Photo By John Hoff Active and involved NoMi residents and businesses continue to hop aboard the We Watch, We Call movement. Recently, the group started its own Facebook group, click here for a link.
Some days ago, while I was driving a truck all over the United States and settling in for the night in Missouri (I think) I received a call from the owner of North End Do It Best hardware. He told me...
The signs are available free at his store, click here for location information, and asked me to do a blog post publicizing that fact. And though it took me a couple days (because the Koenig family has been working extra hard to screw over North Minneapolis through their massive slumification counter-insurgency effort) today I got around to the task first thing in the morning.
By the way, I love North End Hardware just because it is in North Minneapolis, and the service is friendly, and their location on Penn Ave. N. allows me to take a detour and call 911 on any prostitutes I see in the area of 27th and Penn.
By the way, what's UP with that? Why do the constant complaints of residents never seem to coalesce into enough political capital to get the hookers off Penn Ave. N. once and for all? I'm just saying.
Maybe the signs should say We Watch, We Call, We Drive Around So We Can Watch And Call Even More.
Addendum: Word reaches me the signs are also available free at 42nd Ave. Station.
And, as always, the signs are available at the Folwell Neighborhood Office at 1206 37th Ave. N., open 9-4 M-F.
And, as always, the signs are available at the Folwell Neighborhood Office at 1206 37th Ave. N., open 9-4 M-F.
15 comments:
Maybe it's the same reason your Hawthorn Crossings griping hasn't had any effect either. Meaning.. it's bigger problems than just who has enough political power to get some action.
a) North End Hardware ROCKS. Not only are they a great old-style hardware store, but they're a great old-style hardware store with deep roots in OUR community. A lot of these hardware stores are going out of business all around the city--we're lucky to have North End and we should support them! They're one of the reasons the Northside feels like a small town in a lot of ways. (Also, unlike the various meat-tastic restaurants on Broadway, I can actually patronize this business :) )
b) regardless of what Anon 11:28 wants to believe, reporting suspicious behavior does have an effect. someone recently asked me "what percentage of your little neighborhood "missions" have been successful." looking back, i have to say "100%." some battles were longer & more grueling than others, but in the long run the good guys do win in NoMi.
Anon 11:28 said:
Maybe it's the same reason your Hawthorn Crossings griping hasn't had any effect either. Meaning.. it's bigger problems than just who has enough political power to get some action.
Da Squirrel says:
It's not bigger problems, it's different problems. What's wrong with coming together as a group and saying no to behaviour that's not acceptable either by law, or socially by the citizens that live in a community?
You aren't doing any favors to anyone by not addressing the issue head-on. The number of poor, hard-working individuals that choose to NOT resort to a life of crimes, drugs, or prostitution, FAR out-weigh those from the same socio-economic class that do.
To suggest that the problem(s) do not transcend racial, or economic boundaries is absurd. And if you TRULY care about the residents of NOMI (all of them), you would come-out squarely against the behaviour JNS blogs about.
Anonymous:
And it's that attitude of yours that allows prostitutes, drug dealers and slumlords to think their behavior is acceptable in our community.
Well, it ain't. Why should we be treated any different that Uptown? Or Bryn Mawr? Or even Afton? What is it about our community where this behavior should not only be tolerated, but from the tone of your post, excused?
Really, I'd like to know.
Why should the residents of NoMi be denied the livability the rest of the city takes for granted?
Hey - can we call a timeout through Christmas Day on anything negative to do with NoMi? Let's be thankful for all the GREAT things going on in NoMi and let's assume anyone who is being naughty and not nice will have coal in their stocking!
No, I'm not calling a timeout on Christmas. If I have something to blog about on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, I'll be sure to blog it, especially if it concerns the Koenigs and how they've victimized North Minneapolis.
In regard to the first anonymous comment:
Oh, am I going to hear the whole socio-economic speech about poor oppressed thugs and how drugs and prostitution are their only choices, because their life is so hard and unprivileged?
Thanks for reminding me that Hawthorn (sic) Crossings strip mall is my blog bitch. I need to make a point of going after Hawthorn (sic) Crossings more.
SHOVEL YOUR SIDEWALKS, HAWTHORN (sic) CROSSINGS!!!!!!
Oh, I've got the photos and I just made one of the sweetest 311 calls ever. I second that motion.
I'm the first anon commenter (anon 1128) - many of you seem to think my reference to bigger problems is some sort of approval that the problems are okay, or should be allowed or that any one should leave the poor thugs and hookers alone.
What I was meaning is that, in Johnny Northside's writing, he said something like why hasn't the residents' efforts conjured up enough political capital to solve the problems once and for all.
My comment was meant as - don't blame it on political capital - as if you are giving a veiled insult to the residents - you are now going to imply they don't have enough political capital - so I thought I'd point out if it's just as 'easy' as political capital, then well Johnny Northside - you don't seem to have enough either (Hawthorn Crossings).
I mean, let's remember, these thugs and hookers plague just about every metropolitan area in the country. In every state. So, I'm saying it's not about who has enough political capital. It's about findng the right solutions, procedures, multi-faceted approaches etc.
Don't insult the residents and say they don't have enough political capital. That is all.
Down with thugs and hookers. And fake-ass affluent scum-lords who portray themselves as Baby Jesus lovers.
We have a handful of signs at the Hawthorne office as well - 2944 Emerson.
Alex and I are in and out pretty frequently, but Kathy Welch, our office aministrator is usually in from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Anyone is welcome to the signs, but given the limited number it'd be best to reserve the ones at our office for Hawthorne residents.
North End Hardware is the BEST!!! Not only can you get exactly what you need but the guys working their are really knowledgeable about everything.....from home improvement to to fixing your lawn mower!
For Christmas, I want my own bulldozer, and a heavy dose of immunity from prosecution.
North End Hardware is the best.
Asking Johnny Northside for a time out during awesome breaking news is crazy! He would cut off a limb before that. Go get em JNS and all you legal beagles out there. It is so cool to see this unfold here on your blog! Bravo
Point of clarification on the "timeout on negative stuff" comment made a few days ago - it was not directed at the blogger or anything he's reporting on or how he reports stuff - it was meant to be directed at some of the comments made BY OTHERS following the stories John Hoff reports on, particularly the positive stories.
When John Hoff reports on something good, typically somebody says "yeah, well that's all fine but what about the hookers over on this street, etc. etc." My comment was not a criticism of John Hoff or the blog - it was simply a request to READERS to let the positive stuff actually be positive for more than 5 seconds so the community can get some energy from it to then go tackle the other issues. That's it - sorry if it didn't come out that way.
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