Hope Community is seeking to hire a lead facilitator in their Youth Stewards program. The position will be direct work with youth engagement in food, environment and leadership opportunities.
BeAirAwareMN.org is a new website that distills and simplifies information about major air pollutants in Minnesota, both outdoor and indoor. It includes:
links to data on air quality and health outcomes in Minnesota
who’s most affected
tips to protect viewers and their families
actions for communities and employers
The website features real-time data about air quality conditions in Minnesota for common pollutants including fine particles and ozone, and is jointly maintained by the Minnesota Department of Health, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and their partners.
For only $70, a team of trusted energy consultants from Home Energy Squad Enhanced will come to your home, evaluate your energy savings opportunities, and install the energy-efficient materials of your choice:
Door weather stripping
A water heater blanket
Programmable thermostat
Compact fluorescent light bulbs
High-efficiency showerheads
Faucet aerators
Their team will also:
Perform a blower door test to measure your home for air leaks.
Complete an insulation inspection of your attic and walls using an infrared camera.
Safety check your home’s heating system and water heater.
Help with next steps.
TO SCHEDULE YOUR VISIT:
Call 612-335-5874
or visit mncee.org/hes-mpls
If your home needs insulation or air sealing, crews from Home Energy Squad Enhanced will provide a quote for the recommended work and connect you to a qualified contractor that will honor the quote.
The City of Minneapolis is supporting Home Energy Squad Enhanced by buying down the cost to $70. Home Energy Squad is provided by CenterPoint Energy and Xcel Energy and delivered by the Center for Energy and Environment (CEE), a Minneapolis non-profit.
Printable flyers are available at the following links in English and in Spanish:
The Minneapolis Commission on Civil Rights, the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights, the Minneapolis City Council, and the Minneapolis Mayor are pleased to present the 2014 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Contest. This contest is open to all Minneapolis students in the 9th, 10th, and 11th grades.
Students are asked to write or type an original essay in English addressing this year’s topic. The essay should contain proper spelling and grammar.
The topic for this year’s contest is:
Jokes or comments are commonly made, both accidentally and intentionally, at the expense of certain groups of people. Some individuals and organized groups actively work to stop hurtful speech. What could you do to stop these stereotypical/hurtful comments?
Provide at least 2 specific examples of how language results in the violation of or protection of human rights. Be sure to identify the message, who it is from, who it affects and how it affects them. Reference the United States’ Constitution, the United Nations’ Declaration of Human Rights or the United States Bill of Rights in your answer. Essays may be from one to three pages in length and address the selected topic. Completed entry forms with parent’s signature must be attached to the back of the essay. All submissions are due by January 19th, 2015.
Teachers can request a member of the Minneapolis Commission on Civil Rights to visit their classroom and to assist students with the essay topic. To request a visit, please contact the commissioner listed at the bottom of this letter.
You can also click here for the 2015 Parent Consent Form.
All contest winners will be notified by February, 2015. There will be three winners chosen from each grade level.
The contest winners will receive a gift card to be awarded at a ceremony before the Minneapolis City Council in the spring of 2015.
First Place: $300.00
Second Place: $200.00
Third Place: $100.00
There will be a reception after the award ceremony to honor the winners. Teachers, parents, educators and others are invited to attend. Students will have the opportunity to meet and take pictures with the Minneapolis Commission on Civil Rights members, Minneapolis City Council members and Mayor Hodges. Interviews may be requested by the media. The first place winners will have an opportunity to read a portion of their essay at the awards ceremony
Completed Essays should be returned no later than Monday January 19th, 2015 to:
Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights
Attention: Lee Zutz, MCCR Liaison
350 South 5th Street, Room 239
Minneapolis, MN 55415 [email protected]
St. Paul– The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has found that air quality in an industrial part of North Minneapolis recently violated a state standard for large airborne particles.
“Although it isn’t an immediate health threat, this is a situation that concerns us,” said MPCA Industrial Division Manager Jeff Smith. “These larger particles are less of a health risk because they can’t be inhaled deeply into the lungs like small particles. However, any violation of this nature is a serious matter.”
The violation was detected by an air monitoring station near the Lowry Avenue bridge on the west bank of the Mississippi River. Levels of large particles, also known as Total Suspended Particulates (TSP), exceeded the state standard on October 26 and November 1, 2014. This triggered an MPCA investigation into possible sources and corrective actions. That investigation is ongoing.
Smith said, “We know these larger particles tend to be heavier and do not travel far. Therefore the cause of the violation, and any effects, are likely to be within about a quarter-mile of the monitor.”
The station that detected the violation monitors the overall quality of the ambient, or background, air in that area. It does not measure the emissions from specific nearby sources such as regulated industries – which are monitored separately. There may be multiple nearby sources that contributed to the problem.
Monitoring has continued since the violation was identified. Although additional violations have not been detected, the MPCA is looking into all of the potential sources that may have caused or contributed to the violation, and is moving quickly to identify specific actions to prevent future violations.
The MPCA began operating a fine-particle monitor at the site in January 2013, which measures particles of 2.5 microns or less (a human hair is about 70 microns in diameter). Fine particles are of a greater concern to human health because they can be inhaled more deeply into the lungs. The fine-particle monitor was installed partly in response to community concerns about air quality, and has not shown any problems since start-up. MPCA discovered the large-particle violation after it expanded the types of particles monitored at the station in October 2014 to compare with other monitors in the Twin Cities.
“We will continue to follow up to see if the high levels of large particles were isolated to just those two days, or whether they’re part of a larger pattern,” Smith said. “Despite the fact our investigation is not complete, we’re already taking steps to identify potential contributors and work with them to reduce their emissions.”
The mission of the MPCA is to protect and improve the environment and enhance human health. St. Paul • Brainerd • Detroit Lakes • Duluth • Mankato • Marshall • Rochester • Willmar www.pca.state.mn.us • Toll-free and TDD 800-657-3864
All paths lead to the river – it’s time to rediscover the Mississippi!
The Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership has coordinated with Minnehaha Media (a division of Hedberg Maps) to produce the Mississippi River Map-Above the Falls Destinations — a complete map and resource guide to the river and surrounding neighborhoods from the I-694 bridge in Brooklyn Center/Fridley down to the Stone Arch Bridge in Downtown Minneapolis.
Explore the rich cultural and industrial history of Minneapolis’ birthplace on the river and the neighborhoods that grew around it. Venture into the natural areas, parks and trails that straddle the river just north of downtown. Dine and relax at dozens of bars and restaurants in the neighborhoods of the North Loop, Northeast and North Minneapolis.
These maps are 12” x 18”, full-color (folded to pocket-sized), FREE and available at Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership events, their sponsors, select retail, restaurants and coffee shops, parks and recreation centers, schools, neighborhood and community centers throughout Downtown, North and Northeast Minneapolis and throughout the Twin Cities — over 80 locations.
If you’re going to attend a budget discussion, you might as well go to the one with local craft beer. Join Council Member Jacob Frey, Council Member John Quincy and Sandy Christensen from the City of Minneapolis Finance Department as we talk about this year’s city budget process over beers.
To read the 2015 proposed budget or see a list of highlights, check out the city’s budget page here. There will also be a public hearing at City Hall to receive comments and adopt the 2015 budget on December 10th at 6:00 p.m.
The event will be held at Dangerous Man Brewing Co located at 1300 2nd Street NE on Monday, December 1 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The Potter’s Pasties food truck will be parked out front. Please RSVP to help us plan.
Hope Community is seeking to hire a lead facilitator in their Youth Stewards program. The position will be direct work with youth engagement in food, environment and leadership opportunities.
