Vessel seeks river access
The Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) is partnering with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and Vessel to conduct a feasibility study to restore shoreline and provide public access along to the river on the following three properties in northeast Minneapolis: MPRB property at 2128 Marshall Street NE; The Sample Room, 2124 Marshall; and Gluek Park, 1926 Marshall.
Vessel wants to build a sauna and bath “experience” behind the Sample Room. The site would include saunas at the top of the bluff and access to the Mississippi River for a cold plunge.
The MPRB owns the adjacent properties on the north and south sides of The Sample Room and is interested in extending a public bike trail through the property.
MWMO staff have proposed a study to analyze alternative scenarios to improve ecology along the riverbank, provide ADA accessible access to the shoreline, connect the bike path from Gluek Park to the two northern properties and to Marshall Street and lay out a parking lot and other park amenities at the MPRB property north of The Sample Room.
Go easy on the salt
It may feel like spring after the cold snap, but there’s still a lot of winter left. If you need to deal with an icy sidewalk, remember that salt doesn’t do much when the temperature is below 15 degrees. Use sand for traction, and if you must use salt, just a fill a coffee cup with it — that’s enough to treat 10 sidewalk panels.
Can you sew? Contact Audubon Farmers Market
The Audubon Farmers Market located at 28th & Johnson Street is committed to becoming “Microplastic-Free By 2033.” Their first mission is to get rid of all single-use plastic bags at the market. Market volunteers want to replace them with washable, reusable, non-synthetic muslin bags of various sizes, and they’re looking for help stitching them for patrons who don’t bring their own bags to the market. The first market day of the season is June 5. They will organize some group sewing events, but if you’d like to do this on your own, they would welcome that too. Contact Deborah at
deborah@audubonneighborhood.org.
Herons huddled up during an April snowstorm in 2023. (Karen Kraco)
Make a date with the herons
The return of the great blue herons to their rookery near Marshall Terrace Park is a couple months away, but mark your calendars for this family-friendly event. The big birds usually return to their rookery on the Mississippi River toward the end of March. Bring your binoculars and join the National Park Service, Mississippi Park Connection and volunteers at Marshall Terrace Park, 2740 Marshall St. NE, Saturday, March 29, 11 am-1 pm. Watch the herons rebuild their nests and flirt with each other as they return to our region. The walking path, from which the rookery is visible, is fully accessible, but the trail down to the river bank is not. Dress for the weather and prepare for mud and/or ice.