News & Views of Phillips Since 1976
Monday December 22nd 2025
Marine Vet Gets back in shape at 52
By Connie Norman
We want to continue to share the great success stories from our Running Wolf members. So here is Sal”'s story!
Salvador Pacheco lives and works in the Phillips neighborhood and said that he heard we were re-opening the Running Wolf Fitness Center in the neighborhood. So in September he went to NACC and got his fitness exam for the free 6 month membership. He discovered through that he had high total cholesterol of 236. He was determined to set goals to improve that through dietary changes like not using butter and eating high fiber oatmeal and the toughest of all quitting a steady diet of Pepsi. He wanted to improve his overall health so after changing his diet and working with the NACC Dietician-Shannon and lowered his cholesterol by a whopping 100 points in about 6 -8 weeks!
He also started his membership at Running Wolf Fitness Center November 1st. Sal came every morning right at 10am when Running Wolf opened and set goals with the trainer-Q and when he started he stated that he could only do about 5 minutes tops on the Nustep (Recumbent bike). However, he was determined and starting working out on the other machines, treadmills and bike and then tried the Elliptical and felt because he had both knees replaced- one in 2004 and the other in 2007 that the Elliptical was less stress on his knees and yet let him get a good cardio workout.… Read the rest “Marine Vet Gets back in shape at 52”
Augustana Lutheran Church is Relocating “”¦Now, it”'s a new day.”
By Rev. David Spong*
A “pillar””¦ for 146 years
Augustana Lutheran Church, a pillar in the Swedish and Lutheran community for 146 years, is relocating to 1900 11th Ave. South. Church-members and friends will process to their new location on Sunday, May 6, where they will have their initial worship. Augustana will make this their new home in what has been the base for Community Emergency Services, a food pantry, shelter, and office for community outreach.
C.E.S. is a ministry Augustana Lutheran Church initiated 41 years ago to minister to the needs of feeding the hungry and caring for people in this neighborhood. It was in 1971 that Minneapolis businessman, Russell Lund came to Augustana Church and approached Pastor Berg saying in effect, “I”'d like to give some money to help low income people in crisis situations.” In 1978 Augustana Church contributed $50,000 matched by Russell Lund to buy the Emmanuel Methodist Church on 11th Ave.
Pastor Mark Peterson, director of C.E.S., stated, “We had worship space in this former Methodist Church that was underutilized.… Read the rest “Augustana Lutheran Church is Relocating “”¦Now, it”'s a new day.””
Sticking with It: Persistence pays off
“Oh the Places You”'ll Go!” With Spring comes Graduation-Commencement Processions. Commencement for this family, this Spring is best described in Dr. Seuss”'s book, “Oh, the Places You”'ll Go!” Naomi Mohammed, mother, student, and Welna Hardware “Locksmith,” fosters a sense of worth and validation in her 5 children. Together they parlay that into spiritual, academic, and worldly success. All of the women of the family graduate this Spring from their respective schools. Pictured left to right: backrow, Naomi and Emelie (St. Kate”'s University, StP.); front row, Nathan, Abby (DeLaSalle), Marissa (Hope Academy, Mpls.), and Andrew.
by Lauretta Dawolo Towns, Banyan Community Coordinator
In some ways, theirs is an unlikely story from East Phillips. In other ways, the story represents what many Phillips families experience everyday ”“ socioeconomic hardship. Naomi Mohammed, the beloved keymaker at Welna ACE Hardware, is a single mother of five fantastic children. Five out of six people in the Mohammed household, including Naomi, are graduating ”“ they have truly beaten the odds.
Naomi grew up in the Phillips neighborhood of the 1950”'s and 60”'s along with three sisters and two brothers at 25th St. and 17th Ave. “Everybody knew everybody in this neighborhood,” she reminisced. She attended Holy Rosary Grade School, now Little Earth Neighborhood Early Learning Center, and then attended Regina High School, an all girls Catholic School where PICA Headstart currently resides at 42nd St.… Read the rest “Sticking with It: Persistence pays off”
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