Kingfield Neighborhood Association

KFNA is thankful for Active (and Activist!) Neighbors

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Kingfield Neighbor Michael Vanderford took the time to attend the City of Minneapolis Budget Hearing and testify to the value of all 82 neighborhood associations’ role in creating a safer and more connected city.  Here is what he said:

 ” I am Michael Vanderford, 4154 Blaisdell Avenue, 8th Ward, Kingfield Neighborhood. 

 I ask that you support an amendment to the 2023-2024 City Budget proposal to comply with the City Council’s resolution of May 25, 2019, assuring “Base Funding” of $25,000 per year to the 85 neighborhood organizations. [approved by the Council (including an “Aye” vote from Andrea Jenkins), and approved and signed by Mayor Jacob Frey, on May 22, 2022.] 

Your 2023-24 Budget proposal sounds a death knell for the City’s neighborhood organizations such as my Kingfield Neighborhood Association. The City’s 85 neighborhood organizations can’t operate on the $10,000 administrative base funding in the current budget proposal. The current Budget proposal also defaults on the City Council’s, and the Mayor’s, Resolution 2019R-153, copies which are distributed to each of you. On the tabbed 2nd page, the Council and Mayor commit to: “The minimum neighborhood base funding allocation will be $25,000.”  Your budget proposal cuts this to $10K each. 

So What? Why is this important? Because you are killing one of the City’s best investments in public safety.

An example is that after 15 years of Christine Kreitz’s murder (1985) at ML King Park by gang violence, it was still hard to get families from the neighborhood to come to King Park. There was still a strong feeling that it wasn’t a safe place to bring your kids. The Kingfield Neighborhood Association Executive Director turned this around, starting in 2002, by recruiting volunteers, the ML King Park Director, and NRP funds to establish the “Little Kickers” soccer program at ML King. 20+ years later, we have 175 kids and their families gathering every Wednesday evening in the summer, playing silly games with soccer balls. 

If you fail to keep your Resolution 2019R-153 commitment to neighborhood organization base administrative funding, such community safety efforts cannot continue.” 

Those of you that know Michael might know him as the volunteer that has led the above-mentioned Little Kicker’s soccer program at MLK Park since 2002. Clearly good ideas don’t go very far without dedicated and determined volunteers! We are thankful for Michael’s activism to speak directly the City Council on KFNA and other neighborhood groups behalf, and for his twenty-year commitment to the Little Kickers program.

Did you have fun at the Kingfield Polling Party Yesterday? We did!

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2226 neighbors came out to vote at MLK Park yesterday and wowza!, was it fun  to see you all! We caught up on so much news, met so many new neighbors, and has the entire day to listen to neighborhood concerns and also plan for new projects. Thanks to the neighbors that helped staff the tents, tend the crosswalk, and provide the treats…and also to Butter Bakery Cafe for the delicious coffee, tea, and cocoa!

Please consider volunteering at the next Kingfield Polling Party at MLK Park on Tuesday November 8th. We will need even more volunteers to staff the third tent AND to keep the fire pits burning (yes, it will likely be colder that day than it was yesterday!)

You will be able to sign up to help starting in September–just watch the Kingfield eNews for the registration link! Not receiving the eNews? Well, sign up for it at www.kingfield.org!


Get Involved with Gardening for Good in Kingfield & Lyndale!

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Want to grow stuff in your neighborhood? Want to learn from master gardeners how to do it? There are multiple options to work and learn alongside some of Minneapolis’ finest gardeners in our own local gardens and these two sites also donate everything they grow to local food shelves!

 

MLK Donation Garden Weekly Workshops & Workdays / Every Tuesday 5:30-6:30 (including August 9, 16, & 23) / 4055 Nicollet, north end of Park Building at the raised beds

Now almost a decade old, the mission of the MLK Donation Garden is to connect neighbors and grow food for our community. Neighbors and Master Gardeners gather every Tuesday to tend the vegetable gardens on the northern side of the Recreation Center and discuss a weekly topic. The food we grow is donated to The Aliveness Project (located at 3808 Nicollet), but the knowledge you go home with is yours to keep!

Pillsbury Farm Community Workday /Saturday August 13th, 10am-12pm / 3110 Pillsbury Avenue

Pillsbury Farm is also currently experiencing a Master Gardener take-over! This group of six individuals have gone through a garden training program with the University of Minnesota Extensions; they are now completing their community project by maintaining Pillsbury Farm and growing food for local food shelves. Here are  some  photos  from  Pillsbury  Farm  in  May  2022  and  in  July!

 

It’s a Polling Party!

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Come to vote, stay for the lemonade and community chatter!

All Day Tuesday August 9 at MLK Park!

Organized by the Kingfield Neighborhood Association and supported with fresh coffee and cool hibiscus tea by Butter Bakery!

As you know, Kingfield has a great voting tradition, and the Kingfield Neighborhood Association hosts an outdoor polling party at MLK Park to greet neighbors with beverages and treats generously donated by area businesses and neighbors throughout the day while the polls are open. All of Kingfield (and Kingfield only) votes at MLK Park, so it is a great day to bump elbows with neighbors.

Even though it’s a state primary, we expect over 1000 Kingfield neighbors to come to MLK Park on August 9th to vote, and we’d love your help in welcoming them!

Please sign up to bake or greet August 9th! See available shifts and roles here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0849a8a62ea1fe3-20221

New to Kingfield Neighborhood but want to vote? The primary election takes place on August 9th and every person that lives in Kingfield votes at MLK Park, 4055 Nicollet. You can find out if you are currently registered to vote at the MN Secretary of State website. You can also register to vote in-person at your polling place on Election Day. The Kingfield Neighborhood Association, your most local place-based nonprofit!, will have super vouchers at the ready if you are a new resident and need help verifying your address. Just stop by the Polling Party tent and ask for assistance.

Please plan to stop by the Kingfield Polling Party at either tent outside MLK Park, all day August 9 and meet the Kingfield Neighborhood Association and enjoy a cup of lemonade and a treat as a thank you for voting!

Nicollet Pop-Off #2: Sustainably Small @40th with the Kingfield Farmers Market

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Sunday August 7th, 8:30am-1pm at the Kingfield Farmers Market, 4055 Nicollet

Come celebrate National Farmer’s Market week at the Kingfield Farmers’ Market; find us in the parking lot of MLK Park!
This second Nicollet pop-off event of the summer features a variety of fun events including:

  • marketplace yoga (8:30-9:30 AM);
  • live music by a Kingfield PorchFest local duo, Sweet Armadillo;
  • a cooking demo from locally acclaimed Young Man Chef;
  • a kid’s scavenger hunt with fun prizes;
  • and a chance to share your hopes and challenges with KFNA about Nicollet Avenues culture, traffic, and new opportunities due to the eventual moving of Kmart!

Simultaneously get your shopping for the week done and support local vendors! All activities are free.

Questions? Contact  or call 612-824-9402.