Safety improvements being made on Greenway after Molotov cocktail nearly hits biker

Bikers urged to call 911 if they see anything suspicious

by Tesha M. Christensen

Safety efforts on the Midtown Greenway are being increased after a Molotov cocktail thrown off the 15th Ave. bridge narrowly missed hitting a rider in early April.

While making his regular deliveries via bicycle for Peace Coffee on Wednesday, April 3, 2013, Drew Ditlefsen, 27, heard glass shatter and immediately smelled toxic fumes as flames spread across the Greenway behind him. The bomb burned for about a minute. 

Two preteen juveniles were arrested in connection with the bomb a week later. It was not clear what their motive was, but according to the police, they did not have adult help in making the incendiary device that nearly struck the bicyclist.

SAFETY MEETING WITH CITY

On Friday, April 12, Greenway Coalition members met with the Minneapolis police and public works staff to discuss safety improvements. “The meeting was scheduled before the incident, but has taken on a new urgency,” noted Greenway Coalition Executive Director Soren Jensen. Recommendations came from the Coalition’s Crime Prevention Task force, with assistance from Council Member Gary Schiff and his team.

The Coalition asked for more lights and cameras, especially on stairs and ramps. Earlier this year, volunteers used light meters to figure out where the darkest spots are on the 5.5-mile-long trail.

New signs were also on the list, both to let people know where they are when on the trail, plus signs on the cameras telling possible perpetrators that they are being filmed. “Cameras don’t do much to prevent crime if the bad guys don’t know they are there,” observed Jensen.

In the wake of the April 3 incident, some (including Ditlefsen) have suggested that fences be installed on the bridges in order to prevent items being tossed down onto the Greenway.

There are more than 40 bridges in the Greenway, observed Jensen. “It would be hugely expensive to put fences on them, and quite ugly if they were the black chain-link kind,” he said. “Many people think black chain-link fences would destroy the character of the historic bridges and bring more harm to the Greenway than good. If the fences could somehow be artistic, that might be worth considering, but it would also drive up the cost.”

City representatives listened to the requests made by the Greenway Coalition, but did not make any decisions.

SAFEER THAN MOST CITY STREETS

Jensen pointed out that the Greenway is safer than most city streets. “Not only is it protected from traffic, but there are only a few major crime incidents reported on it annually, out of an estimated 1.5 million bike trips taken on it each year. There are very few major streets in our city that can claim to have only a few crimes committed on them each year.”

He added that while items are thrown at bikers from bridges occasionally, Jensen has only heard of one biker ever being hit by anything serious, such as a rock or glass bottle.

“This is not to diminish the seriousness of the recent incident, which was very dangerous, but it does provide some perspective. We have reports of things being thrown at bikers all over the city, not just on the Greenway,” said Jensen.

Coalition volunteers bike along the Greenway each night, even in the winter, as part of the Trail Watch safety patrol.

“We could always use more volunteers,” said Jensen.

The Coalition keeps a list of incidents that have occurred on the Greenway on its web site. Browse http://midtowngreenway.org/about-the-greenway/safety/incidents/.

CALL 911

On average each year, there are 2-3 assaults reported after 10 p.m. “The story each time is almost always the same - a group of youth pushes someone off their bike and robs them,” said Jensen.

He added, “We almost always hear from other bikers who saw the two or three youth loitering under a bridge or near stairway and did nothing. They just sped up and biked past the group, rather than call 911. Then, the next biker got attacked. 

“Just think what would happen if everyone always called 911 when they saw something suspicious, including groups of people loitering at night in the Greenway.   It seems like some people are reluctant to call 911, for whatever reason, which makes our city less safe.”

New businesses burglarized in Longfellow

by Tesha M. Christensen

Two of Longfellow’s newest businesses, Forage Modern Workshop and Parka Restaurant, were burglarized in the early morning hours of Thursday, April 18, 2013.

The Blue Door Longfellow at 3448 42nd Ave S., had been burglarized four days earlier. 

The Blue Door building and the facility Forage and Parka are located in are owned by Michael Smith and James Brown.

Forage Modern Workshop and Parka Restaurant are located side by side at 4021 and 4023 East Lake Street. They share the space, with Parka occupying the west side of the room.

According to Business Manager Rebecca Cook, the glass front door at Forage was smashed and the frame of an inside door broken shortly before 5 a.m. on April 18. In the few minutes it took police to arrive, the burglars went through both businesses, stealing the till from Forage and the till and safe from Parka. 

However, no other items were taken.

Luckily for Forage, the till had only some change as money is stored off site, said Cook.

Parka was hit harder. Both the till and the safe, which had the night deposit and server tips inside, were stolen.

“We feel fortunate that everyone is safe. Stuff can be repaired. It’s just money,” said Cook. 

She expressed gratitude for “security systems and the Minneapolis Police Department.”

The door was repaired right away that morning, and both business were open as usual.

Via the Forage Facebook page, Cook encouraged their customers to order coffee, beer, and/or a meal from Parka within the next few days to help make up for what was lost. “As a new business, it can be super disheartening to have something like this happen,” observed Cook. “It would be fun for them to get a little extra boost for their business.”

Forage sells modern (1930 to present) furniture and home goods online and in the Minneapolis brick and mortar store. It opened in September 2012.

Parka opened in January 2013. It’s a three-part partnership between Victory 44, Dogwood Coffee Co. and Rustica Bakery.

Click here to view video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=t6B7r6XArVc

Open Streets event planned for August 11 on Minnehaha

Minnehaha Ave. will be closed so residents can bike, walk, skate, zumba and more

by Tesha M. Christensen

Slow down and appreciate Minnehaha Ave. during this year’s Open Streets event on Sunday, Aug. 11.

Open Streets Minneapolis is a free event that invites everyone to enjoy Minneapolis streets without the presence of motors. Citizens bike, walk, skate, zumba and more on streets that have been closed to traffic. Musicians perform concerts, exercise instructors lead classes, and businesses hold special events.

Organizers believe this was the way streets were meant to be.

“This event will be a unique and new opportunity to fall in love with the great urban neighborhoods like Longfellow again,” said Kristi K. Adams, co-chair of  the Longfellow Business Association. “Often times, when we choose a different mode of transportation in our busy lives, we are able to slow down and appreciate the wonderful diversity that exists in our urban habitat. Plus, it’s free!”

Open Streets grew from the idea Colombian idea of Ciclovía. Since 1976, on Sunday mornings and holidays certain main streets of Bogotá, Cali, Medellín, and other municipalities are blocked off to cars for the exclusive use of runners, skaters, and bicyclists. Almost 2 million people participate weekly. The concept has spread across the world, and the first Open Streets event was held in 2010.

Organized by the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition, the first local Open Streets event was held on Lyndale in 2011. It drew 5,000 people.

Open Streets Minneapolis is one of over 70 initiatives in North America modeled after the Ciclovía of Bogotá, Colombia.

This year, there will be four Open Streets events in Minneapolis, one in each quadrant of the city. Lyndale and Lowry are in the southwest, there will be one in northeast, and Minnehaha Ave. is in the southeast.

According to organizer Colin Harris, Minnehaha Ave. works from the city’s perspective because there is a good detour nearby (Hiawatha Ave.). It also works from a neighborhood perspective because it links a busy commercial corridor (Lake St.) with an iconic park (Minnehaha Park).

Open Streets Minneapolis seeks to promote healthy living, local businesses, sustainable transportation and civic pride.

“Benefits include having a street for a day reimagined for recreation (thinking about streets as public space),” pointed out Harris.

Some business owners have fears that the Open Streets events will hurt their business for the day, Open Streets representatives work  to address their fears. Some zoning restrictions are relaxed for the day, and in the past, businesses have held sidewalk sales and other special events, such as concerts. Open Streets representatives have heard from business owners who were absolutely amazed at how long people stayed, and their desire to stay longer. It brought them new customers.

“The event will be a great opportunity to showcase Minnehaha Ave. businesses prior to reconstruction,” observed Longfellow Community Council staff member Ruth Romano.

“Businesses enjoy Open Streets because of the thousands of people walking and biking by -– going at a speed that allows them to better notice their surroundings and engage with businesses,” said Harris. “The street will be much quieter than normal and residents will see old friends and meet new ones.”

Learn more at openstreetsmpls.com.

South High students walkout to support All Nations program

-->

Minneapolis Youth Movement formed by students to bring about changes in their school district

by Tesha M. Christensen

What began as a protest by Native American students grew into a walkout that united all ethnic groups at South High School on Monday, March 11, 2013.

Organizers estimate that 500-1,000 students peacefully walked out of the school in a show of solidarity.

The event was organized by senior Winona Vizenor, a Native American student enrolled in the All Nations program. The walkout came three weeks after a riot at South High on Feb. 14 that involved up to 300 students and required police intervention. After seeing the Somali students stand up for themselves following the riot, W. Vizenor was inspired.

“We wanted to organize something so we could be heard,” said W. Vizenor.

“We’ve tried talking to the principal, and we were brushed off,” said W. Vizenor. “We don’t have a teacher in our program who stands up for students.”

WHAT IS THE ALL NATIONS PROGRAM?

The All Nations SLC program at South High is a program within a program at the high school. It began in 1989, and is open to students citywide. In addition to the typical math, English and science and other standard classes, Ojibwe culture and language are offered. Ninth and 10th graders enrolled in the program take classes only with other All Nations students; upperclassmen are integrated with the rest of the student body.

However, in recent years several pieces of the program have been eliminated, including the drum group and smudging.

During an assembly in the 700-person auditorium on Monday morning, March 11, prior to the walk-out, students told fellow students, community members, school staff, Principal Cecilia Sadler, Director of Indian Education Danielle Grant, and Minneapolis Public School Associate Superintendent Stephen Flisk that they don’t feel they are “getting the full cultural program they could be getting,” said Lisa Bellanger, from the Minnesota Transitions School who attended as a community member.

“They want it to be enriched,” stated Winona’s mother, Lynette Vizenor. She added, “The program has been falling down, and the students feel that.”

L. Vizenor pointed out that this spring, her daughter will graduate with only one-fourth of the students who entered the All Nations program with her in ninth grade. The rest have dropped out, been suspended or received academic transfers out of the school. At one time, the suspension rate for Native American students at South High School was so high that it was garnering attention, she pointed out. Today, the rate of academic transfers out is high.

“There is still segregation and racism,” L. Vizenor remarked. “There is a problem with administrators.”

STUDENT REQUESTS

Native American students have asked that they be allowed to smudge once more. Smudging involves the burning of sage in a ritual of purification. “It’s a way of cleansing when you feel bad,” explained L. Vizenor. “They find strength in that.”

They have also asked that the drum groups be returned.

And they’ve asked that students not in the All Nations program be allowed to participate as desired. They want to be more integrated with the rest of the school, according to W. Vizenor, and to have other students attend the All Nations classes if they wish.

“My culture is judged out of ignorance,” said W. Vizenor. “And I know I’m not the only culture judged out of ignorance at South High.”

With that in mind, W. Vizenor asked students from many different ethnic groups to speak at the assembly held prior to the walkout.

“All recognized the need for diversity and gave a powerful message about learning and recognizing each other.” Bellanger. “I was really impressed with them.”

“If this is an example of the young people coming up, I’m very happy.”

FROM ASSEMBLY TO WALK-OUT

W. Vizenor had initially planned to organize a walkout, but then agreed to work with school staff to hold an assembly inside instead. Her main stipulations were that any student at South High who wanted to and any community member be allowed to attend. However, during the event, she learned that there were people from both groups who were not allowed in, and at the end of the assembly, she asked those in attendance if they wanted to proceed with the walk-out. They did.

“The walk-out was successful and peaceful,” said W. Vizenor.

She added, “We walked out to support the All Nations program. We walked out to support each other.”

The drummers followed the students out of the assembly into the street to help keep the students focused on peace and unity, noted Bellanger.

The school locked the building down during the walkout. As part of that, administrators said they would not allow students back in to get items they left inside, including their coats and house keys. However, after local Native American activist Clyde Bellecourt  insisted students had the right to get their things, administrators agreed to allow students back in one at a time with supervision, according to W. Vizenor.

Students were also warned before they left the building that their departure would constitute an unexcused absence and that they would not be allowed back without a parent. They were welcome back the next day.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Following the walkout, 50 students gathered at MIGIZI Communications at 3123 E. Lake St. to discuss their next steps. They said that they felt good about what they had accomplished that day. They said they wanted change. And they challenged each other to stay responsible.

The students have formed the Minneapolis Youth Movement, which can be found on Facebook. They intend to start meeting with people from other schools to broaden their understanding of cultural awareness, according to W. Vizenor. Once they’ve listened to each other, they plan to approach the school district with ideas for change.

Their parents and other adults have also taken up the call to action, and plan to begin meeting. To get involved, contact Lynette Vizenor at either lynettevizenor@rocketmail.com or call 612-481-3266.

 “Let’s make a change,” said W. Vizenor.

-30-

Moon Palace Books opens in Longfellow

by Tesha M. Christensen

Two booklovers have opened up a bookstore in Longfellow. Moon Palace Books is located in the same building as Peace Coffee Wonderland Park and Trylon Microcinema at Minnehaha Ave. and 33rd St.

“I’ve written books, published books, and sold books to stores,” said Moon Palace owner Jamie Schwesnedl. “And I love to read, but Angela is a total book maniac. I don’t think anyone who knows her was surprised to hear that she was opening a bookstore."

“I’d probably read everything if I had time,” admitted Jamie’s wife and co-owner Angela Schwesnedl.

She had worked at the Paperback Exchange at 50th and Penn for 10 years, but wanted to sell more new books that reflect her interests and tastes. That combined with a desire to work within walking distance of her Powderhorn residence and a wish to own her own business resulted in the opening of Moon Palace Books last fall.

The small size of the store sets it apart, according to the Schwesnedls. “You can stand in one spot, and see a lot of different kinds of really interesting books,” said Angela. “Chances are, if it’s a new book, one of us has read it, or has it in our to-read pile.”

They have set out to be a neighborhood bookstore, one that people from Longfellow, Powderhorn, and Corcoran can bike or walk to with their kids.

The couple picked a location they were already familiar with, as both have volunteered with the Trylon Microcinema next door, which screens classic films each week. The Trylon uses a pair of Century 35mm projectors donated by the University of Minnesota, as well as 1080p/24 digital projection and 8-channel sound.

“Longfellow is a great neighborhood,” said Angela. “It’s full of readers and writers and people who like to shop where they live. We wanted to be close to businesses we liked so the chance to be in the same building as Peace Coffee and the Trylon was very appealing.”

The name of their bookstore was one the Schwesnedls felt would fit with both Peace Coffee Wonderland Park and the Trylon.

“Moon Palace is the name of a book by Paul Auster. I read it when I was just figuring out what kind of reader I was and what kind of things I like to read, so I always say it’s the book that turned me into a reader,” observed Angela.” It’s about a guy who inherits boxes of books from his uncle and uses the boxes for furniture, and then when things get hard he reads them and sells them.”

Moon Palace Books is a general interest bookstore. The Schwesnedls sell new and used, fiction and non-fiction, kids’ books, cookbooks, and a few magazines.

“We just keep trying to carry more of whatever kinds of things people are buying,” stated James. “Angela works really hard to stay on top of what’s coming out, what looks exciting to her, and what she thinks our customers will like.”

On their web site, customers may order books and either have them shipped to a personal address or direct to the bookstore. They also have e-books available online, and sell Kobo Minis, Glos and the Kobo Arc e-reader tablets in the bookstore. “Just because someone wants to read an e-book doesn’t mean that they have buy from a big internet retailer,” said Angela.

“You can read ebooks and still shop local and support an independent bookstore like Moon Palace Books.” 

UPCOMING EVENTS

There are several upcoming events at Moon Palace Books.

To celebrate the release of his new book, Songs of the Abyss, Eamon Espey has collaborated with Lisa Krause to make a puppet show adaptation of his comic, “Ishi’s Brain.” It will be presented at Moon Palace Books on Saturday, April 20 at 4 p.m. Krause and Espey turn the story into a science fiction ritual where a lone spirit spends his final days and an alien shaman helps guide the dead into the next world. The show includes shadow puppets, masks, a marionette and a liberal use of painted cardboard with an original soundtrack written by Stephen Santillian of Baltimore bands Thank You and Ghost Life.

Join a book discussion and reception World Book Night on April 23.

CONTACT AND HOURS

Learn more about Moon Palace Books by calling 612-454-0455, emailing info@moonpalacebooks.com, or browsing http://www.moonpalacebooks.com.

Hours are Monday to Saturday noon to 6:30 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4 p.m.

SIDEBAR

ANGELA’S TOP 5 BOOKS (SO FAR THIS YEAR)

1) “Driftless” by David Rhodes

2) “Prairie Silence” by Melanie Hoffert

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

3) “The Voyeurs” by Gabrielle Belle

4) “Devil in a Blue Dress” by Walter Mosley

JAMIE’S TOP 5 BOOKS

1) “The Parable of the Sower” by Octavia Butler

2) “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven” by Sherman Alexie

3) “Freedom” by Jonathan Franzen

4) “Just Kids” by Patti Smith

5) “Bluebeard” by Kurt Vonnegut

South High looks to future following student melee

District plans to involve students and parents as it moves forward

by Tesha M. Christensen

South High School parent Linda Leonard was surprised that the district did not suspend classes the day after a food fight erupted into a melee involving hundreds of students.

“I was stunned they decided to have school on Friday,” stated Leonard.

After hearing the rumors there would be more fights, and knowing that there have been planned fights behind the YWCA and Target in the past, Leonard opted to keep her daughter, Mary-Juanita Leonard, home from school on Feb. 15, 2013. Mary-Juanita returned to class the next Tuesday, following the President’s Day break, after students had “a chance to calm down and collect themselves emotionally,” said her mother.

Mary-Juanita, a sophomore at South High, was in class on the third floor when they began to hear rumors about a fight in the cafeteria. After a series of bells went off, an announcement was made to empty the halls. Students who had been running through the building entered Mary-Juanita’s classroom.

 “I was wondering if the whole school was fighting each other,” recalled Mary-Juanita.

A fight, which began small during the first lunch period, escalated during the third lunch period at 12:45 p.m. as 200-300 students shoved, kicked and threw bottles at one another. No weapons were used and no one was arrested, although three students and one staff member were taken to the hospital for medical treatment. Both the school district and police investigations are ongoing and additional disciplinary action, as well as criminal charges of disorderly conduct and rioting, are possible. About 25 school staff members intervened. Students dispersed when a chemical irritant was used by Minneapolis Police officers.

Mary-Juanita has heard the news reports suggesting that this melee was racially motivated, part of ongoing tensions with Somali-Americans. Mary-Juanita, herself a Haitian-American, views the violence as being more related to gangs.

“I think the school should have an assembly and talk about all the groups in our school,” suggested Mary-Juanita. She would like to see discussions on the challenges each ethnic group represented at South High faces, and believes that if each group understood each other better students would be less judgmental of each other.

“This could happen again in the future,” Mary-Juanita warned.

Her mother hopes that a plan is created so that students know what to do in a situation such as this. Leonard pointed out that the students who were not involved in the fight didn’t know what to do and where to go to get away from the violence.

Leonard views the issue as being greater than merely a school problem, and sees it as a problem that all the various agencies in the city of Minneapolis should be working together on.

“It would be great if we educate our young people for cultural intelligence,” Leonard said. “It would be one of Minneapolis’ finest strengths to teach that concept.”

Restorative measures began on Tuesday, Feb. 19. According to Minneapolis Public Schools Chief Community Officer Stan Alleyne, the district will begin gathering students together in small groups. “We want to make sure the students have the opportunity to discuss what happened and how to move forward,” said Alleyne. Parents will also be pulled into the discussion.

“It should make us stronger in the long run,” he said.

Alleyne pointed out that the school day on Friday, Feb. 15 proceeded without any incidents. 

On the day following the melee, the school building was under a code yellow lockdown. Access into and out of the building was limited and students remained in their classrooms at all times. Extra school resource officers and central office staff members were on site. More adults than typical were at the school the next week, as well.

South High Principal Cecilia Saddler said, “I am proud of our students, who came to school to learn while being respectful of the environment and additional adult supervision. They have shown maturity and a willingness to address this issue in a positive way. I am optimistic that appropriate student responses will continue.”

At South High, nearly half of the school’s 1,750 students are students of color, and of those, 8 percent are of Somali heritage.

 “We are at the beginning of a necessary learning process in which we will engage parents, students, community members and partners to address challenges at South High School,” said Minneapolis Public Schools Chief Executive Officer Rick Mills. “I am confident that we can grow from this experience and become better as a school and school district.”

Xcel cuts Hiawatha substation artwork by half to reduce costs

-->

Midtown Greenway Coalition offers alternatives that would prioritize trail users, but Xcel is proceeding with reduction

by Tesha M. Christensen

The new 3.25-acre Xcel substation at Hiawatha and 28th Ave. will no longer be screened on all sides by angled aluminum mesh walls.

Instead, Xcel is cutting back the amount of artwork on the facility by about half, a move that the Midtown Greenway Coalition says will negatively affect trail users.

“The last minute change to the substation design was a surprise and very disappointing,” said Midtown Greenway Coalition Executive Director Soren Jensen. “We were excited about the original design, which was approved by a citizen advisory group convened by Xcel. That original design had artwork wrapping almost entirely around the substation.”

When the design for the new substation was released in 2012, it garnered praise for being a unique and creative structure. The design was of a translucent cube that would glow yellow at night, complementing the blue-lit Sabo Bridge nearby. The plan was to have all four walls composed of extruded metal, a metal mesh surface that is semi-transparent. The metal would be given an anodized finish to color it. Additional color would come from lighting.

The advisory work group pushing designers to be creative included representatives from Xcel Energy, the city of Minneapolis, Hennepin County and community organizations. The group met for four months and conducted several open houses, working to develop a substation design that would be technically feasible and aesthetically pleasing, according to Xcel representative Patti Nystuen.

After the group met, an engineering and budget analysis was completed. The designs filed with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission had reduced and re-engineered screening on both the Hiawatha substation, as well as the one on Oakland Ave. and 29th St.

“These revisions were necessary to meet safety and budget concerns of the original designs,” said Nystuen. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved a substation screening budget for both substations of $1.3 million.

“Xcel Energy tried to keep the integrity of the originally presented design with as much of the wall as possible on all sides,” said Nystuen.

She added, “Xcel Energy feels that the current wall design respects the guiding principles established through the advisory work group and respects the interest of the participating parties in the group’s process.”

The Midtown Greenway Coalition disagrees.

“The new design, which was not approved by the citizen group, reduces the artwork almost in half.  As a result, it now looks more like a half-hearted attempt to screen an ugly substation,” said Jensen.

Xcel has received 77 comments from citizens regarding the change. All but two asked that the artwork wrap around the north/northeast corner of the substation.

“We are disappointed that Xcel appears to be ignoring public comments, and is proceeding with the new design, which greatly reduces the proposed art wall around the substation,” stated Jensen.

The Midtown Greenway Coalition is requesting that the advisory work group be reconvened by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to review the design.

The Coalition has proposed a number of alternatives that would not increase the project cost, but would provide artwork on the east and north sides. This would screen the substation from trail users, who come closer to the substation than drivers on Hiawatha do.

Jensen stated, “Since the substation is mostly impacting the Midtown Greenway, the priority should be protecting the Greenway viewshed and minimizing the aesthetic impact to the trail.”

Site work at the Hiawatha location behind Target has begun, and the project will be complete in 2014.

-30-