March 21st, 2010
Check out this neat imagery from NASA:
NASA Image from March 2010
NASA Image from August 2009
From the NASA Earth Observatory Natural Hazards Feed:
“The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured these images of the Twin Cities region on March 17, 2010 (top), and August 5, 2009 (bottom). Both use a combination of infrared and visible light to increase the contrast between water and land. Vegetation appears bright green. Clouds appear sky blue. Water varies in color from electric blue to navy. Bare ground ranges in color from dark brown to tan.
Taken in different seasons—late winter and mid-summer—these images not only show different water levels in the Mississippi and other rivers, but also dramatically different amounts of vegetation. While much of the region is heavily vegetated in August 2009, river levels are low enough to make the water bodies nearly invisible. (Tree cover along the riverbanks may partly obscure the rivers.) In contrast, the image from March 2010 shows vegetation just beginning to emerge from winter’s chill. Differences in vegetation between August and March are especially visible in the west, in what appears to be a large patchwork of agricultural lands. Compared to the previous summer, the Mississippi and other rivers in the region appear swollen. Some of the electric-blue hues in water bodies away from the rivers might result from lingering ice. Springtime rains and snowmelt often conspire to raise water levels.”
Tags: flooding, imagery, local, minneapolis, Mississippi, NASA, science, St. Paul, water, Watershed, websites
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February 7th, 2009
I’ve been appointed to the Minneapolis Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commission (as a volunteer) by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. It’s an honor I’m looking forward to!
“The new Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commission, a group of 16 residents will be appointed to oversee the City’s relationship with neighborhoods and community organizations. The commission’s charge is to provide direction to the next phase of NRP and be primarily responsible for the review of neighborhood plans. The commission will also make recommendations to the City Council on allocation of a variety of types of funding to neighborhoods. Neighborhoods will have significant representation on the commission with eight residents selected by neighborhood organizations, five residents appointed by the City Council, two appointed by the Mayor, and one appointed by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. Through the input and work of the Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commission, residents and neighborhood organizations will play a key role in enhancing and shaping how the City engages its residents.”
Here are a few recent articles about the commission and the process of appointing members:
Neighborhood Council Fuels City Hall Debate (StarTrib)
Who Will Represent the Neighborhoods? (TCDailyPlanet or the same article on the The Bridge website)
Tags: community, minneapolis, NCEC, public
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January 8th, 2009
If your looking for a neat distraction, check out this interesting article by MinnPost about the statues, buildings, and history tucked into the Minneapolis Parks.
Tags: history, minneapolis, parks
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