July 2010 SCCA NEWS

Seward’s Business Community www.sewardbusiness.org

July Meeting 2010

Board of Directors
West of the Rail Business Association (WRBA)
Chair:
Inaugural Summer Social Jim Welna
Welna II Hardware
Thursday July 22nd, 2010 / 4:30pm – 6:00pm
4205 28th Ave S / Corner of 28th Ave and 42nd St Vice Chair:
Rick Siewert
Siewert Cabinet
Join our neighbors and friends of the West of the Rail Busi-
ness Association (WRBA) on the corner of 28th Avenue and Treasurer:
42nd Street for an afternoon of entertainment, delicious food, Max Duckler
CaptionMax
and opportunities to network with other local business own-
ers. WRBA will be providing free hot dogs and ice cream from Suzanne Weinstein
Everett’s Foods and Meats. Those in attendance will also have to Coastal Seafoods
chance to enter a raffle!
Jennifer Larson
Communications Design
Food is free!
Tracy Singleton
To RSVP, please contact Megan: 612.435.0279 / megan@redesigninc.org Birchwood Cafe

June Meeting Notes Hans Steege

Dero Bike Rack
Presenter: Local Legislative Representatives
Location: Seward Towers East, 2910 E Franklin Ave. Joe Buck
by Dave Madsen Buck Bros. Construction

On Wednesday, June 16, members of the Seward Civic and Commerce Association (SCCA)
gathered in Seward Towers East for the association’s annual legislative update. After a deli- Monthly Meetings are
cious $10 lunch provided by Raja’s Mahal, President of the SCCA board, Jim Welna, called held on the 3rd Wednesday of
the meeting to order. each month from 11:45 - 1pm.
Jim Welna, on behalf of Nina Chenault, announced the success of the Spring party fundraiser
for the Youth Scholarship Fund. In total, 80 people turned out for the event and the amount
Upcoming Dates
of money raised by raffle tickets reached over $900.
July 22nd
Program Manager Michele Braley then introduced the Seward Longfellow Restorative Jus-
August 18th
tice Partnership (SLRJP), which aims to renovate the juvenile judicial system. Offenders who
are involved with this program are given the opportunity to make amends to the community September 15th
through conferences and service projects which correlate to their wrongdoings.

continued on page 4
SCCA Mission: to provide a forum for Seward area businesses to plan, discuss, advocate and network for mutual benefit.
Page 2 Member Updates
Café brews strong cup of community
New Member Profile: 2nd Moon Coffee Café, 2225 East Franklin Avenue
by Dave Madsen
Whether it’s over spirited conversation in the company
of others or in solitude over the morning paper, coffee is
meant to be savoured. With the advent of massive, cor-
porately-operated coffeehouses though, a well-crafted
espresso drink from hard-working hands is becoming a
thing of the past.
At 2nd Moon Coffee Cafe, things move just a bit smooth-
er; the smell of roasted coffee beans and the sound of
low-key chatting wafts through the intimate space, and
the rotating art gallery adds splashes of personality to the
already vibrant cafe walls. And because of this relaxed,
atmosphere, the quality of 2nd Moon’s cup is unmatched
in the Seward neighborhood.
2nd Moon’s welcoming space on Franklin Avenue
With an ear-to-ear grin that illuminates his face, new
co-owner Sammy Ansari explained that he is passionate
not only about the quality of his cafe, but also about the
people he serves. As a veteran of the restaurant business,
Sammy was quick to invest in 2nd Moon because of its
unique and established presence in Seward. “It’s a very
nice neighborhood here,” he explained. “People know
each other and support each other.”
About six months ago, when Sammy decided to purchase
2nd Moon, he understood the essence of what made the
cafe so unique. Primarily, he said, people appreciate a good
cup of coffee. He explained that when he was handed the
rights, the previous owners gave him one piece of advice:
Don’t change the coffee. And Sammy has stuck to it.
On 2nd Moon’s large, chalkboard menu are a wide va-
riety of coffee, espresso, and tea drinks, all of which are
hand-crafted with a friendly chat from a spirited barista.
In addition to their expansive drink selection, the cafe
also has always had an impressive pastry display which is
stocked daily by A Baker’s Wife, a bakery located in south
Minneapolis. 2nd Moon recently expanded their menu to
include locally-sourced sandwiches and a daily soup made
from scratch.
Another factor attributing to 2nd Moon’s success are
the regular customers. “I don’t think [Seward custom-
ers] would be happy if there was Caribou [Coffee] here.
I don’t think they would support it as much as they sup-
port our small business,” Sammy said.
In addition to the welcoming presence, co-owner Ro-
chelle Ansari mentioned that there is much at stake when
brewing up a customer’s drink. Since the cafe has been
in the area for about ten years, the role that community
plays is immense.
“It just goes without saying that quality is expected here,”
she explained. “Our customers are loyal to us and the
employees have all been working here for a long time as
well.”
Rochelle smiled as she explained 2nd Moon’s home
on Franklin Avenue. In her time working at the cafe,
she’s had the chance to get to know the regular cus-
tomers, as well as to hear what is going on in Seward.
“Just because we are a business and not a home, does
not mean we aren’t people’s neighbors,” Sammy added.
“We spend a lot of our time here and because we’ve
gotten to know the people so well, it feels like home.”
Rochelle and a barista brew up a hearty cup

Restorative justice program heals the harm
Feature: Seward Longfellow Restorative Justice Partnership, 2323 East Franklin Avenue
by Dave Madsen
It should come as no surprise that many people as-
sociate feelings of frustration with the judicial sys-
tem. Citizens feel as if they have no control over
matters that affect their homes or workplaces, vic-
tims often grow resentful over ineffective punish-
ments, perpetrators are caught in cycles of punish-
ment without reconciliation, and it seems as if those
running the system are as frustrated and trapped as
those penalized by it.
Instead of understanding crime as an act of harm
against a community or specific person, the cur-
rent judicial system views crime as an act against
the state. Therefore, when a punishment is given to
a perpetrator, he/she may never be exposed to the
ramifications of his/her actions on a community or
individual level.
The Seward Longfellow Restorative Justice Partner-
ship (SLRJP) is revolutionizing this criminal justice hours of training in preparation, and the
process with the introduction of an alternative and
more inclusive way to handle offenders.
Started in 2004 by a “dedicated group of volun-
teers” who eventually partnered with the Seward
Neighborhood Group “It just makes sense,” Program
(SNG) and the Longfel-
low Community Council Manager Michele Braley said. crimes before
(LCC) for funding, the SLRJP’s main objective was,
and has remained, to reorient the goals of the crimi-
nal judicial system in order to give first-time youth
offenders an alternative to court.
“A key strength of our program is that it was formed
out of a grassroots movement of residents who
identified a need to respond in a community-based
way to youth who were beginning to stray down the
wrong path,” Braley said.
The SLRJP provides a second chance to these youths
to not only admit their wrongdoings in a restorative
conference, but also to make amends to the com-
munity by repairing the harm in a way that promotes
accountability.
“It just makes sense,” Program Manager Michele
Braley said.
The restorative justice process involves a court
referral program headed by the Minneapolis Police
Department (MPD) and the Hennepin County At-
torney. In this program, a youth in the 55406 area
code would willingly attend a conference with
his/her parent, the victim, two conference facilita-
SCCA NEWS
tors, and a person who would serve as a
“voice of the community.” According to
Braley, the SLRJP w in cooperation with
traditional methods of handling first-time
offenders. The restorative justice initiative
offers youths an alternative understanding
of their actions (often crimes like vandal-
ism and/or shoplifting) as they are allowed
space to explain their actions to the victim
in a face-to-face conference.
“Usually, when the business owner asks,
‘Why did you choose to do this?’, the
youth’s response is ‘I don’t know; I feel ter-
rible about it,’” Braley said.
The conference facilitators are well
equipped to handle these conferences
as they are required to undergo twenty
community member often provides a dis-
tinct voice in the conversation as he/she
often expresses how the youth’s action
has affected his/her business and/or per-
ception of the community.
Another strategy
to prevent these
they occur are the Teen Support Circles,
which have met at Longfellow and Mathews
park in 2006 and 2007, respectively. They
consist of about 7-12 youths and the cir-
cles allow teens to speak, one at a time,
about issues and conflicts that affect them.
Braley reported that teens have an inter-
est in a space where they can interact in a
positive and open environment.
The resource of a community gather-
ing space has spread to the adult world,
Braley reported, and men and women in
the Seward and Longfellow community are
now encouraged to attend their monthly
Peace Circles to address issues and build
relationships.
For more information and to find out how
you can get involved with SLRJP, contact
Braley at michele@sng.org or at (612)
338-6205 x108. Or visit SNG’s website at
sng.org.
Page 3
Dear SCCA Members,
I would like to devote a sec-
tion of this month’s newsletter
to introduce myself. My name
is Dave Madsen and I am the
new intern at Redesign. I am
a senior at Augsburg College
and I am majoring in Media
Writing.
I hope to use my education as
a student journalist to bring
you quality information on the
Seward area. I will be devot-
ing my efforts to updating the
SCCA’s business list and the
2010-2011 SCCA Directory,
as well as planning the Annual
Franklin Frolic. I also plan to
develop a purchasing program
with the Augsburg College in
order to assist small business-
es in Seward.
If you have any questions, or if
you would simply like to intro-
duce yourself, please send me
an email at SRI@redesigninc.
org or contact me on my of-
fice phone at (612) 435-0277.
Write an SCCA
Newsletter Article!
Is there a business in
Seward that has always
intrigued you? Interested in
getting to know what goes
on inside other
neighborhood businesses?
If so, you would make a
perfect author for an SCCA
newsletter article!
No writing skills necessary,
just an interest in your
fellow business owners
contact Megan: 435-0279
megan@redesigninc.org
Page 4 SCCA NEWS
Mark Joseph then introduced himself on behalf of Zipp’s Li-
quors, and Peter Fleck informed the attendees of the Seward
Profile (http://sewardprofile.posterous.com/). Essentially, the
Seward Profile is a website that members of the SCCA can
contribute to in order to inform residents about news in
the Seward neighborhood. Fleck also gave mention to urban
farmer Stefan Meyer who has a blog attached to Seward Pro-
file (http://urbanfarmerseward.posterous.com/).
Cam Gordon, City Council Member for Ward 2, then in-
formed those in attendance that he has set priorities to make
Minneapolis a leader in environmental sustainability and the
fair treatment of those affected by poverty. Gordon empha-
sized the importance of small organizations of businesses and
neighbors in order to promote community involvement and
influence governmental decision-making. He also added that
he envisions Minneapolis as a suitable environment to raise
children.
Gordon reported that he is working to promote recycling
programs for businesses and community organizations to en-
sure that Minneapolis remains environmentally responsible.
According to Gordon, he is planning to implement the City’s
multifamily dwelling recycling ordinance into similar commer-
cial recycling ordinances. The benefits are numerous, Gor-
don expressed, but he also acknowledged that the program
would require commercial properties to learn a somewhat
complicated, expensive, and extensive separating and sorting
process.
Gordon placed emphasis on Minneapolis’ StreetWerks sum-
mer youth employment program. The program started as an
initiative to clean the streets of Minneapolis while providing
youths with an education, a form of employment, and a safe,
productive summer. Gordon asked anyone who has been the
victim of vandalism or needs assistance with regular or spe-
cial clean-up projects to contact his office at (612) 673-2202.
Peter McLaughlin, City Commissioner for District 4, then
echoed Gordon’s concern for Hennepin County’s need for a
more effective recycling program. According to Commission-
er McLaughlin, half of the waste in Hennepin County comes
from Minneapolis; he is currently working to decrease this
amount by possibly implementing ordinances like requiring
the separation of compost from waste.
On the subject of health care, Commissioner McLaughlin re-
ported that in 2009, $50 million worth of services were dis-
tributed to those on government assistance programs; this has
recently been eliminated by Governor Tim Pawlenty. Hope-
fully, Commissioner McLaughlin expressed, the new governor
will sign Minnesota up for the new US healthcare system.
Commissioner McLaughlin then informed attendees that
there has recently been a veto on the bonding $35 million
for transit options. And, regarding the City’s education sys-
tem, Commissioner McLaughlin said that in 18 districts in the
county, graduation rates for students of color are “not doing
well.” In response to this, Commissioner McLaughlin posed to
instate a new policy: every student in the county should have
the right to graduate. However, the Commissioner reported
that the budget is “tough” and the districts should consider
investing in youth sports facilities and expanded library hours,
which will take advantage of the recently instated Stadium
sales tax.
Council Member for Ward 9, Gary Schiff, then elaborated on
a property tax issue by informing those in attendance that
many owners of small, commercial properties are being forced
to pay higher taxes when compared to those downtown and
residential properties, which have decreased in value. Schiff
encouraged attendees who may be affected by this to call the
assessor’s office. Then one can appeal for a personal asses-
ment simply by calling 311 and filling out a packet of informa-
tion. After this process, an assessor from the city may come
to inspect one’s property.
Schiff explained that his priorities, like Gordon’s, are to keep
the children in our community as safe as possible. A way to
ensure the safety of local youth communities, Schiff said, is to
get them involved with the City’s Summer STEP-UP Program.
Youths, typically between the ages of 14 and 21, who are in-
volved in this program are afforded the opportunity to gain
employment experience in both public and private businesses
and government agencies throughout Minneapolis.
Another topic that Schiff discussed was new housing for
those seeking more affordable options. This housing would
be funded from Government tax credits and it would be ideal
for those in the construction trades.
Representative Jim Davnie and Senator Patricia Torres Ray
then discussed issues of healthcare. According to the two, a
bill has been structured to ensure that when the new gover-
nor is elected, he/she can step in and bring federal health care
dollars in right away. Also, Representative Davnie and Senator
Torres Ray reported that no education bill was passed and a
recent bonding bill created thousands of jobs for those work-
ing in construction.
Representative Davnie and Senator Torres Ray then closed
the meeting by mentioning the recently passed Minnesota
Angel Tax Credit which can provide a 25 percent tax credit
for investments in small, cutting edge businesses.
 SCCA NEWS Page 5

Dojo offers “quality, affordable, traditional martial arts”

Movement Arts Center, 2211 East Franklin Avenue Neighborhood
by Dave Madsen
Directory
Movement Arts Center opened its doors with
As soon as you step foot on the tranquil
training space of the Movement Arts Center, an expanded course schedule. Coupons
the hardwood floor speaks to you with its
natural energy, echoing the steps of students Since then, The Movement Arts Center has add- There is still coupon
who have dedicated their bodies and minds ed classes in Pilates, increased involvement in space available in the
to the study of Karate, Yoga, and Tai Chi. As community education,
2011 Neighborhood
natural sunlight bathes the dojo in a warm, and started a coop-
but intense glow, your eyes drift to a large eration with Augsburg Directory
scroll adorned with swift and deliberate cal- College to offer in-
ligraphy. struction to students.
Chenault, now a fifth-
Nina Chenault, owner and Sensei of the cen- degree black belt, re- 1/6 page coupon -
ter, explained that on this piece of parchment mains Sensei at the
are the non-violent philosophical tenets of Center and teaches
$150
classic Budo (a Japanese term describing Karate throughout (4 remaining)
martial arts): seek perfection of character, the week.
endeavor to excel, be honest and forthright, A defensive demonstration
respect others and develop self control. “In a nutshell, our mis-
sion is to provide quality, affordable, traditional
martial arts,” Chenault explained. “It’s not a Please contact Megan
After visiting Japan and studying under sev-
eral masters, Chenault began teaching Sho- franchise and I’m not just making this up as I as soon as possible if
tokan Karate in the early 70s through a self- go along. Our mission is to provide that quality you are interested in
defense program. The program then evolved experience at an affordable cost and to stick to this opportunity.
into a more traditional teaching method the original tenets.”
and, in 1979, Chenault founded the West
Bank Karate Club which met at the People’s When she hires an instructor, Chenault makes
Center near Cedar Riverside.Ten years later, certain that he/she is certified and dedicated Coupon requests will
Chenault returned to Japan with her hus- to the preservation of classic martial arts. This be accepted until
band and “was able to immerse [herself] in “picky” process ensures valuable instruction for Wednesday, July 21 or
anyone who chooses to participate in the Move-
the art.” until filled.
ment Arts Center’s programs. By participating in
Upon her return, Chenault, a then fourth- these classes, Chenault said that people not only
degree black belt, quit her job and estab- gain physical benefits (e.g. body alignment, bal-
lished her full time dojo on Cedar Avenue, ance, flexibility), but they also learn patience, hu- Include your
thus becoming one of the first women in the mility, leadership, as well as how to help others. business in the
United States to head a Karate organization. Member Update
The Movement Arts Center’s future lies in its
thorough instruction, as well as its efforts to Section!
With this strong reputation and a following
of about 60 committed students, Chenault engage neighbors. Chenault reported that she
implemented her training under Grandmas- envisions the Center being used for more social If your business has news to
ter Hidetaka Nishiyama and pushed to bring events as the neighborhood develops. share, we want to hear about
the traditional study of Karate to the Twin it. Let us know if you’ve won
Cities. Chenault then formed the Academy “I live in Seward. I love Seward. I’m invested in
it,” she said.
an award, are offering a new
for Physical and Psychological Advancement
product or service, moved
and added instruction in Tai Chi and Yoga to
her program. For questions about the Movement Arts Center, your space, etc. and we’ll
or for more information about the classes being share it here.
After looking for a new and suitable space offered, call (612) 333-8635 or visit
to relocate the Academy for Physical and www.MovementArtsCenter.org and
contact Megan: 435-0279
Psychological Advancement, Chenault was www.WestBankKarate.com.
megan@redesigninc.org
informed of a lot on Franklin Avenue which
was owned by Seward Redesign. In 2004, the
Page 6 SCCA NEWS

Thank you to SCCA members who have contributed in 2010!

2nd Moon Café * A Craft Windows * Air Engineering and Supply * Allweather Roof * ArtiCulture * At Last Gourmet Foods, Inc

Augsburg College * Beaupre Aerial Equipment * Bethany Lutheran Church * Birchwood Café * Blue Nile

Brownsmith Restoration * Bruce Johansen - Writer & Editor * Buck Brothers Construction * Cake Eater Bakery

Canyons Structural, Inc. * CaptionMax * CCI Properties Charles Levin Architects * Close Associates Architects * Coastal Seafoods

Crew 2: The Home Services Specialists * Cushman Motor Company * Dave’s Riverside Shell * Decisive Moment * Dero Bike Racks

DeVries Bar Grinding * DigiGraphic Photos Inc * Dr Gary Miller Chiropractic Center * Employment Action Center

Franklin Accounting Income Tax * Franklin Housing Cooperative * Garlock French Roofing * Glaciers Café * Hayat Beauty Salon

Hi Line Unique Flooring * Hiawatha Metalcraft Inc * Himalayan Restaurant * History Crafters * Imagin Studios

Infinite Real Estate Group J.C. Miller & Sons Cement Contractors * Jefferson Lines * Jennifer Larson Communications Design

Jim’s Barber Shop * Kaal Home Health Care * Koyi Too Sushi * Madden Accounting & Tax * Midwest Lock and Safe * Mill City Builders

Minneapolis Maintenance * Minnesota Resource Center * Misco: Minneapolis Speaker Company * Movement Arts Center

Nguyen Architects * Pizza Luce IV * Posl Photography * River Realty * Seward Church * Seward Community Co-Op * Seward Inc

Seward Market & Halal Meat * Seward Neighborhood Group * Seward Towers East * Seward Towers West

Shabelle Grocery and Meat Market * Shega Bakery * Sheldon Mains * Sierra Club North Star Chapter

Siewert Cabinet and Fixture Manufacturing * Speak To Solve * SwirlyGig Industries * The New French Bakery

Tracy’s Saloon * True Thai * Twin Cities Media Alliance * Twin City Filter Service Inc * United Noodle

Verde Strategies * Volunteers of America Education Center * Welna II Hardware * Whiskey Junction * Wood from the Hood

Woodland Stove and Fireplace * World Endeavors * Worry Free Enterprises * WW Johnson Meat Co * Zipp’s Liquors

Minneapolis, MN 55406
2619 E Franklin Avenue
Seward Civic & Commerce Association