kenwoodminneapolis.org

Welcome to the Kenwood Isles Area Association (KIAA ) website.  Kenwood is a neighborhood in Minneapolis, Minnesota, just southwest of the downtown area.

Would you like to receive neighborhood news on a timely basis, including crime alerts, special events and important neighborhood meeting updates? (See below for the latest edition.) If your answer is “yes” and you live in the Kenwood neighborhood, please send your request with your e-mail address and home address to Kathy Williams, Chair of the KIAA Communications Committee, at: kathyroyw@gmail.com, and she will add you to our e-mail distribution list. Sending e-mail announcements helps keep our costs low and the neighborhood better informed.  Please join today!

You are also invited to attend our monthly KIAA Board meetings, which are generally held on the first Monday of the month from 7 to 8:30 pm at the Kenwood Recreation Center, 2101 W. Franklin Ave. If the first Monday of the month is a holiday, then we meet on the second Monday.

 Crime & Safety Announcement

Attention residents of Cedar-Isles-Dean, Kenwood, Lowry Hill and East Isles areas:
The Fifth Precinct has seen a number of garage burglaries in the general area surrounding Lake of the Isles in the past month. In many cases, entrance to the garage was via an unlocked or unsecured service door.  In a few cases the door was pried open. In some cases, a vehicle parked in the driveway was entered via unlocked door or broken window and a garage door opener was used to gain entrance to the garage.

Once inside, in some cases the unlocked vehicle was rifled through and any wallets, purses, electronics, or personal items were stolen.  Across all the cases, the main loss has been bicycles.  These garage burglaries appear to mostly be occurring in the late afternoon or overnight.

What You Can Do:

• Record the serial numbers on your bicycles and keep them in a safe place.
• Lock all your doors, including on your garage.
• Check the lighting on your home at night. If there are large dark spots, consider installing dusk-till-dawn low-level lighting. You can also consider motion detectors.
• Keep the alleyways clear so squads can drive through without weaving around vehicles.
• Report crimes by calling 911.
• Call 911 on suspicious activity.

If you do not already have a block club on your block, consider starting one. Being a block leader is as easy as forwarding crime information to your neighbors. Contact your Crime Prevention Specialist, Chelsea Adams, for more information a tChelsea.Adams@minneapolismn.gov.

If you discover that your garage or home appears to have been burglarized, even if it occurred a few weeks ago you can still call 911 to report it. Remember: 911 is any time you need police, fire, or ambulance response, not just for emergencies. For more information on this and other crime prevention tips, please visit http://www.minneapolismn.gov/police/crimeprevention/index.htm

Fifth Precinct Forum On Crime

If you want to find out more about crime; need crime prevention tips; or have general questions you want to ask a police officer, city attorney, or crime prevention specialist; join Inspector Matt Clark, City Attorney Chris Dixon, and Crime Prevention Specialists Chelsea Adams and Amy Lavender for the 1^st Fifth Precinct Forum on Thursday, May 10 from 6 to 7 pm in the 5^th Precinct Community Room at 3101 Nicollet Ave.

Announcement from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board

Tennis courts at Kenwood Park will be temporarily closed for resurfacing beginning May 15. The work is expected to take about three weeks, given favorable weather conditions. Every effort will be made to complete the work in a timely manner without compromising the quality of the work.  Signs informing the public of the court closure will be posted. Park visitors are asked to heed the signage and stay clear of the court areas during the resurfacing.

Kenwood Neighborhood – News and Events

April 28, 2012

 One Week Until the BIG Celebration

KIAA is celebrating a milestone this year – its 50^th anniversary!  In honor of this, the member annual meeting will be held from 5 to 7 pm on Sunday, May 6 at the Kenwood Recreation Center/Park.  All Kenwood residents (including children) and former KIAA Board members are invited to attend this event.  Free food will be provided along with live music by The Twang Cities starting at 5:30.  Please email kathyroyw@gmail.com to let Roy Williams know how many in your family plan on attending so that we can order enough food for all attendees.  We need more volunteers to serve on the KIAA Board.  If you are available from 7 to 8:30 pm on the 1^st Monday of each month, consider joining the Board.

Join Lisa Goodman for Lunch and Conversation

Join our City Council representative, Lisa Goodman, from noon to 1 pm on Wednesday, May 23 at the University of St. Thomas, 30 S. 10^th Street in Minneapolis.  Anita Tabb and Bruce Chamberlain will discuss what’s happening in Ward 7 regarding parks.  Arrive early and enjoy a $10 lunch.

Crime & Safety Announcement

A vehicle was pulled over by police near Oliver Place and Newton at 6 pm on April 17th.  The two occupants were arrested for possession of crack cocaine.

Announcements from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board

• Kenwood Parkway will be closed from 10:30 am to 1 pm tomorrow (April 29) for the annual March of Dimes fundraising event.
• Summer recreation program registration began April 14^th.  To view and register for activities and programs, visit ActiveNet.  For more information call 612-230-6400 or contact your local park’s recreation center.
• Hold off on pruning ash trees until fall; the Emerald ash borers are now active.
• Our trees need water now.  Our yard and boulevard trees need watering weekly through the spring, summer, and fall.  Minneapolis had the driest fall on record, one of the lowest snowfalls this winter, and 9 years of drought.  Watering hints: 1) turn on a slow trickle of water for a few hours about once a week if we don’t get at least an inch of rain, and 2) watering in the evening is the most effective.

Other Neighborhood Events

• The annual Kenwood School carnival starts at 11 am on Saturday, May 19.  Have fun and support your neighborhood school!
• The ASID Showcase Home is in our neighborhood.  It’s located at 2002 W Lake of the Isles Pkwy; the tours run from May 19 through June 10.  Tickets and info available at www.mspmag.com/hometour.

We Can Now Recycle More Items

Did you know that Minneapolis has expanded the list of materials we can recycle? Now accepted: food and beverage cartons, refrigerated and frozen food boxes, pop and beer cartons, and all plastic bottles, containers and jugs numbered 1 – 7, including things like yogurt cups and produce and deli containers.  For more information: www.minneapolismn.gov/solid-waste.  Also, according to the Southwest Journal Home Improvement Guide, along with the plastic shopping bags many of us recycle at collection points at supermarkets, we can also include cereal bags, produce bags, bread bags, dry cleaning bags, plastic wrap from paper products such as paper towels, and even zip-lock type bags with the zippers removed (food removed and dry).

Kenwood Neighbors,

Attached is a one-page document summarizing recent crimes in our neighborhood along with some crime prevention tips.  Feel free to forward this to your neighbors.  If you want to be added to the list of Kenwood residents receiving future copies of Kenwood neighborhood news or if you want to be removed from this list, please contact me at kathyroyw@gmail.com or just reply to this note.  Please provide your name, email address, and home address.  Thank you!

Kathy Williams

On behalf of the KIAA Board of Directors

Kenwood Neighborhood Crime Alert

April 12, 2012

Crime Alerts

I recently received the following crime alerts from the Minneapolis Police Department:

• Between midnight on March 31 and 11 am on April 2, someone attempted to enter a garage on the 1900 block of Queen by kicking the service door open.  No reported loss.
• On April 1 police recovered several bikes on the 2200 block of W. LOI Parkway;  3 of them had been stolen earlier that morning from a garage on the 1900 block of Penn.  While recovering the bikes, the police discovered that a car had been stolen from a garage on the 2200 block of W. LOI Parkway; the door had been kicked in.
• At 10:40 pm on April 2, two adults were cited for narcotics violations on the 2000 block of Upton (Hidden Beach).
• Between 7 pm on April 4 and 10:30 am on April 5, a burglar used a crowbar to forcibly enter a garage on the 2400 block of Russell.  Small items were taken.
• Between 10 pm on April 4 and 9 am on April 5, a burglar stole cash and 2 bikes from a garage on the 2400 block of 22^nd Street.
• Between 1 pm on March 31 and 8:30 pm on April 9, someone broke into a garage on the 2500 block of Thomas and stole a bike.
• After midnight on April 5, someone entered a garage on the 2100 block of Newton.

Help Prevent Crime; Become a Block Leader

Mark Johnson, Kenwood’s Crime & Safety Committee Chair, encourages neighbors to become block leaders.  He sent me the following:

Becoming a block leader is easy and requires very little time. It’s as simple as: attending a short, informal training session; providing your email to receive crime alerts; and sending information to your neighbors. Please consider becoming a block leader. Having a coordinated block doesn’t guarantee that no crime will ever occur, but with everyone taking crime prevention steps and watching out for each other it does increase the likelihood that a crime won’t occur in the first place or that a suspect can be caught. A coordinated block is the first and best crime prevention tool. When neighbors know what activity is normal and abnormal on their block, they’re in a much better position to call 911 on suspicious activity or alert neighbors of concerns so everyone can be aware. If you would like to find out if your block has a block leader, or are interested in becoming a block leader, please contact Chelsea Adams, our neighborhood crime prevention specialist. Chelsea can be contacted at Chelsea.Adams@minneapolismn.gov

Abandoned Bikes

Chelsea Adams sent me this information regarding stolen/recovered bicycles:

You can call 911 and tell them you’ve found an abandoned bike. They will send an officer out to recover it or they may send a bike van out. Recovered bikes are brought to a central bike garage and checked against police reports to identify if it was stolen. If possible, they will then return it directly to the owner. If the owner can’t be identified, it’s at least in a location where the owner may later check to see if it was recovered and if not it’s sold at the police auctions.

Please see the following link for more information if you’d like any tips on preventing bike theft or what to do with recovered bikes:  http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/public/@mpd/documents/webcontent/convert_273621.pdf

Monday, February 06, 2012   Park Board seeks comment on Parade Parkway reconstruction plans.  The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) will seek public comment on a refined reconstruction plan and schedule for Parade Parkway and adjacent parking lots at an open house March 13. The open house will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Kenwood Community Center, 2101 W Franklin Ave.

Parade Parkway is a short segment of street from Dunwoody Boulevard to Kenwood Parkway. Both the parkway and adjacent parking lots that serve the Parade Ice Garden are in need of reconstruction. The project is included in the MPRB 2011 Capital budget.

A public open house to review plan options for the project was held August 22. While there were varying comments received, the community consensus was to shift the street roughly 60 feet to the east allowing parking for the Ice Garden to be consolidated and made safer. Based on that input, the Park Board added parking lot reconstruction funding in its 2012 budget to allow the consensus option to be built. It is this option that will be presented at the March 13 open house for further comment.

To receive updates on this project, visit the MPRB website, www.minneapolisparks.org, and click on the red envelope.

Kenwood Neighborhood – News and Events

March 1, 2012

Alert from the Kenwood Pet Clinic

Recently a raccoon and a squirrel found in the Kenwood neighborhood tested positive for Canine Distemper.

Kenwood Café Update

I received the following update in mid-February from the small committee representing the community to seek ways to influence the future of the building.  They have had several conversations with the landlord who has a number of restaurants/cafes reviewing and/or negotiating a lease of the space.  The committee feels that they will have to wait until a new tenant is selected before exploring a “whole building” option with the landlord.  In the meantime, you are encouraged to stop by and show your support for the other businesses located in “downtown” Kenwood.

Join Us at Our Monthly KIAA Meeting

The next meeting of our neighborhood Board of Directors is from 7 to 8:30 pm on Monday, March 5 at the Kenwood Recreation Center.

Check Out Our “New” Website

We have updated our website.  Please take a peek at www.kenwoodminneapolis.org.

Crime & Safety Announcements

• A burglary of a detached garage on the 1800 block of Kenwood Parkway occurred sometime between 5 pm on February 14^th and 8 am on the 15^th.
• According to the Minneapolis police, thieves are stealing smart phones at a troubling pace; sometimes taking them right out of people’s hands!  In Uptown and around the Chain of Lakes, most of the thefts are occurring between 9:30 and 11:30 pm.  Police suggest:
  • Pay attention to your surroundings
  • Call 911 and give police a suspect description
  • Record your serial number
  • Install or activate a function to find your phone if it is lost or stolen

Welcome Kits Are Available to Those New to Our Neighborhood

If you have recently moved to Kenwood or know someone who has, please let us know so we can provide a Welcome Kit that contains useful information about the neighborhood, its history, activities, and resources.

Announcements from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB)

• The MPRB is seeking public comment on a refined reconstruction plan and schedule for Parade Parkway and adjacent parking lots at an open house on March 13^th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Kenwood Recreation Center, 2101 W Franklin Ave.
• Lake Calhoun Parkway will be closed on March 3^rd from 11 am to 1 pm for the Minneapolis Polar Bear Plunge.

Save the Date

Earth Day will be celebrated on April 21^st from 9:30 am to noon. Garbage bags and gloves can be picked up at the Kenwood Recreation Center during those hours. Contact Amy Lucas at amymlucas@gmail.com for more info and to register volunteers. There is a need for large groups to tackle big areas along the railroad tracks and the lake shoreline.

Kenwood Neighborhood – News and Events

January 30, 2012

Join Lisa Goodman for Lunch

Join our City Council representative, Lisa Goodman, from noon to 1 pm on February 29 at the University of St. Thomas, 30 S. 10^th Street.  Arrive early and enjoy a $10 lunch.

Kenwood Café Update

As many of you know, the Kenwood Café closed on January 15.  A neighborhood team called the Kenwood Commons Committee is pursuing a multi-pronged approach for that space ranging from purchasing the building to influencing what goes on in the space to finding ways to assist other tenants.  This committee has made a request to the landlord to allow them to have access to the space until a new tenant is found.  If he agrees, incremental (and temporary) liability insurance will need to be provided.  Also a hospitality committee will be needed to run an interim temporary café.

The City of Lakes Loppet Will be Held in Theodore Wirth Park

Due to the warm weather, lack of snow, and unsafe ice conditions on the city lakes, this annual event taking place on February 4 and 5 will be held entirely within Theodore Wirth Park – even the ice luminaries now on Lake of the Isles will be moved.   For the most up-to-date information on this event, visit www.cityoflakesloppet.com

Join Us at Our Monthly KIAA Meeting

The next meeting of our neighborhood Board of Directors is from 7 to 8:30 pm on Monday, February 6 at the Kenwood Recreation Center.   Lisa Goodman will provide an update on 7^th Ward activities and Mark Johnson will provide a crime update.

Crime & Safety Announcements

• I have not been notified of any additional crimes in our neighborhood since I sent out the crime map on January 25.
• Residential burglaries within our 5^th precinct are up.  The majority of these burglaries are crimes of opportunity, which means that taking a few simple steps can drastically reduce the chance of a crime happening to you.
• A couple of neighbors have provided the following crime prevention tips that have worked for them:
  • Install new garage door locks
  • Padlock your gate
  • Install a “Beware of Dog” sign or a security system sign

Welcome Kits Are Available to Those New to Our Neighborhood

If you have recently moved to Kenwood or know someone who has, please let us know so we can provide a Welcome Kit that contains useful information about the neighborhood, its history, activities, and resources.

Reminder:  Brownie Lake Area Plan Open House

The preferred option will be presented for review and discussion from 6:30 to 8:30 pm on February 14 at the Kenwood Recreation Center, 2101 W Franklin Ave.