2012 Annual Meeting and neighborhood dinner: Thank you! to everyone who attended our Annual Neighborhood Meeting on May 15. And, many thanks to Fat Lorenzo's for another terrific dinner. We elected three new people to the NENA Board: Welcome to Leah Nelson, Lisa Dunn, and Char Dobbs! We'd also like to say thank you and wish a fond farewell to outgoing Board Members Cheryl Luger, Lisa Jane, and Zara Gillen. You will be missed!  The Noki "Best of Nokomis" award was presented to the parents, staff and community members of Lake Nokomis Community School for six years of tireless efforts put into making the Keewaydin expansion a reality. (5/17)

5/10 Update: Lake Nokomis Community School, Keewaydin Campus: At the May 9 Construction Steering Committee meeting, MPS staff and RSP Architects along with committee members finalized a set of "alternate add-ons" or upgrades to the base building bid package #2. (Bid #1 was for the excavation, footings and foundation).  When building bid #2 is awarded in July, the final cost numbers will determine if any of these alts will become part of the project. This was the final scheduled meeting of the Steering Committee. RSP Architects are now focused on getting the final building design details ready for bid #2.  Construction on the foundations will start around June 13. Media: Keewaydin School will double space with addition, Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger, Jan 25, 2012.   More info, schedules & plans on Keewaydin's Construction Page (Updated 4/26)

Keewaydin School Land Use Application hearing April 23: The City Planning Commission (CPC) passed the Keewaydin application on Monday, April 23 by consent. The CPC accepted the Mpls Planning Department's staff recommendation without discussion. (4/24)

Thefts from Motor Vehicles Increase in Sector 3: Police are advising residents in our area to be on the lookout for thieves breaking into motor vehicles. More than 25 incidents were reported in the sector from March 23 to April 9. Printable Crime Alert (4/11/12)

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	Parks & Recreation   Lake Quality Index   Air Quality Index   Creek Flow Monitor   Recycle Schedule   Crime Alerts (10/26/11)   Public Meetings (3/11)   S. Mpls Housing Fair   City meeting Webcast   Wards 11-12 Newsletters

Growing Monarch Habitat Workshop features Monarch Gardens-to-Go. Help create monarch habitat to offset the increasing loss of natural environment.  EVERYONE can make a difference by planting monarch habitat – even in a small urban yard. Saturday, May 26 at the Nokomis Community Center. The deadline for pre-ordering the Gardens-to-Go kit is May 18, but the free workshop alone is open to anyone who shows up. More information and registration (4/27)

The Great Nokomis East Neighborhood-Wide Yard & Garage Sale, is returning Saturday, June 23: Make it a Super Saturday for your garage sale by joining this neighborhood-wide garage & yard sale event.  Last year, 86 households held sales, and this year is expected to be even larger. NENA handles the details and you run your own sale at no cost to you. An area map showing locations will be available online and from selected businesses. Registration deadline is June 11. More info & registration form. (5/03)

Gateway Gardens Update: 2012 Schedule and note from Team Leader Trish Schilling. News and More  (4/26/12)

Earth Day Watershed Cleanup: Vicki Bonk sends a thank you note and a reminder for Naturescape volunteers. Update from Vicky Bonk (4/23)

Wards 11 & 12 Newsletters are hot off the press! Click here to go to the Council page for links. (5/07/12)

Keewaydin Park Master Plan:  The Mpls Park and Rec Board (MPRB) held a second public meeting to review and comment on two play area design proposals developed from the work of community members at January's design workshop. Participants showed a strong preference for a new play area and wading/splash pool in the SE corner of the park. A less favored plan put the play equipment against the east wall of the new gym. Planners will now finalize a design and cost estimate before looking for funding sources. MPRB's updated Keewaydin Master Plan webpage. (Updated 3/07)

BOM/Camp Coldwater Update: The National Park Service has begun demolition of buildings, parking lots and roads on the 27-acre former Bureau of Mines site. Most of the site will be restored to an open space resembling oak savanna & tall grass prairie. The current springhouse and reservoir will be historically restored. Read more here. (Update: 4/04/12)

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NENA is taking the Minneapolis Monarch Festival on the road!   NENA staff are presenting an interactive workshop at the 2012 Neighborhoods USA National Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, on May 25. The workshop is titled: "Thinking Big: From Neighborhood Project to International Mission." The NUSA conference runs from May 23 until May 26. Of course, our workshop is in the last time slot of the final day, (#81 out of 82). From the program: "The Minneapolis Monarch Festival has grown from 800 participants to 8,000 in just three years – an enviable success by any measure. This interactive workshop will provide an overview the elements that make it a successful partnership, multi-cultural event and learning experience."   NUSA's website   Conference Info (PDF) scroll to page 19). (Updated 5/17)

2012 South Mpls Housing Fair: Thank you! to all our guests that spent time indoors on an amazing spring day. Just a reminder, we keep exhibitor listings up all year. Please bookmark www.housingfair.org for a list of the best local contractors, artisans and vendors. (Updated 3/12)

The Night Before New Years Eve Party. Perhaps a thousand guests stopped by the Nokomis Community Center to celebrate the New Year a day early. It was a fantastic evening, and many thanks are due the great volunteers and contributors that helped make December 30th memorable for so many area families. More Information (Updated 1/04/12)

Gateway Gardens 2011: Thank you! to all the volunteers who did such a tremendous job weeding & maintaining the gardens this past year. NENA would like to especially thank Trish Schilling for all her time and effort spent coordinating the efforts. We can't wait to see it next spring after the 1,100 plants and trees have benefited from 2011's first full growing season. (Updated 10/24)

Mpls Monarch Festival: Thank you to everyone who made this a great day of celebration. We hope you enjoyed it!  The event planners would especially like to thank all of the many volunteers who gave their time to this event. They made it happen!  Among all the activities that day, 400 live monarchs were tagged and released in small groups, allowing 1500 children and adults to start a monarch's amazing journey home to Mexico.   2011 photos are up on Facebook Or visit: www.monarchfestival.org

Minneapolis wins 2009 Emerald City Globe Award  Our city was selected from 174 other candidates to receive the coveted 2009 Emerald City Award for its work in green promotion. Read the Press Release in the Lighter Side. (April 1, 2009)  There's more, like the Glowing Walleyes, the Sharks in Minnehaha Creek and the Viking Timbers in Lake Nokomis. They're all in the Lighter Side.

2011 NENA Board Election Results:  NENA held it's 2011 Annual Neighborhood Meeting and Board elections on may 24. NENA welcomes new Board members: Eric Rehm (Minnehaha), Andrea Javi (Morris Park), Bill Koncak (At-Large) and, Will Teevan (At-Large). New Board & Executive list (5/27/11)

NENA's NRP Phase II Action Plan was approved by residents on Oct 28:  The Plan lists out our goals and strategies, starting in 2011. The Plan will now go to the NRP Policy Board and finally the City Council. The plan is available for viewing: Acrobat PDF(1.2 Megs) (Updated 10/29)

Nokomis East Gateway Gardens Planted! The first phase of our community butterfly/native plant garden on the site of the old dry cleaner building is complete. More than 35 volunteers planted 1,750 plants on October 2 & 3 making this a true community garden!  More information and site plan. (Updated 10/05/10)

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