News & Views of Phillips Since 1976
Sunday December 21st 2025
Controversy reaches crisis
Editor”'s note: The following was submitted as an open letter by Carol Pass, Cassandra Holmes, Chad Hebert, Clarence Bischoff, Dean Dovolis, Abah Mohamed, Steve Sandberg, and Jose Luis Villasenor.Â
TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
The city threatened eminent domain to purchase the Roof Depot site in order to expand its public works facility at 26th and Hiawatha Ave, as viewed from the Sabo bridge. Neighborhood citizens want part of the property for use as an urban farm to create jobs for local residents.
On Dec. 7, 2018 the Minneapolis City Council unanimously passed a resolution which we naively thought held out hope for serious community-driven green, sustainable activities in a portion of the Roof Depot site. We waited for over two months for a meeting with Council Member Alondra Cano to explain the “back doors” that appeared to have been opened in her “Staff Direction.”Â
We then had a long-awaited meeting with City Chief Financial Officer Mark Ruff who acknowledged that he helped C.M. Cano write the “Staff Direction” though he stated much was C. M. Cano”'s work. Although, by statute, members of the City Council hold decision-making power on this property, it is clear that CFO Ruff assumed he was speaking for the City Council when he stated at our Feb.… Read the rest “Controversy reaches crisis”
Social history set in stone
Tales fromPioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery
By Sue Hunter Weir
164th in a Series
Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery
In June 2002, Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. For 10 years or so it was the only cemetery in Minnesota designated as an individual landmark. The cemetery”'s built environment ”“ the fence, caretaker”'s cottage and flagpole ”“ made it eligible but so did the lives of the people who are buried there. Â
Their stories are a significant part of the city”'s social history. It is by no means the complete history of the city during its early years but tells the story of many thousands of the city”'s early residents including thousands of immigrants and their children.
In 1904, Sarah and Knut Nordeman, mother and son, entered into a suicide pact and overdosed on morphine. Knut survived but Sarah did not, and was buried in Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery. Instead of a suicide note, the Nordemans left a signed a six-point explanation of their thinking that included some of their grievances.  One point in particular led to some soul-searching on the part of one of the city”'s major newspapers.… Read the rest “Social history set in stone”
WANTED: INFORMATION ON 628 East Franklin Ave.
How many years has this building been empty? How many profit or non-profit developers have tried to renovate and occupy? Why hasn”'t any one of them successful when housing is needed and so many new buildings are being built? Please let us know at copydesk@alleynews.org, P.O. Box 7006 Mpls., MN 55407 or 612-990-4022.
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