Franklin Library News

By ARI BAUM-HOMMES
All information listed here is accurate as of June 12th, 2024. For the most recent information, check out the library website at www.hclib.org

FRANKLIN LIBRARY HOURS
Monday 9 AM to 5 PM Tuesday 12 PM to 8 PM Wednesday 12 PM to 8 PM Thursday 12 PM to 8 PM Friday 9 AM to 5 PM Saturday 9 AM to 5 PM Sunday 12 PM to 5 PM

Hennepin County Libraries are closed on Thursday, July 4.

PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH
Free Hot Lunch for youth 18 and under
Thursdays, 1:20-1:40 PM
MPS Culinary & Wellness will provide no-cost meals to students 18 and under from their Street Eats food truck. Meals and snacks must be eaten on site.

Recycled Book Art for youth grades K-6
Wednesday, July 17, 3-5 PM
Drop in to create art using damaged books heading to the recycling bin. Materials provided. Collaborator: Ready Go Art: Art Book Circle. Sponsor: MELSA (Metropolitan Library Service Agency).

STEAM Activities for Youth
Wednesdays, 1-2:30 PM
Drop in for fun and creative STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) experiments and projects! Materials provided. Led by Franklin Library’s Teen Tech Squad.

Video Games & VR for Youth
Wednesdays, 3-4 PM
Come hang out for an afternoon of Nintendo Switch and Virtual Reality!… Read the rest “Franklin Library News”

Carol Ann Armstrong Pass, 1942-2024

A Tireless Advocate for her Community is At Rest

Excerpted from a eulogy read at the memorial and tribute held for Carol Pass on Sunday, June 9, at the East Phillips Community Cultural Center.

Minneapolis lost a ‘powerhouse’ on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 when Carol Ann Armstrong Pass, 81, of Minneapolis, MN, died at 3 a.m. – fittingly the time of night she usually stopped studying or working on community projects.
Moving through the world with a sense of purpose, Carol was a tireless advocate for her community. She served as president of the neighborhood organization, East Phillips Improvement Coalition, for 20 years, and most recently she helped found and was on the board of the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute. She raised the funds to build the East Phillips Cultural and Community Center, and for numerous housing initiatives in East Phillips, striving to bring happiness, resources, and attention to the community.
Carol was born to Robert and Jeanne (Thurber) Armstrong on Aug. 30, 1942 in Minneapolis, and graduated from Mound High School. Raised on a farm along Lake Minnetonka, she carried a love of horses and animals into her adulthood. She married Brad Pass on Dec.… Read the rest “Carol Ann Armstrong Pass, 1942-2024”

Coliseum Reopens

A New Chapter for an Iconic Neighborhood Building

The Coliseum Building, located at the intersection of Lake Street and Minnehaha Avenue, has opened its doors once again following a 3 1/2 year community-focused redevelopment initiative centering BIPOC voices. After sustaining heavy damage during the unrest in response to the murder of George Floyd in 2020, the historic building finally reopened to the public during the Soul of the Southside block party celebrating Juneteenth on June 19th. A destination for community commerce since 1917, the newly renovated, move-in-ready building at 2708 E Lake Street has been redeveloped as a beacon for BIPOC entrepreneurs and small businesses through a project led by the nonprofit community development corporation, Redesign, Inc. The new space offers commercial/retail/office space, incubator space for local BIPOC professionals and BIPOC-led firms, an event center, and an on-site restaurant & bar.

Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Coliseum Building has long been a beacon for local businesses and BIPOC entrepreneurs. The redeveloped building will continue to serve as a retail and commercial hub for the East Lake Street community and help catalyze future adjacent development.… Read the rest “Coliseum Reopens”