Looking for a warm venue during what's forecast to be the coldest week so far this winter?
You could drop by Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Ritz Theater, 345 13th Av. NE, to watch a seven-minute Minneapolis Telecommunications Network video that's been expanded into a half-hour documentary.
The topic is the revival of Jackson Square Park, which sits across an intersection from Edison High School, at 2212 Jackson St. NE. The documentary is called "A Backstop Named Innovation," after the park's signature feature.
The documentary focuses on the transformation of the park. New features include a massive backstop with a solar-lit sign, hydrants that harken back to earlier days of firefighting, and a soon-to-be-installed plaque. The latter will highlight the role of Minneapolis fire Capt. Lewis Rober Sr. in popularizing the game of "kitten ball" by adopting it in 1895 to promote fitness among city firefighters, leading to the standardization of a ball 12 inches in circumference and the sport now known as softball.
The documentary is by MTN's John Akre, who under contract with the city's Neighborhood Revitalization Program, documented the everyday happenings and celebrations in Minneapolis neighborhoods, the stuff that doesn't often make the headlines or the evening news.
Akre's video will be followed by a panel discussion on the role of the arts in building community. The park and a nearby holding pond feature the sculpture of Chicagoan James Brenner.
