It’s getting to be the time of year when many Minneapolis residents enjoy a small outdoor recreational fire. Residents who like to have a fire in their yards should keep these City ordinances in mind to keep Minneapolis safe and livable:

If you are going to Chicago, don’t miss…The Dawoud Bey, Picturing People – an expansive career survey of Chicago-based photographer Dawoud Bey, May 13 – June 24, 2012, with an opening reception Sunday, May 13, from 4-7pm presented by The Renaissance Society. The artist will speak at 5pm.   The Renaissance Society, an internationally renowned contemporary art museum, is located on the University of Chicago campus at Cobb Hall, 5811 S. Ellis Avenue, in Hyde Park.

Ranging from street photography to formal studio portraiture, Bey’s body of work is distinguished for its commitment to portraiture as a means for understanding contemporary society. 
Museum Director and Curator Susanne Ghez says,  “Dawoud’s portraits capture the essential characteristics of individuals, and at the same time draw out the complications and varieties of the communities in which people live – whether in Harlem, Atlanta, or Chicago."

Bike Walk Twin Cities is providing essential educational materials and training in April and May to help Twin Cities-area law enforcement agencies with enforcement efforts related to pedestrian and bicycle safety.
 
The Bike Walk Twin Cities Toolbox of Enforcement Resources for Safe Walking and Bicycling is part of a federal pilot program to increase bicycling and walking as forms of transportation. Since 2007, Twin Cities bicycling increased by 52 percent and walking by 18 percent, according to data from Bike Walk Twin Cities, a program of Transit for Livable Communities.

(StatePoint) Spring is here and it’s time to think about your garden again. This year, as you cultivate your thriving plot, think about ways to get your whole family involved in gardening -- which makes for a great fresh air activity.

We are living in times when progress for communities of color seems to be going in the reverse.  Yet, we have come so far -- more of us have advanced degrees and higher paying jobs; more of us own homes and are living in gated communities. But we seem not to have noticed that our youth are under attack; that there are huge pockets of unemployment and joblessness in our community. Racial profiling and violence continue to plague us in our neighborhoods, as illustrated by the senseless shooting of young, black and unarmed Trayvon Martin in Florida. Through it all, messages, resources, and programs have become watered down and the plight of our people has been given the cold shoulder. 

Now more than ever, our nation is in need of a movement – a force with the visibility and the influence to bring people together.  I believe the Urban League is that movement, and I believe our work is more relevant today than ever -- especially as our global society continues to expand.

Homeowners still need to help their trees and lawns make up for a record soil moisture deficit to mitigate damage done by a dry fall and winter.

This week’s wet weather is providing much-needed moisture to parched soils, but it isn’t enough to pull the state out of its moderate to severe drought classification, according to University of Minnesota Extension climatologist Mark Seeley.

Water landscape trees as soon as ground is thawed
Drought conditions can lead to tree decline, pest problems, and permanent damage for young and old trees alike. “Dry soils get colder in the winter and freeze deeper, which can kill roots,” explains Gary Johnson, Extension specialist in urban and community forestry. And dead roots make it hard for trees to take in water.

Even if damage was caused by the dry fall and winter, you can minimize its effects by keeping the soil moist but not saturated. In the metro area, the ground is thawed enough to begin watering now if you haven’t already.

To check if your ground is thawed and assess moisture, push a kabob skewer or other metal rod into the ground. If the skewer can be pushed into the ground 8-10 inches, you can water. If the 8-10 inches is moist, there’s no need to water yet. If the 8-10 inches is dry, watering is critical.