Open Letter: Phillips”' youth petition helped create the new Stewart Park Soccer Field
In 2009 the Park Board held a public meeting at Stewart Park to gain input from the community on possible athletic field improvements at the park. The East/Midtown Phillips Youth Soccer teams attended in force. They came prepared with nearly 800 signatures on petitions requesting a new soccer field in the park. With funding help from the Hennepin County Youth Sports Grant program and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, that dream became reality.
On May 19th, 2011 a beautiful, state of the art soccer field with artificial turf and field lighting was dedicated with the first Barbeque of the season. The celebration included face painting by Park Staff, Juggling and Balloon magic by William Bradshaw of Fun Time Functions and comments by Park Board Commissioner Scott Vreeland and Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin.
Two youth who were at the 2009 public meeting presented McLaughlin and Vreeland soccer balls signed by many of the young petitioners. The highlight of the day after enjoying the luxurious turf of the new field was watching two of the youngest soccer aficionados score on both commissioners who were totally ineffective as goal tenders.
Brad Pass
Related Images:
Stewart Soccer Field “Kickoff” Grand Opening Highlights Vast Field and Program Improvements
By MPRB and Harvey Winje
Phillips Community soccer playing youth and adults, Hennepin County, and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) celebrated the completion of work on Stewart Field with a Grand Opening celebration, complete with music, balloon artists and face painters, Thursday, May 19.
In the culturally diverse Phillips Community of south Minneapolis with more than 7,000 youth*, the availability of a durable and high quality soccer field is essential. Stewart Park at 2700 12th Avenue was hard and worn from overuse. In the Fall of 2010 it was totally renovated including synthetic turf that will improve safety, reduce potential injuries and withstand high volumes of repetitive use with funding from a Hennepin County Youth Sports Grant.
*[See “Phillips”' Youth petition helped create the new Stewart Park Soccer Field” Alley Newspaper, June 2011, page 7]
Related Images:
Focus on Mental Health in the Backyard
By Janice Barbee, Cultural Wellness Center
Community residents participating in the Backyard Initiative have identified “mental health” as one focus for their work to improve the health of all residents. At their past few monthly meetings, members of the Community Commission on Health and Citizen Health Action Teams (CHATs) of the Backyard Initiative (BYI) have been discussing which health condition all the CHATs would work on together. Community members have named many different aspects of mental health, such as stress, depression, and chemical dependency as having a significant impact on overall health. In the community health assessment conducted in 2009, the top health conditions that residents reported experiencing in the last five years were stress (51%), depression (21%), and high blood pressure (21%).
The BYI is a partnership between Allina Health Systems and the community surrounding Allina headquarters (the four neighborhoods of Phillips, Central, Powderhorn Park, and Corcoran) to develop ways to improve the health of the community. Resident-run CHATs are now implementing their health strategies and are accountable to the Community”'s Commission on Health, a group of primarily community residents who are also members of a CHAT.
Related Images:
