january 2006 uptown neighborhood news

8/7/2019 January 2006 Uptown Neighborhood News

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By Patrick Anderson

The ice thats formed on LakeCalhoun rests in silent antici-pation of the ice skates ofhundreds of hockey enthusi-asts ready to test their skills ina new form of winter gamescompetition coming to ourneck of the woods in late Janu-ary. Fred Haberman, an ownerof a local PR firm and hockeyenthusiast, along with a few ofhis friends, is behind the 3-dayevent theyve decided to callThe U.S. Pond Hockey Cham-pionships.

The competition itself is morethan just a fuel for Haber-mans dedication to the sport ofhockey. Twenty percent of theproceeds garnered through reg-istration fees will be donated toThe Herb Brooks Foundation,and on top of that, additionalmonies will be donated to theinner city youth hockey organi-zation, The DinoMights.

Haberman says that he likes toplay outdoor games at Lakeof the Isles like a lot of peopledo, but the tournament itself

isnt a culmination of any sortof league. Rather, its an open,round robin tournament inwhich anybody of any skill levelor age can compete. Throughphotographs, through my ownexperiences, through conversa-tions and sharing stories withpeople older than me, that thingwe all share is a love of what weall refer to as pond hockey,said Haberman.

The sport itself is a fair, open,and family-friendly competi-tion between men and women

of a similar ilk, and the orga-nizers of the U.S. Pond Hockey

tournament make an effort tofollow in the same trend. Eachof the 25 rinks spread out acrossthe north end of Lake Calhounwill be 150 feet by 75 feet andshoveled prior to each matchby the two opposing teams. Nochecking will be allowed, alongwith no puck lifting; with thisrule in mind, the nets of eachrink rise a mere 10 inches offthe surface of the ice. Teams

of four with no goalie play two17-1/2 minute halves with a 3-

minute intermission. I endedup falling in love with that spir-it, that purity when I startedplaying as a kid, said Haber-man. And so, he set forth toorganize a worthy competitionthat would live up to the oldtradition of pond hockey pick-up games.

Once Haberman and his part-ner Paul Ridgeway, of the oper-

ational logistics firm RidgewayInternational, set about devel-oping a plan to enlist teams toplay the tournament, the ballwas rolling for the U.S. PondHockey Championships inau-gural year. Well, the ball sortof rolled. It rolled for a dayuntil every single opening onthe projected roster was filledand the tournament was leftwith a waiting list of over 100teams interested in getting ashot at the Golden Shovel, the

PARKINGThe Calhoun Executive Cen-ter Parking lot, to the North ofthe warming house tent will beavailable throughout the week-end. Enter the lot off CalhounParkway.

OFFICIAL SONGHear the Frozen Carp sing theofficial Pond Hockey themesong:

(www.uspondhockey.com/page/USPHC-Audio-Madness-pt--2.jsp)

LEGEND OF THE GOLD-EN SHOVELVikings in search of pond hock-ey died in a blizzard on LakeCalhoun in 1331, leaving behindThe Golden Shovel, which wasdiscovered by an archeologistlast March.

By Aaron Rubenstein

The Minneapolis PlanningCommission voted December20 to approve a major expansionof Calhoun Square. CARAGvoted later the same evening toappeal the decision to the CityCouncil, primarily based onopposition to the planned fiveand seven story heights of twoof the new buildings.

The Planning Commissionapproval came after the com-mission laid over the project atits October 5 and November 28meetings. The projects devel-oper and architects did a majorredesign of the project after the

first meeting and a moderate

redesign after the second layover.The design changes approvedat the third commission meet-ing include a more contempo-rary architectural design, a newdesign for the outdoor plazaat 31st and Girard, green wallsections on the east wall of theramp (vines will grow on grids),and setbacks from Lake andfrom Fremont for the seven-story building on Lake betweenFremont and Girard.

Gary Schiff, a member of thePlanning Commission and theCity Council, played a key rolein guiding the project to approv-

U.S. Pon Hocey ChampionshipsSet To Play on Lae CalhounJanuary 20 to 22

Covering the Neighborhoods ofCARAG and ECCO in the Uptown Area January 2006 Volume 2, Number 1

Graphc prove U.S. Pon Hocke Champonshps

Torne rinks srrond the central Calhon Gardens rink on the north endof Lake Calhon. Bring the famil to skate in the open skating area betweengames. To the west of the rinks, a warming hose will f eatre tornament HQ,vendors and entertainment.

POND HOCKEy

continued on page 4

Crme Map .............. ................ ............... ...... 3

CARAG Report ............. ................ ........... 4

ECCO Report ............... ............... .............. 6

Propert Taxes ............. ................ ........... 8

Artst Mke Etoll .................................... 10

sde

Wnne the Snow-Pooh photo Ka Ngaar-Graham

CALHOuN SQuARE

continued on page 2

Calhoun Square ExpansionApproe an Appeale

FUN FACTS ABOUT THE TOURNEY

By Kay Nygaard-Graham

Ralph Remington was swornin as the new 10th Ward Coun-cilmember on January 3rd.He will be active on the fol-lowing committees: Commu-nity Development, Elections,Intergovernmental Relations,Taxes, and Zoning & Planning.In addition, he will be chairingthe Rules Committee.

Campaign manager Lisa Mill-er will move into position asSenior Policy Aide, and Larin-

da Slater (formerly with Nata-lie Johnson Lees office) willtake over as Associate in chargeof office administration.

Congratulations on the newjobs, and best wishes to thisnew team in the coming yearas they wrestle with some verytough and complicated issuesfacing our community.

Kay Nygaard-Graham lives inCARAG, serves on the UNN

Managing Board and shot thephotos for this article.

Tenth WardConcilmemberRalph RemingtonTakes Office

Photos Ka Ngaar-Graham

Left photo: Tenth Ward Concilmember Ralph Remington with his wife Mar.Right photo: Senior Polic Aide Lisa Miller (right) with her partner NanBlomqist watch for retrns at the election night victor part at Bar Abilene.


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UPTOWN NEiGHbORHOOd NEWS jANUARy 2006

NEwS, STORY IdEAS ANd LETTERS TOTHE [email protected], 711 West Lake St. #303Minneapolis, MN 55408(612) 259-1372

MANAgINg BOARdAppointed/Elected Reps:

Gary Farland, Chair (ECCO) 824-6744Ralph D. Knox, Vice-chair (ECCO)Carrie Menard (ECCO)Anna Matthes, Treasurer (CARAG)Kay Nygaard-Graham, Secretary(CARAG) 825-3637Jill Bode (CARAG)Volnteer Members:David PetersonMary Ann Knox

AdvERTISINgMary Ann Knox [email protected] are due by the 17th of each month(if you dont have it in by then, call anyway)

PHOTOgRAPHERSJeffrey Farnam, Dave Peterson, KayNygaard-Graham, Rick Bojko, GaryFarland, Kelly Newcomer

NEwSPAPER CIRCULATIONCARAG/ECCO Circulation:Bill Boudreau 825-0979

CONTRIBUTORSPatrick Anderson, Erin Connors,Gary Farland, Paul Livdahl, Jane Miller,Kelly Newcomer, Kay Nygaard-Graham,Al Olme, David Omer, Eric Peterson,Aaron Rubenstein

gRAPHIC dESIgN & PROdUCTIONKelly Newcomer 824-1092

[email protected]

MINNEAPOLIS CITY COUNCILTenth WardRalph Remington, [email protected]

CRIME PREvENTION SPECIALISTTom Thompson5th PrecinctSAFE Unit, Sector 23101 Nicollet AveMinneapolis MN 55408Serving the neighborhoods of;CARAG, East Harriet, ECCO, Kingfield,Linden Hills, Lyndale, West Calhoun

5TH PRECINCT COMMUNITY ATTORNEYLisa Godon 673-2005

Uptown Neighborhood News reserves the right to refuse publi-

cation of articles or advertisements as it sees fit. But we will see

fit to publish most things, dont worry.

Copyright 2005. Uptown Neighborhood News.

Uptown neighborhood newsUptown Neighborhood News is a monthly publication of Calhoun Area Residents Action Group(CARAG) in cooperation with the East Calhoun Community Organization (ECCO). UNNcovers the news of and is delivered free to households within the area bounded by Lyndale Ave.S. and Lake Calhoun, between Lake Street and 36th St. W. Extra copies are distributed to busi-nesses in the Uptown area, along Lake Street, and Lyndale and Hennepin Aves. Circulation is5,100, with a pass-along readership of 10,000. Publication and distribution is near the first week-end of every month. Subscriptions are available for $30 per year, prepaid. Send check to: UNN,711 W. Lake St., Suite 303, Minneapolis, MN 55408.

Contributors are area residents who volunteer their time to bring the news of the area to resi-dents. Articles, letters to the editor and story ideas are welcomed and encouraged. The editorreserves the right to edit for length, clarity, relevance to the area, or other reasons. Editorial andadvertising guidelines are available. Please contact the editor:

al. He said at the December 20commission meeting that he wasvery pleased with the redesignand that the third story setbackalong Lake St. is an importantmodel. Schiff added that hesbecoming more comfortablewith Lake St. becoming a mid-

rise district and that the Cal-houn Square project will helpset the future vision for guidingdevelopment in the Lake St. cor-ridor. Schiff cited the historicanomalies of the Sears buildingand Lyn-Lakes Calhoun build-ing, both not located in Uptown,as precedents for taller buildingsalong Lake St.

Two Planning Commissionmembers expressed concernsabout the project and cast somevotes against it. David Motzen-becker said the project conflicts

with traditional urban form andelements of the citys compre-hensive plan. He said that hehas trouble with the projectscompatibility with the existingcharacter of the street and thatthe location is too important toignore.

Commissioner Walid El Hindiexpressed concern about tradi-tional urban form and the char-

acter of Uptown. He said theproposed larger retailers wouldhave a big impact, changing thescale and feel of what Uptown isall about.

Calhoun Square developer JayScott said he appreciates thecomments about the characterand scale of Uptown and wants

to respect and build on it.

The commission did not allowany public testimony at theDecember 20 meeting, angeringmany of the nine East Calhounand CARAG residents whoattended.

CARAGs appeal is expected tobe heard at the January 19 meet-ing of the City Councils Zon-ing and Planning Committee(9:30 a.m., room 317 City Hall).Neighborhood residents areencouraged to attend. The com-

mittee, chaired by Gary Schiff,will make a recommendationto the full City Council, whichis expected to vote on the appealon January 27. For more infor-mation about the project, theappeal, and how to participate,please call CARAG coordinatorScott Engel at 823.2520.

Aaron Rubenstein chairsCARAGs Zoning Committee.

CALHOuN SQuAREcontinued from page 1

By Gary Farland

The Animal Rights Coalition(ARC) celebrated its 25th Anni-

versary on December 9 with anopen house at its location inthe lower level of the UptownOffice Park Building at 33rdand Hennepin. A plaque wasgiven to the founder, BonnieThomasberg, by the ARC pres-ident, Charlotte Cozzetto.

ARC has been in its presentlocation since the mid-80s,and has about 1,000 members.They are a solo organization,although there are local ARCsin other cities. All staff are vol-unteer, and the main activity is

to provide community outreachand education regarding thetreatment of domestic and wildanimals.

The mission statement is For25 years ARC has been dedi-cated to ending the suffer-ing, abuse, and exploitation ofnon-human animals throughinformation, education andadvocacy.

According to President Cozzet-to, ARC does not feel that ani-mal rights demonstrations have

much impact anymore, and sothey concentrate on providingeducational materials at meet-ings and providing informa-tion over the phone for peopleseeking assistance. They have ahuge storehouse of informationat their Hennepin location.

Recently, they donated a neu-ter commuter van to facilitatethe spaying and neutering offeral cats. Cozzetto said that

there are about 20,000 animalsin shelters in the Twin Cit-ies. They have also helped theWildcat Sanctuary in Isanti,an animal rescue in Red Lake,and the Chicken Run Rescue.The latter is an effort to rescuechickens that are being foundon the loose, mainly fromimmigrant homes. Another

successful effort was to stopthe use of carbon monoxidein the euthanasia of animalsat the Golden Valley AnimalHumane Society. Now theyuse lethal injections, which isfar more humane. They areworking to reverse the statelegislation that allows the hunt-ing of doves, and recently wona lawsuit that ended first yearmedical students at the Univer-sity operating on live dogs for

practice.

The group meets the secondSaturday of each month from10 to 11 a.m. at the lower levelof 3249 Hennepin Avenue. Allpersons are welcome whetherthey belong to the organiza-tion or not, and the meetingsconcern planning activities to

further the Coalitions goals.The center is also open everyWednesday from noon until7 p.m. For more informa-tion, visit their web site (www.animalrightscoalition.com) orcontact them at (612) 822-6161.

Gary Farland has been a long-time member of the ARC.

Animal Rihts Coalition Celebrates25th Anniersary

Photo Gar Farlan

ARC President Charlotte Cozzetto (left) presents a plaqe to ARC fonderBonnie Thomasberg.

Pastor Don Portwood is cel-ebrating 25 years as pastor atLyndale United Church ofChrist, 31st and Aldrich. Thecongregation will celebrateSunday, January 15, duringworship and afterwards with aspecial reception.

Don shared duties with co-pas-tor Cathie Crooks for years.Now that he is back on hisown, he says it is exciting. He

feels invigorated and enthusedwith this new opportunity.Besides tending to his congre-gation, Don has been involvedin many social justice effortsover the years, from advocatingfor peace and helping homelessfamilies to trying to repeal theconceal and carry gun laws andto raise awareness about oil andgas supplies. He has been andis an asset to this community.Congratulations, Don.

Don Portwood Celebrates 25 ears at Lndale uCC


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jANUARy 2006 UPTOWN NEiGHbORHOOd NEWS

By Eric Petersen

Now in its fourth year, the Cityof Lakes Loppet (pronouncedlow-pet) swooshes into Uptownagain on the 4th and 5th ofFebruary. The Loppet is billed

as the largest urban ski race inNorth America. Beyond the35K premier race, there aremany other happenings over theweekend, including age-levelraces, sprints and more relaxedshort-cut routes through thecourse. In addition to the regu-larly held events, there are someinteresting new happenings foreither casual skiers or hardcorecompetitors to enjoy.

First, a new event called Ski-joring will be introduced onthe opening Saturday at 2:00p.m. This is for more advancedskiers and their (hopefully welltrained and behaved) dogs. Itwill be a shorter, 5K run aroundCalhoun and through the streetsof Uptown. The dogs, in a sortof harness, pull the skier along,presumably at a pretty good clip.

It will probably be very interest-ing to watch as the canines pulltheir masters along.

For the less advanced skier orfamilies, the new LuminaryLoppet could be a fun way

to participate in the festivities.Described as a non-competitiveevent, skiers will start on thestreets of Uptown at 6:30 p.m.Saturday evening and maketheir way to the lakes. The laketrails at Isles and Calhoun willbe lit by luminaries, candlesinside of ice balls. Skiers finishback at Uptown Square wherethere will be hot chocolate orcoffee available.

Last years debacle with lowsnow levels will hopefully beavoided. The MinneapolisPark and Recreation board hasteamed with City of Lakes Nor-dic Ski Foundation to produceartificial snow at Wirth Parkand beyond for this years race.

Beyond the usual prize money,the City of Lakes Loppet is also

a part of the new MinnesotaSkinnyski Series, a four-racecycle that offers the top maleand female finishers a trip toIceland to ski in the prestigiousFossavatn Ski Marathon.

Visit the Loppets web site fora complete list of all events andtimes (www.cityoflakesloppet.com). And if you are interestedin helping out, the race needsmany volunteers before andduring race day. All volunteersreceive a Loppet hat. Sign up atthe web site.

Crime Nes from 5th precinct

ECCO and CARAG crime statistics from November 2005

CPS Tom Thompson, Crime Prevention SpecialistMinneapolis Police Department, 5th Precinct3101 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55408(612) [email protected]

Calhoun Parkway, westbound31st, and Hennepin between Lakeand 31st will be closed from 5 a.m.Sat., Feb. 4 to 11 p.m. Sun., Feb. 5.

Hennepin Avenue buses will bere-routed:Southbound buses will follow:Lake to FremontFremont to 32nd32nd to Hennepin

Northbound buses will follow:32nd to EmersonEmerson to Lagoon

Lagoon to Hennepin

Other closures:Sat., Feb. 4 5 a.m. to 1 p.m.:

south end of Isles Parkway closedfrom 28th Street on the west toCalhoun Parkway on the east. Thedog park will remain open. Peoplecan walk from either side.

Sun, Feb. 5 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.:Lake of the Isles Parkway at northend of Lake and Franklin Avenue.Traffic will be routed around Ken-wood Park.

Photo from Ct of Lakes Loppet

The finish line of the big race is in uptown on Hennepin Avene.

Cit Of Lakes Loppet Looking Forward to Snow

UPTOWN STREET CLOSINGS

Obituary

CARAG Designer Jon Jacobsen WasFavorite on Garden Tor

By David Omer

CARAG resident Jon Jacob-son died at home of a heartattack on December 10. Hewas 57 years old and had suf-fered from several ailments inrecent years. He was a neigh-borhood resident for almost30 years. While still a renter,he helped plant one of thefirst front yard rock gardensin the neighborhood. Later,

he bought the house next doorand the garden expandedinto the yard and boulevardsof that lot as well. His fullyplanted yard was always ananticipated stop on the annualCARAG Garden Tour foreight years.

The Hibbing native gradu-ated from the University ofMinnesota with a degree ininterior design and workedin the design field for over30 years. In the 1970s, he wasa partner in a design firm inthe 3000 block of Hennepin

Avenue, and later returnedto Calhoun Square with Top-pings, a hat and accessorystore started in the formerConservatory in downtownMinneapolis. Between 1990and 2004, he worked in asso-ciation with Barbara Fogel ofMinneapolis as a design teamon projects in the LowryHill and Kenwood neigh-borhoods, and in Edina andHighland Park. He is sur-

vived by his sister, CathySwanson of North Oaks. ACelebration of Life was heldJanuary 3 at the LakewoodCemetery Chapel.

David Omer is a friend andneighbor of Jon.


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4 UPTOWN NEiGHbORHOOd NEWS jANUARy 2006

Monthl Neighborhood Meet-ing Mintes

December 20, 2005

Subject to Approval at the Jan-uary 2006 CARAG Meeting

Board Members Attending:Rick Bojko, Cindy Christian,

Thatcher Imboden, EllanMeyer, Bill Morton, KayNygaard-Graham, AaronRubenstein and Howard Ver-son. (Absent: Jill Bode)

Welcome: The CARAG Boardis made up of volunteers whoalso volunteer time on otherneighborhood committees andorganizations. Scott Engel, theCARAG community coordina-tor, can be reached at 612-823-2520. CARAG is a democraticorganization; membership andvoting privileges are open to

residents, property owners, andbusiness owners in the neigh-borhood.

Approve Agenda & Mintes:Motions were passed to approvethe agenda and the Novembermeeting minutes.

Treasrers Report: (CindyChristian) CARAG has$11,990.67 in the operationsaccount, $6990.88 in assetaccounts. The UNN accounthas total assets of $3806.35 as ofNov 30, 2005.

The UNN Managing Boardsubmitted a resolution thatCARAG and UNN jointlypurchase MYOB so that bothorganizations will use the samefinancial accounting program,pending successful conversionof historical accounting data forNRP. The resolution passedafter much discussion andan expense was approved forCARAG to spend up to $450toward the cost for software,data conversion, and training.

The total cost will be sharedwith the UNN, and possiblyECCO.

New Bsiness/Annonce-ments:

Cit of Lakes Loppet: (JohnMunger) The City of LakesLoppet cross-country ski raceevents will be held Saturdayand Sunday, Feb 4 & 5.

Brant Sqare Park: (Julie San-din) Skating season is now openat the park.

Crime Report: (Tom Thomp-son, Community Crime Pre-vention Specialist) Area crimestatistics for December aresomewhat improved after twobad months. There is a localcrime spike immediately sur-rounding Bryant Square Park,which is under investigation.There are still quite a few autothefts, thefts from motor vehi-cles, and burglaries, with theftfrom motor vehicles still thesingle item pushing crime statsup.

NRP Report: (Kay Nygaard-Graham, Scott Engel) NRPcommittee updates were dis-tributed. A 2006 CARAG

Event Calendar was presentedand approved.

As discussed at both the Octo-ber and November CARAGmeetings, a Plan Modificationwas presented to reallocateapproximately $100,000 of NRPfunds from various line items,either dormant funds or fundsremaining after project comple-tion, and move that money intoImplementation 22.1 Office& Staff Support. Each sub-committee has approved rec-ommended changes. This plan

was approved unanimously.

Lndale Ave Reconstrction:(Howard Verson). The com-mittee is still looking at optionsfor amenities such as lightingto be part of the planned 2007reconstruction of Lyndale Avefrom 31st St to 38th St. Theplan calls for an island medianto be installed down the middleof the street along this por-tion. While the county will paythe cost to install landscapingin this median, there is a con-

troversy over who will pay formaintenance of any landscap-ing, and none can be installeduntil a source of maintenancefunds is secured.

The discussion of pedestrian-level lighting was referred toCrime & Safety committee forconsideration of using NRPfunds to subsidize the cost.

A resolution was approved that:CARAG strongly opposes aconcrete surface on the medianon the Lyndale Ave reconstruc-tion, and encourages task forc-es and others involved to solvethe problem of median mainte-nance. A letter stating this asCARAGs position will be sentto appropriate parties.

Zoning: (Aaron Rubenstein)The zoning committee hasbeen exceptionally busy withthe proposed Calhoun Squareproject. After many meetings,the committee met last weekand drafted a recommendationto the city Planning Commis-sion that approval for the proj-ect be denied. The letter alsoprovided some conditions thatwould make the project moreacceptable. However, at the cityPlanning Commissions meet-

ing held just a few hours priorto this CARAG meeting, theCommission approved the proj-ect with only minor changes.

Aaron proposed that CARAGappeal the Planning Commis-sions approval of the CalhounSquare project to the CityCouncil. The appeal will citeas a primary issue the height of

the project, and the incompat-ibility of a 7-story building onthe south side of Lake St. Theestimated cost of the appealto CARAG is about $250 plusabout $30 for required labels.These costs will be paid fromthe CARAG general fund, notNRP funds. This was approvedby an 11 to 6 vote.

Lake Street Reconstrction:(Gay Noble, working alongwith Catherine Geisen-Kisch)Gay and Catherine are theCARAG representatives to asub-committee currently gath-ering input for the upcom-ing reconstruction of thewestern portion of Lake St. Atthis point, the goal is to decide ata conceptual level what Lake St

should look like, how it shouldfunction and how it shouldfeel. Gay and Catherine wouldlike to gather input on this andreach a neighborhood consen-sus. A meeting is planned forSaturday, January 14th, start-ing at 10:30, at Bryant SquarePark, for visioning, open dis-cussion and brainstorming forthe future of Lake Street.

Midtown Greenwa Coali-tion: (Scott Devins) Thereis ongoing discussion of hav-ing a Bike Center developedon the Greenway, near Allinahospital, with a bike shop andother resources for bicyclists.

Adjorn: Motion to adjournpassed unanimously.

The CARAGBoard meetsthe thirdTuesday ofeach month,7 PM at

Bryant ParkCommunity

Center, 31st and Bryant. AllCARAG residents are welcomeand urged to attend.

Calhoun Area Resents Acton GroupCARAG reporLake St.

36th St.

HennepinAve.

LyndaleAve.

Check out the new andimproved CARAG website

www.carag.org

New content will beupdated regularly. Youwill find lots of infoabout the neighborhoodand CARAG organiza-tion. More on the way.

CARAG WEB SITE!

This committee has threegeneral goals: increase publicgreen spaces; establish/pro-mote community-buildingevents and opportunities; andcreate a clean neighborhoodand Lake Calhoun area.

The group is currently devel-oping a grant program toinoculate elm trees against

Dutch Elm Disease. Thecommittee continues to workwith the city to replant boule-vard trees. Another ongoingproject is the improvement ofthe business district at 36thand Bryant by replacing theconcrete boulevards withtrees and sod. The commit-

tee is also working to imple-ment a new Bryant SquarePark Conceptual Plan with afocus on improving the pas-sive uses of the park. Thecommittee organizes annualevents like Chilly Chili Fest(February), the ArchitectureTour (spring and/or fall), andthe Garden Tour (June).

Meetings are on the secondWednesday of the month at5:30 p.m., usually at GigisCafe, 36th and Bryant.The public is welcome andencouraged to attend.

Become a CARAG Volun-teer!

first place trophy of the cham-pionship tournament. The out-side excitement reached such aheight that Haberman and hispartners began auctioning offspots on eBay.

Teams flooded in from all over.Groups of people from the dis-tant towns of rural Minnesotaas well as men and women fromall over the nation signed up tocompete. Teams from Wiscon-sin, Massachusetts, Texas, andeven a New York Fire Depart-ment hockey club all decided

to join the ranks and have theirhand at achieving glory on thelake.

The Calendar

The event will begin Friday,January 20, with exhibitiongames under lights on Cal-houn Gardens, the center rinkof the whole affair. A slew ofsurprise guests will take theice and face off in these pre-liminary events, including ourgovernor Tim Pawlenty andprofessional hockey greats

from the NHL and the Olym-pics. After the sun sets on thefrozen banks of Lake Calhoun

the crowds will filter off intothe warming house and witnessa scene of celebration. Livemusic, beer, and food will awaitthe anxious masses.

The next day, Saturday, Janu-ary 21, will bring about theunfolding of the games them-selves. On the 24 surroundingrinks the teams will begin theinitial rounds of elimination.Each of the 128 teams is guar-anteed three games of play, andgames will face off simultane-ously throughout the day. Sun-

down will bring about an endto the first day of games witha closing exhibition match, fol-lowed once again by eveningcelebrations.

On Sunday, January 22, theteams that struggled throughthe opening games to rack upthe most number of wins willcompete in an all-out battle ofskills in an attempt to capturethe first annual Golden Shoveltrophy. Its family-friendlybut at the same time we canrelive some old glory days, too,

said Haberman of the tourna-ment. The semi-finals and thechampionship game will take

place on Calhoun Gardens,the center rink surrounded bybleachers, and after the thing isfinished the awards ceremonywill commence.

As for the future of the Cham-pionships, its initial successspeaks on its own. We wantthis to be an annual communityevent, said Haberman Wehope people will come out andhave fun.

If Uptown citizens are interest-ed in lending a hand towards

setup and preparation for theevent, theyre encouragedto sign up, and can do so bycontacting Fred Habermanat (612) 338-3900 or [email protected]. For moreinformation on the event itself,visit the U.S. Pond HockeyChampionships web site (www.uspondhockey.com).

Patrick Anderson is a writerwho likes Lake of the Isles, but

is pleased to see hockey on LakeCalhoun.

POND HOCKEycontinued from page 1

what does the CARAg Liability Committee do?


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jANUARy 2006 UPTOWN NEiGHbORHOOd NEWS 5

CARAg Boar ProfilesBy Mary Ann Knox

Get to know a little bit about your neighbors who serve on theCARAG Board. Each month, we will feature several Boardmembers. They welcome your advice and your help in trying toimprove CARAG. When you see them on the street, stop and sayhello.

Rick is a first time CARAGBoard member who plungedright into the job of Secretary.Having always been involvedin community service, work-ing with CARAG is an obviousextension of this interest.

Rick settled in CARAG fiveyears ago, transplanted fromPittsburgh for his job at Sea-

gate as an electrical engineer.

Searching for a place to live, hewas told Uptown was the placefor him. Then he studied a mapto find a place within 10 milesof work and within one mile ofCalhoun Square, and settled onhis Colfax Ave. location. Fromhere he can walk around theneighborhood, and still biketo work in Bloomington whenthe weather is good or ride thebus in winter.

Rick has a great love of music.He plays the guitar only forhimself, and enjoys blues, folkand world music.

He is very interested in the his-tory of Minnesota and has visit-ed many historical sites aroundthe state. Farther afield, helived in Ireland for a year, againa transfer for his job.

Looking forward to his timeon the Board, he says he has nospecific issues right now, but ispleased to dabble in a lot of dif-

ferent topics and is still figur-ing out where he will be mostuseful.

He is very pro local businessand likes his dollars to staylocal. He is a regular user of thelibrary and parks. He likes thisinvolvement that makes a bigcity seems like a small neigh-borhood.

Photo Rck boko

CARAG Board Secretar Rick BojkoPhoto dave Peterson

CARAG Treasrer Cind Christian

Rick Bojko Cind Christian

WALKER LIBRARy re-opened January 2 after beingclosed for a month to repair theparking lot.

COMINGS AND GOINGS

IN CALHOuN SQuARE.X-Ra Vision at 3007 Lyn-dale Avenue closed Nov. 1 andmerged with its sister store,eedeals, in Calhoun Square.The Golden Leaf smoke storemoved across the street fromits former home in CalhounSquare. uptown Traders leftCalhoun Square at the end ofDecember. Rumors say morestores are going as the newmanagement and reconstruc-tion project shakes things up.

NEW BANK ON HENNE-

PIN. Suddenly one day theformer Sdnes site was noth-ing but a hole. A new Main-street Bank will replace it in thespring.

NEW 311 SERVICE. The cityof Minneapolis has launcheda new resource for citizens tofind out information about cityservices. Call 311 for any non-emergency request. It is avail-able weekdays between 7 a.m.and 11 p.m. Ask for potholesto be fixed, or find out howto retrieve your car from theimpound lot, or report a brokenstreet light

SMITTEN KITTEN openedNovember 29 at 3010 LyndaleAvenue. It is a woman-owned,feminist, gender-friendly, erot-ic boutique and sex toy store(including toys for boys). TheSmitten Kitten, owned by threewomen, opened 2-1/4 years agoat 2223 East 35th Street. JessieKitten said that shes thrilledabout the new location. She saidthe store moved to take advan-

tage of a larger space, morewalk-in traffic, and a lot more

visibility. Kitten added that shelikes the feel of the neighborhoodand the great storefront. Storehours are Tuesday to Thursday11 to 9, Friday and Saturday11 to 10, and Sunday 11 to 6.

(smittenkittenonline.com)

OuRuPTOWN.COM is a website operated by CARAG resi-dent Thatcher Imboden. Checkit out for discussions of develop-ment, lists of area restaurantsand other Uptown information.

CREMA CAF is open fordinner now, serving pizza,pasta, soups and panini. And ofcourse, Sonnys Ice Cream. Thisfall they also installed a newwatering system and lights fortheir world famous boulevard

garden. Crema is closed Mon-days. They are open 11 a.m.to 9 p.m. weekdays. Weekendsthey serve brunch from 10 a.m.to 2 p.m., and dinner from 5 to9 p.m.

LANDER GROuP DESIGNAWARD. CARAG develop-er The Lander Group won aBuilders Choice Award of Meritfrom BUILDER Magazinefor its condominium building301 Kenwood, next to the (old)Guthrie. Their 9th Street Loftsin downtown St. Paul won theGrand Award in 2003.

HIGHPOINT CENTER FORPRINTMAKING received a$45,000 grant from the NationalEndowment for the Arts.

VINO 610 has opened at 610West Lake St. in Lyn-Lake.Jody Bebnar and Cathie Hallfeature a great wine list anda full kitchen in a very cozyspace. They offer a selection of65 wines, 45 by the glass, and 49beers. Hours are 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.every night. Weekends they addlunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

WOW PHONE STORE ATLyN-LAKE. World of Wire-less opened in December.Unfortunately, in their firstweek someone threw a brickthrough the front door and stole

merchandise. Not an auspiciouswelcome to the neighborhood,but they have a good attitudeabout it. They are upbeat aboutbeing in the area. They sellphones and accessories. Hoursare Monday to Friday 10 a.m.to 7 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to6 p.m. Closed Sunday. (612)827.0555.

JOyCE PRESCHOOL, 31st &Fremont, is celebrating 40 yearsof service as a preschool (thelast 10 years as a dual immer-sion program) and is looking to

honor 10 individuals who havemade great strides in bridg-ing the Spanish-speaking andEnglish-speaking communi-ties in the Twin Cities. Theymay be in the area of educa-tion, business, services or faith.To submit a nomination, pleasedescribe in 200 words or lesshow this person has contribut-ed. Send nomination to: [email protected] Feb. 1, 2006. Include yourname and contact informationso the school can follow up withyou if needed.

LyNDALE uNITEDCHuRCH OF CHRISTreceived a $10,000 grant fromthe Ashley Endowment Fund todetermine how to better engagethe youth of the congregationand the neighborhood. Themoney may be used to hire acoordinator, send youth to campor other events, or to invest morein the Sunday School program.

small news ou mght usedbs

Einstein Bros. Bagels

Urban Retreat Hair Salon

Dunn Bros. Lake Street

Starbucks

BookSmart

Walker Library

Uptown Theater

YWCA

Borders Books

Famous Daves

Uptown Bar

Lotus Restaurant

Magers & Quinn

Orr Books

Dunn Bros, Hennepin

First Universalist Church

Cheapo Disc

Marlas

Hennepin Lake Liquors

Rainbow Foods

Spin Cycle

Panorama Video

Bryant Lake Bowl

Calhoun Building

Lyndale United Church of Christ

Bryant Square Park

Painter Park

Pizza Luce

Our Kitchen

The Chair

Urban Bean

Louies Deli

Kyles Market

Sams Foodmart

The Uptown Neighborhood News

is available at these locations:

Cindy is the new Board Trea-surer, but has spent the pastfew years managing the NRPaccounts. As chair of the NRP/Finance committee, she moni-tors the monies spent on neigh-borhood projects. She joinedthe NRP Advisory Committee,and that led naturally into aseat on the Board 3 years ago.

Originally from a Chicagosuburb, Cindy loves the urbannature of CARAG. She movedhere in 1998 after she met herhusband Joe on the AIDS BikeRide. They bought their houseon Colfax Ave in 2000 and livethere now with their two smallchildren.

The children attend the dualimmersion (English/Spanish)program at Joyce Preschool,and Cindy is active there, sell-ing Peace Coffee as a fund-raiser. Cindy rides her bikeeast along the Greenway tothe Eco Enterprise building tocollect the 50 lbs. of coffee thatshe hauls back. Good exercise she used to compete in IronMan Triathlons, but has lesstime now that she has smallchildren.

The family loves to travel a bike trip this year throughProvence, and usually a monthin Mexico every winter. Chil-dren have not slowed downour travel, she says. When

she finds time, she gardens,explores old houses and readsfiction. She says CARAG feelslike home she likes that sheruns into people she knowsaround the neighborhood, andthat she knows what is goingon. Funny story she andCARAG Treasurer Rick Bojkoattended Cornell University atthe same time, but did not meeteach other until they lived onColfax Ave. in south Minneap-olis. Small town indeed.


6/12


ECCO BOARD MEETINGMINuTES FOR DEC 1, 2005

Board Members Present: BruceGrimm (President), Al Ander-son (Secretary), Don MacPher-son (Treasurer), Anne G. Chase(Vice President), Carrie Men-ard, Tim Prinsen, Jim Steman,Ted Ringsred, Keith Ruddick,Lara Norkus-Crampton, Bruce

Sabatke.

Others Present: Anne Geske(SW Journal), Kay Ander-son (Resident), Bill Mor-ton (CARAG board), HughBurhans (resident), Darrelland Joanne Savage, (residents),Tom Parsons (CARAG resi-

dent), Ellen Meyer (CARAGresident), Bill Coopage, MikeElson, and Larry Salzman (Cal-houn Yacht Club)

Welcome: President, Bruce

Grimm, called the meeting toorder, welcomed board mem-bers and others, and initiatedintroductions.

HIGHLIGHTS:

1. Calhoun Yacht Club pre-sented a proposal for a facil-ity with an event centerpavilion, three retail kiosks,sailing school quarters, yachtclub quarters, with two floorsof viewing decks, a complexwhich will occupy 400 feet ofbeach/shore line on the south-

east shore of Lake Calhoun.The facility will sit immedi-ately on the waters edge andextend inland over the currentpedestrian sidewalk.

Bill Coopage, club president,said the club has formed a part-nership with the sailing school

and the Park Board. He saidthis is a plan they have beenworking on with the ParkBoard. He informed the groupthat a presentation had beenmade to the Park Board as long

as 18 months ago.

2. Ski Loppet events will beSat. and Sun., February 4 & 5.www.cityoflakesloppet.com

3. City tells Calhoun Squaredevelopers to go back again andmeet with the neighborhood.

4. City Planning Commissionapproved a 64-foot plus 10-foot HVAC condo building atIrving and Lagoon.

5. Tom Frame, Minneapolis

Environmental Supervisor, willbe at the ECCO Thursday, Jan-uary 5 board meeting. Emailyour questions to [email protected]

6. Visit the Bald Eagles in theMinnesota Valley Refuge. Fourwheel van tour.

ECCO meets the first Thurs- day of each month, 7 PM at St. MarysGreek Ortho-

dox Church,34th & Irving.

All ECCO residents are welcomeand urged to attend.

East CalhounCommunt OrganzatonECCO repor

LAKECALHOUN

Lake St.

36th St.

HennepinAve.

Arise! Gets a Facelift

ECCO Boar ProfilesBy Mary Ann Knox

Each month, we will introduce you to several ECCO Board mem-bers. These people represent you and will be happy to hear youropinions about issues in ECCO. Join them at the monthly meeting!

Photo jeffre Farnam

ECCO Secretar Al AndersonPhoto jeffre Farnam

ECCO Treasrer Don McPherson

Al Anderson Don McPherson

By Eric Petersen

The Arise! Bookstore Radi-cal Resource Center had itsGrand Re-Opening celebra-tion in early October after asummer-long remodel. It wasclosed completely only a day ortwo. Nor; even now, in Decem-ber, has the renovation processbeen totally completed. So itgoes with this collectively runanomaly on the edge of Whit-tier, at 2441 Lyndale Avenue S.While many local, even nation-al, independent bookstores haveshuttered of late, Arise!s abilityto thrive lies in their businessmodel, or lack thereof. A totalvolunteer force dedicated to itssuccess has assured continuedoperation since the store openedin 1993.

Arise!, formerly so crampedthat it felt as if the toweringbookshelves were literally on topof you, has improved immeasur-ably from the makeover, with anopen, and now welcoming, feel.Look for a faade renovation inthe spring.

A major part of the renovationwas establishing a home baseof sorts for the Womens PrisonBook Project, to which Arise!collective members volunteertime. They collect books andother materials from the publicto donate to prisons throughoutthe state. You can participate inbook donations by stopping inat Arise!, or via its website.

In early December, Arise! wasstill using the space behindthe store, abutting an alley, for

events such as the anti-holiday

party on the sixteenth. Ide-

ally, wed like to have about anevent a week, said AmandaLuker, an Arise! volunteer since1998. Since October theyvebettered that, but the wintermonths drive them inside andforce some drop off in the eventschedule. One notable happen-ing is the Saturday, January 8,Learn how to Speak FluentIRV, talk. Arise! is in favor ofthe institution of run-off elec-tion voting, and is promoting anamendment to the City Charterto make this law.

Since 1993, Arise! has main-tained the collective operations,though only one founding mem-ber is still among the ranks.About 40 part-time volunteersand 15 full-on collective mem-bers handle the day-to-dayoperations.

Though ardently humanist andstaunchly anti-consumerist,Arise! still has bills to pay. And,laughed Amanda, Were not aprofitable business, our businessplan stinks. As progressive asthe collective members may bein their politics, they cant escapemodern economics. Officially,Arise! is a non-profit corpora-tion that accepts non-deductibledonations, but that isnt a pri-mary source of income.

Beyond the bookstore, moneyis generated with a promo-tional tool called tabling,where the collective procuresspaces at political rallies orfriendly concerts to promoteits books, magazines and otheritems. Just letting people

know that were here, thats a

big portion of attending these

events. Recently they set upat a Winona LaDuke event, butwere unable to secure a place atSinead OConnors recent show.

They also keep expenses low.The remodel has been donewith volunteer labor, and thebuilding is being purchased onthe (relative) cheap with a gen-erous contract-for-deed offeredby a former collective member.

Besides the obvious effect ofopening up the formerly claus-trophobic space, the new picturewindow facing Lyndale servesanother purpose. People walk-ing or driving by now realizethat we are, in fact, a bookstore,observed Emi Sogabe, anotherlongtime Arise! volunteer.

Many independent bookstoreshave been forced to close theirbricks and mortar operationsand focus on online sales, butArise! functions as a commu-nity member itself and is keptafloat by the sheer dedicationand love of its volunteer force.Since the remodel, Amandahasnt really seen a big up-tickin business, such as when theywere labeled potential terroristson the F.B.I. watch list a fewyears back, but everyone whocomes in has been excited aboutit, she said.

Store hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.daily. To learn more, visit theweb site (www.arisebookstore.org) or call (612) 871-7110.

Eric Petersen is a student atMetropolitan State. He lives in

CARAG.

Al Anderson is perhaps theultimate urban neighborhehas lived with his wife Kay onIrving Ave. for 30 years. Theyraised three daughters here,guiding them through publicschools and the U. Tennis les-sons in neighborhood parks ledto Twin City Tennis Cham-pions. The Andersons are bigusers of Lake Calhoun and areaparks they are water enthu-siasts, and love to kayak, windsurf and fish. Their main inter-

est is to protect and preserve thewater and the area parks.

Al and Kay are a repository ofECCO history they workedon the original newspaper,The Echo, where Al sold ads.They helped start the LaborDay Parade and picnic. Overthe years they have worked onthe Super Sale, water qualityissues, Pancake Breakfasts, andthe Loon Lake Trolley Path. Alis self-employed; his company,Anderson Marketing Research,does customer surveys. In his

spare time, Al is a big do-it-yourselfer, repairing cars, thehouse, everything.

He says his 4 years on the boardhave been wonderful. He feltan obligation to be involved,and was attracted to the Boardby the NRP process. He wasworried about how the moneywould be spent; he now thinkssome has been well spent andsome has been wasted. Al andKay are proud of their involve-ment and efforts in the commu-nity. Expect to continue to see

them around, but a must seeis Al and his famous dancingduring the Labor Day Paradenext September. Watch out.

ECCOs Treasurer gets themost satisfaction from helpingother people. And that is howhe spends much of his verybusy life helping others. Firsthe works 50 to 60 hours perweek at his business, ModernSurvey, where he measures cus-tomer and employee opinionsfor Fortune 500 companies. Heloves his job. But after work,he manages to mentor an 11-year old boy as a Big Brother.Then there is the service on the

Board of Edina ABC, a pro-gram that brings minority stu-dents from around the countryto go to school in Edina. Hehas been on the ECCO Boardfor 4 years, all of them as Trea-surer. He doesnt mind the jobthat is usually difficult to fill.He came to the Board a little byaccident his neighbors RalphKnox and Anne Chase encour-aged him to go to a meeting; heenjoyed it, so decided he shouldhelp. He was not sure what toexpect, but has been surprisedat the important issues that

come before the Board, and ishappy to be aware of them, andto be able to educate others inthe neighborhood about them.

Beyond all that he is quiteactive in sports. He loves totravel, and just returned froma Christmas visit to Germanyand Denmark. Don has lived inECCO on and off for 14 years,and in his house on HumboldtAve. since 1998 -- the housejust found me. He enjoys liv-ing here, and is enjoying histime on the ECCO Board.

ECCO Boar Meetin Minutes

STAY INFORMED--AUTOMATICALLY: RECEIVEA FREE E-MAIL COPY OF THE ECCO MINUTESMONTHLY. GO TO ECCOINFO.COM FOR EASYSIGN-UP


7/12


By Jane Miller

365 virgin mornings, afternoonsand evenings ahead of us! It isquite amazing that the entireworld is born each day and thatlife can change in an instant ofour own doing or a result ofanothers. Todays path can bea lead-in to tomorrow, a lessonlearned, a skill mastered or itcan be exactly what we alwaysdreamed it would be.

What exactly is a measure oftime, the hands on a watch, theaddition of gray hair or a newcharacter line on our face, the

birth of a baby or the loss of aloved one? Minnesotans oftenuse the seasons as a gauge and

if seasons are a measure of time,does that mean in Hawaii timestands still?

Time standing still now thatis an interesting concept. Whatwould that look like, whatwould it feel like? There havebeen many firsts in our liveswhen we wished time wouldstand still: a perfect kiss, thebirth of a child, a roller coasterride or an endearing friendssmile, the soft whisper of thewind or the surprise of seeingNorthern Lights. Conceiv-ably, part of the worth of those

moments is that they do passand become a memory to drawon.

Mostly I like the movement oftime. It is a mystery, romance,adventure, self-help and text-book all wrapped into one and it is the turning of thepages that moves me. Withtime, I travel forward, nap ona lazy day or celebrate a specialoccasion. With time sorrowlessens, memories are lost andthen miraculously found againanother day.

Given that everything is eter-nally located in the maze of

our mind (which, by the way,becomes a more complex mazeof information as we growolder; thus senior momentsare really search and retrievemoments) then our total exis-tence also lives eternally. Notknowing what triggers amemory flash is one of myfascinations. Is it a scent, color,sound or touch, a place, a look-alike, an occasion or simply asense?

How many times have weheard a version of plan forthe future, let go of yesterday

and live for today? Difficultas this is to actualize, today,yet one more time, I will try tobe in the moment. However,given this memory thing, cananyone every really be in themoment? Oh where is a thera-pist when I need one!

Minds are amazing awesomecreatures; have you noticedhow they also seem to have amind of their own from timeto time? One memory can be sosad our eyes fill with tears andour hearts ache, while others

might ignite soul searching, butfor me, most bring warmth tomy soul, a twinkle to my eyes

and a smile. I think this mustbe part of self-preservation forI shudder at the thought of thereverse.

When we celebrate the birth ofa New Year, it is right we putaside the old. Symbolically, anew chapter begins and we canonly image how the pages willread at its close. E-mail me Im most interested in your per-ceptions, thoughts and opinionson this subject or any subject:[email protected].

I wish each of you a joyful and

wondrous New Year! May yourdreams come true, your pathbe smooth, your sorrows few,and may love and hope live inyour hearts and the hearts of allhumankind. Offer and receivea helping hand whenever pos-sible, keep your learning hat onand, just for fun, do at least onetotally out-of-character thing!

Jane Miller ponders life and thefuture in CARAG.

rmaos

Open for Dinner, Lunch and Weekend Brunch

Dine-In | Carry-Out | Private Rooms | Catering

Corner of Lake and Irving | 612.823.0250 | www.amorevictoria.com | Free Parking

Sunday is Family Night

KIDS EAT FREEwith purchase of an adult entree

Reflections and Projections


8/12

UPTOWN NEiGHbORHOOd NEWS jANUARy 2006

SOURCE: Hennepin County Taxpayer Services

(1) Fully constructed, single use residential or residential lakeshore properties with noimprovements in proposed year.

(2) Property tax plus solid waste fee after application of Residential Market ValueHomestead Credit and no special assessments.

(3) After ranking all parcels by tax increase %, this is the tax increase for the median (ormiddle) parcel.

Area 2006

MedianTaxable

Market

Value (1)

% Change

MedianTaxable

Market

Value

Payable 2005

Median NetTax (2)

Proposed

2006 MedianNet Tax (2)

% Change

Median NetTax (3)

ECCO 335,400 15.128% $4,214.67 $4,653.63 10.415%

CARAG 209,000 15.575% $2,462.54 $2,734.22 11.033%

Minneapolis 159,800 15.371% $1,813.77 $2,022.02 11.482%

Hennepin Co. 231,400 12.123% $2,793.41 $3,095.62 10.819%

ECCO/CARAG Residential PropertTaxes Contine Rapid Rise

By Gary Farland

Proposed 2006 property taxesin ECCO and CARAG formedian homesteaded proper-ties will be 10.4% and 11.0%higher, respectively, than thosepayable for 2005. Actually, thisis less than the citywide increasebecause the Residential Mar-ket Value Homestead Creditchanges caused by increasingmarket values affect lowervalue properties more. Thecitywide median increase is11.5%. The Hennepin County

increase will be 10.8%.

A big part of the reason forthe high percentage increas-es in ECCO and CARAG isthe rapid rise in market valueassessments. The medianincrease is 15.1% in ECCOand 15.6% in CARAG. This

would be higher except thatmost properties are limited to15% by state law. The citywideincrease is 15.4% and HennepinCounty is 12.1%. Over time,the property valuation increasescatch up to homeowners.

According to information pro-vided by the City of Minne-apolis, the city tax increases aremainly due to state law changesin 2001 that shifted more of theproperty tax burden from com-mercial properties to residen-tial properties. In payable 1997,

residential properties paid 32%of the property taxes; in 2006 itwill be 54%. Also, residentialproperties have increased invalue faster than commercialproperties, and the cost of cityservices paid by property taxeshas increased. State law chang-es have also caused a shift of

school district funding to prop-erty taxes.

The way the Residential Mar-ket Value Homestead Creditworks is that decreasing creditis provided as the property val-uation rises. After a propertysassessment reaches $413,800there is no credit provided.However, homeowners withincome of less than $85,210 areeligible for the regular and spe-cial property tax refund (alsocalled the circuit breaker)provided by the state. The

special refund is for increasesin property taxes above 12%.To see if you are eligible for arefund, go to www.taxes.state.mn.us and click on propertytaxes.

Gary Farland resides and paysproperty taxes in ECCO.

osg & real esaeM Bilding is Going CondoWhat Do I Do?

By Al Olme

The conversion of rental prop-erties to condominiums is apopular way for landlords tomaximize the return on the saleof their properties. Many long-time rental property ownersare looking for a way to shedtheir rental properties duringthis soft rental market. Lowmortgage rates allow tradition-al renters to think about buyinga small home or more likely acondo. After you figure in thetax advantage of buying over

renting, the American dreamof home ownership looks betterand better.

The underlying reason is thatthere has been a confluence ofincreased property values andlow mortgage rates. The prop-erty owner sees the opportunityto cash in on his investmentand realize the appreciation onhis property. So we have twoforces at work, a high vacancyrate that negatively affects thelandlord and low interest ratesthat enable home ownership

for more folks the markettakes over and rental units areconverted to condos.

Wheres the problem you ask?The problem is that while manymore renters are now qualifiedto become homeowners, manyothers are not. Either they can-not afford to own their homeor simply dont want to becomehomeowners. For some theissue is the down payment andclosing costs. For most theissue is as simple as the fact thatthey dont want to own a home.

What happens when you findout that your landlord is cash-ing in and getting out of therental biz?

Fact is that there is a very highprobability that you are goingto be moving. Condo conver-sion isnt illegal or really evenbad for the market. It doesprovide a lower cost housingproduct that appeals to a lot ofpeople. It also displaces a lot ofhappy renters. There is a verywell structured set of rules to befollowed when a building goes

through a conversion.

Be aware of your rights in thissituation. You are entitled tonotice. The law requires thatthe property owner give you awritten notice 120 days beforeyou are required to vacate theproperty. Along with thatnotice, you are supposed toreceive a letter outlining yourrights as a leaseholder. Youhave that 120 days even if youreon a month-to-month lease!Along with the letter, the prop-erty owner is obliged to include

a purchase agreement for yourunit. Thats right; for 60 daysyou have the first option to buyyour unit if you want to. Theprice and terms on the agree-ment have to be the same as theterms offered to any potentialbuyer for the next six months.That means that the propertyowner cant ask you for a pricethats so high that he knowsyou wont buy and then turnaround and cut the price assoon as youre gone.

There are also provisions for

demanding an extension onthe 120 day notice if you are 62years of age or older, have cer-tain handicaps or are a minorchild on the date of notice.Remember that your rights ina conversion situation do havelimits. If you do something tobreak your lease, like not pay-ing the rent, you can still beevicted. Know your rights andyour responsibilities. You canread the state law for the details(www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/st05/515A/4-110.html).

If you have a real estate-relat-ed question send me an email:[email protected]. Ill try toanswer or get you started inthe right direction toward ananswer. If your question is ofgeneral interest maybe it willbe the subject of next monthscolumn.

Al Olme is a licensed Real EstateAgent working at the Lakes Area

Realty Minneapolis Uptownoffice. He is not a legal profes-

sional. If you have a legal orfinancial question you should

seek the help of a professional inthe field.

Contact: Charlie [email protected]

612.986.2480

38th AND NICOLLET

Brought to you by 38 LLC

Sales CenterNow Open at

3503 Hennepin Ave.

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Meian Property Tax Increases; Propose 2006 oer 2005

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art & design


9/12

jANUARy 2006 UPTOWN NEiGHbORHOOd NEWS

Divine LiturgySunday 9:30 amFr. Harry Pappas

(612) 825-9595www.stmarysgoc.org

Greek Orthodox ChurchST. MARY'S3450 Irving Ave. South (overlooking Lake Calhoun)

OFFICE COORDINATOR position isnow open for hire at St. Mary's.

For more information, please call Sylviaat (612)825-9595.

Joyce United Methodist Church31st and Fremont (612) 823-0537

www.JoyceChurch.org

The Joyce Food Shelf

The Joyce Preschool

Worship Handicapped Accessible

Open Hearts Open Minds Open Doors

Worship and Sunday School10:30 a.m.

By Paul Livdahl

I like old houses well enough.

In fact the newest house I havelived in during my adult lifeis 53 years old. Like everyonesays, old houses have charm.Mature trees, wide trim, qual-ity construction, good scale,history and real materials areall desirable characteristics.

But, the quirks of old housesalso drive most everyone wholives in them nuts. Poor insula-tion, plaster cracks that nevergo away, drafty windows andsqueaky floors to name a few.But, the issue I would like toaddress here is flow.

I am not talking about plumb-ing here. I like a shower thatpounds the crap out of me inthe morning but this isnt aboutrust in your pipes. This article isabout something just as insidi-ous, corrosion of your homesvisual flow.

Visual corrosion begins ashomes age and need repairsand updating. Usually, repairsare made as needed and updat-

ing is done room by room asowners have time and money.Rarely do homeowners have aBig Picture idea of what theirhome should look like whenit is all redone. To complicatematters, styles come and goover the years so one room mayremain Victorian while anoth-er is Art Deco and the next isMod. Even if variations arenot that drastic, older homestend to have mismatched trim,light fixtures, electrical outlets,plumbing fixtures, paint colorsand flooring.

Old homes often end up look-ing like just a series of individ-ual rooms that have no relationto each other. Perhaps the nexttime you want to make a homeimprovement, you should thinkabout doing some un-decorat-ing. Below are some ideas tohelp you reclaim visual flow ofyour home. Whether you leantoward traditional, contempo-

rary or modern style, the fol-lowing advice will be just aseffective.

1. Prior to any remodeling,create a Big Picture plan ofwhat your house will look like.If you have a plan, the second,third and forth phases will havebuilt-in answers.

2. More visual flow comesfrom fewer elements. Mostpeople want to have differentcolors in different rooms. I saygo for it. But think about hav-ing one trim color, one ceilingcolor and the same primaryflooring throughout.

3. Wood floors are the bluejeans of your home. They arewonderfully deft at going fromroom to room and color tocolor, so if you havent uncov-ered your floors yet, you oughtto do so. If you dont have woodunderneath, maybe you shouldthink about installing it (oranother natural material likecork or bamboo).

4. Avoid wallpaper. It willsoon be like those disco pants

you bought a few years ago.

5. Keep the themes fromroom to room consistent. It ispreferable to stay within thestyle and age of your home. Itis kind of like wearing the rightshoes with your jeans.

6. Change your light fixtures.New fixtures can create consis-

tency and update your homequickly, too. To keep the cloth-ing analogy going think of it

as accessorizing. It is relativelycheap for big impact.

7. Change your light switchesand outlets to one color andstyle. You will be amazed howeasy, inexpensive and effectivethis is.

8. When it comes to furnish-ings, think simple and timeless.One piece of simple furniturelooks, well, simple. But addanother and another along theway and soon your furniturewill look great together. If youbuy furniture that is too busyor trendy, your next pieces areless likely to look good with thefirst.

Ive heard it said that if youfind yourself in a hole, stop dig-ging. Perhaps if your house istoo busy now, you should cre-ate a master plan employingun-decorating tactics. It willtake patience to plan ahead andsee your simplification throughbut I promise your gratificationfrom it will be much greater.

Just think of it as cleaning yourroom on a grand scale. Lessmess always looks better.

Paul Livdahl is founder ofDesign QandA

For questions or clarifications, e-mail [email protected]

ome desgDe-ebbing yor Flow

NeedHouse Help?

If you seek answersor advice on design orremodeling questions,please write to us [email protected]. Our panel of remod-eling experts will respondin future issues.

Recent Home Sale Prices

3529 Emerson Ave. S., #3 $230,0003129 Fremont Ave. S., #2 $241,9003132 Holmes Ave. S., $557,000


10/12


By Kelly Newcomer

Mike Etoll can sculpt anythingand make it look real and alive.Hes a very talented multimediaartist, and his work is challeng-ing some may say offensive.

Hes an expert in bad taste, andhe loves to goose people, so ifafter reading about his art, youfeel shocked, thats all a part ofhis subversive plan.

In the house he shares with hisroommates on West 31st Street,Mikes creations decorate therooms: skulls dot the walls, ablack rat sits atop a grandfatherclock. Slowly, a deathly whitehand reaches up from insidethe clock like its trying to grabme! Its just one of Mikes ani-matronic creations.

When asked what its like beinga semi-starving artist, over 40and living with roommates,he says, Ive ruined my entirelife pursuing art. Ultimately itsunstable and kind of worthlessmaking these things but at thesame time, its the most worth-while thing I can do. I suggestthat he sounds a bit jaded andhe quips, By the time you turn40, youre supposed to be jaded.But actually, Im not jaded.Lorna, his roommate adds in,He believes in his vision, helives it, and its not a veneer.Thats the good thing abouthim you dont want to know

the other stuff!

Etoll grew up in a creative St.Paul family with Lebaneseroots. An art school drop-out, hes been in Minneapolisfor over 20 years with a fewbrief stints in New York Cityworking in the prop industry.Always one to do things in hisown unique way, as a youngboy he refused to read in schooland only learned when a kindaunt gave him some comicbooks. An uncle influenced hislife greatly by taking him to aState Fair haunted house at agefive. In 1970, says Etoll, itwas okay to let a little child ridethrough one of those thingsalone; I was screaming by the

time we left and that was justnormal and also a healthy char-

acter builder.

Every time I visit Mike, heinvites me down to the base-ment to view his latest artworks.A truly uncanny experience, thewalls down there are lined withhorrific dolls and body parts hehas sculpted. I secretly wonderif in a past life Mike might havebeen a dungeon guard. Therecent work includes a doll-house-sized reproduction ofthe CC Club (a bar on 25th andLyndale); a painting of a barebreasted lady with a peppero-ni pizza for a head; a series ofpaintings of outer space robotcreatures that remind me of

the paintings of Jean Dubuffet(the artist who began the ArtBrut movement). About hisart Mike says, I try to infuseit with a sense of crudeness incertain areas to keep it alive.The most startling recent work

hangs on the wall next to thewashing machine. It is a littlered baby with bulging eyes.

Etolls current project is a fea-ture film titled Sewer Baby. Init, he promises more provoca-tively uncomfortable imagery.The main character is a toddlerzombie who seeks vengeancefor his mothers death. Alongthe way the little guy gets him-self into some silly situations.The film features local celebri-ties Curtiss A, and Lung Leg,and an original musical score

written by Sam Planet. As in allof Etolls work, the boundariesof taste are challenged and theaudience is given an opportu-nity to feel revulsion and fas-cination in an atmosphere ofabsurdity.

Two recent awards have beenbestowed upon Etoll in con-tests at the Oak Street Cinemaat the University campus. Hereceived First Place in the 24-Hour Horror Film Competi-tion and Fourth Place in theGrain Belt Beer CommercialCompetition.

Back upstairs at the dining

table, Mike serves up his sig-nature dish, a Lebanese saladmade with fresh cucumbers,tomatoes, onion, garlic, lemonand plenty of mint and pars-ley. I ask him where he gets hisfresh mint and he says, Bills

Imported Foods. I love Bills!

He moves his three-foot-diam-eter hairy black spider creationout of the way so we can haveroom for our plates. In additionto being a creator of violentlyatrocious imagery, he is also anOrthodox Christian and a gen-uinely sweet and helpful guy. Iwonder about this sincere artistwho is so at home surroundedby uncomfortable imagery. Theancient words memento moricome to mind. A memento moriis a skull or other object serv-

ing as a warning or reminderof death; in Latin it literallytranslates as remember (thatyou have) to die. I ask himabout his relationship to death.We all have a dark side, butIm comfortable with mine.When I was a kid, I was terri-fied of monsters. So I learned toembrace them.

See Mike Etolls art at thesewebsites (www.geocities.com/mjeprod/mike_etoll_art.html)and (www.sewerbab.com).

Kelly Newcomer is an artist wholives in Uptown.

Uptown Artist Mike Etoll Pushes Boundaries, Buttons

Photos Kell Newcomer

Separated at birth? On the left is artist Mike Etoll; on the right is a sclptre hecreated in the stle of a famos character from an old Twilight Zone TV show.

A cozy little neighborhood diner minutes from home or work.

HOURS: Mon-Fri 6:30 am - 3 pm

Sat. 6:30 am - 2 pm, Sun. 7 am - 2 pm

By Erin Connors

Books and Bars is not yourtypical book club. It is, how-ever, exactly what it sounds like its a book club that meetsin a bar, and its open to every-one. Moderator and organizerJeff Kamin says, I had alwayswanted to join a book club, butwas either told it was womenonly or the books being selectedwere not to my liking. So I hadto make my own.

The book club was originallyfounded nearly two years agoby Lance Fensterman, a man-

ager at St. Pauls Bound to beRead. When the bookstoreclosed last summer, Minne-apolis resident Kamin tookover, securing sponsorshipsfrom Magers & Quinn and TheOnion, and reconvening at theBryant Lake Bowl theater. Hetries to choose books that rep-resent a wide range of genresand viewpoints, often solicitingmembers suggestions for mate-rial. Recent picks have includ-ed Gregory Maguires Wickedand Chuck Klostermans Sex,Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs. Folks

begin to gather around 6:30,ordering a variety of appetiz-ers and beers to settle in for thediscussion, which is moder-ated from the stage beginningaround 7:00.

About 40 people braved a bitingDecember wind for last monthsdiscussion of Hope DonahuesBeautiful Stranger, the memoirof a plastic surgery obsession.Although few people cared forthe book itself, the discussionwas lively, informed by variedexpertise from the audience.Two mental health profession-als provided clinical explana-

tions for the authors neuroses,for example, while writers andEnglish pros offered style cri-tiques. In the days followingthe meeting, members postedfurther information and reflec-tion to the event websites dis-cussion board. Although hegives a lot of thought to hisselections, Kamin agreed thatsometimes, the best discus-sions come from the books wedont like.

Avid members (you qualify as amember if youve been to even

one previous meeting) oftenstick around for a while afterthe discussion ends, headingto the bar for a final round ofdrinks, or lining up for a gameof bowling but for the Feb-ruary meeting, the bowling isactually built into the discus-sion. Author Shannon Olsonwill join the group for the dis-cussion of her book, Children ofGod Go Bowling. Afterwards,readers are invited to adjournto the BLB lanes for a $3.75game (or two). Shoe rentals are$1.00.

For more information about

Books and Bars, visit theirweb site (www.booksandbars.com) or e-mail the organizersat [email protected] next meeting will be onTuesday, February 7. Doorswill open at 5:30; with the dis-cussion starting at 7:00 p.m.RSVP for the bowling.

Erin Connors lives in CARAGand teaches middle school.

Boos an BarsLively discussions attract hipster literati


11/12


(Editors Note: We will run community

event listings every month on this page.

Contact [email protected] to

submit your event information by the

17th of each month to be included in the

next issue.)

vsal arsSOO VISuAL ARTS CENTER2640 Lyndale Ave S. 871.2263www.soovac.orgHours: Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri 126, Sat and Sun 12-4.Fri, Jan 13, 8 pm $35 in advance,$40 at the door GET LUCKY

Benefit. Live music, silent auction,appetizers, drinks and dessert buf-fet. Auction items featuring SeanConnaght, Shana Kaplow andmore. Music from jazz vocalistM Daiko, Japanese taiko drum-ming and breakdancing to beatsby Dalight & Friends.

WALKER ART CENTER1750 Hennepin Ave 375.7600www.walkerart.orgThrough Feb 26 And Warhol

/Supernova: Stars, Deaths and Disas-ters 1962 1964. Through Jan 19 Kiki Smith: A Gathering 1980 2005. Through Mar 26 Some

Assembly Required: ContemporaryPrefabricated Houses.

FLANDERS GALLERy3102 Lyndale Ave. S. 344.1700www.flanders-art.comGallery hours: Tues to Sat, 10 to 5;Sun 12 to 5.

Through Jan 22 Graphic worksby Pablo Picasso Colorful large-scale impressionist paintings bynationally acclaimed artist MarkDickson Photos by local artistDan Beers, using a plastic camerato produce an image from multi-ple exposures African beadworksculptures by MONKEyBIZ, whoare now receiving internationalattention while providing incometo African communities and a wayto express the rediscovery of cul-tural and personal traditions.

HIGHPOINT CENTER FORPRINTMAKING2638 Lyndale Ave. S. 871.1326www.highpointprintmaking.orgHours: Mon to Fri , 10 am to 5 pmThrough Jan 20 -Prints, You Betcha!

lerar

INTERMEDIA ARTS2822 Lyndale Ave. S. 871.4444www.intermediaarts.orgWed, Jan 25, 7 pm, FREE SASEGLBT reading, featuring BrianMallo and Gar Eldon Peter.The authors will read and discusstheir most recent works.

WALKER LIBRARy BOOKCLuBWalker Library 2880 HennepinAv. S. 630.6650www.mpls.lib.mn.usMon, Jan 9, 6:30 pm Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton.

ONCE uPON A CRIMEMySTERy BOOKSTORE604 W. 26th St. 870.3785www.onceuponacrimebooks.comWed, Jan 11, 7 pm Dana Stabe-how discusses Blindfold Game Jan 26, 7pm Sean Doolittle dis-cusses Rain Dogs and AnthonNeil Smith talks about Psychoso-

matic Jan 28, 1 to 3 pm Marga-ret Frazer discusses The SempstersTale.

MAGERS AND QuINNAuTHOR EVENTS3038 Hennepin Av. S. 822.4611

www.magersandquinn.comThurs, Jan 19, 7 pm Doglas A.Martin talks aboutBranwell.

BORDERS BOOKSCalhoun Square 825.0336www.bordersstores.comSat, Jan 21, 1 pm Brce Hen-ricksen. This collection of shortstories examines the inner life ofbeliefs, regrets, and yearnings thatshape our identities.

DREAMHAVEN BOOKS912 W. Lake St. 823.6070www.dreamhavenbooks.comTues, Jan 24, 6:30 to 8 pm Lois

McMaster Bjold reads her fiction.She is the author of several fan-tasy novels, including The Curse

of Chalion, which won the Mytho-poeic Award, Paladin of Souls,which won the Hugo Award forBest Novel, and The Hallowed

Hunt.

eaerperformace

BRyANT LAKE BOWLTHEATER810 W. Lake St. 825.8949www.bryantlakebowl.com

Wed, Jan 11, 9 pm Search andRescue. An unofficial historyof cinema and the 20th centurythrough 16 mm film Fri to Sunto end of Jan, 7 pm Party in the

Rec Room.Lorna Landvik createsa monologue based on audiencesuggestions.

OLD ARIZONA CENTERFOR PERFORMING ARTS2821 Nicollet Ave. S. 871.0050www.oldarizona.comThurs to Sat, Jan 12 to Feb 4, 8 pm Cupboard Full of Hate. A wick-ed tale of wretched man who hatesthe world so much he locks himself

in a kitchen cupboard forever.

BRAVE NEW WORKSHOPTHEATER2605 Hennepin Ave. S. 332.6620www.bravenewworkshop.comThrough Jan 14 Manger Crash-

ers, or Three Wise Guys With a Packof Camels Fri, Jan 20, 8 pm. Sat,Jan 21, 7 and 10 pm So Much

for Sober! Cultural, historical andpolitical satire.

msc

BRyANT LAKE BOWL810 W. Lake St. 825.8949

www.bryantlakebowl.comThurs, Jan 12, 10 pm Free.Flavor Crstals with BasementApartment. Jan 16: MltimediaInsrrection II featuring Env IsBlind with Apraxia.

DuLONOS607 W. Lake St. 827.1726Fri & Sat, Jan 13 & 14, 8 pm.Free. The Ble Drifters.

CATERPILLAR LOuNGE2550 Nicollet Ave 813.1200www.aziarestaurant.com/catepillar.

htmTue, Jan 17, 10 pm. Free.Avante Garde with Jon Hesterand Marcos Romero.

FIRST uNIVERSALISTCHuRCH3400 Dupont Ave. S. 825.1701www.firstuniv.org

Fri, Jan 20, 7:30 pm suggested$10 donation. universalist FolkBand and universalist Rock Bandpresent Our Own Voices.

mar lerkg, jr. da

MARTIN LuTHER KINGPARK4055 Nicollet Ave. S 370.4908Mon, Jan 16, 6 to 8 pm A Holi-day Peace and Unity Celebration.Festivities include spoken word,song, dance, award presentationsand refreshments.

WHITTIER RECREATIONCENTER425 26th St. West. 370.4966Mon, Jan 16, 2 to 4 pm Chil-dren and families can celebrate theday with light refreshments andactivities featuring a choir, speak-er and a dance group called TheImmortals.

kdsfamlodoors

WALKER ART CENTER1750 Hennepin Ave 375.7600www.walkerart.orgThurs, Jan 5 to 26, 6 to 9 pm Free. Just Like Andy! Flipthrough local papers and maga-zines to create a work of art a laAndy.

JAWAAHIR DANCECOMPAMy1940 Hennepin Ave S. 872.6050www.jawaahir.orgSun, Jan 15, 2 to 5 pm $10. The13th Annual Henna Party. MiddleEastern food, dance, instruction,ritual henna paintings and more!

MOONLIGHT SHOWSHOEAT CHAIN OF LAKESLake Calhoun 230.6400Fri, Jan 13, 5 to 7 pm $10, call313.7725 to register. Meet at theTin Fish. Ages 16 and up. Walkunder the nearly full moon, underbridges and around islands andmaybe even out to Brownie Lake.Wear sturdy snow boots and dressin layers. Snowshoes provided.

classesworksopsforms

WALKER ART CENTER1750 Hennepin Ave. 375.7600www.walkerart.orgThurs, Jan 12, 7:30 pm Free.

Divination and Personal Destiny.A look at the way media technol-ogy meets with the ancient arts ofdivination.

KITCHEN WINDOWIn Calhoun Square 824-4417www.kitchenwindow.comFri, Jan 27, 6:30 to 9:30 pm Pre-register, $70 . Chinese New yearsDinner. Learn to prepare a tradi-tional Chinese feast. Tue, Jan31, 6 to 9 pm preregister, $65 .Sperbowl Brgers! Come learnhow to make a variety of regionalburgers, along with slaw, potatosalad, chips and dip, and as the

grand finale, bread pudding.

FIRST uNIVERSALISTCHuRCH3400 Dupont Ave. S. 825.1701www.firstuniv.orgSun, Jan 15, 12:15 pm Free.Social Justice Forum: Justice:Whats Race Got To Do with It?

FAIRy GODMOTHER3801 Grand Ave. S. [email protected], Jan 18, 7 to 9 pm one-time$5 group fee . Fairy GodmothersMonthl Jornal Grop. Gatherwith others to explore the world

of personal writing. A very casual,friendly environment.

MINNEAPOLIS AuDuBONSOCIETyBryant Square Park 31st andBryant Ave. S.Fri, Jan 13, 1 to 3 pm Yang-

tze River at the Three Gorges withLyall Schwarzkopf.

ZEN MEDITATION CENTER3343 E. Calhoun Parkway 822.5313www.mnzencenter.orgWed, Jan 11, 7:30 pm HeadTeacher Tim Burkett will discussfundamental teachings of Zen

Buddhism and their applicabil-ity to the modern world. This isa very good place to begin a studyof Zen Buddhism; continue your

study with Zen Buddhism: TheBasics.

commmeegs

MPLS PuBLIC SCHOOLSTOWN HALL MEETINGWashburn High School 201 W.49th St.www.mpls.k12.mn.usTues, Jan 24, 6 to 7:30 pm Superintendent Peebles will holda town hall meeting in the audi-torium. Families and communitymembers are invited to come and

share their success stories, com-ments and concerns. Wireless per-sonal translation services will beavailable in Spanish, Somali andHmong. Those requiring trans-lation are encouraged to arriveearly.

LAKE STREETRECONSTRuCTIONBryant Square Park, 31st & BryantSat, Jan 14 , 10:30 am. Vision-ing, open discussion and brain-storming about the future of WestLake Street.

MINNEAPOLIS CHARTERCOMMISSIONMartin Luther King Park, Multi-purpose Room4055 Nicollet Ave. S.Wed, Feb 1, 7 pm The Minne-apolis Charter Commission willhold a public hearing on severalproposed revisions to the Min-neapolis City Charter. For moreinformation about the CharterCommission public hearings, call612-673-2287. You can view theproposed changes on the Citys website. (www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/charter-commission/2006/Charter20060104Agenda.asp).Click on the staff reports listedunder Item 7.

Event takes place on Lake Harriet near the bandshellFor more information call Lyndale Farmstead Park 370-4948

RESCHEDULED because of poor ice conditions. (Decisions will bemade Jan 18 if event needs to be cancelled.)Sat, Jan 21, noon to 4 pm the Festival provides a great opportu-nity for neighbors to gather and celebrate winter. Activities includekite demonstrations, ice-skating, horse and wagon rides, music,snowshoeing, an ice fishing expo, and medallion hunt for children.Admission is free. Bring your own kite, or buy one there. Minne-sota Kite Society experts will demonstrate and help you fly a kite.

Co-sponsored by EHFNA, The Minnesota Kite Society, and theDNR Fishing in the Neighborhood Program.

uptowncommunteventscomm eves caledar

Photo from Hghpont Center

The Unfolding by JanShoger.

5TH ANNUAL LAkE HARRIET wINTER kITE FESTIvAL


12/12


classfedsECCENTRICREMODELING JOBSKustom room additions, patiodecks, kustom garages, siding,aluminum trim, soffits, guttersand interior painting. Marty

(612) 724-8819.

CARPENTERSExperienced. Windows anddoors replaced, all finish work.Bathrooms, shower surrounds,basements, attics, kitchens.Sheetrock, plaster repair, textur-ing and painting. Local refer-ences, free estimates. Tom (612)824-1554.

STRONG HANDS - HOTSTONES - WORLD PEACEBarbara Glommen, certifiedmassage therapist. Energy

work deep tissue relaxation hot stones. Call for appoint-ment (612) 821-1416.

RuBBISH HAuLING/TREE SERVICESmall trees cut down ortrimmed. Licensed and insured.(612) 869-8697.

GARAGE FOR RENT?Looking for garage space near31st and Knox. Call (612) 751-7275.

HOME REMODELING &REPAIRPainting, wall and ceilingrepair, texture, refinishing,kitchen and bath, tilework,decks, etc. Over 30 years expe-rience, quality work at a fairprice. Kevin (612) 872-2264.

CLASSIFIED AD SALES 40 per word,10-word minimum. Classifieds must be

paid in advance. Please send a check and

the ad copy to: Uptown NeighborhoodNews, C/O CARAG, 711 W. Lake St.,

Suite 303, Mpls. MN 55408. Ad and pay-

ment are due the 17th of the month.

Find ut what yur

neighbrs are up t.

Subsribe t the Ecco FREE e-mail inf servie.

Well let you know stuff like when the board meetings are happening, even

send you the agenda. Be notified whenever somethings going down that you

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East Calhon Commnit Organizationmeets the first Thrsda of ever month

7:oo p.m.St. Mars Greek Orthodox Chrch

35th & Irving Ave. S.

Next meeting Thrsda, Febrar 2, 2006

CARAG

711 West Lake St., Suite #303

Minneapolis, MN 55408

(612)-823-2520

www.carag.org

.

Happy

New Year!

Lake Street ReconstructionVisioning Workshop

Saturday, January 14, 2006

10:30am @ Bryant Square Park

How should Lake Street function over the next 50 years?

We need your input to help guide the 2007 reconstruction of Lake St. in

our neighborhood. Well discuss how pedestrians, bikes, buses andcars will use the road, and what improvements should be made.

Please join us & bring your ideas!

CARRIE BERGUMLicensed Realtor

952-929-7355 x122

612-824-2171 Home Office

[email protected]

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I provide no-cost full service for Buyers - always.

HOME AVENUETM A Better Way To Buy And Sell A Home

www.homeavenue.com

january 2006 uptown neighborhood news

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