Time for Commissioners to decide what happens at Golf Course

Meanwhile, golfers ramp up efforts to save course and continue to question why Minnehaha Creek can’t be dredged

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
As the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board (MPRB) of Commissioners begin discussing the future of Hiawatha Golf Course, golfers are ramping up their efforts to save the course.
Local resident Craig Nichols, who lived near Hiawatha Golf Course for the past 10 years, started an online petition and is running a Facebook group called “Save Hiawatha Golf.” He presented a petition with over 1,200 signatures to the board during a July 19 public hearing.
“Hiawatha golf course has been a friendly and affordable home to golfers of the Twin Cities since 1934,” explained Nichols on the www.change.org petition page. “Through good times and bad, our families have been able to ‘escape’ to Hiawatha for a quick round and chat with friends.
Photo right: Craig Nichols practices putting at Hiawatha Golf Course. He recently started the Facebook Page, “Save Hiawatha Golf.” “I did this because I wanted the youth of Minneapolis to be able to have the opportunity to learn a game they can play their whole lives and with that learn to be part of a community,” he explained. “I felt the park board was leaving golfers out of the conversation, and seemed to not want people to know what was happening. Did you know the golf course isn’t allowed to post anything about its own future at the course? Even so much as a notice that there will be a meeting? Makes a person wonder about their transparency a little doesn’t it?” (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
Hiawatha has a vibrant community of golfers from ages five to 85 that will have to find somewhere else to golf. Some of the younger and older golfers will have a difficult time getting to one of the suburban courses.
“Please convince the Minneapolis Park Board, the Minnesota DNR, and the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District to do their jobs and come up with intelligent solutions to solve the problems Hiawatha faces rather than just shut generations of golfers out.”
Some have commented that if the course was rearranged and used a modern design, less would be located in the lower elevations.
Golfers are also pushing the park board to hold off making a decision until after new park board members are installed in 2018.
“We’d like to see the vote on the course put off until the next board is in,” wrote Nichols on the Save Hiawatha Golf Facebook page. “We feel they are rushing this through since most aren’t running again.”
As of press time, the full Board of Commissioners planned to consider the water management recommendation at its Wed., Aug. 9 meeting.
Local commissioner Steffanie Musich has stated that she is refraining from making a final decision about pumping until the board has been provided with the final staff report and the public hearing has been held. She is one of the few board members who is planning to run for re-election.
Two options
MPRB staff, with the assistance of local firm Barr Engineering, have narrowed the options for Hiawatha Golf Course to two.
Option A would reduce the pumping there to 308 million gallons of groundwater, which keeps the course open.
Option B drops the pumping to 94 million gallons of groundwater, which would effectively flood much of the property and close the course while keeping neighboring basements dry.
Photo left: For the past 10 years, Craig Nichols has lived within a few blocks of Hiawatha Golf Course. He values the course because it offers what others don’t by being the only course in Minneapolis fully within city limits. “Do people expect that kids from south Minneapolis will be able to get to Wirth or Gross, or Meadowbrook easily on their own?” he questioned. “It also has one of the most extensive practice area of any course in the metro, let alone the inner city,” Nichols added. Five high schools practice at Hiawatha, and other children participate in the First Tee program. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
Without any pumping, the groundwater elevation underneath the golf course would rise by 4 feet and flood most of the course. MPRB has been pumping stormwater and groundwater off the course into Lake Hiawatha since the 1960s. The property was originally a wetland, called Rice Lake before it was dredged and the fill used to create a golf course, which is currently sinking.
Options A and B were presented to the public following a series of meetings regarding the issues at the course. During the April and May meetings, staff solicited opinions from the public about what they’d want on the land instead of a golf course, and suggestions were varied.
On June 21, staff announced that the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which must approve the level of pumping at the property, favors Option B because it reduces pumping by 70% and is considered more sustainable and less costly in the long run.
However, the DNR will not make an official statement and decision about the project until the MPRB submits an appropriations permit application, and so some residents question whether the DNR is actually in favor of closing the course.
Would dredging solve the problem?
Other residents are pushing for MPRB to lower the level of the lake and dredge it and the creek to maintain the golf course.
Engineers have repeatedly said that dredging the lake would make it deeper but not lower the level of the lake, so it will not reduce pumping.
To lower the lake level, the outlet of the lake would need to be lowered. This could be accomplished by modifying an existing weir at 28th St. and another weir at Hiawatha Ave. It may also be necessary to dredge the creek between the two weirs. Lowering the lake would also result in lower water elevations in the creek downstream of the lake, and would affect how much flood storage is available both around Lake Hiawatha and farther downstream. Plus the project would require permits from several agencies.
Minnehaha Creek could be dredged, but not by more than one foot because of several utility crossings, including a Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) 11-foot diameter gravity sanitary sewer pipe. One foot deeper would not help the situation at Hiawatha, according to a MPRB face sheet available online.
However, if existing sanitary sewer pipes were protected in some way, MPRB could consider lowering 2,000 feet of channel to an elevation of 809, which would result in a slight reduction in the flooding at the Bloomington Pond Area/Sibley Pond and no impact in flooding at the Hiawatha west watershed.
There are three bridges/crossing downstream of Lake Hiawatha that would need to be modified or reconstructed to achieve the lower channel elevation, and the city water main upstream of 28th would need to be lowered. An abandoned CenterPoint gas main downstream of 28th would need to be removed. Additionally, the creek channel would need to be redesigned and restored to achieve a stable channel and banks, and it would take some time to re-establishing the existing biological communities.
If the pumping changes
If the pumping at the course changes, a master planning process will begin that will take 9-12 months and include input from a Community Advisory Committee. The course would continue to stay open, likely through the 2019 season.

The Hiawatha Golf Course in numbers

• The highest number of rounds was 55,000 in 2001.
• The lowest number of rounds was 14,000 in 2014 when the course was flooded.
• The annual average rounds per year is 40,800.
• However, in the last six years impacted by flooding, wet conditions, and market changes, the average was 23,800.
• For the period before the wet years, the average annual revenue was $250,000.
• For the six years impacted by flooding, the average annual revenue was a loss of $180,000.

This article appeared in the August 2017 Longfellow-Nokomis Messenger.

Women-owned lumberyard focuses on service, lasting relationships

“Women bring a unique vision to our business,” observed Jan Siwek (left), who owns Hiawatha Lumber Company with sisters-in-laws Pat Siwek (center) and Lisa Siwek. They purchased the lumberyard in May 2016, and have recently finished remodeling the hardware store and showroom. (Photo provided)

Three sisters-in-law purchase Hiawatha Lumber, remodel, increase inventory, and add specialty products

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
It is rare to find a women-owned lumberyard, but Longfellow neighborhood boasts of one.
Long considered a male- dominated industry, the lumber and building materials business is featuring more and more women in prominent sales, marketing, human resources, management, and ownership roles. Females now account for a larger percentage of employees in the lumber industry than ever before as workplace demographics continue to evolve and become more diverse.
When the 70-year-old Hiawatha Lumber Company (3233 E. 40th St.) was sold last year, it was purchased by three women with deep roots in the lumber industry.
“Women bring a unique vision to our business,” observed Jan Siwek, who owns the company with sisters-in-laws Pat Siwek and Lisa Siwek.
“Our focus on personal service, quality products, and lasting relationships carries on a tradition that seems lost in our industry,” said Siwek. “We focus on the customer, not the bottom line.”
Option for those who like to shop in their neighborhood
One of only three independent lumberyards in the Twin Cities, Hiawatha Lumber Company is a full-service lumberyard with nearly two acres of construction, structural and exterior lumber and building products.
In addition to an extensive assortment of high-quality lumber, the lumberyard sells Marvin windows and doors, millwork, hardware and building materials. Hiawatha Lumber Company also offers delivery and cutting services.
“Providing an exceptional offering of quality brands like Marvin, Integrity, Acclimated, Heritage, Teal, SmartSide, Prestige, Paslode, GRK, Milwaukee, etc. help us focus on the customer’s real goal: a comfortable home to enjoy with their family,” stated Siwek. “Our experts can gain the trust of our customers by listening to their desires and offering great choices of product without a song and dance.”
“Whether you’re a do-it-yourselfer or a general contractor, we have quality materials for your small or large projects,” remarked general manager Jon Skoglund (photo left provided), who has worked at Hiawatha Lumber Company for over 34 years.
“We provide an option for people who like to stay in their neighborhood and shop locally, and get the type of customer service that isn’t always available in bigger stores.”
Hiawatha Lumber specializes in hard-to-find millwork from the 1900s. “In most cases, standard-size windows and doors don’t fit the homes in our neighborhood, so it’s beneficial to our customers to be able to buy products that not only are custom fit to their homes, but will last,” stated Skoglund.
“Our staff has years of service in the industry, so we can offer expert advice and support to those who need it. Although big-box stores may have lower prices and larger inventories, we have higher-quality lumber, and we can easily custom order products for our customers.”
History of Hiawatha Lumber
In 1900, Minneapolis was the leading lumber market in the world, and the city was home to scores of sawmills and lumberyards.
Photo right: Hiawatha Lumber began by selling chicken coops to customers that were personally delivered by the owner. The owner’s son, Denny Gustafson, took over in 1964 and operated the lumberyard for over 50 years. (Photo submitted)
Before 1930, the lumberyard along the railroad at 40th and Dight was known as Berg Lumber. The building sat vacant during the depression until 1940, when it became Hiawatha Lumber.
Hiawatha Lumber began by selling chicken coops to customers that were personally delivered by the owner.
The owner’s son, Denny Gustafson, took over in 1964 and operated the lumber yard for over 50 years.
For decades, Hiawatha Lumber Company flourished. New homes, basement finishing, garages, and remodeling were hot, and the 1960s and 1970s were boom times for the lumberyard and the neighborhood.
“With the troubled economy, 2008 was a hard time for us, but with loyal customers and cooperative suppliers, we were able to weather the storm while many other lumberyards closed as a result of the economic downturn,” recalled Skoglund.
In May of 2016, the new owners immediately doubled or tripled the in-stock inventory, and reduced prices by 20-30 percent.
Then they set about on their own construction project in the winter of 2017, remodeling the hardware store and showroom in the winter of 2017 to showcase products, specifically Marvin and Integrity Windows and Doors.
Refocused and more diverse
“Refocused on quality products and a bigger and more diverse inventory, Hiawatha Lumber Company has a new attitude of excellence, affordability, and creativity in our products,” said Siwek.
A grand re-opening was held in June. “We had a great turnout, and it was nice to see our customers and get in touch with our neighbors,” said Skoglund.
Customers like the remodeling they’ve done, he pointed out. Plus, the original sign from the 1940s on the front of the building that was unearthed during the renovation is a big hit. Also, customers like the variety and quality of products that are now being offered.
“If you haven’t visited us in a while, you should stop in,” encouraged Skoglund. “We have a new look with a lot of new products, and we’re right in the neighborhood.” More at hiawathalumber.com.

This article appeared in the August 2017 edition of the Longfellow-Nokomis Messenger.

Telling diverse stories of South Minneapolis is focus of new radio station

98.9 KRSM begins airing this fall to 300,000 Southside listeners and is already posting online content in six languages

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
A new community radio station dedicated to telling the stories of the densely populated, ethnically diverse South Minneapolis area is coming this fall.
After over five years of dreaming and planning, 98.9 KSRM is nearly ready to launch at the Waite House Community Center (2323 11th Ave. S.). A fundraising drive in June raised the money needed to build the antenna.
“Our community really came out to support us with local businesses, nonprofits, and community members collectively donating over $40,000,” said KRSM Radio Manager Brendan Kelly. “Our next step is to finalize construction plans, install the antenna, and then we’ll be ready to go.”
KRSM is a Low-Power FM station, which means that it will broadcast about five miles in each direction, covering 300,000 listeners in the Southside area. (See map to the right)
“This is community radio at its very most community,” said Kelly. “If I had my wish, every neighborhood would have something like this.”
He added, “South Minneapolis is a vibrant, diverse, and constantly changing part of our city. It’s home to a large Indigenous population (plus Little Earth, the birthplace of the American Indian Movement, and a Native Cultural Corridor on Franklin). It’s where more Somalis live than anywhere but Mogadishu. It’s where a lot of amazing artists and entrepreneurs and radical organizers call home. Why not build a platform to celebrate and share all of that?”
Online content in 6 languages
The Southside Media Project and 98.9 KSRM is a coalition of neighbors and nonprofits and is one part of Pillsbury United Communities’ Community Media Initiative that aims to provide a platform to raise up stories of the community.
About five years ago, concerned neighbors started meeting regularly with representatives from Pillsbury United Communities (Waite House), Little Earth of United Nations, Hope Community, and Main Street Project to discuss the possibility of creating a new media platform that more accurately reflected the communities, voices, and cultures of South Minneapolis.
Over those five years, the group successfully applied to the FCC for a license to broadcast at 98.9 FM, recruited over 100 volunteers, formed an advisory board, built a studio, led close to 60 free training sessions, launched the website (KRSMradio.org), and began broadcasting 83 hours of content each week.
Photo left: Greg Fields hosts The G Music Show for 98.9 KRSM Radio. The station hasn’t officially launched yet, but already has weekly content on its web site in six different languages (English, Spanish, Somali, Ojibwe, Hmong, and Haitian Creole). There are shows about mental health, politics, race and identity, food justice, entrepreneurship, architecture, and language, as well as lots of music. (Photo submitted)
The station will be a tool for sharing news, music, storytelling, debate, and public health/safety announcements.
“We haven’t even launched yet, and we already have weekly content in six different languages (English, Spanish, Somali, Ojibwe, Hmong, and Haitian Creole),” observed Kelly.
There are shows about mental health, politics, race and identity, food justice, entrepreneurship, architecture, and language, as well as lots of great music.
“A few of my favorite shows so far are Project 35 (an eclectic music show hosted by Válerie Déus), DesignHER Life (Felicia Perry’s ode to women of color creative entrepreneurs and the challenges they face), and The Jungle (where Adriana Foreman mixes great music with short recordings of dynamic Southsiders sharing whatever is in their heart at the moment…from reflections on student loans to guided meditations to poetry and self-care tips),” said Kelly.
He is also proud of some of the partnerships the station has formed with media makers outside Minneapolis.
“We’re airing fantastic content from reservation radio stations in Leech Lake and White Earth,” remarked Kelly. “We’re sharing Spanish language content from Democracy Now. Monday-Friday at noon, we share nationally syndicated call-in shows made specifically for Latinx communities (Tues./Wed,) and Indigenous populations (Mon./Thur./Fri.).”
Tradition of radio as place for civic conversation
Community radio played a crucial role in steering Kelly’s life in the direction it has taken.
“Radio K (1997-1999) was where I cut my teeth in Minneapolis,” recalled Kelly. It’s where he first tried out DJing and editing audio and recording promos and throwing shows and marketing and speaking in a community space. And it’s where he met local rapper Brother Ali.
“When I moved on from my show, I became Ali’s DJ and spent the next 15 years of my life recording, performing, and traveling… all thanks to community radio,” said Kelly.
In the past, when there were many local stations, the system allowed trusted voices to emerge from the community, Kelly pointed out. “It served as a petri dish for local music sounds. It was a place for civic conversation. We’re honoring that tradition while trying to update it with more attention to equity and representation.”
Representation also about who makes decisions
KSRM representatives have worked with five classrooms of kids from three different local schools, and the aim is to double those numbers next school year.
“But representation is about more than just who we put on the air, it’s about who we put in positions of power,” remarked Kelly.
So they’re working on creating paid internship programs to help orient young folks from the neighborhood with the behind-the-scenes work of running a radio station. They’ve been very intentional to fill their advisory board and the leadership positions on their volunteer committees with people of color and Indigenous folks.
“And our programming committee is spending this year to create an annual review process for each of our shows that will allow the hosts, their peers at the station, and listeners from the community to regularly check in with us about what we’re airing,” said Kelly. “Also, we have formal partnerships with Voices for Racial Justice and Hope Community (including representatives from each sitting on our advisory board) to make sure that we’re always holding ourselves accountable to our mission.”
“But, despite all of this, we will absolutely make mistakes,” Kelly said.
“And when we do,” Kelly added, “we’ll count on the community to lovingly hold us accountable and challenge us to do better.”
Email contact@KRSMradio.org to check in with an idea, criticism, or questions. Want to get involved? Join a volunteer committee, attend one of the free training sessions, or apply to host a show. Learn more on the web site KRSMradio.org under the header “Get involved.”

Minnesota DNR supports closing Hiawatha Golf Course

DNR favors reducing pumping at the golf course. Residents are split: peace and quiet vs. maximum usage of space.

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
Of the two directions for the Hiawatha Golf Course that were presented to the public on May 18, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) favors the one that reduces the amount of pumping there by 70%.
“The DNR would prefer alternative B,” stated MPRB Assistant Superintendent of Planning Michael Schroeder. “It has multiple benefits while we’re reducing the pumping.” He added, “The 70% reduction is considered more sustainable.”
The Department of Natural Resources needs to sign off on the pumping at the golf course property. Currently, MPRB has a permit to pump 36.5 million gallons a year, far less than the 308 million gallons it is actually pumping.
“We’re really focused on reducing the pumping while still protecting adjacent homes,” remarked Minneapolis Director of Surface Water and Sewers Katrina Kessler.
Options either 18-hole golf course or something else
MPRB has decided against putting a 9-hole golf course at the site, despite a desire by April public meeting attendees to try to keep some kind of golf there even if the 18-hole course is shut down. There is only one 9-hole golf course in the state that is profitable, pointed out Schroeder, and it is located in Pierz, Minn. “Revenue for golf courses is generated by players who desire 18 holes,” he said. “In the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation system parameters, a 9-hole golf course simply doesn’t work.”
If golf is taken out of the equation, many other uses can be applied.
MPRB asked attendees to comment on two alternatives (photo at the top of page).
Photo right: After discussing two scenarios for the Hiawatha Golf Course, two people from each table shared comments with the entire group gathered at Nokomis Recreation Center on May 18. Meeting attendees were split on keeping golf versus discontinuing the pumping and letting the area flood. There were two competing interests: continuing the peace and quiet of the area versus maximum usage of the space. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
To keep the 18-hole golf course, MPRB would have to continue pumping 308 million gallons a year, while alternative B would require pumping 94 million gallons of groundwater, allowing the lower areas of the property to be covered with water. With Alternative A, there are 9 acres of open water; with Alternative B, there are 41 acres.
To keep the 18-hole golf course, MPRB would have to continue pumping 308 million gallons a year, while alternative B would require pumping 94 million gallons of groundwater, allowing the lower areas of the property to be covered with water. With Alternative A, there is 9 acres of open water; with Alternative B, there is 41 acres.
“Mother nature never intended it to be a golf course,” remarked Joseph Jones. He observed that in the 17 years he’s lived nearby, the area has flooded three times.
Some people at the meeting pointed to a generational and financial gap between the golfers and the other residents, while others countered that they didn’t see a generation gap and regularly golf with their children and parents at the course for $12.
“I have this feeling in the pit of my stomach that Hiawatha Golf Course is gone,” said one attendee during the feedback section of the May meeting. “It has some serious water issues. It wants to be a lake.”
Another person commented that the loss of the golf course seemed “inevitable,” while others stressed that the golf course has been profitable the past three years and should continue its operation.
“This project is really divisive, pitting neighbor against neighbor,” stated one man who supports retaining the golf course. “It’s really unfortunate that we are being pulled apart by this issue.”
Phosphorus load could drop 191 pounds per year
There would be no change to the phosphorus load at the property if the 18-hole golf course remained, but a whopping 191 pound a year reduction under Alternative B. Park Commissioner Steffanie Musich pointed out that she has never seen that amount of a reduction on a report before. “It’s a really big deal,” said Musich. Most mitigation efforts drop phosphorus by about 7 pounds a year.
Trash mitigation is included in both options. An open water channel would provide a place for trash to be collected and pollutants filtered out before entering Lake Hiawatha. Alternative B adds more land use changes, including remeandering Minnehaha Creek.
Local resident Sean Connaughty questioned whether changing the outlet of the creek from the south side of the lake to the west side was a good idea because of how it would affect the existing habitat and wildlife there. He didn’t support the suggestion to put a retreat center where the current outlet is now for the same reason.
“We want to see clean water and habitat protection,” said Connaughty.
Local resident Steve Burt was glad to hear about the reduction in trash planned for the lake. “It’s like a receptacle for trash that comes in from every part of the city,” he observed.
Some people expressed concerns about mosquitoes that might come with increasing wetland restoration.
Users estimated to jump if land is used for other things
Attendees also considered how many people currently use the property versus how many might if there were other amenities there. Currently, there are 10,500 golfers, and that number is estimated to rise to 146,000 if the event center is updated. However, if the range of uses at the site was diversified, that number is estimated to be 522,462.
For comparison purposes, Minnehaha Regional Park has 1,717,600 users each year, Minneapolis Chain of Lakes Regional Park 5,101,700 (the highest in the state) and TheodoreWirth Regional Park 570,200, according to a Met Council report.
“The neighborhood has been wanting to get access to his park for years,” observed Burt. He recalls the “fence wars” that have occurred as neighbors cut the golf course fence in order to walk around inside. He mentioned how nice Wood Lake Nature Center is, and supports something similar here. “I think that anything that opens people up to nature in the city is a good thing,” said Burt.
Willie Gregg is in favor of using the land for something other than a golf course. “It feels more open and inviting for a variety of users in a wider variety of ways,” he remarked.
Meeting attendees expressed concern about a possible increase in users and the additional traffic and parking issues that would bring. Some stressed that there should not be any additional paved parking lots, while others didn’t want to see street parking problems such as those near Minnehaha Park. Some residents didn’t feel that the infrastructure was in place to handle 500,000 users at Hiawatha.
Photo left: There is no easy way to summarize the kind of input provided at the April 20 meeting, remarked MPRB Assistant Superintendent of Planning Michael Schroeder. MPRB put the keywords into a word cloud engine and created this graphic to show which phrases were most popular. (Photo submitted)
There were two competing interests: continuing the peace and quiet of the area versus maximum usage of the space.
Others expressed support for the use of solar power and renewable energy at the site, the return of wild rice, the continuation of cross country skiing, an edible food forest, prairie restoration, and increased programming for kids. If the golf course is changed, some are concerned that the property will sit empty and look badly for years during the transition period.
“If we’re going to lose our golf course,” said one commenter, “let’s make it something special.”
Future meetings
A final meeting with the public was held June 21 when there was little public comment in comparison to the past two meetings that were primarily focused on soliciting stakeholder opinions.
Schroeder pointed out that any changes at the course wouldn’t happen this year, or likely even next. “When we get to the Park and Recreation Board, we still have years,” he said.
MPRB will discuss the issue at its July 12 board meeting and select a direction to pursue at its Aug. 9 meeting. Comments are being collected via an online survey available on the MPRB Hiawatha Golf Course project page.

Athletic fields designed near Nokomis, urban ag proposed near Hiawatha

Open house held as changes require modification of Nokomis-Hiawatha Regional Park by park board

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
With the focus of nearby Bossen Park on softball, some residents feel that leaves room for other sports such as Australian Football and soccer at Nokomis Park.
The current project at Bossen is placing four premier baseball/softball fields in a pinwheel formation looking out, with another two fields on the south side and two large open field areas on the north.
Photo left: Concept A is one of two concepts MPRB asked the public for input on. (Illustration provided)
When the Nokomis-Hiawatha Regional Park master plan was approved in March 2015, it didn’t include a specific layout for the athletic fields, in part because planners knew that the Bossen Field project was about to get underway, pointed out MPRB Director of Strategic Planning Adam Arvidson.
When the Nokomis-Hiawatha Regional Park master plan was approved in March 2015, it didn’t include a specific layout for the athletic fields, in part because planners knew that the Bossen Field project was about to get underway, pointed out MPRB Director of Strategic Planning Adam Arvidson.
However, the fields at Nokomis are currently in very poor condition, and MPRB held an open house on May 25 to ask for community input on the athletic fields as it prepares to fix them.
The two proposed plans for Nokomis aim to preserve large open spaces for a variety of sports, remarked Arvidson.
Concept A includes seven adult-size softball fields of which two are in the far south of the parcel, three high-school-sized soccer fields, and an Australian football field in the center.
Concept B configures the fields differently and has six softball fields, three soccer fields and an Australian football field in the center. Both include a 60-space parking area and trail cutting across the center of the area.
Citizens asked if there could be a storage shed for groups that play there, as well as a place for bathrooms and drinking fountains. Others asked for lighting on the fields. Additional input was taken through an online survey that was open through June 23.
Football players hope to use the fields more
Photo right: A group of Minnesota Freeze Australian Football, Gaelic football, and hurling players attended the open house on May 25 to learn about the two proposals. The men’s Minnesota Freeze teams currently hold its Wednesday night weekly practices and Saturday morning games at Lake Nokomis, and the women’s team would like to be there, as well. (Photo submitted by Minnesota Freeze)
“It would be great to have the men’s and women’s teams practice together,” noted Freeze Captain Andrew Werner, a Nokomis resident, but it is difficult to do now because of how the fields are arranged. “The sport is community-based,” he observed. “A lot of families come out and watch, too.” Plus, they’d like to see the club grow.
“It would be great to have the men’s and women’s teams practice together,” noted Freeze Captain Andrew Werner, a Nokomis resident, but it is difficult to do now because of how the fields are arranged. “The sport is community-based,” he observed. “A lot of families come out and watch, too.” Plus, they’d like to see the club grow.
The groups need fields that are larger than soccer fields, such as two soccer fields side-by-side, to play a game. The Gaelic team can’t use the fields as they are now due to the number of potholes, unlevel surfaces, and gopher holes.
Urban ag area at Hiawatha
Another change being considered to the master plan was driven by a community desire to be able to harvest fruit in the park, explained Arvidson.
The current plan calls for naturalizing the landscape along the east side of Lake Hiawatha and eliminating much of the grassy lawn. The proposed change would replace the naturalized landscape with an urban agriculture area that would include foraging in a woodland environment.
If this is approved, citizens would still be prohibited from harvesting at the site until the park board changes its anti-foraging ordinance, which was recommended in the Urban Agriculture Plan approved in 2014. The park board is currently working on modifying the Vegetation Molestation Ordinance to allow for harvesting within designated areas, according to Arvidson.
Photo right: Minnesota Freeze men’s team captain Andrew Werner discusses athletic field configurations with fellow football and hurling players during an open house on Thursday, May 25, 2017. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
In the future, the MPRB intends to include a list online with an interactive map showing people where they can harvest food.
Some residents are also pushing MPRB to create a food forest at the Hiawatha Golf Course site, which would not be mutually exclusive from an urban agricultural area on the east side of Lake Hiawatha, said Arvidson. The golf course property is not included within the Nokomis-Hiawatha Master Plan.
Funding tricky
The financing of the fields will be tricky, as regional park dollars can’t be spent on athletic fields, which are considered as neighborhood park amenities, explained Arvidson. Regional park systems tend to be nature-based recreational systems. Neighborhood parks, in contrast, can’t get state or regional funding or access Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment funds.
Meanwhile, Minneapolis seeks to avoid using neighborhood tax dollars for capital improvements in the 19 regional park facilities within the city.
Photo left: Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board employee Siciid Ali (left) discusses possible changes to the Nokomis-Hiawatha Master Plan with Nokomis resident Alan Schneider, who has helped with the Naturescape Gardens over the years. He is concerned that park staff is mowing too much of the natural gardens near the trails. He also hopes that planners continue to leave space for pick-up soccer games in the park. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
Arvidson observed that 47 million people a year use the metro-area regional parks, while 10 million visit state parks. The second most popular regional park in Minnesota is the Chain of Lakes Park in Minneapolis with 5.5 million visitors each year.
“Four of the top five most visited parks in the regional park system are in Minneapolis,” said Arvidson. He’s frustrated that the state legislature has excluded these popular areas from bonding bills.
MPRB will likely consider the changes to the Nokomis-Hiawatha Regional Park plan and public comments at its July 19 meeting, which will begin at 5pm at 2117 W. River Rd. N.

‘Real work’ is an integral part of Gordon Park High School’s curriculum and focus on civic engagement

Students work to transform vacant lot into community park

Article and photos by TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
For Gordon Parks High School (GPHS) students Jay Alrich and Alyssa Castillo (photo right), advocating for a park next to their school at 421 N. Griggs St. has been part of their coursework. (photo right), advocating for a park next to their school at 421 N. Griggs St. has been part of their coursework.
This sort of ‘real work’ is an integral part of the alternative learning center’s emphasis on civic engagement for historically underserved students, according to GPHS teacher Jamie Tomlin.
Alrich is a park listener. “My job is to ask people what they want here,” he explained. He solicits inputs at events, from teachers and students, and when he’s out in the community.
The entire process has been very community-based, according to Castillo. They’ve worked to involve the predominately Somali residents of Skyline Towers across the street, as well as Hmong neighbors.
“It’s not just a school thing,” said Castillo. They’re also working to pull together community members who didn’t know each other before.
Photo left: Gordon Parks High School English teacher Jamie Tomlin collects ideas for park names during an event on May 25, 2017.
This park will be the nearest park for residents, pointed out Alrich.
“I grew up in the neighborhood here,” said Castillo, who now lives in East St. Paul. “We had to trek to find a park.” She added that the nearest park is about a mile away. This one will be much more convenient.
“We hope it will come out as beautiful as we’ve planned,” said Castillo. “This park is going to be beautiful and amazing and everything the community wants and more.”
Students have referred to the park as Three Ring Gardens, while the city has labeled it Lexington Commons. Suggestions for the final name were collected from the community during a student-organized event on May 25 at the site, which is located between University and St. Anthony avenues. The event also included live entertainment, food, historical information, and projects by students.
Another event organized by the Trust for Public Land, Union Park Neighborhood Group, and Lexington-Hamline Community Council is planned for July 31.
Connections
For students, part of the journey has included delving into the history of the parcel. They learned that the space was once known as Circus Hill. Beginning in 1890, the circus returned to Circus Hill every year until 1965. The site’s two parcels were then used primarily for storage of overflow vehicles from both an auto body shop and the former Whitaker dealership. Most recently, the city used the land for snow storage.
As part of the process, students produced a documentary about the history of the land in 2010, and talked to neighborhood resident Nancy Bailey about her memories of the circus.
GPHS students have also worked with University of Minnesota Professor Catherine Squires to collect and digitize stories of local elders.
Photo left: Welcome to the future park. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
“How do you keep a sense of community?” asked Tomlin, when you have neighborhoods like Rondo that were destroyed when I-94 ripped through it. Students tried to answer that question in the Legacy Class she co-teaches with Curriculum & Media Arts Coordinator Paul Creager.
“Along with the Trust for Public Land, we are gathering community awareness of the future park,” said Creager. “We think this is a great story of community-led green space development.”
Mural plants seed
Students have been talking about transforming the three vacant lots next door into a park for years, but the ball really got rolling when some students started attending community events with a mural they created under the direction of artist Peyton Scott Russell.
Photo right: Artist Peyton Scott Russell, Gordon Parks High School teachers Ted Johnson and Tom Davies, and former student Khalique Rogers talk about how the mural behind them helped students connect with their communities through the arts.
The founder of Juxtaposition Arts and Sprayfinger, as well as a 2012-2014 Bush Leadership Fellow, Russell was the first person to teach graffiti as an art form in the Twin Cities. Through a Forecast Public Art program in 2013-2014, Russell encouraged Gordon Park High School students to focus on a project through which young people could interact and connect with their communities through the arts.
Through the process, Russell asked students to consider how they communicate in different ways. The resulting mural shows eight people looking down at their phones with a text message conversation on one side.
“I love the idea of text speak,” remarked Russell. “It is redefining the written language.”
GPHS students discussed how ideas depicted on the mural evoke concerns that matter to the St. Paul community at large during a Creative Placemaking tour lead by urban planner Gil Penalosa of 8-80 Cities. “At the time, we didn’t really envision what it would bring to the school,” recalled former GPHS student Khalique Rogers. But that exposure prompted a private donor to step forward and pledge to make the new park happen.
“It’s really cool to see the seed planted years ago grown into what it is today with perseverance and hard work,” said Rogers, who resides in the Como neighborhood.
Last year, with $1.5 million from the city’s 8-80 Vitality Fund, The Trust for Public Land put together the purchase of the three parcels that will become a 5-acre park as part of the group’s focus on more green space along the light rail line. The land has since been conveyed to the city.
The city has yet to develop a final design or determine who will serve as stewards of the land, although Tomlin hopes that students will continue to play a role. “Keeping them involved is key,” she stated.
Students and neighbors envision a playground, outdoor classroom/amphitheater, indoor gardening space and a community orchard at this property that sits 17 feet higher than University Ave and offers a unique overlook of nearby tree tops and roof tops.
It will be a park that champions open space, equity and access.

Over 1,500 people plant 300 trees at Lake Hiawatha on Arbor Day

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
To celebrate Arbor Day 2017, over 1,500 people planted 300 trees at Lake Hiawatha Park.
The location was chosen, in part, because of the highly engaged community that cares about its parks and trees.
“Having that many more trees means more water is being filtered through the root systems and a certain amount of water is being absorbed, which will create a more resilient landscape and mitigate flooding somewhat,” remarked Ryan Seibold of Friends of Lake Hiawatha, which has advocated for a cleaner lake.
“The trees are also habitat for the many species that depend on a thriving ecosystem. The trees will also create a more scenic environment that the community can enjoy and provide cooler spaces to be in the summer. When the city invests in the environment, we can expect that the community will be happier and healthier.”
The Apr. 28 event included an Arborist Show and Tell, bucket truck rides, rope-and-saddle tree climbing supervised by professional arborists, tree-sized lawn games, tree-themed obstacle course/Nature Play Zone, tree swing, pop-up library with Hennepin County Library, an exhibit about invasive species and trees, bounce house, Heritage Tree Bike Ride, and Arbor Day Fun Run.
Photo right: People for Parks donated $15,000 to the Arbor Day event at Lake Hiawatha. “People for Parks originated in 1977 in response to the Dutch Elm Disease outbreak so being tree stewards has been an integral part of our mission for 40 years,” said People for Parks Executive Director Chriss Joyce. “People for Parks is the only grassroots non-profit that takes individual donations and turns that into funding for special projects and programs right in your backyard. We pride ourselves on bringing people from different generations, ethnic, and social economic backgrounds together to create more joy, love, and peace instead of anger, fear, and hate.” In celebration of its 40th anniversary, People for Parks has allocated $20,000 in matched funding to its mini-grant program. Every dollar donated to the mini-grant program in 2017 will be equally matched. (Photo courtesy of People for Parks)
There were also musical performances by School House Rocks and Twin Town Blasting Corps (a blend of May Day Parade’s Your Community Band with members of the Brass Messengers and Arborators), food trucks and a beer garden.
All proceeds from the beer garden, coffee sales, and the Beer Run were donated to Brewing a Better Forest for Urban Forestry Outreach. With the logo, “water a tree, beer for free,” Brewing a Better Forest partners with local breweries to reward tree watering adopters with free beer tokens.
Helping sponsor the event were People for Parks, Brewing a Better Forest and Pat’s Tap. Community supporters and volunteers included Friends of Lake Hiawatha, Giving Tree Gardens, Harmony Tree, Free Forest School and Ecological Design.
Photo left: MPRB arborists Jason Hendrickson (front) and Nicholas Hart help children and adults plant trees during the Arbor Day event at Lake Hiawatha on April 28, 2017. Over 300 trees were planted at the park that day. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
People for Parks donated $15,000 to the Arbor Day event at Lake Hiawatha. According to People for Parks Executive Director Chriss Joyce, trees help combat climate change, clean the air, provide oxygen, cool city streets, prevent soil erosion and water pollution, shield children from ultra-violet rays, provide food and heal. They also increase property values and business traffic.
Previous Arbor Day plantings have been funded in Logan Park, St. Anthony Park, East Phillips Park,
Pearl Park, Jordan Park, Victory Memorial Drive, Thomas Lowry Park, and Folwell Park.
Citywide, 10,000 trees will be planted by Minneapolis Parks and Recreation this year in parks and along boulevards, many replacing trees lost to Emerald Ash Borer, pointed out arborist Jason Hendrickson. Varieties planted include pine, spruce, fir, linden, Ginko, honey locust, river birch, Kentucky Coffeetree, magnolia, London Planetree, basswood, hickory, and oak.
Varieties planted include pine, spruce, fir, linden, Ginko, honey locust, river birch, Kentucky Coffeetree, magnolia, London Planetree, basswood, hickory, and oak.
Nut and fruit trees include serviceberry, three varieties of crabapple (Centennial, Dolgo, and Chestnut), Turkish filbert/hazelnut, and pine nut. The soil around the fruit trees was treated with a mycorrhizal fungi inoculum treatment thanks to Russ Henry of Giving Tree Gardens. “The tree and fungi will form a symbiotic relationship underground, and they will exchange valuable nutrients with each other—sugars, water, minerals,” said Seibold, “and fungi provide the trees some protection against disease.”
Seibold loves the cherry trees planted along the walking path.
“I immediately envisioned people picking a free and healthy snack while taking in the view of the lake and Minneapolis skyline on a nearby park bench,” said Seibold, who has proposed establishing a food forest at the Hiawatha Golf Course. “I counted about ten cherry trees, so hopefully there will be enough to make a cherry pie someday, and maybe we can make a fun community event around harvesting cherries.
“It was also really exciting to see native bees buzzing all around them as they were flowering. Our food system depends on pollinators, and growing food in our parks is an amazing opportunity to raise awareness of this important connection.”
Photo right: Keewaydin resident Charlie Krocak, age three and a half, climbs a tree during the Arbor Day event at Lake Hiawatha Park on April 28, 2017. He was assisted by MPRB arborist John Elward. “It’s so much fun,” said his father, Brent. “The kids love climbing trees. It’s great for them to be able to do it safely.” (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
There is interest in planting a Three Sisters garden, an Indigenous garden technique planting corn, beans, and squash, so they work together to thrive much like the food forest concept, pointed out Seibold. There is also interest in planting Pollinator Patches that are offered free from the city of Minneapolis. On May 25, MPRB held an open house to gather input on modifying the Nokomis-Hiawatha Regional Park plan to designate urban agriculture areas.
“It would be amazing to see a continuous naturalized landscape around the whole lake with these interconnected human and wildlife ecosystems integrated throughout,” remarked Seibold.
“We’re getting closer to a healthier Lake Hiawatha.”