A Call For Discussion and Action - How Do We Stop the Violence Now? Part 4 - State Senator and Northsider Linda Higgins Responds

Photo from Higgins for State Senate party

In my ongoing attempts to raise outrage and agitate both conversation and action regarding the unacceptable and unlivable (literally) levels of violence in our community, I sent out a plea to elected officials, appointed public servants and a few others (see Parts 1-3). Our State Senator Linda Higgins, who lives in the Old Highland neighborhood, which is delightful and lovely yet still not immune to the social ills that plague our community, has responded to me via this letter below:

Dear Megan,

Thank you for your recent email regarding the violence in North Minneapolis. I share in your anger, outrage and fear of what has taken place in North Minneapolis over the last few weeks and since your email, 2 more shootings have taken place. I live at 1715 Emerson Ave North, and have lived in the neighborhood for 33 years. I agree, there needs to be something done so that we can all feel safe at our homes whether it is when we are sitting in our backyard or even parking our car. While I understand from Chief Dolan that the rate of violent crime in North Minneapolis is below where it was two years ago and below where it was in 2007 and 2006, it doesn't give me solace when I hear of another shooting in our neighborhood.

We need strong law enforcement and local government funding to combat violence in our neighborhood. I believe that Chief Dolan and Inspector Mike Martin are doing their very best with the resources that they are given including working with federal agencies. While we have seen a decrease in violent crime statistics over the past few years, there is clearly an increase of gun use in our community as shootings continue.  From what I understand the recent shootings have shown a correlation between young people and gun violence and so we need to do a better job on prevention programs such as gun buy back programs.

There are also resolutions that can be made on the state level, where I represent you as your state senator.  With the continued increase of gun violence I am convinced more than ever that we need to reexamine penalties for gun violence.  We also need to keep adequate police forces in our neighborhood, I have fought very hard in the last few sessions to restrict cuts to local government aid, which predominantly goes to police and fire services.  I am proud to say that I have worked hard for funding for youth jobs and intervention and policies to crack down on nuisance properties and party houses.  I will continue to fight hard for these policies next session.

I believe we also need to continue to connect as a community and attending meetings.  I believe I was the only legislator that attended the recent.  It is crucial to meet so we can continue to talk and act on this serious issue.


Sincerely,

State Senator Linda Higgins
District 58
Representing North and Downtown Minneapolis

Warning: Eating Local Foods May Cause Good Health and Euphoric Feelings

Ann inside her Local D'lish grocery store

This blog is dedicated to all things we might experience on our NoMi voyage: good, bad and ugly.

Thank Heavens today we can enjoy some of the good.

I am metaphorically doing cartwheels of pride and excitement for my dear bestie Ann Yin. This woman is such a force of good and she is determined to share it with the world. And she is succeeding, too. And with plenty of help and support from her hubby, "Honey", and their delightful little daughter, CC, who has already been made a Jordan neighborhood blog celebrity. Here. And here. And here, again. And most especially, here. Oh, but then there's this cute one here. (Ok, I'll stop now! But there's never too much of CC!)

"Honey" and CC at the General Store at Mill City Farmers Market

Today the big daily paper featured a full length article on the work The Yins have been doing at their small grocer Local D'lish. I have shared the article here below. And of course I have to urge you readers to go there and see for yourself. It's really a special place. Matter of fact, while it is summer, head down to Mill City Farmers Market and find the Local D'lish General Store, say Hi to Stefan Meyer (who is a leader in urban farming) and then make your way to the brick and mortar store front in North Loop and explore that fun little district, too.

 

The General Store is bigger than it appears!

Ann - you make us all proud to call you a friend and neighbor - and we are glad to claim Local D'lish with a little Jordan-NoMi connection!

~~~~~~~~~
Grocer specializes in stocking small-town flavor in the big city
DICK YOUNGBLOOD, Star Tribune

Ann Yin is creating a piece of small-town nostalgia in a tiny storefront in the North Loop district of downtown Minneapolis.

It's an old-time grocery store, appropriately dubbed Local D'Lish, that specializes in food items grown or packaged by local producers and focuses on friendly, personal relationships with the clients who inhabit the condominiums and townhouses abounding in that part of the city.

Local D'Lish is a long shot away from your typical supermarket: There's just 2,000 square feet of space, a limited inventory -- so far -- and a decided absence of the aisle after aisle of canned goods we're familiar with nowadays.

The emphasis is on fresh, as in meats butchered yesterday, eggs gathered this morning, veggies delivered within hours after they're picked and, of course, bread delivered fresh daily, all by local producers.

And that's not all: There's fettuccini from Hibbing, Minn., rice from Spooner, Wis., wheat flour, dried cereals and baking mixes from Welcome, Minn., and milk, eggs and cheese delivered by locals "all over the Upper Midwest," Yin said. Not to mention candy produced in Prior Lake and soaps from a supplier in Hudson, Wis.

In all, Yin has assembled a supply chain that includes nearly 150 area farmers and what she calls "small-batch producers."

Of course, produce is shipped from outside the region during the winter. And the coffee beans Yin sells are grown in Guatemala.

"But the beans are owned by a Twin Citian who roasts them fresh weekly," she was quick to point out. In all, Yin estimates that 90 percent of her wares are locally produced, many of them organic.

Yin, 42, conceives the business as a combination of a farmers market and a gourmet shop. And against all odds, including the fact that the store's parking requires plugging the meters out front on N. 1st Street, the business is growing.

In 2009, its first full year, Local D'Lish grossed $190,000. And 2010 sales are on track to reach $210,000 -- or more, if Yin goes through with plans to open a delicatessen in the store later this summer.

Better yet, the business is profitable, although Yin has yet to pay herself a salary. Instead, she plows the profits back into the store to finance her strategy of "growing a bit each month" with additional inventory, often added at the request of customers. Her husband, Yulin, pays the bills with a job as a software developer.

Nonetheless, Yin questioned her decision as the recession deepened. She persevered, however, because "I'm a chronic positive thinker."

Yin figures that a lively interest in the local-food movement, evidenced by a growing number of farmers markets and recent movie documentaries and books on the subject, will help the business continue growing.

In short, "there's an interest in going back to the days when we knew where our food came from -- when we knew the producers, the butchers, the grocers," she said.

It's all a part of the "personal touch that customers truly appreciate," said one of the Local D'Lish regulars, Kirsten Sparks. "If she doesn't carry something you want, she'll go and find it. She's really responsive."

Bringing community together

Yin's approach to promoting the business is also bringing the North Loop community together, said Bob Wheaton, another customer who lives in the neighborhood.

"She supports the community" with 10 to 12 fundraisers a year, he said, and "brings people together" to listen to talks about nutrition or to hear a chef discuss Italian cuisine, among other activities. She has even hosted a Christmas party for the residents of one condominium development.

And to assure good attendance at her fundraisers, Yin offers such lures as cooking demonstrations and, in one case, a scavenger hunt through the store.

Wheaton summed it up with a brief observation: "Ann's incredible."

Yin had long wanted to start her own business. Her choice was inspired by six months she and her family spent in China in 2006 living with her husband's family. It was an effort to introduce their daughter to her grandparents and to her father's native language and culture.

"Every day my in-laws would walk to a local market, similar to our farmers markets here in Minnesota, to buy the day's fresh meat, eggs and veggies," Yin said. "We loved it -- the good smells, the friendly people, the feeling of life and energy. What a great way to start a day."

She chose to locate in the North Loop "because I was looking for a neighborhood feel, a place where people walk to your store and get to know you," Yin said. And it didn't hurt that her landlord, condo developer Jim Stanton, offered a break on the rent to provide his clients with a handy grocery source.

Nearby retailers like Local D'Lish "help condos sell faster," Stanton said. "Besides, I don't have a mortgage [on the building Yin occupies], so I'm able to offer a little better rent."

Dick Youngblood • 612-673-4439 • yblood@startribune.com

A Call For Discussion and Action - How Do We Stop the Violence Now? Part 3 - City Council Starts to Respond

City Council Swearing In Ceremony, January 2010

In Part 1 I shared my "call to action" email. And in Part 2 I shared some responses from police officials.  Here I will share some of the responses received from city council offiicals. Note: I received a response in the form of a phone call from Don Samuels, 5th Ward, but it's hard to share that here, I mean it's not like I'm recording the phone calls or anything! Don and I talk often, matter of fact we had talked after the "7 shootings" and before my "call to action email".  I was actually preparing to go protest at the Guv's mansion and take anybody along with me, but Don talked me down from that ledge. Thanks, Don!

Here's a response received from Elizabeth Glidden, Ward 8 (parts of south, both east and west of 35W)

Dear neighbors:

Let me first say that YES, the health and safety of Northside residents is a priority for the entire city. The Chief and Inspector Martin, who have already responded to you, are more appropriate to talk about tactics of the police that are both responsive to and proactive in addressing unacceptable levels of violence that are again affecting children and young adults. As a policymaker, I support budget decisions that have prioritized public safety and economic development in North Minneapolis and will continue to do so.

I want to tell you about efforts I am personally involved in that impact the health and safety North Minneapolis. As a current member and the recent past-Chair of the Youth Coordinating Board, a joint powers board with the City, County, Schools, Parks and Libraries created by Mayor Fraser, I am focused on how to better support young people throughout Minneapolis. Supporting challenged youth is a critical aspect of addressing public safety. Here are some initiatives of the Youth Coordinating Board I want to highlight for you:

* Youth are Here Bus: Creating a transportation initiative to help youth get safely from activity to activity -- we have prioritized the northside route, which has been widely seen as successful for kids and organizations on the northside http://www.ycb.org/initiatives__programs/

* 500 under 5: this is a critical early childhood initiative that focuses on working with the entire family so that good parenting is taught with providing quality early childhood ed. The project area is in North Minneapolis. http://www.ycb.org/initiatives__programs/

* We want you back: This year, the YCB is teaming with public and private parners in an important effort to get kids who have dropped out of school to get back in school. This is based on a successful model from Houston, Texas. I've attached some descriptions of this program here that are hot off the press -- we are working now to build community support and seeking voluteers for this effort. http://www.ycb.org/initiatives__programs/we_want_you_back/


Please let me know if you have questions on any of the work of the YCB. Yes, my colleagues and I are very concerned about violence on the Northside. We must continue to review our actions and ask if we are doing all we can. I appreciate your taking the time to contact me.


Thanks,

Elizabeth
ELizabeth Glidden
Ward 8 Councilmember
(612) 673-2208
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here is a response I received from Cam Gordon, Ward 2( parts of NE and SE)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Megan,

Thank you for writing me about safety in North Minneapolis and thank you for your efforts to make this a safe city. I wanted to add my perspective the responses you have been getting.

I too feel angry and sometimes hopeless in face of what is happening. The story about 7 shootings in 7 hours was especially painful and the young ages of those involved especially disturbing. The story reminded me of how in early January of this year, three people were murdered by two young men in the Seward neighborhood, which I represent. The problem of youth violence clearly affects us all, though it certainly hits some neighborhoods harder than others.

This kind of news is even harder to hear because so many of us have been focusing on reducing youth violence for years, and I am saddened and frustrated that we have not been able to make more progress. Preventing youth violence has been a priority of mine for at least three years. I helped with the development of a long-term Blueprint for Action to prevent youth violence that is gaining national attention as a model for addressing youth violence. Unfortunately, much of it is unfunded or underfunded.

The Mayor and my colleagues on the Council have agreed to compliment the work of the Blueprint with an immediate, on-the-ground violence interrupter mechanism called Project Ceasefire. The city has allocated $100,000 towards this and we are trying to leverage that amount and solicit another 200-250,000 to launch it. This model has been shown in other cities to reduce homicides between 25-48% in the first year of implementation. Ceasefire staff have indicated to us that they believe there is an even greater probability to address the violence in Minneapolis than in other cities. Unfortunately, this doesn’t address the problem now, but we are moving aggressively to implement what has been shown to be the best model at preventing shootings and homicides in the country. We hope that we can get this up and running by January of next year. Our staff are also looking for creative ways to find more funding for youth violence prevention from every level of government and from foundations.

This story was also especially disturbing because it came just after the Supreme Court has made it significantly more difficult to enact local gun control laws by ruling the Chicago handgun ban unconstitutional. We actually call this out in the Youth violence Prevention Plan that was passed unanimously by the City Council. One goal states, “Support sensible illegal gun laws and work to change community values around the acceptance of guns. This includes seeking stronger penalties for people who sell and distribute illegal guns, and profit from the sale and distribution of illegal guns to young people.”

The fact is that there were 7 shootings that took place in 7 hours all on the north side, despite all our existing laws, despite all out education efforts and despite all the efforts to get guns off the streets including a gun buy back initiative in North and South Minneapolis just over a week ago. We must do more to get guns off the streets and keep them out of the hands of our children and young adults.

First, we need to start reframing gun violence as a public health crisis. Preventing firearm injuries is a public health imperative and, nationally as well as locally, the costs to society are alarming when examining the intersection of homicides and suicide related deaths involving firearms. We need serious and significant public education efforts that can shift our thinking away from using violence to solve problems and seeing guns as acceptable and worthwhile.

Next we need to improve the laws/regulations that ban or at least regulate the acquisition of unreasonably hazardous and ammunitions and firearms in light of what others cities are doing and in response to the recent Supreme Court case. Chicago has already responded with its own new ordinance. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38061266/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/?gt1=43001

Chicago’s new city ordinance does the following:
· Bans gun shops in Chicago.
· Prohibits gun owners from stepping outside their homes, even onto their porches or garages, with a handgun.
· Limits the number of handguns residents can register to one per month and prohibits residents from having more than one handgun in operating order at any given time.
· Requires residents in homes with children to keep them in lock boxes or equipped with trigger locks.
· Requires prospective gun owners to take a four-hour class and one-hour training at a gun range. They would have to leave the city for training because Chicago prohibits new gun ranges and limits the use of existing ranges to police officers. Those restrictions were similar to those in an ordinance passed in Washington, D.C., after the high court struck down its ban two years ago.
· Prohibits people from owning a gun if they were convicted of a violent crime, domestic violence or two or more convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Residents convicted of a gun offense would have to register with the police department.
· Calls for the police department to maintain a registry of every handgun owner in the city, with the names and addresses to be made available to police officers, firefighters and other emergency responders.
· Those who already have handguns in the city — which has been illegal since the city's ban was approved 28 years ago — would have 90 days to register those weapons, according to the proposed ordinance.
· Residents convicted of violating the city's ordinance can face a fine up to $5,000 and be locked up for as long as 90 days for a first offense and a fine of up to $10,000 and as long as six months behind bars for subsequent convictions.

I am convinced that it is time for the people of Minneapolis to look closely at of Chicago and D.C.’s provisions and figure out how we could pass such similar legislation in Minneapolis.


Finally, if we admit that hand guns and ammunition are a public health threat we need to start looking to ways to hold the industry and users responsible for the costs associated with that.

There is already a federal excise tax on bullets and sporting arms (11 percent) and handguns (10 percent) that gets split among the states. The tax goes into the Pittman-Robertson Fund, which was created in 1937 for conservation purposes. Imagine what a modest state tax on bullets and hand guns could offer to help cover the health costs associated with gun violence and provide funding for gun violence prevention efforts throughout the state.

I know theses are only partial solutions and I am ready to admit that I don’t have the answers to the persistent problem of violence we have in Minneapolis, but I am ready and willing to share the potentially good ideas I find and work with you and any one who is willing to join the struggle to end the violence that plagues our neighborhoods and make this a safer city for everyone.

Thanks again for writing and I welcome your continued input on these and other ideas that are being considered to improve life in Jordan and throughout the city.


In peace and cooperation,

Cam Gordon
Minneapolis City Council Member, Second Ward
673-2202, 296-0579
cam@camgordon.org
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/ward2/
http://secondward.blogspot.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Call For Discussion and Action - How Do We Stop the Violence Now? Part 2

Chief Dolan and Inspector Martin at community meeting, shared photo from JNS

In the Part 1 I shared my "call for action" email that I sent to a whole slew of elected officials as well as some appointed officials, such as Police Chief Tim Dolan.  Chief Dolan OFTEN replies to me immediately when I write. I remember one time late at night I had sent something off, and within a minute or so, I had a reply from the Chief. 

Here Below is his immediate reply that I received (I am sharing because I said I would share far and wide with my community any responses I received, or not received as it may be):

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
July 1, 2010

Ms. Goodmundson, thank you for the email. I know it does not help much when you have these incidents and headlines, but violent crime in North Minneapolis is below where it was two years ago, which is below where it was in 2007, which is below where it was in 2006. The Fourth Precinct is the only police precinct in Minneapolis with an overall Part I decrease year-to-date in crime.

Inspector Martin and his officers are doing an outstanding job on the Northside. The calls for service are very high, yet they continue to produce well proactively. We have other resources such and the Gang Enforcement Team and a federal task force (Violent Offender Task Force) assisting on a regular basis. SWAT officers also assist the Northside on a regular basis.

Todd Jones, our US Attorney, is going to work with us to increase federal prosecutions of those using guns. We also have an excellent working relationship with County Attorney Mike Freeman – and they are looking very closely at our gun cases. Inspector Martin’s officers always lead the city in gun seizures, and they added fourteen recovered guns last week.

I very much need residents to make sure they call the police when they see disturbances, loud parties, or suspicious activity. The most recent shooting was again the result of a large party that had not been reported to the police. We need those calls, and callers can ask to remain anonymous.

Ms. Goodmundson, you copied your email to quite a large list. I will be the first to say that I will always take any additional resources offered, but I do need to say that many of the people listed are already helping some way. I know it is a lot to ask, but please keep working with us as you have for a long time. It will take all of us working together to get through what seems like a very busy summer.

Timothy J. Dolan
Chief, Minneapolis Police
Visit us at: www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/police

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There was no public response sent back to the Chief from me, however, there were a couple of off-the-record ideas and suggestions given from this everyday (read not law enforcement) citizen.

I'll share with NoMi-land anything significant that may develop out of some behind the scenes discussions with various involved persons.

Here is another response, this one from 4th Precinct commander Inspector Mike Martin, received at 8:50pm that same night, Thursday, July 1 (I mention that to show this hardworking public service employee is still working at that hour of day):

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ms. Goodmundson,


Thanks for taking the time to relay your concerns to all of us. I know I speak for everyone copied when I say that our goal is to make the Northside a safe place for everyone to live and visit. I apologize for the late reply, but I am working late tonight because we are executing a series of search warrants with our Gang Enforcement Team, Community Response Team, S.W.A.T. Team and precinct officers. These warrants are follow-up warrants related to arrests we made during a Gang Suppression Detail with all of those listed above and Hennepin County Probation.

In the last several days we have conducted a number of joint operations with Probation, the Violent Offender Task Force, the Gang Enforcement Team, Directed Patrol officers, and our S.W.A.T. officers. These efforts have now led to the recovery of 16 guns taken off the street from gang members and other violent individuals.

In addition, we have been dealing with a significant increase in our calls for service as the weather has become warmer. I have been monitoring our call load all night and there has never been a time when there are not calls pending. However, our proactive traffic stops and stops of suspicious people and vehicles have been increasing in recent weeks. These efforts continue to drive down our violent crime rates and we are focusing them on the most violent offenders and most problematic locations.

The shootings on Monday night were an anomaly for the Northside. We have not had a night like that in the 3 years I have been here. I spoke with the reporter from the Star Tribune and tried to explain that, but unfortunately that is not how it was portrayed in the paper. Here is the reality;

The first shooting was a juvenile shot with an airsoft/simunitions type gun after an argument with another juvenile.

The next 2 victims allegedly shot each other during a drug deal gone bad and both were uncooperative. Subsequent work by investigators has led to the recovery of 3 guns from individuals involved.

The next victim was a toddler in her own front yard who was hit by a stray pellet from kids playing with a pellet gun (most likely unintentional).

Then a male was shot in the leg while attending a loud party. He refused to give officers any information and had marijuana in his pocket that was found by medical personnel.

Finally, 3 juveniles were shot while in the street. One of them was a documented gang member who was arrested last week after assaulting a neighbor with a 2 by 4 and then fighting with responding officers.

None of these incidents appears to be related or indicative of an escalation of violence, with one exception. Kids and young adults appear to be carrying guns more frequently and seem to be able to get them at will. We have been working hard to get these guns off the street and hold people accountable who use them in crimes. We have taken 215 guns off the street on the Northside this year. While this is great work by the officers, it is completely unacceptable that people are carrying that many guns while committing crimes here.

Another major issue we are tackling is the lack of consequences our arrestees are receiving when they are arrested. Time and time again we arrest people who have dozens of prior arrests, many for violent crimes, and they have never been incarcerated for significant periods of time. The County Attorney ’s Office and City Attorney’s Office have pushed hard on our behalf, but they are often hamstrung by a judicial system that is not prepared or willing to deal with repeat offenders.

In addition, cuts to Local Government Aid and State and Federal Grants have reduced our ability to hire back officers on overtime to help in problematic areas. Often times, these are the extra efforts that really make a difference in proactively preventing crime. That being said, the Northside has received a disproportionately large percentage of those monies this year and most of it has been spent in the Jordan, Hawthorne, McKinley, and Willard Hay Neighborhoods.

Finally, we need the residents and property owners to continue supporting us and calling us when they see suspicious activity. Several of the shootings on Monday could have been prevented if residents would have called us to report the party, the kids in the street late at night, or the altercation that preceded a shooting. We also need residents to provide impact statements when we go to court on problem individuals or properties. That is being done through our monthly Court Watch meetings and restorative justice program.

I apologize for the long response, but as the Commander of the 4th Precinct I felt I needed to make sure I addressed your questions. The Sheriff’s Office, Metro Transit Police, Hennepin County Probation, and our Federal partners are helping us in every way they can. We interact with them daily and they help us tremendously. We also use the National Guard to help us with crime analysis, link analysis, and investigative support.

I appreciate your passion about crime on the Northside and I can assure you we are doing everything we can with the resources we have.


Inspector Mike Martin
Commander, 4th Precinct
Minneapolis Police Department
1925 Plymouth Avenue North
Minneapolis, MN 55411
612-673-5727
michael.martin@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I did not send a response to the Inspector, although I meant to, I must have gotten busy and distracted.

Stay tuned for more follow-ups.

A Call For Discussion and Action - How Do We Stop the Violence Now? Part 1

(stock photo - no affliation to MAD DADS)

Readers of this blog are probably all too familiar with the albatross of our community that has reared its ugly head far too much this summer. Violence. Gun Violence. Youth Gun Violence.

After indirectly experiencing one of the shootings mentioned here in this article, I was prompted to spur a squeaky wheel campaign by urging northsiders to contact any and all elected officials who might have some jurisdiction over north Minneapolis.

Here is what I wrote:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
July 1, 2010

To: Governor Pawlenty, Mayor Rybak, Chief Dolan, All Minneapolis City Councilmembers, All Hennepin County Commissioners, State Senator Higgins, State Reps Champion and Mullery, Sheriff Stanek, Inspector Martin, Lt. Heimerl:


I am asking each and every one of you to respond to me regarding the levels of violence occurring in my community. You each are paid to represent and serve me and my neighbors and we need to hear from you, please.

In my north Minneapolis neighborhood on Monday night, there were seven people shot within seven hours within an approximate 15 to 20 square block radius.

As you all are well aware, I am sure, this years homicide numbers are much higher than the decrease we had last year. (Commentary added: I've now learned the homicide rate is 271% higher than last year)

In addition to those terrible incidents mentioned above, there are an almost uncountable number of other urban terrorism incidents such as windows being broken or shot out with rocks or pellet guns every week, in a wide spread pattern.

The good, decent, taxpaying neighbors are being terrorized on their own streets. They don't have to travel to Iraq or Afghanistan to risk their lives, it is happening right at the spot where they lay their head in the land of the free, home of the brave.

If this was occurring in other areas of Minneapolis, Hennepin County or the State of Minnesota, I know there would be OUTRAGE and IMMEDIATE law enforcement attention thrown at the problem and no one would sleep until those good people were reassured and placated.

Well, there are good people, tax paying citizens who need protection now from this violence. We can not continue to be quiet as our neighborhoods become a jungle of urban terrorism. I can not believe that if similar incidents were occurring in Kenwood or Linden Hills they would be allowed to continue without direct action by the local authorities and elected officials.

North Minneapolis has been neglected for too long in the area of active crime fighting and greater police presence.

We have two more long months of summer to endure with this level of violent crime occurring nightly. We can not sit in our yards, allow our children out to play, or even feel safe parking our cars in front of our homes. This is an injustice to all of us that live in north Minneapolis. We are all property tax payers, but what services are we getting for these funds?

We have been told in meetings we attend that fighting crime IS a priority for north Minneapolis. However, we, as citizens are not seeing any of those efforts. Instead we wake up to headlines in the newspaper of record, Star Tribune that there were seven shootings in seven hours in north Minneapolis. That is if we have not been personally affected by those shootings, like I was last Monday night. Our property values have already shrunk, and headlines like the one above will keep anyone from considering moving to north Minneapolis. With the number of empty homes we already have, how much more in property taxes will we have to pay for people that are fed up with the crime and violence and just move, or worse, rent to anyone they can find?

Each and every day that I am driving around my neighborhood I see drug deals, hookers meeting up with johns, stolen property being sold in the open, large gatherings and public disturbances, littering, boom cars, people walking down the middle of the street. It's like the land of the lawless. If you are short on revenue, just come here and fine these criminals and you will generate enough revenue to be able to hire more police who can actually keep our streets safe and fight bigger crime.

Bring in more police, more sheriff deputies, heck, bring in the National Guard! Keep our people safe!

I know for sure if seven people were shot in Windom or Linden Hills or Wayzata or Apple Valley you would not even blink at the idea of declaring a state of emergency and bringing in U.S. Soldiers! What makes north Minneapolis less deserving of public safety?

Please respond to me so that I can share it with the neighbors that I am copying on this letter. I will share any and all responses, and I will share if there is NO response.

Thank you for your time and attention,

(NoMi Passenger)
~~~~~~~

I urge anyone reading this now to contact these elected officials. Email is often the most convenient. Tell them a personal story how this has affected you. Tell them any ideas or requests you may have. Tell them you aren't going to allow this to be status quo for our community, when we all know good and well if this happened in some other community there would be a declaration of emergency. Tell them whatever you would like to tell them - just TELL THEM!
Here is a list of email addresses you can copy and paste into your email system:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
tim.pawlenty@state.mn.us;
mayor@ci.minneapolis.mn.us;
tim.dolan@ci.minneapolis.mn.us;
kevin.reich@ci.minneapolis.mn.us;
cam.gordon@ci.minneapolis.mn.us;
diane.hofstede@ci.minneapolis.mn.us;
barbara.johnson@ci.minneapolis.mn.us;
don.samuels@ci.minneapolis.mn.us;
robert.lilligren@ci.minneapolis.mn.us;
lisa.goodman@ci.minneapolis.mn.us;
elizabeth.glidden@ci.minneapolis.mn.us;
gary.schiff@ci.minneapolis.mn.us;
meg.tuthill@ci.minneapolis.mn.us;
john.quincy@ci.minneapolis.mn.us;
sandra.colvin.roy@ci.minneapolis.mn.us;
betsy.hodges@ci.minneapolis.mn.us;
mike.opat@co.hennepin.mn.us;
mark.stenglein@co.hennepin.mn.us;
gail.dorfman@co.hennepin.mn.us;
Commissioner.McLaughlin@co.hennepin.mn.us;
randy.johnson@co.hennepin.mn.us;
jan.callison@co.hennepin.mn.us;
jeff.r.johnson@co.hennepin.mn.us;
sen.linda.higgins@senate.mn; lhiggins@nmpls.com;
rep.bobby.champion@house.mn ; b-champion@msn.com;
rep.joe.mullery@house.mn;
sheriff@co.hennepin.mn.us;
mike.martin@ci.minneapolis.mn.us;
James.Heimerl@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
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If you'd like to copy and paste your "call to action" email in the comments section here, please do, just be sure to give me some indication as to who you are, you know we are on troll extermination around here!

I will share the responses I've received in follow-up posts.

Fourth of July Weekend Festivities

Fourth of July is one of my favorite days in NoMi. We have a beautiful, waterfront, park-like setting to enjoy good friends, good food, good drinks and a great fireworks show. Across America, the words "fireworks show" conjures up images of some municipal festival, organized display or big choreographed event with hundreds of spectators gathering in one main spot with blankets and picnic baskets.

Well, in NoMi, there is not so much choreographing.  Not so much organization. Rather it is left to happenstance. Whatever will be, will be. The neighborhood always puts up a good show and some how backyard fireworks displays across dozens of blocks in a full radius find the perfect way to compliment and coordinate.  Orchestrated happenstance.

Here are some photos of the good times I had over the whole weekend as a NoMi Passenger.

The weekend started right with some great outdoor time in the boring lovely suburb of Plymouth where these wild blackberries were fun to snack along the trail. 

Before heading to Plymouth we stopped at a specialty store and picked up a little something to keep the father-son duo occupied and entertained for the weekend. 

This was my view from the park bench while the boys did their treasure hunting. Told you Plymouth was boring lovely.

Next to the metal detector store was a Mexican Mercado corner store. We spotted a yummy looking treat to share, peanut pudding. Oddly enough the actual nuts in the pudding were pecans. And it jiggled like jello.

There was a spontaneous trip to the super-awesome dog park at Minnehaha Park. If you haven't been there, with or without a dog, it's a MUST. I'll be your tour guide if you'd like. It goes down down down then BAM! It opens up to the banks of the Mississippi River. Camera difficulties made this one of the few clear photos of the trip but take my word, it's a must see. 

There were a few extremely worn out critters of the two and four legged variety.  C'mon guys, the car is RIGHT THERE!

Now on to more important things, like this delicious pitcher of Vodka infused with herbs and fresh cukes. On the rocks with a splash of LaCroix sparkling water. D'lish! Thanks, Ann!

Let's see that beautiful thing from another angle. 

The Fourth of July celebration on the Jordan Pond was filled with beautiful people. Like Azja, newly 18, and  Baby Noah, newly five months. 

And these two beautiful young ladies visiting us from Job Corp in St Paul. 

And this lovely lady. No, those flaming hot Cheetos are NOT made locally. 

But they were eaten locally. 

And these cute little munchkins sharing something yummy with each other. 

And this gentleman, who didn't even have to open his mouth to make a bold statement. 

Some new Jordan neighbors, Saul and his wife Nancy. Welcome!

And these two lovely ladies, Jacqui and Alexis a.k.a. "The Mommies"

Oh, the suffering we all endure at a Jordan neighborhood gathering. Please. Don't force me to eat that vanilla cake with fresh berries and decadent caramel sauce. Please. No. I'm pleading.

 I always knew that guy was full of hot air. 

It wouldn't be America's birthday without sparklers. 

Not even my  fancy "fireworks setting" on my camera can begin to capture the glory of a NoMi Orchestrated Happenstance fireworks show. 

Anthony Titus, this is dedicated to you, my friend. 

Are you kidding me?

In 1998 the City towed my bus to the impound lot. It really irritated me. It was January 1998. A sloppy January. The snow from December was melting. All of my shit was crammed in my VW bus parked in NE Mpls. I was staying next door with three Catholics and a Russian Orthodox guy.

It had been there for a couple weeks, the brakes rusted, the accelerator cable rusted, and the bungee cord I once used to keep it from jumping out of fourth gear- cracked from the Minnesota winter. It was loaded with my books. My skis. My camping equipment. My rusted tools. A friend and I towed the bus from Prospect Park with a chain, while she was in Colorado for Christmas with the family. I’m not sure why she bought two tickets for that trip. She came back to a real mess, but not to me. Painful. Next time I’ll use a tow rope instead of a chain.

When I found out, I hated that fucker for having it towed. And I let him know it. He said his sisters didn’t have anywhere to park. Said they were coming into town tomorrow to go to their mother’s funeral. I was drunk. Probably finished my first bottle of wine by the time I confronted him in his front yard. He was home from work. A machinist. A union guy. A stocky fucker too, but old. He seemed really old. A pissed off drunk asshole and a pissed off old asshole yelling at each other in Northeast for an hour and a half on a Wednesday night in the January thaw. There’s a first time for everything. Right?

I didn’t realize at the time what it meant to have some jackass’s piece of shit parked in front of your house. That bus contained everything I owned, except my books for the current semester, several changes of clothes, my suit, and tie or two. After another bottle of wine for me and more than a couple PBRs for him, I slathered away apologetically. I had a new respect my neighbor, for homeownership, and for common courtesy. It took me four trips to the impound lot to unload the bus. After paying $200 for the ticket and towing fee, I left the bus parked in a no man’s land somewhere in Harrison.

Some of my neighbors think I’m racist because I have the city tow abandoned pieces of shit from our block. The same neighbors don’t know that I love living here. We need to talk. Seriously. They didn’t like it when we built our fence. They didn’t say anything but I knew it. We like the fence. It keeps our dogs in, and keeps other dogs out. It also keeps some of our neighbors out. They think I don’t like black people near my house. We left two inches of space between the pickets, to open the fence up more… so as not to wall-off our backyard, and our neighbors.

I think some of my neighbors play their music too loud. I also think some of my neighbors really know how to cook. They’re the Miles Davises of barbeque, but they listen to the Arby’s Sauce of music- turned up REALLY FUCKING LOUD. Some of my neighbors break in to their friends’ and neighbors’ houses and take things. Like big screen TVs, Playstations, cash, and pot. Those are the black neighbors I don’t want near my house. Come to think of it, those are the white, brown, yellow, red, green, orange, and blue neighbors I don’t want near my house either.

What is it about living in Willard Hay that makes talking to your neighbors so difficult?