The Angler
The Angler
The leaves are turning, the days are getting shorter, and fall activities are now in full swing. Here’s what your fellow residents have been up to this past month:
Pratt School has received two awards they’re very proud of. The first was given by the Peace Maker Foundation to Pratt and the recently closed Tuttle School for their Bully Prevention program, which teaches students peaceful ways to resolve conflicts. The program is overseen by school social worker Leo Bulger, who was also named Minnesota School Social Worker of the year for 2007. In recognition of the schools’ good work, the Peace Maker Foundation and the Minnesota Twins gave them 50 tickets so students could attend the game on Sept. 18, at which they accepted the award in a pregame ceremony.
In addition, Pratt fifth-grade teacher Kate Weidenbach has been given the Entomological Foundation’s President Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Primary Education for her integration of insects into the science curriculum. Weidenbach taught at Tuttle School last year and moved to Pratt when the two schools merged.
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In other school news, Marcy Open is proud of its “Project Citizen” team, which won the state competition this past year and received a “Superior” ranking, at the national competition this past summer in Boston. The Marcy team is the first team from Minnesota to ever win the highest ranking at the national competition.
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On Sept. 10, Prospect Park resident Robert Roscoe attended the funeral of Phil Holland, whom those who have been around Dinkytown for awhile may remember as “The Walker.”
“Constantly on the move, always walking, always dressed in a suit and always wearing a hat, seeing Phil Holland was very often a daily experience,” writes Roscoe. “Most of the time, people observed him in a brisk pace at some distance away, but never got a chance to actually talk to him or even hear him speak.”
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We are sorry to report the closing of Gopher Cleaners and Laundry, which has been located for many years at 811 SE Fourth St., near the 35W bridge collapse site. Owner Debbie Allen had kept the business going in recent years despite a series of setbacks, including several thefts and break-ins and her own recent cancer diagnosis. The collapse of the bridge made it difficult for many of her customers to get to her location, and a fire in mid-August due to faulty wiring led to her eviction by the building owner. Despite the difficulties she faced, Allen has been a very active participant in neighborhood activities in Marcy-Holmes, especially in her work on the crime and safety committee.
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There’s also a business opening to report: Bella Lana, a knitting shop, is now open at 21 SE 4th St., across from the Lunds parking ramp. The store, which is owned by Karen Blomstrand and Cornelia Griffin, is filled with beautiful skeins of yarn and other knitting products, and it also offers knitting classes.
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On a similar subject, the Seward Sewing Circle has been meeting since the end of July at Seward Towers East and West. Women who had never touched a sewing machine before then are now creating pin cushions, pot holders, aprons and tote bags, not to mention doing some chatting with their neighbors and practicing English with each other and teacher Marilyn Matheny. The circle, which draws between eight and 14 women each week, is seeking donations of fabric, an extra iron, sewing machines and experienced sewers to participate and/or teach. If you want to help, call Matheny at 729-2442.
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There are great deals to be had at the annual Rummage, Treasure and Bake Sale at First Congregational Church of Minnesota, located at 500 Eighth Ave. SE. The sale will be on Saturday, Oct. 13, from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. and will include items like furniture, antiques, housewares, clothes, books, toys and more. Also, don’t miss the selection of homemade baked goods and soup, which you can enjoy on the spot or purchase by the quart to enjoy later.
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The Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities (BBBS) organization would like folks to know that they need volunteers for their school-based program in Hennepin County. Volunteers spend one hour per week with a student, typically over lunch, during the school year. Students in the program, who are between 7 and 13 years old, may need help building self-esteem, improving school performance or just connecting with a trusted adult friend. Schools served in this area include Anne Sullivan, Marcy Open and Seward Montessori. If you can help, please call
651-789-2400 or go to www.bigstwincities.org.
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Finally, if you’re looking for a good scare this Halloween, check out the Haunted House at the Soap Factory Gallery, located at 518 Second St. SE in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood. Chris Pennington, the genius behind the Soap Factory’s 10-Second Film Festival, is also the creative force behind the Haunted House, and he has personally assured me that it will scare the living daylights (my words, not his) out of you. Cost is $10 at the door; the Haunted House will be open from Oct. 20–31, 7–11 p.m. on weekdays and 8 p.m.–midnight on weekends.
If you have community news you’d like to share, please email Linda Lincoln at lmlincoln@comcast.net or call her at 612-379-4301.
last revised: October 8, 2007