Field Regina Northrop Neighborhood Group

Field Regina Northrop Neighborhood Group

The Field Regina Northrop Neighborhood Group (FRNNG)

The Field Regina Northrop Neighborhood Group (FRNNG) is composed of neighborhood residents, businesses and property owners and led by an elected Board of Directors. Elections are held annually, and officers are elected for one or two-year terms depending on the position. The Board also includes the chairs of the Business, Communications, Community and Safety, and Housing committees.

The Board, its Executive Committee and most committees meet on a monthly basis. See the "FRNNG Calendar" for a list of upcoming meetings. For information on recent Board, Executive Committee and committee
activities, go to our newsletter page.

For more information on FRNNG or becoming involved, contact the FRNNG staff person, Jeff Roy. To join FRNNG (no charge), go to "Become a Member." For a map of neighborhood
boundaries and a brief history of FRNNG, go to "About Our Association."

FRNNG Mission Statement

To strengthen our community, foster good personal relations among the people of our neighborhood and promote an informed citizenry, we will function as a non-sectarian community-action group to create a common space where diverse
residents and stakeholders can come together to improve the economic, educational, interracial, and residential life of our entire neighborhood.

FRNNG Board of Directors 2002-2003

President-Willie Bridges
wbkn@att.net
1st Vice President- Mary K. Johnson mkjohnjs@tc.umn.edu
2nd Vice President- Thomas Ellis
tomcass@aol.com
Treasurer- Patrick Aylward
patalyward@earthlink.net
Secretary- Susan Tabor
susan.tabor@allina.com
Field Neighborhood Rep- Paulette Wilson
paulette.wilson@usa.xerox.com
Regina Neighborhood Rep- Nancy Kaiser
nkaiser@mtn.org
Northrop Neighborhood Rep- Karen Pratt
krpratt@aol.com
Business Chair- Kate Heffernan
khfnn@aol.com
Communications Chair- Gary Johnson
garyjoh@attglobal.net
Community and Safety Chair- Herb Gysler
hgysler4264@msn.com
Housing Chair- Stearline Rucker
srucker@visi.com
Education Chair- Open Position
Parks Chair- Open Position
Program Chair- Open Position

FRNNG Efforts in the 1990s
In the early 1990s, our volunteers began to deal more proactively with the encroachment of urban decay, including an increase in crime. Beginning its NRP organizing efforts in 1992, FRNNG created and distributed a survey to all 4,000 households in the fall of 1993 to which over 800 persons
responded. Crime and safety was one of the biggest concerns of residents. Neighborhood volunteers, working with the Minneapolis Police Department, then worked to identify a block leader on nearly every block to mobilize neighbors to reduce crime.

In 1995, the FRN Neighborhood Action Plan was approved representing two years of research and neighborhood organizing. Task forces were established in the areas of Housing, Communications, Business, Community and Safety, Senior Citizens, Youth, Parks and Education.
Today, because of these and more recent efforts, over 64% of FRNN blocks are organized and active; there are standing and adhoc committees for Housing, Communications, Business, Community and Safety, Senior Issues, Street Renovation, Youth, Tutoring, Block Leaders, Walking Groups, and Annual Events with nearly 300 active volunteers contributing their time and energy. In addition, FRNNG annually collaborates with several neighborhoods to implement the Southside Housing Fair and the Teen Job and Oppportunity Fair.

About our association

What is FRNNG?

The Field Regina Northrop Neighborhood Group (FRNNG) is the recognized neighborhood organization for three neighborhoods in south Minneapolis -- Field, Regina and Northrop. These three neighborhoods encompass the area bounded by Second Avenue South and Cedar Avenue, East 42nd Street and Minnehaha Creek (see map). Each of these neighborhoods was named (as are many Minneapolis neighborhoods) for a local school -- Field and Northrop public elementary schools, which are still in operation, and Regina, a parochial school which now houses PICA Head Start, La Creche Early Childhood Center and one of the Minneapolis Crisis Nursery sites.

The Field Regina Northrop area has been categorized by the city as a "revitalization" type of neighborhood; fundamentally sound but beginning to experience some social, economic, and physical problems.

FRNNG welcomes the participation of neighborhood residents, businesses and property owners. For more information about FRNNG's current 0rganizational structure, go to "About FRNNG." To join FRNNG (no charge), go to "Become a Member."

Association History

The Field Regina Northrop Neighborhood Group has its initial roots in the creation in April 1965 of the Field Neighborhood Group (FNG), which quickly evolved into the Field Regina Neighborhood Group (FRNG) later that year. FRNG's mission was to promote racial harmony and to maintain quality housing in the neighborhood. As the first continuous neighborhood association in Minneapolis, FRNG paved the way for other groups and joined in founding the umbrella Council of Community Councils.

From the 1960s through the early 1980s, FRNG pioneered efforts to improve urban life through: establishing mid-block residential lighting; working with a national effort that helped end red-lining practices of banks and realtors in Minneapolis; organizing the removal of a porn theater from the community; protecting Minnehaha Creek and Parkway from poorly planned redesign efforts; opening the first branch bank in a Minneapolis neighborhood; and fighting for safety fencing on freeway overpasses to protect our children going to school.

Around the issue of education, FRNG encouraged parents to be actively involved with the Minneapolis School's desegregation efforts since our neighborhoods and Field Elementary School had a higher number of children of color than communities to the south, east and west. As a solution, neighborhood residents organized from 1969-71 to have the Field Elementary School paired with the nearby Hale School (in a higher income neighborhood)- to the benefit of the schools, the children and the neighborhoods.

In 1983, FRNG expanded to include the Northrop neighborhood and the Field Regina Northrop Neighborhood Group (FRNNG) was incorporated.

Minneapolis NRP

With the advent of the Minneapolis Neighborhood Revitalization Program, FRNNG began hiring staff in 1993 which allowed for an increased number of neighborhood improvement projects and created the capacity, in 1995, to administer a $2.7 million budget. Paid staff also accelerated the development of our volunteer fundraising capacity and other skills; improved the recruitment and retention of more volunteers; allowed for the maintenance of a computer data base; and vastly improved the quality of the bi-monthly newsletter. Working with the staff, volunteers have continued to bring together residents of all ethnicities to find common solutions to our common problems.

Some NRP Projects which FRNNG has funded and worked on since 1994:
o design and installation of a playground at Northrop Elementary School

o redesign and installation of the McRae Park playground in collaboration with the Minneapolis Park Board

o demolition of blighted business structures at 46th St. and 4th Ave., and the on-going development of a Senior Green Space.

o establishment of a Home Improvement Loan Program that has funding nearly $2 million dollars worth of loans or grants to help FRNN residents ensure a well-maintained housing stock.

o collaboration and implementation of the 8 annual Southside Housing Fair events that draws over 3,000 people annually.

o collaboration and implementation of 5 annual Minneapolis Teen Job & Opportunity Fair events that draws over 600 teens and over 30 Twin City businesses.

o installation of new windows to soundproof Field School to prevent disruption from airport noise & improve energy efficiency.

o hosting 12 successful annual neighborhood parade/festivals in collaboration with FRNN businesses and the Minneapolis Park Board

o establishment of the Neighborhood Tutoring Project and annual recruitment of over 50 adult mentors to tutor children in reading and math at school and church sites.

o collaboration, funding & establishment of the Senior Helpline to connect FRNN elders with resources that promotes independent living.

o continuation of the bi-monthly Close to Homeneighborhood newsletter serving 4000 FRN households & over 60 businesses since 1993.

o design, production and delivery of Welcome New Neighbor Packets to 150 new FRNN residents annually since 1998.

o development & implementation of the FRN Commercial Grants Program to provide funding and promotion for exterior improvement of over 20 FRNN businesses.

o successful petitioning campaign to install pedestrian level lighting in the Field and Regina areas of FRNN (no NRP dollars for lighting itself).

o recruitment and support of Neighbor to Neighbor Walking Groups to promote communications, exercise & safety awareness.

It goes without saying, that it is the neighborhood residents and business people of FRN Neighborhood who are the driving force behind all of our projects and programs. In February 2002, FRN Neighborhood is organized and poised to begin the planning process for NRP Phase II.