Residents Meet With Officials to Discuss Prostitution

Over 20 people attended a July 18 meeting at Corcoran Park convened by resident Cheryl Barber and State Senator Patricia Torres Ray. Residents, elected officials, direct service organizations, and Karen Notsch from the Third Precinct shared what each are doing to combat the long-standing and complex issue of prostitution in South Minneapolis. Commissioner Peter McLaughlin and Craig Voss from the Department of Corrections described a new Hennepin County funding initiative aimed at innovative local projects, and designed with help from Minneapolis Council Members Gary Schiff and Elizabeth Glidden. Torres Ray has committed to working with residents and taking concerns back to discussions with her Senate colleagues this fall. Barber hopes to assemble a working group of residents to work on these issues and possibly testify before the Senate. These efforts will build on the accomplishments of the Caring Corcoran Neighbors, a grassroots group active since 2005, and on the many years of work through the 1990's by Corcoran activists such as Judy Oman, Linda Kolkind, their Southside Prostitution Task Force, and other groups.

CNO Pursues Funds to Curb Neighborhood Prostitution

Corcoran Neighborhood Organization (CNO) submitted a grant request for $10,000 to the Hennepin County Department of Community Corrections to build a street outreach program that will work with women in prostitution. If funded, the project area will include the Lake Street and 31st Street corridor from Bloomington Avenue to Hiawatha Avenue and on Cedar Avenue from 28th Street to 38th Street. The need for an outreach program was identified by the grassroots "Caring Corcoran Neighbors" group through their collaborative efforts with enforcement and elected officials. If funding is secured, CNO will create a more formal outreach program to help women in prostitution. The goal is to expand on the relationships that we have established with women on our streets, connect women to existing resources available to them, lead focus groups to help identify gaps in the system, share trends with law enforcement, probation, the judicial system, and service providers, and make an overall impact on the number of women working in prostitution in our community. Residents will be able to participate in the project in many ways. (Read full article)

Housing / Land Use & Transportation Will Meet

On Monday, July 30 at 6:00 pm, the Housing / Land Use & Transportation Committees will convene at CNO. Residents will continue to develop an action plan to address vacant and boarded housing. The group will also revisit the impending sale of the vacant "31st Street Triangle" parcel by the Met Council, and discuss the need for a new Corcoran representative on the Midtown Greenway Coalition. All Corcoran residents and business owners are invited to attend.

Download Coupons Before Your Next Chatterbox Visit

The Chatterbox Pub will contribute a portion of its sales to the Corcoran Neighborhood Organization when patrons use one of four special coupons. Download and print coupons here. Owner Steve Miller encourages residents to print additional copies for future visits and share the coupons with friends. The coupons are valid at both the Corcoran location and the new store in St. Paul.