Every month the Folwell Neighborhood Night hosts Neighborhood Night where residents come together to share a meal, get to know each other, and organize around the topics they care about. To learn more about this pilot program, click here.
Below you will find the notes taken from the evening.
August 20, 2018 – Folwell Park
25 participants
5:30-8:15pm
*** Special guests***
- Karyssa Jackson: C Line and Penn Avenue Improvements Project Metro Transit Community Outreach and Engagement
cell: 612-719-7638
Construction Hotline: 612-567-4101
- Danny Lindholm, volunteer for Alliance for Sustainability
Evening started with Agreements. This is the social contract within the room on how to respect the identity of each person.
The group of people present did a round of introductions including the question, “What is a moment that inspired you?” This question was chosen to connect residents to the piece of life that motivates us. For many the answer resided in an interaction with another person. This was noted as a significant piece in what it means to be a connected and relationship based neighborhood.
Next, the group did a quick self assessment activity of “Who is my neighbor?” Each resident was asked to fill out a tic tac toe graph with the names of the neighbors they know. This was intended to reveal how connected you are to the people around you. Neighbors share a unique relationship and invested interest in each other’s lives and well beings. Knowing our neighbors helps keep us strong and safe.
This tied in with piece of inspiration and how people were the dominant force for inspiration. The more connected we are, the more relationships we can build, the stronger we will be.
The group moved to open space, issue/topic based organizing. Residents offered up the topics they wanted to discuss and reason they came. We listed them out on large post its and divided them up into the committees if they fit into one or discussion group if they did not.
Crime and Safety had the largest group and most topics. They included:
- Construction being stopped on Penn Ave due to safety concerns from workers.
- Discussion in the group centered around the safety concerns on Penn. Karyssa from Metro Transit Outreach was at the conversation to give feedback and updates. Construction had been to halted but is back on. Workers have extra security. It was suggested that folks call police when they see something, and/or Transit hotline. Other residents were looking for more direction solutions. Others were frustrated that workers were provided extra security while residents feel ignored.
- Action Items: Bringing the inspector and Council Person to next Neighborhood Night with Metro Transit to discuss the issue and find solutions – Buzzy to coordinate
- Penn Ave Safety Grant will move forward with their community outreach events to foster stronger relationships and organizing ability with the residents on Penn. Visit www.folwell.org calendar for listing of events.
- Neighborhood Connectors are moving their attention to this area to have greater impact in connecting with residents, issues and solutions.
- Discussion in the group centered around the safety concerns on Penn. Karyssa from Metro Transit Outreach was at the conversation to give feedback and updates. Construction had been to halted but is back on. Workers have extra security. It was suggested that folks call police when they see something, and/or Transit hotline. Other residents were looking for more direction solutions. Others were frustrated that workers were provided extra security while residents feel ignored.
- Loud music playing too late into the evening on Penn
- This was discussed as more of a back burner issue.
- Action Item: residents were encouraged to call this in as the legal quiet hour is 10pm.
- This was discussed as more of a back burner issue.
- Memorials on corners and how to honor people’s lives in a healthy and sustainable way.
- This was the beginning of the conversation and needs more time. Some residents are frustrated that death memorials last for years on Light poles and corner posts. The question was, “How can we honor someone’s life who was tragically taken, respect a family’s mourning, and not have dead flowers and balloons on so many corners?”
- Action Item: Folks in that conversation are looking at long term solutions for memorials. Ideas like trees, or benches, or a plaque were mentioned.
- Milike is looking into funding costs and ideas to bring to the next Neighborhood Night.
- This was the beginning of the conversation and needs more time. Some residents are frustrated that death memorials last for years on Light poles and corner posts. The question was, “How can we honor someone’s life who was tragically taken, respect a family’s mourning, and not have dead flowers and balloons on so many corners?”
Folwell Farmer Coalition: Did not meet, and no one had any issues or concerns to discuss. The Chair, Dani was present and available for conversation.
Policy and Engagement: Did not meet, and had no issues brought up. The Chair, Josh was present and available for conversation.
Communication Team: Did not meet, and no one had any issues or concerns to discuss. Team member Christine was present and available for conversation.
C.L.E.A.N: They discussed the success of growing interest and participation in the last neighborhood clean up.
- Residents brought up issues around how much trash is here. Special guest Danny Lindholm discussed a city-wide effort on the part of neighborhood associations named “Litter Be Gone”, scheduled for Oct 4-13.
- Action Item: Our next Follwell CLEAN Sweep will be part of this program.
Nice Ride/Lime stops here in Folwell: Topic brought up by Beryl Ann
- Was discussed in multiple conversations and was confirmed that there might be interest but more research and community engagement will happen before then.
Housing Team: Building relationships with Business/property owners was brought up by a resident but was tabled till next time because the group wanted to participate in the Penn Ave Safety conversation.
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- Mysnikol, the housing chair, was present and available for questions and discussion.
- There are some housing concerns down on Penn that Mysnikol will be looking into.
Fiance Team: Beryl Ann, the chair and treasurer was present and made an announcement that if anyone had questions around the audit or grant or spending, she was there to discuss with them.
- Folwell Bucks (Beryl Ann’s idea) is still being worked on from previous Neighborhood Nights, but volunteer time has gone towards to the audit.
After over an hour of discussion and issue organizing, we regroup and gave our next steps to the large group.
- There are no Board Proposals being prepared for the next Business Meeting.
The evening ends with a group evaluation of the evening in one word. The words given this month were:
Amazing
Informative
Education
Fun
Enthusiasm
Energizing
Inspiring
Community driven
Loud
Neighborly
If you have ideas or questions or concerns around Neighborhood Night, please contact the organizer, Dani at danielle@folwell.org or 612-227-0410
Neighborhood Night is a pilot program of the Folwell Neighborhood Association to increase participation, build relationships and create community power around issue organizing.
