Maintaining a home can be very difficult for an older adult living on a fixed income. Without services from a program like HOME (Household & Outside Maintenance for Elderly), Minnesota’s largest chore services program for seniors operated by Senior Community Services, many older people may continue to live in a home that is not up to their standards or be forced to move to a nursing home. The purpose of the HOME program is to help seniors to remain independent in a clean, safe environment by providing  accessible, reliable and affordable chore services.

In January 2015, Senior Community Services’ HOME program expanded to include Minneapolis, which allows the program to serve hundreds more seniors in Minneapolis, in addition to those already being served elsewhere in Hennepin County.

“Senior Community Services is pleased to bring Minneapolis seniors into our program. There is a growing need for services that help struggling and low-income seniors and caregivers maintain independence,” says CEO Deb Taylor. “Without this program, many seniors would have to trade their homes for a more structured, and more costly, senior facility. In addition, Minneapolis residents now have access to a broad array of other helpful services from us,” Taylor added.

Some of the chore services that the HOME program provides include:

• Vacuuming
• Dusting
• Sweeping/Mopping floors
• Cleaning bathrooms
• Cleaning kitchens
• Changing Bed Linens

For program details visit www.seniorcommunity.org/programs/h-o-m-e/ or call 952-746-4046

The Northeast Minneapolis Farmers Market is pleased to announce the opening of a new weekday market at The Grain Belt Apartments (1215 Marshall St. NE, Mpls, 55413). As always, fresh, locally grown produce, flowers, baked goods, jam, specialty foods, and cold treats will be available from a wide variety of local vendors. There will also be food trucks and great live music, too!

Come celebrate the new expansion and community spirit of the Northeast Farmers Market.

Thursdays, 4:00pm-7:00pm
July 9th – September 24th
1215 Marshall Street NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413

Support your local high school baseball team–The Edison Tommies–by attending the Florida Run Beer Bust and Silent Auction fundraiser. All proceeds will help the Tommies Baseball team travel to Florida in the Spring of 2016.

When: Friday, June 5
Where: Shaw’s Bar and Grill (1528 University Ave NE)
Time: 4:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Suggested $10 door cover charge

In addition to the fundraiser, cash donations are also welcome and can be made directly to www.edisonsportsfoundation.org – please specify “Edison Baseball Florida Run” when doing so.

Hosted by the parents of the Edison baseball team and Shaw’s Bar & Grill

Family-friendly bike ride cycles through
Northeast Minneapolis’s 14 neighborhoods June 13th, 2015

Minneapolis, MN, May 6, 2015—Organized by the Northeast Community Development Corporation (Northeast CDC), the fourth annual Northeast Ride is set for June 13, 2015. This year, NERIDES’s theme is “Cultivate Art and Community: Bike Northeast” and its route will highlight new attractions throughout Northeast Minneapolis.

Everything starts at Beltrami Park (at the intersection of Broadway and Fillmore St. NE) with registration beginning at 9 a.m. and the ride beginning at 10 a.m. Riders will be blessed by Native American drummers as they leave the park. Then, after touring NE Minneapolis’s 14 neighborhoods, the ride will conclude with an after party at Indeed Brewing Company. Eclectic Ensemble, a bicycle-powered band, will provide music.

NERIDE’s route is family-friendly and designed for riders at all levels of experience. Participants will leave Beltrami Park at 10 a.m. in small groups equipped with route maps and, if desired, NERIDE group leaders. Mechanics from Recovery Bike will be on hand to help with emergency repairs if necessary.

Covering approximately 13 miles, NERIDE’s creative cycling tour will visit every neighborhood in NE Minneapolis, pedaling past historic landmarks like the Grain Belt Brewery and visiting new public art installations at Sheridan Veterans Memorial Park and Jackson Square. A new stop this year will be at Stinson and Broadway where new bike lanes on Broadway St. NE have been proposed for 2016. And, as always, riders will be directed to “pit stops” where they can receive bicycle “bling” such as bike bells, key lanyards, bird seed for wild turkeys, and much much more.

Advance registration is $20 per rider. Same day registration is $25. Children (12 and under) ride for free when accompanied by a parent or guardian. Registration includes a NE Ride T-shirt, spoke card, and door prizes at the after party. Registration and sponsorship forms are available online at www.northeastride.org.

The Northeast Ride is a fundraiser benefitting the Northeast CDC, which supports the arts, community, and economic development in NE Minneapolis.

The free, self-guided tour will feature remodeling ideas for every room in the house, plus historic homes, lofts and new spaces.

Saturday April 25, 10am until 5pm
Sunday April 26, 1pm until 5pm

More than 50 homes and special locations in Minneapolis and Saint Paul will be open during the Minneapolis & Saint Paul Home Tour. The free, self-guided tour (Saturday, April 25, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, April 26, 1-5 p.m.) gives homeowners inspiration and ideas on how to improve their homes.

As the Tour marks its 28th year showing “real homes, real people, real ideas,” residents open their doors to show practical ideas for remodeling every room in the house, and creative ways of finding or adding useful space.

At many homes, contractors, architects, and other trades people are also available to talk with guests. Organizers are encouraging visitors to use social media to Tweet or Instagram their tour experiences to help others make the most of the 11 hours the homes will be open.

The character of city living comes through in the tour’s tapestry of stories. Trending this year: While infill building is on the rise, the drive for historic preservation and restoration is stronger than ever. Enjoy hearing why these homeowners remodeled to stay in the neighborhoods they love.

Visitors will also get inside views of changes in the cities’ landscape, from lofts along the Green Line in Saint Paul to the Green Homes North in Minneapolis.

To plan a free, self-guided tour, visitors can go to www.MSPHomeTour.com or pick up a copy of the Home Tour Guides (with maps and descriptions of all the homes) at local libraries in Hennepin County (Minneapolis and inner-ring suburbs), Saint Paul and Ramsey County. A PDF of the Guide is downloadable from the website.

The Minneapolis and Saint Paul Home Tour, a celebration of city living, is sponsored by the City of Saint Paul Planning and Economic Development department, Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development, and various corporate and non-profit sponsors. For information, call Margo Ashmore at 612-867-4874.

NE Farmers Market Pancake Breakfast

The Northeast Farmers Market will host its 8th annual Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, April 25, 2015. The event will run from 9:00am–1:00pm. The cost is $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children under the age of 13.

Not your typical pancake breakfast, the Northeast Farmers Market exceeds expectations with a local and organic menu.  It will include organic Whole Grain Milling pancakes, local syrup from Sapsucker Farms, butter and half-n-half from Co-op Partners Warehouse, milk and buttermilk from Kalona SuperNatural, OJ from Sno-Pac, sausages from Gerhard’s, and gluten-free pancakes from Domata. Our long time market vendor SiP Coffee Bar will provide an espresso coffee bar. The event also will be zero waste, with market sponsor Chowgirls providing compost service.

Matt Yetter and The Wheat Pennys will perform for guests at the pancake breakfast. Matt will keep your feet tapping from 9:00am–11:00am and The Wheat Pennys will keep the vibe going from 11:00am–1:00pm.

Everything takes place at East Side Neighborhood Services, 1700 Second Street NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413. For more information, go to:  www.northeastmarket.org

Minneapolis Police Department | Community Engagement Team

Click here to read CET’s March 2015 newsletter

From their Website:

The Community Engagement Team is tasked with building ties with the various ethnic communities in our city. They work to build trust and strong relationships with members of these communities.

CET is also tasked with educating the community and the MPD on issues related to terrorism and overall police/community concerns. They can answer questions about Homeland Security issues from both officers and community members.

CET Officers can assist other officers in more complex cases such as those in which there is a language barrier. Community members can contact CET officers to offer information if and when they feel reluctant to speak to a regular officers or investigators.

They welcome your calls and questions.

Types of services offered by the Community Engagement Team:

• Citizen academies
• Youth academies
• Attending Public Forums
• Community lectures
• Community focus group
• Training programs (Violent Extremism)
• Recruit youth to participate in the Police Activities League
• Recruit youth to participate in the Police Explorers Program
• Develop and implement mentorship opportunities for youth
• Assist recruitment officers with diversity recruit for police officer and community service officer positions
• Develop and deliver training programs to raise awareness of violent extremism
• Oversee the See Something, Say Something program

For more, including contacts, visit their website: http://www.minneapolismn.gov/police/about/WCMS1P-120613

Saturday April 18, 9am – Noon
Gluek Park (2000 Marshall St. NE)

Free breakfast, bags & gloves provided

Three ways to volunteer or get bags for alley clean-up:

1. Call 612-367-7262 and leave a message for BNA staff
2. Click here to fill out an online volunteer form
3. Send an email to [email protected]

Phase 1: River Clean-up starting at Gluek Park and ending at Edgewater Park where we’ll load refuse for disposal
Phase 2: Alley Clean-up, Volunteers load refuse placed in alleys for removal

Click here for a printable flyer and invite your neighbors!

Event Sponsors:

• River Liquor Store
• Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge
• Mississippi Watershed Management Organization
• Three Rivers Park District
• The Northeast Riverkeepers
• National Park Service
• Mississippi River Fund

A public forum sponsored by
the League of Women Voters Minneapolis

Tuesday, April 7, 2015
7:00-8:30 pm
Armatage Park Community Center
2500 West 57th Street, Minneapolis

As governments, non-profits and the private sector collaborate, who will protect the public interest?

Panel discussion featuring:

• Jayne Miller, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Superintendent
• Steve Cramer, President and CEO, Minneapolis Downtown Council
• A representative from The Trust for Public Land

To get a printable flyer, click here.

NORTHEAST MINNEAPOLIS ARTS DISTRICT CELEBRATES USA TODAY’S DESIGNATION AS TOP ARTS DISTRICT IN THE NATION!

Neighborhood Party on April 1: We’re #1, No Joke!

Minneapolis, MN, March 15, 2015—“A Community Celebration of The Northeast Minneapolis Arts District, The Best Arts District in the USA!” will take place on April 1, 2015, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the hottest new events location in town: Solar Arts by Chowgirls, located on the top floor of the Solar Arts Building, 711-15th Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413. Hosted by the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District Board of Directors, this event is sponsored by the Solar Arts Building, home to 28 creative businesses including artists, designers, photographers and arts-related service providers, as well as. Indeed Brewery, and Chowgirls Killer Catering, official caterer of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District.

When the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District Board learned the District won “Best Art District” via USA Today’s “10 Best Readers’ Choice” award, first thoughts went to getting the word out. Next thoughts went to celebrating the award and saying “thank you!” to those who paved the path to get us here. This is a perfect time to acknowledge the artists and business owners who came together–many of whom had been gentrified out of other Minneapolis neighborhoods–and worked with politicians and city leaders, stressing the economic and philanthropic values that a thriving, creative sector provides. As with Rome, the District wasn’t built in a day and it’s time to celebrate its uniqueness, its history and its future. The “10Best Award” shines a national spotlight on the District, and puts its artists, studios and supporting businesses in news around the United States. Huzzah!

So although this celebration takes place on April’s Fool Day, it’s no joke that the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District is #1. We invite the community and special guests to celebrate with an evening full of live music, a cash bar, tasty bites, and schmoozing in the amazingly lovely, brick and timber “Solar Arts by Chowgirls” space. Please join us!

ABOUT THE NORTHEAST MINNEAPOLIS ARTS DISTRICT—The geographic boundaries of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District are the Mississippi River on the West, 26th Avenue on the North, Central Avenue on the East and Broadway on the South in the city of Minneapolis, MN. The district contains a diverse mix of businesses, restaurants, parks, art galleries and studios as well as industrial and residential property. Warehouses and rail yards are interspersed with homes, churches and family-run businesses. Artists populate many of the historic and formerly industrial buildings, which have been re-purposed and renovated into studios, galleries and performance spaces. Independent galleries have sprung up throughout Northeast, with a concentration along the District’s 13th Avenue.