Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States.  Note, that then President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation became official on January 1, 1863; but it was two and a half years after the Proclamation, on June 19th, 1865, that General Granger landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free.

This year marks the 150th Juneteenth, World Wide Celebration. Those interested in attending events on June 19th, 2016 or learning more about the history of Juneteenth, please visit and check for regular updates at www.juneteenthminnesota.org.

Wed., June 15, 5:00 -- 7:00 p.m.

Outdoors at the park. Indoors in case of rain.

Join your neighbors for a free potluck meal, ice cream 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 snacks and refreshments. Feel free to bring food to share or just come. 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.

Don’t miss the End of School Carnival on Friday, June 10 th from 4-6pm. Celebrate another school year ending and the start of summer! A bounce house, carnival games and crafts will be part of the festivities!

Save the date for the Ice Cream Social at Corcoran Park: July 13 th from 6-11pm. There will be music and a bounce house to jump in! Free Ice Cream, Kabomelette food truck will sell food, and games to play! The Movie in the Park (Raiders of the Lost Ark with Spanish subtitles!) will begin at Dusk around 9:30pm. This is a free event and for all ages!

Beginning June 6th and ending August 26th , Corcoran Park’s hours will change to Monday through Thursday from 1-7pm and Friday from 1-6pm. Corcoran Park has many amazing programs happening this summer including Kindertots Preschool, Naturalist Round Up, Summer Snack and Dinner Program (Monday-Friday, Free for kids under 18, Snack from 3-3:45pm, Dinner from 5-5:45pm), and Open Computer Lab during open hours. Corcoran Park also offers a variety of sports: Summer Fundamental Soccer for ages 4-6 on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning June 14 from 5-6pm, Outdoor Field Games for ages 6-16 on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning on June 14 from 4-5pm.

Corcoran Park also offers music lessons. They are: Beginner Drum Lessons for ages 7-17 on Tuesday nights beginning May 31 from 6-6:30pm, Beginning Guitar Lessons for ages 7-17 on Monday nights beginning June 6 from 6-6:30pm, and Intermediate Guitar Lessons for ages 7-16 on Mondays starting June 6 from 8-9pm.

Other activities include the Bojutsu Japanese Martial Arts, which specializes in using a five-foot staff, for ages 14 and older, beginning June 2 nd from 7-8:30pm and Family Zumba Exercise Dance Class for all ages (youth welcome!), which is Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays, beginning June 3 rd from 5-7 on Monday and Wednesdays as well as 4-6 on Fridays.

Questions? Concerns? Ideas? Contact the Corcoran Park staff at 612-370- 4919 or [email protected].

As we enter the month of June the Midtown Farmers Market will begin to fill with more and more produce each week. Along with the ever growing selection of produce there will also be plenty of great programming at the market this month as well. We’ll be celebrating Bees and Pollinators on June 11 th and the African American community on June 25th . The 25th will also include the second installment of our Summer Poetry Series at the market with poet Keno Evol. There will also be a 2nd Saturday Arts for All activity on the 11th, along with Market Science activities and gardening advice from Hennepin County Master Gardeners each week.

 The Public Comment Period regarding the draft master plan for South Service Area is open for 45 days starting June 17th. Submit official comments to the park board on its draft master plan for Corcoran Park. 

The South Service Area Community Advisory Committee (CAC) is recommending that the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) approve the above master plan for Corcoran Park. Once approved, the master plan will guide any improvements to the park over the next 10-20 years. For example, let’s say that Corcoran Park is budgeted to get a picnic shelter in 2018. The master plan shows a picnic shelter just north of the wading pool and it also shows a stage/bandshell in the same location. Therefore, the MPRB will work with community in 2018 to design a picnic shelter that can also serve as a stage/bandshell for special events in that location.

Saturday, June 11th , 9am–3pm

Don’t miss the best garage sale event of the year! Last year there were over 150 sales in the Corcoran, Ericcson, and Standish neighborhoods and we expect a comparable number! The map and guide will be available on the Saturday of the sale from 8:45am–3pm at the following locations as well as online:

Midtown Farmers Market 2225 E Lake S (until 1pm)

Keen Eye Coffee 2803 E 38th St

Angry Catfish Bicycle + Coffee Bar 4208 28th Ave S

Corcoran Neighborhood Organization's Website www.corcoranneighborhood.org/garagesale2016

The Neighborhood Garage Sale will be held rain or shine. Friday, June 3rd is the last day to submit your sale for inclusion in the “Garage Sale Map and Guide.” Call 612-721- 1601 to have your sale included. The Neighborhood Garage Sale will be held rain or shine.

CNO is grateful to all who give to support our work. This month, we especially want to thank our sustaining donors for giving on a regular basis. To join these sustainers, go to www.corcoranneighborhood.org/donate. The following are sustainers:

Mary Buhr
Stacey Burns
Andrea Cecconi
Jean Emmons
Cynthia Frost
Erika Garcia
Ginny Gelms
Jullonne Glad
Eric and Kimara Gustafson
Susan Hensel
Anne Holzinger
Mary Jansen
Meline Juarez
Matt Kazinka
Joseph Mattison
Gwen McMahon
Kim and Tom Medin
Genevieve Olive
Kelly Savage
Tanya Snyder
Marissa Tappy
Adam and Devin Tomczik
Andrew Zimmer

A month after the completion of the lawsuit against QT, monthly meetings are being conducted with the owner of the property talking about extermination, repairs and major concerns of tenants backed by the Corcoran Neighborhood Organization.

Working together with the owner this month, fumigations began for every building and every building will be completely wiped out and will be inspected by a representative of the neighborhood Corcoran. Also, they will begin with the most important and urgent repairs in each department. This was accomplished thanks to the power and persistence of tenants who have fought for demanding their right to a fair and safe housing unavenged by the owner.

The Corcoran Renter’s Committee is also collaborating in the lawsuit against the Apartment Shop, because in the neighborhood there are 6 apartment buildings owned by the Apartment Shop and conditions of these buildings are in very poor condition.

In the buildings live more than 90 families and these families are frustrated to see that they have little response and support from the city and housing laws are not respected. These families also become victims of discrimination by some owners when they begin to ask repairs.

The neighborhood is collaborating and supporting these families by prioritizing communication with city council members and inspectors in order to have public officials and an administration support and treat people of color and low income equally.

If you want to join the committee, we would love to have you! Our next Renter’s Committee meeting will be May 26 at 6pm at the CNO Office.

As I write this, Disney's The Jungle Book continues to hold off the newest competition at the box office with no signs of letting up.  Director Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Elf) has captured Rudyard Kipling's original intensity as he chronicles the adventures of an orphaned boy, Mowgli (a perfectly cast Neel Sethi), raised by a wolf pack deep in the jungles of Asia.  The plot thickens quickly as Mowgli becomes hunted by a murderous, law-breaking tiger, Shere Khan.

Toward the beginning of the movie, Khan's presence is intimidating, but not dominating, as he is sufficiently opposed by the wolves.  Mid-movie, when he attacks and kills their leader, the pack wisely cowers, along with the audience -- the tiger has grown twice his size in our imaginations!  What can stop this?  Courage.  Enter Baloo the bear, the hero of the film in many ways.  His interventions are raw, violent, and loud…the opposite of his innocuous disposition and comical Bill Murray voice.  In a rescue that takes place in a tree, a Psycho-esque screech (more on the composer's contributions later) pierces our ears as the giant grizzly's claws descend through flesh.  It is terrifying, yet a welcome terror as we the audience (along with Mowgli) are released from the hypnotic grasp of a serpentine monster.

Hello! My name is Parker Adams. I play flute in my school orchestra, and I sing in my school and parish choirs. As you can tell, music is a big part of my life. Another way I am able to incorporate music into my life is through Blue Tree Music.

For a long time I wanted a piano, but even more than that, I wanted to learn how to play the piano well. My parents got me my own piano for my ninth birthday and I was ecstatic. We hunted for a place to get a quality education in piano, and we finally settled on Blue Tree.