News & Views of Phillips Since 1976
Saturday December 20th 2025
Library News
By CARZ NELSON
All information listed here is accurate as of November 15, 2021. For the most recent information, check out the library website at www.hclib.org.
HENNEPIN COUNTY LIBRARY HOURS
Hennepin County Library has expanded its hours. See Franklin’s new schedule below. Check out hclib.org for other libraries.
FRANKLIN LIBRARY HOURS
Monday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Tuesday 12 – 8 p.m.
Wednesday 12 – 8 p.m.
Thursday 12 – 8 p.m.
Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday 12 a.m. – 5 p.m.
LIBRARY SERVICE AND COVID PRECAUTIONS
Everyone must wear a mask in the library and in all county buildings. Children under five years old are exempt. People who tested positive for COVID 19 or who are experiencing related symptoms should not enter the library. Franklin Library is open for regular service; including book check out, holds pick up, and walk-in computer use. There’s no limit on the time people can spend inside the library.
HOMEWORK HELP
Both Franklin and Hosmer Libraries provide free one-on-one tutoring for K-12 students.
Franklin: Wednesdays 3:30 – 7:30 p.m. and Thursdays 3:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Hosmer: Mondays 4 – 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays 1 – 4 p.m.… Read the rest “Library News”
‘Tis The Season To Be Distressed. Or Not.
By MARY ELLEN KALUZA
Despite what marketing executives would have us believe, the Holiday Season is not a warm, carefree, cozy time for many, if not most of us. It is a season packed with stress—emotional stress, time stress, expectation stress, financial stress—the list goes on, much of it related to gift-giving.
A lot of our gift-giving is about wanting others to love us, or our own self-esteem. How many of the grandparents reading this, feel like buying gifts for a grandchild is a competition with the other set of grandparents? Or, are you parents competing with an ex-spouse for children’s love? Would you like to stop the whole family gift exchange because it is a financial burden, but your better-off siblings don’t?
Studies show that we get more happiness and long-lasting memories out of experiences rather than material objects. Spend a minute right now and scan your memories. Do you find long gone stuff in there, or do you find time with someone you loved?
One toy I do remember and still have almost 60 years later is an octopus made of scrap yarn from my grandmother. She gave it to me with a name: Priscilla Lavae. We made it together.… Read the rest “‘Tis The Season To Be Distressed. Or Not.”
Peace House Community: The Greatest Sacrifice
By MARTI MALTBY
Never having been in the armed forces, I don’t have personal experience with the idea of leaving no one behind on the battlefield, even if rescuing them requires great personal risk. I understand it in concept, but I’ve never had to live it out. Only recently did I realize that I get to see others live it out every day that I come to Peace House Community.
Many of our community members make decisions that confound anyone from a middle class background. They decline housing opportunities, or move into housing and then get kicked out for inviting all their friends from the street to stay with them. They get into fights with their best friends and the next day act like nothing happened. They buy, sell and barter items from each other in a system that often looks like a giant commune. Most confusing of all, they stick with friends who they know are dragging them down.
I hear so many questions that start with “Why don’t they …”, as if people who have never lived on the streets know what the community members should do. The questions are usually well-meaning, but they say more about the questioner’s ignorance than about the best way to escape the streets.… Read the rest “Peace House Community: The Greatest Sacrifice”
Keep citizen journalism alive!
