I have been a site coordinator for the Earth Day Annual Watershed Cleanup for 10 years. It is a great event that pulls tons of trash out of our watersheds near the shorelines of our lakes and rivers. I just got notice (second hand) that the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has canceled this Earth Day event. I certainly don't remember this cut discussed at any budget discussions at the Park Board. If protecting the natural resources in our city was a primary mission of the Park board, this cut wouldn't be made because it engages so many volunteers as stewards of our shorelines. Folks come out to these clean ups and end up doing it as a life long pursuit. I know at my site at E.24th St. and West River Road there are folks that help out that have never been on the Winchell trail before and are experiencing this urban forest on the River Gorge for the first time. While the Park Board is talking about eliminating green space to build restaurants the environmental staff have been disassembled and marginalized. The Park board should be reorganizing to increase its ability to protect and preserve our natural resources. They should rehire Jeff Lee or fill his position with someone who could bring some environmental leadership back into Park Board decisions. We don't need yacht clubs, we need clean water to swim and fish in. Lake Hiawatha is so polluted it may never have its beach open again. Which beach will be the next to be permanently closed? These are watershed issues and the Park board is doing less and less............ Instead the focus is on building more buildings, more parking lots, more stadiums and less area and opportunities that are free for all to use. I will be at the clean up site Saturday April 23 and organize a River Clean up with the Seward Neighborhood Group. We can do a clean up without the Park Board but we have to figure out a way to publicize our event and work with other neighborhood groups and environmental organizations to continue to have a city wide event. Thanks, Scott Vreeland Seward Ward 2 Candidate Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, District 3 For more info from the Park Board:
A meeting will be held at the Park Board headquarters location to discuss the new changes: Thursday, January 20 from 11-Noon Harriet Conference Room . Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board 2117 West River Road Minneapolis, MN 55411 Main Phone: 612.230.6400 Direct Line: 612.230.6415 Volunteer Hotline: 612.661.4883 _www.minneapolisparks.org_ (http://www.minneapolisparks.org) Abby Schrader Supervisor of Volunteers and Community Partnerships 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:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
