January 2016
The Porch Lite
Neighborhood News from the Summit-University Planning Council
SUPC
Upcoming Events

Thursday, Jan. 14
Nightmare on St. Paul Streets
Arnellia's Bar  
1183 University Ave. W.
6:30-11PM

Monday, Jan. 18
Martin Luther King March, sponsored by Black Lives Matter
Meet at Longfellow Elementary School
318 Moore Street
1PM

Monday, Jan. 18
Community Safety and Improvement Committee Meeting
Community Room
627 Selby, 6PM

Tuesday, Jan. 19
Western Police District Communication Meeting
Western District Community Room 
389 Hamline N.
9:30 AM and 6:30 PM

Tuesday, Jan. 19
Neighborhood Development Committee Meeting
Community Room
627 Selby, 6:30 PM

Tuesday, Jan 26
Black Lives Matter Community Meeting
Rondo Library
5-7PM

Tuesday, Jan. 26
SUPC Board Meeting
Community Room,627 Selby, 6:30PM 

Thursday, Jan. 28
Pints and Play
Tin Whiskers, 125 E.9th Street, St. Paul
6-8PM

Friday, Feb. 5
Dai Thao Office Hours
Golden Thyme Cafe
1-2PM

Thursday, Feb. 4
Dai Thao Office Hours
Dayton Avenue Presbyterian Church
217 Mackubin
4:30-5:30PM 
 
 
 
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Meet Amy Michael
It's January 2016 and I'd like to welcome in the New Year with a short message as the new Chair of the Board. In August I will have lived in Minnesota for 26 years. I moved into the Summit-University Neighborhood in 1990 and I have not left.  I love this neighborhood. It is rich with diversity and I would not want to trade that for anything. I've watched the neighborhood evolve, people move in, people move out, buildings get remodeled, business come and go. Changes are inevitable and cannot be stopped, and sometimes the changes come with controversy and disagreement and that is to be expected. My hope is that all who live in the neighborhood feel that they have a voice and are welcome and know that there is a place for them to come when and if they have information, concerns, or curiosity about Summit-University.  Please help us be informed about what we can do to better serve you.
Car2Go
Car2Go, the car-sharing service that includes very short-term rentals and privileged parking opportunities, will be continuing its service in the "core urban area" of Saint Paul, which includes Summit-University, as long as the trip (and payment period) ends anywhere within the company's designated home area.  Beginning March 1, drivers will no longer be able to park the little cars for free in Saint Paul beyond an area bounded by Eustis Street to Shepard Road and Minnehaha Avenue to St. Clair Avenue.  Car2Go will continue to operate at least 100 cars in St. Paul, reimbursing the city $600 per vehicle for the use of public meters and the public right-of-way.
Winter Carnival 
The Saint Paul Winter Carnival has been a Saint Paul winter tradition since 1886, and is known as the "Coolest Celebration on Earthâ„¢"!

Come and enjoy a host of fun activities as part of the celebration, including the Royal Coronation, Grande Day Parade, Outdoor Beer Dabbler, Winter Carnival Medallion Hunt, Kid's Day, Snow Sculpting in Vulcans Snow Park in Como Park, Klondike Kate Cabarets, Historic Art Exhibit, and the Torchlight Parade.

Events are held throughout the city, with many centered in downtown Saint Paul in the Landmark Center and Rice Park, including the Royal Courtyard, Ice Sculpture display, Ice Bar, and Live Entertainment!

For a complete listing of events please visit the Saint Paul Winter Carnival website at www.wintercarnival.com.
Pints and Play Date for Adults
Play. Socialize. Innovate
  
Join Museum play experts and invite your friends to a play date just for adults. There will be  play, talk, and great fun all with some of the most interesting beverages being brewed in the metro area.

Pints & Play is a series of monthly social events for 21+ parents and future-parents. People will gather to enjoy a local pint or two and experience first-hand the innovation and creativity that comes from play. In other words, this is play for adults with the added bonus of enjoying some of the most creative beers in the metro area. 

Pints & Play is hosted at Minneapolis-St. Paul taprooms and facilitated by Minnesota Children's Museum play experts.

WHEN:  Thursday, January 28, 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

WHERE:   Tin Whiskers Brewing Company, 125 East 9th St.

TICKETS:  $15 via  Eventbrite (includes 1 beer and appetizers)

Buy your ticket today - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pints-play-tickets-20111319498
News from Hallie Q. Brown

The Children's Christmas by Roger Barr 
Roger Barr, an author who has been supporting area hunger relief for many years now, writes a short story every year that is published in the Highland Villager.  Roger read his story at several venues, raising $1300 for the HQB food shelf.

Edina Realty & Twin Cities Geek Community Go Big in Toy Donations
HQB served as a Toys for Tots distribution site for the Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood and Summit-University area as well as Hallie's Toy Shop, a free service where our neighbors can "shop" for toys to make their family  holiday a little brighter. Hallie Q. Brown has generous donors such as Kevin O'Brien of Edina Realty who gives a Christmas Tree to people in exchange for donating a new toy. The toy collection numbered 151.  In addition, Twin Cities Geek, an online culture magazine,  launched an inaugural Twin Cities-wide geek toy & book drive, which resulted in the donation of 504 combined toys, games, and young people's books. 

All together we served over 600 children and their families and made the season a little brighter for a few people.

Goodbyes 
Hannah Ellis has left Hallie Q. Brown in December. Hannah's tenure spanned 7 years, and exemplified dedi cation, 
creativity,  and hard work.  She made an indelible imprint on HQB and will be missed by all.

Steve Wilson
When Steve Wilson said, "I decline," when asked if he would serve another term as SUPC board president at the November board meeting, a silence followed. Steve had been board chair for 21 years and most board members had never known another chair. Amy Michael was elected as the new chair, saying he would be a hard act to follow.

Although Wilson now lives in Woodbury, he was born and raised  in the family home at Carroll Avenue and Milton Street, attended St. Peter Claver School, and served as an altar boy at St. Peter Claver Church and the Cathedral of St. Paul. He went to the University of North Dakota, where he majored in business administration and played football but later returned to St. Paul.

He and his family lived in Frogtown for many years before moving to Woodbury, and he has worked for 39 years for Xcel Energy.

Wilson joined the board of the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center in the early 1990s and then was asked to be the center's district council representative. before assuming the top post, he served as the SUPC's vice president. Now, although he says "I just enjoy community service," he and his wife Mona want to spend more time with their grandchildren--he has two grown sons--and follow their interests in travel, sports, and music. 
Wilson told reporter Jane McClure of the Villager that if he is remembered for anything for his years of service on the SUPC, he would like it to be as one who looked out for the neighborhood and improved the relationships among its various groups, including the Ramsey Hill Association, the Cathedral Hill Business Association, and the Selby Area Community Development Corporation. He said he believes the Summit-University neighborhood is headed in the right direction. "I'm glad to have played a role in things, and helped set a direction for the future," he said. 

Excerpted from Nov. 11 Villager article by Jane McClure
Job Opportunity at SUPC!
We are currently seeking applicants for a Community Organizer/ Block Club Coordinator position with SUPC. This is a great opportunity to work with the Summit-University Planning Council! 

The Community Organizer is a half-time position (20 hrs/week, flexible hours), which involves outreach efforts to residents and community organizations in the Summit-University neighborhood. These outreach efforts will include such SUPC initiatives as block club development and community meetings.

Shop with Cops
Police officers bring Holiday cheer by building connections with community. The St. Paul Police Department is bringing a positive light to the relationship between police officers and the Summit-University and Frogtown communities by continuing the Shop with Cops program. In its 15th successful year, the Shop With Cops program has worked as a tool to help low income families in St. Paul to be able to have a chance to purchase a little Holiday Cheer for their families. The program started in the Winter of 2000. Young kids in Kindergarten up to 6th grade are selected to be a part of Shop with Cops program. The program gives each child around $50-$100, pairs the youngster with a police personnel and gives the duo a chance to roam the aisles while the children pick items to give to loved ones for the Holidays. The program focuses on building relationships between the young shoppers and the officers by taking the outing one step further by having the eager children head back to the police station with the officers for snacks and to wrap their gifts together. This year the program linked 240 families with officers to shop for presents and connect in a positive manner.

Jeff Gardner, an SUPC board member, has been crucial to the continuation of this tradition. He has been connecting and collecting financial support by reaching out to various associations and businesses with the goal of keeping this 15-year tradition alive. This program helps develop ongoing positive relationships between our SUPC community and the St. Paul Police department.

If you would like to learn more about this program, donate, or volunteer, please check out the website below:
Give to the Max Day!
SUPC participated in Give To The Max Day this past year and would like to thank those who thought of us on that day. Your generous support helps us provide service to this community. 

You can donate to SUPC any time of the year by visiting our donation page on our website  http://www.summit-u.com/donations.html.
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