Night Out With NENA – Is Your Home Ready for Winter?

Are you interested in beefing up your home energy knowledge before the winter? Here’s your chance!

NENA is hosting a Home Energy 101 workshop on Wed., Oct. 19, 6-7:30pm at the Morris Park Recreation Center, 5531 39th Ave. S.

NENA has partnered with the Center for Energy and Environment to bring this workshop where you’ll learn energy-saving tips to make your home more comfortable this winter.

At the workshop, you will hear about Home Energy Squad Enhanced--a home energy visit program provided by CenterPoint Energy and Xcel Energy in partnership with the City of Minneapolis. During the visit, a team of two energy consultants will come to your home to install energy saving materials and evaluate your home’s energy use with a blower door test and an infrared scan. They then provide you with a customized Energy Fitness Plan that includes a quote for any recommended insulation and air sealing improvements. This unique opportunity is the result of the nation leading Clean Energy Partnership formed to help Minneapolis reach its clean energy goals. Thanks to this partnership, these customized energy visits are available to new homeowners at a reduced rate of $70.

Don’t wait until winter to get started making your home more comfortable. Join your neighbors at the Home Energy 101 workshop and learn how you can benefit from improved comfort and lower energy bills.

To RSVP for the workshop, contact Dave at 612-724-5652 or dave.colling@nokomiseast.org. To schedule a Home Energy Squad Enhanced visit call 612-335-5874.

For more information on the program visit www.mncee.org/hes-mpls.

Thank you

Thanks to everyone that came out to support the 2016 Monarch Festival. Monarchs, art, and education came together at Lake Nokomis to create a wonderful festival. Our partners--Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, U of M Monarch Lab, US Forestry Department and the Mexican Consulate--all did incredible work to make this event once again the biggest and best festival of its kind in the United States.

Photo right: NENA Board members working at the Minneapolis Monarch Festival - Festival de la Monarca. (Photo submitted)

A special thank you to everyone who worked so hard on the Monarch Magic! workshops, as they were a great addition to this year’s event.

And thanks to everyone who came out to share the day, including our exhibitors and food trucks.

Join a NENA committee

NENA is currently looking for residents to join our new Green Initiatives Committee and our long-standing Housing, Commercial & Streetscape Committee. Joining means you attend committee meetings, design projects and implement strategies to make our community an even better place to live!

Goals of the NENA Housing, Commercial & Streetscape Committee:

• to maintain and improve the housing stock in the neighborhood;

• to coordinate and seek solutions to issues related to housing and commercial building development;

• to advocate for housing and commercial development programs;.

• to provide input on zoning changes or building applications; and

• to advise city and developers on preferred land use as it relates to future development.

Goals of the Green Initiatives Committee:

• to improve awareness concerning issues that may impact the environmental quality of NENA’s neighborhoods;

• to advocate for programs that address improvement of the environment; and

• to advise city and developers on environment issues.

Please call 612-724-5652 or email nena@nokomiseast.org if you would like more information.

Artist Call

NENA invites artists to participate in exhibit opportunities at the Nokomis East Neighborhood Association office. The new NENA office offers a great potential for us to display artwork by local artists and have it seen by the community. Displays will rotate on a regular basis to provide as much opportunity as possible. All 2-dimensional hanging work and 3-dimensional work within our criteria, guidelines and exhibit size limitations will be considered.

For more details and guidelines please contact Dave Colling at dave.colling@nokomiseast.org.

Sign up for NENA News

Your Guide to News, Events and Resources! Get your neighborhood news delivered to your inbox every other Wednesday. Sign up today at www.nokomiseast.org. Once you sign up, you’ll receive updates on news and happenings for your neighborhood.

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% or 3%, depend on income, and there 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% 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 in the Nokomis East neighborhood

• Sat., Oct. 1, 1-4pm, First Saturday Book Collection @ Nokomis Library, 5100 S. 34th Ave.

• Tues., Oct. 4, 5-7pm, Group gardening - all welcome; Nokomis Naturescape on Lake Nokomis at 50th St. and Nokomis Pkwy.

• Wed., Oct. 5, 6:30-8:30pm, NENA Housing, Commercial and Streetscape Committee; NENA office, 4313 E. 54th St.

• Tues., Oct. 11, 5-7pm, Group gardening - all welcome; Nokomis Naturescape on Lake Nokomis at 50th St. and Nokomis Pkwy.

• Tues., Oct. 11, 6:30-7:30pm, NEBA Board Meeting; McDonald’s Liquor Store, 5010 S. 34th Ave.

• Thur., Oct. 13, 7-8pm, NENA Executive Committee Meeting; Nokomis East Neighborhood Association, 3000 E. 50th St.

Tues., Oct. 18, 5-7pm, Group gardening - all are welcome; Nokomis Naturescape on Lake Nokomis at 50th St. and Nokomis Pkwy.

• Wed., Oct. 19, 6-7:30pm, Night Out With NENA - Home Energy 101 Workshop; Morris Park Recreation Center, 5531 39th Ave. S.

• Thur., Oct. 20, 1-4pm, Group gardening - all welcome; Nokomis Naturescape on Lake Nokomis at 50th St. and Nokomis Pkwy.

• Thur., Oct. 20, 6:30-7:30pm, Inside the Criminal Mind; Nokomis Library, 5100 S. 34th Ave.

• Sat. Oct. 22, 1-5pm, Fresh Hop Fest; Town Hall Lanes, 5019 S. 34th Ave.

• Tues., Oct. 25, 5-7pm, Group gardening - all welcome; Nokomis Naturescape on Lake Nokomis at 50th St. and Nokomis Pkwy.

• Thur., Oct. 27, 7-9pm, NENA Board of Directors Meeting; NENA Office - 4313 E. 54th St.