All posts in the topic Introductions (Short link)
Summary
- There are 51 posts — by 44 authors — in this topic.
- Latest post made by Dan Goodman at Apr 13 06:04 UTC
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| Mark Warner | IMAG0003.JPG | Apr 12 20:50 UTC |
What a beautiful afternoon to open a new forum for neighbors to break the ice online (and off our sidewalks as well.) To introduce yourself, simply press "reply-to-all" via e-mail or "add" via the web. Be sure you see <email obscured> in the to: or cc: field if posting via e-mail. Share a bit about yourself and family, how long you've lived in the area, and perhaps your favorite thing about the neighborhood. You can mention a local issue you'd like us to discuss in the future as well (we will create new topics for them). Since this is "the Internet," if you are unlisted (or listed for that matter) you might want to describe where you live by the nearest intersection or landmark and not post the names of minor children. With over 150 of us here, I'll be temporarily moderating all posts for the next week. I'll release around five introductions a day so be patient. Once 50 of us say hello we will be ready to open for general posting. Your Neighbor, Steven Clift Co-Host Standish and Ericsson Neighbors Forum P.S. If you have any trouble posting, please e-mail - <email obscured> or visit http://e-democracy.org/comments.html
Hello everyone! I'm excited about the possibilities with this online
discussion forum. I just started reading Jay Walljasper's "The Great
Neighborhood Book" and think we have a lot of potential to create and
even more welcoming, community-focused, safe and enjoyable
neighborhood. Looking forward to hearing from others.
Nathan Lind
Hello neighbors.
The mention of "The Great Neighborhood Book" finally got me to stop waiting
to sign in here, get a copy of the book and say hello. Thanks! I wonder what
could happen if a bunch of us read this book and started talking about what
it stirs up in us...
Thanks for the forum.
Melissa Lock
Steven and Laurel Clift Family Introduction
Hello, our family landed in Ericsson about four years ago during our hunt for
our first home. It still feels like we've discovered the secret neighborhood in
what seems like a conceptual Bermuda Triangle in people's understanding of
place in Minneapolis. We live in a 1911 across from the front of St. Helena's
school (32nd Ave and 44th St). If you see us out on our open porch, gardening
or talking to our neighbor Dale reading on a lawn chair outside his garage this
spring or summer say hello.
Laurel and I have two children - a son who turned two in November and a
daughter who is just six months. You might see us with our red double stroller
at Lake Hiawatha as it gets warmer. We are always looking for playdates in the
area. :-)
Laurel works downtown at Ameriprise Financial doing process improvement and is
a frequent light rail user. I work out our home for E-Democracy.Org, the
non-profit that I helped start in 1994. For about a decade I was a
speaker/consultant in 27 countries helping governments use the Internet to
engage people as citizens online.
Laurel's favorite thing about our neighborhood is our small town feel. The
chains are safely across Hiawatha and we have the unique bakeries, auto shops,
and personalities that come along with the small shops. I agree.
Steven and Laurel Clift
Thanks Steven for getting us up and running.
My name is Paul Rohlfing and I have lived in the Standish Neighborhood since
2005. Before that, my wife Karen Baumgaertner and I lived in Powderhorn.
I grew up in Minneapolis (I attended Northrop Elementary back when it was on
46th Street). My wife and I have a daughter, Jane, who is almost 2 years old. I
work as a union organizer for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Local 284. Mostly, that work has involved working with school bus drivers here
in Minneapolis and across the state to improve school bus safety and help
school districts contain costs.
I love our neighborhood. I'm interested in discussions about development in our
commercial intersections and along Hiawatha Avenue. I'm also interested in
public safety discussions. My main interest is in our neighborhood's public
schools. I'm currently working as a volunteer on the MPS referendum renewal
campaign. As a future MPS parent, I am concerned about possible future school
closings - particularly if they might impact neighborhood schools like
Roosevelt, Sanford or others.
-Paul Rohlfing
40th & Standish Ave
<email obscured>
Hello all,
This is Maggie at Tillie's Bean.
My husband and I own the coffee shop on the corner of 38th street and 28th
ave. We also live in the Standish Neighborhood right on the Corcoran
border.
Dave and I both graduated from South High and Tillie starts kindergarden in
the fall. Not sure at which school.
Hi folks,
I'm Molly McCartney and I live in Standish with my husband David and 2
kids. We've lived about a block and a half northwest of Roosevelt HS
since 2004 and love our neighbors and neighborhood. David and I work
dwtn and use the LRT and our son attends Dowling Elem in Longfellow and
our daughter attends preschool at Jardin Magico, an awesome
Spanish-English bilingual day care center on Minnehaha Ave and 38th St
E. We are active in the kids' schools.
I am interested in history, planning and development in the
neighborhood, which may also explain my career choice. My day job is in
planning at the City of Mpls (insert your favorite bureaucrat dig
here!). Here is a last minute notice about a meeting being sponsored by
the City and others about a public meeting happening TONIGHT at the
Hiawatha Rec Center in re the Purina site redevelopment:
Notice of a Public Meeting
Regarding a Historic Mitigation Plan
For Proposed Redevelopment at 3815 Hiawatha Avenue
Capital Growth Realty is proposing to construct two mixed-use buildings
at 3815 Hiawatha Avenue with a total of 198 dwelling units and
approximately 40,000 square feet of commercial space. The project,
called Longfellow Station, includes the demolition of the Purina Mill
that currently stands on the site.
Because federal funds will support this development, the project is
subject to review under Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act. The City of Minneapolis and the State Historic
Preservation Office are hosting a public meeting to discuss the project
and its potential effects on historic properties, as well as potential
mitigation measures. Written comments on historic preservation issues
will be accepted.
Wednesday, March 12
7:00-8:00 PM
Lake Hiawatha Recreation Center
2701 East 44th Street
Meeting Agenda:
*Presentation of historic assessment of the Area of Potential Effect
(APE) around the development site (Hess, Roise, and Company, 15 minutes)
*Overview of the Longfellow Station project (Development Team, 10
minutes)
*Overview of a Memorandum of Agreement regarding historic mitigation
(State Historic Preservation Office, 15 minutes)
*Questions (20 minutes)
Hello! I'm Sareen and I live on 31st Ave and 42nd St. My husband Brendan and
I moved to the area in 2003 and have since expanded our family. We have a
daughter, Brigid (9mo) and another baby due in August! We too are looking
for play dates, to meet neighbors and to get to know people in the area. This
is our first house and we love to share our space, our cooking and our love for
the neighborhood with anyone who will listen! Any time we think of getting a
bigger house, giving up the neighborhood is always a deal breaker. How could
you?
Brendan works as a business reference librarian at the James J Hill Reference
Library in St. Paul and commutes by bus and bike. I work at a small
non-profit called Minnesota Life College (www.mnlifecollege.org) where we teach
students with learning disabilities how to live independently in the community.
In the summer months, I also commute by bike (and sometimes bus when I am too
lazy for the morning commute to Richfield).
That is basically us. Looking forward to expanding our community network.
Sareen Dunleavy Keenan
Hello-
My name is Heidi Yee. My husband, Ron, and I moved onto Longfellow Ave. in
June of 2006. We moved here from "the south" (TN, FL, and TX), and so are
are just completing our second WINTER. We are both in healthcare. We have 2
great dogs, Elam and Duncan, but no kids yet. We love our area and our
neighbors, but are quite concerned about crime. Last fall there were three
arsons in one night. One of the arsons was to a car, 15 yards from our
garage. I went to a community meeting at Sibley park, and no one seemed to
have known anything about it, which was quite shocking to me. Therefore, I
am excited about this forum to discuss issues such as this.
Later!
Hello!
I'm Steve Klein, my wife Ann and I have lived in Standish-Ericsson since 2003.
We live near 42nd St. and 23rd Ave.
Something we love about our neighborhood is the friendliness of our neighbors,
there's always someone to stop and chat with while out on a walk (especially
once the weather gets nicer). Also, we love how many people have joined this
forum! This will be a great opportunity to connect with one another.
Ann and I live near Lake Hiawatha, and one of the issues I would like to
discuss is the condition of the tennis courts and basketball court (which is
used a great deal by the youth in the area). I would like to see what it would
take to get these resurfaced soon!
Thanks, hope to chat with everyone soon...
Hello! I'm Sonja Dahl and I live just east of Roosevelt High on
Nokomis Ave. since I purchased my 1925 bungalow in December 1999,
which I share with my 18 lb orange tabby cat Iggy.
I work as a Web Development Engineer at MakeMusic, Inc. (makers of
Finale music notation/composition software) and have played violin in
the U of M Health Sciences Orchestra (a volunteer, community
orchestra) for 13 years.
There are so many things I love about the neighborhood, first is my
beautiful bungalow -- the previous owner had lived there for 65 years
and the house was in nearly original condition. It has the original
birch cabinets, kitchen sink, all the doors interior doors, bathroom
floor, tub, etc. I am working to maintain the original integrity of
the bungalow style and am a member of the Twin Cities Bungalow Club.
Second are my neighbors and I feel very lucky to have such terrific
ones. If anyone is looking for a locksmith, my next-door neighbor Bob
is the best. Third is the food of the neighborhood and what a glorious
curse to live in the food triangle of Ted Cook's 19th Hole BBQ, Chris
and Rob's (AKA Joey D's), and the Baker's Wife -- and now Busters!
Fourth is the Hiawatha light rail -- how amazing is it to walk out the
front door of your house and in minutes be at the airport? Fifth is
the pedestrian-bicycle-friendly trails around the neighborhood and I
frequently walk the 7 miles from my front door and around Lake
Nokomis.
I know, Steven said mention your favorite "thing", not "things". I
look forward to seeing this forum develop and flourish. Thanks
Steven!
Introducing Eric and Annie Olson!
Eric and I have lived near Lake Hiawatha for about 3 years. We moved to
the area because Eric and I both have ties to the neighborhood. Three
of his four grandparents went to Roosevelt High School and lived within
walking distance. Eric also grew up across the street from Standish
School. I began my professional career with the Minneapolis Park and
Recreation Board as a Youth Program Specialist as Sibley Park and worked
there for over 6 years establishing relationships and ties within the
community. We're happy to have a new way to create connections with our
neighbors through this forum.
Annie Olson
Customer Service Supervisor
Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board
That's 11 intros post, 2 in the queue, and dozens more to come. These are
great. It really helps us realize that people - our neighbors - are at the
other end not just some obscure computer system.
Keep them coming. Take a minute right now and say hello.
To introduce yourself, simply press "reply-to-all" via e-mail or "add" via the
web. Be sure you see <email obscured> in the to: or cc:
field if posting via e-mail.
Your Neighbor,
Steven Clift
Co-Host Standish and Ericsson Neighbors Forum
My name is Geoff Garton. I've lived in Minneapolis my entire life. I attended
Kenny, Lyndale, Anthony Junior High, and graduated from Washburn High School
and the University of Minnesota. I'm currently finishing my last semester of
law school at the University of St. Thomas. My wife, Shelley, and I have been
on the 3600 block of 25th Ave. for about 9 years. We have a 6 year old son at
Seward and a 2 year old daughter in daycare. After a rough start, I've come to
love Standish. I want Standish to be a model of stable working/middle class
urban homeownership. As with any parent and homeowner, my concerns tend to
schools, safety, and livability issues. I'm also interested in finding ways to
improve long-suffering 38th Street. There are buildings and storefronts that
have been empty since the day we moved in. If there is a corridor that could
use a shot of energy, investment, and improved lighting, it's got to be 38th,
from Nicollet all the way down to Hiawatha.
I look forward to this forum as a vehicle for building community, creating
solutions, and staying informed.
Hello everybody,
I'm Shawn Isenhart, and I live on 42nd St and 22nd Ave with my wife
Thistle and our 20-month old son Cedar. We have a second currently in
utero, due to get a name sometime in late April. We've lived in the
neighborhood for about six years now, though it doesn't feel like that
long. I work at the U of M in the Office of Information Technology, and
Thistle works at Minneapolis Legal Aid and does independent translating
and interpreting. We used to bike in to work everyday, but with the
need to drop Cedar off at daycare we have found ourselves using the car
more than we'd like.
I love the great walking opportunities in the neighborhood - in the
summer we would always put Cedar to sleep by walking around with him in
a backpack carrier. We're really looking forward to walking down to the
Grand Old Creamery on Cedar and Minnehaha parkway this summer - a long
enough walk so that we can feel less guilty about eating the ice cream
on the way home.
Hi, all! Brian Dahlvig here, I live on the 3900 block of 27th Ave with my
partner Brian Woods. (yea, I know.) We have two cats: Maxine and Theda (named
after Ms Andrews and Ms Bara respectively.)
I work as a writer for the HR Dept at Ameriprise (Hi, Laurel!) and Brian is
back in school for architectural drafting. We use the LRT, also.
Brian obsession is classical music, and mine are 20s & 30s Jazz and film
history (esp pre-1934).
We lived here since 2000(?) 2001(?) I can't remember, time goes by too fast.
Anyway, we really like the Baker's Wife and I think it's a great neighborhood
for taking walks. Plus, every time I go into Dokken's grocery store, I think
there should be a potbelly stove with a checkerboard set up. So great!
Have a great weekend!
Hi, all:
My name is Vince Tuss. My wife, Dana, and I moved to 42nd Street and Standish
in the summer of 2004. Since then, we've added a boy to our family, who is
almost 3 now. We moved here after I got a job at the Star Tribune. We love this
area because of all the small-town touches that a lot of people have mentioned
already (the neighborhood eateries and stores, the lakes, parks and trails, the
LRT.) but the fact that we're so close to so much else of the Twin Cities at
the same time.
I'm especially interested in getting to know more people. I'm happy to say I've
traded a couple of e-mails regarding neighborhood safety news with Steve Klein.
And I know Brendan and Sareen. I'd love to meet or hear from more.
And speaking of public safety concerns, anyone know what drew the two police
cars to 23rd and 42nd after 8 p.m. Thursday? We were coming home and by the
time I got the car parked, the police and the spectators had gone.
Vince Tuss
Dave and I have lived at 44th and Longfellow for 30+ years. I'm a math and
science teacher in a suburban district, member of St. Helena community, sing in
a couple of choirs and am the block club organizer. We love being long-timers
and watching our neighborhood grow and change. Our porch light is always on-
stop by on your run around Lake Hiawatha and have a drink of water for yourself
(and your dog!). Dave is retired, so he is often around polishing the yard and
working on his hot rod...
Thanks Steve, for putting this together. It's a fantastic idea.
Hi Everyone!
My boyfriend Jim and I live in a little 1920's stucco bungalow at 33rd Ave. and
47th St. (where 33rd dead-ends into Minnehaha Creek.) It was pure dumb luck
(and a matter of affordability) that landed me in this house 7 years ago, but
it didn't take long to realize that I couldn't have tailor made a more perfect
place - the house, the parks, the people, the shops, the energy, I love
everything about it. It's my home.
I became a Realtor about a year after I moved in. I’m loving it and busy
working all over Minneapolis & St. Paul, but there is always something extra
special about working in our neighborhood! I try to do it as much as I can.
Jim works for a non-profit in St. Paul called Hunger Solutions. He manages
their grant programs and does some lobbying for them. You'll see Jim commuting
to Downtown St. Paul on his bike as soon as the weather warms up.
No children yet, but we do have a cat and a dog - Penelope and Conrad.
Penelope is our guard cat. She protects the house all day from atop a chair
near the front window. Conrad, our brindle Boxer, will be 7 this year...and
spunky as ever! He loves his walks, so look for us around the lakes or down by
the falls this summer.
I am interested in discussions about local development (Molly, I missed that
Longfellow Station meeting this week, but would love to hear about anything new
that came out of it), schools, libraries, housing, transportation, crime –
anything that impacts quality of life in the community, as well as our
emotional and financial investments in our homes.
I look forward to connecting more with all of you in the future.
Nicole Gausman & Jim Redmond
Hi Everyone,
I'm Ginny, live with my husband Earl near 47th St and 38th Ave S. 38th Ave.
is the last street before crossing Hiawatha on the Parkway. We live in the
green two story house with the very steep roof, facing Minnehaha Creek, on "The
Bend." You've probably noticed our house if you've been biking along the creek
- I know we did, a couple of years before we bought it! We always had our eye
on this house and thought this neighborhood would be so great to live in - lots
of biking and walking trails, stores and a library within walking distance!
(That was my criteria).
I work at the University of Minnesota Libraries, where I manage the film and
video collection, as well as co-coordinate InfoPoint, the University Libraries'
digital "Ask a Librarian" service. Before that, I worked in business reference
for 9 years, so Brendan, our paths may have crossed somewhere back then. I've
had a broad and diverse work experience in academic libraries. Earl works in
computer technology for Northwest Airlines, so we appreciate being close to the
airport, but don't have to suffer (much) from noise of the flight paths, which
was one of the major draws of this area for us. Earl bikes to work in Eagen
during the summer.
We love to talk to our neighbors, so say "hi" if you see us outside puttering
in our yard. We love nature, photography, travel, have a passion for music
(jazz and folk, especially), animals, biking, kayaking, and researching cool
little local places. I'm a trend-setter in my own mind. :)
I'm really enjoying the introductions to my neighbors, and the feeling of
connections being made.?
My name is Kristen Olsen and I live with my husband Wayne and our two cats near
45th St. and 29th Avenue.? We moved here in 2004.? My father grew up in this
neighborhood and went to Roosevelt.? I have many memories of visiting my
grandmother who lived on 28th Ave. and E. 50th and then over by 34th ave. and
E. 50th, so I feel very at home here.? I am a lawyer at the state Attorney
General's Office and my husband does computer work for a printing company in
Apple Valley.? We love the neighborhood, especially the creek, the tennis
courts, the biking paths, and the proximity to downtown Minneapolis and St.
Paul.? It's just right for us.?
I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with this e-community.? Thank you
for organizing it.?
Hi,
My name is Glenn and my wife Naomi and I have lived on the 3800 block of
Standish Ave. since 2002. We have two children, a daughter age 5 and a son
age 3.
I like the "small town" feel of parts of the neighborhood others have talked
about as well, but I am very concerned about the steady decline of 38th street
and the "big city" problems it has. Graffitti, break-ins, and drug dealing are
not uncommon occurrences along the stretch of 38th between Cedar and Hiawatha.
I am very interested on working on issues related to the livability and safety
of this part of our neighborhood. The past 2 years have done a few things with
the SENA graffitti task force (planting and painting projects), and wish to
find more ways to plug into efforts to make this an better neighborhood to live
and work.
Wow - thanks for all the introductions. I'm Melissa Lock. Joe and I live near
on 20th Ave near 41st St with 4 year old Andrew. We love all the great
destinations we can walk and bike to around here and look forward to being more
connected and part of this constructive, positive force in the neighborhood.
Joe and I both have flexible jobs that keep us in or near home quite a bit - I
with Jacob's Well and Joe as an energy consultant. Speaking of energy - we'd
love any advice in best ways to better insulate the walls of a wonderful 1920s
stucco house!
Thanks for this!
Hi, we're Larry Rogacki and Patti Blanc-Rogacki. We live on the
corner of 43rd Street and 33rd Ave, across from the St. Helena
parking lot.
We've lived in the neighborhood since March of 2001, moving here from
Vermont to be closer to our son and his family.
I work for the Metropolitan Council as an engineering manager in the
wastewater treatment facility in St. Paul. Patti works for the
Hastings School district with disabled students.
Our interests run in all different directions including gardening,
bird watching, world music, dancing, and home repair. What we like
most in the neighborhood is taking evening walks and stopping to
watch the sunset over Lake Hiawatha. Meeting our neighbors and ideas
for crime prevention are two topics that we're both interested in.
We have no experience with internet forums, and it will be
interesting to see how this develops. Stop and say hi if you see us
working outdoors.
Larry and Patti
Hi, everyone,
Jean and I have lived at our house in the area of 41st St. and 22nd Ave. for
21 years (if I've done the arithmetic correctly!), in a house that dates
from the late 1920's. We've watched our children grow up here (daughters,
19 and 16), and have seen the neighborhood grow and change as well. She works
at the Federal Reserve Bank, I work at Thomson West (used to be West
Publishing,
and next month will be something else again), and the girls are in school.
We feel this neighborhood has been a great place for our family, and really
appreciate the way people watch out for each other. It was wonderful to be
able to walk with the kids to story time at the library or play time at
Sibley and Lake Hiawatha Parks. I'm really looking forward to discussions with
all of you.Ross Quinn-Davis
Greetings. My name is Sam Newberg. My wife Jen and I moved to the neighborhood
in 2004 because the light rail line opened. We live four minutes from the
station on the 3900 block of 29th Avenue. In 2006 we had our son, Ellis. I
serve as Secretary on the SENA board. We meet on the second Monday of the month
at the SENA offices on 42nd and Cedar - feel free to come to a meeting and join
a committee.
I am an urbanist. I write about cities. I write articles, case studies, give
lectures and do market studies. I work out of my house but travel a lot, and
the train connection to the airport is wonderful! Much of what I have learned
and observed over the years has practical application to our neighborhood.
Besides the train, we find the neighborhood to have many other amenities -
independent businesses like A Baker's Wife, Tillie's, Ted Cooks, Everett's,
Chris and Rob's, Busters, the hardware store. We have our own lake and golf
course, part of the creek, two light rail stations (and we don't have to cross
Hiawatha to get to them), and more affordable homes than those in southwest
Minneapolis. In short, very good value.
Our challenges are threefold: finding new businesses for 38th Street and making
it more active and vital, keeping our young families in the neighborhood, and
crime in general.
The SENA board is working with the city to get grant money to improve 38th
Street. It is my belief that the corridor is ripe for a few new tenants. That
will happen over time but requires either space or redevelopment sites to be
available. It is important for us to network with business owners and even
developers to attract additional vitality to the 38th Street corridor. There is
much potential.
Our neighborhood has a lot of small homes and a lot of young families. In many
ways, that makes us a starter home community in the city. As families grow they
will weigh their options and either add on or move away. We have to promote the
former, even if that means tearing down old obsolete homes and replacing them
with appropriately-sized, eco-friendly new homes. I predict that we will see a
lot of addition and some teardowns around here. Providing a wider array of
larger homes for growing families will help the neighborhood attract and retain
a healthy mix of households of all ages and sizes.
The best way to deter crime is to have a block leader and have neighbors get to
know each other and keep their eyes on the streets. Every block should have a
block leader and a block club. Get together, know each other, look out for each
other, but have fun doing it, too. Have a street party or a potluck. Someone
else mentioned this, too, but read The Great Neighborhood Book by Jay
Walljasper and be inspired.
I know Jay, and he is, by the way, a big fan of Busters. He wishes he had a
good neighborhood pub in Kingfield. All the more reason to support our local
businesses!
Hope to meet more of you soon.
Dale Mueller introduction: As Steve mentioned in his intro letter (copy below) I live next door to him due south of St Helena's Catholic School. I moved here in August 2003. And after reading all of the previous intro letters presume I am the only unattached person in the neighborhood. You may have seen me sitting in front of my garage (my residence does not have a backyard) during warm summer eves. I top off many of my days by grilling and sitting with a book while the sun sets. If my chair is empty it would be a good bet I have abandoned it to chase after my psuedo nephew (Steve & Laurel's eldest). If you are walking by and see me sitting and reading, feel free to sit in the empty chair. I set up an extra one as an invitation to passersby to introduce themselves and chat. As stated in many of the other intro letters the best way to fight crime is by making your neighbors your friends. I am a controller for a construction/distribution company now located in Eden Prairie. We moved the offices there in Feb 2008. Prior to that I would bike to work as the office was located near the target at Lake St and Hiawatha Ave. I also maintain financial records for several companies/organizations to earn additional income. One such organization is this one: E-Democracy Minnesota. Should anyone have a small business in need of a bookkeeper or know of someone please feel free to contact me via reply email. I look forward to meeting everyone via this forum, walking by each others residences, or at one of the parks: I will be there with my psuedo nephew Liam assisting him to the top of the jungle gyms and seeing to it he does not subsequently fall off. Dale Mueller Steven Clift <<email obscured>> wrote: Steven and Laurel Clift Family Introduction Hello, our family landed in Ericsson about four years ago during our hunt for our first home. It still feels like we've discovered the secret neighborhood in what seems like a conceptual Bermuda Triangle in people's understanding of place in Minneapolis. We live in a 1911 across from the front of St. Helena's school (32nd Ave and 44th St). If you see us out on our open porch, gardening or talking to our neighbor Dale reading on a lawn chair outside his garage this spring or summer say hello. Laurel and I have two children - a son who turned two in November and a daughter who is just six months. You might see us with our red double stroller at Lake Hiawatha as it gets warmer. We are always looking for playdates in the area. :-) Laurel works downtown at Ameriprise Financial doing process improvement and is a frequent light rail user. I work out our home for E-Democracy.Org, the non-profit that I helped start in 1994. For about a decade I was a speaker/consultant in 27 countries helping governments use the Internet to engage people as citizens online. Laurel's favorite thing about our neighborhood is our small town feel. The chains are safely across Hiawatha and we have the unique bakeries, auto shops, and personalities that come along with the small shops. I agree. Steven and Laurel Clift Steven Clift Ericsson, Hennepin Info about Steven Clift: http://forums.e-democracy.org/contacts/stevenclift This topic's messages may be viewed at: http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/4VGMlcEq6BMnVVY9nUInLQ
We've crossed the half-way point toward our introductions goal of 50 folks who say hello before we open up to new topics and announcements. I let a couple announcements through due to their timeliness. We have a few topics in the hopper itching to be discussed, but we need your help first. For many of you, this is your first online community. You may or may not view yourself as someone who will post publicly. That is OK. The more readers (or "lurkers" in Internet-speak) the better. However, taking one minute now to introduce yourself to the group is easy and will help us all further appreciate who has gathered (and who is missing!). Posting once now and not posting again for long long time is completely appropriate. Press "Reply to All" via e-mail or "Add" at the bottom of the Introduction topic on the web site: http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/3TYaQtOIK0gBrI21Py5gNW Steven Clift Co-Host
Hi All:
Tim and Sarah Dallum here. We live on the corner of 27th Ave S and 39th Street
in the gray house with our border collie/shephard mix Radar who loves to bark
at the neighbors passing by.
Tim works for the Minneapolis St. Paul magazine as an add traffic manager and I
also work downtown for two life insurance producers managing their cases. We
moved into to our home in February of 2006 and got married that September.
Those of you around our neighborhood would have witnessed many family members
and friends stopping by to celebrate at that time.
Tim is from Duluth and my family all lives in California, although I grew up in
Fontana, WI close to Madison. We both enjoy camping, grilling out in our
backyard and music of all kinds. We love our neighborhood and are super happy
here. Some of our favorite local businesses are Everett's Meat Market, A
Baker's Wife and Ted Cooks BBQ.
We're interested in meeting our neighbors and taking a more active part in our
community.
Sarah and Tim
I guess I'm sort of an interloper here - I don't live in Standish or Ericsson.
I live just a quick hop across Hiawatha Ave in the Hiawatha neighborhood.
However, I am a neighborhood coordinator for the Standish Ericsson Neighborhood
Association, so I definitely am strongly connected to this side of the tracks.
This forum promises to be a great way for neighbors to connect with each other.
I hope it will also help facilitate your connections with SENA. Remember we're
YOUR neighborhood association. It's a great place to get involved.
Hello!
I am excited that our neighborhood has a forum! This is going to be a
wonderful way for me to meet more of my neighbors. I am also finding out
that many old friends live in this neighborhood.
I was born in Minneapolis, grew up in the Central neighborhood and graduated
from Minneapolis Central in 1968. I am currently the Executive Director of
a non profit and we are actually looking for space, and I have seen a few
locations in our neighborhood that might work.
I have 6 children, 7 grandchildren, 1 great grandson with 2 great
grandchildren "on the way".
I have lived in the Standish Neighborhood for 2 years and I am a block club
leader. Last year was our 1st National Night Out - it was a great event.
Steve thanks for starting this forum! I look forward to participating.
Take care,
Matthea Little Smith
37th & 19th Avenue South
Hello,
I am Jeff Lenz and I live on 41st St and 22nd Ave with my wife Kassie Van
Moorlehem and 1 yr old daughter. I own an office furniture installation
company and Kassie works for a health care broker in Edina. Kassie tries to
bike to work in the summer but my job takes me all over, so I must succumb
to the fuel prices!
We moved here in late 2005 from uptown and are very happy with the
neighborhood. Our neighbors are very friendly and seem to all have dogs!
We will try to have a dog dish out most of the summer, so feel free to stop
for a drink.
We live on 41st St on a stretch that is about 6 blocks between stop signs.
One thing I don't like and would like to do something about is cars driving
about 50 mph past my house. The police had a radar speed sign posted last
summer but it did no good. There are tons of little kids around and I don't
want to see any accidents!
With that said, I feel pretty safe here, especially with all the neighbors
looking out for each other.
Hello. We are Jim Bootz and Catherine Rivard and we live on 43rd Street and
28th Avenue with our cranky cat Livvie and our cheerful but mentally-challenged
Samoyed, Sabre. Jim is a Unix Administrator at Lawson in St. Paul and I edit
documents for TCF, downtown. Our passions are history, art, politics, and New
England, where we have both spent many years. We moved to this neighborhood in
2005 and rent a pretty little bungalow. We like the quaint houses, the grand
trees, and our proximity to the lakes and the creek. But, we are concerned
about rising crime, which we have personally experienced, and the rundown
condition of many neglected front yards – including ours. Has there ever been a
neighborhood program to inspire a zeal for simple and inexpensive gardening and
planting ideas that will refresh the neighborhood as a whole? We think such an
effort would be fun and contribute to an increased sense of civic pride and
protection in what we have. Are there any landscape architects out there that
might contribute some time to talk about ideas?
My wife, Krista, and I moved to the 3900 block of Standish Ave in 2001. Now we have two girls, ages 5 and 2. I work at Augsburg College in the IT department and am really enjoying the work and the college. We love the local Standish-Ericsson businesses, especially The Baker's Wife, Tillie's Bean, and Busters (let's help keep them around!). I hear we have a new dance studio opening up on 38th St. and 21st Ave. or so. A bookstore is supposed to open in the former J&D Movie location and Sweet Lorraine's has new owners and is changing to a new full-service restaurant and may serve wine. I'm really excited about this forum and have appreciated reading other introductions and hearing about good things happening in our neighborhood and about things people are interested in working together on. Hearing all of your stories gives me even more hope for the future of Standish-Ericsson neighborhood. I'm interested in discussing and working on: Building community (potlucks, parties?) Supporting strong public education (supporting the referendum) Redevelopment along 38th St. Encouraging pedestrian traffic Improving public safety Reducing graffiti The River Lake Greenway <http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/cip/riverlake/>bikeway going along 40th St starting in a few years Discussing articles/books (The Great Neighborhood Book<http://www.pps.org/info/products/Books_Videos/great_neighborhood_book>, anyone?) Thanks Steven for starting this forum and to everyone who has posted an introduction. Can't wait to read more! Nathan Lind
Hello Everyone,
We are Matthew & Brenda Haugh. We have lived in the neighborhood for 4 years
now just across the street from Roosevelt Highschool. We have a new baby girl
who was born in December. We have two pugs, one of which is an escape artist.
Thanks to our friendly neighbors for bringing our adventurous little guy home
when he escapes. We have experienced vandalism and theft over the years. We
hope to be made aware of crime alerts in the area so that we all can prevent
and deter this from happening in our neighborhood.
Hello Neighbors,
We have been enjoying learning about all of you. We thought we would take the
time to introduce our household at 44th St and 33rd Ave. My partner, Scott
Shoemaker and I, Martha Malinski moved into the neighborhood three years ago.
Martha works at the College of St. Catherine in the service-learning office.
Scott is finishing his Ph. D in American Studies and teaches at the U of M and
Macalester.
One of the reasons we moved here was because of the small town feel and great
neighbors. (And we are not just saying this because our immediate neighbors of
Steve, Laurel and Dale are listening in.) We also wanted an urban neighborhood
that was economically and culturally diverse. We frequent the local places to
eat and shop. Take evening walks. We frequently use the LRT both for Scott's
commute to the U and for airport and evenings downtown. We enjoy living near
the lakes and creek. Martha also volunteers with Nokomis Healthy Seniors as a
grocery shopper, gardener and friend. As avid travelers we try to explore the
neighborhood with the same energy we spend in other cities. We find out
something new to do or see every month.
As first time homeowners, we bought a home that had all of the old character
preserved (we are only the second owners) and just needed some extra attention
to give it new life. We often have a new home project underway but as the
weather gets nicer we move outdoors. We love gardening and feel like we have
just barely started on the transformation of our yard. We would be happy to
share our abundant perennials. Friends were very generous when we moved in. As
new homeowners, the price was also right. We also like to hear about others
garden tips. Stop by anytime.... we are usually outside.
Building community is important to us. Public schools, green space, community
development, transportation, crime, sustainability, local food, racism are just
some of the issues we are concerned about.
Looking forward to meeting you all in the e-democracy discussion and in person,
Martha and Scott
Hello from Nokomis Avenue and 46th St. We are John Kragness and Patti Cibuzar, proud residents of the neighborhood since '98. The changes we've seen in the area over the past ten years have been refreshing. Like many of you, we love our neighbors and enjoy walking along Minnehaha Creek and Lake Hiawatha with our dog. We regularly take Light Rail downtown and brag about it to as many people as will listen. Our concerns include maintaining the local housing stock, keeping public schools vibrant and redeveloping areas around the 38th and 46th St. stations. We're excited about this forum and thrilled to be part of it. --- On Tue 03/11, Steven Clift < <email obscured> > wrote: From: Steven Clift [mailto: <email obscured>] To: <email obscured> Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2008 17:51:15 -0500 Subject: [Mpls-StanEric] Introductions <br>What a beautiful afternoon to open a new forum for neighbors to break the ice online (and off our sidewalks as well.)<br><br>To introduce yourself, simply press "reply-to-all" via e-mail or "add" via the web. Be sure you see <email obscured> in the to: or cc: field if posting via e-mail.<br><br>Share a bit about yourself and family, how long you've lived in the area, and perhaps your favorite thing about the neighborhood. You can mention a local issue you'd like us to discuss in the future as well (we will create new topics for them).<br><br>Since this is "the Internet," if you are unlisted (or listed for that matter) you might want to describe where you live by the nearest intersection or landmark and not post the names of minor children.<br><br>With over 150 of us here, I'll be temporarily moderating all posts for the next week. I'll release around five introductions a day so be patient. Once 50 of us say hello we will be ready to open for general posting.<br><br>Your Neighbor,<br><br>Steven Clift<br>Co-Host Standish and Ericsson Neighbors Forum<br><br>P.S. If you have any trouble posting, please e-mail - <email obscured> or visit http://e-democracy.org/comments.html<br><br>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -<br>http://stevenclift.com<br>Sent via mobile: +1 612 203 5181<br><br>Steven Clift<br>Ericsson, Hennepin<br>Info about Steven Clift: http://forums.e-democracy.org/contacts/stevenclift<br><br>This topic's messages may be viewed at: http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/3nXaoliWi4xKfiLrLExpkD<br>-----------------------------------------<br> To post, send your message to: <email obscured><br> To leave or for daily digest, type "unsubscribe" or "digest on,"<br> in subject line and send to: <email obscured><br><br> More info about Minneapolis Standish Ericsson Neighbors Forum: <br> http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/mpls-staneric<br><br> E-Democracy.Org rules: http://e-democracy.org/rules<br>-----------------------------------------<br>Technical assistance thanks to our friends at http://OnlineGroups.Net<br>
Hi- We're Peter and Lisa West- we live near the N end of 30th Ave. before 45th
St. in a recently remodeled house. That's pretty much what we did all last
summer. I work for a remodelling company and Lisa is a massage therpist. This
is our first house, we've lived here a couple years and plan to stay. We've
got two children, 6mo. and 3 years old so that's what we're up to- hanging out
with them. We have a husky dog that we love dearly- 3 yrs ago she trained for
twin cities with us- that was a long time ago. We cruise around- often at
night- by bike or foot with her- hoping we don't bother anyone and actually
thinking that by cruising the streets and alleys we are helping somehow (if we
don't alarm anyone) When we first arrived here we actually swam in the creek a
couple times- then we thought better of it- now we're hoping to learn more
about protecting this asset and improving the water quality of the creek and
lakes. We do splash in Lake Nokomis often in the summer with our 3 year old.
We love the baker's wife, hardware store, buster's, and mostly the water and
green strips of space around here. This is great- Thanks!
Hello,
We'll echo what many others have said: this is a great way to learn more
about our neighbors and neighborhood.
We're Craig & Laura Grossman. We've lived on the 46-hundred block of 34th
Avenue for nearly three years now, and we love it here. We've got two kids:
nine-year-old Noah and Francine, age seven months. Our house is just like
many of the other 1 1/2 story houses in the area; we do feel very at home,
but it is at some times cozy with two kids. That's the tradeoff for urban
living. We love living close to Al Vento, the Scandia Bake shop and a couple
local hardware stores that can a help me figure out how to snake a surly
drain -- and I admit that I still really miss Ginelli's pizza since it
closed.
Craig works out of our home as a music booking agent and teaches music
management courses downtown as well; I work in communications at Thomson
West (the old West Publishing, as was noted earlier in this thread). Noah
goes to school at Southside Family Charter school in the Stevens
neighborhood. Noah's mom (I'm his step-mom) lives close to that area, and
it's a great choice for him - but I'm very concerned about the schools in
our neighborhood as we start to think about high school for him, and
elementary school for Francine.
We spend as much time outside as we can in the summer, and although I'm
pretty amateurish I'm enjoying trying to garden. We do love living so close
to the large open lot off 47th Street and 34th Avenue -- especially Noah who
has quite a few neighborhood kids to play with once the days get longer and
warmer.
Concerns? We have few. The traffic on 34th Ave seemed to increase quite a
bit since we've moved in, I'm curious if others have noticed a change as
well. And in the summer especially, we do seem to hear a lot of people
coming off the train rather intoxicated and walking to their cars. We are
anxious to hear the plans for additional light rail lines that we'll be able
to connect to from Hiawatha in a few years; living so close to the LRT was a
major draw when we purchased our home.
Again, this is a terrific idea. Looking forward to hearing more from you
all.
Craig & Laura Grossman
(and Noah & Francine)