‘Miscellany’ Archives
An Origin Story of the alley
“Let me make the newspaper and I care not who makes the religion and the laws.” . . . Wendell Phillips 1811-1884 the alley’s first issue was January 1976. Forethought and planning spanned years. The “press” “dummy” was cut and pasted on an improvised glass table lit by a lamp below beginning September 1975. One person led production in a living room at 25th St. & 18th Av. with several people and influenced by Phillips' neighbors. Photographs were developed in a closet-size darkroom. Why? Conversations between neighbors hoped for a better way to talk with bureaucrats and politicians about changes happening to their Neighborhood; and for a means to talk with each other, 22,000 people of Phillips. Inner city life became complicated due to Federal urban renewal after the Great Depression and FDR’s New Deal, 1933, following WWII. Maps, charts, graphs, legal language, and Robert's Rules of Order were a foreign language to many. People wished for [...]
James J. Welna 1953-2025
By SUE WELNA Jim Welna, guided by a genuine interest in how he might make life better for those who shared his world, lived a life of servant leadership. He embodied Maya Angelou’s reflection, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” People lucky enough to cross paths with Jim knew they mattered more than anything else on his agenda. To our great loss, Jim died of recently diagnosed pancreatic cancer on May 26, 2025. James Jonathan Welna was born on August 17, 1953, in Minneapolis, MN, the first child of Patricia and Virgil Welna. He was soon joined by his sister, Virginia, and then brother, Mark. For the first nine years of his life, the family lived with his maternal grandmother. His foster sister, Pauline, joined the family later in their own home. Early on, Jim learned the value of economy and resourcefulness, and that lesson served him and his family well for his entire [...]
EPNI August ’25 Update
East Phillips Neighborhood Institute is building toward a healthier future and overdue environmental justice by converting the empty Roof Depot warehouse (located on 27th St and Longfellow Ave) into a community hub that brings fresh food and good jobs to East Phillips. Learn more and get involved! What’s new with the East Phillips Indoor Urban Farm Project this month? By: EAST PHILLIPS NEIGHBORHOOD INSTITUTE (EPNI) Join EPNI’s Farm Team for “Seed Saturdays” starting at 11am on August 2nd and 19th to help with garden tasks and learn more about what we do. In July, we welcomed Favi, Funding Development Associate, as well as Joi, Farm Team Program Manager to the EPNI team! EPNI’s Farm Team will be hosting an Outdoor Foraging Workshop on August 23rd Find details about Seed Saturdays, community meetings and other August events on our website (epnifarm.org/calendar) Come build a brighter future with us! Find updates, ways to get involved and how to follow [...]
