I love Sundays.  Every Sunday morning, my family and I wake up, get dressed in our best clothes, and go to church. After church, my mom makes a great breakfast for the whole family. She sometimes makes egg sandwiches, an egg hash, or even egg burritos. We all can smell the sizzling eggs and the hash browns coming from the kitchen every Sunday morning. We sit down, and we all enjoy the nice breakfast she has made. After breakfast, we rest. We all enjoy the nice meal and the time for rest, because every Sunday evening, we do a major cleaning to prepare for the week ahead. My sister and my mom wash the dishes, mop the floors, and vacuum the couches. My dad and I clean the bathroom, bedrooms, litter box, or do some outside chores, like mowing the lawn and plucking the weeds.

It’s August. We celebrate community with National Night Out on August 2^nd. I was going to write about Minneapolis leash ordinances for dogs this month. With the events of the year, the nearly weekly shootings, I feel something else should be said instead. But here is where I struggle. As someone who is a non-minority, white, and male, I feel like I don’t or shouldn’t have a voice. I hesitate to say anything because I don’t fully understand the systematic racism, profiling, and state of fear some of the members of our community endure or have endured. There is a problem and it runs deep. One that needs to be fixed. We are all human beings. We are all trying to live our lives. 

Hello Corcoran News readers. Hopefully I saw many of you at East Lake Open Streets on July 24th, and hopefully there is still a building standing at the corner of East Lake Street and 21st Avenue South. Last fall when I saw this building was being readied for demolition, I began inquiries as to whether the history of the building had been considered. The answer turned out to be no. Knowing that the building was over one hundred years old, and that it had been the first home of the Burma-Shave company from 1925 until 1940, this, to me, was not right. I and other history minded local residents went to CNO meetings and they agreed.  On December 10th, 2015, CNO passed a resolution requesting that MPS schools allow access for the purpose of a historic survey by Preservation Alliance of Minnesota. 

On Wednesday, August 24th at 5:30pm Cafe con Alondra will be honoring and saying farewell Inspector Michael Sullivan. Over the past two and a half years he has led the Third Precinct with compassion and integrity. In place of Inspector Sullivan we will be welcoming Inspector Catherine Johnson. Inspector Johnson most recently led the Special Crimes unit for our Minneapolis Police Department.

Corcoran, East Philips, Midtown Philips, and Powderhorn Neighborhood Organizations will be co-hosting this event. For more information please visit the Cafe Con Alondra Facebook event page. All are welcome!

Corcoran Neighborhood Organization will be having hundreds of conversations with bus riders this Summer and Fall, and sharing their desires for bus stop improvements with Metro Transit. The work is supported by a Better Bus Stops grant from Metro Transit, and Corcoran is partnering with Central and Lyndale neighborhood organizations and the Lake Street Council on this work. Pictured are many of the staff and community members who are leading the community engagement work at bus stops in the 3 neighborhoods. To learn more or get involved, visit www.corcoranneighborhood.org or contact Brettina Davis, 612-724-7457.

In the Corcoran neighborhood, many residents enjoy a safe, decent, stable, and affordable place to live. But many other residents suffer from mold, infestations, broken heat or plumbing, unsecure buildings, abuse or discrimination from their landlord, or other problems. What needs to change so that all residents in our neighborhood and in our city have a safe, decent, stable, and affordable place to live?

Join CNO and Pangea World Theater for a neighborhood conversation about Housing. 6:00 to 7:30pm on Wednesday, September 21st at Corcoran Park, 3334 20^th Ave S. A light meal will be provided.

Last year CNO board members organized a fun welcome event for students returning to South High for the Fall start of classes. The event featured a brass band and throngs of cheering residents, parents, friends, and elected officials giving hugs and high-fives.

As of print time, we are planning to do it again this year, on Monday, August 29 starting at 7:45am.

Watch www.corcoranneighborhood.org or our Facebook page for details as they come together!

A group of twelve local small businesses and aspiring business owners completed an eleven-week entrepreneurship course held at CNO’s offices. From food vendors to shop owners to artists to brewers, the course participants brought diverse experiences and skills to the group.  

CNO partnered with the Neighborhood Development Center (NDC).  NDC, a local non-profit that helps local residents start and expand businesses, develops the curriculum and deploys instructors with an expertise in small businesses management and lending to conduct this course in communities throughout the Twin Cities.

Wed., August 17, 5:00 -- 7:00 p.m.

Outdoors at the park. Inside the park recreation center in case of rain.

Join your neighbors for a potluck and gathering in Corcoran Park. Meet new people, connect with CNO and Park staff, share and discuss neighborhood concerns and ideas, and enjoy your neighborhood park. There will be information on the latest improvement plans for Corcoran Park. CNO will provide a hot grill and some basic protein options. Feel free to bring food to share or just come as you are. If you want to help organize this event, if you need childcare, or you just have questions, please contact Brettina ([email protected]) or Edain ([email protected]) at the CNO office, 612-724-7457.