Keep citizen journalism alive!
A Letter of Gratitude to the Phillips Community”¦from Leon Oman
Leon Oman (right) at the Alley annual meeting
by Leon Oman
Dear Community of Phillips,
Let me express my deepest thanks and gratitude to the Phillips community upon my retirement from Community Education at Andersen School. It has been a profound joy and honor to serve with you over the past 28+ years. I appreciate all the well-wishes that people have shared, both formally and informally, for this next chapter of life.
As I reflect on these many past years, gratitude also swells up within me for all of the ways that Phillips, both you as individuals and you as organizations, have supported Community Education: You have participated in classes and activities; involved yourself as volunteers, teachers and staff; used our gym and meeting facilities; provided input and feedback for programming, both informally as well as formally through our Advisory Council; partnered with us on out-of-school time programs for youth and lifelong learning for adults; provided financial support for many initiatives; collaborated on events; and many other ways. Your personal support along that way has been so fulfilling and motivating.
The community has changed a lot in the years I”'ve been here. I can so clearly recall my first day in June, 1981 ”“ getting off the #21 bus on Lake and 10th Ave.… Read the rest “A Letter of Gratitude to the Phillips Community”¦from Leon Oman”
Movie Corner: A Serious Man & Tyler Perry: I Can Do Bad All By Myself
A Serious Man
A Serious Man
**** 1/2 (rated four and a half out of five stars)
Focus Features
Directors: Ethan Coen and Joel Coen
Standing on the top of his roof, Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) adjusts his television antenna after his pre-bar mitzvah early adolescent son Danny Gopnik (Aaron Wolff) had been complaining about stations not coming in clearly on the television. Danny stands on the roof as if on top of the world. Looking around he is transfixed by a pretty neighbor Mrs. Samsky (Amy Landecker) sunning in the nude in her fenced in backyard. But for Mr. Gopnik, being on the roof is anything but being on top of the world. He”'s mired in a number of problems.
First, Mr. Gopnik, a physics professor at a fictional Judaic private school in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, has an Asian student, unhappy with his failing grade, who attempts to bribe him for a passing grade. Second, Larry is up for tenure. His boss notifies him that some unfavorable anonymous letters have been sent regarding his tenure. His boss assures Larry not to worry but that is no conciliation to him. Three, Larry is confronted by his wife, Judith Gopnik (Sari Lennick) who wants a divorce so she can marry a widower, Sy Ableman (Fred Melamed), a neighbor the Gopniks have known for 15 years.… Read the rest “Movie Corner: A Serious Man & Tyler Perry: I Can Do Bad All By Myself”
At the Movies: Precious
Precious
by Raymond Jackson
Oh how precious everyone and everything is, all in their own unique ways! At the end of this very good movie, ”˜Precious”', exemplifies the aforementioned statement so much that one could hear a pin drop in the carpeted isles, while gasping for air and exhibiting an inability to clap. This movie is good and leaves you frozen in deep thought! The metaphor, keeping it real, can certainly be applied in this case, with bold caps even.
Stand up comedian, Monique, plays an excellent role as Ms Jones, the mother of Clareece ”˜Precious”' Jones, played by newcomer, Gabourey ”˜Gabby”' Sidibe; who is said to have auditioned in between classes, while attending college in New York. Directed by Lee Daniels, ”˜Precious”' is based on the book, ”˜Push”', written by Sapphire, and is sure to be up for many awards. I am allergic to tears, so believe me when I say, this movie will have you crying and even laughing throughout, as you are taken down the path of a junior high school mother, who enters this drama pregnant with her second child, at the age of sixteen.
Based in 1987 New York, Precious, after being told over and over again, by her mother and countless others, that she is nothing and will never be anything but a complete zero; starts to feel better about herself and her capabilities, after being forced to enroll in an alternative school and meeting teachers and students who seemed to care about her.… Read the rest “At the Movies: Precious”
Wakan Tanka
by Peter Molenaar
It took on the order of 200,000 years for humankind to develop a written language. Subsequently, “the word” accumulated in the form of scripture which in turn made literacy a requirement for entry into “the faith”. Hence, the emergence of the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) within the once vast sea of illiteracy.
Note: the various peoples of this neighborhood might do well to acknowledge that we all reside upon Dakota land.
Prior to Abraham, prior even to the Druid elites of Pagan Europe, it was the vision quest which nourished the spiritual community. The trekker was rewarded by nature”'s unforeseen coincidences, including close encounters with curious animals. Such were the revelations of “the great spirit”.
Note: A totem animal should be regarded as but one aspect of Wakan Tanka.
Prior to the existence of life sustaining planets, was there a great spirit? Or, did mind emerge merely as a function of highly evolved central nervous systems? Perhaps, as some have suggested, Wakan Tanka translates better as “the great mystery”.
Who among us has not noticed the great flock of crows which resides in this neighborhood during the winter months? What is the explanation for this? I suggest we observe them with great respect and admiration.… Read the rest “Wakan Tanka”
First Anniversary, New Director, Commission on Health
Good food, stories, discussion and debate have characterized the first full year of Backyard Initiative gatherings like this one at the Cultural Wellness Center, 1527 East Lake Street.
by Janice Barbee
The Backyard Initiative, a partnership between Allina and the surrounding community, will be celebrating its first anniversary on January 30, 2010. Come to the Cultural Wellness Center to hear about the accomplishments of the past year and plans for 2010.
The Backyard Initiative”'s assessment process is already producing a great deal of knowledge. Community residents have conducted 21 Listening Circles, the notes from which are now being analyzed by residents. They will create a report for the community and Allina that will be presented at the January meeting.
The walk-around is now over 1/3 completed. Community residents hired by Wilder Research are walking around the Powderhorn Park, Central, and Corcoran and the four Phillips neighborhoods to ask people about their health and the health of the community. Residents designed the questions and they will be interpreting the results. The great majority of residents have been interested in participating, especially as they learn that other residents are asking the questions.
New BYI Project Director
Allina hired a new project director for the Backyard Initiative in early November.… Read the rest “First Anniversary, New Director, Commission on Health”
Thanks to YOU, The Alley Is Bound for the Future!
60 people attended the Oct 23rd Bound for the Future event. Here a third of them are pictured listening to Cathy Strobel describe the project.
by Susan Gust
Neighbors, friends, advertisers, writers, cartoonists, delivery people, volunteers, young and old, new and well-heeled,—–gathered at the Cultural Wellness Center for a terrific Annual Meeting celebrating 34 years of The Alley Newspaper. This important event also served as a fundraiser for our Bound for the Future Project.
Cathy Strobel, President of Alley Communications”' Board of Directors announced at the meeting that the Hennepin County Library has generously decided to contribute the cost of printing and binding two sets of the 17 volumes holding 30 years worth of history, photos and stories contained in over 4,000 pages of The Alley Newspaper. One of these two sets will be located at the Downtown Library and the other set will be available in our own community at the Franklin Library. The Board and volunteers of Alley Communications, the community owned, non-profit publisher of The Alley Newspaper, are so very grateful for the efforts of the staff of the Hennepin County Library and Commissioner Peter McLaughlin”'s office that helped to make this project successful.
The printing of these two sets has been completed and now the volumes are being bound.… Read the rest “Thanks to YOU, The Alley Is Bound for the Future!”
With Necessity as the Mother of Invention, Brothers “Rack-Up” Success
The infamous Seward racks at the Co-op
by Megan Sheridan
It all started at the University of Minnesota”'s Campus Security. As Rolf Scholtz and his brother Derk used to patrol the Twin Cities CamÂpus, they would notice how unappealing and dysfunctional the bike racks were ”“ as far as they could tell, the market for aesthetically appealing, U-lock compatible bike racks was wide open. After spending some time out of college in an ecoÂnomic development position, Rolf, along with his artistically inclined brother started Dero Bike Racks, now at 2657 32nd Ave S. And since 1995, they have been producing racks that are shipped all across the country as well as other parts of the world.
The foundation of Dero”'s work is based on functionality and artistic appeal: all Dero racks are U-lock compatible, so users are assured that their bikes are safe; and all Dero racks are aesthetically attractive, so architects and planners can integrate them as visible aspects of their designs.
Dero Bike Racks is also firmly rooted in the community. The original office was located at Seven Corners, directly above Bullwinkle”'s Saloon and warehousing located in Phillips. The company”'s first real break was when they worked with Uptown to do one of the nation”'s first large-scale artistic bike rack installation.… Read the rest “With Necessity as the Mother of Invention, Brothers “Rack-Up” Success”
November Phillips What? Where?
November Hint: Out of an explosion order appears
Tell us correctly What and Where this is in PHILLIPS Community and you will get a chance at a drawing for a $10. Gift Certificate to Welna Hardware on Bloomington Ave. One winner for each will be drawn. Call or write: 612-990-4022 or via e-mail or The Alley P.O. Box 7006, Mpls, MN 55407
November HINT:
Out of an explosion order appears.
America, Wake Up & Mask Up!!!!!!!
By Raymond Jackson
[Editor”'s Alley Opps ”¦Note of Apology & Explanation this article was inadvertently omitted and another article wrongly printed last month]
Cough, sneeze, wheeze, drizzle, and not even an excuse me, or any attempt to cover up the expulsion. How many times has this happened to you, already, and so early in this cold and flu season? We have huge pharmaceutical companies claiming that they can”'t get going fast enough, to keep up with the demand for H1N1 flu vaccine. OK, maybe it”'s more difficult than anticipated, battling this H what N who (H1N1) bacteria, but this just does not seem fathomable, for a nation that puts men on the moon. Vaccines for Cholera, Chicken Pox, Polio and many other ailments did not seem to be as baffling as this H1N1. In any event, America, Wake Up & Mask Up! That appears the most logical and economical solution to this pandemic, which at press time had claimed the lives of over 4,000 adults and 540 children, (under the age of 18), here in America, with the state of Minnesota having 9 youth deaths. The past 17 deaths in Minnesota were all adults with preexisting conditions, which has lead some to believe this virus is a trial run of eliminating the feeble, valueless etc. … Read the rest “America, Wake Up & Mask Up!!!!!!!”