Hi everyone,
Thank you all so much for your incredible support! We have officially crossed the 100-signature mark.
The majority of our early support came from Nextdoor. That initial wave of local neighbor-to-neighbor sharing really got the momentum going!
Recently, there's been a shift in how new people are finding us. While we are still seeing activity on neighborhood boards, platform promotions on Change.org have now become our top drivers of new signatures. It is amazing to see our reach expand beyond our immediate community.
What’s next? This petition has been sent to the current MPS Board Members, the Mayor, our District's State House of Representatives member and our District's City Council Member. I will also be sending this petition to all of the candidates running for the MPS School Board, they need to know that this is a crucial issue to us voters this coming fall. It doesn't look like any of the current Board Members or Council Member Chowdhury are going to budge on this issue. So it is very important for everyone to vote this fall!
I did hear from our district 5 Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board representative, Kay Carvajal Moran She was very concerned about the possibility of the "enclosed playground" not being available to the neighborhood children during off-school hours. There have been mixed messages online as to whether or not the playground would be open to the community. She is going to reach out to the MPS Board and the designers of the plans. She will work to get an "Umbrella Shared Use Agreement" between the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board (MPRB) and Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS). This governs the cooperative use, maintenance, and programming of shared park spaces. This is a protective measure to ensure the well-being of our neighborhood kids, just in case this environmentally irresponsible and fiscally reckless plan actually makes it through city zoning and financing.
As our signature count grows, our voice becomes harder for decision-makers to ignore. But we can't stop here. Please take 30 seconds to share this petition with 3 friends or family members on your social media accounts. Every single share brings us closer to our goal!
Longfellow Community Council 's Equitable Development Committee (EDC) does meet (via zoom) the 1st Wed of each month to review and discuss ongoing and upcoming development projects in the Greater Longfellow area through the lens of equity; meet with developers and planners, and take action on supported projects, including infrastructure projects. There is a meeting next week. I would assume that they will discuss the Cooper Park issue. Here is the Zoom link:
Wednesday, July 1 6:00 – 7:00pm
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87459315081notes
And don't forget the Longfellow Community Council 's Equitable Development Committee (EDC) is hosting The MPS Board on July 8th, 6pm at Sanford Middle School 3524 42nd Ave, MPLS