July 11, 2017 eNews

July Agenda

Tuesday, July 18 • 6:30pm
Armatage Rec Center

Welcome
Guest: Tim Schwarz – Polling place change
Park Update, Nikki Friederich
Committee Updates
Community Engagement
Green Team
Consider additional funding for 5 more raingardens in 2018 (from 10 to 15)
Safety (Personal Safety workshop, Sat, Sept 23)
Stun and Run Self Defense – $100/1 hr or $200/2 hr
Summer Festival
Armatage shirts or such / frisbees
Coordinator Update
July/August Newsletter
Summer Intern
Bylaws (Joel, Judy, Jim, Kelly, Laurel)
Secretary Report – June minutes approved online
Electronic votes
Rita’s House grant
Approval of June minutes
Approval of award and gift for Steve Johnson
Treasurer Report
New Business
Solar Power Hour event, July 26, 4-5pm at Insight Brewing (SE Como group)
Adjourn


Happy Hour and Goodbye to Cafe Maude

Monday, July 17 • 7:00-9:00pm
Cafe Maude

Join us for our neighborhood happy hour and a chance to say goodbye to Cafe Maude as they will be closing their doors after a decade. We hope to find a new place to continue hosting neighborhood happy hours – so stay tuned.

The ANA provides food. Cafe Maude offers happy hour drink pricing.

Come on down and meet neighbors, and ask board members questions! 


Lawn Care for Water Quality

‘Tis the season for turf grass maintenance! Most of us have lawns that need maintaining throughout the warmer months, but did you know that how you care for your lawn can have a big impact on water quality? What lands on your lawn can make its way into storm drains that lead straight to streams and lakes without treatment. That means if you fertilize your lawn, blow grass clippings into the street, or don’t pick up after your pet, all that might be going down the drain straight to water we rely on for drinking and playing.

But it’s easy to minimize your impact! Here are some tips:

  1. Mow high and often. Cut your grass to 3 inches or higher, which helps trap pollutants and leads to a healthier lawn that has stronger roots and is more resistant to weeds. Don’t cut more than 1/3 of the grass blade at a time to avoid stressing the grass. You’ll also avoid having large mats of grass on your yard, which smother grass and are more likely to wash off into the street.
  2. Leave your grass clippings on the lawn. Grass clippings contain the same amount of nutrients as one round of fertilizer, which is good for your lawn and your pocketbook! Be sure to sweep up any clippings that blow into the street so they don’t run down a storm drain.
  3. Water wisely. Lawns don’t need as much water as you might think. Lawns generally need about 1-inch per week to stay green. Try to water in the early morning so the grass absorbs the water better and be sure to divert your sprinklers so they aren’t watering impervious surfaces. If a green lawn isn’t a concern for you, try to not water more than is necessary. Grass that turns yellow or brown in the middle of summer is just going dormant and will bounce back in the fall.
  4. Fertilize in fall. If you are planning on fertilizing your lawn, it will be most effective in the fall. It’s also useful to get a soil test of your yard so you know what nutrients your lawn needs. Be sure to use zero-phosphorus fertilizers and sweep up any fertilizer that falls on hard surfaces. As an alternative to fertilizing, you can aerate in the fall instead.

More tips can be found on the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District website. You can help us improve the watershed, one action at a time!


Southwest High School Soccer Camp

Dear Soccer Families,
This summer, August 7-10, 2017 from 2:30-4:30pm, we will be holding our annual Southwest High School Soccer Camp for boys and girls entering grades 4-9 in the Fall of 2017. Cost is $75 for the first player in a family and $60 for each additional sibling. The camp is held at Southwest High School Soccer Stadium and led by Southwest High School soccer captains with assistance from coaches and former players.

The camp is limited to 100 campers and has filled each of the last few years, so please sign up early. We are hoping to get up to 100 campers by July 16 so that we can get T-Shirt orders in. Sign up at:

youthcampsignup.southwest-soccer.com Registration is complete once the online registration form is completed and waiver/payment is received. For questions about the youth camp, send an email to: youthcamp@southwest-soccer.com call Dale Peterson at: 612-655-2796 Thanks for supporting SW soccer!


Parks in need of Seasonal Workers

Role Summary

Perform seasonal manual labor in the care and maintenance of Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s (MPRB) buildings, grounds, and amenities to provide a safe, comfortable environment for the public.  Position is temporary lasting up to six (6) months, with expected duration from mid-April through mid-October, depending on work location and weather conditions.  May be assigned a modified workweek and workday that includes weekends and holidays.  Start times are between 5-7am, end times are between 1:30-3:30pm.  A limited number of positions required to work 1-9pm.

Check out this opportunity and more online.


Safety Camp

Safety Camp teaches participants safety education through games, demonstrations and hands-on activities in a fun camp setting. Camp is action packed, and safety topics include water, bike, animal, bus, fire safety and more. Police, firefighters, and recreation staff serve as camp counselors. Parents/guardians are invited to join their camper for lunch on July 26, noon-1 pm. Camp includes: drinks, snacks, t-shirt and awards ceremony.

Grades:  2nd through 5th

July 24-26
9am-4:30pm

$65 Resident / $88 Non-Resident

Theodore Wirth Regional Park

Register now!  Bus pick ups available throughout the city (including at Armatage Park) or opt to drop your camper off at Wirth. Sign up for the optional 4th day on July 27 from 9am-4:30pm.