August 15th, 2010 by Nieeta

Rendering of Frogtown Square by Trossen Wright Plutowski Architects, PA

August 15th, 2010 by Nieeta

August 15th, 2010 by Nieeta

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010, 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Meet at University of Minnesota’s UROC (Urban Research and Outreach & Engagement Center), 2001 Plymouth Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55411

Last year, the University of Minnesota Extension, the Minnesota NCR-SARE program and the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture collaborated to host a tour of urban agriculture projects in the Twin Cities area.

We had a terrific mix of attendees from the University and public offices (city, state and county), along with practitioners and nonprofits working in sustainable agriculture. Participants on the tour were both learners and teachers, sharing their expertise with the rest of the group. Our objective last year was to bring people together around urban farming and deepen our knowledge, collective resources and ultimate impact.

Attendees were enthusiastic about the day and suggested planning another tour, combined with more opportunity for discussion. This year’s tour will focus on urban agriculture enterprises, and address land access issues. The stops represent a range of entrepreneurial efforts, both in terms of scale and stage of development. We’ll explore rooftops, parking lots, mixed-use developments and neighborhood-based innovations led by urban farmers.

If you’d like to join the tour, please click here and provide your contact information. Cost is $10 (to be paid on day of tour) to cover the cost of lunch. We will confirm your participation within a few days of receipt of your registration. Bus space is limited so please register early.

If you cannot attend the entire day but are interested in meeting the tour as time permits, let us know and we will provide you with a tentative itinerary. We would be happy to have you join us.

Questions? Please contact either Beth Nelson or Barb Grossman.

August 15th, 2010 by Nieeta

Saturday, August 21, 10 to 11 a.m.

University between Western and Marion!

Public Assembly at Western Park 11:15!

We want a better University Avenue! We want a more unified University Avenue! The light rail is coming and we want to celebrate our community, and show our pride! And we want you to celebrate with us!

We will be going from Jackson School, along Thomas to Virginia, along Virginia to University, along University to Galtier and along Galtier to the Western Sculpture Park and the Hmong Arts and Music Festival!

After the parade, we will have a Public Assembly on the main stage at the Music Festival. We will be speaking about what brought us out from 11:15- 11:45!

This parade has been organized by concerned citizens and community groups, including the Metropolitan Interfaith Coalition on Affordable Housing (MICAH), the Aurora-St. Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation (ASANDC), the Center for Hmong Arts and Talent (CHAT), the District 7 Planning Council, the St. Paul Council of Churches, and more. We have been brought together by concerns over the light rail, and want to show our care, concern, and pride in the University Avenue communities.

We are still accepting registrations, if you wish to participate in the parade! (Contact Vaughn Larry at ASANDC at 651-222-0399 or by email. ) We would love to see you either in the crowd, in the parade, or at the Hmong Arts and Music Festival! For further information, contact John Slade at 651-491-2084 or by email.

August 15th, 2010 by Nieeta

August 3rd, 2010 by Nieeta

Join your neighbors at a National Night Out celebration tonight! Many events will have free food and all will provide an opportunity to continue strengthening our community connections. You won’t want to miss out!

Stop by a National Night Out event in the Summit-University area:

• 790 block Summit (House of Hope btwn Grotto & Avon), 5-9 p.m.
• 270 N. Kent (Hallie Q Brown Community Center), 5:30-7 p.m
• Freeport West Youth Center (Selby btwn Milton & Victoria), 5-7 p.m.
• 400 block Laurel (btwn Western & Arundel), 4-9 p.m.
• 3100 block Pleasant (Irvine Pl./Pleasant/Ramsey), 6-9 p.m.
• 470 block University (btwn Mackubin & Arundel), 4:00 p.m.
• 981 Marshall (First Trinity Church), 6:30 p.m.
• 870 block of Hague (btwn Milton & Victoria), 5:30 p.m.
• Parking lot at Selby/Milton (btwn Selby & Hague), 5:00 p.m.
• Victoria & Aurora (Peace Garden), 1:30-4 p.m.
• 300 block of Aurora (btwn Farrington & Galtier), 5-7 p.m.
• Carty Park (Carroll btwn Grotto & St Albans), 5:30 p.m.
• 1247 St Anthony (Skyline Towers), 4-6 p.m.
• 1120 block of Dayton (btwn Dunlap & Lexington), 6-8 p.m.

August 2nd, 2010 by Nieeta

Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Council.

The Northeast Neighbors & Business Association in Minneapolis is offering free assistance to businesses affected by the Central Corridor construction project. The group will provide free advertising through December 2010 on its Local Biz Bucks Online Coupon website for any business located on a construction route or in a construction area. Affected businesses will be allowed to place a static Coupon advertisement on the corresponding geographic page of the website where their business is located (either Southeast Minneapolis | U of M or East Metro). The Northeast Neighbors & Business Association will waive all fees for participating construction-affected businesses. For more information, email or phone the group at (612) 889-9648.

August 2nd, 2010 by Nieeta

LISC’s AmeriCorps program seeks to attract talented individuals to serve for one year to help build organizational capacity. LISC is seeking an AmeriCorps member to work with the Aurora St. Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation. ASANDC, established in 1980, aims to address neighborhood quality of life issues, advocacy, organizing and community economic and housing development in St. Paul’s Ward One neighborhoods of Aurora St. Anthony, Summit-University and Frogtown.

The AmeriCorps member working with the Aurora St. Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation (ASANDC) will serve as a Program Assistant and will work on a variety of initiatives and projects, including:

• Developing resident leaders through ASANDC’s Power of One Plus One Program (PO1+1), a program that aims to increase the level of engagement of community residents. The program provides training to residents and helps them develop the necessary skills, knowledge, ability and power to decide the direction of their neighborhood.
• Assisting with the project management of the Frogtown Rondo Action Network, a collaborative of 10 non-profit organizations working to ensure that community residents in the Old Rondo and Frogtown neighborhoods achieve long-term stability and well-being. In this role, the AmeriCorps member will support the development and implementation of specific strategies identified by FRAN; participate in community meetings, events and other public forums; and maintain cooperation and participation with collaborating groups.
• Other duties as assigned.

See the full job description for more details. Applications are due August 8, 2010.

July 25th, 2010 by Nieeta

Central Corridor light rail station rendering

Monday, July 26th
1:00-2:30pm
Central Corridor Resource Center
1080 University Avenue West (south side of University, just east of Lexington)

Come hear about preliminary Saint Paul staff recommendations and provide your ideas, comments and questions on zoning in the Central Corridor area and possible changes to Traditional Neighborhood zoning regulations that would apply citywide. We are engaging in an informal public discussion process to get community input prior to finalizing staff recommendations to the Planning Commission. This session is targeted to developers and other involved in the development process.

Buses #16 and 50 stop near the Central Corridor Resource Center.

If you have any questions, please visit the city web site and click on ‘Central Corridor Zoning Study’ or send an email.

May 23rd, 2010 by Nieeta

The Community Justice Project, along with the Aurora/St. Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation, will be holding a community gathering for Brotherhood, Inc. on the afternoon of Friday, June 4, at ASANDC’s patio, 774 University Ave. The event starts at 2 pm with a short program at 4 pm. Please, come meet us on the patio to learn more about Brotherhood, Inc. and all of its exciting plans!

Brotherhood, Inc.’s mission is to empower African American youth and young adults to envision and achieve successful futures. We seek to break the debilitating cycle of crime and poverty ensnaring African American youth and young adults in the Twin Cities by providing services and support to facilitate permanent lifestyle change. Our goal is to take a holistic approach to community-building through comprehensive, culturally-sensitive social services, educational opportunities and on-site employment.

RSVP by calling ASANDC at 651-222-0399 ext. 100.