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S e wa r
d
N e i g h b o r hoo d
G r o u p
Spring Quarterly 2015
Crafts • Arts • Dance • Music • Food • Theatre • Services • Community
Read why Sewa
is the place fol
talk about, visit
want to live i
Signs of Seward
Where have you been?
Planting for PollinatorsThe Beauty of Raingardens
Bee-ing GoodSweet Inspiration
SPOKES +Cycles for Change
Seward Bikes On!
What’s Up?Happenings & Events
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The Seward Profile, a quarterly publication
of the Seward Neighborhood Group (SNG),strives to keep neighborhood residents,
businesses, property owners and organizations
nformed of what's happening in Seward
and assist SNG in building and sustaining
a strong, diverse, and vibrant community.
As a typical Seward endeavor, the Profile
relies on volunteers to plan each issue,
create copy, sell ads, and prepare the
printed edition for mailing. We welcome
your suggestions and would welcome your
time and energy even more.
To get involved, contact us at
[email protected] or Seward Profile, 2323
E. Franklin Avenue, Minneapolis, 55406.
Upcoming Issues and Deadlines:
Upcoming Issue and Deadline
Summer Issue 2015
Copy and ad deadline:
May 11, 2015
In homes and businesses:
May 29 - June 2, 2015
f you or someone you know would like a
written translation of the Profile Quarterly,
please contact [email protected] or call
612-338-6205.
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Editors & Staff Writers, and Volunteers:
Diann A., Bruce J., Kate S.
Design: Marne Z.
e-mail:[email protected]
Printer: Print Craft
For information on everything Seward,
find us at www.sng.org
Save the Date - SEPTEMBER, 19th!Every late Summer, Seward neighborhood celebrates a much anticipated
festival at Matthews Park known as "King's Fair." This eclectic family-friendly
event features home-grown musical talent and entertainment, tasty food by lo
restaurants, pet judging, artwork by our creative community, interesting histor
about our neighborhood, and plenty of fun activities organized by our local
businesses and neighbors. For more information, contact Kerry at 612-338-62
ext. 119 or [email protected].
I t’s Back! Garage Sale Days have become a
May tradition in Seward. Some folks are eager to move unused articles
from their closets and cupboards and into someone else’s home. Others
are looking for bargains and treasures while others simply want a good
excuse to stroll outside after a long, hard winter. The Seward Garage
Sale Days are coming up! Friday May 15th and Saturday May 16th
will be the official dates. Seward Neig hborhood Group has put together a map of the
participating houses and advertises the event. This is a great opportunity for some
spring cleaning and neig hborhood fun!
Registration is $18 and gets you on the official map
that is advertised widely. If you’re interested in being
a part of the sale, please register here by May 8th:
http: //goo.gl/forms/4QiOYo01 YP
SPREADSeward Fund! Seward SPREAD JOY Fund: Winner AnnouncementAt the Seward Neighborhood Group Board meeting in January, the first Seward
Spread Joy Fund award winner was drawn by chance from the nine qualifying
entries for 2014. Sonja Casey will use the support she received from the SSJF
to work as a volunteer Spanish/English interpreter in Quiroga, Bolivia this MaShe will be traveling with a non-profit organization MELA (Medical Educators fo
Latin America) and will be working to open a health center with another non-p
Mano a Mano. Mano a Mano is a non-profit that opens clinics in rural Bolivia t
serve their communities. In addition, her award will allow her to fulfill her dre
of climbing the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru with a few colleagues. The
SSJF awards a grant of up to $1,000 each year to a Seward resident who year
to do something that is just beyond their budget. The winner of the 2015 awa
will be drawn at the SNG annual meeting next November. Applications will be d
this fall. For additional information, contact SNG at [email protected].
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by Sheldon Mains,
SPOKES’ founding director
On January 1, we had a big change: SPOKES merged with Cycles for Change,
a community bike center headquartered in St. Paul. The two community bike
centers have very similar programs. Also, Cycles for Change provided fantastic
support to SPOKES when it was starting two and a half years ago. We will keep
SPOKES great staff, location, programs, and hours. However, the merger means
that we will no longer be a program of the Seward Neighborhood Group. We will
miss SNG; SNG has been unbelievable in its support of SPOKES’ in its first two
and a half years. (THANK YOU, SNG!)
SPOKES is actually merging with an old friend. There has been a long history of collabora-
tion between SPOKES and Cycles for Change (as long as that a two and a half year old
program can have):
• Most of SPOKES’ programs and policies were designed using Cycles for Change’s
programs as a template.
• For its first year, SPOKES contracted with Cycles for Change to provide staff
support for the Learn-to-Ride program and Open Shop.
• SPOKES has been a branch of Cycles for Change’s Community Partners Bike
Library Program for the last two years.
In addition, SPOKES is joining with a couple old friends: Cycles for Change’s current
Executive Director (Jason Tanzman) and current board president (Katya Pilling) were the
two people responsible for the original idea of starting a community bike center in Seward.Katya also wrote the grant application that funded the start-up of SPOKES.
For Seward Neighborhood Group, this change frees up capacity to start other new and
creative activities. And even though we are no longer a program of SNG, SPOKES will
continue to partner with SNG on activities in the neighborhood.
For Cycles for Change and SPOKES, the benefits include:
• SPOKES will be part of a larger organization that has a board and staff who are
all about getting more people biking.
• Cycles for Change has some exciting youth programs that will expand to the
SPOKES location.
• With locations on both sides of the river, Cycles for Change and SPOKES can
work together to become a regional voice in bike advocacy.• SPOKES has an established record of working with the East African Community.
Cycles for Change has an established record of working with the Latino/Latina
community.
• SPOKES’ Adult Learn-to-Ride program (initially based on curriculum developed
by Cycles for Change) will expand to serve more people who have never learned
to ride a bike.
• Volunteers from both organizations will have even more choices of ways and
when to volunteer.
• Cycles for Change and SPOKES will be able to share each others experience,
expertise and enthusiasm.
With this merger, both organizations will be able to be even more effective in our work of
building a diverse and empowered community of bicyclists in the Twin Cities.
SPOKES + Cycles for ChangeGOOD for Biking, GREAT for you!
bike-walk-connect
SPOKES cycles for change
Cycles for Change Calendar for SPOKES locat
WINTER 2015 Public Hours
Open Shop
- Wednesdays 5 - 9pm
- Saturdays 1 -5 pm
Grease Rag Women & Trans Open Shop
- 2nd & 4th Mondays, 7 - 9pm
The Hub @ SPOKES
- Wednesdays 5 - 9pm
- Saturdays 10am -5 pm
Volunteer Night
- Thursdays 5 - 9pm
** SPRING HOURS START MARCH 29th
Open Shop
- Wednesdays 5 - 9pm
- Saturdays 1 - 5pm
Grease Rag Women & Trans Open Shop
- 2nd & 4th Mondays, 7 - 9pm
The Hub @ SPOKES
- Wednesdays 5 - 9pm
- Saturdays 10am - 5pm
- Sundays Noon - 6pm
Volunteer Shop
- Sundays Noon to 4pm
Classes & Events• Ride to May Day Parade - Sunday May 3rd
• Minneapolis Bike Week is May 11th-15th
• Stay tuned for spring Bike Tune Up classe
• Earn a Bike Classes
- Saturdays in March 9am-12pm
- Tuesdays in May 6pm-9pm
• Adult and Teen Learn-to-Ride classes sta
in April or May (weather dependent) emai
To register or for more information email
SPOKES + Cycles for Change1915 E 22nd St
Minneapolis, MN 55406Shop phone: 612-787-7433
W I N T E R 2 0 1 5
- S P R I N G 2 0 1 5
H O U R S A T S P O K E S
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Discover allthat is Seward at
www.sng.org
Believe it or not, Spring is coming! One of the best ways to get a ju
on springtime is to start planning your garden now. This year, why
not order your plants from Seward Montessori School? That's righ
every year the Seward Montessori PTA hosts a plant sale fundrais
right here in the neighborhood. Now, it’s easier than ever for neig
borhood residents to participate in this event by visiting the online
shop (sewardplantsale.org)! You will find a varied selection of nat
plants, annuals, perennials, strawberries, vegetables, and herbs.
Beautiful hanging baskets, Mother Earth Gardens gift cards, and
t-shirts, are also a part of the mix.
Here is how it works: The plant sale officially kicks off on Friday,
February 27. You can order and pay online (sewardplantsale.org);
or pick up an order form in the school office (2309 28th Ave S).
Just be sure to submit your order (online or in the school office)
before Friday, March 20. Then, just sit back, think spring, and let
Seward Montessori do the rest! Your plants will arrive and be read
for you to pick them up in the school gym on May 7 and 8 - just in
time for Mother’s Day!
Spread the word and share the link! This is a great way to satisfy
your green thumb while supporting a neighborhood school! SewaMontessori is a public K-8 school. Funds raised support after scho
programs, band instruction, sports teams, field trips, books, and
classroom materials.
Seward Montessori Plant Sa
Come to the Seward Neighborhood Sustainability Fair! Our 4th annual
fair will be coming up on Saturday, Aprill 11th, 11:00 am - 3:30 pm,
at Faith Mennonite Church, 2720 East 22nd Street, Minneapolis. This
is a casual drop-in event that is designed to provide an opportunity for
education on local environmental issues and projects, and offer practial
skills to enhance household and neighborhood sustainability. Drop by
for free electronics and small applicance recycling, bike tune-ups and
used/broken bike donation, used clothing and used toy exchange,household more-with-less activities and products, activitites for children,
seed swap, free food, free coffee, info on alternative transportation,
alternative energy, urban gardening, and sustainability organizations.
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
Sponsored by Faith Mennonite Church, Seward Neighborhood Group, the
Community of Saint Martin and the Mennonite Worker. For more information
and to reserve a spot if you would like to present at the fair, contact Phil
Stoltzfus, 612-375-9483 or email [email protected].
Get Sustenance. Be Sustained.by Phil Stoltzfus
P h o
t o s : C o u r t e s y o f
F a i t h M e n n o n i t e
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Bee Friendly Seward Blood DriveOn Tuesday, March 17th, Garland's I
and Welna II Hardware will sponsor
American Red Cross blood drive. Th
drive will be held at Garlands's, 2501
26th Avenue from 8:30am to 2:30pm
Parking available in front of building.
To make an appointment to donate,
either call 1-800-733-2767 FREE orgo online towww.redcrossblood.org
and enter the sponsor code:
Garland's (case sensitive).
Appointments are preferred; walk-ins
are welcome. A photo ID is required.
Donors will receive a coupon for a
free pint of paint at Welna II Hardwa
"Give a pint, get a pint."
Culvers coupon will also be given.
Questions?
Call Denise Lucier, 612-276-7228 o
Sue Welna, 612-280-4500.
Donor Health Line:
1-866-236-3276
(FREE Call with any questions you ma
have about donating blood).
While some Seward yards have a good
population of bees and native pollina-
tors, other neighbors express concern
about seeing so few bees. Beekeepers
and researchers around the state are
finding reduced numbers of native
pollinators as well as fewer honey bees.
So why are people concerned?
Bees are an integral part of the foodystem, and an essential contributing factor to biodiversity. The
ommon honeybee is responsible for pollinating from 30 to 80% of
ur food supply. But bee populations are rapidly declining, and many
eople remain unaware as to exactly how great an impact this will have
n daily life. Seventy out of the hundred most prevalent food crops that provide about 90% of the world’s
utrition are pollinated by honeybees.
he most common theory currently for the decline of bees is that a class of insecticides called neonicotinoids
re damaging pollinators' neurological and immune systems, impairing their ability to navigate and their resist-
nce to diseases and other environmental stresses. Neonicotinoids are systemic poisons; applied to soil, seeds,
r any part of a plant, they integrate into the whole plant. This, in turn, means that they are found in the nectar
nd pollen of the flowers that bees feed on.
hese pesticides have a cumulative effect, building up in the hive and in the systems of the bees. Generally, the
ees are not killed outright, but their natural patterns are altered to the point where they can no longer maintain
he hive. And, because many different varieties of pesticides are used on plants, bees bring the toxins into the
ive where they are consumed by workers, queen, and larvae. The way that various chemicals interact has been
tudied very little, and they could possibly be even more toxic in combination.
nother factor believed to contribute to high bee mortality is the way the U.S. food system is structured.
While many grains are wind pollinated or self-pollinating, most fruits and vegetables require insect pollinators
o reproduce. Most of the food in the US is grown using mono-cropping, a technique by which a single food crop
s grown in massive quantities. The hives of bees are transported from site to site for pollination as the plants
loom. This leads to a feast and famine cycle for the bees, as well as to nutritional deficiencies, which slowly
eaken the immune systems of the individual bees, as well as the hive overall.
eekeepers now commonly lose anywhere from a third, to three fourths of their hives in a single winter. Major
osses such as this are difficult to recover from.
hankfully, many states and municipalities are making legislative and educational efforts to protect honeybee
opulations. Minnesota has taken steps to legalize residential beekeeping, as well as to require that bee-
eepers be compensated for hive loss due to pesticides, and that sellers of plants provide
ertification that any plants labeled bee friendly really are.
variety of organizations in the Twin Cities are lobbying for the benefit of the bees. One
f these organizations, Beez Kneez, is located in the Seward Neighborhood. Beez Kneez
rovides educational workshops at community sites and opens their honey house on
aturdays. Beez Kneez staff and volunteers demonstrate the process of extracting honey
nd sell honey products. The University of Minnesota Bee Lab and their Bee Squad
rogram is offering advice and education to commercial bee keepers and providing assistance to homeowners
who want to host bee hives in their yards. Many other Minnesota groups are working with Beez Kneez to lobby
or bee-protective legislation, promote reduction of pesticides, and educate neighbors about planting bee friendly
owers.
he Pesticide Action Network (PAN), a national organization, specifically addresses the flaws within our food
ystem by examining the root of the problem, our use of pesticides. PAN aims to inform the general public as
o just how prevalent many pesticides are. Neonicotinoids are found just about everywhere, and are incredibly
ersistent, remaining in the environment for anywhere from a few months to several years. Neonicotinoids are
lso applied as a ‘prophylactic’ seed treatment, meaning that the seeds and seedlings are sold pre-treated to
onsumers, as a theoretical safeguard against potential pests.
ne of the most important things an individual can do to help the bees is to provide bee friendly spaces, with
ntreated flowers that are highly attractive to bees. Be informed and ask questions when choosing plants from
he nursery. Many resources are available, from phone apps such as “Bee Smart” to local master gardeners; or,
oint your browser to pana.org (the Pesticide Action Network website). Another great site is beyondpesticides.com.
Many thanks to Erin Knapp from the Beez Kneez, and to Lex Horan of Pesticide Action Network, for the valuable
nformation they contributed to this article.
by Khiara Foss
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People are drawn to Seward in part because of the wid
array of independently owned businesses. Their signs
reflect the cultural diversity and add to the visual vibra
of the neighborhood. Here's a small sample.
How many of these businesses have you visited?
Discover all that is Seward atwww.sng
What’s that Sign
The 12th Annual South Minneapolis Housing
Fair will be held April 18, from 10am – 3pm,
at the Minneapolis Sports Center at theMidtown YWCA, 2121 East Lake Street.
In addition to local high-quality building, remodeling
and landscaping contractors, there are booths with
experts on gardening from the University of MN and
“Ask an Expert’ from the city of Minneapolis who will
answer your questions on everything from building
codes, solid waste and graffiti removal.
New this year is a booth from TechDump, where
you can bring your electronic devices for recycling.
‘How-to sessions’ are being offered every half hour
on a variety of home improvement topics including;
kitchen remodeling, patios, landscaping, air condi-
tioning for homes with radiators, and many more.
Directories will be available at your local South
Minneapolis Neighborhood Organization offices.
Look for posters and directories at local businesses.
by Bruce Johan
P h
o t o s :
B r u c e
Johby Marianne Badar Ohman, 2015 Housing Fair Manager
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SCCA is a nonprofit association with membership
made up of businesses located in Seward, and
has grown to over 90 members.
Join Us and Grow Your Businesshttp://www.sewardbusiness.org/membership/
Planting for Pollinators:
How Raingardens Can Help
n a world without bees, your next plate of food would haveconsiderably less variety. By some estimates, one of every three
bites of food we take depends on pollinators like bees. Pollinators
are the small creatures—among them bees, butterflies and hum-
mingbirds — that carry pollen from plant to plant as they forage,
unknowingly performing an important step in the production of
fruits and seeds.
n recent years, we have observed severe declines in various pollinator
populations. Honey bees are a key example. According to the USDA,
beekeepers lost an average of one-third of their colonies every winter
from 2006 to 2011. In the last couple of decades, the monarch butterfly
population has declined 90 percent in North America.
This is worrisome. Consider the following: more than 80 percent of
plants depend on pollinators for survival. In this country alone, bees
and other insect pollinators contribute more than $24 billion a year to
the economy.
Why are pollinators disappearing? A leading cause is lost habitat. Quite
simply, many pollinators no longer have the food and other resources they
need to survive. They are also vulnerable to pesticides, in ways that are
currently being studied.
While this problem exists globally, we can act on a personal level to help
solve the problem. Our gardening practices can create urban habitats
that attract and sustain pollinators. Choosing native plants is a step inthe right direction: pollinators and plants that evolved in the same areas
generally benefit one another. For example, milkweed attracts bees and
butterflies. To reproduce, monarch butterflies actually need milkweed
because it is the only plant their caterpillars eat. Practices on this scale
can establish pollinators in our own backyards.
Which brings us to raingardens, one of our favorite topics. Metro
Blooms teaches people how to plant raingardens as part of our mission
to promote gardening, beautify the community, and help heal the
environment. These shallow depressions, planted with native vegetation,
allow stormwater to be cleaned naturally as it soaks into the ground,
diverting polluted runoff from our waterways.
Creating raingardens that are also habitats for native pollinators is, quite
simply, smart design. The raingardens help clean and preserve natural
bodies of water and function as habitats for bees, butterflies, and other
nsects and small animals that pollinate. In turn, the pollinators, just
by doing what they do, help the raingardens thrive so they can work
efficiently to clean our water.
Learn more at one of our eco-friendly raingarden workshops. This year
we will offer lots of information on designing raingardens for pollinators:
metroblooms.org/workshops.php
Aleli Balagtas is a freelance writer interested in gardening ecologically.
by Aleli Balagtas
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Discover allthat is Seward at
www.sng.org
K e e p u p
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Seward Longfellow Restorative Justice Partnership:Conference Facilitator Training, May 1 - 3, 2015
Attend a fun and powerful training that equips you with the skills to
facilitate restorative conferences with youth who have committed minor offense,
such as shoplifting and theft. All conferences are co-facilitated, and we will
team you up with a more experienced facilitator at first. Conferences are
coordinated with YOUR schedule! Facilitator training is offered two times per year.
Contact Michele Braley at 612-338-6205 x108 or [email protected] for more informat
about the training and a registration form or to inquire about other ways to get involve
Earth Day Clean-Up:Let’s Keep our Planet
Clean and Healthy
April 25th, 9:30 am – 12:00 noon
at 24th St. and West River Road. Sponsored by
the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation.
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Lend a Helping Hand. Be Environmentally Involved
Have an interest in environmental issues? Then, you might want
to consider the SNG Environment Committee. The committee met
in January to define its focus for 2015 and there are numerous
opportunities for you to be involved:
• Create Seward-specific resources on transit, energy upgrade and
waste management options to share at neighborhood events
• Encourage more folks to receive a reduced-price energy audit
• Connect neighbors to grant money for upgrading really old
gravity-fed furnaces
• Listen to guest speakers at committee meetings
• Understand what a Community Solar Garden project
means for Seward ... and much more!
If any (or all!) of the above interests you, please email or
call the Environment Committee's co-chairs Mike Trdan
([email protected]) and Alexis Troschinetz
([email protected] or 763-213-2932) to be addedto the committee's contact list so that you can be notified
of meetings and activities. The next two committee meetings
will be held on Mondays March 9 and May 11 from
7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Matthews Center.
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