Military Order of Cooties

Post and photos by the Hawthorne Hawkman.

The Faith Tabernacle Gospel Church has been on the corner of 21st Ave N and 4th St N longer than I've been in the neighborhood.  Part of their sign just kind of faded into the background and I never looked too closely at it--until yesterday.  The sign reads, "Antsinpants RT. 14 Military Order of Cooties," and may just be the weirdest thing in Hawthorne.  That's saying a lot.

Apparently there are a whole slew of "fun and honor" orders of military vets out there, although I'm still unclear as to what exactly the cooties people did.

Where the Sidewalks End

 Post, photos, and image by the Hawthorne Hawkman.

When my family went to Finland a few summers ago, one cultural difference they picked up quickly was what was considered "a short walk."  Essentially anything under two miles was a "short" walk, and about 1.5 - 2 miles was no reason to get into the car and drive.  The walking route above is a 2.25-mile round trip, meaning that much of downtown Minneapolis is only "a short walk" from many parts of NoMi.

The problem, though, is that along significant stretches of Washington Ave. N and 2nd St N., saying the sidewalks are in a state of disrepair would be a charitable statement--assuming the sidewalks exist at all.  To make matters worse, it's actually easier to navigate your way to the Mississippi River by bike than it is on foot.  The bike lanes, while lacking a direct route, are at least clearly defined.  Pedestrians have to guess where sidewalks start and stop, or contend with heavy industrial traffic if they are to reach the Mississippi River on foot.

The photo above is at the corner of...

Using New Bike Lanes to Nghia's (Again)

Post, photos, and image by the Hawthorne Hawkman.

Once again, I brought my car to Nghia's Auto Service on 42nd and Thomas.  The wheels made this odd, high-pitched sound that would be easy to drown out if you suffered from tinnitus.  A friend who knows her stuff mechanically said she thought it was the wheel bearings, and it should cost between $120-$180 to fix.  I left my car in Nghia's care and asked him to also fill the air conditioning.  That way, even if the car started making funny noises, I could fix the problem myself by rolling up the windows and turning on some music.

Turns out that the wheel coverings were loose, and Nghia tightened them up at no charge.  I'm clueless enough about cars that he could have said something like, "Yeah it was the debentured right axle sprocket that was wearing down.  We fixed that right up for you."  And I would have believed him and paid him for it.

Biking to and from the place, I tried out as much of the new lanes being put in on Fremont Ave N as I could.  Once they're complete, that will totally calm traffic on the street.  It looks like on the one-way segment from Plymouth to 33rd, there will be one lane of traffic, parking, and a bike lane.  All it will take is one car going the speed limit, and the reckless drivers who carom down Fremont at 45 mph will have to slow down.  This will be great for bikers, drivers, and pedestrians alike.

Mayor Rybak at Peace Vigil: "Who is ARMING our KIDS?!"

Post and videos by the Hawthorne Hawkman.

I don't know that I've ever seen Mayor Rybak express grief and pain and outrage like this before.  There will be more to say on the peace march today, but for now, these videos need to be shared.

Community Organizing with Hot Peppers

Post and photos by the Hawthorne Hawkman.

The last time I attempted anything resembling gardening was when my brother and sister-in-law gave me a commemorative Barack Obama Chia Pet as a gag gift.  (Yes, this is a real thing.)  I followed the basic instructions; mix a paste with the seeds, cover the head, and keep it watered and in a sunlit place.  In just a few short days my diligence paid off when absolutely nothing came up.  This was appropriately symbolic, and happened right around the time when Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for...well that wasn't exactly clear.  So I just bestowed the title of "Best Chia Obama Ever" on my newfound paperweight, and promptly forgot about it.

When it came time to participate in the EcoVillage community garden, I wasn't exactly overflowing with confidence that I'd be able to grow much of anything.  I knew I wanted to try growing some kind of hot peppers, but didn't have my hopes up.  I picked out some basic peppers from a seed catalogue (banana, bell, jalapeno, and thai chilis) and got my plot started.  The peppers have grown and multiplied beyond all expectations.  For those of you who have yet to do your own gardening, here's why this is a problem...

Reflections on Recent Shootings

Post by the Hawthorne Hawkman, above video from Kare 11, video after the jump from EvenToddlers51 on Youtube.

First and foremost, my thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of the recent violence, and to their families and loved ones.  I can't imagine what they must be going through.  At a neighborhood meeting last night, residents spoke about how the spate of violence has rocked our community.  People don't feel safe in some of the most basic situations.  When neighbors see kids out on bikes, they are scared - either for the kids or worried one of them might have a gun.  Seeing our youth outside on bikes should be something we look forward to instead of something that causes fear.

There are other posts I plan on writing here on North by Northside, but it seems out of place to go about those posts without at least acknowledging the series of shootings this week.  A few thoughts...

Metrodome Festivities

Post, photos, and images by the Hawthorne Hawkman.

Saturday marked the re-opening of the Metrodome, with a portion of the event aimed at thanking tornado volunteers and building community.  I was one of the first 3,000 people to enter, and so I received a commemorative piece of the previous teflon roof that collapsed in last winter's snowmaggedon.  I took a roundabout way to get to the Dome, in order to bike along the final segment of the Cedar Lake Trail.  That particular connection to the Mississippi River cost $9.2 million and took over 11 years to complete.  A similar, more ambitious, connection in NoMi could take even longer to build.  That's no reason to get rid of the proposal entirely, as some groups are recommending.

The Cedar Lake connection to the Mississippi River is quite the sight though...