Lake Street News
Brief
The Lake Street
Council's mission is to build a cohesive strategy to ensure the ongoing vitality
of the Lake Street Corridor business community.
If you are a business owner or
commercial property holder on or within a block of Lake Street,
please take our Lake Street Survey
today!
Crime
Update:
There has been a lot of discussion recently about crime in
the Midtown area, and how to prevent it. The following is a safety update from
Council member Gary Schiff:
-
Inspector Gerlicher has received an allocation of $25K
for buyback which will all be used along 15th Avenue and related streets to
deal with crime displacement from the cameras installed on Bloomington,
Chicago, and Lake. It is starting immediately and will be staffed late
night/early morning hours only.
-
Starting this week, an extra squad car will be parked,
moved daily, to also provide a visual
deterrent.
-
Block club residents have been in
daily e-mail contact with my office and Inspector Gerlicher with detailed
information about sleepless nights filled with noise, dealing, fights and
trespassing.
Additionally, last week there was a meeting at La Guayaquil
restaurant that brought together a large group of Latino business owners,
representatives from area business organizations, residents, Lake Street area
city council members, Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan, and other MPD
representatives to discuss crime issues. Here are some of the steps
forward and suggestions from that meeting:
-
The city will be hiring more officers and making a
greater effort to recruit bilingual officers, and to involve the Lake Street
Latino community in the hiring process. Everyone agrees about the need for
more beat cops and the importance of familiarity between our
business owners and our street
police.
-
Lake Street Council can provide business owners with
bilingual flyers announcing the installation of cameras in the area to the
general community. It was suggested that these be posted in places of
business.
- Continue to utilize Court
Watch, Safety Collaborative, CLEAN Sheets, and impact
statements.
- Lake Street Council will also work with the Minneapolis
Police Department to put on bilingual safety
training.
This group will meet again in six months to evaluate
progress.
Other
Announcements:
-
Minneapolis
has openings on the Empowerment Zone Governance Board, the Heritage
Preservation Commission and the Latino Advisory Council. For more information
and for applications, please go to: www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/boards-and-commissions/open/
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Council member Schiff and the rest
of the Lake Street Council board would like to thank everyone who came out to
bid at our silent auction as part of our annual fundraiser. Your enthusiastic
response to the (over 100) gifts donated by the Lake Street area businesses
has put almost $7000 into the continued support of programs and services
provided by Lake Street Council. And we all thank Council member Schiff for
his terrific job of emceeing the silent auction.
Upcoming Events:
November 29th: Hiawatha-Lake
Under-Bridges Improvements Public Meeting
6:30 - 8:00 PM, 2703 East 31st Street (Holy Trinity
Lutheran Church)
You are invited to this follow-up meeting to learn more
about proposed improvements at the Hiawatha-lake intersection and to share your
observations and experiences as a driver, transit user, and pedestrian under the
bridges.
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM, 920 East Lake Street
For more information, call 612-296-3680
7:00 PM, 810 West 31st St. (Lyndale United
Church of Christ)
For more information, call 612-296-3680
December 6th: "Murder and Mayhem!" Stories of the Pioneers
and Soldiers Cemetery
5:30 - 7:30 PM, 2120 Park Ave. (Entrance on East
22nd St.)
Come for a feast, storytelling, and celebrating 30 years
of The Alley newspaper. RSVP to 612-278-7195. Donations of any size welcome.
December 9th: Craft Sale for the
Revolution
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, 2815 East Lake Street (Jack Pine
Community Center)
Arts and crafts by local artists, food, music, and
activities for the kids.
December 14th: Leadership: Honoring the
Greatness of African American People
6:30 PM, 710 Hennepin Ave. (Pantages
Theater)
WE WIN Institute's 2006 Kwanzaa Celebration, honoring
community leaders. Free to the public.
6:30 PM on the 15th and 16th, 4:30 PM
on the 17th
Come experience the Christmas Story like you never have before.
Audiences will move among three different locations: from the Mercado Central to
the Avalon Theatre, and, in a torch-lit procession, to St. Paul Evangelical
Lutheran Church, where all will be welcomed for the Nativity and a fiesta --
complete with music, food, and games.
Through December 31st: Wonderful
World, at Obsidian Arts
2948 Chicago Ave. S.,
Suite #220
Works by Koffi Mbairamadji
7:30 PM Tuesday - Thursday, 8:00 PM Friday - Saturday,
2:00 & 7:30 PM Sunday
2951 Lyndale Ave. S.
"Richard Brinsley Sheridan's 18th century comic
masterpiece, rollicking with unconventional wit and wholesome emotion, is the
perfect confection for the holidays!"
Through December 30th:
Fair Trade Holiday Craft Sale
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Monday -
Friday, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Saturdays
3019 Minnehaha Ave. (Bookstore of the
Americas)
Featuring a wide selection of fairly
traded items from throughout the Americas, including jewelry, food, scarves,
toys, soaps, wood carvings, and ornaments, in addition to cards, books and
CDs.
