News Briefs May 2008
Health officials to seek children to participate in arsenic study
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) hopes to recruit 100 children between the ages of 3 and 10 who live in the South Minneapolis neighborhoods (including Seward and Longfellow) surrounding the CMC Heartland Lite Yard Site. Arsenic-containing pesticides were manufactured and stored there between 1938 and 1963, according to the MDH. The area has been the site of an ongoing arsenic cleanup, and the MDH hopes to learn more about the contamination through the study, which will determine the level of arsenic in the children’s bodies.
Recruiting should begin in May or June.
Children who live in homes where tested soil showed an arsenic level of over 20 parts per million are eligible. The 100 children will be selected at random after forms are submitted by their families.
Participating children will provide two urine samples in their own homes, and an MDH laboratory will test the arsenic levels in the samples. The results will be confidential but may be shared with the child’s parents or guardians. Parents or guardians of children found to have an elevated level of arsenic will be advised to consult a medical provider and given information about the possible exposure and steps to reduce exposure in the future.
The MDH hopes the results from the study will help health officials make recommendations about further public health actions, according to an MDH release, and possibly lead to an ongoing program for measuring environmental chemicals in people’s bodies.
For more information on the Environmental Protection Agency’s cleanup standard and cleanup process, and to find out how to obtain the soil sample results from your yard, go to www.epa.gov/region5/sites/cmcheartland.
Cedar-Riverside plan adopted; Fairview signs agreement with neighbors
The City of Minneapolis officially adopted a small area plan (SAP) for the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood in April. The action completes a 15-month process, during which city planners received input from neighborhood residents, businesses, students, and employees to create “a vision for the neighborhood” intended to help guide decision-making processes for future land use, development, and public investments such as transportation and infrastructure improvements, according to a release from the city, which highlighted the following recommendations:
• Adding bike lanes to Riverside Avenue;
• Implementing pedestrian safety and comfort improvements on Cedar Avenue;
• Urban design guidelines for public spaces and private development;
• Discouraging the practice of street vacations;
• Repairing the street grid whenever possible; and
• Creating better pedestrian and bike access to current and future transit stations.
In separate Cedar-Riverside news, residents living near Riverside Park and the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview signed a “good neighbor” agreement with the hospital, which hopes to begin construction of a children’s hospital on its Riverside Avenue campus in June.
The agreement commits Fairview to “develop a lasting partnership between the Riverside Park Neighborhood Task Force and Fairview…” Fairview has committed $10,000 to the partnership, which will work to restore, improve and maintain Riverside Park and improve lighting and safety in the neighborhood. Other language in the agreement outlines actions to deal with parking and traffic concerns — area residents have been particularly worried about the effects of the removal of South Seventh Street, which is slated for vacation to make room for the hospital.
Other elements of the agreement include Fairview’s completion of a 10-year “Riverside Master Plan” by 2009; the reduction or elimination of herbicides and pesticides on the Fairview campus; best efforts to prevent the idling of shuttles, delivery trucks and other diesel vehicles on and near Fairview property; an effort to retain mature trees during and after the demolition of a parking ramp; and Fairview’s commitment to work with neighbors, the West Bank Community Coalition and the City Council Member’s office on “a broader Community Benefits Agreement.”
Longfellow, Cedar-Riverside get climate change grants
The City of Minneapolis has awarded four of its 25 Climate Change grants and mini-grants to organizations in the Cedar-Riverside and Longfellow neighborhoods. This is the second year of the program to fund creative ways for neighborhoods and organizations to fight global warming.
The Longfellow Community Council (LCC) received a $10,000 grant for the second straight year. LCC will conduct an energy audit and matching grant program for rental properties and distribute climate change information to area residents through workshops, door knocking and translation services, according to an announcement from the city.
The Cedar-Riverside Business Association (CRBA) also received $10,000, with which it will offer energy conservation options and programs to more than 100 businesses, 20 of which will complete a basic energy and lighting audit.
The Cedar Cultural Center and West Bank Community Coalition (WBCC) received $1,500 Climate Change micro-grants, as well.
For more information on the grants and initiatives, contact the organizations or visit www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/sustainability.
Luxton social services for Glendale residents will continue, for now
East Side Neighborhood Services (ESNS) — which has served Glendale Public Housing residents for decades — will remain at Luxton Park, at least for another year, according to Bill Laden, executive director of ESNS. The annual $17,000 cost to provide space at Luxton for the program has been an “ongoing issue” since a 30-year agreement, through which the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) covered those costs, came to an end last year.
Despite rumors of its demise, the program was spared by $8,500 from Hennepin County in late April, said Laden. Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin was instrumental in securing gap funding last year, as well. ESNS has been working with the county, city and Park Board to keep the program officed, Laden said, “but things are getting pretty tight out there,” in terms of funding. The office space costs are just a portion of ESNS’s budget for Glendale services.
Laden said the issue will come up again in six months, for 2009, but he reiterated ESNS’s commitment to Glendale residents. “I will do everything I can do to maintain services,” he said.
ESNS provides staff and programming, including after-school, summer and homework programs for youths, as well as the Somali Women in Minnesota (SWIM) program, and case counseling and emergency services for Glendale residents.
In related news, Laden said that ESNS is considering taking up operation of the Glendale food shelf, which was closed recently. The Bridge was unable to reach anyone at Glendale regarding the food shelf closure.
Man found dead near river; homicide suspected
COOPER—The body of 38-year-old Robert Anthony Johnston Bavinck was discovered just south of Lake Street near the Mississippi River on April 25.
As this paper went to press, two people had been arrested in connection to the alleged homicide. Bavnick, whose body was found near a homeless camp, had no known permanent address, according to a police spokesperson.
Framers’ markets open
The two major Bridge-area farmers’ markets — the Midtown and Mill City — return in early May. On Saturday, May 1, the Midtown Farmers’ Market kicks off its sixth season with master gardeners on hand starting at 9 a.m., sheep shearings at 10 a.m. and noon, and storytime with the Minneapolis Public Library and music by Steve West at 11 a.m.
The market will be open into October on Saturdays, 8 a.m.–1 p.m.; and Tuesdays, 3:30–7:30 p.m.
The Midtown market takes place in the parking lot at 22nd Avenue South and East Lake Street, between the YWCA and LRT station. Visit www.midtownfarmersmarket.org for more information and a calendar of upcoming events like the May 17 Jump Off! with double-Dutch rope skipping teams and music by B96.
Saturday, May 24 is Thrifty Gardening Day, featuring a “garden-on-a-budget” workshop by Russ Henry from Giving Tree Gardens, guitarist Sergio Mojica and the jazz group Marscapone, among other highlights.
On May 10, the Mill City Farmers’ Market returns to the Downtown riverfront (at Chicago Avenue South and South Second Street, between the Guthrie Theater and Mill City Museum) with its offerings of locally grown, seasonal, sustainable and organic foods and related activities. Details and events for the 2008 season were not available at press time; check the market’s website, www.millcityfarmersmarket.org.
last revised: May 14, 2008