Welcome Home! The Neighborhood section is where you will find topical
information on living and working in the Nokomis East
neighborhood--and even a little about our good neighbors
in the surrounding areas.
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Public Meeting to Discuss the Renovation of the Lake Nokomis Weir
(Jan 23, 2012 Press Release)
The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) are hosting a community meeting to discuss the renovation of the Lake Nokomis weir on Thursday, February 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lake Nokomis Community Center (2401 E. Minnehaha Parkway) in Minneapolis. The public is welcome and invited to attend.
 The MCWD constructed the weir – a dam-like structure that holds back water – in 2000 to keep polluted water from Minnehaha Creek out of Lake Nokomis. With components of the structure in need of repair and replacement, the MCWD will be changing the existing inflatable weir to an adjustable fixed weir that will provide the same level of protection, require less maintenance and better match the surrounding area. The structure will remain at the same elevation and will not affect flooding potential
In addition to making the weir easier to operate, the project also will improve its appearance. The structure will be updated with a limestone-like facade to match the character of the nearby bridge.
As the lake’s only outlet, the weir can be adjusted to release water if levels get too high. Additionally, the structure helps prevent the transport of zebra mussels and other aquatic invasive species from the creek to the lake.
Construction is slated to begin in early summer 2012 and should last approximately 2 to 3 weeks. It is not expected to disrupt navigation on Minnehaha Creek or Lake Nokomis. For more information, visit www.minnehahacreek.org.
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Will Hiawatha Avenue finally be fixed?
(Excerpted from CM Gary Schiff's March 2011, 9th Ward E-News)
The notorious Hiawatha Avenue traffic engineering mess may finally have a solution. The City of Minneapolis' plan to seek $1.1 million for improvements could bring new hardware and new software to the corridor by the end of the year. Currently, waiting for a green light on Hiawatha can take up to five minutes, frustrating neighborhood residents and commuters alike.
Deputy Director of Public Works Heidi Hamilton explains the problem. “Right now each time a light rail train passes through an intersection, the controller goes back to the beginning of the signal cycle, rather than where it last left off." The new technology will be "smarter" and will be able to detect which direction had the longest wait time, and start the next cycle accordingly. This new software was not available when the Hiawatha LRT line first opened, she said. In addition, the city is seeking to install more loop detectors at intersections. Loop detectors tell the traffic signals how many cars are coming, and what the length of a green light should be to accommodate the heaviest traffic flow.
City Council Member Sandy Colvin Roy, chair of the city's Transportation and Public Works Committee, says the fixes have been sought a long time. "The time wasted by individuals and businesses and the shifting of traffic to other streets are serious problems," she says.
Currently Minneapolis has $250,000 of the total $1.1 million needed for the project. The city is working with MnDOT, Hennepin County and Metro Transit to secure the rest of the funds necessary to complete all improvements. Changes are expected to begin by the end of this year. (3/24/11)
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The Night Before New Year's Eve Party, ringing in 2010 - The Video
NENA's 10th-annual "The Night Before New Year's Eve Party" on December 30, 2009 was the subject of a production by the Minneapolis Television Network (MTN).
See the night in review, and look for friends and acquaintances. It's a fun vid and captures the spirit of the night well.
It may be seen online in two parts at:
http://mtn.org/Video/community/shows/2010/nokomis.html (fixed link 2/18)
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City
launches Graffiti Solutions webpage
Creative
responses to graffiti include murals, landscaping and more.
(2/11/08)
 The
City of Minneapolis is starting a new webpage to
allow neighbors to share creative tips for preventing
graffiti. "Every day I see more and more creativity
from neighbors who are using art and landscaping
to
prevent graffiti," 9th Ward Council Member Gary
Schiff said. I hope this website becomes a tool for
neighbors to submit their own photos and share ideas across
the city.
The webpage www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/graffiti/solutions.asp shows examples such as landscaping, murals and types
of fencing that deter graffiti. Residents are encouraged
to send in photos of their own efforts, and share helpful tips. Graffiti often collects on large flat
blank surfaces, such as buildings, garages and flat fences. Landscaping,
like ivy or other clinging plants helps to reduce the likelihood of graffiti on a surface. Some fences are
less likely to be spray painted such as fences with board gaps, alternating boards or lattices.
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Radon detection kits available
Hennepin County is offering radon detection kits to enable you to test
for the presence of this invisible, odorless and dangerous gas in your
home.
Radon,
a naturally occurring gaseous form of ionizing radiation, has been
ranked by the Surgeon General as the second leading cause of
lung cancer in the United States. The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency lists Hennepin County as a high-potential radon region,
where one in
every three homes is likely to have elevated radon
levels.
Kits
are $9, or two for $17. Please call the Radon Info
Line at 952-351-5225.
(5/01/06)
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 Minnehaha
Creek monitoring. The  USGS now
provides real-time monitoring of the creek's
level and
flow, as measured under
the Highway 55 bridge. Website (12/06/05)
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Rides for Seniors
 Are
you a senior citizen in need of a ride to medical
or dental appointment? If you live east of 35W
and south of 42nd St., the Nokomis
Health Seniors program
has volunteer drivers who are ready and eager
to help seniors get to and from the necessary appointments
they may have.
To
schedule a ride, or for more information about Nokomis
Healthy Seniors, call the help line at (612)729-5499.
Office hours are 8am to 4pm. Voice mail is
available after hours. (6/07/05)
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 Do
you have forgotten kid toys collecting dust in the attic?
Have exercise equipment in the basement that could be
someone else’s treasure? Thinking about fixing
up the garage to watch those Vikings? Try the Twin
Cities Free Market! Residents can log into
a website where they can post their old stuff online
and browse the free items other residents have posted.
There are 300-400 new items listed every week. Some
recent items include a gas grill, landscape rocks, a
pet carrier and a cast-iron sink.
Participating
in the Twin Cities Free Market keeps reusable goods
out of the trash, and helps people avoid buying new,
which is great for the environment and the pocketbook.
In Hennepin County alone, it's estimated that 32 million
pounds of usable clothing and household goods are thrown
away each year - that's enough to fill shopping carts
lined up from Minneapolis to Milwaukee.
In
2003, The Free Market had more than 8,000 listings and
facilitated more than 4,000 exchanges, amounting to
more than 500 tons of materials. The Twin Cities Free
Market is funded in part by Hennepin
County.
Want to give it a try? Just visit: www.twincitiesfreemarket.org/
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Constantina Rios Zavartes and Elias Dominguez Rios showing two of their
signature dishes in the dining room. |
Dominguez
Restaurant
(Updated May 6,
2008)
Entering
their third year, the Dominguez family offers a nice
selection
of traditional Mexican appetizers, entrees, tortas
and
combination plates at their informal restaurant.
The menu features many family recipes and even has
a section titled,
"Especialidades de Mi Pueblo" (Specialties
of My Town) with combinations of regional favorites.
Most
dinners are served with the
traditional
sides of silky refried beans and rice, garnished
with fresh guacamole and
an excellent pico de gallo. Freshly made and
warm tortilla chips
and salsa fresca are served with the meals
(heat lovers should ask for Constantina's signature
avocado-tomatilla salsa verde). A children's menu
includes the standard american fare and some nicely
priced, mild Mexican features.
NENA's
staff favorites are the chicken enchiladas in a tasty,
mild verde sauce (they are not listed on the menu
but
worth asking for ), the traditional mexican-style
beef tacos, the chipotle-sauced fish tacos, and the
chicken Morelos Nachos appetizers.
City
Pages awarded Dominguez for Best Tacos in the Twin
Cities:
"Tacos
aren't a complicated thing, if done in traditional Mexican
style--two corn tortillas, cilantro, onion,
a meat of choice, and a slice of lime are the only
ingredients required--but like a finely mixed
drink, there's something greater than the sum of the
parts in the way Dominguez puts theirs together." Read
the entire review.
A
limited selection of beer and wine
is also available along with natural drinks,
Jarrittos soda, and several hot and cold teas.
The
family completely remodeled the building with
new plaster, tile floors and brightly painted murals
depicting Mexico
City and surround in its pre-civilized state. A downstairs room is available for private parties.
Hours:
Sunday-Thursday, 10am - 9pm
Friday & Saturday, 10am - Midnight
Dominguez
3313 E. 50th Street ( map)
Minneapolis, MN 55417
612-724-8493
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Crime
Update