Citizens For A Loring Park Community

AS 2022 BEGAN WE SAW OUR ORGANIZATION AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESSES SLOWING COMING BACK TO LIFE - BUSINESSES REOPENING AND RESIDENTS BEGINNING TO COME OUTSIDE AND SOCIALIZE. WE PICKED UP SEVERAL OF OUR ANNUAL OUTDOOR NEIGHBORHOOD EVENTS IN 2022. WE SET UP INFORMATION TABLES ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND LORING PARK AT BOTH PRIDE AND LORING PARK ART FESTIVAL. WE ORGANIZED A NEW EVENT DUE TO THE WAR IN UKRAINE. MINNEAPOLIS HAS A LARGE UKRAINIAN POPULATION AND LORING PARK A LARGE RUSSIAN POPULATION. WE ORGANIZED A 'PEACE IN THE WORLD' CONCERT. THIS ALL DAY CONCERT FEATURED LOCAL UKRAINIAN AND RUSSIAN BANDS, A DANCE GROUP, AND JD STEELE & MILL CITY SINGERS. WE PROVIDED SANITIZER AND FACE MASKS AT ALL EVENTS. THERE ARE MANY VIDEOS ON OUR NEIGHBORHOOD FACEBOOK PAGE. IN AUGUST WE ORGANIZED A NATIONAL NITE OUT EVENT HOSTED BY THE WOMAN'S CLUB OF MINNEAPOLIS, WITH FOOD DONATED & SERVED IN INDIVIDUAL PACKAGING BY INVOLVE MN AND WATER/SODA PROVIDED BY THE 19 BAR. LIVE MUSIC WAS FEATURED AND SEVERAL NEIGHBORHOOD INFORMATION TABLES. MONTHLY, WE HELD THE NICOLLET AVE SAFETY COALITION MEETINGS VIRTUALLY. WE CONTINUED TO EXPAND THIS SAFETY MEETING NEIGHBORHOOD WIDE VS JUST THE NICOLLET CORRIDOR. THIS COALITION ENGAGES NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESSES, PROPERTY OWNERS, CHURCHES, AND ORGANIZATIONS. ALSO PARTICIPATING ARE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE, PARK POLICE, CITY/COUNTY ATTORNEYS AND CITY/COUNTY STAFF. WE IDENTIFY ISSUES AT THESE MEETINGS AND WORK ON THEM OVER THE MONTH, REPORTING BACK THE NEXT MONTH. WE ALSO MONITOR COURT CASES AND FILE COMMUNITY IMPACT STATEMENTS. WE HELD THREE FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES: 1. NEIGHBORHOOD HOLIDAY PARTY HELD & ORGANIZED BY A BOARD-MEMBER IN DECEMBER; DONATIONS WERE COLLECTED. 2. A 'LOVE LORING 2022' ONLINE AUCTION WAS HELD. RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES DONATED ITEMS WHICH WERE THEN BID ON BY OTHER RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES. 3. EVERY YEAR WE LAUNCH AN ANNUAL CAMPAIGN. WE WRITE UP A SUMMARY AND SEND IT OUT TO OUR MEMBERSHIP, NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES. WE TIME THIS AROUND THE GIVE TO THE MAX DAY. THE FOLLOWING COMMUNITY MEETINGS WERE ORGANIZED AND HELD IN 2022: * MARCH CLPC ANNUAL MEETING, NRP PLAN MODIFICATION & BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION * RECONSTRUCTION OF 1ST AVE X MPLS PUBLIC WORKS * APRIL COMMUNITY MEETING W/ MPRB SUPERINTENDENT AL BANGOURA * MAY COMMUNITY MEETING ON SERVICES & PROGRAMS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD * JUNE COMMUNITY MEETING W/ SENATOR DIBBLE & REP. HORNSTEIN * OCTOBER COMMUNITY MEETING ON HENNEPIN DUNWOODY BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE BY MINNEAPOLIS PUBLIC WORKS STAFF. THE 2022 CLPC ANNUAL MEETING WAS VIRTUAL AGAIN THIS YEAR WITH ONLINE VOTING FOR BOARD MEMBER ELECTIONS. GUEST SPEAKERS AND REPORTS ON COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES WERE FEATURED IN THE PROGRAM. FINANCIAL AND FUNDRAISING REPORTS WERE PRESENTED. WE CONTINUED TO PROMOTE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT GUIDELINES AND CITY/COUNTY/STATE RESOURCES THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSLETTER WHICH GOES OUT TWICE A MONTH. CRIME & SAFETY CONTINUED TO BE THE #1 PRIORITY NEIGHBORHOOD WIDE AND FOR OUR ORGANIZATION. GAMBLING HAD TAKEN OVER A SA PARKING LOT, OPEN AIR GUN BATTLES FROM CARS WERE FIRED MANY TIMES, STRIKING BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTIAL RENTAL PROPERTIES. THE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS IMPACTED BY THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC WITH FREQUENT STAYS BY PEOPLE LIVING IN CARS ALONG THE STREET IN REMOTE RESIDENTIAL AREAS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. GUNFIRE, SEVERAL ASSAULTS, AUTOMOBILE THEFTS AND BUILDING GARAGE BREAK INS OCCURRED. IN THE SAME AREA WAS A VACATED AND BOARDED BUILDING. SQUATTERS FREQUENTED THE BUILDING AND SEVERAL FIRES OCCURRED. THROUGH THE PARTNERSHIP OF ADJACENT RESIDENTS AND THE VIGILANCE OF THE 7TH WARD COUNCILMEMBER, THE BUILDING WAS VACATED AND PROPERLY SECURED FROM FUTURE BREAK INS. ADJACENT RESIDENTS AND A WEEKLY WALKING CLUB KEEP A CONSTANT EYE ON THAT BUILDING. ONE OF THE GREATEST CHALLENGES WAS THE SA GAS STATION AT GRANT AND LASALLE. GAMBLING, DEALING, USING, AND GUN VIOLENCE TOOK OVER AND OCCUPIED THIS SITE. THE LOCAL BUSINESSES IN THAT MALL, THEIR STAFF AND CUSTOMERS WERE HARASSED AND THREATENED. AFTER SEVERAL SIT DOWN MEETINGS WITH LOCAL AND REGIONAL MANAGEMENT, SA SHUT IT DOWN. CLPC CAME UP WITH DONATED FUNDS TO FENCE IT OFF AND CRIME DISSIPATED. WE CONTINUED TO INCREASE OUR MEMBERSHIP AND EMAIL DISTRIBUTION LIST. WE UTILIZE OUR NEWSLETTER, EMAIL BLASTS TO BUILDING, OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AND WEBSITE. CONSTITUENT CALLS, TEXTS, AND EMAILS CONTINUE TO INCREASE. THE BERGER FOUNTAIN TASK FORCE MET MONTHLY AGAIN. WE UPDATED THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE MINNEAPOLIS PARK & RECREATION BOARD AND COMPLETED THE CONSULTANT TEAM'S WORK ON A FEASIBILITY STUDY & COST ESTIMATES. THE NEXT STEP WAS WORKING WITH THE CITY PARK STAFF TO CREATE AND POST A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR A CONSULTANT TEAM TO COMPLETE DESIGNS AND A MORE REAL COST PROJECTION. THE TEAM WAS SELECTED AT YEAR END, IN DECEMBER. THE COMMUNITY / MNDOT ROADSIDE PARTNERSHIP PROJECT WITH RAYITO DE SOL AND CLPC WAS DESIGNED, MATERIALS PURCHASED AND THE NEW POCKET PARK PLANTED IN JUNE. 6 TREES AND BUSHES AND DOZENS OF PERENNIAL FLOWERS WERE PLANTED. FORMER JUDGE & MINNESOTA VIKINGS STAR ALAN PAGE CAME FOR THE PLANTING AND DEDICATION. HE BROUGHT HIS YOUTH SCHOLARS TO PARTNER WITH THE RAYITO DE SOL YOUTH. DR LEE FRELICH, THE DIRECTOR, UMN CENTER FOR FOREST ECOLOGY AND CLPC CHAIR, TAUGHT THE CHILDREN ABOUT THE TREES, BUSHES, AND FLOWERS BEING PLANTED AND HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THEM. PHOTOS ON OUR FB PAGE. THE HENNEPIN/LYNDALE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT PROJECT CUT BACK ON EXPENDITURES AND THE COALITION MET ONCE TO SET THE MAINTENANCE BUDGET AND RESOURCE GENERATE. WE SAW THE HISTORIC ALDEN SMITH MANSION RENOVATED AND THE NEW ABBY APARTMENTS OPEN. WE CONTINUE WITH THE MINNEAPOLIS PARK & RECREATION STAFF TO INVITE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES TO THE GRAND OPENING OF THE LORING PARK TENNIS COURT RECONSTRUCTION AND OUR NEW CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUND. ONCE AGAIN, THE SPOTS FOR THE URBAN FOOD GARDENS FILLED WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK OF POSTING THE AVAILABILITY. CLPC'S ROLE WAS TO PROMOTE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GARDEN. CLPC CONTINUED TO HOLD MONTHLY VIRTUAL BOARD MEETINGS ON THE OPERATIONS, PROJECTS, AND ACTIONS OF THE ORGANIZATION. ORGANIZATIONAL FINANCIAL REPORTS WERE REVIEWED AT EACH MEETING. THE MAIN FOCUS CONTINUED TO BE CHECKING IN ON EACH OTHER AND ON IDENTIFYING NEW NEEDS OR ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED.