NEWS BRIEF
Volume I, Issue 5
This message is being sent to neighbors of the Twin Cities campus and interested others.

I. Twin Cities Campus Projects of Interest

• Transportation is a hot issue
• TCF Bank Stadium project
• Medical Biosciences Building
• Education Sciences Building open house
• Equine Center grand opening celebration
• A new hospital for children

II. Other U News

• I-35W bridge
• Stadium Good Neighbor Fund to launch in January
• Campus-area alliance--joining forces to achieve a vision
• Como Cookout, and other ways to meet your neighbors
• Hennepin County-University Partnership
• Envisioning a new community at UMore Park
• Fall semester dates of interest

III. The U and You--Health Resources for You and Your Family

• Mini Medical School
• A Web site for accessing health care services and programs
• Health Talk and U
• Center for Spirituality and Healing

IV. Events and Opportunities

• China exhibit at the Weisman Art Museum
• Bell Museum of Natural History--events for everyone
• Art maze at Arboretum
• Musical performances on the U of M West Bank

I. Twin Cities Campus Projects of Interest

U of M Parking and Transportation Services has worked hard to respond to parking and driving challenges on and near campus as a result of the stadium construction and the I-35W bridge collapse. Partnering with the city of Minneapolis, Metro Transit, and the State Fair has resulted in a variety of alternatives for getting to campus, including expanded parking at the State Fair lots (with free shuttle connections to all parts of the Twin Cities campus) and added Park and Ride options. The University has lowered the price of what was already a discount-priced Metro Transit bus pass, to get more U commuters into the transit habit. To learn more about getting to and from campus, go to http://www1.umn.edu/pts/ and click on Fall Commuting.

TCF Bank Stadium Project is in the ground . . .

and on time and on budget. The street and infrastructure work is mostly complete, and work has begun on the stadium itself. Work this fall will be primarily on and under the ground, with the structure becoming visible above ground beginning in January. Tune in to live construction webcams and construction updates posted regularly at http://www1.umn.edu/stadium/construction.html

And next to the stadium, a new building for medical research

Construction will begin this Fall on the new Medical Biosciences Building, located on Sixth Street S.E., in the part of campus coming to be known as the East Gateway District. Other research facilities already located there include the Lion's Lab, the McGuire Translational Research Facility, and the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research. The new building will add 105,435 gross square feet of clinical science research space, principally for research in immunology, neuroscience, cancer treatment, and infectious diseases. For more information about this and other buildings under construction, go to http://www.cppm.umn.edu/projects/MedBioSciences/medbioscience.html

Education Sciences Building open house

Darlyne Bailey, dean of the College of Education and Human Development, will cut the ribbon on the Education Sciences Building, at 1 p.m., Friday, Oct. 5., at 56 E. River Road. President Robert Bruininks will attend the ceremony, which is open to the public. The new building is a restoration and renovation of the former Mineral Resources Research Center, a historic site where taconite technology was developed.

Equine Center grand opening celebration

The Louise and Doug Leatherdale Equine Center, located on the University's St. Paul campus, at 1801 Dudley Avenue, will celebrate its grand opening on Monday, Oct. 15, at 2 p.m. The center is dedicated to the comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of horses and is part of the College of Veterinary Medicine. For more information, go to http://www.cvm.umn.edu/umec

New Children's and Maternal Care Hospital on the West Bank

The University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview plans a $175 million facility for pediatric and maternal care, on a site at 25th and Riverside avenues south. The hospital is part of the academic health care partnership between Fairview and the University. The replacement facility will not expand the number of hospital beds, but will create a state-of-the-art treatment place for children. UMMC, Fairview met recently with neighborhood organizations and city representatives to discuss the plans for the site. Ground breaking is scheduled for the end of this year. For more information, go to http://www.fairview-university.fairview.org/News_and_Events/c_318624.asp

II. Other U News

The I-35W bridge collapse

The disaster on Aug. 1 affected everyone in the University area communities. U employees and students responded by helping in the immediate aftermath. The entire U of M police force was deployed; four UMD police officers came to assist with security. The U Department of Emergency Management's mobile command post and U ambulances were deployed, and at least 40 victims were treated at the U of M Medical Center, immediately downstream from the site. A joint information center for agencies including FEMA, the National Transportation Safety Board, MnDOT, state and city law enforcement, and Metro Transit was located in the Law School's Mondale Hall. Since the collapse, the University's transportation office is working with other local agencies to create and encourage transportation alternatives and relieve congestion.

Stadium Good Neighbor Fund to launch in January

The University set aside $1.5 million from the stadium project to endow a fund, expected to generate up to $75,000 annually, that can be used to address issues and opportunities identified as most important by the communities adjacent to the Twin Cities campus. The Stadium Area Advisory Group, made up of representatives from the neighborhoods and commercial districts next to campus, will recommend allocations from the annual fund. At its August meeting, the group named the five-member Fund Management Committee, which will recommend policy, and review and recommend grants from the fund. Agreeing to serve on the first term of the committee are Stephen Banks of the Prospect Park neighborhood, Joan Menken of Southeast Como, Cathy Vennewitz of the West Bank Business Association, Chris Woodall of the Saint Anthony Park neighborhood, and University students Skyler Kehren and Casey Martin, who will share a seat on the committee. Ron Lischeid of the University District Improvement Association and Denise Currie of the Southeast Business Association have agreed to serve as alternates if other members are unable to complete their terms. The committee expects to issue its first request for proposals in January 2008. Eligible applicants are organizations represented on the Stadium Area Advisory Group and their partners.

Campus-area alliance--joining forces to achieve a vision

Following up on a recommendation from the February neighborhood impact report, the University, the City of Minneapolis, and the neighborhood and business organizations adjacent to campus are creating a working alliance. The alliance will provide a foundation for addressing the problems and opportunities identified in the report and will work toward the vision of the campus-area community as a premier place to live, learn, and do business. A steering committee is being formed to guide the alliance through its first 18 months.

Como Cookout, and other ways to meet your neighbors

Fall semester at the U of M begins with a few events that welcome students back to the neighborhood and encourage connections among long-term and student residents. All events provide free food, entertainment, and information about the community.

• Como Cookout--Saturday, Sept. 15, 4-7 p.m.
  Van Cleve Park, 901 15th Avenue S.E.
  This event is a collaboration of Southeast Como Improvement Association, the Student and Community Relations Office at the University, the Office of University Relations, and Van Cleve Park.
  
• U Rock Block Party-Thursday, Sept. 20, 6-9 p.m.
  Affinity Plus Credit Union parking lot, 2520 University Avenue S.E.
  For this event, several housing complexes in the Prospect Park neighborhood are partnering with the Student and Community Relations Office at the University.
  
• Neighbors Unite for Light-Saturday, Oct. 13, 3-7 p.m.
  Fifth Street S.E. between 11th Avenue S.E. and 12th Avenue S.E.
  The Panhellenic Council is collaborating with the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association and the Student and Community Relations Office at the University. The event focuses on lighting and safety initiatives in the neighborhood.

Hennepin County-University partnership makes collaboration easier

On Aug. 22, Hennepin County and the University signed a master cooperative agreement that will make future collaborations between researchers at the U and practitioners at Hennepin County easier to carry out. The agreement is part of the Hennepin-U Partnership, started in late 2004 between Minnesota's largest unit of local government and its premier research institution. The Hennepin-U Partnership has already facilitated collaborations on the subjects of transportation, homelessness, community health, and child development. For more information, call Kathie Doty at 612-625-4383.

Envisioning a new community at UMore Park

Can you envision UMore Park, the 5,000 acres of University-owned land near Rosemount, Minnesota, becoming a community of 20,000 to 30,000 people over a 25- to 30-year period? The U is gathering ideas and input for this possible community: Monday, Sept. 17 (topic: education, including daycare and K-12); Wednesday, Sept. 19 (environment); Thursday, Sept. 20 (energy); Tuesday, Sept. 25 (health); Wednesday, Sept. 26 (interdisciplinary opportunities); and Thursday, Sept. 27 (transportation). All sessions will be at 5-7: 15 p.m., at a location in Rosemount. Preregistration is requested. For more information, go to http://www.umor epark.umn.edu/

Fall semester dates of interest

• Homecoming 2007--"Golden Oldies." The celebration begins on Thursday, Oct. 30, with a Red Cross blood drive and finishes on Saturday, Nov. 3, with a 2 p.m. parade on University Avenue and the Gophers vs. Illinois football game, which kicks off at 7 p.m. at the Metrodome. For more information, go to http://www.sua.umn.edu/events/homecoming/index.php
• Thanksgiving holiday, University closed, Nov . 22-23.
• Classes end, December 12.
• End of fall semester, December 20.

III. The U and You- -Health Resources for You and Your Family

Mini Medical School

Mini Medical School is designed to help educate Minnesotans about new and emerging health-related issues. Coming this fall, "The Wonders of the Brain, from Neurons to Emotions," a five-part series, Oct. 8 through Nov . 5. For more information, go to http://www.ahc.umn.edu/outreach/minimed

A Web site for accessing health care services and programs

My Health Minnesota--Go Local provides Minnesota citizens a wealth of information about health care services and programs throughout the state. Launched on July 31, this resource is a collaborative effort among the U of M Health Sciences Libraries, the Mayo Clinic Libraries, the Minnesota Department of Health, and other partners. My Health Minnesota--Go Local is at http://medlineplus.gov/Minnesota

Health Talk and U

The Health Talk and U Web site, an outreach initiative of the U of M Academic Health Center, provides information on timely health topics. Articles written by U faculty are posted twice a month. This month's headline story is "Tick Talk: Avoiding These Pests and the Diseases They Can Carry." To read more, go to http://www.healthtalk.umn.edu/

The Center for Spirituality and Healing

Established in 1995 at the University, the Center for Spirituality and Healing is a nationally recognized leader in integrative medicine, bringing together biomedical, complementary, cross-cultural, and spiritual care. A part of the Academic Health Center, the Center draws on the expertise of faculty and community practitioners to advance understanding of diverse cultures, beliefs, and health practices. For more information, go to http://www.csh.umn.edu/

IV. Events and Opportunities

China exhibit at the Weisman Art Museum

Documenting China: Contemporary Photography and Social Change
Sept. 8-Nov. 25
Weisman Art Museum, East Bank
Color and black-and-white images by Chinese photographers give a unique view of rapid changes in today's China. For more information, go to http://www.weisman.umn.edu/exhibits/exhibits.html

Bell Museum of Natural History-events for everyone

Whether it's an exhibit on the oddities of nature, a field trip to see migrant birds in the Minnesota River Valley, or a science-themed movie in the Science on Screen series, Bell Museum offers a variety of events for children, adults, and families. For more information, go to http://www.bellmuseum.org/calendar.html

Art maze at Arboretum

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum's maze garden is a new permanent addition nestled in the arboretum's pine tree collection on Three-Mile Drive. Take a walk through the maze between now and Sept. 30 and see the Art to A-Maze Juried exhibit of 15 whimsical art installations. The arboretum is located on Highway 5 in Chaska. For more information, go to http://www.arboretum.umn.edu/tour/in dex.htm

Musical performances on the U of M West Bank

The School of Music, located in Ferguson Hall on the U of M West Bank, offers a range of musical performances throughout the year, many of which are free. For more information, go to http://www.music.umn.edu/events/index.php

The Twin Cities campus Events Calendar is at http://events.umn.edu/

Published by Community Relations in the Office of University Relations at the University of Minnesota.

Please send comments or questions to Jan Morlock, editor, at jam@umn.edu.

If you would prefer not to receive messages like this, please send a reply and say "unsubscribe".

(C) 2006-2007 by the Regents of the University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

This e-mail was sent by: University of Minnesota, Community Relations, Office of University Relations.
3 Morrill Hall, 100 Church St. SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA