I cannot speak for other Northeast neighborhoods, but the Board of Saint Anthony East, as well as those residents in attendance when the Kroc idea was floated, are supportive of this plan. So at the very least you must retract the small circle remark. It becomes a false statement when endorsed by neighborhood organizations.
Jeremy Wieland Northeast Member of the SAENA board -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Bruce Shoemaker Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2004 1:07 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Mpls] Re: Loeffler and the Community Center Fiasco Liz Wielinski wrote: > Apparently Diane Loeffler had the RIGHT idea. Now Northeast is trying >desperatly to attract the Kroc Foundation into building a Community >Center but at Northeast Park. I for one would have found it alot easier >to get to a central location like the Holland neighborhood rather than >having to drive to nearly Roseville to use this facility. > >Liz Wielinski >Columbia Park > > > First, the distance between the proposed Jackson Square site in Holland and Northeast Park is less than one mile. I guess whether it would have been worth destroying 30-40 existing housing units and taking over half of the only public park in one of Northeast's poorest neighborhoods for a pork barrel duplicative suburban style fee-for-service facility in order to save some people the bother of a short drive (or bicycle ride or walk for that matter) might be debatable to some but not to me. Second, saying that Northeast is trying desperately to attract the Kroc Foundation/Salvation Army into funding a community center at Northeast Park requires a little more explanation. Who exactly in Northeast? I don't see that this is exactly a widespread mandate. My understanding is that this idea was being very quietly pushed by CM Paul Ostrow's office. Quietly because in essence it was a competing bid against north Minneapolis. The only institution that seemed desperate for this was the Northeast Community Development Corporation which, I think can safely be predicted, would have been given a no-bid mandate to do the deal by its main patron. The desperation comes from needing something to justify the CDC's (so far expensive and unproductive) existence and possibly to better position it for a coming second attempt to try to wrest away the citizen participation mandate and funding from Northeast neighborhood groups. One of the key figures in the NECDC was previously Diane Loeffler's co-chair in the Community Center Task Force, which was essentially a three person group. The third person is now the treasurer for Ms. Loeffler's campaign. Instead of being "Northeast" wanting this, this is just what a small circle of people wanted. In any regard, my understanding is that Ostrow's attempt to take away this investment from the much more needy North side has now failed. The main investment of Kroc will be in north Minneapolis, as well it should be. A more modest and appropriate investment in facility upgrading will be made in Northeast at the current Salvation Army site at 28th and Central (much closer than even Jackson Square to Columbia Park!). Bruce Shoemaker Holland Neighborhood REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
