Reimagine the Armatage Mini Grant Program
Help impact the future of the Armatage Mini Grant Program and join our neighborhood-wide brainstorming call this Tuesday, February 9 at 7:00pm on Zoom! We need YOUR input to “reimagine” the Mini Grant Program and make it even more impactful going forward.
Email anacoordinator@armatage.org for the Zoom link to the February 9 call. Please bring your ideas on ways to utilize mini grants as well as any questions about the program overall. Then you can help us to re-evaluate how we support neighborhood initiatives through the Mini Grant program for years to come.
What Comes Next for Plastic
THANK YOU to everyone who joined our Let’s Talk About Plastic series. We were blown away by the response from both Armatage and surrounding communities. Plastic is wreaking havoc in our world and is an equity issue that disproportionately impacts BIPOC and low-income communities. Here’s how you can take action:
- Join the Hennepin County Plastic Free Challenge happening now through February 20.
- If you missed our workshop on The Problem with Plastic & Practical Alternatives, which covered where our plastic goes, why recycling alone isn’t the answer and what you can do about it, you can stream the recording here.
- Double check what can be safely recycled in Minneapolis here – when in doubt, throw it out.
- Check out Eureka Recycling’s Take Action resource page for tons of ways you can make a difference at home and in our community.
Joint Carjacking and Robbery Operation Arrests
Sharing this update from the City of Minneapolis:
Officers from the Minneapolis Police Department and deputies with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Violent Offender Task Force teamed up recently with air support from the Minnesota State Patrol to target groups of individuals responsible for the on-going number of violent robberies and carjackings in parts of South Minneapolis.
The three-day joint operation, which took place Jan. 26-28, resulted in 46 arrests, including 69 felony level charges. Law enforcement recovered 15 firearms and 12 stolen vehicles. Six of the vehicles were occupied at the time officers and deputies seized the vehicles.
The felony level arrests included probable cause charges of carjacking, drugs and weapons violations, auto theft and fleeing police. Last year, there were 405 carjackings in the city of Minneapolis, a 301% increase over 2019.
Tips to reduce your risk of becoming a carjacking victim:
- Park in well-lit areas.
- Always be hyper-aware of your surroundings.
- Equip your car with an anti-theft device.
- Lock your doors while driving.
- Don’t stop for apparently stranded strangers along the road. Note their location and pull over in a safe place once you’ve passed to call for help.
Statewide Vaccine Finder
The State of Minnesota has ramped up its COVID-19 vaccination efforts and launched a statewide vaccine finder to better connect Minnesotans age 65 plus to vaccination opportunities in communities near where they live. Learn more about the State’s vaccine distribution plan.
Celebrate Black History Month with the Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Celebrate the exceptional historical and creative cultural contributions made by African American artists with exhibitions, virtual events, videos, stories, and more. For links to the MIA’s free offerings including virtual Family Day on February 14, visit https://new.artsmia.org/black-history-month
Free Fun on the Run for Youth & Teens
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board just launched Winter Fun on the Run, where staff bring outdoor recreation and activities to seven neighborhood parks across Minneapolis. All youth and teens are welcome to come by between 3:30 pm and 5:30 pm for fun and games at a safe – and social! – distance. All activities are FREE and no registration is necessary. MPRB staff sanitize equipment after each use and help ensure participants follow social distancing guidelines.
Distanced activities include sledding, kick sledding, snow soccer, snow fort building, snowman building, snow corn hole and more. In Southwest, staff will be at Lyndale Farmstead Park on Mondays and at Linden Hills Park on Wednesdays. Learn more including helpful hints before you go here.
Winter Birding 101, with Dudley Edmondson and Monica Bryand
An inclusive family- and BIPOC-friendly virtual introduction to Minnesota’s most spot-able “snow birds,” featuring co-host Annie Baxter of MPR’s The Water Main.
WHEN: Saturday, February 6, 3:00pm
WHERE: Everywhere on Zoom
TICKETS: Free, register via Eventbrite
This conversational event will introduce novice bird watchers of all ages to the joys of being outdoors in the winter and reframe who has access and feels welcome in our parks and public spaces. Speakers will cover where Black, Indigenous, and LGBTQ can connect with fellow bird watchers in Minnesota’s outdoors.
Armatage Welcome Bags
Attention new neighbors! If you’ve recently moved into the neighborhood, we want to bring you a Welcome Bag! The groovy, reusable tote bag’s contents include useful information on the Armatage Neighborhood Association (ANA), elected representatives, governmental services, local businesses, and a couple of fun items to welcome you.
- Homeowners: be on the lookout for friendly ANA volunteers Ethan (pictured) or Kevin with a Welcome Bag with your name on it! They’ll swing by to do a masked, distanced drop-off.
- Renters: if you are a renter who moved in during the past year or if you own a rental property in the neighborhood and have new tenants, please reach out to us at anacoordinator@armatage.org and let us know where we can drop off a Welcome Bag!
Saving Energy Can Make Your Home More Comfortable
It takes a lot of energy to keep our homes comfortable during Minneapolis’s famously chilly winters. However, homes that look similar may need very different amounts of energy to maintain this comfort. That difference is measurable — it represents the energy efficiency of a home.
For almost a year, the City has been assessing the energy use of houses on the market and has compiled thousands of home efficiency scores. Because many Minneapolis homes are older, the average city score is 70 out of 100. (You can
view the publicly available map of scores online at mncee.org/tish/yourscore).
Call 651-328-6225 to speak with an Energy Advisor or visit mncee.org/tish for more information.
Block Leader Contact Info
We’re gathering block leader contact information for every block in Armatage and need your help! Thanks to everyone who has already reached out. Currently, block leader information cannot be shared or accessed by the neighborhood. If you are a block leader, please send your name, address, email address, phone, and the block(s) that you represent to me at anacoordinator@armatage.org
Interested in learning more about block and apartment clubs and how they work? Visit http://bit.ly/blockclubs
Keep Calm and Use Less Salt
When snow and ice melt, the road salt must go somewhere. When over applied, the excess salt flows directly into ditches and storm drains and then into lakes, streams, wetlands, and groundwater. Salt does not breakdown or degrade over time and instead will persist, permanently polluting our waterways.
Less is more when it comes to applying salt because at high concentrations, chloride can harm the fish and plant life in our waters and alter the taste of drinking water. In fact, the salt sitting on the pavement is no longer helping us, it’s hurting us and polluting our waters. We’ve all seen it and now it’s time to address the problem head on.
More salting does not mean more melting. Remember these 4 steps during our next storm:
- Shovel and scrape before snow compacts,
- Select the correct de-icer,
- Scatter salt only where critical, and
- Sweep up and reuse leftover salt.
Salt is widely used and is an important public safety tool in winter conditions. The goal is not to compromise public safety, but instead advocate how we can wisely use salt to provide safe conditions and be mindful of the environment. If you’re interested in learning more or have any questions, feel free to reach out to Lianna at lianna.goldstein@minneapolismn.gov