News & Views of Phillips Since 1976
Sunday December 21st 2025
Tales From Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery
179th in a Series
By SUE HUNTER WEIR
Emeline Baker Balch
1830-1867
The Cemetery is listed in the National Register of Historic Places in part because of its ties to the anti-slavery movement. Its original owners, Martin and Elizabeth Layman, were members of the First Baptist Church of Minneapolis which was closely associated with that movement; and there are several others buried in the cemetery, including a number of women, who had ties to both the anti-slavery and temperance movements. It is hard to gauge the exact nature of their involvement since very few of the women who died during the cemetery”™s early years left first-hand accounts of their lives, but there can be little doubt about what they believed.
Emeline Baker Balch was born in Onondaga, New York on 20 March 1830. When she was 14 years old, Emeline and her family moved to Aurora, Kane County, Illinois. The town of Aurora was settled by New Englanders who tended to migrate in groups””sometimes extended families, sometimes in colonies of church-members. Many were descendants of Puritans who fled religious persecution and arrived in what was to become America in the 1600s. Emeline”™s paternal and maternal grandfathers were veterans of the Revolutionary War.… Read the rest “Tales From Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery”
Keeping Cool in the Heat of It
Phillips Neighborhood ClinicÂ
By Harry Leeds
There”™s this joke about Minnesota: “We have a really incredible summer! You should come see it. It”™s on a Thursday.” Yes, Minnesota is blessed with sunny skies, relatively low humidity, cool breezes, and some of the best parks in the country, all at our disposal to enjoy in July and August.Â
Joking aside, it can get hot outside. While many of us used to spend our summer days in air-conditioned offices or cafes, now we find ourselves at home. It is heatstroke when your body is exposed to high temperatures and exhaustive physical exertion
So, it is important for the more vulnerable (or in my case, irritable) of us to stay cool during the summer. It is important that you do not stress yourself, physically and emotionally. Carrying a couch up the stairs of an apartment building in 90 degree heat may seem like a good idea at the time, but you can hurt yourself. High temperatures can make you cranky, confused, and dangerously dehydrated. So you”™ll want to make sure you are drinking enough water.
If you can stay safely inside an air-conditioned space, you should do that on the hottest of days.… Read the rest “Keeping Cool in the Heat of It”
What”™s Up at Your Community Libraries
By LINDSEY FENNER
Hennepin County Libraries are reopening with limited in-person services.
For Updated information on Hennepin County Library (HCL) services during the Coronavirus Pandemic, visit www.hclib.org. All information is accurate as of July 15, 2020
Library Updates: As of Tuesday, July 14, Franklin Library is open for computer use! Call 612-543-6925 to make an appointment. The building will remain locked, but staff will let you in at your appointment time. Masks are required and will be provided if you don”™t bring one. You will need to bring your own headphones. At this time, Franklin Library is open for computer use ONLY. Other areas and services, including book/DVD check-out, are not available. They will be accepting returns during staffed service hours.
Franklin Library Computer Hours
Tuesday & Wednesday 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Thursday 12-7:30 p.m.
Friday & Saturday 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Sunday & Monday ”“ closed
Franklin Library meal pick-up for youth, Thursdays, Noon-2 p.m. For ages 18 and under. Pick up a week worth of free meals. Caregivers can pick up meals for youth who are not present. Meals include: sandwiches, milk, fruit, vegetable, and snack.
Curbside Pick Up Library Service at Hosmer Library: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. All East Lake Library patrons will have the default pickup location of their holds changed to Hosmer Library.… Read the rest “What”™s Up at Your Community Libraries”
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