Morris Park Players Spring Auditions for Willy Wonka

Tuesday and Wednesday, February 17th and 18th at 6:30 p.m.
Thomas Edison High School’s Auditorium – 700 22nd Ave. NE. – Minneapolis, MN 55418

Performance dates will be the second, third and fourth weekends in April. For more information go to www.morrisparkplayers.org

Black History Month Celebration

Friday, February 20 2015 at 6 p.m.
Thomas Edison High School’s Auditorium – 700 22nd Ave. NE. – Minneapolis, MN 55418
Cost: $3 at the door – all proceeds go to the Black Leadership Council

Thomas Edison High School’s Black Student Leadership Council invites you to join us for an evening of entertainment and education. Learn about the history African American leaders while enjoying entertainment along with student performances – African dance, Yung Madness Steppers, poetry readings, music and much more.

Thomas Edison’s Theater Presents…Twelfth Night

Thomas Edison High School Theater is proud to announce “Twelfth Night” as its winter play! Widely considered,  one of Shakespeare’s finest comedies, twelfth night will bring laughs for the whole family. Twisted love triangle, lost siblings, fighting, it has the perfect formula for fun and won’t fail to disappoint! Hope to see you there!

What: “Twelfth Night”
Where: Edison High School, 700 22nd Ave NE, Minneapolis
When: Thursday, March 5th−Saturday March 7th at 7 P.M.
Tickets: Adults: $6, Students (6-17): $5, Children (5 and under): free

Tickets can be purchased at the door, all proceeds go to Edison Theatre

Edison’s Choir Concert

Wednesday, March 11, 2015 at 7 p.m.
Thomas Edison High School’s Auditorium – 700 22nd Ave. NE. – Minneapolis, MN 55418

Join us for an evening of music performances Edison’s choir. This a FREE concert and these performances will be enjoyed by all ages.

Northeast Minneapolis Band Festival

Tuesday, March 17, 2015
6:30 p.m. – opening reception – light refreshments
7:00 p.m. – concert
Thomas Edison High School’s Auditorium (700 22nd Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418)

Join us for the first annual Northeast Minneapolis Band Festival. Several bands from our Northeast Schools and community will perform 1 – 2 pieces that will showcase their ensemble with the finale’ being all bands performing one piece together.

Participants include the following bands: Edison High School, Northeast Minneapolis Community, Northeast Middle School, Marcy Open School, Pillsbury Elementary School and Waite Park Elementary School.

Convivio de Familias Latinas – en Northeast Minneapolis

19 de marzo, 2015 – 5:30 – 8 p.m.
Evento ubicado en la escuela Edison- 700 22nd Ave. NE. – Minneapolis, MN 55418

Minneapolis Police Department Crime Prevention presents:
Block Leader Training & Property crime prevention

Date: March 5th, 2015
Time: 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Location: Minneapolis 2nd Precinct (1911 Central Ave NE)

Join other residents throughout the city to develop skills for effectively working with your neighbors and securing your neighborhood.

Topics to be covered:

• Introduction to Community Crime Prevention
• How to organize a block/apartment club
• Services of Community Crime Prevention
• Responsibilities of a crime prevention block leader
• How and when to use 911
• How to solve problems effectively
• Meet your crime prevention specialists
• Best practices of property crime prevention

For more information or to RSVP, please call 612-673-2874 or send an email to [email protected]

February 17 at the California Building

Yeah, we know, Mojo Coffee Gallery actually opened on November 17, but now they’re doing it up right with a BIG GRAND OPENING on February 17, aka Valentine’s Day. Not incidentally, this also coincides with the California Building’s monthly 2nd Saturday Open Gallery event. All week this week, Mojo will feature daily specials as a lead in to their special day.

The 2nd Precinct Advisory Council (2PAC) wants YOU!

The 2nd Precinct Advisory Council meetings are for everyone who cares about the safety and security issues we all must handle.  You can join 2PAC if you are a resident, business owner, or other stakeholder in Minneapolis’s 2nd Precinct.  They welcome your participation and support.

Don’t know if you’re in the 2nd Precinct? It’s pretty much all of Northeast Minneapolis, i.e.“The 2nd Precinct’s service area is bounded by the Mississippi River on the west and south, 37th Avenue NE on the north, and the cities of St. Anthony and St. Paul on the east.”

This month the meeting will be held at 6 PM on February 9 at Monroe Village Apartments (1900 Central Avenue NE).  There is plenty of on-street parking close to the front door.

Here is what they have to say:

February is Heart Health month!

February is all about loving and living, and the basis of all that is good living is keeping our hearts healthy.  Our guest speaker—Ross Chavez, a practicing paramedic for Hennepin EMS and a former Hennepin EMS Paramedic Supervisor—will give us plenty of information about keeping our hearts healthy.  He also wants us to understand what happens when things go wrong and how HCEMS will help get things back to ‘right’.

What do you do when things “don’t feel right’?  What do you do when a friend ‘doesn’t look right?’ When is it time to dial 911?  What if your friend “doesn’t want a fuss”? What happens then?

After Ross reminds of about what we can do to stay heart healthy, he will talk about when and how to access the 911 emergency medical services system when your heart isn’t so healthy.  He will let us know how EMS services work for us.  What happens when they come to the door and what does it mean?  What happens next?  Ross will also demonstrate some of the equipment that Hennepin EMS uses to diagnose and stabilize their patients.

Besides their guest speaker, 2PAC also features Court Watch. Starting at approximately 7PM on the night of the meeting, “Court Watch is your chance to watch the judges and let them know about sentencing decisions involving  East Side crime.  If you don’t like revolving door sentences or want to urge treatment over jail, this is the place to make your opinion heard.”

Is your home in need of repairs but you can’t afford the cost? Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity has a home repair and restoration program called A Brush With Kindness (ABWK).

A Brush with Kindness helps homeowners with painting, repairs and critical health & safety issues.  Their program works in partnership with municipalities and agencies in the Twin Cities to help struggling homeowners remain living in a safe, healthy home.

In 2014, they served 130 families in the Twin Cities, many of whom live in the inner cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Also, this past year they moved their ABWK offices/warehouse to NE Minneapolis and would love to do more work in their new Nordeast “backyard” and its neighborhoods.

Their typical home improvement projects include exterior painting and minor repairs to siding, porches/decks and windows. Their interior projects include painting, minor patching and some flooring work. They also do a few larger projects as well as some accessibility work (including roofing, ramps, and railings) and some electrical and plumbing work.

Requirements to qualify for the program include filling out an application, having an income below 60% AMI (Area Median Income), having a significant repair need, and, if capable, a willingness to work alongside project volunteers.

Don’t know if your income is below 60% AMI? Here is what the income guidelines were in 2014 (established by HUD, subject to change in 2015):

Household size – Max Combined Household Income Accepted (this is 60% of the AMI)
1 – $34,860
2 – $39,840
3 – $44,820
4 – $49,740
5 – $53,760
6 – $57,720
7 – $61,680
>7 – $65,700

If this is something that fits your needs and you wish to apply, simply call the program office (612-788-8169) or visit their website at www.tchabitat.org/abwk to get more information, apply online or download an application.

Wintertide: Biennial Juried Art Exhibition
Inaugural Debut in 2015
Presented by NEMAA in Partnership with Public Functionary

Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association (NEMAA) and Public Functionary proudly present the inaugural Wintertide, with major support from Cedarwoods Foundation. Wintertide will be a competitive juried art exhibition which highlights regional NEMAA artists who produce remarkable, quality artwork.

Join us at the our opening reception on January 24, when artists will be presented with $10,500 in cash awards selected by guest judges. Be the first to sneak a peak of this unforgettable exhibit while enjoying live music and craft beer from nearby 612Brew.

Come celebrate the bounty of outstanding artwork that NEMAA artists have to offer – a bright light in Northeast during the coldest time of the year.

Location: Public Functionary
1400 12th Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Dates & Hours:
January 24, 2014 – February 7, 2015
Opening Reception/Prizes Awarded: Saturday, January 24, 7pm-11pm
Gallery Hours: Thursday 12pm-6pm / Friday 12pm-6pm / Saturday 12pm-6pm

2015 Jurors

• Jean Bevier, Professor Dominican University
• Leslie Hammons, Director, Weinstein Gallery
• Peter Remes, CEO, First & First
• Christina Schmid, Art Critic, Professor University of Minnesota
• Tricia Khutoretsky (2nd round juror), Director/Curator, Public Functionary

Dr. Bernadeia Johnson tenders resignation

Minneapolis superintendent will step down Jan. 31, 2015

Minneapolis Public Schools recently announced that Dr. Bernadeia Johnson submitted her resignation, which was accepted by the Minneapolis Board of Education. Johnson will remain in her position through Jan. 31, 2015.

In a letter submitted to Board of Education Chair Richard Mammen, Johnson said she continues to have strong confidence in the direction set for improving outcomes for Minneapolis students, a vision captured in her Acceleration 2020 strategic plan, and she thanked the board for supporting those efforts. She acknowledged that her family commitments have become increasingly challenging – and she determined that stepping down would best serve both the school district and her family.

At a previously scheduled session this evening, the school board accepted Johnson’s resignation and began determining a path forward. Mammen emphasized the school board’s appreciation for the superintendent’s dedicated service.

After accepting Johnson’s resignation, the school board named Chief Executive Officer Michael Goar as interim superintendent effective Feb. 1, subject to his acquiring either a superintendent’s license or a variance from the state Board of School Administrators. Goar possesses more than 20 years of professional experience as a leader in urban school districts including Boston, Memphis and Minneapolis. The school board will determine the process for filling the role on a full-time basis in the months ahead.

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.

Additional packets can be found on the Minneapolis Commission on Civil Rights website http://www.minneapolismn.gov/civilrights/commission/civil-rights_commission_announcements

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]

National Poetry Recitation Contest

Thursday, December 11 from 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Thomas Edison High School – Auditorium – 700 22nd Ave. NE. -Minneapolis, MN 55418

Edison’s level I and II ELL students will be participating in a poetry reading competition and one of Edison’s students will advance to the city level competition! This is a FREE event and is open to the public. Come and show your support while enjoying these poetry reading.

Edison Theater Presents: “Working: The Musical”

“Working”−based on the Studs Terkel book−is a collection of stories and songs based on real interviews asking people in different regions about their occupations. With 5 Tony award nominations and composers such as Stephen Schwartz and James Taylor, it certainly won’t disappoint! Come experience “Working” for yourself!

Where:  Edison High School, 700 22nd Ave NE, Minneapolis
When:  Thursday, December 11th−Saturday December 13th at 7 P.M.
Tickets:  Adults: $8, Students (6-17): $6, Children (5 and under): free

Tickets can be purchased at the door, all proceeds go to Edison Theatre

Casual Conversations in English and Spanish

Wednesday, January 14 from 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Thomas Edison High School – 700 22nd Ave. NE. – Minneapolis, MN 55418

Come and see what it means to be a Tommie. Join us on Wednesday, January 14th at 5:30 p.m. in Edison’s Media Center. We will hold two meetings; one in English and one in Spanish. Meet our Principal, Carla Steinbach, teachers, staff, parents, and students. Learn about Edison’s rigorous academic programs, scholarship opportunities, arts and the community, athletics, safety/security, and transportation.  Stay and enjoy Edison’s Choir Concert starting at 7 p.m.

Edison’s Choir Concert

Wednesday, January 14 at 7 p.m.
Thomas Edison High School – 700 22nd Ave. NE. – Minneapolis, MN 55418