The Neighborhood Advocate September 9, 2010

YWCA Anniversary Open House

The YWCA Midtown and Minneapolis Sports Center invite you to a 10 year anniversary celebration on Saturday, September 11 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Visitors will have the chance to take a tour; try out Zumba Latin dance and Kettlebell classes; enjoy the open pool, water slide and inflatable bouncers for kids; create art with In the Heart of the Beast; and meet their neighbors. Photos by award-winning local photographer Wing Young Huie will be featured. There will be special performances by Little Earth Drum Group, Sabathanite Drum Corps and In the Heart of the Beast. A drawing will be held for a free one-year YWCA membership, and YWCA memberships will be on sale at the same price they were in September 2000, when the Midtown YWCA first opened. Find a full schedule of Open House activities here.

Community leaders in Corcoran, Seward, Longfellow, Standish, Ericsson and Powderhorn Park helped to bring the YWCA Midtown facility to East Lake Street in 2000. The CNO board and four other neighborhood organizations chose to invest more than $1 million in NRP funds in the construction. Located at 2121 East Lake in the Corcoran neighborhood, the YWCA Midtown has helped establish the Midtown-Lake Street light rail station area as a regional destination, and is spurring ongoing revitalization and growth in the station area (find a related article in this newsletter).

Founded in 1891, the YWCA of Minneapolis is a nonprofit organization striving to empower women and girls and eliminate racism.

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Public Radio: "School district aims to preserve farmers market"

The Minneapolis school district has put a valuable piece of commercial real estate up for sale, but the district will only sell the land to developers willing to include a permanent home for a community farmers market, reports Rupa Shenoy of Minnesota Public Radio, referring to the Midtown Farmers Market at 2225 East Lake. Mike Christenson, who directs the City of Minneapolis department of Community Planning and Economic Development, said it looks like there may be a happy ending for all parties involved. "It just speaks so highly to what the Corcoran neighborhood has done and the organizers of the Midtown Market have done," Christenson said. Listen to the full story here.

Corcoran Park thanks volunteers, starts Fall programs

Corcoran Park thanks "volunteer of the summer" Courtney Johnson. For the past three summers, Courtney has helped out with the Preschool Kinder Tots program, where her mom is a teacher. "I like to hang out with my friends and play kickball, 3-step, and football in the field, but most of all, I like being around the little kids in preschool," says Courtney, who is entering the 8th grade this Fall. "I want kids that don’t come to the park to know that Corcoran has a computer lab, two playgrounds, a pool, and there are nice people here," added Courtney. Call Corcoran Park at 612-370-4919 to register for Fall programs including Kinder Tots.

City seeks volunteers for bicycle counts

Minneapolis Public Works is conducting its annual bicycle and pedestrian count, and you can volunteer to help. Volunteers are asked to count the number of bicyclists and pedestrians in 2-hour time slots throughout the day at locations in Corcoran and around the city. The main days for counting are Tuesday, Sept. 14 and Wednesday, Sept. 15. If you’re interested in volunteering, register online at the City of Minneapolis website or contact Shaun Murphy at 612-275-5128. Let him know if you have a preference for counting in the Corcoran neighborhood.

Learn to organize your block at free training

When thoughtful neighbors observe crime but don't use 9-1-1 or don't know how, they do a disservice to our neighborhood. The solution is simple: Minneapolis Police / SAFE offers a free 1-hour training that will equip neighbors to use 9-1-1 and work with neighbors effectively. Meet your community crime prevention specialist, learn how to organize a block club, and much more on Tuesday, September 21 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Minneapolis Police Department 3rd Precinct Community Room 3000 Minnehaha Ave. You must RSVP to attend this training. Call 612-673-2856.

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