Kingfield Neighborhood Association

Kingfield PorchFest 2022; Coming to a Stage near you on Thursday 6/16/22!

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Look for the signs (30+ of them throughout Kingfield!) Download the map!

Join the event here to see map and follow the band postings!

Kingfield PorchFestFor anyone who missed this event the last the past 8 years and is wondering, “What is the heck is PorchFest?” Well, PorchFest is an evening of music, community, and summer! On a single summer evening, musicians will perform acoustic music at their respective homes or at a porch location donated by a neighbor, while others stroll through the neighborhood, enjoying the sounds and talent of their neighbors.

Sounds cool?  It is!

Plan to join your neighbors in the streets on June 16, and learn how to support the event in the action notice below!

This is Kingfield Neighborhood’s signature event and 1000’s of community members come out to enjoy our amazing neighborhood, which overflows with so much talent. Neighbors can frequently be heard saying “THIS is what I love about Kingfield!”, as they fill the streets while free music fills the air.

Well, now is where you can SHOW your LOVE for PorchFest and keep it, and the Kingfield Neighborhood Association, strong into the future. Donate now and encourage others you know who value this great community and amazing event to also support it!

To Donate to Support PorchFest and KFNA:

Text PorchFest to 44-321 

or

Donate via Venmo @kingfield_kfna

 

 

5th Precinct Community listening session planned to inform search for new Minneapolis police chief

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  • 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 3 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park building, 4055 Nicollet

Community listening sessions are being held in each of the City’s five police precincts will help inform the search process for the next Minneapolis police chief. City Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw, chair of the City Council’s Public Health & Safety Committee, is working with Mayor Jacob Frey’s office and the Mayor’s Police Chief Search Committee on the series of sessions.

The community feedback, guidance and perspective received during these sessions will be an integral piece in the creation of the position profile and will inform the entire search process for the new police chief.

Day 9: Minneapolis Teachers are still on the Strike Line

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Learn more about the ESP’s they are also fighting for in this article by MPR News.

Article by: Elizabeth Shockman, 

…The majority of Minneapolis’ ESPs are people of color and work as special education assistants, associate educators, school success program assistants and child care assistants, among other roles. The starting wage for the lowest paid of these positions is $24,000 per year. The Minneapolis Federation of Teachers is asking the district to raise the starting wage to $35,000 per year. Over half of Minneapolis ESPs have second or third jobs, according to the union.

The district agrees it needs to raise ESP wages, but it is still millions of dollars apart in negotiations from what the union wants. As of Wednesday, the union was asking for a 23 to 44 percent wage bump for ESPs over two years. The district was sticking to a 9 percent wage increase over two years. *(Editor’s NOTE: a large difference in this wage request would be the movement of ESP to full-time salary employees vs the part-time status they currently have. To see details of the MFT/MSP negotiation requests visit the MFT Safe and Stable School site here.

…The Minneapolis NAACP supports the union’s push for higher ESP wages.

“This is unacceptable,” said Minneapolis NAACP president Cynthia Wilson. “Our ESPs need to be paid and our Black teachers need to be retained. Period.”

—Multiple studies have shown that educators of color can improve students’ performance. Black students see academic and graduation gains when paired with Black teachers.

In Minneapolis Public Schools, 63 percent of students are kids of color — closer to the percentage of Minneapolis ESPs than classroom teachers, nearly 80 percent of whom are white.

… The NAACP has a demand for the union, too:  The association wants more protections from layoffs for teachers of color written in the contract.

Childcare Resources During the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT) Strike

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Tuesday March 8th, 2022 is the first day that the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT) and Educational Support Specialists (ESP) Strike in Minneapolis.  

All preK-12 classes are now canceled and families should plan for child care.

MPS will provide emergency child supervision on an extremely limited basis to families with young children for whom child care presents a significant hardship. Beginning on the first day of the strike, families should reach out to their schools for more information if they need emergency child supervision. Pre-registration is not possible and schools do not currently have the information you need – but will if a strike starts.

  • Leonardo’s Basement:
Registration is open for workshops for Minneapolis and Saint Paul families on Tuesday, March 8. All-day (9:30 AM – 3:00 PM) workshops will be offered throughout the strike(s). You will need to register for each day separately, with registration open as soon as we know that schools will not be open the following day. The fee is $85/child/day, and less for families eligible for free and reduced-fee lunch ($30/child/day).
  • Blaisdell YMCA:
The Blaisdell YMCA is offering full-day care, 7am-5:30pm, each day during the strike. They have space for up to 40 children – https://www.ymcanorth.org/child_care__preschool/school_age_care/locations/blaisdell_ymca/school_release_days. $45 per day. So far, care is available for this week through 3/11. If the strike extends, registration will open Thursday after noon for the following week of full-day care needed.
  • Minneapolis Parks

Ten Minneapolis Parks are serving as Hubs and are offering extended hours and services IF a strike happens. 12-3 PM will be for registered participants K-8 grade, and 3-9 PM will be drop in for all youth. The closest parks with this additional programming to Kingfield & Lyndale residents is Bryant Square and Whittier Recreation Centers. Other sites will retain their 3-9 PM programming including YouthLine workers for teen engagement.

Additional Resources:
  • A meal will be provided by Minneapolis Public Schools with one breakfast and one lunch beginning Wednesday March 9 and can be picked up at your school every day the strike continues.
  • School based clinics and mental health services will continue to be available at your school for youth.
  • Varsity athletics will continue but all other after school activities will cease.

Kingfield SOUPer Bowl Sunday was Super Because of You!

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Thank you to the neighbors that cooked, cleaned, organized, shoveled, greeted, and ATE SOUP! It was an amazing day in and outside of Butter Bakery, raising funds to support youth and affordable housing!

Thank you restaurants for sharing your amazing food that fed so many people and helped raise funds for even more!

Thank you volunteers for your time and commitment and flexibility as we figured out the cold, a new set up and location, volunteers being out sick leaving gaps, AND cold technology!

 

Thank you neighbors for coming and supporting this event, supporting youth at Nicollet Square, and supporting KFNA!

Preliminary numbers are good with 260 people taking food to go from outside and 61 dining indoors for a total of 321 tickets. Donations appear to be tracking at that amount which is impressive for the three hour event!

If you have any questions (or tips on what could have been handled better, smoother, more clearly!) feel free to email KFNA directly at