Message from Council Member Kevin Reich

You may have noticed recent television and billboard public service announcements on behalf of Be The Match Foundation. Did you know that that organization is part of the National Marrow Donor Program which is located in the Mid-City Industrial neighborhood of Ward One? NMDP maintains a database of 13 million bone marrow and cord blood donors and facilitates over 5—transplants per month.

NMDP started with 34 employees when it opened its doors nearly 20 years ago and has grown to employ 700 people in its NE Minneapolis location. NMDP has recently launched the Phoenix Initiative, a plan to modernize their transplant support systems. This upgrade would cut in half the processing time for critical transplant patients seeking donors.

NMDP requested funding assistance from the City of Minneapolis to facilitate this program. At the Community Development Committee meeting on May 18, my colleagues and I voted in favor of issuing $80 million in 501c(3) Tax-exempt and Taxable Revenue Bonds to finance the technology improvements. The full Council gave approval on May 28.

This exciting development is a win-win on a number of fronts:

• NMDP’s mission to make bone marrow and cord blood donations available more quickly will be greatly enhanced.
  
• The additional 95 employees they expect to add in 2011 and 400+ employees by 2019 will boost the economic vitality of NE Minneapolis.
• The City will make a profit of $50,000 per year in fees above and beyond the repayment of the $80 million.
• This additional $50,000 in annual revenue will support the City’s small business assistance programs.

“Buying Into The City” NE Home Tour

Looking to purchase a home? Attend the “Buying Into The City” NE Minneapolis Home Tour on Sunday, June 13. The tour starts at the Rogue Buddha Gallery, 357 13th Ave NE. Pick up your map, enjoy refreshments, talk with neighbors and learn about homebuyer programs and resources 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Then from noon – 3:00 p.m. you may tour at your own pace a variety of homes that are for sale in Northeast Minneapolis. For further information, go to www.livemsp.org.

Wells Fargo Home Preservation Workshop

Are you a Wells Fargo or Wachovia mortgage customer facing mortgage payment challenges? If so, Wells Fargo invites you to get the answers you need at a free workshop June 5 & 6, 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., at Minneapolis Convention Center. Meet with a Wells Fargo representative who will confidentially discuss your financial concerns and options. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to see if you’re eligible for a loan modification under the government’s Home Affordable Modification Program. Call 1-800-405-8-67 or go to www.wfhmevents.com/leadingthewayhome for further information and to register for the workshop. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Start Planning Now for National Night Out

National Night Out 2010 is Tuesday, August 3 and now is the time to start making preparations on your block for the night that brings neighbors together. Minneapolis wants to make it easy for block clubs and neighbors to get started now on their plans. The City of Minneapolis asks that you register your event, even if you are not blocking your street, so that they can track the success of National Night Out. Go to www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/nno or call 311 for further information and easy registration. If you want to close your street for your event, street closure is free when you apply by July 14. You need the permission of 75% of your neighbors to be approved for street closure – please have their names and addresses (you don’t need signatures) when you apply.

Graco-Edison Robotics Team

Congratulations to the Graco-Edison T.E.R.T.O.L.A. Robotics Team 2513 for another year of achievement. This year’s team made it to the semi-finals at the MN 10,000 Lakes Championship held at the University of Minnesota’s Williams Arena. Their final rank was 16 out of 63.

Last year’s Graco-Edison T.E.R.T.O.L.A. Robotics Team 2513 (photo below) also covered themselves in glory, going to the Regional Semi-Finals in Michigan.

Graco, which is headquartered in NE Minneapolis, sponsors the Robotics team at Edison. Robotics combines science, technology, engineering and imagination as teams from 12 countries learn leadership and collaboration skills while they design, build and program robots to perform specific tasks in competition with each other.

Turfgrass Maintenance Workshop

Do you have concerns about managing lawns and turfgrass while reducing the environmental impact? Mississippi Watershed Management Organization and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency are sponsoring a free training workshop on best practices for managing turfgrass on Wednesday, July 21, 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Topics covered in the workshop will include selection and application of fertilizer, best practices for turfgrass management and pesticide application tips. The workshop will be held at St. Anthony City Hall, 3301 Silver Lake Road, St. Anthony. For questions or to register for the workshop, contact Erica Sniegowski at 612-465-8780, ext. 206 or esniegowski@mwmo.org.

Recreational Fire Update

During the summer months, many people enjoy recreational fires in their backyards. Please keep in mind, however, that there are specific City ordinances that must be followed so that you may enjoy your fire safely. Ward One, along with several other Wards, the Minneapolis Fire Department and Regulatory Services, funded an informational utility bill insert that went out with the June water bills to explain the rules for recreational fires. If you have questions or concerns about the rules surrounding recreational fires, please give us a call at 612-673-2201.

2010 Celebrate Northeast Parade

Save June 22, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. for the Celebrate Northeast Parade. This year’s parade follows a 13-block route down Central Avenue and will feature 120 entrants, including marching bands, community organizations, Artshare’s Parade Project performance art piece and community royalty.