All these April showers are going to bring us some beautiful May flowers. One place to see things grow through the spring and summer is the Soo Line Community Gardens, tucked behind Harriet Avenue and the Midtown Greenway.  Last week, we published an article about Hennepin County's plan to install an ADA-complaint path through the garden.

In response to Hennepin County's plan, Corinne Segal, a Soo Line gardener, wrote an opinion piece titled "Soo Line Garden Doesn't Need a Paved Path." Corinne originally brought this topic to our attention and we thank her for taking the time to write a piece detailing her perspective.

We encourage you to read both pieces to gain a greater sense of the different priorities at stake with adding an accessible Greenway ramp in Whittier.

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This week ahead in local meetings

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Minneapolis City Council and committees
On May 4, the Budget Committee meets at 10 a.m. and the Public Health & Safety Committee meets at 1:30 p.m.

On May 5, the Business, Inspections, Housing & Zoning Committee meets at 10 a.m. and the Public Works & Infrastructure Committee meets at 1:30 p.m.

On May 6, the Budget Committee meets at 10 a.m.

We will hyperlink to the meeting agendas throughout as the week as they are published. You can also check for them here. All city meetings are on Comcast Channel 14 or 799, City Council TV, or the City's YouTube channel. Here is how you can participate in the meetings.

MPS School Board
The Finance Committee is meeting May 3 from 5-6:30 p.m.  This meeting is open to the public but will be held in-person only at the Davis Center. No livestream will be made available.

All Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education meetings are held at the John B. Davis Education Service Center at 1250 W. Broadway Ave. You can watch livestreamed meetings in real time or recordings of livestreamed meetings.

Hennepin County
The Hennepin County and Regional Railroad boards meet May 3 at 1:30 p.m.

Hennepin County meetings can be watched live via Microsoft Teams and meetings recordings are also made available.

Met Council (Metro Transit, Metro Mobility)
On May 4, many Metro Council committees are meeting, including the Transportation Accessibility Advisory Committee, which meets at 12:30. On the agenda is a Metro Transit presentation titled "Transit Safety & Security Action Plan Project Overview." The Southwest Light Rail Corridor Management Committee meets from 2-3:30 p.m. (no published agenda posted at this time). The Committee of the Whole meets at 4 p.m.

Agenda links include a YouTube video that goes live for each meeting.

Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
The Park Board is meeting at 5 p.m. on May 4. On the agenda is repealing the board's resolution that cut ties with the Minneapolis Police Department. The original resolution was passed in the summer of 2020.

Meetings are broadcast live and held in-person at Mary Merrill Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Headquarters

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LINK ROUNDUP 🔗

If you walk around Bde Maka Ska, you may have noticed some trail erosion on the southwest area of the pedestrian trail. The Park Board is planning to have that all fixed by mid-May. (Park Board)  

Josie Barnes talked with Southwest High School educators about their favorite books. (The Navigator)

This year's beloved southside May Day festival was hosted by Kalpulli KetzalCoatlicue, a traditional Aztec dance group. The event was held outside of Four Directions on Lake Street, not the typical location of Powderhorn Park (MPR News)

There was no official May Day parade this year,  but Southside Battletrain had its own unofficial parade down Bloomington Avenue. Check out these photographs from Max Haynes from yesterday's parade. (Twitter/Max Haynes)

A new mapping tool shows that trees are inequitably distributed across neighborhoods in the Twin Cities metro area. Trees give us shelter, shade, and healthy air. (MinnPost).

Congrats to Sarah Lancaster, the first first educator of Asian/Pacific Islander heritage to win the Minnesota Teacher of the Year award.  Lancaster teaches at Onamia Public Schools. We have been following this award closely as numerous MPS teachers were nominated and chosen as finalists. (Sahan Journal)

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COMMUNITY RESOURCES 💪

The Park Board and Cardio Tennis is hosting a triples tennis event for people of all skill levels on May 7. That's right, three-on-three tennis. Register to play and get your heart pumping. (Park Board)

It's not too late to order plants from school-based plant sales. You can still order from Whittier Elementary and Southside Family Charter School. Clara Barton Elementary's sale has ended. Send us more plant sales if you know about them. (Melody's Googling skills)

OUT & ABOUT 🎵

LA Buckner starts his Monday residency at Icehouse tonight.  "LA Buckner’s compositions soar and sway, blurring the line between Sunday church service and face melting jam sessions. His artistry is full of energy, excitement, and culture." I think that is all you need to know to purchase your tickets here. Ok, also, you can sign up to sit in with him the next two Mondays. In the music world that means, play music with him. No big deal.

Driftwood Charbar is hosting an "Acousti-Jam" tonight which, I think, explains itself. My father likes to jam but, alas, he lives in Milwaukee. ROAD TRIP.