020, journalist Maria Ressa was found guilty of cyber libel, setting a ticking clock on the limited time she has to get her story out to the world and keep the fight for democracy alive in this all too familiar tale of an autocratic leader drowning out "fake news." Nowhere is the worldwide erosion of democracy, fueled by social media disinformation campaigns, more starkly evident than in the authoritarian regime of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Ressa places the tools of the free press—and her freedom—on the line in defense of truth and democracy. Ramona S. Diaz's thrilling film follows key players from two sides of an increasingly dangerous war between press and government. As each side digs in, we become witness to an epic and ongoing fight for the integrity of human life and truth itself—a conflict that extends beyond the Philippines into our own divisive backyard.  official trailer  - official website

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OPENING Friday, August 7 - OUT STEALING HORSES (Ut og stjæle hester)

November 1999: 67-year-old Trond (Stellan Skarsgård), lives in self-imposed isolation and looks forward to welcoming in the new millennium alone. As winter arrives he meets one of his few neighbours, Lars (Bjørn Floberg), and realizes he knew him back in the summer of 1948. 1948 – the year Trond turned 15. The summer Trond grew up. OUT STEALING HORSES is based on the bestselling novel by Norwegian author Per Petterson. official trailer  - official website

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OPENING Wednesday, August 12 - JAZZ ON A SUMMER'S DAY

Filmed at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island and directed by world-renowned photographer Bert Stern, Jazz on a Summer's Day features intimate performances by an all-star line-up of musical legends including Louis Armstrong, Thelonius Monk, Gerry Mulligan, Anita O'Day, Chuck Berry, Dinah Washington, and closes with a beautiful rendition or The Lord's Prayer by Mahalia Jackson at midnight to usher in Sunday morning. The 1959 classic is considered one of the most extraordinary and possibly the first concert film ever made. official trailer - official website

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OPENING Friday, August 14 -  MARTIN MARGIELA: IN HIS OWN WORDS

An intimate profile of Martin Margiela, one of the most revolutionary and influential fashion designers of his time. From Jean Paul Gaultier's assistant to creative director at Hermes to leading his own brand, Margiela never showed his face publicly but reinvented fashion with his radical style for over 20 years, through 41 provocative collections. For the first time, the "Banksy of fashion" reveals his drawings, notes and personal items, giving us an exclusive peek to his vision and career. The film features interviews with, among others, Jean Paul Gaultier, Carine Roitfeld, Trend Forecaster Lidewij Edelkoort, Fashion Critic Cathy Horyn and Fashion Historian Olivier Saillard. The score has been composed by the Belgian rock band dEUS.

official trailer

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ONGOING SERIES - "WE THE PEOPLE: REQUIRED WATCHING" 

MSP Film Society presents our community screening and conversation series of films that speak powerfully to systemic inequality, followed by conversations with directors and community leaders discussing ways we can support social justice and anti-racism efforts within our communities.

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FREE SCREENING - Sunday, August 16 - JIM CROW OF THE NORTH

Why does Minnesota suffer through some of the worst racial disparities in the nation? One answer is the spread of racist, restrictive real estate covenants in the early 20th century. Jim Crow of the North charts the progression of racist policies and practices from the advent of restrictive covenants after the turn of the last century to their final elimination in the late 1960s. Roots of racial disparities are seen through a new lens in this film that explores the origins of housing segregation in the Minneapolis area. But the story also illustrates how African-American families and leaders resisted this insidious practice, and how Black people built community — within and despite — the red lines that these restrictive covenants created. A Twin Cities PBS Original. official trailer

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COMMUNITY CONVERSATION - Monday, August 17 at 7:00pm 

MSP Film Programmer Craig Laurence Rice leads a post-screening discussion with Director Daniel Pierce Bergin and Anthony R. Scott, President of Minnesota's Black Community Project, discussing the ways we all can support social justice and anti-racism efforts in our community.

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SPECIAL SCREENING - Wednesday, August 19 - COUP 53 

*MSPIFF39 Redefined Official Selection*

While making a documentary about the CIA/MI6 coup in Iran in 1953, Iranian director Taghi Amirani and editor Walter Murch (Apocalypse Now, The Conversation,The English Patient) discover never seen before archive material hidden for decades. The 16mm footage and documents not only allow the filmmakers to tell the story of the overthrow of the Iranian government in unprecedented detail, but it also leads to explosive revelations about dark secrets buried for 67 years. Working with Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Schindler’s List, The English Patient) to help bring the lost material to life, what began as a historical documentary about four days in August 1953 turned into a live investigation, taking the filmmakers into uncharted cinematic waters. The roots of Iran's volatile relationship with America and Britain has never been so forensically and dramatically exposed.

A ticket for the COUP 53 screening also includes an exclusive Q+A with Ralph Fiennes, Walter Murch and Taghi Amirani, which will be available on August 20. official trailer

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OPENS Friday, August 28 - MR. SOUL!

From 1968 to 1973, the public television variety show SOUL!, guided by the enigmatic producer and host Ellis Haizlip, offered an unfiltered, uncompromising celebration of Black literature, poetry, music, and politics—voices that had few other options for national exposure, and, as a result, found the program an improbable place to call home. The series was among the first to provide expanded images of African Americans on television, shifting the gaze from inner-city poverty and violence to the vibrancy of the Black Arts Movement. With participants’ recollections and a bevy of great archival clips, MR. SOUL! captures a critical moment in culture whose impact continues to resonate. official trailer

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OPENS Friday, August 28 - HOUSE OF CARDIN

A rare peek into the mind of a genius, an authorized feature documentary chronicling the life and design of Pierre Cardin. A true original, Mr. Cardin granted complete access to his archives and his empire, and unprecedented interviews at the sunset of a glorious career to filmmakers P. David Ebersole and Todd Hughes. official trailer

The Mill City Times Interview: Vasiliki Papanikolopoulos, Founder, Minnesotans Unite

Article by Becky Fillinger

The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating for small businesses. Locally, the state has funded small business relief grants and the federal Payroll Protection Program provided some relief for businesses that qualified. Is there any other aid available? Meet Minnesotans Unite. We interviewed the founder, Vasiliki Papanikolopoulos, to learn how we, as community members, can continue to support our local small businesses.

Q:  Please tell us the history of Minnesotans Unite.

A:  Minnesotans Unite is about 4 months old - it started at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic with a mission to support and showcase small businesses. When neighborhood shops began to close amidst the lockdown, we realized there needed to be a way to easily support our favorite places. It began as a platform to purchase gift cards which served two purposes: for the small businesses, they impact their bottom lines immediately, and for consumers, they are something to look forward to. 100% of the gift card purchases go to the small businesses. Now, we’ve built on that and are broadening the ways in which we connect the community with small businesses. These include some exciting product launches in partnership with our participating businesses, as well as with local artists.

Q:  How did you become involved?

A:  Small local businesses and their owners have been hugely influential in my life, and I find them to be community pillars across the world. With larger forces like Amazon and Walmart putting elements of local identity in jeopardy, I’ve always sought out ways to reinforce the value of consuming small and local. This has taken various forms over the years, and Minnesotans Unite has been the latest and most fruitful effort.

Vasiliki PapanikolopoulosQ:  How are you recruiting more small businesses to join Minnesotans Unite? 

A:  Front and center for us is bringing more small businesses into the network who believe in the power of togetherness. We are doing so via direct outreach as well as with initiatives that speak to the resources and support the Minnesotans Unite platform provides small businesses. These initiatives include monthly meetings with business experts, exchange with other business owners, and parallel marketing efforts for their businesses on the one central platform that makes it easy for consumers to support any and all.

Q:  Do you currently live in Minneapolis?

A:  Yes! I’m Greek-Cypriot-American, born and raised in Minneapolis. Eight years ago I moved to Philadelphia for school and then work, and last September moved back home to Minneapolis.

Q:  A bit off topic, but tell us about your position with The Port Global. Greek tech start-ups - exciting! Do you find that Greek companies face similar issues in helping local small businesses survive?

A:  I’m the Director of Marketing for The Port Global. It’s been quite fascinating growing up at the intersection of what seemed like two very different worlds, the US and Greece. As time passes, what we’ve seen is Greece following in the footsteps of what’s trending in the US and what was a strong foundation in Greek culture centered around small businesses is less so now. It used to be, you’d go to the butcher shop, and on the way stop at the shoemaker and maybe even the bookstore. Now, with larger chains and ecommerce, it’s a much different landscape. I’m quite passionate about working in a space where we can play a part in evolving the next generation of Greek startups and businesses.

Q:  If businesses want to join Minnesotans Unite, what steps should they take? Are you looking for individuals to help with the group’s efforts?

A:  It’s quite simple - if you are reading this, as a small business owner who is interested in being a part of the network or as a consumer looking to support the effort, and you are community-driven, we would love to hear from you at hello@minnesotansunite.com. The ways in which to stay in touch with Minnesotans Unite are by following us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as subscribing to our newsletter.

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About Becky Fillinger

I’ve been a resident of the Mill District only since July 2019, but have visited the Guthrie, the Farmers Market, restaurants and friends in the area for many years prior to making the leap to Minneapolis. I’ve lived in many places (and climates) in the US and can testify that our cultural events, bicycle and hiking trails, parks and green spaces, museums, diverse neighborhoods and wonderful restaurants put Minnesota and Minneapolis high on my best places list. I’m a member of the Mill City Singers and look forward to our choir practices and performances.

One of my main interests is community - a very broad concept. For me it means bringing people together with common interests to form meaningful relationships. I look forward to reporting on businesses and individuals in our neighborhoods. Feel free to drop me an email at becky_fillinger@hotmail.com with your thoughts and ideas for stories. 

The Mill City Times Interview: Zev Radziwill and Tom Foerster, Stewards of Bluff Street Park

Article by Becky Fillinger

Who takes care of your local parks? Would you be surprised that many Minneapolis parks have volunteer stewards overlooking their care on a more regular and local basis than the city can provide? We talked to Zev Radziwill and Tom Foerster, neighbors in the Riverview Tower Condos, who became very active caretakers of their local park. 

Tom Foerster (left) and Zev Radziwill

Q:  Tell us a bit about your group.

A:  We call ourselves “West Bank Parks” – and our local group provides stewardship and volunteers for Bluff Street Park, Bohemian Flats, and the Dinkytown Greenway. Tom is in fact the official community Park Steward for Bluff Street Park (BSP). We also offer our park steward expertise and experience to other neighborhood volunteer groups. We have a long-term goal of growing neighborhood volunteer involvement in our city parks and green spaces. Our projects include: 

• Cleanups - Spring and Fall in partnership with both parks 
• Planter boxes on the Northern Pacific Bridge #9 and under the Bluff Street Park sign 
• Small gardens – herbs, peppers and tomatoes  
• “Lily Lane” on Greenway and Bridge Number Nine 
• Future plans: Bike station at Bluff Street Park, East side of Bridge #9; more oak trees along the path and Greenway; more beautification – we’re considering Art at the Bridge Base 

Q:  Tell us about your most recent project. 

A:  The lilies have been our current obsession during these strange times. Planted 5 years ago, these plant beds require re-mulching the entire stretch every couple of years – as well as yearly flower replacements.  This year was the mulching year and it has been quite the adventure.  It took 100 bags of mulch and several days of work to get the lane in good shape. We call the area “Lily Lane” for obvious reasons – the Chicago Apache daylilies are beautifully in bloom now.  Someday, we plan to tackle the other side of the lane as well - but maybe with not as many lilies!

Q:  Why was it important to you to beautify these small plots of land?

A:  We both grew up on farms – Tom in South Dakota and Zev in Washington County. So wanting to see beauty in the land – even “City” land (ha!) – comes natural to us. When we got the sign for Bluff Street Park, thanks to Scott Vreeland and others on the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) – that was the first place Tom applied his skills! And it just progressed to planting and tending the park up and along the Greenway area. Prior to this improvement, the area was just rock and scrub. Tom and many volunteers tackled it head-on! But bottom-line, we want the walkers and bikers – and families and couples – and those just out for a daily stroll, to have some beauty and nature in their lives. This little stretch of our park provides a break from the construction and major urban environments all around it.

Aerial view of Bluff Street Park

Q:  What do you know about the history of the Bluff Street Park area? 

A:  This area was a heavily polluted superfund site at one point – known as the Gasworks. Much of the Cities’ gas street lamps from the late 1800s to 1924 were lit by the coal gasification fuel generated and stored in and around the Bluff Street Park area.   

From 1879 to 1890, this area was home of the F.D. Noerenberg Brewery. (Side note: The same family founded Grain Belt Brewery. Do you know Noerenberg Gardens at Three Rivers Park District? Same family). The people living down at Bohemian Flats worked here and at a sister plant near Middlebrook Hall called the Minneapolis Brewery.

Bluff Street was one of the very first streets in the new Minneapolis – one of the first opened up on this side of the river.

And of course, prior to all this, it was Ojibwe land. They would portage on the University of Minnesota side down along the flats there. There are many native plants and herbs we’d love to see reintroduced throughout this area. 

Q:  What plants are in the park?

A:  When MNDot finished the I-35W bridge construction after the 2007 collapse, they planted a seed mix of non-native turfgrass. Our goal was to get back to native bedrock bluff prairie vegetation, which we completed in 2015. We’ve rescued peonies, irises, tiger lilies and sedum plants from park construction sites and replanted those in the Bluff Street Park as well. The sedum is pollinator friendly - butterflies are also attracted to the plants in the park.

Q:  Who were the members of the original Bluff Street Park Task Force?

A:  Cedar-Riverside neighbors, who had lived in neighborhood for years, were the original task force members - Rosemary Knutson, Arthur Renander, Jerry Clark and Anne Webb. Rosemary’s vision for native prairie grasses and a butterfly meadow has been realized. 

The second generation, now called the West Bank Parks, includes the two of us, Jerry, Rosemary, Matt Langland and Mary Mellen. Matt is a resident of Riverview Tower Condos and longtime neighborhood trails and transit guru – he helps at all clean-up days in the park. Mary is a Riverside Park champion and longtime volunteer in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. Jerry Clark is now 85 and still participating – he most recently painted over some graffiti. Zev is President of the Cedar-Riverside Community Council (CRCC) and Tom is the official park steward. We have a broad level of civic involvement and community-minded spirit in our group.

Q:  Do you have sponsors?

A:  We’re received grant monies from the University of Minnesota Good Neighbor Fund, the CRCC Community grant and from individual contributors. We rely heavily upon individual contributions.

Q:  What advice do you have for readers who might like to be park stewards?

A:  Visit the MPRB Stewards page and tell them that West Bank Parks sent you! We can tell you that it is very rewarding work – you’ll meet many neighbors, see the outcomes of your efforts and will be making a difference in our city.

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About Becky Fillinger

I’ve been a resident of the Mill District only since July 2019, but have visited the Guthrie, the Farmers Market, restaurants and friends in the area for many years prior to making the leap to Minneapolis. I’ve lived in many places (and climates) in the US and can testify that our cultural events, bicycle and hiking trails, parks and green spaces, museums, diverse neighborhoods and wonderful restaurants put Minnesota and Minneapolis high on my best places list. I’m a member of the Mill City Singers and look forward to our choir practices and performances.

One of my main interests is community - a very broad concept. For me it means bringing people together with common interests to form meaningful relationships. I look forward to reporting on businesses and individuals in our neighborhoods. Feel free to drop me an email at becky_fillinger@hotmail.com with your thoughts and ideas for stories. 

Parkways Reopen to Motor Vehicles Beginning August 3 (With Construction-related Exceptions)

This is a reminder that all Minneapolis parkways closed to motor vehicle traffic and open to trail users will go back to allowing motor vehicle traffic beginning Monday, Aug. 3.

On Aug. 3, workers will begin removing barriers and other traffic control in place at Cedar Lake, Lake Harriet, West Bde Maka Ska and West River Parkways. Most parkways will be open to motor vehicle traffic by Wednesday, Aug. 5, with several construction-related exceptions.

West River Parkway will remain closed in three sections due to construction projects:

• Between 4th Avenue North and the Stone Arch Bridge parking lot for the Water Works project. Trail traffic will be routed onto one lane of the parkway.
• Between 13th and 22nd Avenues South for repairs to the 10th Avenue SE Bridge and Bridge #9, which serves the Dinkytown Greenway trail.
• Between East 33rd and 36th Streets for a sewer improvement project.

Theodore Wirth Parkway is also closed between 29th Avenue North and Golden Valley Road for a road resurfacing project. Please follow posted detours and stay away from areas where construction work is happening.

In late March the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) began closing parkways or park roads adjacent to its most popular trails to allow more space for trail users to follow social distancing practices and limit the spread of COVID-19. Several adjustments were made throughout the spring and summer in response to parkway conditions and demand, as well as efficiently use funds allocated toward maintaining the closures.

At its May 6, 2020 meeting, MPRB Commissioners passed Resolution 2020-202, which granted MPRB Superintendent Al Bangoura authority to spend up to $250,000 on a series of parkway closures enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those funds will be exhausted by Aug. 3.

Please continue to stay at least six feet apart from people not in your own household while using parks and trails. Other guidelines park users are asked to follow to limit the spread of COVID-19 while using parks and trails:

• Bring a water bottle. Most MPRB water fountains are not operational.
• Bring disinfectant wipes or hand sanitizer. Most MPRB restroom buildings remain closed.
• Do not use parks if you feel sick or have COVID-19 symptoms, including fever, body aches, coughing, nasal congestion, runny nose and sore throat.
• Cover your cough with your elbow, don’t cough into your hands.
• Wash your hands immediately before and after visiting a park or trail.

Stay Updated

Visit minneapolisparks.org/coronavirus for more information on the MPRB's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Receive timely email updates by visiting minneapolisparks.org/subscribe, entering your email and selecting the “COVID-19” topic in the “News Updates” section.