Before the feature movie got underway July 30, park supervisor Alyssa Baguss spoke from the dock at Silverwood Park to a sea of people in canoes, floaties and inner tubes. “It’s been a long time since we’ve done things like this!

As the summer winds to a close, and students head toward either school or virtual learning, we once again offer a few educational activities for the entire family that use our Northeast Minneapolis neighborhoods (and the Northeaster) as a classroom.

About two months ago, I started to train my three- and five-year-olds how to wear their mask and surprisingly, it was not as hard as I anticipated. We started with short 20-minute walks around the neighborhood wearing our masks with an incentive of a snack when we arrived home if the masks could be worn for the duration of the walk. We walked daily, and soon, my kids started to enjoy wearing their masks.

Mary Johnson whimsical sculptures can be seen blocks away. Her most recent installation, Lizard Lounge and has a new permanent home at East Side Neighborhood Services (ESNS), 1700 Second St. NE.

On Aug. 3, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) granted four permits for temporary encampments for homeless people. Northeast parks include Marshall Terrace, Boom Island, Logan, Beltrami, and B.F. Nelson. The permits are issued to a person who acts act as a camp coordinator.