Music in the Parks and Red, White and Boom go Virtual

Via a June 29 e-newsletter from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board:

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) has made the difficult decision to move the Minneapolis Music in the Parks events to a virtual format. The MPRB’s priority is the health and safety of our park visitors, Music in the Parks performers and our employees. To learn more about virtual concerts please subscribe to email updates by clicking on the link below. You can also view our most recent virtual concerts here, and learn about our summer virtual programs by visiting the Summer 2020 page.

Check out highlights from our first month of virtual concerts by clicking on the links below:

Kari Lynch Band

Traditional Country meets Americana meets Twangy Rock, as the Kari Lynch Band brings a performance to us straight from her Nashville, TN living room!

Hot Django Peppers

Enjoy this great LIVE concert from The Red Hot Django Peppers as they burn up the Swing "Gypsy Jazz", or Hot Club Swing style.

The Belfast Cowboys and Rich Mattson and the Northstars

These two great local bands were scheduled to kick off our Music in the Parks Series, and while they couldn't grace our Lake Harriet stage this year, these two great videos of their past park's performances will have you dancing in your living room!

If you are enjoying these great virtual options, please send us some FAN MAIL!  The Music and Movies in the Parks events have moved virtual for 2020 due to COVID-19, so in place of gathering together we want to hear your favorite memories and stories from summers past concerts and movies. You can write to one of your favorite artists, the staff, your favorite venue or a loved one you attended an event with. We want to hear about your favorite shows, best moments and milestones that were celebrated at these great outdoor events so that we can all be reminded of what makes Minneapolis Parks great! Share this form to keep the fan mail coming!

Virtually celebrating more than 120 years of free entertainment in Minneapolis parks! Find all the virtual concerts online at:  www.mplsmusicandmovies.com. For the latest virtual concerts check out: Facebook | Twitter

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Minneapolis Red, White and Boom goes Virtual

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The MINNEAPOLIS RED, WHITE AND BOOM EVENT INCLUDING MUSIC AND FIREWORKS HAS GONE VIRTUAL. Based on public health data, the Governor’s forecast, and concern for the health and safety of employees and park visitors, we have made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s Red, White and Boom outdoor programming. Please be safe and enjoy the holiday.

RED, WHITE AND BOOM BINGO!

Get out and enjoy the beautiful parks of Minneapolis and keep your eyes open for things that are red, white and blue. Visit www.mplsredwhiteboom.com to download your own bingo card and play with your family and friends.

RED, WHITE AND BOOM COLORING SHEET

What do you think about when you think the Fourth of July? Draw your thoughts and submit them to us! Our staff will select three winners to go in our MPRB Newsletter, our website and on Facebook. Submit entries via email to: concerts@minneapolisparks.org. Include your first name, age and city of residence.

Upper Harbor Terminal: An Economist’s Viewpoint

By Dennis Paulaha, PhD- Great River Coalition, Photo by Tom Reiter for Friends of the Mississippi River

I must admit I am coming late to the table at which the Upper Harbor Terminal development is being discussed. My first thought, as an economist, is that the most important thing an economist can bring to any discussion is to make it clear it is a mistake to make any decision, especially a big decision, without looking at the alternatives.

Although some people have supposedly been working on plans for the 48 acre Upper Harbor site with one mile on the Mississippi River for 20 years, the barge landing wasn’t closed until 2014, and the reason for closing it was to prevent the spread of the invasive Asian carp.

Reading through the materials provided by the Minneapolis Park Department, the City of Minneapolis, and developers, as well as articles written by others, the one thing that jumps out is that the city has decided, without looking at any alternatives, to turn over more than half the land to private developers to do whatever they want with it and to build an amphitheater on park land paid for by the city and run for profit by First Avenue Enterprise Limited.

The planners will no doubt claim that is overstating the lack of intended oversight by the city and the lack of input from the community, but there is no reason to assume this plan will be handled differently from the 2040 Plan when the city, the city Planning Department and the City Council kept the public uninformed while ignoring its input.

So it is not only the amphitheater that is a questionable decision, because of the problems such a venue will create for the neighborhood, because the preliminary plan allows closing park access to the public during events, and because of the environmental problems it will create by being so close to the river, but because there needs to be an honest discussion as to how public land and public money should be used, and whether it should be used for the general welfare or to benefit a few private businesses.

To begin with, I cannot find anything offered by the city, the Park Department, or the development companies explaining the purpose or goals of the plans they are putting together. In fact, the plans are not really plans, as of yet, which means I am not the only one who seems to be late to the table.

The Upper Harbor 48 acres is, or may be, the last significant piece of land the city and the Park Department can use for a purpose or purposes that will benefit…And that’s the question. Who and what do the City Council and the Park Board want to benefit? If the plan is to help increase the economic and financial well-being of current North Minneapolis residents, there is nothing in the plan that will do that. If the plan is to increase the economic growth of Minneapolis itself, there is nothing in the plan to do that either. The city of Minneapolis is at the beginning of a transition forced into existence by the Minneapolis 2040 Plan.

So one of the questions is: Is the unspoken purpose of the Upper Harbor Terminal Plan to add to the gentrification built into the Minneapolis 2040 plan? Very simply, the decision makers involved have to think about what they are doing.

This is a piece of land that offers fantastic opportunities for the city, but none of those opportunities can become a reality without careful thought, not only regarding the goals, but how the land and river frontage can be used to reach those goals. So far, from everything that has been made public, the city and the Park Department have decided to leave the thinking to developers and private businesses.

That is not why we have city officials. And I doubt anyone could successfully argue the current plan is the best thing that can be done with the tremendous opportunity the city and the Park Department have in front of them.

Statement on public safety from mpls downtown council, Mpls Regional Chamber, and BOMA Greater Minneapolis

Via June 29 Email from the mpls downtown council:

There is an unmistakable and significant negative impact from the framing of a needed discussion about improving law enforcement and other public safety efforts as “dismantling the Minneapolis Police Department.” Without a clear understanding that policing services will be reinvented but not eliminated in our City, we can anticipate the desirability of Minneapolis as a community to live, visit, invest, and create/maintain jobs within will diminish.

There is no greater responsibility facing our elected officials at City Hall than providing public safety for all our residents, workers, and visitors. There is no debate more important facing them, and the entire community, than how best to fulfill that responsibility in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd and all that led up to that moment. The following principles will guide our participation in that conversation. We anticipate more organizations and businesses will join us in coming days.

It is essential that we come together as a community to reimagine policing and public safety. Significantly improved law enforcement is a needed and overdue component of an overall continuum of responses to maintain safety for all. Sworn officers paired with supporting resources and other complementary safety strategies have proven effective in downtown. These approaches should be expanded more broadly in our City.  Bottom Line, we say YES to reform and reinvention of policing led by our Police Chief with broad-based community support. To the notion of “Dismantling” the MPD, we decisively say NO!

GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR POLICE REFORM AND PUBLIC SAFETY

Clear Accountability for Oversight of Police and Public Saftey

a)    Maintain the current City Charter, whereby the Mayor manages the MPD, not the Mayor plus a City Council of 13 individuals. Management of the MPD by committee will muddle accountability where it is most essential.

MPD Reform and Reinvention is Needed

a)    Support the Chief of Police more visibly than before and provide regular input on public safety and MPD reform.

b)    Educate ourselves - business, community leaders and citizens of all neighborhoods - about best practices we should support.

c)     Support a process that utilizes research, best practices, data and engages communities of color.

d)    Demand an immediate and lasting change in MPD culture, including, increased authority for the Chief, parting ways with any and all bad officers, and improvements to police officer recruitment with incentives to attract high-caliber recruits

A Continuum of Safety Strategies is Necessary

a)    Law enforcement is essential, but cannot alone provide for community safety.

b)    Downtown and other areas in Minneapolis have adopted complementary strategies that work and should be expanded throughout the City (co-responder models, DID ambassadors, liasons for the homeless, etc.).

c)     Support additional housing services, mental health services, and other community-building assets.

d)    Acknowldge this may require an increase in staff size to achieve the results we expect from a world-class City.

There Exists an Undeniable Role for Law Enforcement

a)    Protecting residents, visitors and people who work in Minneapolis is the most important goal of any plan to reform the MPD.

b)    Trained, sworn personnel must be available in appropriate numbers to provide first responder capability, 24 – 7 coverage, and address threatening situations affecting citizens, businesses and properties.

c)     Affirm emergency response capacity remains in place during any period of planning or transition.

Build Broad Consensus on the Path to a Safer City for Everyone

a)    Develop a “plan to make a plan” that gives multiple perspectives a genuine place at the table and engages communities of color and businesses in Minneapolis.

b)    Provide clarity about the timeline and process for decision-making and any implementation of the plan.

c)     Support the implementation of restorative justice measures that emphasizes accountability and justice that is focused on repairing the harm caused by crime.

d)    Support work that is consensus building and not polarizing; neither status quo nor chaotic change is acceptable.

Bassett’s Creek

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

From Medicine Lake in Plymouth to the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Bassett’s Creek winds its way through our urban landscape. Most of the twelve-mile creek is open to daylight, but once it nears downtown Minneapolis, it enters the underground world.

Long before European-American settlers ventured to the area, Haha Wakpadan, or Little Falls River, was an important feature for local Native Americans. It was full of fish, it attracted many types wildlife for hunting, and a trail ran along its valley from the chain of lakes to the Mississippi. As soon as settlers moved into the area, the health of the creek and its valley almost immediately declined.

The fist settlers would call Haha Wakpadan “the brook,” but in 1852, an English name would be given to it. Two years earlier, Joel Bean Bassett moved to St. Anthony from New Hampshire and began working in the lumber industry. Once he secured land on the other side of the Mississippi, where Haha Wakpadan enters the river, he would start his own farm at that location. He was also Hennepin County’s first probate judge. In 1852, locals began calling the creek “Bassett’s Creek.” During the very early years of St. Anthony and Minneapolis, the creek was mainly used for fishing, swimming, and ice skating.

As the populations of St. Anthony and Minneapolis began rapidly rising, so was the need for more industry. The first major industry in the area was lumber milling, and many mills popped up along the shores of Bassett’s Creek. There is an old saying that Near North Minneapolis would be a different place today if Bassett’s Creek received the same treatment as Minnehaha Creek. However, Minnehaha was roughly two miles from Minneapolis’ city limits when the city began, and Bassett’s Creek was inside the city limits. This meant that industries would immediately take advantage of Bassett’s Creek’s waterpower, whereas Minnehaha was too far from the bulk of the population, so only a handful of mills set up shop on that creek.

With more and more mills being built along Bassett’s Creek, the businesses quickly realized that the swampy valley the creek ran through was not ideal for conducting business. Humans intervened with the natural valley by chopping down trees, bringing in soil to make the valley floor more level, and straightening the creek to make it easier to harness its power. It is hard to imagine, but when I say “valley,” I truly mean “valley.” A headline from the Minneapolis Tribune in 1868 reads “Lady Precipitated from Bassett’s Creek Bridge, a Distance of Thirty Feet.” While the lady met an untimely demise while crossing an old bridge, significant bridges were built across the creek, and in 1871, the Washington Avenue Bridge across the creek was updated into an exceptionally large stone arched bridge.

Inglewood Spring and Ice House on the creek, 1894

All of the industries and the rising population meant that Bassett’s Creek was unfortunately where garbage and waste were dumped. By the 1910s, the valley became a wasteland of broken furniture, old tires, and human waste. In under five decades, the once pristine valley of Haha Wakpadan was transformed into a dreary, dangerous Bassett’s Creek.

1920 photo of a bridge crossing the creek.

As Minneapolis began expanding its paved street system, and new towns were being established near the creek, such as Golden Valley and Plymouth, the rainwater runoff was not able to soak into the ground and trickle into the creek. Instead, the water would drain directly into the creek causing major flooding. In 1913, the flooding was so bad that another Minneapolis Tribune headline deemed the area around Bassett’s Creek “Little Venice.” A more disgusting one at that. After that flood, the city created a plan to divert the creek into underground pipes that would empty into the Mississippi. It took another ten years for the underground system to be completed at a cost of over $280,000, or over $4.2 million after inflation. From Van White Memorial Boulevard to the Mississippi River opposite Boom Island, Bassett’s Creek was now covered.

The expansion of the suburbs caused more flooding around the open-air areas of the creek, so in the 1970s, the Army Corps of Engineers completed a study and suggest the creek be rerouted through new underground tunnels that can handle the larger flow of the creek. Since the completion of the reroute, the creek now empties into the Mississippi below the river level near Mill Ruins Park and the Stone Arch Bridge. The old, original route is still in use and mainly provides relief for the new main route when creek levels are exceptionally high.

Recent photo of the old outlet of the creek. Credit: Mississippi Watershed Management Organization website

Over the years, efforts have been made to daylight portions of the creek in Minneapolis, such as in Sumner Field Park and Heritage Park along Van White Memorial Boulevard, but those “daylit” portions do not connect to the old, original route and are merely holding ponds for rainwater runoff.

The story of Bassett’s Creek should be seen as an example of how destructive and disruptive humans can be to nature. We are fortunate to not have many stories with sad endings like Bassett’s Creek, as it took early Minneapolitans “only” thirty years to realize what Native Americans knew all along. The lakes, streams, forests, and prairies of what is now Minneapolis are worth keeping and respecting, and we have the best park system in the United States that makes it possible for every resident to connect with our beautiful, natural surroundings.

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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.

The Mill City Times Interview: Emily Organ, Founder of Tiny Fields Project

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided by Tiny Fields Project

Do you think you might want to try some gardening, but have little to no space? Are you looking for ways to meet your neighbors? The Tiny Fields Project might just be the answer to your unmet needs. Emily Organ, Founder, spoke to us about the innovative way her group is helping feed peoples’ hunger for vegetables and sense of community.

Q:  Tell us about the Tiny Fields Project.

A:  The Tiny Fields Project uses boulevard and alley space to teach families to grow vegetables. Each participant receives a kit with enough seed and seedlings to fill about a 5' x 11' space. The seed kit includes vegetables like cucumbers, beets, pole beans, summer squash, cabbage and basil. The project uses volunteers to till fields and participants follow along on social media to receive prompts, tips and recipes. They can ask questions as they go and share stories about interactions they've had. The goal of the project is to teach people about agriculture, get fresh food on families plates, and foster a sense of community and self-sufficiency. Food is a uniter. Everybody eats.

Emily Organ

Q:  How did you become involved with the project?

A:  I founded the project in 2013 after spending a couple years growing vegetables on my boulevard. The first year I planted a tiny field of barley - just enough to make one batch of beer. I noticed people going out of their way to brush their hands across the barley, or check on its progress. I met more people that year than the previous three years I lived in my home. That experience, and watching a TED Talk by Ron Finley, inspired me to start Tiny Fields. I got help from the Victory Neighborhood Association to start a pilot project of five Tiny Fields. This year there are 129 Tiny Fields in six North Minneapolis neighborhoods! I used my background in agricultural education to grow the teaching aspect of the project. 

One of the things I love about Tiny Fields is hearing all the stories people tell me after participating. There are fantastic pictures of smiling bearded guys holding cucumbers and stories about all the kids on the block running to harvest potatoes. There are dozens of them. Here are some statistics from our last survey that I believe illustrate our success: 

• 70% of participants reported their family ate more veggies when they could harvest them from their Tiny Field.
• 44% reported they changed their shopping habits to include more fresh veggies.  
• 53% reported an increase in knowledge about growing and agriculture and would like to know more. 
• 62% had between 3 and 5 regular conversations a week with someone in their neighborhood while working on their Tiny Field.
• 50% met a new neighbor for the first time while working on their Tiny Field
• 31% grew a new bond with someone they met while working on their Tiny Field. 

Q:  Do you have sponsors?

A:  Currently, we are run through grants, crowdfunding and funding from neighborhood associations. We partner with The Victory Neighborhood Association, the Shingle Creek Neighborhood Association, The Cleveland Neighborhood Association, Folwell Neighborhood Association, and the NRRC. Dancing Bear Chocolates has a current fundraiser for us – we planted a Tiny Field beside their new store in the Victory neighborhood. We hope to grow our list of partnerships!

Q:  Do you help new gardeners throughout the growing season?

A:  We help gardeners through the growing season with social media prompts and posts. Like, "It's time to hill your potatoes - here's how you do it." and "Here are recipes for radishes." New participants have opportunities to ask questions and get help. We assemble volunteer weeding crews for people who get behind.

Q:  How does someone request a Tiny Fields garden?

A:  To start a Tiny Fields Project in your neighborhood, you first need a sponsor organization. That could be a block group, neighborhood organization, garden club or any inclusive organization that could facilitate and organize volunteers. If you know of an organization or would like help finding one, contact us through the website.

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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. 

Doug Verdier's June 26, 2020 Water Works Photos

Editors Note: Mill District resident Doug Verdier continues to document the progress of the Water Works project.

Lots of activity outside in various places as the park layout begins to take shape. Much interior work is also being done within the future pavilion as well. 

New access to Water Works Park under construction through woonerf under the iron bridge on 1st Street just below 3rd Avenue.

Remnants of the former rail lines that once ran in front of the mill buildings. These were dug up during excavation for utility lines and new sidewalks along West River Parkway.

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New arched main entrance to pavilion building taking shape. Underground utility lines are being positioned and crushed rock is in place awaiting the new sidewalk and entrance way to be poured.

Public Hearings Scheduled for July on City's Revised 2020 Budget

The City Council’s Budget Committee will hold two public hearings in July on proposed revisions to the City’s 2020 budget.

The City faces a significant revenue shortfall as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and needs to make cuts to the City’s roughly $1.5 billion budget. Mayor Jacob Frey will brief the City Council’s Policy & Government Oversight (POGO) Committee on a revised 2020 budget July 9 and staff will present the revised budget to City Council July 10.

The public can then engage and share their voices in this process during two online public hearings:

• 6:05 p.m. Tuesday, July 14
• 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, July 22

You can watch or participate in the online meetings.

The City Council is scheduled to vote July 24 on a revised 2020 budget. For more information about the City’s budget, visit minneapolismn.gov/budget.

Hennepin Avenue Downtown Reconstruction Project Update

Hennepin Avenue Downtown Reconstruction Project

Hennepin Ave. reconstruction project, led by City of Minneapolis Public Works, will be reconstructed between 12th Street and Washington Avenue beginning Spring 2019.  The project will reconstruct the pavement from building face to building face, including improvements to public and private utility infrastructure, and improved infrastructure for pedestrians, bicycles, transit, and vehicles. 

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Latest Project News

Major progress was made this week with the west half of 3-4 blocks paved with new concrete pavement.  The focus this week was getting these southbound lanes paved between intersections. Also the last portions of storm sewer in the intersections was started and should be complete next week.

Private utility work continued north of 7th Street.

What's Coming up

Xcel Energy will continue underground work between 5th and 7th. The water main replacement work will be completed next week between 3rd and Washington. The roadway contractor will begin placing concrete sidewalk at the corners next week and more curb along with a couple more lanes of paving. Two of the four bus stop foundations will be completed next week as well. More info: Hennepin_Update_Vol38.pdf

For more information on this project contact: Construction Manager: hennepinCM@minneapolismn.gov or 612-255-4049, www.hennepindowntown.com 

FINNOVATION Lab + ImpactSKU Launch Virtual Program for Purpose Driven Start-Ups

Via a June 25 News Release:

ImpactSKU announces Companies for Preview Program
10 startups will participate in Twin Cities 1st virtual Accelerator

The 6-week ImpactSKU Preview Program kicks off Aug. 4th and includes programming on such topics as Vision +Purpose, Market Validation + Positioning, Social Impact and Channel Strategy. Throughout the program, participants will have access to a roster of CPG experts. They also will develop pitches for the 2020 Showcase @ Twin Cities Startup Week.

ImpactSKU was scheduled to launch its first cohort in June. But with COVID-19 creating an unprecedented situation, the decision was made to pivot to a virtual program to give the startups a glimpse of the accelerator’s full program. The full program will launch in 2021.

“We are thrilled with the companies participating in the ImpactSKU Preview,” said Connie Rutledge, CEO of FINNOVATION Lab and Executive Director of ImpactSKU. “They are some of the Twin Cities most innovative startups. We believe the programming and mentorship they will get out of the program will help accelerate their growth and provide invaluable support during these volatile times.”

ImpactSKU is for purpose-driven ventures with business models that support environmental sustainability, fair labor practices, ethical supply chains, and healthy communities. By focusing on social impact, the program aims to support entrepreneurs who know that long-term growth is based on business practices that protect the planet’s resources and nurture wellbeing for everyone.

ImpactSKU is a partnership between Austin-based SKU – the nation’s first CPG accelerator and FINNOVATION Lab, supported by two of Minnesota’s great CPG companies: The Stable and 301 Inc., General Mills' venture arm.

Minneapolis-based ImpactSKU has selected the 10 consumer-packaged goods (CPG) startups who will participate in the Preview program. The 10 ImpactSKU Preview companies are:

Atlas Provisions
Atlas Provisions was founded by Sarah Pritzker, who wanted to bring interesting, delicious foods from around the world to U.S. consumers. The company’s Popped Lotus Seeds, available in flavors like Chipolte Lime, Chocolate Sea Salt and Truffle Salt, are made from the ancient lotus flower in India. Atlas Provisions partners with low-income farmers from around the world to introduce new foods to U.S. consumers while providing their growers with new economic opportunities.

Coconut Whisk
Founders Bella Lam and Myles Olson founded Coconut Whisk to help health-conscious families avoid recipe fails by providing easy-to-make baking mixes. The company’s products include mixes for pancakes, cookies and muffins. With every online purchase, the company donates a vegan meal to a kid in need through our partnership with feedOM & Food For Life Global.

Dog Threads
Dog Threads started in the summer of 2014 when Gina and Scott Davis we were looking for a festive party shirt for their dog Thomas to wear to an annual 4th of July barbecue. They created a one-of-a-kind Hawaiian print button-down shirt for him and realized there was a big potential market. Dog Threads sells a wide range of shirts and sweaters for dogs, with matching styles for their human owners. Dog Threads donates a portion of every sale to various non-profit dog rescue programs.

Hippy Feet
In the months after Michael Mader suffered a traumatic brain injury, he developed the idea for a sock company that could help the homeless, recognizing that his fate could have been different if he didn't have a support system around him. He partnered with Sam Harper to launch Hippy Feet, which sells a wide range of socks and t-shirts. Each product sold allows us to provide transitional employment to young people ages 16-24 who are experiencing homelessness.

Humble Nut Butter
Husband and wife duo John and Jess Waller wanted something savory to spread onto a cracker but found that all their options were sweet. This craving lead them to their own kitchen to experiment until they found the perfect balance of flavors to meet their snacking needs. The result was Humble Nut Butter, which is available in Sundried Basic Cashew, Truffle Herb Walnut and Spiced Maple Pecan. In addition to sourcing wholesome ingredients, Humble Nut Butter is committed to building an inclusive workforce.

K Mama Sauce
KC Kye grew up eating spicy Korean food and had a difficult time finding quality Korean food and sauces when he moved to Minnesota. He developed K-Mama Sauce - available in original, spicy and gluten-free - to add an authentic, delicious kick to appetizers, salads, soups, and entrees of any style. K-Mama donates 30 percent of its profits to charity, including local and national organizations that provide affordable housing, promote access to higher education and provide food for the hungry.

Let’s Dish
Darcy Olson started Let’s Dish in 2003 as a retail meal assembly concept, where people can come in to put together meals. What started as a small Express freezer case of finished frozen meals in the front of their stores has become a huge growth opportunity to sell healthy frozen foods, including main dishes, side dishes, appetizers and desserts. Their focus on health and wellness extends to giving back to the community and finding ways to combat hunger.

Mostly Made
Mostly Made was founded in 2015 by Jillian McGary, who struggled to find time to cook nutritious meals for her children while working a full-time job. With no background in food or manufacturing, she began the journey of turning her “cooking hacks” into a brand. Mostly Made sells a line of packaged, non-perishable gluten-free fillings that can be combined with fresh ingredients in minutes to create healthy meals. For every five products customers buy, Mostly Made donates a meal portion to Ronald McDonald Charities.

Panache Apple Inc.
Panache Apple grew out of founder Ameeta Jaiswal-Dale’s love of apples and her desire to bring back heirloom apples alongside dessert apples to promote the sustainable orchards and agricultural practices. She created a line of artisan apple juice infusions in such flavors such as ginger Cheeky Zing, turmeric Samatva Swing, mint Green Vigor and elderberry Bold North to boost immunity, relieve stress and reduce inflammation.

Twiggy Fresh
Growing up in Somalia, Umar Ahmed used a twig from the Salvadora persica tree to clean his teeth. After moving to the United States, he decided to combine his desire to protect the environment with his entrepreneurial spirit to create an eco-friendly alternative to the plastic toothbrush to reduce waste. He launched Twiggy Fresh in 2018, creating a 100 percent natural toothbrush made from bamboo and natural nylon bristles.

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About SKU
SKU was founded in 2011 by lawyer Shari Wynne Ressler and serial entrepreneur Clayton Christopher, founder of Sweet Leaf Tea and Deep Eddy Vodka, with the mission of accelerating CPGs. Since it was founded, more than 40 companies have completed the program. Austin-based SKU has produced wide variety of interesting and successful brands, including Siete Foods, EPIC Provisions, Mosie Baby and Austin Eastciders. A 2016 Forbes magazine column identified SKU as one of the country’s top three accelerators. SKU expanded into New York in fall 2019 with BeyondSKU.

About FINNOVATION Lab
FINNOVATION Lab’s mission is to create a space for intentional and constant cross-pollination of social entrepreneurship concepts, ideas and networks. Through original programming and partnerships, the organization empowers and provides system change leaders with venture service support and access to capital increasing and accelerating their impact. For more information, visit Finn-Lab.com.

Green Partners Newsletter: Virtual resources for exploring ecosystems and online professional development opportunities

Excepts from Hennepin County's June 24 Green Partners Newsletter:

Environmental education resources

Explore the Mississippi River with Big River Journey Online

Big River Journey Online is the next best thing to a riverboat field trip on the Mississippi River! Filled with fun and exciting video clips and interactive learning modules about birds, boats, bugs, water quality and much more, the new Big River Journey Online allows kids to explore the mysteries of the Mississippi from school or home. Kids can peak into an eagle’s nest, spy on a romp of otters, spend time in a riverboat pilot house, imagine a waterfall greater than Niagara on the Mississippi, and solve river crimes.

Each of six learning modules plus a Welcome Aboard module features an introductory video along with topic specific multi-media interactives, videos, games, reading, word-finds and more. Teacher resources include assessments and other “go deeper” opportunities. The program was developed by the National Park Service, Hamline University’s Center for Global Environmental Education, and Mississippi Park Connection. Big River Journey Online is targeted for upper elementary grades and is available for free! 

Project Learning Tree videos

The Project Learning Tree community is creating video demonstrations of some favorite PLT activities that students or participants can easily do at home. These are also great to share with parents for ideas of activities families can do together!

1. How Big is That Tree? (grades 3-5 math): measure tree height and circumference
2. Name That Tree (grades 5-8 science): basics of tree identification
3. Forest for the Trees (grades 5-8 science, social studies): basic forest management
4. Adopt a Tree (grades 3-5 science, ELA): students adopt and observe a tree over time
5. The Fallen Log (grades 2-5 science): students observe all the signs of life and death on and under a fallen log in the forest
6. Tree Cookies (gr. 3-8 science, social studies): students learn tree rings and make a timeline
7. The Shape of Things (K-1 math): students learn about shapes and find them in the forest
8. Looking at Leaves (K-3 science): students learn how observe and compare leaf shapes, textures, sizes, colors, and other characteristics

New online lessons available from Wolf Ridge

As learning remains primarily online for schools, organizations and families, Wolf Ridge continues to release online, standards-based lessons. Students explore Wolf Ridge and their own backyards, experiencing nature from a variety of perspectives including science, history, culture, art, and literature. The following five lessons have been released since our last newsletter.

Geology

If we know how to read them, rocks can tell us a story of how our landscapes were created. Geologic history shows us the shaping forces of our land long ago. Participants in the geology lessonwill learn about the rock cycle and see how geologic forces shaped the land, use a bedrock map, and create a rock cycle model.

Food and farming

Who grows your food? Have you ever met your farmer? Visit the Wolf Ridge farm to meet Sarah who helps grow tons of food. Participants in the food and farming lesson will explore the farm-to-table chain, track nutrition and physical activity for 2 weeks, and gain a better understanding of dietary habits and where food comes from.

Spring Plants

How can close observation and documentation of plant characteristics help us understand their success in ecosystems? Participants in the spring plants lesson will gain an understanding of flowering plants and how features like their shapes and colors help them reproduce, follow a plant in their neighborhood or yard as it grows and changes, make observations of flowering plants in their area, and create nature journal entries for a few of them that documents their features and labels their parts.

Frogs and toads

Go behind the scenes with the pond singers. Before you know it, you’ll be personally acquainted with the frogs and toads around you. Participants in the frogs and toads lesson will learn about what species live in Minnesota and understand their life cycle via metamorphosis, learn how frogs serve as an indicator species where they live, and solve math problems about frog survival rates.

Mysterious animal signs

kWhat is living in your neighborhood? What can we learn about animal behavior from the evidence they leave behind? Join us for this adventure, and don’t forget to bring your powers of observation! Participants in the mysterious animal signs lesson will solve a mystery with naturalists, explore and interpret some animal signs, and use knowledge of the animals to write a story about their interpretation of animal signs.

Boys and Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities responds to increased need in south Minneapolis

The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities have an environmental education grant to help youth learn about natural ecosystems and recycling at their Minneapolis clubs and at the Voyageur Environmental Center in Mound. Due to increased need in south Minneapolis communities, they are placing volunteers to help with sorting and packing food and supply donations at their Southside Village and Little Earth Clubs. Learn more and get involved.

Spark-Y provides victory gardens to inspire a movement of growing healthy good

Spark-Y recently gave away 750 free victory gardens to individuals, families, and organizations in Minneapolis in partnership with the African American Community Response Team (AACRT). The goal of the victory gardens is to inspire a movement of growing healthy food on our decks, homes, and community spaces.

Each victory garden contains a variety of vegetables so that young people and their families can learn to grow their own produce at home. At the request from the community, a Victory Garden site will be dedicated to George Floyd. Spark-Y also developed a series of videos and resources to provide instructions and inspiration for growing your own victory garden.

Three Rivers Explorer Club: outdoors every week afterschool

During the school year, youth at Robbinsdale, Plymouth, Sandburg, and Brooklyn Center middle schools participated in an outdoor afterschool environmental education pilot program called Explorer Club. This youth-driven club taught by Three Rivers Park District educators met weekly in all weather conditions. Activities focused on building relationships and inspiring authentic and positive experiences in nature. Favorite activities included snowball fights, exploring wildlife cameras, fat tire biking, snow sledding, guided plant and animal walks, meeting live animals, playing outdoor games, and building snow and stick forts.

Through spending time outdoors, students created a deeper connection with the natural environment surrounding their schools. Students also had a chance to volunteer at the outdoor “Embrace the North Festival” at Mississippi Gateway Regional Park. In the spring, the Explorer Club moved online and continued to provide weekly lessons plans, providing ideas for students to continue to connect with nature at home.

Youth Environmental Activists of Minnesota (YEA! MN) featured in Minnesota Conservation Volunteer magazine

Youth with Climate Generation's YEA! MN program were recently featured in the Minnesota DNR’s Conservation Volunteer magazine for their work planning the youth climate justice summit. The summit involved teaching other youth how to effectively talk to elected leaders about climate change. Read the full article. 

MSP Film Society Announces Anti-Racism Series

Via a June 23 News release from MSP Film Society:

MSP Film Society announces the launch of We the People: Required Watching, an ongoing screening series of films that speak powerfully to systemic inequality, followed by conversations with filmmakers and community leaders discussing ways we can support social justice and anti-racism efforts within our communities.

MSP Film Society kicks off We the People: Required Watching on Sunday, June 28 with an encore screening of the MSPIFF39 Redefined closing night film, Women in Blue. The film will be available to screen for free for a 24-hour window on beginning at 11am on Sunday, June 28 at MSPfilm.org. On Monday, June 29 at 7:00pm, MSP Film Programmer Craig Laurence Rice will moderate a discussion with Director Deirdre Fishel, Minneapolis City Council Member Alondra Cano, Civil Rights Attorney and Activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, and former Minneapolis City Council Member Ralph Remington about the ongoing efforts of police reform and women's roles in leadership and community safety.

Women in Blue

Directed by Dierdre Fishel, USA, 2002, Documentary

Offering an unprecedented view into the inner workings of the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD), Women in Blue chronicles a police force—and a community—grappling with racism and a troubled history of police misconduct long before an MPD officer killed George Floyd in May of 2020. The film reveals the limitations of police reform through incremental change and asks questions that apply well beyond the city of Minneapolis: Could increased gender equity and more women—especially women of color—contribute to greater public safety?

MSP Film Society continues the We the People: Required Watching series on Sunday, July 5 with a free screening of Ava DuVernay’s groundbreaking documentary 13th. On Monday, July 6 at 7:00pm, MSP Film Programmer Craig Laurence Rice will present another community-focused conversation that explores the themes of the film and how we can collectively move forward toward a more just and inclusive society.

13th

Directed by Ava DuVernay, USA, 2016, Documentary

The title of Ava DuVernay’s extraordinary and galvanizing documentary refers to the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which reads, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States.” The progression from that second qualifying clause to the horrors of mass criminalization and the sprawling American prison industry is laid out by DuVernay with bracing lucidity.

In early June, MSP Film Society partnered with the Knight Foundation, O Cinema, Magnolia Pictures, and FilmNorth in presenting free screenings of remarkable films that directly address issues that we are grappling with today: I Am Not Your Negro,  Whose Streets? and Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am. Following each of these screenings, MSP Film Society Programmer Craig Laurence Rice hosted conversations with community leaders to discuss ways we all can support social justice and anti-racism efforts in our community.  As attendance for these screenings, and especially the community conversations grew, MSP Film Society received continuous feedback from both our community and around the country about the value of these conversations, and immediately endeavored to make this an ongoing series.

“MSP Film Society has long recognized the power of cinema, and the discourse it sparks, to confront the most difficult issues in society,” said Susan Smoluchowski, Executive Director of the MSP Film Society.  “Through critical conversations inspired by each of these Knight screenings, we found a potent way to fulfill our mission and serve our community in a time of need. We are grateful for our partnership with FilmNorth, O-Cinema, the Knight Foundation, and now the George Family Foundation for its generous support, making it possible for us to present We The People: Required Watching as an ongoing series of free screenings of topical, discussion-worthy films, followed by engaging, relevant conversations designed to challenge our assumptions and provide new insight.”

The films presented in this series have been chosen for their focus on the most pressing issues affecting our community, country and world, and because they speak powerfully to systemic inequality and serve as blueprints for affecting change.

“The motive for the conversations that follow the free screenings of these significant films is to bring a real, honest, and meaningful voice to the issues of inequity, race and racism, and its historical and current poisonous effects on the USA,” said Craig Laurence Rice, MSP Film Society Programmer.  “I hope this offering is a positive addition to the viewing experience.”

MSP Film Society intends to make We the People: Required Watching an ongoing film and conversation series, and will announce additional events as they are confirmed. Moving forward, the films will be made available to view for free through MSPfilm.org for a 24-48 hour window and the Community Conversations that follow on Monday evenings at 7pm will be presented via Zoom. They will also be available for later viewing on MSP Film Society’s Facebook page. Further program information, including registration info, can be found on MSPfilm.org.

The MSP Film Society is a dynamic 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to fostering a knowledgeable and vibrant appreciation of the art of film and its power to inform and transform individuals and communities.

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DMNA Set to Engage with Downtown HOA’s

The Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association (DMNA) Board of Directors would like to establish a stronger connection with residents living in condos and apartments in the Downtown East and Downtown West neighborhoods.  As such, it is working to establish a Home Owners Association Advisory Group.  This group would help the DMNA better communicate with residents of the downtown community on issues of important concern such as crime and safety and land use development.  The DMNA can also help HOA’s communicate more effectively with leadership at City Hall.

The DMNA is asking downtown HOA’s to designate a board representative to serve as a member of the advisory group. The preference would be for the HOA board president to serve on this group, but will accept a designee offered by an HOA president too.  Please submit the name and contact info to info@thedmna.org.  It is our hope to have an initial meeting with this group of people within the next two months, and possibly quarterly after that.  We are excited about this new initiative, and hope that we get good engagement from downtown HOA’s.

The Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association (DMNA) exists to promote the common good and general welfare of the residents, businesses, and employees of Downtown Minneapolis.  Members of the DMNA Board include, Pam McCrea, Chair; Kevin Frazell, Vice Chair; Carletta Sweet, Secretary; Dianne Walsh, Treasurer; Max Erickson; Tomek Rajtar; Laurie Rice; Joey Senkyr; and Joe Tamburino.

Ward 7 Update from Council Member Lisa Goodman

On June 19, 1865 -- two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation -- Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to report the Confederacy had surrendered two months earlier and that enslaved people were now free.  Here we are on the 155th anniversary of that historic moment and I can’t help but acknowledge how much further we need to advance as a society and at all levels of our government.

Earlier today I saw the following quote from our Civil Rights Director, Velma Korbel, and I was so moved by what she shared, I asked her if I could share it with you.

“Juneteenth is an important day for Black people.  Growing up in the South (Texas), this was a day for fellowship, friendship and spiritual healing.  Juneteenth is also the way Black people celebrate ‘none of us is free until all of us are free’.  The commemoration of Juneteenth is especially important today given where we are in our history.  The demands that Black people are making are not simply about policing; these are the same demands we’ve been making for generations on our journey to full citizenship.”

However you celebrate or honor this important day, as always, please be safe!

Lisa

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COVID-19 Situational Update as of Wednesday, June 17

• There are 4,162 cases in the City of Minneapolis and 181 deaths. The City is sharing Minneapolis specific daily case counts and demographics through a public facing dashboard at www.minneapolismn.gov/coronavirus/dashboard. The dashboard has been updated to provide more data on neighborhood level numbers of cases including new information on the total ICU count for the state and Minneapolis.

• Congregate living facilities in Minneapolis continue to see new cases among residents and while accounting only for 11% of confirmed cases, account for 78% of COVID-19 deaths.

• There are some age differences by race and ethnicity. While a majority of white cases (55%) are 45 and older, cases among Blacks, Asian, and Hispanics are under 45 years of age (over 60% for all).

• There are 31,296 cases in Minnesota out of over 448,000 tests completed. There have been 1,325 deaths from COVID-19 in Minnesota. There are 10,415 cases and 727 deaths in Hennepin County.

• There are over 8.2 million confirmed cases worldwide. There have been over 444,000 deaths globally and over 2.1 million cases are confirmed in the US. The US remains the country with the highest number of cases and deaths by a significant margin. A total of 117,033 deaths have been reported in the US.

• The Minnesota Department of Health is recommending expanding COVID-19 testing due to recent mass events, civil unrest and the response to the civil unrest that occurred across the state beginning May 25, 2020. Free testing is being offered this month in Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

• Thousands of people may have been exposed to COVID-19 due to the large concentration of people in one area. Identifying and testing individuals who may have participated in a large public event will improve the ability to identify cases and institute appropriate isolation and quarantine measures.

• Testing criteria for all sites (clinics, hospitals and community settings) include people who have participated in any large gatherings including but not limited to protests, community clean up, and recovery efforts, vigils, neighborhood meetings (both those with symptoms and those who are asymptomatic). This also includes first responders and others who responded to the events.

• As of June 10, MN has entered Phase III of the Governor’s Stay Safe MN order which allows restaurants to offer indoor dining at 50% capacity, and opening of other businesses at different capacity levels. The Mayor has issued an Emergency Regulations requiring that masks be worn in indoor public spaces starting May 26.

Health Incident Command updates

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

• The Health Department continues to conduct over 30 case investigations and contact follow-up for individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 per day and has completed over 1,200 case investigations since May 8. Currently, MHD has 21 investigators and has onboarded 10 non-MHD enterprise staff. Of the over 1,200 case investigations conducted, 43% were done in a language other than English.

• The Minneapolis Health Department was involved in two testing opportunities last week in the Cedar Riverside area: we assisted the Community University Health Care Center with testing 77 individuals at the Cedars MPHA properties last Tuesday-Friday. No data on positive cases is available at this time. We also organized testing for residents of Riverside Plaza, Thursday and Friday of last week. 200 people were tested and 15 positive cases were found. We are in the process of contacting each individual to let them know about the outcome of their test. In addition, the Minnesota Health Department started testing at the following sites in Minneapolis last week: Sabathani Community Center, Holy Trinity and New Salem Baptist Churches. 2,042 people were tested at these sites last week, with a positivity rate of 1.2%. MHD staff will assist in these events starting this week which are scheduled for Tuesdays and Wednesdays through June.

• MHD continues to provide sanitation stations including porta-potties and handwashing stations for the unsheltered homeless. We have partnered with Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board to place hygiene stations in Powderhorn Park and supported their efforts to place mobile shower facilities for the growing number of people at this encampment. We are also relocating syringe drop boxes to Powderhorn Park in addition to the encampment at 12th Ave. and the Midtown Greenway. We support efforts to ensure that tents are spread apart to reduce the spread of the infection.

• Health Department staff are working with Homegrown Minneapolis and community partners to address food insecurity in the wake of the George Floyd murder and community unrest. Staff are supporting existing food distribution sites such as Holy Trinity Church and Powderhorn Park in South Minneapolis and are identifying additional distribution events. FLP is developing food safety best practices for pop up grocery distribution sites. We are also exploring access to pharmacy services in response to the destruction of several drug stores.

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

Public Hearings Scheduled for July on Revised 2020 Budget

The City Council’s Budget Committee will hold two public hearings in July on proposed revisions to the City’s 2020 budget.

The City faces a significant revenue shortfall as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and needs to make cuts to the City’s roughly $1.5 billion budget.

Mayor Jacob Frey will brief the City Council's Policy & Government Oversight (POGO) Committee on a revised 2020 budget July 9, and staff will present the revised budget to the City Council July 10.

Public Hearings

Engage and share your voice in this process during two online public hearings:

• 6:05 p.m. Tuesday, July 14
• 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, July 22

You can watch the online meetings and participate in the online public hearings.

The City Council is scheduled to vote July 24 on a revised 2020 budget.

For more information about the City’s budget, visit minneapolismn.gov/budget.

Frey, Arradondo, and Minnesota Mayors Call on Legislators to Fix Arbitration Process for Law Enforcement

Group underscores the urgency of addressing arbitrators’ authority and allowing local government to effectively shift police culture and enhance accountability

 Thursday Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo joined local leaders to call on lawmakers to fix the state’s broken arbitration process for law enforcement officers. Frey and Arradondo have pushed aggressively for the legislature to address the state statute that impedes structural police reforms by giving third-party arbitrators authority to overturn disciplinary and termination decisions in cases of egregious misconduct.

“Without legislation to prevent arbitrators from reinstating officers who engage in the most egregious misconduct, the kind most damaging to public trust, Minnesota local government’s ability to make progress on shifting the culture of policing will remain limited,” said Frey. “If the legislature is serious about deep, structural police reforms, this is the most impactful change they could make.”

Mayors and chiefs highlighted past instances when the process has failed the department and their residents and hamstrung work to shift police culture.

Roughly 50 percent of police terminations in Minnesota are overturned by arbitrators when appealed.

Participants included Frey, Arradondo, Bloomington Mayor Tim Busse, Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott, Golden Valley Mayor Shep Harris, and Richfield At-Large Council Member Mary Supple.

The League of Minnesota Cities, the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association, Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, Rochester Mayor Kim Norton, who were not able to attend today’s event in-person, also submitted statements of support.

New Community Coalitions Formed to Advise City Leaders on Recovery Efforts

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey joined City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins and community leaders from across Minneapolis on Monday to announce the formation of the mayor’s Minneapolis Forward: Community Now Coalition. The coalition will help accelerate repair and recovery efforts in Minneapolis. Frey is convening leadership from Twin Cities foundations, businesses and community organizations to rebuild and repair Minneapolis as a stronger and more equitable and inclusive city.

The coalition’s co-chairs include Allison Sharkey, executive director of the Lake Street Council; Felicia Perry, executive director of the West Broadway Business and Area Coalition; and Jonathan Weinhagen, president and CEO of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber.

Frey is also bringing together a Minneapolis African American Commission on Economic Inclusion with community leadership to provide direction and support to the mayor and City leadership. The commission will establish a feedback loop that is rooted in the black community and unfiltered through the lenses of non-black people.

Recovery work includes support for:

• BIPOC/Minority-owned businesses who either owned or leased space in a building that was destroyed or directly impacted and where insurance will not cover the total loss. This includes total destruction, fire, flood, looting, and related property damage that compromised the structural integrity of the building or resulted in an immediate health risk if occupied.

• Owners of real estate that has been destroyed and directly impacted and where insurance will not cover the total loss. This includes total destruction, fire, flood, looting, and related property damage that compromised the structural integrity of the building or resulted in an immediate health risk if occupied.

• Retention of businesses in the community at the start of the response to the murder of George Floyd whether or not the property owner chooses to rebuild or repair the destroyed, damaged, or directly impacted buildings. This includes businesses adjacent to destroyed, damaged, or directly impacted real estate.

• Residences destroyed and directly impacted and where insurance will not cover the loss. This includes complete destruction, fire, flood, and related property damage that compromised the structural integrity of the building or resulted in an immediate health risk if occupied.

• Solutions that implement economic inclusion and stabilize immediately impacted communities.

• Immediate needs such as food and transportation for impacted residents.

• Enhancement of the physical environment in a way that reflects the community that lives and works in these areas today, including public space infrastructure, repair and improvement of pre-existing commercial property, active use of vacant spaces, and capitalization of ideas from the community that was impacted.

Court Orders Minneapolis Police Department to Make Immediate Changes

Hennepin County Court has approved the proposed court order filed by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights that requires the Minneapolis Police Department to implement initial structural changes, as part of the State’s ongoing civil rights investigation. The court has the power to enforce these preliminary measures and failure to comply with the order could lead to penalties. 

Under the court order entered by Hennepin County District Court Judge Karen Janisch, the City of Minneapolis must implement several measures immediately, including banning the use of all neck restraints and chokeholds.

The court order also requires the Minneapolis Police Department to fully comply with the ongoing civil rights investigation by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.

Any Minnesotan who witnesses or experiences violations of the terms in the order should contact the Minnesota Department of Human Rights by calling 651-539-1100 or 1-800-657-3704.

The Minneapolis City Council has also approved the terms.

The Minnesota Department of Human Rights launched an investigation into the MPD June 2 after filing a civil rights charge related to the death of George Floyd. The investigation into policies, procedures and practices over the past 10 years will determine if the MPD has engaged in systematic discriminatory practices toward people of color and ensure any such practices are stopped.

The order specifies that MPD and the City must implement the following measures immediately:

• MPD must ban neck restraints or chokeholds for any reason within 10 days of the effective date of the order.
• Regardless of tenure or rank, any member of the MPD who observes another member of the MPD use any unauthorized use of force, including any chokehold or neck restraint, has an affirmative duty to immediately report the incident while still on scene by phone or radio to their commander or their commander’s superiors.
• Regardless of tenure or rank, any member of the MPD who observes another member of the MPD use any unauthorized use of force, including any chokehold or neck restraint, must attempt to safely intervene by verbal and physical means, and if they do not do so they are subject to discipline to the same severity as if they themselves engaged in the prohibited use of force.
• Only the police chief or the chief’s designee at the rank of deputy chief or above may authorize the use of crowd control weapons during protests and demonstrations.
• The police chief must make timely discipline decisions as outlined in the order.
• Civilian body-worn camera analysts and investigators with the City’s Office of Police Conduct Review have the authority to proactively audit body-worn camera footage and file or amend complaints on behalf of the Minneapolis Civil Rights Department.

The order also commits the City to working with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights on several fronts to build toward systemic change within MPD as part of the long-term investigation.

The City will prepare a report listing all of the State of Minnesota laws that impede public transparency of police data and/or prevent the mayor and police chief and/or impede civilian oversight from disciplining and terminating police officers who do not adhere to Minneapolis Police Department policies and standards. The report is due by July 30.

Minnesotans with information that can further the investigation into the MPD should contact the Department of Human Rights at mn.gov/mdhr or 651-539-1100.

Read the stipulation and order.

Remember to Wear Masks or Face Coverings While in Indoor Public Places

Remember to wear masks or face coverings while in indoor public places

Minneapolis Mayor Frey’s emergency regulation requiring people in Minneapolis to wear cloth face masks or coverings when they are in an indoor place of public accommodation is in effect.

Medical research has indicated that COVID-19 may have a high rate of transmission through respiratory droplets, particularly while indoors, and that wearing a mask can help reduce the risk of community spread. Research has also shown that people who don’t show signs of the virus can still spread it without knowing they have it.

Businesses will not be required to provide masks to customers or employees themselves, though employers shall be required to mandate the use of masks by their staff.

Non-compliance should be reported through 311.

Find more information here.

Donate Homemade Face Masks at Minneapolis Fire Stations for Mask Drive Mondays

Minneapolis residents can deliver homemade masks to their local fire station from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Monday for Mask Drive Mondays. A big thank you to people who already donated 2,400 masks plus 100 more child-sized masks for the Memorial Day mask drive.

Remember to stay 6 feet away from others when dropping off your donation. Note: fire stations are not equipped to take any other donations at this time.

The City plans to distribute the donated masks throughout Minneapolis to residents, organizations and businesses that are most in need, including food shelves, congregate living facilities, small corner stores and shelters.

State's Stay Safe MN Plan Enters Third Phase

Phase III of the Stay Safe MN plan, including a gradual turn of the dial to allow cautious and safe re-opening of indoor dining, gyms and entertainment venues, has begun. 

Occupancy rates will be limited based on risk, with an overall occupancy maximum of 250 people. All critical businesses are required to develop and implement a COVID-19 Preparedness Plan by June 29, and the Department of Health (MDH), Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), and Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) will publish industry guidance by June 15. Under Phase III of the Stay Safe MN plan:

• Restaurants can begin offering indoor dining while maintaining social distancing, requiring reservations, and seating no more than 50% occupancy.
• Indoor social gatherings can take place with 10 people or less; outdoor social gatherings can take place with 25 people or less.
• Gyms and personal fitness, yoga and martial arts studios may open at 25% capacity.
• Indoor entertainment venues, such as theaters and concert halls, can open at 25 percent capacity.
• Recreational indoor entertainment venues, such as bowling alleys, arcades and museums may open at 25% capacity.
• Personal services venues such as salons, tattoo parlors and barbershops may increase occupancy rates to 50% while requiring reservations.
• Outdoor entertainment venues, such as sporting events, concerts and theaters may open at 25% capacity.
• Places of worship can increase occupancy rates to 50%.

Restaurants, salons and barbershops have been able to offer limited service since June 1. Takeout, curbside, and delivery services have been permitted throughout the pandemic in Minnesota.

City of Minneapolis guidance for businesses on opening.

Juneteenth

Excerpt from a June 19 City of Minneapolis e-newsletter:

Image from Atlanta Intown Paper

The history of Juneteenth:

On June 19th, 1865, two years 6 months and 18 days after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation into law, Union troops rode into Galveston, Texas to inform the last enslaved African Americans in the United States of their freedom. Juneteenth commemorates the official end of slavery in America and although it has been recognized as an official state holiday since 1980, due to the current focus on racial injustice in America, it is now receiving wide spread acknowledgement as a paid holiday for many large corporations. Across the country, many communities celebrate freedom on both Juneteenth (June 19th) as well as January 1st, in honor of the Emancipation Proclamation.

"Juneteenth is a time to recommit ourselves to the work that remains undone. We remember that even in the darkest hours, there is cause to hope for tomorrow's light. Today, no matter our race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation, we recommit ourselves to working to free modern-day slaves around the world and to honoring in our time the efforts of those who fought so hard to steer our country truer to our highest ideals." -President Barack Obama, 2016

Census & Juneteenth events:

The City of Minneapolis believes that our African American communities should be counted in the 2020 Census so that they receive the adequate political representation as well as the proper resources to meet their needs. The census will have a presence at the following events commemorating Juneteenth in Minneapolis:

• Friday June 19^th – Unite & Rebuild www.uniteandrebuildmsp.org, 3pm-8pm, 2500 E Lake St, Minneapolis, MN 55406

• Friday June 19^th  -  Community Festival and Rally, 12pm-6pm, Cub Foods Parking lot 701 W Broadway Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55411 

• Saturday June 20^th –The Staff of Freedom Works is hosting an event and BBQ, beginning at noon, located at the St Olaf Church downtown: 215 S 8^th St Minneapolis, MN 55402

Minneapolis Parks Foundation Announces 2020 Self-Guided Walk & Talks

2020 WALK & TALKS

Expanding on their Walk & Talks series, the Minneapolis Parks Foundation is creating a series of printable self-guided tours. You can enjoy them at a time and pace that's right for you, beginning with two of their most popular: RiverFirst and Winchell Trail. Download your guides.

They are developing further plans for 2020 Walk & Talks. Sign up for their newsletter to stay up to date (scroll down to the end of the News and Events section). They welcome suggestions for topics and speakers for future Walk & Talks. Please forward your ideas to Christine Moir, Development Manager, at 612.354.7513 or CMoir@MplsParksFoundation.org.

Theater Latté Da's At Home With Series: Rodolfo Nieto

Reprinted with the permission of Theater Latté Da

This weekend's AT HOME WITH... checks in on Rodolfo Nieto! You may have seen Rodolfo in such Latté Da productions as A Little Night Music, Candide, Assassins, and All is Calm among others. Read on to find out what Rodolfo has been watching, how he celebrated his birthday, and how he's finding ways to stay creative lately!

Q: Do you have a daily ritual that's keeping you grounded these days?

A: I begin our days by stepping out and walking around our backyard for a few minutes just to take in a little bit of nature. Every few days I’ll have a virtual workout through our local gym, Discover Strength. Then I’ll make breakfast for Clare (my wife) and myself so that we start our days by connecting over a good meal.

Q: What are you reading? 

A: Lots and lots of news, especially since the heinous murder of George Floyd has rocked our city and our nation. I’ve also been spending some time reading municipal documents to better understand some of the levers of our local government.

I also love audiobooks, and am currently listening to, and loving:
How to Be an Anti-Racist written and narrated by Ibram X. Kendi.
Born a Crime by and narrated by Trevor Noah. 
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates is in my queue.

By my bedside, I have:

Moby Dick by Herman Melville (I borrowed it from the library before we went into quarantine, so I’m taking my time with that one).

Scenes de la Vie de Boheme by Henri Murger, in the original French. I was reading this while we were in rehearsals for La Bohème and I still have a few more chapters left for that.

Cervantes’ Don Quixote in the original 17th century Spanish that I started a few years ago. I’m not actively reading that one, but I’m feeling the pull to get back to it.

Q: Which work of art—a book, poem, painting, piece of music—provides some solace for you?

A: Music overall has been the greatest balm. Everyday I will sit down at the piano, or pick up the guitar, and sing, play, and create music for myself. For a long time I’ve wanted to write my own music, and of late I’ve found many lyrics and melodies bubbling to the surface that reflect some of my angst and turmoil, as well as my amusement and whimsy.

Q: What's your go-to, binge-watching tv series?

A: Queer Eye on Netflix (we devoured that, though I could easily watch them all again), Sex Education, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Glow and The Good Place.

We’re trying to catch up on movies that we’ve been meaning to watch for a while, like Roma and Parasite, which were both fantastic!

Q: If you could throw a Fantasy Dinner Party (the only kind of dinner parties we can throw right now!) who would be on the guest list?  

A: The cast of Queer Eye—Jonathan Van Ness, Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Karamo Brown, and Bobby Berk!  And Trevor Noah, on whom Clare has a crush. With the two of us that would make 8, which is a great dinner party number.  Also, I recognize that the list is all men, so, one of the topics I would love to discuss is masculinity and the various roles of men in a changing western culture. Plus the food, wine, and overall dining experience would be phenomenal.

Q: What are you doing to feel creative or productive during this time?

A: It’s been tough not being able to rush out and be with my community in solidarity during this tumultuous moment because of the pandemic. So instead, I’ve been writing and calling our elected officials to encourage reform, and spending lots of time researching and educating myself on the theme of anti-racist policy. Many friends and colleagues of mine, some of whom have been part of this “At Home With” series, have been very inspiring in that regard.

For my performance bug, I created a live, online concert for my birthday a few weeks ago via Facebook, which was a blast to put together. Clare and I had so much fun creating and performing it  that we’re hoping to present these shows more frequently. In the meantime, I am continuing to study French, Spanish, guitar, diction and elocution, and whatever else catches my interest while I’m at home.

Q: Is there a theater production you've seen that you wish you could stream right now?

A: To Let Go and Fall, Theater Latté Da, 2019. We loved that production, and the music was utterly gorgeous and a beautiful complement to the actors’ fantastic storytelling. Plus, being such a simple production, I think it would be easy to stream and enjoy at home.

Q: Are you cooking?  Do you have a favorite recipe to share?

A: I am cooking all the time, partly because I love doing it (and eating it!) and partly because I hate wasting food, so I will make sure to use all the food that is available to us. For day-to-day recipes I often refer to The Complete America's Test Kitchen Cookbook, which my mother gifted to me some years ago.

Q: Of the roles you've played at Theater Latté Da, which is your favorite?

A: That’s a tie between Leon Czolgosz in Assassins, and Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm in A Little Night Music. I would do either again in heartbeat. The former was an amazing experience because of the show’s dark themes, carnival-like atmosphere, and our killer (pardon the pun) ensemble. The latter was a dream role for me, and every night I had so much fun coming on as a swaggering, arrogant blowhard and singing such wonderful music with our cast.

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, 2019. PHOTO BY DAN NORMAN

Q: Would you share a quote that's especially meaningful to you?

A: This summer I was hoping to walk one of the pilgrimage paths of the Camino de Santiago, but unfortunately that is not possible this year, and being unable to travel is stifling a part of me that wants to go wander.

Recently listening to the audiobook of The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss, for the second time, I encountered a quote that keeps this idea simmering inside:

“No man is brave that has never walked a hundred miles. If you want to know the truth of who you are, walk until not a person knows your name. Travel is the great leveler, the great teacher, bitter as medicine, crueler than mirror-glass. A long stretch of road will teach you more about yourself than a hundred years of quiet introspection.”

Q: Since this is the At Home with...Series, do you have a favorite spot in your home?  Would you be willing to take a picture of it that we could share?

A: I love our backyard, and here’s a photo of me sitting on a bench I acquired from a previous production, playing the guitar, and singing while enjoying the full sunlight of our day.

Historic Walking Tour of St. Anthony Falls from the UMN Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences

Use this document from the University of Minnesota Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences to soak up a little history while you enjoy a walk along the river:

https://www.esci.umn.edu/courses/1001/1001_kirkby/SAFL/WEBSITEPAGES/PDF%20and%20Word%20Tours/A%20Historic%20Walking%20Tour%20of%20St.Anthony%20Falls.pdf

Excerpt from the document:

This self-guided tour, the most comprehensive on this site, identifies forty historic sites around the area. Some of these sites are now mill ruins; others have become apartments and restaurants. Speaking to the size of the packet, this tour is about three miles long, so prepare appropriately (i.e. dress warm in winter or have plenty of water bottles in summer). The tour will not give you an overview of the history of the falls, which you can learn from both signs you will pass on the trail and this website. However, it will identify and give a little history about the many historical sites around the falls, along with some background on the geology of the falls itself. 

The tour begins and ends at Father Hennepin Park, located near the intersection of Main Street SE and Sixth Avenue SE. Main Street has metered parking, and the tour will take about two hours to complete. However, you can find free parking in the Marcy Holmes residential neighborhood a few blocks to the west.

July 11 Nicollet Island Cleanup + Celebration with FMR

Saturday, July 11, 2020 - 11:00am to 2:00pm, Nicollet Island

Join Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR) and Odell Brewing Company for this island cleanup to "Make it Pretty"! We'll collect trash from the shoreline and from the forested areas of Nicollet Island to prevent pollution and improve water quality in the Mississippi River.

FMR is leading a multi-year restoration of the natural areas on the north half of the island in partnership with the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization and the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board. The restoration plan includes enhancement of degraded forest areas and the creation of new, diverse habitat -- like native prairie and a maple forest. Explore our work on the island while working to keep these newly-restored sites clean!

Odell Brewing Company and Red Cow and Red Rabbit restaurants will be donating $1 to FMR for every pint of Odell beer sold in June, along with $1 for every 6-pack sold at select area liquor stores. Show your support for FMR while enjoying a craft beer!

Ready to register?

Please use the form below or contact Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator Sophie Downey (sdowney@fmr.org, 651.222.2193 x27).

Message from Meet Minneapolis CEO

"Meet Minneapolis stands in solidarity with our city and with other leaders in the Black community in recognizing the need for transforming Minneapolis from the inside out. We support the call for justice for George Floyd. We have spent the last two weeks listening, learning, and reflecting on who we are as an organization and are committed to doing our part in the fight against racism and injustice. We know enormous work is in front of all of us as individuals and community members, and we recognize this work is long overdue. We are ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work. This is our commitment because Black Lives Matter."

- Melvin Tennant, Meet Minneapolis President & CEO

Fun on the Run brings FREE Outdoor Youth Activities to Neighborhood Parks, Starting June 15

Via a June 12 e-newsletter from the Minneapolis Park and Rec Board:

Join friends and neighbors for games, sports and other recreation. Sanitizing and social distancing included!

On Monday June 15, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board's (MPRB) launches Fun on the Run, bringing outdoor recreational games, sports, and other activities for youth to 12 neighborhood parks throughout the city, on a rotating schedule.

All youth and teens are welcome to come by between 1 pm and 4 pm for fun and games at a safe – and social! - distance. All activities are FREE (no registration is necessary) - see the list of activities below. 

MPRB staff sanitize equipment after each use and help ensure participants follow social distancing guidelines. 

Fun on the Run games and activities include: • soccer drills • cornhole/beanbag toss • badminton • football punt, pass and kick

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• jump rope • spike ball • agility challenges • fly ball

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• disc golf • lawn bowling • potato sack races

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Fun on the Run details Who?  Youth and teens When?  Mondays - Thursdays June 15 to August 31 1 pm to 4 pm Where? 12 neighborhood parks throughout the city:   North Minneapolis  Creekview Park - Mondays Farview Park – Tuesdays  Folwell Park - Wednesdays Northeast/Southeast Minneapolis  Bottineau Park - Thursdays  Logan Park - Mondays  Windom NE Park - Wednesdays South Minneapolis   Elliott Park - Mondays  Sibley Park - Thursdays  Stewart Park - Tuesdays Southwest Minneapolis Kenny Park - Wednesdays   Painter Park - Tuesdays   Pershing Park - Thursdays