Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Harvest Days
Seward Longfellow
Restorative Justice
Partnership
A 10th Anniversary!
Seward Montessori
SPOKES Biking
Keep on moving!
Published by
The Seward Neighborhood Group
Minneapolis, MN 55406
Seward Neighborhood Group will hold its Annual Meeting on Wednesday evening, November
5th at Matthews Community Center. In addition to the traditional community potluck supper,
silent auction, and time to socialize,
SNG will report on the highlights of its
2014 program year. Elections for the
SNGs Board of Directors will also be held.
Mark your calendars now to save the date.
Everyone who lives, works, or owns property in Seward can become a member of
SNG simply by signing up at the Annual
Meeting. Although the organization always
welcomes financial support, membership
in SNG is free. For more information
about SNG, the Annual Meeting, or serving on the Board of Directors, contact Kerry Cashman, SNGs Community Coordinator, at 612-338-6205 or e-mail kerry@sng.org.
Write on!
10 Years Strong!
by Michele Braley
Seward Longfellow
Restorative Justice Partnership
This Fall marks 10 years since Seward Longfellow Restorative Justice Partnership hired its
first paid staff. SLRJP was created out of the vision of Seward and Longfellow residents with
the support of Longfellow Community Council and Seward Neighborhood Group. After hearing about the concept of restorative justice in various ways residents wanted to bring these
ideas to Seward and Longfellow to support neighborhood youth who had begun to go down
the wrong path..
SLRJP receives referrals from the Minneapolis Police Department and Hennepin County
Attorneys office of juveniles arrested for shoplifting, theft, property damage and other
low-level offenses. Using a restorative conference process, the youth, parents, those directly
impacted, and community members engage in a conversation to explore the harm caused and to develop an agreement with the youth to
repair the harm. Rebecca Miller, Longfellow resident and one of the founders of the program, shared this reflection about her involvement
as a conference facilitator:
Restorative conferences are a place for healing, a place for transformation.
Facilitators guide the conversation - asking questions & keeping everyone focused on the issue; everyone else
does the real work. Some people think this is easy for the person who harmed someone. It is not!
Connections are made that are not part of our everyday life. Nearly every time it feels a little bit like magic.
It's good for all of us, but especially good for kids. That is the kind of neighborhood I want to live in.
Through the restorative process, teens make plans to repair the harm in meaningful ways. A teen who damaged property with graffiti
returned to the building to repair the damage. Teens who were involved in thefts or damage to bicycles gave some of their time to SPOKES,
Sewards bike and walk center. After stealing from their classmates or teachers, students participated in restorative conferences with those
harmed and contemplated the impact of their actions to the classroom, the school environment and to themselves. This learning helps
young people grow into caring adults, as reflected by this teen on an evaluation,
This experience has made me look at the actions that I do.
And they impact many more people than you think when you did it or afterwards.
Since our first referral for an incident of graffiti, 163 youth have completed the program, giving almost 200 apologies to those harmed,
contributing over 900 hours of volunteer service to the community and returning$6,600 in financial restitution to victims. Forty adult
volunteers give over 500 hours to the program each year .Joey Brochin, Seward resident and one of the founders of SLRJP says about
restorative justice,
It is more than crime and punishment; it is an opportunity for redemption and healing. People change. Thats powerful.
Become a community voice Anyone who has a stake in 55406 can participate in
restorative conferences. This is your opportunity to speak about how crime impacts our
community, and help decide how the youth will repair the harm.
Become a conference facilitator After a fun and powerful 2 day training you are
paired with a more experienced facilitator as you learn the conference process. Facilitator
training is offered in the Spring and Fall.
Help us get connected We are available to speak to any interested groups or individuals.
For more information or to discuss ways to get involved, contact Michele Braley,
Program Manager at michele@sng.org or 612-338-6205 x108.
Beginning later this fall, Seward residents will notice increased activity at
the already bustling Seward Montessori school as the school update and
expansion project begins.
Introducing Kate:
Discover all
that is Seward at
www.sng.org
by Bruce Johansen*
Even if youre a regular reader of the Twin Cities Daily Planet, you might not realize that the local online news source is headquartered
at 26th & Franklin Avenue in Seward, OR that it offers affordable classes on a range of subjects reporting, blogging, social media,
photography, videoopen to anyone, OR that you can easily become a
contributor.
The Daily Planet, along with its parent nonprofit, the Twin Cities Media
Alliance, was founded in 2005 by a group of media activists, including
executive director, Jeremy Iggers, who recognized that the digital revolution
was creating unprecedented opportunities for new brands of peoplepowered journalism that would showcase voices, stories and perspectives mostly absent in traditional, mainstream media.
Since that time, the Daily Planet has received recognition for covering stories that no one else covers, including
breaking the story of the reasons behind the University of Minnesotas cancelation of the screening of the film
Troubled Waters. Its also become a leading source of affordable media and communications classes and trainings
for area residents, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations. Currently the Media Alliance is working with a
group of Phillips Family Foundation grantees, and staff of the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association, and Praxis
International.
This summer the Planet entered a new chapter, as editor Mary Turck stepped down after seven years in the job. Kristoffer Tigue, who had
been reporting and serving as an editorial assistant since 2011, took over in July, leading a team comprised of community engagement
editor, Cirien Saadeh, and editorial assistants Paige Elliott, Luce Guillen-Givins, Andrea Parrott and Morgan Halaska.
Another big change: the Daily Planet, which subleases from Triangle Park Creative in the Wells Fargo Bank, moved into a new and improved
office space in the same building. Editor Tigue plans to make himself readily available to writers at the new office.
As all of these changes were underway, the Media Alliances slate of classes and trainingsmany held at its office and The Common Table
in the former St. Martins Table space in Cedar-Riversidewas growing as well.
This fall, look for several series of workshops, including one aimed at community organizers, another, an intro to popular social media
platforms, and a third, tentatively titled, Lifting Your Voice: The Power to Tell Your Story on Your Terms. The latter is being planned by a
group that includes: Lissa Jones, of KMOJs Urban Agenda and the Minnesota African American History Museum and Cultural Center,
photographer Wing Young Huie, Kyle Tran Myhre, the award-winning hip hop and spoken word artist better known as Guante, and
Youthprise artist-in-residence, Nancy Musinguzi, among others.
Also coming this fall: monthly Social Media Clinics, drop-ins where you can get answers
to all of your questions from social media whiz, Marcos Lopez-Carlson; regularly scheduled
Newsroom Cafes, an opportunity to meet with editors, share story ideas and maybe take on
an assignment or two; classes being co-organized with the Twin Cities Photography Group
and St. Paul Neighborhood Network.
*Full disclosure: Bruce Johansen is programs manager for the Twin Cities Media Alliance,overseeing
classes, trainings, and community engagement activities.
Learn more about the Twin Cities Daily Planet and Twin Cities Media Alliance at
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net and http://tcmediaalliance.org, or stop by the office
at 2600 E. Franklin Avenue.
From left:
Jeremy Iggers,
Kristoffer Tigue,
Luce Guillen-Givins,
Andrea Parrott,
Paige Elliott.
Not pictured:
Cirien Saadeh,
Morgan Halaska,
Bruce Johansen.
Plan on partaking in great appetizers and beer at Town Hall Brewery on the
West Bank (1430 Washington Avenue). Sample the five beers brewed at Town
Hall. $25 in advance, $35 at the door. For tickets or additional information,
contact kerry@sng.org or info@spokesconnect.org.
Fun(d)Raiser
Are Seward Yards:
Bee Friendly
by Khiara Foss and Carol Greenwood
Check out the Spring edition of the Profile to find out more information
about impacts on bees, who's helping bees, and ways to make your yard
more Bee Friendly.
FALL RIDES
bike-walk-connect
SPOKES
EVERY WEEK
Volunteer Night
bike-walk-connect
No experience needed; a variety of volunteer jobs to
do
Thursdays. Come any time between 5 PM and 9 PM
SPOKES
Hub Store - Great used bikes for sale, plus accessories and parts
Wednesdays, 5 PM to 9 PM Saturdays, 10 AM to 5 PM
EVERY MONTH
BIKE MAINTENANCE
Wheel Truing
Tuesday August 26th, 6-7:30pm
Earn-A-Bike
October 7, 14, 21, 28 Tuesday evenings
6 PM to 9 PM
November 15, 22 / December 6, 13
Saturday mornings
9 AM -12 NOON
BIKE EVENTS!!
In the know
MICHELE BRALEY
Seward Longfellow Restorative Justice Program Manager
michele@sng.org 612-338-6205, x108
KATE SHELDON, Administrative Assistant
kate@sng.org
SNG has updated welcome kits to pass out to new neighbors. If you have
new neighbors on your block stop by SNG at 2323 East Franklin Avenue and
pick up a kit. This is an easy way to stop by and meet your new neighbors.
Discover all
that is Seward at
www.sng.org
Stay connected!
Donate!
ewriter