Victor Borge: Life and Laughs of a Scandinavian Humorist Exhibit Opens at the American Swedish Institute
Victor Borge
February 18 ”“ May 1, 2011
Exhibit explores Victor Borge”'s life and achievements with film clips, recordings, photographs and memorabilia. Admission: see below.
Born Børge Rosenbaum in Denmark on January 3, 1909, Mr. Borge trained at the Royal Danish Academy of Music and began his career in Denmark in the 1930s. While touring in Sweden, the Third Reich invaded Denmark, Borge, being Jewish, could not return home. He went to the U.S on August 28, 1940.
Affectionately called “Great Dane,” Victor Borge was an engaging musician, humorist, humanitarian, and one of the most popular performers in the US and Scandinavia. He effectively used physical and visual elements maintaining a consistent, dynamic energy and high level of spontaneity, marked by impeccable timing and highly developed musicality.
During 60 years in the U.S., he performed on radio and television, in films, on stage, and at the White House. In 1956, he performed on Broadway with his Comedy in Music; still the record for longest-running one-man show. Recognized as an ambassador of goodwill in Denmark and America, he was knighted by the five Nordic countries and honored by U.S. Congress and the United Nations. Borge died Dec. 23, 2000.
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East Phillips Park Cultural and Community Center at 2300 17th Ave. Exemplifies reward of unity after 40 years of vision and six years of struggle
[Historical Note by Editor]: It has been forty years since hopes and visions of improvement to the two blocks of land between 17th and Cedar Avenues and 22nd and 24th Streets began. Initial plans and proposals for dense housing were halted by limited citizen initiated political “arm twisting” that was nonetheless effective. That effort led to park development limited to the barest of un-staffed, built facilities. Six years ago that same awareness and tenacity of local residents– knowing their numbers and needs were greater than were being met and propelled by the obvious inequity of program and facility availability for local youth compared to other parts of the city””initiated concentrated focus on further improvement.
The January 22, 2011 Building Opening and Ribbon Cutting marks the culmination of six years of creative and determined effort by neighborhood organizations, residents, and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board with city, county, and state support.
The newly constructed 14,000 sq. ft. building features a high school-sized gym and adjacent kitchen, a teen center, computer lab, and rooms that will accommodate a variety of programming. At 30% more energy efficient than the average building in Minneapolis, the East Phillips building sets a new standard for energy efficiency in Park Board community centers.… Read the rest “East Phillips Park Cultural and Community Center at 2300 17th Ave. Exemplifies reward of unity after 40 years of vision and six years of struggle”
ReUse Center Closed after 15 years
by Harvey Winje
The Reuse Center in Phillips closed on Dec. 11th, held a one week on-line auction, gave away the remains, and was ended by Dec 31st.
The Mpls. Reuse Center, which began as the first retail sales store selling reusable building materials in an urban shopping center in the United States, opened at the Hi-Lake Shopping Center on October 15, 1995. An Elder from Little Earth, Gladys Cain, opened the program with a traditional American Indian smudging and blessing followed with remarks by Senator Paul Wellstone, David Morris, city, county and state political representatives, environmental activists and community residents. This event topped off the culmination of 2 years of writing a business plan, fundraising, and conducting a pilot project in local warehouses in Phillips.
The ReUse Center did not originate from an idea of a few nor did it come from an entirely environmental perspective. Instead, it arose out of a controversy between Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis versus the Phillips Community about clearing land of 27 homes and 5 businesses where a state of the art, garbage transfer station was to be built costing 10 million dollars.… Read the rest “ReUse Center Closed after 15 years”
