Will Coleman, new director of the Humphrey Job Corps Center, shares a laugh with guests during a "get to know you" breakfast on March 10.
The Birds Are Singing a Sad Song
The trumpeter swan. The American white pelican. The common loon. The mallard duck. The bald eagle. The Baltimore oriole. These are just 6 of the 166 bird species in Minnesota whose survival is threatened by climate change. In "What the Birds are Telling Us," photographer and birder Monica Bryand of St. Paul shares photos and stories from the special project she is working on through the National and Minnesota Audubon Societies. The free presentation is part of the District 10 Sunday Series, this Sunday March 13, 1-2:30 p.m. at the Visitors Center Auditorium of the Marjorie McNelly Conservatory. Co-sponsored by Como Zoo and Conservatory.
  • Next week's installment, on Sunday March 20, is "Building a Rain Garden." You can find more details -- and the remaining Sunday Series schedule -- on our website.
Photo: Pasadena Unified School District
We're Not Fooling Around About Safety

Our first-ever Family Safety Fair takes place Friday April 1 from 5:30-7 p.m. at North Dale Community Center. More than 20 exhibitors will share advice, precautions, and resources on increasing safety for you, your kids, elderly relatives or neighbors, pets, and more. The free event is co-sponsored by District 10 and Saint Paul Parks and Recreation. Grab more details on our website.
  • Come for the Fair, stay for the movie: After the Safety Fair, we'll show a free, family friendly movie, "Shaun the Sheep," in the North Dale gym. The movie begins at 7 p.m. 
  • Come for the Fair, grab for dinner: Because the Safety Fair takes place during dinnertime on a Friday, we'll have the Cave Café food truck parked outside, where you can purchase from a creative menu of burgers, salads, wraps, curries, and "Afro-Italiano" fusion. For desert, the neighborhood folks from Cravin' Pie will sell slices. 

 

How About Joining Us This Tuesday?
The District 10 Como Community Council holds its monthly meeting this Tuesday, March 15, at 7 p.m. Agenda items include:
  • First-hand updates from the managers of Como Dockside, the golf course, and Cozy's.
  • Consideration of a policy to act as a fiscal agent for neighborhood initiatives.
The meeting is at the Como Park Streetcar Station, northeast corner of Lexington and Horton. All neighborhood residents are welcome. So are representatives from businesses and nonprofits based in Como. 
How About Joining Us for Real?
District 10 will have elections in April for eight seats on the Como Community Council. We'll need representatives from every sub-district, plus from the district at-large. You can get all the details of how to become a candidate, what kind of commitment you're making, and more on our website.

Make sure you're registered: All residents age 18 or older who live in District 10 can vote in our April elections. So can authorized representatives of businesses or nonprofits based in District 10. If you haven't voted before, you can register online.
It's Time for Those Annual Spring Rituals
  • Daylight Savings Time returns this Sunday, March 13. Turn your clock ahead 1 hour. Forget about the sleep you'll lose; just enjoy the extra light at the end of the day.
  • A true sign of spring in these parts: Connie's Creamy Cone reopens this Sunday, March 13.
  • In case you're not paying attention, yes, St. Patrick's Day is this week. The city's official parade is this Thursday, March 17, from noon-2 p.m. downtown. But the fun runs, bar revelry, and other celebrations are already under way and carry on through March 19, as far as we can tell.
  • It's also time to hang with the Easter Bunny. North Dale Community Center hosts Lunch with the Bunny next Saturday, March 19, from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Lunch includes an egg hunt, crafts, and more. Cost is $2, or $5 for the whole family. Children 10 or younger must be accompanied by an adult. North Dale is at 1414 N. St. Albans; for details, call 651-558-2329.
  • Como Dockside also has Easter Bunny festivities the weekends of March 19-20 and March 26-27. Activities run 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at the Pavilion. They include egg hunts, a bounce house, surrey rides, and hay rides.
But Before We Get Rid of Winter...
The Como Park Snowsports Booster Club hosts its annual Après-ski Season Dinner and Fundraiser next Saturday, March 19. Keynote speaker is Anthony Taylor, adventures director for the Loppet Foundation. He will speak about creating outdoor opportunities for all communities. That fits perfectly with the booster club's mission, which supports access to snow sports for youth from minority and immigrant communities.

The evening includes dinner, live music, a cash bar, and a silent auction. The event  runs from 6:30-9 p.m.  at the Como Park Chalet, 1431 Lexington Parkway N. Tickets are $50 before this Sunday, March 13; $10 more if you buy them after that. You can buy tickets or get more details online.
Get a Composting Bin Dirt Cheap
Ramsey County residents can get $20 off a basic backyard composting bin -- which means you'll pay only $39 for a 10-cubic-foot bin. When you place your order online, enter the promo code "ramsey." Or call 651-641-4589 and mention that you are a Ramsey County resident. Order your bin in advance to pick up:
  • Friday April 22 at the Roseville Oval
  • Saturday April 30 at the Ramsey County Parks facility in Maplewood
  • Saturday June 11 at WestRock in Saint Paul
Public enemy #1
More Ash Trees Will Bite the Dust
St. Paul's forestry department will remove 28 more ash trees from District 10 this spring. The trees will be removed along Jessamine between Dale and Como; Grotto north of Jessamine to the railroad tracks; and California between Lexington and Oxford. An additional 112 ash trees will be removed just east of District 10, primarily along Cottage and Arundel east of Dale.

Adjacent property owners will receive a postcard notifying them of the tree removal. They'll also get a door hangar about what species can be planted in place of the ash tree. Trees will be marked 1-2 weeks in advance and, as long as weather cooperates, stumps will be removed at the same time. More in-depth information about the impact of the emerald ash borer on the city's urban forest is available online.
Photo: Star Tribune
St. Paul is Still Talking Trash 
The Saint Paul City Council wants to know what we think about organized trash collection. Council members have kicked off a three-month community conversation about whether to undo the current open system, in which individual property owners hire our own waste hauler.
  • If you're wondering what this is all about, see the city's web page. The page also tells you how to share a copy of your current waste bill, so council members and city staff understand how much we pay now for various levels of service.
  • If you've got an opinion, fill out the city's survey to voice your thoughts.
  • If you want more information on the history, advantages, and disadvantages of how trash is collected in the city, see a study from the Mac-Groveland Community Council.
  • If you want to learn more in person, mark your calendar for Sunday April 17. That's when's District 10's Sunday Series offers "Garbage 101." We'll look at trash collection in the bigger picture of recycling and waste reduction in general.
How to Gain More Influence
St. Paul is accepting applications for vacancies on 19 commissions, including the Board of Zoning Appeals, Planning Commission, Neighborhood and Cultural STAR programs, Board of Water Commissioners, and even the organization that oversees the Cafesjian Carousel in Como Park. You can find the complete list and the commissions' duties online. Applications should be submitted online; the deadline is Sunday April 17.
The Soccer Stadium and Beyond
For those of you who prefer not to attend our monthly District 10 meeting, the City of St. Paul is holding an open house on the proposed Snelling and University development at the same time -- Tuesday March 15 at 7 p.m. The open house will show off plans for the soccer stadium, parks, and new commercial development that are envisioned.

The open house is in the Buenger Education Center on the Concordia University campus. If you're entering campus from the Hamline side, enter Building 6 (the E.M. Pearson Theatre) and look for signs to the education center. If you enter closer to the Syndicate side, enter Buildings 4, 9 or 10, and again look for signs to get you where you're going. And good luck. 
Music to Soothe the Wild Beast
Lyngblomsten's monthly Second Sunday Concert features harpist Andrea Stern, from the MacPhail Center for Music. The free concert is this Sunday, March 13, from 2-3 p.m. in the Newman-Benson Chapel at Lyngblomsten, 1415 Almond Ave. The event is open to the entire community.
 
The Library Goes Hi-Tech
The newly renovated George Latimer Central Library shows off its new Nicholson Workforce and Innovation Center Lab this Saturday, March 12, from 3-4:30 p.m.  You can be part of demonstrations and a hands-on tour of all the new equipment installed specifically for adults, including a recording studio with a four-person editing suite, two isolation booths, and software; a digital SLR camera and laptops with Adobe Creative Cloud software that can be checked out; a 3D printer and laser engraver; digitization equipment; and a computerized sewing machine. The library is downtown at 90 W. 4th St.
The Library Goes Traditional
Two events at St. Paul libraries next week feature Native American approaches to food and wellness.
  • This Monday, March 14, gardeners from the Little Earth Community Garden will talk about how they live out cultural values around growing and using traditional and medicinal plants. The presentation is 6-7 p.m. at Hamline Midway Library, 1558 W. Minnehaha Ave.
  • This Thursday, March 17, executive director Diane Wilson discusses Dream of Wild Health, a Native-led organic farm in Hugo. The presentation is 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Merriam Park Library, 1831 Marshall Ave.
Now That the Warm Weather is Here...
The annual tree sale is underway for Friends of the Parks and Trails of St. Paul and Ramsey County. You can buy a tree, rosebush or shrub for yourself, or buy a tree to donate to a local park. The deadline to order online is Friday April 22. You can pick up your order on Saturday May 7.
These Things Will Be Here Before You Know It
District 10 is organizing these events this spring. Put them on your calendar now; stay tuned to our website for more details.
  • Clean Energy Forum: Sunday April 24, 1-2:30 p.m., Como Park Streetcar Station
  • Como Park Neighborhood Garage Sale: Saturday May 14
  • Como Park Neighborhood Seed and Seedling Swap: Saturday May 21, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Como Park Streetcar Station

Before You Forget

  • This Tuesday, March 15: Como Park High School Parent and Community Council. 6-7:30 p.m., Career Resource Center in the school, 740 W. Rose Ave. All parents are welcome. Discussion includes scheduling for next school year.
  • This Wednesday, March 16: "Our History, Our Voices" brainstorming session, sponsored by Wilder Foundation's Neighborhood Leadership Program and Minnesota Historical Society. 5:30-7:30 p.m., Wilder Foundation, 451 Lexington Parkway N. Free, but registration is required
  • This Thursday, March 17: Deadline to nominate a person, organization, or project for the annual Saint Paul Heritage Preservation Awards.
  • Wednesday March 23: Deadline to apply for grants or loans through St. Paul's Neighborhood STAR program. Applications must be received by 4 p.m.
  • Saturday April 23: 30th annual St. Paul Citywide Cleanup. 9-11:30 a.m., Como Park and six other locations.
Fire Prevention Tip of the Week

Never try to extinguish a stove-top fire with water, the St. Paul Fire Department warns, because water makes a grease fire explode.

  • The safest way to extinguish a stove-top cooking fire: Slide a tight-fitting lid on top of the pot or pan and turn the burner off. 
  • The high-tech way to extinguish a stove-top cooking fire: Install a StoveTop FireStop extinguisher over your cooktop. The maintenance-free devices attach to your range hood or microwave hood.
The Latest Crime Report for Our Neighborhood
At the Fairgrounds      
  • This Saturday, March 12: North Star Roller Girls, Warner Coliseum, 7 p.m.
  • This Sunday, March 13: Riders & Ribbons Horse Show, AgStar Arena, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
The Road Closures Start... 
  • Larpenteur Ave. will be closed between Rice and Jackson Streets this Wednesday, March 16, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. for rail work by the Canadian Pacific.
  • The City Council has penciled in April 6 for the public hearing on Phase 2 of the Como-Chatsworth street reconstruction project. Hearings begin at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall.
Spread the Word
District 10 is one of Saint Paul's 17 citizen participation districts. The District 10 Como Community Council is a nonprofit organization, governed by a Board of Directors who are elected by members of the community. The Council's mission is to inform, educate, and connect the neighborhood to increase community pride and confidence. 

You are receiving this email because you expressed interest in District 10 activities.