District 1 residents honored at the City

On Friday January 27, folks from all over the city gathered at the University of Saint Thomas to celebrate neighbors who have made a difference in their community. The Mayor and the President of the City Council both spoke to attendees about the importance such work at the local level has in the lives of us all. For a video of the celebration, visit this site.

​In District 1 we celebrated three people for their work - The Reverend Dr. Earl Miller from Progressive Baptist Church, Ahmed Hersi of East African Community Link, and Delena Zekarias of our Youth Council, Young Mentors Group and the East Side Pride Open Mic. The Reverend Miller was honored as he approaches his retirement for the dedicated work he and his congregation have done to help young people understand the importance and take advantage of educational opportunities, as well as focus on helping those among us most in need. (Accepting the award for his father was the Rev. Melvin Miller.) Mr. Hersi is a founding member of East African Community Link, which seeks to be a bridge of understanding between our Muslim and non-Muslim neighbors. He and his colleagues have surveyed the Afton View neighborhood about its needs and have held large community celebrations for at least three years. Ms Zekarias is a founding member of both our Youth Council and Young Mentors Group, and is the backbone of the East Side Pride Open Mic. Although just a senior in high school, she has been working for several years to make a positive difference for young people in District 1.

​We congratulate all three of our honorees and look forward to more great things!
​With each of our honorees is City Council President Russ Stark and District 1 President Paul Sawyer...