‘Cover Stories’ Archives
Ingebretsen”'s Celebrates Nine Decades for Nine Weeks
By Carsten Smith Every birthday is worth celebrating, but some birthdays are worth an extra special effort. For Ingebretsen”'s Scandinavian Gifts, that birthday is the ninetieth, which will be celebrated this October. “My grandfather opened the store here because it was a Scandinavian neighborhood at the time. The neighborhood has changed, but we still feel supportive of it and supported by it. We are glad to be here,” says Julie Ingebretsen, gift store manager and the granddaughter of the store founder, Charles Ingebretsen. “We have a calendar full of special events, many of which revolve around food, naturally, and the neighborhood is invited!” says Julie. For nine Saturdays, one for each decade, Ingebretsen”'s will have “Taste of the Times,” a celebration of food fads and fashions over time. Starting October 1, from 11 to 1, customer will receive free samples of food representative of that decade. The first Saturday will be [...]
Thrones
by Louis Alemayahu Peace, Welcome, Enter all you Kings and Queens of various hues, Find your thrones, rest your bones, look to the four directions. This place-of-presiding was made for you: breathe and be. (more…)
Touchstone Plaza at Peavey Park “Bridges” Generations
By Robert Albee Imagine a public art project that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and is promptly neglected””no, make that abandoned””by the very community that commissioned the work in the first place!. That”'s the legacy of Touchstone Plaza, located on the southwest corner of Chicago Avenue and East Franklin Avenue in Peavey Park. I never knew there was a plaque with a fabulous poem and community challenge called “Thrones” by Louis Alemayahu. Over the years, I”'ve heard friends declare the mosaics to be hideous and a blight to the neighborhood. Some even wanting it moved or bulldozed into oblivion””all 88,000 pounds of concrete that makes up the mosaic-tiled “Thrones.” A group of Ventura Village volunteers led by residents Jim Cook, Dee Henry Williams and me showed up recently with a public address system and a hand-held microphone and offered it to anybody who”'d speak or sing. No advertising or public notice, [...]
