Letters to the Editor

Many, if not most, of the good things that happen in the Powderhorn Park Neighborhood are the result of volunteer efforts. The Healthy Powderhorn Farmer’s Market was one of the best things that has happened in the Powderhorn Neighborhood during the 12 years I have lived here. An initiative of the Wellness Center and the Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association, it was a wonderful neighborhood gathering place and a magnificent source of good food and entertainment. It was also very dependent on volunteer efforts to maintain its existence. Sadly, that effort has dwindled to the point that the Healthy Powderhorn Market will not be back this year.

Fortunately, thanks to a relatively new collaboration between the Minneapolis Farmer’s Market and seven South Minneapolis neighborhood organizations, including Powderhorn, all is not lost. The Midtown public market will open its second season in mid-July. While perhaps not as convenient for many Powderhorn residents as our previous market, the Midtown Market is still close by at the intersection of Lake Street and Hiawatha, adjacent to the midtown YWCA. Similarly, it is also a good source of excellent locally grown food, crafts, and entertainment and a wonderful neighborhood gathering place.

The idea for the Midtown Market came out of neighborhood planning for the 2004 opening of the Hiawatha Light Rail Line. Excitement for the line has brought together a grassroots citizen’s movement to create a public space to celebrate the diversity and culture of South Minneapolis. The market is largely volunteer operated so there are many ways that volunteers can be involved both in promotional and fund-raising efforts as well as on days the market is open.

The regular season of the market will run from July 10 through October 30, 2004. Market days are Tuesday afternoons and Saturday mornings. For more information, please visit the market web site at www.midtownpublicmarket.org. To get involved, please contact Joanna Stone at the Corcoran Neighborhood Association at 612-724-7457 or myself at 612-722-1080.

Sincerely,
Phyllis Reames
Minneapolis