Lennie Chism Makes His Case To Save Former Uncle Bill's Store...

Photo By John Hoff

Last night at Northpoint, the Willard Homewood Organization (WHO) met with a handful of items on the agenda, including one particularly pressing issue: Lennie Chism's big dream of turning the old Uncle Bill's store into some kind of organic deli greenhouse entreprenuership program...um, thingie.

Lennie recently bought the building for $3,000. Considering the state of the structure, somebody should have PAID LENNIE to take that old derelict off their hands. At the very least, it might be argued Lennie paid $2,999 too much, since it appears the seller was quite willing to unload this turkey at a nominal sum. In any case...

...tonight Lennie made his case in front of the WHO, which is chaired by Al McFarlane. Members of the community, including myself, had an opportunity to ask questions after Lennie's presentation.

So Lennie said some stuff about plans to put an "entrepreneurship program" at the site, and claimed the store would sell no tobacco products when it was up and running. He said a bunch of things about hope, about vision, about a community believing in itself. He said things that would sound pretty good if it wasn't all coming from Lennie Chism, who (the record will reflect) can't even deal with the blight at his building at 1901 Glenwood Ave. N.

McFarlane opened the floor to questions and comments. I got a crack at Lennie and asked him (as I'd asked hours earlier on the sidewalk in front of 1901 Glenwood) how he was going to pull off a project this massive and challenging, when he couldn't even prevent foreclosure at 1901 Glenwood Ave., his corporate headquarters where he still (miraculously) resides, post-foreclosure.

(I have an unconfirmed claim that Lennie managed to purchase the building after foreclosure. This claim is not only unconfirmed but appears to contradict what is being said by Lennie, that he has "possession" of the building and confirming the foreclosure, and that he has a "good relationship" with his bank. All the same, for the record, this unverified claim is "out there" like reports of alien abduction are "out there.")

In response to my question, Lennie said a bunch of stuff about how he has a "network of great people" who will assist him, and (like he had grandly compared himself to Louis Pasteur earlier in the afternoon) alluded to Henry Ford not giving up when people said things couldn't be done. Lennie said he doesn't "do brick and mortar," so he will get somebody to help with THAT. He also doesn't "do housing"...or "do food." For that kind of stuff, he would look to somebody else, as well.

"So what DO you do?" I asked, but the Chair cut off THAT line of questioning.

A mix of supporters and detractors spoke. The crowd appeared evenly divided between a loud, demonstrative "pro-Lennie" faction and a tight-lipped group of "anti-Uncle Bill's" residents who were opposed to Lennie's (mad, doomed) scheme. One woman got up and spoke of bullet holes in her house because of all the problems associated with the old Uncle Bill's. She demanded to know the name of the vendor Lennie was planning to use for this organic food store plan. Lennie refused to disclose the name of the vendor but assured the woman she'd be "extremely pleased."

And, I might add, you can take the word of Lennie Chism to the bank, and the bank will let you stay in your building after foreclosure.

Al "I Am The Community" Flowers rose to speak, urging people to believe in Lennie and not be negative. He then proceeded to criticize this blog (without naming the blog) for coverage of the Annshalike Hamilton murder, still unsolved, specifically for writing "stuff about her family."

City Council Member Don Samuels spoke last, pointing out it was the community which initiated the closure of Uncle Bill's with a loud, overwhelming voice. Getting the place re-zoned and re-opened was, he said, "so unlikely." He didn't see Lennie's plan as workable and pointed out Lennie had "such a small investment of risk." (By which Samuels appeared to mean the mere $3k Lennie had put into acquiring the building)

Lennie rose to speak and rebut Samuels' points before the Council Member was finished, and Chairman McFarlane told Lennie to allow Samuels to finish. Samuels finished in grand style, saying, "there's nothing about your past relationship with the city that gives me confidence" and Samuels pointed out Lennie had been unable to deal with the problem of blight at his own building at 1901 Glenwood Ave. N. This produced a visceral response from some in the audience, who said talking about Lennie's (crappy) building at 1901 Glenwood was a "personal attack."

Chair McFarlane took a suggestion to refer this matter to committee and then he only had to face the minor problem of there being no committees. Committees were in the process of being formed, to put things too simply. (I've heard some scattered accounts about how the old Economic Development Committee split off from WHO and became its own group, and how committees were eliminated at WHO, but I am still trying to obtain a detailed account of what, exactly, has taken place)

McFarlane then proceeded to pick who would be on the committee, based on the raised hands of volunteers. Apparently five people were picked (still need to confirm this) and included Jackie Cherryhomes and Kenya McKnight. It was my perception that the committee was stacked with "pro-Lennie" forces, with the exception of Cherryhomes.

A good time was had by all, and Al Flowers managed to get through a crowded room of people without accusing anybody of stepping on his precious widdle toes-ies.

ADDENDUM: The particular question being referred to committee was whether to support Lennie. Also, a woman representing NRRC and another woman representing Northpoint stood and spoke favorably about Chism's plan.

Having A Dialogue With Lennie "The Heckler" Chism...

Photo By Jeff Skrenes (top) and John Hoff, bottom

Hawthorne Housing Director Jeff Skrenes dug up some interesting information to add to the current debate about tearing down Uncle Bill's in light of the last-minute, seat-of-the-pants plan by Lennie Chism to save the building, which Chism has now confirmed he bought for $3,000. 

Skrenes told me the headquarters of Lennie's outfit--Springboard Development Corporation at 1901 Glenwood Ave. N.--has been foreclosed and is beyond redemption.

Of course, Lennie still uses that address, even in the email he sent me yesterday. So a few hours ago Jeff thought it would be fun to go to 1901 Glenwood and eyeball the property.

While we were both scrutinizing a mailbox that said "Chism," who should come waltzing out of the door but Lennie "The Heckler" Chism himself...

So Jeff, Lennie and I had a dialogue there on the sidewalk.

Lennie said a lot of things, and if he wants to say a lot more he can use the comment threads. However, Lennie confirmed he no longer owns the building...that it did indeed go into foreclosure for approximately $35,000...but Lennie says he has a "good relationship" with the bank so he keeps "using" the building. The question in my mind was "using it for what?" since there's no business license at the address. Lennie says he doesn't need a business license since he's (and I quote) "not doing anything."

Yeah, I'll say.

Lennie repeated a bunch of his points about the building formerly known as Uncle Bill's, including the idea that his proposal shouldn't be opposed by people who don't have a better alternative. To which I say an empty lot full of grass is a better alternative than a pipe dream blowhard like Lennie trying to run a store at that accursed location, because Lennie doesn't have the jack to pull it off and the whole thing will go sour. To my alternative I would add the following: Swingset. Slide. Monkey bars. And maybe some kind of small farmer's market there on the grass, from time to time.

There. That's my alternative. 

Lennie talked about how his "relationships" were going to bring about something good at the old Uncle Bill's location, and claimed to have a "relationship" with MCTC that would be helpful. Lenny went on about how "everybody said" he couldn't buy the building for such a small amount of money, but he had proven them wrong, and proceeded to grandly compare himself to Louis Pasteur, the inventor of pasteurized milk. 

I told Lennie he was, in a phrase, absolutely full of bulls**t and I predicted that if anything were sure to doom that building, it was surely Lennie's surprise ownership. I said the comparisons to the situations at Wafana's and Big Stop are painfully obvious and I said he not only lacked enough financial jack, but enough political jack as well. If Lennie could pull off something like what he was proposing at Uncle Bill's, I asked, why couldn't he come up with $35k to save his own headquarters from foreclosure? Why couldn't he replace the window on his building which was full of holes from an air gun?

Oh, wait. He doesn't actually OWN that building. Where's the incentive to fix it? I should have said his FORMER building. But, hey, the bank still allows Lennie to use the building, Lennie says.

Lenny talked a big line about individuals who "just want to tear down instead of build up." As he talked about how he had single-handedly cleaned up the intersection near 1901 Glenwood, a woman who was obviously hooker wandered into view and tried flagging down cars. (Even Lennie appeared to agree she was a hooker, but said if he went there and talked to her, she'd move down the street. I pointed out the same was true if Jeff or I talked to her. Either way, she'd move. While we ignored her and debated, she moved along on her own)

At one point, there was a long discussion about "where does crime go" if it's just "driven out" of a neighborhood, instead of the neighborhood "engaging" individuals to turn their lives around?

I had an answer to that: AWAY. Crime goes AWAY. It goes somewhere else. This is my neighborhood and I have a right to fight for my neighborhood and drive crime out. Neighborhoods change for the better or for the worse, and I have a right to change my neighborhood for the better.

Lennie and I agreed on one thing: the building itself is not responsible for what happened inside. Clearly, it is the people who owned the building who are responsible.

The question becomes "How responsible and capable is Lennie 'The Heckler' Chism?"

One answer appears to be: not capable of saving his own building from foreclosure for a mere $35,000 so what will he do about a House of Horrors like Uncle Bill's? Lennie talked about putting in a "green house" at the location. To which I said (pointing at the window behind Lenny, full of holes from an air gun) "Well, there's a piece of glass you can use...oh, wait, you can't use it! Because it's full of holes and, besides, IT DOESN'T BELONG TO YOU."

Words to that effect.

There's a meeting on this topic tonight at 6:30 at Northpoint, 1313 Penn Ave. N.

Sounds like fun.

Uncle Bill's Fate Being Hotly Debated...

Stock Photo, Lenny "The Heckler" Chism

The infamous "Uncle Bill's" store was apparently just heartbeats away from demolition, but now the word is the store has been purchased for a small sum by Lennie Chism of Springboard Development Corporation, (pictured above, to the right) and there are attempts to rally elements of the community to "Save Uncle Bill's." (The rumor is the property was purchased for a mere $3,000 but this is unconfirmed) There is a community meeting TOMORROW.

The story--as told from a pro-Save Uncle Bill's perspective--is on Don Allen's IBNN blog, click here. The time and place of the community meeting is there, too.


ADDENDUM: February 6, 2011. This blog post was written before I and many others in North Minneapolis discovered what a disreputable con man character Don Allen is. I would advise anybody: Do not trust Don Allen. Seek further information about Don Allen from various online sources before having any contact with him.


I consider myself Don Allen's friend, but I'm not quite ready to jump on this particular bandwagon because...

...Lennie "The Heckler" Chism has a history of announcing big schemes and dreams which don't have quite as much "oomph" as Lenny's superheated hype. So just because it's Lenny "The Heckler" Chism, I'm cynical. Secondly, Uncle Bill's has been an "inconvenience store" to the neighborhood. Just because somebody announces plans to put an organic food store in Uncle Bill's doesn't mean this will actually HAPPEN.

One fear already being articulated in the Willard Homewood neighborhood is that Uncle Bill's will be saved, only to become a new incarnation of ITSELF, rather like what happened with the old Wafana's store in the Hawthorne Neighborhood.

Word is Lenny recently landed some kind of contract with MNDOT. My friend Don Allen swears Lenny Chism is doing a good job with that particular contract. I have no further details except it has something to do with putting contractors in touch with MNDOT.

Members of the community can free to post what more they know about the Uncle Bill's situation.

Who Wants To Be On The WHO Listserv?

Composite Image Circulated On WHO Listserv

Sometimes I hear about interesting stuff circulating on the Willard Homewood Organization (WHO) listserv, an internet tool which helps a great deal with organizing and informing residents in that neck of the NoMi woods. The composite image above was circulated about a week ago.

If you want to get on the WHO listserv, use this link. 

http://groups.google.com/group/whomail 

By the way, don't assume just ANYBODY can circulate just ANYTHING on the WHO listserv. I heard about my ol' buddy Lenny "The Heckler" Chism trying to put some stuff on the listserv and being rejected.

Poor Lenny. He just can't win.

(Do not click "Read More")

Willard-Hay Architect Firm Gets A Write Up In Metro Magazine

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ramparts54/233343354/

The owners of the "Silver Cocoon" architect and design firm have received mention in this article:

http://www.metromag.com/0p203a2957/resident-experts/

Congrats to Souliyahn Keobounpheng and Tia Salmela, fine NoMi neighbors! 

By the way, according to the article the name "Silver Cocoon" was derived from an RV which once functioned as their gallery and studio. 

(Do not click "Read More")

Special Guest Blog Post By Brian Reichow: SUSPECTED WILLARD HAY GARAGE BURGLAR ARRESTED!!!

Stock Photo By John Hoff

(Dictated verbally by Brian Reichow)

For the last several weeks garage and home burglaries in the Willard Hay neighborhood have been so numerous that it warranted a Fourth Precinct alert. Homes were getting broken into MULTIPLE TIMES, with the perpetrator returning to get stuff he didn't steal the first time.  On one occasion, the burglar was chased off when somebody wired their garage with...

...a baby monitor to hear when somebody broke in.

BUT THE WILLARD HAY RESIDENTS ARE AN ENTERPRISING AND ORGANIZED BUNCH. Some of the most involved residents communicated constantly via a neighborhood listserv. They shared information including all details that could be recalled about the suspect's appearance and clothing. The burglaries were happening as early as March. His MO was he'd case houses, knocking on doors to see who was home. If somebody was home he'd be all, like, "Is Tom here?" He appeared to know exactly when people were and were not home.

Today, according to the Willard Homewood Organization (WHO) listserv, a resident observed somebody who appeared to match the description of the suspect in the 500 Block of Russell Ave. N. attempting to break into homes. (That location is actually in Harrison, but who's counting?) Prior to that, the suspect had been working the 700 Block of Queen, 1000 Block of Russell, 2600 Block of Plymouth, among others.

The resident stayed in his/her vehicle and observed, actually narrating the actions of the suspect to 911 dispatch until police squads arrived. The piece of dirt (this is JNS writing at this moment, not Brian's words) has been arrested.

Now (back to Brian again) he is being held pending charges and investigation. The police want individuals who can provide info that identifies this person specifically to COME FORWARD. He will be held for 72 hours pending charges. Here is the contact info for the Fourth Precinct: Sergeant Holley, 612-673-5714. Be sure to quote this case number: 09-125063.

Digging Up More History At Casa Del Brian

This is the last of my material about "Casa Del Brian" from my visit to Homewood the weekend before last. Hopefully I'll see Casa Del Brian again as it continues to progress, but word is the house will be included on a home tour in the near future.

While visiting, I kind of (sort of) helped Brian dig up more history. See, there was this really big crawl space, with some paperwork laying in plain site. Brian hadn't crawled in there because...

...first of all, he's a busy guy, but also most of the paperwork visible was just endless copies of the Pentecostal Evangel. (It's a weekly publication of the Assemblies of God Church, I believe) There was a big black file cabinet inside the crawl space, laying sideways, but it was missing three of its four drawers.

Now, I'm a very document-oriented person. If that had been my house, I would have been in that crawl space before everything else, sifting through the scattered copies of the church magazines, looking for the smallest papery clue of the history of the house. Brian had been putting off the contents of the crawl space. I was all, like, "Mind if I---?"

Well, I had some pretty good luck going "history fishing." Yes, most of the drawers were missing from the file cabinet, but there was a fairly large remnant of documents spilled out of the bottom drawer into the tipped over cabinet. Most of these things were business papers regarding "Danny and the Brewerettes," the professional gospel singing group which was connected with the previous owner of the property, Vera Brewer, later Vera Jenkins. I even found some kind of baptismal certificate.

The prize find, however, was a dorky gilded bird statue made of ceramic, I think. I'm not sure if it was partially painted or partially gilded. Anyway, it was a pretty cool find and, oddly enough, might actually compliment another bird statue that Brian already has on his mantel.

Or not.

Another thing we found: zinnia flower seeds from 1975. The obvious question is: if you plant 'em, will they grow? Somebody may need to check with Brian later in the spring.

Anyway, it was pretty fun to be invited to Brian's house and participate in a sort of historical treasure hunt.

Last night I was out eating and drinking with Connie Nompelis, Jeff Skrenes, and Megan Goodmundson, and I asked Connie why realtors (REAL-tors, not real-a-tors) don't make more of an effort to gather up a bit of history to go with the houses they sell. Connie basically told me it wasn't cost-effective to put any time into that kind of effort, and historical research on houses was probably going to be--perpetually--the realm of proud new owners, not realtors.

Well, I think it's a pity. Trash out crews arrive at these foreclosed houses and they toss out big boxes of paperwork which would provided hours, days of fun to the next owner of the house. Here's an idea for any trash out crews that might be reading:

Let's suppose you set aside a box, throw potentially historical documents and photos in that box, and then just sort of "forgot" the box in a crawl space? Think how much history you would preserve, think how much fun you would provide to the next owner, with very little cost and effort on your part.

That's what I'd be doing, but then again I'm fairly well-known as a "give-a-damn" kinda guy and, well, a chronic scavenger.

Oh, by the way, Connie Nompelis' last name is pronounced like "Nobeliss." The "mp" combination makes a "b" sound when writing out a Greek name in the English alphabet.

Just thought I'd toss that in there at the end.

Digging Up History At "Casa Del Brian" In The Homewood Enclave Of Willard Hay

The guy second from the right in the photo above is none other than Prince, arguably one of the biggest stars ever produced by North Minneapolis. The photo was taken a short distance from Brian Reichow's home, "Casa Del Brian," in the Homewood enclave of the Willard Hay neighborhood...

Brian says 1244 Russell was where Prince lived in the mid/late 1970s at the home of the original "Prince & The Revolution" bass player, Andre Symone. (Second from the left) Brian says Morris Day is third from the left. I'm not sure who Morris Day is. Brian is really into his music.

Brian claims "Prince has lyrics in several songs that reminisce about the sights and sounds of this particular block of Homewood."

To which I would say, "Insert the word 'apparently,' and I could go along with that, sure, unless you can show me where Prince was was quoted saying such a thing."

I can't help but think of the fruitless speculation that Dylan was inspired by The Witch's Hat in Prospect Park when he sang about 'All Along The Watch Tower.' And I have my own pet theory about the title of the 'Positively Fourth Street' album.

Brian's own house has quite a musical history, as well. It was owned by Vera Jenkins, who sang backup vocals on Lipps Inc.'s "Mouth To Mouth" album, such as the song "Funkytown." She was "Vera Brewer" before she was "Vera Jenkins." The house was home to a popular gospel group called "Danny and The Brewerettes" who, as it turned out, left a lot of random documents in Brian's house for Brian to pore over.

The Jenkins/Brewer family owned what is now "Casa Brian" from 1977 to 2004. The only time the house was not owner-occupied was late 2004 to its foreclosure in late 2005. The house was then vacant until rehab started in 2007.

When Brian bought the house, he also inherited a cache of photos discovered by the guy who rehabbed the place, including some Brewer/Jenkins images of gospel singing activity. The guy who did the rehab also took a lot of "before" pictures to document the transformation of the house. Of particular interest was writing on the walls; it appears there was a failed, aborted rehab prior to the final rehab. Another guy who tried and failed to rehab the place had a habit of sketching his renovation schemes and dreams on the white interior walls of the house. 

To which I say: well, he wasn't planning on LEAVING the walls that way, that's just how things turned out! 

Brian's Art Deco Light Fixture And His Critique of My "Gangster Cam"

Top Photo, Brian Reichow

Bottom Photo, John Hoff

with his "Gangster Cam."  

Brian Reichow told me my "Ghetto Cam" didn't take a very good picture of his light fixture, so he sent me a much better picture suitable for inclusion in one of those glossy magazines about gorgeous houses.

Actually, the term I use for my camera is "Gangster Cam." Regular readers are familiar with my habit of buying dirt cheap digital cameras from pawn shops, publicizing the photos I find on the memory cards, then using the cameras until I break 'em in some dumb mishap. 

I've included another photo to show what a good job an affordable "Gangster Cam" can do, when it's comfortable and in a familiar surroundings. This photo is not as bad as it looks, but I'll let readers guess how that image came to be. 

Here's a clue: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD!!! 

(Do not click "Read More")

Images, "Casa Brian" In The Homewood Neighborhood

From top to bottom:

Once my son Alex was in front of Brian's 30-inch computer screen, we didn't hear from Alex for a while...

Second, "hard pine" flooring in the kitchen, which Brian says "can't be had for love or money." Third, Brian's pinball machine from 1976, the year when the company "went digital" but that was a little while after they made THIS machine.

Art Deco doorknob in a part of the house still being fixed up; Art Deco light fixture in the entryway; and an "enclosed radiator." Art by Brian's grandmother. A graffiti-scarred remnant of a time when the house was not so well-maintained and luxurious. Brian's itsy-bitsy closet, which he is plotting to expand, somehow. 

Working laundry chute. One of the unique arches in the house. Brian's old Zenith radio with vacuum tubes... 

"December the 7th, 1941...a date that will live...IN INFAMY!"

Second to last; the cedar closet in the old "nanny's room." Last, the windows in the nanny's room. I can't help but think of something my friend Connie says about old houses. She walks into a house and wonders, "Who rocked a baby in this room? Who was that baby, and who did they grow up to become?"

My next post about "Casa (Del) Brian" will include some of the history Brian has gathered about his residence, including "Danny and The Brewerettes." 

Taking A Tour Of "Casa Del Brian" In The Homewood Enclave Of Willard Hay (Part Two)

Time to get back to our tour of Brian's fantastic house in the Homewood Neighborhood, an enclave of Willard Hay. First of all, Brian send me some email commentary on the crime (or lack of crime) in his Northern Minneapolis neighborhood. Brian says as follows...

"There are garage break-ins from time to time, even one across the alley from me a little more than a week ago. But, yes, not much happens around here. That wasn't always the case, though. The neighborhood was falling apart quickly in the '70s and '80s (the handful of homes razed were done in 1973-1976), and there were a number of Homewood crack houses (crack mansions?) in the late '80s/ early '90s.

Cross Plymouth Avenue or Penn Avenue, and things can get exciting quickly. Hookers 'disappearing below dashboard level', drugs, assaults, shootings. There was enough gunfire last summer (outside the neighborhood, but within, errr, earshot) that I developed a knack for determining range and distance.

"Hmmm, just about 15th & Queen, I think..."

Brian also commented that although trouble may drive into his neighborhood, more often it might just walk there. All the same, it is Brian's perception that when trouble comes to Homewood--which doesn't happen very often--it is an invasion of trouble, and not indigenous to the region.

Brian send me a bunch of corrections and commentaries--he is a detail-oriented computer geek, after all--but Brian never said anything about my repeated mentions of how he is SINGLE, FINANCIALLY WELL OFF AND LOOKING, LADIES.

But back to our tour of "Casa Brian." Brian helped me with some computer stuff and then invited me and my 11-year-old son to see his house. My son was comfortable where he was, but then Brian mentioned having a THIRTY INCH COMPUTER SCREEN and that was all it took to entice Alex. 

Some cool things in Brian's house included "hard pine" floors in the kitchen. Brian told me that hard pine is difficult to obtain and "can't be had for love or money." In the kitchen, I noticed Brian recycles--so his coolness factor goes way up, in my book--and Brian mentioned how his daughter's visitation weekends correspond to recycling being picked up, so it's her job to sort the recyclables. 

In his basement recreation room--which is sort of coming together and a work in progress--Brian has a pinball machine from 1976, set to give as many free plays as guests would like. The year the pinball machine was made is significant because the company "went digital," with half the machines made that year digital, and half old school. Brian's machine is old school, of course. 

The house has old Art Deco doorknobs and--incredibly--an Art Deco light fixture hanging in the entryway. 

Some of the artwork hanging on the walls was painted by Brian's grandmother, including the house where she was born and a scene of a European street. His grandmother had never been to Europe, she just painted what she thought a European street looks like. It could have fooled me. Brian also has an old Zenith radio with vacuum tubes, another family heirloom. It sort of freaked me out when Brian turned the radio on and then it suddenly "warmed up" and made noise while I was examining the dial. 

Who thinks about a radio "warming up" anymore? I thought for a split second I was going to hear dead people. I could feel the radio ghosts inside. 

"We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds...We shall NEVER surrender..."

Brian also showed me an odd feature of the house called a "Faraday cage." It turns out wireless internet signals can't be received in the dining because of some aspect of the construction of that room which Brian happens to know is called a "Faraday cage."  The way I see it, that's a bonus if your teenager can't use a Blackberry at the dining room table. Maybe we should build these things into houses ON PURPOSE.

The dining room has a unique arch in the doorway...in fact, Brian got online to look at images of various arches, but couldn't find one exactly like it. The house also has some "enclosed radiators," which I'd never even HEARD OF before, but there they were behind wire screens. 

Other things the house had: two cedar closets. The biggest crawl spaces I'd ever seen in my life. One is tempted to make the crawl spaces into play areas. Brian said one of the upstairs rooms was apparently meant for a live-in nanny. I wondered why the biggest cedar closet was in the nanny's room but then I thought, heck, they probably have her ironing clothes all day, the poor little dear. The house also has a working laundry chute behind a charming little wooden door.

But one crazy thing about the house: the closet in the master bedroom is so small Brian has to hang his shirts at a 45 degree angle. I'm guessing Mr. Harris, the plumbing executive who first lived in that house, kept exactly one set of clothing in that closet, starched and pressed by the overworked nanny and ready to go in the morning. 

The fact the house had not always been luxurious and well-maintained was evident in one place: inside an old wooden cupboard door, a bunch of former tenants had scribbled their names. Brian was all, like, WHO DOES THAT? Who writes their name on a cupboard door? I suppose I could have told Brian about the incredible autograph collection I accumulated on the bathroom walls of "Roland-o-land" in Grand Forks, North Dakota, but the fewer times in a day I hear the words "Grand Forks, North Dakota" the happier that day tends to be.

Maybe it's a social class thing. I don't have a problem with signing names on certain house features, under certain circumstances. The Beatles and a lot of other musicians all signed their names on the door of a recording studio, and later that door was worth a lot of money. (I think I have the gist of that story right) 

All the same, the scribbled names on the cupboard door conjured up images of a different era in the history of the house, when pull tab beer cans were on the floor for days at a time and nobody bothered to pick 'em up, and music was in the air from a radio that was never turned off.

"Working at the car wash, yeah..."

But Brian's history tour of the house was just getting warmed up. Though Brian has just scratched the surface in researching the house, what he has dug up so far has been impressive, indeed. More in a coming blog post. 

ADDENDUM: Here is more commentary from Brian, who is too modest, by far:

"Financially well-off" - that's false advertising. I have a house, a mortgage, my health, and a tenuous toe-hold in a crappy economy. And that's about it. This is a lousy time to be a small business owner, trust me.

The proper adjective to describe the master bedroom closet is shallow, not small. Most people would be thrilled to have a 9-foot-long closet; it's the 18-inch depth that is the issue!

Hard pine can't be had commercially (it was old-growth wood), but you probably can find some if it's been recycled from a tear down.

Taking A Tour Of "Casa Del Brian" In The Homewood Enclave Of Willard Hay (Part One)

Photo By John Hoff

So before becoming the poster boy for the Minneapolis Advantage Program, before standing next to Mayor Rybak at a press conference about the expansion and continuation of that program, before his house was selected for an upcoming Minneapolis-St.Paul home tour, Brian Reichow made an appearance on this blog. And though he's rich and famous, Brian hasn't forgotten his friends.

No, seriously, Brian isn't doing too bad with his computer consulting business and LADIES!!!!!!! He's SINGLE AND LOOKING!!!!

This weekend, Brian invited me and my son to see his house in the Homewood area of North Minneapolis.

Allegedly.

I say "allegedly" because, well...


...it's hard to call Homewood "North Minneapolis," just like it's hard to call the modern luxury condos next to the Mississippi River part of the classic and affordable Hawthorne Neighborhood. Homewood is a glorious anomaly. Me, Brian and my 11-year-old son Alex drove around looking at mansions, actual MANSIONS.

There was Carl Eller's house...gee, it wasn't what I pictured. I pictured just a regular house in North Minneapolis, where the one-time great football player was living out the second half of his life in mere comfort, not luxury. But it turns out Carl Eller was living at the big house even BEFORE he was living at the "big house." 

Over there was the mansion of Jackie Cherryhomes, sooooo in touch with the common people. Plenty of room to keep files in a house like THAT, no need to leave the files cluttering up the city council offices. 

(These are MY observations. Brian is innocent)

Brian pointed out the residence of the owners of Homewood Studios. Word is the owners of Homewood Studios are very involved with improving their neighborhood.  Right next door to that house was a home with a red neon address number. I've never seen something like that on a house before. Very cool. 

At his house--"Casa Brian"--Brian showed me an image of the original historical brochure which pitched the Homewood neighborhood in around 1910. Homewood was the "gated community" of its day, intended as a place where people of "good breeding" would sleep secure in the knowledge their children were mingling only with others like themselves. (This stuff is explicitly in the historic sales brochure)

Translation: there were restrictive covenants on resale which barred blacks and Jews.

However, there was trouble selling enough of the planned units, and so the developers became enlightened and tolerant. (Sarcasm font is broken, manually notifying the reader) They decided to sell houses to Jews. After that decision, homes sold rapidly and the neighborhood became a Jewish enclave. 

Brian's roomy, gorgeous house was owned by a Jewish plumbing executive named "Harris." In the corners of the dining room there are remnants of the previous owner: two matching hutches for china. Brian said he was told two hutches were necessary: one for high holy days, and one for extraordinarily high holy days. So right away I'm thinking: you mean dishes sat in that hutch that were used ONCE A YEAR? 

Some of these Jewish families were reportedly so devout they would not flip on a light switch on the Sabbath, so Christian children were hired to be in the home and perform such minor tasks. There's a lot more history to tell, even though Brian has just begun to scratch the surface...but it will have to be in my next blog post. 

But here's one notable matter: Homewood is part of the Willard Hay neighborhood, but Homewood has always considered itself a neighborhood unto itself. And, driving through Homewood, it's obvious why. Thus it becomes all the more galling that--many months ago--somebody from Homewood tried to rip me a new orifice because of things I wrote about my firsthand observations of "North Minneapolis."

Because Homewood is NOT North Minneapolis. Homewood is what might be called..."Northern Minneapolis." Brian says there is no trouble in his neighborhood at all, and he feels safe going out running. If trouble comes to the Homewood neighborhood, Brian says, it happens as a result of vehicles that are passing through with criminally-inclined passengers. Of the houses originally built in Homewood during the original development, the vast majority are still standing. 

See? The place is an anomaly, like...the Kingdom of Monaco. 

I showed Brian my North Minneapolis stomping grounds, including the Eco Village area. While driving with Brian, I made a 911 call with Brian's cell phone--my batteries were dead--on a large group of minors hanging out on a street corner, after curfew. In another part of the neighborhood, police swooped down and detained somebody over (as it turned out) no auto insurance and an outstanding warrant. I pointed out a cool bullet hole in a window to Brian who stared and said...nothing. He just stared at it. I waited for the usual reaction from people--trying to trace the path of the bullet through walls, speculating on why the shots were fired but, nope--Brian just stared at the hole.

This was just routine, minor stuff that happens or can be seen, like, constantly...but this isn't what Brian experiences in HIS neighborhood, constantly. 

"The fun never ends!" Brian observed.

Exactly. That's why I'd go insane from boredom in Homewood. I'd be all, like, "Yo, Carl Eller...let's go for a drive, nieghbor!" 

But, then again...in a house as nice as Brian's, I'm guessing I could find ways to keep myself entertained. Did I mention Brian is single and looking? Yes, I think I did. And in my a future post, I'll show details of his luxurious and historical house.

ADDENDUM: Minor fact corrections were made to this blog post. 

"Don't All Stampede At Once" North Minneapolis Column Controversy Reheated And Rehashed

Photo By John Hoff

When I first started this blog, during the time I was also writing for the Minnesota Daily, I wrote a column about North Minneapolis called "Don't all stampede at once" which set off a flurry of letters and heated discussion...

I'd just about forgotten it, but I have a blog reader who was apparently determined to read EVERY LAST POST in an effort to learn everything he can about North Minneapolis. Well, after reading the back-and-forth surrounding "Don't all stampede at once," he sent me his views, as follows:

I had to laugh when I saw the names of the respondents who let you have it with both barrels. Michelle Lewis. Rich Bergeron. Janna Krawczyk. Vanessa Handler. What do they all have in common? They're all from Homewood. They're all college educated. They're all homeowners. They're all white. And they are all desperate to divorce perceptions of THEIR neighborhoods from stereotypes of the greater Northside. Can you blame the Handlers? They paid $293,000 for their place...and on those blocks closest to Wirth Park, that may actually have been a bargain at the time.

At the 27th and Penn Cookout, several of us had a great discussion of the mainstream media's tendency to only identify Minneapolis neighborhoods during non-Northside crime reports. When something happens elsewhere, it's a "shooting in Cedar-Riverside" or a "hit and run in Seward." Over North, it's always "the latest murder/robbery/home explosion on the Northside."

To this I reply: it may be partly due to reporters who are more familiar with certain neighborhoods but tend to mentally lump all of North Minneapolis together.

Or there may be a subtle editorial agenda at play. Always saying "North Minneapolis" may be a way of editorializing, a way of saying, in effect, "(Expletive) North Minneapolis, when are you going to get your act together and stop the shootings, the open air drug markets, the prostitution so the rest of the city doesn't have to read about this horrible (expletive?)"

And it's a fair question. How is it situations which would never be allowed in other Minneapolis neighborhoods are allowed to fester in North Minneapolis? Crack is dealt out of certain houses. Neighbors KNOW which houses. Yet the situation drags on for years, even decades.

We can blame the media for a lot of things...including the Star Tribune creating links that go dead after a certain period of time, so I just REFUSE to use their links...but the media also says good things about our neighborhoods when we do actually come together, struggle, and win. Monday's article about Hawthorne's settlement with CitiMortgage is a good example.

"The Adventures of Brian Northside?"

Photo From The Blog Of Brian Reichow

Two people I'd never met before shook my hand at the Fourth Precinct meeting, and told me they were regular readers of my blog...

One of them will be serving with me on the Housing Committee for HACC, and shares a house with his boyfriend on 6th Street, not so far from the hell-on-earth which is 2207 6th St. N. (I wish I'd written down his name; my apologies cool 6th street dude and I'll see you at the committee meetings!) The other (pictured above) is Brian Reichow, who lives in the southern part of Willard-Hay, the area known as Homewood.

(I didn't know some of our neighborhoods have their own mini-neighborhoods...except, of course, for the "Eco-Village" within Hawthorne. I'm always learning something new about North Minneapolis)

Brian is quite the computer guy, and has his own blog. Click here.

It turns out Brian showed up at the "Dyna-mite" block party some weeks ago and was actually mistaken for me, Johnny Northside. He's becoming very involved in neighborhood issues, judging by all the events he's attending. I told Brian he should start blogging about North Minneapolis a bunch but, hey, when it comes right down to it: I'm just glad to see folks showing up at meetings.

Brian told me when he was researching North Minneapolis, he read my blog.

"And you came ANYWAY!"I laughed.

Well, it turns out Brian was one of the rare and intelligent birds who managed to get a coveted "Advantage Grant" of--how much were they? Ten grand, I believe? Well, good for Brian. And if these are the kind of people Advantage Grants are attracting, I say fill the financial kitty back up again and disburse more grants. As for my North Minneapolis advertising philosophy of "Market and Romanticize The Struggle," it seems to be working.

In regard to the meeting that night: you can feel the energy and excitement at such gatherings...well, not so much among the police officers and city officials, who seem to have "thousand yard stares" when the subject of crack houses and open air drug markets comes up, but you can feel positive, hopeful emotion among the residents...especially the very newest residents. Their very faces seem to broadcast this message:

THIS IS OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT BETTER. It doesn't matter if the struggle has gone on for decades. A massive, transformative victory is within our reach. We just have to...keep going to meetings.

The photo above, taken from Brian's blog, shows him with "German singer Doro Pesch, undisputed queen of heavy metal." Yeah...um...I knew that.

OK, I had no idea but after checking out a few of her songs on YouTube, I think I could like her as much as AC/DC. And that's saying A LOT.