News & Views of Phillips Since 1976
Friday March 14th 2025
Fire Destroyed Bloomington Lake Clinic except for records
The Bloomington Lake Clinic (BLC) on Bloomington Avenue near Lake Street was destroyed by a fire on Wednesday, March 9. It is an 80-year-old medical clinic serving more than 50,000 patients in greater Minneapolis, The clinic”'s second site is still in full operation at 79th Street and Xerxes Avenue in Bloomington, Minnesota and has taken on all of the staff from their Bloomington Avenue. Here is the Bloomington Lake Clinic”'s update.
BLC ROAD TO RECOVERY ”“ UPDATE 1
- All physicians and staff from the Lake Street clinic have relocated to and are serving patients from the Xerxes Ave. location.
- All critical clinical and business systems continue to be operational due to medical records and business systems being hosted off-site. Loss to medical and other records was minimized.
- Phone services for physicians and staff from the Lake Street clinic have resumed — all phone numbers are operational and voicemail is expected to be restored soon.
- Email service was hosted off-site and was unaffected by the fire; however, computers and laptops were lost. Laptops have been restored for critical employees. All other employees are able to access Web mail and computers are being replaced as quickly as possible.
“Thank you to everyone in the community who has reached out to us,” said Bob Vogel, administrator of Bloomington Lake Clinic.… Read the rest “Fire Destroyed Bloomington Lake Clinic except for records”
What is TRANSITION TOWN PHILLIPS? Here, in a nutshell
By Corrine Bruning
The transition towns concept hails from England, is that peak oil and climate change are challenges that are real and will start having major effects on our oil based society. We look to become resilient and create an Energy Action Descent Plan that moves us toward a localized clean energy future. This also means learning how to grow and preserve food, utilizing all the unused land in the neighborhood to grow food, or to be a better rain catchment system. It means really advocating for transportation change and equality, by making personal choices, and persuading policymakers to make good transportation policy choices. But most importantly, it means getting to know your neighbors and establishing bonds that will help us muster together through these hardships, and not as enemies.
The beginnings of the group formed at a “Local Resilience” event held by Alliance for Sustainability on November 13. Since, then we”'ve come together to discuss what we want our neighborhood to look like (bicycles, mosaics, gardens, murals, dog parks, waving and smiling neighbors), and what skills we”'d be willing to share and learn. Also, as this team has grown, we”'ve had discussions around energy and food, and really would like to make strong relationships with our neighbors, neighborhood groups, and businesses.… Read the rest “What is TRANSITION TOWN PHILLIPS? Here, in a nutshell”
Keep citizen journalism alive!
Beyond Wisconsin
by Peter Molenaar
March 13, 2011”¦
There were pleasant greetings between the handful of neighborhood folk who attended the most recent rally in Hudson. David Bicking was there. His handmade sign read: “Labor Creates All Wealth”. In jest, I pondered out loud, “Oh, I thought ownership of the means of production created wealth.” And then, yet another great semi-truck roared beneath our occupied overpass. Honk. Honk. Honnkkk”¦
Are public workers being unjustly scape-goated?
Well, for starters, millions of good paying American jobs have been shipped overseas. And then came huge tax breaks for super-wealthy people in a time of war. To which we must add some wildly irresponsible Wall Street speculations and sub-prime mortgage schemes which culminated in a $700 billion bailout. You be the judge.
My own handmade sign read simply: “Tax the rich”. Some long ago training as a draftsman found a nice expression. Requests for photo poses were many. Smile.
In today”'s world, just 400 Americans have more wealth than half of all Americans combined””more loot than the combined assets of 155 million people. Or, to slice it in a different way, 20% of America owns 85% of the country”'s wealth. Clearly, public workers are in the category of “the people”””the 80% which owns a mere 15% .… Read the rest “Beyond Wisconsin”