Nokomis East Neighborhood Association
Encyclopedia
The Nokomis East Neighborhood Association (NENA) is a neighborhood association
serving the Nokomis East
neighborhoods of South Minneapolis, Minnesota
, United States
. The Nokomis East area consists of four smaller neighborhoods; Wenonah, Keewaydin, Morris Park, and Minnehaha.
The neighborhood association has been responsible for many different projects and programs ranging from neighborhood planning to environment to housing to safety. These have included a commercial facade
improvement program, tree planting along the Minnehaha Creek and Lake Nokomis
, Earth Day
cleanups of greenspaces, and the distribution of Children First grants.
NENA has only two paid employees. The rest of the organization is made up of volunteers who live in the neighborhood. This includes the association's many committees, which each focus on different areas for improvement. Additionally, a board oversees the operations of the group.
The neighborhood association hosts 6 to 10 town meetings per year. These have included meetings with property developers and discussions about significant neighborhood happenings, such as the renovation of the Nokomis Community Library
. In April or May, NENA usually hosts a neighborhood meeting to update the public on its affairs and those of the neighborhood, and deliver its annual report. The 2008 neighborhood meeting featured state senator
Patricia Torres Ray
as the keynote speaker
.
On December 30, the neighborhood association holds a 'Night Before New Year's Eve' Celebration with family games, music, crafts and horse-drawn hayride
s. New Year's is celebrated at 8:00pm, instead of midnight.
or Lake Nokomis. One such story, released in 2006, supposed that bull shark
s had been pushed up the Mississippi River
and into the Minnehaha Creek after hurricanes Katrina
and Rita
. The story was picked up by online forums, websites and word of mouth, and at one point was averaging almost 1,000 views a day.
Neighborhood association
A neighborhood association is a group of residents or property owners who advocate for or organize activities within a neighborhood. An association may have elected leaders and voluntary dues....
serving the Nokomis East
Nokomis East
Nokomis East is a group of neighborhoods in the southeastern corner of Minneapolis, Minnesota. It consists of four neighborhoods: Keewaydin, Minnehaha, Morris Park and Wenonah. Nokomis East contains two schools, the Nokomis Community Library, and a post office. On its western edge is Lake...
neighborhoods of South Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Nokomis East area consists of four smaller neighborhoods; Wenonah, Keewaydin, Morris Park, and Minnehaha.
History and actions
Nokomis East Neighborhood was established in about 1988 with the goal of revitalizing and improving the neighoborhood. In 1998, the association voted and ratified, and was approved, to be the recipient of Nokomis East's Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) funds.The neighborhood association has been responsible for many different projects and programs ranging from neighborhood planning to environment to housing to safety. These have included a commercial facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
improvement program, tree planting along the Minnehaha Creek and Lake Nokomis
Lake Nokomis
Lake Nokomis is one of several lakes in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The lake was originally named Lake Amelia in honor of Captain George Gooding’s daughter, Amelia, in 1819. Its current name was adopted in 1910 to honor Nokomis, grandmother of Hiawatha...
, Earth Day
Earth Day
Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the...
cleanups of greenspaces, and the distribution of Children First grants.
NENA has only two paid employees. The rest of the organization is made up of volunteers who live in the neighborhood. This includes the association's many committees, which each focus on different areas for improvement. Additionally, a board oversees the operations of the group.
Events
Nokomis Community Library
Nokomis Community Library is one of 41 branch libraries in the Hennepin County Library System. Formerly, it was part of the Minneapolis Public Library System as it is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.-History:...
. In April or May, NENA usually hosts a neighborhood meeting to update the public on its affairs and those of the neighborhood, and deliver its annual report. The 2008 neighborhood meeting featured state senator
Minnesota Senate
The Minnesota Senate is the upper house in the Minnesota Legislature. There are 67 members, half as many as are in the Minnesota House of Representatives. In terms of membership, it is the largest upper house of any state legislature. Each Senate district in the state includes an A and B House...
Patricia Torres Ray
Patricia Torres Ray
Patricia Torres Ray is a Minnesota politician and a member of the Minnesota Senate who represents District 62, which includes portions of southeastern Minneapolis in Hennepin County, which is in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.A Democrat, Ray succeeded the retiring Wes Skoglund in 2007...
as the keynote speaker
Keynote
A keynote in literature, music, or public speaking establishes the principal underlying theme. In corporate or commercial settings, greater importance is attached to the delivery of a keynote speech or keynote address...
.
On December 30, the neighborhood association holds a 'Night Before New Year's Eve' Celebration with family games, music, crafts and horse-drawn hayride
Hayride
A hayride, also known as a hayrack ride, is a pleasure ride in an open truck, wagon or sleigh which has been decorated with hay or straw and similar farmlife paraphernalia...
s. New Year's is celebrated at 8:00pm, instead of midnight.
April Fool's stories
Every April Fool's Day, fictitious stories written as news articles are posted on the NENA website. Usually, they involve local topics, such as the Hiawatha Light Rail LineHiawatha Line
The Hiawatha Line is a light rail corridor in Hennepin County, Minnesota that extends from downtown Minneapolis to the southern suburb of Bloomington. It was formerly known as the Hiawatha Line named after Hiawatha Avenue. Major connections on the line include the Minneapolis-St...
or Lake Nokomis. One such story, released in 2006, supposed that bull shark
Bull shark
The bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, also known as Zambezi shark or unofficially known as Zambi in Africa and Nicaragua shark in Nicaragua, is a shark common worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in rivers...
s had been pushed up the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
and into the Minnehaha Creek after hurricanes Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
and Rita
Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico. Rita caused $11.3 billion in damage on the U.S. Gulf Coast in September 2005...
. The story was picked up by online forums, websites and word of mouth, and at one point was averaging almost 1,000 views a day.