News & Views of Phillips Since 1976
Thursday December 18th 2025
The Rand Report: Join neighborhood board
By Rand Retterath
Rand Retterrath
I invite all of you to participate in your neighborhood organizations. For me it is Midtown Phillips Neighborhood Association Inc. Others in the area include East Phillips Improvement Coalition (EPIC), Phillips West Neighborhood Organization (PWNO), Ventura Village, and Central Area Neighborhood Development Organization (CANDO).
MPNAIÂ is a volunteer-based community organization advocating for a vibrant, safe, and healthy neighborhood.
MPNAI partners with 7 local neighborhood non-profits to implement a variety of projectsÂ
We also partner with CANDO, EPIC and PWNO.
Our annual events include Phillips Clean Sweep, National Night Out, Midtown Festival at Open Streets, and an Annual Community Meeting and Dinner.
MPNAI has financially supported KRSM Radio, MadDads, New American Youth Soccer Club, Somali TV, St Paul Arts, Phillips Aquatics Centerand others.
Currently, we are working on a traffic flow analysis.
MPNAI has partnered with the Center for Energy and Environment Lending to help finance home improvement projects.
Volunteers have partnered with authorities to maintain outreach efforts aimed at homelessness and sex workers.
We have advocated against the Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association incursion into Midtown Phillips, Phillips West and East Phillips.
We have advocated for continuation of the community funding of neighborhood organizations with others all over the city.… Read the rest “The Rand Report: Join neighborhood board”
Keep citizen journalism alive!
Frank reflection What is war?
By FRANK ERICKSON
Just to clear up any confusion, I always put quotation marks around “war” when writing about it.
Quotation marks were not used on the “Iraq War” reference in my May issue Commentary in The Alley Newspaper May. That was a accidental editing omission. Nonetheless, I want to emphasize that I see “war” as not being accessible to humans since humans have claimed to be civilized.
Apparently people think they can float back and forth between the animal and civilized worlds. This is not possible. You either have laws to govern civilized society or you don”™t. You can”™t conveniently step outside your laws and “war.”
The “Iraq War” was the same as the Holocaust. This is not an anti-“war” approach. I am not an anti-“war” activist because it is counterproductive. This is a scientific approach based on physical science.
It was physically impossible for Nazi aggressors to get “in war” with Jews and be free to kill them whether Jews took up arms or not. The same is true for 2003 and the “Iraq War.” It was physically impossible for a “war” aggressor like the U.S. to attack people that were not attacking the U.S.… Read the rest “Frank reflection What is war?”