The Neighborhood Advocate Nov 27, 2007

Children’s Health Testing Offered in Response to Arsenic Cleanup

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is proposing a pilot project to assess children who have been exposed to arsenic. The project will be described at a community meeting at 7:00 pm on December 6 at the Midtown YWCA, 2121 E. Lake St.

The former “CMC Heartland” site near 28th Street and Hiawatha Avenue has been cleaned up and redeveloped, but arsenic drifted from the plant to adjacent neighborhoods including Corcoran during its operation between 1938 and 1963. According to the MDH, the main exposure of concern is accidental ingestion of soil through the mouth. Residents can reduce their risk by washing hands, by vacuuming and dusting frequently, and by removing shoes before entering homes. Gardeners face little risk, especially if they wash vegetables and peel root crops such as carrots and potatoes.

For more information on the December 6 MDH meeting, contact Michonne Bertrand at 651-201-3661. For information about testing or cleanup at specific properties, contact Tim Prendiville, Environmental Protection Agency project manager, at 312-886-5211.

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Learn Crime Prevention Skills at Free MPD Training

On December 6 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, the 3rd Precinct will host a free Block Leader Training at 3000 Minnehaha Ave. Topics will include: how to organize a Block/Apartment Club, responsibilities of a crime prevention block leader, how and when to use 911, and how to solve problems effectively. This periodic training is highly recommended to all residents by CNO Staff! If you plan to attend, please RSVP by contacting Crime Prevention Specialist Karen Notsch at 612-673-2856.

Enjoy a Slideshow of New Neighborhood Murals

Over 220 neighbors--half of them young people--worked together to beautify the Corcoran neighborhood through paint and teamwork this year. These efforts built on last year's community mural on the Shell station at 34th and Cedar, and the project will continue in the warm months of 2008. Click here to watch a slideshow of fun mural action! Do you have ideas for a mural, or wish to request a mural on your garage or fence, or wish to get involved in the project? E-mail Eric at CNO.

Show off Your Home in the Annual Home Tour

A great way to show off your unique home and expose hundreds of prospective neighbors to for-sale homes in Corcoran is the annual Minneapolis-St. Paul Home Tour, scheduled for April 26-27, 2008. In 2007, one Corcoran home was featured on the tour. Applications are due January 23, 2008, and early inquiries are encouraged. Minneapolis' Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) manages the tour. For more information, call Tour Coordinator Margo Ashmore at 612-673-5103, or download the application here.

A Brush With Kindness Offers Free Fix-ups

A Brush With Kindness paints, landscapes, and does minor repairs to the exterior of homes for low-income residents, and at no cost to them. In particular, it focuses on those homeowners in difficult circumstances, or who have issues such as age, disability or illness, as well as single-parent households. Does your neighbor need help keeping up their home? You have an opportunity to make a big impact on your block by alerting them to this service. Applications, processed year-round, are being accepted now for work to be done in spring 2008. Call 612-788-8169 for more information.