09 14 Messenger Newspaper

Wagenius vs. Drowning can Sixth annual Hortillosa in happen to Monarch Festival House Disc. 63B anybody, swiftly Sept. 6 Page 3 Page 5 Page 7 Longfellow Nokomis Your community Messeng newspaper since 1982 September 2014 • Vol. 30 No. 7 www.LongfellowNokomisMessenger.com 21,000 Circulation Options abound for athletic fields, rec center, beaches, bathhouse and playgrounds at Nokomis-Hiawatha Regional Park Residents review two plans during an open house; comments will be reviewed by the community advisory council By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN approval later this fall. Once that Changes are coming to Lake is done, it will go before the Met HOW NATURAL SHOULD THE PARK BE? Hiawatha and Nokomis parks, Council, which has helped fund and residents got a chance to com- the planning process. ment on the proposals during an Work on Triangle Park will open house in mid-August. take place in 2015, and some How much of the shoreline trail improvements will be done should be natural versus turf? in 2016. Cost on these is Where should a skate park be? $400,000. No timeline has been How can bikers and walkers created for the rest of the propos- cross Cedar Ave. more safely? als, and no funding has been Should the athletic fields be designated for them. When the fashioned like a pinwheel with a plan is complete, the compo- restroom and concessions area in nents will be prioritized. the center? What should be in- cluded in a recreation center ex- NATURAL AREAS VERSUS pansion? Should a new bath house/event center be built with MANICURED LAWN a restaurant inside? How natural do residents want Could Minnehaha creek be the shoreline to be? That’s one of rerouted so that it no longer the main questions being asked “CAMPUS STYLE” “NATURAL STYLE” flows into Lake Hiawatha? How as this plan is developed. can the water quality be im- “When you look at the park, A campus style park features open, mown lawns and A natural style park features lawns, open spaces, and clear- proved at both lakes? it suggests that managed turf patches of plantings that shape space and draw the eye ings tucked into a matrix of vegetation. Gathering areas may These are some of the ques- isn’t what all the areas want to to different views. This type of park requires a lot of mow- be surrounded by grassland or prairie, overlooking wetlands, tions being addressed in the new be,” pointed out Adam Arvidson, ing, but less intensive planting maintenance. Due to its or wooded. This type of park is composed of native habitats 25-year master plan being creat- project manager. “Even when it open layout, spaces are highly flexible and can accommo- that require specific maintenance; however; mowing is less ed for the Nokomis-Hiawatha re- isn’t flooding, there are areas that date a variety of uses; however, there is little habitat value necessary. Care must be taken to counter natural areas with gional park area. Due to funding are very tough to manage.” to this park. enough open space to accommodate flexible play. This type restrictions, Hiawatha Golf There are two options for Course is not part of the plan. the shoreland. The first is a cam- of park offers more habitat value than a campus style park. The community advisory pus style with a manicured lawn council will meet twice more to that has natural areas within it. How natural do residents want the park to be? That’s one of the major questions being asked in this planning review the plan and make recom- This is what most of the city process. There are two options for the shoreland. The first is a campus style with a manicured lawn that has natural mendations. These will then be areas within it. This is what most of the city parks currently have. The second option is to have more of a natural forwarded to the Park Board for Continued on page 13 area with turf cut in, more like how state parks are set up. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen) Urban farmhouse takes over old general store By LINDSAY GROME If you drove by on any summer night, it would be hard to miss the ¾ acre dense vegetable garden taking up the better part of the corner of 42nd Ave. and 40th St. S. On this Tuesday evening in August, passersby were welcomed with samplings of the latest bean crop and garden produce for pur- chase at a pop-up farmers market —a staple every Tuesday in the summer. “This is so lovely and grassroots—I love it,” exclaims a neighborhood patron stopping in to check out the latest crops and list of upcoming classes. Grassroots is exactly what Kara Guerra, a graduate student at the University of Minnesota, is one of they’re going for as the newest several farm assistants working 10-15 hours a week for a stipend. (Photo by kid on the block in the Howe Lindsay Grome) neighborhood. A former 1956 General Store is now occupied by house—a collaborative space culture Research Institute Cold The Farmhouse pop-up farmers market takes place Tuesdays 4-7pm through three residential apartments, a housing offices for The Tiny Climate. September. (Photo by Lindsay Grome) 3/4 acre garden and The Farm- Diner farm staff and the Perma- Continued on page 8 City Academy opens its 1885 University Ave. 3rd year in Minneapolis St. Paul, MN 55104 651-645-7045 Unique educational experience helps students Publishers: understand how city government works Calvin deRuyter, Tim Nelson Managing Editor: By JAN WILLMS nance Department and how indi- Calvin deRuyter Have you always wanted to vidual properties are taxed from Advertising: find out exactly how an emer- the City Assessor’s office. “That is gency call is handled? How vari- one of the highlights,” Blin noted. Denis Woulfe - 651-917-4183 ous properties are taxed? What He said Community Planning Production/Illustrations: kind of water comes out of your and Economic Development talks Bob Wasiluk tap? about city development, and the Contributing Writers: For the third straight year, the Water Treatment Plant tour gives City Academy is being held in residents a chance to observe how Tesha M. Christensen, Jan Willms, Minneapolis. The course, which is water is taken out of the river and Jill Boogren, Matthew Davis, held every Wednesday from 6:30- how it is treated. “The scale of the Margie O'Loughlin, Lindsay Grome, water system in Minneapolis is Hailey Colwell 9pm, begins Sept. 17 and runs through Oct. 15 at various loca- amazing,” he said. Now, communicate with the tions throughout the city. The City Academy concludes Longfellow/Nokomis “We move around to various at the Fire Training Center, which Messenger electronically! facilities, and we start right here in is just inside Fridley. Now it’s easier than ever to keep in touch City Hall,” said Howard Blin, “They describe all operations with the Messenger. Letters to the editor community engagement manager and demonstrate by setting a Participants in the City Academy get an opportunity to tour Minneapolis and news releases for publication can be who coordinates the program. building on fire and putting the government facilities such as the water plant, the 911 center, water treat- sent via e-mail at editorial@deruyternel- son.com Be sure to send copy in the “City Academy allows resi- fire out,” Blin explained. ment plant and the Fire Training Center. They learn about taxation, elec- body of the e-mail, and please mark dents to see various city opera- “It’s just a small sample of tions from the city clerk, and budgeting and finance from the Finance De- whether the copy is a letter, a news re- tions they might not otherwise get city facilities, but it gives the resi- partment. (Photo courtesy of City of Minneapolis Neighborhood and Com- lease for publication, or perhaps just a chance to observe,” Blin said. dents an idea of what their tax munity Relations) your thoughts on the last issue. Don’t forget to write! He said the participants get a dollars are paying for,” he added. chance to tour the 911 emergency “We could expand to include city advisory boards and commis- As of press time, there were The Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger is department, which is located deep other services,” Blin said. “We live sions. There are 52 different com- still some openings for the ses- a monthly community publication in in the recesses of City Hall. in a fascinating city, and it’s very missions in the city. This may get sion. People can register by calling the Longfellow and Nokomis areas of Minneapolis, owned and operated by “They also tour the City of interesting in how it works.” people interested in serving on 311 or going to the Minneapolis deRuyter-Nelson Publications, Inc. All Minneapolis Water Plant,” he Blin said that many cities are one of them.” city website and clicking on the correspondence should be sent to the noted. “They visit one of the po- providing this type of information Blin said there is more de- Neighborhood and Community Messenger, 1885 University Ave., #110, lice precincts. We move the tour for citizens. The Academy limits its mand for attending City Academy Relations Department. St. Paul, MN 55104. Editorial and adver- around to a different precinct each participants to 30, because a big- each year, and there is always a “People do get certificates, but tising offices can be reached at 651-645- 7045. Our fax number is 651-645-4780. year.” ger group would be cumbersome waiting list.

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