‘Letter to the Editor’ Archives
A letter to the Phillips Community
Goodbye and gratitude from outgoing PWNO director J Randolph By J RANDOLPH Hello friends, neighbors, and colleagues: It is with bittersweet feelings that I let you all know that, by the time this is published, I will have stepped down as the Phillips West Neighborhood Organization's executive director. As some may know, I have been accepted to a masters program in urban planning at Queen's University Belfast in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and I will be moving across the Atlantic at the end of this month to begin this next chapter of my life. With my departure, you may all need new contacts for the organization.● General inquiries/default contact: info@phillipswest.org● PWNO phone number (text or call): (612) 424-0786● Programming, events, communications, and partnerships: EllaKampelman, Community Organizer (ella@phillipswest.org)● Housing programming/resources, renter rights, and environmentalhousing upgrades: Hannah Jerrie, Housing [...]
Allina Health: Good Neighbor is More Than Glitz and Glamor
By LINDSEY FENNER I was disappointed to read such a glowing article on the completion of the hospital campus renovation at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in the August issue of the alley. Although I know there are countless workers at Abbott who care deeply about their patients and their neighbors, I question whether Allina Health, who runs Abbott Northwestern, has that same committed care for the Phillips Community -That shiny new Central Utility Plant? Allina violated environmental laws when it started construction on the utility plant without an air emissions permit, and then lied to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency about it. After my reporting in the September 2022 issue of the alley, Allina had to halt construction and they were fined $50,000. -Union workers at Allina Health are always speaking out about the working conditions they endure, and their concerns about staffing levels and patient care. There are worker strikes against Allina almost every year. [...]
Route 27 Deserves Recognition
Great coverage of the recent changes to bus service but please consider doing a story focused on the RETURN of the route 27 line. For many residents, especially the elderly, mobility challenged, and parents with little ones in tow, the walk to Lake Street is a long one, and especially challenging during the severe weather seasons. The #27 not only makes an easy connection to the B Line, it has more frequent stops along Lake Street than the B, going east on Lake to shops like Aldi or Target and shops west to Hennepin. It's also used by high school students during the school year. The new #27 now runs as late as 9 pm and on weekends (a major improvement from its previous iteration!). Please consider helping promote this route so it isn't discontinued because its greatly improved revival is not well understood. Thanks, Will Netzley
