December 21, 2018 eNews

Happy Holidays from the Armatage Neighborhood Association!

December 18, 2018 Meeting Highlights

  • ANA held a special election to fill two open board seats. Congratulations and welcome to newly elected board members, Brett Anderson and Lara Bergman!
  • The board voted to continue the Safety Rebate program for both residents and businesses in 2019. Learn how you can get reimbursed for security lighting, cameras, deadbolts, security systems and more at https://armatage.org/programs/safety-rebate-program/
  • 54th & Penn Pedestrian Safety Panel Recap:
    • Minneapolis Police Department 5th Precinct Inspector Kathy Waite, City of Minneapolis Public Works Traffic Engineer Jennifer Lowry and John Freude, Aide to Council Member Linea Palmisano attended to listen to concerns and answer questions.
    • Minneapolis Police Department plans to increase enforcement of speeding around the intersection of 54th & Penn.
    • Many other ideas were voiced during the discussion:
      • Increased street lighting around the intersection, including on the west side of the 5400 block of Penn Ave S.
      • Adjusting the brightness of existing street lighting around the intersection.
      • Adding pedestrian crossings with push button flashing lights midblock on Penn between 54th & 55th and further south at 57th & Penn adjacent to Armatage Park for children crossing to school and park activities.
      • Gateway signage (i.e. banners showing “54th & Penn”) to bring awareness to drivers that they’re entering a business district.
      • Physical additions like speed bumps or bump outs to shorten pedestrian crossings and/or slow traffic.
      • Speed limit reductions through the business district and school area.
      • Adding a 4-way stop to 57th & Thomas (school area).
      • Installing a real time speed sign this spring after the snow melts.

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Upcoming meetings/events

Jan 8 – Neighborhood Happy Hour (7:00-9:00 pm)
Jan 15 – Monthly Meeting (6:30-8:00 pm)
Jan 25 – Fire on Ice skating event (6:30-8:30 pm)


Armatage Safety Rebate Program

The Armatage Neighborhood Association will continue its two popular rebate programs in 2019 to support safety improvements for residents and area businesses.

Whether you rent or own, the process is quick and easy: we provide a rebate for the first $100 in expenses for eligible improvements per address per calendar year for residents (no lifetime cap) and up to $1,00 per year for businesses (with a lifetime cap of $2,000). If you haven’t taken advantage of the program yet, there’s still time to apply for 2018. And if you already received a rebate in 2018, you can make more improvements and apply again in 2019.

See a list of eligible expenses and apply for a rebate at https://armatage.org/programs/safety-rebate-program/


Tuesday, January 8
7:00-9:00 • Red Wagon Pizza

Join your neighbors for free pizza and conversation at our next Neighborhood Happy Hour at Red Wagon Pizza! Meet neighbors and board members and hear all about what’s happening in Armatage. Cash bar. Click here to RSVP.

Fire on Ice Family Skating Event


Click here to RSVP for Fire on Ice at Armatage


Smart Salting this Holiday Season

Did you know that just one teaspoon of salt permanently pollutes five gallons of water?

With the holiday season upon us, you may be preparing for hosting guests. But as you make your preparations, are you factoring in the chance for ice and snow? Dealing with slippery driveways and walkways can damper your holiday fun, so do a little advance planning now so you have less to worry about as your guests arrive. You’ll also be protecting your local lakes and streams in the process!

Check out these great tips from the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District on smart salting to protect our waterways.        Photo credit: Clean Water MN


Save the Date: Armatage Fix-it Clinic on March 9

Get help with your broken stuff and learn valuable repair skills at  the upcoming Fix-It Clinic on Saturday, March 9 from 12:00pm – 4:00pm at the Armatage Recreation Center (2500 West 57th Street). Bring in small household appliances, clothing, electronics, mobile devices and more and receive free guided assistance from volunteers with repair skills to disassemble, troubleshoot and fix your items.

Fix-It Clinics teach valuable troubleshooting and basic repair skills, build community connections and reduce the number of repairable items that are thrown in the trash. For more information, visit http://www.hennepin.us/fixitclinic or contact program coordinator Nancy Lo at nancy.lo@hennepin.us or 612-348-9195. Please email nancy.lo@hennepin.us if you would like to volunteer!

Package Theft Prevention Tips

Every year around the holidays, there is an increase in packages ordered online and delivered to homes. This also can come with an increase in thefts when the packages are left unattended outside. Victims usually report the theft to their shippers so the police department may not know the extent of these thefts.

Check out these suggestions from the Minneapolis Police Department and package shipping companies: https://tinyurl.com/yc5tuf4s