Congratulations to CM Gary Schiff on an excellent meeting and address
this morning.
I read the announcement of the meeting here yesterday. So I dashed over
this morning because I was out of milk for cereal, and because I had
never visited the Cafe of the Americans at Lake and Minnehaha. I also
wanted to see what was happening in the 9th Ward, since I occasionally
shop and campaign there. (Remember Bob Odden.)
Anyway, there was a great crowd (75 people?), a nice breakfast (but
where was the salsa??), and Gary gave a great speech. Coming from the
Downtown Neighborhood I didn't realize how "20,000 feet" we are
downtown, where our businesses don't get noticed unless they are 10
stories high and/or do $50 million of business a year. Gary reported on
neighborhood business closings and opening, a big company coming in
(ProFluer?), significant neighborhood projects, and goals and
objectives. (BTW, I am NOT hereby endorsing everything he supports, but
I really admire his clarity, intelligence, integrity and hard work.)
He also had a great presentation honoring the nominees for 9th Ward
awards. About 15 different people, projects and organizations were
honored in the competition. The winners were:
1. Citizen of the Year--Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, which built (is
building?) 24 units of affordable housing near the East Lake Library.
2. Block Club of the Year--3200 40th Ave. S Block Club, whose
perserverance closed a regional distribution drug house after a
police/perpetrator shoot-out.
3. Neighborhood Project of the Year--Midtown Farmers Market,
kicking-off soon near Hi-Lake. I will be seen from the LRT and will
attract passengers to get off and shop on their way home.
Gary introduced many of the honorees and recounted their stories. An
impressive, hard-working, giving group. It made me realize that a
community, and a city, is built one block at a time, one person at a time.
I may go back to the Cafe of the Americas soon to buy their wise poster
on how to build community. The people are living it in the 9th, and
Gary and all those community leaders I saw this morning are nurturing
it. Mazel tov!
Alan Shilepsky
Downtown Mpls
7th Ward--but far from the green grass of Kenwood, East Isles and CIDNA
I apologize for not getting as involved in my own Ward as these people
are in theirs. Or even going to my own CM's events. I promise to soon.
Will there be Rancho Huevos?
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