‘Cover Stories’ Archives
Dedicated to growing a more diverse and informed community of non-motorized transit users with classes, bike loans, shop use, receiving unused bikes as donation, and more!
By Bruce Johansen and Sheldon Mains It”'s later than hoped for, but Spokes-Bike Walk Connect should be up and running this month with a grand opening party scheduled for Wednesday, August 22 from 4 PM to 9 PM. Spokes is located at 1915 E. 22nd Street,””just across the Hiawatha LRT line and bike trail from Phillips. SPOKES”' goal is to remove barriers to biking and walking for residents of Phillips, Seward and Cedar Riverside. Sheldon Mains, director of SPOKES, traces Spokes”' origins to three key sources: a Bike Walk Twin Cities call for community-based ideas for non-motorized transit, the City of Minneapolis”'s Great Streets program””an aim of which is to make the neighborhood more bike- and pedestrian-friendly, and a survey designed by Katya Pilling, former associate director at Seward Redesign. Pilling”'s survey revealed a primary reason many people don”'t bike: they don”'t know how, in many cases due to cultural and [...]
Amen Corner One Year Anniversary
“Ventura” means happiness and Good Luck to you! Buena Ventura Participating Sponsors ”“ Ventura Village, MAD DADS, KFAI Radio, Diversity Alive The Amen Corner open microphone community listening sessions were created by VV one year ago July 23, 2011 and are held every Thurs. and Fri. at Touchstone “Thrones” Plaza of Peavey Park. Whatever the weather or season, we bring our microphones, food and drink to engage people, to hear what people think about our neighborhood and to document voices, to report their visions and concerns back to our neighborhood organization for action. We have created a culture of tolerance, safety, recovery and intermingling of youth and elders at Peavey Park and the Chicago/Franklin intersection. We acted on suggestions that VVN change the Membership Section of our ByLaws to make it easier for all residents to participate in VV activities. 2323 Eleventh Avenue South ”“ Mpls. MN 55404 P.O. Box 580757 [...]
Sticking with It: Persistence pays off
by Lauretta Dawolo Towns, Banyan Community Coordinator In some ways, theirs is an unlikely story from East Phillips. In other ways, the story represents what many Phillips families experience everyday ”“ socioeconomic hardship. Naomi Mohammed, the beloved keymaker at Welna ACE Hardware, is a single mother of five fantastic children. Five out of six people in the Mohammed household, including Naomi, are graduating ”“ they have truly beaten the odds. Naomi grew up in the Phillips neighborhood of the 1950”'s and 60”'s along with three sisters and two brothers at 25th St. and 17th Ave. “Everybody knew everybody in this neighborhood,” she reminisced. She attended Holy Rosary Grade School, now Little Earth Neighborhood Early Learning Center, and then attended Regina High School, an all girls Catholic School where PICA Headstart currently resides at 42nd St. and 4th Ave. Naomi started working at age 16 in the renowned Sears Roebuck building at [...]
