NENA News

Night Before New Year’s Eve 2016

The Night Before New Year’s Eve party, on Fri., Dec. 30, 5:30-7:30pm, is a family-oriented, free event. It offers parents and kids a chance to celebrate the coming New Year a night early. The party is held at Lake Nokomis Community Center, 2401 E. Minnehaha Pkwy.

The celebration includes food, carnival games, music and dancing, marshmallow roasting over a bonfire, a photo board, the famous Nokomis Fish Pond, a “midnight” (7:15pm) countdown complete with noisemakers and much more!

If you are looking to forego New Year’s Eve altogether but still want to celebrate the arrival of the New Year, consider this annual community party, now in its 17th year. This party is chock-full of family-friendly activities.

Looking for a good way to ring in the New Year? Go to www.nokomiseast.org and click on the “Volunteer” button on the right. You’ll be able to sign up for one of the many volunteer opportunities we have available at the Night Before New Year’s Eve party.

State of the Neighborhood

The second annual Nokomis East Neighborhood Association State of The Neighborhood community gathering will be held on Wed., Jan. 18, 6-9pm at Morris Park Recreation Center, 5531 39th Ave. S.

Hear from NENA, our business community, elected officials, and other community leaders. This neighborhood conversation will address several topics important to the Nokomis East community.

NENA has spent 2016 working to improve, empower and energize our neighborhood. Some of the major accomplishments include the tenant/landlord programs that have begun in the Bossen Terrace area, another successful and expanded Minneapolis Monarch Festival, and community meetings that brought together hundreds of neighbors to address numerous community issues.

In 2017, NENA, along with many others, has plans to make our neighborhood an even better, more vibrant community, come to the State of the Neighborhood meeting to hear about them.

The meeting is free and open to the public. There will be light refreshments available. Those interested in attending are encouraged to RSVP on the event’s Facebook page, or on the NENA website.

34th Ave. S. Rebuild community meeting

The City of Minneapolis proposes to reconstruct 34th Ave. S. between E. Minnehaha Pkwy. and E. 58th St. The proposed 1.37-mile project is scheduled to occur over the course of the 2018 construction season and will consist of improvements to the roadway, sidewalk, and utilities. City staff is currently in the preliminary stages of planning and design for the project, which will be accompanied by community outreach activities that will help inform and guide design concepts.

The project encompasses the entire right-of-way and will address deteriorating pavement conditions by reconstruction the pavement surface, installing new curb and gutter, and sidewalks. The project is also planned to include ADA compliant pedestrian walkways, needed utility improvements, curb extensions, new signage and pavement markings. The project will also include trees planted in the boulevard and pedestrian level lighting.

The City will present preliminary plans based on feedback they have received from residents in the neighborhood.

The second meeting will take place on Wed., Jan. 25, 6–8pm at Lake Nokomis Lutheran Church in the Nokomis Room (lunchroom, handicap accessible), 5011 S. 31st Ave. The meeting will be an open-house format, with a short presentation from the city at 6:15pm. City staff will be present to answer questions throughout the meeting.

Dave Larson joins the NENA Board of Directors

In November, Dave Larson of Morris Park was appointed to fill a recently vacated seat on the NENA Board.

Larson is a longtime volunteer and active community member. He and his family have called Nokomis East home for several years. His oldest children attend LNCS-Wenonah School, and he volunteers on the school Site Leadership Council. Dave is also a block leader in his neighborhood and has attended and helped at numerous community events in Nokomis East and around Minneapolis. He may be best known for his work with the Minneapolis Police Department as a volunteer Chaplin in the 3rd Precinct.

Larson also started a program out of his home called Neighborhood Conversations, a program that brings neighbors together on a regular basis to discuss issues concerning the neighborhood. He is excited to join the NENA Board “to put my connections and experience to use in order to serve the neighborhood as a whole in any way I can to make it a peaceful, enjoyable, and fruitful place to live.”

The next election of Board members will be at our Annual Meeting on Apr. 27, 2017.

NENA Home Improvement Loan Program

Whether by choice or necessity, start planning your next home project now with the help of a home improvement loan from NENA. Owners of one to four unit residences can apply for up to $15,000 to make improvements to their properties. Owner occupants and investors may apply. Interest rates are either 2 percent or 3 percent, depending on income, and there are no income restrictions.

NENA also has available a limited amount of funds for our emergency repair loan program. Only owner-occupied households are eligible, and income restrictions do apply. There is a maximum loan amount of $7,500 at 0 percent interest. The loan is due in full upon sale of the property or title transfer.

For more information or to request an application for the NENA loan program, call our partner, the Greater Metropolitan Housing Corporation’s Housing Resource Center 612-722-7141, or visit www.gmhchousing.org. Loan applications are processed on a first-come, first served basis.

Upcoming Events for the NENA:

• Fri., Dec. 30, 5:30-7:30pm, Nokomis East Night Before New Year’s Eve, Lake Nokomis Community Center, 2401 E. Minnehaha Pkwy.

• Wed., Jan. 4, 6:30-8:30pm, NENA Housing, Commercial and Streetscape Committee, at NENA Office, 4313 E. 54th St.

• Tues., Jan. 10, 6:30-7:30pm, NEBA Board Member Meeting, at McDonald’s Liquor Store, 5010 S. 34th Ave.

• Wed., Jan. 11, 6:45-7:45pm, NENA Green Initiatives Committee Meeting at the NENA Office

• Thur., Jan. 12, 7-9pm, NENA Executive Committee Meeting at the NENA Office

• Wed., Jan. 18, 6-8pm, Nokomis East State of the Neighborhood at Morris Park Rec Center, 5531 S. 39th Ave.

• Mon., Jan. 23, 6:30-7:30pm, MPD 3rd Precinct Advisory Council at 3000 Minnehaha Ave.

• Wed., Jan. 25, 6-8pm, Community Input Meeting II - Design Layout for 34th Ave. Reconstruction, at Lake Nokomis Lutheran Church - 5011 S. 31st Ave.

• Thur., Jan. 26, 7-8:30pm, NENA Board of Directors Meeting at the NENA Office