Kedar Deshpande (District 3)
The Hiawatha Golf Course Area Master Plan (aka Hiawatha Links) was approved by MPRB in 2022, calling for 9 holes of golf and the ecological restoration of Lake Hiawatha. As commissioner, will you support the master plan and work actively to move forward implementation of the plan?
Yes, plain and simple.
How will you work to ensure that the new parkland at Hiawatha honors the lake’s history as Rice Lake / Bdé Psíŋ with the Dakota people who have stewarded this land since time immemorial, and ensures safe access for Native lifeways?
I would like to see consistent programming at Lake Hiawatha, focused on seminars and activities led by indigenous people. I will encourage collaboration with park board staff and any local community group that wants to build community and activity around the lake. MPRB's indigenous advisory council should guide discussions of how to celebrate and enjoy the new parkland.
How will you work to ensure that the new parkland at Hiawatha honors the history of Black golfers and the course’s legacy as a social hub for Minneapolis’ Black golf community?
Golf and youth sports are important, both for recreational purposes and for honoring the history of the city. I will work to ensure the golf course remains open and used by everyone in the community, but also have a focus on Black history and youth programming. Consistency, and variety, in programming is key---it's not just about playing golf. It's about honoring the memory and history created at the course and bringing youth to the site and getting them engaged.
A recent Star Tribune article covered the problem of stray golf balls from the course hitting houses along 43rd St. What would you do as commissioner to address that issue prior to the projected 2030 course reconstruction?
Moving the tee location seemed to work for a time. It's unclear to me why that can't be done again, and I will seek answers as to why. I would also encourage signage and behavioral nudges so that golfers understand their errant drives can damage cars and houses nearby, and potentially hurt people physically. I'd also like to investigate if there is additional fencing or netting that can help deflect the errant drives (similar to what baseball fields have), though I recognize the glide path of the drives might be too high.
What role can the new parkland at Hiawatha play in expanding foraging opportunities for Minneapolis residents?
I am an urban forager and a community gardener. I support expanding foraging opportunities system-wide in Minneapolis. I would like to see a variety of plant species available in the new Hiawatha plan to encourage foraging training and classes, especially for kids. I would particularly like to see fruit trees planted widely. New parklands should always consider, within reason, the option of incorporating edible forest areas with berries, fruit trees, vegetables, nuts, and mushrooms.
How should we balance coexistence with other species in urban green spaces, even when doing so might causes challenges for humans? For example, beavers are native to the area and restore degraded streams, but can inconvenience us when they cut down trees.
Wildlife is a central part of my campaign, and protecting animals is in the first sentence of the MPRB mission statement. As a longtime advocate for animals (and a former board member of Compassionate Action for Animals), I will fight to protect wildlife and build new habitats so all animals can thrive in our parks and city as much as we do. I will encourage animal-friendly designs, with a focus on wildlife and pollinator corridors, and will look to simple and non-harmful interventions that allow animals to express themselves fully without damaging parks or assets like trees (in the case of beavers, moving the trees inland helps, as does wire mesh, as does scents, and does abrasive paint).