Skateboarders Alert

Dream it. Design it. Ride it! Bring your boards and ideas for a workshop session with professional skateboarder and lead skate park designer Kanten Russell. The session will be held October 6, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. at the City Public Works Facility – 1351 5th Street NW.

This workshop gives skaters and interested parties the opportunity to talk to the Skate Park Architect, and provide input for the design of the new Bemidji Skate Park. Anyone interested in the new skatepark is encouraged to attend. For additional information contact Bemidji City Parks Director Marcia Larson at 218-333-1860.

How to Turn $1 into $138? Give it to a Non-Profit

Non-profits provide great benefit to our communities and this study by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy quantifies their impact. The comprehensive study of 15 Minnesota non-profits shows that for every dollar that foundations invest in the organizing and advocacy work of non-profits, there is a return on investment of $138 for communities.

The report went on to say that grantmakers can achieve the greatest return on investments by following these recommendations:

1. Increase the percentage of grant dollars devoted to advocacy, community organizing and civic engagement.
2. Engage board members and donors in dialogue about how advocacy and organizing can help a grantmaking institution achieve its long-term goals.
3. Strengthen peer learning and strategizing about advocacy and organizing.
4. Engage nonprofit partners in strategic planning and grantmaking process of foundations.
5. Apply a racial equity lens to grantmaking.
6. Provide general operating support and multiyear grants.

These are all important recommendations, but having foundations pay attention to number six would make a huge difference for non-profits who struggle to fund their operating expenses every year. Let's hope that the message is heard by foundations across the state.

Downtown Changes

Changes are coming for the huge expanse of asphalt at the Pamida site in downtown Bemidji. The property has been subdivided into two parcels and the north 2/3 of the site will be redeveloped with a 2-storefront building. I'm not sure of the timeline for the redevelopment, but the Joint Planning office has received a preliminary plan for a structure on the site.

At first blush, the site plan does not appear to provide space for the Farmer's Market. As BemidjiMike notes in his blog post this week, having the market downtown is a real asset.
The City Engineer, Craig Gray and I have made comments on the preliminary plan, but it will be the Joint Planning Office that reviews the plan for compliance with the zoning ordinance. Craig's comments were centered around the stormwater management on the site and street access. I had a variety of comments and concerns including parking for Pamida, access onto Paul Bunyan Dr, landscaping, and parkland dedication, (which is required with this commercial lot division).

It will be interesting to see how the plan develops.

Weekly Bits from the City Newsletter 9-11-09

Get an update on the environmental clean-up at the event center, a list of the recently inspected rental units in Bemidji and the construction activity report for the month. It's all in this week's city manager's newsletter, available on the city of Bemidji's website.

Public art--what's that?

Have you ever noticed the terrazzo floor inside the entrance at the Bemidji high school? The design was installed as part of the public art that was included in the publicly financed building. The Bemidji Regional Event Center will have a public art component too.

A committee of artists has been working with the City's consultant, Forecast Public Art to define where the art can be incorporated into the building and what the process will be to select the artists. The committee has chosen two areas for art that will give the most impact--the terrazzo floor and a suspended art piece--maybe a light--at the entrance. The Request for Qualifications will be sent to a selected list of artists (developed by Forecast). The committee has also added names of area artists to the list.

Interested artists will have until Sept. 8 to respond to the request and then the committee will narrow the list to six artists--three in each category. Selected artists will receive a $1,000 stipend to sketch or create a model of their idea, which will be presented to the committee for the final artist selections.

Who's Got Time to Blog!?

So-- there are so many other things to do in summer than work at the computer. Besides the usual summer fun, here's a pictorial of some of the things that are keeping me from blogging.

A wedding to plan!


Moving my son's family into a new house

Keeping track of my soon-to-be 85 year-old Dad

Twins game

First grandbaby--a beautiful teeny tiny girl!


Small town celebrations--Big Falls 4th of July

Bobby Vee

Vegetable garden


Flower garden


Dragon boats


Fair flowers--five firsts, three seconds and one grand champion!


Friday nights at the Paul Bunyan Playhouse


Daughter's new house (a foreclosure bargain that needs TLC)


A baby shower


Invitations for a bridal shower


And of course, trying to stay employed

Weekly Bits from the City Newsletter 7-31-09

Learn about activities in the City parks, a request for development proposals for the South Shore and former MnDOT sites and upgrades underway at the Waste Water Treatment Facility in this week's newsletter.

The newsletter is a mix of news and information from department heads who contribute updates, a list of upcoming meetings and various correspondence and sundry announcements.