Welcome to the East Harriet Neighborhood
East Harriet is bordered by 36th Street on the north and 46th Street to the south. Lyndale Avenue is the eastern boundary; Lake Harriet and Lakewood Cemetery largely make up the western border of the neighborhood. In addition to these Minneapolis landmarks, Lyndale Park Gardens and Rose Gardens, the Thomas Sadler Roberts Bird Sanctuary are located within East Harriet. Many houses in the neighborhood are two-story homes, set back from the streets.
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Welcome New and Returning Board Members!
Six people were elected by their neighbors last month to serve on the East Harriet Farmstead Neighborhood Association (EHFNA) Board of Directors through an online ballot preceding the Annual Meeting. They will join Board Members Maggie Zawasky, Maria Finsness, Jenny Taplin, Richard Michel and Beth Popalisky who are serving out their terms. The Board oversees operations of the nonprofit organization and directs activities and programming. Welcome and congratulations to:
The next EHFNA Board Meeting will be held November 4th from 7pm-8:30pm via Zoom. Community members are always welcome. Please email info@eastharriet.org for the agenda and meeting link. Committee Members Needed If you would like to have an impact in your neighborhood, committee members are always needed. We have three committees that meet once a month or less. The committees are:
East Harriet Food Fund
Thank you to all who donated to the East Harriet Food Fund through Second Harvest. The funds you donated will help Second Harvest provide 1,725 meals to our neighbors in need. Your generous donations were very much appreciated! 
Programs at Farmstead Park
The new and improved Farmstead Rec Center is now open for youth programs! Go to the MPRB Activities page and search Lyndale Farmstead Park for a listing of all the great activities now available. Activities include:
Street Sweeping Begins on October 20
Crews will sweep the streets across Minneapolis to clean the streets before winter in order to keep leaves and debris out of the storm drains and ending up in our lakes and rivers as much as possible. On Tuesday, Oct. 20, Minneapolis Public Works will begin the big task of curb-to-curb sweeping and leaf collection on streets throughout the city. During the four weeks of the comprehensive fall street sweep, crews will clean about 1,000 miles of city streets. To make sure crews can do the best job possible, temporary “No Parking” signs will be posted at least 24 hours in advance so streets will be clear of cars when they’re swept. The first signs will be posted Monday, Oct. 19, and sweeping will begin the next day. Anyone who parks on the street will need to follow posted parking rules or their cars may be ticketed and towed. 
Safe Trick or Treating
Looking to celebrate Halloween in a safe, socially distant way? Many traditional Halloween activities can have a high risk of spreading viruses. There are several safer, alternative ways to celebrate Halloween:
A Halloween Video from the Streetcar Museum The Minnesota Streetcar Museum hasn’t been able to operate their historic streetcars this season. Unfortunately that also means they’re unable to operate their popular Halloween events. Museum volunteers have as much fun with spooky stuff as the riders. So they decided to produce a Halloween video. The result is their Halloween feature video, Ghost Trolley Anthology. In twenty-two minutes they offer five stories of streetcar scares past and present. There’s a little true trolley history but it’s diluted with a dollop of fancy and a dash of fright. It’s all suitable for a general audience, but very young children may find parts too intense. So tune in to the Museum’s YouTube channel and enjoy. Happy Halloween. https://youtu.be/sFk63B1_LWA 
Neighborhoods 2020 Next Steps and Timeline
During the public comment period on the Neighborhoods 2020 draft program guidelines from February 28 to September 30, the Neighborhood and Community Relations Department (NCR) received 244 public comments. These comments are currently being reviewed by staff to create a summary, which will be included alongside the original public comments in the next steps and will be available on the Neighborhoods 2020 webpage prior to City Council action. Next steps
Over the next few weeks NCR will send out more information as it becomes available. Find City Council meeting calendars, agendas and decisions on the City of Minneapolis’ Legislative Information Management System (LIMS). Read more about Neighborhoods 2020 here. 
Encampment Update
The card pictured above was sent to East Harriet from the residents of the Farmstead Park Encampment. For the latest Encampment information from the Park Board, please visit minneapolisparks.org/encampments. Here is a selection from the October 7 remarks made by Superintendent Bangoura: As of today, there are 256 tents at 15 park sites, down from 347 tents at 22 park sites at the last Board meeting on September 16. Routine maintenance support and service of portable restrooms and hygiene stations continues, and regular outreach and engagement at each permitted site remains a priority. We know that sheltering homeless people in Minneapolis parks is not a safe, proper or dignified form of housing and is, at best, a temporary solution for encampment individuals before cold weather arrives. Outreach these last few months has been critical. Park outreach staff have engaged permit holders and those living in permitted sites on a variety of topics, services and permit processes, including cold weather processes. We have learned, through this outreach, that most permit holders and encampment residents have self-selected dates for leaving the parks before the end of October. There is a community effort to purchase a building to provide shelter for those at the Harriet encampment. To the question, “Is there a deadline for people and encampments to be out of the parks?” The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has not set a specific deadline. We have, since mid-July, consistently acknowledged that temporary encampments in parks will not continue into cold weather. We have also openly acknowledged that at some point, overnight temperatures drop to the point of posing health and safety risks, including hypothermia, and that based on weather forecasts and historic weather patterns we believe that will occur sometime in October. In addition, our ordinances prohibit open fires or the use of propane as a fuel for a fire in parks. Allowing the use of fuels for fire or to create warmth poses great risk for encamped persons and for park assets. Our outreach staff have been communicating this information to permit holders and individuals living in park encampments. To the question, “What is the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s strategy for encampments as the weather turns colder?” Park outreach staff are in regular conversations with those in park encampments to make sure they know what our processes are and to discuss their cold weather plans. Those living in our parks know we will not be issuing permits once the weather turns cold. As encampment permits expire and weather turns cold or conditions become otherwise unsafe, we will not extend permits. If needed, we will issue vacate notices although we hope that is not needed. At this time, almost all encampment permit holders and the communities that are supporting them have already made their own decisions and plans to move to out of the parks by mid to late-October. We also continue to work with our city, county, state and local non-profit partners and volunteers who serve the homeless community. They are working hard to find solutions and places for unsheltered people in the city, including the parks. Last week, Hennepin County approved acquisition of two properties and we are aware that volunteer groups are stepping forward to purchase and/or fund winter services and places in the community. Last week the Lieutenant Governor also shared that she and the Governor continue working to provide relief and assistance to keep people safe through this upcoming winter, including Minnesotans experiencing homelessness. As of last week, there remained 22 million in state grant funding available for qualified providers supporting people experiencing homelessness directly. |
Next EHFNA Board Meeting
Wednesday, November 4th 7:00pm-8:30pm EHFNA Meetings will be held as Zoom video conferences. If you are interested in attending the meeting, please contact info@eastharriet.org in advance for the meeting link. Board Meetings are typically held the 1st Wednesday of each month. Upcoming EHFNA Committee Meetings:Committee Meetings will be held as Zoom video conferences. If you are interested in attending the meetings, please contact info@EastHarriet.org in advance for the meeting link.
Housing, Zoning, Business & Schools Date to be determined. Meetings are typically held the 3rd Tuesday of the month from 7-8 pm Community Building, Parks, & Environment Date to be determined. 7-8pm. Meetings are typically held the 3rd Thursday of the month. Contact us at 612.430.9161 or email info@eastharriet.org for more information. We are looking for East Harriet Neighborhood residents to serve on these committees. If you are interested or would like more information, contact us at info@eastharriet.org. I-35W Project
Stay up-to-date on road and ramp closures with MnDOT’s I-35@94 Downtown toCrosstown project. The web page can be found at http://www.dot.state.mn.us/35w94/. People can sign up for email alerts and find the latest schedule, updates, detour maps on the web page.
Free Meals Available at Barton School
Free meal boxes are available for all children at Barton School, 4237 Colfax Ave S, Door 1 off of the Bryant Ave parking lot from 11am-5pm M-F. All families are invited to participate in this free program and do not have to attend Barton, nor have a student in Minneapolis Public Schools. Families can pick up one box per child per week. Reasons why you should take advantage of the free school meals being offered:
New Restaurant in East Harriet
Brasa Premium Rotisserie Southwest Minneapolis is open for curbside pick-up in East Harriet, located at 812 W. 46th St. (46th & Bryant Ave S). 
General Election November 3
Mail-in Ballots: It’s easy to vote by mail, but don’t leave it to the last minute.
Early Voting Centers - Two early voting locations are open in Minneapolis, with two more opening Oct 27.
Also… Where to vote on Election Day - Due to COVID-19, many polling places have moved. East Harriet neighborhood has two polling locations:
What’s on the ballot - Get a sample ballot before the election, so you'll know what you'll be voting on. For voters who speak Spanish, Hmong or Somali, the City’s 2020 Voter Information Guide is now translated and in an electronic format. 
Free COVID-19 Testing and Flu Shots in Minneapolis
The City of Minneapolis is offering free COVID-19 testing events during the month of October. You do not need insurance to participate and all are welcome. See the full list of upcoming testing events here. 
Housing Assistance Fund
Minnesota’s COVID-19 Housing Assistance Program covers housing expenses such as rent, mortgage, utilities or other housing-related costs. This program will help keep folks in their homes and maintain housing stability for eligible renters and homeowners in communities across the state. People in Minnesota interested in applying for assistance can call the Greater Twin Cities United Way’s 211 Resource Helpline at 651-291-0211, visiting 211unitedway.org or texting “MNRENT” or “MNHOME” to 898-211. The 211 Helpline has dedicated multilingual staff to answer questions about the COVID-19 Housing Assistance Program 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. For questions regarding the application process, check the COVID-19 Housing Assistance Program frequently asked questions.  Previous eNewsletters |
