Help clean up your parks for Earth Day
Join friends and neighbors in helping keep Minneapolis a beautiful place to live and play on Saturday, April 18th. Volunteers will clean up Corcoran Park starting at 1:30 p.m. and then migrate to Powderhorn Park (3400 15th Ave S) to take part in an Earth Day water program and master gardener program. The event concludes with a performance by Danza Mexica Cuauhtemoc from 3:00 to 3:30 p.m. Look for a registration table where gloves, bags and directions will be provided. Everyone is welcome. See you there rain or shine! Organized by Latinos En Accion, a project of the Corcoran Neighborhood Organization. Please contact alejandra Tobar to learn more. To find morning cleanup events at various parks, sponsored by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, click here to look up one of 41 participating park centers in the city of Minneapolis.
Weigh in on proposed Park Board elimination
A proposed change to the Minneapolis Charter would eliminate the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and transfer its functions to other city departments. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is responsible for the programs, operation, maintenance and security of all of the parks and park lands in the City of Minneapolis. Another proposed charter change would eliminate the Board of Estimate and Taxation and transfer its functions to the City Council. Four public hearings have been scheduled with regards to proposed charter changes: April 23, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., Transitions School, Board Room, 2872 26th Ave S; April 28, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., North Regional Library, 1315 Lowry Ave N; April 30, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., Northeast Library, 2200 Central Ave NE; and May 7, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., St. Joan of Arc Church (lower level), 4500 Clinton Ave S.
Tree Trust offers (you guessed it) trees (and cheap)
Planting a tree is the easiest way to improve the value of your property, reduce your energy needs, shrink your carbon footprint and improve our air and water quality. In 2009, the City of Minneapolis and Tree Trust are providing 1,000 trees to Minneapolis residents, each tree costing less than a tank of gas. Save money on energy by planting large shade trees on the west or east side of your home and evergreens on the north and west side of your home. To order, click here.
Get involved at Corcoran Park this spring
Whether you want to play or coach, Corcoran Park has opportunities you. Join baseball, softball, or t-ball this spring and play against other teams in the city. For something more low-key, join in on some indoor soccer fun starting on Tuesdays from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. Interested in volunteering? The Park is starting a Corcoran Park Advisory Council. Help to plan park events, set up sports, and fundraise. Contact Choua Thao at Corcoran Park for more information: 612-370-4919.
MDH will share Children's Arsenic Study results
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will hold a community meeting on the recently-completed Minneapolis Children’s Arsenic Study and respond to questions. Residents living near the former CMC Heartland Lite Yard site at 28th and Hiawatha have been concerned that children may have been exposed to arsenic in the soil in their yards. Arsenic-containing pesticides were manufactured and stored at the CMC site between 1938 and 1963. The yards with the highest concentrations of arsenic have already been cleaned up, but others slated for future cleanup. The meeting will take place on Monday, April 27th at Corcoran Park, 3334 20th Ave S from 6:00 to 8:45 p.m. For more information about the study, contact Mary Jeanne Levitt, MDH, at 651-201-5627. Finally, click here to read questions and answers about the soil remediation project.
60 homes will open their doors for annual home tour
Sixty homes, 39 in Minneapolis and 21 in Saint Paul, will be featured on the annual Minneapolis & Saint Paul Home Tour. Homes on the free, self-guided tour will be open Saturday, April 25, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 26, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Residents open their doors to show creative and practical ideas for kitchens, bathrooms, space additions and more. Talk directly with homeowners, and in many cases, their contractors, architects, and other trades people. More than a dozen homes feature green, energy-efficient remodeling methods and materials. To help plan your tour, Home Tour Guides with maps, descriptions of all the homes and special features are available at local libraries in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and suburban Hennepin and Ramsey counties. Guides are also available at all the homes on tour days. Click here to learn more.
Corcoran crime prevention summit April 21
The Corcoran neighborhood experienced an increase in crime in 2008. Most of this increase was due to burglaries and larcenies. In an effort to address this concern, please join Council Member Gary Schiff, Crime Prevention Specialist Karen Notsch and the Corcoran Neighborhood Organization at a meeting to talk about strategies to reduce crime in our neighborhood. Tuesday, April 21 at 6:00 p.m., Corcoran Park, Multipurpose Room, 3334 20th Ave S.
Bicyclists needed to help eliminate gang graffiti
The Corcoran Neighborhood Organization is seeking volunteer(s) to help us continue our regular survey of alleys and key locations to find and address locations marked with gang tags. This information is be used to foster timely abatement and enforcement by the City, and to help support property owners who want to prevent future graffiti with free resources. The job is quicker by car, but more fun by bike. To volunteer or learn more, please contact Eric at CNO.
Corcoran Neighborhood Organization | 3451 Cedar Ave S | Minneapolis MN 55407
Phone 612-724-7457 | Fax 612-721-7588