Author Archive
Allina Moving Phillips Eye Institute, Reducing Services and Staff
By Lindsey Fenner Allina Health has announced they are moving the Phillips Eye Institute (PEI) out of it’s building at 2215 Park Avenue in February 2022. Both in-patient and out-patient eye care will be moved into the Abbott Northwestern Hospital Campus, which is undergoing a $199 million renovation and rebuilding project. The move will also mean a reduction in staff. Allina did not respond to questions about how many staff positions will be lost, but said in a statement that they are “committed to working closely with employees impacted by the transition to provide support and direction for future job opportunities within the Allina Health system.” Allina did not provide any information on the future of the PEI building and the nearly 2 acre site in the Phillips West neighborhood. In a statement, they said “Allina Health is committed to working with our community partners to determine the best future use of the PEI building.” As of mid-November, Allina had not [...]
A Winter Tale of Friendship and Kindness
By SUE HUNTER WEIR An earlier version of this story appeared in the December 2004 edition of the alley. It is a story about kindness and generosity, qualities that sometimes seem in short supply during these challenging times. Sometimes it’s good to remember good people doing kind things for strangers.Thanks to Tim McCall for providing additional information about Mr. Howard’s military service. The story of Captain Samuel J. Howard’s death was front page news on December 20, 1908. The story of his death was a human-interest story—a holiday story about kindness and generosity, and a story about friendship between two strangers. Because of that friendship, Captain Howard, who had no known connection to the city of Minneapolis, came to be buried in Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery. Captain Howard was a 72-year-old Civil War veteran who was traveling from Olympia, Washington, where he lived in a veterans’ home, to Boston for Christmas. Although the newspaper [...]
Raise Your Voice
Local World News By PETER MOLENAAR It is said that no small part of the world had its eye on our 2021 elections. As it came down, 7 of our 13 member city council are newly elected; 8 are people of color, and there are 3 who identify as “Democratic Socialists”. Congratulations Minneapolis! On the other hand there was, I think, an element of unprincipled opportunism in the mix. Question: What is the sociology of our persistent low voter turnout and, for the sake of democracy, what is the solution? Within the immediate purview of the alley community, we must uphold the election of incumbents Jamal Osman (Ward 6) and Andrea Jenkins (Ward 8).On a personal note, I am delighted over the election of Jason Chavez (Ward 9) and Robin Wonsley Worlobah (Ward 2) inasmuch as they have elevated the banner of socialism. Indeed, Worlobah managed to defeat the “wildly popular” Cam Gordon of Green Party fame. As a matter of principle and practical consideration, [...]
