In Our Community March 2020

Classes and groups for seniors offered

Longfellow/Seward Healthy Seniors holds several classes for seniors including Tai Chi exercise, art classes, technology assistance and diabetes support groups. Tai Chi classes are held on Tuesdays from 9:30-10:15 a.m. at Holy Trinity Lutheran, 2730 E. 31st Street. Our next art class on painting with alcohol inks will be held on March 18 from 1-3 p.m., also at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. A technology “clinic” will be held on March 10 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Trinity Apartments. A diabetes support group meets on March 11 from 1-2:30 p.m. Contact Longfellow/Seward Healthy Seniors at 612 729-5799 for more information.

Gypsy moth in area

Join the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) at an open house on Thursday, Feb. 27, 6-8:30 p.m. at Keewaydin Recreation Center (3030 E 53rd St.) to find out more about gypsy moth and a proposed treatment for the area, which includes parts of the Wenonah and Keewaydin neighborhoods. Gypsy moth is an invasive insect that can attack many trees and shrubs. It has been found in neighborhoods south and east of Lake Nokomis.

Join Elder Voices

Elder Voices (Telling Our Stories) will meet the fourth Friday of February (2/28) and March (3/27) at Turtle Bread Company, 4205-34th St. 10-11:30 a.m. There will be time for people to tell or update their elder stories, the challenges and joys of elderhood. Conversation topics will include, Do neighborhood organizations and neighborhoods still matter to elders and to the city of Minneapolis?

Free Black Dirt-y talk

Join Free Black Dirt, conveners of the MayDay Council, in a Dirt-y Talk Discussion Series around the barriers, challenges, and opportunities of creating a new MayDay proces on Friday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. at In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre (1500 E. Lake St.). Explore tokenization, accessibility, appropriation, gender, non-extractive relationships, community celebration and more as we shape a new MayDay Celebration that is truly equitable, accessible, and community-owned.

Study on implicit bias

Lenten Study on Implicit Bias starts March 1, noon with food and conversation at Epworth United Methodist Church. Are you committed to the work of having conversations that matter, honoring cultural differences, and dismantling policies and practices that hinder us all? Learn about implicit bias using print and video resources from the General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR) as well as other resources. This Lenten Study is one step toward bridging the gap between what people proclaim and the realities of implicit bias that stand in the way. Epworth United Methodist Church is located at 3207 37 Ave S. For more info, email epworthumcmplsmn@gmail.com or call 612-721-0232.

Sick Lit workshop

Attend Sick Lit: A Writing Workshop on Saturday, March 21, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Nokomis Library. This is a free, open writing workshop for artists and writers interested in writing and reading around chronic illness. No previous experience needed. The workshops will be lead by writer, editor, and teaching artist Lara Mimosa Montes in the library meeting room. For more information and to RSVP, write: MplsWritingWorkshops@gmail.com. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Theatre premieres dystopian drama

Uprising Theatre Company is proud to present the regionalpremiere of 'Doctor Voynich and Her Children," a new play by Leanna Keyes that strives to illuminate what happens in a country where there is no sex education and abortion has been outlawed. This powerful new drama will be on stage March 6-21 2020 at the Off-Leash Art Box, located at 4200 E. 54th St. Uprising Theatre Company’s 2020 Season features all transgender and nonbinary playwrights, all women and/or transgender directors and all new work.

Suicide prevention class

QPR is a free, one-hour presentation sponsored by NAMI Minnesota (National Alliance on Mental Illness) that covers the three steps anyone can learn to help prevent suicide - Question, Persuade and Refer. A QPR classes will be offered on Sunday, March 8, from 9:30-10:30 a.m., at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 700 Snelling Ave. S. For information, contact NAMI Minnesota at 651-645-2948.

Focus on 'Clobber Texts'

Discuss the clobber texts in the Old Testament – Clobber passages are those verses in the Bible that are commonly used as a weapon. Any of several passages in the Bible that are routinely used by some people to condemn homosexuality and homosexuals. On Wednesday March 11, Epworth’s Beer & Bible will discuss Genesis 1 & 2, 18:16-19:29, Judges 19:14-29, Leviticus 18 & 20, and Deuteronomy 23 in the context of verses surrounding those passages. Beer and Bible meets at Merlin’s Rest (3601 E Lake St,). Beer is optional. The same passages will be discussed at Epworth’s Bagel and Bible on March 15 at 9:30 am at Epworth 3207 37 Ave. S.

Intergenerational story time at Vet's Home

Baby/Toddler Intergenerational Story Hour & Play Time at the Minnesota Veterans Home is Tuesday, March 17 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Veterans read books and sing songs (with a ukulele player) for 1/2 an hour followed by 1/2 hour play/ craft time, all led by a recreation therapist. This is free and open to the public, and held monthly. Children of all ages are welcome, just know the songs and books are geared to little ones. The Minnesota Veterans Home is at 5101 Minnehaha Ave S. and the program is in the Building 19 Community Room. The facility is a nursing home within Minnehaha Falls Park. Contact Erin, erin.betlock@state.mn.us / 612 548 5751, to RSVP or with any questions.

Discuss 'Milk'

Epworth Youth Present Dinner, Movie, and Conversation at 5 p.m. Come March 21 to watch and discuss the movie "Milk," the story of Harvey Milk’s struggles as a gay activist who fought for gay rights and became California’s first openly gay elected official. Epworth aims to spark conversations about topics that impact the community. Epworth UMC is located at 3207 37th Ave. S.

Veggies classes set

The Veggie Basics class offered by Transition Longfellow runs for 4 Saturdays in April: April 4, April 11, April 18 and April 25 from 10 11:30 a.m., in the community room at Gandhi Mahal (3009 27th Ave So.). It is taught by various Hennepin County master gardeners. Cost for the entire series is $10. Beverages will be served. For questions about class content, email reierson.deb@gmailcom. For questions about registration or payment, email boyleaj3@gmail.com.

Praying in Color

Take time to reflect on and deepen your relationship with God in the season of Lent on Sunday, April 5 at 11:30 a.m. after coffee hour; Monday, April 6 at 10 a.m.; and/or Tuesday, April 7 at 4 p.m. at Minnehaha Communion Lutheran Church. The hour-long sessions will include a short Bible study on the importance of prayer before exploring different ways to pray, featuring a practice called Praying in Color. Praying in Color is an easy and relaxing way to pray using your hands and creativity to reflect and color a connection with God. All ages are welcome to come to one or more classes; no artistic ability needed.

Learning garden tour

One of Minnesota’s most anticipated summer gardening events – the 2020 Hennepin County Master Gardener Learning Garden Tour being held on Saturday, July 11, 2020 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This self-guided tour includes nine gardens from Prospect Park to Edina and into Linden Hills. The variety of gardens on this year’s annual tour offer many learning opportunities. They include eight home gardens designed and tended by Master Gardener volunteers, as well as one Community Garden. At each garden you’ll meet Master Gardeners who garden not only for their enjoyment, but to contribute to the health of our local ecosystem. Buy tickets and learn more at www.hennepinmastergardeners.org.

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Longfellow Library opens

Minnehaha Senior Living, an assisted living community, located in South Minneapolis, has recently added a new library for its tenants and dedicated it to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. He was a beloved American Poet, famous for “The Song Of Hiawatha” written about Native American Indians in lyric poetry in 1855. The book is about an Ojibwe warrior named Hiawatha and a Dakota woman named Minnehaha.

Doug Ernst, who is a local historian and reenactment presenter, came to Minnehaha Senior Living to give a presentation and to visit the newly opened Henry Wadsworth Longfellow library in January. Ernst said it is fitting that Minnehaha Senior Living chose to call their library “The Longfellow” library with the rich history of the writer and the name Minnehaha.

Ernst will be reading from the book "The Song Of Hiawatha" during a talk about Longfellow's life - that is open to the public on March 13 at 2:30 p.m. in the Activity Room. Ernst is the Executive Director at the Richfield Historical Society and is a regular speaker at Minnehaha Senior Living (3733-23rd Ave. S.).

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Chard Your Yard Garden registration opens March 15

Have you seen those signs near your neighbors gardens and wondered what Chard Your Yard is all about? Since 2013, Transition Longfellow has partnered with the Longfellow Community Council to offer a fun and exciting event to increase vegetable gardening in the neighborhood, Chard Your Yard. Transition Longfellow is a community led group of neighbors focused on building sustainable communities in order to address climate change.

Chard Your Yard volunteers have built and installed about 160 raised bed vegetable gardens in the greater Longfellow neighborhoods. "We plan to build, deliver, and fill dirt in 24 raised bed vegetable gardens for neighbors in zip code 55406," say organizers. The garden beds are $70 which includes: a 3’x5’x12” wooden frame installed and delivered to your house, a site visit by a master gardener to find the perfect spot for your bed, a fill of nutrient rich dirt, and a Chard Your Yard sign.

"Through the generous support of Longfellow Community Council, we can offer a limited number of beds for low-income and senior citizen gardeners ($35) and double-high beds for gardeners with disabilities ($70)," say organizers. These beds are only available for people in Longfellow, Cooper, Howe and Hiawatha neighborhoods.

This event is completely volunteer based. Volunteers needed. Build and install the beds Wednesday, April 29 between 5-9 p.m and fill them Saturday, May 2nd from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. (attendance for entire shifts not required). Registration to receive a bed opens March 15 and will close in April or when all beds are purchased. Visit www.transitionlongfellow.org/chard-your-yard for further information.