Architects hired by Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) presented plans for MPS’s new Adult Basic Education and Transitions Plus school building to a packed house at CNO’s Land Use and Housing Committee meeting on January 5, 2017.  

The new school will be located on the southwest corner of 21^st Avenue South and East Lake Street in the present location of the soon-to-be-demolished 2019 East Lake Street building.  The entire project will cost $29 million and will result in a three-story building occupying half of the city block along Lake Street between 21^st Avenue and 20^th Avenue.  The school’s main entrance will face Lake Street, with the western wing dedicated to Adult Basic Education and the eastern wing dedicated to the Transitions Plus program.  The design includes 121 underground parking spaces for staff and students and 39 visitor parking spaces in a surface lot immediately south of the building facing South High’s Barnard Field.  The building will meet LEED standards for energy efficiency and all rainwater will be captured and stored on-site.  

If you’ve been by the light rail station lately, you might have noticed the progress made on the new development at 2225 East Lake Street. Hennepin County is constructing a new county services building on the southwest corner, along with a new transit plaza on Lake Street, and 115 new housing units on the south side of the county services building. Windows, decorative siding materials, and other exterior finishes are being installed as the crew continues to finish out the interior space of the county building. Foundational elements for the apartment building are also beginning to rise.

Over the last year, the Corcoran News has seen some changes; the biggest change is the design of the newspaper. We changed designers at the beginning of last year. A local, Corcoran resident and graphic designer, Lori Auer, has created a layout. We have many Corcoran residents now writing articles on a regular basis. The Corcoran News committee would like to hear from you about your preferences in the newspaper. We have created a survey for you to take that you can find at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DVY3MJ6. We seek your responses between now and March 1^st. If you do not have access to take the survey online or if you have concerns, please contact Heidi at (612) 724-7457.  

Take the Survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DVY3MJ6

Now Seeking Nominations for Leader of the Year, Lifetime Achievement awards

Corcoran would not be the vibrant and connected neighborhood that it is without the volunteer leadership contributions of many active residents.

Each year the Corcoran Neighborhood Organization (CNO) hosts a Community Awards Dinner to celebrate volunteer community leadership.

Join your neighbors at CNO’s Community Awards Dinner on Wednesday, February 22^nd. Dinner will begin at 6:00 pm at Corcoran Park (3334 20th Ave S). The event is free and all Corcoran residents are invited.

A program will feature neighbors toasting other neighbors who have shown outstanding volunteer leadership in the Corcoran neighborhood during the past year, or over their lifetime. Community leaders are everyday people who undertake large- or small-scale efforts, gestures of goodwill, and leadership that benefits our neighborhood and our community.

Share your Nomination for Community Leadership by February 10^th.

Nominate your neighbor for the Leader of the Year award or the Dorothy LaDue Lifetime Achievement award to be celebrated at the Community Awards Dinner. Please share the nominee’s name, your name, and a brief statement explaining how the nominee has contributed to the neighborhood to Heidi:  [email protected] or by mail at 3451 Cedar Ave S. You may also call Heidi at 612-724-745 to phone in your nomination.

Finally, a volunteer team is planning the Community Awards dinner. Please contact Heidi to assist with planning!

March 10: Acceptance notifications

March 31: Priority Application Deadline for art & craft vendors

April 7: Acceptance Notifications for art & craft vendors

April 8: Annual Spring Vendor Meeting

May 6: Opening Day, Saturday Market

June 6: Opening Day, Tuesday Market

August 5: Final Payments Due for Annual Vendors

October 28: Closing Day, Saturday Market

October 31: Closing Day, Tuesday Market

*Applications received after the due date will only be considered if space is still available.

Once again, the Corcoran Neighborhood Organization office will turn into a warm and welcoming bookstore and bakery on the first Saturday of February. Many gently used books and delicious homemade baked goods will be for sale at very affordable prices. Music will be played during the morning hours. Come browse for books while enjoying hot beverages and delicious treats. Event sponsors include Shear Art Studios, May Day Café, Bill Oliver (realtor), and Moon Palace Books.  All proceeds benefit the many projects and activities of CNO.

Corcoran Book and Bake Sale

Saturday February 4^th

9am-4pm

Corcoran Neighborhood Organization Office

3451 Cedar Ave. S.

Used book donations will be accepted through February 1^st at the CNO office and the Corcoran Park Recreation Center (3334 20th Ave S). Volunteers are also welcome to help sort books prior to the sale on January 31st and February 2nd from 6 to 8pm.

Minneapolis Public Schools Adult Education Program (MPS-AE) is thrilled to be part of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Citizenship and Integration Grant Program (USICS).   MPS-AE was awarded the USICS grant in conjunction with Mid-Minnesota Legal Assistance (MMLA) located in Minneapolis.  MMLA serves the legal needs of Legal Permanent Residents in the naturalization process. MPS-AE teachers help with the English speaking, listening, reading, and writing components of the naturalization exam and interview.  Teachers also educate students on the U.S. history and civics portion of the exam and interview. 

According to USCIS Director León Rodríguez, the USICS Citizenship and Integration Grant Program has been a key priority in the
Obama Administration.  The focus of the grant is to move permanent residents from their current status to that of a U.S. citizen in order to participate in a lifetime of elections, and to claim rights and full participation in U.S. society.  There were well over 800,000 naturalizations in the United States last year and the USCIS Citizenship Integration Grant Program assisted some of the new U.S. citizens with the naturalization process. 

As of October, 40 percent of Minneapolis Solid Waste & Recycling customers have signed up for organics recycling, making the Minneapolis program one of the most successful opt-in programs in the county.  This is an important milestone, as a study conducted before the program was rolled out estimated a 40 percent opt-in participation rate. 

Here is how organics recycling for composting works:

1)      Minneapolis Solid Waste & Recycling customers sign up for a green organics collection cart.  There isn’t any extra cost for a cart because it is already included in customers’ base fee for services. 

2)      Residents collect organics in compostable bag and bring it out to their organics cart. 

3)      Items that are accepted in organics recycling include all food scraps, un-lined non-recyclable paper products, and other compostable products.  A full list can be found at www.minneapolismn.gov/organics.

4)      Collection crews empty organics carts once a week, on the same day as garbage, and organics are brought to a commercial composting facility in Rosemount, MN where they are turned into compost instead of being incinerated at the Hennepin County Energy Recovery Facility.

To sign up for organics recycling, and for more information about organics, visit the city’s website at www.minneapolismn.gov/organics or call 612-673-2917. 

Thank you to those who invested in CNO in October and for Give to the Max Day! Your generosity contributes to CNO building up participation and leaders, addressing renters' rights issues, and running a robust farmers market. We rely on the participation, leadership, and financial support of residents like you. In our fall giving campaign, our goals are:

• To raise $5,000. We have raised $3,156, with $1,844 left to raise before December 31.
• To add 15 new sustainers, with 2 new sustainers thus far.
• To add 25 new givers. 12 donors have given for the first time!

You still have time to give before December 31. Go to www.corcoranneighborhood.org to donate.

Nicholas Adelman*

LisaBeth Barajas*

Stacey Burns*

Melanie Casiday*

Andrea Cecconi*

Timothy Counts

Sage Dahlen

Erika Garcia*

Jullonne Glad*

Lauren Giammar

Barbara and Stephen Greenhalgh

Russ and Jenna Grigsby*

Eric and Kimara Gustafson*

Ethan Fawley

Alissa Fountain

Fierce Ferments*

Marilaurice Hemlock

Susan Hensel*

Mary Jansen*

Heidi Johnson McAllister

Meline Juarez*

Matt Kazinka*

Ruth Koontz

D & B Leaneagh

Nathan Matter

Gwen McMahon*

Sonia Meade

Kim and Tom Medin*

Frank Neubecker

Genevieve Olive*

Deanna Olson

Hannah Pallmeyer

April and Simon Riordan

Roberto de la Riva

Tanya Snyder*

Chase Shutak*

Marissa Tappy*

Julie Toth

Adam and Devin Tomczik*

Michael Vitt

William Weber

Laura Wilhelm

Chao Xiong

Annie Young

Andrew Zimmer*

*denotes CNO Sustainers