Gratitude for the Flag Editorial
I am grateful for the thoughtful and supportive editorial you wrote for the Hill & Lake Press regarding the State Emblems Redesign Commission last month.
Your words acknowledge the significance of our efforts and contribute to fostering a positive community spirit.
I appreciate the time and effort you dedicated to capturing the essence of the flag redesign process and highlighting the positive aspects of the new design. Your role as editor at the Hill & Lake Press is invaluable, and I am honored to have your support.
Again, thank you for your dedication and for sharing your insights with the community.
Luis Fitch Chair, State Emblems Redesign | Commission
Wonderful Piece on Seven Pools!
Josie Owens, thank you for taking time to research and write such a thoughtful article on Thomas Lowry Park last month.
At our January board meeting of Friends of Thomas Lowry Park, there was unanimous enthusiasm for your writing skills and thorough reporting.
What a treasure to have the story of this beautiful park to hand down. The activism of early Lowry Hill neighbors towards this park has continued to this day as evidenced in the recent support of the restoration of the Seven Pools and Thomas Lowry Park.
THANK YOU! I am so looking forward to part two in the February issue.
Suzanne Payne President, Friends of Thomas | Lowry Park
Historical Omission
As Dawn Erlandson was surprised at Katie Cashman’s failure to mention Hamas, I was surprised at the following statement in her letter to the editor in the Hill & Lake Press January issue: “….this is the ancestral home of the Jews and the unceded land of the Jewish people.”
It is true that Judaism preceded Islam as a religion in the area. I agree that divestment from the state of Israel is a rather simplistic view and demonstrates a lack of understanding of geopolitical dynamics in the region.
However, Dawn’s statement about unceded land does not mention anything about the inhabitants and culture of people that were there before the arrival of the Jewish people.
There is archaeological evidence that people with advanced technology and a formidable military lived in the cities of Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, Gath and Gaza. There is also biblical reference to people living inside the Walls of Jericho when that city was besieged.
So yes, in this age of easy access to fake news it’s important to include all the facts.
Lona Healam | East Isles
New Community Mental Health Clinic
I am a mental health practitioner who recently opened up Essential Care Centers, a community mental health clinic in Uptown.
I have been getting copies of your paper and enjoy reading the pages about happenings in the neighborhood, as well as issues and events that impact us. Thank you for your service!
Sam Kpahn | East Bde Maka Ska
Save The Mall Park — Let's Improve It, Not Dismantle It
The Mall Park, Uptown’s linear park that connects Hennepin Avenue South to the lakes and parkways, is slated for redevelopment under a plan that will essentially divide it into three separate parks. (Search youtube.com using key words "Mall Park East Isles" to view the presentation.) This plan has major problems:
- Two sections of paved road will be removed, severing the loop that defines the park. This cuts off access to Lake of the Isles Parkway and will force motorists to exit onto Lagoon Avenue at dangerous intersections. The confusing traffic pattern will reduce access to the park and harm pedestrian safety. Furthermore, vital parking spaces will be lost, negatively impacting visitors and residents who live near it.
- Nearly half a million dollars will be spent creating a “woonerf” which is not appropriate for a green space like The Mall Park. The woonerf is a curb-less paving project that will replace perfectly good existing roadway that does not need repair or replacement and will result in the loss of most of the parking near the library. This half a million dollars could be used to improve the park in much better ways.
- The Mall Park should remain an inviting continuous green space that connects Uptown to the beautiful lakes, as it was originally designed to do, not the proposed confusing and disjointed series of park segments.
Before it is too late, please join in asking the Park Board to reconsider their planned traffic pattern modifications, the elimination of much-needed parking, and the creation of an unnecessary woonerf.
Using a web browser, please visit Change.org and sign the petition “Save the Mall Park - let's improve it, not dismantle it” at: https://chng.it/8vgjZZRcTg
Please also contact your Park Board representatives: District 4 Commissioner Elizabeth Shaffer: 612-230-6443, ext. 4 eshaffer@minneapolisparks.org and Senior Planner Colleen O'Dell: 612-230-6469 codell@minneapolisparks.org
Mark Sloo | East Isles
Apartment Dwellers Against Mall
Park Madness I am one of hundreds of East Isles neighborhood residents who live in the many apartment buildings directly south of The Mall Park. We have many concerns about the Park Board’s ill-conceived and unneeded redevelopment of The Mall Park.
However, the Park Board has ignored our voices throughout this process. Dozens of my neighbors attended the community meetings held by the board in 2018 and 2019 to express our concerns. But these meetings resulted in no meaningful engagement by the Park Board.
More recently, this November the Park Board sent residents a deceptive mailer that concealed the true nature and extent of The Mall Park Plan, making it sound like all that was happening was a temporary disruption of The Mall Park roads caused by the coming sewer replacement project.
In January, the Park Board published a website that they claimed was inviting public participation in the planning process. But in reality, the opportunity to provide comment on the site was so limited that it was useless.
It appears that Park Board has been trying to provide cover, to give the appearance of public participation, to give the appearance of accountability and transparency. But the truth is, the Board has maintained tight control of the process and has in fact avoided meaningful engagement with residents’ concerns.
Residents deserve to have a voice in city projects in our neighborhood that affect us. We deserve answers from the Park Board.
Aaron Jorgensen-Briggs | East Isles
Volunteer to Feed the Those in Need
I am the Volunteer Manager for Agate Housing and Services. We are a nonprofit serving unstably housed people, with a mission to end homelessness and relieve hunger. Agate provides shelter, housing, meals and a free weekly food shelf called Shelf of Hope.
Shelf of Hope is a volunteer run food shelf, which is open to anyone (no requirements) on Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Last December we served over 500 households and gave out over 20,000 pounds of meats, fruits, vegetables, grains and household/hygiene supplies.
We are looking for additional volunteers to help us serve this increasing demand on Mondays (stocking) and Wednesdays (serving). We are also seeking those who can speak and translate Spanish fluently.
By becoming a Food Shelf Generalist, they would join hands with a team of people who believe that all human beings deserve food and their basic needs met. They would work directly with the people they are helping, face-to-face, building a caring and connective community.
We're looking for people to help serve their community on Mondays (prep) and Wednesdays (open hours) at the Shelf of Hope! 714 Park Ave, Minneapolis, MN, 55404.
If you are interested, contact the me at 612-327-6389 or Noah.Chan@AgateMN.org. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.
Noah Chan| Whittier
