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Work planned Lake St. Council Keewaydin Campus on Sandcastle plans for staff celebrates grand patio addition transition reopening Oct. 12 Page 2 Page 6 Page 7 Longfellow Nokomis Yo u r c o m m u n i t y esseng newspaper since 1982 November 2013 Vo l . 2 9 N o. 9 www.LongfellowNokomisMessenger.com 21,000 Circulation • With enrollment growing, MPS plans to reopen and renovate schools Cooper, Seward, Hiawatha, Roosevelt, Howe, Sanford and Longfellow among those affected in Area B By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN Minneapolis students attend tions. (The cost for modifying When it comes to the wide- charter or suburban schools. Longfellow and the Brown Build- spread changes being proposed Ellison believes that because ing at 2225 Lake St. are lumped within the Minneapolis School the majority of charter schools into the larger district total, District, residents don’t think are not high-performing schools, rather than into Area B as the they are getting enough informa- families are returning to Min- programs serve the entire school tion. neapolis Public Schools. district.) Concerned parents, teachers, Area B Associate Principal The majority of the cost falls school staff, and community Stephen Flisk noted that with over the 2015-2016 school year, members packed into the gymna- this plan, the district will provide coinciding with the major build- sium at Northrup Elementary seven new schools of choice and ing projects. School on Thursday night, Oct. two new community schools. “Where is the money going 10 during the Area B meeting to In all, the district will pro- to come from?” asked Steve learn about the school’s five-year vide 1,500 new community Nichols, whose children attend enrollment plan. school seats and 2,275 new seats Northrup and South High. “We The changes in the plan will of choice. backed passing the levy and what affect one of every four students. The early childhood educa- that got us was fancy offices for tion program that recently This year marks the third year that Minneapolis Public School enrollment administrators.” A PLAN TO HANDLE moved to Hiawatha is one of two has grown, and projections through 2017 show that it will continue to that will be expanded. grow, with an estimated 905 new students in Area B. ENROLLMENT GROWTH Seward Montessori School COMMUNITY INPUT “Our enrollment is going to will grow by 9 classrooms, as the Attendees at the Oct. 10 meeting grow,” remarked school board district seeks to support a suc- increased enrollment in this area pull in more students to Roo- asked for more details on the member Kim Ellison. cessful program there, according to housing growth near the light sevelt, which currently has 850 proposed changes, and had ques- This year marks the third to Flisk. “It is important to note rail. compared to South’s 1,780. tions about funding. Several year that Minneapolis Public that we explored a variety of op- Howe and Sanford middle questioned whether the district’s School enrollment has grown, tions,” said Flisk, including a schools will share space and pro- WHAT’S THE COST? plans were equitable throughout and projections through 2017 dual campus and a reduction of grams, if needed, according to Areas A, B and C. show that it will continue to students. After study, district rep- Flisk. Over the next four years, the dis- “We want to know what’s grow, with an estimated 905 new resentatives felt that the least dis- Roosevelt will add a Spanish trict will pour $6.3 million into going to happen to the schools students in Area B. ruptive option for families was to immersion program. Emerson, Area B for program costs, out of a you didn’t bring up,” said This new plan seeks to ac- add onto the building. Windom and Sheridan will feed total of $54 million. Nichols. commodate that growth, while “Our intent is not to dis- to Anwatin Middle/Roosevelt It will spend $30 million to The recommendation to estab- also aiming to increase the share mantle programs, but to build High School. “It’s a very exciting build additions at Seward and lish a district-wide performing arts of students who attend Min- them,” said Flisk. program for us,” said Ben Chiri Cooper. Throughout the district, high school at Wilder generated neapolis Public Schools by 10%. Cooper will be re-opened as of Roosevelt High School. A mar- $100 million will go towards Right now, an estimated 38% of a K-8 school. Flisk attributed the keting plan is being created to building renovations and addi- Continued on page 7 Bike lanes and bumpouts to be recommended for Minnehaha Avenue By JILL BOOGREN good,” said Lolly Obeda, who has turning cars will beam across the meeting, members voted over- signaled intersections. Hennepin County will ask lived on Minnehaha Ave. for 57 road right into her house. She’s whelmingly against bumpouts. According to Craig Twinem, the City of Minneapolis to ap- years. “They’re going to do what also not happy about losing on- They see lost parking for their cus- Hennepin County design division prove a major reconstruction of they’re going to do, but I want to street parking because of a tomers and an extra mound of manager, bumpouts serve two pur- Minnehaha Ave. that includes on- make my opinion heard.” bumpout being added out front. snow to deal with in winter. They poses: one to shorten the distance street bike lanes, sidewalk She said unskewing angled She’s not alone. At an October opposed all bumpouts, but espe- “bumpouts,” and realigned inter- roads will mean headlights from Longfellow Business Association cially those at acute angles and at Continued on page 4 sections. The bike lanes signal a rejec- tion of the raised two-way cycle What did you possibly miss by not track concept – think of the bike trail along W. River Pkwy but run- being a Messenger Facebook friend? ning along the west side of Min- nehaha – in favor of painted lines Senior Surf Day at East Lake Library • Longfellow Community on each side of the street, like Council's Annual October General Membership meeting • Transition they are now, but buffered. Bumpouts, or rounded curb Longfellow’s movie presentation of “The 11th Hour” • The 4th extensions, are proposed for every annual Fossil Walk • Female vocal trio Ladyslipper at East Lake intersection along the corridor. Library • East Lake Bike N' Bus-In Cinema • American Legion 99’s And roads that approach Min- nehaha Ave. at an angle would be meet the candidates forum • National Mental Illness Awareness squared off. Week • Epworth’s Annual Harvest Dinner • Longfellow Business Reactions so far are mixed. At Association’s discussion of Minnehaha reconstruction and the least one resident said she’ll move unless some things drastically impact on businesses • Ingebretsen’s A Nordic Marketplace • change about the roadway, such A graphic representation of what the intersection would look like at Min- Midtown Global Market Cheese and Apple Festival • The screening as speed and driver attention. nehaha Ave. and 38th St. The bike lanes signal a rejection of the raised of El Colegio high school’s documentary about land use, water qual- “I get that (the county is) two-way cycle track concept. (Image prepared by LHB and SRF on behalf of going for the greater common Hennepin County) ity, and the school’s innovative patio renovation project. Work expected to begin on new Sandcastle patio By JILL BOOGREN board will leave them out in the 1885 University Ave. It’s not enough to “Eat like a cold, but Sandcastle has to find King”. It’d be nice to sit like one, the right balance between the St. Paul, MN 55104 too. number of staff on hand and cus- 651-645-7045 Work may begin soon on the tomers served. patio at Sandcastle — which “If no one shows up because Publishers: opened at the big beach on the there’s no place to sit, it’s finan- Calvin deRuyter, Tim Nelson west side of Lake Nokomis this cially dangerous,” said Greeley. Managing Editor: summer — if approvals are in Even without the finished Denis Woulfe place and there’s enough time to patio, Greeley said it was a great do some digging before the year. “It went really well, we were Advertising: ground freezes. really happy with people who Denis Woulfe - 651-917-4183 This year Sandcastle had to A new patio is being designed for Sandcastle to replace the picnic tables and showed up every day.” She said Photographer: make do with a tent and tempo- tent, pictured behind and to the right of the building, used this year. (Photo by the neighborhood was “super sup- Stefanie Berres rary picnic tables on the grass. Co- Jill Boogren) portive,” and they started to see owner Amy Greeley said that regulars right away. Production/Illustrations: while the graduation party feel of designs are still being finalized be- and another half season does im- Once built, the new patio will Bob Wasiluk it is familiar to people, having a tween the MPRB, Sandcastle and pact us,” said Greeley. “It would be have room for 120 or more people Contributing Writers: finished patio will make it feel like Locus Architecture, who designed nice to have a full season next and will be designed with possible Iric Nathanson, Deborah Brotz, a real restaurant. the concession building. Once year.” future expansion in mind. Jane McClure, Tesha M. Christensen, “When you think ‘Where do I ready, the MPRB has to obtain Cliff Swenson, MPRB director Other work will also be done Sherri Moore, Tom Gilsenan, want to go’? If you have a lovely necessary approvals from the city of design and project manage- on the site.