"A New Day is Coming... A New Day is Already Here"

After the move of Freedom Form #2, Dr. Martin Luther King Park is rededicated.

Though Hurricane Irene prevented the dedication ceremony for the new national monument dedicated to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Washington D.C., the weather was perfect here in Minneapolis for the rededication ceremony for Dr. Martin Luther King Park in the Kingfield Neighborhood. Neighbors and community members from throughout the city gathered on the 48th anniversary of the famous “I have a Dream” speech to celebrate a new effort to commemorate Dr. King in the park. The main focal point of the celebration was the move of the Freedom Form #2 sculpture to a more prominent location toward the Southwest end of the park, near where it was originally located. Soon, the sculpture will have a commemorative plaque, benches inscribed …

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Park Board Commissioners Weigh in On 6th District Dog Park Dilemma

Citizen group working hard to give recommendation, but it won't be binding.

Will there ever be an off-leash area in the Sixth Park District? It’s an amenity that dog owners have been rallying for over 10 years. Since 2001, Minneapolis has added off-leash areas to every park district in the city with the exception of the Sixth District. In 2001, a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) conducted search for sites, providing a ranked list to the park board commissioners, who ended up not choosing a site, according to Jean Johnson, who served on that CAC and the current CAC that’s charged with the task of finally finding a dog part that will work for the area.  A Grueling Process It’s been an emotional ride, especially for residents.  First, the initial site at Dr. Martin Luther King Park was eliminated, due to objections…

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(UPDATED) Dog Park Costs Grow As Decision Draws Near

Final recommendation expected Sept. 12.

Corrected 5:15 p.m. Aug. 16, 2011: This story originally misidentified David Brauer as Interim Executive director of the Community Advisory Committee and misidentified Site 32 as being located next to the historic Theo Wirth House. This story also originally misspelled Jennifer Ringold's name.   The end could be in sight for the long saga of the 6th District Dog Park Community Advisory Committee (CAC). According to group member David Brauer, there's a good chance next month's meeting could result in a decision on which location to suggest to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. In Monday night's meeting, the CAC did not reach a decision as to which of the final three dog park sites they would recommend.  "I can't say for certain, of …

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James Sanna

11:56 am on Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Peter - As soon as Sheila Reagan found out she had made the above mistakes, she contacted me immediately with corrections and admitted her errors, as any responsible reporter would do. In my experience working with her, Sheila has been a competent reporter and investigator, and Southwest Minneapolis Patch stands behind her previous reporting. However, if you have specific concerns about facts in …   more ›

Park Board Approves Improvements to King Park in MLK's Honor

The sculpture will be restored and moved to its original location.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board unanimously approved the first phase of a proposal, which allots $32,500 to the restoration and relocation of a sculpture dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr. in King Park.  The proposal came after months of meetings by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Committee, which was formed as a result of the controversy over a dog park proposed for King Park. The group presented their proposals to the park board,  outlining their ambitious two-phase proposal for the park’s future. Renovation and Relocation of Sculpture Dedicated to King The park, once called Nicollet Field, was renamed in 1968 after the assassination of King. The renamed park underwent renovation and was dedicated on June 21, 1970, …

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Dog Park Citizen Committee Creates New List of Potential Sites

The committee will consider sites across I35W as well.

The 6th Park District Dog Park Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) agreed Monday on a preliminary list of new sites to consider for the off-leash dog area, including sites in Lyndale Farmstead Park, Fuller Park, Phelps Park, Minnehaha Creek and some privately-owned lots. Nominations of new sites to consider were accepted from the public and CAC members. After going through all the submitted sites, the CAC settled on a preliminary list they'll evaluate according to criteria they've agreed upon.   Originally created to look at three sites at the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board's request, the CAC dismissed two of the sites—near the Bird Sanctuary and the Peace Garden—last month, and requested that they be allowed to seek additional …

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Dog Park Committee Takes Lyndale Park Sites Off Table

Strong support for Roberts Bird Sanctuary, which would have been near one of the sites, influenced the committee's decision.

The 6th District Dog Park Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) removed two sites in Lyndale Park from consideration for a dog park Monday. Areas near the Roberts Bird Sanctuary and Peace Garden will no longer be examined. That leaves just the site in the parking lot of the park board's Southside Operation Center on the table—although the CAC is expected to add more sites at upcoming meetings. The CAC was established to advise the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board on the best location for an off-leash dog area in Southwest Minneapolis. The committee will examine these locations, then report back to the park board, which will make the final decision. A deadline has been extended. Members of the CAC had tried previously to eliminate the two …

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6th District Dog Park Advisory Committee to Look at More Sites

The Citizen Advisory Committee deliberated the criteria by which they'd recommend a site for the Southwest Minneapolis dog park.

The 6th District Dog Park Citizen Advisory Council (CAC) finalized their membership at a meeting Monday. The CAC, which is tasked with advising the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board on the site for an off-leash dog area in the 6th Park District, is still developing criteria for their decision. CAC to Examine More Sites The CAC was originally allotted 45 days to report back to the park board, but it's likely that they'll recieve a deadline extension, as the park board recently decided to allow the CAC to consider more than the three original sites the board had proposed (the Rock and Peace Garden, Lyndale Park Parking Lot Area, and the Southside Operations Center). The new sites examined by the CAC can not include Dr. Martin Luther King…

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Slow Start at Dog Park Committee's Second Meeting

The committee, which could grow to 27 members, has a little more than a month before it must report back to the park board.

Editor's Note: The title was adjusted to more accurately reflect the committee's actions. There was little progress made in Monday night’s two hour meeting of the Sixth District Dog Park Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC), which will advise the park board on three proposed dog park locations by early May. The committee pledged to follow Roberts’ Rules of Order; discussed whether minutes or notes should be taken and by whom; argued as to how much time should be spent on the presentation of the history of the dog park controversy; and then rejected a motion to dismiss all three proposed park sites. They did agree to reconvene on April 11. There were almost as many members of the CAC (22) present as there were people in the audience (26) at the…

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The Filing Cabinet

Updated: Composition of Dog Park Citizen Advisory Committee

At the last meeting, the advisory committee on a Southwest Minneapolis dog park decided to expand the 19-member committee to a possible 27 members.

In case you missed it, Sheila Regan reported on the first meeting of the 6th Park District Citizen Advisory Committee this week. In addition to the members listed in this document, the committee decided at the meeting to add two members from Linden Hills, two members total from the Regina, Field, Bryant and Central Neighborhoods. The committee will also members from the Hmong, East African and African-American communities. One reader asked how they were going to find representatives of these diverse communities. Jennifer Ringold, Manager of Public Engagement and Citywide Planning for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, told Southwest Minneapolis Patch the following: "The CAC agreed that a reasonable approach was to contact local …

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Jon Collins

12:13 pm on Friday, March 25, 2011

Still waiting on a little clarification on which groups are being pursued. Will update once we figure that out.   more ›

Contentious Issues Loom at First Dog Park Advisory Committee Meeting

Members brought up concerns that the composition of the committee didn't include Linden Hills, as well as worries that proposed dog park locations would interfere with Roberts Bird Sanctuary or the Peace Garden.

Monday was the first meeting of the Citizen Advisory Committee that will help decide where the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board locates an off-leash dog park in Southwest Minneapolis. Despite the fact that the controversial King Park location is off the table, the issue continues to be divisive as neighbors living near the three proposed sites expressed concerns about parking, increased traffic and proximity to the Peace Garden and Bird Sanctuary. Where are the proposed parks? Jennifer Ringold, city planner for the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board outlined the three sites under consideration. The Peace Garden location is bordered on the North by Lakewood Cemetery and on the West by Roberts Bird Sanctuary, 1.13 acres in size. The…

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Matt Peiken

4:13 pm on Thursday, March 31, 2011

Jonathan, I'm really sorry you've had this experience with Patch. Our goal, with our journalism, is to find and accurately and comprehensively tell the stories and shed light on the news happening in our respective cities and neighborhoods. Of course, we're human and we make mistakes. We're also relatively new and still establishing our rhythm. If you or anyone else believes they're …   more ›