News & Views of Phillips Since 1976
Monday December 22nd 2025
People and Pets Together
By DWIGHT HOBBES
Probably most people”™s well being is intrinsically, inextricably tied to caring for a pet. The furry, four-footed friend you take care of who actually takes care of you. And who you need to feed. Tougher and tougher as financial times have grown, more than a few folk struggle to put food on the table, let alone fill a feed bowl.
Enter, People and Pets Together (PPT) (www.peopleandpetstogether.org) to meet that vital need. As the corona crisis continues to rage, it”™s increasingly about more than having a cute critter on hand. That critter, for a lot of us, means company. For those who”™ve had Fido or Kitty awhile, it is the loving companionship of a family member. Ultimately, we”™re talking about the overall good. As Dr. Marie Louderback of the 3 Pound Cats clinic, fondly referred to at PPT as Dr. Marie, notes, “To be able to care for [one”™s] pet allows me to indirectly care for the family as well.” She adds, “The human-animal bond is…helpful with many human conditions.”
That particularly includes people who live alone, especially during a pandemic that the medical profession expects to last until December. Characteristic of isolation is succumbing to depression and just plain loneliness.… Read the rest “People and Pets Together”
Cover Crop Seeds
RAISE YOUR VOICE
By PETER MOLENAAR
From time to time, readers of the alley are reminded that Wendell Phillips, our neighborhood”™s namesake, was an abolitionist. I will assert here that, were he still alive, he would be opposed to the ongoing oppression of the Palestinian people. Now days, this opposition to all forms of oppression circulates via this paper in surrounding communities, including the Land Stewardship Project (LSP) which maintains an office in the Powderhorn Neighborhood.
The LSP is splendidly adept at mingling strains of progressive rural thought with the corresponding urban strains. Our nation”™s soil health is an overriding issue for the LSP.
Why bother? Well, an estimated 1/3 of our topsoil has already washed away. The applied math does not bode well. But hey, just add more chemicals”¦ right? Wrong. Actually, the world”™s supply of phosphate is nearing exhaustion. (Note: President Biden has initiated a supply chain analysis for all vital commodities.)
Moreover, cover crops are the key to a ”˜regenerative agriculture”™ which is poised to sequester enough carbon to seriously stem the tide of climate catastrophe. However, any mandate that our farmers comply with this strategy will be deemed by “conservatives” and well armed “patriots” to be a “socialist tyranny”.… Read the rest “Cover Crop Seeds”
Random alley Labor News
By LINDSEY FENNER
Random Alley Labor News
By Lindsey Fenner
Strike Averted at Allina: Service Employees International Union (SEIU) healthcare workers at Allina, which includes Abbott Northwestern Hospital and Phillips Eye Institute in Phillips, reached a last-minute tentative agreement with Allina Health. Workers had been set to strike on May 10 if an agreement wasn”™t reached in time. Issues during contract negotiations included pay, and health and safety concerns.
Boycott of Marathon and Speedway Gas Stations Called for as Lockout at Refinery Continues: The MN AFL-CIO has endorsed a boycott of Marathon and Speedway gas stations as the lockout of workers at the St. Paul Park Marathon Refinery enters its fifth month. Members of Teamsters Local 120 were locked out by Marathon after a one-day strike in January. Workers have been fighting against staffing cuts and changes that they are worried will make the refinery more dangerous. The Marathon Refinery is one of about 50 refineries in the United States that still uses hydrogen fluoride, a highly toxic chemical. According to Marathon filings with the Environmental Protection Agency, an explosion at the refinery could create a toxic cloud that could travel 19 miles and impact 1.7 million people. Teamsters and allies have been spreading the word about the boycott and safety issues at the Marathon Refinery with pickets at gas stations supplied by the refinery. … Read the rest “Random alley Labor News”
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