inside
CARAG Report.......................................... 6
Covering the Neighborhoods of CARAG and ECCO in the Uptown Area
CARAG Chilly Chili Fest
Quite a crowd came out for the Chilly Chili Fest including Steve Nelson
(foreground), a CARAG resident who enjoyed two bowls.
The Suburban World Will Rise Again
By Gary Farland
Many of us have been wonder-
ing what will become of the
Suburban World, located in the
middle of the block between
Lake and 31st on Hennepin.
This amazing building is pro-
tected as being historic and has
a wonderful ornate front, a ceil-
ing with shining stars and pro-
jected clouds that float above,
and interior side walls adorned
with facades of a Spanish court-
yard, including balconies and
softly-lit statues. It seems like
a combination of ancient Spain
and Rome, with a planetarium
thrown in. Built in 1927 as the
Granada Theater, it had the
Granada Café next door, which
morphed into the Uptown Bar.
In 1954, it was renamed the Sub-
urban World and then in the 90s
it was converted by Scott John-
son into a cinema grill. Shortly
after that, the theater was put
into bankruptcy proceedings
and was to be auctioned.
And so Don Driggs entered the
picture. Don is originally from
Marshall, Minnesota, and after a
stint out East came back in 1978
to become a realtor in Uptown.
He had Don Driggs Realty at
28th and Hennepin and then at
Lake and Irving where Amore’s
is now. He now has offices at
his home in Minnetonka and
in one of his rental properties in
Uptown.
Photo by Jill Bode
The interior before conversion to a cinema grill.
Don had always thought that the
Suburban World building was
one of the most beautiful he had
ever seen. Then, he saw a sign
on the building asking for inves-
tors. It seems that many people
were interested in the building
for use as such things as a furni-
ture store, an open-air market,
and even a brew-your-own-
beer club. Don says that Scott
wanted to sell to him because he
knew that Don would preserve
the building. Don has invest-
ed about $1.1 million into the
building, including back taxes
and operating costs and systems
upgrades and maintenance.
And, of course, there have been
very limited revenues.
To get things rolling, Don hired
Rodney Davis to manage events
and catering. His background
CARAG volunteers spiced
up winter on February 26th
at the annual Chilly Chili
Fest, raising around $650 and
a dozen bags of food dona-
tions for Joyce Food Shelf,
1222 W. 31st St.
The day warmed up at Bry-
ant Square Park as about 200
people dropped by to enjoy
the steamin’ chili recipes,
cookies and a beverage. Doz-
ens of local businesses donat-
ed raffle prizes, including gift
certificates, books, T-shirts,
toys, scooters and original
framed art. CARAG’s Liv-
ability Committee organized
this popular neighborhood
get-together and many gen-
erous volunteers made it a
success!
Photos provided by Suburban World
The Granada
is in event planning/production
and catering, having worked for
two of the leading catering com-
panies in town.
Don and Rodney want most of
all for the Suburban World to
be a place of live theater with
a restaurant. The license they
Suburban World
continued on page 14
Crime Map .................................................. 7
ECCO Report ........................................... 8
Caucus Information ............................ 10
Restaurant News .................................. 13
Photo (left) by Kay Nygaard-Graham
March 2006 • Volume 2, Number 3
Condominiums
Face it, They’re an Issue
By Patrick Anderson
Uptown grows. It grows and it
grows and buildings get devel-
oped, redeveloped, condemned,
and then they get bought out
and destroyed to make way
for new developments. People
move in by waves. Hipsters,
retirees, young families, col-
lege students, college gradu-
ates and more, all flock to the
residentially dense neighbor-
hoods that border the Chain 3540 Hennepin Avenue
of Lakes. From Kenwood to
CARAG, nothing is long last-
ing, and the most consistent
thing about Uptown is that it’s
always changing. So there’s no
mystery behind the reason why
our little spot in Minneapolis is
such a Mecca for developing
companies, which have been
moving in on the local property
here like crazy recently.
Recently, Uptown has become
the target of attention from
a group of national and local
news media. On February 6th,
The New York Times did a pro-
Graphic by HHP
file of Financial Freedom Real- Map of Minneapolis showing condo
ty’s Clark Gassen and then, just conversions as small black circles.
before the end of February, The
City Pages released a scathingly
accusatory featurette on the in Uptown.
same issue. The hot words on
everybody’s mouth are “con- Conversions like Financial
dominium conversion,” and if Freedom Realty’s controversial
you’re still a layman, well then, acquisition of 3540 Hennepin
here are the facts. Avenue have forced renters to
make a choice between comfort
The absolute truth is, it’s nat- and affordability. Greenhouse
ural for long-time Uptown condominiums, once a relative-
ly cheap apartment complex
locals who rent apartments to
be wary. A map of all condo- with units renting in the $700
minium conversions in the city to $800 range, now sells its pri-
shows, quite obviously, that the vately owned units at around
10th Ward (that’s us) is get- $200,000. A mortgage broker-
ting hit the hardest. In this age firm I talked to said that
year alone, over one in three of each potential buyer would be
all apartment buildings being CONDOS
turned into condos are located continued on page 2
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS!
Writers and Columnists!
The UNN seeks writers who like to cover stories of local
interest. City hall, the arts, education, family matters -- let
us know your interest. We are especially looking for people
to write about rental issues, art and music, and to assemble
the Community Calendar. You don’t have to be a professional
writer; we want people who live here and have an interest in
their community. This is volunteer but it may launch a whole
new career! Email uptownnews@yahoo.com.
 •  Uptown Neighborhood news March 2006
condos
continued from page 1
paying loan rates of up to $1,100
a month, including taxes, with
no money down.
Larger financial groups like e-
loan.com are less lenient. The
mortgage broker that I talked
to recommended that anybody
considering buying a con-
dominium talk to somebody
who’s familiar with the area.
She wished to remain anony-
mous but she emphasized, “Not
everybody is trying to screw
them over,” and suggested that
buyers find a broker they know
and find trustworthy if they’re
faced with the issue. of truth-in-sale inspections
Financial Freedom Realty is a
Photo by Patrick Anderson
The Edgewater
burgeoning entity in Uptown,
and they’re behind a major per-
centage of structural growth
happening in Minneapolis.
The laundry list of develop-
ments the group is responsible
for includes The Edgewater,
a large condo complex being
constructed near Lake Cal-
houn; Mozaic, the prospective
development soon to happen
behind the Lagoon Theater;
a high-rise project happening
downtown, and more. “The
demographics show that people
are moving back into the city,”
says Clark Gassen, the founder
of Financial Freedom.
Gassen targets his business
towards the younger, business-
savvy crowd. When it comes
to condominium conversions
Gassen notes the conflict as an
issue. “We can appreciate the
argument, and we listen to it,”
says Gassen. But it used to be
that “if people my age wanted
to become a homeowner in the
Uptown area they were forced
to go east of Lyndale because
the real estate in Uptown has
become extremely high.” Now,
because of the prevalence of
condominiums around the
lakes, owning property in the
www.onceuponacrimebooks.com
CARAG and ECCO neighbor-
hoods is more possible.
Christine Goepfert, a lawyer
who works for a non-profit
group known as Housing Pres-
ervation Project, can’t help but
notice the holes in Gassen’s
story. There’s been a “loss
of affordable rental housing
through the conversion pro-
cess,” says Goepfert. The HPP
works directly with tenants
and buyers, as well as the state
government in an effort to even
the odds out for the sake of the
renter.
Progressive developments
like the recent state approval
are mostly to the credit of the
HPP’s work. Under truth-in-
sale, the government requires
that an entire infrastructure
inspection of the building hap-
pen before the sale of any con-
dominiums occurs. Formerly,
large development firms like
Financial Freedom only had
to undergo inspections of indi-
vidual units. Now, buildings
hosting these conversions are
dilapidated, and the problems
must be fixed before any condo
is sold.
Surprisingly, however, some of
the market has been somewhat
unaffected by the influx of
conversions. According to the
same research that was origi-
nally implemented by the HPP,
affordable housing units are
growing at exponential rates.
In 2002, Housing Link record-
ed that 84 apartment units in
Minneapolis were affordable to
those making half of the medi-
an family income or less. By
2003 that number had grown to
305, then to 402 units in 2004,
and by last year, 529 apart-
ments were affordable to the
same group of people. What’s
scary is that affordable rental
properties are actually declining.
For people who make half of
the median family income, the
number of affordable proper-
ties in Minneapolis has shrunk
from 39 to 31 buildings in the
past year.
Stacy Neameyer, the regional
manager of Uptown’s Apart-
ment Search location says that
business has been largely unaf-
fected by the recent trends.
“There’s plenty of rental prop-
erty out there,” says Neameyer.
letters
Two Players in Condo Conversions
By Patrick Anderson ATTEND YOUR CAUCUS
This week, Minnesotans across
Financial Freedom Realty the state will change the shape
of local, state and federal gov-
Clark Gassen, the founder of ernment by attending their
the controversial Financial local precinct caucuses, one
Freedom Realty is the son of of the most elemental forms
Reginold Gassen, the owner of Gassen Management. He of democracy we have in this
began the company from a small time condo located above country. A precinct caucus is a
the downtown Buca De Beppo. Business went nuts, and meeting of individuals in a cer-
then a few years later he was quoted in The New York Times tain geographic area, or “pre-
as saying that he wanted to make Uptown look like a “little cinct”, who support a particular
Manhattan.” political party, to do their Party
business. By attending caucuses,
Gassen’s argument is that a large demographic of 20- to 30- you will have a say in choosing
somethings are looking for a comfortable and safe location candidates and issues.
to live, and Uptown fits the criteria. All Financial Freedom
is doing, he maintains, is lowering the cost of owning prop- Caucuses for all parties will be
erty in the area by converting apartment complexes into held on Tuesday, March 7 at 7
individual condominiums. p.m. We encourage those who
have never been to a precinct
caucus to attend this year.
Housing Preservation Project
Founded just before the turn Caucus night is a great oppor-
of the millenia, the Housing tunity to meet your neighbors,
Preservation Project (HPP) is get involved in your commu-
a non profit group that’s fighting for affordable housing for nity, discuss issues vital to the
those who are less fortunate than most. Although they’re a state and the nation, and, most
nation-wide phenomena, in Minnesota, the group is a lead- importantly, support the demo-
ing force for the underdog in this whole situation: the renter. cratic process.
The HPP does it all, from assisting tenets to financial nego-
tiation to pushing state legislation. Scott Dibble
State Senator District 60
Besides all that, the HPP has worked extensively with other
groups like the Housing Link in order to garner statistical Margaret Anderson Kelliher
data about condominium developments and conversions. State Representative District 60A
This, and the group’s efforts to educate the city council on the
issue are part of an effort to limit the growth of the condo- Frank Hornstein
minium conversion trend. State Representative District 60B
But even still, the HPP is work- living arrangements, or find
Letters to the Editor Policy:
ing to better the situation for new ones. “Who knows,” Write to us, provided you write
everybody. Goepfert says that says Neameyer of Apartment fewer than 250 words! Your
the group is working to push Search. “They might come letter may be edited and we
an ordinance in the city that right back to us.” don't know if it will be pub-
will take into account a pletho- lished, but we will certainly try
to do so. We need to know your
ra of pressing topics, including Patrick Anderson is a student and name, address, phone number
implementing an escrow fund. writer. and neighborhood.
Simply put, the fund would be
a composite of dollars from var-
ious deposits made by all of the
Uptown Neighborhood News
major developers who’ve capi- Uptown Neighborhood News is a monthly publication of Calhoun Area Residents Action Group
talized on the boom. “Some- (CARAG) in cooperation with the East Calhoun Community Organization (ECCO). UNN cov-
ers the news of and is delivered free to households within the area bounded by Lyndale Ave. S. and
times we talked to people who Lake Calhoun, between Lake Street and 36th St. W. Extra copies are distributed to businesses in the
buy units and they move in and Uptown area, along Lake Street, and Lyndale and Hennepin Aves. Circulation is 5,100, with a pass-
along readership of 10,000. Publication and distribution is near the first weekend of every month.
they find out that they weren’t Subscriptions are available for $30 per year, prepaid. Send check to: UNN, 711 W. Lake St., Suite 303,
Minneapolis, MN 55408.
getting exactly what they
Contributors are area residents who volunteer their time to bring the news of the area to residents.
expected,” says Goepfert. In Articles, letters to the editor and story ideas are welcomed and encouraged. The editor reserves the
that case the new homeowner right to edit for length, clarity, relevance to the area, or other reasons. Editorial and advertising guide-
lines are available. Please contact the editor:
would be allocated a specified
amount of money from the
News, Story Ideas and letters to the contributing writers
escrow. The fund, built around editor Patrick Anderson, Ellen Bouroughf, Gary
the profits of the major devel- uptownnews@yahoo.com Farland, Lee Lewis, Bill Morton, Don
UNN, 711 West Lake St. #303 Portwood, Aaron Rubenstein, Marcia Zim-
opers, would work to help the Minneapolis, MN 55408 merman
exploited buyer improve their (612) 259-1372
contributing columnists
Editor Margaret Anderson Kelliher, Scott Dibble,
Mary Ann Knox Frank Hornstein, Rick Krolak, Lydia Lee,
Paul Livdahl, Jane Miller, Al Olme
Managing Board
Appointed/Elected Reps: Graphic Design & ProducTion
Gary Farland, Chair (ECCO) 824-6744 Kelly Newcomer 824-1092
Are you getting the UNN deliv- Ralph D. Knox, Secretary (ECCO) kelly@kellynewcomer.com
ered to your door? You should Carrie Menard (ECCO)
Minneapolis City Council
Anna Matthes (CARAG)
be. If you are experiencing Kay Nygaard-Graham, Treasurer (CARAG)
Tenth Ward
Ralph Remington, 673-2210
delivery problems, please let 825-3637
ralph.remington@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
Jill Bode, Vice-chair (CARAG)
us know – Volunteer Members: Crime Prevention Specialist
David Peterson Tom Thompson
uptownnews@ Mary Ann Knox 5th Precinct
Safe Unit, Sector 2
Advertising
yahoo.com Anna Matthes 824-6183
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Minneapolis MN 55408
amatthes@visi.com
Serving the neighborhoods of;
Ads are due by the 17th of each month
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(if you don’t have it in by then, call anyway)
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Photographers
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Patrick Anderson, Jill Bode, Gary Farland,
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The latest Peace Machine comic Uptown Neighborhood News reserves the right to refuse publi-
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Copyright © 2005. Uptown Neighborhood News.
March 2006 Uptown Neighborhood news •  

opinions
What is the Role of Neighbors WALKING THE WALK
in Development Decisions? By Debbie Jans and Ruth Cain

During the struggle to keep Uptown from becoming Downtown,

By Dave Bicking
I am disturbed by the City
Council’s approval of the Cal-
houn Square redevelopment,
rejecting the appeal filed by
CARAG (the Calhoun Area
Residents Action Group).
There appear to be strong out-
side interests that are overriding
the legitimate concerns that res-
idents have about the direction
of their own neighborhood.
I am not a resident of Uptown,
nor do I have enough infor-
mation or experience to take a
strong personal position on the
merits of a seven-story develop-
ment at Calhoun Square. My
primary concern is with the
process and the seeming dis-
regard of neighborhood objec-
tions.
My understanding is that, if
I were a homeowner or small
business owner who sought a
small variance from existing
zoning requirements, I would
have to seek the approval and
the signatures of my immedi-
ate neighbors in order to apply
for that variance. I recall that
when I opened my own small
business many years ago, it was
an absolute requirement that I
first receive the approval of the
Corcoran Neighborhood Orga-
nization.
The proposed Calhoun Square
redevelopment is a radical
departure from existing zoning
requirements for the area, which
I believe limit buildings to four
stories. Yet it was approved
against the strong opposition of
most of its neighbors. Why did
that happen?
I attended the City Council’s
Zoning and Planning Com-
mittee meeting in support of
the CARAG neighbors who
were appealing the approval of
the Calhoun Square redevelop-
ment. At that meeting, I found
the questions and comments
of council member Lisa Good-
man particularly interesting.
She asked where WOULD the
neighborhood support a seven
or eight-story development, and
whether the neighborhood had
ever supported anything over
five stories. She also commented
that the city was under a lot of
pressure from the Metropolitan
Council to approve some taller
buildings in that area.
Some neighbors that I talked to
after the meeting felt that her
questioning was irrelevant to the
issue, or even hostile and rude.
While I am inclined to agree,
I also suspect that it may have
been the most honest discussion
during that whole hearing.
To what extent are our develop-
ment decisions being driven by
a larger agenda from outside
our city? In our quest for transit
(the responsibility of the Met-
ropolitan Council), do we have
to compromise the character of
our neighborhoods to gain their
favor? What kind of pressure
from the Metropolitan Coun-
cil was council member Good-
man referring to? It is relevant
to note that, while we are sup-
posedly increasing density to
“make transit work”, the same
Metropolitan Council has actu-
ally cut back bus service in this
already congested area.
The Metropolitan Council, even
though it contains supposed
“representatives” from Min-
neapolis, is an unelected body,
made up exclusively of Pawlenty
appointees. I believe they do
not place a high priority on the
interests of our neighborhoods.
Given their political inclina-
tions, which are dramatically
different from the political ori-
entation of Uptown residents, I
suspect that they are far more
deferential to the interests of
large developers and big busi-
ness.
I haven’t personally invested the
impressive amount of time and
energy that these neighbors have
on this issue. It is hard for me
to imagine how they must feel
when it is implied that it is not
their place to defend the charac-
ter of their neighborhood; that
they can only have input on the
location of the offending build-
ings.
If Metropolitan Council pres-
sure is truly a significant factor,
as council member Goodman
indicated, we should confront
that issue honestly and openly,
and decide what we can and
should do about that. Other-
wise, our neighborhoods are
put through a long, expensive,
tiring, and ultimately frustrat-
ing exercise in pretend democ-
racy. Can our neighborhoods
work effectively on substantive
issues that affect them? Or is
CARAG’s only role, as council
member Goodman implied, to
determine WHERE in Uptown
an eight-story building will be
constructed?
Dave Bicking
Corcoran neighborhood
Former Green Party candidate
for City Council from the
Ninth Ward, running
unsuccessfully against the
incumbent, Gary Schiff.
Opinions Policy: Please sub-
mit your opinion pieces to
the editor. We encourage
thoughtful essays about any-
thing that’s going on in the
neighborhoods. On occasion,
we will solicit contrasting
views on one subject and run
multiple opinions. We reserve
the right to edit for space or
clarity, taste and legal con-
cerns.
the justification for building thirteen story condo towers has been
to increase density, because only with more density are we going
to get better public transportation. (Anyone traveling south Hen-
nepin Av. knows that transit is important.) However, there is no
guarantee that the “Densees” will ride the buses. Why should
they? City Council members don’t, and HAVE NO INTEN-
TION of riding the bus.
Why would they vote themselves $400 per month “car allowanc-
es” if they had any intention of riding the bus? We propose a $104
per month “All You Can Ride” bus pass for each council member
in place of their free parking spaces, access to city cars and $400
car allowances. We could house a number of homeless people with
the money.
Although they all ran for a $70,000* job (almost twice the median
household income for the city), they have decided on a nice little
$4,800 raise**. This is no ordinary car “allowance” for which one
must submit mileage readings and destinations. This is a monthly
grant up to $400 based on the council member’s own unverified
estimate of the amount s/he will be driving each month. Council
members are now making their estimates.
Voting FOR the $400 “Car allowance” were:
Ward 3 Diane Hofstede 673-2203
Ward 4 Barbara Johnson, President 673-2204
Ward 5 Don Samuels 673-2205
Ward 6 Robert Lilligren, Vice President 673-2205
Ward 7 Lisa Goodman 673-2207
Ward 10 Ralph Remington 673-2210
Ward 11 Scott Benson, Majority Leader 673-2211
Ward 12 Sandy Colvin Roy 673-2212
Voting AGAINST the $400 “Car allowance” were
Ward 1 Paul Ostrow 673-2201
Ward 2 Cam Gordon 673-2202
Ward 8 Elizabeth Glidden 673-2208
Ward 9 Gary Schiff 673-2209
Ward 13 Betsy Hodges 673-2213
Outgoing Council Member Paul Zerby stated that he believes
all auto expenses should strictly be tied to mileage, “Otherwise
it’s a backdoor raise.” You can e-mail your council member at:
[firstname.lastname]@ci.minneapolis.mn.us (for instance: Ralph.
Remington@ci.minneapolis.mn.us)
Let them know what you think.
* Pay was subsequently increased by 2% by the previous City Council.
** Technically, the previous City Council voted a $200/mo. car allowance on Dec
23, and the increase to $400 was voted on Feb 10. Only Ostrow and Hodges voted
against the initial $200 car allowance.
Debbie Jans and Ruth Cain are ECCO residents.

HEARD AROUND UPTOWN

If you hear things around
Uptown, I want to know
about them! Please email me at
uptownnews@yahoo.com.
By Mary Ann Knox
CARAG resident Christine Z.
reports that her house on Bry-
ant Avenue was vandalized
twice on the evening of Feb-
ruary 14. Front and back win-
dows were smashed. Lights
were on and her husband was
home at the time. She said this
is not the first time it has hap-
pened; previously a fence was
broken, and cars were vandal-
ized while parked on Bryant
and in the driveway. She said
she called the police, and they
told her if she did not see a sus-
pect that she should report it
to 311!! There you go – I was
under the impression that 311
is for reporting potholes.
On a happier note, we hear that
Christine is expecting a baby in
March. Congratulations!
A friend of mine who lives in
the MidTown Lofts experienced
a terrible flood last week when
a sprinkler pipe burst in her
ceiling. The entire apartment
was totaled – ceiling fell in,
everything was flooded. After
the fire department and the
contractors and developers and
lots of other people swooped in
to help, all her belongings were
carted away to be dried out, and
then she moved to a hotel. Now
the whole place needs to be gut-
ted and re-built. She bought the
unit in May, and will have to
live elsewhere for four months
while the house is repaired. Sad
story. Apparently this was the
second time this happened at
the Lofts. The sprinkler system
needs redoing.
Speaking of Greenway con-
struction, the buildings across
the way, Track 29, between
Bryant and Aldrich, seem to be
going up pretty quickly now. In
my travels through the fasci-
nating minutes of City Council
meetings, I read that this proj-
ect was granted a vacation of
a tunnel easement in the alley
near 2824 Aldrich and 2817
Bryant (the alley was vacated
in 1913). Is there a story in that
tunnel easement?
Some of you may remember
that I (well, my vehicle) was
the victim of a hit and run on
December 1. I thought I would
report to you that nothing has
happened about that yet. The
wheels of justice do indeed
move slowly. I have bits and
pieces of news – the woman
who hit my vehicle and then
went on to hit another on Col-
fax Avenue, was “eating a bur-
rito and lost control of her car.”
At the time, my warning was to
all of us not to drink and drive.
I must admit my mistake. My
new advice is not to Burrito
and Drive. But watch out for
the Burrito Woman.
 •  Uptown Neighborhood news March 2006

housing & real estate

Anatomy of a Condominium Conversion – 3120 Hennepin
By Al Olme
Andy Paupore looks like a
typical 30-something Minneso-
tan, fair complexion, light hair,
his only outstanding feature is
that he’s 6’4” tall. He’s worlds
different from the norm in
one way… he stood up for his
rights and seems to have won.
Andy lives at 3120 Hennepin,
just a block or so south of the
heart of Uptown. The building
is one of those unremarkable
mid-century apartment build-
ings. There are 31 units in the
building and the rent is reason-
able. A one-bedroom was $650
a month and for the location,
that’s cheap. There were the
usual day-to-day problems but
all in all it was a good place for
a young guy to live with his
girlfriend. That is, it was until
the residents got a letter dated
January 23, 2006, in which G.
Scott Hoke, the attorney for
new owner Jason Quilling,
announced that the building
was going to be converted to
condos. While such conver-
sions are seldom good news for
the tenants, there isn’t anything
to keep an owner from mak-
ing the most of his investment.
The problem with this letter
was that it misstated the law,
didn’t fulfill the requirements
for notice set forth by the state
and announced that the ten-
ants who held month-to-month
leases were to be gone by the
end of February.
Andy had seen the column that
appeared here in the January
issue and knew that he had
rights in this situation. He
decided that he would not be
taken advantage of and he led
the tenants to fight the conver-
sion. Let me say again, there’s
nothing to prevent such a con-
version and, in fact, in some
ways condo conversions are a
healthy thing for the communi-
ty because they increase home
ownership by providing lower
cost options. The problem was
how the conversion was being
done.
Andy and the other tenants
set about looking for help
wherever they could find it
and indeed, they found help.
At latest review they had a
range of interested parties that
stretched from this little rag all
the way up to Norm Coleman’s
office. The Housing Preserva-
tion Project agreed to represent
the tenants and sent a letter to
the new landlord warning him
that he had made mistakes in
his notice and that they would
pursue any means available to
them to stop him from depriv-
ing the tenants of 3120 Henne-
pin of their rights.
One of the things that Andy did
was to put up a very simple but
effective web site, Anatomy of
a Condominium Conversion –
3120 Hennepin that chronicles
the events involved with the
whole condo conversion issue
in his building. (You can view
that site at http://apaupore.
homedns.org/tenants) For the
time being, the conversion is
halted and the building is back
to being a rental. It sounds like
a victory for the tenants, but is
it really?
Jason Quilling isn’t all that
much different from Paupore.
He’s another typical sort of
Minnesotan, he’s a little older
and he’s more of a “good ole
boy” type but contrary to the
opinion of some of the tenants
of the 3120 building, he has
neither horns nor a pointy tail.
Jason is a small-time developer.
He buys buildings and uses his
construction crew to improve
the basic systems in buildings,
update the apartment units
and resell them, ideally for a
profit. If he’s true to the norm
for these guys he’s leveraged to
the hilt and far from rich. In
the redevelopment business at
Jason Quilling’s level there is a
lot of risk and you don’t make
tons of money on every project.
When I asked for a statement
from Quilling he was under-
standably reluctant. He has
little to gain and much more to
lose by speaking out but he did
agree to a meeting. It appears
that the villain (or the fool) in
the piece may be his attorney,
G. Scott Hoke. Hoke is an
attorney and therefore should
know the law in this situation
and should quote it accurately.
Further he has a responsibil-
ity to his client, Jason Quill-
ing, not to make statements
that could get Mr. Quilling into
legal trouble. Although Quill-
ing has done other conversions
he seemed to be genuinely sur-
prised that his understanding of
the rules regarding notice was
wrong. He said, “People screw
up and I’ve learned a lot from
the tenants at 3120.” He claims
to have not had any previous
legal problems with his other
conversion projects and says
that he now understands that
he was wrong in the notice he
gave the tenants in 3120 Hen-
nepin. In an attempt to make
good on his error, he has issued
new leases to all the occupants
of the building (with a rent
increase) and says that the con-
version project is off for the
near future. However he plans
to go ahead with new windows
for the building and has already
installed a new roof.
Was Quilling the bad guy here?
Was Paupore a hero? No to
both; neither of these guys rise
(or fall) to that standard. Andy
Paupore saw that his rights
were being violated and stood
up for himself and for his fel-
low tenants. He deserves to be
congratulated for that. Jason
Quilling is trying to make a
living and seemingly got some
bad legal advice. He needs to
learn from that experience. If
there are real villains in all this
they are probably our state and
local governments.
Despite the claim that tax rates
have not increased, property
valuations have skyrocketed
sending the real dollar taxes
soaring. For many rental prop-
erty owners the tax burden has
reached a point that they can’t
rent at reasonable or affordable
rates and still make a profit.
What’s the result? First build-
ing maintenance starts to slip.
The building no longer com-
mands top rental rates and the
spiral down is well under way.
As the quality and desirability
of the property slides further,
rental rates fall further, taxes
continue to increase and the
only viable course to save the
landlord’s original investment
is to sell the building. Who
wants a beat up building? A
condo developer wants just that
sort of building because he’s
going to make major repairs
and renovations anyway.
If you want to stem the tide of
condo conversions, ask your
legislators to extend tax breaks
to owners of middle-of-the-
road rental units. Low-income
units already qualify for some
incentives but this doesn’t
help the average renter or the
landlord who is trying to keep
a nice property in the rental
pool. Quality rentals at reason-
able prices would flourish once
again in a more favorable tax
environment.
Next month we’ll get away
from condos and talk about
selling your home without a
realtor. Is it a good idea or a
bad one? There’s no real clear-
cut answer that suits everyone.
If you have a real estate-related
question send me an email at
aolme@scc.net and I’ll try to
answer or get you started in
the right direction toward an
answer. If your question is of
general interest maybe it will
be the subject of next month’s
column.
Al Olme is a licensed Real Estate
Agent working at the Lakes Area
Realty Minneapolis – Uptown
office. He is not a legal profes-
sional. If you have a legal or
financial question you should
seek the help of a professional in
the field.

Recent Local Housing Prices Police Attempt To Combat Graffiti With Cameras
Prices from MLS listing.
From the Lyn-Lake Business
1413 34th Street W #3 $185,900 Association Newsletter
3252 Fremont Avenue S #101 $166,860
3248 Emerson Avenue S #3 $235,000 Illegal graffiti tagging con-
3505 Irving Avenue S #A $449,000 tinues to be a major problem
in the Lyn-Lake area. Law
enforcement is constantly
coming up with new ways to
combat it. Minneapolis Police
Sergeant Donna Olson, the
Police Department’s graffiti
coordinator, is working on one
Photo by Kay Nygaard-Graham
new way to combat graffiti by
applying for a state grant that
would be used to buy motion when motion is detected and nesses.
activated cameras for two of can be programmed to loudly
Lyn-Lake’s neighborhoods, play a recorded message warn- During the second half of
Whittier and Lyndale, as well ing graffiti taggers that their 2005, the Whittier neighbor-
as the Stevens Square-Loring photo has been taken and can hood had 45 reported graf-
Heights neighborhood. be used in court against them. fiti incidents and the Lyndale
Plans are in place to mount neighborhood had 20. Plenty
On Tuesday, February 21, Ser- the cameras in spots that have of graffiti tagging never gets
geant Olson was at Lyn-Lake’s been hit repeatedly by graffiti reported. To report illegal
meeting to discuss these cam- taggers and that don’t have a graffiti tagging, call the city’s
eras, called FlashCAMs. The high volume of foot traffic, graffiti hotline at 673.2090.
cameras take a photograph such as the back walls of busi-
uptownnews@yahoo.com
March 2006 Uptown Neighborhood news •  
home design
Pick a Color, Any Color
By Paul Livdahl
M y college era mentor,
sometimes referred
to as Mentor Man
in these articles, was an art
museum/gallery director. Men-
tor Man thought “lambswool,”
a beigey-warm-gray, was the
perfect color. It was the color he
chose to paint all his museum
and art gallery walls mainly
because it was unobtrusive and
did not clash with the art. But
he was more than a little fanati-
cal about “lambswool.”
Once I painted my car “lamb-
swool” (so I was a little fanati-
cal, too). He was thrilled. He
told me the whole world would
be a better-looking place if
everything was ‘”lambswool.” I
asked if he meant the sky and
trees and grass, too? He said
he meant everything. I actually
think he believed it in a Stanley
Kubrick movie sort of way.
Well, unfortunately, Mentor
Man has gotten his wish. To see
my point, just drive out of town
and check out all the newer
developments. To the last struc-
ture, they are all shades of beige.
Then, if you consider this year’s
dirty snow (or snirt) and a new
development’s lack of trees, you
only have sky-blue sky keeping
Mentor Man away from total
satisfaction.
So how did this happen? My
theory is vinyl siding. The man-
ufacturers of vinyl siding only
produce awful colors. It must be
some sort of law. The least awful
of the colors was beige because it
is so neutral and noncommittal.
Beige sold really well. So well
Southside Housing
Fair March 11
The 12th Annual South
Minneapolis Housing Fair
will be held at South High
School, 3131 19th Ave. S.,
on Saturday, March 11
from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
There will be more than
in fact, that manufacturers of
aluminum and wood products
thought, “Wow, that beige sure
is a popular color,” so they made
their products beige, too.
Then this insidious trend start-
ed creeping into the city. Just
look around. It is the base color
on many of the new buildings
going up in Uptown. It’s on
bridges and infrastructure. It’s
on everything we are not sup-
posed to notice.
Well, I am here to challenge
everyone who is thinking about
painting his or her house this
summer to commit to a color.
I’m not encouraging garishness
unless you have really forgiving
and colorblind neighbors. But
besides protecting your siding,
isn’t the whole point of paint-
ing your house to give it curb
appeal?
So, if you are game, here are
some of the things that you may
consider when choosing a color
for your home.
o Home Style: When choos-
ing colors for your home, you
should stay within the origi-
nal character of your home.
You wouldn’t want to paint a
rambler with Victorian colors
for instance. But you may
want to do some research on
your home. White used to be
what beige is today. So, don’t
assume that your house is sup-
posed to be white. It may have
been painted that color back
when it was popular.
o Windows: Ask your-
self (or a paint professional)
if your window trim can be
painted? Many windows these
days have vinyl, aluminum or
baked enamel trim. You prob-
ably do not want to paint them
because the paint may not last.
If this is the case, you need to
pick colors around your win-
dow trim.
o Roof: Believe it or not,
your roof has a big impact on
your home’s aesthetic. Choos-
ing a color that coordinates
with it is in your best inter-
est unless you will need a
roof replacement in the near
future.
o Gutters and Downspouts:
Just like windows, it can’t or
shouldn’t be painted because
of the material it is made out
of. I would strongly recom-
mend asking a knowledgeable
paint person.
Choosing a color that is appro-
priate for your home is a neces-
sary step. But color is only part
of the picture. Stay tuned for
other curb appeal advice that
sheds light on issues like what
should be “wall” color and what
should be “trim” color.
Paul Livdahl is founder of
DesignQandA.com
For questions or suggestions,
e-mail him at
plivdahl@designqanda.com
612-986-2480
38th AND NICOLLET
Eco-friendly Lander design, convenient to everywhere.
Southwest Area Gets
New City Planner
Current Southwest Minneapo-
lis community planner Beth
Elliot has been transferred to
the downtown sector, accord-
ing to Barbara Sporlein, Direc-
tor of Planning.
Amanda Arnold replaces her as
the community planner for the
Southwest area as of March 1.
She holds a Bachelor of Science
degree in Landscape Architec-
ture from Ball State University
and a Master of Science degree
in Urban and Regional Plan-
ning from the University of
New Orleans. She holds the
distinction of being certified
through the American Insti-
tute of Certified Planners, and
has over 15 years experience Rbe^SX”TY^^Ub”\QdU^YWXd
in planning and project man- ce^dX(Q]!Q]”VbYcQd(Q]"Q]
agement through her previous !& g\Q[Ucd\Q[UYbfY^W
positions in Indiana, Idaho, ]Y^^UQ`_\Yc&!"("'%'!
North Carolina and New
Hampshire.
Contact her for any local plan-
ning-related questions. She can We Love Uptown
be reached at 673.3242. The Uptown Neighborhood News
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Learn more at www.hous-

ingfair.org. The fair is WHERE ORIGINAL MEETS AFFORDABLE. PRICED $160K-$430K
presented by South High Open daily from 8am - 2am
Community Education Breakfast, lunch, dinner &
late night eats
and South Minneapolis 810 West Lake Street, Mpls
neighborhood associations. 612-925-3737
Brought to you by 38 LLC
www.bryantlakebowl.com
 •  Uptown Neighborhood news March 2006
CARAG report
Lake St.
The
CARAG
Board meets
Hennepin Ave.
Lyndale Ave.
the third
Tuesday of
each month,
7 PM at
36th St. Bryant Park
Community Center, 31st and
Bryant. All CARAG residents are
welcome and urged to attend.
Monthly Meeting Minutes
February 21, 2006
Subject to Approval at the March
2006 CARAG Meeting
Board Members Attending:
Jill Bode, Rick Bojko, Cindy
Christian, Thatcher Imboden,
Ellan Meyer, Bill Morton, Kay
Nygaard-Graham, Aaron
Rubenstein and Howard Ver-
son. (Absent: none)
Welcome: The CARAG Board
is made up of volunteers who
also volunteer time on other
neighborhood committees and
organizations. Scott Engel, the
CARAG community coordina-
tor, can be reached at 612-823-
2520. CARAG is a democratic
organization; membership and
voting privileges are open to
residents, property owners, and
business owners in the neigh-
borhood.
Approve Agenda & Minutes:
Corner of Lake and Irving | 612.823.0250 | www.amorevictoria.com | Free Parking
Motions were passed to approve
the agenda and the January
meeting minutes.
Treasurer’s Report: (Cindy
Christian) CARAG has
$11,058.82 in the operations
account, $6990.88 in asset
accounts. Quarterly budget and
year-to-date spending reports
were distributed.
UNN Report: (Kay Nygaard-
Graham) The UNN check-
ing account has a balance of
$1837.54 as of Jan 31, 2006, and
a net worth of $4512.30.
Bryant Square Park: (Julie San-
din, Park Director) Ice skating
season is over at the park. The
city wrestling tournament is
underway, and baseball sign-
ups will begin shortly.
Crime Report: (Tom Thomp-
son, Community Crime Preven-
tion Specialist) A serial burglar
has been arrested; he has admit-
ted to 50 or 60 burglaries. Tom
stressed the importance of call-
ing 911 for any suspicious activ-
ity. Although police can’t always
arrive in time, sometimes they
do and criminals are sometimes
caught that way.
NRP Report: (Kay Nygaard-
Graham, Scott Engel) The
Crime & Safety Committee is
establishing a “Stroll Patrol”
to walk the neighborhood as a
Sunday is Family Night
KIDS EAT FREE
with purchase of an adult entree
Open for Dinner, Lunch and Weekend Brunch
Dine-In | Carry-Out | Private Rooms | Catering
Calhoun Area Residents Action Group
crime prevention measure.
The Livability Committee pro-
posed donating the proceeds
from the upcoming CARAG
Chilly Chili Fest to the Joyce
Uptown Food Shelf. Approved
unanimously (Bill Morton
abstained). Also, volunteers
are needed to help with the
CARAG Chilly Chili Fest.
Lakes Area Coalition: A called “Land Use Planning
new group is forming to foster
communication between the
neighborhoods affected by lake
development. Carl Holmquist
was elected as CARAG repre-
sentative.
Zoning: (Aaron Rubenstein)
Last month, the city council
unanimously denied CARAG’s
appeal of the approval of the
Calhoun Square development.
As discussed at last month’s
CARAG meeting, after the
Zoning & Planning committee
had met, the decision was made
to not hire an attorney to repre-
sent CARAG in this appeal.
There are two new coffee shops
in the neighborhood: Dunn
Brothers at Lake and Bryant,
and CRC Coffee at 34th and
Lyndale. No further news on
the GRECO Development at
Lyn/Lake. The developer is
tentatively planning to attend
the March LHENA Land Use
Committee meeting.
The Uptown Parking Study is
now available, but not yet wide-
ly distributed, as it is too big to
email. A condensed version is
expected soon, and will be avail-
able at the Council Member
Remington’s city web site. Once
the report has been read, a num-
ber of discussions about parking
in Uptown will be ongoing.
Lake Street Reconstruction:
(Gay Noble and Catherine
Geisen-Kisch) Input is still being
collected about the upcoming
reconstruction of Lake St. The
project time line requires input
this spring, with the plan going
to council in May, and then
to the county to develop plans
in August, with construction
starting in Spring 2007. Spe-
cific questions for desired input
include bus-stop locations, turn-
ing lanes, and bump-outs. Resi-
dents are encouraged to fill out
and return the SWOC analysis
handout to the CARAG office.
There will also be another com-
munity visioning session, which
will specifically engage the busi-
ness owners affected by the proj-
ect. It is tentatively planned for
Monday, March 13, 5:30 to 7:00,
at Bryant Square Park.
City Council Member Report:
(Ralph Remington) Ralph is
now a CARAG resident, hav-
ing moved to Fremont Avenue.
Starting Mar 1, the southwest
sector will have a new city plan-
ner, Amanda Arnold, as our cur-
rent planner, Beth Elliott, will
become the downtown planner.
The city garbage collection con-
tract will be open for bids.
There will be a training ses-
sion on Saturday, Mar. 4, to be
held at Bryant Square Park,
101”. It will introduce city land
use decisions and how they are
made, the policy and regulatory
framework, various offices and
roles involved, and terminology
like “Conditional Use Permit”
and “Variance.” Please email
(lisa.miller@ci.minneapolis.
mn.us ) in advance if you would
like to attend.
Midtown Greenway Area Plan:
(Beth Elliott and Tom Leighton,
City Planning Division) Beth
and Tom presented an overview
of the new area plan, which is
nearing completion. There will
be a final community meeting
on this plan next Tuesday, Feb
28, 6:30 pm, at Intermedia Arts.
Several planning maps of the
Greenway area, including devel-
opment types, land use, and
proposed public realm features
were distributed and discussed.
Adjourn: Motion to adjourn
passed unanimously.
March 2006 Uptown Neighborhood news •  
ruminations
Generations and Heart Health
By
Jane Miller
UPDATE:
I’m so excit-
ed! Last
month
was telling
you about
my “house
cleaning 3-bag system” which,
I’m proud to say, is working. In
fact, it’s working so well I’ve
actually made over $800 sell-
ing stuff on eBay. What a deal
– had I only realized how sim-
ple selling is I could have been
doing this all along. There is a
down side however – I ended
up buying two things and spent
$57 of those $800 earned dol-
lars. In my search and dispose
mode I also ran across some old
coins and paper money and,
yes, yes, yes that money made
me money! Talk about moti-
vation to keep digging in the
corners!
CARAG “STROLL PATROL” GETS MOVING
The CARAG Crime and
Safety committee gathered on
Monday, February 13 at Bryant
Square Park to discuss orga-
nizing a neighborhood safety
patrol. They thought they could
model it on the Lyndale Walk-
ers, a group that has been active
in the Lyndale neighborhood
for years. The concept is that
citizens walk around the neigh-
borhood in groups of three or
four in daytime and evening
hours in identifiable clothes.
Crime News from 5th precinct
ECCO and CARAG crime statistics from January 2006
KNOX
JAMES
CALH
OUN
PKW
Y
E.
Riddle for the day: how old pregnant, it was a scandal, Contrary to what you may to be reluctant to see a doctor
am I – I have a son who is 20 when my son became a father think, only 10% of heart disease even when they’re ill so why
years younger than me, he has a it was startling, and with my is genetic; 90% we can do some- should they go when they feel
daughter who is 20 years young- granddaughter, it’s an upset. thing about! You may exercise, healthy (a bit like the “don’t ask
er than him and she just had Defining the view of acciden- be the appropriate weight for for directions” thing)? Men,
a son who is 20 years younger tal parenthood has certainly your size, eat a low-fat diet and do you want to live a healthy,
I than her. More important than changed over the decades. still have a heart attack. Why? productive, caring and fun
the answer, this 20-year cycle Because your total cholesterol life? Make the appointment.
birthing thing was supposed to February was Women’s Heart is over 200mg/dl, your good Don’t assume because you look
have ended – my granddaugh- Month and I feel it important to cholesterol is healthy and feel
ter promised she would not talk about for women, men and under 50 mg/dl, healthy you are
carry on the tradition. Truth be our children. Are you aware how about those healthy. Two
known all of us are accidents; I that heart disease is the num- triglycerides of out of three
was “rhythm,” you know, that ber one killer of both women yours, is your heart attacks
rarely-works-birth-control and men? Do you know the blood pressure have no warn-
method, and the forth child in warning signs of a heart attack within the 120/80 ing signs, only
six and a half years. Four chil- are quite different between range, and then one out of three
dren did rule out Pop enlisting the sexes, yet one more Venus- there’s body mass does – do you
in the military, which was good Mars thing? Seriously, heart index (BMI), glu- know what those
for Mom, and disappointing attacks are occurring in chil- cose levels and warning signs
for Dad; as with most men of dren, young athletes, adults in waist circumference. Multiple are? Go to the American
his generation, patriotism was their 20s and 30s, and continue factors, and the only way to Heart Association web site,
something he believed in. To up the maturity ladder. This find out your risk factor is a your life may depend on it.
fulfill his commitment to our is most alarming and must be trip to the doctor and lab work. (www.americanheart.org)
country he took a leave from his addressed on all levels starting
job and worked at the arsenal in the fridge and cupboards, at Woman, our first responsibility Jane Miller ponders her heart
plant throughout WWII. My, school, work and through the is taking care of self – make the health in CARAG.
I transgressed; when I became media. appointment. Most men seem
The Uptown
They carry a cell phone, and people at the organizing meet- The Stroll Patrol is currently
call 911 if they encounter trou- ing decided to go ahead with a researching the purchase of Neighborhood
ble. Participants keep an eye on
the area, meet with and talk to
group, and they voted to name
this safety patrol the CARAG
colorful vests that the patrol-
lers can wear. They hope to be
News is available
those they encounter, and hand Stroll Patrol. organized and begin patrolling at these locations:
out information about crime in early April.
prevention strategies. The idea The idea for the name appar- 1609 Salon & Day Spa
is the visible presence of these ently came from a few moth- Anyone interested in joining BookSmart
groups will deter crime. ers who push strollers – they this group can come to the next Borders Books
had heard of a similar group meeting on Monday, March 13
Bryant Lake Bowl
A veteran of the Lyndale Walk- named the Stroller Patrollers, at 6:30 p.m. at Bryant Square
ers met with them to describe but the group has disbanded, so Park. Or, call the CARAG Bryant Square Park Center
how the group works, and what CARAG picked up the name. office, 823-2520, for more infor- Cheapo Discs / Applause
they might expect. The dozen mation. CRC Coffee
Dunn Bros Coffee – Henn.
Dunn Bros Coffee – Lake
Einstein Bros Bagels
Famous Dave’s
First Universalist Church
Hennepin Lake Liquors
It’s Greek to Me
Kyle’s Market
Lotus Restaurant
LAKE STREET
January 1-31, 2006 Louie’s Food & Deli
Lyndale United Church of Christ
Crimes ECCO CARAG Magers & Quinn
31st STREET Marla’s Indian & Caribbean
Orr Books
Homicide 0 0
Our Kitchen
Rape 0 2 Painter Park Center
32nd STREET
Panorama Video
Robbery 1 4 Pizza Lucé
Agg Assault 1 3 Rainbow Foods
33rd STREET
Sam’s Foodmart
IRVING
HUMBOLDT
HOLMES
HENNEPIN
GIRARD
FREMONT
EMERSON
DUPONT
COLFAX
BRYANT
ALDRICH
LYNDALE
Burglary 2 10 Spin Cycle
Starbucks Coffee
34th STREET Larceny 14 37 The Chair – a salon
CONAR’S WAY Auto Theft 1 3 Uptown Bar & Cafe
Uptown Theater
35th STREET Arson 0 0 Urban Bean
Walker Library
TOTAL: 19 59 YWCA
36th STREET
 •  Uptown Neighborhood news March 2006

ECCO report East Calhoun Community Organization

Ruth Cain, an alternate ECCO with the full board for the first an objective planning analysis ZONING COMMITTEE
ECCO meets
Lake St.
time. She reported that NRP rather than a survey of opin- REPORT
Board member, appeared on an
the first Thurs- Phase II projects would be ions.
NBC story about development.
day of each
Hennepin Ave.

Lyndale Ave.
focusing on housing. Approxi- Zoning Committee Chair Lara
LAKE CALHOUN

month, 7 PM mately 70% of funding will be UPTOWN N attended a Linden Hills

CITY COUNCIL REPORT
at St. Mary’s reserved for projects support- NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS meeting about the proposed
Greek Ortho- ing housing in the neighbor- Sailing Village to be built on
10th Ward City Council rep-
dox Church, hood. She plans to focus on Gary Farland reported that the the south side of Lake Cal-
resentative Ralph Reming-
36th St. 34th & Irving. creating awareness of NRP in Uptown Neighborhood News houn. She promised to send
ton made his report to the
All ECCO residents are welcome the neighborhood and hopes to had hired an ad representa- out the minutes of the meet-
Board. The Calhoun Square
and urged to attend. establish a network of volun- tive and was still in the process ing to ECCO Board members
and Hornig projects have been
approved with modifications to teers so that more people will be of hiring an editor. He noted (and she did!) Neighbors in
ECCO Board Meeting Minutes the original plans and will move involved in all decision-making that Mary Ann Knox has been Linden Hills as well as ECCO
for February 2, 2006 forward. On April 6, 2006, the about NRP projects and pri- doing the work of three people have expressed a number of
city will begin a Small Area orities. The Board requested in order to develop the news- concerns about the height, size,
President Grimm called the Planning Process. Dates will that she research how to spend paper and the Board expressed and scope of the project.
meeting to order. Everyone be set for public input about the NRP funds for advertising as its appreciation and respect for
present introduced himself future of planning in the city. a method to raise awareness of her hard work. The UNN has There will be a CIDNA meet-
or herself, then the Board He emphasized that the process Phase II. three ECCO representatives ing about the Lander proj-
approved the minutes from the will be open and transparent. on its board. In an effort to ect. She also reported that the
January meeting. The agen- HENNEPIN AVENUE stagger the terms of the UNN Hornig project on Irving Ave-
da was slightly modified and TREASURY REPORT STUDY Board members, ECCO rep- nue had been approved by the
approved. resentative Ralph Knox’s term City Council.
Treasurer Don MacPherson City Planner Beth Elliot will end after only one year and
PUBLIC OPEN FORUM reported that 2005 was “very reported that a group of Hum- a new member will be named ECCO Board Meeting Minutes
rosy” due to the receipt of phrey Institute students will be at the ECCO Annual Meeting. Stay informed -- automatically:
The stairway to the trolley path MCDA grants. He presented studying and developing a plan All subsequent ECCO repre- receive a free e-mail of the ECCO
is finished and an event to cel- a budget for 2006, which was for Hennepin Avenue focusing sentatives will be named at the minutes monthly. Go to eccoinfo.
ebrate the completion will be approved by the Board. on the area between Lincoln ECCO Annual Meeting and com to sign-up.
planned. and 36th Street. Board mem- will serve two-year terms.
NRP REPORT bers expressed their wish that
The Theodore Wirth Parkway business and resident concerns
celebration was today. The Board has a new NRP be included in the study. Beth
coordinator, Gael, who met stated that the study would be
Joyce Church’s Community Issues Forum
By Bill Morton She explained that Arabs
and Jews are related, tracing
Joyce United Methodist held each of their ancestries back
ECCO Board Profile its first Community Issues
Forum on Sunday afternoon,
to Abraham. She showed
how Israel came into being
February 12, which was through the United Nations
Each month, we will introduce you to an ECCO Board member. These people repre- attended by about twenty- in 1948 and how the conflict
five people. Heidi Schneider, has changed the boundaries
sent you and will be happy to hear your opinions about issues in ECCO. Join them at an attorney who is presently since them. Then she talked
the monthly meeting! teaching at the University of the advances made in the
of Minnesota, gave a Power peace process toward co-
By Mary Ann Knox ing around the lake. They “are Point presentation on behalf existing states. Progress has
never going to find this kind of The Jewish Community been real, setbacks have been
Ted Ringsred has spent 1-1/2 of atmosphere anywhere else.” Relations Council. The sub- frequent, there is still a long
years on the ECCO Board, While they have discussed mov- ject was “Understanding the way to go, but we must not
alternately feeling proud of the ing closer to his work, they stay Middle East Conflict – A give up the hope for peace.
great things the neighborhood here. Formerly residents of Chi- Hope for Peace.”
does, and feeling disappointed cago, they see Uptown heading
that the Board does not actu- toward the kinds of neighbor-
ally have influence over some hoods that he saw there. He is

ST. MARY'S
things. He believes there is an especially disappointed in Coun-
illusion of influence, but that cil member Remington’s vote on
the neighborhood actually can the Calhoun Square appeal. “It
not stop what he says is the loss
of the charm that is Uptown.
knocked the wind out of my
sails.” He was a supporter of
Greek Orthodox Church
Remington’s campaign, and had 3450 Irving Ave. South (overlooking Lake Calhoun)
That charm is the reason he hoped “we would be getting
moved here and stays here, even someone to fight for us.” The Photo by Jeffrey Farnam Divine Liturgy (612) 825-9595
though his work as an intellec- “purpose of my support was Board member Ted Ringsred Sunday 9:30 am www.stmarysgoc.org
tual property attorney for 3M not to get a yes vote on Calhoun Fr. Harry Pappas
requires a lot of commuting Square.” thrive, as they are important
time. He and his wife, former events and “these kinds of things
Board member Tanya Corne- Ted is also interested in culti- go away if people don’t work on
lius, their 4-year old son Fox and vating family issues in ECCO. them.” He loves ECCO, and
Joyce United Methodist Church
dog Roxy love the lake. They are He wants to help the wine tast- will continue to do what he can
always running or rollerblad- ing and the Labor Day Parade to keep it a charming place.
31st and Fremont • (612) 823-0537
www.JoyceChurch.org

Worship and Sunday School

10:30 a.m.

The Joyce Food Shelf

The Joyce Preschool
Worship Handicapped Accessible

Open Hearts Open Minds Open Doors

March 2006 Uptown Neighborhood news •  
faith & community
What is the role of religion in social justice?
The Uptown Neighborhood News has been talking with clergy at many of our local churches, synagogues and meditation centers. Many places of worship are
located in our area and we think you may be interested to know more about them, as we are. We asked three leaders to answer a question for us. We will
bring you more of this Q and A in the future. This month, the question is: “What is the role of religion in social justice?” Let us hear your thoughts, too!
Temple Israel
By Rabbi Marcia A. Zimmerman
Temple Israel Senior Rabbi
I proudly affirm that as a rabbi
I am partisan – partisan to what
Judaism teaches about being
good citizens and social justice.
Judaism, from biblical times
to modern times, is clear; get
involved, become knowledge-
able, have lively discussions,
respect those who disagree,
and then vote your conscious-
ness. The prophets chastise
the people Israel for not paying
attention to the world around
them in the book of Jeremiah.
He warns, “Seek the well being
of the city to which I have sent
you; Pray for it to God, for in
its well being you shall find
your own.” (29:7)
Minnesota Zen
Meditation
Center
By Lee Lewis
Minnesota Zen Meditation Center
Buddhism does not have the
tradition of social justice inher-
ent in the Abrahamic religions.
Its roots are in the Indian sub-
continent and Asia where social
justice unfolds in the context of
family, nature and an under-
standing of the person that is
far less individualistic than in
Western cultures. Social justice
is understood in an entirely dif-
ferent framework.
However, in the last thirty
years there has been a grow-
ing movement within Bud-
Lyndale United
Church of Christ
By Don Portwood
Lyndale United Church of Christ
As a Christian Church, our
faith begins in the life and
ministry of Jesus. Jesus broke
down the dividing wall of hos-
tility between people, creating
one new person in place of the
two; welcomed the outcast, the
poor, the alienated to the table
with him. He was rooted in his
Jewish tradition, especially the
prophetic tradition. Hebrew
prophets called God’s people to
One of my favorite prayers
found in our daily evening
worship service reads: “We are
Israel, schooled in the suffering
of those tyrannized by oppres-
sion. Their anguish is ours;
their poverty and humiliation
diminish us.” This is the best
of enlightened self-interest.
It clearly communicates that
being neighbors is not merely
a geographical reality, rather
we are all neighbors, con-
nected to and responsible for
one another. Therefore, it is in
our own self-interest to strive
to bring the same opportuni-
ties to everyone. Enlightened
self-interest assumes we will
never be content with the status
quo, but constantly working to
make this world a better place
for everyone.
William Sloane Coffin, Yale
dhism for engagement in social
change. The movement, some-
times referred to as Socially
Engaged Buddhism, is rooted in
traditional Buddhist values and
analysis.
The Buddha was concerned
primarily with human suffer-
ing. He understood suffering to
be the result of the self’s delu-
sionary belief that it is separate
and can stand alone. Greed and
hatred – grasping at anything
that confirms the self, pushing
away anything that threatens
the self – cause suffering, over-
consumption and social ills
like war. This understanding
of the cause of suffering and
the interdependence and inter-
connectedness of all things is
the motivation for many Bud-
dhists to engage in social justice
work.
seek justice, righteousness, fair-
ness, right living; none more
clearly than Micah, “And what
does the Sovereign require
of you, but to do justice, love
kindness, and walk humbly
with your God?”
Faith in God is inextricably
linked with the doing of jus-
tice. First John, chapter 4
states it beautifully, “…love one
another; for love is of God...for
God is love. We love because
God first loved us.” Justice is
God’s love distributed, God’s
love distributed equally. Char-
ity is manifest when we provide
shelter to a homeless family.
Justice is manifest when we
work together with others for
University chaplain, wrote:
“There is a temptation to think
that an issue is less spiritual for
being more political, to believe
that religion is above politics,
that the sanctuary is too sacred
a place for the grit and grime
of political battle. But if you
believe religion is above poli-
tics, you are, in actuality, for
the status quo–a very political
position. And were God the
god of the status quo, then the
church or the synagogue would
have no prophetic role, serving
instead as a kind of ambulance
service.”
We do not want Judaism to
merely affirm that which
we already know to be true.
Instead, it must motivate us to
act on a higher ethical plane
than we would if left to our
own devises. It’s been said,
The Buddha also identified
four conditions necessary for
human happiness: food, shel-
ter, clothing and medicine – I
might add a fifth: education.
Thich Nhat Hahn, a Viet-
namese Zen teacher, has writ-
ten that not only should every
individual have adequate food,
shelter, clothing and medicine
[read health care]; in a just soci-
ety, for any individual to have
more than an adequate share of
these essentials is unethical.
Today, in the United States and
world-wide, there are numer-
ous examples of Buddhist social
engagement on issues like
homelessness, the death penalty,
sexism, classism, racism, envi-
ronmental justice and human
rights. One example, and a
good starting point for anyone
interested in more information
is the Buddhist Peace Fellow-
affordable housing in our city,
state and nation.
Some hear this and say, “Seek-
ing affordable housing for all,
health care for all, marriage for
all, equal rights for all, that’s
political. The church shouldn’t
be involved in politics.” Like
1 John 4, the French Catholic
poet, Charles Peguy, reminds
us, “Everything begins in mys-
ticism and ends in politics.”
The world of the Spirit, God
and God’s love (mysticism)
moves us to love justly, broad-
ly, universally, grace-fully and
that leads us to act in the life
of the city (polis), politically.
The United Church of Christ
is a denomination that encour-
“Religion is here to comfort
the unsettled and to unsettle
the comfortable.” We must
demand more from our reli-
gion because Judaism demands
more of us. Judaism teaches
that each of us is responsible
to work toward a and compas-
sionate society.
Temple Israel is a Reform congre-
gation located at 2324 Emerson
Avenue South. Learn more at
their website www.templeisrael.
com. Photo provided by M. Zimmerman
Rabbit Marcia A. Zimmerman
Organized in 1878, it was Min-
nesota’s first Jewish congregation.
It began at Nicollet and Wash- became the first woman Senior
ington Avenue downtown, and Rabbi of a congregation of over
moved into a community house at 2000 families.
its present location in 1914.
In 2001 Rabbi Zimmerman
ship at www.bpf.org.
It’s a great challenge: how to
move from the silent and still
encounter with the mind to
engaging in the transformation
of one’s community, society and
world.
The Minnesota Zen Medita-
tion Center was founded in 1972
when Dainin Katagiri Roshi was
invited to come here by a group
of Minneapolis students inter-
ested in the dharma. He became
Photo provided bu Lee Lewis
the first abbot where he oversaw Lee Lewis
the development of the center as
well as Hokyoji, a country retreat www.mnzencenter.org.
in southeastern Minnesota.The
MZCM, located at 3343 East Lee Lewis is ordained as a lay
Calhoun Parkway, is commit- teacher at the Minnesota Zen
ted to the teaching and practice Center where he has practiced for
of Zen Buddhism. Tim Burkett 14 years. He is former national
became the head teacher in 2002. board member and president of
Learn more at their website the Buddhist Peace Fellowship.
ages our churches to do that
by becoming: Just Peace, Open
and Affirming of Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual, Transgender People,
Anti-Racist and Multi-cultural
churches. For we believe that
same loving God is still speak-
ing that word of justice for all
today.
The United Church of Christ
celebrates and continues a wide
variety of traditions in its com-
mon life. The characteristics of
the UCC can be summarized
Photo provided by Don Portwood
in part by the key words in the Don Portwood
names of the four denominations
that formed the union: Chris- at 810 West 31st Street. Learn
tian, Reformed, Congregational, more at www.lyndaleucc.org.
Evangelical. Don Portwood is the
pastor of Lyndale UCC, located
10 •  Uptown Neighborhood news March 2006

election 2006
Why Go To A Caucus?
By Ellen Boroughf
Attention all Democrats,
Greens, Independents, Lib-
ertarians, Republicans, and
Socialists! March 7th is Pre-
cinct Caucus time in Minnesota.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
AND GO!
Many of you have already done
so because everything political
in Minnesota begins with the
precinct caucuses. You don’t
pooh-pooh politics because you
are acutely aware that your stan-
dard of living, bank account,
medical care, indeed your whole
future depends on what our
elected officials do or fail to do.
You’d never, ever miss a precinct
caucus because you want to be a
responsible and patriotic citizen.
Besides, you want your opinions
to be heard within your party.
You want to be proud of the
slate of candidates your party
will present to the public in
November. You know that you
can impact the quality of this
slate simply by going to your
party’s precinct caucus. The
better the candidates, the better
chance your party will have to
win in November.
You also know that while you’re
doing your part to strengthen
democracy here at home, you’ll
have a grand time meeting and
mingling with like-minded
neighbors. You know that party
caucuses are PARTIES! Have
you thought of phoning your
friends to remind them of the
date? Perhaps one of them will
need a ride. Perhaps another
feels uncomfortable going alone.
Have you thought of encourag-
ing your kids who baby sit regu-
larly to volunteer their services
so that their regular “clients”
can attend their caucuses? Just
think. By underscoring the sig-
nificance of the caucuses, you
can help your children under-
stand that it is participation in
the process that makes our sys-
tem of government work.
Many of you have marked your
calendar. You know that going
to your caucus is important, par-
ticularly when men and women
are fighting and dying in Iraq,
but you’re not sure if you’ll go or
not. Perhaps you don’t want to
go alone. Call a friend and say,
“Hey, our precinct caucus is on
March 7th. I don’t want to go
alone. Will you go with me?”
Perhaps you really do need a
ride. Call a friend and say, “Hey,
our precinct caucus is on March
7th. Can you give me a ride?”
If your friends can’t help you,
call your party’s headquarters.
(Phone numbers are listed in the
sidebar.) Or call the headquar-
ters of a candidate you support.
Say you want to go to your cau-
cus, explain your problem, and
ask for their help. Now is not
the time to be hesitant. Now is
the time to be assertive.
Others of you have not marked
your calendars. You have never
gone to a precinct caucus, and
you have no intention of going
on March 7th. Why not? Do
you think your presence will
make no difference? Well, you
are dead wrong. For a starter,
just by being there you can help
prevent those special interests
that we all love to hate from
taking over. There is safety in
numbers. If you’d rather clean
house, shop or watch television
than attend your caucus, or if
you think all a good citizen
needs to do is pay taxes, fol-
low the traffic laws and recycle,
you’ve got a problem. Do not
abandon hope. You can always
become a good citizen with just
a little effort. You don’t have to
fight and die to prove that you
really are a patriot. Begin by
making the short trek to your
caucus on March 7th. See the
sidebar to find out exactly where
to go.
Finally, many of you feel ner-
vous about going to your caucus
because you haven’t the foggiest
idea of what you’re supposed to
do once you get there. You don’t
have to know what to do. All
you have to do is show up. The
person who runs the caucus
knows what to do. The chair
will enable you to become an
active participant.
I came to Minnesota from Illi-
nois. Caucuses were, to me,
complete mysteries as are the
town meetings of New England.
I had a vague idea that both
reveal what is best about our
system of government. To find
out how the caucuses worked,
I went. I’m still not sure what
goes on at the town meetings of
New England, but I do know
what happens at precinct cau-
cuses. Important stuff gets done
in an easy fashion. All there
participate. At this first caucus,
I ended up offering resolutions.
The caucus provided forms so
that we neophytes could write
them down. I also ended up
going to the State Convention as
a delegate. Not as an alternate,
mind you, but as a delegate. I
also had a lovely time meeting
and socializing with my like-
minded neighbors. That caucus
was over 15 years ago, and some
of those neighbors have become
close, personal friends.
Go to your Party’s Precinct
Caucus on March 7th. Leap in. Caucus
The water’s fine.
Information
ECCO resident Ellen Boroughf
has worked on political cam-
paigns since she was 20, Now If you have questions
72, she is still trying to be a good about the process,
citizen, and unless felled by an or need help,
Act of God, shall be at her party’s
precinct caucus. contact your party.
MN Secretary of State
1.877.600.VOTE
www.sos.state.mn.us
DFL Party
UNN 651.293.1200
www.dfl.org
CAUCUS
“BLOG”
Independence Party
651.487.9700
(Do you love that we are www.mnip.org
taking an online version
of print and making it
print again? Since it will
be a print log, let’s call it
Republican Party
a PLOG.) We want to 651.222.0022
hear your impressions of www.mn.gop.org
your caucus experience.
Write to us! Next month,
we will print excerpts
from your letters. Was
Libertarian Party of MN
if fun, interesting, infor- 651.646.8980
mative? Did you feel www.LPMN.org
patriotic, bored, con-
fused? Were you a first
time visitor or stalwart
leader? What surprised,
Green Party of MN
pleased or annoyed you? 612.871.4585
Email: uptownnews@ www.mngreens.org
yahoo.com

Map of ECCO and CARAG showing precincts WARD 10 Precinct Caucus Locations
Ward 10 DFL Caucus Republican Caucus Independence Caucus

Jefferson Elementary School Jefferson Elementary School Mpls 5th Precinct Police Station
Upper Gym Basement Café Community Room
Precinct 2 1200 W. 26th St. (at Hennepin) 1200 W. 26th St. (at Hennepin) 3101 Nicollet Ave. S.

St. Mary's Greek Orthodox Church Mpls 5th Precinct Police Station
St. Mary's Greek Orthodox Church Basement Community Room
Precinct 3 3450 Irving Av. S. 3450 Irving Av. S. 3101 Nicollet Ave. S.

Jefferson Elementary School Mpls 5th Precinct Police Station

Lyndale United Church of Christ Basement Café Community Room
Precinct 4 810 W. 31st St. (at Aldrich) 1200 W. 26th St. (at Hennepin) 3101 Nicollet Ave. S.
LAKE CALHOUN

St. Mary's Greek Orthodox Church Mpls 5th Precinct Police Station
Joyce United Methodist Church Basement Community Room
Precinct 6 1219 W. 31st St. (at Fremont) 3450 Irving Av. S. 3101 Nicollet Ave. S.

Painter Park Mpls 5th Precinct Police Station

Multi-purpose Room St. Mary's Greek Orthodox Church Community Room
Precinct 7 34th and Lyndale 3450 Irving Av. S. 3101 Nicollet Ave. S.

Borroughs Elementary School Mpls 5th Precinct Police Station

Walker Methodist House Room 351 Community Room
Precinct 8 3737 Bryant Ave. S. 1501 W. 50th St. 3101 Nicollet Ave. S.

Jefferson Elementary School Mpls 5th Precinct Police Station

Suburban World Theater Basement Café Community Room
Precinct 11 3022 Hennepin Ave. S. 1200 W. 26th St. (at Hennepin) 3101 Nicollet Ave. S.

CARAG and ECCO are in Ward 10 Green Party: no precinct caucus. Senate District 60 meeting at Barton Open School
Precinct numbers are shown on map above 2nd Floor, Media Center. 4237 Colfax Ave. S.
Libertarian Party of MN -- no local caucuses
March 2006 Uptown Neighborhood news •  11
your government
How To Apply For Property Tax Relief
60A Rep. Margaret Anderson Kelliher
60B Rep. Frank Hornstein
It’s Not Easy Being Green
Photo provided by Lydia Lee
School Board Director Lydia Lee
By Lydia Lee
Director, Minneapolis Board of
Education
With the passing of each day,
I am more and more thankful
that Dr. Bill Green has agreed
to take on the challenge of lead-
ing our public school system.
Our newly appointed Interim
Superintendent of Schools said
that he will begin immediately
to re-enforce relationships with
community and business part-
ners, foundations, non-profits
and faith organizations. His
support and empowerment of
district staff will ensure con-
tinued upward trends of stu-
dent achievement. Finally, the
District will forge a long-range
plan that will address change
and adjustments necessary for
building a stronger educational
system.
Can he meet the challenge?
Tax season has rolled around
again. We wanted to take this
opportunity to remind neigh-
borhood residents of the state
property tax refund programs.
This includes renters! Every
year, thousands of Minnesotans
who are eligible for property tax
relief don’t take advantage of it.
We want to make sure that all
residents eligible for property
tax relief get their money back.
You may be eligible for a prop-
erty tax refund:
• Special Property Tax Refund
(also called Targeting) –– no
income limit.
You may be eligible if you are
a homeowner, you owned your
home on both January 2, 2005,
and January 2, 2006, and the
net property tax on your home-
stead increased by more than
12% and at least $100 from
2005 to 2006. The increase can-
not be due to improvements on
your home. This refund does
Those who know him are con-
vinced that it is totally within
the realm of possibility. He
already has strong connec-
tions with key individuals and
organizations. His prior expe-
rience as a School Board mem-
ber gives him a head start. He
instills confidence, recognizes
the skills of district person-
nel, and is determined that the
District’s work focuses on stu-
dents. He asks key questions
and invites those with different
perspectives to play a part in
the solution.
Eeaction to his appointment
across this city is mixed – from
outrage to confusion to opti-
mism. He is unnerved by the
distractions and is grounded in
his manner and approach to the
monumental responsibilities he
has accepted.
Whatever the character of pub-
lic concern, it is imperative that
we all work together to move
in a positive direction. It is
necessary for the health of our
community and the welfare of
all who live in it. Not a single
one of us can escape the effects
that our public schools have on
our community.
Dr. Green is not diminutive
in stature, nor soft and tactile
with cross-stitched eyes. But
like the little green muppet, he
is accepting of his shortcom-
ings and is always optimis-
news from the state legislature
not depend on your income.
• Homeowner and Renter
Property Tax Refund Pro-
grams
You may be eligible if you are
a homeowner and have house-
hold income less than $87,780,
or you are a renter and have
household income less than
$47,350. Higher income limits
apply if you have dependents or
if you are a senior citizen or dis-
abled. Your refund will depend
on how high your property
tax or rent is relative to your
income. The maximum refund
for homeowners is $1,650, and
the maximum refund for rent-
ers is $1,350.
You must also meet the follow-
ing criteria:
• You must be a full-year or
part-year Minnesota resident.
• You cannot be a dependent.
tic. Though he may not stand
out “like flashy sparkles in the
water,” people gravitate toward
him knowing that he will be a
responsive and resolute lead-
er. He is heretofore our go-to
guy, but it’s not going to be easy
being Bill Green.
(If you would like to read the
lyrics of the song and hear the
tune, log onto www.disgalaxy.
addr.com/Muppets/kermit.
htm)
Lydia Lee has lived in ECCO for
20 years and just passed her first
anniversary on the School Board.
Her son (Chris Yue) is a graduate
of South H.S. and stepson (Ryan
O’Donnell) graduated from
Southwest. She can be reached at
Lydia.Lee@mpls.k12.mn.us.
Photo provided by MPS
Dr. Bill Green
• If you are a homeowner,
your property must be your
homestead.
• If you are a renter, you must
live in a building on which
property taxes are paid.
• Relative homesteads to not
qualify.
To apply for a refund, you
must complete form M1PR.
This form is available at public
libraries and can also be found
at the Minnesota Department
of Revenue website at: www.
taxes.state.mn.us, or by calling
651-296-3781. The Department
of Revenue asks that taxpayers
fill out the 2005 form M1PR
claims by August 15, 2006.
If you have comments or ques-
tions on this or any other legis-
lative issues, please contact us:
Rep. Margaret Anderson Kelliher
(651) 296-0171
rep.margaret.kelliher@house.mn
Superintendent
William D. Green,
Ph.D.
Dr. Bill Green is the inter-
im superintendent of Min-
neapolis Public Schools.
He is directly responsible
for overseeing the district’s
business functions and aca-
demic achievement for all
students.
Superintendent Green is an
associate professor of his-
tory at Augsburg College in
Minneapolis. He also serves
as an adjunct professor at
St. John’s University in Col-
legeville, Minn.
Dr. Green served on the
Minneapolis Board of Edu-
cation from 1993 to 2001
and was board chair from
1996 to1998.
Superintendent Green
holds a bachelor’s degree
in history from Gustavus
Adolphus College. He also
holds a master’s degree in
educational psychology, a
doctorate in education, and
a juris doctorate from the
University of Minnesota,
Twin Cities.
A native of New Orleans,
La., Dr. Green has contrib-
uted more than 30 articles
to scholarly and popular
press publications.
Senator Scott Dibble
Rep. Frank Hornstein
(651) 296-9281
rep.frank.hornstein@house.mn
Senator Scott Dibble
(651) 296-4191
sen.scott.dibble@senate.mn
tidbits
small news you might use
ALISON MCGHEE. ECCO
resident Alison McGhee has
been nominated for a Minne-
sota Book Award in the Young
Adult Fiction category for her
new book All Rivers Flow to
the Sea, published by Candle-
wick Press. Winners will be
announced at a ceremony on
April 29 at the Woman’s Club
of Minneapolis.
TAX HELP FOR SENIORS.
If you’re a senior or person with
low income, you can receive
FREE assistance filling out
your income tax forms (includ-
ing electronic filing – faster
and more accurate!) through
the American Association of
Retired Persons (AARP) Tax
Aide Volunteer Program. Be
sure to bring all your W2 forms
and other necessary papers,
including photo ID and Social
Security cards for you and your
dependents. Hennepin County
Government Center, A Level,
300 S. Sixth St. and Minne-
apolis City Hall, Room 11, 350
S. Fifth St. (use Fourth Street
entrance) – both in downtown
Minneapolis. Now through
April 15, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mon.
through Fri., except holidays.
LITTLE RIVER CRE-
ATIONS. The custom furni-
ture and cabinetmaker has left
Calhoun Square for the shop in
Burnsville. Find them at www.
littlerivercreations.com.
12 •  Uptown Neighborhood news March 2006
food & drink
CRC Coffee Bar Joins CARAG Coffee Klatch The
By Aaron Rubenstein
A great, small new coffee café,
CRC Coffee Bar, opened Feb-
ruary 4 in CARAG at 3346
Lyndale Av. S. The owner, Tom
“Hurl” Everson, said he wants
the bicycle-themed coffee shop
to be a bike- and neighbor-
hood-friendly place for people
to hang out. CRC stands for
Cars-R-Coffins.
Everson, an avid bicyclist,
believes bikes and coffee go
together. He wants people to
bike to his new café (though
people arriving by all other
modes are welcome). He added
that he likes the location and
the garage door at the front of
the shop.
CRC’s hours currently are 7
a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and
8 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekends, as
Everson is the only employee.
Later hours will probably be
added in the future.
CRC is located in an old, one-
story brick addition on the
north side of the two-story, red
brick building at the northwest
corner of Lyndale and 34th (got
that?) — the building that used
to house a corner grocery and
is now home to Balance fitness
studio. The CRC space former-
ly served as a deli and cold stor-
age for the grocery. (Check out
the rather rare Italianate-style
eave brackets on the two-story
part of the building.)
Everson’s shops offers coffee,
of course — organic, fair trade
Peace Coffee, delivered by
bicycle — as well as juices and
other cold beverages, baked
Caffeine
goods, and soups and sand-
Scene
wiches. And it’s outfitted with
Wi-Fi. You can also get Cars-
R-Coffins t-shirts — with the
CRC logo of a coffin outfitted
with tires.
Everson said he wants to
encourage biking as mass tran-
sit and promote bicycle culture
in the city, as well as provide a
nice, inviting spot. To that end,
he also sells some biking acces-
sories and a range of unique
used bicycles that hang from
“Now in America, if you ride a bicycle beyond the
age of 14, you are considered an anomaly at best, a
freak by most.”
– CRC Coffee Bar owner Tom “Hurl” Everson
(from the carsrcoffins.com website)
the walls and ceiling. And there
is a plan for a bicycling zine and
magazine library—primarily
for in-house use. Everson wants
to share his collection of U. S.
and British bike magazines.
Asked about coffee café satura-
tion in the neighborhood, Tom
observed that people tend to be
loyal to their coffee shops and
that his shop is “unique enough.”
He added, “we’ll see.”
Tom and his landlord/archi-
tect friend have, indeed, cre-
ated a beautiful spot. The space
is bright and appealing. It has
bright gold walls, a stained
concrete floor, an exposed
wood ceiling, and a brick wall.
The front of the narrow shop is
a pedestrian door and an over-
head garage door with glass
panels (a la Bob’s Java Hut).
The tables and wooden chairs
came from the downtown pub-
lic library.
In the bathroom, hand tow-
els rest on an antique scooter
mounted to the wall. There’s an
x-ray light box with x-ray films
on another wall for mood light-
ing. The “mop closet” is a beau-
tiful shower with white subway
tile — not intended for public
use by bikers or others.
Tom Everson is a very friendly
guy. He said “tell everyone in
the neighborhood to stop by
and say hello.” He’s a writer
and biker who grew up in Bis-
mark, ND, and came to the U
of M in 1989 to study English
literature. He’s a coffee drink-
er — his favorite is French
roast, black — and he lives in
the Bryn Mawr neighborhood.
Tom doesn’t own a car and
commutes to work by bike year
round.
He is a major, visible figure
on the local bicycle scene. He’s
been in the bicycle industry his
“entire life,” he said. Everson
was a bicycle courier and wrote
A cozy little neighborhood diner minutes from home or work.
HOURS: Mon-Fri 6:30 am - 3 pm
Sat. 6:30 am - 2 pm, Sun. 7 am - 2 pm
for Bike magazine. He played
a major role in developing and
marketing the Surly brand
single-speed bikes that are very
popular nationally with bike
messengers, mountain bikers
and others. A single speed sub-
culture has really developed in
the last six to seven years, he
noted. And Tom has worked
in other coffee shops, including
One on One Bicycle Studio/Go
Coffee on Washington Avenue
downtown, which is owned by
a good friend of his.
Everson started Cars-R-Cof-
fins as a zine in 1994 and is still
doing it. He sees the café as
part of the continued evolution
of the Cars-R-Coffins concept.
He says he’s not anti-car — he
just wants people to consider
alternatives. “Cars aren’t bad.
They’re useful tools. They’re
just misused and over-used
and create a lot of problems
like congestion, sprawl, and
car-oriented cities.” Tom said
he doesn’t want to be sanctimo-
nious about cars and biking. He
observed that “cars make good
screwdrivers but too many peo-
ple use them as hammers.”
Everson’s carsrcoffins.com
website, the tagline of which is
“Bicycle. Punk Rock. Action.”
contains quite a bit of informa-
tion about his views on biking,
cars, music and more, as well as
information on bicycle-related
events and links.
Aaron Rubenstein drinks coffee
all around CARAG and ECCO.
Uptown
coffee
purveyor
Sanjeev
A z a d
opened
his third
Uptown
D u n n
Bros. coffee shop on February
20 at Lake and Bryant in the
former Custom Camera build-
ing. The large, attractive space
features big windows, a round
gas fireplace in the center of the
room, plenty of comfy uphol-
stered chairs, and changing
art shows as at Azad’s other
shops (plus the usual red cof-
fee roaster). Unlike his other
shops, this Dunn Bros. is open
from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily and
serves French Meadow bakery
products.
Urban Bean café at 33rd and
Bryant closed for a few days
in January to replace the very
worn linoleum flooring with
a brand new wooden floor. A
new counter and coffee bar are
in progress, and the exterior
of the building was repainted
with a new color scheme last
summer.
Gigi’s Café at 36th and Bry-
ant closed for a week between
Christmas and New Year’s to
remodel the room with the
food service area. The room got
a new color on the walls, some
additional seating, and new
wood paneling in part of the
room. Gigi’s also added modi-
fied table service — you order
at the counter and food is deliv-
ered to your table. Some recent-
ly added specials: chili (meat
or vegetarian) and a beer for
$8 on Tuesday evenings, and a
thin crust pizza and a bottle
of wine for $20 on Wednesday
evenings.
Crema Café, a lovely and
popular neighborhood hang
kitty corner from CRC at 34th
and Lyndale, and home of
the extraordinary Sonny’s Ice
Cream, continues to become
more food-oriented. They
now serve breakfast, lunch,
dinner, brunch and wine and
beer. On February 21, Crema
started opening at 7 a.m. Tues-
day through Friday for break-
fast (and they open at 10 a.m.
for weekend brunch). Starting
in April, Crema will be open
seven days a week. The kitch-
en serves pizzas and pastas for
dinner and terrific grilled sand-
wiches and salads for lunch.
 March 2006 Uptown Neighborhood news •  13

The Ever-Changing Faces of Area Restaurants

By Aaron Rubenstein
Pizza Nea planned to open on
February 27 in Uptown Row at
1223 W. Lake St. The pizzeria
makes Neapolitan-style pizzas
in a big, gas-fired pizza oven
at the center of the space. The
oven is covered in a beautiful
tile mosaic inspired by the Ital-
ian countryside. The attractive
room also features a 24-foot-
long mural painted by the piz-
zeria’s manager, Megan Bell,
and warm, earthtone colors
such as dark brown, earthy red,
and a café au lait faux finish.
There is a big, granite-topped,
circular counter for customer
seating around the central
oven. Nea has a small, five-seat
bar with full liquor. Hours ini-
tially will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday through Thursday and
11 a.m. to midnight Friday and
Saturday. The first Pizza Nea
opened several years ago on
East Hennepin.
All three locations of Zeno
closed recently, including the
one at Lagoon and Hennepin.
Drink of Uptown, in the same
building at Lagoon and Girard,
reportedly is taking over opera-
tion of the Uptown Zeno loca-
tion. Drink management did
not return UNN’s calls.
Dixie’s Calhoun has closed, to
be replaced by View Restau-
rant and Lounge. The space
has been extensively remod-
eled. View will offer casual
dining, according to chef Joe
Gentile (pronounced gentilly).
View’s grand opening will be
March 3. It’s located at 2730 W.
Lake St. in the Calhoun Beach
Club building.
Topper’s Pizza opened Febru-
ary 11 at 2936 Lyndale Av. S.
This location is the Midwest
franchise chain’s fourteenth.
Topper’s features “gourmet”
pizzas such as gyro, chicken
Cordon Bleu, Philly steak, and
fajita chicken or steak, as well
as warm grinder sandwiches.
Topper’s has a huge deliv-
ery area (and only two tables).
Hours are 11 a.m. to 3 a.m.
Sunday through Thursday and
11 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. Friday and
Saturday. Pizzas are $10 to $23
for 12-inch (medium), 14-inch
(large), and 18-inch (gargan-
tuan) pies.
Vino 610, a “neighborhood
bistro wine bar,” opened in
mid-November at 610 W.
Lake St.— tucked between It’s
Greek to Me and Fuji Ya. The
space received a very attractive
make-over featuring light gray,
polished concrete floors, nine-
foot-high black wood panel-
ing, black tables and chairs, a
stainless steel bar top, red upper
walls and ceiling, big windows
and soft lighting. Vino current-
ly offers 67 wines by the bottle,
47 wines by the glass (reason-
ably priced), 42 bottled beers,
and 6 tap beers. The new wine
list will have even more offer-
ings by the glass. Vino’s $8 wine
flights, with small servings of
four wines, are popular.
The food menu offers appetiz-
ers, salads, soups, a few sand-
wiches and entrees, Lahvosh
(Armenian cracker) pizzas
and desserts. The hours are 11
a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 1
a.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 1
a.m. weekends, with weekend
brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Chef and co-owner Jody Bed-
nar said it’s going well. He
handles the food and business
partner Cathy Hall handles the
wine. Bednar and Hall, friends
from the age of 13, moved to
Minneapolis from Nebraska
to open Vino 610. Bednar had
worked in restaurants for 10
years but was then in the cor-
porate world for 16 — and was
ready for a change. The idea
of opening a wine bar came to
Hall while in a Paris wine bar,
said Bednar. Hall’s siblings
live in the Uptown area and
she wanted to join them. Hall
designed the inviting space.
Café Limon opened across the
street at 611 W. Lake St. last
May. The cozy little café serves
fabulous, grilled gourmet sand-
wiches and salads, as well as
coffees, desserts, tamales and
batidos — smoothies made of
yogurt, crème fraiche and fruit.
Winter hours are 9 a.m. to 7
p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6
p.m. weekends.
Parasole Restaurant Holdings,
creator of Chino Latino, Buca
di Beppo, Manny’s, Figlio and
Oceanaire, is no longer involved
in day-to-day management of
Stella’s Fish Café at Lake and
Girard. Parasole still owns
the concept and is involved in
menu consulting. The menu
has been tweaked — a three-
fish sampler has been added
(most popular item) as well as
a number of non-fish/seafood
items. Banquet business must
be booming because Stella’s is
planning to add a second ban-
quet room.
Pizza Luce at 32nd and Lyndale
reopened October 15 after an
extensive remodel. The restau-
rant has a new, more appealing
seating area that accommodates
70 (up from 49, thanks to new
booths) and new bathrooms.
101 Blue in Calhoun Square
has changed its name to Aura
Restaurant. Owner Craig
Coulter has changed the chef
and menu as well. The result
is an upscale French restaurant
with an extensive wine list. The
disk jockey is gone, and there
may be live acoustic music in
the works.
Café Barbette is celebrating its
5th anniversary. It has a brand
new menu and a revamped
dining room. Barbette has won
many “Best Of” awards for its
extensive wine list, patio, Pom-
mes Frites, and host to one of
the best summer block parties,
Bastille Day.
Five restaurant and street
lounge. The architect of Five,
BKV Group, has won a light-
ing award from the Illumi-
nating Engineering Society of
North America for its lighting
design at Five.

Ta x P r e p a r a t i o n
Jack D. Manders
Certified Public Accountant
1900 Hennepin Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55403

S
Call Jack at 612-874-7884
jackm@sihope.com

Kelly Newcomer
art prints
available at
The Nickle Pickle
and RobotLOVE
14 •  Uptown Neighborhood news March 2006

TAXES Q & A suburban world event.

By Rick Krolak
Q. I am unmarried and I have
been helping a good friend by
supporting her son. He lived
with me since February of 2005.
He is ten years old and I pro-
vide for all of his support. Can
I take him as a dependent?
A. Unfortunately, no. There
are new rules that apply for tax
years starting in 2005. In order
to take a child as a dependent
the child must meet four crite-
ria:
Relationship test – the child
must be your child, stepchild,
adopted child, foster child,
brother or sister, or a descen-
dant of one of these.
Residence – the child must
have lived with you for more
than half of the year
Age – the child must be under
age 19 at the end of the year, or
under age 24 and have attended
school for at least five months
of the year, or any age if totally
and permanently disabled.
Support – the child does not
provide more than half of his
or her own support during the
year.
To calculate your gain on the
sale can be a complicated pro-
cess. You must establish your
“basis” in the property. If you
built or purchased your home
the basis may be as simple as
adding together your original
cost and adding any improve-
ments that have increased the
value of the home or prolonged
its life. Improvements may be
a new roof, adding a patio or
any major remodeling. This
amount is subtracted from the
sale price and less any costs
associated with the sale. If you
inherited the property your
basis would be the fair market
value at the time of the dece-
dent’s death. Establishing your
basis can be a very complicated
issue and you may want to con-
sult with a tax advisor.
Q. My income for 2005 was
only $ 10,200. Do I qualify for
the earned income credit? If
so, how much can I expect to
get back?
A. If you do not have any
dependents (qualifying chil-
dren) and your adjusted gross
income is less than $11,750
($13,750 if married and filing
jointly) your maximum credit
would be $399.
If you have one qualifying child
continued from page 1
have does not allow a regular
showing of movies. Don experi-
enced a great amount of frustra-
tion getting properly licensed; it
took him 15 months. He finally
got permission to have a res-
taurant, but it has to close at 8
p.m. unless there is a live stage
performance. In that case he
can stay open until 1 p.m. and
serve wine and beer. Don has
met with the new City Council
Member from the 10th Ward,
Ralph Remington. Ralph has
a theater background and is
very supportive for the Subur-
ban World to be offering artistic
presentations.
There have been a number of
special events at the theater,
especially book readings, since
Don purchased the site. He has
donated the space to a number
of non-profits such as Minne-
sota Film Arts. Bill Pohlad, of
Brokeback Mountain fame, had a
fancy birthday party there with
the full Hollywood valet and red
carpet treatment. Mike Veeck,
owner of the St. Paul Saints,
presented his book there. The
theater was home to the Minne-
sota Film Festival in the Spring
of 2005 and has been headquar-
ters to the annual Fringe Fes-
tival. It makes a great place to
hold a business or organization
Don has a lot of plans regarding
the building. First of all, there
is to be a restaurant in the front
to be called the Granada Café.
It will have about 20 seats inside
and some 18 seats on the side-
walk. One thing the previous
owner did was to invest a great
deal into an extensive kitchen
that is located on the North
side of the building. Break- Photo by Gary Farland
fast, lunch and dinner will be
Suburban World today.
offered. Combined with the
theater, one can have a complete
in the theatre is paramount to
night out. There will be several ensure the viability of the build-
live theater shows on Thursday ing and secure its future as a
through Saturday evenings. well-preserved and maintained
Uptown landmark.
Also, Don and Rodney are
working with the city to obtain Don and Rodney are eager to
approvals to redo parts of the get the changes made and get
interior, while abiding by the things rolling. They hope to
historic building restrictions. be operating this summer. Of
They would especially like to course, we are looking forward
remove a lot of the seating struc- to these developments in what
ture that the previous owner put is probably our neighborhood’s
in that allows for only about 135
most outstanding building.
people. The desire is to have
more open, flexible areas. Also, Rodney invites everyone to visit
lighting has been a problem, but the Suburban World’s updated
Don has obtained some glorious website often at www.subur-
old chandeliers that should solve banworldtheatre.com to view
that.
the calendar of upcoming events
and to stop in and say hello
Don has additional longer-term when passing by.
plans for the theatre such as
a rooftop garden and elevator ECCO resident, Gary Farland
installed to access the roof. At has admired the Suburban World
this point, generating revenues for years.

City Of Lakes Loppet A Success

It appears that you meet only
three of the four criteria.
Q. My husband and I are
going to sell our house. Do we
have to pay any taxes on the
money we make ? We are both
over 55 years old and we heard
that there is a one-time exemp-
tion when you sell your house
after that age.
A. That rule no longer applies.
When you sell your house you
may exclude some or all of your
gain. This exclusion will save
you a great deal of money if
you have lived in your home
for at least two years during
the five years that precede your
sale; and it must have been
your principal residence. As a
married couple you can exclude
up to $500,000 ($250,000 if sin-
gle). You will also have to file
a joint return and you or your
spouse or both of you must own
the house. You can use this
exclusion every time you sell
your primary home as long as
you own and live in it for two
years.
and your adjusted gross income
is less than $31,030 ($33,030
if married filing jointly) your
maximum credit would be
$2,662.
If you have two or more quali-
fying children and your adjust-
ed gross income is less than
$35,263 ($37,263 if married
filing jointly) your maximum
credit would be $4,400.
Additionally, to qualify, you
cannot have more than $2,700
investment or dividend income
or income from the sale of
stocks, rents or royalties and
other asset sales during the
year.
The earned income does not
effect any welfare benefits you
may be receiving.
Rick Krolak, owner of The
Clarion Group, is an accountant,
tax advisor and consultant for
individuals and small business,
celebrating his 20th year in busi-
ness. 2524 Hennepin Ave So.
(612 )825-5700.
Lack of Snow
Didn’t Stop ‘Em!
They just found their own
snow. Despite a record warm
January and very little snow,
the City of Lakes Loppet was
pulled off in style on Febru-
ary 4th and 5th because a lot
of volunteers showed up with
shovels and moved snow onto
the trail.
Spectators enjoyed sled dog
rides, sprints, an evening ski
lit by ice luminaries and, of
Photo by Jeffrey Farnam
course, the big races. Although
the race course switched gears Finishers cross the line in the 35K ski race.
in the last days, and finished
on the Mall rather than the
From Minneapolis Mayor, of the Isles...the arch bridges
streets of Uptown, a high
R.T.Rybak: over the channel between
quality event was put on, and
…I really can’t tell you how Lake of the Isles and Calhoun
the participants and spectators
impressed I am with this were also lined with candles...
alike had nothing but good
amazing effort. This never a pretty amazing site....magi-
things to say.
should have happened…and it cal....
wouldn’t have without a super
From race director, John
human effort…. and having Amanda Johnson (neighbor):
Munger:
pulled this off it will be clear On Saturday night, I walked
. . . I stood at the finish line

Tax Preparation
to skiers and sponsors and down to Lake of the Isles
for a long time on Sunday
everyone else we need in com- to experience the first-ever
congratulating people as they
ing years that you can’t mess Luminary Loppet. It was one
finished. Person after person
with the Loppet. We survived of the most visually stunning
& ACCOUNTING SERVICES struck the same tone: “This
the worst winter in more than events that I have ever attend-
was great. What fun. Thanks
Professional. Accurate. Reliable. for putting on this great event.
a century and STILL had a ed in Minnesota. I hope that it
mega event. will be included in next year’s
Self-Employed & Small Business Our Specialty Thanks for all of your work
schedule so I can actually par-

612·825·5700
. . .” Seriously – I am over-
A skiier: ticipate in it!
whelmed and actually broke
Skied the Luminary Loppet
down crying on a few occa-
tonight.... candles were set in
sions over the weekend.
THE CLARION GROUP blocks of ice that circled Lake
2524 Hennepin Ave. S. • www.clariongroup.net
March 2006 Uptown Neighborhood news •  15
community events calendar
(Editor’s Note: We will run community event
listings every month on this page. Contact
uptownnews@yahoo.com to submit your
event information by the 17th of each month
to be included in the next issue.)
visual arts
Bobby Brady by Allen Brewer
DUNN BROS COFFEE
821 W. Lake St. • 824.6200
www.dunnbros.com
Through Mar 31. Dreamy paint-
ings by Allan Brewer.
HIGHPOINT CENTER FOR
PRINTMAKING
2638 Lyndale Ave. S. • 871.1326
www.highpointprintmaking.org
Through Mar 17 –– Strangely
Familiar. Photogravures by Lothar
Osterburg. • Opens Fri, Mar 31,
6:30 to 9 pm reception –– Contem-
porary Scottish Prints.
INTERMEDIA ARTS
2822 Lyndale Ave. S. • 871.4444
www.intermediaarts.org
Through April 1 –– Against For-
getting: Beyond Genocide and
Civil War. Photography by Abdi
Roble, Paul Corbit Brown and
Mike Rosen. Their photos capture
Rwanda eleven years post geno-
cide, Somali culture in America
and memorials of the Jewish
Holocaust. The images bring
immigrants, refugees and the past
to our doorsteps and remind us
that people continue to struggle
to survive and overcome war
and genocide. • Through April 8
–– Espejos. This visual art exhibit
is the culmination a four-month
partnership between established
artists—Patricia Mendoza, Ansel-
mo Cornejo and Deborah Ramos
with four emerging talents—Jes-
sica Gutierrez, Ulises Villaldama
Lopez, Jovita Francisco-Morales
and Alejandro Vargas Lopez. The
emerging artists learned about
visual art materials, resources for
artists and critical response around
their work.
SOO VISUAL ARTS CENTER
2640 Lyndale Ave S. • 871.2263
www.soovac.org
Hours: Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri 12
to 6, Sat and Sun 12 to 4.
Calendar Editor
Would you like to edit this
calendar every month? It’s
easy and fun! Learn lots of
cool stuff about your neigh-
borhood. Training pro-
vided. About 4 hours per
month.Contact us at:
uptownnews@yahoo.com
612.259.1372
Through Mar 11 –– Jaron Childs:
Ruptures. • CALL FOR ART-
ISTS: application for Untitled 5
coming soon submission. Dead-
line March 31.
UPTOWN EYEDEALS
Calhoun Square • 822.1090
www.redarrowphotography.com
Photographs of Uptown photogra-
pher David K. Anderson are fea-
tured in the store.
literary
WALKER LIBRARY BOOK
CLUB
Walker Library • 2880 Hennepin
Av. S. • 630.6650
www.mpls.lib.mn.us
Mon, Mar 13 , 6:30 pm –– Hamlet
by William Shakespeare. New-
comers always welcome.
ONCE UPON A CRIME MYS-
TERY BOOKSTORE
604 W. 26th St. • 870.3785
www.onceuponacrimebooks.com
Sat. Mar. 11, 1 to 3 pm –– Victo-
ria Houston signing Dead Boogie
• Tues. Mar. 14, 7 pm–– William
Swanson Dial M publication party
• Sat. Mar. 25, 12 to 4 pm –– Write
of Spring IV . Hobnob with doz-
ens of local mystery writers. • Sat,
Apr 1, 1 to 3 pm –– Shirley Dams-
gaard, Charmed to Death. • Mon,
Apr 3, 3 to 7 pm – Pete Hautman,
The Prop.
MAGERS AND QUINN
AUTHOR EVENTS
3038 Hennepin Av. S. • 822.4611
www.magersandquinn.com
Mon, Mar 13 , 7 pm –– Bart
Schneider reads from Beautiful
Inez, a captivating tale of roman-
tic love and sexual adventure set
against the vibrant backdrop of
San Francisco in the 60’s. Bart Sch-
neider lives in St. Paul. He was the
founding editor of Hungry Mind
Review. Currently Schneider is
a board member of the National
Book Critics Circle and editor of
Speakeasy Magazine. • Sun, Mar 26,
5 pm –– Reverend Rosalie (Rody)
Heffelfinger Hall is an Episcopal
priest. Her book A River Echoes
in My Ministry describes her 1700-
mile journey down the Mississippi
in search of meaning and purpose.
The twists and turns on the river
from Minneapolis to New Orleans
provided ample time for reflection
on the twists and turns of her own
life. The book provides an autobi-
ographical account of Hall’s mar-
riages, children and her family.
While navigating the river, pass-
ing through its many locks, and
avoiding many submerged objects,
Rody Hall became open to the call
of God. At the end of the journey,
she entered the seminary embark-
ing on another journey--towards
the priesthood.
BOOKS & BARS
Bryant Lake Bowl • 810 W. Lake
St. • 825.8949
www.bryantlakebowl.com
Tues, Mar 14, 6:30 pm –– The
Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.
The second child of a scholarly,
alcoholic father and an eccentric
artist mother discusses her family’s
nomadic upbringing from the Ari-
zona desert, to Las Vegas, to an
Appalachian mining town, during
which her siblings and she fended
for themselves while their parents
outmaneuvered bill collectors and
the authorities.
theater
performance
JUNGLE THEATRE
2951 Lyndale Ave. S. • 822.7063
www.jungletheater.com
Through Mar 12 –– Betrayal by
Harold Pinter.
BRYANT LAKE BOWL
THEATER
810 W. Lake St. • 825.8949
www.bryantlakebowl.com
Fri, Mar 17, 7 pm –– Hubcap
Frisbee presented by Allegra
Lingo, a young writer with an
acute fear of flying and terrible
sea sickness who tackles Ireland
on her own terms, meeting men
who talk to fairies, writing love
letters to a pile of rocks, and a
whole bunch of other blarney.
St. Patrick probably wouldn’t
approve, but he’d totally dig it.
SUBURBAN WORLD
THEATER
3022 Hennepin Ave. S • 205.4734
www.suburbanworldtheater.com
Fri, Mar 17, 7 pm (21+) ––
STAIJA • Far From Falling •
SMB • Absent!
music
CALHOUN SQUARE
3001 Hennepin Ave. S. • 824.1240
www.calhounsquare.com
Sundays through Mar 12, noon
to 2 pm –– Acoustic Sunrise Live.
Music, free treats, newspapers and
fun.• Mar 12, Jack Norton, blue-
grass, honky tonk and fold acous-
tic performer.
MUSIC BOX THEATER
14th and Nicollet • 612.750.2765
www.fourshadow.com
Mon, Mar 20, 7 pm –– Four Shad-
ow. A cappella group.
FAMOUS DAVE’S
Calhoun Square • 822.9900
http://famousdaves.com
Every Sunday, 10 am –– Sunday
Blues Brunch with Butt Rockin’
Blues
ST. LUKE’S EPISCOPAL
CHURCH
4557 Colfax Ave. S. • 824.2697
www.st-lukes.net
Fri, Mar 17, 7:30 pm –– Linden
Hills Quartet. The quartet was
founded to explore major works
of the string quartet literature in
depth. This concert marks the
quartet’s debut performance in a
concert series.
TEMPLE ISRAEL
2534 Henn. Ave. S. • 377.8680
www.templeisrael.com
Wed, Mar 29, 7 pm –– ­­Esta concert.
Created in Israel and nurtured in
the music halls of Manhattan, the
multicultural and instrumental
band, Esta, presents a thrilling and
pulsating musical experience that
reflects the many ethniticities of
Israel’s vibrant society. For tickets
call 952.381.3551.
kids
family
outdoors
KITCHEN WINDOW
In Calhoun Square • 824-4417
www.kitchenwindow.com
Sat, Mar 18, 10 am to 1 pm. Age
10 and up, $45. Silly food and fun!
STINK BUGS - deviled hard-
boiled eggs with ham, cheese and
pickles. TASTY MOSQUITOES’
TOES & WAMPFISH ROES
MOST DELICATELY FRIED.
How about a MUDBURGER,
a ground beef patty stuffed with
a secret mixture. We will finish
the morning with sweets! HOT
FROGS - puff pastry cut into frog
shapes and baked with apples, as
well as WASP STINGS - bread
cut into shapes, covered with cin-
namon-sugar, honey and shredded
coconut, and caramelized under
a broiler. We’ll slurp on PEACH
JUICE while enjoying our concoc-
tions.
PAINTER PARK
620 W. 34th St. • 370-4911
www.minneapolisparks.org
Fri, Mar 17, 7 to 8:30 pm –– Kids
Night Out, pizza and a movie. Ages
6 to 12. Pre register, $5. • Fri, Mar
24, 7 to 8:30 pm –– Movie night for
teens, 13 to 16. • Fri, Mar 31, 6 to
7 pm, Flashlight Egg Hunt. Pizza,
entertainment, and an egg hunt.
Preregister.
LYNDALE FARMSTEAD
PARK
3900 Bryant Ave. S. • 370-4948
www.minneapolisparks.org
Sat, Mar 18, 10 to 11:30 am –– Fun
with Pop-Ups. Add motion and
dimension to your art. Find inspi-
ration for pop up cards from work
on exhibit at the Minneapolis Insti-
tute of Art. This is an Art in the
Park program, co-sponsored by
the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
Instructor: Amy Wagner. Ages 6
to 12. Preregister.
FIRST UNIVERSALIST
CHURCH
3400 Dupont Ave. S • 825-1701
www.firstuniv.org
Tues, Mar 7, 6 pm–– Labyrinth
Walk
classes
workshops
lessons
KITCHEN WINDOW
In Calhoun Square • 824-4417
www.kitchenwindow.com
Sun, Mar 26, noon to 1 pm––Knife
Sharpening Clinics. During this
hour-long workshop, explore
techniques of whetstone and hon-
ing steel to create the ultimate
knife edge. Sharpening stones
will be available at a discount
prior to class. There is a $10 fee
for this class, however, each guest
will receive a $10 gift certificate
to Kitchen Window upon arrival.
Bring your knives, stone and steel.
Advanced registration required.
ROCKLER WOODWORKING
3025 Lyndale Ave S. • 822-3338
www.rockler.com
Sat, Mar 11, noon to 4 pm ––
Refinishing Furniture. Bring in
your garage sale project. $40
uptown
community
events
get involved
ADOPT AN ART CAR
Intermedia Arts • 871-4444
www.artcarparade.com
Fundraising drive to benefit the
12th Annual Art Car Parade, July
22. Sponsor an art car for $100.
Ride with a friend in “your” car
in the parade. Your name will be
listed in the program, and you will
get a keepsake photo.
WOMENS PRISON BOOK
PROJECT
Arise Bookstore • 2442 Lyndale
Ave. S • 871.7110
www.arisebookstore.org
Every Sunday, 12 to 3 pm –– Help
WPBP sort and package books to
send to prisoners.
ADULT EDUCATION
Lehmann Center • 1006 W. Lake
St.• 668-3984
Ellen.Lipschultz@mpls.k12.mn.us
Volunteers sought for various
tasks once a week. Most of the
times can be adjusted. ESL Class-
room Assistant. ESL Conversa-
tion Coach. Basic Sewing Machine
Skills. Computer Lab Assistant.
Assist Blind Student in Computer
Lab. Brailler. Text Scanner. Bilin-
gual (Spanish) Student.
community
meetings
LAKE STREET COUNCIL
Mar 14, 11 am to 1 pm –– Annual
Meeting. Ballentine VFW, 2916
Lyndale Ave. S.
RETAIL PROPERTY
MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP
Zurah Shrine Center • 2540 Park
Ave. • 673-2812.
Wed, Mar 22, 6 to 10 pm; registra-
tion at 5:30, $15 –– Presented by
the Mpls. Police Dept and Com-
munity Crime Prevention/SAFE,
this workshop will offer valuable
information and resources to help
rental property owners keep their
properties free of drug dealing and
other illegal activity.
First Universalist
Church
3400 Dupont Avenue South
Sat, Mar 18, 9:30 am –– Can We
Count on Minnesota’s Voting System?
A Forum on the State of Elections
in Minnesota. Panelists will discuss
voter registration issues, voter dis-
enfranchisement and suppression,
ensuring the accuracy of the vote
count, national lessons learned and
the impact of the Help America
Vote Act (HAVA). Panel mem-
bers include: Secretary of State
Mary Kiffmeyer; Representative
Bill Hilty (MN district 8A); Alyssa
Macy, political director, Center
for Civic Participation; David
Cobb, former Presidential candi-
date for the Green Party; Matthea
Little Smith, NAACP. Sponsors:
LWVMN, Election Integrity Min-
nesota, and the Association of Uni-
versalist Women (AUW)
LAKE STREET VISIONING
MEETING
Bryant Square Park
Mon, Mar 13, 5:30 – public meet-
ing to discuss reconstruction of
Lake Street.
16 •  Uptown Neighborhood news March 2006

classifieds
East Calhoun CARPENTERS
Experienced. Windows and
ECCENTRIC
REMODELING JOBS
Community Organization doors replaced, all finish work.
Bathrooms, shower surrounds,
Kustom room additions, patio
decks, kustom garages, siding,

meets the first Thursday

basements, attics, kitchens. aluminum trim, soffits, gutters
Sheetrock, plaster repair, textur- and interior painting. Marty
ing and painting. Local refer- (612) 724-8819.

of every month ences, free estimates. Tom (612)

824-1554. STRONG HANDS - HOT
STONES - WORLD PEACE
RUBBISH HAULING/ Barbara Glommen, certified
TREE SERVICE massage therapist. Energy
7:oo p.m. Small trees cut down or work – deep tissue – relaxation
trimmed. Licensed and insured. – hot stones. Call for appoint-
St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church (612) 869-8697. ment (612) 821-1416.

35th & Irving Ave. S. GARAGE FOR RENT
31xx Colfax $65/mo. Call Ron
Next meeting Thursday, April 6, 2006 (612) 822-9459 or (612) 384-
6161.
CLASSIFIED AD SALES 40¢ per word,
10-word minimum. Classifieds must be
paid in advance. Please send a check and
the ad copy to: Uptown Neighborhood
News, C/O CARAG, 711 W. Lake St.,
Suite 303, Mpls. MN 55408. Ad and pay-
ment are due the 17th of the month.

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 Lake Street Reconstruction

Visioning Workshop
 Decisions are now being made on how Lake Street will look function for the next
50 years. Be a part of shaping the future of Lake Street.

 Monday, March 13 at 5:30pm

Bryant Square Park
(31st Street & Bryant Avenue)

How will Lake Street be safe for pedestrians and traffic?
 How critical is on-street parking for businesses?
 How will transit best function on Lake Street?
Final designs will be completed in May.
Community representatives need your input and voice!
Please join us & bring your ideas.


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 
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 
   
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
CARAG 
    
711 West Lake St., Suite #303    
 Minneapolis, MN 55408    
(612)-823-2520    
www.carag.org    
   
Email: carag@carag.org
 