December 9, 2021 eNews

Graphic with holiday lights at night in the background and text that reads "Armatage Holiday Light Tour, Friday 12/10 through Sun 12/19 from 5-8pm. More info at armatage.org"

The Holiday Light Tour Starts Friday!

Friday, Dec 10 – Sunday, Dec 19
5:00-8:00pm

Enjoy the colorful city streets and light displays of the Armatage Neighborhood in SW Minneapolis this holiday season!  The tour runs from 5-8pm nightly from Fri, Dec 10 through Sun, Dec 19. Check out this year’s tour map at https://armatage.org/holidaylights/  Please be courteous and respectful of neighbors on your adventure and minimize the amount of time your car is idling. If you leave your vehicle, please maintain social distancing.

Once you’ve visited every stop on the tour, visit https://armatage.org/holidaylights/ to vote for your favorites! To keep things as fair as possible, please refrain from voting until you’ve visited each and every address on the tour. The three addresses with the most votes will each win a $50 gift card to an Armatage business.

Graphic with full shelves of books in the background and text that says "Join the 2022 Armatage Reading Circle. Sign up at bit.ly/2022readingcircle"

Sign up for the Next Armatage Reading Circle

Hello neighbors! Interested in joining a book club? Have past book clubs overwhelmed you with the pace of reading and content overload? Well, then consider joining our slothful book club. Each month, we will read a small chunk of a book and then get together to discuss questions focused solely on that chunk. That way, the pace is more manageable and the questions feel more relevant.

Last year, we read All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis and are currently looking for a new title for next year! The goal would be to start in Jan/Feb 2022 and it would last anywhere from 6 to 9 months based on the book we choose. If you’re interested in joining and/or have titles that might be worth sharing with your neighbors, please sign up at https://bit.ly/2022readingcircle

Personal Safety & Carjacking Prevention

Recently, the Minneapolis Police Department has seen an increase in robberies and specifically home invasions. The MPD has specific tips around personal safety and carjacking prevention listed.  We’ve shared some tips below – see the full list here.

Personal Safety:

  • Be aware of your surroundings. Look at who and what is around you and take note of anyone following you closely, especially while driving home.
  • Always keep your doors locked, even while you are home.
  • Be aware of what’s happening to others around you and call 911 if you see signs that someone is being threatened or assaulted.
  • Never leave your car running while unattended and never leave a key inside a parked vehicle.
  • Keep some distance between yourself and a stranger who approaches you. Staying more than arm’s length away means someone can’t grab your bag or you, as easily.

Carjacking Prevention:

  • Don’t sit in your car with the door unlocked or with the windows rolled down.
  • Have your license plate memorized. This can help in a fast recovery and arrest.
  • Be aware of your surroundings. Call 911 and use your key fob or other car alarm if you feel a threat.
  • Keep your distance between the car in front of you so that you can drive around it if needed to get away fast.
  • Be wary of how carjackers lure victims. These include bumping your car, pretending to be stranded motorists or flashing their lights as if there were something wrong with your car.

Take the Minneapolis Salt Mini-Course

Did you know that Minnesota is over salting our roads and sidewalks? Learn more with the City of Minneapolis educational program, the Salt Mini-Course. Winter road and sidewalk de-icing salt can be hazardous to our safety and our environment. Safety is the priority when applying de-icers, and over application of salt is actually LESS effective. More salt does not mean more melting!

Take the pledge to salt smartly with the self-guided Minneapolis Salt Mini-Course! Residents and businesses can learn about the consequences of over salting, and what we can do to help protect our beloved Minnesota waters from the permanent pollutant of chloride salt. If you’re interested in learning more, visit https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/programs-initiatives/environmental-programs/salt/ or reach out to program coordinator, Léa, at lea.payette@minneapolismn.gov

Graphic that says "Keep Minneapolis walkable. Clear your sidewalks. Call 311 to report unsafe sidewalks" over a picture of a person shoveling a snowy sidewalk.

Remember to Shovel Your Sidewalks

Sharing this friendly reminder that Minneapolis ordinance requires property owners of single family homes and duplexes to clear sidewalks within 24 hours after a snowfall, and all other property owners must clear their sidewalks within four daytime hours. Clearing snow and ice from sidewalks helps people of all ages and abilities safely walk or roll to where they need to go. Sidewalks are a primary mode of transportation for many people in the city and should be open for everyone.

In addition to relying on complaints reported to 311, City inspectors will also be out in neighborhoods actively looking for sidewalks that aren’t shoveled. Failure to shovel and maintain your sidewalk could result in a warning letter and, if left uncleared, a bill for the City to remove snow from your sidewalk. A typical bill is $229. People should call 311 to learn more about resources available to people who may need help clearing their sidewalks.  Learn more here.

New Feature: Armatage Neighbor Spotlight!

If you have an Armatage neighbor you’d like us to honor, we’d love to spotlight them in the Armatage eNews and on social media!

To submit a Neighbor Spotlight, please send an email with a short description and a picture to anacoordinator@armatage.org Check out out first Neighbor Spotlight of Green Team member Sarah Komoroski below!

Image shows two people, one man and woman with their dog. They are in the snow with pine trees in the background.

Neighbor Spotlight: Sarah Komoroski

Did you know that Armatage neighbor and Green Team member Sarah Komoroski (above, right) attended the COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow this year?

We couldn’t be more proud and excited for Sarah and are excited to hear moreabout her experience at an upcoming Green Team meeting! She’s pictured here with husband Ethan and pup Sanford. Go Sarah!

Image of a traffic circle at a Minneapolis snowy neighborhood intersection.

Take the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Survey

Minneapolis Public Works wants your input on a proposed process to address traffic safety concerns and traffic calming requests on neighborhood streets. The process provides a way for community members to request traffic calming and for Public Works to review those requests fairly, transparently and equitably.

Find more information about the proposed traffic calming process and share your feedback by Dec 31 here. After reviewing feedback, Public Works will finalize the process early in 2022 and share details in the spring about how to request traffic calming measures.

Free Dog & Cat Adoptions

Minneapolis Animal Care & Control is waiving adoption fees for cats and dogs over six months old currently at the shelter.

Visit the City website for more information.

A graphic that shows a solid blue outline of the Minneapolis city skyline with a piece of paper that says "City of Minneapolis Budget" in front of it.

Final City Budget

The City of Minneapolis held its final public hearing on the 2022 City Budget last night. See the final budget at https://www.minneapolismn.gov/government/budget/

Image shows a recent snowfall in an urban neighborhood with snow dusting a tree, a street lamp, a fence and two houses in the distance

Winter Weather Resources

Winter in Minnesota can be tough with extreme cold, whiteout blizzards and power outages. Children, older adults and people with chronic illness are especially at risk during cold months. Here are a few tips to get ready:

  • Sign up for weather alerts on your device and download apps such as the free FEMA app.
  • Know important weather terms:
    • Winter weather advisory means that snow, sleet or freezing rain is accumulating.
    • Winter storm watch means that conditions are right for a storm to happen.
    • Winter storm warning means that a storm is happening.
  • Have a plan to stay home safely if the power goes out. Check in with neighbors, friends and family.
  • Have a plan to stay safe while you travel. Don’t crowd the plow. Have supplies in your vehicle such as boots, a blanket and a shovel.

Graphic shows a diagram of underground water lines that run from a water main to a home. The property owner is responsible for the curb valve, water service line, and water meter. The City is responsible for the water main.

Tips to Keep Your Pipes from Freezing

Water in your service line can freeze during very cold winter weather and prevent it from getting to your faucets. This can happen when:

  • The depth of the frost reaches the depth of the service line.
  • Your basement is not heated where the water service line enters your home.

While water mains are maintained by the City, lines that bring the water from the mains into homes and buildings are the responsibility of property owners. If your service line is frozen, you’ll need to contact a qualified contractor who specializes in thawing frozen service lines. Call 311 for information on contractors who do this type of work.

Most service lines are buried deep enough to not freeze in the winter. If your water service lines have not frozen in the past, they are unlikely to freeze now. Find more information including tips on preventing water lines from freezing on the City website.

Roll up your sleeves Minnesota graphic showing a person with a mask and a bandaid to indicate recent vaccination.

COVID-19 Vaccines and Boosters

With the omicron variant hitting Minnesota, getting a COVID-19 booster and getting children ages 5 and up vaccinated is more important than ever. All adults are now eligible to get a booster. Visit mn.gov/vaccine to use the Vaccine Locator Map.

Find a Vaccine:

Vaccines work. If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, get a free vaccine as soon as you can. About nine out of 10 Americans live within 5 miles of a COVID-19 vaccination site.