Kingfield Neighborhood Association

Helping Panhandlers and Homeless Persons – 2019 Update

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Have you ever wondered what you can do to help someone that is panhandling? Who should you call if you are worried about someone sleeping in a car? When the temperature plummets and winter arrives, or in the heat of the summer when temperatures soar, who can people experiencing homelessness turn to when they need help finding a safe place to stay? Call The Outreach Team!

The St. Stephen’s Street Outreach Team helps people experiencing homelessness find the housing and services they need to end their homelessness and improve their lives. They serve people experiencing homelessness who sleep outside, in their cars, abandoned buildings, and in other places not meant for human habitation. They also provide drop-in hours for clients Monday through Friday between the hours of 9am and 11am. Teams of two canvass the streets from 9am to 9pm Tuesday through Friday and Monday and Saturday from 9am to 5pm. The Team connects people to available rental housing, supportive housing, community resources, emergency shelters, drop-in centers, food shelves, and meal sites. For those that who cannot find suitable shelter, St. Stephen’s Human Services provides emergency gear, builds their trust by checking on their welfare, and helps them to find safe housing and the services needed to stay in their housing.

What can you do if you are worried about someone who may be homeless or is panhandling and they approach you?
Acknowledge the person (smile, nod, say hello, or wish them the best).
If you are comfortable speaking to them, give them information about the Street Outreach Team.
Call the Outreach Team and leave a message anytime at 612-879-7624 (Put this number in your cell phone!)
The Team is available Tuesday-Friday: 9am-9pm, and Monday & Saturday: 9am-5pm
Assess safety of the situation: Is this person an immediate danger to themselves or others? If so, call 911 immediately.

Want more information? Go to http://ststephensmpls.org

Kingfield PorchFest Registration Opens Today, May Day 2019!

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June 20, 6-9 PM at a local porch near you!

For anyone new to the neighborhood or has been asleep the past few years and is wondering, “What the heck is PorchFest?” PorchFest is an evening of community all wrapped up in the sounds of summer. On this single summer evening, Kingfield musicians will perform acoustic music outdoors at their respective homes, or at neighbor’s porch or yard, while others stroll through the neighborhood, enjoying the sounds. This event regularly features over 50 musical performances on about 3 dozen Kingfield stages.

Got a band? Follow the link and register to play! Have a nice wide front porch or a flat front yard? Follow the kink and sign up as a potential host!

Have questions? Just contact KFNA Executive Director Sarah Linnes-Robinson at sarah@kingfield.org.

Bright Lights Bumming You Out?

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Kingfield, there has been a lot of talk about the new LED street lamps owned by Xcel Energy being a wee bit bright.  KFNA is compiling a photo file to prove this point.  Please send a regular photo (jpeg) of the offending fixtures and the light they cast to info@kingfield.org. Please include a description of the location of the light fixture as well.

Thank you!

*****

Besides this action please also take the following 2 actions:

  1. The lights being replaced do not belong to the City they belong to Xcel. Call Xcel Energy Customer Care at 1-800-895-4999 or visit https://www.xcelenergy.com/outages_and…/report_outage (if you go to the website continue as if it is an outage and leave comments in the box at the bottom describing the issue with a new bulb on a pole.) Xcel will send a team out within 3-5 business days to try and solve the issue including changing the angle or adding a shield. I would recommend that you request a shield so that the bulb doesn’t get tilted and go across the street into your neighbor’s home.  I have heard Xcel is backordered on shields so will try and angle the light first. If it doesn’t work, please contact them again. You can include your phone number in the comments and ask that the outdoor team contact you to discuss solutions & notify you when the work is done. this would be important, especially if after they do the work you can’t see a difference.
  2. Call the 8th Ward office at 612-673.2208 and speak with staff or leave a message that you are unhappy with the new fixtures.  The City needs to know if citizens are unhappy with the “amenity” that Xcel is installing throughout the entire City.  While the fixture may meet the energy efficiency and dark sky goals of the City, we have also been told the City was not presented with an example or a menu of lighting options to select from.

 

Snow Emergency Rules and Information 2/12/2019

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On Tuesday, February 12, 2019, the City of Minneapolis declared a Snow Emergency.

Day 1 Rules:
No parking on Snow Emergency routes 9 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Don’t get towed. Learn the complete Snow Emergency rules on where to park.
Please use this link to get more information: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/snow/index.htm

Also, please remember to shovel your sidewalks and around your garbage carts.

If you have questions, call the snow emergency news hotline – 612-348-SNOW (7669).

Avoid the cost and hassle of a ticket and tow during a Snow Emergency. The new and improved Minneapolis Snow Emergency app tells you if a Snow Emergency has been declared and puts all the parking rules right in the palm of your hand. The app tells you where you can and can’t park on Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 of a Snow Emergency to help you avoid a ticket and a tow. It also features a quick call button that connects you with the Minneapolis Snow Emergency Hotline, and buttons to sign up for email/text alerts or visit the City’s website.

Expecting a package?

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Take steps to make sure you receive what you ordered!

Every year around the holidays, there is an increase in packages ordered online and delivered to homes. This also can come with an increase in thefts when the packages are left unattended outside. Victims usually report the theft to their shippers so the police department may not know the extent of these thefts.

Doorstep delivery can be a crime of opportunity. It could be someone following a delivery truck or it could be someone who happens to be in the area and sees a package delivered.

In looking at the most frequently used delivery services, here are some suggestions the shippers made.

    • Ship the package to a location where you know someone will be available to receive it. Consider selecting the “signature required” option.
    • Send any FedEx package directly to a FedEx Office location near you or choose from several delivery options. You can have it held for pickup at one of the stations. You can go to www.fedex.com to find the nearest location or call 1-800-GO-FEDEX.
    • UPS also has stores that a package can be routed to and have several options for delivery choices. Their information is www.UPS.com or 1-800-PICK-UPS.
    • The United States Postal Service has a number of ways to track and secure safe delivery for your packages. You have options on how you want the package delivered as well as tracking and insuring the package. Many of their tips are similar to UPS and FedEx. More info: www.usps.com

As neighbors, if you see something suspicious such as a person picking up a package off your neighbor’s front step or a car following a delivery van, please call 911 immediately.

If you are a victim of this crime, please contact 311 or file a police report online. If you have suspect information, call 911. Depending on who was set to deliver your package, you can also file a mail theft complaint through the US Postal Inspection Service (go.usa.gov/x8WjE), file a lost package through UPS (goo.gl/AZc7IY), or file a claim through FedEx (goo.gl/p2NGL0). If you used another carrier, check with them on what you need to do in order to file a report for a lost or stolen item.

For further crime prevention resources, please visit:   http://minneapolismn.gov/police/crimeprevention/index.htm

Kingfield PorchFest Sponsors

  • Locus Architecture
  • The Lowbrow
  • Butter Bakery Cafe
  • Twin Town Guitars