‘Cover Stories’ Archives
One seed = many fruits Many pieces = one beauty

By Patrick Cabello Hansel Out of one seed comes many fruits. Out of many broken pieces comes one unique beauty. That is the hope of the “Semilla” Community Arts Program at St. Paul”'s Lutheran Church in Phillips. The idea for Semilla””which means “seed” in Spanish””came from St. Paul”'s work in the arts and community organizing over the past several years. This work has included numerous murals, arts camps for youth and productions with In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater. Working with Greta McLain, an accomplished muralist and mosaic artist, the church began this project last year as a way to teach mosaic skills and create beautiful art for the community. “Mosaic is a wonderful way to bring people together across all sorts of divides: language, culture, neighborhood,” Greta says. “People of all ages and artistic abilities can work together to create beautiful art for their community. There is real [...]
“Programs might die, but good ideas and community”¦ live” Phillips”' “Wellness Corridor”

by Robert Albee For the past two years many of us in the Phillips Community have been working to resurrect the Phillips Community Center (PCC) and turn it into a centerpiece for rebuilding the fabric of the neighborhood””this time as Phillips people instead of edifices or individual programs. We want the PCC to become Phillip”'s hub of activity just like the Sabathani Community Center does for the Greater Central neighborhood. If you look below at the map of Phillips, 24th Street is the only street in Phillips that intersects all four Phillips neighborhoods: West Phillips, Ventura Village, Midtown Phillips and East Phillips. It connects LSS”' Center For Changing Lives on the west to Little Earth of the United Tribes on the East. In between is East Phillips Park”'s new building, Holy Rosary Church, AICDC”'s Townhomes, Center School and Open Arms. Then there is the Minnesota Indian Women”'s Resource Center, All Nations Church, 1ra Iglesia [...]
A highway divided, but it didn”'t conquer. What is a Bridge? New community project in Phillips West

by Dallas Johnson A bridge is more than a connection between two places. Yes, our very own 24th St pedestrian bridge across 35W connects our neighborhood to Whittier. But did you know it”'s also a testament to community activism? You are invited to help breathe new life into the incredible story of our bridge. What”'s the story? When the imminent installation of 35W was announced in 1962, the affected community fervently protested but was summarily dismissed. According to a Minneapolis Tribune article by Ted Kolderie, “Minneapolis finds itself”¦facing another impossible choice between accepting a highway plan to which a substantial segment of the community objects, and delaying the program again for another study”. Despite the resistance of the (largely minority) community, the freeway project was completed in November, 1967. Residents, who”'d been forced to move, experienced extreme hardship in their protracted effort to restart their [...]