The Harrison Neighborhood is fortunate to have been chosen as the only Minneapolis location, and one of four metro-area locations, of the "Embrace Open Space" campaign kickoff events. An article about the McKnight Foundation spearheaded campaign was published in today's Star Tribune at : http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/3322207.html
The Bassett Creek area, of the Harrison, Bryn Mawr, and Willard Hay Neighborhoods, is only one of several special green space locations in Minneapolis that deserve preservation and restoration. The Mississippi River gorge area of South and South-East, the Camp Coldwater Springs area, and the Mississippi River fronts of North and North-East are a few of the other wonderful natural areas in Minneapolis that should also receive attention. EMBRACE OPEN SPACE Kick-off Event 28 September, Saturday, 2:00 pm -- in Bassett Creek Park Glenwood Ave. No. @ Xerxes Ave. No. -- (next to J.D.Rivers Gardens) . ( http://www.embraceopenspace.org/openspace/index.asp ) I am a firm believer that natural greenspace corridors and oases scattered throughout the urban landscape enrich the lives of the city's poor, as well as the better-off. The poor probably benefit more because the local neighborhoods are where they spend more of their lives. The rich more often can afford to take vacation trips, own lake cabins, and get out to more distant natural areas. Improving the natural environment is only one of several fronts that require effort to improve this town. I have much respect for volunteers and staff working for more affordable housing (although, I do have serious reservations about placing more people of poverty in neighborhoods that already have very high poverty rates). Many wonderful people are also working to improve the lives of our city's poor, and not so poor, in such areas as better race relations, higher high school graduation rates, better police/community relations, lower drug usage, and less violence. Dave Stack Harrison _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
