Keep citizen journalism alive!
45 Year Momentum at an ALL-TIME HIGH! PHILLIPS AQUATIC CENTER
At the Phillips Aquatic Center
March Madness
By Denny Bennett
March, 2017 will be long remembered as a big month in the history of the Phillips Aquatics Center! On Tuesday, March 28th at 1:00 PM, at the Phillips Community Center, the ceremonial groundbreaking took place. Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board”'s (MPRB) Superintendent Jayne Miller led the festivities, and the crowd heard from elected officials, key donors and me. MPRB is planed the details of the event, and had the obligatory golden shovels and pre-softened dirt.
To me, this public display of “digging in” was like a wedding, in the sense that all who participate are saying loudly and publicly, “I”'m all in!” From this day forward, we can all relax a little bit. This thing is real, and once declared publicly at a groundbreaking, there are no “take-backs”! Just like a wedding, there was even a reception with light refreshments afterwards, and for entertainment, people took a tour of the “before” version of the old pool.
In January, while I heralded the joy of this dream coming true, I also dedicated a few column inches to explain how important items got left out due to budget constraints. Specifically, there were two projects that were designated as “optional” and as a result, not included in the planned construction:
- Existing locker room upgrade ”“ $162,000
- Fitness & teen center relocation and remodeling ”“ $116,000
South High Foundation Donates to “Sha-Kym Adams Learn to Swim Fund”
Kimberly Adams, Honorary Co-chair of the “Sha-Kym Adams Learn to Swim Fund” and Denny Bennett, Mpls. Swims President receive a $1,394.00 Gift for the Fund from Judy Ayers, South High Foundation President on behalf of the Foundation.
On Tuesday, March 14, the Friends of South High Foundation presented a check for $1,394.00 to Denny Bennett, president of Minneapolis Swims, and Kimberly Adams, Honorary Co-chair of the “Sha-Kym Adams Learn to Swim Fund” and mother of the late Sha-Kym Adams. Foundation President Judy Ayers presented the check during the Foundation”'s monthly board meeting. Many of Sha-Kym”'s extended family members attended the presentation, and his sister, Renae Rowe, read a meaningful poem.
Minneapolis Swims created this fund with the help of Sha-Kym”'s parents, Kimberly Adams & Sharrod Rowe, to provide scholarships for swimming instruction, helping eliminate financial barriers that may exist for people to learn to swim. Kimberly”'s hope is “that no parent ever have to go through what we went through.”
Sha-Kym Adams was a sophomore at South High School when he drowned in August 2014, while trying to swim out to the raft on Lake Nokomis with some teammates after a football practice.
To donate to the fund, go to our Facebook page and follow the link, or send contributions c/o Minneapolis Swims, 2323 11th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55404.
South High Sends Swimmer to State Meet
Dutch Franko-Dynes from South High School qualified to compete in the 2017 MSHSL Boys AA Swim & Dive Championships, which took place at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center on the University of Minnesota campus on March 3 and 4. Dutch finished 11th in the 100 freestyle with a time of 47.85.
The South High School swim team, coached by Jeff Sanders, sent junior Dutch Franko-Dynes to the 2017 MSHSL Boys AA Swim & Dive Championships, which took place at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center on the University of Minnesota campus on March 3 and 4. Dutch finished 11th in the 100 freestyle with a time of 47.85.
Dutch, who was selected as a team captain for next year, is looking forward to the opening of the Phillips Aquatics Center, as the team currently does not have a home pool to practice in. Said Coach Sanders, “Having a pool with starting blocks to be able to practice starts and streamlining, and just having practice at the same time every day, and now the fitness center, it will be a game-changer for us. I”'m so proud of what Dutch, and so many of the other swimmers have accomplished without our own pool.… Read the rest “South High Sends Swimmer to State Meet”
1418 East Lake Street QORAXLOW-“Handsome”-RESTAURANT 1414 East Lake Proposes an addition for Q Coffee
DISElslOS, is designing and consulting with the Owners of Quruxlow Restaurant at 1414 East Lake Street to construct Phase II of the Project at the corner of East Lake Street and 15th Avenue So. to be a Coffee Shop called Q”' Coffee which would fill in the vacant corner and complete the development of this site. It should also help reduce the problems associated with drug and prostitution traffic at this corner. The 3rd Police Precinct has been very supportive of our efforts to help clean up this area and this would be an extension of that effort. The Restaurant hours-of-operation are from 9:00a – 12:00 Midnight. The Coffee Shop would open from 7:00am to 10:00pm, Sunday through Thursday and 11:00pm on Friday and Saturday. The coffee / espresso service, which is currently offered in the Restaurant, would be relocated to this new addition. We plan to offer Caribou products as part of their “we proudly brew” program and also serve assorted pastries and Sambusas from the Restaurant. Q”' Coffee will share our large parking lot at 14**^ Avenue South and East Lake Street and we will continue to monitor the lot with existing security cameras and lighting. There are also existing cameras and lights on our Restaurant and we would relocate and add cameras and lighting to provide security for this new addition.… Read the rest “1418 East Lake Street QORAXLOW-“Handsome”-RESTAURANT 1414 East Lake Proposes an addition for Q Coffee”
Midtown Phillips Changes on 13th Ave., 14th Ave. and Lake Street
Changes 13th and 14th Avenues, 28th Street to the Greenway
BY HARVEY WINJE
The Greenway Market, 2825 13th Ave So. in the building recently occupied by Wentworth Aircraft for many years after it was Sears & Roebucks Service Center for decades, is proposing to keep current uses the same while adding more retail shops.
A new proposal is for five Townhomes with Granny units above the garage and some green space for children to play east of the Market and fronting, level with the Midtown Greenway. There is an opportunity to Tour the Greenway Market Tuesday March 28, 6:30-8pm before the Midtown Community Meeting at Abubakar As-Saddique Islamic Center, 2824 13th at 7:15pm, previously Dayton-Rogers, metals Mfg. company for decades.
See Midtown Phillips NEWS on page 4 for more details.Â
