News & Views of Phillips Since 1976
Friday January 9th 2026
The Alley”'s Roving Reporter at the August 13 Bridging Event: What are examples of “Bridging” you have experienced in Phillips?
Muriel Simmons:
“We worked on building bridges in the neighborhood; between the community and the police;Â between corporations and neighborhood organizations; and between young people and older people.”
Back then, drug dealers called police on me, that”'s when I knew I had their attention. Respectful relationships were formed with the police. Our home just about became a community center.”
Back then, we started knocking on doors – asked people, are you aware of the crime around here, do you want to join the block club? We invited people into our home, we didn”'t have much but made it clean and comfortable. People began to trust me. I gave myself a birthday party and invited everyone, including the police.” We created a “Seniors walk” on Friday nights.  They were scared but we wanted to take our sidewalks back. We practiced looking people in the eyes. It was like a bridge, people coming out of their homes into the neighborhood. We knew we were successful when we started seeing wheelchairs and walkers out in the neighborhood.”
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It”'s the “The Cat”'s Meow””“ Jeremy Messersmith in Concert on “Graveyard Stage” at Cedar and Lake
Saturday, October 8 Gates open & smartphone history hunt 1:00 pm Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles 2:00 pm Jeremy Messersmith 4:00 pm Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery, 2925 Cedar Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55407 Tickets $10 in advance, $15 at the door; children 12 and under free (donations gladly accepted) Proceeds support restoration of the historic cemetery fence.
By Sue Hunter Weir
We are honored to have Jeremy Messersmith on the “Graveyard Stage” preceeded by Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles perform as part of a Cemetery Open House Gate Saturday, October 8th in conjunction with the Partners in Preservation Voting. Ticket sale proceeds will be used to continue our 1,853 foot fence restoration project.
Jeremy”'s performance will include, without hesitation, songs from his most recent album, “The Reluctant Graveyard.” “The Reluctant Graveyard,” was named as one of the top ten albums of 2010 by National Public Radio”'s “All Songs Considered” and best local album by the Star Tribune. Some of the songs on “The Reluctant Graveyard,” including “Toussaint Grey,” were inspired by inhabitants of Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery. Chris Riemenschneider, music critic for the Minneapolis Tribune, predicts that “this should be one of the most memorable concerts of the year.”… Read the rest “It”'s the “The Cat”'s Meow””“ Jeremy Messersmith in Concert on “Graveyard Stage” at Cedar and Lake”
Amusement, Medical Innovation, and Transit Allied for Success
After two cold and rainy summers that resulted in slow ticket sales, Wonderland closed in 1911. The only evidence on the landscape that Wonderland ever existed is the Infantorium, which is this apartment building on the southeast corner of 31st Avenue and 31st Street.
By Sue Hunter Weir
The story of the Wonderland babies is as much of a crowd pleaser today as it was when Wonderland Park was in operation between 1905 and 1912. When Wonderland opened its gates in 1905, it was not just a big news story””it was a huge story. It wasn”'t just that having a modern amusement park was important to the city”'s image and sense of itself as the gateway to the Northwest, it was the effect that the park had on the city”'s infrastructure and economy. In 1905, for the first time, it became possible for Minneapolitans to take a streetcar from Hennepin and Lake to 31st Avenue and Lake without going through downtown. It was no coincidence that 31st and Lake marked the entrance to Wonderland Park. The following year, a newly constructed addition, the Selby-Lake streetcar line, provided easier access to the park for visitors from St. Paul. On busy days, streetcars ran as often as every thirty seconds to handle the crowds.… Read the rest “Amusement, Medical Innovation, and Transit Allied for Success”
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