Bryn Mawr NRP Phase II Planning

Neighborhood Youth Focus Group

Wednesday, March 2, 6:30-7:30 PM

In addition to Greg Lecker, facilitator and note taker; attendees include: Lia Ragozzino, Colman Rollins, Eileen Sorenson, Joe Heili, and Erik Pashibin. Participants ranged in age from 8^th grade student to 2004 high school graduate.

Neighborhood strengths:

- The people – knowing each other

- Like the businesses and the gardens/improvements

- The parks, Bryn Mawr Meadows

- Places to hangout; hanging outside – like at the Church lawn

- Friendly atmosphere

- Bryn Mawr Market

Neighborhood weaknesses:

- Busy – traffic

- Lack of a gift shop

- The “skippers” those that smoke in the alley near Anwatin school – before or after school; lunch. There are some students who come for breakfast and then skip school - truancy

- Lack of access to Bryn Mawr Meadows by Bryn Mawr youth - the Meadows park is the hoe field for North High, Anwatin sports teams practice there. However, the excessive use of the Meadows by outside leagues compromises the availability of the park for school and local groups.

- Cedar Lake Road is too “narrow”. Parking along Cedar Lake Road narrows the roadway too much. There is not so much parking along Laurel Avenue so it’s wide enough.

- Reports of guns in school; shots in neighborhood

- The vacant storefront at NW corner of Penn Avenue and CLR – could it be a computer bar. I wouldn’t study there but computers would be nice. I wouldn’t study there since we already have “Minneapolis Kids” program. It could be more of a gathering place for after school time

- It could be an expansion of Fast Freddies – with an expanded menu – a place to sit down. It should be fairly easy to do.

- Crime – attempted break-in at my house

- Discontinuation of Bryn Mawr Music Festival – it was popular with kids

What issues are important or will be important in the future? Or what one service, project, program or thing that BMNA could provide?:

- Saturnalia is the best festival – we like the free s’mores. More events! It’s nice to have the events in downtown Bryn Mawr or at the Church lawn since parents can feel safe with letting their younger children walk there or hang out there by themselves.

- When asked about moving or holding an event in Area 1, the response was either “I wouldn’t go because I couldn’t walk there” or “I would think twice about attending; but I would probably still go”

- Lighting under the I-394 bridge at the Cedar Lake Trail – parents warn not to go that way; but instead to take the spiral cross the tracks. This area feels unsafe

- Concern over the proposed expansion of Bryn Mawr Meadows. Bryn Mawr Meadows expansion area should be a more natural area, rather than athletic fields. A natural area with trees, walking trails, open space, “a driving range”?

- Add a rope tow at “suicide hill” in Bassett’s Creek Trail – not moving, but just a rope strung up along the trees to pull oneself up the hill after sledding down.

- Expand the Bryn Mawr Meadows wading pool – add a small water slide

- Need for organized sports and activities in neighborhood. The open gym night at Bryn Mawr Elementary School, (a better gym than Anwatin) was nice. Do we still have open gym night on Wednesdays? The organized volleyball was good. You have to travel too far to find available facilities. The outside courts at Anwatin need work. You could have an open gym night one or two evenings each week.

- Add an outside skate board /in-line skating facility – since “they” now kick us out of Anwatin area – skate board prohibition is now more strictly enforced. Look to the St. Louis Park skateboard park (near their pool – 36^th Street?) for guidance or for an example

- The ice skating at Bryn Mawr Meadows is nice as it is; but add some skate rental – even just 10 pairs, rentals would pay for the cost of the skates (or use donated skates). My skates are too small or dull.

- Add a bowling alley

- Publicize the bookmobile better – we’ll see it sometimes but didn’t know its schedule – communication!

- The lack of job/employment opportunities within the neighborhood for youth – you have to drive outside the neighborhood – additional expenses of gas and vehicle. Build job opportunities for youth.

- I would work at BM Market or Cuppa Java or Bloomsbury Market, but they already have a group of people who have worked together for a long time. The BM Market prefers workers of a minimum age of 18 years old. You can earn more money outside the neighborhood. For example, I earn $10 an hour working for a photographer; but it’s a 30 minute drive.

- It would nice if one could work at a MPRB Parks job, but there is limited opportunity in the neighborhood parks – one position to turn on and off lights at Bryn Mawr Meadows – on-line jobs application for MPRB jobs

- The bus service used to be very good. But now the service is not as frequent and the route changes make it difficult – especially on the route’s east end – it used to go to 3^rd and Franklin; but now two transfers are needed to get to where I’m going. You can catch the #9 to the #2 to get to Riverside. Weekend bus frequency is low. At the same time, ridership is low so it seems like a waste of gas for the bus. I try to catch a ride back home. Or you have to really schedule yourself, make a point of keeping an eye on the time to make your connections! We take the bus downtown Minneapolis or to catch LRT. Now I have my license so I can drive myself.

Are your friends with kids in the neighborhood or from without? Where do you hang out?

- Students from the Anwatin Middle School (pre-IB – International Baccalaureate program) tend to go to either Southwest High (IB) or to South High (Liberal Arts). So we hang out with kids from all over. We’re friends with the kids that are here in Bryn Mawr

- Students are involved in all kinds of different programs, even within the IB program: three different levels: Certificate level requires IB classes and taking Advanced Placement tests. The Medallion level requires more IB and AP classes and tests. The Diploma level requires passing AP tests and completing a CASS (spelling or acronym) Notebook and community service.

- On the subject of community service, the youth respondents replied that they would be willing to help out on a neighborhood service project, like painting for senior citizens.

- I already volunteer or used to volunteer from 4-5:30 PM or 4-6 PM for Minneapolis Kids, a year-round program with child day care before and after school (6 AM to 6 PM?). But now a new staff member is not aware of the kids that grew up through the program and know how it works. So there are new kids involved in volunteering for the program. Volunteer tasks include helping with whatever homework needs the enrolled children might have or with chaperoning the kids to the Bryn Mawr Meadows. The younger Bryn Mawr Elementary School students tend to hang out and use their own adjacent playground.

- Another replies that she has worked for Sports Arts program, available only during the summer, and from 12 Noon to about 4 PM.

- The two programs go on the same field trips

- The Church Triangle and Bryn Mawr Meadows, or the Bryn Mawr Elementary School playground are good and safe places to hang out.

What types of housing programs should BMNA provide?

- What about housing in the Mill – I used to hang out in there – it would be neat to see how the housing was developed inside the Mill – interesting before and after

- Some housing development along the south frontage road by the freeway

- You need to both build new houses and fix up the older houses

- Would you return to live in Bryn Mawr as an adult: Three “yes” and one “maybe” out of four youth remaining at end of focus group. “It’s a great neighborhood, especially compared with other places”; “I don’t know much about buying a house now, but it would be great if I could find one here someday.” “I’ll be away at school until I’m practically 30, but after then”