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Moment of Silence
By Peter Molenaar
Even as these words are written, another beneath the rubble has given up the ghost. The remaining resistance is fading”¦
Flashback to 1803. Given a plague of wars, Napoleon Bonaparte”'s France is a financial wreck. Concurrently, measures to maintain order in the lucrative sugar colony of Haiti are in jeopardy. Hence, the sale of some 828,000 square miles of “French territory” appears to be prudent (our own neighborhood is but a small parcel of this Louisiana Purchase). Every Haitian child knows the story.
Note: Following the logic of ancestral events, it appears that many of us owe our existence to the Haitian slave revolt!
Now see January 12, 2010. Nearly 12,000 registered nurses have volunteered for Haiti disaster relief””some 300 from Minnesota. They stand ready as the largest contingent of RN volunteers in U.S. history. National Nurses United is working around the clock to find deployment locations. “Medical facilities are completely overwhelmed”¦we are doing everything in our power to get these nurses engaged”, so states the NNU.
Time will tell. These nurses deserve a massive outpouring of respect from the whole of Organized Labor. They are the advanced guard of the moment. But the pitiful truth is, as of this writing, the logistics of deployment remain unresolved.… Read the rest “Moment of Silence”
The Alley is Bound for the Future
30 Years of Alley Newspapers in One Set of 13 Volumes awaits trip to Franklin Library to be available to the community; printed on good, book paper and bound hard-covers.
Bound for the Future has two meanings for the Alley Newspaper in 2010: First, it means that the first 30 years of The Alley Newspaper”'s issues are now reprinted on good quality book paper instead of lower quality newsprint paper, and the over 4,000 pages are bound into two sets of 13 hardcover volumes. One set is available to the public at the Central Library downtown on Hennepin Avenue and the other is available at the Franklin Library on Franklin Avenue. This making of The Alley”'s into hardcover volumes was initiated by the Hennepin County Library. Alley Communications, the nonprofit that produces The Alley Newspaper, began raising money to have another set at the Franklin Library. An Alley volunteer spent a couple of hundred hours compiling a complete set for the Library to use for reprinting. Subsequent to the printing completion, the Library was able to use some left-over funds to pay for the Franklin Library set. This allowed The Alley to redirect the funds donated to date and, instead, broaden the public accessibility effort.… Read the rest “The Alley is Bound for the Future”
January Phillips What? Where? Contest
Photo #1: It”'s a sign? Yes, that”'s obvious. The question remains a sign of what? by whom? for what? Tell it all and your name goes in the drawing. It was a Model project in the 60”'s, closed, then opened, closed then?
Photo #2: It”'s a building? Yes, that”'s obvious. What building? Where is it? Whose building? What”'s it for? What”'s rising out of the top? A long, notoriously substandard sidewalk belonged to this property which certainly was a contradiction of its Owner.
Tell us the What and Where of these 2 photos correctly and win a chance for a drawing of a $20.00 Gift Certificate at Welna Hardware 2438 Bloomington Avenue.
See the captions on the photos to the right for the January Hints.
Get all of the answers of #1 correct and you”'re in that drawing.
Get all of the answers of #2 correct and you”'re in that drawing.
Get all of the answers of #1 & #2 correct and you”'re in both drawings.
So, you may win a $10 gift certificate or possibly 2 $10. gifts certificates to Welna Hardware 2438 Bloomington Avenue
Winners from the December Contest:
Lisa Donovan-Larson, Eloise Funmaker, Geralyn Little Wolf, and Brenda Morrow.… Read the rest “January Phillips What? Where? Contest”
What”'s Up at the Franklin Library-January 2010
By Erin Thomasson
Children”'s Programs
Cuentos y Canciones/World Language Storytime: Spanish
Thur., Jan. 7”“Feb. 25, 6 p.m. Para niños de 2 años en adelante. Comparta y disfrute con sus niños libros, cuentos, rimas y música en español. Ages 2 and up. Share books, stories, rhymes and music in Spanish.
Origami Fun!
Sat., Jan. 9, 3:30Â p.m.
Grades 1 and up. Learn this nifty paper-folding art from local master Daniel Kluver. Leave with your pockets full of animals!
Sheeko Caruur Af-Soomaali ah/World Language Storytime: Somali
Tuesdays, Jan. 12, 19 & 26, 6:30”“7:30Â p.m. La wadaag bugagga, sheekoyinka, jaan-gooyada maansada iyo muusikada Soomaalida. Waxaa lagu maalgaliyey deeq ay For children ages 2 and up. Experience the world in other languages.
Celebrate Winter
Fri., Jan. 15, 4Â p.m.
Kindergarten and up. Join us for winter-themed stories and crafts!
Minnesota Rocks!
Fri., Jan. 22, 3Â p.m.
Kindergarten and up. Granite, slate, sandstone”¦ oh, those rocks! What are they like? Where are they found? Are there fake rocks? Solve rock mysteries and create a piece of rock art to take home. Materials provided.
Kids Book Club
Fri., Jan. 29, 4 p.m.
Grades 4-6. Join other kids to talk about a great book! No pre-reading required! We will share a story and discuss.
James Womack and Frances Collier Womack “Happy Trails to You, Until We Meet Again”
James Womack was the grand-uncle of Roy Rogers. Roy Rogers, born in OH, to Andrew and Mattie Womack Slye and named Leonard Franklin Slye; went west in 1931 as a would be musician. In less than two years, he”'d co-founded the greatest Western singing group of all time, the Sons of the Pioneers, and four years later, he”'d started a career as a movie star with a new name, Roy Rogers. Apparently, a cowboy hero couldn”'t be known as Slye. The name “Rogers” came from Will Rogers and “Roy” came from a list. He made his debut in “Under Western Stars”; with Roy Rogers as a new star, and his horse, Trigger.
By Sue Hunter Weir
Those of us who grew in the late 1940s and 1950s, in the age of black and white movies and television, are all familiar with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, King and Queen of the West. At the end of their weekly television show, they signed off by singing “Happy Trails to You,” a song written by Dale. Even now, most of us can still sing the song by heart. Believe it or not, that song has an interesting connection (albeit a somewhat remote one) to Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery.… Read the rest “James Womack and Frances Collier Womack “Happy Trails to You, Until We Meet Again””
SEARCHING ”“ a Serial Novelle: CHAPTER 10: Abuela
By Patrick Cabello Hansel
“Mr. Bussey, I never used to believe in ghosts”, Angel said, as he wiped up his coffee with the napkins the waitress had brought. The other patrons at Maria”'s had gone back to their meals.
“Oh, I”'d listen to my abuela when she told us stories about the spirits” he went on, “and when she made her special bread and chocolate for El Dia de los Muertos. She always said that our family was descended from Aztec warriors and Spanish conquistadors, and that the blood in us was really angel fire. Crazy stuff like that. But I didn”'t think much about it until these last couple of weeks.”
“What happened to change your mind?” Mr. Bussey asked.
“All this weird stuff has been happening to me. First I heard an owl calling from the cemetery”¦”
“The sign of death”, Mr. Bussey interrupted.
“Yeah””but whose? Then I met this girl named Luz, who I think likes me too. I almost got killed by…well, I don”'t know who did it, only that I was beaten unconscious, and Luz”' uncle Jaime, and some guy named Ahmed carried me to this house where a woman named Mother Light lives.”
“Mother Light””who lives over by Cedar, a healer I think.”… Read the rest “SEARCHING ”“ a Serial Novelle: CHAPTER 10: Abuela”
SPORTS TALK
By Ray Jay and Young Dex
It is with great sorrow that we start this edition of Sports Talk announcing the death of 26 year old wide receiver Chris Henry, who”'s Cincinnati Bengals, had just recently been thrashed by our MN Vikings 30-10. Mr. Henry did not play in that game, in that he broke his forearm November 6, and was still rehabilitating to return to action. After a troubled start in college and professional sports, Chris Henry had started to turn his life around, and had he kept pace, would have been an excellent role model, that no matter what you have done in the past, your future can be better. What a tragedy!
As one Minnesota team, The Wild, (NHL), got a little hot; the hot Minnesota team, The Vikings (NFL), got a little cold; and the cold Minnesota team, The Timberwolves (NBA), started to warm up. The only consistently good professional sports venue currently, are The Minnesota Timberwolves Dance Line. Since the NBA season start, they have at times shown better on the court moves than our T-Wolves, however, that may continue to change for the better, now that Kevin Love has returned to the line-up, and Al Jefferson is playing with more virility.… Read the rest “SPORTS TALK”
Ninja Assassin
Ninja Assassin
By Howard McQuitter II
Demon from Hell surprises Raizo (Rain) and his party of men and some women in a warehouse suite slaughtering the men except Raizo, of course, the main character. From the opening scenes, the body count begins to soar and so does the martial arts in conjunction with sanguineous displays.
Raizo is raised in an orphanage where the caretakers treat the children like slaves even murdering children deemed as traitors. The orphanage is run by a cruel master Lord Ozuni (Sho Kosugi) to whom Raizo becomes his archenemy. Raizo strikes out on his own but one thinks Lord Ozuni instills in him: hate all weakness. Raizo rents a large apartment with spare furnishings where he can practice his martial arts
Raizo, unlikely ally Agent Mika Coretti (Naomi Harris), find themselves in dangerous circumstances as ninjas seem to be coming from all directions. Her cohort Agent Ryan Maslow (Ben Miles) reluctant to believe early in the goings Raizo is the “good guy.”
The ninjas Raizo is up against are unconscionable hired killers to steal 100 pounds of gold. (Why not go for gold the dollar is nearly worthless nowadays?] Raizo is a stealthy character who will face his nemesis, Lord Ozunu.… Read the rest “Ninja Assassin”
Does Arson + “Accident” + Collusion = Demolition on Christmas Eve?
By Harvey Winje, Editor
The house once owned by Pauline Feldje, the maker of the first Minnesota Flag and other historic, cultural artistic productions, has been a controversial subject as the current owner wanted it demolished for parking until it was placed under a moratorium until its historic significance could be documented and evaluated.
Then there was a “fire”; apparently arson. Then a material delivery “accident” caused more damage to the building. So a building inspector conveniently declared the building “unsafe” and ordered it demolished on Christmas Eve when people, of course, are preoccupied and least likely to be aware or able to respond.
Proving, once again, “there”'s more than one way to skin a cat.”
Subsequently, the following week, the house was declared having Substantial “Historic Status” by the Historic Preservation Commission; “a day week late and a dollar short.” Don”'tcha lovbe it “when a plan comes together?”