The Emily Program ‘gave me my life back’ says local woman

Program set apart by staff who have been there too, and are working to increase care standards for eating disorders

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
One in five women struggles with an eating disorder.
St. Anthony resident Billie Gray is one of them.
At 39, her best friend asked her to be an attendant at her wedding, and Gray spent more time worrying about how she was going to look in a sleeveless dress than she did being happy for her friend.
“Luckily I had enough awareness to recognize that as distorted thinking,” stated Gray.
She walked herself down to her “friendly neighborhood eating center,” The Emily Program, and asked for help.
She got it.
“It gave me my life back,” said Gray.
Photo right: The adult treatment site at 2265 Como is one of several in the neighborhood. A center for youth is located across the street. The Emily Program offers outpatient, intensive day/partial programs with lodging available, and 24/7 residential care at ten sites across Minnesota as well as sites in Washington, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The administrative offices, including the Foundation, are based in St. Paul’s Bandana Square. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
For Gray, having an eating disorder meant that she kept a part of herself set aside to manage that disorder.
She knows she could have been diagnosed with binge eating disorder when she was 24, but she kept her habits hidden from others for years.
“Eating disorders come in a lot of different manifestations,” Gray observed.
She wasn’t the type of binge eater who drove to three different drive-thrus and ordered a meal at each to devour in one sitting. No, hers was harder to see because it didn’t manifest according to the stereotype. Her eating disorder involved grazing from the time she got home from work to the time she climbed into bed. Every night she ate to the point where she felt full and then kept going until she felt physically ill.
“It was like I had two stomachs,” Gray explained. “One was so full. One couldn’t stop eating.”
Photo left: The Emily Program Foundation Executive Director Billie Gray and The Emily Program Chief Strategy Officer Dr. Jillian Lampert stand in the kitchen at the 2265 Como Building, a place where cooking classes and meals are held. Treatment at The Emily Program involves a lot of different food experiences, pointed out Lampert. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
For some, grazing is fine, but Gray’s habits were normal behavior taken to extremes, as all eating disorders are. Hers was a problem in part because of the time she spent obsessing about food and the internalized shame that surrounded eating, Gray pointed out.
Every day she woke up and told herself today would be different. Every day it was the same.
Gray isn’t alone. Middle-aged women are among the fastest growing segment of the population diagnosed with eating disorders.
Relaxing and welcoming atmosphere
Gray is grateful for the help she received at The Emily Program, which is primarily staffed by 520 people who have had eating disorders themselves.
“I love the atmosphere here,” Gray stated. “It’s very relaxing. Everyone was kind and willing to meet me where I was. If I had had one negative experience, I would have left.”
Once she was being treated at The Emily Program, she felt like she got steadily better as she put time into it, but change didn’t happen all at once.
She attended individual therapy, met with dietitians to learn about nutrition, and focused on the behavioral piece, as well.
Treatment at The Emily Program involves a lot of different food experiences, pointed out Dr. Jilllian Lampert, The Emily Program Chief Strategy Officer. Residents and therapists engage in intimate meals together in the dining rooms at the facility, cook meals together, and go out to eat together.
Other components are art therapy, body image support groups, and mindful, restorative yoga.
“Being disconnected from your body is a hallmark of an eating disorder,” pointed out Lampert, “so getting back in touch with your body is a part of healing.”
Gray’s breakthrough came during a somatic experience group session, a type of therapy she didn’t think would be valuable for her at all. She considers herself to be analytical and logical and didn’t want to focus on sensations.
When encouraged to stop and pay attention to the sensations in her body, Gray realized, “I literally couldn’t feel anything between my pelvis and my throat.”
Lampert pointed out that another common part of an eating disorder is being unable to close one’s eyes and count a pulse beat. Restorative yoga helps patients reconnect with their body’s biorhythms.
Photo right: The Emily Program Foundation staff meet with a group of girls at Whittier International Elementary School in Minneapolis. They present at daycares, middle and high schools, universities, churches and other community groups to increase awareness and education of eating disorders. “The seeds get planted very young,” observed Gray. “We’re doing what we can to change the environment and minimize the number of seeds that get planted. They’re currently partnering on a pilot program with the St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ Preschool. (Photo submitted)
The underlying issue creating Gray’s eating disorder was control. “I wasn’t ok with who I was,” she observed.
Through art therapy, she learned how to express herself, a practice she found empowering and continues today.
There is a debate about whether one is ever really cured of an eating disorder. Gray finds it helpful to continue attending a support group every two weeks.
After her three-year treatment, she realized she wanted to make a difference for other people struggling with eating disorders. She quit her successful corporate job and became the executive director of The Emily Program Foundation in June 2014.
The Emily Program Foundation presents at daycares, middle and high schools, universities, churches and other community groups to increase awareness and education of eating disorders. Bullying about body size and appearance is the most common form of bullying in schools.
An program set apart
In 1993, psychologist Dirk Miller, Ph.D., LP, opened The Emily Program, named after his sister, Emily, who recovered from an eating disorder.
Previously, Miller had started the first hospital-based eating disorders treatment program at South Bend General Hospital in Indiana. He had also worked with the University of Minnesota’s intensive bulimia program and started an eating disorders group at The University of St. Thomas.
The 23-year-old organization has grown a lot since its start with one employee in a former St. Paul fire station.
Today, The Emily Program offers outpatient, intensive day/partial programs with lodging available, and 24/7 residential care at ten sites across Minnesota as well as sites in Washington, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The administrative offices, including the Foundation, are based at 1295 Bandana Boulevard W.
They also have an Outpatient Eating Disorder Treatment location for adolescents and adults at 2265 Como Ave. and at 2230 Como Ave.
The program is for people of all genders from age 8 to 78 who struggle with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating, compulsive overeating, obesity, and other specified feeding and eating disorders (OSFED).
The approach to treating eating disorders is based on the belief that individuals are unique and that they intuitively seek meaning, value, and creativity in life. Effective treatment requires awareness of the genetic, biological, psychological, social, and cultural impacts on each person.
Lampert noted, “It’s the way we do things that sets us apart.”
The Emily Program meets this high-intensity need for care through evidence-based practices, round-the-clock nursing, and specialized medical treatment. It is affiliated with the University of Minnesota, initiates studies, and lobbies at the federal level.
“We can help people make changes in their behavior, so they don’t have to have an eating disorder,” said Lampert.
Working to raise the standards of care
The Emily Program is leading the charge to improve the quality of residential eating disorder care through its leadership of the Residential Eating Disorder Consortium (REDC).
“Through REDC, we are hoping to raise the bar for quality of care across all residential eating disorder programs,” stated Lampert, who serves as president of the REDC, an organization The Emily Program co-founded.
In the United States, 30 million Americans struggle with eating disorders. Only a fraction of them will need specialized 24/7 care for their mental illness, but few will find it as residential programs only have the capacity to treat less than 0.05 percent of those impacted each year.
Insurance doesn’t always cover treatment costs, despite the Mental Health Parity Bill passed in 2008.
Every 62 minutes someone dies as a direct result of an eating disorder, according to the Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy and Action. Eating disorders can be expensive to treat, but they are serious issues with the highest mortality rate of any other mental health illness.
The Emily Program provides education and training opportunities for health professionals so that they may be better equipped to intervene early in the illness, optimizing patients’ recovery.
When Lampert was struggling with an eating disorder 20 years ago, she bounced from substandard program to substandard program. While things have gotten better, she sees room for improvement. That’s part of what has driven her efforts to push for quality treatment standards, which were adopted by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitative Facilities in 2013 and by the Joint Commission recently.
Few health care providers receive adequate training in recognition and treatment of eating disorders, explained Lampert. “There’s a huge disparity between the number of lives lost and medical training.” The average doctor has received 24 minutes of training. The Emily Program feels so passionately about this that there is currently a bill in Congress, The Anna Westin Act, named in memory of a Minnesota woman who died at the age of 21 as a direct result of anorexia that sets aside existing funds for training. The Emily Program staff and volunteers, including Anna’s mother Kitty, who serves on the Foundation Board, are working hard to ensure it becomes law.
For more, browse emilyprogram.com.

Article appeared in the June 2016 Monitor Saint Paul.

A Line marks step forward in bus service

Ride for free during opening weekend; special events planned on Sat., June 11

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
On June 11, locals will have a new transportation option.
The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) A Line will begin operating locally from Rosedale Mall, down the busy Snelling Ave. commercial corridor to Highland Village and over to 46th St. Station in Minneapolis.
The A Line will offer a new kind of bus service that will cut the journey from 46th St. station to Rosedale Mall from 48 minutes to 35 minutes.
The line officially opens at 10am.
Bus service on the A Line and Route 84 will be free June 11 to 13.
Photo right: The 40-foot Gillig model buses look significantly different than regular-route buses. Passengers will be able to get on and off faster, thanks to low-floor buses and raised curbs at stations, plus wider bus doors and boarding from the front and back. (Photos submitted)
Midway resident Jessica Treat of Transit for Livable Communities is looking forward to the start of the A Line. “It’s a significant change and the first in the region,” pointed out Treat.
Como resident João Medeiros said, “I am excited that the BRT will provide an efficient connection from my side of the neighborhood to the Green Line, which should provide easy transit access from the neighborhood to both downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul.”
Mederios is looking forward to seeing whether the BRT helps alleviate some of the congestion at State Fair time. “As an all-season user of the Como and Snelling bus stop, I am also excited that the stations are going to have radiant heating in the winter, like light rail stations,” he added.
Opening day events
Events planned from 10am to 2pm on June 11 include:
• Snelling and University: Official ribbon cutting ceremony begins at 9:30am with the ribbon cutting at 9:50. There will be live music and food trucks. Community groups and businesses will have tables set up.
• HarMar Mall: The first bus will bring the mayor of Roseville to HarMar at about 10:10am, where there will be a short ceremony and music by the Roseville City Band and other groups.
• Highland Park: The event will take place at Hillcrest Park, located at Ford Pkwy. and Kenneth, an A Line stop. Community groups, local businesses, and the park board are coming together to host an event celebrating the launch of the A Line route. There will be a climbing wall and children’s craft activity.
• 46th Street Station: A Line bus on display and Metro Transit personnel available to answer questions.
Cross between bus and train
Bus Rapid Transit makes riding a bus a bit more like riding a light rail train.
Customers will pay their fares at ticket vending machines before boarding the bus.
By extending the curbs at stations, buses can merge more easily into traffic after serving a station. The buses won’t pull over to board passengers, but will instead remain in the right driving lane.
Each A Line station is comprised of a northbound and southbound platform. All station platforms will have a customer waiting shelter with interior light and heater, as well as a pylon marker with a real-time NexTrip display.
Passengers will be able to get on and off faster, thanks to low-floor buses and raised curbs at stations, plus wider bus doors and boarding from the front and back. These 40-foot Gillig model buses will look significantly different than regular-route buses.
The A Line buses will stop at fewer red lights courtesy of transit signal priority, and stay better in sync with traffic flow.
While people typically think that traffic is the main reason for bus delays, a traffic analysis showed that delays actually occur from stopping every block, customers paying fares, and stopping at red lights.
BRT addresses these issues.
21 stations every one-half mile
The A Line will connect the Twin Cities’ two metro light-rail lines with the busy Snelling Ave. commercial corridor and several popular destinations, including Hamline University, Macalester College, Midway, Highland Village, Minnehaha Park, Rosedale Center, and HarMar Mall.
The A Line will operate every 10 minutes along the 9.7-mile-long route during rush hours, midday, evenings, and weekends, with less frequent service in the early morning and late at night. The span of service is very similar to today’s Route 84 schedule, with trips beginning at approximately 4am and continuing until approximately 1:30am.
Twenty-one stations are located roughly every half-mile.
The A Line will become the primary bus route serving Snelling Ave. and Ford Pkwy. with increased service in evenings and on weekends, substantially replacing much of Route 84.
Local Route 84 will operate every 30 minutes and make off-corridor branch connections to St. Paul Ave., West 7th St. and Davern St.
Transferring between the A Line and light rail is easy. No matter where you purchase your ticket, it will be valid for 20 hours of unlimited rides. Additionally, A Line tickets are valid for regular-route buses; present your ticket to the driver but don’t insert it into the fare box so that you can keep using it.
Are people riding for free?
Some residents are concerned that riders aren’t paying for their light rail trips and won’t pay for the A Line ride either.
For Hamline Midway resident Dave Olson, not paying for a ride is theft.
“I take the Green Line fairly often and while waiting for trains observe how many just walk past the payment machines and get on the train. Am I an idiot for not riding free also?” asked Olson.
The issues for Hamline Midway resident Tom Goldstein are the $180 fine people are charged if caught riding without a ticket and the use of police officers rather than train monitors for the fare checks. “I wish that everyone were honest—or had the means to pay for transit—but I’d rather see our focus be on keeping the trains safe for all riders than creating a system with out-of-whack penalties and out-of-whack priorities for how we do enforcement,” remarked Goldstein.
“Some of us will perceive rampant fare-theft and some of us will observe near universal compliance in the same train ride. Thankfully the Met Council undertook a controlled study with sound statistical methods to determine an estimate of compliance,” pointed out Hamline-Midway resident Bryan Kennedy.
According to the April 2015 report, the Blue Line fare evasion rate is between 2.6% and 3.6%, and the compliance rate is estimated to be between 80.8% and 84.8%. The Green Line fare evasion rate is between 4.6% and 9.0% and the compliance rate for is between 81.6% and 87.6%. The audit found that Go-To Card users were the largest group of people not to comply, perhaps because of a misunderstanding of how the card works. Data was collected in 2014.
Neighborhood resident and transportation researcher Guillermo Narvaez thinks that the BRT model seems well suited at this time for Snelling. However, he pointed out that “while it does increase the amount of passengers it can carry, it does not really inspire developers in the same way more permanent forms of transit does.”
BRT is attractive because the overall project costs less, but it is less effective in moving people than a light rail or metro system, he noted. “The idea is one that the GOP will tolerate (versus light rail or streetcar) as it shares the same road infrastructure that cars and trucks use,” Narvaez said.
Why the Snelling Ave. route?
In 2011, Met Transit studied 12 high-ridership corridors and determined that BRT would perform well along the Snelling/Ford/46th route. As a bonus, it was shovel-ready.
The other routes included in the Arterial Transitway Corridors Study were: Lake St., American Blvd., Central Ave., Chicago Ave., E. 7th St, Hennepin Ave., Nicollet Ave., Robert St., Snelling Ave., West 7th St. and West Broadway Ave. The study later added Penn Ave. and Chicago-Fremont in North Minneapolis.
Construction on the line began in 2015 with road improvements, new shelters, and other amenities. The line was originally slated to open in 2015, but a lengthy review period set the project back.
The total cost of the A Line project is about $27 million, with money coming from the federal government ($7 million), the state of Minnesota ($16 million) and the Metropolitan Council ($4 million). Of that, $15 million was spent constructing stations and adding related technology and fare collection elements; $7 million on new BRT vehicles for the service; $1 million on transit signal priority; and $4 million on design.
Plans call for 20 rapid transitways by the year 2040—16 to 17 of those would be BRT lines. This system will allow another 500,000 people to be a 30-minute commute from their workplace.
“I believe in transit and other forms of transportation that make cities more livable and attractive,” said Narvaez. “Is the BRT a perfect solution? Hardly, but it has us talking and thinking about it instead of just driving through places that hopefully will become destinations in the near future.”

Article appeared in the June 2016 Monitor Saint Paul

Local author releases timely novel ‘Crosshairs on Castro’

John J. Harrigan hopes historical thriller helps readers understand decades of mistrust between Cuba and U.S.

by Tesha M. Christensen

As Cuba opens back up to Americans, a local author is hoping to help people understand what happened between the two countries five decades ago.

“With President Obama’s initiative in opening up to Cuba,  ‘Crosshairs on Castro’ is a timely book that I hope everyone will read,” remarked John J. Harrigan.

His recently published historical thriller, “Crosshairs on Castro,” weaves an assassination plot around the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

The book revolves around Army lieutenant Charlie Parnell, who is blackmailed into the scheme by CIA rogue agents. Masquerading as an Irish journalist, he enters Havana only to meet danger at every step. He must elude his Cuban watcher, the tantalizing Isabel Fernandez, who learns his true identity just as the crisis erupts. While she debates what to do, Castro prepares for invasion, throwing Havana into chaos and cutting off Charlie’s escape route. He and Isabel must scramble for their lives.

The book is available in either paperback ($12.95) or Kindle ($4.50) on Amazon.com. Locally, it can be purchased at the Underground Music Cafe at 1759 Hamline Ave.

“In 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis came within an eyelash of destroying the bulk of Western Civilization in a cascade of nuclear blasts,” observed Harrigan. “Throughout much of the 1960s and 1970s, the CIA devoted enormous energy trying to assassinate Fidel Castro. What I did was create a fictional assassination story and weave it around the real life historical drama of the Missile Crisis. Nobody has ever done this before.”

Harrigan added that these events of 1962 may have happened long ago, but they did a lot to shape the long half-century of distrust between the two societies.

“We can’t remove that distrust unless we understand why it happened. ‘Crosshairs on Castro’ uses historical fiction to address that issue,” stated Harrigan.

ADDICTED TO HISTORICAL FICTION

This is Harrigan’s third historical novel.

“I’m addicted to historical fiction,” admitted the Falcon Heights resident.

Harrigan earned a Ph.D. from Georgetown University. He spent 30 years at Hamline University where he taught political science, chaired the department, served as assistant dean of Liberal Arts, and authored several textbooks.

“When the chance for early retirement appeared, I grabbed it in order to learn the craft of writing historical thrillers,” said Harrigan.

His debut thriller, “Patron Saint of Desperate Situations,” was praised as “excellent” by the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 2007.

“The Patron Saint of Desperate Situations” is built around the plane crash that killed iconic U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone. His second novel, “The Jeeptown Sock Hop” is an exploration of the homelife during the Korean War of the early 1950s, seen from the eyes of a white boy who falls for a black girl in a town deeply split by racial and class divisions.

“One thread links these stories,” remarked Harrigan. “I want to help people feel what it was like to live through these critical moments. Histories can tell us what happened in the past, but only novels and movies can get us to feel what it was like.”

EXPERIENCE ENHANCES NOVELS

Earlier in his career, Harrigan spent three years in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as a U.S. Foreign Service cultural affairs officer. “I loved Brazil and would go back in a heartbeat if I had a good reason to go,” said Harrigan. He still speaks Portuguese fluently, has close Brazilian friends, reads the literature, and listens to the music. Harrigan also taught courses on Brazilian movies for Hamline’s senior OLLI program.

The heroine of his first novel is a Brazilian immigrant single mom living in Minnesota who is devastated by Wellstone’s death. A somewhat minor character in his second novel “Jeeptown Sock Hop” is a nun from Cape Verde with a Portuguese accent who has a huge impact on the novel’s 15-year-old protagonist.  The heroine of “Crosshairs on Castro” is a young Cuban mother.

“Without my experience in Latin America, I never could have created these characters,” noted Harrigan.

ADVICE FOR ASPIRING NOVELISTS

Harrigan advises aspiring novelists to keep writing and submitting their pieces to appropriate venues.

But most of all, he encourages them to seek feedback.

“I’ve found an invaluable source of critiques in the Minneapolis Writers’ Guild,” said Harrigan. “Local authors can submit pieces to us. If we have openings and the work holds some promise, we will critique it.”

 In exchange, the authors also have to critique other peoples’ writings.

“It’s amazing how much one can learn in the process of critiquing somebody else,” remarked Harrigan. “Having a first rate group like this examine your work is infinitely more useful than paying several hundred dollars to some ‘expert’ to review it.”

He recommends using the Meetup website as a starting place for finding local critique groups.

“Whether it’s an epic poem or an article on a local sport’s team, you simply have to strive to write the most compelling piece that you can,” said Harrigan.

He is polishing off his next book, “Spiderwoman,” a thriller-caper built around a woman’s reaction to her soldier-son’s death in the Iraqi War.

Harrigan and his wife Sandy met while he lived along Hewitt in the Midway. They split their time between St. Paul and Bonita Springs, Fla., and work hard to remain a presence in the lives of their four adult sons and their children.

For more, browse www.harriganbooks.com or http://www.cubahopes.blogspot.com.

Transit for Livable Communities working to better Midway Como

For Executive Director Jessica Treat, definition of ‘transit’ is about movement

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
A trip to Europe planted a seed that grew into a planning career for Midway resident Jessica Treat.
Treat grew up in suburban Bloomington, MN and then attended college in Tempe, AZ, a place of massive urban sprawl. When she had the chance to travel to Europe, she saw how things could be different.
Photo left: When Treat bicycles with her six-year-old daughter from their home on Snelling to her sister’s house in Falcon Heights she heads all the way over to Lexington because she doesn’t feel safe biking on Snelling. (Photo submitted)
Back home, she enrolled in a planning class. “I learned that the environment we have around us is of our choosing,” Treat observed. “If you want to have a place that’s oriented towards cars that’s what you’ll get, but you don’t have to.”
She also learned it takes a community to agitate for change.
Treat brings those lessons to her position as the executive director of Transit for Livable Communities (TLC), 2356 University Ave. W. She was named to the position this past January.
“Transit for Livable Communities is very enthusiastic about this next chapter for our organization,” said board chair Adam Welle. “Jessica Treat is a smart, strategic leader and a passionate advocate for transit, bicycling, and walking in the region. Under her direction, Transit for Livable Communities will be well-positioned to advance our mission, grow our impact, and create positive change in Minnesota.”
Different level of vitality in the streets
Treat comes to Transit for Livable Communities from St. Paul Smart Trips where she had served as executive director since 2007. In addition to her eight-year tenure at St. Paul Smart Trips, she previously worked at the Midway Transportation Management Organization and served as the executive director of the Lexington-Hamline Community Council.
It was during her stint with the community council that she was propelled into the discussion about Twin Cities transit. Residents were debating what should be built at the southwest corner of Lexington and University. They wanted something that would work well with future transit. In the end, the Wilder Foundation building was constructed.
For Treat, the definition of “transit” is a broad one. While some think of transit as being about trains and buses, Treat defines it as “movement.”
She pointed out that big box stores are spread out and by their nature don’t lend themselves to tight-knit communities. But when you have bus stops and train stops that people are walking or biking to, they rub shoulders with strangers with whom they might not otherwise interact.
“There’s a difference,” Treat insisted. “There’s a different level of vitality in the street.”
Health and equity benefits
Treat is also passionate about transit because it offers her the ability to impact climate change directly. When she bikes, when she walks, when she rides the bus or the train, she’s able to limit her footprint and be kinder to the environment.
“The impact of personal transportation on the environment is important,” Treat stated.
Then there are the health benefits of transit that are important to her. “We live very sedentary lives in the United States and have significant problems with obesity and diabetes,” she pointed out. Transit offers a way for people to build physical activity into their day. “If you take the bus, you have to walk or bike a bit,” she said.
There’s also the equity side to transit. Owning and operating a car costs about $8,000 a year, which isn’t affordable for many, she observed. Transit gives people options to get to jobs and school.
Gaps in the Midway Como transit system
As a 12-year Midway homeowner, Treat has seen the big transit changes that came with the Green Line. She is looking forward to the start of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) A Line down Snelling in June. (Watch for article in next Monitor on the A Line.)
“It’s a significant change and the first in the region,” pointed out Treat.
But there are still some gaps in the system where things need to be buffed up. In particular, there are some bus lines that would benefit from greater frequency, especially at night and on the weekends.
Treat is paying attention to changes that will come with the proposed soccer stadium and hopes that it will include bicycling improvements.
There are also places where there are no sidewalks, such as in the industrial areas.
There’s a significant gap in one’s ability to get from the Midway to downtown Minneapolis via bicycle. The industrial areas and rail lines create real challenges there, according to Treat.
Snelling presents a barrier for those trying to cross it, despite the recent improvements of curb cuts and a wider median. The biggest problem is simply that vehicles don’t stop at crosswalks, she pointed out. That’s a city-wide issue.
When Treat bicycles with her six-year-old daughter from their home on Snelling to her sister’s house in Falcon Heights, she heads all the way over to Lexington because she doesn’t feel safe biking on Snelling.
And she gets nervous when she bikes along Pierce Butler or Energy Park Dr. because there aren’t designated bike lanes, and she can hear the cars close by.
Charles Ave., however, is a great roadway to bike on, and Treat would like to see more bicycle boulevards like it in the city. The roundabouts at intersections help slow cars down and allow bicyclists to avoid stopping.
“As a woman and a mom who rides, I’d like to see protected bike lanes,” Treat remarked, such as those in Minneapolis with some kind of barrier between cars and bikes. She’s not alone. TLC has heard from other women who feel the same way.
Lobbying efforts
Founded in 1996, Transit for Livable Communities is dedicated to transforming Minnesota’s transportation system to strengthen the community, improve health and opportunity for all people, foster a sound economy, and protect natural resources. TLC is the largest transportation advocacy organization in the state, with nearly 10,000 advocates and members, and a staff of 8 employees. TLC promotes a balanced transportation system that encourages transit, walking, bicycling, and thoughtful development.
TLC has been active this spring lobbying at the 2016 legislative session, pushing lawmakers for new investments in all modes of transportation in the Twin Cities, suburbs, and Greater Minnesota.
They’ve partnered with groups pushing for better streets and bridges. “I don’t like potholes anymore than a driver does,” Treat stated.
She added, “It’s an exciting time for the work we’re doing.”
Lutheran Social Services honored as transport leaders
Earlier this year, TLC recognized a number of organizations, including Lutheran Social Services (2485 Como Ave.), for their work as Transportation Leaders. Through a variety of ways, Lutheran Social Services is supporting transit, biking, and walking.
The benefits for companies are many, according to Treat. When employees are physically activity, they are healthier and more productive. Transit, biking and walking help people save money, as well.
Some companies certified as transportation leaders offer transit passes at discounted rates. Others make sure they have a place to store biking gear and have a shower available. Others make a point of stating on their websites how to get there via car, bike and transit.
Treat pointed out that millennials want to live in a place where they don’t necessarily have to own a car. “How you get around is part of the benefits package,” said Treat.
Learn more at www.tlcminnesota.org.

Article appeared in the May 2016 Monitor Saint Paul.

Local residents push Minneapolis Parks to ban use of pesticides

Russ Henry, Sean Connaughty, Ryan Seibold among those who support an organic park system in Minneapolis

(Photo above) Standish-Ericsson residents Sean Connaughty speaks to the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board on Mar. 16, in favor banning Roundup. He was one of 40 people who attended the meeting in support of organic gardening. “I will maintain vigilance on behalf of Lake Hiawatha and continue to work to get an effective mitigation system for our storm sewers to stop the incredible trash problem,” said Connaughty, “and will observe behaviors on the land that affect the water and wildlife. I am reaching out to the Governor to see if the lake can be helped in our states efforts to clean up our waters.” (Photo submitted)

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN

Local residents are pushing the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board to ban pesticide use on park land.

The group gained a small victory on Mar. 16 when the Park Board Operations Committee agreed to discontinue the use of herbicide treatments in neighborhood parks where glyphosate (or Roundup) is the active ingredient.

The full park board is expected to vote on the issue during their Apr. 6 regular board meeting.
Over 1,500 people have signed a petition calling for a pesticide ban, 800 plus via a Move-On online petition, and 700 in person at last year’s Monarch Festival.

More than 40 people attended the park board meeting in support of the ban, and 19 spoke for a transition to organic parks.

Park Board uses 150 chemicals
Leading the charge against pesticides is Longfellow resident and business owner Russ Henry.
 
Standish-Ericsson residents Sean Connaughty speaks to the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board on Mar. 16, in favor banning Roundup. He was one of 40 people who attended the meeting in support of organic gardening. “I will maintain vigilance on behalf of Lake Hiawatha and continue to work to get an effective mitigation system for our storm sewers to stop the incredible trash problem,” said Connaughty, “and will observe behaviors on the land that affect the water and wildlife. I am reaching out to the Governor to see if the lake can be helped in our states efforts to clean up our waters.” (Photo submitted)

Henry owns a full-service organic gardening company named Giving Tree Gardens and is the chair of the Homegrown Minneapolis Food Council.

“Longfellow and Nokomis neighborhoods are filled with parks where the Minneapolis Park Board currently allows and encourages pesticide use,” said Henry. “Folks are often surprised to learn that the Park Board is using Roundup and a list of more than 150 dangerous chemical herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides.”

Henry is pushing for a complete pesticide ban and believes it would go a long way to improving water quality in Minneapolis parks.

“Invertebrates like bees and butterflies, amphibians, fish, and small mammals all live at the water’s edge in our parks. In bodies of water near intense uses of pesticides, such as at Lake Hiawatha, no more frogs are singing in the spring, and the beach is closed much more then it’s open due to water quality concerns.

“If we were to switch to organic management of spaces it would go a long way toward healing damaged bodies of water and encouraging wildlife to thrive.”

Standish-Ericsson resident Sean Connaughty spoke for the lake during the Mar. 16 meeting. He talked about the struggles Lake Hiawatha is facing and symptoms of sickness he has observed, including the high phosphorous levels, toxic algae blooms, and disappearance of amphibians. Connaughty believes that one of the reasons driving this problem is that the land around the lake is occupied by a golf course that uses a whole array of chemicals, including Roundup, “to treat the turf surrounding this delicate and threatened ecosystem.”

Connaughty added, “The parks can lead the way to more sustainable land use practices that can serve as a model for the community and help restore the balance to our natural systems which need our help, and which we need to survive as a species.”

He is disappointed that this new ban is limited to neighborhood parks, and will not affect chemical use at golf courses, ball fields, or regional parks.

Friends of Lake Hiawatha founder Ryan Seibold also supports the switch to organic parks. “Parks should be safe and healthy for us all,” said the father of two young children.

“The soils beneath our feet should be increasing in ecological services,” Seibold said, “instead of degrading due to micro-organism die-off from broad spectrum pesticides. The frogs and ducks deserve cleaner water and land without chemicals. And, our children should be able to play and run in landscapes where there isn’t a posted sign that says ‘keep off’ because it’s too poisonous.”

What’s the harm in using Roundup?
Over the past seven years, there have been more than 2,400 uses of pesticides in the parks.

However, Henry pointed that the Park’s Pesticide Fertilizer manager report does not include all of the chemicals applied to golf courses, as the tracking is still being done by paper there and is not digital.
Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the world today. The U.S. is the largest consumer, using approximately 20% of the world’s Roundup, Monsanto’s flagship product. The latest reliable figures from the U.S. Geological Survey record 280 million pounds of Roundup were used in 2012, nearly a pound for every American.

Henry referred to a Global Research article showing that over the years a large body of independent research provides a sound scientific rationale to confirm that glyphosate is toxic and poses more serious health risks to animals and humans. Among the many diseases and disorders, non-industry studies identified Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, autism,  infertility, miscarriages, and neural tube and birth defects. It is a causal agent for a variety of cancers: brain, breast, prostate, lung and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Other disorders include chronic kidney and liver diseases, diabetes, heart disease, hypothyroidism, chronic respiratory illness, and leaky gut syndrome.

Last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that Roundup is a probable human carcinogen. Increasingly, world-wide national health ministries are taking a hard second look at glyphosate’s health and environmental dangers, and efforts are underway to ban the herbicide. The Netherlands, Bermuda, and Sri Lanka have either banned or imposed strict limits on Roundup. France has banned its use in gardens. Brazil, Germany, and Argentina are considering legislative bans.
A review of existing data sponsored by Moms Across America found that out of 21 drinking water samples analyzed, 13 had glyphosate levels between 0.08 and 0.3 ug/L, well below the EPA’s limit, but significantly above the European Union’s limit of 0.1 ug/L.

“A few extremely powerful agricultural chemical companies have poured millions of dollars into research at major universities to convince policy makers that their products should be pronounced mostly safe, should be left relatively unregulated, and should be adopted as standard practice,” observed Henry.

“This has led to people adopting ecologically damaging aesthetic preferences at home such as the use of pesticides to enforce a mono-cropped grass lawn.

“This poisons the homeowner, kills the forage for bees and butterflies, and damages the soil making it easier for weeds to grow back.”

The Park Board is not convinced
Henry is proposing that the Park Board do its landscaping the old-fashioned way, by hand. “We’re already paying staff to be out there spraying; we might as well just have them mechanically removing the weeds with tools or by hand,” he said.

“To transition to organic,” Henry said,” we need to replace chemical fertilizers that encourage weeds with liquid compost extract that can be sprayed on to help encourage microbes in the soil which feed plants naturally.  A transition to organic throughout the parks system shouldn’t happen overnight, but it should begin immediately.”

District 5 Commissioner Steffanie Musich expects the board to discuss other aspects of the Minneapolis Parks Herbicide Use Report 2016 as part of its budget planning process this year. She is concerned about the “significant costs associated with the recommended changes to staffing levels to further reduce our use of pesticides that cannot be accommodated in this year’s budget.”
The board will also be exploring the use of goats to control invasive species at two sites within the regional park system.

“Along with my colleagues, I support the MPRB’s work to continue reducing the amount of pesticide used within the system by directing staff to follow our Integrated Pest Management Policy,” said Musich. “I am also happy to support our naturalists and friends groups working throughout the city in educating park visitors about ways they can reduce the use of chemicals on their properties, too.”

However, Henry is concerned that the current park board commissioners do not support organic parks, with the exception of Commissioners John Erwin and Brad Bourn, and points to the comments made at the March meeting.

“The more commissioners spoke, the more it was apparent that a transition to organic parks won’t happen unless we elect new commissioners,” said Henry.

“Commissioners Annie Young, Steffanie Musich, Anita Tabb, and Jon Olson all stated that they believe pesticides will always need to be used in Minneapolis Parks. Vice president of the park board Scott Vreeland went a step further to let folks know that he thinks the Minneapolis Park Board should never transition to organic management.”

Henry encourages people to contact commissioners to share their opinions.

“I will continue to engage with neighbors to bring the message of transition to the Minneapolis Park Board,” said Henry. “Many residents feel that it’s time to move away from pesticides in our entire park system, and I will work to lift up their voices till they ring in the commissioners ears.”

Discover your creative side at local youth summer camps

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN

Imagine you are a zookeeper, junior sleuth or engineer. Get lost in a colossal cardboard maze. Learn how to make a Rube Goldberg machine, ice cream, fused glass, and Lego movie. Hone your soccer and German skills. Rollerski, canoe, and dance.

That’s just the start of the youth camp options available in the Twin Cities area. Browse below for more information on some of the camps offered locally.

IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
ARTICULTURE
A variety of art disciplines and mediums with themes like Claymation, theater, art car, or food as art offered for ages 4-18. Five-day, half- and full-day sessions available.
Cost: $117-270
612-729-5151
http://www.articulture.org
BALLARE TEATRO
Calling all lost boys (and girls!), it’s time to crow during the Neverland camp. Or, join characters from Eric Carle books, Disney Dance, Neverland, Monsters, Where the Wild Things Are, Dr. Suess, Superheros, and Star Wars, during these four-day camps for ages 3 to grade 1.
Cost: $120-130
http://www.ballareteatro.com/
CIRCUS JUVENTAS
Explore international circus arts at Circus Juventas. Five-day, full-day sessions offered for ages 6-18. Or make your own camp with Circus Sampler Days.
Cost: $395
651-699-8229
http://www.circusjuventas.org
FORT SNELLING
Be an adventurer like Davy Crockett. Explore like Huck Finn. Experience the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Be a soldier for a day. Or, try out what life as an archeologist is like. Camps range from one day to one week.
$60-$250
612-341-7555
http://www.mnhs.org/summercamps
MINNEHAHA ACADEMY
A variety of athletic, academic and enrichment programs are offered, including woodworking, Lego robotics, puddlestompers, geocaching, movie making, sailing, painting, rocket science, guitar, and more. Half- and full-day, one- to three-week weekday sessions. Camp Minnehaha, a full day camp for pre-k to grade 8, includes daily devotions, games, indoor and outdoor activities, daily swimming lessons and a weekly off-campus activity.
Cost: $36-500
612-728-7745, ext. 1
http://www.minnehahaacademy.net
YMCA
Explore the variety of Y Summer Programs at over 60 metro-area locations. Programs include flexible three-, four-, and five-day options. There’s something fun for everyone from preschool through grade nine.
Cost: $80-350
http://www.ymcatwincities.org/child_care_preschool/summer_programs/

IN THE TWIN CITIES
ADVENTURES IN CARDBOARD
Construct giant castles, get lost in colossal mazes, build suits of armor and more during these five-day, full-day sessions for ages 8-17. Eight weeks offered at five different parks.
Cost: $320
http://julianmcfaul.com/
612-532-6764
ANIMAL HUMANE SOCIETY
Unleashed summer campers entering grades 3-10 spend a full week immersed in animal learning and fun. Camp sessions are held in St. Paul and Golden Valley (as well as three other locations).
Cost: $300
http://www.animalhumanesociety.org/camps
763-489-2220
ALEXANDER RAMSEY HOUSE
Solve mysteries of the past in this three-day History Detective Camp for ages 11-13. Or, young ladies ages 9-12 can step back in time in a unique Finishing School for Young Ladies day camp.
Cost: $200-$220
612-341-7555
http://www.mnhs.org/summercamps
ART START
Got pre-school children ages 4-5 years? Register for “A Start with the Arts”. “Camp CREATE” is offered for youth ages 13 years and older. Select classes are taught by professional artists from multiple arts disciplines— music, creative movement/dance, and visual arts. As a result of participating in this 5-day immersion experience, youth gain artistic knowledge and skills, learn about the people, geography, and environment of a place and create art works and performances inspired by the culture. Week 1, Galapogos; Week 2, Cuba. Includes options in drawing/painting, mosaics, puppetry, construction arts, movement/dance, weaving, clay jewelry, music and mixed media.
Cost: $140-$270.
651-698-2787.
http://www.artstart.org/summer-immersion
BLACKHAWKS OF ST. PAUL
Blackhawks offer several exciting half- and full-day soccer camps for players ages 5-18 that encompass a wide variety of activities and skills. Specialty camps focus on specific skills such as ball control, shooting, and goalkeeping.
Cost: $75-175
651-894-3527
http://blackhawksoccer.org/
CAMP COMO
Spend some time Monkeying Around with your primate pals; discover your creative side with Adventures in Art; take an African Adventure right at Como; or, try on the hat of a zookeeper or gardener in Behind-the-Scenes! Como’s camps include “behind-the-scenes” experiences and meeting Como’s plant and animal ambassadors up-close! Five-day, half-day sessions. Extended care available. In partnership with the Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM), Como also offers summer camp opportunities for youth, ages 8-18, with autism.
Cost: $117-150
651-487-8272
http://www.tinyurl.com/p3u4lqv
CAMP SUNRISE
Camp and canoe while learning leadership and teamwork skills in a seven-day resident camp for youths age 13-18 who live within the city limits of Minneapolis or St. Paul. Held on the St. Croix River in Rush City and organized by YouthCARE.
Cost: free
612-338-1233
http://www.youthcaremn.org
CONCORDIA
LANGUAGE VILLAGES
Experience cultural and language immersion;15 languages to choose from. Resident camp for ages 6-18 and half-day programs offered.
Cost: $240-$4,400
1-800-222-4750
http://www.concordialanguagevillages.org
CREATE SOMETHING GREAT AT FRIENDS SCHOOL
From junior sleuths to budding lawyers to young artists, there are seven weeks of adventures and summer fun planned for ages 4-14 at the Friends School of Minnesota. Weekdays, half- and full-day.
Cost: $100 to $440
651-621-8941
http://www.fsmn.org
DODGE NATURE CENTER
Explore prairies, wetlands and woodland trails during full- and half-day, four-day camps offered for students entering 1-8 grades. Shorter sessions available for ages 3-6.
Cost: $42-255
651-455-4531
http://www.dodgenaturecenter.org/
FARM TO TABLE
Make butter, ice cream and bread while learning about science, agriculture, and history at the Bruentrup Heritage Farm in Maplewood. Plus, students will play old-time games like townball and do arts and crafts. Three four-day sessions offered in July and August.
Cost: $150
651-748-8645
http://tinyurl.com/bhf2016
FOCCI MN CENTER
FOR GLASS
From fusing to casting to glass blowing, ages 9-18 are introduced to the mesmerizing medium of glass through immersive half-day, five-day experiences.
Cost: $375-420
612-623-3624
http://tinyurl.com/foci2016
GERMAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE CAMPS
Speak, hear, sing, and create in German while exploring subjects ranging from history and art to science and music during five-day, half-, full- and extended-day sessions for grades K-2 at the Germanic-American Institute.
Cost: $130-270
651-222-2979
http://gai-mn.org
GIBBS MUSEUM OF PIONEER AND DAKOTA LIFE CAMPS
Travel back in time and learn about life in the 1800s. Explore seasonal Dakota activities including the maple sugar camp, wild rice village, life in the tipi, hunting games, methods of travel, language and song during the Say It In Dakota Camp. Three-day, half-day camps. Two-hour day sessions for ages 6-13 only $19.
Cost: $99
651-646-8629
http://www.rchs.com
HAMLINE YOUNG WRITERS
High school students ages 15-18 can explore the craft, prepare for college, and connect with other young writers in the Twin Cities while working closely with Hamline Creative Writing faculty and published authors.
Cost: $400
651-523-2476
http://www.hamline.edu/gls/youngwriters/
JUGHEADS JUGGLING CAMP
Half-day, five-day sessions for beginners through experts ages 8-18 enhance hand-eye coordination, boost concentration, and build self-confidence.
Cost: $110
612-229-3348
http://jugheads.com
LEONARDO’S BASEMENT
Girls and boys ages 6 to 17 can design and build their creative ideas, mixing art, science and technology during partial-day, weekday camps. There are more than 88 classes available over ten weeks. New this summer: Star Wars week.
Cost: $185-370, scholarships available
612-824-4394
http://www.leonardosbasement.org
LOPPET ADVENTURE CAMPS
Roller ski, mountain bike, canoe and more during adventure camps for ages 9-13 at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis. Equipment provided during the full-day, five-day sessions.
Cost: $200
612-604-5330
http://loppet.org
MILL CITY MUSEUM
Play music, get creative, bake bread and construct books while exploring the rich culture of the Minneapolis riverfront district. Campers aged 9-11 will explore a new experience each day at four arts centers, including Mill City Museum, the Guthrie Theater, Minnesota Center for Book Arts and MacPhail Center for Music.
Cost: $225-$250
612-341-7555
http://www.mnhs.org/summercamps
MINNESOTA WALDORF SCHOOL
Experience good, old-fashioned summer fun at Minnesota Waldorf School summer camp. Outdoor games, natural crafts, water play, gardening, caring for the school’s chickens, and much more are offered on a beautiful 8-acre campus. For children ages 3.5 to 5th grade.
Cost: $150/wk (half day); $270/wk (full day).
651-487-6700 x202.
http://mnwaldorf.org/summercamp
SCIENCE MUSEUM OF MINNESOTA
Summer programs for youth ages 3 to 16 combine science, art, drama, and literature in ways that encourage kids to actively discover and examine concepts for themselves. Programs also offered at the Lee & Rose Warner Nature Center, the state’s oldest outdoor environmental education facility.
Cost: $60-345
651-221-4511, 651-433-2427
http://www.smm.org/classes
SPIRIT TAE KWON DO
Fun, exciting camps that combine physical fitness and education are offered throughout the summer for school-age kids. Register early for discounts.
651-428-6170, 651-428-6172
www.istkd.com
ST. PAUL ACADEMY
Make Rube Goldberg machines. Take a writing workshop entitled: “A Week at Hogwarts.” Learn about 3D printing and movie-making. Debate, play chess, take competitive math, debate, or learn how to be a better leader. Twelve options at SPA cover a broad range of academic, arts, and enrichment activities for grades 2-12. The Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth offers the ExplorSchool for students in grades 4-6.
Cost: $169-425
651-698-2451
http://www.spa.edu/about_spa/summer_programs_2015/
STEM CAMPS
Use LEGO bricks, gears and motors to construct and program robots, or produce their a LEGO movie using the latest Stop-Motion Animation software. Opt to learn to code or create your own video game. Math Addvantage offers five-day, half-day camps for grades 2-8.
$215
http://mathaddvantage.com
STEPPING STONE THEATER
Learn about devised theater, music, and other performance art forms during these one- to two-week, half- and full-day sessions for those pre-K to grade 12. A sliding scale scholarship program is available for all on-site summer camps.
Cost: $125-475
http://steppingstonetheatre.org
ST. PAUL BALLET
Summer at St. Paul Ballet is a time to do something new that you’ve always wanted to try. Programs include workshops and camps for ages 3-22. It’s a time to try out classical ballet, as well as other genres of dance such as flamenco, modern, and some surprises. Weekly and drop-in classes offered throughout the summer ($8.50 to $20).
Cost: $75-1,800
651-690-1588
www.spballet.org
ST. PAUL URBAN TENNIS
Located all over the St. Paul map, St. Paul Urban Tennis offers summer camp programs for all age groups. In addition to tennis lessons, they offer SPUT Sampler Camps ($45) which offer a condensed version in 4 days of their acclaimed summer program, with a high dose of tennis instruction for players just starting out with the sport.
Cost: wide range.
http://stpaulurbantennis.org/ 2011-summer-program.php
TEXTILE CENTER CAMPS
Sew, knit, felt, dye and more. Take home completed fiber items from three- and five-day, half-, full- and extended-day sessions for ages 6-18.
Cost $87-370
612-436-0464
http://textilecentermn.org/summer-camps
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is not a comprehensive list of every camp in the Twin Cities. If you would like to be included in next year’s guide, please send us detailed information on the camp.

This article appeared in the April edition of the Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger.

Affordable townhomes planned at Riverview and E. 54th St.

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN

Four buildings, with four units each, are included in the preliminary site plan for E. 54th St. and Riverview Rd. The two-story townhomes will be owned by the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority, and will help young families transitioning from homelessness.

Sixteen affordable-housing townhome units will be built next year at E. 54th St. and Riverview Rd. in the Morris Park neighborhood.

According to Dean Carlson of Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA), the units will be offered to young families that have recently been homeless.

The average age of the adults are 18 to 24, and the children are typically under age 5.

There are over 6,200 families on the MPHA wait list, with wait times ranging from three to seven years. In 2015, nearly 1,300 families sought refuge in a shelter in Hennepin County.

According to Dean Carlson of Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA), the units will be offered to young families that have recently been homeless. The average age of the adults are 18 to 24, and the children are typically under age 5. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)

The new townhomes will be built on land that is currently owned by the city of Minneapolis, land that was cleared of two-story single-family houses by the Minnesota Department of Transportation in preparation for widening Hiawatha Ave. years ago.

The development is adjacent to Riverview Senior Apartments.

Kat Vann served on the original task force that worked with Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative to construct the affordable senior housing building. At the time, the task force envisioned adding affordable housing for families next door, she recalled. Vann is delighted to see that happening now.
“It’s so inspiring to me,” Vann said.

Ward 12 Council member Andrew Johnson pointed out that a community garden is planned for the backyard of the townhome area. “I see it as a great way to bring the seniors together with the young families,” he remarked.

Two-story buildings won’t have basements
The plan for the townhome development was presented to neighborhood residents during a meeting at Morris Park Recreation Center on Tue., Mar. 22. The event was organized by the Nokomis East Neighborhood Association and Council Member Andrew Johnson.

About 30 residents gathered on Mar. 22, to learn about the affordable housing development the city is pursuing at E. 54th St. and Riverside. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)

The city received four proposals for the site, and a review committee evaluated them according to how well they met development objectives. Among those on the committee were NENA Executive Director Becky Timm and Johnson’s Senior Policy Aide Suzanne Murphy.

Two of the proposals included large, multi-story buildings, something that neighborhood residents had said they didn’t want during a meeting held last September, pointed out Johnson.
The MHPA proposal also provides the green space and affordable housing residents said was important, he added.

The majority of units in the development will have two or three bedrooms, and one will have four bedrooms, pointed out architect Paul Mellblom of MSR Design. One will be handicapped accessible.
There will be a total of four four-unit buildings. The two-story-tall buildings will not have basements.
Each unit will have a front and back porch. In the back of the buildings there will be a play area, small shed, and community garden.

The townhomes will range from two to four-bedroom units. Public benefits include a community garden and play structure. (Illustration provided)

The plan is to keep as many trees on the site as possible and to plant shrubs to screen the back of the development from the Riverview Apartments. Rain gardens will be disbursed around the site to manage stormwater, said Mellbloom.

MPHA will handle outside maintenance and lawn care.
Small dogs will be allowed with a deposit.

Units will be inspected by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Residents will pay 30% of their income for rent, with a minimum of $75 a month.

Through the Stable Families Initiative, job training and education will be provided to residents to raise income and increase self-sufficiency, pointed out Mikkel Beckman, who is a shared Minneapolis and Hennepin County employee. Residents will also receive training on basic home maintenance, such as how to change a light bulb and whether something is best suited for the sink garbage disposal or the trash can.

Carlson pointed out that MHPA operates 6,000 public housing units, and works with neighborhood organizations both during the development process and once a unit is occupied. A property manager will handle any complaints from residents or neighbors.
“If there’s an issue, we’ll be there,” he said.

Too many cars on Riverside
There will not be any garages at the site. Instead, sixteen uncovered parking spots will be provided along the roadway that leads into the Riverview Apartment building, one for each unit.
Some attendees at the meeting expressed concern about the number of parking spots.

“I’m very concerned about the parking on Riverside,” said local resident Greg Lemay. “We want our neighborhood to be as safe as it was before. I don’t see that happening.”

Carlson responded that MPHA manages 750-scattered-site housing units, and on average there is less than one car per unit.

Council member Andrew Johnson added that $1,000 for a used car is a massive expense for a family that has recently been homeless. It’s the site’s proximity to the lightrail station at the VA that makes it beneficial for an affordable housing project.

Hiawatha Lane resident Ileen Johnson pointed out that while the residents may not have more than one car, their visitors will all be parking on the street.

Riverview Apartment resident Jean Haworth appreciates the “no parking” signs that were put up following the September meeting, and said that the parking situation has been better when people obey the signs.

Parking in the area is complicated by its proximity to Minnehaha Park, which is located a few blocks to the west.

Apr. 22 deadline for comments
Neighborhood residents have until Apr. 22 to submit comments to the city’s community planning and economic development (CPED) department. They can be funneled through NENA or council member Andrew Johnson’s office.

The city council is expected to award exclusive development rights to MPHA in late May, and finalize construction drawings in February 2017. Construction will be complete by July 2018, and units are expected to be fully occupied by August 2018.