Message from Council Member Kevin Reich

August and September are usually busy months, as summer wraps up and the school year gets underway. That’s been particularly true for the First Ward, with lots of activity and community spirit to celebrate. The 6th Annual Eastside Community & Schools BBQ on August 23 and the Waite Park Fall Festival & Push Cart Derby on September 8 were two outstanding events that brought community together. September brings more exciting news as the Minneapolis Public School District continues to implement healthy new changes to the school lunch menu. Check out the story on for more details.

September marked the opening of The Solar Arts Building, located at 711 15th Avenue NE. This historic structure has received an infusion of new life with solar technology, innovative renovation and a raft of artists’ studios.

One of the building’s most high-profile tenants is Indeed Brewery, which celebrated its grand opening in August. Made possible by last year’s change in City ordinance, Indeed features both a brewing operation and a taproom in the heart of what’s being called Northeast Minneapolis’ “Brew District”.

Last month also saw a unique gathering of First Ward volunteers at the “Appointed Boards & Commissions” forum I hosted on August 29. Eighteen current and former members of Minneapolis advisory boards and commissions discussed their work with 30 or so fellow Ward One residents.

I’d like to extend an invitation to another Ward-wide forum on October 17, 6-8 pm, at Eastside Food Co-op on the topic of “Urban Agriculture & the Eastside”. The evening will feature a panel of invited guests including Mike Smieja of Windom Park’s Buchanan Street Farm, and representatives from California Street Farm, Northeast Farmers Market, Homegrown Minneapolis, Mother Earth Gardens and more. I hope you’ll be able to join us for what promises to be an in depth conversation about the current state of urban agriculture in our community.

 - Kevin Reich
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Contact Kevin Reich
350 S. 5th Street
Room 307
Minneapolis, MN 55415
612-673-2201
Kevin.Reich@minneapolismn.gov

Arts District's New Solar Arts Building

Topped with 109 solar panels and filled with artist studios, a gallery and a microbrewery, today’s newly renovated Solar Arts Building is a far cry from its early 20th century roots as a site for the manufacture of tires, rubber and transformers.

Co-owners Duane Arens and Larry Brandt were initially attracted to the building at 711 15th Avenue NE because of its location in the heart of the Arts District and its unique structural elements. Their renovation focused on enhancing the building’s creative space, including studios for artists and creative professionals and a 3rd floor gallery that will host the Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association (NEMAA) Fall Fine Arts Show beginning September 21. Another focus was on designing an environmentally-friendly building; hence the rooftop solar panels and the name “Solar Arts”. Lastly, they added Indeed Brewery, Minneapolis’ most recent microbrewery. This newest addition to the Arts District is an example of the public sector providing a framework of support for private investment and community improvement.

Indeed Brewery: Open for Business

Last year’s City ordinance allowing breweries to open taprooms has borne fruit in Ward One with the opening of Indeed Brewing in the Solar Arts Building. Their 12,000 square-foot facility is comprised of a 30-barrel brewing system, a taproom with 37-foot long bar and a 45-seat patio.

Indeed is the first of a number of breweries proposing to begin operations in what’s being termed the “Northeast Brew District”, including 612 Brew and Northgate. It’s an example of history moving full circle, CM Reich pointed out: “When brewing took place in the early days of Minneapolis, it was right here in Northeast.”

The New Face of School Lunch

The words “school lunch” may conjure up many images, but “local, grass-fed, all beef hotdog” probably isn’t among them. Nevertheless, it’s one of the new menu items signaling the many changes taking place with Minneapolis Public Schools’ (MPS) culinary program. Council Member Reich recently toured MPS’ Plymouth Avenue food facility with nutrition director Bertrand Weber to see firsthand the new plans for amping up the nutrition, flavor and appeal of school meals.

Swiss-born Weber, who was previously the nutrition director for the Hopkins School District and also spent 6 years as manager of the Whitney Hotel, described the history of MPS’ food program as it transitioned from a central commissary in the70s to a pre-wrapped, pre-assembled process over the past few decades. “We’re trying to reverse that trend and go back to freshly cooked food,” he explained. To that end he is working to source local partners, including Pepin Heights, Golden Plump, Great Northern Baking Company, Thousand Acres Beef and two First Ward businesses: Holy Land Deli and Cre8it, Inc.

Weber has developed a five year plan for completing the renovation of the school lunch program. By the end of this year, for example, most schools will offer students a salad bar. A key element of the success of the new program, however, resides in the amount of buy-in it gets from students and parents. “The longer they stay out of the program,” he explained, “the longer it’s going to take to improve it”. Increased student lunch purchases would mean more funds are available to dedicate toward improvements. Given the results seen from new menu tests last year, student participation may not be a problem; Washburn High School saw a 40% increase in kids eating school lunch on menu test days.

Weber’s Culinary & Nutrition Services team will be offering up a tasty celebration of these changes on Friday, September 21, 4-7 p.m. with a free Farm2School Community BBQ for all MPS families. The party will offer an opportunity to meet local farmers, try taste tests, view a compost demo and many more activities, while enjoying some great local food and recipes. The event will be at the Plymouth Avenue facility, 812 N. Plymouth Avenue. For questions or more information, contact farm2school@mpls.k12.mn.us.

New Edison Sign Unveiled

A brand new Edison High School sign was unveiled on August 23 during the Eastside Community &  Schools BBQ. Designed by local artist James Brenner and SignMinds Ben Janssens, and funded by the Edison Community & Sports Foundation (ESCF), Holland Neighborhood Improvement Association (HNIA) and the school itself, this unique dynamic sign is constructed of cor-ten steel and glass to complement the Brenner-designed Innovation Backstop, In Flux and Double Flux art installments across the street.

6th Annual Eastside Community Schools BBQ

This year’s Annual Community & Schools BBQ broke all previous records with over 2200 people served. Students and families from six Eastside schools – Edison, Waite Park, Marcy Open, Sheridan, Pillsbury, and Northeast Middle – as well as First Ward residents, businesses, and firefighters enjoyed a fun-filled afternoon and evening in the Edison High School parking lot.

Some highlights of this year’s festivities:

• Recovery Bike was on hand with their pedal-propelled Mobile Command & Repair Module, offering free bike repairs. 
• Bike.Walk.Move. offered bike safety workshops, with prizes and giveaways. 
• Edison High School introduced ZAP, a solar-powered system that allows students to track miles biked, and also set up their perennially popular “blender bike”. 
• Tap Minneapolis provided all the drinking water for the event.

Volunteers for the event included MPS board members Jenny Arneson, Jill Davis, Rebecca Gagnon and Carla Bates; MPS Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson, as well as Rick Mills, Mark Bonine and Michael Thomas from District headquarters; State Senator Kari Dziedzic; State Rep Diane Loeffler; Mpls Park Board Commissioner Liz Wielinski; Council Member Kevin Reich; and Mark Latosky, president of Firefighters Local 82, along with a strong contingent of firefighters.

ZAP Twin Cities Comes to Edison

Toyota and the National Audubon Society recently selected Ashley Mueller as a 2012 TogetherGreen Fellow for her work encouraging biking and walking among students and staff at Edison High School. Previously Mueller was involved in setting up the Edison Student Green Council. As a TogetherGreen Fellow, she’s received a $10,000 grant to implement the ZAP system at Edison to support biking and walking. ZAP is a solar-powered, automated hardware and software system that allows the tracking of commuting outcomes such as miles biked/walked, calories burned and CO2 reduced. In addition to using the technology to encourage biking and walking, Mueller is working with teachers to use this tool in their curriculum. ZAP isn’t just for students; if you are a bike commuter interested in participating in this free incentive program, visit www.ZAPTwinCities.org for information about how to get tagged and where to ZAP your ride.