[Mpls] Cottage Park

[Randall G. Cutting]

> I was over in the knot (that odd circle of streets north of Broadway and
>  North Commons Park) in Jordan the other day. I was wondering if anyone
> knew  the history of Cottage Park. There is a beautiful (and derelict)
> church  there, boarded up and marked with gang graffiti. I seem to
> remember a parish  being there several years ago but now it seems they
> left. Does anyone have  the scoop?
>
> Sean Ryan
> Audubon
>
Sean,

I don't have an answer to your question but this is a great segue.  A week
or two ago I attended an event put on by the Seward Neighborhood Group in
which the elders in the community came together to reminisce about the
past.

The stories were focused on the intersection of 24th Street and 27th
Avenue South (the location of two street car lines intersecting).  On a
brutally cold Friday evening a couple dozen of the neighborhood elders
came together to share their stories.  The hosts helped guide the
conversation and the entire event was video taped and recorded.

It was one of the most interesting evenings I spent in a while.  I would
STRONGLY encourage other neighborhood groups to organize these types of
events.  What we can learn from our elders is amazing if we would only
take time to listen.

I learned about this event from a posting on this list from Jean Johnstad
- thank you.  If anyone is hosting events like this, please let everyone
on the list know.

Randall Cutting
Seward