Fall Fun This Saturday!

Come to the Washburn Tot Lot for a start-of-school pop-up event this Sat, Sept 17 from 10–11:30am! All are welcome, so tell your neighbors and come on down! We want to extend a special invitation to all of our neighbors who rent who make up nearly 15% of the households in Armatage.

We hope to see you on Sept 17 at 58th & Washburn for…

  • FREE treats
  • Activities for all ages
  • On-site voter registration thanks to the League of Women Voters
  • Free renters’ resources
  • New Washburn Tot Lot pollinator garden community dreaming open house.

Sept 20, 2022 Meeting Agenda

Come one, come all to the Armatage Monthly Meeting next Tuesday, Sept 20 at 6:30pm at Armatage Park!  Our meetings now kick off with comments from community members and we’d love to have you attend and share your thoughts and ideas! You are welcome to stay and participate throughout the meeting, too.

  • Welcome and Introductions (6:30pm)
  • Comments from the Community (6:35pm)
  • Ward 13 Update – Council Vice President Linea Palmisano (6:45pm)
  • Park Update & New Park Director, Dillon Clements (7:05pm)
  • Racial Housing Covenant Project – Daniel Rosenblum, Researcher (7:10pm)
  • City Funding Application – Equitable Engagement Demographic Priorities (7:15pm)
  • Annual Board Refresher (7:25pm)

We also have a couple open neighborhood board seats so if you love Armatage and are interested in joining the board, please come to next week’s meeting or email us at anacoordinator@armatage.org!


E-Waste Recycling & Paper Shredding Event

Save the date for a fall e-waste and paper shredding recycling event on Sat, Sept 24 from 9am–12pm! Bring documents, TVs, computers, phones, peripherals (cords, computer parts, keyboards, etc.) and small appliances for safe recycling AND data destruction. Thanks to Mayflower Church for hosting the event.

The suggested donation is $5 (or $5 + $5 to sponsor a neighbor), but no one will be turned away. Cash and cards will be accepted on-site. We’re offering a pick-up service for seniors and residents with disabilities (items must be outside). Call us at 612-466-0296 or sign up at armatage.org/ewaste.


New Neighborhood Traffic Calming Request Process Coming Soon!

Each year the City of Minneapolis receives 2,500+ requests for traffic calming measures- far more requests than resources. In an effort to better serve residents, Public Works will launch a new process hopefully this week. In addition, a new website will be available to digitally submit all traffic calming requests throughout the City.

The new process will apply to neighborhood streets and seeks to provide a process that is data-driven, transparent, and more equitable. Once launched, traffic calming requests can be made by November 1, 2022, to be considered for construction in 2023.  More information and a detailed description of the process and evaluation metrics can be found here.


Hearing Increased Airplane Traffic? Here’s Why!

Runway 17/35 at MSP Airport is closed for a runway restoration project, likely through mid-October. Flights that would normally use this runway are currenly directed to the other runways, which bumps up the airplane traffic (and likely noise) that we experience in Southwest Minneapolis.

Runway use and flight activity information are available on the MAC’s FlightTrackerAnyone with questions about runway closures may call the Metropolitan Airports Commission’s community relations office at 612-726-9411.


Make Way for Turtles!

Did you know baby turtles continue to hatch, usually through October? Some hatchlings emerge from the nest and make their way to water for the winter; depending on conditions, others overwinter in the nest and emerge next spring. Share your turtle sightings at  bit.ly/ReportATurtle

Click here to read more on the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s (MPRB) efforts to protect turtles and how YOU can help protect baby turtles this fall! Photo credit: Carly Ettinger


Help Needed: Racial Housing Covenant Interviews

Do you live in a home that had a racial housing covenant? Daniel Rosenblum, a visiting PhD researcher working with the Mapping Prejudice Project, is looking for residents from Armatage who would be open to participating in interviews. This would be a great opportunity to share your perspective on your home, neighborhood, racial covenant histories, and recent events in Minneapolis in relation to covenant data compiled by the Mapping Prejudice Project.

To sign up, contact Daniel Rosenblum at rosen918@umn.edu or 267-337-0670. Daniel will give a short presentation at the Sept 20 ANA Meeting and a longer talk at our December meeting.


Ann Kim Featured on Netflix’s Chef’s Table

Exciting news! Ann Kim, owner of neighborhood fave Pizzeria Lola, will be featured in this season of Chef’s Table: Pizza on Netflix!  The show follows chefs from all over the world and this season’s six episode run is all about pizza. Episodes started streaming on September 7!  Photo credit: Netflix


Lake Harriet Bandshell Repairs

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is working on plans to renovate the Lake Harriet Bandshell area. The primary focus of the project is replacing the wood roof shingles on the Bandshell and nearby buildings, but additional work could also include upgrades to lighting, electrical and restrooms, adding bird-safe coating to Bandshell windows, and replacing doors and door frames. Work will be scheduled to maintain normal seasonal Bandshell entertainment, concessions operations and bathroom availability as much as possible. Click here to learn more and see a cool historical photo of the previous bandshell!

Repair Timeline

  • Fall 2022: Bid and award construction contract(s)
  • Winter 2022-23: Purchase and prepare new wood shingles
  • Spring-Fall 2023: Perform roof repairs and building renovations

Ending Soon: Climate Action and Equity Plan Survey

Minneapolis is working to reduce the impact of climate change. With a 10-year update to the 2013 Climate Action Plan, the City needs your help to meet its ambitious goals: eliminating carbon emissions and improving the daily lives of residents, particularly those most impacted by changes in our climate.

Fill out the Climate Action Plan survey here or contact sustainability@minneapolismn.gov.


New Washburn Tot Lot Pollinator Garden

ICYMI, the ANA is excited to announce that we received grant funding from the State of Minnesota’s Lawns to Legumes Neighborhood Demonstration Program and the Minneapolis People for Parks Fund to create a pollinator garden at the Washburn Tot Lot!  The new garden will be installed along the alley to provide a safe, beautiful barrier that will benefit our community and local pollinators.

Community engagement begins this Saturday at our Fall Fun at the Washburn Tot Lot event from 10–11:30am! We anticipate the new garden will be completed in May 2023 with our partner, Metro Blooms.


COVID-19 Vaccines and Testing

Vaccines: find vaccines for kids ages 6 months and up and boosters at mn.gov/vaccine (click on the Vaccine Locator Map). Learn more about boosters here.

Free Rapid Tests: order free rapid tests at https://www.covid.gov/tests or at https://mn.gov/covid19/ Ordering takes just a couple minutes.

Armatage Neighborhood Association