Kingfield Neighborhood Association

KFNA Hosts an All-Day, Election Day, Polling Party on November 3rd—and You’re Invited!

Kingfield Neighborhood Association will host Polling Party tents all day at MLK Park on Election Day November 3rd. Go to https://bit.ly/KFNA2020PollingPartyVolunteers to sign up to volunteer!

Continuing a tradition started in 2012, look for one of two tents outside on the park grounds to stop by and say hello to your neighbors. It’s been harder to connect with our neighbors in 2020, and with Winter looming, it will become even harder. We’ll have coffee and tea on hand for you, so be COVID-safe and bring your own travel mug and stop by for a pick-me-up! Even if you voted early, you can stop by and say hello!

In the August primary, almost 70% of the votes cast were early in-person, or by mail. If that pattern continues, it should be very easy to maintain social distancing throughout the entire day inside the park building and on the park grounds.

We can’t continue our Polling Party tradition without you. Here is what we need:

  • Volunteers to help set-up, staff and strike the tents from 6:15 am – 8:30 pm
  • Volunteer crossing guards at 41st & Nicollet to help neighbors safely cross to and from the polls
  • Firepits dropped off in the morning and picked up at night after they’ve cooled
  • Lots and lots of firewood

Go to https://bit.ly/KFNA2020PollingPartyVolunteers to sign up to volunteer! If you have issues accessing or understanding the form contact .

Whittier/Lyndale Bikeway – Update & Community Conversation

Check out the Facebook Event Page and join the conversation via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85857031809

Join the Kingfield Safe Streets group for a discussion on the City’s proposed Whittier/Lyndale Bikeway. The goal of the project is to enhance the bike connections between several neighborhoods in South Minneapolis and downtown including Kingfield, Lyndale, and Whittier. The project will improve existing bikeways on portions of 1st Avenue South, Blaisdell Avenue South, and 28th Street. Proposed enhancements include a two-way bikeway with curb and bollard protection and crossing improvements for pedestrians. This bikeway is expected to be implemented in 2021.

City of Minneapolis transportation planners, Mike Samuelson and Abdullahi Abdulle, will provide an overview and design update. This is an opportunity to make your voice heard and to provide feedback to ensure this bikeway works for our neighborhood.

MPS School Board Candidate Forum

Watch Live, via Facebook or watch the recorded forum later at www.lwvmpls.org

Format:  In-person* Moderated Q&A with candidates / Hosted by: League of Women Voters 

The following candidates have agreed to participate:

  • Kim Ellison – At Large
  • Michael Dueñes – At Large
  • Sharon El-Amin – District 2
  • Kerry Jo Felder – District 2
  • Christa Mims – District 4
  • Adriana Cerrillo – District 4

*Besides the candidates and studio technicians, the only other individuals in the studio will be LVWMpls members Pam Telleen (moderator), Susan Reinhart & Erin Harvey (question sorters), and Kim Rosenfield (time keeper).

Please Submit Questions in Advance for the Candidates 

Email your question(s) as soon as possible to .  LWVMpls will start sorting questions by subject matter and make a selection to present to candidates during the Forum.

You may also submit questions during the Forum via the LWVMpls Facebook page.

KFNA September 2020 Board Meeting

on Zoom!

KFNA meets monthly and neighbors are welcome to join the conversation. Community Forum starts each meeting where you can bring up an issue or ask a question, or stay for the entire meeting to learn about neighborhood projects and work that the KFNA Board is doing in the community. This month KFNA is discussing community safety.

In the early 1980’s, Minneapolis neighborhood organizations were initiated, in part, as a “crime prevention” strategy; giving geographic communities autonomy and a bit of funding was seen as a way to stabilize communities and prevent urban flight to the suburbs.  “Fighting crime” by neighborhood groups was largely done by educating neighbors about calling 911 and working with community-focused civilian officers, but the real work of  “building safety” was done by our neighborhood non-profits by helping neighbors form block clubs and focused on grassroots engagement.

KFNA recognizes that personal and property crime is felt to be on the rise by some community members and many neighbors are on edge and some feel unsafe. In our current complicated era, and in part due to our complicated beginnings, KFNA wants to hold a community conversation that is “about crime”, but also focused on the safety of our community and the value of people over property. Our goal is to begin the work of creating a vision of a safe community for all our neighbors that takes into account our organizational commitment to anti-racism and justice, and a toolkit for blocks to utilize to make sure all community members feel safe and supported.

Join the KFNA Board on Wednesday September 9 on Zoom, from 7-9 PM to be part of this initial conversation.  Contact to get the Zoom link for this meeting.

Get Out the Vote—a Direct Action “Bucket” Brigade!

Join us for a socially distanced, public event, to move our We Vote at MLK Park yard signs (Bucket Brigade style!) from The Aliveness Project (where they have been stored!) to Butter Bakery Cafe (where they will be staged for distribution!) Join in anywhere on the west side of Nicollet Avenue between the Aliveness Project (3810) and Butter Bakery (3700) and pass signs to the person on your left! Great GOTV photo op, and also a chance to show our voting pride (and see neighbors you have not seen for a long time!)

More info and let us know you are coming via Facebook!

Masks required, gloves recommended! Up to 175 volunteers welcomed to join us! NOTE: Volunteers will be distributing signs to all interested households starting AFTER this date; this is not an event to pick up a sign for your yard. Sign up here if you are interested in having a Get Out the Vote yard sign delivered to you: https://forms.gle/7kxHfy78VqeFoDNC6

Pre-order dinner from Butter (612.521.7401) before you come, as their kitchen closes at 5 PM, or pick up a snack or beverage from their counter which is open until 6 PM and that is when we will finish up!